144. The Reversed Situation (2)
“Rusmayeur received help from Shatren?”
Tasha brought me to this place.
It can be said that she showed me that scene for a reason.
It’s likely that there was some kind of relationship between the two territories, Rusemeyer and Shatren.
But the fact that Rusemeyer received help from Shatren…
“Is it not that there’s no such thing?”
I knew that I couldn’t just leave this situation as it was, but not knowing the truth would be even more dangerous.
A behind-the-scenes story born between the two territories.
It could become a huge variable that blocks my path in the future.
“Continue talking.”
She spoke without hesitation.
“As you know, Lord, Rusemeyer is a territory with a very high degree of isolation. It lacks resources and manpower, and the demonic beasts frequently invade. Its location, next to the rugged Wagleu Mountains, makes it even more difficult. Perhaps, poverty was an inevitable condition.”
What’s the point of talking more?
It’s not an exaggeration to say that they were in the worst possible situation.
“The villagers who gathered there, calling it a ‘village of artisans,’ made money through their crafts and used that money to improve the internal situation of the territory, but even that was difficult. In the end, they had to give up their crafts.”
The phrase “adding insult to injury” fits perfectly.
With artificial poverty added to this situation, they had no choice but to give up their previous work.
“But, Lord, didn’t Rusemeyer hold out for a surprisingly long time despite all that?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I asked, furrowing my brow.
“As you know, Lord, Rusemeyer had nothing. Even if they knew how to craft, they gave it up, so there was no source of income before you became the lord. Yet, how did they manage to hold out for so long?”
Now that I think about it…
It’s definitely strange.
Rusemeyer wasn’t strange even before I arrived.
When I met Kian at the party? How did they hold out until then?
It was already impressive that they managed to survive with their material situation, financial situation, and manpower issues.
No. It’s not necessary to go that far.
In Rusemeyer, where the financial source had been cut off, it was inevitable that they would face a huge trial, winter.
The biggest problem was the food shortage, just like the children who stole bread and ran away.
There’s only one way to overcome this huge gap.
“Shatren provided food support every winter, didn’t they?”
Food supply from another territory.
That’s all there is.
No. Saying it’s a supply is just a euphemism; it’s unilateral support.
The key is what kind of opportunity they had to provide this support…
I already know the answer.
“Shatren used to sell their specialty products. It means that they handed over food to the children who stole bread and ran away, showing that they would provide support in times of need.”
Tasha handed me a ledger, neatly organized.
“I trust your judgment entirely, Lord. If it takes time, I don’t mind making up for the losses with my own salary.”
– Tingling!
▶I’ve caught wind of the secret relationship between Rusemeyer and Shatren.◀
▶As the lord of Rusmayeur, you can take measures.◀
▶Exclusive options are open.◀
I understand the situation.
Even if I stop them here, the same situation will repeat itself.
Rusmayeur will not betray Shatren’s favor.
It means their bond is strong enough to deceive me, the lord, to achieve this.
Tasha, who considered the discontent of the people due to my choice, wanted to meet me directly to deliver the news and requested that I acknowledge the situation, even offering her own salary.
But.
This cannot be overlooked.
“It’s not your true intention, Tasha.”
“…”
“You know that even if you compensate for my losses, the situation won’t improve, and it might even worsen, don’t you? You know that better than I do.”
Rusmayeur was once a territory managed by Deol Ga.
So, Tasha must have had a rough idea about Rusmayeur’s relationship with Shatren.
Perhaps she knows more about Rusmayeur than I do. But she didn’t come just to make this request.
“Your insight, milord, cannot be ignored.”
Tasha smiled faintly, acknowledging the point I raised.
“That’s right, milord. I came hoping that you could use this to reduce Shatren’s bad reputation a little.”
“As the lord of Rusmayeur, I’m currently in charge. Are you saying I should pretend not to know and appease their anger?”
“That’s right. Leave the rest to me, and I’ll handle it well.”
She presented a concrete plan and asked me to entrust her with the task during the Eastern Nobles’ Assembly period.
Tasha could handle Rusmayeur without a problem, and she could also resolve this issue flexibly.
I would also have the opportunity to clear up my own problem of being ridiculed by Shatren.
If I firmly decided to do so, I could prevent the issue from being raised at the Eastern Nobles’ Assembly.
However, I firmly rejected Tasha’s request.
“No, that won’t do.”
“…Yes?”
Tasha looked puzzled and asked again.
“You thought I’d take this as an opportunity to wash away Shatren’s bad reputation, didn’t you?”
“…That’s true.”
“It’s not a bad proposal. If we proceed with this, we can create an opportunity to avoid pressure at the Eastern Nobles’ Assembly. We can also alleviate Shatren’s anger. But this is a completely wrong approach.”
“Then, milord, how do you plan to resolve this issue…?”
[ 3. Tasha, just maintain the current situation. ] ☑
“I’ll maintain the current situation. There’s no need to touch it. I’ll tell the people to continue living their lives as they are now.”
“Then, will you, milord, take responsibility for the losses?”
“Yes. That’s the only way to establish a justification.”
