Just by looking at the contents of the drawing room, it was possible to determine the authenticity of the note.

One more thing to check was whether the identity of the girl who had handed him the note was real.

She had introduced herself as the daughter of the Astrid County, and it was necessary to confirm whether the Astrid County was really not involved in this matter, as she had said.

'I have to find out.'

It wouldn't be difficult to find the girl, thanks to the mark he had left on her when she had handed him the note.

-Flash!

Lucas, who had carefully left the county estate, teleported to a place near where she was.

The place he arrived at was in front of an inn located in a square not far from the academy.

The girl seemed to be staying here after handing him the note.

'Hmm... what should I do about this?'

In fact, if the person who had handed him the note had been a man, he would have just barged into the room, but he was concerned that the other person was a woman.

His current appearance was that of a full-fledged man, and since he had polymorphed with Aman's help, he was a well-built adult male.

Lucas, who had been contemplating, finally entered the inn.

-Jingle!

As the door opened and a cheerful bell rang, an employee quickly came out to greet him.

"Welcome!"

"Can I get a meal?"

"Oh, of course! This way, please!"

He had planned to sit on the first floor, order a simple meal, and wait for the girl to come out.

'I don't think I need to.'

The girl he had seen earlier came into Lucas's view. She was sitting in a corner, listlessly tearing at a piece of bread.

"No, I see a familiar face over there."

"Yes! Of course. Then if you sit down, I'll bring you the menu right away!"

Lucas, who had dismissed the employee's guidance, approached the girl, and her eyes, which had been fixed on the bread, slowly looked up.

"W-who are you?"

The girl, who was startled by the large shadow that had suddenly been cast, asked with wide eyes.

"I'm from the Rodrigo County."

"R-Rodrigo, you say?"

"Yes. So please act naturally."

The girl, who was surprised at Lucas's words, was patting her chest and swallowing the bread that was stuck in her throat.

"Here."

As Lucas naturally handed her a glass of water, the girl, who had quickly bowed her head in thanks, gulped down the water.

"H-how did you... here..."

The girl stuttered and glanced around.

"Here's the menu!"

"Hiccup!"

As the girl, who was startled by the employee who had suddenly appeared, hiccuped, Lucas pointed to the glass of water again.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I startled you."

"N-no, it's okay."

"I'll have today's stew and bread. No drinks."

"Yes! I understand!"

As Lucas, who had calmly chosen his menu, handed over the menu, the employee, who had quickly taken it, left.

"Now, shall we talk calmly."

As Lucas took out the note from his pocket and handed it to her, the girl looked back and forth between the note and Lucas, and then nodded her head.

"T-that's all t-true. As you've s-seen, our family has decided not to get i-involved."

"How can I believe that this note is true? And that your identity, as you've said, is real."

"I-if you don't b-believe me, I can't help it..."

The girl lowered her head and couldn't continue at Lucas's words.

"Right. Then I'll ask, assuming I believe you. Why isn't the Astrid family getting involved? I've looked into it, and all of you, including your family, were driven out to Veneta. Isn't rebellion better than enduring it there?"

"N-no. W-we're keeping our promise to the R-Rodrigo County."

The girl raised her head and answered in a clear voice at Lucas's words.

"A promise..."

"W-we're c-content as long as we have a place to stand. The R-Rodrigo Co-County also has to s-survive for there to be a next time, so they told us to v-value our lives."

"Isn't this the next time? The emperor is rumored to have become a half-wit, and it's a chance to have financial power on your back if you just persuade the Rodrigo County. You know that, don't you?"

Lucas leaned forward and asked indifferently at the girl's answer.

"T-they told us to p-protect them. O-our children..."

"..."

"T-at that time, the Count didn't have any c-children, but he gave all his p-property for u-us. To protect... us, the children. That's why w-we want to keep the Count's will. H-he has a son now."

Hearing the girl's words, he began to understand the whole situation little by little.

Ten years ago, the Rodrigo County, which had no children at that time, had given all its property for the other nobles whose property had been confiscated.

To run away with their children and to survive anywhere.

The Astrid family, one of the many nobles who had run away according to Count Cibie's will, had come all the way here to keep that promise.

"I understand what you're saying. I'll believe your words for now."

"T-thank you."

"I'll pay for the meal."

As Lucas was about to get up from his seat, the girl quickly grabbed his sleeve.

"...I-I have money."

"I see."

Was it the girl's last remaining pride?

"But if I can't treat a person who has come a long way, risking danger, to a meal, the Rodrigo County's reputation will be in tatters. And take this."

As Lucas handed her a pouch, the girl shook her head and refused.

"T-that's m-money."

