My Reincarnation Skills Are “Playing With Dolls” and “Playing With Clay”, but What Am I Supposed to

Chapter 11: At the Lord's Manor (Intermission)

"Milady Kareena, the captains and high-ranking members have gathered."

At the voice calling through the door, Kareena, whose fatigue hadn't completely faded even with recovery spells, rose from her tired body and faced the mirror.

I shouldn't look that worn-out.

Making sure she appeared presentable in front of her retainers, she opened the door.

"Cecily, I'm sorry. You barely had any rest, didn't you?"

"I'm fine. I took a bath and snacked a little in the kitchen. But you, you worked so hard to heal everyone, I wanted to let you rest a bit more."

Cecily's tone became like that of an older sister, speaking softly when they were alone.

"No, I'm already fine. Let's go."

Life in the former governor's manor in Suctari, which was incomparable to the castle in Doulas where she was born and raised, had become familiar. However, even in the not-so-large reception room of the governor's mansion, there were no knights to fill it anymore.

As Kareena and Cecily entered the room, the six men stood up and placed their hands on their chests.

"Everyone, thank you for your hard work. Please have a seat."

On the round table, a map, not very accurate but still encompassing the overall area of the not-so-expansive territory, was spread out.

"Hime, I heard it was dangerous, and my lifespan has shrunk because of it."

"Sebastian, you're exaggerating. Besides, thanks to that, I was able to grasp the information about the group I wanted to know the most."

Kareena showed a slightly sulky expression for a brief moment to the elderly man in military attire who started the conversation. He had been taking care of her since she was able to understand things, and although he was a retainer, he still acted like a guardian.

"Certainly, thanks to the princesses' achievements, we have gained a general understanding through the reconnaissance up to today."

"But it's more difficult than we anticipated."

The middle-aged men each reported.

For the past few days, they had used half of the soldiers in the territory, which amounted to only 30 people, to investigate the area between the town and the labyrinth.

Despite the shortage of manpower, Kareena, who possessed the highest healing skill, participated in the investigation herself and even hired adventurers from the limited budget to serve as her escort.

And now, the leaders of each reconnaissance squad and the captain of the garrison, who were gathered in the reception room, were discussing the situation.

Although they were called captains, their levels were only between 5 and 8. Most of them were children of those who held the knight rank when their parents' generation, when the earldom was vast.

Now, most of the vassals have either died in battle or switched allegiance to other families, and those who remained in Skutari even after the "abandonment of the capital" were a small number of individuals who desired to stay with the main family, even if they received meager pay, those who were originally from the city of Skutari, and those who had no other means of sustenance.

On the map, several wooden pieces were arranged. The captain of the veteran team explained:

"We have confirmed the existence of five groups since we were able to exterminate some monsters during our reconnaissance. Among them, there are two kobold groups and two demon boar groups. They are all low-level, so we should be able to pacify them without any problems."

"However, the recent problem is the group of thieves who have been causing damage. It is believed that there are about ten of them here, with their hideout."

Although there were frequent reports of damage from passing merchants, the actual situation had not been grasped.

"The supposed leader is a one-eyed man named Ginosu, who has a discernment skill and is confirmed to be level 11. Apparently, he has become a wanted criminal in the Douglas Adventurers Guild. However, the rest have an average level of 3, and it seems that the outcasts from the impoverished city outskirts have become Ginosu's subordinates."

"And the other problem is the group of orcs that Her Highness encountered today. When it was reported by the scouts two days ago, we didn't know the authenticity or the scale, but there are at least seven more of them, probably a few more. There may be places near the labyrinth where monsters are breeding, other than the known entrances. As you are aware, their leader is level 8, and the average level is 4."

Murmurs rose from the others.

"It is likely that they have settled in this area."

Sebastian shook his head while pointing to the piece on the north side of the labyrinth.

"As for the order, we should first surround and annihilate the thieves' hideout, which is closer to the town."

If it becomes known that they are mobilizing many soldiers for monster extermination while leaving the thieves untouched, there is a risk that the town will be threatened. Sebastian explained this to Karina.

It seems that the other captains have no objections to this plan.

"There is one problem, though."

Cecily, who had refrained from speaking until then, interjected. Sebastian urged her to continue.

"The adventurers we hired are getting scared in today's battle, and they are claiming that the conditions have changed."

As Cecily looked around at the faces of the captains, a unanimous expression of displeasure appeared.

If we are going to continue fighting enemies of this level in the future, they want the rewards to be doubled, or else they will withdraw.

Originally, it was believed that a recently formed labyrinth existed in this land, and it was said that only kobolds were present in the surrounding area, so they had hired adventurers who were not considered skilled at a low cost.

"I somehow managed to persuade them to withdraw today, but it will be troublesome when they confront us with the ones coming tomorrow."

Starting from tomorrow night, they are planning to launch a large-scale sweep, and they have requested a dispatch of not only two people but a group of ten from the guild in the city. The current count's household couldn't afford to pay them double or anything like that.

"Don't underestimate us!"

"That's why I say adventurers are just like ruffians!"

Carrena reprimanded the men who were hurling insults.

"Quiet down. Commoners move for the sake of money, it's inevitable. At the very least, they will work as agreed with the guild for one day, and there is no choice but to progress with the subjugation as much as possible in that one day."

"This is Princess Oose's decree. In that case, it would be more appropriate to refer to the adventurers as thieves rather than orcs. In addition to the promised reward, we should let the hired individuals divide the bounty on their heads among themselves."

"Then, the vanguard will consist of 15 members from our household troops and the adventurers. They will depart at midnight tomorrow, circling around the thieves' hideout and launching a surprise attack at dawn..."

Sebastian confirmed the plan while exchanging glances with the seasoned captain.

"The remaining 10 members will serve as the rear guard. The day after tomorrow, they will escort the princess and head south on the side road, while keeping an eye on the orc horde with the scouts. They will meet up with the vanguard at the large boulder near the side spring. After treating the wounded, they will surround and annihilate the orcs when the sun is high."

"In that case, all that will remain are kobolds and the like. They should be easily dealt with."

"But..."

The youngest reconnaissance squad leader timidly spoke up.

"What is it?"

"Well... Even if we manage to clear the roadside, what will we do about the crucial task of conquering the labyrinth?"

A silence fell over the group.

After all, the royal decree was to pacify the labyrinth within the territory, cutting off the source of the emerging monsters, in order to ensure the safety of the region.

What they were currently doing was merely a prelude to make it possible to enter the labyrinth without any worries. If they couldn't conquer the labyrinth itself, it would always be a temporary solution. Yet, even if they spent all their remaining funds to hire adventurers at this preliminary stage, wouldn't it be even more difficult afterwards?

Even without the young squad leader voicing it, everyone thought the same but couldn't bring themselves to say it.

"Let's decide on that matter after the clearing of the roadside is completed. In any case, the ultimate conquest of the labyrinth will require a small but elite group. Even if we have untrustworthy adventurers, it won't make much of a difference."

The words of the young female lord, even younger than him, left the men with no choice but to nod with stern expressions.