The Returned Sword King Decided to Become a Tyrant Chapter 197
Falling has no wings (4)
“Ugh… … !”
“… … .”
“Huh!”
Matapju exclaimed in admiration as he looked at Marquis Russell, who was sitting quietly on the chair.
Of course, it would be a stretch to say that he was ‘well-behaved’ when he saw the way he had lost his wits.
But compared to his previous attitude, it was true that he had clearly become more docile.
“Is this what mind control is?”
“That’s right.”
The old wizard nodded and then moved his magic by snapping his fingers.
Then, the body of the Marquis Russell, who had been sitting, flinched, and soon he fell flat on the floor with a blank look in his eyes.
It must have been a very interesting sight for the rider who was seeing it for the first time.
“Wow, there really are many mysterious things in the world of magic that we still don’t know about.”
“But it looks different than before.”
I ignored the words of the master and narrowed my eyebrows.
What he had previously planted in the nobles of the Federal Empire was nothing more than a small hint.
But doesn’t this one feel like you’re being ‘controlled’ like a puppet?
‘Did you deliberately control your strength last time?’
It didn’t look like it though.
As I was wondering about that, the old wizard began to explain in a plain tone.
“It’s natural for you to think so. What you tried to do with this man wasn’t just mind control.”
“So you added another magic?”
“It’s a technique we black magicians call ‘loss.’”
……loss.
I could guess its effects just by hearing the name.
“This is probably an extension of the mental control I explained earlier. By lowering the target’s mental power, you can maximize its effectiveness.”
“Yes, that’s right. Loss is a type of black magic that completely destroys the subject’s reason.”
“I see.”
Indeed, has it been created in a state where even the slightest resistance to domination cannot be offered?
In other words, it was a doll that only had the appearance and memories of the Marquis Russell.
“So that’s why it didn’t destroy your mind before.”
“It is impossible to make an idiot out of a noble who should be sent back in good health.”
“It’s not a bad decision.”
On the contrary, there was no way Madra would know that he was here.
Since I cleaned up everything thoroughly, even if people were to become suspicious later, they wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.
‘A doll that you can play with however you want… … .’
That’s funny.
I spoke to the old wizard with the corners of my lips raised.
“Does that mean I don’t need to be as careful with my hints as I was before?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s extract information about the Federation Empire from him.”
“Are you talking about information that cannot be found out through planted servant horses?”
“okay.”
The magical power of an old wizard planted in the imperial family of the Federation Empire.
Although there was the advantage of being able to check the information there at any time, there was a clear disadvantage in that the information that could be found out was limited.
The reason is that what can be seen is limited to what is ‘happening now.’
“It was difficult to find out the troop status or internal information of those who had already spread out. Even though he is a noble of Madra, he must have close ties to the Federation Empire, so we should be able to obtain at least one useful piece of information.”
“I understand.”
“I’ll leave it to the experts to dig up the information.”
“You call yourself an expert… … .”
“You’re just coming in.”
Squeak-
“Who the hell is the expert?”
The one who entered the room where Marquis Russell was being held captive was none other than George.
The old wizard’s strange gaze turned towards the guy.
‘… … Wasn’t that man just a simple aide?’
But are you saying that you have a knack for digging up information?
A voice came to the ear of the old wizard who was harboring such doubts.
“Even so, he’s a useful guy in his own right. You can leave the rest to him.”
“… … One task after another. You might as well just kill me.”
“If you want.”
“Oh, right.”
… … Can we really just leave it like this?
No matter how he looked at it, there was nothing but anxiety in his heart.
* * *
But it didn’t take long for that feeling of anxiety to change.
“Well, I’ve heard the explanation of the situation. So you’re saying I can ask whatever I want?”
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“That’s right.”
“That’s good.”
“… … !”
The look in his eyes changed as soon as the king left.
It was no longer the playful and boring one, but the cool, strategist’s gaze.
‘Something is different.’
Of course, you wouldn’t entrust this kind of work to just an ordinary aide.
Swish-
“… … .”
Was it because of that unexpected side that it was surprising?
The old wizard unconsciously stepped aside and quietly observed the situation.
George sat down in the chair opposite the Marquis without paying any attention.
“Hey, listen.”
“Ugh… … Yes.”
“First of all, let me ask you this: what exactly is the relationship between Madra and the Federal Empire?”
The old wizard’s eyes narrowed slightly at that sudden question.
It was already known that Madura and the Federal Empire were in an alliance.
But the intention was different from the beginning.
“Madraga… … was receiving protection in return for carrying out the instructions of the Federal Empire.”
“Does that mean that the kingdom was protected as a kingdom and freed from pressure from neighboring countries?”
“Yes… … that’s right.”
“Then the relationship was one-sided and you didn’t reveal any important information to Madra?”
“That’s not it.”
“underneath?”
