Chapter 22: The Leak Incident
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
When Paul returned to the hall, the officers were still passionately discussing the next phase of action.
He shouted angrily, "Stop! Stop everything!"
Everyone looked at him puzzled. The Earl had been away for some time; perhaps he had been affected by his own invention of gunpowder.
"Our secrets have been leaked, and it infuriates me." Earl Paul vented his frustration, then vividly described his meeting with the two clergy members. He recounted how suspicious they were, digging deep into his affairs while he struggled to justify himself.
"What? Those two were so disrespectful, relying on their clerical status to overlook their lord?"
"Your lordship, you have the authority to expel them from the estate and request a more polite priest from the diocese."
"That's strange. Father Anderson doesn't seem like that type. He's always been kind when I visit the church."
"Yes, I know Dean Leonard too. Though a bit traditional, he's quite decent."
Sir Schroeder pounded the table, silencing the room.
"Everyone, I believe your focus is misplaced. We have soldiers breaking orders, leaking military secrets to others. Even if they are clergy, who's to say there aren't corrupt individuals among them? What if they exchange our secrets for their own gain? It could cause immeasurable damage to our forces. That's what Earl Paul is worried about, am I right?"
"Yes! Absolutely! You..." Paul sighed deeply, looking disappointed at his officers' lack of vigilance despite their promotions.
The officers glanced at each other, faces flushed, the hall awkwardly silent.
Finally, Bryce broke the silence, "My lord, how should we handle this matter?"
"What else can we do? We absolutely cannot ignore this. Investigate! We must find out who leaked the secrets. Anyone who visited the church after the battle is under suspicion. Better to wrongly punish a thousand than let one slip by."
...
Two days later, the leaker was identified, and a public trial swiftly convened. This negative example would be used to draw a clear line in the hearts of all officers and soldiers.
"... The harm caused by leaks, as clearly stated in our confidentiality regulations... Loose lips disregard the lives of comrades... Even clergy members are not immune to corruption..."
In front of the entire army, Earl Paul delivered a two-hour-long reprimand, spitting out his words forcefully.
Finally, he looked at the trembling leaker on the ground.
"Now, I pronounce..." Seeing the leaker shaking even harder, he hesitated for a moment. Ultimately, he couldn't bring himself to be harsh, "Considering this is the first occurrence of such an incident, I sentence you to 10 years of hard labor. But if such an incident happens again, I will not hesitate to apply the death penalty."
The soldiers shuddered at his words, while the leaker, relieved, bowed repeatedly like he had just escaped a death sentence. "Thank you, my lord, for sparing my life."
...
The leak incident served as a wake-up call for Paul Grayman. It was time to establish an intelligence agency, not only for military matters but also to gather political and economic intelligence crucial for the development and defense of his territory, preventing covert espionage by other powers.
He sought out Philip, the most loyal and reliable Butler currently available, to discuss this matter. Unexpectedly, the old steward declined the major responsibility and recommended another person for the task.
Paul looked surprised, "Cecil? I have a feeling this guy isn't very reliable. I remember on the day I succeeded as Lord, he said I was just a child who couldn't understand anything."
"Don't you see? He was just cooperating with Bryce. Later, Bryce's performance intimidated those with ill intentions."
"Oh, is that so? One playing the good cop, the other the bad."
"The Cecil family has served the Grayman family for generations. Before wandering to the Northwest Bay, they followed your ancestors. Old Cecil used to be your grandfather's intelligence chief and had considerable expertise in espionage. Cecil learned a lot from his father. However, after your father became Lord, he believed espionage work was unnecessary and sent him to manage forestry."
"Really?" Paul became interested. This could be a promising lead.
"Alright then, bring him here. I'll see for myself what he's like."
...
In the afternoon, Cecil, the forestry supervisor, arrived at the Lord's castle. Paul cautiously probed during their conversation and found no issues. Was Cecil deliberately acting up that day to align with Bryce?
Thus, he announced Cecil's appointment as the intelligence chief of the estate. Until a suitable successor for forestry was found, Cecil would continue handling both roles.
"Thank you for your hard work. I'll double your salary."
"Serving the Lord is my duty, not to be considered hard work," Cecil knelt solemnly, a stark contrast to his previous demeanor, humbly accepting.
"Very well, rise. Let's go to my study and discuss in detail how we should proceed with our future work."
...
In the study, Paul and Cecil meticulously discussed the establishment of the espionage organization and the protection of confidential matters within the estate. Unsure of the world's espionage techniques, Paul listed various ideas gleaned from internet articles in his past life, all for reference. Cecil agreed with several measures:
Classified matters within the estate would be categorized into three levels: Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret. "Top Secret" was the most critical, leaking it would severely damage the estate's security and interests. "Secret" was important, leaking it would cause significant harm. "Confidential" was general, leaking it would harm the estate's security and interests.
Personnel handling classified matters would be divided into three levels: "Core Personnel," "Key Personnel," and "General Personnel." Core Personnel could access Top Secret, Secret, and Confidential levels; Key Personnel could access Secret and Confidential; General Personnel could only access Confidential.
A specialized agency, tentatively named the "Bureau of Secrecy," would be established to manage classified matters, classify the levels of classified matters, and assess the levels of personnel involved.
Even personnel with high security clearance could not access matters outside their authorized scope without permission from relevant departments.
A specialized code system for intelligence work needed to be established.
During the discussion, Paul learned that similar measures had already been implemented in this world. Cecil was genuinely surprised that such knowledge could come from someone still considered young.
Finally, Paul instructed that the immediate focus of intelligence work should be on obtaining information about pirates, especially the Shark Gang that had occupied Westland Port. He planned to completely eliminate all pirates from his territory within three months to open up the sea routes.
Cecil requested parchment and meticulously recorded the details ordered by the Earl.
(End of Chapter)
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