Hooked! (1)

At my exaggerated reaction, one of the count's henchmen cleared his throat awkwardly and spoke.

"…Ahem. Sometimes, things like this happen in business."

Is it common for limbs to get broken while doing business? What kind of shady place is this commercial world you speak of?

Feeling a bit awkward after his own explanation, he quickly lowered his gaze.

I nodded at their nonsensical excuses and responded, "I see."

"Anyway, I have to give it to merchants. The competition for positions is fierce. Now, everyone, please sit. I'll bring breakfast."

As I headed back into the kitchen, Leonardo leaned in, subtly moving his hand, still wet from the water, to write something on the table.

Hmm, they must have sent a letter to the castle where the Count is, regarding last night's attack, around dawn. I nodded to myself, understanding, and returned to the table with a tray of food.

"By the way, boss…"

One of the henchmen spoke up. This was the guy with a facial fracture—his face bruised and swollen, one of his teeth knocked out, making his speech slightly slurred.

Seeing him, I couldn't help but think that Leonardo had really done a thorough job on him in such a short time.

"I heard there's a baron's mansion around here. Do you know which direction? Uh, what was it… There's a product I'd like to show to some nobleman. I was thinking of meeting with him."

To my ears, it sounded like he was saying he got injured on the job and needed to get treated. The Count isn't here, but his younger brother, who's also involved in this operation, is conveniently in the city, so it makes sense.

"Of course. I'll show you the shortcut. I know this city like the back of my hand."

Perhaps he'll go to Lord Lopez as well and tell him everything about what happened last night. If he's going to explain how he got injured, it can't be helped. Lord Lopez does follow my lead, after all.

Looking at the henchmen who came to find him, battered and bruised, I couldn't help but wonder what the Viscount would think. It'd be nice if he could be suitably scared after seeing how I handled the Count's direct subordinates, whom he had feared so much.

After all, it was about time the intimidation I used when I visited the Baron's mansion last time started to take effect. If something is out of sight, it tends to be out of mind, but seeing the result of this could serve as a good reminder for him.

As I thought about the Viscount, my thoughts naturally extended to Count Bermont.

In the original scenario, Count Bermont decided to assassinate his younger brother because he had obstructed his plans and turned against him.

A man with a strong desire for control, unhesitant to eliminate even his own flesh and blood, and ruthless to the core. What kind of response would he have if he suddenly received the news that his plans had been thrown into disarray? I'm certain it wouldn't be a pleasant one.

I'll have to instruct the Viscount to write the letter in a way that makes him appear as incompetent as possible.

'Now's the perfect time to completely tear apart the Count's image while he's far away. Haha.'

***

Main Objective: Provoke Count Bermont (0/1) 

—Connected to previous quest.

Achievement Levels:

High Achievement: Send 3 terrified letters (Count's Fury +100) 

Medium Achievement: Send 2 terrified letters (Count's Fury +50) 

Low Achievement: Send 1 terrified letter (Count's Fury +10)

Quest Participants: Leonardo, the suspicious innkeeper of Sinistra, Viscount Lopez

Time Limit: 208 hours 58 minutes 09 seconds

Brother, an urgent matter has arisen! You may have already received reports about it, but there are some crazy individuals in this city. Well, at least that's what they say.

Do you remember my last letter? The one about the wolf. I sent my subordinate to load the wolf onto a carriage on the agreed-upon date with the merchants, which was last night.

However, some guys showed up, set fire to the trading spot, and knocked out all the merchants before stealing the wolf! They ambushed us while we were waiting. The subordinate I sent is dead!

The merchants barely survived, but judging by their condition, they're all on the verge of death. They looked terrible. After that, they were talking about needing to go to the church's clinic or even asking for money to visit an apothecary…

Anyway, I have no idea who the attackers are or how they found out we were moving the wolf. I truly handled this discreetly. Please believe me, brother!

According to the merchants' testimonies, the attackers were wearing black clothes—could they be part of a band of thieves or a criminal organization? It seems the situation is getting serious. Things have become quite tangled.

Your subordinate said the attackers stated, "If you don't show sincerity, we won't return the wolf." Thankfully, their intentions seem clear. It's obvious they want some sort of reward.

However, they've probably heard of the wolf's reputation, and I'm worried about how much they'll demand.

What am I supposed to do about this? I hope you understand my rambling due to this unexpected situation. Many of the hired hands I employed during the last hunt were either killed or injured, and now there are hardly any reliable knights left, which makes me anxious.

Could it be that they will come to threaten me? What will become of my safety?

The baron's mansion doesn't seem safe. I've lost several subordinates in this city, and I can't trust this place anymore. Please share your thoughts on what we should do about this situation.

