Recommended: "A wise man submits to the circumstances. This map is more than enough as a token of allegiance."
Muzan's voice echoed through the hall. His words finally eased the traitor's pounding heart. His life had been spared.
"Lord Muzan, aside from this map, once the war begins, we are willing to send people to stir up trouble behind enemy lines and help you take the Land of Water as quickly as possible."
The kneeling man stated his final condition, preparing to exchange benefits with Muzan.
"We only hope that, once this is over, we can receive the benefits befitting nobles."
"You are the daimyo of the Land of Water—no, we are all citizens of the Land of Waves. We merely hope to help you stabilize the current situation."
"After all, what you need is a stable country, not one on the verge of collapse."
Though nobles were all useless parasites feeding off the nation, one fact had to be acknowledged: most of a country's knowledge was in their hands, and they used that knowledge and their methods to trade for benefits.
That was the foundation of the nobility's enduring prosperity. Unless an entire nation and its people were wiped out, they would always prepare before a crisis arrived. At the very least, they would not put all their eggs in one basket.
Muzan could guess that beyond their secret allegiance, there was one crucial point.
On the surface, the nobles still belonged to the Land of Water. Unless the battlefield showed that the Land of Waves was winning, they would never step forward to aid Muzan.
That was where the nobles were smartest. They might not be able to grasp the direction of a war, but they would always end up on the most advantageous side.
Even Muzan had