Chapter 109 - A Visit from the Countess
The Kikyo Society’s Royal Capital base was fortress-like in design, composed of towering, imposing outer walls enclosing a cluster of warehouses.
One of those warehouses had been converted into a dormitory structure, and my room was already fully prepared there.
Before, we’d just thrown down mats and slept in a pile, but now each of us had a private room and a proper bed—an extravagance bordering on absurd. Unnecessarily impressive.
Even the bedding was of noble quality, a world apart from the prison we’d once endured.
After indulging in such luxurious accommodations and a long, undisturbed sleep, I awoke to a morning that felt especially refreshing.
Early training with the Kikyo Society members meant putting our bodies through the wringer with lively combat drills, followed by washing off the sweat together in the spacious bathhouse. Nothing like some naked camaraderie.
After changing and eating breakfast, we exchanged a few words and began preparing to move by midday.
“Alright, I’m off. If I end up pissing off the noble lady, don’t blame me.”
Gradena-san, who seemed to consider herself a bit of a rough one, appeared genuinely worried about offending Rosmerta-sama.
But someone like her wouldn’t care about a commoner’s lack of etiquette. If anything, she’d realize that if we’re going to work together, getting fussy over minor manners just wouldn’t be practical. It might irk those around Rosmerta, but they’d just have to get used to it. We can’t suddenly master flawless courtly behavior, and even if we tried, it’d probably come off as mocking.
After seeing Gradena off as she reluctantly fired up Delta, we turned our attention to preparing for the Countess’s arrival.
Not that we had much to do. Since it would be around lunchtime, we mostly just needed to prepare the meal and tidy up.
Time passed as Josephine-san gave me a detailed report on everything that had happened in my absence.
Specifics on who we’d crushed, who we’d negotiated with, the compensation extorted—our achievements—and the current state of the guilds.
The results so far were excellent. The Kikyo Society’s supplies were abundant. Just look at our upgraded sleeping quarters and this fortress—there was no shortage of daily necessities or construction materials. Relations with the various guilds were strong, and we’d secured a mountain of loot to take home.
The Mercenary Guild seemed to have gained considerable breathing room, too. Zenobia was apparently planning to temporarily retire from mercenary work and move here soon. How delightful.
Once we’d finished discussing the essentials and shifted into casual conversation, a report came in.
“Yukari-san, Josephine-san, are you ready? Gradena-san is about to return.”
“I see. Then let’s go meet them at the gate.”
Nodding at the young member’s message, Josephine and I stood from our seats.
A particularly tall spire built into the fortress served as a watchtower, offering a wide view of the Royal Capital. Delta was hard to miss, and we’d spot it the moment it approached.
The entire Kikyo Society gathered to welcome Delta.
As Delta drew near, a single horn blast sounded—likely a signal from inside.
Shortly after, Delta came into view, passed through the open fortress gate, and rolled straight in without stopping, halting just a short distance before us.
The knight in red armor riding shotgun stepped out, gave us a quick glance to confirm it was alright, then moved to open the rear cargo door from the outside.
One of our sharp young members quickly stepped forward to help, and as the door opened, a stream of red-armored knights poured out, immediately scanning the surroundings for threats.
We, the welcoming party, were unarmed—but in a world of magic, lacking weapons didn’t mean we were defenseless. Still, our friendly demeanor should have made it clear enough that we meant no harm.
As the red knights formed a wall on either side, a knight with blue hair stepped forward. Flannel, the captain of the knights.
“Yukarinowe-dono, thank you for coming to greet us. I’ve brought the Lady.”
“Yes, thank you for coming. Should Rosmerta come in by vehicle, or step out here? We’re being watched from afar, you know.”
This base was under constant observation. I didn’t know who or where they were, but there were plenty of eyes. The moment Rosmerta appeared, every faction in the Royal Capital would know.
Then again, with that conspicuous red knight brigade, secrecy was already out the window.
“That was anticipated. Oversta Crimson Knights, fall in!”