George, who had gotten the answer he wanted, looked at the Marquis with a sharp gaze.
“In addition to dealing with black iron… … there were many instructions. Each time, the Federation Empire would explain the situation.”
“For example?”
“When Arendelle was on the verge of destruction, he told me to keep an eye on the situation and told me the size of the barbarians… … When I received Esteban’s order to invade, he provided me with real-time updates on the enemy’s movements.”
“So, should I understand that you received the information you needed at that time rather than information from the Federal Empire?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then it would be meaningless to ask about them directly. Can we only infer by asking about the surrounding circumstances?”
“Huh!”
The old wizard took a deep breath at George’s soliloquy, then calmly controlled his expression.
But the embarrassment that had lasted only a moment still could not be hidden.
‘You’ve specified the extent of information that can be found out in such a short period of time… … .’
Unlike Count Esula before, he is already in a state of being almost an idiot.
Since there is no resistance to thinking, it may be easier to hear the answer.
What this meant was that no judgment was allowed to intervene in the process of coming up with that answer.
‘That is, we cannot think deeply about information that we do not know.’
If you had asked the wrong question in that state, you would have only continued to get answers saying you didn’t know.
If so, you must have had to go through a lot of trial and error to obtain the information you wanted.
If you do that, you might end up missing out on important information that you can recall with just a little thought.
In the information war that determines current events, the difference was significant.
“Why did the Federation request an invasion of Madra?”
“To eat away at Esteban’s strength… … .”
“If they had sent troops to the east as a diversionary operation, they would have been able to exploit us more easily.”
“I did suggest that idea, but… … I initially rejected the plan, saying that simply raiding the southern part of Esteban would suffice.”
“… … They backed down even though they could have gained greater benefits? It doesn’t seem like the Federation Empire was simply worried about a military conflict.”
That part was something that remained a mystery throughout.
But I was able to be sure when I heard the story directly from the Marquis.
‘I guess there was no reason for that to happen from the beginning.’
So, does that mean they still have their forces concentrated in the north to keep the barbarians in check?
George began to write down the information he had found out, one by one, in his notebook.
“They must have thought that sending troops to Esteban would be done only after they were sure that no more raids would occur. The barbarians did not completely withdraw their forces either.”
“her……!”
“On the other hand, the West will be completely empty. There are clouds of war between the Federal Empire and Esteban, but they have not yet turned into hostilities.”
And then he pointed out the current situation precisely.
Even the old wizard who had reached the truth was surprised by his cool-headedness.
“… … Are you sure we won’t be the first to invade?”
George’s eyes, which continue to approach the truth like that.
It was sparkling more seriously than ever.
* * *
A full day later, George returned to the royal court.
“This is the information I found out from him.”
A notebook propped out on the desk.
Even at a glance, it doesn’t seem like a small amount.
I took it and checked the contents.
“I see.”
Then he narrowed his eyes and slowly nodded.
Where did they deploy their troops?
How many are there and how do they move?
This is because it was closer to intelligence based on information obtained rather than simple guesswork.
And that wasn’t the end of it.
If that information is wrong, to what extent is it incorrect?
Or, what are the plans of those who can assume such facts?
The guy calculated all those things and wrote them down in a notebook.
It was no longer something to be called expected.
I turned my gaze toward the guy, the corners of my lips twisting in satisfaction.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“… … Yes, well, it was incredibly hard. To the point where I couldn’t even sleep and was working too hard.”
The guy was leaning back on the sofa with a crooked attitude, but today somehow he didn’t seem pathetic.
It seems that if you do your job well, you will start to receive favors that you didn’t have before.
I looked at the sight for a moment and then turned my gaze back to my notebook.
“By the way, it also says that they might not have prepared for the West.”
“Oh, that? It’s not confirmed, but isn’t it a reasonable guess?”
“Why?”
“It should be written there… … Well, let me explain it first: probability.”
The Federal Empire, which wanted to reduce Esteban’s power more than anyone else, did not move.
In a situation where you just have to show off your soldiers and show off your intimidation.
“It’s a problem that could be overlooked if you believe in Madras… … .”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“I guess so.”
If you really believed it, it would have been the right decision to help cause more damage.
Leiden del Carrot.
It meant that his attitude was the complete opposite of his appearance.
And George wasn’t the only one who found this suspicious.
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen eye to eye.”
“Your Majesty, I see you were thinking the same thing.”
“What is obvious.”
Because I was the one who believed that I knew that ‘guy’ better than anyone else.
I turned my chair and looked at the continental map hanging behind me.
Among them, the red pin stuck in the eastern border area caught my eye.
Esteban’s forces are currently gathered there.
“Esteban will never invade… … .”
But is that really the case?
Did I just send my troops to the East to make them let their guard down?
Was Esteban really only moving to stop the messenger called the Federal Empire?
“How long do you think we won’t attack?”
