Chapter 135
Chapter 135
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: An Eye for an Eye
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[Alma Graves. Declaration of Compensation!]
The aristocratic circles clicked their tongues at the headline gracing the internet news.
They had assumed the problem child of the Graves family was up to his old tricks, making empty promises.
[Alma Graves. Establishes a 1 Trillion Point Foundation for Victims!]
However, when he actually created the foundation and began compensating the victims, the aristocratic world was turned upside down.
It wasn't a matter of whether he would compensate them or not; they were stunned by the sheer scale of the foundation.
One trillion points?
That was a staggering 10,000 mana stones.
It was an astronomical sum that would burden even a major corporation.
[Llywen Alter. Receives Over 10 Billion Points in Compensation from Alma Graves!]
As victims with clear-cut cases, led by Llywen, began to receive compensation, the aristocracy started to take notice of Lee Si-woo's wealth, and his reputation, which had plummeted, gradually began to recover.
People began to see him not as the family's problem child, but as a capitalist with immense personal assets.
Of course, he was still far from being treated as a proper member of the Graves bloodline, but a positive change was undeniably taking place.
“How dare that brat...”
Rubin Casta, reading the news about Alma Graves that was shaking the aristocratic world, couldn't contain his rage and threw his smartphone.
Crash!
Fragments of the shattered smartphone clattered to the floor after hitting the wall.
Rubin Casta, the head of the Casta County and father of Voluf, spoke to the family's eldest son, Vince.
“Where is that bastard now?”
Vince's dark eyes, characteristic of a dark elf, glinted as he replied.
“He's holed up in the Graves mansion, not showing his face.”
“I could, at a great stretch, overlook him killing Voluf. I can't afford to antagonize the Graves bloodline over a single bastard like that. But to tarnish the name of the Casta County? That's unforgivable. He's crossed the line.”
“Exactly. He should have at least consulted us before making a move, or at least tried to gloss over the nature of Voluf's crimes. Tsk, even if he was an illegitimate son, to expose him for rape? How will the other noble families look at us now?”
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Since he struck at our reputation first, we have no choice but to shatter his. Begin the operation.”
“...Father. Targeting him won't be difficult, but he is still the youngest of the Graves family. If we were to displease Lord Lete...”
“It doesn't matter. I've already spoken with him. Lord Lete won't intervene. He said so himself. If you pull a hyena's nose hairs without consultation, you have to deal with the consequences yourself.”
“A hyena... you say?”
Rubin Casta ground his teeth, his face contorted with displeasure.
“It blatantly reveals what Lete thinks of the Casta County. Damn demons. Just because they were lucky enough to be born into one of the Four Great Royal Families, they act all high and mighty, thinking they're so special.”
“By the way, leaving Alma to fend for himself? That's quite unexpected. Or... is he a disowned son?”
“Hmph, that son of a bitch may have gotten lucky and earned a pretty penny somewhere, but to a demon family with a history as long as the Demon Country's, money is no different from a pebble on the roadside. That kind of thing can be obtained anytime with power and influence. So Alma, that fool, has missed the point entirely. If he wanted to become the heir, he shouldn't have been earning money, but building up power and influence that no one could challenge. What an idiot.”
“Then I will begin the operation.”
Rubin looked at Vince, his eyes filled with venom.
“Tear his reputation to shreds, create fake victims to drain the foundation's funds. And since we're starting this, see it through to the end. Don't stop until he waves the white flag. Understand?”
“Don't worry. I'll utterly destroy him.”
* * *
At his residence within the Graves estate, Lee Si-woo asked Harman.
“What about the investigation into the Vampir family?”
“It's in progress, but we're facing difficulties as we haven't yet established a proper infrastructure within the Demon Country.”
“Take your time, but be cautious and thorough. Oh, and pay special attention to Yun's whereabouts.”
Harman, who had already been briefed by Lee Si-woo about Ha-yun, answered immediately.
“Understood.”
Leaning his head back on the sofa, Lee Si-woo tapped the armrest with his index finger and spoke.
“Arrange a meeting with Adrian Vampir soon.”
“Hmm, as the legitimate heir of the Vampir family, do you think he will agree to meet you, my lord?”
“He will. A man who claims to cherish Yun so much wouldn't have sent her to my side unless he had some ulterior motive. Well, his intentions are obvious. He wants to create a rift in the Graves family somehow.”
“Understood. I will try to make contact with the Vampir family.”
“And... find a way to turn Yun, who has become a vampire, back into a human.”
“I will inquire with Dawn. They might know a way.”
“Hmm. That's a good idea. Proceed.”
Lee Si-woo continued in a cold voice.
“Adrian used me as bait to turn Yun into a vampire. I suppose for the heir of the Vampir family, toying with a human girl was nothing.”
Noticing that Lee Si-woo was struggling to suppress his boiling anger, Harman narrowed his wrinkled eyes.
