Chapter 38: Meeting Under the Moonlight

“I have two things to report.”

A meeting under the moonlight with Liselotte, which has become a regular occurrence. However, this meeting started from a different angle.

“A report? Did you find something interesting?”

“Unfortunately, it’s a serious thing. It’s the kind of politics that I hate.”

“Oh, my! I never thought that my husband would bring up such a topic.”

Liselotte’s eyes widened in surprise. She must have been truly surprised, as she forgot to even mend her expression.

“What kind of change in your mindset is this, husband, since you have been thoroughly avoiding such topics? Or is it so important that you have no choice but to speak out?”

“Unfortunately, it’s the latter. I saw a divine soldier in town. I can’t sit quietly as it is.”

“──Let’s get to the details.”

Divine soldier. As soon as she heard those words, Liselotte’s expression suddenly tightened.

The lady who entertained her fiancée in her room disappeared. Seated here now is Lieselotte, the lord who governs the Gascoigne estate and the head of the Duchesse de Gascoigne.

“First of all, let me ask you to confirm something. Is the “divine soldier” that you are talking about the same as the “divine soldier” of the Republic Kingdom?”

“Yeah. These are the Divine Soldiers. Blessed by the Apostle Stark, the demi-god of the Republic Kingdom, they have acquired a combat power comparable to that of a tactical-level magician.”

“Apostle Stark. It’s scary to hear it again.”

Liselotte lets out a small sigh. At the same time, she was convinced. If Lute saw the shadow of a hostile demi-god, it was only natural for him to move. It is the only job given to Lute to eliminate the adversaries who are opposing his territory and the empire.

“The divine soldier of the Republic. To put it simply, he is as strong as His Highness Klaus, who is called the “roaring dragon” and is feared in other countries. And yet, he is a mere soldier who can be easily replenished in the Republic.”

“I don’t mean to say this in front of you, my husband, but it really is insane to be a demi-god-rated wizard……”

Liselotte is well aware of Klaus’s prowess. Although it was only a training exercise, he once destroyed an elite unit of the Empire all by himself.

There is literally a vast supply of such great men and women in the Republic. Or, to be more accurate, they can be produced in any number of ways.

All the apostle has to do is cast a spell. Just by doing so, everyone, whether they are new recruits or infants, will equally gain the power of a single warrior. And since there is no limit to the number of people who can be strengthened, it is unbearable.

“I feel the same way. The apostle Stark is too different. Based on numerous personal experiences and the testimony of Axia-dono, I can say with certainty that the Apostle Stark is by far the most ‘troublesome’.”

While Lute and Axia specialize in “Wide Area Destruction”, it should be said that Stark specializes in “Wide Area Control”.

Violence in numbers, where the individual quality has been raised to the limit, shows its true value in war as a nation.

“The “divine soldier is extremely troublesome not only on the battlefield, but also in behind-the-scenes operations. Even espionage agents are comparable to tactical level surgeons. They cannot be captured or handled in the same manner behind the scenes.”

“By the way, I have to ask you, what made you recognize them? If the divine soldiers are active, we must take immediate action.”

“I don’t know how far they’re moving. It was only by chance that I detected them. Lieselotte, do you know what colors the demi-gods control, what Axia-dono calls divine authority?”

“I have heard stories. I have heard that this is the source of the demi-god’s power.”

“Yeah. That’s what I saw from him when I was strolling around the invention market. So I don’t know what he was doing.”

Just a coincidence. It wasn’t decided after a thorough investigation, it was just because Lute happened to see a divine authority.

“… It’s a little disturbing, isn’t it? To be so openly deploying divine soldiers.”

“I don’t know. Divine authority is a form of magic, and in Gascoigne territory, I’m the only one who can confirm it. It’s not surprising that they think they won’t be found out if they don’t encounter me. It’s also possible that he’s treating it as a display bill and is working on the assumption that he’ll be found out. ……”

“As long as the details are unknown, we can’t say for sure. Let’s proceed with the arrangement on the assumption that it will be discovered. There is no harm in being vigilant.”

The opponent is a divine soldier blessed by a demi-god. A careless move could cause tremendous damage. No matter how Lute’s super-strength is withheld, this is no reason to be careless.

“I’ve got my men watching the target and the surrounding area for the time being. But they are soldiers. I can’t let them get too deep into it if they’re not specialists.”

“I understand. I will contact the military tomorrow and have someone ready to take over.”

“Are my men relieved of their duties there?”

“Yes. I know you are not familiar with this, but in the Empire, there is a clear distinction between the army and the forces held by the nobility.”

“Ah, I heard a glimpse of it from Azure before. In order to improve efficiency, they are starting to narrow down their military power to the Imperial Army.”

