AWDC Chapter 93

“The crops are growing well.” I was summoned by Gregg and was inspecting the farmland near the domain capital. This was the place where Elliott had previously asked me for agricultural guidance, and I was checking on the situation afterward.

“The soil is quite fertile too.” I dug into the soil, confirmed the presence of several earthworms, and said.

“Well, I did as the teacher told me,” the farmer said, looking pleased to be praised. His farmland used to be barren, and crops barely grew.

Elliott had somewhat forcefully imposed Toriholi farming methods on the domain residents, and I had come to provide guidance many times. Before I knew it, I had come to be called “Teacher.” Well, that was far better than being called “Earl.”

As I was looking at several farmhouses like that, Elliott’s retainer came.

“Lord Midland has arrived.”

When I informed them of Hofa’s movements, Elliott immediately proposed a three-way meeting, and both Richter and I had no choice but to agree.

Three months after returning home, we were to have a meeting in the Gregg domain. Yesterday, when I arrived in the Gregg domain, Richter hadn’t arrived yet, so I was doing a patrol.

After the greetings, we moved on to the three-way meeting, and I explained Hofa’s hypnotic suggestion ability to the two of them.

“So, that monk was able to be constantly in the inner palace because he was using such an ability?”

“Does he command people like puppets?”

They were also disturbed by Hofa’s ability.

“How many people can that power affect?” Even the assertive Elliott spoke with a somewhat disgusted expression.

“I don’t know how many people it can influence. However, I think it’s necessary to be in contact for a certain period of time to brainwash someone.”

“So that’s why that power didn’t affect us. Does that mean that even if we meet him, we’ll be susceptible to suggestion?”

“In principle, yes. However, I don’t think you’d fall under the spell in a short amount of time. And I think hypnosis is difficult on someone who is wary.”

I explained the basics of hypnosis.

“Could it be that he’s a reincarnated person to have such an ability?” Elliott asked, voicing his doubts.

“I investigated Hofa’s identity. A record of his birth registration was found in a merchant family in the capital,” Richter immediately denied.

“I checked his records at the church, but his rise was not unusually fast. It’s possible that he didn’t want his ability to be known and didn’t display his suggestion ability much. However, if he had that much ability, he would have used it more from a young age and tried to rise faster,” I also answered negatively.

“It can be considered that he didn’t have that power when he was young, or he gradually acquired it.” Elliott seemed a little relieved to learn that he wasn’t a reincarnated person.

“But if he uses that power, he can manipulate the stupid nobles.”

“With this, we can’t recklessly interfere in the capital,” Elliott said calmly.

“Ah, that’s right. Even if we can eliminate Hofa by force, it’s no use if there are only incompetent nobles left. And if the officials have been brainwashed, they’ll be useless.”

“That’s right, we don’t know how many people are under his control.”

“What information do you have about the capital?”

“The Solberry Marquis has taken control of the government.”

“Can a puppet of Hofa run the government?” Elliott asked, looking puzzled.

“I don’t think Hofa would give detailed instructions for everything. Doing so would take too much effort and be extremely inefficient. It would be better for him to only indicate a general direction and let Solberry make the decisions.”

“Solberry isn’t incompetent, and he should be able to run the government without problems,” Richter commented, then said something concerning.

“There’s no noticeable activity in the government offices. Solberry’s people have recently entered the Ministry of Home Affairs. There probably won’t be any significant personnel changes yet, but they’ll likely change drastically eventually. However, there’s a sense that they’re hastily organizing the Royal Army.”

“Ah, the Royal Army has already been taken over. The leadership has been largely replaced.”

“Does that mean your subordinates are gone?” Richter immediately reacted.

“Ah, I’ve lost a lot. I won’t be executed, but there’s no one left who will listen to me.”

“Wasn’t that to be expected? Is there any other movement?”

“Hmm, since two new unit commanders have been added, two units will probably be increased.”

“That’s quite a hasty move. It’s too rushed compared to the Ministry of Home Affairs.”

“Perhaps it’s to counter us, and it’s because they’re thinking about Belga.”

During the era of King Michael, the Royal Army was being expanded, but the Bawa Roma rebellion nearly destroyed the Royal Army. The Rafael administration, which was launched after overcoming the rebellion, had suppressed the expansion of the Royal Army. One reason was that the national finances were strained by the rebellion, but it was also because they didn’t want the Royal Army to become stronger than us. Midland and Gregg, bordering neighboring countries, had been allowed to have many domain soldiers for national defense since their founding. The two duchies had a spirit of independence and self-reliance. Therefore, they didn’t want the Royal Army to become too large and put pressure on Gregg and Midland. From Gregg’s point of view, even if they diligently trained the Royal Army and made it strong, they didn’t want to be under the umbrella of the Royal Army later on. From my perspective, I could understand their feelings, but I thought it was necessary to strengthen the Royal Army. With the combined thoughts of the three, the Royal Army had been kept to an increase of about 500 per year.

“Is Hofa seriously planning to invade Belga?”

Belga was currently in a state of internal strife, quarreling over who would be the successor to the throne, making it a good opportunity to invade. Within the Rafael administration, there were opinions that they should seize Belga now. It was Gregg who crushed this.

In fact, Gregg was secretly conducting subversive activities in Belga, providing funding to one of the forces in the succession dispute, and if things went well, they could create a Flander puppet government in Belga without fighting. If they sent troops to Belga in this situation, the Belga nation, which had been divided into two, would unite, and the hard-won political strategy would be ruined.

Richter and I, of course, agreed with Gregg’s idea, and the talk of invading Belga had disappeared in the Rafael administration.

But in the Solberry administration, the talk of invading Belga by force seemed to be revived.

“Another thing that’s concerning is that there’s been a change in the power within the church. The King will be making a restoration declaration at the Boscon church next time,” Richter pointed out.

The Foscon church was where Hofa belonged, and its rank in the capital was third or fourth, not the highest authority, and it hadn’t been used for important rituals such as the King’s enthronement.

“Is Hofa pulling the strings behind the scenes? Even so, it’s quite a roundabout way. For him, it would be easier to directly brainwash and become the top of the church, right? Why hasn’t he done that until now?” Elliott voiced a most reasonable question.

“There may be his weakness there,” I also nodded.

Hofa’s suggestion ability seemed to have some limits, or perhaps there was a way to deal with it.

“Anyway, we don’t know how great his abilities are. That’s why the idea of ​​dropping the capital with force at once is a foolish plan. Let’s each accumulate the power to surpass him.”

Everyone agreed with that idea.