Gasi

Chapter 2 – Whirlpool of Schemes.

Part 1The dukedom noble Viscount Continerri's territory was located one day worth of travel away from Mulberry. It was practically the war frontline. His face twisted as though he had bitten a sour grape when he heard the report about the dukedom army's complete defeat.

It was such a large army. In addition it seemed there were also secret agents of Europa Religion participating in the battle. And yet they still tasted defeat to such degree.

──Perhaps the dukedom had weakened even more than he thought.

He didn't know about other nobles, but in case the kingdom army sallied out from Mulberry, his territory was a strategic location that would become the very first place to be targeted.

If he couldn't expect any reinforcement from the dukedom, Continerri territory would be trounced by the kingdom army in the near future. When his castle was brought down, Continerri's head would be exposed at the castle gate for all to see.

Continerri shivered.

Although he was a noble who swore loyalty to the dukedom, he never considered his loyalty as something that he would maintain even if it brought him destruction.

「Really, even that so called secret force of the pope can only talk big!」

If only they could at least kill Baldr, he wouldn't need to feel lost like this.

Continerri clenched his right hand so hard it even turned white. A secret message had reached him just the other day.

It was a message from a refugee noble who was working hard to divide the dukedom nobles after Silk was pressuring them.

This wasn't the first time this kind of secret message reached him. He simply ignored those messages until now.

──However the situation had changed.

Continerri was starting to think that he could use this as justification to switch side to Baldr right now.

「I also heard that the reinforcement from Answerer Kingdom has arrived but...」

The number of soldier that Answerer Kingdom could field was number one in the continent. No other country could match it.

Continerri was dissatisfied that the number of the reinforcement was only 20000.

He couldn't help but doubt whether Answerer Kingdom seriously wanted the dukedom to win. After all Answerer Kingdom had the national power that could easily send 50000 or 100000 soldiers to expedition to another nation if they felt like it.

And yet why did they only send 20000? Would they be able to win with just that many soldiers?

Continerri too wanted the dukedom to win if possible.

After all it was hard to think that the nobles would be treated as well as now if Baldr who was supported by the maritime guild took over.

He wanted to live in the dukedom where the superiority of the nobles was fundamentally established. But, staying in the losing side and getting killed was the only thing that he refused to accept.

「Now then, what to do now?」

There was an information that suddenly came to Continerri at this timing.

Baldr and Mikhail got into a duel that ended up in a draw──it was a story that he found hard to believe at first, but Continerri was instinctually convinced that this information was true.

It might be fake information if it said that Baldr won, but there was no reason for Baldr's side to advertise a duel that ended up in a draw.

That also meant that the 20000 reinforcement that Mikhail was leading only had that number 20000 and nothing more.

Mikhail had a legendary close quarter combat ability. But even someone like him couldn't defeat Baldr. In that case the battle would be decided simply by the number of troops.

「As I thought, I should take measures. Fortunately I have a present.」

Continerri had a trump card that other nobles didn't have.

It was none other than the information that the pope was targeting Baldr.

The information that a religious organization like Europa Church was sending assassin was really significant.

「Even so, there might not be any need for me to switch side right away. With this information it might also be possible for me to ask them to remove my territory from being targeted.」

「──Sleep talk when you are sleeping.」

「Who?」

Continerri couldn't even turn around before a blade with dull glint was pushed out of his chest with a blood splash.

The intelligence agent of Europa Church's special corrective force Martell had infiltrated inside from somewhere and stabbed Continerri's heart with his short sword.

It was a perfect assassination where his presence and killing intent weren't detected.

「Hmph, do you think that we would left a man who can't be trusted like you alone?」

They couldn't possibly allow anyone to know about the mission that the church carried out in darkness.

Regardless whether the mission succeeded or failed, he had planned to kill Continerri from the start because of his needless prying.

Martell laid down Continerri who had turned into an unspeaking corpse and muttered in disgust.

「Unfortunately we can't kill Valerie. So you should at least make yourself useful in your death as a warning to him.」

.

Part 2Viscount Continerri died an unnatural death. That information brought a shock among the kingdom and dukedom that were in deadlock.

The dukedom that was utterly beaten in the campaign where they staked their dignity, and the kingdom that was pressed to reorganize due to Piaggio's assassination.

