Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Dodging the Leash (5)
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Meanwhile.
I followed Elina to the drawing room and greeted Count Timan.
A middle-aged man in his forties stood alone by the window of the lavish drawing room.
He had a fierce, tiger-like presence and stared at me with his hands clasped behind his back.
“You’re here, Baron Mikhail.”
I offered him a silent bow.
At that, Elina flashed a smile and closed the door for us.
“Then, have a good talk, Veil.”
“Thanks, sis.”
Thud.
Once the door shut, I infused my eyes with mana and scanned the drawing room.
“A soundproofing spell.”
It didn’t seem like Timan could cast magic himself.
However, I sensed powerful magic emanating from an artifact in his inner pocket—one that blocked mana.
“Impressive... A magnate of Cornell, indeed.”
“Thank you for coming, Count.”
As I approached with a smile, Count Timan removed his hat.
His gray hair, swept back over his forehead, stood out sharply.
“With the city developing so rapidly, how could I not come see it? This alone makes for a fine spectacle.”
The middle-aged gentleman gazed fondly at the city visible through the window.
He seemed pleased to see his hometown thriving.
“You didn’t come all this way just to sightsee and meet me, I presume. Do you have something to say?”
“You catch on quick. I like that.”
Timan chuckled and pulled a monocle from his pocket.
He fitted it into his deep-set eyes, like those of an ancient statue.
“Definitely better than the fools who just trail after me blindly.”
He was criticizing the nobles who had followed him a few days ago.
“You flatter me.”
As I drew closer and stood opposite him by the window, he handed me a calling card.
And on that card...
“Golden Apple”
It featured a single golden apple illustration and a meeting location.
“It’s a simple social gathering. Only exactly one hundred from the Empire are admitted.”
In other words, what he’d offered me was an invitation to the secret society of the Empire’s uppermost elite.
“Why give this to me...?”
I held up the card and asked.
Timan’s piercing blue eyes gleamed like a beast’s as he replied.
“A few society members want to invest in Cornell.”
“We agreed to take investments only from you and your close aides.”
My cold gaze met his, and the count shot back immediately.
“That’s why I’m asking separately like this.”
The middle-aged gentleman pointed at the card in my hand with a finger.
Then, he asked firmly.
“Do you know the value of the invitation you hold?”
“More or less. It’s quite expensive.”
I’d heard about it in my past life.
Beyond the Empire’s largest official gathering, the Imperial Council, there was a private club formed by the upper crust of nobility.
They decided there whom to back.
Just being in that room put you among the hundred who could sway the Empire.
“And a good number of them back Crown Prince Leon.”
“Yes. In exchange for reserving spots for them, I’ll invite you to the gathering.”
If Count Timan had the authority to send invitations like this, he held significant power within the group.
Which meant the man before me was even more of a heavyweight than I’d thought.
And heavyweights were likely aligned with the powerful faction supporting the crown prince.
That spelled trouble for me, backing the princesses.
“Maybe I should test the waters.”
“However, even if I join, can I align with any one faction?”
“...”
Count Timan fell silent at my words.
He seemed to grasp my intent and chuckled.
“You want a guaranteed position in the group?”
The man with hands behind his back looked down at the stream near the orphanage.
A flock of ducks swam there in a neat line.
But his gaze soon shifted from the ducks to a lone hawk majestically drinking nearby.
He stared fixedly at the hawk, perhaps giving me a hint.
Even with the soundproofing spell active, he chose his words with extreme caution.
“Neutral, then.”
In other words, he hadn’t committed to anyone yet.
Hawks lived solitary lives, after all, not in flocks.
“That’s right. Because if I join, I’ll definitely be in the minority.”
Minority.
Realizing I opposed the crown prince, Timan furrowed his brow.
“You won’t follow the tide, it seems.”
“No, it’ll shift soon enough.”
I smiled.
“To give you a heads-up, Count, the princesses have formed a three-way alliance.”
My bold declaration made Timan’s deep eyes flash.
I’d freely offered unexpected, valuable intel.
“Is that true...? Those three who were at odds?”
“Yes. And a high-ranking figure in the palace supports it too.”
I held back the prime minister detail to build anticipation.
“With Lady Irina raising an exceptional knight order, the power balance between Leon and the princesses is now nearly even.”
I clasped my hands behind my back and casually surveyed the drawing room.
“The Radiant Knight Order, which has produced swordmasters for generations. The Eastern Knight Order of martial prowess. And the Verdant Knight Order, gathering all promising commoner talents.”
I stopped abruptly and spoke with a serious gaze.
“A sharp calculator like you knows it’s worth considering.”
“...”
The magnate Timan fell silent for a moment.
He quickly tallied the power gap between the three princesses and the crown prince.
“Think it over, Count. You’re the top dog here, but compared to the capital’s nobles, you’re just a provincial lord.”
I clapped my hands together.
A loud clap echoed through the drawing room.
“Plus, after staying neutral this long, if you side with the crown prince later, no amount of wealth will buy you anything back.”
I chuckled as I watched him.
“You’ll barely save your neck. Might even face a purge down the line.”
“You discuss grave matters so lightly, Baron.”
Timan replied with a solemn, statue-like expression.
“But the princess alliance is different. They’ll treat you as their greatest ally.”
I tempted the serious man with sweet words, prodding his one flaw: the stigma of provincial lord.
“Who do you think is backing this place right now?”
