Price of Management

‘Something's not right. ’

As Nigel watched the situation, he wondered.

This is because the resistance of the Mansion Defenders was unexpectedly stiff.

I harassed him for almost a week beyond the first 100 hours I planned. Time was delayed by the variable John Spa, but the guards were eventually quite exhausted as intended. It must have been physically and mentally harsh.

However, the resistance was quite violent.

Am I too shallow? No. We're not even an elite army. There's something to it. ’

Elite soldiers who are mentally and heavily armed with brotherly love and patriotism sometimes act with superhuman power. Military fraud was just as important.

However, the opposing team were students of the Royal Academy, with the exception of the guards belonging to the late rogue Marquis of Ligand. They're not organized, and they're not adults yet.

‘Let's just wait a little longer and decide. ’

Nigel summons an observer to command.

“From now on, keep an eye on the house's enemy troop numbers as accurately as you can and keep reporting in real time. ”

“Old!”

The observers divided the four sides of the mansion, northeast, southwest, and northwest, and began to calculate the number of enemies in their territories. That's how you summed up the numbers you counted and reported them to Nigel.

Nigel's willingness to analyze the enemy's power in detail.

Observers have been counting and reporting on the summed numbers from time to time.

It's not going to slow down, is it? ’

Nigel was convinced.

There's a soldier! ’

It was clear that they were displacing weary troops from time to time or that the numbers were not diminished and the defenses were strong.

Nigel's head spins fast.

‘More troops than the first time. Then where the hell is the supply run? ’

The House is surrounded by the Horn Empire. Not one ant cub can enter the mansion without Nigel's tolerance. But given the defensive situation of the mansion, there must have been more room for troops than there had ever been before. If so, the conclusion was simple.

‘Yes, there is a secret passageway somewhere. That's where the support came from. ’

Even a secret passageway is not strange for a house around the Marquis of Ligand.

When the mansion was first built, it was already a time when war would break out. It was likely that Caroc Ligand had created a secret passageway to prepare for similar times as he built the mansion. Can't a great spirit build a mansion like that in one night?

Then the question was, where is the exit to the secret passageway?

‘Come to think of it, Caroc Ligand has created a secret passageway in case our Horn Empire invades.' So that the mansion can escape even if it's surrounded. ’

Then at least it was unlikely that the secret passageway connected to the interior of the Kingdom of Leaden.

Then the guards in the mansion in the first place wouldn't have suffered from insufficient troops. He must have received support from the army of Lerdon.

Besides, when the mansion is under attack, King Leaden is already under attack, so why would he breach a secret passageway to escape there?

Nigel, who was thinking about the bear, gave it to the soldiers.

“Bring me the map! ”

“Old!”

Soon after, a soldier brought me a map of a military plot near Leaden Castle. Nigel carefully examines the map.

Once the Horn Empire was stationed, it was excluded from nearby Kingdom of Leaden and from the area where the scouts were stationed.

A secret passageway that Caroc Ligand created to escape his family. Then, where did he try to move his family?

‘Not to the north. ’

I will not send you to the North without any ointment. So Nigel thought the secret passage would lead east or south.

Caroc Ligand will make his family flee to the territory of Erl Kunt, his hometown. Then the main direction is to the south.

But looking at the map, Nigel shakes his head.

‘The plains to the south. If we retreat this way, we are at high risk of being captured by many of our Horn Empire troops. Is it east as well? "

Nigel looks to the east of the map. His gaze stayed in a place not far east.

School? ’

At that moment, Nigel had a hunch.

Royal School!

John Spain and his students, who are currently guarding the mansion, were students of the Royal Academy.

Not only was the Marquis of Ligand's mansion, the Royal School, but also the buildings that Caroc Ligand used to use as a form of animosity.

But it's too far. ’

I thought it might be too long for the secret of a mansion, but Nigel shakes his head.

‘The Grand Spirit, Caroc Ligand, should not be viewed as common sense. He's capable of anything. At Caroc Ligand's scale, you wouldn't think a secret this long. ’

Guess became increasingly convinced.

“Borrow 100 cavalry members from 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23,000. I have a place to take them myself. ”

Nigel borrowed 500 cavalry men from the Five Thousand. And after giving command to the greatest of the ten seals, the 17,000 seals, he climbed up to the horse.

“Follow me! ”

“Old!”

Nigel leads the cavalry east along the northern road. And it appeared in John's eyes, who fought hard against the Horn Empire on the wall.

Nigel Jurden? Where the hell...? No way! ’

As Nigel leads the cavalry east, John feels anxious as his heart sinks. To the east was the royal school.

“Damn, looks like Nigel Jurden noticed! ”

The guard commander, Bernard, tilts his head.

“Yes? What are you talking about... Oh, really? ”

“I knew there was a soldier. Damn, I tried to hide it as fast as I could, but I couldn't have known. ”

“You must be the son of the late Juden. He's scary. Now dragging the cavalry... ”

“You're going to find the exit to the secret passageway. ”

“How does the author know where the secret passageway exits are? ”

“You've made some assumptions. They even guessed it was in a royal school somewhere. ”

John's face was severely frozen.

“They're probably bringing food and arrows by now, and it's bad for Nigel. ”

The students who followed Mitchell out for mercenaries and supplies were carrying loads of food and arrows. They were doors and students who could not even fight. If Nigel captures them and interrogates them, they won't last long. They'll have no choice but to reveal where the secret passageway is.

“Please take command for a moment. ”

John leaps into the mansion building, leaving the battlefield in Bernard.

“Mitchell!"

“What's the matter? ”

Mitchell, who was helping the wounded, wondered when John called out to his urgent face.

“The kids who are bringing food and munitions, how far are they? ”

“He's in a hurry. He's probably a day's walk away by now. ”

“Oh, shit. ”

“What's going on? ”

“I think I found the secret passageway. ”

Mitchell's face was hard.

“Never let the enemy catch you. ”

“Yes, I'm going to go there myself. We need to tell the kids not to come this way before Nigel Jurden does. ”

“Alone?”

“We're going to search everywhere with hundreds of cavalry. If we don't move alone, we can't avoid their eyes. ”

“...... There's no other way. ”

“Come with me for a moment. ”

John and Mitchell head for the cellar. At the entrance of the wine cellar's secret passageway were several pieces of cardboard. John unhooks a ship and catches a paddle.

“Come on, get in. ”

“Why me? ”

“You'll have to let me down and take the boat back. What would they think if there was a shard floating in the pond? ”

“That's what I heard. I thought you were coming with me again. ”

“Are you crazy? I won't force a swimmer into a dangerous adventure. ”

“That's very kind of you. ”

Mitchell chirps and kicks his tongue onto a sculpture boat.