Chapter 165
4TvPfLate at night, Jeffrey arrived pale, his face completely drained, where Fernan and Aria were waiting for him.dnAZ7yG
2nU9“…He said that, because of the injuries, he was confused and saw and heard things that weren’t real.”Z8Ur
hHG0OAgainst all odds, Adolf hadn’t reacted at all to Jeffrey’s confrontation.4RuYAv
1hov“So he just decided to ignore it?”bOKl
fawwkh“If you think about it, it makes sense. The only witness is Sir Jeffrey. If he ignores it, everyone will believe my brother’s words.”HCVbs6
NXQWA simple response, but also the safest one.aDja
pmv“He’s more cunning than I expected. I thought he’d get nervous and show a crack.”qt3cH3h
UW9PY0bThat way, all they’d done was put him on guard.gyhlRXy
jieq‘Either way, I’d better have Wooden keep an eye on him, just in case.’QuFO
yU8kBut the next day—9I4DPhD
xMs0zB“Young master, a visitor has arrived.”b01cup8
Sklf“A visitor?”hqPQkRY
wECcEd“Yes, Count Daniel Kool has come to see you.”sw0K
LIyzThere it was—the reaction.SO4
LqaLdl***bF4z8e
cbKPJ“It’s been a while, young Fernan.”cbf
QqaCount Kool, Daniel.zIVs1
knMb2He was the magnate who had developed the distillery industry and sold liquor throughout the Empire, and also a client of the Golden Turtle Company.bkJ
6xoyL9CHis presence here was completely unexpected.Gg1O
AyYE“How is the Count here?”aQe
0LMQ9“Naturally, I came to see you.”lb2Ry
lwZwHbd“And how did you know I was here?”PZzZ4
h73S1DM“I don’t know if I did, but I recently expanded my business into Fridian.”eAYjEmA
6jhDFernan was already aware of that, as well as the fact that his business wasn’t going very well.2Q7FV
ol1“As you know, elven liquor has a great reputation. So, while supplying beverages, I also visited elven distilleries to study more about the industry.”6JegK
VhKQ3He showed him a newspaper. In it, there was an article about the joint project between Fridian and the Pellenberg family to develop mineral veins.QmDw
IasruQ“During all that, I heard rumors that you were personally overseeing that development here in Fridian. And I thought I’d come see you after all this time.”U4rwx
UyVFalhHe brought a cart full of provisions—lots of food, liquor, and other luxury goods.Bim77
CK3l“I see.”0WExTdn
xgbRi“Haha, I knew I couldn’t fool you so easily.”iJRhx0
IcrBc3cNoticing Fernan’s rather cool reception, the Count lowered his voice.7XS8
jFq5wLD“In truth, I came because I was curious about something.”6Mpd
iAVSrV“What would that be?”AkuU
SxdIuiN“How did you manage to get the proud elves to approve a development project?”IjP
E2tgSHe said it in a whisper, looking around as if to make sure no elf was listening.x64c
Iwj“As you know, thanks to the World Tree, elven land has purer and more abundant mana. That makes the liquor fermented there a luxury product.”bestOs
yWu4VThat’s why so many merchants wanted to open distilleries in Fridian.BznZ7UZ
BkLBut they had never granted permission to anyone who wasn’t an elf, which made their liquor even more valuable.G48kXK
x96Vi“And yet this time, they approved resource extraction. Even though elves hate mining and building distilleries.”VQ01PM
WnEHROc“You want me to reveal how I did it?”NvPB
gO0“That would be ideal, but I know it’s impossible. I only came to see with my own eyes if the rumors were true. If they were, then maybe it wouldn’t be impossible to open a distillery either.”E15
jeTphStill, he asked just in case.vwirS4P
vcq“Can you at least tell me a little bit about the method?”ayT1N
