NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 71
Chapter 71: The Doubts of the Most Fearsome Marquis
After concluding his meeting with Jilvol, Giorg returned to his lodgings and slumped down at his desk. To his four subordinates, it was clear that Giorg was more exhausted than they had ever seen him before.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Cain spoke to Giorg, who looked visibly worn out.
“Yeah, it was a close call…”
Giorg let out a deep sigh, prompting the four to exchange glances. It was rare to see Giorg so drained.
“My lord, was King Jilvol really that formidable?”
Ride’s question was met with a nod from Giorg.
“Yeah, he’s on par with King Alzeis and Crown Prince Ilzam. He’s a terrifying opponent.”
At Giorg’s words, his subordinates gulped. To them, Alzeis and Ilzam were incredibly capable individuals, and they believed Giorg was worthy of serving such figures.
“Lord Giorg, may I ask something?”
Aisha hesitantly spoke up. She had debated whether to bring it up later, given Giorg’s exhaustion, but her curiosity got the better of her.
“What is it?”
“Ah, yes. You had mentioned that the ultimate goal was to sign a non-aggression pact with Zabeiru. But this time, you abandoned that idea, which I find puzzling…”
“Good point. So, Aisha… what do you think is the purpose of a mutual non-aggression pact?”
“Huh? Well, of course… it’s for security, right?”
Aisha’s response was a bit hesitant, as if the answer was too obvious to be worth stating.
“That’s the reason.”
Giorg’s reply was so brief that the four exchanged confused glances, unsure of his intent. Noticing their confusion, Giorg decided to elaborate.
“A mutual non-aggression pact is for security. But with Jilvol Zabeiru, it’s meaningless. No, worse than meaningless—it could become a liability.”
“A liability…?”
Aisha’s bewildered voice echoed the thoughts of the other three. Calling a non-aggression pact a liability seemed like an exaggeration.
“Yes, undoubtedly a liability. Normally, if a country that signed a non-aggression pact broke it and invaded, most people would think, ‘No way, right?'”
“Y-yes.”
“Even if we caught signs of an invasion and reported it, it would be easy to imagine people dismissing it as ‘overthinking.'”
“True…”
“Considering how much time that would waste, it could lead to a very bad situation.”
At Giorg’s explanation, the four began to nod in understanding.
“From your perspective, is Jilvol Zabeiru a man worthy of trust?”
“Huh?”
“He’s not a malicious person. In fact, he has the demeanor of a saint who can dedicate himself to others.”
“A saint? Then wouldn’t he be trustworthy?”
“If it were about those belonging to Zabeiru, he would be the most trustworthy ruler. But for Galvate, that’s not the case.”
“Ah!!”
Aisha let out a sound of realization, and the other three nodded in agreement.
“Got it? Jilvol Zabeiru is a man who doesn’t hesitate to use any means when it comes to those outside Zabeiru. You probably already sensed that his victory over Flastarl wasn’t achieved through conventional means, right?”
The four nodded. They had shared information about the war starting today, but they never expected news of victory to come so quickly. General Kodelance, who led the Flastarl Empire, was a renowned commander, and even Hector Zabeil couldn’t have achieved such a swift victory.
“Of course, I’m not saying it’s dirty. In a situation where defeat means annihilation, sticking to conventional methods and facing destruction would be far more problematic. The issue is whether a non-aggression pact can restrain someone who doesn’t hesitate to use any means.”
“Yes.”
“Jilvol Zabeiru would likely use the non-aggression pact to his advantage, exploiting the other side’s complacency. For us, signing such a pact would only become a shackle.”
The four nodded, finally understanding Giorg’s reasoning. His insight into Jilvol Zabeiru’s character was evident. Giorg’s relentless gathering of information about House Zabeiru since sensing unrest in the Gildolq Kingdom had paid off.
“But…”
Giorg’s next words carried a hint of doubt, which the four quickly picked up on.
“Why… did Jilvol Zabeiru himself bring up the idea of not signing a non-aggression pact? I had no intention of even mentioning it. From his perspective, proposing such a pact would have been more beneficial. It could have been useful later.”
The four chuckled at Giorg’s confusion.
“What? Do you know the reason?”
At Giorg’s question, the four laughed again.
“It’s reassuring to know even you have things you don’t understand, my lord.”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Well~ I never thought Lord Giorg would miss something so simple. This just proves how much you need us.”
“Roy!! Don’t get too familiar with Lord Giorg.”
“What? Aisha, you’re glad he didn’t figure it out too, right?”
“W-well… yes, but…”
The four laughed merrily, while Giorg frowned in displeasure. It seemed they had no intention of revealing the answer.
“We apologize, my lord, but if we tell you, our existence would lose its meaning. Please forgive us.”
Ride said with a wry smile, and Giorg tilted his head, still looking annoyed.
The reason Jilvol brought up not signing a non-aggression pact was simple: just as Giorg highly evaluated and was wary of Jilvol, Jilvol also highly evaluated and was wary of Giorg. Giorg wasn’t the type to underestimate himself, but he hadn’t expected Jilvol to be so cautious of him.
(Perhaps Jilvol’s side is also wondering why Giorg so easily backed down.)
Thinking this, the four exchanged amused glances, imagining how Jilvol’s subordinates might be discussing the same thing.
“Really… what’s going on?”
Giorg let out an annoyed sigh, his expression clearly displeased.
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