In a World of Reversed Chastity, I Strive to Become an Honorable Male Knight, but Lustful Women Keep Targeting My Body - 286

Chapter 286: The Saintly Bishop and the Barbarian Princess

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I, Fiorenza Chiarugi, had my concerns. Was it really wise to meddle so casually in someone else’s conspiracy? I had experienced something like that before, when someone interfered with one of my own plots while it was in motion and the entire plan fell apart. To be honest, I was quite anxious that the same thing might happen again. Well, that particular scheme had already been on the verge of collapsing even before the interference, I suppose, but it was definitely the final blow that finished it off.

As far as I could tell from reading her thoughts, Grandma Dalaiya’s plan was exactly as she had described it to Papa Albert. For me, it was extremely convenient. And as for Papa, it seemed like he would gain more than he would lose. In other words, the optimal solution was to leave it alone.

That said, Papa asked me to handle it, so I could not just sit still. Honestly, I did not feel like I could win against that old lady in a battle of schemes… but it was still far better than leaving it to muscle-brained Sonia. In the end, there was no choice but for me to do my best.

“Fezaria-san. May I have a moment?”

And so, I visited the elf army’s camp. Though calling it a camp might be generous. It was really just a group of elves loitering along the riverside of the flooded forest. The elves chatted among themselves while eating or maintaining their weapons. The atmosphere was rough and dangerous. They had nice faces, but their manners were unbelievably bad. I really did not want to get too close to them…

“…Oh? Fiorenza-don, is that you? What business do you have?”

The one who greeted me was not Grandma Dalaiya, but rather the leader of the opposing faction, the head of the “Legitimate” Elfenia, Fezaria Orphan. Even if I intended to interfere with Grandma’s conspiracy, I would not do something as reckless as suddenly meeting her directly. 

If you want to shoot the general, you first shoot the horse. 

I think Papa once said something like that. For now, I would start by working from the surroundings.

“I was hoping we could have a small personal conversation while we have the chance…”

According to the operation plan, the attack was scheduled to begin after evening. Right now, those who had finished resting were beginning their combat preparations. Orphan should not have been idle,but she gave a small grunt of “Hmm” before nodding.

“If it’s a personal matter, should I clear everyone out?”

“Yes, please.”

“Hmm, alright. Follow me.”

(At a time like this… the timing is bad.)

After letting out a sigh, she began walking without even bringing her subordinates along. As usual, her dialect was so thick that I could barely understand what she was saying, but it seemed she was telling me to follow her. I told my attendants to wait and followed behind her.

Well, that went smoothly. It was the right decision to make contact beforehand. I had secretly guaranteed that the “Legitimate” faction would receive food aid not only from Liseben but also from the Church of the Star Guidance. Because of that, Orphan could not treat me too coldly. Of course, the food aid came in exchange for missionary activity, so it was not like we were the only side with leverage.

“So, what business do you have? If it’s about missionary work, I’d prefer if you leave that for later.”

(This is a decisive battle that will determine our future. I cannot afford to disgrace myself even by accident.)

After leading me under the shade of a tree, Orphan said that. She looked slightly annoyed. Well, I understood how she felt. I looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping or spying before smiling and shaking my head.

“No, that is not it. Some information that concerns me has come in, and I thought it would be best to inform you as soon as possible.”

“Oh?”

Orphan asked again, clearly intrigued. However, inside her mind, suspicion toward me swirled strongly. Well, she only accepted the missionary proposal to avoid the foolishness of relying solely on Liseben as her lifeline. Of course she did not truly trust me from the bottom of her heart.

My impression of this Orphan person was that although she valued quick and decisive action, her mind was actually quite sharp. She might not be on Grandma’s level, but she was not someone I could afford to underestimate either.

“…This is something I happened to hear from people close to the core of the ‘New’ faction.”

I lowered my voice as if sharing a secret while saying that. Of course, it was a lie. It had only been a day since yesterday, so there was no way I could have secured a proper information source already. Besides, rather than preparing spies, it was much faster and more accurate for me to simply listen to their thoughts directly.

“I see.”