For Baldr and others in the kingdom's army who were in high spirit right now after their reinforcement arrived, the fact that this incident happened while the small feudal lords were still continuing to side with the dukedom was significant.

In the end, why did the viscount die? If he was killed, then who in the world did it?

The side that made the first move was as expected the dukedom that was in their element.

The dukedom government announced that Viscount Continerri tried to switch side to the kingdom side, at the same time they appointed Baron Pierro whose territory was adjacent to Viscount Continerri to be the new feudal lord of the viscount territory.

Continerri territory was immediately occupied by the force of Baron Pierro and dukedom army. Viscount Continerri's family was captured and sent to the capital Millianna.

.

「Watch the fate of the traitors!」

The family of Continerri was beheaded one after another at the scaffold that was set up in the middle of a plaza when they arrived at the capital.

Although it was a scene that often happened at the time when the kingdom was destroyed, there were a lot of commoners who rejoiced in watching this kind of brutal spectacle. The plaza was immediately filled with throngs of people.

However there were also many people who were unable to watch calmly.

As everyone knew, it was the nobles who also received invitation to switch side just like Continerri.

(That might be me tomorrow.)

(Even so, just how did the dukedom find out?)

It wasn't like Continerri had openly betrayed the dukedom.

He didn't gather soldier, or handed over his territory to the kingdom.

There was only information that a letter that promised to collude with the kingdom had been found as the proof.

The feared the intelligence agency of the dukedom that obtained that information.

「However things went well for Baron Pierro.」

「He obtained half of Viscount Continerri's territory and it seems his rank will also be raised.」

「Even though no one will do something foolish like this if it's clear that the dukedom will be the winner.」

「It will be better for you to not say anything careless. In a sense this is a good chance to obtain accomplishment you know?」

The nobles were watching the execution from afar with pale face. Jack sported a dark smile gloomily seeing that.

「Let me see, just how many among those people will betray me.」

「──It will be better to not say something unlucky like that.」

It was Valerie who replied to Jack brazenly without any reservation.

The intelligence agency of this country was an organization that Valerie rebuilt from scratch. The organization was still under Valerie's strong influence even now when he had retired as its director.

Anyone who in the know would say that Valerie was the ruler of the dukedom's darkness. Even now his power was still unshakeable.

「This case become a good chance to make an example. They too won't betray the kingdom as long as the dukedom isn't defeated once more in the battlefield.」

「──That's what he said. Do you hear that, Olten?」

「I will take those words to heart. I swear I will present a victory for the dukedom.」

After Cesare died, Olten officially returned to the post of great general. He was standing at attention at the right side behind Jack and lightly bowed his head.

(I won't let you do as you please in this country, Ramillies!)

Now that he had completely took control of the dukedom army, he was able to place capable talent in high positions and increased the battle strength of the dukedom army.

It was a result that more than made up the previous defeat.

Even so Olten was considering that it would be a herculean task to oppose the kingdom under Baldr's leadership head on.

If he was going to fight then he had to win no matter what. For that, it wasn't enough with just Olten's skill, Mikhail's cooperation was also indispensable.

The advantage for the dukedom was that they just needed to kill Baldr alone and everything would be over.

When speaking of the one with the highest possibility to take down Baldr in the battlefield, there could be nobody else except Mikhail.

The problem was the beastman race's volunteer army that came from Nordland Empire.

From Olten's assessment, only Baldr and Ramillies were able to lead a big army as a general at the enemy's side. Silk and the other commanders there were completely not their match.

However Gitze was a veteran general who had continued fighting against Gartlake Kingdom until now. He was an opponent that he absolutely had to be vigilant against.

Even if it was impossible for Gitze to lead a human army, having a general who was thoroughly knowledgeable with the knack of controlling an army and not having one had a world of difference.

Mikhail against Baldr, Olten against Ramillies...then, who among his subordinates would be able to face Gitze?

Olten was unable to measure Gitze's strength accurately.

「First we better reinforce Baron Pierro. There is no guarantee that the kingdom won't take advantage of the chaos.

Olten nodded with a conflicted expression at Valerie's warning.

「I already sent three thousand of my subordinates to solidify the defense there. There are also twenty thousand troops at the rear, ready for battle anytime.」

「As expected from your excellency, perhaps I have spoken needlessly.」

「No, I'm thankful for your warning.」

Although both of them belonged to the same camp, Valerie was someone who he couldn't let his guard down to. Olten lightly bowed his head at Valerie.

