CH 15

“Wo-ow, who’s this? Isn’t this the Duke? I thought you’d forgotten about me since you’re so late.” Carlton laughed to hide his irritation, but Luisen lowered his eyes again….as if Carlton was not even worth opposing.

Meanwhile Luisen felt like he was on the verge of death. He avoided Carlton’s eyes because he couldn’t help but concentrate on the dagger in his hands.

‘Why are you holding a dagger? Are you going to throw it at me? Because I was late?’

Luisen began to understand why Carlton was purged after the first prince’s coronation. People might be a little late–that’s no excuse to pull out a dagger while waiting. Even the prince may grow scared of his temper.

“…..” Luisen swallowed dry saliva. He had run for so long he began to taste blood in his mouth.

“….How could I? I would never forget what you’ve asked of me.” Luisen spoke as calmly as possible, not wanting to provoke Carlton. But he had no idea that his calmness angered Carlton even further. Luisen was ignorant of what he looked like to others, especially when it came to his own appearance; he was still stuck with a self-image of his own miserable state during his wandering days.

Carlton’s expression became fiercer. His gaze slid up and down Luisen’s figure, as if looking for something to find fault with. His eyes lingered on Luisen’s hands.

“Is that so? Then where are the keys and the accounts of the armory items?”

Ah…that’s right…Only then did Luisen realize he was empty handed. In his urgency, he had left everything in the general’s office.

“That…I suddenly remembered something important,” Luisen murmured.

“Is it something more important and urgent than my request to the duke? Could there be such a thing?”

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Luisen sweated profusely. He didn’t know where Carlton learned to make his smiles so menacing, but each of his words were sharp enough to poke at the pit of his stomach. He had thought that Carlton was only good with a sword, but unexpectedly he also had the gift of gab.

Luisen smothered his desire to run out of the room.

“Ahem, I just thought of a very good plan.” His words sounded too much like a swindler. Luisen quickly continued before Carlton could say anything, “I know you’re struggling with bringing the other southern lords to heel. I can solve that problem.”

‘Well, aren’t you curious?’ Luisen thought.

However, Carlton remained slightly sullen, as if his entire body protested that it had ever been troubled by such trifling issues.

“I know well the strength of your army and your own military might. But wouldn’t it be easier if there was a way to make them surrender without fighting?”

“That’s true, but I find it quite strange that the duke is worried about me.”

How intelligent. Self-made mercenaries, ones that will go down in history, certainly were different. ‘If it were me, I would have asked them to tell me everything while clapping,’ Luisen thought.

Still, despite Carlton’s suspicions, Luisen tried to remain calm. While running in the hallway, air bursting through his lungs, Luisen had recalled memories of the future.

Before his regression, the locust plague took advantage of the nation’s chaos. At the time, every southerner poured their all into fighting against the swarm. Everyone needed to eat and survive in order to pursue politics, power, and glory.

Luisen confidently said, “I’ve heard a rumor about an incoming swarm of locusts. At that time, the lords will be scrambling to surrender first. They can’t afford to fight you while preparing to fend off the swarm.”

“…..Locusts?” Carlton doubted his ears. What the hell was he talking about? Grasshoppers? The green insects that ate grass? The ones that were the size of a finger?

“That’s right. Locusts.” Luisen nodded.

Carlton tightly clutched the dagger in his hands. “Are you kidding me?”

After the civil war, when the Anies duchy was razed to the ground, Carlton’s notoriety spread throughout the kingdom. However, the lords of the south were unyielding to his power. Carlton sent countless threats, asking them to surrender and to support the first prince. Still, these nobles endured; they claimed that bowing their heads to peasants and mercenaries would injure their pride.

Carlton was dumbfounded. He could not believe that those prideful nobles would surrender over a few pests. He felt his temper rising, feeling mocked, but Luisen’s face was as serious as ever.

“I’m completely sincere. There’s no point in scorning you.”

‘I’m so scared, I can’t even make eye contact,’ Luisen thought. ‘How could I even joke in this situation? It’s more likely that I would die of a heart attack.’

“I’d be more disappointed if you’re serious, if that’s all you’ve come up with. War is not child’s play.” Carlton laughed.

