Merchant Noble is out (4/4 chapters for today)
Arrest
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The conflict between the Laplace Kingdom and the Lureid Kingdom became more distinct due to the involvement of the surviving nobles and Louis in the rebellion in Casablanca. After the destruction of the nobles and the death of Louis, the Lureid Kingdom withdrew, and for a while, the border between the two countries experienced peaceful times. However, the two countries traditionally had a poor relationship. It was clear to anyone that this peace was only temporary.
—
“General Tyr. Good morning.” (Minister)
Ignoring the greeting of a passing minister, Tyr ran past him.
After Arc returned to Mikanda, Tyr was assigned to serve in the capital and was given the rank of general. And as an exception, he was the only person allowed to wear a sword and enter the royal palace.
“His Majesty Casablanca!” (Tyr)
“Tyr. I’ve told you many times. Never rush, no matter the situation.” (Casablanca)
In contrast to the rushing Tyr who barged into the office, Casablanca was calmly drinking her coffee. After briefly glancing at Tyr, who was sweating, she returned her gaze to the cup.
“When you, a general, act in haste, the ministers will become unsettled. They’ll wonder, ‘Is it a rebellion? Is it an invasion?’ Don’t run in the halls. Greet the ministers. Do the usual things properly.” (Casablanca)
“Yes. My apologies.” (Tyr)
Though Tyr had not yet spoken his business, Casablanca immediately saw that he was anxious.
Tyr replied awkwardly to her reprimand.
“General Tyr has arrived. Let us begin the meeting.” (Fran)
In contrast to the relaxed Casablanca, Fran, the leader of the first squad, was hurriedly preparing, just like Tyr. It was not just any meeting. It was a secret and emergency meeting. The only attendees were Casablanca, Tyr, and Fran. The meeting was held in the private office of Casablanca.
“Well, I believe General Tyr has already received the information, but…” (Fran)
Fran spoke hesitantly.
Her usual cheerful tone was nowhere to be found, and her words were uncharacteristically stilted.
“The Tadont couple was arrested by the border patrol of the Lureid Kingdom.” (Fran)
The Tadont couple had followed Arc after he succeeded the noble title and took office as the lord of Mikanda. They were experts in measurement and mapmaking, and the maps they created had greatly contributed to the activities of the Warden Household. Their skills had earned them not only Arc’s trust but also jobs from Casablanca. Currently, they had been tasked with creating detailed maps of the border area in preparation for the upcoming war with the Lureid Kingdom.
“According to the Lureid Kingdom, the charges are illegal entry and leaking state secrets.” (Fran)
“So, by leaking state secrets, you mean they surveyed Lureid’s terrain without permission?” (Tyr)
“That’s likely the case.” (Fran)
Tyr couldn’t accept the claims of the Lureid Kingdom.
“Impossible. I made sure to warn them not to cross the border. There’s no way the cautious couple would have crossed the border to conduct a survey.” (Tyr)
Fran nodded in agreement.
“I think so too. They were likely captured by the Lureid Kingdom after conducting their survey on our side of the border.” (Fran)
“In that case, it was the other side that crossed the border first.” (Tyr)
“However, this will just turn into an endless debate of ‘they crossed first’ from both sides.” (Fran)
Simply claiming that the other side was at fault wouldn’t solve anything. To protest, objective evidence would be needed.
“We’ve received reports from the adventurers who were investigating the area.” (Lily)
At that moment, Lily, the leader of the third squad, entered.
In response to the claim by the Lureid Kingdom that the couple crossed the border to survey, the Laplace Kingdom had also sent adventurers to investigate the site.
“Because it was raining, no traces of a struggle were found. However, the bodies of the soldiers who had been guarding the couple were found on the Laplace side.” (Lily)
“Just as I thought!” (Tyr)
Before Lily could finish her report, Tyr couldn’t hold back and shouted loudly.
He immediately continued speaking in a rush.
“The couple was conducting their survey properly on the Laplace side. It must have been the Lureid Kingdom that made false accusations and arrested them.” (Tyr)
Fran nodded, as if saying “I know, I know,” and tried to calm Tyr down.
“As the general says, the fault lies with the Lureid Kingdom. However, as I mentioned earlier, this will only lead to a never-ending debate.” (Fran)
“Then, what should we do!” (Tyr)
Certainly, if the soldiers’ bodies were claimed to be a fake by the Laplace Kingdom, there was no way to prove otherwise. From Tyr’s perspective, it was clear who was at fault, but there was not enough evidence to decisively refute the Lureid Kingdom’s side. It was essentially a trial without a judge. No matter how much both sides claimed the other was wrong, there was no one to pass a judgment.
“Shall we attack?” (Casablanca)
The person who spoke was Casablanca.
Until now, Casablanca had just been watching Tyr and Fran argue. Her first words were surprisingly violent.
“What did you just say?” (Tyr)
“Let’s use this as a pretext to attack the Lureid Kingdom.” (Casablanca)
This caused both Tyr and Fran to fall silent.
To start a war over just this was clearly a bit far-fetched. The leap in logic was too extreme.
“If we have Generals Tyr and Lunouar, we can win, don’t you think?” (Casablanca)
Casablanca’s focus was not on whether they could start a war but on whether they could win.
“B-But, there have been continuous wars over the past few years. Our country is weakened. It’s not wise to start a war so easily…” (Fran)
Fran, who had been momentarily stunned, quickly recovered and cautiously advised against it. He believed that they should consider whether they could even start a war in the first place.
“But the last war, where we destroyed the nobles and Louis, was only a year ago. Too much peace isn’t good either. The soldiers’ abilities will decline.” (Casablanca)
Casablanca responded nonchalantly.
To her, the justification for war seemed irrelevant. If she thought they could win, she would start a war. That seemed to be her way of doing things. Tyr stopped her from a different perspective.
“Your Majesty, if we invade the Lureid Kingdom, the Tadont couple will be killed.” (Tyr)
The couple was essentially being held hostage by the Lureid Kingdom.
“The arrested Tadont couple are our vassals. They were only temporarily dispatched for the kingdom’s sake.” (Tyr)
If the couple were killed, it would be a major problem for the Warden Household. Tyr raised his voice slightly as he continued.
“If Your Majesty takes such reckless action, the couple will be killed, and the Warden Household will lodge a severe protest!” (Tyr)
“General Tyr! That is disrespectful!” (Fran)
Fran became upset and admonished Tyr for speaking so strongly to the king.
However, Casablanca didn’t seem to mind and gestured for Fran to calm down.
“It’s fine. This is an unofficial meeting. It’s like a free-for-all.” (Casablanca)
If this were Arc, he would have praised Casablanca’s attitude, then gently and indirectly expressed his concerns through many words. Unlike Arc, Tyr was direct and clear in expressing his opinions. As expected of a soldier. This was straightforward and easy to understand, but on the other hand, it was also more likely to lead to conflicts. In this case, Casablanca decided to yield to Tyr.
“Understood. Then, let’s prioritize rescuing the couple.” (Casablanca)
“Thank you. Leave the rescue operation to us. We have the Sheeb Order, our trump card.” (Tyr)
Tyr knelt and expressed his gratitude.
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