The Imposter

The next day, I went to see Baron Horton.

Thanks to all the intelligence I'd fed him on Baron Melun, he trusted me completely. On top of that, the Ernest forces had been taking losses of late, which seemed to put him in rather high spirits.

The fact that his own side losing put him in a good mood already disqualified this bastard as a commander. From Baron Horton's point of view, the real enemy was Baron Melun. He couldn't have cared less about the territorial war actually being fought — all he thought about was his own promotion.

Would it be more useful to just leave this bastard alive and let him keep trolling his own army?

I actually found myself considering it. In the end, though, I decided to kill him. His adjutant was simply too tempting to pass up.

I paid Horton a visit and treated him to drinks. I'd done this before, so he downed what I poured without a hint of suspicion.

If I'd wanted to, poisoning him then and there would have been easy enough. Of course, that didn't fit my scenario, so I had no intention of doing so. Baron Horton still had a role to play.

"Keh-keh! Things are looking excellent. His Lordship will surely start seeing things my way now. That incompetent Baron Melun keeps losing battle after battle, after all."

"Quite right, my lord. You'll be back in command of the troops before long."

"Of course I will. Those fools from the Coulon forces can enjoy themselves while they still can. The moment I take the baton again, they're all dead! Kahahaha!"

"Heh heh! Indeed. Once you take the field again, my lord, the enemy will fall like autumn leaves."

Baron Horton's adjutant hovered at his side, flattering him and keeping him entertained. Just as I'd expected, the adjutant was a woman he'd brought along.

Her name was Mason Elper.

Supposedly the daughter of a ruined noble house — which, oddly enough, overlapped with the backstory of Hendrick's wife, Melinda. Then again, how many daughters of fallen nobility could there possibly be in this world?

Unlike Melinda, who was widely regarded as kind-hearted and wise, this woman was a typical sycophant. Honestly, that felt more realistic.

She was beautiful enough that Baron Horton had chosen her. Behind that intelligent face sat a practiced smoothness that belonged on a hostess-club ace, and she had a natural force that let her take charge of a drinking table without anyone quite noticing. Before long, this woman was going to be my cocksleeve.

"Urgh! This liquor the Security Captain brought is outstanding! From the East, you said? Once the war's over and we're back, I'll have to buy it in bulk."

"I'll introduce you to a merchant, my lord. Please, drink as much as you like."

The two of them drank themselves into a stupor and soon passed out. I'd mixed a measured dose of sedative into the liquor. They'd be dead to the world for a few hours at least.

I nicked his finger, collected a little blood, and transformed using Baron Horton's blood.

Was it because I'd disguised myself so many times? I'd picked up a new title and new skills.

The new skill, Lying, was an excellent one for someone like me who lied as easily as breathing. The description was so vague, though, that I couldn't really tell how effective it would actually be.

I dumped the dead-drunk Baron Horton and his adjutant into a corner of the tent. Disguised as Baron Horton via the Transformation Potion, I slipped out.

I could feel eyes watching me. Baron Melun. If I hadn't already known I was being tailed, I never would have noticed. I quietly left the encampment.

When I'd informed on Horton to Baron Melun the day before, I'd advised him that catching Horton at the rendezvous would require bringing only a small force. Too many troops, I'd argued, and Horton would notice. It was a reasonable enough argument, so Baron Melun had come in person with just a handful of knights.

Feeling his pursuit at my back, I made my way to the rendezvous. Luna, Sera, and Dedric Coulomb were already waiting.

I spoke in a voice too quiet for the trailing Baron Melun to hear.

"Young Master Dedric. It's me."

"Walker… is that you?"

"That's right, Young Master Dedric."

Dedric stared at my disguised form, startled.

"I'd heard about it, but this is remarkable. Completely indistinguishable. So this is the effect of that Transformation Potion. If these were readily available, sending spies into enemy lines would be trivially easy."

"Unfortunately, it's not something you can obtain ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠easily. It's a trade good imported from the East, and extraordinarily expensive."

"I can well believe it. In any case, where is the document?"

"It's right here…"

I was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about to hand over the operations map I'd taken from Baron Horton's tent. At that moment, Baron Melun's voice rang out.

"That's far enough! Baron Horton. I'll admit I had my doubts until the very last moment, but I can scarcely believe it. You truly mean to betray us."

I whirled around, feigning shock.

