Chapter 19

I returned to the city of Ivalice, my territory, and called for Jiron, the orc advisor.

Jiron, the small orc, came hurriedly.

When he arrived in my office, he asked, "What is it?"

"It's about the incident with the White Rose Knights a few days ago—"

I began to speak.

In summary, what I wanted to know was what the current leader of the White Rose Knights was doing.

"Well, who knows. I confirmed that he escaped alive, but we beat him up pretty badly. Perhaps he has been punished and thrown into prison," Jiron replied.

"Indeed, that's possible," I murmured.

I then ordered Jiron to investigate what the man was doing now.

Jiron agreed with a "Yes," and continued, "Urgently?"

"As quickly as possible. Prioritize this above all else. Don't hesitate to spend money or manpower."

Jiron seemed to realize the gravity of the situation from my serious tone and left the office in a hurry.

Now, it seemed that we would soon know the exact location of the White Rose Knights' leader, which would be solid 'evidence.' The question was whether he would be in a place that was easy to 'secure.'

If he had been allowed to move to another front after the defeat, it would be difficult to even locate him, let alone secure him.

Ideally, he would be under house arrest or confined somewhere for questioning about the defeat.

A few days later, Jiron informed me of the location of Alistair, the leader of the White Rose Knights.

"Alistair of the White Rose Knights is currently imprisoned in a jail on the outskirts of the capital."

"Prison, huh? That's harsh, even for the enemy."

Was he questioned about the defeat? I asked for more details.

"No, it doesn't seem he was questioned about the defeat. If that were the case, most of the knights who participated in the counterattack would have been held responsible."

"I see, there must be another reason."

"Yes, apparently he petitioned the king to send the entire army to Ivalice. He did so persistently in the royal council, which angered the king, leading to his confinement."

"Send the entire army to Ivalice? Was he that bitter about losing to me?"

"Or perhaps he thought it would be disastrous if our brigade wasn't eliminated," Jiron said with a laugh.

Well, the details are unclear, but it seems he is indeed confined.

In a way, this was a fortunate turn of events for us.

I called for Lilith, one of my skilled subordinates, a succubus, and we headed to the location where Alistair was confined.

†

"Lord Ike, we're alone."

That was Lilith's first words as we left the city of Ivalice.

"I'm a bit tired," she said abruptly.

"Since there's a forest over there, why don't we rest for a while? An hour or so. No, if Lord Ike wishes, we can spend a whole day or two together."

She pulled on my arm.

I glared at her through my mask.

Lilith muttered, "Tch," and gave up.

"But, Lord Ike, we're going to rescue the enemy commander who is confined in the tower, right? Can we really do it with just the two of us? Oh, of course, with Lord Ike, even an army of ten thousand would be no problem."

"Even I have my limits," I replied.

"Then a thousand?"

"Still too many."

"A hundred?"

"Maybe, depending on the circumstances."

I have the confidence to handle that many ordinary soldiers at once, perhaps overconfidently.

"Then this mission should be manageable," Lilith said, relieved.

"Actually, it's better not to be noticed by a large army."

I stated firmly.

Alistair, the leader of the White Rose Knights, is confined in a tower on the outskirts of the capital, Rezas. It's not a prison for common criminals but a tower reserved for nobles.

Since he is a noble, the likelihood of him escaping is low, and an attack is probably not even considered.

The security is likely minimal, if my guess is correct.

There are probably about ten guards and ten attendants to take care of the noble's daily needs.

Since an attack is not expected, I should be able to handle it alone.

Honestly, I would have preferred to go alone, but as the commander of the brigade, I had to be prepared for any contingencies.

"Ah, Lord Ike, we can see the tower now."

Lilith had spotted the tower. As a demon, she has keen senses, which I don't possess as a human.

However, to avoid being detected, I used the "Far Sight" spell to confirm it.

Indeed, the tower was visible.

It's a bleak tower, as it's meant for prisoners. There's no need for it to be ornate.

"There are two guards at the front gate..."

I muttered.

"Shall we take care of them quickly? There can't be many guards from the looks of it."

Lilith, being a demon, wanted to resolve things quickly.

I restrained her.

"It's not just about showing blood."

"But it's harder to hold back. If we kill 2-3 of them, the rest will probably run away in fear."

"..."

I remained silent, acknowledging the truth in her words.

Lilith's suggestion was correct, both as a demon and as a human general. My hesitation came from the memories of my past life.

I wanted to avoid bloodshed if possible.

"No, sometimes it's interesting to resolve things without spilling blood. It can also be good practice for gathering information when infiltrating enemy territory."

I emphasized, "Try not to kill humans if possible," and cast the "Invisibility" spell on both Lilith and myself.

This spell makes the caster invisible for a short time.

However, it doesn't work on those with strong magical power, and it can be dispelled by large movements.

But I don't think the gatekeepers are mages, and they don't seem to be strong enough to require a second strike.

I should be able to take them down without issues.

The problem is the soldiers inside...

I sighed.

I had ordered her to hold back, but the succubus beside me isn't that skilled at following such orders.

No matter how hard I try, there will be casualties.

I thought this as I headed towards the tower.