Chapter 17 Goals and Approaches (II)
"You say, what is the standard for judging whether a person is ordinary or not?"
Filled with a lingering sense of fatigue, wrapped in silk thinner than cicada wings and softer than cotton, Ikavia had just suppressed a yawn, and the resulting tiredness could not be erased by the blessing magic. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info
The freshest roses could not hide her beauty, and the female lord sat on a mattress as gorgeous as a field of flowers, contemplating and contemplating. Here, it was the female lord at the pinnacle of power in King's Landing, who had never even shown a single expression other than a smile in the eyes of the public, that was occasionally able to relax her "sleeping chamber".
This is Ekavia's boudoir.
The City Hall of the Flower Moon City has four floors, of which the first floor is used for important guests, most of the rooms are used for meetings, as well as rooms for distinguished guests, and the second floor is the office where important decisions about the City of Flower Moon and the peninsula as a whole are made.
Going up, the third floor is where the maids rest. There were far more maids than necessary in this modest mansion, and the reason for this was entirely due to Ikavia's "charity work". For those orphaned women, the female lord would unconditionally adopt them in a "welfare home" in the corner of the city, and when she reached the age of fifteen, she would choose a group of clever children to be his maids-in-waiting.
In a city where everyone reveres Ekavia as a god, her handmaidens are also revered characters.
The fourth floor, the top of the building, is not high, but in the words of the lord herself, it still has "a view of the whole city". This is not the case, and even when it was first established, the view was far from the level of overlooking the city. What's more, since Ikavia became the Lord of the Flower Moon Capital, the entire city has continued to expand outward, and today, regardless of population, area, or prosperity, the Flower Moon Capital can be ranked among the top cities in the continent.
I almost forgot to mention that the fourth floor belongs to hers.
"Ordinary people...... Is it ordinary for a person who has no strengths and talents?"
Leaning her neck to the side of the window, she naturally couldn't see the expression on her face from the doorway. And from the tone in which she had lost her usual majesty or teasingness, one could imagine how tired, how mournful, and how longing for someone with whom she could share her sorrows.
"There are always many definitions of ordinary, so can people who do not have lofty ideals and ambitions be called ordinary?"
Her words were more like talking to herself, after all, she was the only one in the whole empty room.
"Not a little bit famous, not known, not accomplished, not recognized by anyone...... That should be ordinary enough, but what if the subject is a teenager or a girl?"
Turning her head quietly, Ikavia didn't seem to be looking out the window just now.
"What if a person had all of the above......? What a mediocre and incompetent human being, who is at peace with what comes his way and never takes the initiative to do anything...... Haha, people like this ......"
Stretching in disbelief and making such a gesture shows that the female lord, who is considered a "monster" by many because of her extraordinary abilities, is still a human at heart.
"It's so unusual. What's even more terrifying is that there is a place full of people like this. β
When she had come to her conclusion, her body fell back as if it had lost its support, and her long black and shiny hair spread out like waves on the bed, and rose petals rose in all directions.
The petals are also black.
It's like a dream.
"Lance. Chewing on the name that immediately reminded her of the word "bad guy", she quietly closed her eyes, the female lord's self-talk was not yet over, "Your lies can deceive those who know nothing about the nature of magic." β
It's ridiculous to say that your own consciousness is attached to magic.
However, it is not ruled out that he has really reached the ...... There's no way, where is the realm of magic that is too advanced for a 'mortal' like me to reach, uh-huh...... It's all because 'you' won't answer my question, that's why I'm so cranky." β
The self-deprecation of geniuses is always creepy.
At the same time, the "you" in her mouth seems to have another person in the room.
However, there was no one else in the house.
It was nearly dusk, and half rays of sunlight were streaming in through the window, giving Ikavia an even bleaker afterglow. During the day's communication with Mohr, the female lord took a little effort to get the warrior to reveal all the information, although she didn't really care about Lance's death, this person was just an inconspicuous "little person" to her. In fact, even the organization behind Lance is nothing more than a bargaining chip for the owners of the peninsula to exchange interests.
So, why did she have to work so hard? and even sent her own cronies...... Just to give his companions a little favor?
"A person's value will diminish a lot after his death, unless, well, I still care a little bit about the boy he 'chosen'. After all, there are always endless possibilities in young people......"
Ah, I don't know his name yet.
However, this is only a trivial matter.
"Of course, the level of care is not even one part per billion of 'you'. β
"Knock knock. β
A soft knock on the door made the woman who was lazily lying on the bed open her eyes slightly. Knowing that it was dinner timeβher dinner had always consisted of just a steaming cup of coffeeβthe female lord sighed beautifully, and sat up.
"Lady Ekavia, your coffee?"
Perhaps it was because the response inside the room was a little slower than usual, and the voice outside the door was a little anxious.
"Okay~ It's coming. Giving a sweet response to Berdeona, who had just become her maid half a year ago and was now a "chief maid", Ikavia stood up abruptly, but whispered a word out the window.
"However, I only care about that boy to 1/10 billion of him. β
With these words, the female lord, whose age was a mystery, stepped briskly like a maiden and walked towards the door.
