A Calculated Surrender
"Hmm..."
Duchess Valerian looked at me with an amused expression.
Until now, her demeanor hadn't been that of someone dealing with a person she intended to spare.
Her eyes had treated me as a creature she could kill at any moment—and frankly, one she would rather kill given the chance. She had likely expected me to pathetically beg for my life while she extracted whatever information she could.
But not anymore.
"Tell me... why shouldn't I simply take everything and march straight into Arcteria?" she asked.
"Is not the sole reason you desire Arcteria, Duchess Valerian, to secure a bridgehead for your assault on Eleonor?"
"Hmm..."
In Valerian's eyes, I needed to appear clever.
And to her, 'cleverness' meant using one's intellect in a way that aligned perfectly with her own interests.
It was a brand of intelligence that recognized defeat as inevitable, choosing to surrender in a manner that benefited her rather than offering futile resistance.
She viewed every person as a tool. To someone like her, a 'wise human' was indistinguishable from a tool that functioned exactly as intended.
Much like admiring a sharp blade or a sturdy chair, she favored people who moved according to her design.
Therefore, I had to become that irresistible tool.
A tool so useful she could never bring herself to discard it—one she could not afford to separate from Arcteria.
"Even if you were to seize the territory now, it would require a costly engagement," I said. "Eleonor would surely dispatch reinforcements."
"Even if I strike Arcteria while their eyes are fixed on Runstan?"
"Conquest itself might be effortless, but stabilizing and ruling the fief would prove difficult. Irene would undoubtedly lead a resistance movement."
If I had claimed that Irene could repel her attack, Valerian would have dismissed my words as unworthy of consideration.
However, she was well aware of how difficult it was to stabilize a conquered territory. Especially for someone with her ruthless reputation.
"Of course, a ruler of your caliber would ultimately prevail regardless of the means," I continued. "Yet, that is hardly an efficient approach."
"Are you suggesting you can offer me a more 'efficient' gift?"
"Precisely. I am fully aware of your overwhelming power, Duchess Valerian, and I know better than anyone that resisting you is utterly pointless."
A faint smile touched Valerian's lips.
"I am aware that there are still regions in the northern continent beyond your reach," I said. "While they will undoubtedly fall before your armies in due time, fighting a war on two fronts serves no purpose."
"Are you telling me to postpone my clash with Eleonor? Why should I?"
"Because her growth is inherently limited, whereas your expansion and development are boundless—and far more rapid."
"Aha..."
Eleonor was not the type of lord who could simply invade a territory just because it looked appetizing.
Her strict morality was certainly the source of her strength, but it also acted as a barrier that constrained her expansion.
"Rather than wasting time on a battle that yields no immediate victory, allow me to become your ally," I urged. "When the time is right, I will ensure your forces can march through Arcteria to strike Eleonor."
Valerian questioned me, her voice laced with mockery.
"And why should I trust your word?"
"I am someone who sees right through Eleonor's hypocrisy," I replied smoothly. "And I am equally aware of the terrifying power you wield. How could someone like me ever dare to defy you?"
I submit because Valerian is strong. I do not trust Eleonor because I know she is neither truly good nor special.
It was a line of reasoning so flawed that anyone in the Empire would find it suspicious. It wasn't a lie that could fool a rational mind.
Yet Valerian had no choice but to believe it.
"Haa... How wise."
For her entire life, she had felt frustrated by people who refused to move according to her designs.
She felt irritated by those who failed to submit to her overwhelming power, and she harbored deep contempt for anyone blind to Eleonor's hypocrisy—a hypocrisy she believed was fueled by hidden ambition and greed.
While her intellect was sharp enough to dissect logical flaws, her ego and emotions compelled her to accept my reasoning.
Because it aligned almost too perfectly with her worldview.
"Use Eleonor's hypocrisy as a shackle to bind her," I pressed on. "As long as I am in power, she will never be able to exert influence over Arcteria. She will neither invade nor keep us in check."
I gradually unleashed my Charm stat, weaving a spell that transformed my absurd logic into an irresistible truth in her mind.
