186. reap what you sow
#
silent war.
Now, the fight between Ian and Duke Garcia could be said that way.
Blocking each other without direct attack. It was in the midst of a fierce battle of nerves.
But Ian was busier than ever.
“Stock up your supplies and lock the gates.”
“Have you identified the location of the enemies? We will triple the number of scouts to ensure we know where they are.”
“Insufficient supplies are requisitioned from the local residents. Make sure to pay and bring it.”
I had no choice but to do so.
‘The first person to run out of food or the castle to be captured loses.’
However, it was not easy to attack each other’s castles.
It is a truth of the past that it is easier for the defending side to defend the troops than the beating side.
No matter how much Garcia lost his troops here, it was clear that he would not be able to face the royal family.
So they went into a fight to dry each other up.
‘There is no need to mobilize soldiers to fight.’
Just as the power of nobility comes from the realm, for Duke Garcia, the realm is the same as the root. When food ran out in a situation where they locked each other’s doors, they had no choice but to declare surrender.
No matter how much money you have, you won’t be able to sustain the people without food.
Of course, Ian was a little different.
‘I am not a noble. I don’t really get any power from the realm.’
But Ion was the heir to the throne.
There was no way to give the throne to someone who could not even protect this small estate.
This silent war wasn’t just a tactic to put pressure on each other, it was nothing like a fight against each other.
But Garcia was by no means an easygoing person.
‘Rather, the moment you think you’ve won is the most dangerous.’
The Duke of Garcia did not trust even his closest entourage. That is why he was a man who took his weaknesses so that he could be knocked down at any time.
Perhaps it was the same for Ian.
‘From the moment that made me royalty, I must have put my hand to make a weakness.’
So, what is Ian’s biggest weakness?
That’s Youngji.
The Yeongji received as a result of competition was the foundation of Ian, and his face was no different.
No matter how popular he was as a successor, his honor would fall to the ground as soon as the land was opened.
‘Even the peacock wouldn’t be unaware of it.’
So, simply locking the door didn’t end there.
It’s the Duke of Garcia that Ian knows.Otherwise, you would have already planted all the seeds.
So the first thing to do was to remove the seeds.
Ian called the chief of staff.
“What happened to the food?”
“According to the words of the prince, we have moved the food from the warehouse to a few safe places in Yeongju Castle. We also increased our security.”
“That’s not enough.”
“yes?”
“There must be spies. And they’re going to target food depots.”
“Then let’s start with checking the identity of the guards again…”
“no. You don’t have to. Gather them together.”
“!”
At Ion’s order, the soldiers in charge of the food warehouse gathered in one place.
He quickly pointed to a few people.
“That guy. And catch him and all of them.”
“!”
The chaplain who followed him opened his mouth in amazement.
“The authors are all followers of the Prince from the time of the Crystal Palace.”
“So?”
“I will never betray the prince.”
“Is that so?”
Ian knew.
That Duke Garcia hides the seeds of betrayal from those whom the other party believes in.
Because he was next to the Duke more than anyone else in his previous life, he knew the method very well.
Besides, he had the eyes of ‘jealousy’.
‘I can see… their jealousy.’
It wasn’t just the jealousy that Ion looked like.
Black people stained with dirt in a world where only white exists. And the filth extended only toward Ian.
The eyes of beasts aiming for prey.
They were the spies created by Duke Garcia.
So Ian ordered with a confident expression.
“Take them all.”
At his command, the soldiers were captured and dragged away.
The soldiers shouted in shame.
“Why are you here? I am innocent.”
“I am just an ordinary guard. Why are you doing this…”
But Ian whispered in their ears.
“What did Duke Garcia give you? Is it money? Or was he threatened with the lives of his family?”
“no. It is a misunderstanding.”
“We never betrayed the Prince.”
At the resistance of the soldiers, Ion grinned.
“For a normal soldier, he hid his life well. But do you know that?”
