Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: I Want to Drive You All Mad - 1
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Following the death of Viscount Sursut Bella, one of the empire's Sword Masters, his family had been indulging in a life of debauchery.
Not quite on the level of the Altesia Count House, but the Bella family was still a wealthy conglomerate.
He had reached Sword Master by consuming top-grade elixirs like they were meals and hiring the former captain of the imperial knights as his master.
Unlike Altesia, who lacked martial talent, Bella was sometimes even called an upgraded version of him.
A noble who possessed wealth, fame, and martial prowess.
Though his strength was gone, they were still thriving.
"Drink up! It's on me, so everyone, drink your fill!"
"A dress made of Arachne silk? Are you telling me to wear that filthy rag right now?"
"Oh, the new slaves that just arrived look pretty decent. Send them all to my chambers."
Just the fact that they were the bloodline of a Sword Master was enough to draw countless people eager to curry favor with the Bella Viscount House.
Precedent meant another one could appear in the family later on.
They received steady bribes from lesser nobles, and since they were already affluent, money never ran dry.
As a result, the heirs naturally drowned themselves in revelry and pleasure, but unfortunately, there was no one to rein them in.
The loyal retainers who could offer remonstrations had all either died or become slaves owned by the viscount house.
"I figured it wouldn't be normal, but this is rotten beyond my imagination."
Heinz, who had infiltrated the secret party hosted by the Bella Viscount House.
It was an exclusive gathering accessible only by invitation, but there was nothing money couldn't buy.
Once inside the viscount house, Heinz wandered the party venue, closely observing his revenge targets.
'Bella Viscount House's eldest son, Als Bella.'
An alcoholic so severe that the days he wasn't drunk could be counted on one hand over a year.
He was infamous for chugging entire oak barrels of wine.
However, despite his love for drink, his tolerance was pathetic.
A single glass of wine was enough to get him wasted, and like he had anger management issues, his temperament turned violently aggressive.
"Fuck, I told you to bring white wine!"
"I'm sorry... Ugh!"
Dousing a servant's face with wine was standard fare.
He'd smash a wine glass over their head, then order them to clean up the shards.
And crush the servant's hand so glass fragments embedded in their palm.
"Aaaagh!"
"Puhahaha!"
Even cackling at the servant's agonized screams. The pinnacle of depravity.
Heinz, watching the scene, turned his gaze to the next target.
'Eldest daughter, Megarea Bella.'
The lady who had countless men kneeling before her, mocking them with her followers.
The men with bowed heads were all sons of lesser nobles who had followed Viscount Bella.
Exploiting the fact they couldn't defy her, Megarea began trampling a man with her hefty weight, jeering at him.
"The men of the empire are truly pathetic. Vulgar, barbaric, and filthy to boot!"
"Exactly!"
"Useless lot."
"Even their fathers are so miserably irrelevant they barely factor into my life. How is it there isn't a single decent man? It's infuriating!"
"Guhk!"
Megarea twisted her face and delivered a brutal kick to one man's groin.
Even as the man convulsed in extreme agony, foaming at the mouth, she casually propped her foot on him.
"Passing out from this? What a pathetic sight. Not like he was good for anything anyway."
"Whoever marries that guy is in for a pity party."
"Pfft! Better to die than marry trash like that."
The eldest daughter, steeped in female supremacism, and her sycophants.
Reminded of some modern group, Heinz grimaced and turned away.
Finally, he eyed a man snorting excitedly.
'Second son, Jor Bella.'
A total sleaze harassing women at the party without shame.
The second son lived a promiscuous life, surrounded by countless sex slaves.
His lust ruled his brain so completely it wasn't an exaggeration.
Jor had even built a separate villa just to house his slaves.
"Did you just insult His Imperial Majesty the Emperor?!"
"Pardon...? N-no, I didn't!"
"I heard it clear as day with my own ears. How dare you blaspheme His Majesty?"
"I never said anything like that! How could someone like me even think to insult His Majesty?!"
"Lord Jor! My wife would never say such a thing!"
"Are you defending a grave criminal now?"
"No, my wife hasn't done anything wrong to begin with...!"
"You'd better watch your mouth. If I report this to the imperial court as is, both of you face execution!"
His vilest trait was kidnapping married women who caught his eye or framing them to turn them into slaves.
He had thickly inherited the blood of Viscount Sursut Bella, who had raped Kizen's wife.
Sensing thick rage rising from his shadow, Heinz shook his head.
The killing intent creeping up instantly subsided.
It wasn't time yet.
Staying longer would just sour his mood further, so Heinz quietly slipped out of the party.
All eyes were on the Bella siblings' antics, so no one noticed or approached him.
His own fame paled next to the Bella notoriety, drawing a hollow laugh from Heinz.
"Okay, analysis complete."
Inspiration struck on how to make them suffer.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Damn, all the same old taste."
Als Bella, lingering in the party hall after it ended, nursing one more drink.
Paired with simple fruits and cheese, he always stuck to the same wine, leading to palate fatigue.
He could have switched wines to fix it, but he was fixated on just one for a reason.
'Nothing surpasses the taste of my usual wine.'
He steadily tried new vintages, but none met Als's standards.
Days of dissatisfaction piled up, fueling his growing irritability, when a servant cleaning the hall approached him.
"Master Als."
Already in a foul mood, Als raised his fist to strike the impudent servant.
But only for a moment. His eyes were drawn to the wine glass the servant held.
"A certain guest left this as a gift for you, young master."
"What a joke. If you're giving, give a whole bottle—not just a sip? This is leftovers, isn't it?"
