Chapter 93 Scheming I

Translator: Isekai Shousetsu

No one can come close to sorcerers when it comes to specializing in scheming and plots.

Poisoning, hypnotism, memory manipulation, curse, quick information transmission through soul riding.

First class sorcerers are the best units no matter who you compare them to.

If theres no gap in the targets heart, then hypnotism and memory manipulation is not possible.

You can artificially create one by restraining, capturing, drugging and/or torturing the target.

However, its not realistically possible to kidnap and do such things to an important person.

Therefore, from the very beginning, attacking the target with a ((hidden)) knife had been more efficient.

However, conversely, if such a gap in the heart exists, then such techniques are possible.

That said, complete manipulation..or anything of that high caliber is impossible no matter how skilled the sorcerer.

What a sorcerer can do, from the very beginning, is to the extent of giving a light push to make a person do what he wants to doarouse feelings of insurrection, and lightly hypnotize a person to extract information from them.

Nevertheless, there are still dangers. Thats because important people have escort sorcerers after all.

Basically, in sorcerery, disenchants and barriers often turn out better than curses while the same goes for reconnaissance over espionage.

To take down a target with escorts with an actual power of six, youll need to use sorcerers with an actual power of 10.

As such, theyd basically be targeting great clansmen that dont have any major sorcerers as well as centurions or high commanding officers that dont have any at all.

Its become their jobs to extract information from these people.

Even so, the merit is big because theyd be able to obtain information reliably.

However, theres a huge defect in these types of schemes using sorcerers. That is the capital cost per head of a first-class sorcerer is high.

When you consider child-rearing cost and time, theyre not suitable to be made into spies who are always at risk of dying.

Conversely, not only could you not expect anything great from expendable second-class sorcerers, theyd only get detected by first class sorcerers vigilant against enemy espionage.

It would bring down a typical small country to its knees just to be able to secure a counter-espionage sorcerer.

However, this talk about small countries is limited to a small country in the Adernian or Cretian peninsula with a population in the ten thousands.

This doesnt apply to countries like the Rozel Kingdom that has a population exceeding 3,000,000 and the Persis Empire which exceeds 20,000,000.

In huge countries like these, theyd be gathering suitable baby girls all around the country, thoroughly train them, while at the same time conducting ideological indoctrination so they wouldnt betray the country, and other such things using their national power.

By doing so, theyd be able to secure the quality, quantity, and loyalty of sorcerers.

They would then make them infiltrate the various countries all over the world as spies and create completely advantegous situations with other small countries.

Lord Ledus, if its you, then you should be able to do it, you know. Our country will support you.

Mari smilingly makes talk to Ledus.

Its been several months since Mari had been invited as the First Consorts house guest.

The reason everything had went this smoothly was that one of the sorcerers being employed by the First Consort is her disciple.

A large number of a countrys sorcerers flock around the king. Therefore, it would be extremely difficult for retainers to secure one.

You could say that they tend to thoughtlessly employ great sorcerers looking for work even if they are foreigners.

The one that told her that Ledus is an easy target is also that sorcerer.

But can I really do it?The enemy has a force several times more than mine.

You can, you know? Listen here

Mari indifferently speaks of a seemingly winning strategy. And included in those words is a small quantity of magic powers.

Sweet words and important talk easily enter his head.

The curse on those words are the same.

Theres nothing better than coating poison with sugar.

Naturally, there are also spies from Mari and the Rozel Kingdom within the Equus tribe but the tribe hasnt noticed that Ledus is slowly getting hypnotized.

Rather, theyre even thankful ((to Mari)) for making him proactive.

Shes giving him small doses over time. That is an iron-clad rule in sorcery.

Lord Ledus, its time for your meal.

The servant opens the yurts curtain and informs such to Ledus.

Ledus stands up.

Lady Merlin. How about you join me?

Im sorry..I have something I have to attend to. I would have to humbly pass on this one.