(Those Liseben fellows managed to build a functioning intelligence network in such a short time. That Albert-don really isn’t an ordinary man.)

…Elves really were difficult to read. Was that supposed to mean Papa’s evaluation just went up? At the same time, it felt like her level of caution had also increased by one step. Hmm, this was tricky. I absolutely wanted to avoid doing anything that would drive a wedge between the “Legitimate” faction and Liseben.

“It seems Dalaiya-san intends to propose marriage to Albert-san. Well, it’s the classic political marriage.”

“…What?”

(That old hag! …Well, it does sound like something she’d do, but still!)

Orphan’s well-shaped eyebrows shot upward. Yes, yes, just as expected. This reaction was perfect. It seemed she did not dislike Papa either. Naturally, she would not feel very pleased if someone tried to snatch him away right before her eyes.

“Since Albert-san prioritizes the stability of Liseben above all else, it would be difficult for him to reject such a proposal. If he forms a marital alliance with the elves, governing them would become much smoother.”

“Hmmm, that may be true…”

My strategy was extremely simple. In short, I intended to make Orphan the rival to Grandma Dalaiya. Unlike the “New” faction, whose governance would not be affected even if Grandma retired, the “Legitimate” faction relied on Orphan’s bloodline for its legitimacy. Because of that, even if Orphan ended up with Papa, she could not retire until a successor was properly raised.

If that happened, Grandma would have a problem, wouldn’t she? If Orphan gained power as Papa’s spouse, there would be a high chance that the “New” faction would be neglected. Grandma was responsible enough that she could never abandon her people under such circumstances. That would leave her no choice but to remain active.

In other words, what I wanted was very simple. If Papa married both Grandma Dalaiya and Orphan at the same time, everything would be solved. If the elves launched a marriage offensive, Sonia and Gilberto would surely feel a sense of crisis and become more proactive too. That would be killing two birds with one stone.

“However, forming marital ties with only the ‘New’ faction would create an imbalance, don’t you think?”

“So that’s why you came to talk to me.”

“Yes, exactly.”

I nodded back at Orphan, who was frowning deeply in thought. Good, good. I had successfully made her feel a sense of crisis. Realistically speaking, a political marriage really was the quickest way to govern the elves properly. Of course she would bite.

Still, elves… they really were nice. Beautiful, long-lived. Their only flaw was that they were a bit… no, quite barbaric, but if children were born, that could probably be fixed through education. As “sisters,” they would be very welcome. I definitely wanted Papa to marry those two. For the sake of my plans, it was best to increase the number of “sisters” as much as possible. I wanted him to make plenty of children.

If the Blondin family and the elves became firmly tied together through marriage, it would also strengthen the Liseben army. Yes, yes. This situation really was extremely convenient for me. Grandma Dalaiya truly was a blessing.

“…But what does Albert-don think? To be honest, marrying savage folk like us would probably make his skin crawl. Could it be that he intends to sacrifice himself for the sake of the nation? If that’s the case, it would be far too shameful for us.”

Wow, Orphan was really kind. Those words were sincere. If anything, she might be more ladylike than Sonia or even the chancellor. She had not been an imperial princess for nothing. The Orphan family apparently had a longer history than the Valois royal family of Galea. Noble blood really was different.

“Albert-san is the kind of person who would offer himself without hesitation for the sake of the nation and its people. After all, despite being a man, he became a knight and placed himself as a shield for the common people.”

“Hmph, that’s true. But still… that’s too much. Albert-don is our benefactor. I don’t want to do anything that sacrifices him.”

…I could barely understand about half of what she was saying! Wasn’t there anything that could be done about this? Her dialect was so strong it was honestly exhausting. It might actually be easier if it were a completely different language…

“As a member of the clergy, I have blessed many couples. Of course, quite a few of them were political marriages. However, such couples do not necessarily end up unhappy. If both sides are willing to meet each other halfway, even a political marriage can become one of love.”

In truth, Orphan herself did not dislike Papa. Giving her a push was not difficult at all. At this point, guiding her thoughts in the direction I wanted was easy. After all, all I had to do was give legitimacy to her own desires. Smiling inwardly, I began speaking rapidly to Orphan…

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