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I went back to the village before the excitement had died down, but I did not tell anyone about my meeting with General Hannibal.
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Partly because I wanted to keep it a secret between me and them, but also because I thought that Toshizo and Jeanne would not know about Hannibal.
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Jeanne, a peasant girl, would be uneducated, and Toshizo, a Japanese, would be unaware of Hannibal's achievements.
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He was really a great old man, but I was the only one who needed to know about his greatness and the value of his books.
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As soon as I returned to the village, I devoured the book Hannibal had given me.
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At breakfast, on the way out of the village, and on the horseback on the road.
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I devoured the explanations of the strategies and tactics that Hannibal had tried in the Iberian Peninsula and in Rome.
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Hannibal faced an overwhelmingly small army and overwhelming disadvantages against the Roman army, which was considered the strongest at the time.
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With a capable enemy general in his front and an incompetent politician in his rear, he achieved a victory that will remain in the annals of war history.
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The pages of his book are a constant source of inspiration for me as I read all the secrets of his success. Jeanne, seeing my attempt to bring the book into the bathtub of the inn we stopped at along the way, warns me against it.
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The Demon King is too much of a bookworm. If you do that, you'll fail in your negotiations with Count Ismailia.
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It was quite a thing to be warned by Jeanne. And with a good argument. She was right. If we were too absorbed in books, we might not be able to make a good deal of progress.
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I reflect on this and call the hawk by magic and tie the book to the hawk's leg.
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I send the book to the castle of Ashtaroth to overcome the temptation.
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Jeanne sees this and says, "That's good. That's why I love the Devil King.
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Toshizo was also impressed that he had given up his "love wife.
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< back in my study at the castle and completely switched my mind to think about Count Ismaria.
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"Well, we are already in Ismaria, we should be at the Count's castle by now..."
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Where do we enter?
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Of course, we'll go in through the front gate.
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We're going in with an open mind and we're going to be captured with an open mind?
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Yes, that's right. That's why we're going to war.
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But isn't there a chance they'll cut us down on the spot?
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"Yes."
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I answered immediately, and Jeanne looked at me with a "Really? Jeanne made a face.
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"Yes, that's why it's only me and Toshizo who will enter the Count's castle.
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"You can't just leave me here!"
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"It would be a problem if the three of us were cut down right then and there. If we are killed, avenge our enemies.
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I said jokingly, but Jeanne didn't seem to be in a laughing mood.
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I bow my head and correct her.
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"I'm only joking. You won't be cut off out of the blue. Count Ismaria will take me hostage and force me to cede territory. It's the most efficient way."
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Really?
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Really. But since you'll be captured, we need someone who can move freely afterwards. Jeanne, please help me with Kotaro the Wind Fiend."
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Jeanne jokingly imitates Kotaro's tone as she says this in a gentle tone.
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"Yes," she says with a laugh.
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I said with a laugh and we parted from Jeanne.
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When I was alone with Toshizo, he asked me.
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"Are you sure you want to say goodbye like that? You might actually die.
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"I might really die, so that's all right."
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"Well, it would be a bad wake-up call if you were to die too, young lady.
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Toshizo said as if he were talking about something else, and the two of them entered the city ruled by Count Ismariah on horseback.
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There were no gatekeepers in the city, but guards soon arrived.
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The combination of a man who looked like a magician and an oriental samurai must have stimulated their sense of professionalism.
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The guards looked nervous as they asked us who we were, but we simply told them our identities.
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My name is the Demon King Ashtaroth, and this is my subordinate Hijikata Toshizo. We have been invited as guests of Count Ismailia. We would like you to show us the castle.
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At the mention of the Count's name, the Ismarian guards suddenly change their attitude. Peaceful. Perhaps they have been informed of our arrival.
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The guards lead us to the Count's castle, but when we get there, they are silent.
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"............"
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The reason for the silence is that the Count's castle is unexpectedly magnificent.
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Toshizo whistled, "Wow, this looks like it's going to be worth it.
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I'll explain about the castle.
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I explained about the castle.
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"I've heard that many human castles are splendid, but Count Ismaria's seems to be one of the most notable.
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The castle of Ashtaroth looks like a small castle.
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"Call it an old castle. It's an antique, but it's more defensible than it looks.
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But still," I continue.
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"If we ever attack this castle we'll need siege weapons. Before that, the walls surrounding the city were very thick."
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I calculate the forces needed to attack the castle, thinking that catapults and castle-breaking hammers would be necessary, but then I realize that this is a tricky calculation.
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He had not yet been captured, nor had he escaped. What's more, he had not even deployed his own army. It would be premature to think about a siege now.
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I should start with a successful meeting with the Count, a successful greeting, and a successful capture.
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With this thought, I straighten my collar. It was a formal dress that Eve had prepared for the meeting, so it was neatly glued on. However, since I was the one who put it on, I thought that there might be something wrong with it.
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If Eve were here, she would have pointed out the problem and corrected it, but it would have been too much to ask a man like Toshizo to do so.
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We looked at each other's outfits and went straight into the Count's castle.
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