How To Subdue a Masochist Princess

The next evening.

The party that had been scattered to their respective missions began to gather together again.

Since they were all already proven competent in their respective fields, it seemed that they had achieved meaningful results in a short period of time.

'The flow is very fast.'

Of course, it meant that the operation was progressing quickly, so it was more of a positive sign.

Perhaps, as I had discussed with the vice-captain yesterday, the Eclipse bastards' reckless actions may have already reached a stage where they were exerting a visible influence on the entire county.

Unlike the previous plan that had anticipated a long-term mission of at least a month, it seemed like a conclusion would be reached sooner than expected.

Because of Count Fersen's betrayal, they had to come up with a completely new operation, and they also needed to verify the plan the vice-captain had come up with, so they felt the need to sort out the situation cleanly first.

I greeted the gathering party and called them all to the campsite.

"Captain. All the brothers have returned. But there is something unusual about their return."

"Hmm. First, let's gather everyone in one place. I have something to tell you."

"Wow!"

The subordinates who had gone to check on the surrounding villages all returned to the base.

"How have you been? I wonder if you liked the receipt details."

"Of course, it was a great help. Annoying merchant. I acknowledge your skills."

"Keuheu... Your speech is completely natural now. You are the leader of the natural barbarians."

Lord Randolph and the counterintelligence agents who had gone on a previous mission rejoined the party.

"Mercenary Captain. The results of the research came out faster than I thought."

"Professor. You should bring other scholars to the campsite too. I have something to tell you."

"Okay. I will do so."

Bishop Roberto, who was analyzing the traces left by the eclipse's embers, also seemed to have discovered something, his eyes shining.

In the middle of the campsite where the party had all gathered, a large bonfire was burning.

—Crackle, crackle…

A group of barbarians sat around the bonfire.

"Captain of the 100th… no, little captain. What are we doing now?"

"Well, I've been holding back my thoughts as much as possible for the past few days. Maybe it wouldn't be bad to retire and go down south to live a life at one with nature."

"That's…"

As I sat on the ground and watched my subordinates blankly staring at the flames, a bitter feeling rose up in my heart.

They are knights who are treated well wherever they go, and among them, they are considered excellent and have a promising future.

But how much more difficult it must have been for everyone to act like barbarians in this mission.

Deputy Commander Agnes, who had been watching her subordinates, leaned her head against me.

"It feels a bit sentimental to see everyone gathered here."

"But don't get too carried away. We're still on a mission."

Meanwhile, the counterintelligence agents disguised as merchants were checking the items loaded onto the wagons. That is, supplies and weapons.

The priests and heresy inquisitors of the Celestial Church disguised as scholars seemed to be having a serious conversation among themselves with quite serious expressions.

I stared at them for a while and then slowly opened my mouth.

"Bishop. Is the barrier okay?"

"Yes. The area within a 100 meter radius of the campsite is a safe zone."

"Then, I will hold a meeting as of now. As the commander of this operation, I will first hear your reports."

It was the beginning of a new strategy meeting and a midterm settlement.

Thanks to the Holy Power barrier that was deployed for security, it was finally possible to break away from role-playing and have a normal conversation for the first time in a long while.

"Captains of the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Hundred. What's the situation in the surrounding villages?"

"Whew, that's..."

First of all, the testimonies of the Black Lion Knights all showed the same facts.

They were subordinates who used various methods, such as sitting in a bar all day and focusing on the conversations of those passing by, or using their barbarian curiosity to thoroughly investigate a village.

"Were there any suspicious people who led you to places where there were few people?"

"Yes. That's right. They didn't seem to be natives of the village at first glance, but they were suspiciously friendly. I told them to get out because it was bothering them, and they didn't come any closer."

They said that they encountered unidentified people who approached unfamiliar barbarians first.

After that, the centurions exchanged information with the priests, talking about their experiences.

"Priests. What do you think about this?"

"It seems like typical devil worshippers or pagans' missionary work. Pure souls like barbarians can easily be corrupted."

"I see. Then..."

It seemed likely that all of those suspicious people were Eclipse's underlings.

If the same signs were found in more than one or two places, I was almost certain that their influence had already spread throughout the county.

I turned my gaze to Bishop Roberto, who had been noticeably serious since a while ago.

"Bishop. Were there any results?"

"Yes. Of course. As a result of mobilizing the secret arts of the Inquisitors and the divine powers of the priests, the source of the magic contained in the traces that Lord Wolfgang brought was revealed to be the Persen County Castle."

Even considering the fact that the Count was a traitor, the entire Count's castle that we had to infiltrate was already contaminated.

This was also quite a headache.

Then the infiltration operation proposed by the Counterintelligence Department would also be a bit different.

As expected, Lord Randolph, who had been listening to the story, immediately joined the conversation.

"Well, Your Excellency the Bishop. Can you pinpoint a more precise location? For example, which room or library is the source of the magic? Something like that."

"Unfortunately, it's impossible. There are many reasons, but to summarize, I have to say that my ability is lacking. It would be different if Cardinal Malleus were with me."

"Ahh…"

The results of the Cheonshin Church were exactly as expected, no more or less.

To be honest, it felt a bit lacking, but given the lack of time and personnel, it would be difficult to expect more results.

Now it was time to hear the Counterintelligence Department's report.

