Fires of War, Part 8
A tempestuous time passed. Eleonor had to strain with all her might just to recall the conversation she had shared with him the previous day.
'He...'
Just thinking back to that moment made her chest feel warm. No matter how rationally she tried to analyze it, he was a magnificent man.
'But...'
Contrary to the sweetness of his voice, his words had skipped too many logical steps. She needed to meticulously verify the truth of his claims.
"Everything I am about to tell you from this point on is strictly confidential," Eleonor said. "Some of you may have already heard, but I will explain it once more here."
The companions she had painstakingly gathered over a long period of time stood in a circle around her.
Some were comrades from her days as an adventurer, while others were lords ruling over their own territories.
The people gathered here, and the alliance they had forged together, were her most precious assets.
Therefore, whatever decision she made, she had to obtain their consent. It was a matter of basic respect.
"Edrin has made a proposal."
"R-Reinforcements?" one of them stammered. "But we don't have the leeway either! We cannot afford to dispatch too many soldiers!"
However, not everyone acted out of a sense of 'justice' or the 'greater good' like Eleonor did.
They were merely members of an alliance. The lords who had been saved by Eleonor harbored personal goodwill toward her, but they were not prepared to sacrifice everything for her sake.
Each was a lord with their own territory. They had people and property to protect.
"J-Just recently, we increased patrols for the safety of our fief's residents, so our soldiers are exhausted. If we force them to deploy now, our own public security might deteriorate instead."
And indeed, they had their own excuses.
The standards of 'public security' and 'livelihood stabilization' that Eleonor demanded were so strict that other lords could not even fathom them.
In fact, there were even a few greedy lords who, despite having been saved by Eleonor once, failed to meet her standards and ended up being subjugated by her.
Thus, even if they showed a somewhat self-preserving attitude, few could blame the lords surrounding Eleonor.
"It is not that," Eleonor clarified. "On the contrary, he asked if we could mobilize an army to attack Runstan."
"Runstan, you say?"
"Yes. Edrin stated that since he does not fully control his territory yet, my army entering Arcteria haphazardly could result in severe casualties."
A brief silence fell over the room. The lords pondered how to respond to steer the meeting in a direction favorable to them.
"So, Vergil. I believe your territory borders Edrin Silverline's. Have you investigated the matter I instructed you to look into?"
"Yes... Yes, my lady!"
Vergil's mind raced.
His fief lay close to Arcteria. If a full-scale war broke out with Valerian, he would be forced to contribute the most soldiers and supplies.
Under normal circumstances, it might be different, but this was a fight where he was bound to lose.
'No matter how strong Countess Eleonor is, if we get dragged into a chaotic melee with Valerian's army, winning won't be easy...'
Even if they won, there was nothing to gain.
Just restoring Arcteria after it became a battlefield would consume an astronomical amount of resources. Defeating Valerian's army was already highly improbable, but winning without taking damage was pure fantasy.
The chances of victory were slim, and there would be no spoils of war to claim. It was a losing battle.
"Tell me. Is the information that Edrin cannot control his territory true?"
"Well, about that..."
Vergil could not give a clear, satisfying answer.
Arcteria was not a hostile territory to them. It was large, but not threatening.
Naturally, Vergil's intelligence network could not gather information on Arcteria quickly or accurately. The last report he had received was merely common knowledge: 'Lord Wilhelm has passed away.'
The order to investigate the actual state of Arcteria had only been given yesterday. While he could verify information he already possessed, it was impossible to gather new intelligence in such a short time.
"Yes, yes. It is likely true."
He had no intention of making a false report. However, even if he reported it that way, he couldn't confidently declare it to be false either.
Edrin had only recently awakened after being bedridden for a long time, so he couldn't possibly have a solid base of support. Although there was no clear evidence, the lack of information meant there was also no evidence to refute it.
"Are you certain?"
"Since we have no information to begin with, there is no point in speaking of certainty."
"Sigh..."
"However, I believe it is highly probable. Edrin is already the Lord of Arcteria, and simply by receiving our reinforcements to wage war, he would be able to solidify his power."
As always, war drew a clear line between ally and enemy. There was no surer way to tighten internal control than creating an external enemy.
"If he could fight with reinforcements—or at least hold out—there would be no reason for Edrin not to choose that path. The fact that he requested an offensive elsewhere instead of reinforcements..."
"A good point," Eleonor said. "It certainly makes sense."
While their information was limited, Edrin's was not.
Since he would not make a choice disadvantageous to himself, everyone present could at least agree on the premise that fighting Valerian in Arcteria was dangerous.
"If we attack Runstan... it would be best if war doesn't break out at all, but even if it does, it would be better than fighting in Arcteria. I believe everyone here would agree."
At Vergil's words, the other allies nodded one by one.
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Besides, the Lord of Runstan is notoriously corrupt trash anyway."
However, the thoughts of the 'allies' gathered here were slightly different. They were merely hiding their true intentions.
'Runstan is a commercial hub. If we capture it, we can seize the spoils. It is far better than participating in a battle that offers only honor and no practical benefit.'
They moved according to their own self-interest.
"I-Is that so?"
Eleonor was no fool. She knew all too well that those who were saved were not necessarily good, and that she had to stand firm to avoid being swayed by the desires of others.
But right now, Eleonor could not trust herself. After seeing his face, she had been shaken to the point where she could hardly think straight.
The only thing she could rely on was her trustworthy companions, and doubting their thoughts did not seem very wise.
"I understand. For now, I will assume no one objects to accepting his proposal. Since this is not a decision I can make alone, I felt it necessary to gather everyone's opinions."
"Yes, understood!"
When I faced Eleonor again, I could feel that she was far more shaken than during our previous meeting.
'And with good reason.'
Eleonor was no pushover. She was not some foolish person who could be easily manipulated just because my Charm stat was high.
Even if I momentarily broke through her defenses, she was the type of person who would quickly notice the discrepancy and turn her anger on me. She was that intelligent, and that upright.
Therefore, to persuade her, I had to instill the conviction that cooperating with me was not strange at all.
That was why this process had been necessary.
The process of her discussing the matter with others, and having them confirm that my proposal was not strange in the slightest.
"I apologize for taking so much of your time," Eleonor said. "It seems... it would be best to accept your proposal."
Yet, Eleonor was still suspicious. She could not shake the feeling that things were moving too perfectly in the direction I desired.
Of course, even if it ended here, I had nothing to lose. The negotiation was already over, and Eleonor had accepted my terms.
But negotiating with her was not a one-time affair. For the time being, I had to walk a tightrope between Valerian and Eleonor.
Depending on the situation, I might need to act in alignment with Valerian's interests, and when I did, I needed to ensure Eleonor did not view me as an enemy.
"It seems you still harbor some discomfort," I remarked.
Thus, I could not be satisfied with just this.
"...No," she replied. "What more could I ask for? Lord Edrin, you have shown us the right path—a direction we had not even considered."
"Is that so? But your expression seems rather troubled..."
"My apologies. It is a habit. Having lived as an adventurer for so long, I still carry a few habits ill-suited for a lord."
I knew. Eleonor's quirks, her principles of action.
"If it is not too rude... may I ask why you came all this way to advise us?"
She did not trust people she could not understand. This was not unique to Eleonor; it was a common trait among those with a firmly established worldview.
So, from this point on, the real seduction began. It was no longer just about persuading her on the agenda.
I had to make Eleonor view Edrin as someone like herself.
"I did not wish to see my homeland become a battlefield," I said.
I had to move her heart. Not just for this moment, but for what would come after this agreement.