Episode 135
“Failure…? Even though Gray and Morgan are somewhat lacking compared to their titles, if the two of them combine, they will have a force comparable to that of a viscount, right?”
“They say they were annihilated. So, I don’t know the exact circumstances… I think the Macline guys had some strength left. I’m sorry.”
“Hehe. I’m going crazy. The power of destroying the Margrave’s army twice wasn’t enough, and the power remaining in the territory is more than that of a viscount…. A single baron got this much in half a year just because he used a trick to get one county. Exploding? Even taking that new weapon into account, does this make sense?”
Juan Douglas let out a long sigh and muttered as if he was talking to himself.
Then it came to its own conclusion.
“I was preparing it for a long time. Ha… it wasn’t a bat, it was a poisonous snake.”
No matter how much he was a mage, he could not even think of the idea of giving ordinary people of the territory weapons that could kill knights and even training them.
That was his limitation, and that of most continental nobles.
However, at least he did not neglect his efforts to overcome the situation.
“Hurry up the production of repeating crossbows. Don’t forget to increase the range and deploy them on the castle walls as soon as they are produced!”
“yes!”
“And what are the results of the analysis of that damn disposable artifact?”
“They say they have found some of the ingredients… but they say we still need to spend more time finding out how they were mixed.”
“Time is… something we can’t do. We have to somehow secure a large number of samples or find the creator. Who is the spy who can infiltrate them?”
“That’s another news. They say there was a commotion in their center before our battle…”
“What?”
Juan Douglas’ expression became more and more crumpled as he heard about the incident at McLane from his subordinate.
“… something like that happened. As a result, security became more stringent and it became difficult to get near it.”
“What kind of people are they?! Who did this without even reporting to me! What kind of idiot!!”
“There is some strange news about him. From the Second Prince faction…”
The Duke’s heated expression quickly calmed down as he listened to the adjutant’s continued story.
and.
“…Huh, never thought something like this would happen. It’s fun. It’s fun. Okay, just try following the plan.”
Harun Castle, where the 1st Prince faction is crouching.
Even there, change was progressing little by little.
* * *
Nothing will get better if you wait like this.
Now is the time to make changes to the sluggish front line.
Based on that judgment, Logan was organizing his mind to make a new proposal based on the big picture he had drawn before.
As he was looking for a time to create a new trend, a strange argument emerged at a leadership meeting.
“I’ve already done all the experiments. The bomb could never be made with the recipe that MacLaine handed over. I hope that on a Mahayana level, MacLaine will tell us the correct recipe and produce weapons at the faction level!”
Roger Bipros, whose face was bright red, screamed as the veins in his neck rose.
It was absurd for Logan, but he couldn’t just sit still because it was true that Liberatio’s production method had been passed off as a mistake.
“Have you tried an experiment? In this situation? And where did you get Tamil powder and Temes paste, ingredients that don’t even grow at this time?”
It was a crappy recipe that was delivered with that in mind in the first place.
“Fortunately, I had the materials I had personally prepared for the experiment. And it failed ‘cruelly.’”
“The Count didn’t make a mistake?”
“Logan McLane, be careful what you say! I’m a 5th circle wizard…”
Bang. bang.
“Count. It’s a public place, so please maintain the minimum level of courtesy.”
“…sorry.”
The 5th Circle wizard with a red-faced face sat down with an expression that clearly showed his displeasure.
But the bomb he threw was still effective.
“And Logan. Count Bipros’ words may have been a bit excessive, but he’s not the kind of friend who would make up stories that don’t exist. Can you prove the method of making it?”
“…yes?”
“Seeing that the finished product is being distributed means that we have the materials, so we could show you how to make it right in front of our eyes. A few would be fine, right?”
Although his current status is not what it used to be due to McLane’s influence, the words of Roger Bipros, who can still be said to be his confidant, seemed to have moved the Duke’s heart.
And Roger Bipros responded loudly to those words.
“That’s right! If you can’t prove it, you’ve deceived His Excellency and the faction, so McLane will be responsible…” “
Roger! That’s too much. I should have told you to be polite, right?”
Roger Vipros’ complexion turned even redder at the Duke’s words.
However, even in that situation, Logan was puzzled by the fact that he was glaring at him and widening his eyes.
‘Why are you so confident?’
If he is wrong when the stakes are so high, Roger Wipros will not be able to handle the situation.
His already poor position will fall further and he will only be looked at by the faction…
‘I guess that’s how confident he is. But there is no such thing as experimental equipment here, and there is no separate space for experiments. There’s no way they’ve actually tested it. Then how…?’
Suddenly, I remembered some of the conversations I had with my younger brother over the communication port.
