Trust Me and Leave It to Me (1)
Ghislain's destination was the border region between the Kingdom of Xanthos and the Kingdom of Photinus.
The two kingdoms had not gotten along for a long time. There had even been times when they waged great wars over trivial misunderstandings.
Of course, in the present era, they could do little more than glare at each other and grind their teeth, unable to recklessly start a fight.
The Holy Empire did not tolerate conflicts between kingdoms unless there was a significant enough issue. After all, no one knew when the Demon Realm would rise again.
Wars between kingdoms usually flared up only after the threat of the Demon Realm had been dealt with.
As Ghislain flipped through a book detailing the histories of the two kingdoms, he muttered to himself.
"Ironically, defeating the Demon Realm doesn't bring peace—it just leads to another war where people kill each other. After all that effort to drive them back. If only people would share, be considerate, treat each other kindly and gently. Wouldn't that be nice? But no, greed always gets in the way. Tsk tsk tsk."
'What the hell?'
Kyle, who had been listening, stared at Ghislain in disbelief. Those words sounded completely out of place coming from his mouth.
Of course, he didn't say that out loud. He was a man who knew how to read the room.
However, not everyone in their group had that level of awareness.
"For those words to come from you, hyung-nim! To this Osval! That might be the funniest thing I've ever heard! Puhahaha—kehh! I-I'm sorry!"
Regardless of such reactions, the two kingdoms, despite their animosity, had stopped short of full-scale war.
However, while they refrained from using military force, they still resorted to all sorts of schemes to ruin each other.
They sent spies to spread false rumors, undermined each other's economies, and even attempted to incite rebellions.
But these efforts were rarely successful.
"Since they've always had a terrible relationship, they're extremely wary of outsiders. As a result, all they could really do was hurl insults at each other."
Then, suddenly, an incident broke out in the border region where the two kingdoms had been living in this precarious balance.
Count Bonedor of the Xanthos Kingdom and Count Schwarz of the Photinus Kingdom, who governed territories at the very edges of their respective kingdoms, had begun to quarrel.
Each lord claimed that a village under their domain had been raided by the other, and both were now mobilizing their forces.
However, they had yet to launch an outright military action. The deep-rooted animosity between the two kingdoms meant that one wrong move could lead to war.
As a result, most onlookers weren't too concerned. Given the nature of the borderlands, it wasn't unusual for the two lords to have hostile relations.
Kyle pointed this out.
"They've always been at odds. Isn't this just another one of those incidents?"
"Could be. But that also makes it easy to exploit. If a priest of the Salvation Church wanted to stir up trouble, this place would be too tempting to ignore."
"Hmm, that's true."
"Besides, think about it. Both territories are on the kingdom's fringes. If a war breaks out here, it would take time for the royal capital to intervene. The terrain is mountainous, making it a great place to hide. Do you really think this is all just a coincidence?"
Everyone nodded at Ghislain's words. It was indeed an ideal place to incite a conflict.
Given the distance, even a single miscommunication reaching the royal court could deepen misunderstandings. If a war were to break out here, things would spiral out of control on their own.
For those seeking to sow chaos, it was an incredibly attractive location.
"The lords both insist they had nothing to do with it, but no one believes them. They've always taken jabs at each other whenever they got the chance."
"Right. Still, I heard that direct killings between them were rare. But now that the agreement has been broken, both sides are absolutely furious."
"As they should be. That is, if neither of them actually ordered the attacks."
"Then who were the soldiers that raided the villages? I heard the surrounding bandits were wiped out a while ago to prevent these kinds of misunderstandings."
The kingdoms weren't foolish. In an era rife with bandits, both had expended great effort in purging them from the border region.
Even afterward, they maintained strict vigilance to ensure no new bandit groups emerged. That was why both lords were certain that the other was responsible.
But Ghislain dismissed the idea as if it were nothing.
"The high priests of the Salvation Church are superhumans. If someone is moving around alone in times like these, they're definitely a superhuman. Even Basilud, who was at the 6th Circle, admitted that he couldn't handle them with his own strength."
"That's true."
"If you're a superhuman, it's not hard to gather bandits from other regions and slip them in. If I wanted to do the same thing with a mercenary group, don't you think I could pull it off?"
