Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: The Perfect Scapegoat
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Lee Shin’s eyes widened in surprise.
…What did he just say?
“What?”
“From what I've gathered, Count Narik is corrupt.”
‘...Is there a noble who isn't?’
It was already hard to find a decent noble in the Eteun Kingdom.
Gillaim couldn't possibly be unaware of that, so in this context, it seemed he meant Count Narik stood out even among them.
“Correct. He is beyond redemption. For the future of the kingdom, he must die.”
“I, I see.”
“Yes. That is why I applied to be the count’s knight.”
“……”
Lee Shin pressed a hand to his forehead. Becoming the count’s knight just to watch for a chance to kill him?
‘This crazy bastard.’
A crazy bastard with the drive to actually go through with it.
Of course, there was the saying that to catch a tiger, you must enter its den, but very few people actually did it.
They knew it was a surefire way to get killed.
‘Damn it.’
For now, Lee Shin tried his best to talk Gillaim down.
“It’s a good idea, but how about we do it a little later?”
It wouldn't matter if Gillaim were doing it alone, but now it looked like he was about to be dragged into this insane plot.
…However.
“A good idea… I am relieved to hear you say so.”
“What?”
“So, Sir Arthur, you think so as well!”
“?????”
The downside of an NPC with a strong ego!
He only heard what he wanted to hear.
“Now that it’s come to this, the timing is perfect!”
“I said let’s do it later?”
“Why don’t you join me in killing Count Narik and escaping?”
“No, I said later……”
*T-ring.*
[Haipen Gillaim proposes a quest.]
“With your help, Sir Arthur, we will surely succeed!”
Kingdom Quest – Purge the Corrupt Noble
Count Narik is a corrupt noble.
He has extorted the wealth of his people, ruled with tyranny, and blinded the king with flattery, clouding his eyes and ears.
Gillaim, who dreams of a brilliant future for the kingdom, wishes to cut out this rotten part as soon as possible.
The seeds of change are sown from small beginnings.
Help him assassinate Count Narik. And take one step closer to the kingdom’s brilliant future!
• Quest Reward: Gillaim’s Trust
***
A quest proposal from Gillaim.
It was the worst thing imaginable, but Lee Shin had no choice.
The penalty was too severe.
[Declining the quest will decrease Gillaim’s loyalty by 50.]
A whopping 50-point drop in loyalty!
Considering the maximum and minimum loyalty values were plus and minus 100 respectively, this was an incredibly high number.
[Gillaim]
[Loyalty: 5]
Gillaim’s current loyalty was unchanged from when they first met.
Losing 50 from here would instantly drop it to minus 45, which was extremely dangerous when his vassal was a higher level than him.
Negative loyalty meant a complete loss of trust.
‘…I have no choice.’
[You accept the quest.]
He'd worry about the consequences later. For now, he had no choice but to play along. Lee Shin let out a sigh and spoke.
“Do you have a plan?”
He asked without much expectation, but Gillaim nodded as if he had been waiting for the question.
“I do.”
“You do?”
“Yes. We kill the count when he leaves the mansion, and then we flee.”
“…Will that be enough?”
But that was too flimsy to be called a plan.
“The soldiers will be on us immediately, right? We probably won’t even make it out of the county before we’re caught.”
He'd used the word 'probably,' but inwardly, Lee Shin was certain.
With his vast experience in similar situations, there was no way Lee Shin would misjudge the difficulty of this kind of escape.
But Gillaim had an ace up his sleeve.
“No.”
“Hmm?”
“This isn't arrogance. I truly have a plan.”
“I don’t know the details, but shouldn’t a count have a substantial number of private soldiers?”
“He does. Even for me, it would be impossible to break through all of them and escape.”
“That’s what I thought. And yet you say there’s a way?”
“Yes. We just have to not fight them.”
“Hmm…”
The solution Gillaim proposed was simple.
If the opponent is strong, don’t bother confronting them.
‘Easier said than done.’
But it was difficult in practice. The opponent wouldn't just stand by and do nothing.
A clash was inevitable.
“Will that work?”
“It will.”
“……?”
“Huhu, I have prepared some people for this very moment, have I not?”
Gillaim pointed to the users Lee Shin had just been speaking with.
Arin and her party.
“Ah.”
Lee Shin nodded, his expression showing he finally understood.
‘So they were the key to the plan.’
He had wondered why Gillaim brought them along, but it turned out they had a purpose after all.
“Come to think of it, you said they were needed for the subjugation.”
“To be precise, they are needed for the cleanup afterward.”
“Cleanup?”
“Yes. We kill the count and frame them for the crime. That will buy us time to escape.”
But this was a purpose he had never imagined!
Lee Shin whipped his head around in surprise.
Of course, framing someone was something Lee Shin himself had done often, so that part wasn't too shocking.
The problem, however, was that it was Gillaim who had said it.
‘He wasn’t this kind of person…?’
This was Gillaim, a man so far removed from being a 'villain' that he openly detested Kilgeo.
The very model of a knight!
Lee Shin asked again, wondering if he had misheard.
“They’ll probably die.”
“They probably will.”
“…Are you okay with that?”
But Gillaim misunderstood, instead glancing at Lee Shin cautiously.
“…It may be sad, but it is a small sacrifice necessary for the future of the kingdom.”
“What?”
“For the greater good, you must harden your heart.”
“No, I don’t care about them…”
What did it matter to him if some strangers lived or died?
Lee Shin wasn’t concerned at all.
But this sudden change in Gillaim was a little concerning.
‘Is this a good thing?’
