There’s no time left. I, Aeclys, have sent Garn to Shuri’s location and am now heading alone towards Gyngus. This incident must be brought to a swift end. The trigger was simple. Information leaked to Sir Gungrave, and while I was pondering what to do, a letter arrived. The sender of the letter was the princess of the Nouviche royal family, known as the “Gourmet Princess”. A genius who, despite her young age, possesses extraordinary talent and is deeply involved in the kingdom’s politics. It was from Tevis Nouviche. She has a special information network and is very well-informed about foreign affairs. Her network is so extensive that it seems there’s nothing she doesn’t know. Even Garn couldn’t pinpoint its specifics when he tried to investigate. When I saw the letter from her, a cold sweat ran down my spine.
It stated: The criminal you have captured there is an acquaintance of the royal family. Therefore, we will take custody of him, so please proceed with the paperwork. Regarding the charges, the royal family will take responsibility for uncovering the truth.
Well said. Even though we’re trying to avoid becoming hostile with Nouviche. Nouviche is a great power that has achieved rapid growth after overcoming the war with Yuyuvi. They particularly excel in food production. Their self-sufficiency rate is incredibly high, and the quality of their food is top-notch. And after acquiring Yuyuvi’s mines as reparations, they implemented improvements in food transportation carriages and logistics. As a result, they gained wealth through food exports. It far exceeded what could be ignored, and before we knew it, we had become dependent on Nouviche for our food supply. So if we refuse this request, they will likely implement economic sanctions, imposing restrictions and high tariffs on food exports. That would be a terrible blow that would exacerbate, or rather, mire us in a food shortage within our territory.
But what kind of relationship did Shuri have with Nouviche?
It’s not normal for a princess of a great power to come personally to take custody of a criminal. At first, I thought Shuri might be some kind of agent serving Nouviche. However, when I investigated Shuri’s belongings to organize the information, I learned all the facts. The Nouviche royal family’s crest engraved on a kitchen knife. It means he was an excellent chef recognized for his skills by Nouviche, and even now, they eagerly desire to employ him. And we on the Sounité side have falsely accused such a person and thrown him in prison. Of course, we of the First Prince’s faction didn’t do it. It was all led by Gyngus of the Second Prince’s faction. And I had been working towards his release. But such things don’t matter at all to the Nouviche side. Their argument is simply limited to “demanding custody of Shuri, who is thought to have committed a crime.”
The facts of the crime are irrelevant to that argument. They simply want Shuri’s custody, that’s all.
If we yield to this, it will affect our dignity as lords. If we refuse, economic sanctions await us. We’re at an impasse. To break through this, we must unite as one, judge Shuri innocent, create a person to take responsibility for this incident, and show consistency both internally and externally. And when Lady Tevis visits, we must demonstrate that “this issue has already been resolved, and the parties involved are satisfied.” That’s why I have no choice but to confront Gyngus to settle this matter.
“So, Gyngus. How do you explain this?”
I’m facing Gyngus in his private room. He’s sitting in his study chair, glaring at me with a sullen face. On his desk are the reports summarizing the information I’ve gathered so far, and the wine glass I’ve obtained. All of them have enough evidence to make denial impossible.
“Let’s stop with the excuses and evasions. I want you to tell me the truth.” “Huh? Why should I tell you anything, Elder Brother?” “What you’ve done is unforgivable. As your older brother, I must settle this responsibility.” “…” “If we act now, we can resolve this with just the revocation of your succession rights. Nouviche is already making a move. We need to quickly bring an end to this incident…” “Silence!”
Suddenly, Gyngus yells with his eyes bulging. His fierce demeanor is so intense that I find myself frozen. What’s going on?
“You’re so annoying! Don’t you dare give orders to me, you woman pretending to be a man!”
Wha… I’m stunned, my mind going blank with surprise. He shouldn’t know. By the time Gyngus became aware, I was already pretending to be a man. I’ve lived deceiving him, acting as his brother without being discovered. So why? How does he know?
