"What do you mean by that?" Roland put down the chicken leg he was about to eat, his expression turning serious. He detected an underlying message in Siegfried's words.

"No reinforcements, no supplies, yet you've managed to evade capture by two major factions for half a year."

In this world, still in a medieval era, military campaigns required a massive logistical support. A thousand-mile rapid march might be feasible for a short time, but for nearly a thousand people to survive for half a year without logistical support was impossible.

"How exactly have you managed to sustain yourselves until now?" This was the question Siegfried had been unable to figure out.

Catalina, influenced by Siegfried's serious tone, also became earnest:

"After escaping from the royal city, we sent small teams disguised to purchase supplies in cities along our route. Since all transactions were conducted in black markets, we weren't detected. Later, as our numbers dwindled, the logistical pressure decreased. Lord Meilan, is there something wrong..."

Catalina caught herself mid-question, suddenly realizing something amiss. She whipped her head around to look at Bobo, the Garden Person beside her.

Siegfried furrowed his brows while biting on his fork:

"Indeed, there are spies in your ranks. This means your enemies knew every city where you took shelter. Why would they allow you to enter cities and purchase supplies?"

The current situation in the Kingdom of Moen wasn't complicated. Of the four cardinal territories, the Northern Duke Alvis stood with Second Prince Roderick, while the Southern Duke Baylan allied with Crown Prince Frederick.

The Eastern Duke Galloway, both a duke and owner of the kingdom's largest merchant guild, the Galloway Association, was typically playing both sides, exploiting the civil war for his territory's benefit.

As for the Western territory... the Duchy of Simon, or rather the Principality of Simon. They had seceded from the Kingdom of Moen several years ago for various reasons. During this civil war, the Simon family had maintained complete silence about their stance, not even sending representatives to understand the situation, as if the kingdom's affairs were entirely irrelevant to them.

Six months ago, the Second Prince had gained the upper hand in the palace coup and now fully controlled the royal city of Andesores and its surrounding areas. The Crown Prince had retreated to the old capital of Saint Moen, establishing his base north of the Rhine River.

The Golden Imperial Capital and the Chalk Old Capital, the kingdom's two largest cities, faced each other across the Rhine River, the mother river of Moen.

Strangely, both sides had tacitly avoided launching large-scale warfare over the past six months.

(What are they doing?)

Siegfried bit down on the wooden fork, deep in thought.

(Cutting without killing, clearly able to capture yet allowing the prey to run for half a year. Why?)

Often, if you can't figure out someone's intentions, it's not because you're foolish, but because you and the other person are fundamentally different. Only those of the same kind truly understand each other, and only another schemer can comprehend a schemer.

A flash of insight struck Siegfried, and he almost instinctively murmured:

"Oh~ They're dividing and consuming the Princess's faction." To remove the weeds, one must pull out the roots; they were removing the roots.

His voice was soft, yet it reached everyone's ears.

Roland instinctively moved closer to Kriemhild, ensuring he could protect the princess at any moment.

Catalina shivered, recalling how Siegfried had manipulated her so effortlessly the previous day.

"What's wrong with you all?" Siegfried was somewhat surprised.

"Lord Meilan, your expression right now is quite terrifying." Catalina, being straightforward, said it outright.

(My expression?)

Siegfried touched his face, realizing he was, in fact, smiling.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Ahem, it's an old habit of mine, don't mind it."

"What did you mean by what you just said?" Roland's face didn't look good; both the current situation and the feeling this Lord Meilan gave him left him deeply unsettled.

"The enemy is using this method to drive you out of the center of power while keeping a tight grip on your whereabouts. Kriemhild, after all, is the first in line for the throne, and the nobles supporting the Princess's faction are undoubtedly a significant force. If they were to capture her directly, it would certainly cause the supporters of the Princess faction to rebel.

So they use this continuous yet non-lethal pursuit to keep you running for half a year, using this time to gradually convert the nobles of the Princess's faction into their forces."

"Once my forces are completely disbanded, they will launch a real siege, and by then, I will be completely isolated, forced to 'voluntarily' relinquish the throne."

Kriemhild continued Siegfried's explanation, her tone unwavering.