To be honest, I couldn't help but look forward to their results the most.

Didn't you bring back a bunch of top-level information in just one night after entering the county?

"Sir Randolph. Have you found out anything else?"

"Oh, that's right… In fact, all the information I sent you was from that party. I went into the county alone, but it didn't look like much. The atmosphere in the center was also quiet."

"Hmm, is that all you can do for someone who is an executor?"

"You. Do you have no conscience?"

This was a bit disappointing.

I squeezed Sir Randolph with regret, but nothing else came out.

Well, the information I brought back on the first day was so strong. I guess the Counterintelligence Department had already done its job well enough.

So now it was time to verify the deputy chief's plan.

"Everyone, please listen for a moment."

I clapped my hands to gather the attention of the group and had Vice Chief Agnes explain her plan to everyone.

"Ahem! That's…"

The party's reaction was even better than I expected.

"Isn't it okay? There's nothing else worth trying."

"It's not right to make a sacred act like marriage a sham and use it as part of a strategy… but we shouldn't be picky about the means and methods when fighting against evil."

The Black Lion Knights all nodded their heads, and the priests of the Celestial Church seemed to think so too.

"You said Sir Agnes? You have a very unique way of thinking. Do you plan on dedicating yourself to espionage for the security of the Empire…"

"I'm sorry, that's a bit much." "Your answer was just a quick one, huh…"

Sir Randolph in particular seemed to think her plan was quite plausible.

Of course, aside from that, I couldn't tolerate her being a fool to covet my precious subordinate.

"What kind of nonsense are you talking about in front of me right now?"

—Ddddddd…

When I tried to show some sincerity toward Lord Randolph, he immediately raised both hands and showed a sign of surrender.

"I won! I can't even joke in front of you. It's meant as a compliment, a compliment!"

"Please be a little more careful with your jokes. You know I'm sensitive to such things, so are you deliberately doing this to try to fight me?"

"You still haven't forgotten that time. I didn't know that. I sincerely apologize."

That's why I didn't want to be friends with him.

He tries to exploit people's weaknesses and exploit their weaknesses whenever he gets the slightest opportunity.

Of course, I know that it's a kind of occupational disease, but it still felt unpleasant.

I frowned and took my momentum back. I couldn't just pick a fight with him while we were having a meeting.

"Okay, give me your expert opinion."

"Well, I see. Of course, Sir Agnes's opinion is excellent, but there are some areas that need improvement…"

As the meeting continued, the night gradually deepened.

As the party gathered and put their heads together, a new operational plan to infiltrate the enemy's base began to take shape.

Some of the drafts presented by the vice-captain were expanded in detail, some were reduced a bit, and some new parts were added.

As a result, a great operation that was quite feasible and could, assuming success, completely destroy the enemy was completed.

Considering the preparation period and various factors, the timing was four days from now.

We will infiltrate the enemy's heart and seize it in one go.

The operation was proceeding very smoothly.

"Captain. Here, here is the marriage and settlement report. Please sign here, or sign it."

"...."

Thanks to the tremendous administrative ability of Vice-Captain Agnes, who had been trained through past absurdities, and the unique resourcefulness of Lord Randolph, the party was able to safely enter the center of the county.

It was questionable whether thirty barbarians could properly report their arrival, but the county welcomed us with a suspicious enthusiasm.

There must have been some evil intention behind it.

A whole mercenary force of barbarians who were ignorant of the ways of the world had rolled in, so they were either sending us on a dangerous mission or were aiming for something more.

But it didn't matter anyway.

If everything went according to plan, they would soon face destruction.

Currently, the Black Lion Knights had purchased the entire inn located inside the castle walls and were temporarily staying there.

The small house next door, where I was staying, which would have originally been the innkeepers' house, was actually my and Vice-Captain's newlywed home.

After staying here with Vice-Chief Agnes.

Whenever she talked to me, her face would turn bright red, as if she was experiencing a mana outburst.

"Chief… No. Hey, honey? I'll stop by the administrative office for a moment to carry out an operation. No, I'll be back!"

I was worried about how she would carry out her plan to attend the party as a couple.

"Okay. Be careful."

"T-T-yes! I understand!"

By the way, even though it was a fake marriage and only lasted a few days. But she's actually living as a married couple.

It definitely felt a little strange. If she were to get married, I thought her first partner would definitely be the princess.

'No, what on earth are you thinking?'

I shook my head and had to correct my pathetic mind that was unconsciously fantasizing about a first wife and a second wife.

That's because the biggest problem right now wasn't that.

"Oh no."

I have to attend a party tomorrow... I can't dance at all.

I wanted to learn the basics quickly, but no matter how much money I was paid, I couldn't find a teacher who would teach a savage how to dance.

If I stayed still, my already striking appearance would draw even more attention, and that would cause a serious setback to my plan.

While I was groaning for a while due to my unresolved worries.

—Owl!

A snow-white eagle owl flew in through the open window.

The princess's pet owl, Snow.

We clearly decided not to exchange letters on this mission, but what on earth was going on?

"Hey, how did you even get here?"

Regardless of how you got here, I was glad to see you, so I carefully patted the owl's head.

[Hello! Master, you wanted to see me, right?]

"What?!"

The owl spoke.

And in a very familiar woman's voice.

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