“I know, alright. The first thing I did when I took control of the intelligence and military departments was to investigate your background. When I heard the news, I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. I didn’t want to think that the reason I had to live as second-best was because of a sister pretending to be a man! Was it because I was born later? Was it because I wasn’t reliable enough? I hated everything so much I couldn’t stand it! If there’s such a thing as fate, I’ve never hated anything more! What I hate most is how pathetic I am!”
Gyngus stands up from his chair and strikes the desk. He hits it again and again. Before I realize it, he’s crying.
“What the hell… Where did we go wrong… I know… I know that Garn is actually your older brother too.”
…!
“I heard Father mumbling it when he was drunk… But now, how am I supposed to interact with Garn…” “Gyngus…” “It’s too late now.”
Gyngus wipes his tears and raises his face.
“Older brother, please don’t leave this room.”
Gyngus draws his sword and points it at me. There’s no killing intent. Or so I think…!
“Gyngus?!” “Lord Aeclys. I want you to stay in my room. From now on, a storm of violence will rage through this castle.” “What?!” “I’ve summoned the captain-class members of the Gungrave Mercenary Group to the castle. I’m going to wipe them out in one fell swoop.”
What?!
“That’s absurd! What good will that do?! If anything, it risks causing your subordinate soldiers to go berserk!” “You said we’re out of time, didn’t you? You too. Before Nouviche arrives, we’ll secure those guys and report that this incident was their fault. As for the chef, we’ll hand him over quietly.” “Even if you do that, Nouviche won’t be satisfied!” “They will be.”
Gyngus picks up a piece of paper from his desk.
“If my investigation is correct, Princess Tevis is obsessed with the chef. Preparations to invite him as her royal chef have been underway for quite some time. For a princess like that, the other captain-class members are more of a hindrance. They’re just obstacles keeping her favorite chef from staying. So, we’ll use the chef’s custody as a bargaining chip to bring an end to this situation.” “That’s…”
That won’t work. Logically thinking, it can’t possibly work. Even if Princess Tevis wants the chef. I don’t think the custody of one chef can improve the trade negotiations that are likely to occur. To begin with, Princess Tevis’s visit this time is purely for “demanding Shuri’s custody.” We don’t even know if trade negotiations will happen, and it’s nonsensical to try to detain or harm the mercenary group’s captains just to secure the chef’s custody. If we do that, we’ll be confirming that we’re willing to take on even dirty work for the sake of what Nouviche wants. If that happens, it’s over. Who knows what unreasonable demands they’ll make using food trade as leverage. If that becomes the norm, Sounité will completely become a puppet of Nouviche.
“This is all we’ve got.”
Gyngus interrupts my thoughts with a fading, hoarse voice.
“A smart brother like you probably sees the holes in my plan. Dozens of moves ahead, even. But you know. Even a shortsighted person like me can see it. We’re in checkmate. If that’s the case, we have no choice but to destroy the board by any means necessary. Right?”
Yes, we’re already in checkmate. We’ve been in checkmate since Gyngus tried to harm Father. No, maybe we could have managed even then. In the end, that kid. Maybe our involvement with Shuri itself was our downfall. Our relationship with Nouviche. His position in the mercenary group. He may have unknowingly extended his hand and gained relationships in places we don’t yet know or understand.
“They should be arriving soon.”
Gyngus sheathes his sword and sits back in his chair.
“It’s time for those guys to arrive at the castle. No matter what moves you make now, Elder Brother, there’s no way to upset things from here.” “Gyngus…!” “All we can do now is watch how things unfold from here. Come on, Elder Brother, let’s watch.”
Gyngus says, looking up at the ceiling.
“Destruction or the shattering of the board. The deciding of our fate.”
Yes, I have no moves left to make. I’m so frustrated that blood drips from my clenched fists. There’s nothing more I can do. What should I do…!
“So, what do you think of this situation?” “Gungrave. I think it’s a trap.” “Me too. The guy who ordered us to reflect is suddenly sending us this letter. He must be up to something.” “I think so too. I think they panicked when I got hold of the information.”
