Chapter 58

After leaving Eltria's office, I approached the butler, Hans, as she had instructed.

"So, I've decided to accept one of the conditions, which is to be given a drink."

"Which one would that be? I must say, I would very much like to see you become the groom for Miss Yuria."

Hans said this with a playful tone.

"...That one is on hold."

"But, didn't Lady Eltria propose two conditions?"

"Can't I fulfill half and have the other half carried out?"

"Meaning?"

"Reduce the amount of the deal with the Demon King's army by half."

"---So, you find the idea of marrying my young lady so distasteful?"

This time, his expression was serious. His eyes seemed to be asking, "What about my young lady do you find disagreeable?"

"---No, I just think it's too early to settle down," I replied evasively.

I had explained the complicated situation to Eltria, but there was no need to tell this man or Yuria.

Recently, my true identity has been revealed one after another, but I must be careful about who I reveal it to.

---Anyway, marriage.

It's a dilemma, but I have no one to consult with.

If I were to consult Sati, she would probably smile and say, "As you wish, Master."

If I were to consult Lilith, she would probably smile and say, "Can I kill him?"

If I were to consult Sefiro, she would probably smile mischievously and say, "Let me name the child."

If I were to consult the Demon King, he would probably say expressionlessly, "Is that so?"

The only one I could consult is the married Jiron.

I hadn't thought of him in a while, but since he's not here, there's nothing I can do.

While I was at a loss, Hans offered a suggestion.

"Well, the best way to handle the marriage to the young lady would be to make it a 'betrothal.' That way, the young lady would be satisfied."

I see, that's an option.

I said I would marry, but I didn't specify when, so I could use that as a loophole, or rather, a diplomatic convenience.

"Diplomacy is a game of give and take," as my grandfather used to say. A little lie like this should be forgivable.

I convinced myself of this and thanked Hans for his suggestion.

"Then, let's fulfill two of the conditions with Lady Eltria. First, we need to start by defeating the pirates."

"That's right."

Hans, stroking his well-groomed mustache, said, "Shall I begin the explanation?" and gestured for me to follow.

I agreed and followed him to the parlor.

In the parlor, Hans said, "Excuse me," and spread out a sea chart on the table.

He pointed to Zenobia first.

"As you know, Zenobia is a trading city on the South Sea."

"I've heard it thrives as a transit point for trade with the island cities of the South Sea."

"That's correct. It's said that 30% of the spices circulating on this continent pass through Zenobia."

"That's impressive."

"The warm climate in the south is also advantageous for growing crops."

"They have so much surplus that they export to the north."

"---That's correct," Hans bowed respectfully.

"I would like to see the Demon King's army also benefit from this."

"That depends on Mr. Ike's performance."

Hans pointed to the sea chart again.

"I believe you've already heard that our trade routes from Zenobia are being threatened by pirates."

"I have. If we defeat those pirates, Lady Eltria will agree to the secret pact with the Demon King's army, right?"

"Yes."

"What is the scale of the enemy pirates?"

"One ship."

I was surprised by this unexpected answer.

"Pirates don't usually operate in groups. They stand out too much. They use small, fast ships to sneak up on merchant ships and launch surprise attacks."

"In other words, they are elusive and hard to catch?"

"Exactly."

"Do you know where their base is?"

"They change their base each time. That's why even the navy has trouble with them."

I see, it seems that pirates in this world are similar.

Pirates with large fleets are probably just a story.

They disguise themselves as merchant ships to avoid attention and raise the pirate flag when they get close to their target.

This seems to be a common tactic in any world.

So---

The plan is simple.

"Then, let's prepare a merchant ship loaded with a large amount of gold and silver."

"---However, we've tried this tactic many times. They are very perceptive. They quickly see through fake gold and silver and won't come near. Also, if we disguise the ship as a merchant ship and load it with mercenaries, they will see through that too."

"That's because the gold and silver are fake. They are perceptive, but information leaks from port workers who are our informants."

"---I see, indeed."

Hans agreed.

"Then, let's load the ship with real gold and silver this time. It will be a significant risk, but in return, we will prepare a large number of skilled mercenaries."

I shook my head at his words.

"You're not preparing mercenaries?"

Hans was puzzled.

"Recruiting a large number of mercenaries at this time would raise suspicion. Besides, mercenaries are money-hungry. We must assume they might sell information."

"Then, we must challenge them with our regular forces..."

Hans suddenly looked serious.

However, I had to confuse him even more.

After a moment's pause, I made another suggestion.

"Challenging them with regular forces is a given. Loading the ship with real gold and silver is also a given. Furthermore, we need bait that will attract the pirates even more."

"Is there something else needed on top of that?"

"Yes."

I said this firmly and mentioned the bait that Hans would absolutely oppose.

"There is something more valuable than gold or silver in this city."

"Something, you say?"

"Yes, not a thing, but a person."

Hans's face changed when he heard this.

"Y-You can't be serious."

His well-groomed mustache trembled.

"That's exactly what I mean. I suspect that the information about the recent attack on Miss Yuria was leaked in advance. That's why she was attacked in such a place. The ransom for Miss Yuria is expected to be astronomical."

"B-But---"

Hans, as expected, objected, but I stopped him and said firmly,

"Please rest assured. I won't let a single finger touch Miss Yuria."

In fact, I intended to use a strategy that would ensure she would not be harmed.

Hearing this, I thought the overly loyal butler would be convinced.

With this in mind, I explained the outline of the plan to him.