Chapter 35
Fwoosh—CRASH!!!
Something seemed to zip past, and then I heard a window shatter.
It was from the Thebes annex.
Han Jihye and I, who had come outside for a change of scenery, exchanged glances.
'......No way.'
"I'll check. Please go inside first."
'......What if she goes alone and something happens to her again.'
If that wasn't Vincent, it could be a problem.
I shook my head.
"You go inside first, Ms. Jihye. Go to Mr. Gihwan and tell him to subdue anyone who approaches my room."
"Understood."
After seeing her off, I headed for the second floor, where Gale was.
Several Thebes nobles had already come out, drawn by the commotion.
The window had been reduced to powder, but this was a building where Awakened people lived, so it wasn't something that would break easily.
When I cautiously peered inside, I saw a familiar brown-haired head from behind, with one arm raised high.
Vincent had Gale by the neck and was slamming him against the wall.
Gale's eyes had already rolled back as his arms and legs twitched.
A little later, I heard someone approaching from nearby.
"What's going on?"
'Wang Gangdu...'
I clasped both hands and answered him.
"I'm sorry, Baron. A problem arose because of a dispute between Lord Gale and me."
"A problem? Hmm..."
Wang Gangdu said he would take a look first and passed in front of me. I heard the crunch of glass underfoot, then it stopped.
"What sort of outrage is this, Vincent?"
Vincent turned to him with a murderous look in his eyes.
"I don't know the circumstances, but he is unquestionably a noble of Thebes. Release him at once."
"Indeed. My apologies."
Thud!
Vincent threw Gale to the floor.
Regardless of faction, a baron's status ranked higher than Vincent's, so Vincent restrained himself and walked out of Gale's room.
"This is a one-sided assault. No matter that you're a family-head candidate, we can't let this pass."
"Do as you please. Come on, Raebi."
Leaving the Thebes nobles behind, we went down to the first floor.
Vincent wanted a more detailed account, but all we had on our side was circumstantial evidence.
To get a clear picture of what had happened, I headed to my room with him.
When we arrived, Im Bora was sobbing as Kim Suyeong, the cleaning attendant, patted her on the back. Ahn Gihwan was silently watching her.
I called Im Bora to the meeting room.
After confirming that she had calmed down a little, I asked her,
"What on earth happened?"
"......Well, that's..."
Im Bora hesitated, then slowly opened her mouth.
As expected, she'd been threatened.
Gale had demanded that she make food for me using ingredients he provided, but Im Bora had sensed something strange and refused.
He had also demanded that she cook for him at his lodging, but she refused that as well.
Afterward, Gale kept seeking her out under the pretense of coincidence and finding fault with everything she did. Unable to endure it any longer, Im Bora had eventually followed him.
I trembled as I clenched my fists.
"If that happened, why didn't you tell me?"
"They said Lady Raebi wouldn't be able to handle Lord Gale. They said that, since you'd rejected the barons' proposals, your connections had already been severed..."
Im Bora said she hadn't understood what that meant.
But then she became so frightened when he rattled off personal information about her family and where they lived that she couldn't say anything.
She had been afraid that if I intervened, the situation might become even worse.
"......I understand. I came here to scold you without even knowing what had happened. I'm sorry."
"No. I'm sorry..."
After that, I asked Im Bora whether she could continue working as an attendant.
She answered, 'I need money,' and I decided to take her to Eight City.
"Wh-when am I leaving?"
"Hmm… Ms. Jihye, try contacting Mr. Cheol. Ask if he can come here now."
Han Jihye called Han Cheol.
I could hear Han Cheol answer that he would come in response to her nearly commanding request.
We sent Im Bora outside so she could rest, and Vincent, who had been watching quietly, spoke.
"......That bastard Gale was being used. What a nuisance."
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"It was obviously an intentional provocation. Gale didn't know that you were still in contact with Athens or me. If he had known, there was no way he would've done something that crazy."
He said it was strange that Gale had understood things in exactly the opposite way rather than simply not knowing.
Indeed, even if Baron Corinthos, who wasn't particularly interested in us, might not have known, it was only natural that the Baron of Thebes would have heard the relevant information.