We’re having a meeting in front of a letter delivered to our inn.
I, Gungrave, had been organizing the Gungrave Mercenary Group’s communication network and deciding when to take action when I received a letter from the royal castle and was now rethinking our strategy. The letter came from Second Prince Gyngus Sounité, and its contents were:
“I wish to discuss the disposition of the chef in question. As such, I command all captain-class members to come to the castle as witnesses.”
Despite being written in a rather high-handed tone and having contents that can only be considered a trap no matter how you look at it, we were considering this as a good opportunity while feeling annoyed.
“Think about it. Sure, this letter seems fishy. It’s suspicious for the castle side, who should have full authority over the prisoner and his disposition, to suddenly send us a letter. Normally, they’d just decide on the punishment and summon us to the scene. The wording shows some concession while making us want to jump at the chance. It’s 100% suspicious. They probably wrote it this way thinking we’d take action out of anger if they said the punishment had been decided and told us to come. But you know, with this letter, we can enter the castle without any reservations. Let’s find an opening to rescue Shuri and escape from this damn territory.” “That’s not a bad idea, but we don’t know where Shuri is, do we?” “We only know he’s in the dungeon. We don’t know if it’s a special cell or a general one. It’s a castle, after all. It’s different from the guardhouse jail. I hate to say this after bringing it up, but we don’t even know if there’s a special cell.” “Should I sneak in along with our entry and do some reconnaissance?”
Tegue’s proposal is attractive, but we can’t adopt it as is.
“That’s dangerous, Tegue. If even one of us who came as witnesses is missing, they’ll suspect we’re moving to rescue Shuri.” “That’s true. If we could get instructions to wait in a meeting room, we could ask you to do it, but…”
Arius says with a troubled face while pondering. Indeed, Kuuga and Arius’s points are correct. If one of us disappears inside the castle when we’re all supposed to be there, it would be nothing but suspicious. If we were told to wait in a meeting room, Tegue’s scouting skills might be able to handle it, but that’s wishful thinking. It’s not impossible, but it’s also not likely. To sum it up, we don’t know the crucial information of Shuri’s whereabouts. This could be fatal for a rescue operation. If we don’t know where the rescue target is, we can’t plan the route, the rescue itself, or the escape. But thinking about it now, this is strange. You can’t put a door on people’s mouths. This is a truth that applies everywhere, from territories to castle towns, from villages to cities. After all, people inherently lack the toughness to keep major secrets. Some can do it with training or education, but normally, people want to tell someone. By the way, this isn’t for the sake of providing topics for conversation. It’s not for setting the mood with a pretty lady in a seedy bar either.
In other words, the bigger the secret, the more people want to share it with comrades. If you can’t bear it alone, make others bear it too. And if it leaks, blame them.
It’s a form of self-defense, a way of distributing mental burden that humans have. So, the answer we can derive is one.
Only one person is actually managing Shuri in the prison.
That person is manipulating things so that no information leaks to the outside at all. He’s quite a capable opponent. In terms of information warfare, he can be said to have reached the level of a professional. Probably the man Tegue saw having an audience with the First Prince. He can be considered both Shuri’s jailer and an elite member of the intelligence department. Now, what should we do? Honestly, if we can just grasp Shuri’s location, it’s in our hands. The groundwork for that. In other words, I’m troubled about how to gather information. Time is limited, and I’m struggling to find an excuse to send Tegue out in a way that doesn’t seem unnatural.
As I’m pondering, I feel a tug on the hem of my clothes.
“Hm? What is it, Lill?”
Lill lets go of my clothes and tilts her head curiously.
“Why is Gungrave worrying so much?” “Because we can’t find a good way to locate Shuri. You understand, right?” “Lill doesn’t understand.”
Lill shakes her head.
“She thinks we don’t need complicated tactics or strategies this time.” “Huh? That’s…”
What does she mean? Before I can continue, Lill speaks.
“A frontal assault. We should just rescue Shuri with a lightning operation. If we coordinate with our subordinates to secure an escape route, then with everyone’s strength, we can just go boom!”
