Tilea's Worries

I held my head in my hands after hearing Gil’s proposal. As expected, this person is indeed one of Ortissio’s subordinates. 

Gil's proposal wasn’t theft—no, it was outright robbery. The plan was to steal Elizabeth’s funds and disrupt her activities. Elizabeth had been using her wealth to carry out various evil deeds, including constantly hiring assassins from underground organizations. It was thanks to her vast resources that she could afford all of this.

From the standpoint of cutting off her financial support, Gil’s plan was frighteningly effective. Even if we tried to accuse Elizabeth of her crimes through official means, she’d likely use her status as a duchess to brush it off. Stopping Elizabeth with this plan might be our only option. 

I get it, I really do.

But it’s still a complete crime. Normally, any theft over a million gold leads to the death penalty. And with the amount of money Elizabeth has, it’s probably in the billions. Stealing that much would undoubtedly result in execution.

Moreover, we’d be breaking into a duke’s mansion and robbing the place. The charges for that would be... well, it’s safe to assume it would end with the extermination of our entire bloodline.

Do these two even understand the risks involved?

I glanced at Ortissio and Gil. They looked... normal.

Not a shred of desperation on their faces.

Despite the serious and dangerous topic we were discussing, Ortissio and Gil were both as calm as could be.

They were treating this as casually as housewives chatting over tea. Seriously, could we not consider this a bit more carefully?

Just being overheard could lead to ruin. We'd all be jailed and executed for conspiracy. This isn't just about me—it would endanger everyone close to us. We should be thinking of smarter alternatives, not rushing into this.

However, despite my concerns, the two of them were already discussing the specifics of the robbery.

Ah, so it’s already decided that we’re doing it, huh? Amazing. There wasn’t even a debate about whether we should or shouldn’t. They’re really used to life-and-death situations. They have nerves of steel, unlike me, who's panicking. In that sense, they truly are seasoned soldiers.

Ortissio and Gil were now talking about how they could infiltrate Elizabeth’s mansion without being detected. And Ortissio’s suggestion? A frontal assault.

It was so simple and lacked any sort of strategy. Does he even understand the concept of “infiltration”?

I found myself admiring Gil’s patience for listening seriously to Ortissio’s nonsensical plan. Honestly, he should just ignore Ortissio.

On the other hand, Gil’s plan was much more sound. He had analyzed the security layout, chosen the optimal time for infiltration, and planned a tactical operation with a small elite force. It honestly seemed like it could work.

However, even Gil admitted that the plan required an internal accomplice.

Wait, are they really having this conversation right in front of me?

They were speaking so openly, as if I were just some doll or piece of furniture. Sure, I wouldn’t, but if I were to betray them and report this, it’d be over for them...

“Oh! I’ve got a brilliant idea!” Ortissio suddenly shouted, interrupting their discussion.

I had a bad feeling about this.

There’s no such thing as a “brilliant idea” from Ortissio.

“What’s your brilliant idea, Captain Ortissio?” Gil leaned forward with genuine interest, encouraging Ortissio to continue. There wasn’t the slightest hint of mockery in his voice.

The complete opposite of how I felt.

Loyal to a fault, Gil was the ideal subordinate, truly.

“Gil, your plan was pretty good. But the lack of an internal accomplice is a problem, right?”

“Yes, it’s essential to have someone on the inside. Unless, of course, we can get help from the intelligence division...”

“Intelligence division? I’m not indebted to that bastard strategist!”

“I understand. Without cooperation from other divisions, Captain Ortissio won’t get the credit.”

“Exactly! We will handle this with our Second Division alone. While I understand that we’re a combat unit and ill-suited for infiltration, that’s precisely where my plan comes in. Doll, this is your time to shine!”

“Huh?!”

Being called on out of nowhere, I flinched. What on earth was he planning to have me do?

Ortissio then proudly began explaining his “brilliant” plan with full confidence.

...

......

.........

I had a headache.

My bad feeling was spot on.

