"By the way, how long are you going to stay in Green Lake City? The negotiation meetings have been intermittent this week. The newspapers don't give the latest schedule, and I see that Carina hasn't been attending the meetings as often as before. Didn't the church decide to let the delegation leave here so that they can focus on dealing with the Green Lake issue?"
Shade asked, and the Duchess nodded:
“Arrangements for the church have already begun.
Tomorrow night, a grand banquet will be held at this manor, and all the people involved in the negotiations, including the representatives of Carsenrick, will attend. Afterwards, I will invite Margaret Anjou to stay. The day after tomorrow, which is Sunday, she and I will experience a major "accident" together, forcing the negotiations to stop. I have received the plan, Xia De, remember to attend the banquet tomorrow. In addition, if I encounter an accident, you don't have to rescue me, this is all arranged. "
After saying this, he was worried that Xia De didn't understand:
"The day after tomorrow, I will take a carriage with Margaret Anjou from the Rose Manor to the City Hall. There will be a large number of citizens watching along the way. When I reach out from the window to say hello, someone will shoot me."
"Why does this scene look so familiar... Oh, last summer."
The girls in the room all laughed. Last summer, Queen Diana suffered a similar assassination attempt, and Shad ran across several streets to block the fatal bullet for her.
"We invited Margaret to join us because neither country wants a war to break out. Being assassinated together can help us attribute the incident to a third party to the greatest extent possible, rather than Carsenrick's Gray Gloves planning the incident."
Leicia explained, as for why it was Margaret and not someone else, Shade certainly understood. The Duke of Carsenrick was shot last week and cannot attend the banquet now. As for Margaret's brother, Miss Carina was not willing to ride in a carriage with a man other than Shade, so this matter naturally fell on Margaret.
"Shad, I remember you said that you have friends in the military camp on the border?"
Miss Carina suddenly asked, and after Xia De nodded, she continued to inquire:
"What's your rank? Is he reliable?"
“Captain, very reliable, currently the deputy commander of the Crossroads Barracks.
Captain Rades has a rich resume. He was captured by Carsenrick last spring because of a relic. After meeting me in the summer, I took the relic away at the Lakeview Manor dinner, and he regained his confidence afterwards. After catching the traffickers, he was transferred to the Red Water Camp in Xikar Mountain. In the fall, he participated in the battle of Xikar Mountain there, cooperated with the church team, fought against those ghosts and undead, and made merit again. Although he failed to be promoted during the honors season at the beginning of the year, he was transferred to the border of Pantanal after the end of the year, and was recently transferred to the Green Lake area. "
Not only Miss Carina and Resia, but even Ajelina, who had little contact with military affairs, was surprised by this resume:
"That captain, is he just an ordinary man?"
"Yes, just an ordinary man. He is very determined and a good man. When Queen Diana was assassinated last summer, I was with him to catch the criminals who kidnapped children. Then I was shot and he caught the criminal. I was knighted and his capture by Carsenrick was wiped out."
The Duchess nodded:
"Well, since you said he can be completely trusted, I'll trouble you to deliver a letter to him for me. After Margaret of Anjou and I were assassinated, a small-scale, controllable battle will take place between the two countries' troops on the border. Carsenrick also has this tacit understanding, so that both sides can stop the negotiations on the grounds that 'everyone needs to calm down and avoid escalating the conflict.'"
Leicia wanted to continue explaining for Shade, but after thinking for a moment, she motioned for Ajelina to speak:
"So, it would be best to find a trustworthy officer on the front line. After all, if this matter is discovered later, it will inevitably damage the reputation of the royal family. But if we don't mobilize troops through formal channels, but let the local patrol team engage in a firefight with Carsenrick..."
Miss Carina nodded again, satisfied with Ajelina's response:
"Shad, tell your officer friend that as long as he can engage the Carsenrick army as planned, he will be transferred away from the Green Lake border no matter what happens afterwards. As for the subsequent promotion of military rank and transfer to a better defense zone, there will naturally be no problem."
Since she said it herself, she certainly wouldn't regret it later. So Shade agreed, but whether Captain Rades was willing to take on the task was something Shade had to ask herself.
So at ten o'clock in the morning, Shad came to the tavern in Crossroads Village again and sat down in the tavern with Captain Rades. During the day, soldiers in the army were of course not allowed to enter or leave the tavern, let alone drink, but this rule did not restrict officers much. Captain Rades regarded Shad as his best friend, and since Shad came to visit, he naturally would not refuse.
