Chapter : 6

The discussion with the bishop had also ended successfully, and now it was time to act.

I immediately ordered the soldiers to bring my armor. Still, as a lord, I had a custom-made suit of armor prepared for me.

At that, Chamberlain Hamil spoke with a worried expression.

“Is it necessary for you to go out yourself, My Lord?”

“Why?”

“It will be very complicated and dangerous. It is late at night, so there will be much confusion. Why don’t you wait safely for the results in the inner castle instead?”

It was a tempting suggestion at first glance. Hadn’t the famous King Richard I the Lionheart also died in vain, struck by a bolt from a blind crossbowman? There was no law saying it couldn’t happen to me.

But I soon shook my head.

“No need.”

The path I must walk from now on is a path drenched in blood.

I had to possess the spirit of a barbaric medieval noble who strikes, gets struck, and smashes things, not the soft mentality of a modern person. In that sense, this sortie was my own form of resolution and determination.

Besides, I had something I could count on.

‘Even if the others are low, my Combat Power stat was high.’

A Combat Power of 7.

A 7 in a stat out of 10 was by no means a low score. Moreover, since it was said to affect not only personal combat power but also the combat prowess of the army, it was certain to be helpful.

Of course, that didn’t mean I wanted to die a ridiculous death.

‘I’ll go as heavily armed as possible.’

With the help of the soldiers, I meticulously put on my armor.

I put on a gambeson of arming cloth thickly padded with cotton, and on top of that, a high-quality chain mail.

I wore an iron helmet that covered my entire head and sturdy gauntlets, and just in case, I fastened a belt studded with large iron bosses tightly around my waist.

This should be enough to withstand most attacks.

Having finished my thorough preparations, I grasped the longsword Hamil handed me and asked.

“Are the soldiers’ preparations complete?”

“Yes, as you commanded, they are lying in ambush at various points along the road. The road to Isabella’s mansion, in particular, has been densely layered two and three times over.

Even if the bastards try to flee, we will be able to stop them at any time.”

“Excellent.”

I nodded at Chamberlain Hamil’s report.

“The mercenary captain must be dealt with, no matter what. If he escapes alive to the mercenary company, the situation could become complicated.”

“Do not worry. I will instruct them firmly.”

“Good….”

The gist of this operation to wipe out Isabella’s faction was this.

First, distribute letters bearing my seal to the key nobles.

Then, when the nobles react and move, we ambush them on the road and deal with them one by one.

‘If I say that I am in critical condition and that they must come to the inner castle urgently to notarize my will, they will react.’

Those who followed Isabella, in particular, would be in a state of confusion at the unexpected situation.

After all, nothing had been decided yet. If, by chance, I were to hand over the lordship to someone else in my will, it would be the worst-case scenario for them.

To prepare for any contingency, they would have to rush to their mistress, Isabella.

And when they fell into the trap like that.

‘I’ll deal with all of them.’

I had no intention of showing any half-hearted mercy.

They would only rise against me again and again if I kept them alive anyway. Besides, there wasn’t one of them who wasn’t involved in corruption.

I had to get rid of them all this time to be able to revive the domain. And my own life, as well.

“Alright. Then let’s be on our way.”

Having steeled my resolve, I slung the longsword over my shoulder and left the inner castle with Hamil.

It was time for a bloody purge.

* * *

In the dead of night.

The capital of the Bellua Margraviate was thrown into chaos by attendants who arrived bearing the lord’s letters.

The nobles were startled by the sudden news and moved about in confusion, busily trying to grasp the situation.

Among them, a few nobles ran straight to the inner castle, which was a very fortunate choice.

-Kiiiiiik.

As the firmly shut inner castle gate opened, what greeted the nobles were heavily armed soldiers. They closed the gate as soon as the nobles entered, cutting off their escape route.

“What is the meaning of this!”

“Insolent. How dare you block the way?”