Ortissio’s plan was for me to infiltrate Elizabeth’s mansion as a spy, gather information, and help guide Ortissio and his men inside from within. 

I’m just a student at the magic academy! Sure, I know Elizabeth, but how am I supposed to infiltrate her mansion as a spy?!

This was way too difficult.

Ortissio, oblivious to my strained smile, wore an expression full of confidence in his plan.

He didn’t care about my circumstances at all.

“Haah... Ortissio-san, let me be frank. I can’t do it. I’m not trained as a spy.”

“Stop complaining. You understand the gist of the plan, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah. You want me to help you steal by opening the door from the inside.”

“Doll! What is this ‘steal’ you speak of? That’s unacceptable!”

“No, no matter how you dress it up, what we’re planning is a crime.”

“Huh? What nonsense are you talking about?! The criminals are them!”

“Well, yes. Elizabeth is an evil person and a criminal. But if we go steal money from her, then we’ll be—”

“Idiot! What do you mean, steal?! What we’re doing is retrieving the wealth that was originally stolen from Lady Tilea!”

“Huh? You mean Elizabeth attacked you when you arrived in the capital? Did she steal from the kingdom?”

“Fool! As if we would let ourselves be ambushed by vermin like that! If they tried, we’d crush them like flies!”

“Then what do you mean by ‘stolen’?”

“Listen carefully. All wealth in this world belongs to Lady Tilea. Elizabeth is merely occupying what is rightfully hers. Understand now?”

Ortissio’s bloodshot eyes gleamed as he fervently made his point.

This guy... He’s crazy.

"All the wealth in this world?" Does he really believe that Tilea-sama and her group are rulers of the world?

I understand soldiers swearing loyalty to their liege, but this was beyond extreme.

I remembered an old man who used to live in my neighborhood. He would shout things like "The heavens are already dead!" and cause a ruckus until the military police took him away. 

The way Ortissio was so fixated on his own ideas, blind to reality, reminded me of that man.

"Ortissio-san, it’s admirable to be loyal to your lord, but if you go too far, it might cause more harm than good to them."

"Doll, how can you be so foolish? What part of this conversation was too far? If anything, we haven’t praised Lady Tilea’s greatness nearly enough."

No, it’s hopeless. This guy... 

Gil-san, I don’t know how you manage to serve under him.

"Doll, enough with your pointless chatter. So, are you in or not? No, scratch that. You *will* do it. Prepare yourself."

“W-wait a minute. Isn’t this all a bit sudden? Do I not even have a choice?”

"Miless, consider this your chance."

Gil suddenly joined the conversation, supporting Ortissio’s idea.

“A chance?”

"Yes. You once disrespected Lady Tilea, and now you know the secrets of the Underground Empire. Under normal circumstances, we’d have executed you by now."

Gah, Gil’s sharp gaze sent chills down my spine.

"S-so, are you going to execute me?"

"I’ll be honest. It was Captain Ortissio’s blunder that allowed you to learn our secrets. As a subordinate, I’d prefer to eliminate any potential threat."

"S-so, then you really will..."

"No. You are too fortunate. Lady Tilea has taken a liking to you. Executing you would go against her wishes."

"I’m grateful to Lady Tilea."

"Words alone won’t suffice. This operation will be your chance to prove your loyalty. Infiltration will be a dangerous task for you, but it’s also an opportunity to demonstrate your dedication to Lady Tilea and Lady Camilla. If you can do that, knowing the empire’s secrets won’t be a problem anymore."

“It would also mean it’s no longer my mistake,” Ortissio added, clearly pleased with Gil’s reasoning.

As expected of Gil, he had thought this through. The difference between him and Ortissio was striking.

"So if I do this, you’ll recognize my loyalty?"

"Exactly. Miless, clear the doubts surrounding you."

Gil had a point. As someone who knew their secrets, I was indeed a potential threat. Lady Tilea aside, it was only natural that the other soldiers would be suspicious of me.

If I didn’t take on this life-threatening task, they would never accept me.

I had no choice.

