Volume 11 Chapter 3 (1/2)

Regis and Bastian

Translator: Skythewood

Editor: Darkdhaos, Seir K, Ruzenor

With Claude’s introduction, Regis got the chance toconnections within the courts

On the outer fringe of the capital, there werean alley and turning left and right, they reached a bar

It was a building built froer than normal houses

The sun was setting and it was almost time for dinner

The buildings around it had closed their s, and pedestrians on the streets were beco sparse Only this shop had its s open, and the light froas lamp leaked out

Above the entrance of the shop was the sign ‘Provence’

This tiroup

This was the base of the liberals, people who detested nobles Bringing the daughter of a Duke hereto do with how equally Fanrine treats co through dialogue

Hence, she went back to the camp of Renard Pendu first She needed to inforht return later than expected

As it was dangerous, Regis wanted Franziska to return too, but she still had the duty of being an escort and keeping an eye on Regis ‘It h to make her return

In the end, Regis (in his female attire) was followed by Franziska and Claude, and the three of them sat on a couch

There was a round table behind a screen, with two double seater couches facing one another

As there were barrels, tiles and logs stacked around the messy

Claude lit his smoke He poured tobacco into a pipe, then lit it with the candle fire The smoke spread out slowly

In this era, tobacco was a luxury ites were cheaper than it

“My headache won’t go away if I don’t take a puff”

“Hah…”

“I sent a er in the afternoon… But I don’t know if he et to meet this person today?”

“I ait I’ve already troubled the folks in the publishi+ng co I can do is wait here The deadline will be in three days”

Uwah~ Franziska stretched her back

“So drowsy…”

“It’s fine for you to go back…”

“If I don’t bring Regina back with me, Sis will lecture me”

“I will return Because I need you all too”

“Like I told you, consider the number of the mercenaries to be halved… Because I don’t trust you completely yet, understand?”

“I see It can’t be helped then”

The other side of the screen turned rowdy

A short while later, a woman appeared

She had a walking stick in hand A shaas draped over her dark blue blouse, and a long dress covered her feet

She seeer than Claude

Her legs seemed to be weak as her steps obbly

Her bundled brown hair hung over her chest

“It’s been a while, Claude”

“Yo, you seem really lively, Professeur!”

—— So this is Madaht

She was just thirty odd years of age, but looked really dignified

“Since that child cah Britannian cookings of the other child is still lacking”

“Aren’t High Britannian dishes just fried fish and chips?”

“There’sher Belgarian dishes for now”

“Hahaha!”

“Well then… Is the person you want to introduce to me here?”

“Ahh, the one we need to trouble is actually the student of the Professeur… He has close ties to the courts However, I think Professeur will be interested in is d’Auric Even though he is dressed like this

“Pleased to meet you”

Regis stood up and nodded politely

Bourgine nodded in response

“Oh… Your hobby surprised h”

“T-That’s not it!”

“Fufu, just kidding There ht? There are many people who frequent this place, so this happens frequently—— I already asked that child to come, he should be here soon Just talk to him about the courts slowly”

“Thank you very much”

“It’s a rare chance to meet you, so can I speak with you a little?”

“Of course”

Claude helped Bourgine onto the couch

Even when seated, her back was really straight

“Even though you are a commoner, you have deep connections with Prince Latreille and Princess Argentina, isn’t that a rare sight?”

“Ahh, speaking of which…”

By the way, Regis also played Chess and Rummy with the Fifth Princess Felicia

He was used to it, so he didn’t give it ht But now that she mentioned it, he realized that no one around him had similar experience

Regis was the only one who had acted in the capacity of staff officer in both Altina and Latreille’s camp

“I a because you have such experience… What would the country they are striving for look like?”

“ Like Prince Latreille’s speech to thenations and hbouring countries we are familiar ould become Imperial territory”

“He is a hegemonist after all Do you think he can pull it off?”

“I heard his plans in detail”

“Froist, do you think it can be done?”

“I a that aside… If the Imperial Commanders are as competent as Field Marshall Latreille, that would be possible”

“You are saying that the E, but lacks the talented personnel?”

