Chapter 30 – From the Inside (1/2)

Clown: “I-it’s not like I translated this chapter for you or anything… b-b-b-baka!!!”

Although they solidified the national border, many of the new fortresses belong to Orsongrande in name only—they are unoccupied.

The invasion so far, primarily due to the fact that preventing people from getting out also slowed down the speed at which news travel, has continued without much opposition from Vichy.

And now, via these fortresses, some people are leaving Orsongrande for Vichy.

Hifumi, who observed this happen, merely marveled at how few actually emigrated.

Yet their hesitation to leave their home cities and villages is predictable: the roads are underdeveloped and their only means of substance comes from the businesses they took years if not generations to develop.

The only who do travel are the seconds sons, the unemployed, and the wealthy.

「Frankly, I thought you might just decide to massacre everyone…」

Kasha said, while partaking with Hifumi the lunch the supply corps prepared

「Civilians are not the enemy. Only the enemy needs to be slaughtered. But fighting tens or even hundreds of soldiers is inefficient and boring. Instead, it’s best to force those Vichy bastards to become afraid and to strengthen their ranks with more people. Then, they might finally come at us for real」

「・・・If they do, wouldn’t we lose?」

Alyssa was there among them. Only Origa and Pajo have not returned from their respective tasks. In fact, Origa has been intentionally avoiding Kasha since yesterday.

「・・・Right, we might lose」

「Huh・・・?」

Kasha froze mid-bite at Hifumi’s nonchalant declaration.

「The soldiers here have only crammed knowledge of infiltration and assassination. Even if they had any worth as soldiers before, they would simply be overwhelmed numerically」

「But then, what should we do?」

「We’re fine as long as we don’t fight them head on. We need to dictate the environment and attack them after dividing them into smaller groups. Besides, we don’t really need to wait for our enemy to gather their forces, and even if they do, we just need to have them scatter a bit」

But should there be a person more capable than I among them we’d lose, Hifumi concluded while putting the last piece of meat in his mouth.

「But they teach soldiers never to consider defeat・・・」

Alyssa murmured, and Hifumi rebuked her,

「Don’t be a fool: how could you think of cutting someone down without considering being cut down?」

「Says a guy who could easily cut down hundreds」

「A hundred may not pose a problem, but I too am human. I too need to rest, and I cannot fight continuously for many hours. If I fail to dodge even a single slash out of fatigue, I will die. No matter how strong you become, this fact never changes」

That is why killing is just as fulfilling as living, Hifumi said.

These words were imprinted in Kasha’s mind: even these monster of a human considered death.

After lunch, Hifumi observed the border with Alyssa, and called out to three men attempting to leave.

「Yo, could you wait a minute?」

「O-oh my, Viscount-sama」

The first of the three burly men responded to Representative Hifumi.

「You are spies from Vichy, aren’t you?」

「N-no, we are simple traveling merchants・・・」

Wiping the sweat from his brow the man replied, but Hifumi grabbed his hand and pointed to his palm.

「Merchant’s don’t have hands like this. Drop the obvious lies」

The smile on the man’s face disappeared, and his looked down, serious.

「As expected of the Expeditionary Force General, I presume. I applaud you. I am indeed a spy deployed by Vichy’s Central Council」

While this man was already in Anarazel city when it was occupied by Orsongrande’s Expeditionary Force, he was away from the representative’s manor and thus avoided capture. So he pretended to be a merchants and sought to join others on his return to Central.

「Seems like I am fated to perish here. These two men are indeed in my employ, but I have hired them here—they know nothing about my purpose. I beseech you to have mercy」

「What are you doing talking to me like I’m some homicidal maniac? I didn’t stop you to kill you. You’re headed to Central, so I wanted you to deliver something for me」

「A delivery, you said? Should I… Should I hand it to the Council?」

Once the spy noticed the document Hifumi took out, he immediately realized it was addressed to Vichy’s government.

「Yeah, so after they get a grasp on what has happened here, I need the response to this letter… let’s say twenty days from now」

Since it takes seven days to reach Central from here, he gave them plenty of time.

「・・・Understood. I have matters to report to Central, so this shall be no problem」

「Your name?」

「Vinu, your grace」

「Now then, Vinu, these documents are important. Don’t go and get killed by a monster or something」

「Understood. I shall deliver the letter without fail」

Vinu bowed, reverently accepted the letter, and set off towards Vichy.

「Hifumi-san, what’s in that letter?」

Alyssa, who up until quietly observed, asked out of curiosity.

「・・・Right… well, I guess it’s fine」

Hifumi said after concluding that nothing will change even if she were to know now.

「So you know there’s this man that Origa and Kasha are looking for—Beirevra? Apparently he’s one of Vichy Council’s spies. Rather than having to run around all of Vichy looking for him, it’s a demand to have him extradited」

Hifumi could only laugh thinking that this document had Imeraria’s signature on it. Now, Vichy could simply blame Beirevra as the cause of his war, or respond in silence and face condemnation as a country that harbors criminals. One way or another, they were being pressured.

「So their choice is either to sacrifice Beirevra to appease Orsongrande or attempt to push us out with their military might」

「So what will we do for now?」

The answer was not due for another twenty days, so they had lots of time. Hifumi decided to take that time to carefully tour his dominion.

「Reinforcements are bound to come from Orsongrande soon. I’ll leave the occupied territory to them and go see my land」

「Should I come along?」

「Do as you wish」

The following day reinforcements arrived to the frontier and, while strengthening control over the new territory, decided to convert the town of Rhone into a military base.

The Expeditionary Force, now relieved of their duty, were scheduled to patrol Hifumi’s domain.

That day Hifumi gathered his troops and announced their return to Fokalore.