Chapter 65
65
*
Anyway, since war hadn't broken out yet, Viktor had to contact Bestina before executing the spies.
Immediately after sending Scarlett, Viktor headed to the garden where the spies were held. Looking down at the spies kneeling on the snow, Viktor said,
"Who should I negotiate with?"
One of the three replied.
"You can negotiate with me."
"Take him to the drawing room."
Viktor spoke and headed to the drawing room.
Soon after, the sailors dragged the spy in. It was ironic to see the spy wearing Salantie military uniform being dragged in still wearing his naval uniform.
Viktor called him closer and sat him down face to face. He was a promising-looking blond young man.
Viktor said.
"How far along is the war preparation?"
Instead of answering, the spy grinned. And continued.
"Salantie does not treat those who should be treated well. Why are you loyal to such a country?"
"Oh, my."
Viktor chuckled.
The spy continued.
"Bestina is a place that values soldiers. As much as that, it also values engineers."
"It's good that a spy has a loose tongue."
"Captain."
"I'm listening, so keep talking."
"If you, Captain, go to Bestina, Bestina will become the master of the world."
The spy's words continued.
"If you, Captain, come to Bestina, Salantie, which has lost hope, may just surrender. If that happens, we can find peace without shedding a single drop of blood."
The expressions of the sailors listening to the spy's persuasion were strange.
Viktor Dumpelt originally wanted to become royalty, so he went to sea and risked his life to protect Salantie. And in the process of fighting naval battles, he came to hate war.
The spy spoke as if he knew Viktor's tendencies very well.
If he abandoned Salantie, he could have peace without shedding a single drop of blood.
It was a contradictory proposal.
While listening to the spy's story, Blight entered the drawing room.
"His Highness Prince Adam from the royal family has arrived."
Viktor nodded, and Blight opened the door wide. Behind him, Viktor's uncle and crown prince, Adam Iren, entered.
Adam Iren, who had only ever seen Viktor at the royal palace, felt a strong sense of pressure from the bound young man in the drawing room, Viktor Dumpelt, and the sailors who were guarding him and immediately stood up straight and looked up when the royalty entered.
Viktor fastened his jacket buttons and stood up.
"You should have given me a heads up."
As he nodded as if telling them to stand up and salute, the sailors saluted Adam Iren in a naval fashion with precision.
Adam vaguely realized that these soldiers had no intention of formally listening to his orders as the head of the navy.
Adam Iren opened his mouth with a nervous face.
"An Aircraft scattered leaflets in northern Salantie and disappeared."
"How long was it there?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm asking how long the Aircraft was over the Salantie border."
"What does that matter now?"
"If the extent of Bestina's technology is not important in this situation, then what else is?"
Adam closed his mouth tightly at his words.
Soon after, Viktor gestured, and the sailors dragged the spy out of the drawing room. After the surroundings became quiet, Viktor opened his mouth.
"What is the reason for your visit?"
Adam thought for a moment at his words and lowered his voice.
"The Aircraft appeared, but the royal family is too quiet."
"I see."
"I think there are spies in the royal family."
Viktor replied to his words.
"What's in the royal family isn't spies, but traitors and turncoats."
"What?"
"If you didn't know until now, you should strengthen your guards around you."
"Are you saying there are turncoats among the royal family?"
"Yes, there are."
"Don't say such ridiculous things!"
Adam shouted, but Viktor calmly continued.
"Not only the royal family but also the nobles are busy preparing to defect to other countries if necessary. No more gold is coming out of the market."
"…Huh. What about you, sir?"
"It's my daily routine to listen to the spies persuading me to come to Bestina."
Adam had a serious expression on his face.
The late King was dying. Adam was only focused on taking over that position and had completely delegated matters of the political situation to his brothers and sons. All he did was write speeches to be read at the daily repeated speeches to take over power.
Adam said.
"Then what should we do?"
"You have to decide for yourself."
Until now, Salantie was a safe land. No one thought of crossing those rugged mountains and waging war with Salantie. It was suicide.
But now that Bestina had created the Aircraft, even if they loaded stones and threw them, their destructive power would be strong. Adam asked.
"Sir, what should we do if the Aircraft attacks?"
"There is no way."
"What, what?"
"Salantie has no air defense system at all. So far, when I asked the spies, they said that even Bestina would take 30 years to create a weapon to check the Aircraft."
"Do spies tell you such things willingly?"
When he asked, Viktor smiled without answering. Adam realized from that smile that he had not obtained this information in a gentlemanly manner, at least.
Viktor felt no hope in Salantie. In addition, another clear fact was that if Viktor became a person of Bestina, and if the southern coast, which could at least withstand the war, collapsed, Salantie would be occupied in an instant.
Adam sighed in despair.
"How did it come to this?"
At those words, Viktor burst into a low laugh. Adam's expression hardened at the laugh.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Don't you know why?"
"I don't."
"It's because His Majesty has despised engineers for religious reasons for the past 10 years."
"……."
"Also, recently, turncoats are suppressing Salantie's engineers once again. Before, it was just for religious reasons, and this time, it's probably the turncoats' process of removing the thorns to make it easier to eat before handing Salantie over to Bestina. Well, since Your Highness also believes in the god of nature like His Majesty, you can just wait for that god to save you."
Adam felt a headache coming on as he listened to Viktor, who had always wanted to be recognized as royalty and had kept his mouth shut in front of them, speaking without adding or subtracting anything.
He said.
"I think you're thinking too negatively."
"Negatively?"
"Yes. We have you, and we have good cannons. It's difficult to use them in the mountains, but there will be a solution."
"……."
"We can win even if we go to war. Why do you only think we'll lose to Bestina or something?"
This time, Viktor's expression crumpled at his words.
Adam got up.
"We can build more munitions factories and make more weapons. Salantie is a great country."
"You're talking about war so easily."
Someone who has never been to a naval battle.
Viktor did not add those last words, but it seemed to Adam that he heard them.
After a short conversation with Viktor, Adam left the Dumpelt Family and returned to the royal palace, where he called his son Yuli.
As Yuli entered, he said.
"It seems Viktor might run away to Bestina."
Yuli paused at his words and then grinned.
"Why do you think so, Father?"
"Today, Bestina's spies were already captured at Viktor's house. There is no guarantee that Viktor will not succumb to their persuasion. Viktor already thinks there is no hope in Salantie."
"……."
"Viktor is a man who doesn't know a sense of duty or personal feelings once his goal is set. Just now, he said that there are those in the royal family who follow Bestina, didn't he?"
"Yes? I'm surprised how he can think that way."
Yuli continued.
"Viktor has always been arrogant even though he wanted to become royalty. Now that he knows it's difficult to become royalty, isn't he just trying to slander us?"
"Yes, you may be right."