“what..”
“How could life be hidden, but the primordial emotions of a person are not easily controlled.”
“What is that…”
“Jealousy and envy are similar but different. Wouldn’t it be troublesome if you said no while looking at me like that?”
“!”
In an instant, the soldier’s eyes changed.
Did he have a gut feeling that he could no longer hide that he was a spy?
Exuding vicious death from the eyes of an ordinary man, he released his captivity and rushed in.
“die!”
But Ian was already preparing.
Nathan, who was guarding him, quickly drew his sword and put it back in.
Scratch!
single sword.
Nathan’s sword split the spy vertically and fell.
Ian did not even frown on him, and immediately called the chief of staff.
“I will take turns checking the other soldiers from now on.”
“yes. Prince.”
So Ian began to uproot the seeds sown by Duke Garcia.
‘Once all the seeds are removed, the peacock will know nothing about it.’
Then he could feed him a big one.
“A man always reaps what he sows. it will be soon Duke.”
Ian raised the corners of his lips.
*
Time went by really quickly.
A breath-taking feeling of kimchi was flowing throughout Kai Stein.I had no choice but to do so.
“The Duke of Garcia’s estate is completely blocked, and not a single ant can escape?”
“He said that he mobilized not only the Royal Guard, but also the surrounding lords.”
“Only to see if your Majesty is seriously angry.”
It was because the battle between the royal family and the Duke of Garcia was getting fiercer.
The sense of crisis was heightening even to the royal capital due to the continuous recruitment with the soldiers who were dispatched every day.
Fortunately, there has not been a full-fledged fight yet, so not many people have died.
But there was something else to worry about.
“You said that Garcia attacked the 7th Prince in that situation? What an army of arrogance.”
“Is it like a revolt against the royal family? If you hit them, even Prince Ion will not be safe… that’s it.”
In the battle between the royal family and the duke, the 7th Prince Ion was pitiful.
No matter how much Bahara’s hero is, Duke Garcia has sealed the territory and controlled the logistics. Rumors began to circulate that he would not be able to hold out for long.
“It’s a duke’s family that there are only two of us in this country. Can the 7th Prince win?”
“By the way, Duke Garcia is also very cruel. How dare you use such a vicious trick on that little prince.”
“You will be punished. scourge!”
At Kaistein, Ian was special.
He never forgot to do for the people in many of his activities so far. He was the only one who made a comfort station or a comfort station.
He was using such a person as a pressure on the royal family.
It was natural for all of Kaistein to curse at Garcia.
No, the atmosphere was starting to get bloody.
“We are not like this. Let’s go help the 7th Prince.”
“What? how?”
“Isn’t it enough for us to become soldiers and defeat Duke Garcia? Let’s bring down the vicious duke.”
“Right! Let’s protect our prince with our own hands!”
As time passed, the number of conscripted soldiers of Kaistein was increasing.
No matter how much Duke Garcia tried to buy people with money, people were busy spitting and swearing.
Rather, the conscripts on the duke’s side were about to be kicked out.
“I.. Do you know how to stay safe even like this!”
“What is he saying now! What the duke has done to us, now we’re conscripted! Recruitment!”
“Touching Prince Ian is like ignoring this country and its people! Let’s get rid of Duke Garcia, who ignores this country and its people!”
“Wow!”
The seeds that Ian had sown so far began to move.
It could be said that this was something Ian could not have expected.
Such a large force began to move toward Ion’s estate. They received little training, but they are all people who think about this country and Ian.
It was truly a huge force of fraud.
*
Duke Garcia read the paperwork with cold eyes.
“How did it go?”
“The conscription… failed.”
“····.”
The peacock didn’t say anything.
It was something he had roughly expected.
“It seems that the people’s support for the 7th Prince and the current royal family is higher than expected.”
“That’s right. They say everyone on our side has been kicked out.”
“Anyone other than the royal castle?”
“I didn’t see much income in other territories.”
