The Land Grab (1)
But the problem was that even though Count Elfrid's claim was based on a hypothesis, it couldn't be definitively confirmed as the truth.
Emperor Edward Noah Brigham of the Brigham Empire rubbed his temple with his thumb.
"So the third party with real Chronicle Online encounters… even that guess seems impossible to dismiss entirely. But to plant a conviction in those Prius Republic guys that he got the encounters, we'll need at least a national-level operation."
"I agree. And if such a thing is possible in any country, we can narrow down the candidates to about four."
"The Elysia Union, the Croisen Empire, the Lusias Kingdom, and the Lheinhatz Kingdom, roughly."
"Agreed."
The inference made without knowing about the existence of the Chronicle Online manager Chester had a slight wrong direction, but it couldn't be said that the knife-edge of suspicion had completely left Adrian.
"The most likely is the Elysia Union, no doubt. Those sneaky elves would pull such a prank without hesitation."
"I think so too. And among the other three countries, the Lusias Kingdom and the Lheinhatz Kingdom are a bit more likely than the Croisen Empire."
"Ah, now that you mention it, the Lheinhatz Kingdom has been buzzing lately, haven't they?"
"Yes. A young man who achieved seventh-circle at the age of twenty has appeared in the Lheinhatz Kingdom, causing quite a commotion. They've even amassed sixty trillion in assets through investments."
"Interesting. An overqualified talent, to say the least."
The existence of Adrian was brought up in the Brigham Imperial court.
"However, he doesn't have the power to pull off something like this. Moreover, the Riverdale Duke of the Lusias Kingdom has recognized him as the same school, and the securities exchanges of every nation have confirmed there was nothing unusual in the investment matter, so there isn't any evidence to suspect him as a Chronicle Online encounterer."
"Impressive. All that talent? How is that even possible?"
"There was a monster in our empire greater than Adrian Lawrence."
"So it is. After all, the Lheinhatz Kingdom struggles to unify the royal opinion due to its post-peak succession struggle. It's hard to imagine such a scheme succeeding."
"For now, we should suspect the Elysia Union, the Lusias Kingdom, the Lheinhatz Kingdom, and the Croisen Empire in that order."
The Brigham Emperor brushed back his gray hair that looked silver because of its whiteness and let out a deep sigh.
"But aren't we getting too enthusiastic about writing our novel right now?"
"I'm sorry. All I could do in this situation is reason…."
The emperor didn't scold her like he did with the ministers just now.
He had realized what instructions he should give because of her.
"Then increase the monitoring level in order of importance for the countries mentioned earlier. Not just the royal family, but including the major nobles as well."
"We shall obey the command."
It was possible to suspect, but all judgments were made based on assumptions.
Because of that, the emperor attached little importance to this part, and in Adrian's case, the circumstantial evidence was so clear that he was merely interested as a matter of curiosity.
If these people had figured out that Adrian was being helped by Chester, the artificial personality created by copying Lucas the Grand Duke's memories, they wouldn't have avoided suspicion.
Of course, if they had predicted even that, it would no longer be in the realm of speculation.
It would be prophecy.
"And we decide how to respond to the Prius Republic."
The intelligence chief's hypothesis had steered the conversation into a side path, but the main character of this incident was truly the Prius Republic.
It was impossible to ignore that some conspiracy lay at the bottom, but by digging into the Prius Republic's rear, the truth would be reached.
The emperor said strongly with a gaze that even carried killing intent.
"We send a strong warning to the republic. Lucas the Grand Duke's encounters are clearly our empire's property, so their actions are theft. They will recognize that."
"We shall obey the command."
"Even if they don't snap out of it, the warning will turn into a threat, and we will make the world recognize the power of the Brigham Empire."
The first step was a warning, the second step was war.
The Emperor of the Brigham Empire thought that sacrificing the collapse of one empire would be a cheap price to obtain Lucas the Grand Duke's encounters.
Since the military actions of the Brigham Empire toward other nations hadn't happened in nearly thirty years, all the ministers swallowed dryly.
But the emperor's story didn't end there.
"And, Chief of Intelligence."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Contact that young man from the Lheinhatz Kingdom."
"Contact?"
"Propose defection. Isn't it better for him to be a count of a great empire than to remain a count of an indifferent country?"
"Yes, I will do so."