A few angry nobles shouted as they gripped the hilts of their swords, but the soldiers did not flinch. Instead, they raised their spears and swords, threatening the nobles.

At that moment.

A knight emerged from among the soldiers and spat out chilling words.

“The Lord has commanded that those who resist shall die, and those who enter the inner castle and await the results shall live. What will you choose?”

“Wh-what…?!”

“He gave such an order? The Lord did?”

“I thought he was in critical condition….”

“The Lord is healthier than ever. Now, make your choice. Will you fight… or?”

The nobles who heard those words showed clear signs of bewilderment.

It was far too different from the situation they knew. They realized something was going terribly wrong.

But soon, the nobles understood the unfolding situation.

“Don’t tell me?!”

“The Lord-?”

That all of this was a stratagem devised by the lord.

And that they had fallen into his trap and were now completely unable to move.

“Hahaha….”

“Truly remarkable… the Lord is.”

The nobles let out empty laughs. They had all been played in the palm of the lord’s hand.

If this was the situation, resisting now would only lead to a dog’s death.

In the end, the nobles had only one choice. They all laid down their weapons at once, indicating they had no intention of fighting.

“Very well. Then please wait inside. Do not come out, no matter what commotion you hear.”

The knight then uttered another threat-laced statement and closed the inner castle gate.

Though it was shameful, they were able to preserve their lives.

But for the nobles who went to see Isabella, the situation was different.

“Kuaaaack-!”

“It’s an ambush!”

“Run-!”

They were meeting a gruesome end.

We had been monitoring the nobles belonging to Isabella’s faction for some time. We knew exactly where and how they would go. Therefore, dealing with the unsuspecting nobles was easier than eating cold porridge. They hadn’t even come out properly armed, having left in a hurry.

“Kill them all!”

“Don’t let a single one escape alive.”

Thanks to this, Isabella’s faction could only be helplessly defeated.

A few of the nobles tried to break through the ambush and escape, but all their actions were within our expectations.

They only ended up becoming porcupines, pierced by the two- and three-layered ambush, and died.

At this point, the remaining nobles also began to grasp the situation.

They gathered in small groups, struggling to break through the encirclement by any means necessary. Though it was, of course, futile.

“The resistance is fiercer than I thought.”

As it was a fierce battle, I too could not escape its influence. My surroundings were completely splattered with red blood.

“Heok, heok.”

I let out a ragged breath.

The Combat Power of 7 was indeed helpful. It was my first time in battle, but my body moved naturally. As if it had always been that way.

Thanks to that, the area around me was a sea of blood.

“My apologies. It seems difficult to suppress them as some of the traitors are holding out together. I will push the soldiers harder to suppress them immediately.”

“Hoo, no. Don’t they have knights as well? It would be strange if there wasn’t even this much resistance. By the way, has the mercenary captain been dealt with?”

At that, Chamberlain Hamil nodded.

“Yes. Biden reports that he has taken the mercenary captain’s head.”

“That is a great relief.”

I sighed in relief at Hamil’s report.

Everything was proceeding step by step, just as planned.

The mercenary captain and the key nobles who followed Isabella had all been executed. All that was left for Isabella was a mere handful of troops.

“Good. Then tell Biden to take the mercenary captain’s seal and seize control of the mercenary company. Assign three knights to him, and tell him it doesn’t matter if he makes an example of anyone who refuses by killing them.”

“I understand, My Lord.”

I looked at the bowing Hamil for a moment, then gripped my longsword and turned my body. Leading the soldiers, I slowly set off down the road.

The destination….

Isabella’s mansion.

It was now time to see this through to the end.

* * *

As everything was turning upside down.

Isabella was rejoicing upon hearing the news that the lord was in critical condition.

“Ohohoho. It’s finally over. This disgusting Bellua family is now in my hands.”

Sitting at the drawing-room table, Isabella was triumphant.

It had been 20 years since her father had died in the war with the Bellua Margraviate.

