Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Siege of Dalisi (2)
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Carts loaded with the unit's supplies were lined up in droves in front of the tent serving as a temporary warehouse.
Lian was engaged in a heated, serious discussion with the supply officer, whose head was coolly shaved bald.
"So, all the unit's supplies are to be unified and recorded in this one ledger?"
"Yes, that's right. Since I have to manage it all myself."
"In that case, it might be better to do it this way."
Pablo stood by blankly watching the two of them.
And Firka was staggering toward them.
Her face, still groggy from oversleeping, was slightly crumpled.
"Hey, merchant. What're you doing there?"
"Can't you see? I'm checking on the management of the military supplies."
"So why are you doing that?"
"Well, obviously... Hm. You're right."
Now that she mentioned it, that was true.
No one had told Lian to do this, or even wanted him to. So why was he doing it?
"Look at this. Sir Lian must have some disease where he breaks out in hives if he doesn't work even for a day."
"I guarantee you, that guy's the type to go into his grave clutching a bundle of paperwork."
"Just watch. Once he becomes governor, he'll turn into a lazy bum living off taxes for life."
"Heh. Sure you will."
Of course, from a long-term perspective, that would be difficult.
Putting down Madela's political chaos, rebuilding infrastructure, and so on.
Even just roughly thinking about it now, there was a mountain of tasks right after taking office.
But that was all essential investment for a leisurely life!
...Lian rationalized it to himself, as always.
"So, what's your take, Pablo? Do you think we can really capture the Dalisi territory within a fortnight?"
"Honestly, I don't know. I was in service when we did a siege once, but even with an inside man, it took three weeks."
"I see. So we can't be too optimistic..."
"Still, I think the situation now with you here is much better than back then."
It wasn't just because Lian was a workaholic that he couldn't stay still.
Though he himself insisted he wasn't addicted to work—that was secondary.
He had another headache that was making him unnecessarily anxious.
"Is it that assassin still bothering you?"
"If you're that worried, why not send a letter to the mansion? Since the assassin's a mage, it'll be hard to deal with, so tell your wife to hide out somewhere for a while."
"Isabel's a concern, but so are the merchant house folks. Paula's lord is the madman who massacred my entire hometown for revenge against me."
"Eh, no way he'd do that in another country... Oh, right, it's enemy territory anyway!"
Chasing after Paula's lord wasn't so simple, though.
He could pursue, but this was deep in enemy lines.
The risks were too high.
"For now, I need to talk more with that mage grandpa."
Lian headed straight for the captured mage.
He needed to know what kind of mage the assassin was first.
That way, he could at least use it as reference to counter him later.
The mage of the Black Moss Woods was dozing off, slumped against the transport cart.
As Lian approached, the soldier merely saluted.
He didn't ask any questions.
Thanks to General Tullio giving the guards prior instructions.
"Grandpa, did you sleep well last night?"
"Ugh... Look at me. You think I could stretch out and sleep properly?"
The mage stretched his creaky joints with a groan.
Loud cracks erupted from his old body like a symphony.
His wrists were handcuffed, and leather mittens covered both hands.
That was enough to prevent him from casting spells.
"Let's pick up where we left off yesterday. About the mage you introduced to Paula's lord."
If he didn't talk willingly this time, what methods should he use?
As Lian pondered that...
"That's right. That one? He's a walking plague."
The mage started spilling everything without any negotiation.
"Plague? A curse, then?"
"I don't care for that term much. Depending on how you define a curse, sure. Or not."
Perhaps because he knew his own magic was called a curse.
The old mage seemed a bit sensitive to the word.
"But even I think it's vicious magic. Perfect for assassination."
"So, it makes the target fall ill?"
"Exactly. They'll vomit blood and shit it too, dying while thinking it's just sickness. Never dreaming it's magic. Horrifying, isn't it? Keh heh heh."
The old mage laughed sinisterly, perhaps to intimidate, creating a creepy atmosphere.
But Lian's reaction was different from what he expected.
He was just lost in deep thought.
"Internal bleeding. So, maybe an ulcer-inducing spell? Guessing the mechanism, acute stress syndrome? Wait. Radiation?"
Like reciting some ancient incantation.
Unfamiliar words poured from Lian's mouth, even to the old mage.
"...Hey, dwarf elf. What the hell is that guy mumbling?"