Other than the fools, there were only the archduke and Olten in this dukedom who didn't feel timid toward Valerie at all.

Valerie was someone useful for the dukedom, but he was wrapped in too much darkness. Olten perceived Valerie as someone who would swallow him into darkness if he carelessly approached him.

As expected even for Olten, Valerie's ambition to renew Trystovy that had started even before the destruction of the kingdom was something that was completely beyond his imagination.

「I shall write the list of the nobles who the kingdom is reaching out to and hand it to the great general later.」

「I'm grateful for your assistance.」

It was a silver lining that with what happened to Viscount Continerri, it became easier to obtain the cooperation of the nobles.

It also really helped how Baron Pierro was immediately rewarded lavishly.

For now they had been given time to think up a method to win the war with certainty.

.

Part 3Valerie was laughing loudly inside his heart at the execution when the sun had set and he returned to his mansion.

Looking only at the exterior, it was a small and plain mansion. No one would possibly imagine that this was the residence of the person who controlled Trystovy Dukedom's darkness.

However the inside was no different than a fortress.

The basement boasted a size that was five times bigger than the mansion at the surface. Soldiers were patrolling inside the ground with strict security.

Furthermore trained military dogs were using their excellent sense of smell to guard against anyone suspicious.

Even if the whole dukedom was searched, there would be no other residence with stricter security than this Count Ost's residence.

「──Welcome back, my lord.」

「I have kept you waiting Caolila. Has anything significant happened?」

「Yes at the moment. It seems that the execution was really effective.」

The old butler who was called Caolila lifted the corner of his lips wickedly with his lips twitching as though he was laughing.

This man was ten years younger than Valerie, but he had reached his seventy. This man was actually the leader of the intelligence agency that was Ost House's pride.

He was an extraordinary expert who had the most complete knowledge in this Trystovy Dukedom. He was the confidant among confidants for Valerie.

Such person had come to welcome Valerie personally. There was no way nothing had happened.

He intentionally didn't specify further about it. It must be because the matter was something that couldn't be said or because there was no need for it.

Valerie handed his coat to Caolila with a practiced movement. He had quickly guessed the reason why Caolila was here.

「I'm sorry to disturb you when you have just returned home, but can I ask for a little bit of your time, father?」

The current head of Ost House, Batista was Valerie's son who was the most similar with him if only his appearance was taken into consideration. His fingers were playing with his blonde hair that he inherited from his father.

Of course Valerie knew very well that this was the habit of his son when he was in a bad mood.

「I won't say that I don't have time, but isn't there something else that you should say?」

Valerie casually talked with a wry smile, but that didn't reach his eyes.

He was the shadow ruler of Trystovy. He was someone cold who wouldn't be shaken at the slightest even if his son died right before his eyes. Batista was suddenly panicking when Valerie's cold gaze caught him.

「M-my apologies. You must be tired after accompanying his majesty the archduke. I'm glad to see that father is in good health.」

Batista bowed with his back drenched with cold sweat.

He couldn't oppose his father no matter what when his father's powerful cold gaze was turned toward him.

Even though he had turned twenty and inherited the seat of Ost House's house head, the pecking order between his father and him hadn't changed at the slightest.

That could be seen even now from how Archduke Jack didn't allow Valerie to hand over his title to his son. That matter was something that greatly frustrated Batista.

Batista didn't know about the fact that his father Valerie was in control of the intelligence agency that ruled the dukedom from behind the scene.

From that it could be seen what position Batista occupied within Valerie's heart. He was only an existence that was the house head of Ost House in name only. He was there just so Valerie could push off all the miscellaneous tasks to him.

But Batista believed that the reason he was entrusted with the count house was because of the blood flowing inside his body as the eldest son and his ability. He held no doubt about it.

His sense of inferiority toward his father and his dissatisfaction from receiving unfair treatment had been continuing to grow violent to a degree that made him forgot his fear toward his father for all these many years.

The impetus that made his dissatisfaction exploded was the information that entered Batista's ear at the afternoon today.

「...I heard a story about how father is keeping a woman in the secondary residence.」

「You mean Kiana's residence. What about it? That residence's ownership should be still in my name.」

「There won't be any problem if that's all. But I can't ignore it at all if that woman is a beastman.」

Trystovy wasn't a land that was kind to beastman since a long time ago.