I had no choice but to do so.
Starting with the center where the royal family is located, the north side was on Ion’s side.
Adelas of the east was able to hold his hand, but his life became better for him as his marquis’ sins were revealed and captured. So the east side was also on Ion’s side.
Fortunately, the Southern Nobility Union was neutral, so I tried to hold hands.“They are not responding.”
“I will.”
Like Garcia in the west, the Southern Noble Union was a trader.
When Garcia collapsed, they had no choice but to be the ones they liked the most.
“Waiting for me to collapse. It’s an opportunity to monopolize this trading route.”
“I am sorry. dismissal.”
Of course I couldn’t help.
But Duke Garcia didn’t care.
“I am not Garcia who will fall for something like this. You can use whatever you want in the warehouse. If this country doesn’t work, let’s borrow power from abroad.”
“I will. But it takes time. dismissal.”
“There is enough food. Garcia who can endure months as well as years. Don’t worry, move on.”
“number of people!”
Duke Garcia raised an eyebrow.
‘Even though they don’t know how scary overnight dogs are.’
It was because the 7th Prince Ion was too harsh.
It was necessary to show the Jailbreak.
“What happened to the spies? I must have ordered the entire food warehouse to be burned, right?”
“That… that.”
The general was trembling, not thinking of raising his face.
Duke Garcia looked at the general with fearful eyes.
“Speak straight. what kind of bullshit?”
“All the spies have lost contact. There’s only one person left, but they say they won’t be able to contact you for a while.”
“her? All those spies?”
It didn’t make sense.
They were spies that Ion had worked hard to build up in secret since he became a prince.
We took care of each other thoroughly so that we didn’t know each other.
‘Are they all caught?’
Who the hell could do such a thing?
However, Duke Garcia has not lost his temper yet.
“I must have underestimated the 7th Prince.”
“sorry. dismissal.”
“It has been It seems like there are quite a few. That way, you can’t change the trend.”
Duke Garcia’s eyes grew cold.
It’s a pity that his spies didn’t burn the food warehouse. He had an army of arrogance and numerous wealth.
“Obviously, Yeongji’s food for a week would be all you need. Induce a fight.”
“The word is…”
“It promotes food consumption so that they can’t stand it. When food runs out, he will have no choice but to do it.”
The fight burned a lot of calories.
No matter how much you want to conserve food, you cannot reduce the amount of food you give to the soldiers who fight directly.
Duke Garcia was aiming for it.
That wasn’t the only thing.
“Is the secret task force ready?”
“of course. dismissal.”
“I guess you guys have to go on your own. I’ll have to cross the wall and burn his food.”
If the spies couldn’t burn it, it was enough to burn it yourself.
“If possible, let the current residents of the territory be bribed. Its people will set fire to it, and its reputation will fall to the ground.”
“Don’t worry. In a few days, I’ll show you black smoke in his estate.”
“I will believe you.”
Only then did Duke Garcia smile when the secret task force left.
He said that no matter how great he was, he couldn’t do it any more.
But that was then.
“Fire!”
“The food warehouse is on fire!”
The outside was starting to light up with a loud noise.
Isn’t that a joke? The commander-in-chief entered the Duke’s office with an urgent expression.
“It’s a big deal! The food warehouse is on fire!”
“what?”
Duke Garcia went out with an urgent expression.
But it really was.
Whoops!
With great momentum, the food warehouse was on fire.It wasn’t just one or two.
All of the food warehouses in the territory he was holding were on fire.
Duke Garcia’s calm face disappeared.
“Who the hell would do this!”
His face was flushed red, almost as if it were a slaughter.
he shouted
“Turn out the lights now! And find those who set the fire!!”
But he saw it.
A man’s face on a building under the moonlight. Because it was a strangely familiar face.
“I hope you are…”
That’s Ian Kaistein.
It was the name of the man who was laughing at him under the moonlight.
The end
