CH 187.2

Chapter 187.2. Fallen Noble

-?’s POV-

To recover their losses, they took on debt and purchased multiple ships to confront the Kraken and resume trade. Although they achieved victory, the previous Count perished along with the Kraken in the process. Additionally, many newly acquired ships were sunk, resulting in further indebtedness.

Despite this, they believed that by steadily managing the remaining ships, they could repay the debt and restore the wealth befitting a County.

However, their foolish master, who appeared to be a young entrepreneur, led the remaining ships to embark on dungeon conquests at sea.

At 15, the young Count, who had inherited the title, aimed to strike it rich.

It’s honestly hard to believe, considering he only had dilapidated ships. He used magic such as [Underwater Breathing] and [Water Pressure Reduction] to conquer the sea dungeons.

Even so, he wa still a Count, and his magic powers were not to be underestimated. Despite the hardships, he managed to conquer the dungeon and bring the treasure back to the harbor.

However, most of the ships got attacked by a horde of Sahagins and sank.

In the case of sea dungeons, it required powerful mages to guard the waiting ships, but the declining County lacked the necessary numbers and had no mages available for defense.

As a result, the substantial treasure couldn’t cover the losses from the sunken ships, leading to a significant deficit and further decline.

However, recently, the fallen County had been attempting to revive its fortunes through a request the Count received.

The Count wouldn’t disclose the details, but a high-ranking noble approached him for a job.

The identity of this noble is unknown, even to the Count. Perhaps he’s simply pretending to know.

Since the counterparty in the transaction is a representative of a high-ranking noble.

They always communicate orally, making it quite suspicious.

Naturally, the Count was initially skeptical, as it would be strange not to be.

However, the content of the request was extremely ordinary. It was simply a request to lightly stir up the sea along a pier for 2 hours in the morning.

It would be a dilemma for fishermen to go fishing or take a break. As for cargo ships, it would have no impact at all.

Even if his magic gets discovered and criticized, for a young sea magician, the punishment would range from a fine if it was bad to a stern warning if it was good. It was something that young people occasionally did for pranks or magic experiments.

With this in mind, the Count, albeit with suspicion, used magic. It was an easy spell for someone of the Count’s level. At the time, Karen was still a child, so the details were known to her assisting parents, but apparently, nothing amazing happened.

However, despite being a simple task, he got an exorbitant reward. Even the interest on the debt was causing hardships, but it seemed like he could finally take a breather.

Next, they asked him to make it drizzle for about an hour in a location, cause a cliff to collapse, freeze the dungeon’s entrance, and so on.

He received an exorbitant reward, and the debt decreased rapidly after finishing each job.

And the nature of the jobs gradually changed.

Next, he asked to make a similar request to a Viscounty. And to the Barony, he gave them other requests.

And he started to be entrusted with tasks as if he was the mastermind.

Using [Magic Stealth] to conceal his method of communication, the jobs themselves were not particularly significant, but the rewards were substantial.

Not only in terms of money but also in the jobs themselves, he subtly manipulated things from behind the scenes to ensure advantageous transactions. Tangible and intangible rewards increased.

And gradually, he understood. He understood what this request meant.

It was something he couldn’t understand with just one task. But when three or four were combined, a pattern emerged.

For example, if the sea was rough, he would guide a fishing enthusiast noble who had planned to go fishing to another fishing spot, allowing them to have a good catch.

He would quickly prepare support supplies and gain fame and profit if a cliff collapsed.

By freezing the dungeon’s entrance, he would hinder rival nobles who had planned to conquer it.

By driving out the undead from the dungeon and causing a commotion in the vicinity, he would supply weapons to the warriors.

He’s allowing each noble to gain minor benefits and credibility associated with these actions.

Presumably, it was to increase the power of their faction.

However, there may be various hidden schemes and interests at play, but from Karen’s perspective, the benefits appeared in such a form.

The Counr had adopted a clever method that allowed him to remain inactive while making it difficult for the other party to feel guilty.

Although Karen didn’t know which noble family was involved, their cunning was commendable.

And so, gradually, Count Outomo began amassing wealth and gaining power.

However, a hitch occurred. I’m not entirely sure of the details, but it seems their strategies gradually became less successful, leading to more extreme methods.

The pinnacle was the assassination incident involving Takano County, utilizing the Washizu family as a means.

While attempting an assassination carried significant risks, at that time, Count Outomo had many impoverished nobles and upstart viscount families under his command, so even if they failed, they believed that the authorities couldn’t reach them.

However, it was a major failure. It might have been fine if the assassins got wiped out. However, Takano County could capture all those who launched the attack on them.

And then came the worst of it—the warehouse district explosion incident.

It was at that moment that Count Outomo became agitated. Instead of remaining silent and observing, he ordered the replenishment of the lost goods by the Washizu family without waiting for instructions from above.

Count Ootomo hurriedly tried to gather the goods within a short period, and that’s when he got called as a person of interest… She was amazed at how thoroughly the warriors gathered information.

Although he wasn’t found guilty, it proved to be fatal. It’s because of the rapid recovery he had achieved. He drew suspicion and apprehension from the imperial family and other nobles.

In no time, the jobs that had just started to gain momentum disappeared. The banks demanded repayment of the loans, and Count Outomo found himself in a predicament.

To make up for that failure, he is now attempting the most dangerous method.

“Everyone! Through this operation, we shall rise again like a phoenix!”

“That’s right!”

“May victory and glory be with us!”

Karen sighed as she looked at Count Outomo and the other viscounts, who were proudly raising their wine glasses.