Dragon Knight Chronicles ~ From a mere mercenary, rise to success through tactics! A small harem with the princess and the lord's daughter!? I'll also develop my territory! ~ - Chapter 139

Chapter 139   The Secret Messenger

Late July, Year 569 of the Unified Calendar—

The wheat fields along the road were bathed in sunlight, lush and green. In this pleasant weather, I was headed straight for the port town of Europa.

“Everyone, eat up and enjoy.”

“Poko~♪” “Kumama~♪”

Juralvik unwrapped our meal and shared lunch with the magical tanuki and others. Both of them were in their growth phase, making feeding them quite costly. Especially Kumama, whose rapid growth had added some force to its cries.

Today’s lunch was vegetable sandwiches, bought from a small town. It might seem a bit indulgent, but after recovering from illness, I needed to nourish myself.

“Let’s get going.”

“Yes.”

After a little while, we finally arrived at the town of Europa.

◇◇◇◇◇

The port town of Europa was bustling with activity.

It seemed a large whale had been brought in, and the townspeople were in a frenzy of excitement.

At this moment, I passed through the town and headed to the government office, which also served as a watchtower.

“Who are you?!”

I was stopped by the gatekeeper.

It was true that my old clothes had been burned away, and my face was so severely scarred that no one could recognize me. The gatekeeper’s caution was understandable.

“Poko~♪”

“…Wait? Isn’t this tanuki Lord Reister’s?”

“Yes, it’s me. I’ve returned alive.”

Upon hearing that, the gatekeeper hurriedly rushed into the building in a panic. Soon after, Io came out to greet me at the government office’s entrance.

“…I-It’s really you!?”

“Yeah, I’m back… a bit late.”

Scratching my head, I gave a casual “I’m back” greeting. Io peered into my eyes to check for the magical mark.

“It really is you! Thank goodness! Thank goodness!”

“I’ve still got both legs, though my skin’s a little different.”

As I said this, Io collapsed into my arms, crying. As I watched her sobbing, I couldn’t help but find her cute, though a slight sense of guilt crept in.

“Well, we’ve got a lot to catch up on. Why don’t we talk inside?”

“Yes, let’s.”

Once she calmed down a bit, Io led us inside the building.

◇◇◇◇◇

The news of Lord Reister’s survival spread quickly.

This information reached not only Adelheid and Nataraja, but also his former retainers. Reactions were mixed, with some rejoicing and others feeling disappointed.

Three days later, even Grand Duchess Ril received word.

“So, Lord Reister is alive!?”

“…Yes, the informant we sent is trustworthy.”

After receiving the information from her spy, the Grand Duchess hurriedly drafted a letter at her marble desk. She sealed it with beeswax and sent a secret diplomatic envoy to Lebe.

◇◇◇◇◇

The Lord’s Chamber in Lebe Castle—

In the great hall, Io was seated on the lord’s chair. Below her, a red carpet stretched out, and the gathered retainers stood in line.

Although Io and her household lived in Europa, the official seat of the Rillburn Ducal family was here, in Lebe Castle.

First, a ceremony was held to elevate Lord Reister to the rank of Viscount, thanks to the diplomatic efforts with the Cade Alliance. His military contributions were also recognized, and he was appointed as both Captain of the Guard and Military Advisor. He was awarded a medal adorned with rubies.

The main topic of today’s discussion was a letter from the Grand Duchess household. The parchment detailed the secret agreement to form an alliance and the overthrow of King Clock.

“It’s time to repay the favor to the former royal family. Let’s conclude the alliance immediately!”

It was Viscount Monkton, the current steward, who spoke up. The Viscount, having close ties to the former royal family, was eager to raise troops at once.

On his orders, the Rillburn household had already secretly hired additional mercenaries, and preparations for rebellion were actively underway.

“But, with just our two families’ forces, defeating the royal family will be difficult. We need more allies, or we’ll be swiftly crushed,” remarked Moltke. According to his calculations, even with the combined strength of the Grand Duchess and Rillburn families, they would only command about half the military power of the royal family. Additionally, the proximity of the Rillburn territory to the capital, Shampur, made it likely to be an early target for suppression.

“How about inviting Duke Chad of the west? If they join, we could attack the royal family from both sides!”

Moltke, in charge of military affairs, frowned at the suggestion from the young baronet.

“But what worries me is how the Chad family will respond. If we fight the Clock family alone and Duke Chad takes most of the land, we’ll be left with nothing.”

“Hmm.”

“Then, why don’t we secretly send an envoy to the Chad family? Depending on the terms, they could become valuable allies.”

“Indeed.”

The discussion, mostly driven by the former retainers, continued. Viscount Monkton, the steward, summarized the various opinions.

“First, we send an envoy to the Chad family. Until we receive a reply, we will not commit to the alliance. Does everyone agree?”

“No objections.”

Although the opinion of the head of the Rillburn family should have carried the most weight, Io, acting as the head in proxy, rarely voiced her own opinion in these meetings. As a result, Viscount Monkton had taken on the role of presiding over the discussions, and decisions were made through the consensus of the prominent retainers.

“As for the selection of the envoy…”

“Wouldn’t Lord Reister be suitable for this task?”

For the first time, Io, who normally stayed silent, responded to the steward’s suggestion.