Chapter 143 - Episode 5: As Expected, Arson is the Ideal
Greetings. I am Violia Nico Fortesia.
I am currently sighing along with Carol.
"What should we do about this..."
"...It might be best to just burn it all."
Carol, who appeared before me when I rushed to the Cathedral, was holding a large bouquet of roses with a troubled face...
"...And Dactor-sama came here bringing this?"
"Yes. And he left this letter. He said it was 'to provide an opportunity to speak directly,' but..."
"That bastard, not content with a bouquet, he even sent a letter!?"
To still be making moves after being rejected so clearly, as expected, a fool does things differently!
"...Is there some ulterior motive?"
"Normally we should consider that. But since it's those people, 'because he's an impudent fool' is enough of an explanation."
If the opponent were House Clarino, there would still be some room for caution... but it is the Royal Family...
"For now, I'll just decorate the shed behind the Cathedral with the roses."
"Decorating a shed with flowers is quite avant-garde..."
"As for the letter, I'm thinking of making him wait a bit for a reply. It's three pages of Dactor-sama's thoughts and an invitation to dinner, but I'm simply not in the mood..."
Well, that's how it goes. No matter how much he conveys his thoughts, the thoughts themselves are distasteful, so there is no way Carol would feel positively about them.
"Then you might as well just refuse the dinner invitation. If you tell him flatly that you don't have the time, they should give up."
...And so, the letter and bouquet that reached Carol were dealt with swiftly.
If only the Prince would give up with this...
...Two days after Carol wrote her letter of refusal, the Royal carriage once again arrived at the Elsemarin Cathedral.
The one who stepped out was, naturally, Dactor-sama. He really never learns... While sighing, the Holy Knights sent him away as they pleased.
He came again the next day, and what's more, Dactor-sama, having been kicked out of the Cathedral, took a room in Elsemarin and began staying there.
This... has become quite a nuisance!
"What should I do? I never expected to be so troubled over whether to accept a dinner invitation when I don't feel a shred of affection for the person..."
"Yes, I didn't expect this either..."
It seems I underestimated Dactor-sama's persistence, or rather, his tenacity. I didn't think he would start staying in Elsemarin.
It will be quite troublesome if he settles down in Elsemarin. Our hideout is in Elsemarin, and Carol's Cathedral is also in Elsemarin.
...Is his target really Carol?
I'm starting to get a bit suspicious.
He must realize that Carol dislikes him. Even for a sheltered prince like Dactor-sama. Or rather, he belongs to the Royal Family at the top of noble society, where those who are insensitive to the nuances of the human heart are the first to die. He should at least understand this much.
Therefore, Dactor-sama should know that no matter how much more he does, he won't gain Carol's favor. Probably. Surely. Most likely.
If he is still pursuing Carol despite that, does it not mean that Carol's favor is not his goal?
Even if he is attacking Carol so persistently because it's his only hope, there should be a limit. Considering the Royal Family's current situation, if targeting Carol failed, they should quickly think of and execute the next plan before it's too late.
...In that case, what is Dactor-sama's aim in continuing to invite Carol?
It makes more sense to think that the goal lies in the dinner itself.
What kind of situation would make the act of calling Carol to a dinner party beneficial to the Royal Family?
I thought and thought until dawn. And the next day, Dactor-sama came to the Cathedral again with an invitation letter for Carol.
...At this point, I had a thought.
Perhaps it would be better to accept this invitation.
First of all, I don't think it's very beautiful to win by destroying the entire castle with cannons.
Yes. This is something I've been thinking about for a while.
Onii-sama is currently preparing cannons... but if we use them for a concentrated bombardment to destroy the castle, it will be hard to catch the royals if they happen to escape.
And above all... I! I want to burn that castle! To the people who set fire to my house! I want to! Set fire! To theirs!
...If that's the case, well, there are various conditions.
First, if I'm going to burn that huge castle, I want to take the contents of the treasury first. It's a royal treasury. I'm sure there are many things too precious to burn.
Next, I need preparations for the actual burning. Oil, perhaps, or gunpowder. Well, I have to set those things up inside the castle. It will surely be quite a task.
...And when the time comes to set the fire, it would be easier if the castle were already mostly empty. It's a hassle to be resisted by soldiers, and since it would be vexing to let the royals escape, I want to catch them all before lighting the fire.
Now.
Thinking like that... my path to victory naturally becomes clear.
First, suppress the inside of the castle. I want to deal with the soldiers by defeating them individually.
Next, capture the royals. That can be handled easily as long as I have my Spatial Bag.
Then, while taking the contents of the treasury and such, set up the oil and gunpowder...
...And finally, ignition!
Since the moment the castle goes up in flames will be the moment of the Revolutionary Army's victory, I want to do it flamboyantly. I might even try using the cannons then. The sound of cannon fire, the shock of destruction, and the art of flames that scorch the heavens. Just thinking about it is wonderful... I want to burn it soon...
With that in mind, I want to proceed with what I can do as early as possible.
First, I want to check the state of the castle's interior, and if possible, I'd like to reduce the number of soldiers now.
Meticulous preparation is essential for a grand firework display. It's the fireworks that will color the end of my revenge. I absolutely do not want to fail.
But the question remains: how to proceed with such preparations?
...That's where Carol comes in.
We should just accept the invitation to Carol's dinner party!
Because if we have the pretext of Carol's dinner, we, dressed as Holy Knights, can enter the castle as much as we like!
There, I can stuff a few royal soldiers into my bag or make a map of the castle's interior; that alone will make things easier later!
And... I have read the Royal Family's thoughts.
So the next day, Carol sent a reply saying, 'Since you are so persistent, I will accept the dinner invitation on the condition that this is the last time.' How pitiful to think of the royals rejoicing at this...
...Now, the ones posing as Holy Knights this time are me, Doran, and Chesta. The usual extortion members.
And to disguise Doran's large build, I decided to select some tall ones from among the slaves and make them Holy Knights!
Furthermore, I decided to take Chris along this time as well. Of course, I have ordered him not to leak a single shred of information, so there is no need to worry about taking him. I shall utilize him exactly where he needs to be utilized!
"I've never seen such a dangerous-looking preparation for a dinner party."
"I suppose not."
...I was preparing with quite a bit of enthusiasm, and before I knew it, instead of a guard for Carol, a military unit that looked like it was 'about to go and conquer the Royal Family!' had been formed. But since we're at it, let's have Carol attend the dinner with this full unit. Oh, just imagining the faces of the royals when they see the unit of Holy Knights makes me excited!
"Ugh... to be made to participate in an attack on the Royal Family... God, please forgive me. And please, bless the Royal Family."
Chris is saying something quite pathetic, but the Cathedral, the spokesperson for that God, is on this side, you know? Do you understand that?
"Violia-sama! Will you not take me with you!?"
"You and I are staying behind. How many times do I have to tell you?"
And Lital and Keeb are staying behind again today. I don't think it will be a battlefield where it's easy to fight with magic, and magic leaves a trail easily.
"Well, be careful. I don't think I need to worry since it's you, young lady."
"Yes. I shall be meticulous."
Sent off with a wry smile from Giovan, we began our march toward the Royal Castle.
Yes. I shall be extremely careful.
Their target is surely still Carol.
...Because capturing Carol must be the Royal Family's goal this time.