"Speaking of which, how long will you remain in Green Lake City? This week’s negotiation meetings have been intermittent, and the newspapers haven’t provided the latest schedule. I noticed Miss Galina hasn’t been attending as frequently as before. Didn’t the Church decide to let the delegation leave here to focus entirely on the matters in Green Lake?"

Shard asked, and the Duchess nodded:

"The Church’s arrangements have already begun.

Tomorrow night, there will be a grand banquet held at this manor, where all participants of the negotiation, including Carsonrick’s representatives, will attend. Subsequently, I will invite Margaret Anjou to stay for accommodation. The day after tomorrow, Saturday, she and I will experience a significant ’accident’ that will force the negotiations to halt. I’ve already got the plan, Shard. Remember to come to the banquet tomorrow. Also, if I encounter an accident, do not intervene; everything is arranged."

After speaking, she worried that Shard might not understand:

"The day after tomorrow I will ride in a carriage with Margaret Anjou from Rose Manor to City Hall. There will be a large crowd of citizens watching along the way, and as I reach out to greet them from the window, someone will fire a shot."

"Why does this scene seem so familiar...oh, last summer."

The ladies in the room laughed, as last summer Queen Diana encountered a similar assassination, and Shard, after a long sprint down several streets, shielded her from the fatal bullet.

"Inviting Margaret to join us is because neither country wishes for actual war to break out due to this affair. By both encountering an assassination, the incident can largely be attributed to a third party rather than Carsonrick’s Grey Glove planning the event."

Lecia explained, and as for why it was Margaret and not someone else, Shard naturally understood. Carsonrick’s Duke was shot last week and cannot attend the banquet. As for Margaret’s brother, Miss Galina is not willing to ride in a carriage with any man other than Shard, so this matter naturally falls to Margaret.

"Shard, I remember you mentioned having friends in the border military camp?"

Miss Galina suddenly asked, and upon Shard’s nod, continued to inquire:

"What rank? Reliable?"

"Captain, very reliable, currently the deputy camp commander at Crossroad Village.

Captain Lades has a particularly rich career history. Last spring, he was captured by Carsonrick due to a relic, and after meeting me in Green Lake Manor in the summer, where I acquired the relic, he regained his confidence. Following the capture of human traffickers, he was transferred to the Red Water Camp at Sicarl Mountain and engaged in the Sicarl Mountain battle in autumn, cooperating with the Church’s squads against those wraith spirits and undead, once again earning merit. Although he couldn’t advance in rank at the beginning of this year’s awards season, he was transferred to the Pantanal border after Year-End Festival and recently moved to the Green Lake Region."

Even Miss Galina and Lecia, and though Angelina doesn’t often deal with military affairs, were surprised by this resume:

"Is that captain just an ordinary person?"

"Yes, just an ordinary person. His will is firm, and he is a good man. Last summer, when Queen Diana faced assassination, I was alongside him capturing criminals who abducted children. Then I was shot, and he caught the perpetrator. I was knighted, and his earlier capture by Carsonrick was written off."

The Duchess nodded:

"Well, since you say he can be trusted completely, I’ll trouble you to deliver a letter to him later. After Margaret Anjou and I encounter the assassination, the troops on both sides at the border will engage in a controlled, small-scale conflict. Carsonrick is also in agreement to enable both sides to genuinely pause the negotiations under the pretext of ’everyone needing calm to prevent the expansion of conflict.’"

Lecia wanted to continue explaining to Shard but thought for a moment and gestured for Angelina to speak:

"Therefore, it’s best to find a trustworthy officer at the front line. After all, if this matter is investigated afterward, it could damage the Royal Family’s credibility. However, if troops are not mobilized through formal channels but instead, the local patrolling squads engage Carsonrick’s side independently..."

Miss Galina nodded again, feeling satisfied with Angelina’s response:

"Shard, tell your officer friend that as long as he follows the arrangement and engages Carsonrick’s army, no matter what happens afterward, he will be relocated from the Green Lake border. As for subsequent rank promotions and transfers to better defensive zones, naturally, there will be no problems."

Since she herself spoke these words, she certainly wouldn’t go back on them later. Thus, Shard agreed but would still need to ask Captain Lades personally whether he was willing to undertake this task.

So that morning at ten o’clock, Shard once again arrived at the tavern in Crossroad Village and sat down with Captain Lades. During the daytime, soldiers in the army are certainly not allowed to enter taverns, much less drink, but these rules don’t restrict officers much. Captain Lades regarded Shard as his best friend, and since Shard came to visit, he certainly wouldn’t refuse.