– And my brother. It’s not certain, but according to the article…
In Logan’s mind, two pieces of uncertain circumstantial evidence were combined into one certainty.
‘It was you.’
It was not the 1st Prince faction, but Bipros.
If you compare the materials mentioned by the kidnapped dwarves with the production method they gave you, you might get that kind of reaction.
Even though I didn’t do any experiments.
My anger boiled over again, but getting angry here was just foolish.
And seeing as he was so blatant that he even took risks that could have ended if he was caught, it was safe to say that Roger Bipros’s psychology was already pushed into a corner.
If irrational numbers achieved success once, it was natural for them to continue two or three times.
Because human greed sometimes completely overshadows reason.
Then….
‘…I can use it.’
Logan soon came up with an idea to pay it all back several times over, and then smiled and nodded to the Duke.
“It is not difficult. We will create a position in the near future and prove it.”
One simple lie.
With that alone, the suspicion in the duke’s gaze quickly dissipated, and Roger Bipros’ face distorted at a proportional rate.
“But from a moral standpoint, rather than questioning the method of making the weapon I gave you, wouldn’t it be better to overcome this frustrating current situation? Even now, we don’t know what the enemies within are preparing. As you know, our territory has recently become the first prince. “We were once attacked by the faction’s local troops.”
As he said that, he looked around, but none of the Margrave and the Marquis were surprised.
‘As expected, I knew everything.’
Logan internally ground his teeth.
At least he must have received communication first from Count Esren of the 2nd Prince faction, who was confronting the forces that attacked McLane.
However, he did not inform himself.
‘What kind of alliance is this?’
I want to defeat the enemy, but keep my damage to a minimum.
Instead, I want other allies to take as much damage as possible.
A union with many holes where such selfish feelings are clearly visible.
I felt like I knew yet another reason why this sham alliance failed, but of course I didn’t want to reveal my feelings clumsily.
“Fortunately, we managed to defeat them, but they may be planning other things in that castle. There is no way that this will only happen in our territory, so wouldn’t it be better to hasten the conquest?”
Logan smiled to himself as he spoke.
The territory was attacked because of McLane’s status in the current civil war and the special nature of its new weapon, but there was no reason for another faction’s territory to be attacked right away.
Even if you occupy the Margrave’s fiefdoms, which are completely opposite to the faction’s main camp, the only thing that can cause immediate disruption is the level of supply.
Although the civil war has already been going on for half a year, no one yet thought that this war would last beyond this year and last for several years, so unless it is a special case like McLane, the territory will not be attacked.
Then the duke cleared his throat and spoke quietly.
“Hmm. I’m glad we defeated them well. Thank you for worrying about the other territories. But we have nothing to regret if we keep the current situation like this. The moment the food in the castle runs out, they will make a last-ditch effort or move the front lines back again. “You will have to choose, or you will have to make a choice. And then we will be at an even greater advantage than we are now. There is no need to make unnecessary sacrifices now.”
The answer was exactly as expected, and Logan also made a proposal just as expected.
“In that spirit, I have a suggestion.”
“hmm?”
“We will bear that pointless sacrifice.”
“…what?”
With the Duke’s surprised voice, the crowd’s attention focused on Logan.
‘Why do you have to do this?’
Moreover, the Second Princes faction is now in the upper hand due to McLane’s participation in the war.
‘Even in my previous life, it wasn’t until this winter that the real mess broke out.’
The situation is a little different now, but the moment an implicit consensus is formed that the war will last for a long time, the nature of the war changes.
In a war that combines assassination battles aimed at each other’s heads and a power struggle between core forces, it is an all-out war that maintains a state of confrontation but uses up its remaining power to lay waste to the other side’s territory and mobilizes mercenaries and conscripts to the limit.
Naturally, as the next year’s crops are destroyed, supplies are forcibly conscripted, and as the supplies are conscripted, refugees arise, and those refugees become slash-and-burn people or bandits, causing nationwide problems.
The entire kingdom becomes a stage of war, and all kinds of horrors occur.
‘So the civil war must be resolved before then.’
The reason why Logan stepped forward now was to lay the groundwork for the operation.
“We, McLane, will take the lead in attacking Harun Castle in the most dangerous location.”
The duke’s eyes changed at that boast.
“…Tell me in detail.”
“We, McLane, will bypass the southern mountain range and return to the eastern wall to avoid their sight. It may take a few days, but if you camouflage well, you will be able to outmaneuver the First Prince’s army. We will move to the main camp in line with our attack on the eastern gate. “If we launch this all-out attack, it will put pressure on us while our retreat is blocked.”
“her…?”
