I Reincarnated But Will Try To Live Without Using My Cheat Ability - CH 278

Roberto’s appointment as Knight Commander was successfully completed.

Just when I thought he could finally go on an inspection tour, I was stopped by another matter.

Every few days, Mil goes out into the forest to contact the elves and pick up any word.

Today she is a little different than usual.

She was calm, but a little happy.

I guess the elves are ready to go.

Seeing my face, Mil nodded.

“When can they come?”

“They say it doesn’t matter when. I’ll be on my way to the rendezvous point now.”

“I understand. Please take the Elite Guards with you as escorts. Will about 30 men be enough?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

There are always a few Elite Guards men waiting in the office at all times.

I look at Ramiro, a member of the Elite Guards.

“Ramiro-dono, I will entrust the Elite Guards with the protection of Mil and the elves. Please inform Sir Jules to that effect. I will suspend the shiphandling training until Mil and the elves return.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ramiro gave instructions to his Elite Guards men, and they left the room.

Mil is talking with Kiara about the handover.

“Kiara, for a week or so… please take care of Al for me.”

Kiara smiled a big smile.

“Yes, please leave it to me to fill in for Sister.”

Mil nodded, stiffened for a moment, and then turned a skeptical gaze on Kiara.

“Just so you know, you don’t have to stand in as a wife.”

Kiara clicked her tongue in a faintly audible sound.

Hey…

Kiara smiled, oblivious to the stares of those around her.

“Of course. Don’t worry.”

Where’s the “of course” in that…

Either way, the inspection will have to wait until Mil comes back.

All this can’t be helped.

The Governor reported to me that the return of the POWs was successfully completed.

It’s not the most recent, but this means that the demon tribe is now ready for action.

As Mil hurriedly left the office, Kiara smiled at me.

“Brother, the inspection tour is postponed, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I’d like to leave before winter, though. I would like to avoid traveling in the winter if possible. There are a lot of women in the group, so it wouldn’t be good for them to be cold.”

Kiara tilted her head.

“It seems like you can’t wait until early spring.”

“Yes, I want to do what I can as soon as possible. It is imperative that we establish a defense system, including an administrative one.”

“But you entrusted it to Governor Oracio and Mr. Rossi, don’t you? Do you think something will happen that is beyond the control of the two of them?”

She’s indeed watching me very closely.

“I’m just saying it’s possible… sort of. And while the Governor has been given the authority to govern the new territory, the area near the capital is under the jurisdiction of the Mayor. I want to confirm that cooperation. We don’t have a department specializing in logistics at this time, after all. I would also like to coordinate in that area too. There are some aspects of our contingency plan that need to be adjusted.”

Kiara sighed.

“Contingencies are inevitable, aren’t they? Sister seems to trust the elder of the demon tribe, though.”

“I don’t mean that I don’t trust Mr. Oliver or individuals. But it is not clear whether the entire demon tribe will choose not to fight. It would be negligent not to take action in the event of an emergency. I’m not interested in superstition, believing that because we don’t attack, they won’t attack either.”

Kiara looked a little flustered.

“O-Of course, I agree with brother’s idea.”

I remembered a nasty superstition I had before my reincarnation.

Did my displeasure show in my attitude?

I couldn’t understand the nerve of people who thought they were safe as long as the burglar didn’t do anything they didn’t want to do, even though the burglar lived next door.

It was the burglar’s decision to break in, not theirs.

“No, I’m not accusing Kiara of anything. And Mr. Oliver said so, too. He said that we should prepare a defensive posture so that the demon tribe would not be tempted to attack us.”

“Do you think the demons want to attack?”

We don’t have any information.

“We have no material on which to judge. However, even though it was instigated by the wise man, he attacked us once. I don’t think he has learned his lesson from this.”

Once an investment fails, can you cut your losses in a snap?

Or will you try to get it back and keep on going?

As an individual, you can cut your losses.

But in a group, it becomes difficult.

It is not that a group of people become stupid.

In a group, you are pulled down by emotions.

I always knew this, but deep down I underestimated it.

I know this from my own experience of being swept away by the flood of good intentions in the fight against the plague.

If possible, I don’t want to feel the helplessness of that time anymore.

“Indeed, that’s true. Does brother have any countermeasures?”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Mr. Oliver didn’t give us any important information. Since the current situation is a truce, we can’t probe for information from the other side. It is very difficult to deal with a basic response when dealing with the other side. Since we don’t know who we’re dealing with, we’re going to hold firm for the time being.”

“How about sending in the Ears?”

I shook my head.

“The success rate is too low. If we fail, war will be the result. The benefits we would gain would be out of proportion.”

Kiara looked puzzled.

“What are you going to do then?”

“I’m not certain, but we are going to try a tease. It is less effective, but it is better than nothing. When was the next time Ms. Isabeau was here?”

When Kiara turned to her aides, they shook their heads.

“It seems to be undecided.”

“Then tell Ms. Isabeau to come here.”

Kiara seemed unable to gauge my intentions.

Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment, but then quickly returned to their original expression.

“I understand. Then, I will tell her that.”

There is something I would like to plant as a related matter.

I smile at Kiara.

“Is there anyone in your Ears that is interested in the outside world?”

“I’m sure there are, but what are you going to do about it?”

“I will send them to Ms. Isabeau’s Chamber of Commerce. The pretext was to learn business… but we will also make connections with other merchants. I want them to see the world situation through the eyes of a merchant.”

“Would Ms. Isabeau agree to this?”

“Of course, trade with Ravenna will remain a priority for Ms. Isabeau. Knowing the reality of distribution and the value of the goods will make future negotiations smoother. We have no intention of jumping over Ms. Isabeau to negotiate with other merchants. For Ms. Isabeau, it would give her a way to contact me directly. It’s a win-win situation for both parties.”

Intelligence activities by hiding among the merchants.

That’s the basics.

Besides, I am to be consulted by Papan regarding the succession to the throne.

We will need information from other angles.

The flow of money and goods is eloquent, after all.