Chapter 63 Maneuvering II

Translator: Isekai Shousetsu

Hey, whats the meaning of this!!!

Regal DeBell was fuming with anger.

Recently, three retainers have sent in notices of resignation and expressed their wish to migrate to the Ars Territory.

According to Rosythian Law, its possible to migrate to another territory if you submit a notice and pay the migration tax.

After that would be the agreement between the two territories.

Regal was left with no choice but to accept.

He had no reason to keep them from leaving after all.

Theres no justifiable cause to keep people with no history nor outstanding crime from migrating.

Moreover, if he screwed up to three people in their requests to migrate, hed be labeled as a narrowminded ruler.

Theres no way hed sacrifice his reputation just for such a lowly matter.

However, Regal was annoyed at leaving the matter just as that.

Therefore, he sent an official letter of protest to Almis Ars.

Stop poaching our retainers. Or something along those lines.

However, Almis Ars responded with the following:

We, poaching your retainers?

No, were not doing anything of the sort howeverperhaps there might be some of our new appointees who have indeed come from the DeBell Territory.

Almis Ars humbled himself and apologized to Regal.

With that, Regal got satisfied and laid down his arms.

However, the disaster did not end there.

This time ten more people migrated to the Ars Territory.

There was a rumor circulating there that to become king, Raymond Rosyth was trying to win over Almis Ars into his faction. That Raymond, in exchange for Almis support, entered into a secret agreement with him where he would hold Regal in contempt and annihilate the DeBell territory so he could grant it to Almis.

Furthermore, it was rumored that the Non-Relative Factions retainers, i.e. Bermet and his clique, were conspiring with Almis and Raymond to screw over the DeBell clan.

Thus, Regal was met with no choice but to doubt the Non-Relative retainers.

Everybody who had been poached were all non-relative retainers after all.

Regal ordered his own retainers (naturally, the relatives) to keep watch on the non-relative retainers with comparatively high posts and their relatives.

Nevertheless, he limited himself to observation to the very end.

This was because he was never able to completely verify the veracity of the rumors. Besides, up until now Regal couldnt believe that Bermet himself would betray him.

Everything turned out well huh, Yal-san.

Yals subordinate, who right now is acting as the merchant Yals apprentice, happily said so.

We went through a lot of trouble spreading those rumors, huh. We incurred some expenses too. (Yal)

Yal managed to win over 32 people for Almis. Amongst those, thirteen people, especially three were quite capable so he personally headhunted them.

The nineteen others remain at the DeBell Territory. Although they arent by any standard excellent people, they are helpful and reliable.

Actually, they help in gathering information for Yal and in circulating rumors and misinformation.

For a huge fee, however.

Those people, although they live decently with their present status, are never satisfied.

The Ars Faction has no need for those people.

Although these people arent personnel that the faction will welcome cordially, these people are troublesome beings they had to welcome otherwise theyd backstab the faction. Besides, people who had betrayed someone once tend to keep on betraying others.

Theyre going to be disposed one way or another in the confusion after the end of the civil war.

Naturally, Yal has no intention to tell Almis about them. Almis is the type of person whos worried about killing innocent people after all. Plus hes the type to show disgust in breaking promises.

Yal has been entrusted with independent powers by Almis.

One of these powers is the freedom to not report something.

This is how Yal forcibly interpreted his powers.

That there are somethings you are better off not knowing.

By the way, although I think it would be fine to do so, but is it not allowed to spread a rumor that Sir Almis would be directly succeeding as king?

Well, I also dont think thats bad. Almis is not a typical candidate in the succession after all.

On the other hand, Raymond Rosyth is the second contender for the throne ((next to Regal.)) The current rumors, therefore, have more credibility, right?

Furthermore, the Ars territory and DeBell territory border each other. It would be a problem if per chance Regal invades.

If we stick with Raymonds rumor, wed get an excuse against having Almis attacked after all. (Yal)

Regals territory does not border Raymonds so theres no way Regal could destroy Raymond. On the other hand, his territory is connected to Almis so should he feel like it he could go and destroy Almis.

If they spread the rumor that Almis would become king, theres a chance that might happen.

At present, should a war occur it will certainly become a very big mess. That is something the must be avoided at all costs.

Almis, too, in order to avoid that, deprecated himself to Regal in order to show that he has no intention of directly antagonizing him.

Regal should probably be not confident in whether Almis and Raymond would come together.

Earnestly apologizing to him just like last time worked wonderfully when he came to us.

It would be great if Regal would come to think of Almis as a worthless being.

Either way, well have him vigilant against an enemy greater than Almis that doesnt even really exist.

Now then, next would be the last fortress, BermetUnless we get rid of this man, our plans wont be successful. (Yal)

I keep getting information that this guy is quite a capable person.

If the rumors were true, then that old man should have already noticed.

That King Rosyth has no intention of having Regal DeBell succeed to the throne.

The circulating rumor that Raymond Rosyth would succeed as king is nothing but a rumor after all so as a matter