Volume 11 Chapter 15 The Underhanded Activities Of The Black-Bellied Fox Talia
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”That’s impossible… All the Hunting Group members are infatuated with Hendric…”
Talia softly rejects the idea, then whispers in my ear again.
”Don’t worry. By tomorrow, Abyss Vena’s information network will spread rumors that will tarnish Ms. Hendric’s reputation all at once. Since it’s true that she’s been staying at Lord Nokin’s mansion day after day, the rumors should spread quickly. You can take advantage of the chaos to gather the Hunting Group members. Will you do it for me?”
Talia’s breath tickled my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
At the same time, it seemed highly likely that Talia’s plan would succeed.
The Hunting Group members had already started to doubt Hendric, and I could hear complaints about her absence from those still in Felward.
I quickly calculated that if I carried out Talia’s plan, most of the Hunting Group members could be rallied to the new organization.
I was silent for a while, deep in thought, but soon made my decision.
…Hendric… If only you had been more careful, we wouldn’t be in this situation… That’s why I kept warning you not to get too involved with Nokin… Sir Belholt… I’m sorry for not living up to your trust in me.
From now on, I will follow my own path…
I decided to keep an eye on Hendric, whom I had let into Nokin. Following Talia’s strategy, I would disband the ‘Golden Apostles’ and gather the Hunting Group members under King Kent as the new leader of ‘The King’s Sword.’
* * *
*Kent’s Perspective
With the final battle against Nokin just 2 days away, I was anxious and spent my days in the castle courtyard sparring with Milly and the others.
But, since this was a city with weak magic elements, my behavior experience wasn’t adjusted, and my level was barely increasing.
That’s when Talia came to see me.
”Swordsmanship instructor? Nah, I just picked up being a Swordsman for fun, and my real weapon is a gun-lance, you know… Besides, isn’t Aurelia good enough to be the Swordsmanship instructor?”
”Oh no, the Swordsmanship instructor I recommend is from the same Majin Clan as Sir Kent, and she’s a female Swordsman. Her sword skills match Lady Aurelia’s, and she’s also talented in paperwork and administration.”
Talia approached me as I rested in the garden and whispered in my ear.
Lately, Talia had been plotting to gain more influence in Elkisa and teaming up with Kerstin for various underhanded activities.
I had been informed by the Dorman family’s garden keeper, Milly, that she was up to something again.
Well, it’s Talia’s style, so if she doesn’t go too far with her mischief, I guess I could punish her publicly by spanking her…
Talia, with her strong desire for power, had set herself apart from the groups led by Milly’s Annabella group, Lina’s Dorman family supporters, Dee’s Black Dragon Dukedom group, and Flamil’s True Demon Dukedom group, starting a new power dynamic.
Already, Elkisa and Kerstin had been absorbed into Talia’s Garuda-Majin Clan group, expanding their power.
And now, Talia had chosen a new pawn, a woman, to introduce to me.
”Hmph. A Swordsman, huh… I think it’s the age of magic guns now, though…”
”Can you say that after seeing Lord Nokin? And recently, the side room Lady Iska barely uses magic guns, which really surprised me.”
Talia brought up Iska’s abilities, whom she had defeated before.
”…Ugh. Indeed…”
”Moreover, I can confidently say that the person I recommend this time is a beauty who fits Sir Kent’s taste perfectly. Her body is lovely, and as someone who enjoys Swordsmanship, she’ll be quite delightful during the nights…”
Talia whispered in my ear, pitching a candidate for the Swordsmanship instructor.
Milly watched the scene, her face showing a hint of exasperated amusement.
”Talia, you’re so enthusiastic… Well, if it’s someone who can benefit Kent, you can recommend as many as you like… But if they’re not, be prepared for punishment.”
”I fully acknowledge Lady Miriallia’s words. I believe this person will indeed be useful for Sir Kent.”
After receiving a pointed reminder from Milly, Talia bowed her head respectfully and began to list reasons for recommending the Swordsmanship instructor candidate.
”This time, I recommend Lady Lakia, the deputy Hunting Group Leader of the ‘Golden Apostles.’ She has gathered the members of the Hunting Group to form a new private army for King Kent called ‘The King’s Sword,’ and she has promised to serve under Sir Kent. In return, I am here to request permission for her to become the Swordsmanship instructor and to set up a dojo.”
Talia’s words caused a stir among the people around us.
Milly looked the most shocked.
”‘Gathering the members of the ‘Golden Apostles’ Hunting Group!? That group follows Hendric blindly! There’s no way Lakia would betray Hendric!”
”It’s understandable to be surprised, but I have already completed the preliminary negotiations. I have a letter from Lady Lakia stating that she would move forward if she receives approval for the Swordsmanship instructor position, permission to establish a dojo, and some support. Please take a look.”
Talia gave me a paper.
It had what Talia said on it, and it was signed by Lakia, the sub-Hunting Group Leader of the ‘Golden Apostles’.
”Seriously… the ‘Golden Apostles’ are disbanding so easily…?”
The ‘Golden Apostles’ were the top Hunting Group in the South District, and the only group I didn’t have power over.
I didn’t think they’d follow me so easily.
”Yes… Everything is ready. It’s only up to Sir Kent’s decision now.”
I looked at Milly.
”If it’s true, it’s amazing. The ‘Golden Apostles’ will be Kent’s private soldiers.”
Milly shrugged, but she didn’t seem to disagree.
”If we think of it as a gamble… we could make a lot of money. Anyway, set up a meeting with Lakia.”
”Yes! She’s already waiting in the castle. We can have the meeting right away.”
Talia already knew I’d say yes, so she brought Lakia to the castle.
* * *
Talia led me to a drawing room.