Luisen inwardly clicked his tongue. ‘That’s why northerners are so….’

They didn’t know the true fear of locusts.

Others may have thought, ‘How much could those little bodies eat?’ and underestimate them. However, in a single day, a cloud of locusts could spirit away enough to feed tens of thousands of people. They ate everything they could digest, whether it was grain, grass in the field, or even fruit trees.

When one loses a political battle, they may lose authority and wealth. Still, the household may have enough food to satisfy hungry bellies. However, if one loses the battle with locusts, all that is left is a wasteland with no plant life left.

“If people don’t respond properly to the locusts at harvest time, they’ll end up empty-handed in winter. Numerous people will starve to death.”

The power of a landed noble comes from the population of their territory and tax revenue. If this crisis is left unattended, tax revenues and population will decrease. And, after enduring the hardships of winter, there will be no seed left to sow in spring. The hardship does not end with the failed harvest.

“For you, these insects may seem like nothing. But the fate of the estate is at stake for these southern lords. If we were to choose between a bad situation and a worse one, most would choose the former.”

The worst situation would be the impending famine on top of dealing with Carlton’s anger. The bad situation would merely be bowing down to a low-born dog of the capital and preparing for the swarm comfortably.

The moment the plague appeared, Carlton became the lesser of two evils.

“Are you saying that my army and I can’t even compare to bugs?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. In any case, they will definitely surrender. Having an official proclamation with the duke’s name will be more effective than just spreading a rumor–people always watch the duchy’s movements.”

Finally, Luisen reached the goal of this roundabout conversation.

As Carlton had keenly pointed out, neither Luisen nor the lords were currently preoccupied with Carlton. Even if Carlton was agitated enough to start a massacre, Luisen was concerned with more important matters. Nevertheless, it would be self-serving to give Carlton the chance to help.

Luisen’s only wish was to grow old in his home territory as the owner of a wealthy duchy, perhaps with the saint. For that goal, not one grain of wheat could be stolen by these insects.

To do so, an official letter must be sent with his name stamped on it. However, Luisen knew that Carlton wouldn’t allow any sort of suspicious communication. The more he would prostrate and beg, the more Carlton would dig in his heels, finding the whole situation shady.

Thus, Luisen wanted to capitalize on Carlton’s own desires and have him send an official letter for his own self-serving purposes. And, killing two birds with one stone, Luisen could slyly proclaim that he had helped him.

“How about it? Will you do as I say? You have nothing to lose, right?”

Carlton, who wanted nothing more than to return to the capital quickly, had no choice but to accept.

‘Hehe, scheming like this….I’ve become more clever.’ Luisen patted himself on the back and once again gave thanks to the saint.

The previously quiet Carlton slowly opened his mouth. “I appreciate the duke’s opinion.”

“Yes, and I’ll help with the official letter.”

“Oh, that won’t be needed.”

“….I-I should do something…”

“Are you afraid that I’ll ask for something ridiculous in exchange for sending this official document?”

‘How did he know? What extraordinary fellow. 1 Don’t tell me, he has some superpower to read minds? Although…if Carlton was indeed psychic, he wouldn’t have been abandoned by the first prince.’

Luisen squinted his eyes and peered up and down at Carlton.

“….No? I’m sincerely trying to assist you,” Luisen insisted. Carlton smirked and laughed, as if the concept was utterly absurd.

“I would like to trust you as well, but I’ve seen too much betrayal to give my trust easily.”

“And so…?”

“Perhaps I’ll believe the duke if you show me more sincerity.”

“What do you want?”

“As my duke said, I will make a rumor about the locusts and wait for their surrender. But, if there’s a lord who won’t yield even with that rumor, you must help me.”

“Me?”

Luisen and Carlton, the whole world even, knew that he lacked that sort of talent.

“You just have to stay by my side.”

“That means….you want me to follow you to the battle front?”

“Yes.” Carlton smiled gently.

Luisen was horrified. ‘He’s going to drag me into the battlefield? I’d only be of use as a meat shield! Is that his ulterior motive?’

TN: What a terrifying way to say “stay by my side” lmao