Lill spreads her arms wide to show the size when she says “boom!”
But it’s simple. Simple, but,
“Haha, indeed. There’s no need to worry.”
I look at the faces of my comrades once more. Everyone has expressions that show they’re convinced by this simple answer. And faces that show they can’t wait to cause some havoc.
A lightning operation, huh. I see, if we borrow the strength of everyone here, we might be able to pull it off.
Kuuga, the master swordsman, will clear the way. Tegue, the expert in archery and scouting, will swiftly rescue Shuri. Arius, the master of magic, will annihilate the enemy. Lill, the prodigy of magic engineering, will draw attention with her inventions.
Finally, I, the strategist, will rack my brains.
“Gungrave”
Just as I was about to think of a strategy, Lill called out to me again.
“To be honest, Lill has concerns about the rescue operation.” “Concerns? What concerns could there be with these one-man army beasts gathered here?” “About Shuri.” “Shuri? We’ll definitely save him. Everyone in the castle-” “If we hurt the people in the castle, Shuri will surely be hurt.”
Lill lowers her face.
“Shuri is kind. Until now, he’s been able to compartmentalize it as work and do what needs to be done to support us. But if we go overboard with this operation and get injured, or if we hurt the castle people. She thinks Shuri will surely blame himself and be hurt.”
Lill’s face, turned downward, is full of worry and anxiety. Her words make all of us think a little. Kuuga crosses his arms with a difficult expression. Arius puts her hand on her chin, contemplating. Tegue looks up at the ceiling with a frown. As for me, I’m switching my thoughts to rethinking our strategy. Indeed, Shuri is kind. He thinks about the menu for our meals, considering our well-being, and tries to build good relationships with the subordinates.
Too kind, even.
Probably too kind to live in a mercenary group. Even so, the workplace of a mercenary group is on the battlefield. Shuri has accepted that too. That’s why he doesn’t tell us to stop. What about this time? To put it bluntly, this battle is nothing more than simple revenge. The cause is Shuri’s capture. Shuri is the victim. But how would he feel if we get hurt in a fight unrelated to work, many castle people die, and we return to being wandering mercenaries again? He might blame himself. Moreover, if he has to directly witness the life-and-death struggle unfolding before his eyes, it would be troublesome if Shuri loses his mind. We’ve avoided putting Shuri on the front lines until now because of his kindness. I’ve seen it several times before. Until they went to the battlefield, they were kind people. They weren’t bad with a sword, and there was no problem with their personality. However, after killing people on the battlefield, having the smell of blood stuck to their bodies, and burning the scene of countless corpses into their minds, they eventually broke and quit. Kind people can’t keep up with our profession, which involves, or rather, creates causes for people’s deaths. The same applies to Shuri. Shuri is kind. Originally, we shouldn’t have him in a mercenary group; it would be better to have him employed at a town tavern. But when I met him and ate his cooking, I thought. I couldn’t help but think. This guy is necessary for the mercenary group. So I brought him along, kept him with us. I know that if we really consider him a comrade, we should hand him over to Nouviche. It’s easy to imagine that in the current Nouviche, Shuri wouldn’t be taken to battlefields, would be highly valued for his cooking skills, and would achieve success. It would be safe and secure. The reason we didn’t do that is my selfishness. It’s nothing but a self-centered decision.
And now, we must continue that.
“You’re right. He’s kind and understands people’s feelings. I don’t want to show him such things. So, then.”
To continue, I have no choice but to rack my brains. To protect my comrades, my family. I’ll rotate this head at full power to construct a strategy.
“It’s impossible to not hurt anyone at all, but. We might be able to manage without killing anyone.”
At my words, all the captain-class members turn their attention to me.
Wait for us, Shuri. We’ll settle this and come to get you!
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Chapter 33
There’s no time left.
I, Aeclys, have sent Garn to Shuri’s location and am now heading alone towards Gyngus.
This incident must be brought to a swift end.
The trigger was simple.
Information leaked to Sir Gungrave, and while I was pondering what to do, a letter arrived.
