A Famous Traitor and Treacherous Genius

43 – Orphanage Princesses (1)

Approximately a month has passed since the agreement held in the Gibraltar Gorge.

The mother was about to give birth.

Noir is running on the training grounds again today.

Lettar often goes out to the training grounds and spends time watching Ethan running with Noir.

Now, the repetition of daily life.

If there are two unique things, one is that my father sometimes takes part in physical training himself.

I asked my father to ‘build a body.’

-I will strip my father and take a picture. And he’ll sell it.

He urged us that in the future, if we want to succeed in either treason or treason, we must at least sell our bodies.

-At first, we will take ordinary photos. And for the ‘big hands’, I plan to take pictures of myself wearing only pants and my upper body naked.

My father seemed reluctant, but I succeeded in persuading him.

-The King will be furious if he sees the pictorials and photo albums taken by his father. I’m going to send a photo of the two of us together with my mother in the last page.

-Try your best.

His father’s treason was deeply rooted in anger and hatred toward the incompetent king.

-I don’t know about other photos, but I have to include the photo I took with your mother.

Some might say it is a petty and petty act.

However, it is strange to remain silent until the day of rebellion.

-There is nothing like this to show that we are still living happily.

I decided to sell my father’s happiness through a pictorial.

The two handsome men and women are still living well.

It will spread widely not only to the kingdom but also to the empire.

Some people in the Empire will have a long-standing hatred for Gibraltar, but those who are not interested parties will envy Gibraltar.

As a result, it will have a great impact on the relationship between the kingdom and the empire that will change in the future.

Currently, Queen Carmen and the emperor of the empire are directly working behind the scenes to prepare for a ceasefire.

“Master. The newspaper arrived today as well.”

“Hmm.”

I opened the newspaper Sir Robert left on the table, ‘Yesterday’s edition’ of [Imperial Ilbo].

Items issued one day ago.

However, it is a new newspaper that is not wrinkled, is well packed in the bag, and has no moisture on it.

“Oh my. The Empire is so bad. So many girls are missing. Tsk tsk.”

“…Do you know any of these children?”

“No?”

On the back of the newspaper, there were full-face photos and personal information of several girls, along with the phrase ‘looking for a child’.

“It’s a shame, Sir Robert. But have you seen the front page?”

“No, I just told you to bring an envelope and come.”

“Look at this.”

I held up the front of the newspaper and pointed to Robert at the large text.

“I don’t know the Imperial language, Robert.”

“There were so many prisoners from the empire in your hometown, so you think I wouldn’t know? Knowing the imperial language isn’t some sort of treason.”

“It would be treason in the royal capital.”

“This is Gibraltar.”

“…[Navy Captain Hayreddin, “The body moved first. I will be punished sweetly.]”

“Yes. You read that correctly.”

Flutter.

Skip the first page.

Although the letters are more densely packed than the pictures, the smell of ink ‘printed’ by magic tools stings your nose.

“Are you able to read all of that?”

“At a glance.”

“What are you saying? Who is Hayreddin again?”

“Commander-in-chief of the Empire’s Naval Command. Also called Navy Captain.”

From a commoner. He is 44 years old.

“A man whose skills were at the level of a mid-level knight, but whose command of the navy was at a master level, so he rose to the rank of general.”

“A person like that says he will take responsibility…?”

“I saved the people of the kingdom. I saw a ship wrecked by pirates and jumped off.”

“Uh, um….”

“Yes. A person from the empire saved a person from the kingdom. This is a newspaper from three days ago.”

I opened the booklet with a page clipping from the newspaper.

“The kingdom’s trade ship was captured by pirates, and the imperial army eliminated the pirates. The pirates chose to commit suicide at the last moment, and Captain Hayreddin jumped into the sea himself to save the kingdom’s noble daughter.”

“…….”

“If you look at it up to this point, it seems like it happened by accident, but that’s because I like conspiracy theories.”

I leafed through the newspaper clippings.

“[War with the kingdom, how long should it last?]. [On the efficacy of black tea. Is the best produced in the kingdom?]. [We must not hand future generations a bloody sword].”

“…What is it?”

“Columns written in newspapers delivered in the past month. It can also be said to be the public opinion left by commentators.”

“……??”

Sir Robert tilted his head.

“Boy, I’m sorry. The answer is correct.”

“I thought you could find the answer.”

“No, I understand the general flow. I also saw and heard things next to you, Master!”

Sir Robert became angry for a moment.

“I understand that the Empire has been spreading this atmosphere for a month in order to make peace with the kingdom and establish a truce. But this maritime accident was an accident, right?”

“Kyung is still a very kind person.”

“…Is this a staged act? They created an atmosphere of reconciliation and then directed it this dramatically?”

“The parties involved may not know. In a play like this, the main character must not know the background to create a more dramatic atmosphere.”

Sir Robert narrowed his eyes with a mixture of shock, fear, and disillusionment with humanity.

“Sir Robert, this is just my guess, so don’t tell me.”

“No problem.”

“The pirates that appear in the southern strait. It’s the empire’s second fleet.”

“……Yes?”

