Chapter 70

* * *

【The Second Finger Points North】

"Minshiana, oh, foolish Minshiana!"

The actor's powerful voice echoed through the theater.

"Indulging in greed and tormenting the villagers, and even selling my orchard without permission!"

An elderly gentleman in the VIP seats chuckled.

"Is this 'Foolish Minshiana'? What a terrible rural play."

A middle-aged gentleman sitting next to him responded with a grim expression.

"Indeed. It doesn't seem like a production from the prestigious Imperial Theater."

"Foolish Minshiana" is a play created by the playwright employed by the Litreju family. It is a tragedy set in a fictional rural village, where the village chief's daughter, Minshiana, is consumed by wealth and power, leading to her downfall.

"Please forgive me, Father! But I really wanted to wear a silk dress!"

"What do you mean, a country girl like you! Look at what you have trampled upon!"

On stage, Minshiana displays her ugliness, and the village chief harshly reprimands her.

The elderly gentleman, uninterested in the play, looked at the chandelier on the ceiling and asked the gentleman next to him.

"What is the ending of this play?"

"Foolish Minshiana goes insane due to divine punishment and dies from a lightning strike in the wilderness. After that, the village chief restores order in the village."

"An extremely repulsive script. I feel sorry for the playwright who was ordered to write this."

The play continued, but the elderly gentleman stood up.

"It's time to leave, Duke Zihiteberg."

"Yes, Your Highness, the Duke's younger brother."

In response to the Duke of Mildor's question, Duke Zihiteberg nodded as he stood up.

The two walked down the wide corridor of the Imperial Theater, continuing their conversation in a way that no one could overhear.

"Is everything going smoothly with the matter?"

"Yes. 'Foolish Minshiana' has been taken care of, and there should be no further concerns. My work is done here. I want to see my nephews soon."

While smoothing out the white hair that had increased over the past half year, the Duke of Mildor's younger brother smiled wryly.

"Lord Duke of Bruges will try to expand the Reincarnationist forces at every opportunity, so my brother must be having a hard time. Even someone like me is better than no one at all."

The Mildor family's head has defected to the Bruges family, while the younger brother remains in the empire. Each leads a group of aristocratic families, and if the younger brother were to defect, the entire Mildor region and the Third Division would fall under the control of the Duke of Bruges.

Duke Zihiteberg smiled wryly.

"His Majesty will be furious."

"He truly believes that the Mildor territory will return to the empire. But a sun that has set will not rise from the west."

Although his tone was calm, the Duke of Mildor's younger brother's words were filled with deep disappointment.

"Moreover, by not responding to the Zihiteberg family's request for troops and deploying the Imperial Guard to defend the direct territory, there is no future. If the 'Thumb' does not cooperate with the 'Index Finger,' they won't be able to pick up even a grain of sand, let alone a territory."

Duke Zihiteberg nodded.

"I agree. Our family has incurred the wrath of the nomads due to the Kionis expedition ordered by His Majesty, and our borders are being ravaged by cavalry. It's too dangerous to farm. Yet His Majesty turns a blind eye."

With the Second Division in a state of destruction, the Zihiteberg family cannot even defend their own territory.

The Duke of Mildor's younger brother smiled faintly.

"Then, I can assume you agree with the matter?"

Duke Zihiteberg nodded firmly.

"Yes. To protect the ancestral land, there is no other way."

He looked straight at the Duke of Mildor's younger brother and said with no hesitation.

"Please put in a good word for us."

"Leave it to me. We who guard the mountains and valleys are one."

The two shook hands firmly and smiled brightly.

Duke Zihiteberg suddenly asked about something that had been on his mind.

"But what will you do with your family? Specifically, the Steyer family..."

The Duke of Mildor's third daughter is married to Lieutenant Roz Steyer of the artillery. The Steyer family lives within the grounds of the Sixth Special Task Brigade.

The Duke of Mildor's younger brother smiled.

"Colonel Altsar and Major Krombertz are there. They will protect my daughter's family and serve as a link to the Medilen family. I believe you also think highly of Major Krombertz, which is why you made him a 'backdoor friend.'"

"Yes. I owe him a debt, but even without that, he is a valuable asset. A commoner without the entanglements of the aristocratic society, a confidant of the Duke of Medilen's aunt, capable and incorruptible, and also moderate and loyal. I would want him as a vassal, but he is also valuable on the enemy side."

If the Zihiteberg and Mildor families defect from the empire, they will be in conflict with the remaining three families.

But because they will be in conflict, it is necessary to have a trustworthy negotiator within the enemy. That is why they have treated him well. It is not just a matter of returning a favor.

The Duke of Mildor's younger brother nodded.