The sender of the letter was the princess of the Nouviche royal family, known as the “Gourmet Princess”. A genius who, despite her young age, possesses extraordinary talent and is deeply involved in the kingdom’s politics.
It was from Tevis Nouviche.
She has a special information network and is very well-informed about foreign affairs. Her network is so extensive that it seems there’s nothing she doesn’t know. Even Garn couldn’t pinpoint its specifics when he tried to investigate.
When I saw the letter from her, a cold sweat ran down my spine.
It stated: The criminal you have captured there is an acquaintance of the royal family.
Therefore, we will take custody of him, so please proceed with the paperwork.
Regarding the charges, the royal family will take responsibility for uncovering the truth.
Well said. Even though we’re trying to avoid becoming hostile with Nouviche.
Nouviche is a great power that has achieved rapid growth after overcoming the war with Yuyuvi.
They particularly excel in food production.
Their self-sufficiency rate is incredibly high, and the quality of their food is top-notch.
And after acquiring Yuyuvi’s mines as reparations, they implemented improvements in food transportation carriages and logistics. As a result, they gained wealth through food exports.
It far exceeded what could be ignored, and before we knew it, we had become dependent on Nouviche for our food supply.
So if we refuse this request, they will likely implement economic sanctions, imposing restrictions and high tariffs on food exports.
That would be a terrible blow that would exacerbate, or rather, mire us in a food shortage within our territory.
But what kind of relationship did Shuri have with Nouviche?
It’s not normal for a princess of a great power to come personally to take custody of a criminal.
At first, I thought Shuri might be some kind of agent serving Nouviche.
However, when I investigated Shuri’s belongings to organize the information, I learned all the facts.
The Nouviche royal family’s crest engraved on a kitchen knife.
It means he was an excellent chef recognized for his skills by Nouviche, and even now, they eagerly desire to employ him.
And we on the Sounité side have falsely accused such a person and thrown him in prison.
Of course, we of the First Prince’s faction didn’t do it. It was all led by Gyngus of the Second Prince’s faction. And I had been working towards his release.
But such things don’t matter at all to the Nouviche side.
Their argument is simply limited to “demanding custody of Shuri, who is thought to have committed a crime.”
The facts of the crime are irrelevant to that argument.
They simply want Shuri’s custody, that’s all.
If we yield to this, it will affect our dignity as lords.
If we refuse, economic sanctions await us.
We’re at an impasse. To break through this, we must unite as one, judge Shuri innocent, create a person to take responsibility for this incident, and show consistency both internally and externally. And when Lady Tevis visits, we must demonstrate that “this issue has already been resolved, and the parties involved are satisfied.”
That’s why I have no choice but to confront Gyngus to settle this matter.
“So, Gyngus. How do you explain this?”
I’m facing Gyngus in his private room.
He’s sitting in his study chair, glaring at me with a sullen face.
On his desk are the reports summarizing the information I’ve gathered so far, and the wine glass I’ve obtained.
All of them have enough evidence to make denial impossible.
“Let’s stop with the excuses and evasions. I want you to tell me the truth.”
“Huh? Why should I tell you anything, Elder Brother?”
“What you’ve done is unforgivable. As your older brother, I must settle this responsibility.”
“…”
“If we act now, we can resolve this with just the revocation of your succession rights. Nouviche is already making a move. We need to quickly bring an end to this incident…”
“Silence!”
Suddenly, Gyngus yells with his eyes bulging.
His fierce demeanor is so intense that I find myself frozen.
What’s going on?
“You’re so annoying!
Don’t you dare give orders to me, you woman pretending to be a man!”
Wha…
I’m stunned, my mind going blank with surprise.
He shouldn’t know. By the time Gyngus became aware, I was already pretending to be a man.
I’ve lived deceiving him, acting as his brother without being discovered.
So why?
How does he know?
“I know, alright. The first thing I did when I took control of the intelligence and military departments was to investigate your background. When I heard the news, I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears.
