"Great. What are our next steps?" Isabelle commented.
Alphonse knew that his mother had the profession [Merchant], which gave her various planning and control skills. These were perfect for managing territory, but in chaotic situations or those involving battles and intrigues, she lost much of her power.
"Hmm..." The boy pretended this was the first time he was thinking about it. "If they, whoever they are, find out that their henchmen were killed or are missing, they will send new people to take their place. Can we stop that?"
"Makes sense, but how could we prevent it?" Isabelle asked.
"Could we fake it so it seems like it was other soldiers who died? Maybe figure out how they communicated and continue sending information, even if it's false," the boy asked.
"Maybe. The four soldiers didn't have families; they came from another territory. We could avoid mentioning their names to the servants," the baroness began thinking about how to make it happen. "As for communication, it wasn't anything sophisticated, just a letter exchange done by one of the soldiers. We found several of them when we searched his room."
"Perfect. In that case, we can conceal the deaths of the four soldiers or release information that it was someone else. We have enough soldiers that no one will notice," Alphonse explained. "How often were the letters exchanged?"
Isabelle pulled open one of the drawers and began leafing through the papers. "It looks like once a month."
"In that case, we just need to try to copy the soldier's handwriting and continue the reports," Alphonse commented. "That way, we can prevent other spies from coming into the territory."
"But won't they become suspicious?" Isabelle asked.
"Maybe. In the best-case scenario, we keep receiving information; in the worst case, they cut off the letter exchange and send new spies. Either way, we need to be careful," the boy explained.
"Alright. Now we have two other problems. What do we do about your father and the barbarians?" Isabelle raised the question.
"Mother, let me see the last letters," the boy raised his hand, asking.
"Sure." She slid the last letters they had been able to seize across the table.
"Who else has read this?" Alphonse asked.
"No one else," the baroness replied.
The letters themselves didn't seem special. They discussed some trade agreements and the major event that was going to take place in the city in a few months.
"Strange. I think they're speaking in code," the boy commented. "Or at least hiding the true meaning of their actions."
"What do you mean?" Isabelle asked.
"You must have noticed that they aren't passing along orders or dates in the letters. Maybe they already had all the necessary orders. However, the information exchange seems... pointless," the boy commented. "Perhaps there's a second meaning."
"Damn. If only one of them were still alive," the baroness remarked.
However, the boy already knew the meaning. He had extracted all the information from Hector before ensuring his death.
"Still, we can make some extrapolation," the boy commented. "I imagine the trade routes they mention are some sort of contact with the barbarians. Either a real route or just communication. Basically, to show that the plan is still on."
"Makes sense, and it could really be a trade route. The barbarians have access to animal skins that are usually quite valuable. Could it be some sort of bargaining?" Isabelle speculated.
Even Alphonse wasn't sure about it.
"Maybe," the boy responded. He continued thinking for a few seconds before continuing. "Is there any chance a lord wouldn't know about a trade route passing through his territory? Even if it's through the black market?"
"Unlikely. Even if they try to hide it, at least some clues are found. It's more probable that the lord prefers to ignore it to avoid causing a bigger problem," Isabelle answered, lightly scratching her head. She herself had ignored some drug routes passing through Hohenberg to avoid creating bigger problems than she was willing to handle.
"In that case, it's safe to say that the lord of Kaiserstadt either knows what's happening or is part of it?" Once again, Alphonse was pushing his mother to find the answers. He had no way to prove these claims except through Hector's testimony.
"It would be. At the very least, he must know of some informants or traders passing between his territory and the barbarians. Especially since it's the front line, he ends up having a pretty restricted control over access," Isabelle explained.
"So, we don't just have two problems; we have three," the boy began explaining. "We need to prepare for an eventual war in the south of the empire, we need to hide the baron's scheme, and if possible, we must prevent Kaiserstadt from surrendering to the barbarians."
"Ahhhh," Isabelle sighed again. "How? This is far beyond what a barony can handle."
"Let's take it step by step. They talk about a big event in the letters. An event in eighteen months. Who talks about an event so far in advance? I would say it's the beginning of the war. Perhaps some kind of invasion or attack," Alphonse explained.
"It's a valid theory. Makes some sense," the baroness replied.
"In that case, we know we have eighteen months or so to prepare the territory to at least be able to defend itself. We don't need to go to war," Alphonse explained. "As for the baron, we need him to stay in the war. When the time is right, we'll explain that the territory is doing well and that he can stay on the front lines."
"But what if the baron allies with the barbarians?" Isabelle asked.
"I find that unlikely. Can you imagine? Him, as prejudiced as he is, allying with barbarians?" the boy commented. "No. I think he wants to speed up the war. Winning glory and growing the house has always been his goal."
"Idiot. That fool is risking everything he has to speed up a war," the baroness muttered softly.
"As for Kaiserstadt... I don't think there's much we can do right now. At the end of the day, we're just a barony. If a duchy cannot protect itself or wants to surrender, that's something only the emperor can handle," the boy commented.
"Eighteen months." Isabelle stared fixedly at the map of the Hohenberg territory. "That's not much time."
"Yes, but it's more than most lords will have," Alphonse said.
The baroness looked at the boy. She was surprised by how he had been able to calm her down and handle the entire situation that had been presented.
'My son has grown up,' Isabelle thought, looking at the boy with pride.
"Mother, there's one last matter we need to deal with," Alphonse commented.
"What is it?" Isabelle asked.
"We need to speed up our entry into the imperial academy. If we're going to protect the territory, we need allies, and above all, Sophie and I need to be prepared for war," the boy commented.
"Yes," Isabelle replied. "I've already sent the letters. In three days, the academy assistant should arrive to explain the next steps. In the meantime, you and Sophie should start thinking about what you want to do once you're there."
"Without a doubt," Alphonse responded. "I'll get ready."
With the conversation over, Isabelle finally noticed how tired she was. She had woken up at dawn to follow what was happening at the fort and was one of the first on the scene to secure evidence of what had happened. Because of this, her clothes and hair were covered in ashes and soot.
"Dear, I'll let you go. I need to rest; after all these matters, my head is full, and my body is tired," Isabelle explained.
"No problem, Mother," the boy replied, getting up from the chair. "Are you going to wash off the soot?"
"Yes. I'll be heading to the bath shortly," Isabelle replied.
"I'll ask them to heat more water for us," Alphonse explained.
"For us?" Isabelle raised her eyebrows.
"Yes, I need to bathe too. I'll take the opportunity to help you relax with a massage," Alphonse explained.
"I-I don't think…" Isabelle tried to avoid the invitation her son had made.
"Don't worry; it's nothing big," Alphonse said, walking over to his mother and giving her a tight hug. I want to see you completely relaxed; it won't cost anything."
"T-that's not the problem," the baroness blushed with embarrassment. She didn't want her son to see her in the bath. To make things worse, she wanted a moment to care for her needs.
The boy got up and walked towards the door. "I'll ask for the hot water. See you in the bath, mother."
Before Isabelle could respond, he had already closed the door.
'God. How did this happen?! I should have stopped him,' Isabelle blamed herself for her situation. However, there was no denying it; she knew she was enjoying the scenario and what would happen.