Mari makes an apologetic place as she excuses herself from that place.

AhI really cant get used to the Equus tribes kumis. It tastes too horrible. Cant we do something about it?

I understand what you feel. However, please dont come to my yurt many times over. Well get suspected.

Lydia.a spy from the Rozel Kingdomcandidly gives advice to Mari whos drinking tea.

Mari, however, just returns a smile.

I told you its fine. Besides, youre an Adernian after all. Arent you quite doted on by the First Consort? It wont be a problem. Wouldnt it be better for the setting to turn into us being personally intimate?

The spy gives off a deep sigh.

Nothings going through this superior of hers.

That said, you, arent you blending in quite well? I heard you did things like curing childrens diseases for free or something. Honestly, Im quite touched.

The level of the Equus tribes sorcerers are low after all

A bit embarrassed, Lydia scratches her cheeks.

While drinking tea, Mari answers.

The Equus tribe is a nomadic tribe after all, although theyve started to settle recently and even do agriculture. Its the weather that decides whether or not agricultural people would live or die. Therefore, they habitually pray to the gods and the spirits. Consequently, its easy for a sorcerer of high caliber to be born among them.

Conversely, nomads arent that dependent on the weather as much as agricultural peoples are, and so when push comes to shove, they could just do things like move to places where the harvest was good or take away their territory. Therefore, they dont pray habitually. They try to make do with their own abilities without relying on the gods and spirits..its the problem in their disposition, yes?

In the same way, theres a strong tendency for Adernians to be more excellent sorcerers than Rozel and Gallian sorcerers. Gallians are part-agricultural, part-pastural, and part-hunting peoples after all.

Its been fifteen years since I got initiated into sorcery, and another five since I infiltrated the Equus tribe.the time has finally come for me to be of use.

Itll still be after this, you know. Since youll become Prince Ledus head sorcerer. Well be relying on you when.the Rozel Kingdom takes down the DeMorgal Kingdom and begins the full blown invasion to the Rosyth Kingdom.

A smile appears on Maris face.

Lydia also makes an evil-like smile.

Meanwhile, in the Rosyth Kingdom.

Ah, geezeverythings not going well at all

Annabella is troubled.

Her duty is to assist the planted sorcerer in the Rosyth Kingdom and create divisions within the kingdom.

Her targets are important people in the state such as great clansmen and the like.

If its to the extent of setting curses on the common soldier and servant, then an average first class sorcerer, or even a skilled second-class sorcerer would be more than capable.

However, doing such to an important person that seemed to have received curse-defense training on top of being protected by several escorts is impossible except to an extremely first-class sorcerer.

Its not strange for there to be a layer in one part of the former DeBell Faction that embraces dissatisfaction to King Rosyth. Even if they couldnt fly the banner of revolt, they could still expect something along the lines of information smuggling.

If possible, its better if theyd be able to perform, with scrupulous care, a hypnotism similar to that of Prince Ledus.

Annabellas style and figure are on the good side.

Please!! I really want a job!! Ill do anything! I wont even mind letting you use my body!

Shell urge someone with something like that while casting a curse on the bed.

She has done such method since forever. Men are easy creatures.

Nevertheless, this is completely going nowhere.

The reason is simple.

The former DeBell Faction completely doesnt have any dissatisfaction with the current king.

To make matters worse, the only sorcerer planted in the Rosyth Kingdom got killed.

The Rosyth Kingdom has a system of sorcery licensure that manages sorcerers.

Because of this system, if you do something suspicious, itll immediately get found.

That sorcerer got impatient in her surveillance and made a mistake, so she got detected and executed by a Rosythian sorcerer.

Since shes wearing a spell that would rupture her heart should she start spilling secrets, Annabella still hasnt been caught. However.

The quality of the Rosyth Kingdoms sorcerers are higher than weve expected.Haa, we need to do something

Annabella wants to curse, at the very least, one person.

She wants to live up to Merlins expectations.