It was even more so since the coup d'etat happened and the country's connection with Answerer Kingdom deepened.

The scandal coming out from this prestigious Ost House had to be prevented by all possible means.

Batista wondered how in the world someone like his father could commit such carelessness. He was suspecting that perhaps his father had finally began to turn senile.

「What a deplorable thing. Who might be the one who brought this information to your attention?」

「Don't play stupid and dodge the question.」

Batista had no intention at all to allow his father to gloss over this matter with such jest. If things go well this could also be his chance to snatch away the real authority from Valerie.

He absolutely wouldn't let Valerie left things unsettled. Batista stood on Valerie's way and hounded him tenaciously.

「...Even though I have personally given the order to entertain that woman, there is a fool who needlessly blabbered. That fool has to be sentenced to death.」

「──Just now, what did you say?」

If Batista didn't mishear, Valerie had just given the order to kill?

Who? Could it be an order to kill the beastman in question?

「I said that I'm going to kill the fool who talked to you, Batista. It's my blunder that there is still a fool in this Ost House who would needlessly report to you.」

「P-p-please wait. There is no way such atrocious deed can be allowed! In the first place it is father who is doing a misdeed by keeping a beastwoman secretly!」

Valerie wasn't looking at Batista anymore.

「Caolila, search for those who had gone to Kiana's residence and kill them. I don't care how many people there are. If they resist then kill them all even if they are children or old man.」

「──By your will.」

「Wha-! Stop! Caolila, I order you to stop!」

「There is no need to worry. I won't commit a blunder that will leave a proof behind. Besides I also won't use any people of Ost House at all for this.」

Caolila smiled derisively with a fake courtesy before he bowed to Valerie.

「Then, I shall give my report tomorrow morning.」

「I told you to stop!」

Batista's facial expression turned furious and he yelled angrily. His cheeks were convulsing and his body was trembling with a fear that he couldn't comprehend.

「My master is Valerie-sama alone. I don't remember every serving Batista-sama. Please don't forget that there are also many people in this residence who are just like me.」

Batista lost the strength in his hips and fell down on the spot after being implicitly told that even though he was the house head on the surface, it was just for form's sake.

Anything and everything had been leaked out. Most likely Caolila had already known about everything since the beginning, no doubt about it.

Far from growing senile, Valerie had become even crueler than before. Batista clung on him without care about his appearance.

「F-f-forgive me! Please forgive me father.」

It was just like when he was still a child. Batista had no other option than doing this.

Valerie approached the groveling Batista and gently hugged his shoulders with a wide smiled that contained not a single trace of malice.

「Let me repeat the words that I told you the day I handed the seat of house head to you once more. I don't mind if you use this Ost House freely. I won't say any complain no matter what kind of way of life that you choose. Just don't get in my way. Do you understand?」

「Yh-yheess!」

「Good good, I too don't want to kill children, much less my own child.」

Even so if it was necessary, then Valerie would kill Batista without any hesitation.

Batista came into contact with his father's madness once more and sincerely regretted from harboring an excessive ambition.

His father wasn't a decent human. He was the demon king.

Even if there was something that he sincerely loved, he could trample what he loved while laughing. No, he was worse than that, he was a madman who would offer even what he loved as a sacrifice ecstatically.

If Batista wanted to live as long as possible, then he mustn't oppose him no matter what.

That night, there were six servants in Ost House's mansion who died from heart failure, but no one tried to question the matter.

.

Valerie opened a hidden door that was only known to Caolila other than him.

Behind it there was a stair that was dug deeply independent from the other underground passages. At the end of it was an underground prison that was strongly locked with thick wall and magic seal.

「──How are you doing right now, Martell-dono?」

Martell was chained inside the dark underground prison. When he heard the voice of the familiar old man, he finally understood what happened to him and laughed weakly.

──It seemed he was already set up into a trap since the early stage.

He had the memory of killing Continerri and getting out of the mansion. But then he suddenly felt dizzy and fell unconscious...was it drug, or perhaps magic?

He was already inside this underground prison when he opened his eyes.

A man as skilled as Martell was done in without even noticing it and carried here.

He couldn't recall ever making a blunder this big even when he was still a candidate in training. Just what kind of expert Valerie had working for him?

