We've just finished eating breakfast when a report arrived that the military
police had begun to move into various parts of Krasland.
It seems that the Marquis has finally accused us of planning a coup.
The person who informed us was a merchant acquainted with the military
police.
This was one of the business partners that were added since Lucy decided to
become independent.
He also brought us the worst information that we were soon to be wanted.
I gave the merchant money for the information and immediately ran to
Lucy.
The destination was a hotel room in the city. She had not returned to the
barracks yesterday because she just had a late dinner with some merchants
she had been socializing with. When I arrived, it seemed that she too has
just finished breakfast.
"Lucy, we're in trouble. I heard we're on the wanted list now."
Lucy rounded her eyes at my words. Her sleepiness seemed to have been
blown away in its entirety.
"Wha… does it mean that the information on your plans has been leaked?
We haven't even set an execution date yet…"
"I think so too. But fortunately, not all the information has leaked out."
If even the details of the plan were leaked, it was the army, not the military
police, that would have moved in to arrest us.
The information being leaked right now is probably limited to the suspicion
of a coup d'état.
"The Military Police are on the move, so let's move immediately to a safe
house where we can be assured of our safety."
"I understand. But what about the others?"
She looked a little worried but still got her equipment in place.
She put on a casual jacket and a different hat so that her clothes would not
be noticeable.
"They have probably already been notified by the business firms we have a
relationship with. But it is us who has to prepare for the worst as we're at
the center of it."
Saying that, I pulled Lucy's hand and started walking outside immediately.
Them being notified on time, I can guarantee, but whether they can escape
successfully depends on their luck.
Right now, I don't know how they're doing, as we've recently been
spreading out our safe houses to avoid the risk of being caught all at once.
If we can get to one of the safe houses in the city, we will be able to contact
them.
"What about the soldiers? Are you saying we have to leave them as well?"
"Don't worry. As far as I know, they're not included in the wanted list.
Also, a squad of military police alone wouldn't be able to monitor hundreds
or thousands of soldiers by themselves."
Also, many of the soldiers knew nothing about it, so it would be pointless to
catch them. If yo u a re ab le to r ead this mess ag e, yo u ar e re adin g fro
m an unau tho rized agg regat e s ite. R ead at m y Wo rdPr ess at stab bi ng
wi th a sy ri nge. ho me. blo g to su pp ort me and my tran slat ions.
That is why the military police will be desperately searching for
commanders like us who know about the plan instead.
"Come, let's hurry. If we get caught here, it will be over for us."
I follow my prearranged escape route down an inconspicuous back alley.
The military police won't know about these streets, as only the locals use
them. Even now, I see nothing but stray cats.
After moving for about ten minutes, I arrived at a safe house.
"This is a safe house?"
Lucy looked at the building in front of her with some confusion.
Well, it can't be helped, because the sign says "Restaurant" in big letters.
"It's okay, let's go inside."
Holding Lucy's hand, I opened the door to find several customers and the
owner, a middle-aged woman.
I approached her and spoke to her.
"Are the seats in the back available?"
"Eh? Ah, yes. Please use it as you like."
The owner nodded and pointed to a seat that could not be viewed at the
entrance.
We headed there, and when we were out of sight of the customers, we
turned our heels and headed for the back door instead.
On the way, we found the door to the basement and entered.
With only a small light, we descended the stairs and entered the room at the
very back.
According to the cooperator who prepared this place for us, it used to be a
place where moonshine was made.
We found a large room that was probably used as a workshop and several
small rooms that looked like storage rooms.
Some of the collaborators have already taken refuge here.
"Mr. Sanada, are you safe?"
One of the collaborators, a young commander, approached me, saying so.
He was a little older than Lucy and had participated in the 'project' from the
very beginning.
"Yes, we managed to avoid detection. What about the other members?"
I asked him, and he led me to a desk in the back of the room.
There was a spherical crystal about 30 centimeters in diameter.
It was a magic version of the communication device that Anastasia had
enchanted.
It is a convenient device that can connect to most places in the city, but it is
large and bulky, and once it runs out of magic power, that is the end. It is
also expensive to prepare magic crystals as catalysts to make this work.
Because of this, we can only use it in safe houses like this, and only for
emergency communication.
"We are now connected to the other safe houses. Here."
"Thank you. Now let's see what's going on."
I put my hand on the crystal, and a display of some sort came up.
The display showed that we were connected to five other safe houses.