I masked the reality of my request—that she leave this vital territory completely untouched, without threatening my life or interfering in Arcteria—so she wouldn't easily realize what she was agreeing to.
"What would you have me do to assist you?" she asked. "Shall I bring you your sister's head as a gift?"
"No," I replied quickly. "She must be stripped of power through legitimate means. If your hand touches Arcteria in the slightest, it will grant Eleonor the perfect pretext to act."
Just as Valerian could kill me whenever she wished, she was a woman capable of assassinating Irene at a moment's notice.
If she attempted to plot Irene's death, I, as her supposed co-conspirator, would be forced to assist her.
I had to sever that possibility before it could take root.
"Regardless of the current situation, I am the rightful Lord of Arcteria," I stated. "Even if I lack full control at this moment, total authority will fall into my hands in due time."
I was whispering sweet promises, convincing her that she could swallow the vast territory of Arcteria without lifting a finger.
I was tempting her with the idea that patience alone would grant her everything she desired.
And Valerian could not resist such a temptation.
Under the influence of my Charm stat, she would feel a romantic attraction toward me. Yet, her nature prevented her from simply keeping me as a trophy.
Valerian prioritized her ambition and thirst for power far above any man. She would conclude that the most effective way to utilize me was to let me return unharmed.
"Hmm..."
She fell silent, sinking deep into thought. Interrupting her now would be unwise.
Valerian detested having others interfere with her decisions. Whatever conclusion she reached had to feel entirely like her own.
Yet I felt no fear.
Most of the information she possessed had been fed to her by me. I knew precisely what conclusions she would draw from the ingredients I had provided.
She believed she was making an independent choice, but in reality, the one holding the reins was not her, but me—the supplier of her information.
Her decision would unfold exactly as I anticipated.
"Very well," she finally said. "Rest comfortably in my manor today, and return tomorrow."
"I shall obey your command."
Valerian smiled at me—a satisfied grin, like a child who had just discovered a fascinating new toy.
I offered her a smile in return.
She would be pleased. Exactly as I intended.
She would believe she was exerting control over Arcteria, confident that when the time came, she could launch an attack on Eleonor through my lands. It was all an illusion.
The precious time Valerian had granted me would become Arcteria's greatest asset.
I had won.
The following day, after a brief send-off, I boarded the carriage bound for Arcteria.
"Ughhhhh..."
Selen watched me with worried eyes as I let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"Are you alright, Lord Edrin? Did... did the negotiations go well?"
"Of course they did," I replied. "After going to such lengths, they had better go well."
"I suppose so..."
Crawling on the dirt floor had been humiliating enough, but conversing with Valerian drained far more of my mental stamina.
While my performance in front of Eleonor had also required acting out a fabricated persona, it paled in comparison to what I had to pull off before Valerian.
Valerian was a monster capable of snapping a person's neck simply because they displeased her—and I was acutely aware of that fact every second.
Yet I succeeded. Though this peace might not be permanent, Arcteria had bought itself stability.
At least until Eleonor branded me an evil lord, assumed I was on Valerian's side, or Valerian realized she had been duped, we would remain safe.
"Once we return, all the citizens of Arcteria will surely recognize you as their true lord," Selen said earnestly. "You... you truly worked so hard."
"I certainly hope so," I murmured.
However, I knew the harsh reality. I had merely taken the very first step.
If the fief did not grow stronger, Arcteria would eventually be conquered. Eleonor would march in to protect its citizens, while Valerian would strike to claim its resources and strategic advantage.
What I had bought was time. To make that time meaningful, I had to accomplish something while I still had it.
And what I needed to do was already clear.
"What do you plan to do once we return?" Selen asked.
"Well, hold an official inauguration ceremony, handle various lordly duties..."
Aside from my Charm, my stats were thoroughly average. No matter how hard I tried, I could never compete with talents specialized in their respective fields.
Which meant I had to recruit those specialized talents.
"I need to gather people."
By leveraging my overwhelming Charm stat, capable of winning over anyone regardless of who they were.