“Yes. With the nobility at the top of the military force, there will inevitably be confusion due to the disorganized chain of command. Because of this, the Imperial Army is in charge of matters of a certain scale.”

In the Empire, the authority of a lord’s private army or guard is limited to his territory. While it is their job to maintain security within the territory, the jurisdiction is transferred to the imperial army in the event of a matter that affects outside the territory.

Since the manipulation by other countries is a matter that concerns the entire empire, in this case, the imperial forces stationed in Sandelica will be the main actors.

“So I won’t be taking the lead after this?”

“I think so. However, if Danna-sama wishes, it is also possible to join the command. A knighthood is treated as the equivalent of the corresponding rank. If you are the Grand Duke, you will be treated as the equivalent of a marshal.”

“Isn’t it just treated as ‘equivalent’? If an amateur gets involved, he will be treated like a portable shrine. What’s the use of adding extra work?”

“Fufu. I believed you would say so. That is correct. This system is designed for lords to make requests in the form of orders in situations like this. Unless you are a warlord noble, you have no say in the actual command.”

“I guess so.”

If this were another country, they would really interfere with their vanity, but this is the Froysel Empire, where excellent human resources thrive. There shouldn’t be many people with a title who can’t even make such a rational judgment.

“However, in this case, I wonder if my husband would receive a request for cooperation from the military.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t refuse. This is my jurisdiction, too. I will only waste my time when I have to.”

“I’m very grateful for your help. I will inform the military of that as well. Depending on the situation, we may need to have a meeting with the commander of this matter, so please understand that.”

“Oh”

Lute nodded honestly. Lute also intended to move vigorously on this matter. If he had to do something, he would do it thoroughly and without mercy. He would have to get rid of all the troublesome matters as soon as possible.

“Regarding the matter of the Divine Soldier, is this all you can say on this occasion?”

“I suppose. As long as we don’t know the details of their activities, anything we say can only be speculation and delusion. I guess we’ll have to continue with the military.”

“Well then. So, my husband, you said there were two things you had to report. What is the other one?”

“Uh, that one’s not really important at the moment. Before I go any further, let me tell you that it’s a completely separate matter from the one we discussed earlier.”

Saying that, Lute let out a big sigh. Slowly, as if to unwind from the tension of the important topic.

Liselotte caught on to this and relaxed her shoulders. Apparently, it was not really urgent.

“By “another matter,” do you mean that it doesn’t involve politics?”

“That’s a touchy subject. Actually, I found some interesting people, apart from the divine soldiers, while I was strolling around the Invention City. I’ve ordered him to visit my residence in the near future to see if he is a good fit.”

“Oh my! He must be a very talented man for you to take the trouble to call him up. What kind of person is he?”

“A young boy inventor and a magician, his older sister who helps him. They work at a tavern in town called Uminekotei.”

“A boy inventor and his sister, a magician. Another odd one.”

That was Liselotte’s honest impression.

The person must really be very young, since he goes out of his way to put the word “boy” in front of the inventor. And the older sister is a mystery. If she is a magician, and she is good enough to interest Lute, she would be a draw for him. I don’t understand why she would go to the trouble of working in a bar.

Liselotte laughed inwardly, wondering how he had found such strange people.

“So, I’m sorry. Liselotte, can you investigate those two?”

“Perhaps it would be possible. Some of the men given by His Majesty when he founded this house are very good at that kind of investigation.”

“I’m saved. I’ll think of something suitable for thanks.”

“It would be rude of me to refuse…Then I will look forward to it.”

“Oh. Do that.”

Even though she had the impression that he was being polite in a strange way, Liselotte never showed it and continued talking with a graceful smile.

“In other words, my husband, you intend to hire those people. Is it correct to say that the background check is part of that?”

“That depends on the outcome of the assessment. Background checks have a large percentage of simple interest.”

“Oh, is that so? You are quite willing to employ them”

“I’m a little concerned about something. I just want to see if there’s a problem.”

“Problem?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, but the details are confidential. It’s a private matter.”

“When you put it that way, it does make me more than a little curious.”

As she says this, Liselotte glances at Lute…..but there was no particular response. She decided that he apparently didn’t really intend to talk, and immediately gave up pursuing the matter.

“So you’d hire them if they didn’t have that problem?”

“Yeah. It would be a shame to let that talent go to waste. Even Liselotte would like to have an excellent inventor, right?”

“Yes. Of course.”

The Froysel Empire is greedy for technology. Liselotte, who was an imperial princess, of course inherited and nurtured that greed.

“What are you going to do if there is a problem? I don’t like the idea of leaving good people behind.”

“At that time…At least I won’t leave them unattended.”

Liselotte’s question. In response, Lute asserted without the slightest hesitation.

“──If there is a problem, we will deal with it. As someone who serves the empire, it is regrettable, but this is a definite matter.”

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