At my question, Timan closed his mouth briefly.
Then, realization dawned.
The city’s unnaturally rapid development.
And me, the chief supporter of the princesses.
“No way... Everyone who’s swallowed up Cornell...!”
“Yes, the princesses. You’ve been supporting them from the start.”
I narrowed my eyes and flashed a chilling smile.
“Having backed the princesses already, siding with the crown prince now will only get you suspected.”
Sorry, Elina sis, but no choice.
“So I’m offering you a chance too, Count. Become the princesses’ ally and help maintain the Empire’s balance.”
To catch a tiger, you need a big bait.
“Or take the suspicion and crawl under the crown prince, only to die like a dog.”
Deep wrinkles formed between Timan’s brows.
He breathed heavily like a beast and pondered in silence.
“...”
When massive construction hit his hometown, he should’ve been suspicious.
But my persistent nagging had rushed him in, becoming his downfall.
He probably never guessed the investors behind it were the princesses.
No helping it now.
His funds were already sunk into this city.
“I need assurance on this deal.”
Having decided, he proposed a safeguard.
“In Cornell, we exchange valuables as tokens of trade.”
He pulled an artifact from his pocket.
A luxurious perfume bottle.
The gems embedded on it alone must be worth a fortune.
“What is it?”
At my question, Timan replied with the eyes of a seasoned tiger.
“People like us often face threats to our wealth or lives. Especially in dangerous talks like this.”
A small amount of blue liquid sloshed in the glass vial.
It radiated an aura of potency at a glance.
“Among attackers, there are sometimes mages or sorcerers. This elixir dispels their magic.”
Dispels all curses.
Perfect for any unforeseen mishaps.
A magnate’s pledge was no ordinary item.
“What will you entrust to me?”
“I’ll give you...”
As I pondered an equivalent item.
It hit me: the strange pills I’d recently acquired.
“This.”
I pulled a black pill from my pocket and handed it over.
The count’s eyes, calm until now, went wide.
“Th-this...!”
He knew its value.
“A werewolf soul elixir. How did you...?”
“I got it escorting Princess Bakal recently. They say ingesting it transfers their ‘power.’”
‘I have three anyway, so one’s fine.’
“This is power too much for an ordinary human to handle.”
Knowing the pill’s worth, Timan examined it gravely.
“To have something like this, what exactly are you?”
I hesitated at his question.
Then, with the sunlight at my back, I declared confidently.
“I’m a Capital Defense Knight. And...”
I gazed at the window.
The princesses who’d come to the orphanage to see me came to mind.
From tending my hometown.
To truly understanding my heart.
Buoyed by their gratitude, I stated proudly.
“The princesses’ escort knight.”
Count Timan looked stunned for a moment.
Then he chuckled and nodded.
“Understood.”
The middle-aged gentleman carefully pocketed the pill.
He raised his monocle and added.
“Giving something like this makes you trustworthy enough. I’ll refine it properly.”
He donned his black hat again.
As he left the drawing room, he continued.
“Attend the upcoming meeting. I’ll arrange a seat.”
“A seat?”
When I asked, he replied with shrewd eyes.
“Yes. For neutrals like me. I’ll give you a chance to sway them.”
He’d connect me with the last nobles not defecting to the crown prince.
My dark eyes gleamed.
Now I truly had a shot against him.
“I’ll expect the same as today, Sir Veil.”
“Expect it, Count.”
「――――――」
Three days later.
My long vacation finally drew to a close.
I packed at the orphanage and prepared to depart.
“Sigh... The first week was restful enough...”
After the princesses arrived, it felt more like business trips than vacation.
Not that it was all loss, of course.
My hometown and orphanage had prospered because of it.
I stepped into the hall and looked down at my siblings eating on the first floor.
Kids in neat clothes, enjoying tasty food.
“Beef stew again? Getting a bit tired of it.”
“Idiot, just days ago we never even saw meat!!”
I smiled warmly at them.
But then.
A package arrived at my door.
“From the count.”
I gripped it and carefully unwrapped.
Hearing the commotion, the princesses emerged into the hall.
“What’s up, Veil?”
Irina approached with a bright smile.
“Something arrived, huh?”
Lydia sidled right up beside me to peer at the package.
“An elixir?”
Lea eyed the package and handwritten note, official documents tucked at her waist.
“Yes, let me read it.”
I carefully read aloud.
「I refined the werewolf elixir for ordinary consumption. Got a full four pills. I took one; the remaining three are for your princesses.」
“Let’s see the effects...”
After his letter, I read the listed effects on the back.
“Vitality boost and stamina recovery... Strong virility...”
Mid-read.
A certain phrase caught my eye, and I hurriedly crumpled the letter.
“Sorry, but I’ll just hold onto this.”
I smiled and tried to close the elixir box.
At that moment.
Grab!!
Three slender, pale hands seized my arm.
“No, Veil. Can’t ignore his sincerity?”
Irina replied with an innocent smile.
But her eye smile held a strange allure.
“It’s for us, so we’ll take it.”
Lydia, who usually hated bitter meds, snatched it up.
“Just a simple supplement—why hide it, Veil?”
Lea chuckled and took one first.
Irina and Lydia followed suit.
“R-right. Definitely just a basic supplement.”
I forced a smile and pocketed the pills.
The savvy count refined them, so no issues.
But what exactly is a werewolf’s power?