It was truly a number that would make anyone say they had gathered an impressive force.

But there was no laughter.

The most important clause in the peace treaty was about military operations after the war ended.

Albion demanded that Gilia immediately send home all those conscripted for the war, except for the minimum personnel needed to maintain public order.

There were various agreements back and forth on this point, but ultimately the treaty was written according to the will of Albion, the victorious nation.

Therefore, apart from the 5,000 permitted in the capital, large-scale troops cannot exist in Gilia. No, they should not exist.

But the size of the military force visible before their eyes now was, as anyone could see, far beyond what the treaty allowed, as if mocking it.

It wasn’t just soldiers. Ammunition, which seemed to be managed separately, along with all kinds of weapons, were also piled up everywhere.

“30,000, huh.”

Ryan imagined these troops immediately boarding ships and advancing on a quiet fishing village in Albion.

After the war, the number of soldiers had decreased in Albion as well.

Since the battlefield as a workplace had disappeared, it was common for everyone to return to their hometowns and engage in other livelihoods.

Of course, there were more soldiers than in Gilia, but in the situation of wealthy peace continuing after the war, one couldn’t expect the same movements as in the past from the military.

Ryan adjusted his telescope again and examined the gathered Gilian troops. Even though the view was blurry, he could tell their condition didn’t look very good.

‘That’s understandable.’

Unlike weapons piled up everywhere, food was not very visible.

As the season turned to winter, all the farms had begun stockpiling to get through the winter. Consequently, the prices of all edible items, including grains, were rising in the market.

Moreover, it wasn’t easy to prepare enough portions to feed this many people.

Perhaps because of this, the bowls of those occasionally eating contained just enough to sustain them for a few hours.

‘It also means they don’t have many days left before they move…’

How much effort must the Gilian royal family have made to gather this many troops while avoiding Albion’s eyes?

Ryan recalled the Gilian prince who had pointed his finger at him in the conference hall.

Hadn’t the meeting been interrupted several times because he was raging, saying he would put a hole in Ryan’s head?

‘That man is probably leading this.’

He was someone who couldn’t hide his anger even after the peace treaty was concluded. So he would have eagerly pursued anything that could damage Albion.

He wouldn’t disband these soldiers, gathered with such determination, just like that.

Ryan looked toward the coast. Apart from a few small boats, no other ships were visible.

‘The ships must be docked elsewhere…’

Probably on the day these troops move, ships will come directly from elsewhere to carry the soldiers and head toward Albion.

And an informant in Albion will guide them, providing information about areas that are easy for many ships to approach and also easy to occupy.

Ryan lowered his telescope.

“What are we going to do?”

Philip asked Ryan as he blew on his hands that were curling up from the cold.

“What else? We need to stop them before they move.”

Ryan carefully moved his body backward. Only after getting far away from where the soldiers were did he straighten his back and look up at the sky.

Then he asked Philip.

“Has it snowed this year?”

At this unexpected question, Philip looked at Ryan as if to ask what he was talking about, but seeing no playfulness in his expression, he searched his memory.

Then he shook his head.

“No, not yet.”

Despite being well into winter, snow had yet to fall this year.

Despite that, the sky had been gloomy with dark clouds all day, as if it would pour snow at any moment. So if they waited a little longer, it would eventually pour down.

“I remember the capital being cold, but it rained once or twice, and snow hasn’t fallen yet.”

“…I see.”

Feltham is located south of the capital. Always a warmer place than the capital. So it probably hadn’t snowed there yet.

“We need to hurry.”

Ryan muttered, looking at Gilia’s sky, which was as cloudy as Albion’s.

He had promised to return before the first snow.

That was one promise he really wanted to keep.

* * *

“Phew…”

After getting off the carriage, Eloise pretended to organize her bag and glanced around before entering the mansion.

The man and carriage she had seen when leaving the mansion in the morning were no longer visible. It seemed they had given up watching her after she entered the Army Headquarters.

Thinking it was fortunate, Eloise dusted off her clothes.

After meeting Richard at the Army Headquarters, she had taken a carriage to the inherited house.

Before entering that house, she bought cleaning supplies from a nearby street, opened all the windows and doors of the mansion, and began cleaning frantically.

As the mansion had been abandoned for so long, dust rose wherever she touched, making her eyes itch and causing her to cough continuously.

But Eloise didn’t stop.

Dusting, sweeping, wiping.

After borrowing water from a well at a nearby house and diligently wiping away the long-accumulated dust with a wet cloth, the reception room on the first floor of the mansion had now somewhat regained its former glory.

Eloise didn’t stop there and bought a few kettles and dishes to place inside.

She also called a chimney sweep to clean the fireplace so it could be used again, and bought water brought from a distant river that was safe to drink and placed it in the kitchen.

As a result of her efforts, the reception room and kitchen on the first floor of the mansion now looked somewhat habitable.

Of course, it would take much longer to get it properly in shape, but at least she could now “stay” there.

‘Now I need to go to that mansion early tomorrow morning!’

Looking at Sinclair’s mansion, Eloise thought she should leave as early as possible tomorrow and went inside.

Perhaps because she had gotten off outside the mansion, no one came out to greet her as they didn’t know she had entered.

Thinking it was rather convenient, she was about to head to the second floor when she heard voices from the direction of the back garden.

It was Lenskian again. And Sinclair’s voice was mixed in among them.

At that voice, Eloise quieted her footsteps even more.

‘She speaks it so well.’

It wasn’t just at the level of learning Lenskian. Sinclair was clearly someone who could speak Lenskian fluently.

‘Why did she lie?’

Given her personality, she wouldn’t have deliberately hidden the fact that she could speak Lenskian. After all, only old-fashioned nobles would look unfavorably upon someone speaking Lenskian.

Eloise held her breath even more and carefully climbed the stairs. It seemed that if her presence here now became known, it would be awkward for everyone.

Halfway up the stairs, Eloise clearly heard something.

“Da pastyé Gilia mé Albion.”

At that moment, Eloise stopped breathing. The words she heard meant that Gilia and Albion would go to war again.

‘What?’

What on earth does this mean?

At first, she thought they might just be discussing the gloomy situation in Gilia these days. But after those words came low laughter from the people. As if a long-awaited event was about to begin.

Eloise hurriedly and carefully returned to her room. Fortunately, she didn’t encounter anyone on her way back.

Upon entering her room, she went to the curtained window.

Being at the end of the corridor, it was a room with a clear view of both the front of the mansion and the back garden. Eloise slightly lifted the curtain of the window facing the back garden and saw Sinclair laughing as she conversed with a man and woman.

Then she hugged each of them, and they handed a book to Sinclair. Then Sinclair also gave them a book.

At a glance, they just looked like people exchanging books as gifts.

Shortly after, the Lenskian-speaking people left the mansion. Unlike their relaxed demeanor inside the mansion, as soon as they went outside, they quickly walked away and soon disappeared.

‘Who are these people?’

The Lenskian people staying at the mansion and other Lenskian people. Sinclair laughing with them while talking about war. The books they exchanged.

She sat on the sofa in the middle of the room for a long time, but the scenes she had witnessed wouldn’t leave Eloise’s mind.

And the next day.

“This is…”

Eloise, who had visited the study again, saw a new book placed on the bookshelf.

It was clearly the book that the strangers had given to Sinclair yesterday.