chapter 88 marcos caught you

Kaelith leaned back in his chair, his fingers still drumming against the parchment. A thousand gold coins. An impossible debt. Even among nobles, that amount wasn't something one could simply gather overnight. Marcos was trapped.

His smirk faded as his mind sharpened with calculation. Killing a noble directly was troublesome. It could spark investigations, retaliation, and political maneuvering. But if Marcos were to take his own life?

> "A lot of work," Kaelith muttered, rubbing his temples.

He didn't enjoy the tedium of manipulation, but it was necessary. A clean kill wasn't enough. He needed a spectacle. Something that would ensure no one suspected foul play.

Pressure from All Sides

Kaelith tapped the list in his hand, eyes narrowing at the name Marcos and the glaring debt of 1,000 gold coins. The amount was staggering—enough to cripple a noble's reputation and influence. This was the perfect leverage.

He leaned back, mind racing. Desperation wasn't enough. Marcos needed to feel like he was drowning, that no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't escape. Kaelith had to orchestrate a slow collapse—piece by piece.

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Spreading the Rumors

First, Kaelith had to ensure that Marcos' debt was no longer a secret. Right now, only the moneylenders and a few nobles were aware of it. But that wasn't enough.

> "A man in debt can still recover. A man whose debt is a public scandal? That's a dead man walking."

He started by approaching the merchants and gossipmongers. The kind of people who thrived on whispers and half-truths.

To merchants: "Did you hear about Lord Marcos? He's been borrowing heavily, but there's no sign of repayment. If he defaults, a lot of businesses could collapse under unpaid loans."

To minor nobles: "I heard the royal tax collectors are already watching Marcos. If he doesn't settle soon, they might seize his estate. Imagine the disgrace."

To moneylenders: "I heard Marcos is planning to run. He's trying to secure passage to another kingdom before his creditors catch him. If I were you, I'd demand full payment now."

Kaelith knew these words would spread like wildfire. The moment the whispers reached the right ears, Marcos would be hounded by questions, accusations, and demands.

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Turning the Creditors Against Him

Marcos likely owed money to multiple sources—merchants, nobles, and underground lenders. Kaelith needed to stir them into action.

He forged a few fake documents, altering the numbers to make it look like Marcos' debt was even worse than it was.

Then, using a few hired go-betweens, he delivered these altered debts to Marcos' creditors.

To a merchant: "Lord Marcos promised you 100 gold? Strange, because I heard he owes 300 gold to another noble. If he pays them first, you'll never see your money."

To a noble moneylender: "I hear Marcos has been quietly selling his family heirlooms. If he's selling assets, why hasn't he repaid you? Could he be hiding something?"

To an underground lender: "Marcos has been meeting with the royal tax office. If the king seizes his estate, you'll lose everything you loaned him."

Kaelith didn't need to push further—greed and fear would do the rest. Within a few days, creditors would be at Marcos' throat, demanding payment immediately.

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Isolating Him Politically

Marcos' greatest shield was his political connections. He likely had allies—nobles who would step in to defend him if things became too difficult. Kaelith had to make sure they abandoned him.

He identified three key allies who could potentially help Marcos and then planted seeds of doubt.

1. For the noble who values reputation:

A letter was sent, signed with a fake name:

"Lord Marcos' debt is well known. If you continue associating with him, your name might be linked to his failures. I would reconsider your friendship."

The noble wouldn't risk his status. He'd begin to distance himself.

2. For the noble with financial ties:

A messenger whispered in his ear:

"I heard Marcos is trying to secure a loan from another kingdom. If he does, your financial standing will be ruined. You should act before he does."

The noble, fearing his own financial loss, would hesitate to help Marcos.

3. For the noble who despised scandal:

A carefully placed rumor spread at a noble gathering:

"Did you hear? Marcos might be involved in fraud. If you're seen supporting him, people might assume you're involved too."

This noble would cut ties immediately.

Within days, Marcos would find himself politically isolated. His supposed friends would stop returning his letters. His allies would offer no support.

> A noble without influence is just a man with an empty title.

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Conclusion

Kaelith smirked as he watched the effects take shape. Marcos' debt was now public. His creditors were furious. His allies were abandoning him.

It was only the beginning, but already, Marcos would feel the pressure. His carefully built noble image was crumbling.

Kaelith leaned back, satisfied.

> "This is going to be easier than I thought."

The Illusion of Escape

Marcos was now trapped. His debts were public, creditors were relentless, and his allies had abandoned him. A noble in name only, he had no way out.

But people only break completely when they believe they have hope—only for it to be ripped away.

Kaelith knew Marcos would be searching for any possible escape. With no money, no allies, and no influence left, his options were desperate and dangerous. He would consider selling his lands, betraying someone, or resorting to crime.

This was the perfect time to feed him a false solution.

A merchant agent appeared—one of Kaelith's puppets. Well-dressed, smooth-talking, and exuding an air of confidence, he approached Marcos with the offer of a lifetime.

> "Lord Marcos, I heard of your unfortunate troubles. I happen to be looking for noble property… Perhaps we can make a deal?"

The merchant made an offer to purchase Marcos' estate, one of the few valuable assets he still possessed. The price was low but reasonable—enough that Marcos would feel he was making a difficult sacrifice, yet still holding onto some dignity.

This was the lifeline Marcos had been praying for. If he sold his estate, he could clear his debts and escape ruin.

But nothing came for free.

> "Before we finalize the sale, you must pay off your highest-interest debts first. I don't want any lenders causing trouble after the purchase."

The condition forced Marcos to gather every bit of gold he could.

The moneylenders, manipulated by Kaelith, suddenly became aggressive, warning Marcos that if he didn't pay at least 200 gold immediately, they would come for him.

A fellow noble, bribed to play his role, whispered in Marcos' ear,

> "Show them you're serious, pay off some of your debt, and people will start trusting you again."

The merchant buyer, as if sensing his hesitation, leaned in and smiled.

> "Just prove you're willing to take responsibility, and tomorrow, we can finalize everything."

Marcos had no choice.

He sold valuables, borrowed from the few fools still willing to help, and even considered crimes to gather just enough to secure his escape.

Then, at the very last moment, everything fell apart.

The merchant buyer vanished overnight. His "estate" was suddenly seized by the kingdom, his assets frozen.

The underground moneylenders increased his debt interest, demanding even more than before.

Rumors spread like wildfire—Marcos had tried to forge fake gold bars to deceive creditors. Now, no one would lend to him.

He had placed all his hope into this one deal, believing it would be his salvation… and now, it was gone.

His remaining wealth had vanished. His estate was still his, but now unsellable. His creditors, sensing blood, became even more ruthless.

At this point, Marcos was mentally broken.

There was no escape.

Kaelith grinned.

Now, the final push would begin.