I tilted my head and asked,
"Then does that mean Wang Gangdu is the mastermind? But that seems a little short on evidence..."
Vincent scratched his head vigorously.
He looked as though he was debating whether he should tell me.
After letting out a heavy sigh, he leaned back against the backrest and said,
"Wang Gangdu wants to become the family head."
"Ugh..."
"Huh......? Why are you making such a sour face without even hearing me out? Wang Gangdu is quite capable, and he's good at handling people, too."
'That much is obvious. But...'
"He's ugly. He really puts me off."
Pfft—!
Vincent spat out the tea he had been drinking all over me.
Covering half his mouth with one hand, he began laughing, his shoulders shaking. ‘Keh-hah-hah!’
Han Jihye hurriedly wiped the tea from my face, then wiped the moisture from Vincent's hand as well.
"Ah, thank you."
Vincent looked at Han Jihye with an affectionate gaze. She silently nodded, then stood behind me again.
"Hmm, anyway, to continue, all the family-head candidates' positions have been weakened by this incident."
"Why?"
"For one thing, I committed assault, and Baron Corinthos stepped in shit. The family head knows perfectly well that Gale is close to him."
'Two birds with one stone.'
"But wait. What about Athens?"
"......They're screwed. Because of you."
"…?"
What was this supposed to mean?
When I looked at Vincent with a face that said 'Huh?', he chuckled and raised the corners of his mouth.
"Athens's eldest son was an item craftsman. Of course, his fire magic is excellent, but that alone isn't enough to aim for the position of family head."
"......!"
"April, who said she'd help, was completely enchanted by you, too. For reference, that ring she used before? Her brother made it for her."
"Whaaat???"
My mouth fell wide open.
Vincent's words made the days I'd spent with them flash before my eyes.
Baron Athens had approached me and told me to come to him, and I had refused.
And what I had said then was...
'I'll build a workshop.'
"C-crazy!!"
"Lady Raebi! Please watch your language."
"Ah—I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!!!"
"Lady Raebi!!"
I clutched my head and collapsed over the table. I didn't even have the energy to pay attention to Han Jihye scolding me.
That was only natural, considering this had gone beyond provocation and become a complete declaration of war.
I had blocked their path with a superior skill of the same type, then flaunted it right in their faces. Even if they had beaten me to death on the spot, I would've had no grounds to complain.
"That's so mean...... Why didn't you tell me sooner......"
"It wouldn't have changed anything anyway. Besides, Baron Athens is a gentleman. He wouldn't hurt you over something like that."
"......Still."
For reference, April's annoying interference had disappeared as well.
Her guard had loosened dramatically, and she was frantically looking into Gate raids so she could earn some pocket money.
"Judging from the circumstances, it seems she has something else to commission you for."
"Not a single one of them is normal."
Didn't she even get angry? Her own brother had fallen into ruin because of me.
April's personality was difficult to understand.
I decided to put the Athens matter aside for the time being.
Afterward, I asked Vincent how we should respond going forward.
Although Vincent and I had both committed assault, we would probably be punished. I wanted to secure as favorable a position as possible.
But Vincent gave me an unexpected answer.
"The family head isn't going to cooperate with the punishment."
"What? Why?"
"If they punish me, they'd have to punish you too, and then you'd feel offended."
That was true.
"Besides, between a man who already handed over his entire fortune to get in and has nothing left to squeeze out, and you, who do you think the family head would choose?"
In other words, there was a high chance that the matter would end with only Vincent's and Baron Corinthos's reputations being tarnished. It was a situation that could arise only because Douglas was obsessed with money.
I let out a sigh of relief and said,
"Then we have nothing to worry about."
"No, Lord Vincent. The noble trial remains."
Vincent's face crumpled with an 'Ugh.'
When I asked what that meant, Han Jihye answered with a troubled expression.
"It means exactly what it says. Applying directly for a trial before the 'World Nobles' Council.'"
"Huh...? B-but if the family head explains things well...!"
"Yes. Normally, they accept the family head's opinion and dismiss the case, but Lord Douglas's image isn't very good."
"Ah……."
I knew it. I knew it!
