Chapter 96

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Regarding the parts that have been published in book form, I have intentionally left the typos, omissions, and additions as they are, hoping that they might serve as reference material later on.

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The tea, which should have a moderate sweetness, tasted bitter in the bright sunlight.

On the amber desk in the study, a report was placed, detailing the group that had tricked Romeo and the others into grabbing the giant cockroach eggs.

After a quick read, a natural sigh escaped her lips.

"Pity for Romeo and the others has turned against them."

"Alyosha!"

"No, that's exactly right. But this isn't the end."

In fact, the day after the wanted notice was issued to all the guilds, the movements of the group that had tricked the three were already known.

However, it turned out that they were adventurers employed by a noble, and thanks to their noble patron, the negotiations for their handover were difficult.

Moreover, they were arguing that while they were victims of the three, Romeo, Tibalt, and Mercutio, who had harmed Kikunoi, should be treated leniently because they acted out of ignorance.

"Indeed, in the case of Kikunoi, it might be true, but they have several other crimes, such as using weaker adventurers as decoys to escape and framing adventurers they had taken on missions with to claim the credit. They can't just brush it off as 'ignorance.'"

"Perhaps the noble backing them is not a proper noble."

Quietly, the tea was placed on the table.

Indeed, the punishment for the three could be seen as lenient, which is why there was a loophole to exploit.

However, if the opponent is a noble, there are ways to deal with them as a noble.

Looking back at the report, the name of the noble backing them was mentioned.

"Is this Balas the neighboring baron's family?"

"Yes."

"I see."

Balas, the baron, held a territory next to Kikunoi, and originally came from a branch of the neighboring duke's family, who had granted them part of their territory. They still have some blood ties to the duke's family.

In the Qifeng Empire, the noble hierarchy is, from top to bottom: Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron, and Knight. The knight titles held by the teachers are a bit different from the knight title, but I'll skip that.

Normally, a baron would not dare to oppose an earl, but their strong stance might be because the duke's family is backing them.

Lifting her gaze from the documents to Lala, she shook her head.

"According to my information network, the duke is a proper... round and proper noble. So they are having a hard time with the baron's family. But since they are relatives, they can't just cut them off, so they are in a bind."

"I see. If we take some action, and it doesn't involve the duke's family, the likelihood of them interfering is low, right?"

"Passive neglect is a possibility."

That's good to know.

The report from Lala, who had once been the guild master of the Adventurer's Guild and still has a vast network of information, suggests that the likelihood of the duke's family intervening is low.

The reason both of them have a bitter expression is due to a sentence in the report.

"To have them participate in the martial arts tournament and grant them a pardon if they achieve excellent results... That's quite a bold request."

"They won't lose by betting on them. They want the profits from the bets to be used as compensation for Romeo and the others... It's too much of a joke."

The betting is like Totocalcio, which is publicly held in the martial arts tournament.

To suggest betting on the group that had defrauded them is incredibly unreasonable.

"However, it shows that the adventurers in question are confident in their abilities."

Then, the key to turning the situation around is there.

Tapping the amber desk with her fingers, she looked at Lala and Mr. Romanov.

"Do those three have a chance of winning?"

"According to the information I have, their ranks are in the upper middle. However, whether they have the real skills is questionable. They usually run away from lower-middle-class missions."

"Compared to the three, their ranks are in the lower middle... which is odd, they are too strong. The general consensus is that they are around the lower upper class."

"I see."

Then why does the baron think they can achieve excellent results?

Romeo and the others mentioned that they were wearing very impressive equipment.

This suggests that the equipment is heavily enchanted, boosting their abilities.

If that's the case, finding a way to neutralize it might level the playing field or even give them an advantage...

"I understand. Let's accept this proposal. However, the baron must bet his own fortune. In return, I will bet the future rights of Effet Papillon to Estranja."

"...That's quite a big gamble."

"That's not the case. I will enchant Estranja's equipment with spells to counteract the enchantments and significantly reduce the opponents' abilities."

"You think of such ruthless things without hesitation. As expected of my student."

"No, no, the baron is being aggressive because the other side is doing the same. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

In a battle, it's only natural to prepare to maximize your own strength.

If the baron's group is likely to have heavily enchanted equipment, it's only logical to prepare something to neutralize it.

If they sell us a fight, we'll buy it, and prepare to crush them so they never bite again.

There's still a lot of strategy involved.

"Even if the baron is made to bet his fortune, if I bet something like that to Estranja, he might suspect that I have a strategy."

"Then, let's publicly bet on the group?"

"No, please tell the baron that you want him to use his money to create the compensation. If there's any possibility of a loss, it won't be considered compensation. If the profit exceeds the compensation amount, it can be the baron's share."

"I see, you're trying to tempt him with greed."

She nodded.

At first, the baron will be hesitant to bet, but given the adventurers' ranks, most people will think the group will win against Romeo and the others.

If it's a sure and easy profit, it's possible to guide him into betting his fortune.

The bait is the rights to Effet Papillon. Just that.

To get to that point, a lot of planning is needed.

"Anyway, it's meaningless unless the three can win against the group, and they need to keep winning until they face them."

I'll ask Louis, the magistrate of Kikunoi, to be the official negotiator. He can propose solid conditions—betting with the baron's assets—without causing any suspicion.

The principle of leniency exists to protect those who have followed the law and lived virtuously. If we use it against them, we can trip them up even further.

"Round and proper, your belly fat has decreased, but you're a bit black inside, aren't you?"

"Not yet, I'm still baby pink as a noble."

...Is it still okay, or are nobles really that evil?

I'm starting to get a bit scared.

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