But... a robbery? I had always believed I would never stoop to such a thing, no matter how desperate I became.

Ordinarily, I would refuse without a second thought. 

Robbery is a disgraceful act for any noble or, frankly, any decent person.

But... Elizabeth’s fortune was obtained by illegally exploiting poor citizens. Using that dirty money, she kept increasing the bounty on Timu-chan’s head.

She’s an

 unforgivable villain.

The world isn’t as simple as just doing the right thing.

That’s right. I need to remember my original goal.

I vowed to become Timu-chan’s friend. If I think about it that way, Ortissio’s plan is actually a blessing in disguise. I could help Timu-chan, even someone like me.

"…I have one condition."

"A condition? You still don’t understand your position, do you?!"

Ortissio roared at me.

This guy is impossible to talk to. Please, just let Gil handle the conversation.

“Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying this out of selfishness.”

“Then what is it?”

“The money we steal from Elizabeth, I want it to be distributed to the citizens of the capital.”

“Hmph, why should we give the wealth we acquire to a bunch of weaklings? This conversation is over.”

“No, it’s not over!”

I stood up instinctively and glared at Ortissio.

“If we distribute the money to the citizens, it’s no longer theft. It’s giving back to the people. A noble cause.”

“Doll, you’re spewing nonsense again. Those pathetic worms deserve no mercy. The more you squeeze them, the better.”

“What?! That’s exactly what Elizabeth thinks! That’s no way for someone in your position to think. Take it back!”

“I merely spoke the truth. I see no reason to take it back.”

“Then I can’t cooperate. If the money doesn’t go back to the people, it’s no different from theft.”

“How many times must I tell you?! It’s not theft! That money belongs to Lady Tilea!”

"You're the one who needs to stop! You're no better than Elizabeth if you keep this up."

"You still don’t understand Lady Tilea’s greatness, do you? Looks like you need a proper re-education!"

There was no reasoning with him.

"Gil-san, surely you don’t agree with this, right? Ortissio-san is being ridiculous!"

"What!? You're the one who's lost their mind! Gil, tell this stubborn doll something!"

Gil-san took in both my words and Ortissio’s and finally spoke.

"Captain Ortissio, let’s focus on finalizing the infiltration plan for Elizabeth’s mansion first. There’s no point in discussing what happens afterward until we succeed."

"Oh, right, that’s true."

"Gil-san, I won’t help if the money isn't redistributed to the citizens."

"Miless, you mentioned giving back to the citizens. Have you thought about how to do that?"

"W-Well, I thought we’d just distribute the stolen money equally?"

"That won’t work. If you’re going to redistribute, you need to plan carefully how much goes where. If it’s unfair, it will just cause conflict."

"But if we don’t redistribute, it’s just outright theft!"

"Miless, is redistributing the money something we need to decide on right now?"

"But... but..."

"Even if we plan to redistribute, it needs to be done without causing disputes, which means a detailed plan. Do we have the time for that? Didn’t you say yourself that Elizabeth is a threat we need to deal with urgently? Besides, what if the people who receive the money are punished by Elizabeth later? Or worse, they might be treated as accomplices and punished by the royal family."

I hadn’t thought of that.

If Elizabeth found out who received the stolen money, they would face her retaliation. If we were going to steal her funds, we needed to take full responsibility for that. We couldn’t just leave innocent citizens to suffer her revenge.

Gil-san was right. Redistribution could only happen after Elizabeth was completely defeated. As expected of Gil-san, he saw things clearly. I was sure he’d ensure that the funds would be used properly for the citizens once Elizabeth was dealt with.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t think it through."

"As long as you understand. So, will you proceed?"

"Yes, I’ll do my best."

After that, Gil-san left with the other soldiers to survey the area around Elizabeth’s mansion, working diligently to finalize the details of the plan. Truly, Gil-san was a hard worker. He managed everything so efficiently, even cleaning up the room while working on the strategy. It made me wish he would switch places with Ortissio as the commanding officer.

