Although it was a small amount, the probability had definitely dropped.
Since it had never happened before the topic of the Grand Duchy of Leitche ca up, I couldn't know for sure.
However, it was natural to think that the Duke of Leitche had also played a part when Valheit died.
It was an unexpected gain, but it was also unsettling.
What on earth are they doing that the probability dropped just because I opposed them?
“Your Excellency, I ask that you reconsider. This is a decision that will greatly affect the relationship between the Grand Duchy and the Eight Council.”
Regina requested in an earnest tone.
On the other hand, Avantnik was smiling, baring his fangs as if he were sure of his victory.
“I don't an to block it entirely. Whatever the Grand Duchy does is not a matter for us to interfere in. However, if you want the support of the Eight Council, you must bring a suitable reason.”
“In return for the support during the previous pioneering, isn't a significant portion of the pioneer land's profits going to the Eight Council?”
“We appreciate it, but that does not beco a reason to support you this ti as well.”
Now that I knew Leitche was connected to my life, there was even less reason to approve.
“I understand. After the eting is over, I will organize the data and we can discuss it again.”
Realizing that I wouldn't back down, Regina bit her lip.
It was a relief for as well.
If she had kept insisting, I would have had no choice but to use force.
As my motto is ‘Let's not make enemies if you don't want to die,’ I had no intention of starting a needless fight.
For now, it was enough to just postpone it until I found out the cause.
“Then we will discuss it again later. I trust you will agree as well, Avantnik.”
“Just know that my attitude won't change later either. I cannot tolerate the invasion of Demon territory.”
“We'll find that out when the ti cos. Thanks to all of you neatly ignoring my instruction to send proposals, this is the end of the prepared agenda.”
Although the word "end" was said, no one stood up.
The Eight Council eting begins after the prepared agenda runs out.
I grinned, mulling over what Doruga had told .
“You all must have brought sothing to say. Just be careful not to talk over each other.”
“Soone is experinting with curses in the Empire.”
As soon as my words ended, Kaseph cut in.
“Soone using a curse to fill their own greed is not a matter of interest for the Eight Council. But if it's on a scale that can bring down a city, the story is different.”
As Kaseph stretched out his hand, flas flowed onto the table.
I wondered what he was doing, but I got the gist of it after seeing the shape of the flas.
“Is that Kranacht.”
“When the Count and I visited this city, about half of the citizens were already under the curse. Although the curse was lifted with appropriate asures.”
As Kaseph flicked his finger, flas shot up from the place where the Kranacht governnt office had been.
“A curse of this scale is bound to leave scars. On people and on the land.”
“Could you explain it a bit more simply and in detail? My head isn't working so well right now because of the alcohol.”
“It ans that a curse leaves a hangover, just like the alcohol you drank. The kind your gnoll shamans do is a hangover that would blow away with the wind, but Kranacht was different.”
The flas that represented the city died out, leaving behind soot.
Only in the place where the flas had shot up, embers remained and spread out.
“The governnt office, which was both the container and the gathering place for the diums of the curse, and its surroundings have been contaminated. It has also spread to the surrounding area.”
“Was the reason you stayed in Kranacht to take care of that?”
“It has all been purified now. The problem is that this kind of thing can happen in other places as well.”
All the embers died down, leaving only soot marks and a little ash.
“Couldn't you have just explained it with words? This is a pretty expensive table.”
“I'll be careful next ti, Count.”
Kaseph, who had answered perfunctorily for anyone to see, looked around the room.
The bloodshot eyes behind the mask flashed.
“We must find and eliminate the ones who cast the curse on Kranacht. Whoever they are.”
A brief silence fell over the table.
Everyone seed to be thinking the sa thing.
In the end, I decided to take the lead.
“It is an important issue, and as it happened in the Empire, I too am taking it seriously. I have already sent people and started an investigation. But is there a reason you brought this story up at the Eight Council eting?”
Although it had long since beco a re formality, the Eight Council eting was fundantally a place to discuss issues that required cooperation among mbers.
Since it happened in the Empire, it's a problem that could be resolved by talking to , who is in charge of the Empire.
“The one who instigated it is probably an Imperial citizen. However, there is no law that says those who can wield a curse of this magnitude will only cause problems in the Empire. It is a matter we must deal with together.”
The reaction was lukewarm.
It was understandable since it wasn't an imdiate problem.
Whether he read the atmosphere or just had nothing more to say, Kaseph, who was seated, remained silent.
“Any opinions.”
“Is there anything to say separately? We’ll keep a close eye out for similar incidents. That should be it, shouldn’t it.”
Avantnik and Regina also nodded.
In an atmosphere like this, there was always a scene that ca up in the original work.
“Til.”
“I know. I'll investigate.”
Til, who had been listening quietly, grumbled.
It was sothing of a rule in the Eight Council that if it was ambiguous who would take responsibility, Til would end up doing it.
I had already eliminated a few tasks that Til was originally supposed to do, so I should be able to order her without guilt.
“We will take a short break. Refreshnts will also be prepared during the break.”
At Doruga's words, they got up one by one and left the eting room.
I had no intention of leaving, but I needed so sugar.
“Ron.”
I called the butler as usual.
But no answer was heard.
I looked back, but the figure of the large butler was not there.
This was the first ti this had happened since I possessed Valheit's body.
Did sothing happen?
Having no choice, I called Doruga, who was standing there blankly.
“Head of Strategy, please tell the servants to bring refreshnts.”
“Can't you just call the butler?”
“Don't you think I'm ordering you because I called him and he didn't co?”
Doruga also tilted his head as if it were strange.
It was indeed strange for Ron, who would appear at a call with creepy timing.