“It’s regrettable”

What they indeed lacked wasn’t talent, but Regis didn’t probe further

Bourgine continued:

“Well then, what’s Princess Argentina’s ideal? Because her mother is a commoner, word on the street is that she leads a siot the support of many commoners because of that, but is it the truth?”

“ Her life isn’t that extravagant She’s not exactly living like a coe on unnecessary parties She would not hold back on buying art pieces and dresses, but is far from wasteful Well, Prince Latreille is thrifty too The two of theentina’s aspiration is——”

Bourgine listened quietly

Claude leam of seriousness

Franziska look like she was going to fall asleep

Regis opened his mouth:

“—— The Princess’ goal is world peace”

Bourgine tilted her head

“Is that her stance in public? Or are you being serious?”

“There is no point in regurgitating a storyfor world peace Not just dreaoal in mind It’s the same for me too”

Claude opened his eyes wide

Bourgine lowered her head

“ And world peace means…?”

“Pacifis countries, and aiding whichever country gets invaded, and giving aid if one of the nations suffers a natural disaster”

“That ht be plausible… But is that what the Princess really thinks?”

“At least we are doing that We won’t rob others of their possession, and Madaine isn’t someone ill seize the land of others either”

“Yes… It’s true that going by my sense of hbours are as deplorable as bandits”

“Correct,it to conquer the land of others sounds barbaric to ain trust and friendshi+ps”

“Isn’t that just an ideal?”

“Right, it is just ideology But if this theory doesn’t hold, o”

“Oh, so that’s how you think”

“So far, wars are ht with arrows and spears When we say a unit had been wiped out, it actually meant that most of the soldiers had been routed with injuries, with less than half of the into an era of ith rifles now There won’t be any chance to escape before attacks sharper than spears and further than arroould be onto them The term wiped out would be literal then… and the h than in the age of cavalries”

Claude said with a choke:

“ Is this true?”

Bourgine nodded seriously

“So you ht noar is a competition on the battlefield, but future ould mean the utter destruction of the enemy?”

“That’s what I think The i level in just a few years I predict that it would improve even further in the future After all, there are already people developing models that can fire consecutive shots”

“Consecutive shots?”

“Making loading autoht now is impractical as it is too cumbersome to be carried by one man, but I think it is only a matter of time before it ispolitical ters that will happen even after our deaths”

“Yes, you are right”

Franziska who had been listening all this while sneered:

“Hainst the Belgarian Eainst the surrounding nations for hundreds of years, and you want to work together with them now? Haha… If one nation attacks the Empire, the other countries would definitely join the attack”

“Well, it is difficult to build alliance with other nations after all There are ele empty dreams”

“This is obviously impossible!”

“If everyone in power gave up on this and chose the path of war, mankind would already be extinct”

“Hah? If the war rages on and on, the ones who lives in the end are the victors right?”

Regis shook his head

“For example, the Empire with a population of 1 million won in the end… And a civil war broke out If the side with 500 thousand won, and another civil war erupt…”

“Why are you so sure that will happen!?”

“Isn’t that a given? After all, the surviving group chose the option ‘war and pillage’”

Franziska was at a loss for words

“Ah…”

“War and pillage—— Do you think a group that won after picking this option will suddenly change their directive? This have nothing to do with the governing syste of the leaders, natural disasters and invention of neeapons… All these negative and positive factors are influencing them And even without interference from these factors… ill still erupt Rifles will kill their enemy”

“ Hmm”

“The ones who live will be the victors And since they won, there is no reason to change their thinking Because they have a stranglehold on wealth One million becomes 500 thousand, half that to 250 thousand… The population will gradually decline It is clear what is the endpoint of hegemonism Those who chose ith the excuse ‘we can’t survive if we don’t fight’, will only have one future”

“A-And what is that?”

“Ifwars, in time, they will lose civilization, and it will be too late Would the final moments be an apocalypse, or attack by feral beasts…? I don’t knoould end, but it is inevitable No, maybe… maybe ill devolve into animals that ‘once had civilization’”

“Aren’t you thinking too much?”