"Ding-"
The moment the door opened, a musical note suddenly came from outside the empty window, the note was long and deep, as if it was telling something.
"Ikavia-sama, what's going on?"
The moment the door was opened, the maid Baldeona, who had a flat expression, widened her eyes at what she was seeingβshe had just passed her sixteenth birthday, and she could not fully control her expression.
On Ikavia's face was a smug smile that the girl whose name meant "lark" had never seen in half a year.
She smiled like a child snatching delicious candy from someone else's hands.
......
......
......
"I have a problem. β
"Oh? β
In the not-so-spacious room, Vina, who had regained her strength, not only overcame her grief, but also seemed to have finally shaken off the shyness of her rather revealing clothing.
Of course, Ralph still couldn't figure out why she had changed into such a dress. Kyle's response to women is indeed quite gentlemanly.
"I'll be tempted, but I can't just believe what you say until my doubts are dispelled. β
"That's good, it would be scary if you believed me so simply, haha. β
Kyle has a beautiful smile, and when a man like him laughs, he unleashes a charm that women fall in love with, but a man like him is not the type of person Vina would like.
β...... What is any clear evidence that the people who slaughtered the villagers and killed Captain Lance were from the Blue Sea Nation? I'm sorry, but with a skeptical attitude and the exclusion of the possibility of a third party, I think the chances of the soldiers of the Peninsula Alliance and the Blue Sea Nation doing this are the same......"
"But this is on the territory of the Alliance of the Peninsula ......Empire?
"That village is not under the rule of the Peninsula Alliance at all, do you want me to go into more detail?"
"Hmm......"
"Although we have just heard the news from the outside, it is better not to think that we do not know anything about the situation on the peninsula. All your previous remarks were intended to induce us to point the finger at the Brisken Empire, didn't you?"
The tone is not intense, but it is-for-tat.
Vina's sensitivity in major events is by no means worse than that of anyone in the team, and judging from her statement, the previous gamble "escape" was not just to buy clothes.
"Well, I need to correct my attitude. As a partner, you should always show some sincerity, right?"
Somewhat helplessly, Kyle's gaze sharpened again.
"It's not for nothing that we assume that it was the army of the Brusken Empire that attacked the village, hmm...... Come closer. His voice was extremely low, so low that Vina, who was not too far away, couldn't fully hear it, "Well, first of all, we have reliable intelligence sources in the military and political circles of the Blue Sea Country, cough, you know, it's undercover." β
It is not a secret thing for major powers to send undercover agents to each other, on the contrary, Southwell's war operations between countries are basically carried out on the basis of considering the other side's way of knowing their own information.
In other words, an undercover agent is an existence recognized by various interest groups.
"It's inconvenient to reveal too much, and of course, even I don't know the true identity of the undercover agent as a core secret. However, based on past experience, the source of the information should also be reliable, and the 'missing' ship and its crew were indeed infiltrated into the pirate camp just mentioned. That's the first point. β
Seeing that Vena's eyes loosened slightly, Kyle knew that she had been somewhat persuaded by herself, of course, the fundamental reason was that it was easier for us to trust her than on the side of the Blue Sea Country, which he didn't know anything about.
Preconceived notions are especially important.
"Second, if you really know anything about the military and political situation on the peninsula, you should know that in order to maintain the trust of the rest of the lords in my flower moon capital, any military action we have to report and make it partially public afterwards, and the other side of this measure is that the entire army of the peninsula is absolutely not allowed to go out without the orders of Lord Ikavia. β
"What are you trying to say?"
"I mean, with my life as a guarantee, I can show you all the movements of the Peninsula Alliance forces during this time, and there is absolutely no record of any movement of any of them. β
"Hmm......" It was Ralph who made the "I see" sound, and to be honest, he didn't understand the conversation between the two at all, but he was surprisingly able to understand this sentence.
Kyle didn't care about Ralph's reaction, and after a brief encounter, he clearly understood that the team that had lost its captain Lance had all decided on Moore and Vina.
Moore's words should be easy to say for the sake of his long-time friend, and he has also seen the courage of Lord Ekavia...... So the key is Vina, as long as you get her ......
"I have another question. β
Vina hadn't come to a conclusion yet, but another cold female voice suddenly disrupted Kyle's calculations.
It was Christopher who asked the question, and the cold girl moved her gaze to the knight's body, causing the latter to shiver. Fortunately, following Ekavia for many years, this momentum is nothing to Kyle, so he doesn't really tremble, and if that happens, it will inevitably cause unnecessary suspicion.
Obviously, so many facts have already been revealed, wouldn't it be too much of a loss to lose all your efforts because of an inexplicable action?
"Ahem, please. β
"From the explanation just now, it is indeed cloth...... That country is more likely to send soldiers. It seems that he did not remember the full name of the Brusken Empire, and Christopher did lack common sense at this point, blinking his eyes like glaciers on the Far North Mountains, and the girl's thoughtful expression of putting her finger on her face suddenly poked Kyle's heart, causing him to feel a little strange.
"But, why, why?"
"Why?"
The question was raised, and it seemed that only Ralph and Troy were still out of the room right now.
