Chapter 5 : Planning (Part 1)

The morning light beamed through the window, waking me up.

I got down from the bed, noticing two maids standing near me. One was holding a towel, while the other carried a large bowl—well, not exactly a bowl, but something similar, filled with clean water.

I dipped my hands into the vessel, splashed water on my face, then took the towel to dry myself before handing it back.

"Do you guys have a toothbrush and toothpaste?" I asked the maid holding the water vessel.

She blinked in confusion. "Toothbrush and toothpaste? What's that?"

Her fellow maid had the same puzzled expression.

I sighed. As expected.

"Just bring me two spare glasses—one empty and one full of water," I said.

The maid who had been holding the towel nodded and left to fetch them. Meanwhile, I reached into my bag, pulling out my toothbrush and toothpaste.

...

"So, how was the bed?" Lynda asked as she gestured for me to join her in the dining hall. She sat at the long table, which was covered with various dishes—mostly vegetarian, with only a few meat options.

"Soft and nice, much better than the cold prison tiles," I said, taking a seat.

"Good to hear." Lynda cut into a roasted chicken leg with her knife and fork, taking a bite.

"Though I wish you guys had toothpaste and toothbrushes," I added.

"What's that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's something people use to clean their teeth—keeps the mouth smelling fresh, the teeth clean, and prevents cavities," I said, scooping up some vegetable salad.

"I see... Here, we use something called Clean Herb. We chew on it, and it does all that."

Clean Herb? That wasn't mentioned in the game.

"I get that, but I'd still prefer toothpaste. It comes in different flavors, after all."

"That's interesting. Now, getting to the point—do you have any kind of plan to deal with the rebels?" Lynda asked, her piercing blue eyes locked onto me.

"Well, it'll take some time. I can't just come up with a plan immediately just because you asked me," I replied, taking a sip of water.

"That's a shame. Do you think they'll still try to attack me tonight during my birthday celebration?"

"I don't think so. After last night's failure, they'll need to adjust their plans. And this isn't the best place to discuss it," I said, subtly glancing around the dining hall. Soldiers, maids, and servants moved about, any one of them a potential spy. "There's still a chance a rebel—or someone allied with them—is listening."

"True," Lynda mused, twirling her knife between her fingers. "The only people I truly trust are Hilbert, Emilia… and you."

"Three people aren't enough to deal with the rebels," I pointed out.

"What about the nobles? While I don't trust them, do you think they'd dare to support the rebels?"

"Of course they would," I said, leaning forward. "Not all nobles are loyal to you. They serve you only because you allow them to do whatever they want to the commoners—whether it's indulging their twisted fetishes or just exerting unchecked power. They have no real attachment to you. Some even resent you for defiling their daughters."

Lynda smirked but said nothing, so I continued.

"The rebels get their funding from nobles who secretly despise you. And for those who don't openly support them, they use threats—blackmailing them for their crimes or feeding them false promises. They tell them that if they fund the rebellion, they'll be spared when the kingdom falls. Of course, that's a lie. Once the rebels take over, they'll kill or enslave those same nobles."

Lynda tapped her nails against the table. "So, in short, I'm surrounded by traitors."

"Exactly," I said. "And if you don't start rooting them out now, they'll eventually succeed in killing you."

"I guess we should get to my chambers to discuss the plan then," Lynda said, casually taking a bite of her salad.

"That would be much better," I agreed, glancing around the room again. Too many ears in the dining hall.

"Now, onto another matter." She set down her fork and fixed me with a sharp gaze. "What was the real reason you came to my kingdom?"

"My reason?" I repeated, keeping my expression neutral.

"Yes. Hilbert told me you're a traveler who came to explore this continent," she said, tapping a finger on the table. "But is that really it? Or was that just an excuse?"

I met her gaze, weighing my words carefully. "And if it was?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter anymore. Just wanted to confirm things," Lynda said, dismissing the topic. After that, we continued eating in silence, no more questions asked.

...

"So, now it's time to discuss the plan," Lynda said as everyone who was needed gathered in her chambers.

The ones present were me, Hilbert, Emilia, and three more captains—Griza Himelwant, Rose Edenwood, and Yeshi Engels.

Originally, this meeting was supposed to be just between me, Hilbert, Lynda, and Emilia. But after Hilbert's persistent insistence, Lynda allowed the three additional captains to join.

"According to what our dear new guest told me, we have traitors—huge numbers—among the nobles and possibly within the palace itself, which is certainly a very, very bad thing. So, I want to hear your ideas on how to deal with this," Lynda said, her gaze sweeping across the room.