At Flannel’s command, the knights moved in unison, forming a clear path from Delta to where I stood. Knights lined both sides, creating a corridor. At its end stood a breathtakingly beautiful noblewoman in an elegant, ornate dress—Countess Rosmerta.
She approached with calm, unhurried steps, stopping before me and offering a graceful smile.
“Yukarinowe, thank you for your invitation today.”
I hadn’t exactly invited her—she’d insisted on coming—but pointing that out would be petty.
“You’re very welcome. I wonder how frantic the watchers are right now.”
“Fufu, the Royal Capital—both its surface and shadows—will be in quite the uproar over what happens next. Being on the side that sets things in motion is a privilege, isn’t it? We get to laugh at the chaos.”
I couldn’t exactly laugh—I’d be the one doing the hard work, after all.
Still, striking first suited my tastes. I’d always prefer to make the first move rather than wait.
“That said, this fortress exceeds even what I’d heard… For an outsider group like the Kikyo Society to build such a thing is quite impressive.”
That was thanks to the Kikyo Society’s training and discipline.
I’d created the core of the outer wall, but everything else—the construction, the layout—had been led by Priene and carried out by our young members.
The hastily formed Architecture Unit had struggled at first, but their raw magical power dwarfed that of ordinary people. Their magic, honed through rigorous training, combined with exceptional foundational knowledge and visualization skills, made them uniquely capable. That was the Kikyo Society—given the right magical affinity, they could accomplish nearly anything within their limits.
Normally we’d outsource such work, but the circumstances hadn’t allowed it. Even I hadn’t expected we could pull off something this impressive on our own.
I guided Rosmerta into the main warehouse, proudly explaining the fortress’s strengths as she looked around in admiration.
With so many eyes on us, serious discussion would be difficult. For talks, we’d keep the circle as small as possible.
On the Kikyo Society’s side: myself, Gradena, Josephine as advisor, and Valeria as guard.
On the Countess’s side: Rosmerta, a serious-looking man I’d never seen before, a mature woman dressed as a maid who exuded an aura of quiet danger, and Flannel, the knight-captain.
I let Rosmerta take the lead. After all, House Oversta was the main force here—our role was support.
After a brief nod to signal readiness, Rosmerta prompted the serious-looking man beside her to begin.
“It’s an honor to meet you all. I am Kantrad, second secretary to Rosmerta-sama. By her command, I will be overseeing today’s proceedings.”
“No need for formalities. Begin.”
We started with introductions—tedious, but understandable. It’d be awkward discussing important matters with strangers whose names you didn’t even know.
The secretary was fine. Young, but clearly competent—nothing more to say. I’d probably forget his name by tomorrow. The only thing that caught my attention was the fact that if he was the second secretary, there must be a first somewhere.
When Flannel was introduced, Gradena and Valeria’s eyes lit up—but that was fine. They might get to spar during training later.
The one who intrigued me most was the woman in maid’s clothing. She was clearly no ordinary servant—more likely Rosmerta’s personal bodyguard and an intelligence operative for House Oversta. She gave off an unpredictable vibe, but that probably meant she was strong. She reminded me vaguely of Josephine.
When we introduced our side, I suspected they had similar impressions. Fair enough.
Now, to the main topic.
Both sides shared a common goal: securing stable control of the Royal Capital for House Oversta.
To achieve that, foreign influence had to be eliminated first. Today, we’d discuss how.
The secretary took the lead.
“It’s self-evident that foreign elements, centered in Retnark’s underworld, must be removed. However, several issues remain.”
We already knew there were problems, but I stayed silent and let him continue. Mutual understanding was crucial—assuming things were “obvious” was a dangerous game.
“To speak plainly, the forces under Rosmerta-sama’s command are not numerous. Could you tell us your available combat strength?”
House Oversta’s main forces were reportedly stationed at the main estate, guarding the ailing Count. Rosmerta was acting as head in his stead, but her operational forces were limited.
The Crimson Knights were her personal troops, gathered independently—and while their quality was exceptional, their numbers were small. There didn’t seem to be many additional non-knight combatants either.
“We can mobilize about thirty people. How about you?”