"Yes, everything must have a purpose, what is the purpose of making the Brusken Empire go to such great lengths to attack a small village with little plunder value?"
Christopher's question opened up new ideas for Vina, and she echoed it.
"What's the purpose...... Can I say I don't know?"
Shrugged his shoulders again, which seemed to be his habitual move. Kyle's somewhat irresponsible reply couldn't help but surprise Vina and the others.
"Sorry, not all the information we have available. However, I have one thing to say before jumping to conclusions. β
He took a deep breath, glanced around the crowd - but paused slightly at the sight of Troy - and began his final explanation.
"It is true that it is difficult to justify the inevitability of action without knowing its purpose, but please also think about it the other way, does the Peninsula Alliance justify attacking villages? He pointed a smile at Vina, "If you think so, you're back to square one, according to what Lance left behind...... Wait, I think of something very important! Really, wouldn't it be nice to say this at the beginning?"
His eyes lit up, and this time he turned his gaze to Mohr.
"Mo-dude? I can call it that, right? According to your description, when you sorted out the corpses, you found people who didn't look like villagers, right, people with weapons in their hands?"
"Hmm. Moore nodded. And when he said this, Vina also remembered the strange corpses outside the church.
"Notice where the calluses are on their hands?"
-- Sometimes the devil is in the details.
"Well, so, is there anything else you want to say?" Seeing Vina's expression, Moore, who had never expressed his opinion, felt that it was time, and turned his inquiring gaze to Ralph and Christofferl, and the man paused and continued.
"The standard weapon of the Blue Sea Country is the scimitar, while the standard weapon of the peninsula is the long sword, and the position of the cocoon sharpened by using the two weapons for a long time is different, so the conclusion is ......"
"The killer is a soldier of the Brisken Empire, aha, let me interrupt you once too?"
Kyle's expression was a little playful.
"Wait a minute, Mor, you knew that from the beginning?" the truth was understood, but Vina suddenly had a new question, "Then why do you want me to ......"
"I'm sorry Vina, I ...... it without permission"
"I see, needless to say. Let's get straight to the conclusion, I already understand what you mean. β
The moment she made eye contact, Vina already knew the meaning of Moore's actions.
- Let's see if I lose my mind because I want to avenge Captain Lance...... What do you think of me, Moore, do you think I'm the kind of person who loses my mind because something important happens...... It seems like this...... Whining......
"I'm sorry to you, Christofferie. β
β...... Anyway. β
"Well, and Ralph, you can forget it. β
"Huh, why do you ...... me?"
"The conclusion," the crowd, who had been relieved by Ralph's exaggerated expression, calmed down here because of More's accent of emphasis, "go to the pirate camp and get this account for Captain Lance, and for the innocent dead villagers!"
"It's irrational to ask Master Bruce Kenxing directly, that's why we ......"
"Alright, Lord Garrison Captain~" suddenly made an ambiguous voice, and it was Vina who interrupted Kyle's supplementary explanation again, but she was looking at Troy when she said this, "No need to remind us everywhere, we all know it." β
"That couldn't be better. Although his tone was flat, Kyle, who still seemed to care that his speech was interrupted, ended his bowing and explanation, picked up the iron gloves and helmet that had been thrown aside, put them back on, and looked like he was leaving.
"Now that we have decided what we are going to do next, I will be gone, and I will come back tomorrow morning to embark on the road of thieves with you. β
Respectfully giving a military salute to the group, Kyle turned around and heard Vina's question.
"Together?"
"Ah, didn't I say it, it's not only a mission sent by Ikavia, but also something I have to do as a friend of Lance...... Well, that's it, while a night raid is a good idea, but fighting in the dark is also a hindrance for us, so let's go and 'visit' tomorrow in the open. β
Kyle's tone was rather witty, and he didn't seem to take the strength of those pirates to heart.
"Ha, there's a fight!"
"You know how to fight! This time it's revenge!"
"Somewhat restrained, don't make too much of a fuss. If we kill too many people, we will be no different from those murderers. β
"Yes. β
"Good~"
"Christopher, is there a problem?"
"Nope. β
ββ"If you kill too many people," does that mean it doesn't matter if you kill a few less......? Well, it seems that Moore has become the de facto leader, and the others have approved of it. Yes, it seems that the fact that the captain is not there is already acceptable. That's right.
I couldn't help but feel a little relieved at this thought, however, just as Kyle pressed the doorknob and was about to open the door, Mohr's next words made him almost hit the door.
"Young man, you...... Would you like to come with us?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Let him?"
Aside from Christopher's lack of opinion, Vina, Ralph, and Kyle all seemed to react strongly.
Next, what surprised the three even more was Troy's response.
"Okay. β
"What are you kidding?"
"Just this kid who can't even talk properly?"
"Are you really not thinking about it anymore?"
While Vina and Ralph both look at Moore in disbelief, Kyle sets his sights on Troy.
"Consider? What's that?"
The young man was puzzled by the fierce reaction of the crowd in front of him, and when he said his question, the audience immediately fell silent.
To be honest, even Moore now regrets what he said.
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