“Are you planning to strike the Vampir family?”
“Someday. But not now. Our forces are insufficient to take on the Vampir family, one of the four great noble families of the Demon Country alongside the Graves.”
“That's understandable, since most of our clan members are currently in the Infinite World.”
“There's a limit to what we can do with disguised identities, and the Demon Country's entry procedures are stricter than I thought. We'll need a decent mercenary corporation.”
“Shall we acquire one?”
“It won't be easy. Unlike in the Free Cities, corporations in the Demon Country have close ties with noble families. And persuading a noble family takes more than just money.”
“Hmm, that is a problem. Acquiring a mediocre corporation would be useless.”
Just then, a man with sharp features barged into the room, throwing the door open without warning.
It was the third son of the Graves family. Acumen.
From behind Acumen, the red-masked man guarding the entrance to Lee Si-woo's quarters spoke.
“That thing. Can I touch it?”
Knowing the red-masked man was referring to Acumen as 'that thing,' Lee Si-woo shook his head.
“No. Stand down.”
“Got it.”
At Lee Si-woo's firm response, the red-masked man crossed his arms as usual and stared straight ahead.
Acumen, who had overheard their exchange, scoffed dismissively and said.
“Quite the little show you're putting on. Fine, go ahead and touch me. If you have the guts.”
Lee Si-woo crossed his legs arrogantly and spoke in a provocative tone.
“Brother. Even if I'm your younger brother, barging in without a word is a bit much, don't you think? How about some manners?”
Acumen replied with a chilly smile.
“You've grown up. The boy who couldn't even look me in the eye.”
“Why bring up the past? So uncool. And brother, I didn't grow up, I changed. I was already fully grown back then.”
Acumen sat on the sofa opposite Lee Si-woo without permission and spoke.
“I'll admit it. You've really changed a lot. Honestly, I'm surprised. I never imagined that pathetic loser would transform like this.”
“Nothing to be surprised about. You'd be like this too if you survived a few near-death experiences. Oh, so if you ever want to change, just let me know. I can lend a hand if you need it.”
Acumen let out a dry laugh at Lee Si-woo's words, which implied he could arrange a near-death experience if desired.
“Alma. I get that you've gotten cocky after earning a bit of cash, but don't get too carried away. You might get taken out in a flash.”
“Wanna try? See who gets taken out?”
As Lee Si-woo smirked and taunted him, Acumen furrowed his brow.
He wondered what on earth this kid was relying on to be so aggressive.
“You're being unusually prickly... You. Do you have some kind of backing?”
“I do. You can't attack me anyway. Because you've got this working for you.”
Lee Si-woo continued, gesturing by tapping his own head.
“You know, right? If we two bicker, it only benefits someone else.”
“Hmph, you mean brother Pames?”
“That's right. With brother Pames being the frontrunner among the siblings, the two of us fighting? You'd have to be shot in the head or just plain brain-dead.”
“...I suppose so. So? What's your purpose for acting up like this? What do you want?”
“Do I really need to spell it out for you?”
“The heirship. You're aiming for the heir's position too. That's why you established the foundation. To eliminate your disqualifying factors.”
“Perhaps?”
Acumen rested his chin on the back of his hand and said in a blunt tone.
“You can't do it.”
Lee Si-woo retorted, the corners of his mouth curling up.
“We won't know until we try.”
“Alma. Money means nothing to us. The Graves family just has to clear its throat, and corporations will come running with bundles of it. In the end, what decides the landscape of the Demon Country is personal power and influence. Wealth without a foundation is nothing but a castle in the sand.”
Lee Si-woo, with a languid expression as if to say 'enough with the obvious,' spoke.
“So? What are you trying to say? Spit it out. Don't beat around the bush with useless additions.”
“Join hands with me. With your wealth and my influence, we can defeat brother Pames.”
“I don't know, I'm not really feeling it. Besides, what did you just say? That corporations bring money if the Graves family just clears its throat? Then why are you coming to me for money? You should try sucking up to them.”
“Because I'm not the only one with Graves blood.”
Instantly grasping the situation, Lee Si-woo let out a short laugh.
“Looks like brother Pames or sister Venus are pulling some strings, huh? That's why you're having trouble getting funds.”
“...You're a sharp one. Ahem, the important thing is that it's impossible for you to become the heir on your own, even if you died and came back to life. Don't forget. Brother Pames's in-laws are the summoner family, the Akitus.”
The Akitus.
Unlike the other two great families, which were inferior to the Graves, the Akitus were the only one among the four great houses with the capability to rival them.
“...Akitus.”
“Since you've been wandering around outside, you should know better than anyone the extent of a summoner's power.”
“Well, not really. I heard the gods aren't responding to summoners' calls these days. That's why there's so much talk, right? About whether the gods have abandoned the Main Dimension or not.”