"Your Majesty, if I may," Griza spoke up, raising her hand. "How about we torture every single noble until they speak the truth?"

Lynda tapped her fingers on the table. "That could work..."

"Wait, this is a bad idea," I interjected.

All eyes turned to me.

"Huh? And why wouldn't it?" Griza asked, frowning.

"Do you even know how many noble families there are in this kingdom?" I questioned.

Griza didn't answer immediately, beginning to count on her fingers.

"About 200 families," Rose spoke up, glancing at me.

"And the total number of family members?"

"Somewhere around 700," she replied.

"Correct. Now, think about this logically," I continued. "We have over 700 nobles, with at least half—possibly more—being traitors. If we send soldiers to arrest them all at once, the rebels hiding among our ranks will inform their leaders. And what will happen then? Many of these nobles will escape through secret routes before we even get to them. A majority of them are the ones funding the rebellion.

"Not to mention the common people. Some of these nobles, despite their corruption, have earned the loyalty of the citizens by helping them occasionally. If we publicly torture them, a significant portion of the population will turn against the Queen. Instead of crushing the rebellion, we'll be giving it even more support than it already has."

"That is absolutely true," Lynda said, nodding in agreement. Then she turned her cold gaze to Griza. "Don't ever bring such a stupid idea again. Otherwise, I'll cut off your hands and legs… and make sure you never become a mother. Do you understand?"

Griza swallowed hard, her face pale as she nodded, sweat dripping down her temple.

"Anyone else?" Lynda asked, her tone sharp.

Silence. No one dared to speak, fearing what might happen if their idea displeased her.

Lynda smirked. "Looks like the only one with a brain here is you," she said, looking at me.

"Thank you," I replied casually.

"So tell me, what do you suggest we do in this situation?" she asked.

"How about a pardon?" I said.

Lynda raised an eyebrow. "A pardon?"

"Yes. Listen carefully to my plan."

Everyone leaned in.

"Remember how we discussed the nobles funding the rebellion? Some of them do it willingly, but others are blackmailed by the rebels over their past crimes. The rebels tell them that as long as they keep paying, they'll be left alone. Of course, that's a lie."

"Yes, yes, you mentioned that at breakfast," Lynda said, waving her hand. "Get to the point."

"What if we gather all the nobles in one place?" I continued. "Tell them that we know about their funding of the rebellion. Then, offer them a pardon if they confess."

"A false pardon, of course," I added before she could protest. "Many of them are already terrified that you'll have them executed if their secret dealings are exposed. This way, those who were forced into helping the rebels will betray them in order to save their own skins. As a result, we cut off a chunk of the rebels' funding and weaken them."

Lynda's lips curled into a smirk. "Now that is an interesting plan."

"But where will we gather them all?" Emilia asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" I said. "Today is the queen's birthday celebration, so all the nobles will already be coming here. As for those who don't show up… well, we don't have to kill them. Instead, we seize their wealth and distribute it among the poor citizens."

Lynda raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh?"

"In doing so," I continued, "we make sure the common people don't feel the need to support the rebels. If they see their lives improving, they won't care about some rebellion. Many would rather have money, good food, and a long life than die in a war against you. This can also deal a huge blow to the rebels—cutting off both their funding and their potential recruits." I leaned back slightly. "In short, we're going to weaponize poverty."

A moment of silence passed before Lynda let out a soft chuckle. "I like the way you think."

"It's nothing special," I said, shrugging. "One just needs to exploit everything if they want to achieve a goal. So… does anyone have a problem with my plan?"

"Yes, does anyone?" Lynda echoed, her sharp gaze sweeping across the room.

Not a single person raised their hand. The silence was enough of an answer.

"Well then, it's settled," Lynda declared. "We'll proceed as you suggested."

"That's good to hear," I said, leaning back slightly. "Though, there's two more things I'd like to add too."

Lynda raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what would that be?"

"Number one—just because they confess to us doesn't mean they won't try to secretly support the rebels again. To prevent that, we should confiscate their wealth and property. However, unlike the wealth meant for the commoners, this portion should go to the nobles who are actually loyal to you. That way, they remain satisfied and less likely to turn on you."

Lynda smirked, tapping her fingers against the armrest of her chair. "Wonderful and your second point?"

"Just to make sure that the traitors might be present, we need to remain vigilant—and no one else should be told about this plan of ours."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Then Lynda leaned forward slightly. "There's one more thing that I'd like to add."

I narrowed my eyes. "What?"

"You," she said, pointing at me, "are going to be my dance partner tonight."

...What?!