He was a greedy man who wanted to own people as well as things, so it would've been stranger if his image were good.
Moreover, Douglas had apparently already stolen another noble's share of a raid reward.
When that noble filed a suit, Douglas returned the share after beating him half to death.
'He even named the family after his own full name, as if to say [Mine Forever]...'
I slid across the table, flailing both arms.
"Aah—! Seriously, Family Head..."
"Heh heh heh, do you finally understand my warnings now?"
"……."
Vincent's expression was bright.
He was remarkably relaxed despite not knowing what kind of humiliation he might suffer after being dragged before the Nobles' Council or whatever it was.
When I pointed this out, he said, "Can't be helped. I hit him, so it's fine," and finished the rest of his tea.
'You may be fine, but I'm not.'
Was there no way out of this?
I began desperately racking my brain.
I didn't want to become the subject of gossip as soon as I became a noble. If my secret came to light even by chance, it would be disastrous.
Even apart from that, I didn't want to attract attention for an unpleasant reason.
"B-backup... If only we had some backup..."
"Give it up. I've already told them not to touch you..."
"Aaaaaah!!!!"
"Whoa! You startled me!"
I remembered!
Come to think of it, I had backup too!
A powerful backer who could crush an adopted noble like Gale with a single finger.
-I have something to think over, so would it be all right if I gave you the return gift later?
......Han Jihye had said that meant 'I couldn't choose one at all.'
A chuckle escaped me.
Vincent wrinkled his brow and asked what was so funny, but I shook my head and didn't answer.
I merely demanded that he treat us to a lavish meal if this matter was resolved smoothly.
"If things go wrong, you're the one treating us, right?"
"Of course, big brother."
***
The next day.
As expected, Gale, having received treatment, flew into a rage and requested a family council.
Late in the evening, the nobles, including the family head and the barons, gathered in the main hall, and Gale listed all the harm he had suffered.
I put Han Jihye and Im Bora forward as witnesses and refuted his claims.
After hearing both sides' arguments, Douglas asked Gale,
"Why did you forcibly take along an attendant who said she didn't want to go?"
"Pardon? No, that's..."
"You were harassing her, weren't you? I dismiss the request for punishment. Is there any baron who objects?"
"F-family head!! I was assaulted!"
Douglas then looked at Gale.
A mocking smile curled his lips.
"Gale."
"Yes, Family Head."
"Then say it yourself. Say that you were beaten one-sidedly by that child."
"……! No, I was ambushed..."
"Tsk."
The nobles gathered there began looking at Gale with contempt.
Gale could no longer open his mouth, and the barons offered no particular objections.
At that moment, Wang Gangdu unexpectedly sided with Douglas and actively condemned Gale's conduct.
The gaze Gale directed at Wang Gangdu filled with betrayal and disbelief.
"However... I must still express my mild regret toward Baron Corinthos, who recommended him, and Vincent, who responded emotionally."
"Hmm, I agree. I'll take your opinion into consideration."
'What a snake.'
Thus, the meeting ended.
On the way out of the main building and back to Thebes, Gale pointed at me with a flushed face. I chuckled and went on my way.
He had rambled on for quite a while, but I didn't remember much of it. The only thing that stuck in my mind was his threat: "I'll file a noble trial!!!"
Afterward, I went to Eight City to check on Im Bora, whom I'd sent ahead. Then I immediately asked Iroha to have tea with me.
Iroha frowned deeply when she heard the story.
"How vile... It's deplorable that someone like that is called a noble. Don't worry, Lady Raebi. I'll speak to my father."
"Ah...! Thank you so much...!"
She added that this matter was separate from the return gift.
I wondered if she was asking for something in return, but she said, 'Cleaning up trash is simply what must be done,' and told me to let her know if anything like this happened again.
Just in case, I also told Douglas that I had met with her.
He said, 'I'd be grateful if you got rid of an annoying fellow,' and treated me to a Golden Riesling.
Before long, I received a call from Vincent.
"Hello?"
-......How did you do it?
"What?"
-I hear that, beyond having the trial request dismissed, he was actually expelled from the Nobles' Council?
......Huh.