Chapter 49 – If You Want Me to Pretend I Didn’t Hear It, I’m Happy to Oblige
“H-Hold on a second!!”
Yuzuriha-san interrupted in a panic.
“If what you said is true, there’s no way I wouldn’t know about it! Our Duke’s family has its own information network, and we’re always careful to gather information!”
“So let me ask you, Yuzuriha-san, have you heard directly from people who say they have actually seen the battlefield?”
“…No, it seems that direct reports are delayed. Normally, soldiers mixed in the front lines would come to sell information…”
“I’m even more convinced now that you’ve told me.”
I stare at Yuzuriha-san,
“Please think about it. If the personalities of the two princes I heard about are truly competitive, wouldn’t each side’s prince boast about how well they performed and try to undermine the other’s efforts?”
“Indeed. The nature of those two princes is thoroughly corrupt.”
“The purpose of this war in the first place is largely to show how suitable they are to be the next king. But there is no talk of that at all.”
“Hmm…”
“It sounds great that two princes joined forces and crushed the enemy army, but I have never heard a detailed description of it. If it is a battle that was won, it should be described in great detail and widely publicized.”
“Now that you’ve mentioned it…But they’re that stupid king’s children, didn’t they simply attack with so much vigor that they didn’t even have a cool scene?”
“Then you hear those kinds of stories. But this time you don’t hear anything at all.”
I’m thirsty after talking so much. I want some tea.
“That means that from the very beginning, it didn’t matter if they won or lost, that’s the scenario that was created.”
“…Hmm…”
Otherwise there is no explanation.
Why has the information control worked so well so far?
It is probably because they prepared carefully long before the outcome of the battle, perhaps even before they went into battle, that they were able to deceive even Yuzuriha, the duke’s daughter…
Now that we’ve made it this far, we’re one step closer to the answer.
“Even though it will be found out in the not-too-distant future anyway, why do you think they prepared such false information, Yuzuriha-san?”
“Over time, false information is worthless. So it’s just a way to buy time—Ah, so that’s what you’re saying!”
“Yes. The aim is probably a coup.”
As long as they come to power in a coup d’état, no matter how badly they lose the war, they can eliminate those who will hold them accountable.
Of course, if an enemy country invaded, it would be different, but Yuzuriha-san, known as the Killing Goddess of War, plus her alliance with the Amazons, probably determined that there was little chance of the country being invaded.
I don’t know which noble family devised the plot, but they probably planned from the beginning that the princes would suffer a crushing defeat. It’s extremely evil nature.
“That’s why I thought that one of the princes’ camp would stage a coup and the target would be the current king and princess in the royal capital… Well, is the princess going to stage a coup as well?”
“Ugh.”
“If you want me to pretend I didn’t hear it, I’m happy to oblige.”
“—No, Listen, this is a good time. I was going to tell you anyway.”
I was then told, in minute detail, about the coup d’état planned by the princess to make her the next queen.
I’m just a commoner, so being told the core of a national conspiracy is of no use to me.
And…
Five days after we talked about it at dinner.
The king and princess were imprisoned after a coup d’etat by the second prince’s faction.