juHLs2“No.”aK5272L
zEu“Haha, I figured as much. Then may I at least stay the night before returning?”pFEO9
pFbIt was already dark, and in the mountains, the sun set even faster.zbz
BSHvAnd even if it hadn’t, it would’ve been difficult to reject someone who arrived bearing gifts.WND2ycE
yFe“Of course.”Vi5
9TDJj“Thank you. Ah, one more thing—what kind of mineral vein is there in this mountain? If it’s worth extracting from pure rock, it must be a very valuable ore.”kCE
KB9Dw“I can’t tell you that either.”O0JFAio
CIB83w4“Of course, of course. I’m just curious, that’s all.”Mee
ZIDTCount Daniel left the tent. Fernan’s gaze locked onto his back.cNUECxN
3wfYPj“Wooden.”Ar6B
CjZu9— Kyuu?PR06
fS6KP“Follow him closely until he leaves. Watch him without rest.”xqaAbA8
9DYF2v4As soon as Jeffrey mentioned he had regained his memory, this visitor appeared out of nowhere.t08
eqNP0Coincidence?9g2
MD26u‘No way.’Kh0RVN
d8oMaybe it was—but Fernan’s instincts told him otherwise.lWmRD
3KdPY4— Kyu?jR0FT1
rcT“Jeffrey will stay with Aria.”G6K37I
xQAZVK— Kyuung.usxwrlJ
4nF39rcWooden vanished.NKWwlq
u8oqR***IjeJ
LaKP4That same night, a banquet was held in Count Daniel’s honor with what he had brought.GuDC
S3nNdi“Senior, have a drink.”u6mh
9n5NOk“I already am.”pKSkO4
yeFr“Don’t lie, that’s water.”d71
29f“We didn’t come here to have fun, Aria.”6XUylN
3dk“But a little cheer doesn’t hurt. People bond over drinks.”waDt
dHkmA very consistent elf in her habits.ByQD
jV6z8Fernan gave a slight smile and accepted the cup she offered. It wasn’t a strong liquor, so a few glasses were fine.XKq
dVux4VNAs he drank, Adolf also slowly emptied his glass, observing every move closely.n42YU
XaH‘Fernan Pellenberg. He’s on guard.’1iHyM
4zfNxtuHe recalled the words spoken along the way.LROOIi
gWl4c“If we already sold it, our responsibility ends.” And then saying he truly believed Fridian was a real prince-elector?L0f
soLyIt wasn’t false—a merchant wasn’t obligated to take responsibility for what he sold.KAZ
oanpTBut if he was going to say the first, he shouldn’t have added the second. What other reason than to provoke him?DxcLj
lzFW8i‘Aria…’tVze
wIk04AcShe was his beloved sister. Though relatives, with no other siblings, he saw her as his own flesh and blood.6N8
NCnDqZQAnd she had been the one to call Fernan.Cow
6Q3WHe knew why.EXH7A
Ag2‘She doesn’t like my radicalism.’c7uqi6
sKfWHe understood. His methods were extreme and aggressive.VS8kIsE
RbjfQBut Aria didn’t know the whole story.01iZ3R
VRKJ‘Do you think I was always like this from the start?’xFHCIK
jcVesIt was constant discrimination that made him what he was.ej5T47o
PpEHOEven though the treatment of elves had improved over the years, the essence hadn’t changed.xMXNMe
tP3This was still a human Empire, and there was no real place for elves.YSJETd
sA7rHI‘In the end, there are only three paths for elves.’LDUb
lh22vLive as the Empire’s lower class.5ud1
MWFW5JOverthrow it.TUE71kN
zNp7p1Or abandon it.rOxNsw
ZpATo smile and integrate into the Empire as if nothing?ME8EpWu
1EsTjpIt had been fifteen years since Fridian bought the Golden Edict rights from Bercheff and became a prince-elector.jHs5zZ
sePVSGDAnd ten times that since the former kingdom of Fridian had been absorbed into the Empire as a marquisate.0ar
GBB5xxAnd still, the humans’ attitude hadn’t changed.egNgJN
Np7Why should they always be the ones to bow their heads?teson
yyq“…I won’t allow that.”fPu