The church must be in uproar around this time from his disappearance.

Humiliation was burning his whole body, but Martell didn't show it at all on his expression and turned to face Valerie with a question.

「What is the meaning of this? Is the dukedom planning to turn the church into enemy?」

Martell bluffed for all he was worth. But as he expected, he was unable to agitate Valerie at all.

Martell's hands were suspended from the ceiling. He wanted to click his tongue seeing that his provocation didn't have any effect at all.

Valerie didn't even pay any mind to the conflict that Martell was feeling and smiled warmly.

「What are you saying? You are the one who killed a noble of our country. I'm not going to allow you to pretend to be ignorant at this point you know?」

「Hmph, I dealt with a fool who was going to betray the dukedom. You should thank me instead at the very least.」

「If only your side consulted with us beforehand, then we too wouldn't need to be rough like this.」

Valerie chuckled with good grace.

A bishop of the church assassinated a high ranked noble of the dukedom. If this matter was brought to light, even Europa Church wouldn't get away unscathed.

In several more days, the church might move to delete all the past records that recorded the existence of the man called Martell. No, perhaps it was already happening right now.

Buying time until that process was completed was also within the duty of him who was making this blunder. Martell easily accepted that.

Even with that the church wouldn't be able to avoid damage, but it was better than not doing anything.

「If that's what you are really thinking then you should let me go.」

「Unfortunately in my position I too can't possibly allow a foreigner to get away with a crime of assassination just because the victim is a criminal.」

「If you have the free time for this kind of thing, shouldn't you prioritize doing something about that Baldr Antrim Cornelius instead?」

「Of course. I'm having you come over like this is also because I want to do something about that matter.」

Valerie made a smile of madness that looked like it didn't belong to this world. Martell's back shivered with a chill the instant he saw that smile.

This man was dangerous. Baldr Antrim Cornelius was a dangerous man to have as an enemy, but Count Valerie Ost's existence itself was a dangerous poison.

He mustn't allow himself to be dragged by that madness. Martell's instinct was telling him that.

「──Why is the church considering him an enemy I wonder?」

「The answer is obvious. The throne of a royal family with such prestigious pedigree must never be allowed to fall into the hand of beastman.」

「Of course there is that. However that's not all there is to the church's true motive isn't it?」

There was a reason why the special corrective force that Martell belonged to even brought out the holy relic to deal with Baldr. Martell groaned when he noticed that the madman before his eyes was pointing that out.

He couldn't admit it, but he couldn't help but feel curious of just how much Valerie knew.

「A king of beastman cannot possibly be allowed to exist. That is the church's will, nothing more and nothing less.」

「──Is that so? So you are saying, that the existence of King's Gate that appear for the first time since the beast king is really not significant at all?」

Martell reflexively glared at Valerie and gulped.

He immediately realized his blunder, but in the first place this was a shock that he couldn't possibly hide in the first place.

「How did you...」

Perhaps he should stay quiet in order to keep the secrecy.

However for Martell right now, the bigger problem was how Valerie learned about the existence of the King's Gate.

Even in the church, only a very limited amount of people knew about the King's Gate. It was a secret among secrets.

Even though Valerie was the shadow ruler of Trystovy, this matter was something that far surpassed the level of what he could learn.

「Actually this isn't the first time that beastman blood got mixed into a royal family. Though this is something that must never be allowed to get out.」

Valerie spoke carelessly.

However the fact that he spoke was shocking. Valerie was saying that even before Baldr's entrance, the royal family of Trystovy was already polluted with beastman blood.

「Is it alright for you to tell me something like that?」

「It'll be easier to negotiate if both sides shared secret with each other.」

「──Negotiation?」

Martell glared at Valerie with suspicion.

He was forcibly kidnapped and imprisoned. There could be no negotiation at this point. That was what Martell thought.

「Then are you saying it's alright for the church and the dukedom to stay in hostility with each other like this? Do you think that it won't be a problem even if it come to light that the church has assassinated a dukedom noble and get kicked out of this Trystovy?」

Your threat is useless. Martell was unable to spurn Valerie with such words.

For the church, eliminating Baldr and the King's Gate's lineage was their supreme mission. It was inconceivable for them to intentionally increase the number of their enemies while being faced with such problem.

