This Kingdom Needs a Coup

About 5 weeks ago.

When dealing with a tricky enemy, the most essential step is gathering information.

When has information ever not been important? But in a situation like this, its importance is even greater.

Unlike the Empire, which declared war and boldly marched in head-on, the Holy Kingdom has been sneaky with their behind-the-scenes schemes.

They secretly contacted the royal family, plotted escape plans, and even had their troops invade our land without permission.

It’s the kind of method that doesn’t show on the surface, but if discovered, it’s a huge headache.

‘What’s the goal of these bastards?’

Then we need to figure out why they went to such lengths.

What kind of benefit or strategic goal are they after by targeting us?

Even though they know they’re clearly at a disadvantage in terms of pure national power and military strength, why would they poke the lion’s whiskers?

Even if it’s not that, finding out the enemy’s weaknesses or hidden circumstances would be good too.

If we can get some blackmail material to pressure the Holy Kingdom, we won’t need to waste national power squabbling.

However, it’s the kind of secret that’s not easily obtainable from the outside.

After much deliberation, I had to make a decisive decision.

‘I’ll personally lead an infiltration team and sneak into the Holy Kingdom.’

I’ll form a small spy unit with only the most skilled individuals and ransack the Holy Kingdom’s interior until we get some useful information.

If we focus on major facilities like the Holy Emperor’s Palace or the cathedral, something’s bound to turn up, right?

‘So… you’re saying you’ll personally become a spy? Are you in your right mind? Should I find you a good doctor?’

‘Have you forgotten that you’re the de facto leader of this country?’

‘Just send one of us instead. If you get caught in the Holy Kingdom, the kingdom is doomed!!’

‘I’m sane, so stop looking at me like that. You’re asking for a beating.’

Of course, the opposition was fierce.

I’m the one who controls the military under the puppet leader, General Albrecht, and leads the core faction that holds the majority of the parliamentary seats.

If I die or get captured while messing around in a foreign country, the kingdom’s ability to govern will immediately be paralyzed and lose its function.

Unlike temporarily stepping away for diplomacy, if I disappear entirely, the factions within the power structure won’t be able to sort themselves out, and the likelihood of internal strife leading to collapse is high.

The republicans, the military, and the religious factions will all be at each other’s throats and self-destruct.

But I had a reason to take on such a risk.

‘Then, if any of you think you can do better than me, step forward. I’ll give you full authority.’

‘Uh… c-cough! I’m not sure.’

‘Uh, what? There must be someone in the intelligence bureau, right? Brigadier General Kais has a lot of skilled people under him.’

‘So you’re saying you don’t know, you idiots.’

There’s no one I can trust and entrust this to besides myself.

As I’ve said many times before, when I was in the north, I was the kind of person who would run around on the front lines even with stars on my shoulders.

Even though I had a division under my command, I led my direct units and breached enemy fortresses like it was breakfast. I only stopped after becoming a lieutenant general.

Thanks to that, I know all the tricks of the trade.

Techniques for disguising as the enemy, moving without being noticed, and suppressing your presence, among others.

But what about my subordinates?

‘They’re good at following orders, but they can’t lead on their own.’

Since I, as the superior, always led the infiltrations, they rarely had the chance to lead operations and gain experience.

They’re good at assisting from the side, but anything beyond that is too much for them. I wonder if they’ll understand if I explain it like that.

After I stepped back from the front lines, the main focus shifted to field battles and trench warfare, so there weren’t many opportunities either.

It’s not something you’d usually need to worry about… but in a situation like this, it’s a different story.

You can’t assign uncertain personnel to a mission where failure is not an option.

‘Then I’ll take it as unanimous approval. I’ll pick the personnel from my direct units, so make sure to prepare enough preserved food. The deadline is next Monday.’

For these reasons, I personally led the infiltration operation into the Setnil Holy Kingdom.

* * * * * *

And now.

“Sir. That’s the Amas Cathedral. The largest religious facility in the southern region of the Holy Kingdom.”

“Really? We arrived faster than I thought.”

After days of traveling in a modified wagon for the operation.

After crossing the border twice and passing through the Kailas Kingdom, we were now wandering deep within the Holy Kingdom’s territory.

“Should we do the same as last time?”

“Yeah. Find a good spot, set up shop, and start selling. Only a few of us will rest with me and move at night. About six people should do this time.”

“Understood!”

As I gave the order, a loud response came back.

Even the guys who were awkward at first are starting to get the hang of it after a few real missions.