“This isn’textinct in the past because they couldn’t adapt to their environ due to civil war and getting destroyed by other nations You probably know that too”

Franziska was born in the Germanian Federation Civil wars broke out there frequently, and with the of nations

If they continued warring a themselves, and even incorporated rifles in their warfare, it won’t be long before the Gerht

He said firmly:

“Those who support hege into the era of Rifle warfarevictories, what awaits thedom scattered with bones”

Franziska couldn’t say anything

Bourgine nodded

“I have not seen the new rifles used by the Kingdoh Britannia But since you said so, they must be worthy of your evaluation”

“High Britannia has yet to unleash the full potential of the new rifles”

“Is that so? I heard the Imperial forces lost a lot of men”

“We were lucky If we had encountered an opponent who could use rifles more efficiently, there would be even more casualties Maybe the capital would have fallen”

Claude wiped the sweat on his brows

“Thank God you are not a High Britannian”

“I think their commander already noticed… But he had no choice but to follow the Queen’s sense of aesthetic”

Ugh, Claude leaned forth

“Are rifles really that powerful?”

“Even a child can kill a knight by pulling the trigger There is a need to review our understanding of war”

“Ohh…”

His shoulders kept quivering

The other side of the screen turned noisy

Claude looked in that direction

“Is that the student of the Professeur? Hmm? No… This is…”

The angry shouts of men, sounds of metal and screams

Franziska stood up and i

“That’s the sound of armour!”

After clicking his tongue, Claude stood up too

He reached for the back of his waist and pulled out a dagger

The screen was kicked down

Soldiers!

They all wore black armour There were ten… No, twenty of them…?

“Found it!”

—— What!? They aren’t the Imperial Guards or the First Army!?

Regis had never seen this arraphed on theular soldiers

The leader of the troopers stared at them with sharp eyes, his lips twitched

“Well well… We hit the jackpot huh?”

He was a man with a sharp nose He was short and didn’t wear armour, but the chest of his uniforems His eyes were as narrow as a fox

Regis remembered this man

He was the inspector who bought the orders letter to attack Fort Volks 8 o

When he atteis ran into him In the end, the crisis was averted thanks to Eric and Altina…

“Inspector Becker!?”

Regis blurted out unconsciously

That lared at him

“Ah? What, a woman…? Hmmp, have I seen you somewhere before? And I aade Commander of the Public Security Corps!”

“What, iet prosecuted for atte for bribery…!?”

“Hah? I am the nephew of Chief Chamberlain Beclard! The second son of a Marquis fame down!”

“ You weren’t tried for your crimes?”

“How dare a plebeian like you talk to ht? Be careful not to scratch her face”

The soldiers in black armour closed in with their swords in hand

The blades were bloodied

Bourgine admonished him sternly:

“The lot of you! Did you cut down the people here!?”

“Hah! I have gotten wind of rebels gathering in this bar I a the peace inside the capital”

“How could this be… not even a trial!?”

“I am the law! If you don’t like it, then file a complaint! However, that’s only if you are still alive tomorrow!”

A soldier in black armour reported to Becker:

“Brigade Coine!”

“Is that so, kill her!”

“Huh!? But… The minister say we have to apprehend…”

“Didn’t you hear what I said!? How can we let it go to trial!? Dead people won’t complain, run or rebuke me! Isn’t that a model citizen!?”

“Y-Yes Sir!”

“Good, turn her into a model citizen!”

The soldiers roared As if this was a battlefield However, Regis didn’t have any troops with him

Claude rushed forth to protect Bourgine

“Run! You can’t die in a place like this, Professeur!”

Becker ordered:

“Don’t let her escape! If she gets away, all of you will be lashed!”

The soldiers charged This place was cramped with no place to run Not even ato jump out from

—— We will die if this goes on!

Regis yelled:

“Let’s make a deal!”

If he stalled for time…

Becker roared:

“Ignore him!”