He wasn't sure.
Should he be happy that Gillaim wouldn't be acting so frustratingly righteous anymore, or should he be worried about the increased potential for unpredictable behavior?
But one thing was now certain: Lee Shin’s departure had been a tremendous shock to Gillaim.
Enough to change a man.
‘Well, for now, it’s a relief.’
With this, the quest’s success was now truly within reach.
Lee Shin’s expression turned serious.
The quest wasn't one he had wanted, but if they succeeded, the reward wouldn't be half bad.
Lee Shin asked.
“You said you’d try to assassinate the count when he leaves the mansion.”
“Yes.”
“Can’t we do it inside the mansion?”
“Then we won’t be able to get out. The number of guards has increased recently…”
It was true; he had seen a great number of guards on his way in and out.
It was likely due to Cedric’s recent assassination attempt.
“Does he go out often?”
“He almost never leaves.”
“…Hmm.”
‘Then how do we get him out?’
“The only time he goes out is to visit the hunting grounds on his private estate.”
“Hunting grounds? Hunting?”
“Yes. It’s the count’s hobby.”
Hearing Gillaim’s words, Lee Shin thought of a way.
“Then we’ll have to push that angle.”
“……?”
“When the count arrives, just stay quiet. I’ll take care of it.”
“…! Understood.”
Gillaim stepped back, his eyes sparkling.
Before long, the count appeared, carrying a chest full of gold coins.
But Lee Shin did not accept it.
“I don’t need a reward.”
“…? You don’t need it?”
“That's right. In retrospect, I merely did what I was supposed to do. I cannot accept money for simply doing my duty.”
Lee Shin, suddenly feigning humility.
The count promptly nodded.
“Now that you mention it, you’re right.”
“…However!”
“Hm?”
“But since you have already promised a reward, would it not tarnish your honor, my lord, if you were to offer nothing at all?”
“Is that so?”
“It is!”
“……”
The count's expression seemed to say, 'So what do you want me to do?' But he quickly composed himself and asked.
“…Well, let's say that's true. What is it you want to say?”
“Hoo…”
This was the crucial part.
Lee Shin slowly delivered his prepared lines.
“I do not need money or goods. Instead, I would like to ask a favor.”
“…A favor?”
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
This was the plan Lee Shin had prepared.
“Please grant me the opportunity to hunt alongside the count whom I so admire.”
“!!!”
“If I manage to catch a worthy prize, I will offer it to you, my lord.”
***
Unlike hunters or adventurers who hunted for a living, nobles typically enjoyed hunting as a hobby.
Count Narik was no different; he greatly enjoyed hunting.
Having learned this information beforehand through Gillaim, Lee Shin made the proposal, thinking the count wouldn't refuse outright.
Since hunting was his hobby and the culprit who had attempted the assassination was already dead, he thought a little persuasion was all it would take for the count to agree.
And from the count’s perspective, the proposal didn't seem that suspicious.
“You would offer your catch to me?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm…”
The count’s expression changed subtly.
He suspected a hidden motive behind Lee Shin’s words.
An adventurer who had captured a wanted fugitive was refusing a large reward, asking instead to go hunting together.
To someone in the know, it would seem like he was up to something, but to the average person, it would look like he had a different goal.
For instance, it could be seen as someone confident enough in their skills to capture a wanted man alone, now trying to catch the count's eye for a promotion.
After a moment of thought, the count raised the corners of his mouth as if he understood everything.
“…You seem confident.”
And Lee Shin did not deny the count’s assumption.
“I am.”
“……”
“Just give me the chance. I will be sure to catch a prize that will satisfy you!”
Lee Shin, putting on a passionate performance while perfectly concealing his sinister intentions!
The system provided some help as well.
[You possess the skill ‘Legendary Dignity.’ The presence of a legend subtly influences the target.]
Thanks to this, Lee Shin was able to achieve his initial goal.
[The count accepts your proposal.]
“Very well.”
“…!”
***
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, my lord.”
As previously discussed, the count left the mansion with only a small escort of knights, including Gillaim.
“For the record, there will be no assistance from the soldiers.”
“I am aware.”
It was purely to see Lee Shin’s skills.
This was good for Lee Shin, as it meant fewer things to worry about.
“……”
Lee Shin looked at Gillaim, who was standing beside the count, and nodded.
Gillaim mouthed some words.
‘I'll be waiting.’
They had already laid out the plan.
1. At the opportune moment, when Lee Shin gives the signal, Gillaim will immediately attack the count’s knights. If he can’t kill them all, even just obscuring their vision for a moment will suffice.
2. In that gap, Lee Shin will assassinate the count. The count himself was very weak, so if an opportunity arose, Lee Shin could assassinate him alone.
3. And upon a successful assassination, they would pin the entire crime on the user named Arin and flee without looking back.
A truly wicked plan!
It was a plan that would be difficult for anyone with even an average amount of humanity to decide on.
As such, it was a plan the victims would surely never see coming.
“Excuse me.”
Lee Shin approached Arin. He needed a little of her help for this plan.
“Yes?”
“Could I ask you for a favor during the hunt later?”
“Oh, of course. We benefit too if we get to share the experience points.”
It wasn't her quest, but she figured what was good for him was good for her. She readily agreed.
“What’s the favor?”
“It’s nothing much…”
Lee Shin fumbled for something in his pocket.
“This.”
“?”
Smoke Bomb
• Disperses smoke powder to obstruct vision. Vision will slowly return after 90 seconds.
“I need it for the hunt. When I give the signal, could you set it off immediately?”