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Chapter 329: I Have So Many Questions (1)

The sight of the wailing advisor looked profoundly unjust. However, Raoul stared at the advisor with a blank expression and said,

“Are you joking? You bring me this kind of report and say those guys are odd?”

At that, the reporting advisor began to tremble in fear. The other advisors nearby were just as shaken.

Raoul was known as the ‘Lame Devil’ for his cruelty. No one had ever survived after falling into his disfavor.

Still, the advisor found some courage to speak up. He refused to be unjustly condemned to death because of the unusual people in Penris.

“I-I swear it’s true. Everyone says there’s something strange about the rumors. I’ve confirmed it multiple times and sent spies to gather reports.”

Seeing his desperate expression, Raoul, who would normally have sent him to prison immediately, suppressed his anger and asked,

“Didn’t you bring back accurate information?”

“No. The territory’s residents all say the same thing. They are famous figures in the territory, so there’s nothing to hide.”

Raoul glared at the advisor for a long moment. He didn’t seem to be lying for sure.

The claim that everyone was strange suggested that there were others with oddities as well.

Taking a breath, Raoul turned to the next page.

[Ogre Slayer, King of Leather from the North, Mad Dog, Genius of Violence, Arrogant Fool, Rebel……]

[Knight Kaor]

This fellow had some peculiar nicknames too. He certainly didn’t seem like someone worthy of a knightly title.

As he read further, the details of the tasks he performed in the territory were shocking.

“Phew…… He’s in charge of public order in the territory, trains occasionally, supervises prisoners, and even goes out on assignments to fetch leather?”

“Yes.”

“Is he just some handyman doing whatever comes his way?”

“……It seems that way.”

Raoul massaged his temples a few times before turning to the next page.

[Nanny of the Shadow, Belinda]

I couldn’t even muster the courage to read it carefully. Even if I did, it seemed too hard to believe. So, I decided to ask the advisor directly.

“What’s this about?”

“She’s the head maid of the castle and has been a governess to Count Penris since his childhood. But there are rumors that she’s manipulating the lord from behind the scenes. Especially…”

“Especially what?”

“She doesn’t tolerate food complaints.”

“…….”

[Mathematician of the Devil, Lowell]

“What’s this?”

“They say he’s extremely quick with calculations. There are rumors he can instantly calculate up to seven-digit numbers in his head.”

“Really? If he’s that fast with calculations, he should be managing the territory’s finances.”

“They say he’s just a spy. The chief officer is adamant about not giving anyone any authority over money. He’s obsessed with it, you see.”

“……I see.”

[6th Circle Maid Mage, Vanessa]

“……A maid?”

“Yes…… They say she used to do menial tasks at the Mage Tower.”

“A maid can become a 6th Circle Mage?”

“Surprisingly, it’s true. And…”

“And?”

“She really enjoys explaining things.”

“……What does she explain?”

“Anything.”

“……I see.”

[The Great Blacksmith, Galbarik]

Raoul unconsciously smiled with joy. The word “great” was written boldly, yet he looked perfectly normal.

“They say that dwarf has raised the territory’s technology several levels alongside Count Penris.”

“Alright, let’s investigate this dwarf further. If he truly possesses exceptional skills, we need to secure him.”

“Understood.”

“Seems like we’re finally getting some decent information. Now let’s see who’s next…”

[Uncontrollable Rage, Ascon]

“……What’s this about?”

“An elf with anger management issues.”

“…….”

Just when I hoped for a somewhat normal person, the oddities began again. Raoul simply flipped to the next page.

[Saint of Juana, Piote]

“A saint?”

Raoul, who was about to skim past, was taken aback by the unexpected word. The appearance of a saint was not something to take lightly.

“What is this supposed to mean? If a saint has appeared, the word should have spread throughout the kingdom by now. Wouldn’t there be reports to the royal family?”

No one could casually touch where a saint was present. That’s why Raoul reacted so sensitively.

The advisor shook his head vigorously and replied,

“No, we checked with the Juana Church, and they say there’s been no such occurrence. It seems she’s just a priest who has gained a lot of favor from the territory’s residents. However…”

“However?”

“Many have witnessed her receiving revelations. So, further confirmation might be necessary.”

“Are the accounts of those who saw the revelations consistent?”

“Yes, they are.”

“Then could she really be a saint? Perhaps the church is trying to hide it or not acknowledge it due to internal conflicts…”

“That’s…… According to the church’s confirmation, she’s a man. A man can’t be a saint, can he? It’s just that he looks like a woman. It’s confirmed he’s been raised by the church since childhood. That’s been checked multiple times.”