"No idea. Don't try to understand every word he says. It'll just hurt your head."
Indeed. Was the mage hunter's secret this unknown knowledge?
The old mage eyed Lian with curiosity.
His sense for detecting magic was special, but his insight to analyze it was extraordinary too.
How was this a young man barely past adulthood?
"That's enough about his magic. Anything else? Court mage of some territory?"
"No affiliation. A wandering mage. And... a rat bastard."
"Figurative, or literal...?"
"Literal. Name's Carbo Wild. From the desert, no ties to any nation."
"I see. A beastman, then."
Most beastmen hailed from the Dorin Empire, a desert nation.
Properly, the Dorin Kingdom and 42 Tribal Alliance.
A massive community of various beastmen, neutral like its neighbor, the Aslan Kingdom.
And what represented it? Caravans, hubs of overland trade.
"So, is this mage part of a caravan? Maybe one buying Dalisi's amber?"
"Ho. Reached that conclusion already? Spot on!"
Mages traveling with caravans wasn't unusual.
Dorin's caravans were called moving cities.
Miniature societies in themselves.
Like a territory in miniature, full of diverse members.
"The caravan he's with passes around every new moon on odd months. So, five days ago."
"That's why Paula's lord rushed off. Can't dawdle if you're chasing a caravan."
They weren't fast, burdened by cargo.
Paula's lord had probably caught up or nearly had.
"...Not good."
If the assassin headed straight to Madela, even capturing Dalisi in a fortnight would be too late.
But returning to Madela now would defy the king's orders.
It would snowball into uncontrollable rebellion.
"No. Even a caravan can't cross the front lines lightly. He'll likely go via Rondel and Aslan."
Rondel, the mercenary nation east of Bordia and Castel.
Castel was at war with Rondel too, but the enemy of my enemy is my friend—they were allied with Bordia.
Geography forced caravans to detour massively.
However...
"That rat's just a caravan guest. No guarantee he'll stick with them. Heh heh heh."
The old mage chuckled, trying to unsettle Lian.
It had some merit, of course.
"Rats are natural scouts, from what I've heard. Unmatched in stealth."
"Yeah. Small and ridiculously fast. Annoying."
"It's fine. You're small too, Firka. Chin up. Don't lose."
"Eek...!"
Beastmen generally outclassed humans physically.
Rat beastmen had keen senses and extreme agility.
Even a fifty-something mage could slip borders like a ninja.
"In the end, it depends on that mad lord's will, right? The rat'll only work for the gold in his hand. He won't take a risky path for peanuts. Unless the pay's huge."
For a moment, greed flashed in the old mage's eyes.
Now's the time.
Push a little more and...
"Thanks, grandpa. That cleared things up a lot."
"What? What did?"
But the anxiety and impatience in Lian's eyes had vanished clean away.
Having run the variables in his head and settled on one outcome.
No more hesitation for him.
"Paula's lord is crazy, but more cautious than he seems. If he didn't care about consequences, he'd have smuggled over by now."
Nearly a year and a half since then.
Lian's name had been known for months now.
Yet Paula's lord hadn't even hired bandits for an attempt.
Failed assassinations make the next ones harder.
He must have weighed that risk.
"He wants me dead for sure, not just quickly. So he won't force the assassin across the border."
"Ho. Or is that what you want to believe?"
The old mage blinked his sunken eyes rapidly.
Snicker snicker—
A spirit's laugh echoed from his shoulder, mocking him for spotting the hidden secret.
"Clever, grandpa. You spilled it all to make me panic, huh?"
The mage's white eyebrows twitched wildly.
Mages like him specialized in disrupting human judgment.
Not limited to spells.
Impatience breeds mistakes.
Pretending to cooperate, he aimed to rattle Lian.
"Still, thanks for the info. Now I know how to prepare."
"Tch...!"
If anything, it cleared his distractions.
Paula's mad lord was a looming threat to Lian.
But not an immediate one.
"Hm. Still, some insurance would ease my mind..."
Dorin's caravans stuck to land routes, so the island-based Lapis Lazuli Merchant House had little direct ties.
But same industry, inevitably connected one link away.
"Firka. You always carry paper and pen, right? Can I borrow some?"
"Yeah, here. Writing a letter?"
"Yep. Merchants have their own ways of fighting."
For merchants, money was power.
And Lian could move a great deal with it.