Speaking of Ortissio, he was sitting in the corner, grinning and flipping through what looked like a catalog. What could he be so focused on?

I leaned in to take a closer look... and... it was... the *Nanae Brand*!?

Ortissio was engrossed in a catalog from the famous antique store Nanae Brand, known for its ultra-luxury items. It’s said that even just ordering a catalog could cost nearly a million gold! The store was a favorite of the elite, known for its exquisite pieces.

Ah, now I understood. That’s why the furnishings here were of such high quality. They must have come from Nanae.

Ortissio was flipping through the catalog, occasionally mumbling things like, "This chair would suit Lady Camilla," or "I’ll present this dish to Lady Tilea," while sticking note after note on the pages. 

Wait a minute... he’s planning to buy *all* of this!? The catalog was practically bursting with bookmarks marking dozens of items. 

His sense of money was completely skewed. Where did he think he was going to get the funds for all of this—oh, right, it's obvious.

This guy had completely misunderstood the conversation between me and Gil. Ortissio was planning to use the stolen money for himself, likely heading straight to Nanae Brand the moment the heist was over.

"Ortissio-san, you do understand the conversation between me and Gil-san, right?"

"Of course. You were whining, but in the end, you accepted the spy mission. Stop wasting time."

"No, that’s not it. Your intentions are crystal clear, given how you’re staring at that catalog. Please stop."

"My intentions? What nonsense are you accusing me of?"

"I’ll be direct. Don’t use the stolen funds for your own purposes."

"Ah, I see. You think it’s wrong for me to use the money we recover to buy furnishings, right?"

"Y-yes, exactly. If you understand that, then why...?"

"I understand your concern. It would be easier to just take what we need by force rather than deal with transactions. However, Nanae handles the finest goods from around the world. Rather than destroying them, it’s better to make use of them. You might think it’s a roundabout method, but it’s all part of a strategy. You should learn to think a little more, Doll."

"No, no, that’s not what I meant at all! I was talking about using the money to give back to the people!"

"Hah? What are you on about? Gil didn’t say anything about that!"

"Gil-san said there wasn’t time to do that *now*, but he implied that after Elizabeth is dealt with, the stolen funds will be redistributed to the citizens."

"What kind of nonsense is that? Why would we do that? And how many times do I have to explain that this isn’t theft? I’m getting tired of your stupidity. Let me make this clear: the goal of this mission is to recover the funds from Elizabeth and use them to strengthen our army. That’s all. Don’t forget it."

I had lost count of how many times I had thought, "This is pointless."

Fine. I’ll just ignore Ortissio from now on. Trying to reason with him is exhausting. Besides, there’s no need to convince him. With Gil-san and Nielsen-san around, I’m sure the stolen funds will be put to good use for the citizens.

"Sorry, I said something strange. Just forget about it."

"See that you don’t space out again."

*Sigh*... Let’s just leave the fool alone. As Gil-san said, redistributing the money is something we’ll deal with later. For now, I need to focus on the infiltration.

How am I going to get close to Elizabeth?

I’m part of Timu-chan’s faction and have been by her side the longest. Elizabeth must know that I’m one of her trusted allies. So how could I possibly convince her that I’ve switched sides?

This is going to be tough. There’s no clear answer, like in an academy test.

But I can’t give up. I have to think of a way. There’s always a way.

First, I need to know my enemy.

Elizabeth is of ducal blood and incredibly proud. She’s a staunch believer in the superiority of noble bloodlines.

Alright, that’s my angle.

Here’s the story I’ll go with: I’ve been terrified of Timu-chan’s martial prowess and had no choice but to follow her. However, as a baroness, it always bothered me to be serving a commoner like Timu-chan. If I had to serve someone, it should be a grand noble like Elizabeth, so I’ve decided to switch sides.

Elizabeth, being such a strong believer in bloodlines, would likely find that explanation appealing. She probably sees it as a disgrace for a noble to serve a commoner. If I emphasize that, she might just believe me.

