A Famous Traitor and Treacherous Genius

154 – The Gap That Cannot Be Overtaken (4)

If there was a ‘Resistance’ in the kingdom, there was a ‘Quislings’ on the other side.

Quisling.

It’s a person’s name.

It is a name that cannot be ignored by those who study the history between kingdoms and empires.

Grand Duke of the North.

A rare traitor who opened the way from the empire to the kingdom before the North became a permafrost where no life can survive like it is now – a thin ice area covered with ‘Blizzard magic’.

To compare it to modern times, it is like Gibraltar opening the gate of the canyon.

Strictly speaking, it is different, and the entire 30,000 army died frozen in the snowy field due to the Blizzard magic of the Ice Mage who appeared as a hero.

In this way, Quisling was a person’s name, but in the contemporary era, it became established as an adjective.

Later, Gibraltar took its place, but it has the meaning of ‘a traitor who would sell the country for his own gain.’

But is there an organization with that name?

It is treason.

When someone hears that name, they report it or become loyal to the royal family.

However.

It would be a different story if people, like Count Edmund Ducastel, were betrayed by the Kingdom of Nostrum, or if those who became so dissatisfied with the kingdom that they could no longer remain loyal began to gather one by one.

Right here, like a secret room in a shabby bar in an alley a little away from the royal capital.

“This is it, Count Ducastel.”

“This is…”

“It’s a place to casually play poker and enjoy wine.”

A room with no one in it.

There is only one round table in the center, and it is wide enough to accommodate up to 6 chairs depending on the number of people.

“Depending on how you tell the story, the purpose of the meeting can vary. It can be a healthy poker meeting, a betting poker game with a few bets, or a forum is fine.”

“Forum?”

“Nostrum, is it okay like this?”

“…”

While saying those words, I sat down on the chair first, and Count Ducastel obediently sat down in front of me.

“What do you want to say?”

“Calm down. There’s still plenty of time.”

There are people like my father who like stories from the very beginning, and there are also people who reveal their innermost thoughts only by taking each step step by step.

“Count Ducastel. I support you. Although there are personal reasons as well.”

Count Ducastel’s vigilance is slightly softening.

You might think that the reason I showed interest in you is because I teased Noir Gibraltar.

“More than anything, don’t you have a close relationship with my maternal grandfather?”

“Hmm…!”

Count Ducastel sighs for a moment with a pale face.

“What are you doing now…?”

“Just because my father and mother broke off ties with my maternal grandfather, there is no reason for me to break off ties as well.”

“!!”

“I heard he’s close with Baron Jacques Lembourg Gunther.”

If there is a reason why I invited Edmund Ducastel to this event, this man is the closest to the worst trash among people I know, on par with Saint Geo.

“I heard that he was like a sworn brother to my maternal grandfather. It broke my heart to see him in such trouble.”

“Hmph… “

“If I were a professor, I would have taken sides, but if I had stepped forward, it might have had an even more counterproductive effect.”

“So you kept your mouth shut then and then called me like this?”

As soon as I raise it appropriately, I immediately put it down.

‘Anyway.’

All people suitable to join Quislings are like this.

‘Insolent trash.’

This is why I honestly didn’t want to deal with it directly, but if someone wants to clean up the trash, they have to move it by hand.

“Yes. Because I would like to make a suggestion to Count Ducastel.”

“Suggestion?”

“Here.”

I held out the plan written in the imperial language that was placed under the table.

“Hmm… “

Does the old man know the imperial language?

Even if you know it, can you at least read the plan operated by the administrative system?

“As you can see, the empire is currently running a national project that invites prominent nobles from the kingdom.”

“National unit…?”

“This is a project operated and planned directly by the imperial family. In one word, it can be called ‘imperial cultural exploration and exchange.'”

“…Let me ask you one thing.”

The plan hasn’t even been opened yet, but caution is evident.

“How can you have this when you are no one else?”

“So, I’m one of the Quislings?”

“What?”

“It’s not that important.”

Facts are important.

In order for that person to believe what I say, there needs to be a basis for definitively answering the question, ‘Why did Gray Gibraltar join hands with a man from the Empire?’

It is not enough to simply say ‘because I love Astasia’.