"Colonel Altsar's faction, which suppressed the rebellion, can take a strong stance against the Litreju family. If the 'Little Finger' and the 'Ring Finger' do not move, it will be difficult to attack the Mildor family. With just the 'Thumb,' nothing can be achieved."

The imperial court alone does not have the power to fight against neighboring countries like Bruges and Agan. Cooperation from other families is necessary. By preventing such cooperation, they can block attacks from the imperial court.

The Duke of Mildor's younger brother continued.

"As a deterrent to the Litreju family, we could have instilled a southern policy in the hardliners within the Kingdom of Agan, but if the Reincarnationists gain momentum along the coast, it will cause trouble for the Medilen family."

"That would not be a good strategy. To divide the empire, we must maintain friendly relations with the Medilen family."

The two nodded and headed to the lobby. The guards from both families followed them like shadows.

Duke Zihiteberg smiled.

"It's cold outside. How about a few rounds of Five Kings Chess over some hot wine?"

The Duke of Mildor's younger brother looked slightly surprised but quickly smiled in return.

"Sure. You know my hobbies well."

"Our family has brought some top-grade Vacandastine wine. Please enjoy it as a teaching fee."

"Hehe, there's no need to entertain someone of my low rank."

The two laughed and got into their carriages, disappearing into the darkness of the capital for further secret discussions.

* * *

I stopped writing the operation plan and faced Hanna's troubled expression.

"Is it that bad? Colonel Altsar?"

Hanna, a large figure, nodded vigorously, hunching her shoulders.

"Yes, he's been having nightmares every night. Last night, I slept next to him, and he kept saying things like 'Don't take me with you' and 'I won't listen to your words.' His sleep-talking was intense."

Sleeping next to him, like a mother. The thought made me feel warm inside.

But now is not the time for that. The content of his sleep-talking is too unsettling.

"Right after the Duke of Litreju's death, he didn't have nightmares. Did they start recently?"

"Yes, about half a month ago. At first, it wasn't that serious."

Hanna counted on her fingers and then asked me hesitantly.

"Is it really the Duke of Litreju's ghost?"

"Ghosts don't exist, Hanna. If they did, I would include them in the operation plan."

"For example?"

"Well, if we could shoot ghosts like cannonballs and curse the entire enemy army to death, that would be convenient. But it would just turn into a curse war, so it's pointless."

"You, Sir, are fearless!"

Not really. There are many things scarier than ghosts.

I continued writing the operation plan and explained to Hanna.

"The timing of Colonel Altsar's worsening nightmares coincides with the start of 'Foolish Minshiana.'"

"Oh, that play where a woman with the same name as the Duke of Litreju meets her downfall."

"Exactly. The Litreju family is trying to pin all the blame on Minshiana to maintain their dignity as one of the Five Royal Families. But insulting the dead must be painful for Colonel Altsar."

I wouldn't like it either.

I dipped my pen in the inkwell and sighed lightly.

"The father is denigrating his dead daughter. It's hard to say who is more foolish."

"You're right..."

Hanna doesn't know that Colonel Altsar forced the Duke of Litreju to commit suicide. It's better that she doesn't know.

"Officially, the Duke of Litreju died of illness. He could have been buried as such, but his father seems unable to let it go. We'll deal with that separately."

We have plans in place for the Litreju family. They are despicable, even to me, who came up with them.

For now, the focus is on the colonel's care.

"I'll help with this. I learned a bit about mental health for soldiers at the military academy."

"Thank you!"

Hanna saluted sharply, and the wind from her arm movement made my bangs flutter.

Indeed, Colonel Altsar has been acting strange since he forced the Duke of Litreju to commit suicide. Even during the autopsy, he didn't show his usual boldness.

The colonel appears bold, but she is trembling inside, as she herself has said. Her pride as a noble is the only thing keeping her going.

But if that pride wavers...

Thinking about it, the Duke of Litreju's death might have left a deep scar on Colonel Altsar. As a commoner, I didn't realize this.

I promised Hanna to report back and left my office.

After searching for the colonel in various places, I found her small figure in military uniform on the spire of the castle wall. It was a tower that used to be an observation deck when the brigade headquarters was a noble's villa.

"Sir."

"...Yui?"

The cold wind blew her black hair as Colonel Altsar slowly turned around.

I draped the coat I had brought over her shoulders and asked.

"Are you enjoying the view?"

"No..."

The colonel's expression was unusually melancholic as she answered softly.

"I envy the dead Minshiana."

Wait a minute. This is definitely not good.

Thank you, Hanna, for telling me early.

I will definitely bring the colonel's heart back.

I approached her quietly, careful not to upset her.