Chapter 58

Rikoshe, the body double, was gazing at the mountain range from the carriage on the way back from the Mildor territory.

At the foot of those mountains lies the headquarters of the Sixth Special Task Brigade. It’s just a stone’s throw away from Colonel Altsar and the others.

(If I tell the driver to make a detour there, it shouldn’t be a problem...)

The fact that the "Duke Litray" here is a body double is unknown even to the driver and the maids. The cavalry guards probably don’t know either.

I must inform Colonel Altsar about Duke Litray’s plans to eliminate the former head of the family and his younger brother, and the fact that he has procured castration drugs for that purpose.

Usually, I’m not allowed to leave the designated mansion, but now I have the freedom.

(Duke Litray often gives different orders suddenly and frequently acts outside of the schedule. There’s no reason to be suspected.)

Thinking this, Rikoshe called out to the maid who was attending her.

“Carriage...”

But then, Rikoshe remembered something important.

(The most important thing is not to be recognized as a traitor, right?)

Even the slightest carelessness or mistake could be fatal when dealing with Duke Litray. This has been proven by the other body doubles.

(Duke Litray is very suspicious. I must not do anything that can’t be explained later.)

The maid looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, I was thinking of asking the driver to drive more carefully, but it’s probably just a bad road. It wouldn’t be fair to interfere with the driver’s work.”

With a composed face, Rikoshe answered, and the maid nodded in admiration.

“What a kind consideration... I’m truly moved.”

(You shouldn’t say that in front of the “real” one. He has no interest in the feelings of the lower class.)

While inwardly worrying about the maid, the body double smiled calmly.

“You must be tired from the long journey. You’ve worked hard.”

“Oh, no, not at all...”

The maid, unaware that the person in front of her was also a commoner, looked thoroughly embarrassed. This humility might help her survive. I pray for her safety, though it’s not just her problem.

(I need to be careful too...)

As the mountains gradually faded into the distance, Rikoshe steeled herself.

* * *

Today, Roz came to my room for coffee again.

“My father-in-law has received a message from his family. It seems that the traitor he was keeping under surveillance met with Duke Litray. I was surprised to hear that he came in person.”

That’s the body double. The real Duke Litray wouldn’t come to the Mildor territory at this time. It’s too dangerous.

But this is a secret even from Roz. I think it will eventually be revealed, but for now, it’s too dangerous. We don’t know who the informants are.

Still, I’m relieved that Rikoshe is safe. If she made any unusual moves, Duke Litray would notice immediately. He’s very suspicious.

Roz looked at me intently.

“You seem to know something.”

“Don’t hold an inquisition here. As a staff officer, I know many secrets.”

I deflected the question from my perceptive colleague and thought about the future.

“Duke Litray must have realized that the Mildor family is planning to secede from the empire. This is a critical issue for the future of the empire, but it’s not a big deal to her.”

Roz smiled wryly.

“She’s a formidable woman. In a way, she’s admirable.”

“I agree.”

She doesn’t care if the empire collapses as long as it benefits her. However, if the empire collapses, her interests will also be damaged.

So, what will she do next?

“Duke Litray will create chaos by making enemies and attacking them, and then she will profit from the turmoil. She will likely continue this strategy, so the pressure on the Mildor family will increase. The same goes for the Duke’s younger brother, who remains in the empire, and for you, Roz.”

“That’s a problem. I can handle it, but I don’t want my family to have a hard time living in the empire.”

Roz’s expression darkened.

“Come on, think of something. You must have an idea, right?”

“I don’t.”

I’m a staff officer attached to the army brigade. I’m not equipped to deal with political matters.

...But maybe I do have an idea.

“Give me some time. I’ll consult with the colonel.”

“Thanks. I owe you one.”

“You can thank me if it works.”

I came up with a rather despicable plan...

* * *

After a while, the Duke of Mildor declared independence from the empire and merged with the Duchy of Bruges. I knew about it in advance, but it was still a sudden betrayal.

Formally, the Duke of Mildor and the Duke of Bruges will be equal, each governing their own territories.

The Duke of Bruges will lead the Pharnia Reincarnationists, while the Duke of Mildor will lead the Restorers.

However, the country will still be called the Duchy of Bruges, indicating which is the dominant party. It’s like a corporate merger.

On the other hand, the Duke’s younger brother remained in the Schwader Empire and claimed to be the new head of the Mildor family.

At first glance, it seems like the brothers have parted ways, but in reality, they are serving as the leaders of the secessionists and the loyalists, respectively. Both factions maintain the pretense of serving the head of the Mildor family.

I had anticipated this, but the new border lines were a shock to many.

“The Bruges fangs have penetrated into the imperial direct-controlled territory, dividing the Mildor territory into two parts.”

Colonel Altsar looked displeased.