"This is Sanada from Safe House 3. The evacuees are safe. Are there any
other safe houses that are still vacant?"
Each safe house replied to my message.
I read the message in the transcript, and it said that everyone also safely
made it to their respective safe houses.
"It's very fortunate that everyone made it in one piece. It was worth the
trouble of preparing several safe houses."
Unlike the hideouts we usually use for secret meetings, this is the first time
we are using these safe houses.
Therefore, the information about their locations was not leaked,
guaranteeing that the military police would not be able to find it.
The fact that we were dispersed from the beginning also seemed to work in
our favor, as we were less likely to attract attention.
"The Marquis has made the first move. We must act quickly as well."
As she says this, Lucy pulls a plan of operations from her pocket and
spreads it out on the desk.
"I will now inform you of your objectives for the mission."
After she's done that, I started conveying the assignment of work written in
the plan.
"The total number of our forces is 3,200. We will assign this to the control
of the city's main facilities."
The first target is the executive branch.
By taking control of the executive branch, we will detain high-ranking
officials of the nobility and other people who could rally up a third force.
At the same time, to show our legitimacy, we will publicize the evil that the
Marquis was doing. Thi s ch apt er trans lat ion is m ade pos sib le by sta bb
ing wi th a sy rin ge tra nslati ons. c heck on ly up-to-dat e trans lat ions on
my W ordpr ess si te.
First is the cold treatment of immigrant refugees. Then the manipulation of
discriminatory rumors. And lastly, the concealment and monopoly of the
cure for the Nobleman's Disease.
The refugees are already a part of the economy of Krasland, and there is no
way they can be stripped of their rights now. We cannot allow the Marquis
to maintain his dictatorship based on his personal feelings.
Also, not only the nobles, who have sacrificed many lives but also the
citizens have suffered from the Nobleman's Disease, although the number
of deaths has been small.
His concealment and monopoly on the manufacturing process of the cure
for the magic mutation disease, only giving it to those who favor him; if we
reveal these facts to the public, we will be able to gain support from many
sides.
The second goal is to control the gates on all sides.
This is for blocking off traffic and preventing the enemy from escaping.
Even if the marquis and his men escaped, they would not be able to move
freely because of the monster infestation, but this is just in case.
The third target is the military command headquarters and the headquarters
of the military police.
We will detain the heads of the organizations with the potential for armed
intervention and block their movements before they interrupt us.
Finally, the most important target, the castle of the Marquis.
This is where we will take control and bring down the existing regime by
removing Marquis Krall and his son Luke.
The coup will be a success if all of these things go well.
"Viscount Randal's team will go to the first target, while the team led by the
15th Foreign Legion will go to the second target."
Each of them is led by people who have been cooperating with the coup
since the beginning. There is no fear of betrayal.
Rather than money or power, they all participate because they know and
oppose Marquis Krall's misdeeds.
The Marquis ostensibly wants to enlist the help of immigrants, refugees,
and other races to boost the city.
In reality, however, the situation remains that power in the city is
monopolized by either family members that are loyal to him, a few nobles
close to him or threatened by him, or the military.
The privileged nobles have already been exposed to the horror of the
distinctive aristocratic disease, with the marquis toying them around
because he has the monopoly on its cure.
As a result, even the most incompatible forces are now united under the
banner of Lucy.
They all hope that with Lucy at the top, reform will occur, and the situation
will improve.
Of course, I'm the one who talked directly to them and got them to think
that way.
"… and the castle siege will be conducted by a team led by Viscount Finlay
as planned. That is all."
When I finished, I made room for Lucy.
She replaced me, stood before the crystal, and spoke to her collaborators.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, there is no time to lose now that the Marquis has
made his move. The coup will take place tomorrow. We will overthrow
Marquis Krall and establish a new order."
Lucy's words ended with a short but concise statement of intent.
The crystal's magic power was running low, so the communication was cut
off.
Nevertheless, all preparations are now complete. All we have to do now is
wait for the right moment.
I lifted the crystal, hid it in a corner of the basement, and then turned my
attention to the collaborators around me.
"Please rest until tomorrow morning. There is still time."
One of the men brought out a bottle of liquor left in the storage room to
celebrate the first success of our plans.
Lucy cautions him not to drink too much.
From the outside, she looks the same as usual, but her face is slightly
flushed. She seems to be nervous.
"Lady Finlay, may I have a moment?"
I began talking to her to break the tension.