Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 234

“Faust, I have a bad feeling about this.”

“What a coincidence, so do I.”

We were on our way back after the dinner with His Majesty the Emperor.

I spoke to Faust, but I was sure my face, illuminated by the moonlight, must have looked pale.

“My goal is simply to ensure the Imperial Capital’s Commercial Guild buys our supplies at a fair price, that’s all.”

“I understand that. But it’s clear now that this situation won’t be resolved so simply.”

Blood is being demanded.

Emperor Maxine clearly wanted to see the City Council take damage, to bleed.

That was the reason for offering his support.

“……What do you think would happen if we fail to meet Emperor Maxine’s expectations?”

“Nothing, really.”

Sure, we might earn the Emperor’s displeasure, but that’s all.

He would likely just be disappointed that the blade didn’t sink into the enemy’s throat.

“We’d only have to endure his look of disappointment. He’s not an unreasonable man. He’ll just think, ‘Well, that was a letdown,’ and move on.”

“Yes, that’s probably how it would go. Normally, anyway.”

Valiere nodded.

“But what about my family? Do you think they won’t go overboard once they hear we’ve secured the Emperor’s support?”

“I don’t think they’ll hold back.”

Ah, so that’s what’s bothering Valiere.

Knowing her family, it’s almost certain that Sabine and the others will go rogue.

They’ll exploit the situation to push for maximum gain; that’s all too clear.

But――

“That’s where you need to skillfully control your subordinates, Your Highness.”

“If I were capable of controlling them, we wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with! None of them ever listen to me!”

Well, that’s because Valiere can’t quite bring herself to fully assert control over them.

Her subordinates probably feel they have no choice but to act on their own.

At least, that’s how I see it.

“I think it’s time for you to take steps to get things under control now.”

“And how exactly do I do that?”

“First, by showing up at the front lines.”

Surely, if Valiere herself is present at the scene, they wouldn’t be able to act on their own whims.

At least, that’s what I hope.

“……Alright then. I’m heading to the printing house where they’re planning to spread rumors about the City Council. Will you come with me?”

Valiere gave me an upturned look.

As her fiancé, I naturally agreed and accompanied her to the location.

We arrived at the mansion that Valiere had rented out in its entirety, and we made our way to the basement.

A member of the Second Princess’s Imperial Guard addressed us.

“Half of the content will be rumors slandering the City Council. The other half will be full-on erotic books.”

“What did you just say?”

Valiere looked at her subordinate with a look of disbelief.

This man, who I believe was called Lord Karma, was a new face to me. He was a member of the Second Princess’s Imperial Guard, wearing a monocle.

“Wait, why erotic books? Why?”

“Because nothing damages the City Council more than cheap, trashy publications.”

With a slight tilt of his monocle, Lord Karma raised an erotic book proudly.

It depicted a half-naked page boy being assaulted by several women in both illustrations and text.

I didn’t really get what was erotic about it, but in this world where chastity has been flipped, I suppose it must be considered quite erotic.

I understood, but still, why waste a precious printing press on erotic books?

“First, we lure in readers with erotica. Foolish readers love that kind of stuff. The cover will feature a sensual man. When they open the pages, they’ll find erotic stories and articles that fuel sexual excitement. Then, we’ll sprinkle in exposés of the City Council’s scandalous sex lives and crimes. Blend it in just enough to feel believable.”

Ah, it’s like those cheap gossip magazines from my previous life.

It might not be the wrong approach to damage the City Council’s reputation, but…

“……”

Valiere, on the other hand, was utterly exasperated, covering her face with her hands.

Honestly, it’s not a bad tactic.

“……The common people may know how to read, but in the end, they’re quite vulgar. Well.”

I subtly expressed my agreement.

“Seriously?” Valiere looked at me in disbelief, her eyes wide, but I actually think it’s quite effective.

“As expected, Lord Polydoro understands. Erotica is the root of all desire, Valiere-sama.”

“So… you’re really going to print erotic books? To attack the City Council? Seriously?”

Valiere looked appalled, unable to believe what was happening.

Well, let’s see how this plays out.

Instead of voicing my thoughts, I lightly patted Valiere’s back as she continued to cover her face.

※

“Wouldn’t it have been simpler to agree to the fair price Valiere’s side offered? Forget the complications and focus on business instead.”

At the City Council.

One of the moderate councilors voiced a reasonable opinion.

Honestly, if that were enough, I would agree as well. Though I won’t say it out loud.

“It would be a loss. Haven’t we discussed this repeatedly? If we don’t aim for maximum profit, what kind of merchants are we, and what kind of negotiation is that?”

A hardliner—a councilor advocating for tougher price negotiations in this matter—responded.

“We cannot simply agree to Valiere’s terms—though in truth, the real negotiator here is the robber knight von Berlichingen. If we just acquiesce, the City Council will be disrespected. We don’t want to be seen as having been outmaneuvered like the Elector of Mainz.”

Exactly.

In the end, this isn’t just a matter of money. That’s the real difficulty here.

As a neutral councilor, neither a hardliner nor a moderate, I spoke up.

“If we put up a fight and lose after balancing the scales, so be it. But to just comply and be turned into a wallet for them makes it seem like the Commercial Guild—and by extension, the City Council—are being taken lightly.”

That’s my conclusion.

The price Valiere offered for the purchase of supplies isn’t unreasonable.

That Berlichingen woman likely investigated our finances and proposed a price that would still yield us some profit.

However, we cannot simply accept it.

It’s not about the price—it’s about face.

For that reason, I cast my vote with the hardliners.

“Besides, it’s wasteful to keep feeding the Landsknecht without using them. This is what we hired them for.”