Furthermore this case wouldn't just stop in Trystovy. The church's reputation in the surrounding countries would also drop without a doubt.

There shouldn't be any proof for the assassination other than Martell's existence, but if it was Valerie, it was possible that he had prepared some kind of way. Martell had to consider that possibility.

If by any chance the personnel of the church got evicted out of the country because of this case, then they church might really become unable to do anything except watching the birth of a new beast king. Martell couldn't imagine the pope allowing such thing to happen.

「...I can't make a decision for something like this.」

「Of course, I don't expect such thing from you. But, I am predicting that my cooperation will be necessary for the church.」

「What are you saying after capturing me and hindering the church's mission?」

「I have already informed the pope's office about your capture. Now I only need you to return back and inform them about the situation accurately. Although I look like this, I'm also a pious believer of Europa you know?」

This was the first time Martell heard a lie this barefaced.

Even if heaven and earth were overturned, it was impossible that Valerie was someone who believed in god.

This was a man who lived with his whole body submerged in curse and grudge. There was no doubt that the person himself didn't wish for tranquility in his heart from holding faith to god.

「I think that even god has the right to choose his believer though.」

「What, it's insolence for a human to presume to know about what is going on in god's heart. Only by believing that human can be delivered salvation from this earthly life. Isn't it like that?」

This was Valerie's honest thought.

There were things that could only be saved by believing. That was exactly why Valerie was trying to destroy negative legacy that was nesting in Trystovy.

「Certainly, the will of god isn't something that we human can measure.」

Even so Martell couldn't believe at the slightest that the grace of Europa could be manifested through Valerie.

「The only thing that I can do is to make a honest report to my superior. Is that alright with you?」

Valerie agreed with a complacent smile that contained not a speck of malice in it.

「The dukedom won't have any chance of victory unless the King's Gate is sealed. I know that your group managed to seal the King's Gate using some kind of method. I won't ask you to tell me what this method is. But I wish that we can work together with each other when it's time to use it.」

If they shared the information accurately with the dukedom army, the future where Baldr was defeated in the battle the other day would also be possible.

Martell couldn't help but shudder at Valerie's terrifying ability of discernment.

Even though it was already shocking that Valerie knew about King's Gate, he also knew about the holy relic to some degree.

(Won't it be better if kill him here?)

Martell almost decided to use his last resort of killing the nearby enemy at the cost of his own life.

(No, this man is dangerous, but he is necessary in order to kill that beastman wannabe.)

It would be extremely difficult to kill Baldr in combat even with the strength of the church's special corrective force.

The church certainly wanted to work together with the dukedom. It was fine even if it was only indirectly. Unfortunately the church didn't have the military strength to invade Trystovy.

The possibility of his superiors accepting Valerie's suggestion was high with such realistic circumstances behind it.

「Then can you release me from this chain already? I'm also hungry so I'll be very thankful if you give me a warm soup.」

「I shall prepare our best dishes that is good for sick person to get back on their feet quickly.」

.

──The first preparation was going well.

If he directly suggested a negotiation to the church, Valerie knew that they would just evade the topic.

He had to capture Martell and made the church's shadowy force to grasp his side's capability to a certain degree. Without doing that, the church wouldn't sit on the negotiation table.

Valerie understood well that Baldr's complete victory had brought an impact to the church.

Now was the only time to join hand with them.

He would make the church and also Answerer Kingdom to be gone.

Valerie didn't have any intention to allow the church to continue their secret maneuvering behind the scene forever.

He would drag them out under the light and into destruction together with the dukedom. He would have all the factors that could harm the future of the new Trystovy to vanish.

To do that──Valerie hardened his resolve to seriously fight Baldr.

He wouldn't be able to obtain the church's trust unless he did that.

「How incorrigible. However I won't be able to defeat Baldr even if I use everything in my disposal. Besides even more blood should flow in this country.」

He would be troubled instead if the dukedom was easily destroyed and peace quickly arrived.

Trystovy should be made to bleed and exhausted even more so that nobody would wish for a muddy civil war to occur anymore, that nobody would even have the leeway to feel dissatisfied for having a king who descended from beastman.

「My friend. You surely won't forgive me who has fallen this low.」

He betrayed his friend's wish for him to be happy.

Exactly because of that, he had to complete his revenge that he put his whole life into no matter what.