You want me to use those merchants as escort personnel? After everything that's happened, how can I trust those worn-out rags to protect me?

They have become more of a burden. I understand they were injured while working for you, but they're draining me for medical expenses and living costs. I suspect that some of them might never be able to wield a weapon again. Honestly, I want to get rid of all those incompetent fools.

It's foolish to invest in those ruffians while we don't even know the extent of the 'sincerity' the thieves who stole the wolf desire, and I have no intention of entrusting my safety to a bunch of thugs.

You mentioned that he is urging us, but rushing won't make this situation resolve smoothly. I don't know, brother. Perhaps all of this was a foolish endeavour from the start, especially considering the talk of a hero's corpse.

I'm so restless that I feel I might wither away first.

I have a bad feeling about this. Before things get more complicated, perhaps we should just give up?

—I know what you did.

—How disrespectful in someone else's territory.

When I woke up this morning, I found a note with these words beside my bed. There was also a dead animal with its skin peeled off. It must be them, right? It couldn't be anyone else. I don't know how they managed to track me down, but they are threatening me.

They came through the mansion's security and left such a note.

And that damn baron!

I was worried that they might do something to me, so I indirectly suggested to the baron that he should improve the mansion's security, but it seems that upset him.

He moved my belongings to a shabby room. The excuse he gave for not using the annex we had originally planned was that the mansion needed repairs—a ridiculous excuse that even a child wouldn't believe. I have never heard of such rudeness. To treat a guest this poorly is a disgrace.

I can't endure this any longer. Even when I eat, it feels like I'm chewing on sand, and the taste of both the water and the alcohol is so bitter and astringent. Things have gotten so tangled that it's infuriating. Please provide me with a solution, brother!

You wouldn't just leave me here after sending me this far, would you? You mustn't. If you don't send help, I'll have no choice but to stop sending you updates.

If I don't, you might turn your back on me again. I understand your anger, but I had no other choice. I need to survive! Please come up with a solution as soon as possible.

[Scenario Subquest Condition Achieved!: Provoking Count Bermont (1/1)]

[The Count's anger level increases based on your achievement. Current Count's anger level: 250 points. +0 points until the minimum requirement is met.]

[Clear Condition Achieved!]

['Scenario Note #008′ ends successfully. There are "0 hours and 10 minutes" remaining until the next scenario note assignment—]

A round of applause for Viscount Lopez.

I told him to appear as incompetent as possible, making anyone who sees him feel annoyed, and he truly showcased his talents.

His typical third-rate villain cowardice was on full display, highlighting a complete lack of loyalty that suggests he would turn tail and run at the first sign of danger. It's concerning enough that I worry the enraged count might decide to eliminate the viscount first.

I did set some guidelines for writing the letters.

For instance, I emphasized that his own safety should be more important than the success of the plan, and initially, he included elements like wolves, merchants, and secret letters, but later on, he blatantly revealed keywords like "hero" and "subordinates." He wrapped it all up with some pathetic threats.

Of course, the threats mentioned in the Viscount's last letter, including the note and the dead animal, are nothing but lies.

However, the fact that he was treated poorly at the baron's mansion, ultimately being kicked out of the guest room and shoved into a poorly managed storeroom, is a truth that's neither exaggerated nor fabricated.

As the viscount stepped up to openly defy the count, he had to coordinate and communicate with us on various matters, mostly during late-night hours. It seems he was so stressed from managing everything that he could barely sleep.

I gathered information that Viscount Lopez, whose reputation was already tarnished, had begun to act even more prickly and annoying. The upright Baron Roald indirectly reprimanded the viscount by moving his guest room entirely.

'Just a little longer until the next scenario note,' I thought.

Thanks to this, a plausible situation has been crafted by mixing lies and truths.

The vanguard unit failed, and it's about time the angry stage boss started to reveal itself.

I glanced over at Leonardo, who was doing handstand push-ups in a corner of the inn. He definitely looked much bulkier than during our first meeting. Well, that is, his volume.

Seeing him immersed in his bulk-up routine made me reflect on my own thoughts.

'The early parts of a typical reckless protagonist story usually focus on improving a subpar body and setting goals, which is indeed the main material. But lately, it seems like that stage of body building is coming to an end. It feels like materials are running low in Sinistra.'

It would be nice if Leonardo could somehow leave Sinistra or, even better, get promoted to a supporting role before the chapter progresses further.

When the note arrived, I pretended to go grab something so I could quietly enter my room and close the door. With a nervous heart, I let the waiting time slip by, and finally, words began to appear before my eyes.

[Waiting time expired; a new scenario note has been assigned.]