And so the meeting on countermeasures for Lucas the Grand Duke's encounters ended.
While foreshadowing that a great disaster would occur in the future.
***
While the Crown Prince and Second Prince's factions were burning with zeal to recruit Adrian and Arsia, in an unexpected place in the Lheinhatz Kingdom, a few individuals whose feet were sore from being thieves gathered to worry about their own fates.
"Apparently, Adrian sealed his half-brother and his mother in the celestial fortress and made them suffocate to death."
"Is that rumor really true?"
"Then that madman Adrian is enjoying the spectacle of his family's suffocation like a fireworks display and posting a photo of himself drinking wine online?"
"It can't have been like that."
The six people gathered now were the core members of a social club for young nobles who had spent their academy days with Adrian and were their same-grade classmates.
Since they weren't on good terms with Adrian, they had gathered here out of worry that he might try to cause trouble.
"Even without a single brain cell, his oddly arrogant attitude was annoying. Who would have guessed he was the disciple of the Riverdale Duke?"
"Are we okay? Adrian himself is a great mage, but there's also an aura master lover by his side."
"Both of them will get the title of count this time, right?"
"Probably."
"Then the two count houses and one viscount house will unite under one force centered around that guy?"
"Even that would be close to the level of a marquis house or higher. Isn't that too much for a newly risen noble?"
Wherever people gather, there are always groups of people who love to show off their power.
These were exactly that kind of people, and in their eyes, the viscount's son Adrian was the perfect prey to bully.
Plus, his uselessly handsome looks drew the interest of countless noble girls, which was also annoying.
But now that the target of the bullying had suddenly risen to power and strength, they were starting to fear revenge.
"I don't know what you're worrying about."
However, there was exactly one person.
A woman who was sipping tea calmly with an expression that showed she didn't have a care in the world.
"Isabella?"
Her name was Isabella Caskebell.
The eldest daughter of the Caskebell family, one of the six border dukes of the Lheinhatz Kingdom and a major lord of the southeastern region. She was the operator of a famous tea party among noble girls, known by name.
She had the background that even if Adrian got the count title, she didn't need to worry about trouble. Her father, the Caskebell Duke, was one of the core figures of the Second Prince faction, so she couldn't sympathize with her friends' reactions.
"Raven the Duke got what he deserved because he stupidly managed the troops. If they fought head-on, the other side would have been a match, wouldn't you think?"
"That's true. But the result came out like that already."
"Tsk, the brains of those guys are too small."
"Ug!"
"Then let's think reasonably. If that guy suddenly got a count title, how could he bully us?"
"Eh? That's…."
"The times have changed. It's not an era where one great mage and one aura master make everyone tremble. In the battlefield, the celestial fortress with better defense than a great mage is what gets attention, and an aura master can be taken down easily if pushed by multiple Vanguards."
Because the names of the great mage Adrian and the aura master Arsia were too huge, it seemed her words weren't wrong when thought coldly.
"Look at just us right now. One border duke house allied with one count house and four viscount houses is no different. Aren't you guys undervaluing our power too much?"
"Indeed, even if we get the count title, we probably won't be able to directly cause trouble right away."
"Y-yes. Even if we get the count title, for a while we'll just be a named great noble. Wow, I got too scared."
"Out of all the high nobles, how did you end up scared of Adrian specifically? Morons."
"We don't have backgrounds as big as yours, haha."
Everyone except Isabella had been worrying about the future, but now they were teasing each other while wondering who was more scared.
"But, that Arsia character is pretty for a commoner, isn't she?"
"Why, you want to hit on her?"
"Can't I? At least I think I deserve some consideration for the opposite sex."
"Shut up, don't give me any excuse so I end up applying for a duel and you can't protect me."
"Ah, that's true."
To them, Adrian was an existence that couldn't be ignored, but he was defined as a being that didn't need to be feared.
Especially Isabella's arrogance pricked the sky. As one of the main flowers in the social circle, she didn't pay much attention to Adrian, who had no political base.
"I should go."
"Already? We're about to start the game. Rothus guy went to the Elysia Union and came back with some precious medicine."
"Enough, you beasts."
"Prince Korant is coming later, you know? You said you liked him."
"It's my father's call. I have no choice this time either."
"Then we'll have fun here. If the matter ends quickly, I'll come."
"See you."
But it didn't take Isabella long to realize that her judgment had been wrong.