"It's extremely expensive, so only a small amount could be spared. They asked for your generous understanding."
"No matter how pricey, booze is booze."
Snatching the glass from the servant, Als dumped the wine into his mouth.
Not savoring it properly, he held no expectations.
But the instant the wine coated his tongue...
Als's eyes flashed, his nose twitching wildly.
'Th-this is?!'
Sweetness and tartness danced on his tongue, a subtle apple aroma pierced his nostrils, delivering unprecedented pleasure.
The finish was impeccably smooth—not like drinking alcohol, but appreciating fine art, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
Ignoring decorum, Als upended the glass to squeeze out every last drop.
He even tried licking the bottom.
"Damn it!!"
Dismissing a single sip as worthless, he slammed the glass down.
Not enough. He craved more.
That one sip had driven him mad with desire.
His old standby wine? He couldn't even recall its flavor anymore—cheap swill.
Crash-!
As proof, Als hurled the wine he'd been sipping with snacks to the floor.
As if he couldn't tolerate having called such garbage "good."
"Who left this wine? Tell me now!"
"They said if you asked after them, to deliver this note."
"Hand it over!"
Seizing the note from the servant, Als unfolded it hastily.
It contained a map.
Three days later, the wine he'd tasted would be auctioned at the marked location.
"This time, the whole bottle's mine?"
His face bloomed with smiles at the prospect of reliving that ecstasy.
A small note at the bottom warned of sky-high prices, but it didn't faze him.
Money overflowed, and there were ways to get more if needed.
The only issue: waiting three days with fingers in mouth.
For the first time, the daily drinker went dry.
"Finally...!"
The agonizing three days of endurance passed, and Als raced to the auction site.
An underground illegal auction in the Bella Viscount House territory.
He should've stopped it as a noble, but Als didn't care.
As long as he got that maddening booze.
"Next up, the highlight of tonight's auction! A supreme wine brewed in a distant eastern land, aged 30 years before crossing to the empire: 'Igeru Soknu Nomi It Nee'!"
As the object of his obsession appeared, Als clenched his fist.
The odd name made sense as an eastern brew.
The taste was what mattered.
"Bidding starts at 10 gold coins!"
"200."
Gazes snapped to the bidder who jacked it twentyfold from the start.
A impeccably dressed white-haired old noble raised his paddle.
"Two hundred! Countdown beginning!"
Even Als was stunned, but the auctioneer's gavel snapped him back.
At this rate, the sole bottle would slip away.
Unacceptable.
"210!"
"300."
"320!"
"400."
"......450!"
"500."
"Don't fuck with me!"
Als exploded at the old man who kept upping in hundreds to bait him.
He shot to his feet, jabbing a finger at the noble.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd at his outburst.
"Problem?"
"No way a backroom geezer like you has 500 gold! You're just inflating the price on purpose!"
"Hoho! Young man, if I do have 500 gold, how do you plan to handle it talking like that?"
"If you really have 500, I'll pay double!"
"Fine. Since you've shown such spirit, I must respond in kind."
The old noble tossed a gold pouch at Als.
The hefty weight nearly made him drop it.
Peering inside: brimming with gold coins.
He checked the bottom to be sure—pure gold.
No exact count, but easily over 500.
"Fuck...!"
"One thousand gold coins!! 'Igeru Soknu Nomi It Nee' sets a new auction house record! Hearty applause for bidder number 74!"
Clap clap clap-!
Applause from all sides.
Regret crashed in late, but backing out now was impossible.
Masks preserved anonymity, but fleeing meant exposure.
Plenty of nobles among the participants.
Screw up, and the bribes and connections he'd cultivated for the Bella name would dry up.
'Where do I get 1,000 gold coins?'
Even for a rich house, 1,000 was absurd.
Not Altesia-level wealth could muster it on the spot.
Amid the cheers, Als racked his brain.
One conclusion.
'Right, the family head's sword! Pure adamantium! Raid the treasure vault a bit too!'
The devoted son who pawned his father's heirloom for quick cash.
Paying the auctioneer, he claimed his longed-for booze.
Despite the expenditure that could topple the house, Als rejoiced.
He could drink the brain-tingling elixir again.
Clutching the bottle like treasure, he hurried home for the perfect sip.
Not a second to waste, thought Als.
Then he spotted a homeless man swigging from a bottle mid-road—and froze.
The bottle looked familiar.
'What? Why's my eye drawn to what slum rats drink?'
Als, who'd only touched premium his whole life, never spared cheap booze a glance.
Recognizing it was weirder.
He checked his prized vintage.
Realization dawned: identical to the bum's swill.
Sole difference: the label.
"Get the manager out here!!"
Als stormed back, kicking open the auction entrance.
But the interior was spotless, not an ant in sight.
They'd packed up and fled long ago.
The junk dealer who'd snapped up the viscount's sword and jewels dirt cheap had vanished too—accomplices, he realized too late.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuuuuck!!"
Sober yet, Als couldn't contain the surging rage.
He rampaged through the empty hall, but the scam stood.
After venting, his throat burned with thirst.
Only the cheap bottle left.
He'd never touch it normally, but parched, Als swigged the "Igeru Soknu Nomi It Nee."
"Kuhk...!"
But he spat it out after a gulp.
Mixed with dark red blood.
To top it off, the booze was poisoned.
Overwhelming fury and poisoning symptoms overwhelmed him; Als collapsed on the spot.
A pathetic end for the alcoholic who clung to the bottle till the last.
"One down for now."
The thug watching from the entrance muttered quietly.