Her Majesty’s Secret Service

046. Everyone Has a Plan.

“What shall we do, Connor?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you think we stand a chance?”

“…As always, it’s fifty-fifty.”

Aaron and Connor were deep in thought. With their current force, it was impossible to annihilate the six soldiers escorting the carriage.

It might have been possible with light armor, but there were two fully armored cavalrymen, even covered in plate armor. Moreover, if they were from the royal guards, it was impossible to fulfill the client’s request to annihilate the carriage procession and bring back the chef’s head, even if they fought with their lives on the line.

“I was too rash, thinking of making a big score before disappearing. Should have looked into it more thoroughly. Damn, they said he was just a nobody chef…”

“What can we do, we’ve come this far.”

Connor spoke in a defeated tone, and Aaron gave a bitter smile.

“I’d like to run away, but…”

Aaron trailed off, looking at the gathered mercenaries they had hired.

“We’d have to return the advance we’ve already received, and we wouldn’t get the rest of the payment either. The compensation we’d have to pay if all those guys stay alive…”

—

“Each to their own, but add it up here and there, and it’s twenty gold coins.”

“Yes, twenty gold coins. If we quit now, we’ll have to return the twenty gold coins and the advance we received. No, it was a high lord meddling in royal affairs. Damn, our necks are in danger right now. There’s no running away from this…”

“You know that’s not an option.”

Conner’s short response, seemingly unflustered, was given in a steady voice. However, Aaron, who had worked with Conner for a long time, noticed the tremble in his voice.

“What’s the matter, Conner, scared? Why are you shaking?”

“Scared of what.”

Aaron, looking at Conner pretending to be calm, fell into thought.

Whether they abandoned the job or continued, their lives were in danger. Behind them was the dagger of an unknown noble, and ahead, the spear of a fully armed guard awaited.

‘In this situation… Yes, this is what we’ll do.’

After a moment of contemplation, Aaron found a surprisingly simple solution.

“Conner, let’s do this. Even if the men we hired are incompetent, they should be able to hold the carriage guards’ feet for a bit. Let’s use them as bait and somehow strike down the chef.”

“And then?”

“We run straight for London. While those men hold the cavalry’s feet, we’ll rush to London, collect the remaining payment, and with that money, secure a ship. I don’t know who the noble that hired us is, but what can he do if we’re not in London?”

“Not bad, not a bad plan at all.”

Conner nodded at Aaron’s words. The plan was set, now it was time to execute it.

“Then we’ll have to ask those men to die for us first.”

From noble mtl dot come

To do that, they needed to soothe the trembling mercenaries first. Aaron began to persuade the mercenaries with his usual frivolous yet composed voice.

* * *

Jack prided himself on being a rather experienced mercenary.

Though he had never participated in actual warfare, he had taken several assignments to protect merchants. It wasn’t a story worth bragging about, so he never spoke of it, but once, he had taken a local lord’s commission, received a gold coin, and beat up a merchant who had fallen out of favor.

Jack had not hesitated to join when Aaron proposed this venture to him. The offer of three gold coins as payment, with ten silver coins upfront, was a lavish proposal he had never received before.

“Arghhh!”

“Save… save me…!”

But now, Jack regretted his decision.

The soldiers escorting the carriage lacked real combat experience, and Aaron, who had boasted that even heavily armed cavalry could not withstand the charge of several men at once, had long since disappeared.

Corner, who had reassured the mercenaries by taking on a cavalryman himself, was now struggling helplessly against not one but two soldiers.

Around him, bodies pierced by spears and crushed under horse hooves lay scattered. They were the mercenaries who had been chatting with him just moments ago.

The heavily armed cavalry was an opponent they could not hope to defeat with their own arms.

The mercenaries who had charged to stop the cavalry were swiftly swept away under the horses’ hooves. A mercenary with a crossbow fired eagerly, but his bolts could not penetrate the cavalry’s armor.

They tried to form a cordon, several men attempting to seize the cavalry’s ankles, but the idea of surrounding them on the wide road was fundamentally flawed.

Moreover, Aaron, who had persuaded them to carry out the attack, had run towards the carriage as soon as the assault began, likely aiming to deal with the chef, their target.

But Aaron, too, was blocked by the spears of two soldiers guarding the carriage, and the other mercenaries, with no means to stop the cavalry, were simply ravaged by the horses’ hooves and the spears they wielded.

Already, five out of eight lay on the dirt ground.

“Damn it… damn it…”

Jack watched the approaching cavalryman with bloodshot eyes.

Now, he was the only one left standing on two feet in this place. Aaron, who had been held back by the soldiers, had disappeared somewhere, and Corner, who had been restrained by two soldiers, was now subdued, his head pressed to the ground.