Well, the eyes can only see certain things.

“Thanks to her friendship with Astasia and her her her her imperial granddaughter her, I was able to hear about various interesting things about her her her her empire her through her her her her her.”＜ Br＞

Quisling.

Only when the traitor Gray comes forward can we persuade such a person.

“There were more interesting things in the Empire than I thought. Well, I won’t say it again. There were a lot of things that were good to take care of.”

“You…”

“Not everyone born in Gibraltar can become a margrave. The canyon has also opened, so living comfortably in a new land is one way.”

“…!!”

I lightly sipped somnus tea.

“I can’t go there myself. I have a sense of humor and my legs are like this.”

“You really…?”

“How about taking a look around the empire? Make it a trip.”

“Hmm…!”

Count Ducastel groaned and played with his beard

There is no choice.

If you stay in Nostrum, you will get caught up in all kinds of gossip in social circles, and if you stay in Orosol, it is doubtful whether classes will be held next semester.

No matter how old and conservative you are, it is impossible to wage an all-out war against the next king without any support base.

“But if you go to the Empire now…”

“I’m not running away. There may be people who say things like that, but soon they will see the content and become envious.”

“I’m jealous?”

“Yes. You don’t have to pay any fees, and you can inspect for about half a year at the cost supported by the empire.”

“What… ?”

The older I get, the less I can stand free food.

“Is that really true?”

“Yes. I heard that it is a project being carried out by the Empire’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It is a national project and they are looking for candidates, but unfortunately, I…”

“Well, then… “

“Why don’t you consider it a filial piety tour and go on a trip once? If you decide to go on a trip to the empire later, it will cost at least 1 billion won.”

Jump up.

“1 billion!”

“Is that all? You will be able to move freely wherever you go. The Empire will provide you with a ‘guide.'”

“Guide?”

“It’s similar to a maid. When you travel, they introduce you to the destination and tell you about the various cultures you can experience. Well…If you want.”

Once again, I took out the bottle containing Caroline from my arms.

“You might be able to have some fun this way too.”

“Keu, keuhm.”

I cleared my throat and tried to lighten the mood, but my eyes were already looking back and forth between Caroline and the plan.

“I’ll think about it.”

“I understand. But if too much time passes, I will have no choice but to revert the names I recommend here back to the original.”

“Who were you originally planning on sending?”

“If no one is there, I should go. It’s like this.”

“Hmm… “

Count Ducastel sighed heavily and stood up, taking the bottle of Caroline along with the plan.

“I understand how you feel. I will contact you again soon.”

“Yes. Ah. Would you like to have a drink of this?”

I poured the liquid from another glass bottle I had prepared in advance into each empty glass.

“I was so busy during the semester that I couldn’t even greet you properly, but it was an honor to greet you like this, Count Ducastel.”

“Yes. That… “

Count Ducastel raised his glass with a somewhat worried look.

“If you happen to meet with the Margrave of Gibraltar, please explain to him clearly that I did not try to attack Noir, but that it happened because I was trying to reduce the points of the imperial students who were my original target.”＜ Br＞

“Thank you for telling the truth.”

A person scarier than St. Geo Nostrum, Crimson Gibraltar.

Even if you are in a canyon, you can’t help but be worried.

“I will explain that clearly so that your father does not misunderstand.”

“Thank you. Ta-da.”

“Yes.”

I raised my glass to Count Ducastel.

From noble mtl dot come

* * *

Evening, 4th floor of Imperial Student Dormitory.

“Would you like to go?”

“I’m going. If I don’t go, I won’t be able to live here with my face.”

I placed a piece of well-grilled steak on Astasia’s bowl of pasta and poured a drink into Astacia’s empty glass.

“I purposely made him a solo chief in order to impress the next king, but he was scolded for doing so in front of the person concerned, and even in front of other professors.”

“Oh, that was the biggest purpose?”

It looks good to Naria.

The root of what ruined Noir was dissatisfaction with Gibraltar and the Empire, but that was the biggest one.

“I probably figured out the grade roughly by talking to other professors. And no one gave Noir an A0 grade.”

“You’re trying to elevate Naria by disparaging Noir. Hmm… “

“You probably didn’t know that the person in question would come directly into the faculty meeting and turn it upside down.”