I didn’t want to think that the reason I had to live as second-best was because of a sister pretending to be a man!
Was it because I was born later?
Was it because I wasn’t reliable enough?
I hated everything so much I couldn’t stand it!
If there’s such a thing as fate, I’ve never hated anything more!
What I hate most is how pathetic I am!”
Gyngus stands up from his chair and strikes the desk.
He hits it again and again.
Before I realize it, he’s crying.
“What the hell… Where did we go wrong…
I know… I know that Garn is actually your older brother too.”
…!
“I heard Father mumbling it when he was drunk…
But now, how am I supposed to interact with Garn…”
“Gyngus…”
“It’s too late now.”
Gyngus wipes his tears and raises his face.
“Older brother, please don’t leave this room.”
Gyngus draws his sword and points it at me.
There’s no killing intent. Or so I think…!
“Gyngus?!”
“Lord Aeclys. I want you to stay in my room.
From now on, a storm of violence will rage through this castle.”
“What?!”
“I’ve summoned the captain-class members of the Gungrave Mercenary Group to the castle.
I’m going to wipe them out in one fell swoop.”
What?!
“That’s absurd! What good will that do?!
If anything, it risks causing your subordinate soldiers to go berserk!”
“You said we’re out of time, didn’t you? You too.
Before Nouviche arrives, we’ll secure those guys and report that this incident was their fault.
As for the chef, we’ll hand him over quietly.”
“Even if you do that, Nouviche won’t be satisfied!”
“They will be.”
Gyngus picks up a piece of paper from his desk.
“If my investigation is correct, Princess Tevis is obsessed with the chef. Preparations to invite him as her royal chef have been underway for quite some time.
For a princess like that, the other captain-class members are more of a hindrance.
They’re just obstacles keeping her favorite chef from staying.
So, we’ll use the chef’s custody as a bargaining chip to bring an end to this situation.”
“That’s…”
That won’t work.
Logically thinking, it can’t possibly work.
Even if Princess Tevis wants the chef.
I don’t think the custody of one chef can improve the trade negotiations that are likely to occur.
To begin with, Princess Tevis’s visit this time is purely for “demanding Shuri’s custody.”
We don’t even know if trade negotiations will happen, and it’s nonsensical to try to detain or harm the mercenary group’s captains just to secure the chef’s custody.
If we do that, we’ll be confirming that we’re willing to take on even dirty work for the sake of what Nouviche wants.
If that happens, it’s over. Who knows what unreasonable demands they’ll make using food trade as leverage.
If that becomes the norm, Sounité will completely become a puppet of Nouviche.
“This is all we’ve got.”
Gyngus interrupts my thoughts with a fading, hoarse voice.
“A smart brother like you probably sees the holes in my plan. Dozens of moves ahead, even.
But you know. Even a shortsighted person like me can see it.
We’re in checkmate.
If that’s the case, we have no choice but to destroy the board by any means necessary.
Right?”
Yes, we’re already in checkmate.
We’ve been in checkmate since Gyngus tried to harm Father.
No, maybe we could have managed even then.
In the end, that kid.
Maybe our involvement with Shuri itself was our downfall.
Our relationship with Nouviche.
His position in the mercenary group.
He may have unknowingly extended his hand and gained relationships in places we don’t yet know or understand.
“They should be arriving soon.”
Gyngus sheathes his sword and sits back in his chair.
“It’s time for those guys to arrive at the castle.
No matter what moves you make now, Elder Brother, there’s no way to upset things from here.”
“Gyngus…!”
“All we can do now is watch how things unfold from here.
Come on, Elder Brother, let’s watch.”
Gyngus says, looking up at the ceiling.
“Destruction or the shattering of the board.
The deciding of our fate.”
Yes, I have no moves left to make.
I’m so frustrated that blood drips from my clenched fists.
There’s nothing more I can do.
What should I do…!
“So, what do you think of this situation?”
“Gungrave. I think it’s a trap.”
“Me too. The guy who ordered us to reflect is suddenly sending us this letter. He must be up to something.”
