Chapter 203: The Enemy’s One True Objective

The two lords might have had a far closer relationship than was publicly known, and they might have forged a secret pact that nobody was aware of. This could be the real reason Baschurten joined the Western Lords’ Army.

But the problem was that the risk was enormous.

Nobles were not lenient toward lords who suddenly betrayed their side, and the backlash could be fierce. The moment you were branded a faithless noble, you could be attacked from all sides.

Since he was already branded a lecher, perhaps his plan was to come out on the winning side and crush the losers by force. If Radensdorf or Prince Louis seized power, Baschurten would ride high as a loyal supporter.

It was a dangerous gamble, but the odds weren’t zero.

And Baschurten had bet everything on that gamble.

That was the scenario I’d pieced together for the Count of Baschurten.

But I couldn’t take him down based on suspicion alone.

He might be ridiculed as a lecher and looked down upon by the other lords, but he was still a lord with his own forces. If I took him on alone, I could never win by myself. Dealing with someone like him required caution.

First, I needed to draw out his true feelings.

So I turned everyone’s attention to him while his guard was down.

"Count Baschurten, what is your current relationship with the Count of Basel?"

Suddenly asking about his relationship with the Count of Basel? His shock was plain to see. The lords stopped their chatter and turned to watch what the Count of Baschurten would say.

The Count of Baschurten glanced around at the other lords before addressing me.

"I don’t understand the point of that question. Why are you asking me something like that?"

"I heard that when you nearly surrendered to Burgundy during the great war, the Count of Basel rendered you a tremendous service. And according to my personal sources, the two of you have a close relationship."

Nearly surrendering to Burgundy was practically a taboo subject for the Count of Baschurten, but I pressed calmly into his relationship with the Count of Basel. His face contorted with fury.

His mental state, as expected, read as Flustered.

The sudden, pointed question had caught him off guard.

Someone like the Count of Baschurten, who had difficulty controlling his emotions, tended to react violently when hit where it hurt. Exactly like this. As I closed in on the truth, his flustered state manifested in an explosive reaction.

"A petty village lord dares to accuse a lord of the realm?!"

"Accuse you? How would I dare accuse you, Count? I’m merely asking questions to put to rest any doubts that might exist about the relationship between you and the Count of Basel."

Count Euz backed me up in response to my composed words.

"The Lord of Feuzen’s question is perfectly reasonable. Given your relationship with Basel, how could anyone not harbor some doubt? What do the rest of you think?"

"Count Euz! How dare you try to brand me a traitor?!"

"Why are you overreacting? If you have nothing to hide, just say so."

Seeds of suspicion seemed to be sprouting in Count Euz’s mind as well. The Count of Baschurten’s overblown reaction could certainly raise eyebrows, but pushing to brand him a traitor was a dangerous move.

"Please calm down. I simply wanted to ask whether you have a close relationship with the Count of Basel."

"Listen well, Streit! I have absolutely no relationship with the Count of Basel!"

A lie. It showed itself immediately.

His connection to Basel was now confirmed.

"Understood. Please forgive my rudeness."

"Don’t think you can run your mouth just because you have the Grand Duke behind you, you lowborn duchy knight!"

The Count of Baschurten stormed out of the meeting. Count Euz clicked his tongue, calling him a foul-tempered wretch. The Count of Essenbach, who had been watching the scene intently, seemed to sink deep into thought.

The Crown Prince was looking at me meaningfully. Having dealt with me for some time, he knew well that I never did anything without a reason.

"You had a reason for asking such a sensitive question, didn’t you?"

"It’s true that the relationship between the Count of Baschurten and the Count of Basel is suspicious."

At that point, Count Belfort spoke to me.

His voice was very deep and carried an air of authority.

"Lord of Feuzen, suspicion alone is not grounds to persecute a lord. The fact that you made such a statement in an official meeting means you’re prepared to take responsibility for it, yes?"

"I stake my honor on it."

"...You’re that certain. Then it’s no idle boast."

I had already steeled myself for this. The moment my Scouter confirmed that some kind of secret pact existed between the Count of Baschurten and the Count of Basel, this became a race against time.

The Count of Essenbach, who had been lost in thought, posed a question to me.

"If Baschurten has indeed sided with Basel, what kind of damage could our coalition suffer?"

"While we’re engaged with the enemy’s main force at Hissen, there’s a high probability of being ambushed by Baschurten’s forces. Hit from both inside and out simultaneously, even the strongest army would crumble, wouldn’t it?"

That was the worst-case backstab I’d envisioned. If the Baschurten forces suddenly attacked our allies at the decisive moment, we could collapse in an instant. Count Euz and Count Belfort agreed with this assessment.

But the Count of Essenbach seemed to think differently.

His gaze was ice-cold. His expressionless face was so devoid of emotion that it was nearly impossible to read his thoughts. Looking at him, it occurred to me that I might be missing something.

What? Had my predicted scenario missed the mark?

"Lord of Feuzen, Baschurten lies to the west of Rosenheim. Do you not understand what that means?"

In that instant, something flashed through my mind like a bolt of lightning. Goosebumps erupted across my body. I saw clearly what I had been overlooking. The enemy had only one true objective.

Count Euz asked, "Wait, are you saying the enemy’s main force could be hiding somewhere in Baschurten?"

"It could be the main force or a detachment. If I were the Count of Basel, I wouldn’t waste Baschurten on a mere ambush. I’d aim for something much bigger."

"Hmm! Dealing with merchants must give you a different eye for things."

What Baschurten could provide wasn’t just soldiers but a geographic advantage. Baschurten’s neighbors were Belfort, Euz, Rosenheim, and Basel. Its connection to Basel was the most critical point.

There were likely hidden forces in Baschurten, and they would most probably attack the lords’ territories while their defenses were weakened. And as the Count of Essenbach had said, the greatest vulnerability lay elsewhere.

"Oh no, Feuzen! Feuzen is in danger!"

The Crown Prince shot to his feet.

That was it. Feuzen, sitting in the rear, would fall within striking range of the Southern rebels.

The lords’ expressions turned deadly serious.

Count Euz sighed.

"The future Crown Princess is in Feuzen."

Feuzen held not only my beloved wife and retainers, but also Lily, the Crown Princess candidate; Count Belfort’s daughter, my sister-in-law; and Elisabeth, daughter of Viscount Loewenbert. Every notable figure was gathered in one place.

And the most important person among them was Lily.

She was a crucial bridge connecting Offenburg, Altringen, and the Crown Prince.

But to me, the most important person was Hilda.

"I said ’if.’ If Baschurten truly is a traitor."

"But it was the scenario in which we’d suffer the greatest blow."

The Count of Essenbach remained composed throughout. He had already foreseen what I had failed to consider and pointed out my blind spot. It was a painful critique, but I felt as though my eyes had been opened.

The key issue here was, as Count Belfort had pointed out, that we couldn’t condemn the Count of Baschurten on circumstantial evidence alone. We needed hard proof, but could we find it in time?

If Feuzen was being attacked right now, it wouldn’t last even a day.

I had to think of something!

And in that moment, a good idea struck me.