An old nobleman’s foolish plan was completely ruined by the bold actions of a 17-year-old princess.

“It’s a foolish plan to change from Saint Geo to Naria Geo.”

And if you go more fundamentally, the basis is the desire for power to continue the power as Count Ducastel even if the king changes.

“I made you chief, or co-chief.”

“Aren’t you too weak to campaign with that?”

“It is a pitiful political move to try to campaign with something like that. He is a pitiful human being.”

I did that because there wasn’t even a hill to rub against.

If he wasn’t such a petty person in the first place, he wouldn’t have done such a thing.

“It’s okay. All that’s left now is what the Crown Prince will do with this trash and give him a headache.”

“Hmm… Isn’t Gray getting criticized for no reason? He recommended this kind of person.”

“He is the best talent for the empire.”

In Nostrum, he is a bat-like person clinging to power, but from the Empire’s point of view, he is the perfect person to appease in the current situation.

“You could interpret it as not being a hero since it was abandoned by Naria Geo Nostrum, but if you look at it objectively, wouldn’t it be a good opportunity to eat a count’s family worth about 1,000 private soldiers raw?”

“Uhm…”

“Why are you doing that?”

“No, just. I don’t even want to think about Gray talking to people like that.”

“It’s better for me to do it.”

At least, it’s better to do this part myself than to leave it to someone else.

“One of the students studying abroad in the Empire tried to approach him? If it were a man, he wouldn’t have interacted with him, and if a female student had approached him… There was a high probability that he would have even asked for physical relations.”

“Ugh…”

Although Astasia is disgusting, she is actually a human being.

“Those who join the Quislings are such filth. The Empire will find a way to use that filth to invade the kingdom, and if there is a suitable opportunity…”

“We will inform Naria and purge her?”

“If Naria discovered the mistake of the Quislings themselves, rather than something that was leaked from Gray Gibraltar, then I have no reason to be suspicious.”

Those who are incompetent or lack ability, but have treasonous spirit.

There will definitely be a gap everywhere, and even when I poke through that gap, my shadow will not be visible.

“I’m going on one last trip before I die.”

“With imperial money?”

“You’re not the kind of person I’d send money to with my own money, right?”

Beautifully packaged trash will eat up the Imperial Thaler.

It may be nothing compared to the total amount of thalers in the entire empire, but the mere presence of rats that continuously gnaw on metallurgy causes stress in people.

“And these Quislings, traitors, don’t even know they’ve fallen into a trap.”

“Trap…?”

Rats spread plague and it affects not only the empire but also my home, so I hid poison among the trash.

“Some drugs are good for the body and cause side effects, but when taken at the same time as certain drugs, they can cause unexplained complications.”

I took out the empty glass bottle from my pocket and placed a paper bag next to it.

“That’s…!”

“It’s an empty envelope, princess.”

“…You’re not doing it, are you?”

“Of course not. Why am I doing this? It’s safer and more effective.”

“I know that, but…”

“Anyway, don’t even think about doing both of these at the same time.”

I held up an empty paper bag and pretended to pour something inside into an empty glass bottle.

“It may be okay in the short term, but in the long term, it’s toxic.”

“Are you saying it’s really poisonous? If that happens, we could be caught by the shadow of the empire.”

“We don’t get caught. Poison is poison, but strictly speaking, it’s not poisoning.”

It would hurt so much that I would ask you to kill me.

“If you consume Special Caroline and Imperial White Silver at the same time for a long period of time. And if you do not detoxify using appropriate tea.”

I held a cup filled with somnus tea.

“The ‘silver’ component accumulated in the body circulates through the body, and at some point, it will accumulate somewhere in the body and gather for discharge. There is also a possibility that it will be converted into ‘bone fragments’, the original form of silver, at some point.”

“Bone fragments, discharge?”

“Never do that.”

I saw with my own eyes the suffering of countless traitors in the future.

“Just think of it as an extreme poison that hurts enough to kill you if you catch it.”

“…?”

“The moment when you take these two for a long period of time, about 5 years.”

Seok (石) is stone, but has the properties of silver.

“Because something called ‘Yo-ro-gyeol-eun’ will come.”