Our tactic is to be street vendors during the day and spies under the cover of night.

A simple mobile shop selling snacks or alcohol is something you’ll find in any city in any country, so no one finds it suspicious.

Using the shop as an excuse to carry ropes and other tools looks normal, and it’s perfect for disguise.

“Are we hitting that place today?”

“It’s not hitting, it’s searching, you idiot. It’s a place directly managed by a Cardinal, so there must be a ton of confidential documents hidden there.”

I lightly scolded the guy who thought this was some kind of bank heist and muttered.

“All the places we’ve been to so far have been duds. I hope we hit the jackpot here.”

Small monasteries and churches didn’t yield much.

We did get some minor corruption-related documents and a few Holy Kingdom official papers, but you can’t use that kind of stuff for diplomacy.

This place is in the Holy Kingdom’s top three, so it must be different, right?

“I’ll sleep inside. Wake me up if anything happens.”

“Got it. See you later.”

I went inside the wagon, hung a hammock from the roof beam, and lay down.

Using my arm as a pillow, I could hear the outside sounds through the non-soundproof wooden walls.

“Welcome! Today’s beer is only 40 kilber!”

“We’ve got sausages and pickled cabbage! Fish and chips as a side dish too!”

“We’ve got ale and fruit wine! If you like alcohol, don’t hesitate to try—”

“They’re really into the sales.”

These guys wasted their youth in the military, but their salesmanship is pretty good.

I should plan some support programs later so they can find their aptitudes. They can’t rot as soldiers forever.

* * * * *

A few more hours passed, and it was late at night with the moon in the sky.

“It’s 2 a.m. now… Alright. Let’s get moving. Everyone’s got their gear, right?”

“Yes, sir. We’ve checked multiple times, so don’t worry.”

We woke up at a time when everyone was asleep, changed into comfortable clothes, and covered our faces with masks.

So even if someone sees us, they won’t recognize our faces.

With ropes, daggers, and various other tools, we quietly moved through the streets.

“The Cardinal’s private room is at the back of the cathedral. He lives there tending to a garden.”

“He must have a separate office. Do you know where that is?”

“Probably next to the library. They usually keep paper-related things together.”

“That makes sense.”

The perimeter of the Amas Cathedral, our target, was lax.

It didn’t have walls surrounding it like a castle, and there were only a couple of guards patrolling the area.

Maybe they think no one would dare touch a cathedral in a theocratic nation with strong faith?

Well, it’s good for us. It makes it easier to infiltrate.

“Hey, Hans and Yohan, right? You two check where the treasure vault is. Karl, Wilhelm, and Joachim, come with me to the library.”

“Sir, what should I do?”

“Heinrich, you’re on external surveillance. Keep an eye out for anyone coming to the cathedral.”

“Understood.”

Taking advantage of the lack of guards, we broke a window and entered a large hallway. Is this the main prayer room?

The passage split in multiple directions, so we quickly assigned roles and split up.

Two for searching valuable items, four for documents and materials.

“Which floor should we go to?”

“Let’s go up first. Books are usually kept in the deepest and safest part of the facility.”

It’s an era where old-fashioned printing presses from the Gutenberg era are still in use.

Books aren’t as ridiculously expensive as they were in the days of manual transcription, but they’re still valuable.

So, it’s common to have a library in a restricted area.

In fact, our royal palace and the headquarters’ library are also located in such places.

“Found it.”

Sure enough, when we reached the third floor, we found the library and the office.

Books were piled up everywhere, easily over 2,000 volumes.

By Earth standards, it’s not much, but in this world, it’s an enormous amount.

In an era where the variety of books isn’t that diverse, this is enough to have almost every published book.

‘They must have stored administrative documents here too.’

It’s good for us since we don’t have to wander around.

If we search here, we’ll probably find all the information we need.

The only problem is…

“W-who’s there! Do you know where you are, barging in like this?”

“Damn it.”

The Cardinal bastard was working late instead of sleeping.

“Gag him and tie him up.”

“Yes, sir.”

“H-how dare you—mmph!”

First, let’s shut him up and tie him down. I checked the documents he was working on.

Cathedral management expense reports and cleaner salary receipts? And the paper underneath is…

“List of external assets purchased with donations and tithes?”

This smells fishy from the name alone.

* * * * *

Around the same time, at the Holy Emperor’s Palace.

—Crash!

“I, I dug through! But where is this?”

The Saintess was digging holes all over the place because she didn’t know the way.

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