Let the Whales Fight, This Shrimp is Leaving! - Chapter 38

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 38
I was standing alongside him, browsing through the shelves, when Deyan’s shoulders visibly flinched before he snapped his head up.
“What is it?”
I tore my eyes from the book and followed his gaze.
He was staring toward the window.
“I smell blood.”
“……A dog?”
The moment I teased him, a crease formed between his brows.
“I am completely serious, my lady. This is no jest.”
“I never said I didn’t believe you.”
Answering dismissively, I closed the book I was reading.
I approached the window, but the only thing in sight was the lush, manicured garden.
“Do you react to the smell of blood as well?”
“Are you asking if I lose my sanity?”
“Yes. Like, if you catch a heavy whiff of it, do you turn into… a ravenous monster?”
“I think you have been reading too many novels. Do not fret; such a thing will not happen.”
I gave the sullenly replying Deyan one last teasing look before shutting the window.
At any rate, I had already planted my people in the Annex, so keeping track of the situation wouldn’t be an issue.
I slid the now useless book back into its original slot and stepped closer to him.
“Well? Did you find anything?”
“I am combing through them thoroughly, but it does not appear to be here.”
“Dear me. That’s troublesome. I thought we would find some sort of clue.”
“What do you think about verifying it through another method?”
“Is there another way?”
“For instance, could we not send someone from our side to the Temple?”
“Of course I already sent people. But we can’t exactly unearth past events that have already wrapped up.”
“…….”
My words struck him dumb.
He even began to shift his eyes guiltily from side to side.
‘Look at him.’
Watching his suspicious demeanor, I let a soft, knowing smile crinkle my eyes.
“You’ve already dispatched personnel, haven’t you?”
“…….”
“Just as you slithered into my nation, I take it you sneaked into the United States too?”
“I did not slither in myself. I merely possess a means to contact the individual His Majesty ordered to infiltrate.”
“Save your breath.”
Smiling brightly, I snatched Deyan by the collar.
He instantly threw his palms up by his head in a gesture of surrender.
“Please promise me you will not get angry.”
“I’m already furious, so just spit it out.”
“The promise comes first.”
“I promise I won’t beat you until you bleed.”
“……That will suffice.”
After appearing to mull it over for a brief second, he finally nodded.
‘Even he knows it’s a matter that warrants my wrath.’
Seeing him submit so meekly, even allowing me to collar him, made the situation crystal clear.
It rubbed me entirely the wrong way.
“Tell me.”
“If you would only grant your permission, I can establish contact with that spy.”
“Oh, really?”
To hear that we could get in touch immediately was quite the welcome piece of news.
Ha. Ha.
I let out a forced, hollow laugh.
“Which means you’ve planted spies in my country as well?”
“It was purely to grasp the situation of neighboring nations.”
“That is the literal definition of a spy.”
“……Yes. I suppose it is.”
“Do the great empires not understand the meaning of a treaty?”
If they were going to do whatever they pleased like this, why on earth did they bother drafting official documents?
“An order? An order means that if you were told to go die, you’d just die? Ah, right. Didn’t you say you’ve been drifting from battlefield to battlefield since you were thirteen?”
I had momentarily forgotten that this man was a loyal knight who would meekly walk to his death if commanded.
‘And here I thought he possessed a shred of basic decency.’
Perhaps I had grown a bit attached after spending just a few days talking with him, because disappointment washed over me first.
That pact was written with the blood of the Grand Duchy’s citizens, the flesh of countless victims, and the sheer resolve of my father.
His casual attitude—shattering that sacrifice with a word as trivial as ‘mission’—was the real issue.
“I am sorry.”
“If an apology could fix this, why would we waste perfectly good parchment making a treaty document?”
“I understand your anger, Lady Idir.”
“Oh, do you? Then bow your head so I can properly express it. Let me get a few hits in.”
“Very well.”
Clasping his hands behind his back, Deyan compliantly bent forward.
“Strike me until your resentment is appeased.”
“What a magnificent display of chivalry.”
Watching him tamely offer up his face caused my rage to suddenly evaporate.
‘That stubborn skull of his.’