"You… you! Baron Melun! How are you here…!"

"Consorting with the enemy — and you still call yourself an officer of the Ernest forces!? Can you truly, with that gaping hole of a mouth, still claim to be His Lordship's vassal!? Unbelievable…! You filthy traitor!"

"Walker! Have we been found out?"

Dedric was thoroughly rattled. This was something he hadn't anticipated. In that instant, I drew my blade and struck at Dedric's neck.

"Ghk…! Walker!?"

The ambush was so sudden Dedric couldn't dodge — the blade found him. If the surprise attack had failed, Arme was supposed to finish him off, so it was a relief it worked. Luna frowned at me.

"Baron Horton. What is the meaning of this? This is not what we agreed."

All of it was an act, of course.

"I… I haven't been colluding with the enemy! I only… I only laid this trap to kill them!"

"Don't make me laugh. Then what is that document in your hand? Is that not our army's operations map!? You fool. Is that the best excuse you could come up with?"

"N-no! You're the one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠colluding with the enemy! Baron Melun! I came here to confirm that you were in league with them!"

"You've taken leave of your senses. This isn't even amusing anymore. A military tribunal is a luxury a traitor doesn't deserve. Die. I was a fool to have trusted you even for a moment."

Baron Melun drew his sword. At the same time, the knights he'd brought drew theirs as well.

They closed in on me with killing intent. Sharp murderous energy radiated from the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠eyes of men looking at a traitor.

I fled with everything I had. Luna and Sera moved to intercept Baron Melun and his knights.

"I don't fully understand how this situation came about, but if they're from the Ernest forces, killing them is to our advantage."

Luna's voice came from behind me.

"…Listen. Baron Horton betrayed you as well. That dead man — wasn't he one of yours?"

"We're aware. Baron Horton will be dealt with on your end, I assume. In that case, we'll reduce the enemy's numbers by as many as we can."

"You think two women can stop us?"

"Who knows? Shall we find out?"

While Luna and Sera bought me time, I made it back to the Ernest forces' encampment.

"Baron Horton! You've returned!"

A sentry greeted me. I looked at him and deliberately put on a frantic expression.

"Listen. I never left today. I was in my tent the entire time. Understood?"

"S-sir!? What do you mean?"

"If you tell anyone I went out, you will die on the spot! Do you understand?"

I glared at him, packing as much killing intent as I could into my gaze. The sentry shrank back, terrified. He nodded and said he understood.

Having threatened the sentry, I hurried back to Baron Horton's tent. Horton and his adjutant were still sleeping like the dead.

I changed back into Gion Pirean. Then I woke Baron Horton.

"My lord! My lord!"

"Nnngh…! Ugh. My head's spinning. What is it?"

"Just now, Baron Melun left the camp. He took several knights with him. It didn't look like a simple terrain reconnaissance."

"Hmm? What's this about? Did Baron Melun say something to you?"

"He told me not to inform you that he was leaving, my lord. He clearly has some scheme in mind."

"Hmph. If he said that, then he certainly has some dark design. Tch. That bastard, ignoring me so openly. He won't be able to do that for much longer."

It's your life that doesn't have much longer, you bastard.

Having woken Baron Horton, I returned to my own tent. Not long after, Baron Melun and his knights came back. Luna and Sera had only stalled them briefly, as I'd ordered.

The moment he returned, Baron Melun demanded of the sentry in a loud voice:

"Has Baron Horton returned?"

"Th-that's…"

The sentry hemmed and hawed in front of Baron Melun. After all, I'd threatened him. The sentry's strange reaction made Melun drop his voice even lower.

"Look at me. Who do I appear to be?"

"B-Baron Melun, sir."

"Excluding His Lordship, who is the highest-ranking officer in this camp?"

"You are, Baron Melun…"

"I will ask again. Has Baron Horton returned?"

Tremendous charisma. Faced with that, there was no way not to answer.

The sentry fidgeted, then answered the question.

"Y-yes…. He returned just a moment ago. But when he came back, he said that his leaving the camp today was a secret. He said if I revealed that fact, he'd have me executed…"

"Be at ease. I swear on my honor that I will protect you. The one who will die is Baron Horton."

"S-sir!? What do you mean?"

"You'll understand soon enough. I must see His Lordship in person."

With that, he strode toward Count Ernest's tent. The commotion in the camp broke out a few minutes later.