CH 238

After receiving the report, we immediately changed to the carriage that was following us and decided to return to the royal capital. Stanislaus couldn’t afford to leave his boat behind, so we asked him to return by boat alone.

I also told him that I would need a colleague with local knowledge and experience in the canalization of the Havel River and that I would hire him if he wanted to. I have no intention of forcibly hiring him even though he doesn’t consent, but if he does, I welcome him.

It was only for this morning after all, but his knowledge and experience of the Havel River were real. Whether digging a canal or clearing a riverbed would be much easier and more precise with Stanislaus’s help and advice. We also need to tell Hugo to hire Stanislaus, should he wish to work for us.

With that in mind, we returned by evening and received a report at the Carruthers Residence for the time being.

“Here’s a letter from the House Caan Merchant Fleet currently anchored at Steltin,” a messenger said. 1

“Right…” I said.

It’s handed over to me and I read it. By the way, Steltin is a port town located at the mouth of the Odel River, which flows east of the royal capital of Berne. It is an important port for bringing fish and trade goods to Berne, and if Steltin is blocked it will be a matter of life and death for Berne.

Originally a free city, Steltin is now in a somewhat confusing position. This is because the area around Steltin is the territory of House Greif, and Steltin’s sovereignty is also held by House Greif. It is no exaggeration to say that it is a de facto territory of House Greif.

Besides Steltin, there are other cities here and there that have lost their autonomy or given up their status as free cities. Steltin has also applied for membership in the Caanza Alliance, but negotiations have not been concluded due to the confusion about their autonomy.

If Steltin is trying to join the Caanza Alliance and use it to gain independence from House Greif and regain their autonomy, we can’t just accept it.

Conversely, if House Greif is using the name of the Free City of Steltin to try to get into the Caanza Alliance, we can’t overlook that either.

As such, Steltin was not named in the initial alliance and is still nominally in negotiations. That’s why Danzij and Koenigsvelg to the east are members of the Caanza Alliance, but Steltin, which is closer to my territory, is not.

However, even if it is not a member of the Caanza Alliance, it is still a trading partner and can sail and anchor in our waters and theirs in turn. The Caanza Alliance is a mutual aid organization that was created because a single free city could not defend itself against a national opponent. It’s not a trading bloc, so it’s not that you don’t trade with someone because they’re not a member. Of course, there is preferential treatment of the members of the Caanza Alliance. However, it does not mean that we will refuse any business from outsiders.

And this time, a ship from the House Caan Merchant Fleet that happened to come to Danzij for trade, heard a request for help from Koenigsvelg, and returned to Steltin. That’s why the report came from Steltin, as I was staying in the royal capital.

The preamble has become long, but the essential content is………….

Koenigsvelg seems to be under siege by the forces of the Kingdom of Polsky who suddenly came to the city. The land is completely blocked and isolated. Koenigsvelg, who barely managed to send a messenger from the sea, immediately asked Danzij for help, as it was an allied city next to them. However, it seems difficult to get close to the Kingdom of Polsky even if they try to launch the rescue from Danzij because the land routes are completely blocked.

It’s unknown why the Kingdom of Polsky suddenly advanced its army. Was there some reason for the dispute, or was it just that they were just looking for an opportunity to steal Koenigsvelg and just happened to attack at this timing, at this season?

As long as we don’t know the cause or reason, it’s possible that Koenigsvelg might have done something to the Kingdom of Polsky. Anyway, the first thing we have to do is go to the site and check the situation before Koenigsvelg falls.

Fortunately, the Kingdom of Polsky doesn’t have such a powerful navy and navy. It seems that Koenigsvelg is also completely blocked on land, but the sea blockade is not complete and it seems that ships can come and go.

It is possible that they would have fallen in the blink of an eye if they had been attacked by force in the early stages, but at least at the time this letter was written, they were still under siege and a full-scale invasion had not yet begun.

There are only 2 galleons in the House Caan Merchant Fleet anchored in Steltin. There is only one ship in Danzij, and even this means that there are only 2 nearby ships that can be summoned immediately.

