Read Novel Full Vol 20 Chapter 23
Vol 20 Chapter 23
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Chapter 23 – Taking Decisive Action
I wanted to be a stylish and elegant thief, but in the end, I succeeded in my mission to steal the magic cannon, just barely… maybe? As a result, there was a naval battle between the army and Count Tontrade’s fleet. There were various other things, such as the Count’s side conducting a campaign of terror. Still, we were able to return safely to the Castle, so let’s just call it a success.
“Master, Master, please wake up. Master.”
“Hmm? Felicia, is something wrong?”
I was jolted out of my sleep. It seems that Felicia was trying to wake me up. After staying up all night, it’s hard to be woken up in the middle of sleep.
“Yes. It seems that the Navy is requesting an audience with Master, and Camille-san has come to confirm what you will be doing.”
The Navy? Ah, the Navy. The Navy also confirmed that we were the thieves yesterday, didn’t they? That’s why they came to ask us about it.
“Hmm, I see. Tell Camille-san that I’ll meet them after I get ready.”
“Understood.”
Felicia leaves the room immediately. Ines… is still sleeping next to me.
Well, it’s the Navy. There are a few things they could be here to talk about, but the fact that they’ve come directly to the Castle suggests that it’s probably nothing dangerous.
The Navy would know that the Castle was safe, and if they wanted to do something to me, they would have to wait until I was off the ship.
Well, whatever the case, it means I’m safe on the Castle. If that’s the case, it would be more useful to speculate about their goals than to worry about my own safety.
“…I don’t know.”
I think about it while brushing my teeth, but I don’t really understand. If it’s Count Tontrade’s army, then Camille-san alone is enough.
Ah, the Count’s whereabouts. As the Navy, I think you’d want to secure the mastermind’s whereabouts. We let him go because it was inconvenient, but it might be a problem for the Navy.
For now, I’ll tell them where we released him.
“Camille-san, I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”
“No, I was grateful to have some time to relax.”
…Is this sarcasm directed at me the source of all this commotion? But even though I was the one who started it all, it was Camille-san and the others who made it a big deal and created all this work, right?
So, let’s take it as a genuine thank you for the break, not sarcasm.
“I’m glad to hear that. So, do you know what the Navy people want?”
“No, they just said they wanted to see you, but the person who came here looked really worried, you know?”
If they looked worried, it must be about the whereabouts of Count Tontrade. If that’s the case, I think they could have asked Camille-san, but is it something to be kept secret that they haven’t caught the mastermind?
I don’t understand the intricacies of this area, so I’m in trouble.
“Well, let’s go see him anyway.
If I can’t figure it out by thinking about it, it’s quicker to ask.
“That’s right. Then I’ll show you the way.”
Huh? It seems that Camille-san wants to be there, too. Maybe it doesn’t matter if they hide it or not.
Camille-san leads me to the room where the military man is. It seems that they have prepared a room for this meeting as if to avoid attracting attention.
After Camille-san knocks, I enter the room.
“Sorry to bother you, Camille-san. And you must be Wataru-dono. I am the Vice Commander of the Cagliari Naval Base, and my name is Terbitz Harolter. I apologize for the sudden visit.”
“Um, yes, nice to meet you.”
Camille-san seemed to know him, so the greeting was brief. But what kind of position is the Vice Commander of the Cagliari Naval Base?
It doesn’t seem like a low position, but is it like the second most important person at the naval base? I can’t imagine what it’s like for the military as a whole.
Besides, he doesn’t really look like a military man. He’s a little chubby, and he really gives off a middle-aged guy vibe.
And he’s all alone. Normally, if he’s a high-ranking military man on official business, his subordinates would accompany him. It’s most likely a confidential matter. And when it’s like that, there’s usually a lot of troublesome talk.
“Right now, I have a request for you, Wataru-dono.”
“Is it about the whereabouts of Count Tontrade? If so, I dropped him into the sea on the west side of the port of Cagliari, about two hours’ walk away. He could have come back that way.”
I am trying to change the subject because I have a bad feeling about it. I want him to hurry back to the army and work hard on the search.
“No, we caught Count Tontrade wandering around soaking wet. Don’t worry, for some reason, he confessed to the crime very readily.”
I woke up after sleeping, and he was already caught!
I understand that it was a terrible situation, but I wish he had tried a little harder. To confess to the crime so easily… oh, is his heart broken? I’m sorry.
“I see. I’m relieved. Hahaha…”
“So, first of all, would you be willing to hand over the magic cannon to the military as evidence?”
I was suddenly asked to do something that was no joke. I worked hard to get the magic cannon. Otherwise, I would have just left it or sunk it. In the end, I actually sank it in the storage.
I want to refuse outright, but is it okay to refuse?
Hmm, if Count Tontrade is captured, it’ll be hard to hide the fact that I got the magic cannon.
“Camille-san, I want to refuse, but is it bad if I refuse?”
