Torn Asunder by War, A Sword Saint for Tomorrow X The Knight Wizards!! – Chapter 137

Chapter 137: Even Without Understanding the Situation, I’m Not Opposed to Rampaging
  In a study at the end of a chilly corridor, illuminated by a lamp and the fireplace, a girl sat in an easy chair, engrossed in a volume from her grandfather Aldabert’s military strategy book, 『Stratagems, Attacks, Deception, and Truth』, reminiscing about the deceased. However, she couldn’t ignore the visitor.
  
  Responding to the sound of a knock with permission to enter, she closed the book, which discussed methods of “gaining the initiative without resorting to force,” and greeted the person who entered with a smile.
  
  “Thank you for your hard work, Wilba-dono.”
  “I apologize for the late-night intrusion, Ojou-san. A detailed report has arrived from the scouts…”
  
  The granddaughter of the old man, Ulrica, listened for a while to the unit commander’s words, which were spoken with an unapologetic attitude despite his apologetic tone. Occasionally interjecting with nods, questions, and the like, she closed her violet eyes and began to rock back and forth in the foreigner-made chair with its curved wooden legs.
  
  After pondering in silence for several dozen seconds while listening to the creaking sound, she suddenly expressed her own thoughts, catching the officer, who was somewhat captivated by the sight that brought back memories of the original owner, off guard.
  
  “There are some unexpected errors, but… overall, it’s within the range of correction. Lord Hazen’s second son, Elbeato-dono, was it? He’s making some pretty good moves.”
  
  “I believe it’s merely a coincidence of interests, and he hasn’t grasped our internal situation. However, we can’t deny the risk of being found out.”
  
  If the circumstances of the kidnapping came to light, they, who were prepared to flee to the northern kingdom bordering their territory, leaving their wives and children behind, might be spared. However, even if they insisted that the abduction was the act of the guards, who had been “discharged” for their responsibility in the death of their lord, the Horst Margrave family would become a target of criticism.
  
  Regarding the case where they had mobilized a considerable number of spies unrelated to the plot, manipulating people who had lost their families in the Aberration attack and using them as agitators to discredit the current Rigsia Marquisate, the honest Wilba requested reconsideration.
  
  “Hmm… If those people from the Almaine territory can confuse the citizens of the core city, Leipzig, in our place, let’s leave it to them.”
  
  Under circumstances where each camp made rational choices based on profit and loss calculations, it was unlikely that they would be exposed just because they were harassing others out of personal grudges that “wouldn’t benefit them in the slightest.” However, it was better to be safe than sorry.
  
  The girl, with her ivory-colored hair gathered to one side and hanging down in front, chuckled, thinking it would be a clever move to reduce the number of operatives, moderately ease the sabotage, and observe how things unfolded.
  
  “Anyway, the family of the kidnapped person can’t issue a death certificate right away. In the meantime, we intend to make Baron Ramsey, the brigade commander of the Rigsia Territorial Army and one of the heroes who saved the city, the next lord.”
  
  “Doesn’t it make a difference in the end, who carries the palanquin…”
  “After all, we’re in the shadows. We can’t be too obvious about selling favors.”
  
  She lamented insincerely and even pretended to cry, but the said brigade commander and Lady Ulrica were distantly related.
  
  Among the many women her lecherous great-grandfather had impregnated, there were daughters from families that produced excellent imperial soldiers. The old Aldabert had secretly maintained connections with these useful half-siblings, so his granddaughter also had some acquaintance with them.
  
  As it would be troublesome if the collateral blood relationship became public, and it would make them wary and unusable in times of need, she didn’t mention the story that almost no one outside the involved parties knew and dismissed the officer.
  
  “Now, how will things turn out, grandfather?”
  
  After muttering this while sinking deep into the old easy chair, the girl picked up the military strategy book that had been resting on the wool lap blanket and continued to read it until late into the night.
  
  For the next few days, the Horst faction, which had chosen radical and forceful measures, kept a low profile. Not to be outdone by her older brother, who had entered the western front with the latest knights, Elbeato and his subordinates, the Ranpa, were weaving lies into the truth to discredit the deceased Marquis and incite protests among the populace…
  
  Despite being on track, they were abandoned by fortune and driven into a corner.
  
  “I apologize, but the surrounding alleys seem to be blocked.”
  “The group that attempted to break through was captured without a fight, indicating that even the rank-and-file soldiers are skilled.”
  
  “It’s a mistake because we were being so secretive. They’re probably allies from a neighboring country.”
  “This is the worst… We’re almost certainly being treated as kidnappers.”
  
  Just a few days ago, the Almaine territory had publicly declared their allegiance to Lady White Fox’s faction. The second son of the noble thought that if they talked, they could come to an understanding, but it was already too late. The windows of the trading house they were borrowing were being shattered one after another by magic bullets, and the sound of breaking glass echoed repeatedly.
  
  The same happened in the second-floor guest room where they were. Ignoring the remnants of the wooden frame, a swordsman in a coat, propelled by the red-haired mage girl’s specialty wind magic, Updraft, jumped high into the air and burst into the room.
  
  “Tch, d*mn it!”
  “Don’t move, or I’ll shoot!!”
  
  Without a word, two of the Ranpa drew their single-shot pistols, but before they could aim, the intruder closed the distance with lightning speed, slashing with his cursed forged blade and deflecting one of the weapons.
  
  Then, with a backhand strike using the blunt side of the blade, he knocked the other Ranpa unconscious. Maintaining the momentum of the sword strike, he crouched down and, like a beast crawling on the ground, dove under the muzzle of the gun that the other Ranpa belatedly pointed, driving his left fist into the man’s solar plexus.
  
  “Guh!?”
  
  After the Ranpa collapsed, gasping for air, the swordsman quickly retreated, deliberately dodging a flat strike to the stomach from the female knight who had swung her sword down, by a hair’s breadth.
  
  Immediately afterward, he stepped on the blade with his military boot and, with the hook of his right fist, which gripped the hilt of the rather uncommon Tachi for the Empire, he punched her in the side of her well-defined face.
  
  “Ugh, you!!”
  
  The female knight, bleeding from the corner of her mouth, cursed, but before she could react, she was struck on the chin with his left fist and fainted. In the blink of an eye, only the second son of a certain noble remained conscious.