“I think so too. I think they panicked when I got hold of the information.”
We’re having a meeting in front of a letter delivered to our inn.
I, Gungrave, had been organizing the Gungrave Mercenary Group’s communication network and deciding when to take action when I received a letter from the royal castle and was now rethinking our strategy.
The letter came from Second Prince Gyngus Sounité, and its contents were:
“I wish to discuss the disposition of the chef in question.
As such, I command all captain-class members to come to the castle as witnesses.”
Despite being written in a rather high-handed tone and having contents that can only be considered a trap no matter how you look at it, we were considering this as a good opportunity while feeling annoyed.
“Think about it.
Sure, this letter seems fishy. It’s suspicious for the castle side, who should have full authority over the prisoner and his disposition, to suddenly send us a letter. Normally, they’d just decide on the punishment and summon us to the scene.
The wording shows some concession while making us want to jump at the chance. It’s 100% suspicious.
They probably wrote it this way thinking we’d take action out of anger if they said the punishment had been decided and told us to come.
But you know, with this letter, we can enter the castle without any reservations.
Let’s find an opening to rescue Shuri and escape from this damn territory.”
“That’s not a bad idea, but we don’t know where Shuri is, do we?”
“We only know he’s in the dungeon.
We don’t know if it’s a special cell or a general one.
It’s a castle, after all. It’s different from the guardhouse jail.
I hate to say this after bringing it up, but we don’t even know if there’s a special cell.”
“Should I sneak in along with our entry and do some reconnaissance?”
Tegue’s proposal is attractive, but we can’t adopt it as is.
“That’s dangerous, Tegue.
If even one of us who came as witnesses is missing, they’ll suspect we’re moving to rescue Shuri.”
“That’s true. If we could get instructions to wait in a meeting room, we could ask you to do it, but…”
Arius says with a troubled face while pondering.
Indeed, Kuuga and Arius’s points are correct. If one of us disappears inside the castle when we’re all supposed to be there, it would be nothing but suspicious. If we were told to wait in a meeting room, Tegue’s scouting skills might be able to handle it, but that’s wishful thinking. It’s not impossible, but it’s also not likely.
To sum it up, we don’t know the crucial information of Shuri’s whereabouts.
This could be fatal for a rescue operation. If we don’t know where the rescue target is, we can’t plan the route, the rescue itself, or the escape.
But thinking about it now, this is strange.
You can’t put a door on people’s mouths. This is a truth that applies everywhere, from territories to castle towns, from villages to cities.
After all, people inherently lack the toughness to keep major secrets.
Some can do it with training or education, but normally, people want to tell someone.
By the way, this isn’t for the sake of providing topics for conversation. It’s not for setting the mood with a pretty lady in a seedy bar either.
In other words, the bigger the secret, the more people want to share it with comrades.
If you can’t bear it alone, make others bear it too. And if it leaks, blame them.
It’s a form of self-defense, a way of distributing mental burden that humans have.
So, the answer we can derive is one.
Only one person is actually managing Shuri in the prison.
That person is manipulating things so that no information leaks to the outside at all. He’s quite a capable opponent. In terms of information warfare, he can be said to have reached the level of a professional.
Probably the man Tegue saw having an audience with the First Prince. He can be considered both Shuri’s jailer and an elite member of the intelligence department.
Now, what should we do?
Honestly, if we can just grasp Shuri’s location, it’s in our hands.
The groundwork for that. In other words, I’m troubled about how to gather information.
Time is limited, and I’m struggling to find an excuse to send Tegue out in a way that doesn’t seem unnatural.
As I’m pondering, I feel a tug on the hem of my clothes.
“Hm? What is it, Lill?”
Lill lets go of my clothes and tilts her head curiously.
“Why is Gungrave worrying so much?”
“Because we can’t find a good way to locate Shuri.
You understand, right?”
“Lill doesn’t understand.”
Lill shakes her head.
“She thinks we don’t need complicated tactics or strategies this time.”
“Huh? That’s…”
What does she mean?
Before I can continue, Lill speaks.
