LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 21: The Leak Incident
TL: Etude
When Paul returned to the hall, the officers were still engaged in a heated discussion about the next phase of the operation.
He shouted angrily, “Stop! Everyone stop!”
The crowd looked at him, puzzled. The Count had been out for a while; perhaps he was upset over his own invention of gunpowder.
“Our secrets have been exposed, and it infuriates me,” the Count said resentfully. He then exaggeratedly described his encounter with the two clergymen, how they were suspicious and interrogative, and how he had to reluctantly justify his innocence.
“What? Those two men were too rude. They disregard their own lord just because they are clergymen?”
“Count, you have the authority to expel them from your territory and have the bishopric send a more courteous priest.”
“That’s strange. Father Anderson doesn’t seem like that type of person. My house is near the church, and he’s usually very kind.”
“Yes, and I know Dean Leonard too. He’s a bit old-fashioned but a very decent person.”
Sir Schroeder slammed his hand on the table, and everyone immediately stopped talking and looked at him.
“Gentlemen, I think you’re missing the point. The fact that a soldier, despite orders, disclosed military secrets to others, even if they are clergy, is worrying. Who can guarantee there are no corrupt individuals among religious figures? What if our secrets are traded with our enemies for some benefit? This is what the Count is worried about, right?”
“Yes, exactly! You all… you all…” Paul was deeply distressed, lamenting the lack of vigilance among his officers.
The officers looked at each other, their faces flushed with embarrassment, filling the hall with an awkward silence.
Finally, Bryce broke the silence: “Sir, what should we do about this?”
“What else can we do? We can’t let this go unchecked. We must find out who leaked the information. Everyone who went to the church after the battle is a suspect. It’s better to wrongly accuse a thousand than to miss one.”
…
Two days later, the leaker was found, and a public trial was quickly convened to serve as a warning to all the soldiers and officers, drawing a red line in their minds.
“…The dangers of leaking information are clearly stated in the confidentiality regulations… Speaking carelessly is akin to disregarding the lives of comrades… Even among clergy, there can be corrupt individuals…”
The Count, in front of the entire army, lectured vehemently for two hours.
Finally, he turned to the trembling leaker kneeling on the ground.
“Now, I sentence…” Seeing the leaker’s intense trembling, he hesitated, but ultimately couldn’t bring himself to be too harsh, “Considering this is the first occurrence of such an incident, I sentence him to 10 years of hard labor. However, if such an incident happens again, I will definitely impose the death penalty by hanging. Mark my words.”
The officers and soldiers were deeply shaken by this, while the leaker, feeling like he had been granted a pardon, fervently thanked the Count for sparing his life.
…
The leak incident served as a wake-up call for Paul Grayman. It was time to establish an intelligence agency, not just for military matters, but also for gathering political and economic intelligence as the territory developed. Additionally, it was necessary to safeguard their own secrets and prevent espionage from other powers.
Paul summoned his most loyal and reliable butler, Philip, to discuss the establishment of an intelligence agency. To his surprise, the old butler expressed his inability to undertake such a significant role and recommended another person for the job.
Paul was astonished: “Cecil? I don’t find him very reliable. I remember on the day I assumed the lordship, he remarked, ‘He’s just a child; what does he know?’”
“Can’t you see? He was just playing along with Bryce. Bryce’s performance later intimidated those with ulterior motives.”
So it was a good cop, bad cop act.
“The Cecil family has served the Grayman family for generations. Before the relocation to the Northwest Bay, they were already with your ancestors. Old Cecil was the intelligence chief for your grandfather and had considerable expertise in espionage. Cecil learned many skills from his father, but after your father became the lord, he thought espionage unnecessary and assigned Cecil to manage the forestry.”
“Oh?” Paul’s interest was piqued.
“Let’s do this; call him over, and I’ll see what he’s like.”
…
That afternoon, Cecil, the forestry manager, arrived at the lord’s castle. Paul, after conversing with him, felt there were no issues. Perhaps Cecil had indeed been acting that day to assist Bryce.
He then appointed Cecil as the intelligence chief of the territory and, until a suitable replacement could be found, to continue as the forestry manager as well.
“It’s hard work, but I’ll double your salary.”
“To serve you, my lord, is my duty; I dare not complain of hardship.” Cecil knelt on one knee, his previous sullen demeanor replaced by solemn gravitas.
“Good, rise. Let’s go to my study and discuss in detail how the work should proceed.”
…
In the study, Paul and Cecil meticulously planned the formation of the intelligence agency and the protection of the territory’s secrets. Paul, unaware of the espionage techniques of this world, shared some ideas he had read in online novels from his previous life, and Cecil agreed to several measures:
1. Secrets within the territory would be classified into three levels: Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret. “Top Secret” pertains to the most vital secrets, the disclosure of which could cause especially severe damage to the territory’s security and interests. “Secret” involves important secrets, the leak of which could result in significant damage, and “Confidential” includes general secrets whose exposure could cause harm.
2. Individuals with access to secrets would be categorized into three levels: core, significant, and general personnel. Core personnel can access Top Secret, Secret, and Confidential information; significant personnel can access Secret and Confidential, while general personnel can only access Confidential.
3. A dedicated agency, tentatively named the “Bureau of Secrecy,” would be established to manage secret matters, including classifying the level of secrets and evaluating the level of personnel with access to them.
4. Even high-clearance personnel would not be allowed to access lower-level secrets without relevant departmental authorization.
5. A specialized code system would be developed for intelligence work.
During the discussion, Paul learned that some of these measures had already existed in this world, and Cecil was amazed that a young man knew so much about them.
Finally, Paul instructed that the immediate focus of intelligence work should be on gathering information about pirates, especially the Shark Gang, which had occupied Port Fran. He planned to eradicate all pirates from his territory within three months to secure a maritime outlet.
Cecil took a piece of parchment and meticulously recorded the details of the Count’s instructions.