“It’s a guess, a guess.”

Written as speculation, read as spoiler.

They are the 2nd fleet of the Imperial Regular Army, called pirates.

“Shall I make a prediction? What will be on the front page of the Empire Ilbo tomorrow?”

“Just say so. Master, are there cases where your predictions are wrong? In this insidious trickery of the empire… Hmm.”

Sir Robert takes a peek.

Lord Mente took one look at me and sat at the table next to me, drinking tea in silence.

“Lord Mente, please say something.”

“What about me? Is it enough for me to just deliver newspapers? And that’s not my role.”

Sir Mente only shrugged his shoulders and pointed to the various types of weapons lying on the wall.

“Teaching you how to use weapons that you want to learn. Other than that, it’s not my role.”

“Ugh….”

Sir Mente officially joined the Knights of Gibraltar.

As my martial arts teacher.

“Sir Robert should learn these complicated political tactics. Sir Robert is your right-hand man, right?”

“No, I say so, but….”

“Gyeong. If you get it right, I’ll send you on vacation tomorrow.”

“!!”

Sir Robert changes his expression, pulls out his hair, thinks and thinks.

“…Perhaps.”

And his answer was.

“Is that lady, a nobleman from the southern coast?”

“Are you asking for a hint? That’s right.”

“In that case, I will formally invite you and throw a party.”

“As expected, sir. You are wrong.”

“……Ah.”

“That story will come out at least a week later.”

It was a spoiler-like answer that gave some insight into what was to come.

“It will contain the words of His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire. It will minimize censure for General Hayreddin’s actions and contain a declaration of kindness and goodwill to the kingdom.”

And the party will be held after the kingdom formally invites General Hayreddin.

“All of this is preliminary work for the ‘grand agreement’ to be held next month.”

Grand Agreement.

“An agreement where the emperor will personally come to the kingdom and make peace.”

* * *

Midnight.

A dark day with lots of dark clouds and not even the moon visible.

“The weather is really nice.”

I arrived in front of Gate 1 of Gibraltar Gorge, accompanied by a man wearing a black robe with a deep hood.

“As I said before, all eyes are on the South.”

Agreements between countries do not happen in an instant.

“The romance between Captain Hayreddin and Lady Sirene. The emperor’s visit to the kingdom developed from there. The blueprint for the future of the two countries through the truce is already being drawn.”

After completing all kinds of negotiations behind the scenes, they shake hands and talk as if they are meeting for the first time and declare as if they had made a decision on the spot.

“The County of Sirene will be opened. Authorized imperial citizens will cross the sea one by one on ships to visit, whether for tourism or commercial activities.”

But no one knows.

“I never dreamed that Gibraltar would open the canyon gate like this and welcome the people of the empire.”

Now that everyone’s attention is drawn to the Southern Strait, the real negotiations are taking place here in the Gibraltar Gorge.

“I will open it.”

Kkiik.

The door to the canyon opens.

The door to the first gateway opens, and soon a group of people waiting right in front of the gate come inside.

“Hello~~~~!!”

With a cheerful voice that shook the night, a woman with flowing white hair – Chairman Erwin – entered.

“It’s an honor to see you again, Chairman Aperia.”

“Oh my. You’re so hard?”

“First of all, it’s an interpretation.”

People are literally the bare minimum.

I brought one of Rob’s men, and Chairman Erwin brought only two men after him.

“I know how to speak the Kingdom language?”

“Please understand that this is to convey the message clearly. After all, the Chairman brought an interpreter, right?”

“That’s right. This is our interpreter. Do you think it would be boring if we played around?”

“Yes.”

Next to the chairman, a young man with brown hair and glasses looks at the floor with a dissatisfied face.

There is a high probability that he is a person who passed from the kingdom to the empire.

‘It looks like the epaulettes were removed on purpose, but the gait is that of a regular soldier.’

A civil servant who is smart, but unable to succeed due to his social status, moves to the empire and works in the imperial army?

“Ugh. Can I really trust that kid?”

Next to the chairman, a large man stepped forward.

“It’s a child.”

“He’s a genius.”

“I don’t believe in that.”

“Wouldn’t it be okay to think of him as a similar type of person?”

“…Geez. Sheesh. It must be very difficult to deal with.”

A man wearing an empire-style black suit, but his muscles look like they might explode at any moment.

“Meet the Marquis of Claydoll.”

“Do you know me?”

“You went away screaming at night three years ago. I didn’t know at the time because you were wearing a helmet.”

“Really? Isn’t that what the author wearing the robe behind you told you?”

Marquis Claydoll growled fiercely and glared at the robed man standing right behind me.

“It’s no use trying to hide it. Chairman, move to the side. The author is-“

“Bald head.”

“!!”

The man takes off his robe along with the imperial language.

“Tell him it’s nice to meet you, Gray.”

My father spoke in the kingdom language, not the imperial language.

“I’m sorry. That’s the only imperial language my father knows.”

“……Ha, hahahaha.”

The Marquis of Claydoll shakes his head.

His beard was dark underneath, but his hair sparkled even in the dark.

“There’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Bald clay doll.”