As the cavalry drew nearer, the sound of the horse hooves became clearer. Finally, when the clattering was distinctly audible by his ear, a dull thud resounded.

‘Huh…?’

“Russell, you b*stard! Trying to kill me?!”

The voice that reached Jack’s ears as he was hit in the back of the head by the shaft of the cavalryman’s spear and his consciousness faded was that of a man cursing in an indignant, unintelligible language.

By the time I returned to London, the sun had already set, and the day was turning to dusk.

Fortunately, I arrived just before the city gates closed, sparing me the misfortune of spending another day outside the walls.

The two culprits, Connor and Jack, was it? Connor had kept his mouth tightly shut the whole way, not uttering a word, while Jack had spilled everything he knew before a hand was even laid on him.

The ringleaders of this affair were the large mercenary now in custody, Connor, and another mercenary named Aaron, whose whereabouts were unknown but who was said to have a missing ear. And himself? Merely employed by those two, or so he claimed.

‘Now, what to do… It’s certain that Count Russell is the culprit. The problem is, how to prove that the old man is guilty…’

If Count Russell is going to go this far, I can’t just sit idly by. This matter won’t end until either Count Russell or I am gone.

‘First… since Connor is said to be the mastermind behind this, I’ll have to get him to talk. After all, they attacked the royal carriage, so if I report it to the Queen, she’ll handle it. No need for me to step in directly.’

After all, Count Russell is a noble with enough influence to have a seat in the secret council. He still holds the position of the royal seal bearer, so it’s clear how much the Queen trusts him.

‘To oust Count Russell, I must first fall out of favor with the Queen.’

In other words, his influence comes from the Queen’s trust.

Both the royal seal bearer and the council member positions are thanks to the Queen’s favor, aren’t they?

The problem is that Count Russell is a subject highly trusted by the Queen. To drive a wedge between the Count and the Queen, someone more trusted than him is needed.

‘Fortunately, there’s someone suitable to help with that.’

Prince Eric should be able to assist me sufficiently.

“Sir Logan, we’ve arrived at the palace… but what about these two?”

Lost in thought, it seemed I had arrived at the palace before I knew it. At the soldier’s voice, I turned my gaze to Jack and Connor, who were bound.

“The criminals can’t be brought into the palace, can they? Do you need to return immediately?”

“Eh? No, there’s no need to return right away…”

“Then, wait here for a moment. I’ll fetch an order from Her Majesty the Queen.”

“Excuse me?”

Startled, I entered the palace, leaving behind the voice of the surprised guard. Two royal guards accompanied me.

Soon, the gatekeeper was informed of my return, and it wasn’t long before I was granted an audience with the Queen.

“So, why the delay? I was under the impression you would return this afternoon.”

With the Queen’s reproachful voice upon me, I bowed in apology and began to speak.

“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty. The thing is… we were ambushed on our way back.”

“Ambush? What are you talking about?”

At the mention of an ambush, the Queen’s scolding gaze softened, replaced by a look of surprise.

I explained everything to the astonished Queen, who, after hearing the full story, nodded gravely.

“To think that scoundrels who disregard the royal authority still linger in this kingdom. Where are the two you apprehended?”

“They are detained outside the palace. I’ve ordered the soldiers returning from Richmond to guard them. In a way, they are traitors, aren’t they? They dared to attack a carriage bearing the royal crest.”

“You’ve spoken the very words I intended to say. Write the orders immediately and send them to the tower. I will command Richard to interrogate them at dawn.”

“I shall heed your command.”

The Queen granted me what I desired.

What I wanted was the Queen’s order to open the Tower of London. With the Earl of Russell’s influence, disposing of the two prisoners quietly would be feasible.

Therefore, they had to be imprisoned somewhere beyond the Earl’s reach, and in London, there was only one such place—the Tower of London, accessible solely by the Queen’s command.

The Queen dipped her pen in ink and swiftly wrote the order. She sealed the hastily written command in an envelope, melted red wax over it, and, before the wax cooled, pressed her signet ring into it, leaving the Queen’s seal imprinted.

“It’s lamentable that such individuals emerge again so soon after the last traitors were dealt with.”

With those words, the Queen handed me the letter containing the orders. I received the letter, expressed my gratitude, and left the room.

After obtaining the order to open the gates of the Tower of London, I returned to the soldiers waiting in front of the palace gates.

“Any trouble?”

“No, Sir Logan. What shall we do now?”

“To the Tower of London. Her Majesty has commanded that the scoundrels be imprisoned in the Tower.”

I was showing the guards the letter sealed by the Queen when a tearing scream came from inside the carriage.