“A summoner's power comes from Tickets. And regardless of the gods' presence, the Ticket system is running just fine. So the Akitus family is still going strong. No, they're more solid than ever. In some ways, even more so than us.”
At Acumen's words, Lee Si-woo pretended to ponder, tilting his head back and forth, before opening his mouth.
“Alright, I've decided. Sorry, but I can't join hands with you, brother.”
“...Why? It's not a bad offer for you, either. Do you have any idea how much I debated before coming here? No matter how much you've changed, do you know how much I had to deliberate before deciding to join hands with the weakling you used to be!”
Lee Si-woo wagged his index finger from side to side, as if intending to provoke Acumen further.
“That's the problem with your attitude, brother. If you wanted to join hands with me, you should have shown me some respect first. Barging in here without a word and demanding an alliance? Hah, it looks like you don't want me as a partner, but as a subordinate. So no deal. It's insulting.”
Acumen stared at Lee Si-woo with a blank expression before getting up from his seat.
“You'll regret this.”
“It's fine. I'm used to regret.”
“From this day forward, you and I are enemies.”
“Like that's anything new.”
Perhaps finding Lee Si-woo's nonchalant demeanor detestable, Acumen turned on his heel and left the room, leaving a cold draft in his wake.
Harman, who had been silently listening to their conversation like a proper butler, spoke.
“I believe Acumen runs a mercenary corporation.”
Lee Si-woo grinned.
“That's right. So there's no need to look far. There's a perfect target right nearby, isn't there?”
“I will investigate Acumen's financial situation.”
Lee Si-woo clicked his tongue and said.
“Tsk, what an idiot. No wonder he's being played by Pames. What kind of chicken-head walks into an enemy's camp and reveals his own weakness? He should be hiding it and negotiating from a position of equality.”
“Rather than stupid, I'd say he's looking down on you, my lord. He's still trapped by his preconceptions.”
“Then let's call it foolish. Well, I guess stupid and foolish are pretty much the same thing.”
Harman, who was noting Lee Si-woo's instructions on a smart pad, stiffened as he saw the headline of a pop-up news alert.
“My lord. You need to see this.”
On the screen of the smart pad Harman held out, a news anchor was interviewing a female elf.
-Ms. Maia Blanc. Is it true that Alma Graves threatened you and forced you into a relationship?
-Yes. He did. He said he wouldn't leave my family alone if I didn't comply. And that if I spread rumors about this, he wouldn't spare anyone in my family.
-My goodness! Are you saying Alma Graves really made such threats?
-Yes....
-Hmm, Ms. Maia Blanc. As you know, Alma recently established a foundation and declared he would atone for all his sins. Compensations are actually being made. But for such a man to force himself on you? Frankly, it's hard to believe.
-That's right. I thought so too. That's why I went to see him without suspicion when he contacted me privately. But... he... sob....
Lee Si-woo watched the woman on the screen, who was shedding tears like a tragic heroine, with cold eyes.
“I expected them to make a move, but a broadcast out of nowhere? Don't tell me they had material to fabricate evidence?”
“If the Casta County wrote the script, it's not impossible. As you know, my lord, Voluf was a close friend of Alma's for a long time. Considering his nasty character, it's entirely plausible he could have obtained material to frame Alma. For example...”
-I have proof that he sexually assaulted me. He doesn't like to use condoms. So I gave that to the Casta County, who agreed to help me.
-Oh... my! That? If it's what I'm imagining, then this is irrefutable proof against Alma.
-Yes. The Casta County will make an announcement soon. Then the mask of the wicked Alma Graves will be torn off. But I... I'm so scared. What if he sees that I was on this broadcast and comes after me....
Lee Si-woo turned off the broadcast.
However, the fabricated sexual assault was not the only scheme the Casta County had concocted.
“My lord. Countless women have appeared at the foundation, claiming to be victims. Their number... exceeds three hundred.”
“Three hundred? Heh, my, my. What a spectacle. It's not like I'm Casanova....”
“They are demanding compensation... and the amount is extraordinary.”
“Pay them for now.”
“What? But my lord, you know it's all fabricated. We can't just stand by. We have to do something...”
“I said, pay them. I'll just have to take back what I lost from those bastards.”
At Lee Si-woo's firm command, Harman immediately bowed his head.
“...Understood.”
Lee Si-woo tapped the armrest with his index finger and smiled.
“The Casta County... an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, is it? They're really going all out. Things are getting interesting. But what a shame for them. This kind of dirty political maneuvering... is my specialty.”
Harman flinched at Lee Si-woo's sinister smile.
He couldn't fathom what kind of vicious scheme his young master was plotting.
Harman quietly clicked his tongue.
'Count Casta. You've made a mistake. You should have started a war instead. A conspiracy? Tsk, tsk, I wonder if you even know. What it is you've just provoked....'