Logan’s words were the simplest but clearest solution.
It was a war that became sluggish because no one was willing to sacrifice, so as long as the premise is established that someone sacrifices first, change can easily occur.
“…I’m not ignoring McLane’s power, but if you do that, you’ll probably be in danger, right? If the cornered ones force their escape, they will be driven east.”
If everything went as planned, McLane would have to endure the final struggle of the 1st Prince’s army.
If the final struggle was concentrated in one direction, the change would be possible. Even if he was a duke or a marquis, he might have to risk extinction. It
was something that everyone could have predicted, but at the same time, it was a risky operation that no one could have predicted.
“It means that I will take all that risk.
” Huh?”
Jordan Waltermim was willing. Although it was thanks to the new weapon, there was no reason not to engage in a siege if McLane, who had shown a record of as much as the two Margrave families combined, could do that.
However, that was also why there was no doubt .
I heard.
“Why?”
Why? You? Sacrifice?
You deserve to be the top contributor just with the criminal record you’ve had so far?
Jordan’s short retort contained a lot of meaning.
And Logan had a magic trick that could solve all those questions. He knew the words.
“Instead, if the war ends well with this operation, I would like to receive additional compensation in addition to what was promised earlier.”
Compensation.
Words that dispelled the greedy man’s doubts.
At that, Jordan’s eyes changed once again.
“cost? What do you want?”
“I want the installation of the Marquis of McLane and the entirety of the Marquisate of Calia.”
“…Crazy.”
A proposal so absurd that everyone nodded at Roger Bipros’s swearing. .
But Logan didn’t stop there.
“If your Excellency and His Majesty the Prince confirm this in a letter, I will do it even if it means giving up everything in my family and mine.”
The moment additional conditions were added, the duke’s expression hardened.
“Huh. .. haha. Too much. charge. A letter? “Are you saying you don’t believe me?”
“Is that possible ? However, shouldn’t I also have a basis to show off to others so that I can have a justification for forcing sacrifices on my family members? I would appreciate your understanding.”
Excessive price and unreasonable demands.
Logan believed that this would put an end to the duke’s suspicions, but the duke’s greed and suspicions were more than he thought.
“…Good. However, before carrying out the operation, leave the three cartloads of magic bombs behind. “I’m worried that if your family is missing, the firepower of the siege at the main camp will drop.” These
words came from the duke, who had been thinking for a while
. Logan’s eyes trembled slightly when he heard those words.
If he refuses here, he will not be able to implement the plan he came up with. The day will be far away once again.
‘You still kept Bipros’ words in mind, right? Hmph. Even if you did…’
In any case, no matter how many originals there are, you won’t be able to infer the production method.
Just like the empire in the past life. Lee.
And then McLane would no longer be here.
So Logan could easily nod.
“…Okay.”
Only then did the Duke smile and nod.
“Okay. It’s a decision I’m very thankful for. On the day when the Great Work is accomplished, everything you said will come true. I will gladly leave the documents behind.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Logan also smiled and bowed his head again, followed by an unexpected proposal.
“We, Vipros, will attack the south gate of Harun Castle on our own.”
Roger Bipros, with a stern expression, suddenly said. He stepped in.
‘What?’
Logan looked at him with an absurd expression, and other people in the crowd also expressed similar emotions.
Although no one said it out loud, the current McLane family was treated as having the power of two or three margraves combined or the power of a marquis.
Base map The gap with the lost Vipros was only increasing day by day.
In other words, it was absurd for Bipros to do what McLane could do.
Roger Bipros’ proposal seemed almost like committing suicide.
” Roger, aren’t you overdoing it?”
“Absolutely not. Please leave it to us! I don’t want too much in return. I will simply sacrifice myself for the great cause with all my heart.”
Oh, you?
That can’t be possible.
‘If you’re not crazy, you probably have other intentions.’
No, there must be.
When a meaningful smile appeared on Logan’s lips.
The Duke of Jordan smiled and nodded.
“Heh heh. Well, if you want to come out like that, that’s good. Let’s plan a plan based on your suggestions. So that we can end this civil war here.”
“Good!”
There were no more objections, and the meeting ended with the other margraves praising the voluntary sacrifices of McLane and Bipros.
And the meeting just ended.
“Do your best . Take a look. Well, the result would be obvious anyway. I can’t wait to see what our relationship will be like after the war is over, Excellency.”
Logan whispered with a faint smile.
It was a deliberate provocation with the intention of asking for a trick.
“Of course. A friendly competition would be good, too.”
Roger Bipros responded with a nonchalant smile even though he couldn’t hide his stern expression.
But that was enough to convince Logan that he
would definitely do something.
