Chapter 43：Ingenious Insanity

Michelle Van Dyme.

The 'Golden Hawk.'

Cunning, pragmatic and remarkably talented.

Those were the words commonly used by her fellow Breetish compatriots to describe her.

And she was the person that Lord George Liam Gudewill was going to meet right now.

Typically, George would have sent one of his vassals to handle things in his stead.

However, the fact that she is currently one of the royal admirals of the Breetish navy forced him to visit her personally.

Due to her efforts and achievements in severely crippling the Paniard's hold within the mainland the of continent, Michelle has since been promoted to the rank of royal admiral by the king himself.

In other words, she was someone that George needed to show respect to.

Especially since this was a meeting of national importance.

"Lord Gudewill, please wait here. Lady Michelle will be arriving shortly."

Soon, one of Michelle's officers led George into the parlour of her personal manor. Without even giving the officer a second glance, George silently sat down once he learned that Michelle wasn't even ready to meet him yet.

As the officer left the parlour, George glanced around the parlour only to find that for a noble's parlour, especially a noble of Michelle's status, it was surprisingly bare.

Most nobles often used the parlour as a way to impress their guests, decorating it with expensive or exotic luxuries and decorations to create a sense of wealth and power. Michelle's parlour, while still somewhat stylish was quite underwhelming for someone who's meant to be a royal admiral.

However, George wasn't given much time to linger on these thoughts.

Soon the parlour's doors were opened as a woman walked in.

She was dressed in a golden coat with black outlines which matched her similarly black hair and golden eyes.

Soon Michelle took her seat opposite to George before she spoke in a clear and confident voice.

"If it isn't George Gudewill."

George was confused by the rumours that he heard prior to this meeting that described Michelle as uncanny. From what George can see in front of him, she seemed to be a typical noblewoman. It was just that she happened to be an accomplished noble who was also a royal admiral.

Nevertheless, Michelle still continued to speak in a confident yet restrained tone.

"So... what brings the Taxmonger to my humble abode?"

"Tch."

George couldn't help clicking his tongue when he heard her say that hateful moniker. However, just as George opened his mouth to respond, he was quickly interrupted by Michelle.

"I apologise if I offended you there. There is no reason for there to be any conflict between us. We both serve the same crown after all."

"But of course..."

All that George could do was keep the bitterness from showing on his face and stop himself from clicking his tongue for the second time as he reluctantly agreed with Michelle.

"But that just brings me back to my original question. What brings Lord George Liam Gudewill to a little coast-side manor to the south?"

George continued to keep his face composed as he answered Michelle's question.

"Are you aware of a rather concerning plot against the Unified Kingdoms of Great Breeton by the Panish Empire? Our involvement in the Drussian-Panish war has drawn the ire of the Paniards. Now they have refocused their plans of conquest from Drussia to Breeton itself."

As George continued to explain the Panish plot, Michelle only sat silently as she listened to him.

"They will sail across the Breetish channel, landing to the north in the less defended Skotland before pushing southwards to take the rest of Breeton. What makes this even more troubling is how the Katholic Pope was even rumoured to give this entire invasion his consent."

When George concluded his explanation of the Panish plans, Michelle only nodded in silence before she spoke up to make her response.

"Ah yes I've heard of these rumours. They do sound quite troubling indeed don't they?"

As Michelle spoke, she still continued to keep that restrained, reserved tone despite the slight sarcasm within her voice.

"But what does that have to do with me?"

George could not help but raise his eyebrows when he heard Michelle's reply. With a slightly concerned voice, he spoke up.

"You're a member of the Breetish nobility. It has everything to do with you, lest you want to brave the hardships of being a turncoat."

Michelle put on a fake-looking pouting expression as she made her reply.

"Turncoat huh... Do you really think so little of me?"

This time, George wasn't able to stop some of the disdain from showing on his face.

"I'm allowed to think whatever I want of other people."

Instead of fake pouting, Michelle put on a smirk on her face when she agreed with George's opinion.

"I won't disagree with you there."

With that smirk still on her face, Michelle continued.

"However, that still doesn't change the question. Unless you just wanted to have a nice chat with me about our impending doom thanks to the Paniards, would you kindly stop beating around the bush?"