Raoul found himself touching his forehead. How on earth are these people behaving so irrationally? Honestly, I couldn’t figure out what kind of individuals they were.

With his head starting to ache, Raoul closed the report. He no longer wanted to read further.

He glanced at the advisor with a cold gaze and said,

“I’ll consider the time constraints, but you need to investigate properly and come back.”

“Ah, understood. But do we really not need to look at the rest?”

“Anyway, there’ll just be more strange people. If you conduct another investigation, then we can review it then.”

“That’s…… true, I suppose…”

‘The friend of words and children’ Lumina, ‘supporting the chief officer’ Wendy, and ‘the muscular bed-wetter’ Gordon were among various characters still remaining.

Even if I could ignore those, there was one person we definitely needed to check.

“We should look into the information on a man named Alfoy.”

“Alfoy?”

“Yes, the rumors seem quite ominous…”

At those words, Raoul irritably opened the report.

[The Man Who Defeated the Gods, Alfoy]

“……Is this a nickname that could belong to a normal person? How can we leave someone like this unchecked?”

To claim to have beaten a god? In this day and age, sporting such a nickname would make you an enemy of all the churches. In simple terms, it would mean being treated like a black mage.

If he didn’t want to raise suspicions, Count Penris should have killed him long ago. Yet, the report stated that he proudly flaunts this title in the territory. There’s no greater blasphemy than this.

“Is this true?”

“Yes, many have seen him withstand the goddess’s power. That’s why Count Penris seems too wary to touch him.”

It’s more accurate to say he doesn’t care. But they were firmly misunderstanding everything due to this ridiculous nickname.

Raoul pressed his temples, trying to ease his headache. He couldn’t discern what was true and what was false.

There was already widespread gossip about Count Penris being crazy. When he had seen it in person, it was clear he was anything but average.

Yet, he never imagined his followers would also have such insane nicknames attached to them.

“Did you say he’s from the Tower of the Bloody Flame?”

“Yes. Upon further inquiry, he’s said to be the promising heir of that mage tower.”

“Hm, then perhaps he possesses quite the talent or…… is a capable fellow.”

“It appears so. The advisors reached a preliminary conclusion through meetings…… This may be Penris’s hidden strength.”

“Hidden strength?”

“Yes. The fact that he gained such a nickname while not being widely known is strange. He must have displayed his hidden power due to some circumstance. Being from the mage tower, he must also be careful to hide his identity.”

“Wasn’t there a rumor about some gambling incident being involved?”

“It seems that once his hidden strength was revealed by chance, he manipulated rumors to cover it up. There’s no way he would gain such a nickname over something so trivial. It’s odd for the heir of the mage tower to be engaged in gambling, especially since the Tower of the Bloody Flame used to be renowned in the north.”

Raoul nodded, as if he agreed with that statement.

“Alright then, let’s classify this Alfoy as a special subject for close monitoring.”

There’s no way he got such a nickname for nothing. Whether it’s true or false, he definitely has something special about him.

Thus, Alfoy was classified as a ‘dangerous individual’ and entered the special report and monitoring category.

Raoul continued with a sharp glint in his eyes.

“Check again on the progress with the Tower of the Bloody Flame and the Tower of the Red Flame. It seems things have stalled because of Penris. And…… the fact that all these major figures have such strange rumors suggests some level of manipulation. They are undoubtedly trying to divert external attention.”

There’s none of that. Ghislaine is too busy concealing the main production output, military strength, and new technologies of the territory.

He had no intention of hiding anyone like Claude or Alfoy.

But the Duke’s advisors speculated within the bounds of common sense without knowing this. Too much thought has become a poison in itself.

Having no choice but to rely on the reports brought by the advisors, Raoul came to a similar conclusion.

However, he was not someone who would blindly trust such unsettling reports.

“I’ll provide unlimited resources and support for personnel, so dig deeper. If the same kind of information keeps coming back, then we’ll reassess at that time.”

“Understood.”

Despite the Duke’s intensive investigation, he decided to pour unnecessary effort and time once again.

Clearing away the information regarding Penris, Raoul inquired about something else.

“What about Amelia?”

“We’ve sent someone to manage her. They should arrive shortly.”

“Good. Set a strategy to use Raybold to check Penris. Just make sure that little brat from Penris doesn’t pop up from the north. After dealing with the Crown Prince faction, we’ll clean up the north.”

