Chapter 13
“Bwahahahaha!”
Raucous laughter echoed through the small tavern. The source was clearly Bill Haven. The young mercenary, barely more than a boy and still full of vigor, also lacked tact.
“I’m so jealous, tall and beautiful vice-captain. To bewitch His Highness’s regent at first sight…”
“Oh my, my stomach,” Bill said, holding his belly as he laughed. He seemed completely oblivious to the murderous intent rising from Carl sitting across from him.
Max, who had some sense of tact, poked him in the side from the left, while Dr. Zivago did the same from the right, but Bill just widened his tear-filled eyes and said, “Eh? Why?”
“Ahem, you should take it in stride. In any case, you weren’t recognized, so it’s all good, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. You were so worried about being recognized, but it all went well, didn’t it?”
As Sian spoke, Carl let out a hollow laugh.
“You can’t possibly fathom the complexity of my emotions…”
Beyond the tension of wondering what would happen if Alfred recognized him, there was actually an expectation that he would be recognized. He was betrayed in his expectations and gained relief, but along with it came anger as if he had been betrayed by his own flesh and blood.
“Well, I suppose so. How could anyone but the person involved understand that feeling?”
However, Sian responded to this storm of delicate and complex emotions with utter indifference. Her expression and tone were so emotionless that one might wonder if she had any sensitivity at all.
Carl found himself unconsciously glaring at Sian, who seemed to have no intention of trying to understand his hurt feelings.
“Anyway, since that regent and administrator seemed to have fallen head over heels for Carl, it might not be a bad idea to infiltrate the castle using the beauty strategy.”
“Objection.”
As soon as Sian uttered her cold-blooded plan, a vote of opposition flew out. Of course, it was from Carl, still in the guise of a beautiful woman, not having removed his wig yet.
“Absolutely not. Why should I feel like a young lady being sold off in a political marriage?”
“Come on, we’re just talking about using a bit of charm, how did it escalate to political marriage? You’re exaggerating.”
“Anyway, I won’t do it, I can’t do it.”
“…If that’s the will of the person involved. Alright, can’t be helped. We’ll pass on that.”
Sian was cold from start to finish. She passed on the idea without even the will to persuade the opposing vote, and it was rather Carl who deflated.
“Do you have any other suitable plans?”
Max tilted his head at Sian’s cool, almost frigid response.
In fact, even Carl hadn’t expected Alfred, the regent, to reject unverified mercenaries so firmly.
As for the budget, there’s always a portion set aside for emergencies, so it could be split if necessary. That’s why, as Sian said, in a situation where manpower was severely lacking, they thought that the mercenaries who appeared at the right time would be given at least border patrol work.
While the cautious approach as acting lord was certainly praiseworthy, it became problematic because Carl and Sian needed to be able to enter and exit the castle naturally.
If not the beauty strategy, what method could they use to get work from the stern regent?
“It’s simple. If they won’t give us work because we’re an unknown mercenary group led by women, we just need to make it so they have no choice but to give us work.”
Sian said nonchalantly while chewing on some jerky that had been served as a snack. Bill pouted.
“That’s why we’re having this meeting and racking our brains, because it’s not that easy, right?”
“What are you talking about? What meeting? This is just a gathering of misfits.”
“I agree with that.”
Carl immediately agreed with Sian’s opinion. Bill pouted again, while Max and Dr. Zivago laughed awkwardly.
“Make it so they have no choice but to give us work…?”
“They’re being picky about our history and whatnot because they’re only moderately short-staffed. If they’re so desperate for manpower that they’d welcome even a stray dog, do you think they’d have the luxury to be picky?”
Sian twisted the corner of her mouth while chewing on the jerky, then her eyes met Carl’s. His clear turquoise eyes lit up faintly with vitality, as if he had discovered something interesting.
Somehow, Sian’s mood improved at that lively gaze.
“Why don’t we go take a look at Idelin’s scales while we’re at it, Karen?”
“Idelin?”
At the mention of the name that would be the first to come to mind if anyone were asked to name the most famous dragon in the empire, His Highness the Prince’s dragon, everyone except Sian and Carl exclaimed in unison, startled.
They didn’t shout too loudly, but because they all shouted at once, the echo was significant. Sian furrowed her brow seriously and put a finger to her lips, shushing them. As the rest of the mercenaries all closed their mouths, Carl tilted his head askew.
“You want to use Idelin?”
“It sounds a bit off if we say ‘use’… Let’s say we’re getting help. It’s not a particularly dangerous task. Everyone in Ivarid and the imperial palace must be frantically searching for His Highness right now, so wouldn’t there be an uproar if there was even a rumor that Idelin had swooped by somewhere?”