41zNever.w3w
PQzql‘Tsk. They can’t even make decent liquor.’VKLi
VJapguyAfter downing five cups, Adolf signaled to Count Daniel, who was already half drunk.49Ln5Z
yNQWO2The sun had completely disappeared, and a thick darkness blanketed the camp.J54l1K
Nn4szzThe atmosphere was intoxicated, and all the humans were drunk.88hy6
YUjnFernan’s eyes were closed, and his head tilted slightly to one side.d9bXDg
cvEWith a discreet signal to Count Daniel, Adolf disappeared into the darkness.oCw
l0oORJq***eg6k
W8ho“I’m going to see Sophie for a bit.”jEzgpPF
FHzonUJA while later, Count Daniel offered a drink to the knights trying to follow him, and with that excuse, left the camp.2un
oWBeAs soon as he spotted Adolf in the distance, he clenched his teeth in fury.faZD
UaVQW“Are you insane?”tt9Ux2
yKlfq8fDaniel kicked a tree in frustration. A fallen branch snapped instantly.FJj
CkRk“How could you cause such a scene just because the suggestion spell broke?! Fernan is already someone who should be watched closely! And now I show up! What do you think he’ll believe?”Y7bBUkV
8jxShowing up at this very moment was practically a confession of involvement.MESw
36tBut the Count had come because Adolf Fridian pressured him.ifrWG
Jzo6jAy“It’ll just be a suspicion. And that’s your own fault.”gIG
2BNQR“My fault?”jzirzR5
dwvOCg“Of course it is!”uLjDUg
HPsFtxCrash! Adolf shoved Daniel against a tree. The Count’s back slammed hard against the trunk.2hR7kG
H6lUdKO“Didn’t you say it would never break? That no one would ever find out?”XtydZ
bkJAdolf growled.zuK1e8
51DMk“Do you have any idea how many elves of your bloodline are under your hypnosis? And what’ll happen if all those spells break?”MxC
7rjSuspicions?WDeLP
4J47kk“So what if they look at us with suspicion? If this collapses, we lose everything!”vBW5vn
G5d67pG“That won’t happen! The hypnosis was perfect!”yCs6ns
IWBQ22O“Then explain Jeffrey.”tQ9J
SiaI8CVHe gripped the collar of Daniel’s robe even tighter.zqmU
WYjEu“Tell me why it broke with Jeffrey!”Fpbau7
CSvA“…I still need to figure that out. Most likely, Fernan is involved.”uTHvA3m
1pRm“Are you an idiot? Of course… corrupts who sell their souls to demons can’t be very smart.”XAK
iS5wDGThose words, dripping with contempt, made the Count’s face freeze.QKrhY5Q
zcZfnqC“Fernan, who has nothing to do with our house, suddenly shows up here. Don’t you get what that means? Do you really think he came for those useless rocky mountains? No! It was Aria who called him. And Jeffrey used to be her guardian knight.”KF9o0X
UP7PgJsJeffrey had told Aria what happened. She sensed something was wrong and called Fernan for help.LWuy
bg4yp6lThat was the only possible explanation.VvFB9Xk
Okud“They’re watching us intentionally. And if there were no way to break the hypnosis, it wouldn’t matter—but it was broken! It broke, understand?!”oJsYW
gd1jqTIAnd yet, he had accepted the marquis’s orders to oversee the escort.6CEKLZ
3grNAs long as the hypnosis spells held, like Daniel had claimed, there wouldn’t have been any issues.AaALv6N
rhEWBut not anymore.1fiP4P
3fOThe spells had been broken.pesP
xUmAnd Fernan probably already knew there were ties between them and the corrupts.X2B26H
dik98aJust let it go? How?Ta1B
fLFbIf they didn’t act, they’d be plunging into the abyss.S2B
FZH7“Then tell me—what am I supposed to do? Kill them all?”7hY
hEHfS“Don’t be stupid.”6IaF
StxSThey weren’t just anyone—they were Aria and Fernan.bAuJ