No one could argue against that. If Ghislain had chosen to go down that path from the start, he would have been crowned the King of Bandits by now.
"Of course, this is all just a hypothesis. It's also possible that the two lords had their own reasons for attacking each other. That's why we need to go check it out."
Ghislain first set out for Count Bonedor's territory.
With the border region now on high alert, security had tightened significantly, but it wasn't difficult to enter as mercenaries.
After all, it was common for mercenaries to flock to battlefields.
Instead of heading straight to the lord's castle, Ghislain went to the raided village first.
The village had already been reduced to ruins. The houses were completely burned down, and uncollected corpses lay scattered around, rotting in the open.
"Hmm, as expected, this doesn't add up."
Ghislain carefully examined the bodies. Even among the decaying corpses, he was able to pick out minute details.
"Why? What's strange?"
After inspecting a few more corpses, he finally answered Kyle's question.
"They were trying to imitate regular troops, but these wounds weren't inflicted by trained soldiers."
"...What?"
"Look at this. Most of the corpses were struck by spears and swords, right?"
Everyone nodded. Even in their decomposed state, those with experience could easily recognize the nature of the wounds.
And Ghislain could see things they couldn't. In his mind, the battlefield's events were playing out in vivid detail.
"Trained soldiers all use the same spear techniques and swordsmanship. But if you look at these wounds, they vary slightly from body to body. That means the attackers used different fighting styles."
"..."
"Also, soldiers in the same unit might have differences in skill, but not this much. The differences in combat ability among these attackers are huge."
"..."
"The way the villagers fell shows they were mostly killed while trying to escape. But if an actual army had attacked, they wouldn't have stormed in so haphazardly. It would've been a much more organized assault. This attack looks more like a chaotic bandit raid."
"..."
"In other words, the ones who attacked this village were either an undisciplined, poorly trained force—or outlaws pretending to be regular troops. But would a border army of a count really be this sloppy?"
"..."
Everyone stared at Ghislain in stunned silence.
These corpses were rotting, their wounds barely discernible.
And yet, from just a glance, he was reconstructing the entire battle like someone who had witnessed it firsthand.
Curious as always, Kyle pressed him.
"Can you really see all that? How do you even know?"
"I just know everything."
"..."
"I'm Always Right."
"......"
When Ghislain said something like that, you had to believe him—at least outwardly, even if you didn't actually believe it inside.
Osval pounded his chest and shouted.
"Hyung-nim! This Osval will believe in your words unconditionally!"
"...Sure."
Ghislain clicked his tongue as he replied. Strangely, whenever that guy was the first to trust him, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
The others didn't completely buy into it either, but since Ghislain had spoken, no one openly objected.
After finishing his examination of the corpses, Ghislain headed straight to Count Bonedor.
Count Bonedor, who had already begun mobilizing his troops, welcomed the arrival of the mercenary group.
"Haha, I see. You called yourselves the Claude Mercenaries, right? Here to take on a job?"
Ghislain had provided a false name for the mercenary group. He had also disguised himself.
In addition, he had secretly gathered mercenaries in a nearby area, preparing various things in advance. He had a plan.
"Yes, we heard things in this region have been rather chaotic lately."
At Ghislain's response, Count Bonedor's face twisted in anger.
"That's right. That damned Count Schwarz from the neighboring kingdom looted villages in my territory. Then he had the audacity to frame me, claiming I did the same! I'm gathering my forces to punish them."
"Are you certain, Lord Count? There are rumors that both sides have been attacking each other."
"Bah! Nonsense! No matter how bad our relationship is, do you think I would act so recklessly? If a war were to break out, it would be troublesome for both sides! All I ever did was..."
"Was what?"
Count Bonedor cleared his throat awkwardly before answering.
"Ahem, ahem. Occasionally, I sent soldiers out at night to secretly steal some resources. Maybe trample a few crops here and there..."
"......"
"Oh, don't misunderstand! You're not from this region, so you wouldn't know, but this is... uh, a local tradition. A kind of folk game! A way to stir up the spirits of our people and boost morale!"
"......"
"It's not what you think! They did the same thing! We've only ever gone that far—nothing more! And we've been doing it for ages! There was an unspoken rule that we would never spill blood. But those bastards broke that rule first!"
".....I see."