Plus, Timu-chan’s arrogance and domineering attitude are well-known. If I claim that I’ve been constantly bullied by her, it would add more weight to my story.

There is one concern, though.

I did once refuse an invitation to join Elizabeth’s faction from her cousin Girotina.

If she brings that up…

Well, Girotina and Elizabeth had a falling out, and in the end, Elizabeth killed her. I’m sure Elizabeth’s opinion of Girotina is terrible.

So I could say that I wanted to join her, but Girotina badmouthed Elizabeth, so I rejected the invitation out of loyalty to her. That would make sense and also stroke Elizabeth’s ego.

I think that could work.

I began rehearsing how I’d respond to Elizabeth’s inevitable questions, carefully crafting my answers to fit the story. 

Alright, that should cover it.

Now, it’s all up to my acting.

A shiver ran down my spine.

I knew how ruthless Elizabeth could be. If she found out I was a spy, I wouldn’t get off easy.

I had to be extra cautious.

I didn’t have Gil-san’s detailed reconnaissance report yet, but it wouldn’t hurt to go over the plan with Ortissio and make sure we were prepared.

"Ortissio-san, I have a question."

"What is it?"

"You and the others will be standing by nearby, right?"

"That’s right. Currently, we’re in the ‘internal affairs phase,’ so we can’t take any large-scale military actions. We’ll stay close by in a small group."

“‘Internal affairs phase’?” What on earth was that supposed to mean? It must have been one of Tilea-sama’s made-up terms.

It’s probably something she said that Ortissio took literally.

"And this is Lady Tilea’s strategy, right?"

"Exactly. You’re finally starting to sound like a proper doll. We’re in the ‘internal affairs phase’ now. We need to focus on strengthening the kingdom. War is still a ways off. Though I’d prefer a full-scale frontal assault… alas, we must wait."

A full-scale frontal assault? Was he seriously planning on

 going to war?

If that happens, it’ll escalate into civil conflict, and the royal army will definitely intervene.

"P-Please be cautious. Elizabeth’s mansion is heavily guarded."

"I know that. Make sure your infiltration is flawless. Scout out the location of the vault. Once you signal us, we’ll storm in."

"Signal? But I can’t use communication magic."

"I’m aware of that. I’ve memorized your magic signature. Once you locate the vault, raise your magic power sharply, and we’ll take that as the signal to launch the attack."

Wait, what? He memorized my magic signature? That’s illegal!

If someone memorizes your magic signature, they can track your exact location. It’s against the law to do that without permission. Normally, you’d have to sign multiple contracts to allow someone to memorize your magic for a mission.

This guy commits crimes as easily as breathing.

...Well, I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.

We’re about to commit robbery anyway. What’s one more crime at this point?

"Understood. So you want me to rapidly increase my magic power—basically using ‘Zō,’ right?"

"Hm? Was that what it’s called?"

He’s a soldier, and he doesn’t even know the basics of magic control like ‘Zō’? Just how incompetent is he?

"U-Um, are you sure you’ll be able to coordinate the plan? It’d be a disaster if something went wrong."

"Don’t worry about it. Just focus on this ‘Zō’ thing you mentioned."

"Y-Yes."

I manipulated my magic, boosting it temporarily as instructed. 

Alright, it’s working fine.

The magic coursing through my body felt smooth and powerful. My magic level increased to around 800.

"Well? Doll, hurry up and do it. And remember, use that ‘Zō’ technique in emergencies too. We’ll charge in based on your signal. Your life belongs to Lady Camilla. You’re not allowed to die on your own."

"U-Um."

"What is it? Hurry up and show me already."

"I... I’m already doing it."

"Huh? Are you really raising your magic?"

"Yes! Look!"

I spread my arms to show Ortissio the magic I had just summoned.

Ortissio squinted, studying me closely.

"Hmm… pathetic. There’s almost no change at all."

No change!? Are you serious?

Is he bad at detecting magic? Can I really rely on him to lead the assault?

For the first time, I was starting to doubt whether this plan would work.