uamaPRCThe legitimate daughter of Fridian and the heir to the Pellenberg family.5qtrdE
cQL1WIf they were killed, there’d be no turning back.2HDtYa9
L9egBesides, for Adolf—who had grown up alongside Aria—she was like a blood sister.rSr
64H“Then what?”wFG1C
DzSI“We act like nothing happened.”2fv3NH9
2Q3zg“Like nothing…? You mean…?”gE3G
Na9x2“Yes, exactly that.”IYLQ
GTpUNHcAdolf nodded.hkE
t5Y“I’ll give you one last chance. Cast the hypnosis again.”VannQ0r
iQ478Make it look like nothing had ever happened.Hboo
5j3u“And you think that’s possible?”0kgz1
NG4Q6“It’s not about whether it’s possible or not.”sjl
aIZrNgDBoth you and I—2lTw
rPV“If we want to live, we have to do it.”IZ0Cxn
XhPIt was the only way out.1m9PVy
HIJY1***bzs
8lViUl“…Is he asleep? Senior, I didn’t think alcohol affected you th—ah! You weren’t passed out drunk?!”FS8
MX7MjOFernan, who had been slouched with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. Aria, who had been murmuring to herself thinking he was out cold, flinched in surprise.Z2tF
6sz6x“I got them.”6Ct4Smh
LK9“Got what?”bcbP
93y“Evidence.”6U1Jr
Po6wlWooden had many functions.aMWKAF
loM0luOne of them was recording.BLx
WBjFernan could see what Wooden observed and keep a record of it.rfXzt2
jVwThat made the recording irrefutable proof.Qr5cWG
j8O‘Count Daniel is a corrupt?’OS3Inp
KSdDid that make sense?QSu
cDVJ7Fernan remembered the moment of the Continental Academic Conference.kUtOx
vQC8PAint had cast a beam of light in the shape of the Saintbird to reveal all the corrupts. And Daniel hadn’t reacted.sgjIds6
H32‘Is he not a corrupt… or did he resist Aint’s light?’1zyJ
7HmcFernan leaned toward the latter.ZVHZa
mViSSxw“The phrase, corrupts aren’t smart, otherwise they wouldn’t sell their souls to demons—that proves he is one. And at the same time, it means Adolf isn’t.”IBMhMA1
w6ttZFernan realized Adolf wasn’t a corrupt, but an ally of them.UGY39
P8VG9DVJudging by their interaction, he wasn’t a subordinate—they were on equal footing.AOKtzj
0oVn‘Makes sense, of course.’5Q9pcXa
nFxQRvA proud elf like Adolf would never sell his soul. To him, the corrupt were merely a means to an end.D0178
OK8A tool to end discrimination and overthrow the Empire.zGZV1i
4tH‘And now they plan to hit Aria and me with another hypnosis spell?’EZVpBlx
eBCgwZWhat should he do?nQfZAVv
DJzZuWarn them in advance and tell the marquis everything?WMb
0n0pfxOr—3nU4s3X
Ae2‘Let myself get caught and use it to my advantage?’LHy
UCQDcEXMaybe that way, he could dig even deeper into the corrupts.REskM20
rndhEven with the prophecies altered by an uncertain future, he could fill in the blanks in the prediction book.yX7do
p3EzHe wasn’t afraid to die.wiCB
9yRFLbHEven the corrupts wouldn’t ignore his value as a resource.tqLPCr
cOQnAs enemies, they were dangerous—but as manipulated allies, they’d be an unbeatable asset.lgAX
6fKa2r“Pour me another drink.”IPR
ekyacm“What kind of evidence?”XDMc
zff“It’s late. I’ll tell you tomorrow.”cP3
5O7GHe still wasn’t sure what path to take, and he didn’t want to worry Aria unnecessarily.ON1
AfyM‘The problem is—how to break the hypnosis.’xBzy
5fedHow could he get someone to pour holy water on his head without raising suspicion?BgR
1YetJgw‘They’ll probably try to cast it soon. Maybe as soon as we return. I need a plan.’3eLIDbp
appThat night, Fernan kept turning the question over in his mind.Get
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