I haven’t even tasted romance yet, so I don’t want to give it up if I can help it. But if it puts me at a disadvantage and causes trouble for those around me, then I’ll think about it. Even if I don’t want to.
“That is true. You won it in battle, and since you don’t belong to this country, you don’t have to give it up. After all, the military has abandoned the Castle.”
Oh, it looks like I don’t have to. That’s right, I can understand the situation, but it doesn’t change the fact that they have abandoned us.
The vice commander is sweating profusely as if Camille-san’s point was right on the money. Serves you right.
Ah, it was supposed to be a confidential conversation, but maybe they tried to avoid being seen because they knew the Navy would be at a disadvantage.
“However, if you think about the relationship with the country, you should turn it in. Since the magic cannon is a powerful weapon, having it will make the country very wary, and the relationship with the country will deteriorate.”
I don’t want you to lift it and then drop it. If the relationship with the country gets worse, it will affect the business, right? Should I give it up?
“But our relationship with this country is already so bad that we’re considering moving. Even if they become suspicious of us now, the situation won’t change, so I think you should be free to do what you want, Wataru-san.”
Camille-san is very cunning. Even though she’s considering the regular shipping route, she threatens them with the idea of moving.
“If that’s the case, I refuse to hand over the magic cannon.”
I’m glad my efforts were not in vain. Hmm, which ship should I install the magic cannon on? The Lutto would be unbalanced, but a luxury liner would be too big for the magic cannon to be noticed.
Hmm, this is fun, but it’s also worrying.
“No, that’s why I think that by having Wataru-dono hand over the magic cannon to us, the relationship between our country and Wataru-dono will improve, and we will be able to build a wonderful relationship.”
“You have your positions wrong. It’s Brescia who wants to be friends with Wataru-san. If you want to deepen the relationship, you should be the one to prepare a gift. If he wants, he can even cut ties with the Kingdom of Brescia, including us.”
Camille-san cuts off the vice commander’s nonsense with a single stroke. I don’t think she really means it, but it’s a strong threat.
“Wait! You’re right; I was wrong about my position. Please forget what I said so far. I’m truly sorry.”
The vice commander apologizes with such force that he seems to fall to his knees. That’s right, the Castle, which is trying to hold on to the country by making a decision that will destroy it, is about to leave because of the vice commander’s nonsense, so there’s no way he won’t panic.
Still, it’s amazing to think that you can tell the country that they’re wrong.
“Well, there’s no need to accept this apology… What are you going to do, Wataru-san?”
“Ah, well, let’s just say he owes me one.”
I don’t really understand, but compared to the Camille-san I know, today’s Camille-san seems merciless. Then, instead of settling things with a “let’s not rock the boat” attitude, it would probably be better to do a favor… Probably.
Besides, there’s no point in getting compensation now.
“Right, let’s just say it’s a very big favor.”
Camille-san keeps up the pressure. The vice commander’s face twitches, but does Camille-san have a grudge against the vice commander?
“Well, is that the end of the story?”
Camille-san is a bit scary, and I’m still sleepy, so I want to go back to my room.
“No, I know it’s a bit much, but I have one more favor to ask.”
It’s certainly brave to ask for more favors in this situation. If it were me, I’d choose to go back and start over.
“…What is it?”
“Actually, we found out from questioning Count Tontrade that they decided to do this because they were opposed to the Crown Prince’s policies, and they attacked quite a few towns along the coast that belonged to the Crown Prince’s faction before coming to Cagliari.”
“Eh? Is Lucca okay?”
If Alessia-san and the others had been attacked, it would have been a joke. Ah, but since they were safe when I went to pick up Marina-san, I guess they’re okay.
“Lucca is a big city, and if they attacked there, the information would have spread to Cagliari, so they gave up.”
“I see. It was a blessing in disguise.”
I wonder if Count Tontrade can do this kind of calculation properly.
To be honest, the Ship Summoning was just a cheat, and if you think about the magic cannon, we might have been able to compete well, even against a country. It sounds stupid, but we had a surprisingly powerful fighting force.
“Yes. We already know where the stolen supplies are hidden, but the problem is the villages and towns that were attacked. Normally, we would have to deal with that ourselves, but there is a lot of unrest in the country right now, so we can’t be careless either.”
“So you want us to help with reconstruction?”
Do they want us to repeat what happened in Cagliari? The carrying capacity of the ferry is excellent.
Even though we started it, it’s the government’s fault, so it’s not like we care, but it makes me feel a little bad to think that we’re causing trouble for people who have nothing to do with politics.
It will take some time before the regular shipping routes are up and running, so I guess I could help out with transporting supplies? Although the role of Mage-sama is tiresome, this time, I think I should just stay out of the way and let the ferry do its job.
Well, I’m under no obligation to do it for free, so I guess I’ll let Camille-san negotiate and come to a conclusion.
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