There’s that consideration as well.

If we don’t make them work occasionally, what’s the point of hiring them?

It seems a waste to keep paying soldiers we never use.

“I heard a printing house was burned?”

“Just a small fire. No casualties yet.”

We’re not foolish.

We can see where this is heading.

“They likely hired the printing house boss to spread our scandals among the citizens. That’s their opening move.”

They made the first move.

Well, that’s fine.

There are plenty of people among the citizenry who would love to drag us down.

If we can’t control that, we shouldn’t be councilors in the first place.

As long as it doesn’t turn into a months-long orchestrated manipulation of the masses, we’ll be fine.

Besides, that printing house doesn’t hold much credibility.

“The question is, what do we do next? What move do we make?”

A voice came from the hardliners.

Their opinion was fine, but—suddenly, I felt an uneasy sensation rise within me.

Are the hardliners underestimating Valiere too much?

That’s the sense I’m getting.

“We can use the Landsknecht. We’ve also got a few superhumans on our side. We’ll prepare poisons and daggers. Valiere is too soft to be a true enemy. She’s so soft that she’ll retreat before suffering any fatal damage. In that situation, they’ll likely agree to a price reduction.”

“Aren’t you underestimating someone who defeated the Elector of Mainz?”

“Our thorough investigation shows that Mainz pushed Valiere too far. We won’t make that mistake. Even if we end up in a direct confrontation, they won’t stand a chance. There’s not much 3,000 weak soldiers can do.”

I wonder about that.

Where’s the evidence that we’re not being foolish?

It’s past success.

The hardliners are drunk on past success, like bad wine, ever since the mayor ousted the Emperor and locked the current Emperor Maxine and his father in the palace.

The success of having influenced the fate of emperors has made us foolish.

That atmosphere is palpable.

But I won’t voice it.

Saying something like that would only invite denial, and nothing would come of it.

“So, what’s the plan?”

Instead, I voiced a question about the future.

A representative of the hardliners answered.

“Taking a hostage seems the smartest option.”

“Valiere?”

“Yes.”

“Yes” is not enough of an answer.

Indeed, if we capture her, even von Berlichingen—who supposedly swore knightly loyalty, though I’m skeptical of that—will have to negotiate.

But capturing her may not be so easy.

“There’s nothing to fear. We once captured an Emperor. Do you really think capturing the daughter of an Elector is that difficult? The Imperial City is not the Emperor’s playground. It’s the City Council’s. What can an outsider from beyond the city walls possibly do?”

The hardliners are indeed drunk on past success.

Once you recognize that, the bad feeling becomes crystal clear.

But I cannot speak out.

Right now, the hardliners have the majority. If I voice too much weakness, I’ll endanger my position as a councilor.

They’ll say, Then why don’t you negotiate with Valiere yourself? You can pay what we should have out of your own pocket.

I refuse to bear that burden.

So――

“……”

Yes, negotiation.

Should I quietly negotiate with von Berlichingen behind the scenes?

All I need to do is convey that I agree with her proposal.

In the end, my real priority is to maintain my position on the City Council and not get dragged down by the hardliners’ reckless actions.

Minimize the damage.

“Taking Valiere as a hostage will be our primary objective. We’ll deploy the Landsknecht and superhumans. If that doesn’t work, we’ll mobilize a few hundred men for a skirmish, and if we can get them to agree to a small reduction in price, we can consider it a win. If we can cut down on some unnecessary expenses, we can agree to Valiere’s terms. Agreed.”

As I listened to the hardliners speak with such confidence, I couldn’t help but wonder.

Will it really go that smoothly?

Isn’t there something we’re overlooking?

It feels like we’re ignoring the key element of a colossal failure.

Like a snowball rolling downhill in winter, growing larger and larger, until it crushes our own house.

That’s the feeling creeping down my spine.

“Agreed. But I have a few things I’d like to clarify.”

“What is it?”

“Do we have no concerns? Like the possibility of the Emperor, who bears a grudge against us, cooperating with them?”

The hardliner representative paused for a moment, then laughed.

“He won’t do a thing. At best, he’ll make a public call for the Landsknecht to stay out of it, for the sake of maintaining order within the Imperial City.”

“And what about the three Electors currently in the city?”

“They’re preoccupied with who will succeed to the throne. They won’t step into this. Even if they did.”

At present, we have more forces than we’ve gathered before.

I think the odds are in our favor.

But still, it feels like something is missing.

It feels like we’re overlooking something important.

Like a snowball that’s going to keep growing until it crushes us all.

“Alright. I’m convinced.”

I feigned agreement and decided to make contact with Lord Berlichingen behind the scenes.

This isn’t betrayal.

Both sides need a negotiator for when things fall apart.

※

“How far do you intend to take this, Sabine?”

In my private chambers, I asked Sabine while opening a letter from the neutral faction within the City Council.

It seemed they wanted me to avoid targeting the neutral and moderate factions, as they might be useful for negotiations if things went awry.

A reasonable suggestion, but――

“Isn’t it obvious? All the way. We’ll corner the City Council until the end.”

“Are you planning to turn the citizens of the Imperial City into your enemies?”

“Naturally. Aren’t you planning the same, Amelia?”

Valiere-sama hasn’t given such orders.

Valiere-sama has already offered a sufficient sum to relocate her people, including the stragglers, to Lord Polydoro’s lands.

All that’s needed is a successful price negotiation.

Is there really a need to push them this far?

I was about to voice my doubts when I realized something.

“Are you following some strange orders from the Electors again?”

“I’d rather not listen to anyone but Valiere-sama.”

After extracting the details of the secret orders Sabine had received, I held the letter over the candle’s flame and let it burn.