"Isabella. You were classmates with Prince Lawrence, weren't you?"
The moment she saw the Caskebell Duke greet her after she had rushed back to the ducal estate in a hurry because of her father's call during the meeting, the question he asked was unexpected.
The name that was being searched for a lot these days.
But when that name flowed from her father's mouth, she quietly narrowed her brows and nodded.
"Good. Then use your position in the social circle to build a close relationship with him."
And the unexpected instruction made Isabella's pupils widen.
Of course, she asked for the reason.
"He will become the core power figure of this country in the future. Prince Luke thought he had enough value to recruit him, and promised him the title of duke."
"What?!"
Count and duke.
The gap between the two was huge, something she knew best as someone obsessed with social circles.
She was also from a border duke house that didn't fall much short of the duke house in military power, but being a border duke was a special status where the upper limit of military power was set to duke level instead of bearing the duty of border defense.
It couldn't be compared to the prestige and political weight of the seven count-duke houses in this country.
But Adrian was becoming the sixth duke of the Lheinhatz Kingdom?
A warning bell rang in her brain, which had been peaceful until now.
"A viscount's concubine's son suddenly becoming a duke? Is that possible?"
"Prince Luke thinks Prince Lawrence has enough value."
"..."
"He achieved seventh-circle at the age of twenty, so isn't it possible for him to become an eighth-circle grand wizard in the future? Moreover, there is also a grandmaster talent of the same level as eighth-circle by Prince Lawrence's side."
Only then did Isabella realize that Adrian's greatest value wasn't in the immediate future but in the distant one.
"Moreover, he earned an enormous amount of money through investments by his own power, and he hasn't even participated in any wars. If we can draw in such a person to our camp with just one duke title, I don't think it's bad."
"But the Crown Prince's faction won't just sit still, right?"
"I'll try my best, but if it's no good, some compromise will be necessary."
This was also a declaration of the Second Prince's will to absolutely bring in Adrian, who could be called the background of the Caskebell family.
"He is a precious existence that will pull a parallel balance scale to one side. Building friendship with such a person will make our house's foundation even stronger. Of course, the absolute best is for you to marry him through your own efforts."
An aura master who was supposed to become a count by Adrian's side was accompanying him as his lover.
The duke's claim was that if she could become his second wife, it would raise the prestige of the house.
Marrying for politics was common for children of noble families, but for Isabella it was an unacceptable thing.
"I guarantee it. He will keep rising. I think it's entirely possible for him to become the third duke of the Lheinhatz Kingdom."
"F-Father, that is…."
"I believe you will do well. You have never disappointed me once."
The Caskebell Duke had high praise for Adrian.
She couldn't tell her father about the fact that she had bullied Adrian during her academy days despite his eloquent plea.
In the end, she had no choice but to nod at the duke's one-sided demand and claim.
And so the conversation with the duke ended, and Isabella, who now had a fire lit under her feet, rushed to her friends.
"Eh, what the heck?"
"Wow, it's Isabella!"
"Come over! The medicine is almost over."
However, her friends who got along well with her were only obsessed with the medicine and not in a state to consult.
For the first time, Isabella thought her friends' existence was worthless.
She twisted her head, biting her nails.
She couldn't find her usual leisurely expression.
***
The first thing I did after going to the royal palace for thanks and returning home was, as expected, connecting to Chronicle Online.
I had to explain to my parents what happened in the royal palace, but there was a task that needed urgent handling.
"Is this okay?"
"Good, it fits perfectly."
The urgent task was to change the character appearance of Arsia from the game.
Her face was now too famous.
If a character exactly like Arsia in the game became known, it seemed like it would get entangled in troublesome things.
So I made Arsia have a similar appearance to the Triton Continent people of Rondel.
The appearance of the Triton Continent people evoked perfume for me.
The reason was that they had an Asian-like appearance with black hair and dark brown eyes.
Thanks to that, even though only the skin color and hair color changed, it looked oddly refined.
'It's just a simple disguise, but this isn't bad either.'
How long had we spent changing appearances?
It hadn't even been an hour since connection, yet I had to log out of the game because Arsia started talking and I couldn't help it.
"Master Adrian. Sir Pessius Nocton wishes to meet you."
Pessius Nocton was the knight of our Lawrence family from the old days who had commanded me to build my own information organization while entrusting me with a large amount of money.