It was a marriage she had been sold into as a symbol of peace, but the time had finally come to end that humiliation. Since the lord had no heir, the lordship would naturally pass to her son, João.

As she was intoxicated with the joy of victory.

“L-Lady Isabella-!”

A noble burst through the door and ran in.

His body was covered in blood.

“You must, you must evacuate at once.”

“What are you talking about? And why are you so injured? Stop making a fuss and speak calmly, one thing at a time.”

Although she felt it was rude of him to enter without even asking for permission, Isabella forced herself to hold back and ask. It was because he looked too serious to be scolded.

And just as she expected.

The noble cried out, telling a preposterous story.

“W-we… we were deceived, Lady Isabella.”

“Deceived? By what?”

“It was all a trap. You must evacuate at once. This place is dangerous. Please flee and request help from Count Bozen.”

A trap? Request help from Count Bozen?

Why? When she was about to become the master of this domain?

It was even harder to understand because he spoke without a proper explanation.

Isabella felt a surge of anger.

To think that such a foolish man was by her side, also a noble.

She stood up from her seat to scold the pleading noble.

But.

“Waaaaaaah-!”

A thunderous roar was heard from outside.

Something was not right. Startled, Isabella went to the window to see that the area around the mansion was swarming with soldiers. They were holding torches one by one and tightly surrounding the mansion.

“What is this?!”

Only then did Isabella understand what the noble had said.

A rebellion had broken out.

And their target was undoubtedly obvious.

Probably, Isabella herself.

“N-no way! Stop them! Stop them! Is anyone out there! Stop them at once-! You pathetic fool. You get up at once too-!”

Having grasped the situation, Isabella screamed.

She had to escape from those rioters at once. If only she could get out of here, her older brother, Count Bozen, would solve everything.

But contrary to her hopes, the situation outside was not good.

“Ugh-!”

“Kuaaaaack!”

“Please spare m… Gack!”

“Run!!”

From the corridor came the clanking of armor along with screams.

And then, soon after it became quiet.

-Kiiiiiik

The door opened, and Chamberlain Hamil walked slowly into the room with his soldiers. Carrying a blood-soaked sword.

“Hamil! Hamil Ludwig!! You… you dare to rebel?!”

Seeing him, Isabella pointed a finger and trembled.

“Do you think my older brother will stand by after this? How are you going to handle the aftermath-!”

“Older brother? You mean Count Bozen?”

“Yes! You dared to threaten the rightful successor of the domain, so my older brother will surely make a move. Don’t regret it then and withdraw your troops at once-!”

Even now, Isabella had not properly grasped the situation. She thought that Chamberlain Hamil was the one leading this incident.

But unfortunately.

“The rightful successor of the domain?”

The one leading this situation was none other than the Bellua Margrave.

It was me.

“Was there another rightful person besides me? Mother?”

As soon as my words fell, the soldiers knelt and cleared a path. I strode through the gap and stood before Isabella.

“N-no…?”

“There are some things you said that are wrong, mother, but some are also right. Threatening the rightful successor of the domain. Your gift, mother, was too much. Thanks to you, my side hurts terribly.”

“But you were supposed to be in critical condition!”

As events unfolded in the complete opposite way of what she had known, Isabella was utterly shocked. This meant she had been thoroughly played by that stupid lord.

“No way! This is a dream! You…! You planned all this? It can’t be!”

Isabella shrieked, denying reality.

But regardless of her denial, I simply declared coldly.

“If it makes you feel better, then think that way. However, as of today, all of your authority as regent will be revoked. I hope you spend the rest of your life well in the spire. I will provide one servant to attend to you.”

-Tiriring.

[You have succeeded in your conspiracy.]

[As a success reward, Stratagem increases by 1.]

[Trait: Meticulous Planner acquired!]

[Meticulous Planner – Your conspiracies are intricate. They become harder to detect, and the conspiracy’s effects are increased.]

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