“A frontal assault. We should just rescue Shuri with a lightning operation.
If we coordinate with our subordinates to secure an escape route, then with everyone’s strength, we can just go boom!”
Lill spreads her arms wide to show the size when she says “boom!”
But it’s simple.
Simple, but,
“Haha, indeed.
There’s no need to worry.”
I look at the faces of my comrades once more.
Everyone has expressions that show they’re convinced by this simple answer.
And faces that show they can’t wait to cause some havoc.
A lightning operation, huh.
I see, if we borrow the strength of everyone here, we might be able to pull it off.
Kuuga, the master swordsman, will clear the way.
Tegue, the expert in archery and scouting, will swiftly rescue Shuri.
Arius, the master of magic, will annihilate the enemy.
Lill, the prodigy of magic engineering, will draw attention with her inventions.
Finally, I, the strategist, will rack my brains.
“Gungrave”
Just as I was about to think of a strategy, Lill called out to me again.
“To be honest, Lill has concerns about the rescue operation.”
“Concerns? What concerns could there be with these one-man army beasts gathered here?”
“About Shuri.”
“Shuri? We’ll definitely save him. Everyone in the castle-”
“If we hurt the people in the castle, Shuri will surely be hurt.”
Lill lowers her face.
“Shuri is kind. Until now, he’s been able to compartmentalize it as work and do what needs to be done to support us.
But if we go overboard with this operation and get injured, or if we hurt the castle people.
She thinks Shuri will surely blame himself and be hurt.”
Lill’s face, turned downward, is full of worry and anxiety.
Her words make all of us think a little.
Kuuga crosses his arms with a difficult expression.
Arius puts her hand on her chin, contemplating.
Tegue looks up at the ceiling with a frown.
As for me, I’m switching my thoughts to rethinking our strategy.
Indeed, Shuri is kind. He thinks about the menu for our meals, considering our well-being, and tries to build good relationships with the subordinates.
Too kind, even.
Probably too kind to live in a mercenary group.
Even so, the workplace of a mercenary group is on the battlefield. Shuri has accepted that too. That’s why he doesn’t tell us to stop.
What about this time?
To put it bluntly, this battle is nothing more than simple revenge.
The cause is Shuri’s capture.
Shuri is the victim. But how would he feel if we get hurt in a fight unrelated to work, many castle people die, and we return to being wandering mercenaries again?
He might blame himself.
Moreover, if he has to directly witness the life-and-death struggle unfolding before his eyes, it would be troublesome if Shuri loses his mind. We’ve avoided putting Shuri on the front lines until now because of his kindness.
I’ve seen it several times before.
Until they went to the battlefield, they were kind people. They weren’t bad with a sword, and there was no problem with their personality.
However, after killing people on the battlefield, having the smell of blood stuck to their bodies, and burning the scene of countless corpses into their minds, they eventually broke and quit. Kind people can’t keep up with our profession, which involves, or rather, creates causes for people’s deaths.
The same applies to Shuri.
Shuri is kind. Originally, we shouldn’t have him in a mercenary group; it would be better to have him employed at a town tavern.
But when I met him and ate his cooking, I thought. I couldn’t help but think.
This guy is necessary for the mercenary group.
So I brought him along, kept him with us.
I know that if we really consider him a comrade, we should hand him over to Nouviche. It’s easy to imagine that in the current Nouviche, Shuri wouldn’t be taken to battlefields, would be highly valued for his cooking skills, and would achieve success. It would be safe and secure.
The reason we didn’t do that is my selfishness. It’s nothing but a self-centered decision.
And now, we must continue that.
“You’re right. He’s kind and understands people’s feelings. I don’t want to show him such things.
So, then.”
To continue, I have no choice but to rack my brains.
To protect my comrades, my family.
I’ll rotate this head at full power to construct a strategy.
“It’s impossible to not hurt anyone at all, but.
We might be able to manage without killing anyone.”
At my words, all the captain-class members turn their attention to me.
Wait for us, Shuri.
We’ll settle this and come to get you!
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