Hitting him would only hurt my own hand.
Utterly drained, I released his collar and turned away.
It was a situation that absolutely demanded fury, but listening to that hollow apology made all my desire to rage vanish into thin air.
“Get out of my sight. Looking at you only makes me mad.”
“Are you not going to strike me?”
“Forget it.”
Deyan awkwardly straightened his back once more.
Barely a generation had passed since we forged the agreement concerning the non-aggression of our borders and the sovereignty of the Grand Duchy, famously known as the Plene Treaty.
Yet they were already violating that accord, crossing the borders whenever it suited them.
Even if we were to lodge a formal protest, Adorif shouldn’t have a single leg to stand on.
‘If Plene’s military might were stronger, we would have launched a war immediately.’
But because they knew we lacked the power to do so, they walked on eggshells just enough to get away with it.
That was the most despicable part.
The Cordi Kingdom, which openly tried to create a pretext for war.
The Adorif Empire, which put on a sophisticated front while secretly plotting behind our backs.
And the Agavni United States, which cowardly stood by and watched despite knowing everything!
‘Every single one of them needs to ruin themselves.’
Once again, vengeance blazed within me.
I crossed my arms and glared at him, jerking my chin.
It was a sign to finish what he was trying to say.
Deyan, managing to read my signal perfectly, offered up the information he held.
“Since penetrating the inner circle of the Temple was impossible even for us, we bribed a merchant group and an orphanage.”
“An orphanage?”
“The Temple takes the lead in volunteer work to recruit devotees. Gathering orphaned children to train them as priests is part of that endeavor.”
To put it bluntly, they were exploiting young children to keep tabs on the Temple’s movements.
“True, no one would ever suspect a young child of being a spy.”
Furthermore, since the children were the ones approaching them first, the Temple would be even less inclined to doubt them.
I let out a scoffing laugh as I looked at the knight who had once drifted through battlefields as a child soldier himself.
“The Empire really is pathetic.”
“Pardon?”
“To think you exploit children who aren’t even ten years old just to scout out neighboring nations.”
I didn’t particularly intend to blame Deyan.
Ultimately, the one who conceived and directed all of this was the Emperor of the Adorif Empire; Deyan was merely guilty of following orders faithfully.
In a way, Deyan might be the ultimate victim.
He was pushed out onto the battlefield, burdened with an unwanted power due to the Emperor’s silence.
He had to endure the side effects entirely on his own, and now, he had even mortgaged his life to me.
Laying it all out like that, I couldn’t help but think this man’s life was incredibly tragic and pitiful.
‘Not that I plan to go easy on him, though.’
Personal emotions like pity were entirely separate from public matters like avenging my mother.
“A few of the children from that bribed orphanage are currently working within the merchant group.”
“And you’re likely keeping tabs on Plene’s movements the exact same way.”
“Yes.”
Stealing a glance at my expression, Deyan nodded.
‘Look at him answering so confidently.’
Under my piercing glare, Deyan shifted his eyes away sheepishly.
“I am sorry.”
“Keep your apology and just tell me how you plan to contact this spy.”
“The number of people who can interact with them is strictly limited. For security reasons, they have been trained not to leak any information even if approached, unless it is by a specific individual.”
“But since you brought it up to me anyway, it means you are an individual capable of making contact, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Ah.”
Only now did I comprehend the underlying meaning behind Deyan’s lengthy explanation.
I looked up at him, a sweet smile spreading across my face.
The gist of it was this:
He would fetch information through the spy, so I should permit him to go outside.
‘What a sly little trick.’
Catching my smile, Deyan’s complexion stiffened slightly.
This dog-like man, who was remarkably sharp at reading the room, seemed to realize my mood had soured.
And he could undoubtedly guess the reason why.
“What makes you think I would trust you enough to let you step outside?”
“Do you not already hold my vice-commander’s life hostage?”
“A mere subordinate’s life? For all I know, you could just abandon him to his fate and run away, couldn’t you?”
“I would never do that.”
“How am I supposed to believe those words?”
In this world, the exact moment you choose to believe such declarations is when you get stabbed brutally in the back.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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