There were not many guests in the tavern at this time. After the enthusiastic tavern owner brought the two people's drinks, Xia De first talked to the captain for a few words:
"Remember when we first came here, you had a conflict with a few Kasenrick people and were even driven out by the tavern owner. At that time, there were people from both countries here;
When we came here for the second time, the Delarion badge had been hung up, the proprietress became very enthusiastic towards you, and there were fewer people in Carsenrick;
Now, the Carsenrick merchants who were passing through the village just now are no longer seen, and there are no southerners in this tavern anymore."
The captain fiddled with the Delarian emblem hanging on the wall:
"It's not just here. I heard that there are also loud voices against Carsenrick in China. The trade between the two countries this year will definitely be greatly affected... Fortunately, I don't do cross-border trade."
Shade smiled:
"Yes, you don't do cross-border trade, you are a professional soldier. Speaking of soldiers, Captain, I have a small favor to ask you if you are willing to do it."
The topic changed so quickly that Captain Rades, who was sitting across the table, put down his glass and looked a little puzzled:
"Small matter? Of course I can help."
The captain didn't realize what Shad was going to say and thought it was something about transit documents.
Shade shook his head:
"Don't make a decision yet, just look at this."
He handed the "personal letter" from Miss Carina, written by Tifa, to the captain. The captain touched the envelope and his puzzled expression turned serious. He looked up and glanced at Shade cautiously. After Shade nodded slightly, he opened the wax seal and took out the letter.
Even in the daytime, the light in the tavern was a little dim. The white candles used for lighting the table were getting shorter and shorter, and the wax tears were falling drop by drop, forming a layer of wax at the bottom of the candlestick. The captain read carefully by the candlelight, his brows knitted a little bit, and his eyes became more and more serious.
When he finished reading, he handed the letter back to Xia De. Xia De brought the letter close to the candle, lit it, and threw it into the empty bowl that he had asked the landlady for in advance.
Neither of them spoke, and they watched the letter curl up in the flames in the bowl until it was burned to ashes. Then, Shade took out the kettle and filled it with water, stirring the burning ashes thoroughly, and in the surprised look of Captain Rades, he actually drank the whole bowl of ashes in one gulp.
"Actually... it's safe if it's burned clean."
"Safety first, you know the seriousness of this matter."
Captain Rades nodded slowly, but his brows were still furrowed:
"It's indeed very difficult. I didn't expect you to bring me this kind of mission. If I'm not careful, I might become the one who starts a full-scale war."
"So what do you do?"
"Give me some time, I'll think about it."
The captain stared at the burning candle, and Shad could see his struggle.
Captain Eight Guns Rades was one of the few ordinary people that the outsider knew in this world, but he was also a truly upright person. If he were to carry out this plan, not only would he be cursed in the future, but once the guns were opened, all subsequent casualties would be attributed to him.
At this moment, his reputation and the lives of his soldiers were put on the line with his own future and the fate of the kingdom. Although the weight of the chips was not consistent, it was still not an easy decision to make, so Shade was willing to give him time to think.
Finally, the captain looked up and whispered:
"No problem, I'll do it. If I don't, someone else will. In fact, we heard rumors some time ago that the two countries intended to end the negotiations and wait until they have sorted out their current situations and choose another location to talk. This is something that cannot be stopped, but I didn't expect that such radical means would be used."
"It's impossible not to be radical. You know about the recent conflict between the Drarion people and the Carsonrick people on the north and south sides of Green Lake City. Moreover, someone is secretly planning to assassinate the representatives of the two countries' negotiation teams. If the talks continue, a war will break out here sooner or later. Therefore, the two countries should just agree to stop fighting after a short conflict."
Shade explained that he certainly couldn't say it was all because of the church. Of course, because the Green Lake negotiations had not made any progress, the two kings had the intention to suspend the negotiations.
The captain nodded cautiously:
"I'll do it. I'll inform the contact person of the specific time and place after I've arranged them according to the method in the letter... I can be considered to be participating in the course of history."
Shade smiled:
"We have long been in the process of history, and no one can escape it."
Captain Rades raised his glass again and toasted to Shade:
"Detective, thank you for giving me this opportunity. Although I was so conflicted just now, I am actually happy in my heart. I can finally seize the opportunity to go further before retiring. This is a bad thing and a good thing. I know this is your trust in me."