There weren’t many patrons in the tavern at this time, and after the enthusiastic tavern owner brought drinks for the two, Shard first exchanged a few sentences with the captain: 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Remember the first time we came here, you clashed with a few Carsonrickians and were even chased out by the tavern owner. Back then, there were people from both countries here;

When we came here the second time, the Draleon emblem was already hanging, the owner became very friendly toward you, and the Carsonrickians had significantly decreased;

Now, you can’t see any Carsonrick merchants passing through the village, and there are no Southern Nation People in this tavern either."

The captain fiddled with the Draleon crest hanging on the wall:

"Not just here, I’ve heard that the voices opposing Carsonrick back home are also quite loud. This year, the trade situation between the two countries is bound to be greatly affected... Fortunately, I don’t engage in international trade."

Shard smiled:

"Yes, you don’t engage in international trade; you are a professional soldier. Speaking of soldiers, Captain, I have a small matter here, and I wonder if you would be willing to handle it."

The speed at which the topic changed was somewhat fast, and Captain Lades, sitting opposite, put down his wine glass with some confusion:

"A small matter? Of course, I can help."

The captain did not realize what Shard wanted to talk about, only assuming it was about transit documents or similar matters.

Shard shook his head:

"Don’t make a decision yet; take a look at this first."

He handed Captain Lades the "handwritten letter" by Miss Galina, authored by Tifa. The captain touched the envelope’s paper, and his puzzled expression became serious. He cautiously glanced at Shard, and only after Shard nodded slightly, did he open the wax seal and take out the letter.

Even during the day, the light inside the tavern was somewhat dim. The white candle used for lighting on the table was getting shorter bit by bit, and wax tears slid down, forming a layer of wax oil at the base of the candlestick. The captain read carefully in the candlelight, his brows slowly furrowing, and his expression becoming increasingly serious.

After he finished reading, he handed the letter back to Shard. Shard brought the paper close to the candle, ignited it, and threw it into an empty bowl he had requested from the tavern mistress earlier.

Neither of them spoke, quietly watching the letter curl up in the flames within the bowl until it was reduced to ashes. Then, Shard took out a kettle and filled the bowl with water, thoroughly stirring the ashes in surprise before drinking the entire bowl in front of Captain Lades’s astonished expression.

"Actually... burning it completely is already very secure."

"Safety first, you know the severity of this matter."

Captain Lades nodded slowly, but his brows remained furrowed:

"It’s indeed tricky; I didn’t expect you to bring such a task. One wrong move, and I could become the culprit that ignites a full-scale war."

"Well, will you do it?"

"Give me some time; I’ll consider it."

The captain stared at the burning candle; Shard could see his inner conflict.

Captain "Eight-Guns" Lades was one of the few ordinary friends the Outlander had in this world, but he was also a truly upright person. If he were to carry out this plan, not only might he bear infamy in the future, but should war break out, all subsequent casualties could be attributed to him.

Reputation and the lives of the soldiers under his command are now weighed against his own prospects and the kingdom’s destiny. While the weight of the chips isn’t equal, it’s still not an easy decision to make, so Shard was willing to give him time to think it over.

Finally, the captain looked up and said softly:

"No problem, I’ll do it. If I don’t, someone else will. Recently, rumors could be heard that both countries intend to end negotiations and will choose another location to continue talks once they’ve organized their current situations. This cannot be prevented, but I didn’t expect it to be such a radical approach."

"There’s no way around being radical; you also know about the recent conflict between the Draleon People and Carsonrickians on the north and south banks of Green Lake City. Besides, someone unknown in the shadows is planning to assassinate representatives of the negotiations between the two countries. If we continue negotiating, war will break out sooner or later here. Therefore, both countries might as well mutually agree to step back after a brief conflict."

Shard explained; he certainly couldn’t say it was all due to the Church. Indeed, since Green Lake’s negotiations had stalled, both kings might have considered voluntarily pausing the talks.

The captain nodded cautiously:

"I’ll do it. Once I arrange the specific time and place, I’ll inform the contact person according to the method described in the letter... This can be counted as my participation in the process of history."

Shard smiled:

"We’ve long been part of the historical process; no one can escape it."

Captain Lades raised his wine glass again, clinking it with Shard’s:

"Detective, thank you for letting me have this opportunity. Despite how conflicted I seemed earlier, I’m actually pleased deep inside that I can seize the opportunity to advance further before I retire. This is both a bad thing and a good thing; I know it’s your trust in me."