My count included Gradena and Valeria, Albert and Mia, the junior members of the Third Combat Unit, Ophelia and the junior members of the Vanguard Unit, and the Combat Support Unit. The trainees from the Third Combat and Vanguard Units were here for field training, but I had no intention of putting them on the front lines. Still, they were capable enough to count as backup strength.
The Intelligence Unit, including Josephine, would focus solely on information warfare, so I excluded them from direct combat roles—even as emergency reserves. Colette-san and the trainee healers were also excluded.
When aiming to seize control of the Royal Capital through large-scale conflict, thirty might sound laughably small.
But Kikyo Society members weren’t just any thirty people. Even the trainees were far more reliable than common thugs. Full members operated far beyond ordinary levels. Our core leaders? They could each hold their own against a thousand. These were thirty people I, someone who prided herself on strength, could vouch for without hesitation.
“Please consider our side to have around two hundred. Still, even combined, we’re insufficient to eliminate foreign forces across the entire Royal Capital.”
The foreign elements might lack skill, but they had numbers—easily several hundred, likely more. And reinforcements could keep coming from their home countries. In practice, we were facing thousands, scattered across the city.
Trying to eliminate them all by ourselves would take forever.
So how did they plan to proceed? This was where I’d see what they were truly capable of.
“We’ll increase our numbers. We’ll send out a call to arms—gekibun—to nobles and merchant groups who’ve been sitting on the fence, urging them to join our cause.”
Would a mere letter really get those sluggish nobles to act? I doubted it.
As if anticipating my skepticism, the secretary continued.
“Of course, words alone won’t convince them. So we’ll first demonstrate our seriousness through action. But before that, we’ll introduce a poison.”
“…Poison? Where exactly are you going to spread it?”
“This is now top-secret information. Yukarinowe-sama, representative of the Kikyo Society, I must ask you to sign this pledge of confidentiality.”
So it was a non-disclosure agreement. How dull.
“…Are you serious? Asking us to sign?”
“Y-yes. It’s highly sensitive, so we’d greatly appreciate your cooperation…”
I shifted my gaze from the secretary to Rosmerta, who simply watched with amusement. Fine. Then let me make something clear.
I straightened my back and fixed the secretary with a sharp glare. Gradena and the others followed my lead, their expressions hardening.
The atmosphere shifted. This was my warning. Listen well, you greenhorn.
“We follow the code. That’s how things work in our world. A pledge? Paper like that is meaningless. In fact, you should realize just how pointless it is to try binding us with scraps of paper.”
Written agreements were the customs of nobles and merchants—not the underworld. This wasn’t a business deal. And we didn’t even have anyone here familiar with legal contracts. From the start, this wasn’t an equal negotiation.
I didn’t know if Rosmerta was plotting something underhanded, but if she was, she’d likely do it through clever wording I wouldn’t catch. But if they tried to deceive us, I’d retaliate—regardless of any contract or oath.
The Kikyo Society doesn’t betray—unless betrayed first. And surprisingly, most underworld organizations operate the same way. Those who don’t follow the code are eventually purged. After all, trust is the foundation of this kind of business.
The secretary looked at us like we’d grown fangs, and Gradena’s intimidating presence clearly unnerved him. He froze, breath caught.
“Please don’t tease him too much. Kantrad is capable, but still inexperienced. Kantrad, put the pledge aside and explain the entire plan.”
Relieved by Rosmerta’s intervention, the secretary straightened up and began laying out the plan.
After hearing the full scope, we could only stand in stunned admiration.
Yes, this was truly top-secret material. If it leaked, the plan would collapse instantly.
It was brilliant—daring, bold, and strategically far-sighted. But still, it was just theory. Whether it would work remained to be seen.
No matter how it played out, one thought came to mind—and I voiced it plainly.
“…Rosmerta. You’re an absolute monster.”
Even as I said it, I smiled and extended my hand.
“Oh? Whatever do you mean?”
Playing innocent, she smiled back and took my hand.
One, the acting head of a noble house aiming to dominate the Royal Capital.
The other, the president of a rising underworld power from Exembra.
Different positions, perhaps—but we might just make excellent friends after all.