The Kingdom of Polsky doesn’t seem to have a very strong navy, so this may be enough for naval forces. However, the ground forces are overwhelmingly lacking. Even if 2 galleons could lift the blockade, it would be impossible to save Koenigsvelg.

Besides, even if the enemy is the navy of a country, no matter how many galleons are equipped with Caan cannons, there is a possibility that the 2 ships will eventually suffer damage without replenishment. Is it dangerous to go with only 2 ships?

If you think about it normally… it’s a foolish plan to throw in forces one after another. Even if you don’t know the opponent’s power and don’t prepare, you’re likely to take unnecessary damage if you gather up the strength you have now and launch them. Normally… even if Koenigsvelg were to be taken down at this moment, we should prepare our forces properly so that we could drive away the opponent entirely…

………… Is that okay? Am I saying that I’m running a mutual aid organization and forming alliances, but now I’m abandoning them because they’re in a situation that can’t be saved without hasty action?

It would be foolish to head there with only 2 galleons and the people in the Carruthers Residence in the royal capital. I know that. I know, but…

“Let’s go head over and beat them down in a blink,” Mikoto said.

“This is not just a problem for the Caanza Alliance,” Claudia said. “Why don’t we contact the Royal Guard Division and have them reinforce?”

“Mikoto… Claudia…”

It’s not that easy… but if that’s what they’re saying…

“Me too! I’ll do my best with magic!” Louisa said.

“I can’t do anything… but I can support you still, Flora,” Alexandra said.

“Louisa… Alexandra…”

Everyone is saying that they will fight together with me… in that case…

“We don’t call a general who makes an impossible choice a foolish general,” Katharina said. “A general who makes a wrong choice is called a foolish general. Miss Flora… it’s all good if you win! If you win, you’ll have done the impossible. To take the call to action is also a chance to be celebrated and praised by the people as having pulled off a brilliant strategy. History is created by the victors!

“Katharina……”

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I think what Katharina is saying is a bit dangerous… It may be true that all you have to do is win, but it is necessary to “prepare to win” and “increase the probability of winning.” It’s not just a matter of using some eccentric strategy. But…….

“Everyone… thank you… let’s do it! I’ll be back in a month! After all, I have exams then!”

It’s already less than a month and a half until the final exams of the school. Aside from getting a perfect score in all subjects, you have to keep your regular grades up to some extent. If you are involved in other people’s wars and neglect your studies, which is a student’s duty, you are putting the cart before the horse. Besides, craftsmen from the Caan Knighthood will soon arrive. The construction of Charlottenburg can’t be idle for long either.

“………… Time is of the essence, but I need to head to the royal castle,” I said. “In the meantime, the commanding officer will be…”

I prepare to head to the royal castle while giving instructions to everyone. Just like Claudia taught me. Just because it’s a free city and part of the Caanza Alliance doesn’t mean you can’t rely on the Kingdom of Ploiss. The Free Cities are the territory of the Kingdom of Ploiss, and the fact that the Kingdom of Polsky is attacking it is synonymous with an invasion of the Kingdom of Ploiss.

In the Caanza Alliance, we will deal with it with the Caanza Alliance, but let’s have the Kingdom of Ploiss deal with it as well. Luckily we have ships on hand. Rather than traveling by land, it would be faster to go to Steltin by sea than overland.

Unlike usual, I asked to meet Wilhelm and Dietrich as soon as I arrived at the royal castle today. I usually just come to set an appointment, and when I ask when I can take an appointment, I’m just immediately let in. But today is different. I told them to summon Wilhem and Dietrich here, right now. They may get angry later, but it’s an emergency, so let’s put up with it.

Recently, I was holding a meeting with other vassals, officials, and ministers in order to turn the Havel River into a canal, but today I was sent to the inner palace for the first time in a while. When I was waiting in the room where I had been escorted many times before, Dietrich came first today.

“I heard that you suddenly arrived and asked me to meet me immediately. Did something happen?” Dietrich asked.

It seems he happened to have stayed behind to finish some work and was about to go home soon, so he ended up being the first. Without even the usual greetings, I cut to my business.