“Understood. But, um…”

Raoul frowned at the hesitant advisor.

“Speak.”

“Amelia’s demands are becoming increasingly excessive.”

“What do you mean?”

“She hasn’t yet subdued the rebellion of Baron Valua, and their finances are drained from fighting the northern lords.”

“Already? What does she want for support?”

“Yes, initially she requested food, horses, military weapons, timber, iron, runestones, and herbs…”

The list provided by the advisor seemed never-ending. The quantities were staggering. Even Raoul, who was usually unfazed, was momentarily at a loss for words.

The situation with Count Penris was bothersome enough, but Amelia was turning out to be a headache in another sense.

Other advisors expressed their outrage as well.

“An incompetent woman seizing control of the territory is already shaking its finances, isn’t it?”

“We need to bring her into our control quickly. At this rate, the territory will be ruined.”

“What on earth was Count Desmond thinking in supporting such a woman? It seems the fourth prince Davin would’ve been a better choice since he has no influence.”

While the other advisors were fuming, Raoul merely smiled coldly in silence.

‘Is she trying to make a hefty profit using her position? She seems politically savvy, but she doesn’t appear to realize she’ll be cooked once the hunt is over.’

Raoul didn’t know Amelia well yet. Therefore, he saw her current behavior as simply an inappropriate display of greed.

“For now, support her with only half of what she wants. After all, the person we sent will manage her. If it seems difficult to control her, have a plan ready to replace her.”

“Understood.”

“As for the north, since Harold already failed, we will proceed with blocking the regions. What’s the status of the Crown Prince faction?”

Raoul had sent a threatening warning to Marquis Branford. The kind that warned he must step down from his position and relinquish the throne.

Of course, Marquis Branford would never accept such a humiliating proposal.

“They say Marquis Branford is extremely enraged. The army from the east is preparing for war.”

“Marquis Macquarie is also mobilizing the Kingdom Army. He’s issued threats that he will act at any moment.”

“Count Ailzbur has reportedly offered an immense amount of military funds. It seems they’ve been preparing quite heavily.”

Raoul nodded as he listened to the advisors’ words.

“They’re quite greedy. Having sat on the throne for so long, it’s about time they stepped down.”

In truth, he knew very well. The moment Marquis Branford stepped down, the royal family would crumble.

So, even if Marquis Branford wanted to leave, he wouldn’t be able to.

“Hm, either way, their actions are somewhat different from the past. It seems the other fellows aren’t particularly scared either.”

Certainly, in the past, the nobles of the Crown Prince faction would cower at the slightest cough from the Duke’s house. They usually tried to avoid conflicts, and most merely observed without taking action.

The shift in mood could be attributed to precisely one person.

“Somehow…… it seems Count Penris has made them think they stand a chance.”

The so-called strongman of the north, Count Cabaldy, and Count Desmond had both been crushed back to back. And who could do that but someone labeled the reckless fool from the north?

Therefore, it was only natural for the Duke’s house to seem weak. The Crown Prince faction acted with confidence, as if emboldened.

Raoul smiled bitterly.

“That fellow has thoroughly messed things up.”

“I wondered why Branford was backing such a guy, but it all makes sense now. There’s chatter among the Crown Prince faction, but they say he’s been suppressing them all.”

“Indeed, Marquis Branford is no simpleton.”

Raoul acknowledged him. If it weren’t for Marquis Branford, the kingdom would have been doomed ten years ago.

Marquis Branford has been the one to lead the sorry nobles of the Crown Prince faction, who know nothing but their own interests, against the Duke’s houses until now.

Moreover, he’s the one who helped raise the unremarkable Ghislaine to this level.

Having seen the strongest in the north, Count Desmond fall, there was no denying it.

Marquis Branford’s gamble has succeeded.

The advisor tentatively looked at Raoul before asking,

“Given the failure in the north… there are hardly any nobles left who can be drawn in with bribery or threats. The state is already in a stagnant condition due to Count Penris. It’s clear that the current situation will continue as per Marquis Branford’s intentions.”

“Now it suggests that civil war is the only remaining option.”

“If we spark a war now… we’d inevitably suffer some damage as well. Should that occur…”

Raoul smiled bitterly again at the advisor’s words.

“Yeah, it would make the excavation of the Forest of Monsters all the more difficult.”

He swallowed the unspoken words that the advisors didn’t know.

‘…to find “that.”’

The reason Raoul was so intent on avoiding civil war and conserving military forces.

It was all because of the Forest of Monsters.