"That's right. I'm from the Rodrigo County. So if you don't accept this, I'll be in trouble. It's an errand from the Count."

Then the girl bit her lip and fell into thought.

-Thud.

As he placed the pouch on the table, the girl fidgeted and looked back and forth between the pouch and Lucas.

"I'm leaving."

As Lucas turned his body and left at the end of his words, he heard the girl's stuttering words from behind.

"N-no... w-what should I do..."

***

Lucas, who had left the place, returned to the county estate.

The situation was more serious after hearing all of the girl's words.

The many nobles who had been caught up in the incident ten years ago and had been driven out must have been jealous and hated the Rodrigo County.

Every time they faced the threshold of death, they must have been endlessly envious of the Rodrigo County, which was stuck in the barren land of Citata, and they must have hated them to death every time they shivered in the cold, covered themselves with leaves, and slept under a tree.

In addition, since Duke Cirus O'Neil, Count Cibie's friend, was treated like a founding contributor, they must have assumed that Cibie had also benefited a little from it and had nurtured their hatred.

Even when they heard the news that Count Cibie was struggling financially, what came to their minds was not his helping hand, but the difficult path they had walked.

Of course, they might have known that he had not received the benefits of the O'Neil Duchy.

But that would not have been enough to quell human hatred.

To have as an object of hatred, the Rodrigo County, which was in a similar situation and had stood by their side, would have been better than a distant traitor.

As his thoughts piled up, Lucas's head began to hurt.

'It's one thing after another.'

As he solved one, another popped up, and there was no sign of solving the other, but another problem came up.

'Did I live so wrongly in my past life...'

As he entered the county estate, the familiar scent calmed his mind a little. As he entered the guest drawing room on the second floor with his transparency magic, he saw the three men he had seen earlier.

"It seems difficult."

"But we don't have the financial resources. And we don't even have a base on the continent."

"Let's convey our intentions to Count Cibie again before we leave tomorrow."

"Ha, more importantly, I'm at a loss for words. It makes me sick to my stomach to think that they've been living in luxury in a place like this all this time."

As one of the men scanned the drawing room with his eyes, the other man also nodded his head.

"What can we do? Didn't our guesses turn out to be right?"

"I don't need any of that, I just need to be paid well for my promised services. You're not going to say it's off now, are you?"

"Serano-nim. If you're not here, all the mages in our northern alliance will be gone, so there's no way that would happen."

Hearing the man's words, the man called Serano seemed to be a mage.

"That's a given. I wouldn't have come this far if it weren't for Joni-nim and Howard-nim. How many wanted posters of me are out there?"

"Of course. I know."

"I'm also grateful. Serano-nim."

As the men expressed their gratitude, the man who seemed to be a mage, his mood having improved a little, crossed his legs and leaned back.

"So what's the plan?"

"First, the county has promised financial support and a suitable place to stay. It would be good to use that first."

"I thought so too... but Count Cibie is not a fool, so won't he notice our intentions?"

"Didn't you hear what the Count said earlier? He said it's a land he doesn't even know. Then we should also be people he doesn't know."

"Hmm... I see what you mean. Then let's convey our intentions to our family heads before we leave tomorrow. Then if we form a force and move down little by little, we should have a base in at least two months."

Lucas, who was listening to their words, barely held back from striking them with a lightning storm.

'They see my father as a very foolish person. You arrogant bastards.'

Just by the few words they had exchanged, he had confirmed that his thoughts were not wrong, and he had also confirmed that their thoughts were rotten.

'It won't go as you think.'

He had already obtained all the important information. Since he had heard their thoughts and plans accurately, it wouldn't be difficult to stop them either.

Lucas, who had left the drawing room, walked along the forest path and organized his thoughts for a moment.

What was the best way to stop them, and how could he do it without harming the county.

'It's not difficult to stop them right away. But it's important to find out exactly who they are with and what their future plans are.'

Among the stories they were sharing, there were also stories that were not related to the county.

Things like stopping by the Esna Kingdom to receive goods, or stopping by Vamaras to deliver goods.

In Veneta, there were rare herbs that grew in the barren land, and monsters with tough leather and excellent thermal insulation.

According to the characteristics of the trading company, which sold anything that was marketable, Veneta-made yeti fur or ice bear fur were popular items in any country with a winter.

They also had excellent thermal insulation, as much as they boasted a high price.

But there was nothing like that in their luggage.

'Does the mage have a subspace? Or is it a subspace artifact... no, no. It's impossible for those who are struggling with money.'

What kind of goods could they possibly be delivering and receiving?

Then something flashed through Lucas's mind.

'Ha. There was a reason why they could endure it there.'

(End of Chapter)