Chapter 109

General Rafael directly leaves the palace due to an unexpected report.

Throughout his movement, he couldn’t help but feel a burning sensation inside.

“Damn it! Why are they returning now…?”

The Pirate King and his subordinates boldly declared their departure just when war loomed over them.

At a time when one soldier’s regret was palpable, the departure of the Grade 12 Grand Warrior, the Pirate King, along with his powerful subordinates, would only increase the gap in military strength.

To avoid such a worst-case scenario…

General Rafael disregarded his dignity and headed to the Pirate King’s residence.

And then…

“Umm…”

According to reports, the pirates were indeed packing up to leave.

Next, General Rafael urgently spotted the Pirate King handling matters among his crew.

“Pirate King!”

“Oh, who might this be? Is it not General Rafael, who governs the Kingdom of Frantz? What brings such a distinguished person to this humble place?”

“Umm… I came for a certain matter.”

The Pirate King spoke with a feeling of annoyance, resembling a soldier being trained just as the war ended. Seeing him, General Rafael began to feel quite complex emotions.

“What’s the matter? The revolution has ended, and we’ve piled on various duties; you must know well that we have nothing more to do here.”

“That may be true, but…”

“We will be leaving. Handle the promised payment and the port usage on your own.”

“Ugh…”

Seeing the gruff response from the Pirate King left General Rafael momentarily speechless. He could see that the current situation was something the Pirate King himself knew better than anyone else.

What the Pirate King had done so far had already far exceeded their initial agreement.

He didn’t just aid in the revolution as initially traded, but also decisively cooperated in restoring the queen, even soothing her enough to ensure there were no issues in getting various permissions.

Had he given more than what the other party promised in the agreement? If so, then that would naturally incur debt, meaning they would have to give even more.

“What is it you want…?”

“…Huh?”

However, despite everything…

No matter what price he had to pay, General Rafael had to capture the Pirate King.

“Speak up! What is it you want? Whatever it is, I will grant it. As long as you help us in this war.”

“…”

The scale of the Pirate King and his subordinates wasn’t particularly large.

However, the Pirate King himself was a Grade 12 powerhouse.

At once, General Rafael, who was Grade 11, could push back an army of ten thousand single-handedly if he exerted all his power.

Yet, the Pirate King boasted strength that surpassed even Rafael himself…

A strength that was literally endless. General Rafael was well aware that in order to fill the deficiencies of the Revolutionary Army, their help was essential.

“Now, hurry up and tell me. What do you want? Territory, riches, titles—whatever it is, as the one who holds power in this country, I will grant you anything!”

“…Umm…”

The Pirate King showed a moment of hesitation at his words. Seeing this, General Rafael began to harbor a glimmer of hope.

If he outright refused, that would be one thing, but if he was hesitant, it meant that there was indeed something he desired…

Which suggested a likelihood of considering this offer.

“Do you have something you want?”

“Well… there is one thing, but I’m not sure if you can grant it.”

“Go ahead and say it; didn’t I say I would grant you anything?”

“Alright. Then I will speak. And regarding the roles we will have in the war.”

“Umm…”

Though he expected it, the attitude was still not easygoing.

However, for now, since the sword handle was in the other party’s hands, General Rafael had no choice but to listen to whatever he had to say.

“I don’t need any further riches; the gold from what was previously promised is enough. And I am a pirate who roams the seas. I have no intention of settling down anywhere, so territory or titles are meaningless to me.”

“Is that so… then what exactly do you want?”

From the standpoint of someone worrying that he might request prime territory from the kingdom, hearing that he didn’t want territory was a source of considerable relief.

“What I want is, first, to be allowed to take any captives I want among those we’ll capture in the upcoming war against the Holy Empire.”

“That much? That shouldn’t be difficult. Do as you please.”

“And one more thing, I want you to hand over the items I will be listing from now on.”

“Items…? I’m sorry, but no matter how much you are the country, the national treasures…”

“Don’t worry, they aren’t that grand, so there’s no need to be too concerned.”

“Umm…”

While still feeling uneasy, General Rafael had to accept this for now, as he was the one at a loss.

“And… this pertains to the war.”

“Speak.”

“In this war, we will move as an independent unit. We will partake in battles, but the command over my subordinates will remain with me.”

“Umm… that’s somewhat…”

Unlike the revolution, which was limited to the Pare region, this war would likely unfold on a much larger scale.

Being unable to freely maneuver them in such circumstances would be quite inconvenient for someone in command of the entire army.

But…

“Is that a no? Well, if you refuse, there’s nothing to be done. Everyone, hurry up and prepare to withdraw…”

“Ah… Fine! I… will comply.”

After all was said and done, the one holding the sword handle was indeed on the other side.

Though he felt a bit off about the deal, he had no choice but to accept it since the shortage was on this side.

“Don’t worry too much; considering my position, I must pull my weight so I can receive an appropriate reward in return. I won’t make you feel disappointed.”

“…Alright… I’ll trust you.”

There was certainly some lingering discomfort.

However, given the considerable help received thus far, General Rafael had his own level of trust.

He believed that the Pirate King would surely not let him down.

“Furthermore… given that the debts incurred up to this point are already quite considerable, if I do not trust a person who has done this much for us, who else is there to trust?”

A trust built not through treaties or documents, but born from accumulated feelings. There was nothing stronger as a guarantee, so General Rafael decided to accept this arrangement.

Excluding the hostage matter, there were hardly any safety measures in this situation that could easily turn him into a fool.

*

After concluding the ‘treaty’, General Rafael left their hideout.

Watching his figure, I inwardly broke into a deep smile.

“Seriously… they’re so easy to manipulate.”

Just like with Ambasha before, this time was no different.

From my perspective, it was actually quite regrettable that I needed their assistance.

However, while I thoroughly grasped the intricacies on our side through the information obtained from the original work…

They had no way of knowing our circumstances at all.

Information truly is invaluable.

And now, having successfully extracted every bit of leverage while still portraying myself as magnanimous…

I turned to my subordinates, who were diligently moving empty boxes under my command.

“Good job. You can head in and rest now.”

“Yes, Captain!”

*

“Seventy thousand, huh…”

“Yes, that is the minimum estimate. Considering the additional troops, it is likely higher.”

“Umm…”

General Rafael displayed a serious expression as he listened to Napoleona’s report.

Then, he shifted his gaze to the map spread out before him.

“Anyway, since the enemies have confirmed their declaration of war, we need to respond. If they are gathering troops in the Rhine River basin, it is highly probable that the first battlefield will be here in the Loren Region…”

“However, General, it seems somewhat strange.”

“What seems strange?”

Napoleona cautiously raised her objection.

She pointed to the map and continued calmly.

“As you know, General, the basics of war involve deceiving the enemy. Yet, the Holy Empire Army is camped here in the Rhine River basin so brazenly, as if to show off. In fact, when I saw it, the troop assembly hadn’t even fully completed yet.”

“Well… that’s probably to advance more quickly, isn’t it? The moment the troops are gathered, they intend to swiftly cross the Rhine and capture the Loren Region before marching on Pare.”

“General Charlotte’s point is not without merit. However… they could certainly place more troops further back to cut off information, but they haven’t done so. It’s almost as if they want us to know they’re here.”

“Umm…”

“Could they really be so reckless, though?”

At her words, the commanders frowned slightly. Listening to this, General Rafael assumed a more serious expression and asked.

“Then, what do you think, Admiral Napoleona? What do you believe their true intentions are?”

“Well, I think…”