“Koenigsvelg is surrounded by the forces of the Kingdom of Polsky,” I said. “It doesn’t seem to have been blocked by the sea, but the land route is completely blocked, and we don’t know when it will be attacked full force.”

“Is that true?”

“King Wilhelm,” I said.

While I was telling Dietrich what I had to do, Wilhelm appeared from behind. The two of them are still standing and we haven’t even properly given greetings, but if they ask me, I have no choice but to answer.

“Yes,” I said. “I don’t know what’s going on at the moment, but my family’s trading ship happened to be in Danzij yesterday and received a rescue request from Koenigsvelg routed through there.”

“Hmmm…”

Both Wilhem and Dietrich are making difficult faces. “Then let’s quickly organize an army and head to Koenigsvelg to help!” is not what they seem to be trying to say.

“What… is something wrong?” I asked.

“Ah… no… hmm… That’s right,” Wilhelm said. “I’ll speak to you about it. In truth, the majority of the Crown Guard and the Royal Guard Division just went on an expedition the other day.”

“………… What?” I asked.

It’s fine because the Crown Guard is just a unit of noble bonbons called a division for publicity and connections. But what does it mean that the majority of the Royal Guard Division is on the expedition with them? To put it bluntly, it is an act of losing the protection of the royal family. If someone rebelled at that time, the royal family would be captured in no time…

“Why did they…?” I asked.

“Hessem requested help after confirming large-scale monster activity in their area…”

Hessem… it’s a place southwest of the royal capital. Exactly the opposite of Koenigsvelg and the Polsky Kingdom. I don’t know how long it will take for them to come back even if we did somehow manage to call them right now.

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“I have my hands tied with the remaining military strength to protect the royal capital and the royal castle…” Dietrich said. “It is a big crisis, but I don’t have the leeway to send troops to Koenigsvelg right now.”

Now he’s also shaking his head. Everyone here will understand. That the timing is too good…

Why did the Crown Guard go to the Hessem area? The Crown Guard and the Royal Guard Divisions were originally a military force to protect the royal family. No matter how much the bodyguards were aristocratic bonbons, why would you send them out for actual combat in an area where monsters were rampaging, no, that’s exactly why you would.

I can think of a few things. First of all, simply reduce the military strength of the royal capital. Even if it’s a bonbon division, if there’s even 1 member there, he’ll be of some help. Surrounding yourself with a large army, even if it’s only for the sake of appearances, is terrifying. Even if the internal workings are a bunch of useless sons, they can be used to intimidate the soldiers of the Kingdom of Polsky.

It may also have meant to persuade Wilhelm and Dietrich. Even if they were told to dispatch the entire Royal Guard Division, they might stop to think about it. But if they were told that half of the Royal Guard and half of the Crown Guard would be used, they would think that half of the Royal Guard Division would be left to protect the royal capital.

And then… this too-well-timed dispatch from the royal capital will go in the opposite direction of the besieged Koenigsvelg, attacked by the Kingdom of Polsky. This is… first of all, there will definitely be an insider. Without it, such meticulous preparation would not have been possible.

There is probably someone in the upper echelons who has a connection with the Kingdom of Polsky. That guy will boost the dispatch of troops to the Hessem area, and the Kingdom of Polsky will attack Koenigsvelg at the same time as the military strength of the royal capital is reduced.

But that’s not all. This is my imagination that can’t even be a guess, no, it might be just a delusion, but isn’t the insider immediate family or relatives of the Crown Guard soldiers?

What if only the Royal Guard Division was sent to Hessem, and Wilhelm and the others were forced to rescue Koenigsvelg with only the Crown Guard available? The insider might have a relative in the Crown Guard who might be dispatched to Koenigsvelg. That’s why they sent their counterparts in the Royal Guard Division to a made-up incident in Hessem where there was no sudden monster appearance.

In that case, they wouldn’t have to worry about my relatives being dispatched to Koenigsvelg and getting involved in a war with the Kingdom of Polsky.

“This is… I’m sorry… I can’t help you here,” Dietrich said.

Even the man said to be the best brain in this country shook his head and slumped his shoulders as if there was no solution.

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