Ghislain nodded. Seeing the Count speak with such conviction, it didn't seem like he was lying.
The other vassals also looked unfazed, as if this was completely normal. It really was just part of the culture in this region.
And because of this so-called tradition, any disruption to the status quo immediately aroused suspicion.
Regardless, that balance had now been broken. Both sides were furious and had mobilized their armies.
Of course, Count Bonedor had yet to make a move. He understood that once he did, there would be no turning back.
With a heavy expression, he continued.
"But I can't just sit back and do nothing. If they attack even once more, I will march my army immediately."
"I understand Count Schwarz has also gathered his forces. Have there been any updates on their movements?"
"Nothing significant yet. But since they were the ones who picked a fight in the first place, I expect them to act soon. I've already notified the royal court."
Count Bonedor seemed to take war as a foregone conclusion.
He wouldn't strike first, but he believed the enemy would soon provoke them again.
However, Ghislain thought differently.
'They're probably thinking the exact same thing.'
Count Schwarz likely believed Count Bonedor had struck first. Both sides were holding back, which was the only reason war had not erupted yet.
'Whoever is behind this won't let this opportunity slip away…'
If either side was provoked just once more, war would be inevitable. But their enemy was cautious and waiting for the perfect moment.
They had pushed the situation to the brink, so they couldn't afford to fail.
They would probably act only when tensions started to ease a little.
'Then, I just need to make them move sooner.'
Ghislain smirked and turned to Count Bonedor.
"Would you entrust this matter to me?"
"What exactly do you mean? Weren't you planning to join the war anyway?"
"That is true… but I believe we should investigate the enemy first."
"Hmm, explain."
"Why not request reconciliation first?"
At those words, Count Bonedor leapt up in outrage.
"What? Why should I offer peace first when I've done nothing wrong?! That bastard should be the one begging for forgiveness! I would never do such a thing!"
Ghislain clicked his tongue and shook his head. Their relationship was so bad that their pride wouldn't allow for any compromise.
Neither side was willing to talk things out. And since blood had already been spilled, their anger was understandable.
Still, this situation was almost tailor-made for manipulation.
Ghislain didn't reveal his suspicions. If word got out, the mastermind might realize their plan had failed and flee.
So, instead, he chose a more roundabout approach.
"There is nothing to gain from fighting. Think about the deep divide between the two kingdoms. A war between lords will inevitably escalate into a war between nations."
"…That is why I'm holding back."
"If you allow me to intervene, I will negotiate with Count Schwarz and bring back a valuable offer. Please, trust me and leave this to me."
"Hmm…"
Count Bonedor fell into deep thought.
Mercenaries didn't just fight in wars—they sometimes acted as mediators, too.
There were cases where neither side wanted to end the war but couldn't find a way out because of their pride and accumulated resentment.
After a moment of hesitation, Count Bonedor reluctantly agreed.
"Ahem, very well. Go and speak with him. If they show sincerity, I might consider it."
Count Bonedor had no desire for war. Although they had their grudges, he wasn't eager to be the one who started it.
With negotiation authority granted to him, Ghislain set off.
Taking only a handful of his mercenary officers, he confidently marched toward Count Schwarz.
By this point, Count Schwarz was on edge as well.
Upon seeing Ghislain, he spoke.
"So, you're from the Alpoi Mercenaries? I heard you've come as an envoy."
"That's correct. I bring an important proposal from Count Bonedor."
"Hmph, let's hear it."
Though Count Schwarz scoffed, inwardly, he was relieved.
His opponent was undoubtedly here to propose peace. It was clear they shared the same concerns.
If the offer came with appropriate reparations, he was willing to grudgingly accept it.
Ghislain grinned and dramatically pulled out an ornate parchment. Then, in a loud voice, he read it aloud.
"If you do not surrender immediately, I will raze your land to the ground! You filth-ridden, dung-stained bastard! This is war!"
"......"
Silence filled the room. No one had expected Count Bonedor to come out this aggressively.
Even the mercenaries who had accompanied Ghislain stared at him in shock.
Count Schwarz's face turned red with fury. Soon, he roared in anger.
"Fine! This is perfect! Let's settle this once and for all. I will personally march out and take Count Bonedor's head!"
And just like that, war erupted between the two territories.
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