“The Tower of London! Wasn’t the promise different? Didn’t you promise to spare my life, sir!”

It was Jack’s voice. His frightened expression showed that he knew all too well what it meant for a commoner to be imprisoned in the Tower of London.

“A promise to spare your life if you speak the truth? Don’t worry, Jack. I will keep that promise.”

I approached the pale-faced Jack and whispered to him.

“If you want to live, say this: ‘It was the Earl of Russell’s doing.’ I trust you understand the meaning.”

Jack’s trembling eyes met mine. Hoping he fully grasped the significance of my words, I turned away.

“Let’s depart.”

“Yes, Sir Logan.”

With that, I moved towards the prison tower. It seemed I would meet quite a few people this evening.

The first person I had to meet was Eric, the Duke of Eric.

* * *

The Earl of Russell also woke up early this dawn.

He didn’t like that his sleep shortened with age, but he consoled himself that rising early was a sign of diligence.

As always, the Earl rose from his bed, stretched mightily, and began his day. Or rather, it wasn’t quite “as always.” Unlike usual, the Earl felt uneasy.

‘It’s strange. By now, I should have heard something… Richmond isn’t that far from London, could it be… the plan has failed?’

The mercenaries should have brought news last evening, yet silence persists. Could the mission have failed? No, that’s unlikely. A mere four of London’s guards couldn’t possibly handle such numbers.

“Hmm… Without any word, one can’t help but worry…”

With a voice soaked in concern, the Earl gazed out the window, sighing deeply, praying inwardly that nothing had gone awry.

Dawn passed, and the sun rose. The Earl, his heart fraught with unease, barely touched his breakfast before preparing to dress for the palace.

“My lord…”

As the door opened, the voice that followed belonged to the servant the Earl had entrusted with the task. Seeing the servant’s gloomy expression, the Earl intuitively sensed the mission’s failure.

“It seems we’ve failed. What can be done? You shall stay within the manor for a while.”

The Earl commanded, clicking his tongue in disappointment.

The mercenaries, who should have encountered their target near Richmond, not far from London, had not returned since last evening, or even by dawn today. The Earl had long abandoned any hope of success.

“But… it’s just that…”

“Enough with the excuses. Your judgment has grown poor. To pay such a sum for third-rate men who can’t even handle four soldiers? Do your job properly.”

The Earl’s contemptuous gaze fell upon the servant, who, despite the intimidating look, continued to speak, his face full of fear.

“I’m… I’m terribly sorry, my lord!”

“Sorry doesn’t cut it, get out of my sight this instant. Mere words of apology…”

“This morning, in the Tower of London… a new prisoner was admitted.”

At the servant’s last words, the Earl was rendered speechless.

He couldn’t comprehend what he had just heard.

“I refuse to believe it’s the situation I’m thinking of. Even the lowest of the low, in a one against many, couldn’t fail to escape…”

“Truly… I have no words…”

“Silence!!!”

Unable to contain his anger, the Earl flung everything on his desk in a fit of rage.

“Argh!”

The servant’s scream echoed briefly as he was struck in the face by a candlestick thrown by the Earl. It had hit him right in the eye, and clutching his right eye, he collapsed on the spot.

“You fool! Do you even realize what you’ve done?”

“Earl… sir… I assure you… they have no idea that you’re involved. There’s no evidence left…”

“Didn’t I tell you to shut up!”

This time, a glass flew across the room, striking the fingers of the servant as he cradled his wound. His scream filled the room once more.

“Huff… Given what you’ve done so far, I’ll let it go this time. As I said, stay holed up in the manor for a while.”

The Earl, catching his breath, didn’t even glance at the servant as he straightened his attire.

If the mercenaries hadn’t been caught, it would have been a minor issue, easily dismissed with a slight reprimand. But now, with the mercenaries captured, there was no room for leisure.

‘The cook, he didn’t seem clueless. He must have already solidified his suspicion that I’m behind the mercenaries. But without any concrete evidence, there’s nothing he can do about me… In the worst case, he might report my secret to Her Majesty the Queen. No, then he’d be hanged as well. He’s not stupid enough not to know that. So then…’

The Earl pondered what he would do if he were in the cook’s shoes. Although the suspicion was strong, there was no evidence linking him to the mercenaries’ backer. If he had captured the mercenaries who attacked him, what would he have done?

‘False confession, I’d make the captured mercenaries give a false confession. It was an attack on the royal carriage, not something to be taken lightly.’

With that thought, the Earl began to search for a way out of this situation. He needed a way to break the false confession.

Footnote:

*During this period, the outskirts of London were undergoing urbanization. The roads were all under the responsibility of the local lords, ensuring that carriages could pass through wide and neatly arranged paths.