It’s true that an opportunity has arisen.
But this cannot be used simply to reduce Shatren’s bad reputation.
I need to secure a clear justification.
For Shatren and Rusmayeur’s relationship.
The tight bond between the two lands, inherited from the past.
And this will give rise to another connection.
I will use this as a pretext to fundamentally solve the problem.
***
The next day.
I returned to the mansion and gave Tasha an order to maintain the current situation, writing a document and sending it as a letter from the lord of Rusmayeur, not the duke’s family.
The returned letter only contained a positive response, saying they would believe in the young master, and occasional reports. There were no other sentences.
This was enough. Since there would be no other choices related to this, I only had one thing to worry about now.
▶You must attend the party in the east.◀
This system message might seem insignificant, but it’s a window that foretells the next episode.
Chapter 2’s main story.
The starting signal for the Eastern nobles’ meeting.
That’s exactly the party.
But…
▶You can move to the party venue now. Will you move?
[ 1. Move now. ]
[ 2. Wait a bit longer. ]
You must never forget.
Chapter 2 starts as a sub-episode and transitions into the main episode.
Considering that, this window seems like a connection that allows me to transition into the main episode…
But that’s not the case.
On the surface, it’s a party, but in reality, it’s an event where nobles who have passed the imperial examination attend.
That means the nobles will be packed in.
It’s an environment tailor-made for Carsein, where all kinds of trouble can arise.
A delicate trap created under the guise of episode progression.
This trap, which is aimed at the player, can lead to a dead flag if you step on it carelessly.
Of course, there’s no way to avoid it completely.
Didn’t I experience it at Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony? The characters you meet at this party change depending on the attendance time.
You can also avoid encountering other families by taking a route that isn’t guarded and wasting time at the terrace.
In other words, the current choice is about the party entry time.
This time, too, I need to choose a specific time, adjust, and reach a specific location to avoid the dead flag.
The problem is, how do I know the time, where is the safe location, and what action can I take to avoid the dead flag?
▶As a perfect clear reward for the previous episode, all dead flags that occur until the appearance of the next sub-episode will be displayed.◀
●Time
[ If you enter at 2 pm, the episode will proceed with the angry Marquise Modrich. ]
[ If you enter at 3 pm, the episode will proceed with the discordant harmony of the toll fee. ]
[ If you enter at 4 pm, ─── ]
…
…
●Location
[The party map is displayed. Purple and red respectively represent forbidden and danger zones, orange represents restricted areas, and yellow represents caution zones.]
●Behavior
From noble mtl dot com
[The wine glass on the balcony contains a drug that induces vomiting.]
[Touching the second flowerpot in the lobby may cause an explosion and put you in danger.]
[There is a hidden button on the third table to the left.]
[There is oil spilled on the floor to the right of the central table, so be careful not to slip.]
[If you disturb the woman sleeping in front of the second curtain, you may be mistaken for a molester.]
[There is a sleeping pill in the third room, so be cautious.]
[The seventh room is filled with a scent that induces headaches, so be careful not to fall asleep.]
…
…
“…It’s a considerable reward.”
Just looking at this, I can tell how to avoid danger.
This information is much more detailed than what I had from the previous game, allowing me to choose a safer path and prepare for potential dangers in advance.
So, combining the time and behavior, I’ve come to a conclusion.
It seems I can enter through the back door alone at 5:15 pm.
If I do this, I’ll be able to receive the sub-episode without any issues, complete the party schedule, and then attend the symposium from the next day.
But there’s one thing that bothers me.
“Why haven’t I received any contact?”
Before the spring outing, I received three letters.
The first one was from Tasha of the Rusmaier family.
The second one was from Polux, the Count of Aiperos.
Those two have been resolved.
In the first case, I met Tasha and learned about the relationship between Rusmaier and Shatren.
The second one was unexpected, but I received additional information.
However, there’s no response to the last letter.
“I clearly asked for the meeting time and date…”]
I had made an appointment with Harnein, but there’s been no contact yet.
Time passed, and now it’s today.
“Sir, I’ve finished preparing for the party.”
There’s no choice.
According to Camilla’s outing report, I need to move to arrive by 5:15 pm.
[ 1. Move now ]☑
“I’ll leave now.”
When we signed the contract, she said that if there’s a problem, it might be difficult to contact each other.
But she also said I didn’t need to worry about our contract.
Still, it’s likely that some problem arose due to this symposium.
I’ll find out what kind of problem it is when I get to the party.
I got on the carriage without worrying.
***
“…”
“Miss, this is… this is not it. You’re being too obvious, Miss…!”
“Mina.”
Harnie shook her head at Mina, who looked shocked.
“It doesn’t change anything even if I say that. I’m like this, and I can only move forward.”
“…”
“Don’t worry too much. I’ve experienced this many times before.”
“Miss Harnie…”
“I’ll be back.”
It was far from okay, but Mina’s expression was filled with worries.
Even if she tried to comfort her, there was only one remaining hope.
“Please, I hope Lord Carsein will help us…”
It was Lord Carsein’s help that they needed.