*knock**knock**knock*

Someone is knocking on the door.

Annabella opens it while thinking about who could it be.

Good day. Im Lulu, a national sorcerer. Actually, youre under suspicion of using sorcery without a license. Please show your license.

Cold sweat runs down through Annabellas back.

To tell the truth, Annabella is an unlicensed sorcerer.

In order to get a license, its necessary to go to the palace and receive tests and interviews from several sorcerers.

Naturally, if she did such a thing, then its highly probable that she gets discovered as a spy.

Annabella is a sorcerer temporarily dispatched in order to direct and aid the one planted at the actual place.

Shes someone who has to return to Gallia someday, so a license could only be a shackle.

That said, she made sure to not use sorcery before anyone.

In other words, the license or something like that is just a front.

(This girl, she noticed that Im another countrys spy!?)

Thinking back on it, she also probably got a little impatient and did some unreasonable actions.

Your license, please.

Yes, I understand. Ill take it out immediately.

Annabella takes out a smoke ball from her pocket and throws it on the ground.

Smoke covers the area.

Kkuuhh!!

Like hell Ill get easily caught.

She nimbly retreats into the interior of the house.

She then takes out another smoke ball and throws it.

The house gets filled with smoke making it impossible to see.

Surround the house!! Dont let her escape through the windows!! You guys come with me!!

Lulu orders her squad to surround the house while taking some of the elite along to invade the house.

The target will escape after all should there be any secret passage.

And her choice had proved correct, inside the house is one.

However, Annabella takes out a crossbow, points at Lulu and her squad, and pulls the trigger.

An arrow flies close to Lulus ear.

Its a crossbow. Ill warn you Im using sorcery to understand your whereabouts! Dont move if you dont want to die.

As such, Lulu could only resign to staying put.

Since they couldnt move, Annabella used this opportunity to escape through the secret passage dug underground.

Ah, geeze! This is no good! Theyre knowledge of counterespionage is too high!

The troubled Annabella writes a letter to Mari stationed in the Equus tribe.

To Lady Merlin

Are you well? I, on the other hand, am not. The reason is that the former DeBell faction seem to hold no discontent against the present king. Although they do embrace sentiments of fear and awe towards him, they completely have no spirit to go against him.

Normally, those in the Kings faction would ride on his coattails from the beginning and attack people in the opposition.

However, the present king has seemed to remonstrate those who got in on themselves and impartially judged them in trial. Then what about those from the Kings faction from the start, you ask? Thats what I also thought but it seems a lot of them are receiving increasing favors so even they are completely unexploitable.

Since they dont have gaps in the heart, nothing can be done.

Furthermore, the enemys counterintelligence capabilities are higher that we previously thought that our planted sorcerer had been captured.

Even I had almost got captured.

What should I do?

Yours truly,

Annabella.

To Annabella

Are you well? I, on the otherhand, am very well. However, Im just so sick of Kumis. Ledus had been completely hypnotized, so hes motivated enough.

Now then, regarding my advice

Please retreat.

Theres nothing that can be done if theres no gap in the heart. If you, who is my best pupil, couldnt do anything, then theres nothing I could do.

This time will be our loss.

King Rosyth seems to have quite the considerable sense of balance, yes?

I think its not impossible to torture him or even drug him with a strong drug.

However, I cant say that realistically. It would be extremely dangerous, so we should just stop trying it.

Its a much less objectionable fate to moving poorly and getting discovered by the enemy, after all.

Besides, Ill be sad if my adorable number one pupil were to die.

Im more hurt seeing my beloved people die even more than the thought of me dying.

For the meantime, put a light hypnotism on a servant or whatnot and wait for orders in the Rozel Kingdom.

I also plan to return soon. I want to eat some pork buns.

P.S.

That said, why do we get all polite when exchanging letters? Its strange.

From Lady Merlin,

The Greatest, Most Beautiful, and Forever Virgin Witch.