(Hmm? She actually figured it out? Well, a country's princess and heir to the throne couldn't possibly be naive.)

"Exactly, this way they won't have to bear the stigma of usurpation. I now suspect there are more traitors in your ranks. Since Bobo is a spy for the Second Prince, there must also be spies for the Crown Prince."

Catalina was already confused; she had never been good at these intricate intrigues.

Roland grabbed Bobo, his actions rough, causing Bobo to grimace in pain.

"Speak! Who else? You traitors, Her Highness the Princess has trusted you completely, and this is how you repay her?"

"Uh, my lord, I don't know, I only relay information to Prince Roderick, I really don't know anything else."

"You're still lying!" Roland was furious; this exemplary knight could not forgive such betrayal, and he raised his fist to strike.

"Don't, Roland," Kriemhild's voice was as sweet and gentle as ever, betraying no emotion.

"But he—"

"Let it go," Siegfried also advised, "He's just a pawn. Would you, as a player, explain your strategy to a pawn?"

"But Bobo, let me remind you, at this point, you can't go back to Roderick. Two days from now, the pursuing force will be completely wiped out because of the false information you left behind. You can guess how Roderick will deal with you, how he deals with a pawn that has betrayed him."

Cold sweat dripped down Bobo's ashen face; he was originally a slave to the royal family, with his life and death entirely in the hands of others.

He had seen the Second Prince once; as Kriemhild's brother, Roderick was an all-around golden-haired beauty, bearing a sixty percent resemblance to Kriemhild in facial features.

But the resemblance ended with facial features; their personalities were entirely different. If Kriemhild was the warm sun of spring, then Roderick was the scorching sun of summer, mercilessly burning anyone who dared oppose him.

If Bobo were to return, he would undoubtedly meet a gruesome end. The Second Prince never listened to any explanations, only the results mattered.

With this thought, he finally stammered:

"I don't know much more; I only know that the pursuit forces have always been jointly dispatched by the two princes. There might indeed be spies for the Crown Prince in the team..."

"Damn, do they even count as brothers!" Catalina cursed intolerably.

As a good brother who cherished his sister, Siegfried couldn't comprehend how these two brothers could be so ruthless.

But as someone who did well in high school history, he also knew that the struggle for the throne had always been bloody throughout history, with fratricide being commonplace. Even the illustrious Emperor Taizong of Tang couldn't escape this fate.

"Siegfried, no, Lord Siegfried, I know this is shameless, but could you please help—"

"I refuse." Siegfried interrupted Roland before he could finish.

Roland was taken aback, not expecting Siegfried to refuse without even hearing him out.

Siegfried spread his hands, interlocking his fingers in a steeple gesture, and said:

"Meilan family creed: never involve oneself in political struggles, and I've already helped enough."

The family creed was a fabrication, of course. He wasn't truly refusing, but rather using this method to raise his own value, aiming to enter the core of the Princess's faction's power center. Only by holding the greatest power could he possibly accomplish the difficult task of unifying the kingdom within three years.

In response to that warmth, Siegfried had already resolved to extend a helping hand to anyone trapped in dire straits.

(Just consider it being deceived once.)

"The Southern Territory."

"Huh?"

Siegfried stepped forward, assisting the still-bowed Kriemhild to stand, and with a light laugh, said:

"What would I want with everything you have? Not everyone in the Meilan Family is lustful.

I'll help you ascend to the throne, and once it's done, I want to be the Duke of the Southern Territory. You, save your people in your own way, as a queen."

He needed to set some conditions; otherwise, it would seem too suspicious. Anyway, once the task was completed, he would leave, so this condition was practically meaningless.

"Thank you, thank you so much. On behalf of the people of Moen, I thank you for your help."

Kriemhild couldn't hold back her sobs any longer. She had been genuinely afraid Siegfried would refuse, and she had even staked her future on it.

"Your Highness..." Catalina's eyes were also a bit red as she stepped forward to support Kriemhild. It was at this moment that Shannon's voice echoed in Siegfried's mind.

[You have successfully joined Princess Kriemhild's faction. Stage one of the mission is complete.]