There was a woman from the Majin Clan with brown hair, sitting straight and drinking tea gracefully.
Like Talia said, she had a good figure, with a big chest and a nice waist.
She looked like she’d be great to hug.
And her face was thin, which was different from her body.
That made me want her even more.
When the woman saw me, she put her tea down, stood up, and bowed.
”Thank you for taking the time to see me today, even though you are busy.”
I wasn’t close to the ‘Golden Apostles’, and I hadn’t talked much with Lakia, but we had said hello to each other.
”No, I was just about to rest, so honestly, it’s almost a relief. I’ve heard the main points from Talia, but… are you really going to disband the ‘Golden Apostles’? And most of the Hunting Group members are currently stationed in Felward, fighting monsters, right?”
I was a little worried about Talia’s plan to disband the ‘Golden Apostles’ and make them my personal soldiers.
Because ‘Golden Apostles’ are the main force defending Felward Fortress against monsters, and if they break up and lose their group, I worry that our defense will weaken a lot.
”Your Excellency Kent worries about Felward’s defense, correct? But there’s no need to worry. This is just about disbanding to remove Hendric, and replacing the ‘Golden Apostles’ banner with ‘King’s Sword’.”
Lakia stared at me with sharp, clever eyes.
People with eyes like that are usually smart, calculating, and tend to interpret things logically.
They often succeed with clever schemes.
”Remove Hendric? I remember that the ‘Golden Apostles’ are a Hunting Group that admired Hendric’s bravery… wasn’t that right?”
”Yes, that’s right. Before this Beast King Tournament started, I even personally pledged loyalty to Hendric.”
Lakia let out a small sigh.
”Then why are you planning to remove her?”
Lakia’s eyes flickered as she hesitated.
”…I feel bad to tell Your Excellency Kent about the situation with the Hunting Group, but… after abandoning the hunt in Felward, complaints erupted within the group because Hendric, the Leader, participated in the Beast King Tournament. Recently, after the fight with Lord Nokin, Hendric has even stopped doing the minimal duties of a Leader and has been hanging around Nokin’s mansion. What’s worse, Hendric hinted to me that she want to give up the Leader position and leave the Hunting Group…”
”I’ve heard that Hendric hasn’t come out of Nokin’s mansion… Really? I mean, she is a noble of the South District as a hunting Noble. If she just leave the Hunting Group like that, it would be a big problem for us…”
I had heard from Milly that Hendric was desperately chasing after Nokin after her true identity as a woman was revealed, but what Lakia told me was even more shocking.
”I see… with Hendric in that kind of status, keeping the Hunting Group together is questionable. So, are you saying they want to sell themselves along with the ‘Golden Apostles’?”
”Y-yes. That is the situation.”
”Honestly, how many members of the ‘Golden Apostles’ Hunting Group can we gather into the ‘King’s Sword’?”
Lakia mentioned this was just a sign change, but if the members of the ‘Golden Apostles’ were the type who could start their own Hunting Group independently, losing a charismatic leader like Hendric could mean Lakia might struggle to gather them under me.
Therefore, I was curious about how many members Lakia could actually manage.
”…If Lady Talia’s plan works, we can get the ‘King’s Sword’ to join us almost completely. I don’t have charisma like Hendric, but I can gather the Hunting Group members by threatening and tricking them…”
Talia stepped in front of me to add to what Lakia said.
”Sir Kent… If my plan succeeds, you will get the powerful private army, the Hunting Group, and the position of the First Fang of Garuda. I’ve already started working on the preparations.”
Talia, who was already working on her plan, seemed sure of success.
She had a smile on her face that showed her true colors.
”Make sure you don’t mess with my fight against Nokin.”
”Haa, of course. I won’t interfere with Sir Kent’s fight. My plan is only for after the demonstration.”
I gave Talia a warning, just in case she went too far.
”Okay. Then go ahead. If you gather with the Hunting Group, now reorganized as the ‘King’s Sword,’ I’ll give you 5 hundred large gold coins as a starting bonus, on top of Talia’s conditions. You can use the money however you want. Use it for the new Hunting Group’s funds or whatever.”
Lakia’s face turned pale when she heard the amount of the starting bonus.
”Huh!? What did you just say? Did I hear 5 hundred large gold coins instead of 50? Am I hearing things?”
”Sir Kent! That’s a bit too much, isn’t it!?”
Talia, who was next to me, was also surprised by the amount of the starting bonus.
After all, with 5 hundred large gold coins, she would become one of the richest people in Abyss Vena, but I didn’t know how much it would cost to maintain a large Hunting Group, so I decided to give them a lot.
”When you dissolve ‘Golden Apostles’, the Hunting Group funds will go into each member’s account, right? So, the new Hunting Group needs a good amount of money to not cause trouble for the Administration… Are you short? We don’t have a large-scale Hunting Group with high-level members. I’m not sure about the funding size…”
”Sir Kent!? This is too much money for the Hunting Group Administration. If Ms. Helga hears this, she might faint!”
Talia desperately urges for a reconsideration.
Meanwhile, Lakia, shown a stack of 5 hundred large gold coins, paused, rubbing her forehead in disbelief.
”I misjudged Your Excellency Kent… I didn’t know you had such a wide and deep capacity…”
”Huh!? Is it too much? Well then… please discuss with Helga and decide. I leave the amount to Lakia.”
”Uh, um. Understood. I will consult closely with Lady Helga to provide the proper amount of funds.”
When Lakia snapped out of it, she had a wry smile on her face.
Thus, after laying the groundwork for further recruitment ahead of the Beast King tournament, they decided to resume intense training for the battle against Nokin, which was coming up in 2 days.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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