‘Well, it's not like he has to co just because I call. He's in the headquarters, so nothing should be wrong.’
***
Ron cautiously assud a combat stance.
The person in front of him was definitely an ordinary human, but his behavior and attitude were familiar.
“Who are you?”
“I am Falsh, the captain of the Falsh Guild.”
Falsh.
It was one of the aliases used by Count Valheit.
From the mont he saw the na Falsh Guild, he had thought it couldn't be a coincidence.
His prediction that it was either an impersonation or an external organization created by Count Valheit was completely wrong.
“I have no intention of fighting, so relax your stance. As you can see, I'm an ordinary human.”
Falsh grinned, spreading his arms.
Even his smile resembled his master's.
Moreover, if he were just a human he was seeing for the first ti, he wouldn't be able to tell that Ron had assud a combat stance.
At this point, it could no longer be seen as a coincidence.
“There's a lot to discuss, so let's go sowhere quiet.”
“I understand.”
He is ard with a dagger, but he's just a human.
He is not a threat.
It was logical to hear what he had to say first.
Falsh, who had been walking along the lakeside for a long ti, stopped.
“The others are gone, so there's no need to act stiff anymore, Ron.”
“You are not Lord Valheit.”
“That’s right. I’m not. I’m a human with a body that rots away every second. But Ron, you must already feel it.”
Looking at the lowly smiling Falsh, he agreed inwardly.
This human was too much like Valheit.
“No need to be so serious. There are many good things about being in a human body. Though I don't know how it happened!”
“Is that so, Lord Valheit.”
At the cheerful smile, the honorific title slipped out without him realizing.
“What is Count Valheit doing right now?”
“He is attending the Eight Council eting.”
“A remarkable fellow. Not only has he not been caught until now, but he's also playing the part of a Count quite well.”
“Is the Lord Valheit in the headquarters a fake?”
He blurted out the question he had had since the mont he thought of Falsh as Valheit.
The fact that the real Valheit was here ant that the one in the eting room was a fake.
“No. He is the real Count Valheit. After all, it is my body.”
“It is hard to understand.”
“This ti, I will ask. Ron, in your opinion, does that Count seem to be doing a good job in the Eight Council.”
“Yes. To the point where it's incomparable to the past.”
Ron asserted without a mont's hesitation.
Looking only at his Eight Council activities, the Valheit in the eting room was much better.
“It’s disappointing to hear you say that. Well, facts are facts. I was distracted by other things. And I didn't really trust these Eight Council people.”
For a fleeting mont, a hint of bitterness flashed across Falsh's face.
Though he was back to his usual sly smile as if nothing had happened.
“It wouldn't be right to keep you longer when you're busy. I have two favors to ask. Continue to regard Count Valheit as your master and assist him as you do now. He's a decent fellow.”
“I understand. What is your next command.”
“Separate from him being a decent fellow if it seems like he will harm Anat, wring his neck.”
Although he said it like a joke, Ron read the sincerity in the light words.
Count Valheit does not speak carelessly.
Ron nodded his head.
“I understand, Mr. Falsh. I will keep that in mind.”
“Then I should give you the goods. These are high-quality tea leaves procured from various countries. I hope the Count likes them.”
Falsh, who had returned to being a good-natured rchant, smiled and went back to the pier.
“Oh, right, after this transaction, I have things to do for a while, so I won't be able to co. Please keep that in mind when you order.”
“Understood. I will send a servant to receive the goods.”
Ron turned and began to head back to the headquarters.
His reputation was in tatters after missing Count Valheit's call twice.
Just before entering, Ron looked at the pier one last ti.
After watching the humans noisily unloading the goods for a mont, Ron closed the door.
***
The eting, which had started again, proceeded without a hitch.
To put it more bluntly, only boring stories were exchanged.
Avantnik whined, spitting, that he needed money to distribute to his tribes, and Cesare complained that the Imperial Army's surveillance had beco stricter.
Regina and Kaseph kept their mouths shut and were quietly lost in their own thoughts.
Regina seed to be contemplating how she could persuade , and Kaseph well, he was probably thinking about sothing.
“Now that Chartra has regained its strength, surveillance will be tight for a while. I know it's your lifeline, but I hope you will be moderate. Is there anything else to discuss?”
If Til hadn't raised her hand, I would have just shouted "Good work" and ended it.
I gave Til the floor with as much annoyance as I could muster.
“Speak, Til.”
“I'm curious about what happened to Noah.”
At the na Noah, Cesare's lips curled.
Other than that, no one else reacted.
“Is this the right place to talk about that?”
“I got curious. I heard Cesare was chasing him but lost him because of pirates. Do you know anything?”
Til's gaze was fixed on Avantnik.
Avantnik, who had been twirling his fur and yawning, let out a dry cough at the sudden question.
“Who's that?”
“The Demons who were on the ship with Cesare's goods.”
“Ah, them. Uh, I heard the news.”
Seeing him answer awkwardly, it seed he knew sothing.
“Since you've heard sothing, I'm getting a little curious myself. How did they get caught by your pirates? It would be best to answer truthfully.”
Avantnik, who quickly glanced at , seed to have quickly realized that it wasn't a matter to hide.
“No, they sent a request for help. I didn't know they had stolen this guy's stuff, so I just helped them.”
“For nothing?”
“The flattery was intense. There were other things they said they would give , but that's a private matter.”
It seems they found the right person to help.
Seeing them manage on their own, there's no need to help them for a while.
“Is that a satisfactory answer, Til.”
“Yup.”
“Let's stop here.”
Now it's ti to clean up.
I let out a hollow laugh as I looked at Regina, who was full of complaints.
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