“Hey, son of Gibraltar. Does your father know nothing about manners?”

“Bald clay doll.”

“…Ha.”

Chairman Erwin sighs and takes something out of his arms.

“I’m sorry. I think this would be better than interpreting.”

“Is this a translation magic device?”

“Oh, was that written in the newspaper too?”

“Because it’s not just newspapers where you can hear stories.”

A hemispherical magic stone just the right size to place in the palms of your hands began to glow.

“Ah. Can you hear me, Margrave of Gibraltar?”

As Chairman Erwin spoke, the magic stone began to sparkle and fluent kingdom language began to flow.

“From now on, everything we say will be translated into the Kingdom language. Is that okay?”

“There is nothing wrong…”

My father calmly nodded his head.

“Ha! It looks like the country bumpkin Count was surprised to see our empire’s technological prowess.”

“Bald head.”

“…Hey. Do you need to explain to us that even when they speak Kingdom language, it sounds like Imperial language to us?”

“Bald head.”

“…It will peel off when you get old.”

“I’m sorry, but no one in Gibraltar has been bald since its founding.”

My father smiled and walked next to me.

“I think this is enough for self-introduction, let’s get to the point.”

My father took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

“Now that Queen Carmen has decided to make peace with the empire, Gibraltar must also change. I will open the gate to the canyon.”

“Wow!”

Chairman Erwin raised his arms and waved his cheers.

“I opened the door to the canyon! See? You can’t open someone’s heart by fighting and shedding blood!”

“Hmm. That’s not true, but….”

“Thank you, Count!”

Chairman Erwin smiled and looked his father up and down.

“For our healthy, bright and peaceful future, please continue to support us!”

“…Gray. Are you sure it’s being translated properly now?”

My father quietly asked me, ignoring Chairman Erwin.

“Did I hear wrong?”

“It’s a merchant’s way of speaking. Starting with selling my father’s pictorials all over the empire, the relationship between Gibraltar and Ipheria will become stronger.”

“Eh, if you tell me that already.”

Chairman Erwin pouted his lips with a somewhat sullen expression.

“If I tell you something like that, all my plans to attract you to the world of beauty and then get a cheap contract will be in vain!”

“I’m sorry. Although I intend to sell my father’s good looks, I have no intention of selling my father’s heart.”

Actually, I was trying to sell it.

But even if I were to put it up for sale, where would my father actually put it up for sale?

“Really? Then the bet is a win for me? You said you would fall in love with your father at first sight.”

“But you fell in love, right?”

“Why don’t you tell your father that you fell in love with him as a model and product, not as a rational infatuation?”

“Anyway, you fell in love, right?”

“Ha. Yes. So much so that I don’t want to miss it. If he was from Empire, he would have been featured as the face of our company a long time ago. We put a face and upper body label on every product packaging.”

“…….”

My father was silent.

I don’t think I understood what you meant for a moment.

‘You’ll find out soon.’

After seeing factory-made goods from the Empire coming in and your photo appearing on the wrapper on the outside of the glass bottle containing tomato sauce.

“So, you are saying that you are increasing the value of the product by attaching my face to it as a photo?”

“That’s right. Don’t worry, father. What else can I do except beat you with a knife and burn you to curse you?”

“Khahahahaha!!”

Marquis Claydoll burst into laughter so loud that the canyon rang.

“You’re tired of farming!! Margrave of Gibraltar!!”

“…I’m sorry, but the results will tell you whether your child’s farming went well or not.”

My father placed one hand on my shoulder and patted it.

“At least my son won’t go bald.”

“You…”

“Ha. Gray. It would be faster if you and I talked.”

Chairman Erwin shook his head with a half-given look on his face, then turned his gaze to me.

“Did you receive the letter? I included it with every time I sent a newspaper.”

“Yes. It has been safely recovered, and the review has been completed. Morgania’s inspection has also been completed.”

“Okay, then…”

Chairman Erwin smiled and put his hands together.

“Shall we seriously discuss the pilot operation of the imperial-style academy education method in orphanages in the County of Gibraltar and its support measures?”

“Before that, I want to ask you something.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“Thank you for supporting the budget.”

I pointed to the back page of the newspaper I had clipped in advance.

“…Children to be sent to the Gibraltar pilot academy under the guise of an orphanage, commonly known as the ‘branch school’. Was it really necessary to send the list this way?”

“There is such a thing as security. Gray, I thought you would notice.”

“Did you get permission from the parties involved?”

“Um, am I the guardian?”

Looking for a child.

There may be children who are actually missing, but there are also children who are being protected in Iferia.

“Okay. Then why are there only girls?”

“…….”

“And.”

I took out the last page that arrived this morning.

“Who on earth is this girl who looks suspiciously like the Chairman?”

Pointing to a girl with white hair and eyes that are a mixture of light blue and purple.

“Who is it?”

Chairman Erwin answered with a wide smile.

“All of those children are beautiful princesses born in our empire.”

Her eyes looking at me.

“What do you think? Are you all lovely? Do you want to raise it? Huh?”

Somehow, it seemed quite desperate.