Surprisingly, the Duke of Mildor, who fled, took a large portion of the central territory. The remaining parts are the eastern territory adjacent to the imperial direct-controlled territory and the western territory surrounded by enemy territory.

The western territory is truly isolated, and one must pass through the Zichtberg territory to reach the eastern territory.

Hanna looked pale.

“The area around the Sixth Special Task Brigade has become the border! And I can see the Bruges flag on the horizon!”

“This is worse than expected. That damn father-in-law.”

Roz, who was also unaware of the situation, looked grim. The Duke of Mildor and his younger brother must have maintained strict information control.

The Bruges army had already advanced into the Mildor territory. By the time they realized it, all the fortresses were taken over by the Bruges army, and the third division and artillery were absorbed by the Bruges army.

The Zeffel fortress area also became part of Bruges, so Captain Dumble might be wearing a Bruges uniform by now. Poor guy.

Colonel Altsar sighed and looked at me.

“I thought the Duke of Mildor would bring the border area with Bruges as a gift, but this is a bold concession. I’d like to hear your opinion.”

I don’t know either, but considering the Schwader side’s reaction, I can guess the Bruges side’s intentions.

“A direct route to the capital has been created through the imperial direct-controlled territory. It’s like putting a sword to the throat of the imperial court.”

The colonel crossed his arms with a troubled expression.

“Yes, the imperial court won’t stand for this. The court has always aimed to recover the old territories of the empire. They won’t tolerate secession. They will order the remaining Mildor nobles to attack Bruges.”

But I shook my head.

“It’s not that simple, sir. No one will move.”

“Indeed. The nobles only follow their own heads. The emperor’s orders are meaningless.”

However, Roz looked worried.

“Is it really safe? What if the Zichtberg family attacks West Mildor? They are in decline and can’t defy the imperial order.”

“Don’t worry. The Mildor and Zichtberg families are long-time allies and have a secret agreement.”

Roz, who was unaware of this, was surprised.

“The three families of Bruges, Mildor, and Zichtberg are anti-imperial forces. However, Bruges and Zichtberg might still be enemies.”

“It’s complicated...”

Hanna was confused. I am too.

The lords who followed the Duke of Mildor in the secession are only a small part of the surrounding areas. That’s the official story.

In reality, all the remaining nobles, including the Zichtberg family, are secretly supporting the secessionists.

Hanna asked me.

“Will the emperor order the attack on the Duke of Mildor?”

“The key to the attack is East Mildor, but the local lords will never cooperate. They might even leak information to the Duke of Mildor. Besides,”

I tapped the map on the wall, pointing to the area around the Duke of Mildor’s base.

“The Bruges army is already stationed there, declaring it their territory. It’s almost impossible to take it back with the second and third divisions in their current state. Even if the emperor orders the attack, his advisors will stop him.”

The first division, directly under the imperial court, is not enough. The fourth division of the Medilen family is mainly naval and lacks the capability to send an army inland.

The fifth division of the Litray family is well-equipped due to imperial favor, but Duke Litray won’t do anything that doesn’t benefit him. He has no interest in the distant Mildor territory.

“Then will the emperor confiscate East Mildor first?”

“If that happens, the lords of East Mildor will declare secession to the Duchy of Bruges. A lord who doesn’t grant them their land is an enemy, not worth their loyalty.”

The new border area between the Duchy of Bruges and the Schwader Empire is governed by the Mildor nobles. In other words, they are their own people.

Here, the imperial court is just an outsider. The Duke of Mildor is the king of this region.

But Hanna looked even more worried.

“Is this okay?”

“It’s not. The empire is completely divided. It will collapse soon.”

The public is in turmoil. They believed the five royal families were the protectors of the empire, so distrust in the nobles is growing.

Especially in the Litray territory, there are frequent peasant uprisings, which might increase.

The colonel listened to my words and then nodded deeply.

“Your analysis matches mine. The emperor has only two options, right, Captain?”

“Yes. He can either downplay the loss of territory and recognize the Duke’s younger brother as the new head, or he can crush the anti-imperial forces of Bruges, Mildor, and Zichtberg.”

The colonel ran his fingers through his lustrous black hair and looked at me.

“Which will the great and wise emperor choose?”

“Since he is great and wise...”

I couldn’t help but smile wryly, but I was certain about this.

“The country has been maintained by the five divisions guarding their respective areas. If he chooses the latter, national defense will be impossible, and both military and financial resources will be depleted. The empire will cease to exist.”

The emperor is mediocre, but precisely because he is mediocre, he won’t make an obviously foolish choice. He will definitely choose the former and then plan a new strategy.

The emperors have always aimed to recover the empire’s territories at their peak. They will never allow the loss of territory during their reign.

The colonel sighed deeply.

“So we have some time. I will continue with your proposal from the other day.”

“Thank you, sir.”

I saluted the colonel.