Vol 3 Chapter 14 (1/2)
Chapter 14
Chapter 3 Episode 14
Editor: mr.tanen
Day 19th, 8th Month, the Year 2812, Western continent calendar: (Negotiation 2)
”You... What do you want?”
The Earl who had been silent finally opened his mouth.
He already had no intention to pretend and hide the truth. The tone of his voice had changed completely into one of someone who was looking down at his opponent.
He threw away his pretentious mask and looked at Ryouma with overt suspicion and vigilance.
The Earl then remembered the existence of the person who might have given the information to Mikos.h.i.+ba Ryouma. He was still unable to find the reason why she did not move on her own.
Although such a juicy piece of information was enough to bring the Earl down, she did not use it herself.
And the person who received the information from her came to the Earl, and not the Royal family.
(Which means, there's one possibility… Did he want to blackmail me?)
It was something that normal people would have done when accidentally gaining information that could be turned into money.
Although the man in front of the Earl was also a n.o.bleman, the person himself was of commoner origin. It was normal for someone like that to not be too insightful and simply ask for gold or power.
(Fuh, stupid... Do you think I will obediently pay you? No, rather, if I really gave you the money, what would you do then, huh?)
If Ryouma had really wanted to blackmail the Earl, he should have never showed his face directly. Once a blackmailer let his ident.i.ty be known, he would lose one of his strongest advantages.
However, the Earl's expectation was betrayed by Ryouma's reply.
”Let's see... I want to make a trade with the Earl.”
Despite receiving the Earl's cold gaze, Ryouma's voice did not falter.
He faced the Earl head-on.
”Trade? What do you want to trade? I thought for sure you would want to blackmail me.”
Both the Earl and his wife stared at Ryouma with wariness.
With the way the atmosphere around them had become, the word ‘trade’ could be said to have had an element of extortion. So the Earl's ears mistook Ryouma's underlying message as that.
The same could be said of his wife.
That was why the Earl and his wife kept looking at Ryouma with suspicion.
”Blackmail, huh? I did think about it, but that is not what I meant... If I were to do that, I'm sure your Excellency wouldn’t hesitate to cut me down...”
In response to Ryouma's answer, the Earl showed a broad grin.
That was exactly what the Earl was thinking.
After all, the threatened person should never lightly let off someone who threatened them. Because if they did, the extortion would never end.
Two times, three times, Ryouma could have extorted money and other things from Thomas Salzberg until he was robbed blind of all he possessed, be it riches or power.
That was why the Earl decided that he would never bow down to blackmail.
Even if he were to hand over some gold, it would be with the sole purpose of killing the blackmailer.
”I see... To be able to understand that, for a man who was once a commoner, you're not bad at all...”
Five years had pa.s.sed since the day he began to embezzle the salt vein.
Although this secret was strictly concealed, there were a few people who managed to find out about it. However, it never reached the ears of the Royal family because the Earl had swiftly dealt with thos
e who would disturb the clandestinity of his operations without mercy.
The Earl himself also understood that the things he did were dangerous. That was why he did it carefully and with no lack of ruthlessness.
”Dear... I'm curious about the thing that Baron-sama wants to sell to us.”
”Indeed. Well then, Baron Mikos.h.i.+ba. What is the item that you want to sell?”
The Earl asked the question after hearing that his wife's curiosity had been piqued.
His tone, although still condescending as ever, was now missing his previously displayed high-handedness and was no longer looking down towards the former commoner.
Right now, the Earl was dominated by his own curiosity. The Earl wanted to know what was the thing that Ryouma wanted to sell for the trade.
”Please look at this.”
Ryouma pushed the prepared doc.u.ments towards the Earl and his wife.
”This is...”
”This is a contract, right?”
”It is the contract regarding the transfer of the salt vein.”
Following Ryouma's statement, the couple quickly confirmed the contents.
”Indeed... But...”
”What does this mean? There's no money required for us to pay written in these doc.u.ments...”
The couple's doubts were natural.
Since Ryouma had come with the intention to sell something, he should have written the selling price, but there was no such thing on the doc.u.ments.
”I've come to sell, alright, but I do not have any intention of getting paid with money.”
The Earl and his wife showed puzzled expressions after having heard this.
”Then, what do you want from us in exchange?”
”I want the Earl to become my backer...”
”What do you mean by that? I’ve already told you last time that I will help you as much as I can, haven’t I?”
Towards the Earl's words, Ryouma shook his head lightly. If that was what Ryouma really asked, it could be said that the Earl had already delivered.
Certainly, previously, the Earl had promised to take a friendly att.i.tude towards Ryouma and to a.s.sist him as much as he could.
However, that was not the Earl's true sentiment.
After all, he was being ordered by Queen Lupis to monitor Ryouma, and he felt obliged to do so in order to avoid possible attention towards his defalcation of the rock salt vein.
So in the end, the truth was that the Earl did not genuinely want to help Ryouma. At least until now...
(I see... Instead of pretending to be helping him, he wants me to truly help him, huh...)
The Earl now understood Ryouma's wish.
(Well, it's not like I didn’t want to help him at all... Besides, compared to Lupis who’s only capable of sending down orders, this man knows what courtesy is, especially the part where he did not ask for any money in return... In addition, he seems to possess some wisdom despite being a former commoner...)
Ryouma who saw the Earl relaxing his expression lifted up the corners of his mouth into a smile.
(As expected, it was the right decision for me to not ask gold from him, huh? Well, he needs money to the point that he embezzles from the Crown after all... That's why there's no way for him to willingly give money to me. In the first place, the management of the vein is already in his possession. Even if the vein is something that belongs to me, he's not someone who would compensate me even if I were to demand it of him.)
The Earl needed gold, that was why he misappropriated the salt vein.