“Because Idelin’s movements would be assumed to be my movements?”
“Exactly.”
Sian snapped her fingers with a click.
“It’s enough if Idelin just leaves the nest and circles around Ivarid once. The point is to show everyone that Idelin has appeared. Then if Max and the others just spread a bit of gossip like ‘I saw it here,’ ‘It went that way,’ well…”
“You mean to lure all the remaining manpower in the castle outside?”
“That’s right. The internal affairs of the castle are important, but they can’t use untrustworthy mercenaries to search for the missing prince. In such an urgent situation, they can’t afford to conserve troops for such an important task. There will inevitably be holes in the castle’s defenses. So, between rescuing His Highness the Prince and supplementing the castle’s defense, which task do you think they’d be willing to entrust to mercenaries of questionable reliability?”
Carl listened to Sian’s explanation with his arms crossed. “Ooh, that sounds plausible,” Bill exclaimed. Everyone nodded in agreement with Sian’s opinion. Sian hid her rising proud smile behind her drink as the mercenaries exclaimed, “As expected of our big sis.”
After a wave of excitement over Sian’s idea, all that remained was Carl’s subtle silence. Sian, who had just taken a sip of beer, belatedly raised an eyebrow at the heavy silence of the owner who would actually have to move Idelin.
“What? Are you absolutely against this too?”
“…No.”
Carl stared at Sian with an enigmatic expression.
“Everyone’s probably already expecting that I’m alive anyway, so it’s about time to show that Carlston of Ivarid and Idelin are well. I’ll cooperate with that much of a strategy.”
“Then why does your expression look like that?”
Carl’s expression was stiff, contrary to his ready agreement. Sian sipped her drink, observing Carl’s reaction.
“Is Sian Roosevelt your real name?”
Carl suddenly asked something out of the blue. Sian almost spat out the beer she had in her mouth.
“…Pardon? Why are you suddenly asking something like that?”
“Come to think of it, there’s no noble family named Roosevelt in Igrion right now. That means it’s either the surname of an extinct family for some reason, or it’s fake. It seems like it must be one of the two.”
Sian blinked at Carl’s question. Beer that she hadn’t managed to swallow dripped down her chin, but she had no time to wipe it away.
Sian felt all the eyes on the table turn towards her. Everyone was interested in Carl’s sudden questioning and waited for Sian’s answer.
…What’s this about?
Sian barely managed to suppress the twisting of her mouth at Carl’s openly probing gaze.
“Why? Can’t you believe that I was once a noble lady?”
It was unclear why he was suddenly picking a fight. And of all places, in public with all the men of the mercenary group present.
Sian, never one to back down from a challenge, took Carl’s out-of-the-blue question as an attack and sharpened her tone, but Carl just tilted his head with that enigmatic expression from earlier.
“No, it’s the opposite. I can’t understand how a woman of your caliber ended up like this…”
“…Pardon?”
It wasn’t Sian but someone else at the table who voiced the question in response to Carl’s unexpected statement. Suddenly, all eyes were on Sian.
“With that level of strategy, beauty, and leadership, you must be from a decent bloodline. I wonder which family you’re from and what circumstances led you to such rough work as being a mercenary…”
The mercenaries’ expressions gradually became bizarre as they kept their eyes on Sian and their ears on Carl. At this incredibly ill-timed and unexpected praise, everyone looked puzzled, wondering what was going on.
Of course, Sian wasn’t much different from the mercenaries.
What’s wrong with that handsome prince…
Her sharp expression softened as the follow-up turned out to be praise rather than a challenge, but still, what was this? Receiving such unabashed compliments in public was embarrassing.
“Um… Carl?”
Sian called out to Carl, blinking. His unfocused eyes suddenly sharpened, making her wonder if he was even aware of what he was saying.
Sian cleared her throat.
“Of course, it’s true that I’m exceptional, but it would be troublesome if you fell for me.”
“…What?”
Carl, who had been lost in his own world of simple curiosity with a serious expression, widened his eyes.
Carl, who outwardly looked like nothing but a young lady due to his disguise, asked again as if one question wasn’t enough.
“…Fall… who?”
Carl frowned as he belatedly understood the words. Naturally, everyone’s attention shifted from Sian to Carl in an instant.
Carl looked around, seemingly flustered by the multiple intense gazes directed at him, just as Sian had been moments ago.
“Me? For you?”
Ha, an incredulous laugh escaped him.
“What nonsense…!”
midori
thanks! lol kind of random that he suddenly praised her?? i guess her acting noblelike in the castle was really a shock to him. also, ahh, he had makeup on, no wonder the others didnt recognise him. the power of makeup is literally amazing