"Tch."

George once again clicked his tongue after he heard what Michelle had to say.

"Well?.."

With contempt in his voice, George revealed the real reason that he was meeting with Michelle.

"The king is seeking your advice or opinion on this matter. After all, you are the famed Michelle Van Dyme, who already put the Panish navy to shame before."

[And you're the very reason that we've drawn the ire of the Paniards in the first place.] As thoughts such as these ran George's mind, Michelle once again nodded as the expression on her face changed from her smirk to her neutral face.

Soon, she voiced her opinions.

"I suspected as much. While I appreciate the acknowledgement of my achievements, it must be made clear that a small escort fleet designed to only ferry a few thousand men is nothing compared to an Armada designed for invasion."

George took this moment to express his opinion.

"Exactly, that was what I-"

"Although, to me. This really isn't any different."

"Wait... what?"

However, his opinion was immediately cut short once Michelle interrupted him.

"What do you mean by that?"

Michelle's eyes seemed to look down on George as she made her response.

"I mean that if I could gather a sufficiently sized navy within a set time period, I can deal with this Panish plot with relative ease."

"What? You're not even going to at least convene with the other royal admirals?"

Michelle spoke in a matter of fact way when she answered George's question.

"What's the point? I don't require the assistance of others for such a trivial task."

Unable to believe what he is hearing, George continued to question Michelle.

"And how are you going to do such a thing?"

To George's surprise, Michelle answered his question with her own question.

"Is that even a question?"

It was at this moment, that George noticed a change in Michelle's golden eyes.

Before, they appeared to be reserved yet confident. Now they looked as if they were filled to the brimmed with complete and utter madness.

"You're... you're insane."

George couldn't help muttering in disbelief when he heard Michelle's answer and the change in her eyes. In response, Michelle kept a straight face while only slightly tilting her head as she responded.

"So what?.. Everybody has slight bit of insanity in them. Some more than others."

After Michelle gave her reply, George's eyes widened while his jaw dropped, leaving him completely unable to even speak. After a few short moments, he was once again able to muster his voice.

"The king will never-"

"Never what? Never allow me do such a thing? That he'll never let someone as 'insane' as I am take control of the reins?"

Unlike the smirk from before, this time, a sort of devilish smile formed itself on Michelle's face as she interrupted George. Although it was very faint, it still drove a chilling cold down George's spine.

"Don't you realise how much I matter to the king? What do you think would happen if a large swathe of the royal breetish navy were to suddenly rebel against the king and commit mutiny?"

After impulsively gulping, George tried to argue against Michelle.

"Even then, you are still putting everything into unnecessary jeopar-"

"Oh please... Do you really believe I would have reached my position if I were as spineless as you are?"

With those crazed eyes still on Michelle's face, George was able to hear Michelle mutter something to herself.

"After all, what makes a game so fun is that you may never know the outcome."

...

"Erika, I have a rather strange question to ask of you."

When Erika heard Maxwell suddenly speak in his casual tone, she immediately responded with her usual respectful voice.

"I will to the best of my ability, attempt to answer your question. However, I must express my opinion that there is no such thing that your majesty can possibly say that is 'strange.'"

"I... see..."

Maxwell paused for a moment before he continued.

"Anyway, I was wondering if there was such a magic that allowed me to take a glance anywhere at the world whenever I pleased. Like some sort of ancient magic spectating mirror or something?"

Erika could only shake her head when she answered Maxwell's question.

"I apologise but to the extent of my knowledge, no such magic form of magic exists, or if it does it has long been lost in the sands of time."

No change was made in Maxwell's expression when he replied.

"Well that is... rather a shame..."

Soon after, Erika went to question why Maxwell asked such a sudden question.

"Forgive my rudeness your majesty by why did you ask about such a thing?"

Maxwell casually shrugged when he explained himself.

"I was just wondering if it was possible through magic to keep on eye on any location within this world. To be able to literally to hold it within my grasp. After all, it would be rather helpful to be able to keep tabs on not just my entire empire but the whole world at all times."

Maxwell once again paused for a short moment before he continued.

"Especially now that I have a feeling that a certain someone is about to do something interesting."