This Couldn't Possibly Be an Act

"Lord Raven, we're here." In front of Snow Maple Fortress, Eric brought the carriage to a stop.

The moment he lifted the carriage curtain, he froze completely!

Was this really Baron Raven?

His clothes were no different from before, but the smooth, neat fabric was now covered in wrinkles. His hair was as messy as a bird's nest, his pale face was puffy, and his eyes were bloodshot, as though he hadn't slept for days. He looked indescribably haggard and dejected.

"My lord... what happened to you?"

Raven yawned and asked, "How do I look?"

"Er..." Eric carefully considered his wording. "I suggest you get some more rest. Looking like this, you could easily be mistaken for a vampire and dealt with by the Holy See."

"Then it's working." Raven jumped down from the carriage. "That hour of rubbing my face wasn't wasted."

Unlike Eagle Fortress, Snow Maple Fortress was built atop a mountain peak. It had no moat; instead, it had been constructed up along a mountain ridge from low to high. Rather than a castle, it looked more like a fortress.

The garrison of Snow Maple Fortress was also surprised by Raven's sudden visit. However, after confirming his identity, they lowered the lifting basket and brought him up onto the battlements.

Under the soldiers' guidance, Raven arrived outside the castle hall. Like a headless fly, he anxiously paced in circles, occasionally scratching his disheveled hair, displaying none of the bearing expected of a noble.

"Kent, what do you think?" On the third floor, Viscount John leaned against the window and scrutinized Raven's performance. "This little fellow came through the night. What exactly is he plotting?"

Kent was the butler's name. He replied respectfully, "Judging by how anxious Baron Raven looks, he must have some urgent matter."

John asked again, "Could he be deliberately playing the victim?"

"It's unlikely." Kent gently shook his head. "Look at him. His footsteps are completely disordered. There is no pattern to his advancing, retreating, or circling. His eyes and eye bags don't look as though they were made up, either. If he is acting, then his acting is simply too brilliant."

"Then let him in," John ordered. "Take him to my study."

John went to the study. A few minutes later, Raven's haggard face appeared as Kent led him inside.

The moment he saw John, Raven looked as though he had seen his savior, his eyes lighting up. "Oh! Esteemed Viscount John, I've finally met you!"

He dropped into a chair and let out a long breath. "Thank heavens! Thank you for being willing to see me!"

Seeing him behave this way, Viscount John's wariness immediately lessened considerably.

Snow Maple Territory bordered Eagle Territory, so naturally, John had heard about what happened at Eagle Fortress.

As the old saying went, something that glittered was not necessarily gold.

Raven looked dignified, but in the end, he was merely a thug. Although he had luckily won this time, he had been scared out of his wits. He had probably come to borrow soldiers and strengthen Eagle Fortress's defenses.

"Don't panic. This is Snow Maple Fortress. No one can hurt you here." John spoke amiably. "Kent, pour Baron Raven a glass of wine."

Perhaps his reassurance had worked, because Raven's expression calmed slightly. He accepted the wine Kent handed him and took a small sip.

"Baron Raven, I deeply regret what happened at Eagle Fortress. As fellow nobles, I am more than willing to help you strengthen your defenses, but I also know that your finances are not exactly ample." John revealed his intentions. "So, if you could completely transfer Shining Gold Town to me..."

Raven immediately reacted and interrupted Viscount John. "Shining Gold Town is the key!"

John thought Raven had come around and said with a hearty laugh, "Exactly. As long as you hand over—"

"No, not me!" Raven shouted, somewhat manically. "You! Please, you must immediately return Shining Gold Town to me in full. Otherwise, disaster is about to befall us!"

"What?" Viscount John thought there was something wrong with his ears. "I should hand over Shining Gold Town?"

Raven nodded heavily. He leaned forward, pressed his right hand against his chest, and viciously pinched his armpit. Tears immediately welled up in his eyes. "Viscount John, the attack on Eagle Fortress this time was not accidental. Someone planned it from behind the scenes!"

"The mastermind was Hyde Slate of the Slate Family! He wanted my baron's title. I refused, and that led to this calamity!"

John's brows twitched. "Hyde Slate?"

As the actual controller of Shining Gold Town, he had known for a long time that Hyde had been living there recently. He had even sent people to visit him, but he had never imagined that Hyde would dare make such a move!

No wonder those bandits had ignored the nearer quarry and charged straight toward Eagle Fortress instead.

Of the five ranks of nobility—duke, marquis, count, viscount, and baron—a viscount or baron, no matter how prestigious, could only rule a corner of the realm. Only by becoming a count did one possess the right to oversee an entire region.

Take Nord Province, for example. Most of its fiefs were held by the Slate Family. Once they set their sights on someone, let alone a baron like Raven with shallow roots—even a viscount like John had to yield.

John considered his words before asking, "The Slate Family may be powerful, but they cannot disregard the empire's laws. Since you already resisted the bandits' attack, there is no need to—"

"Resisted? You think too highly of me!" Raven gave a bitter laugh, downed the red wine in his glass, and trembled uncontrollably. "There was no resistance... All the servants in the castle are dead... More than half my private soldiers were slaughtered. Apart from Eric, the entire castle is now controlled by bandits obeying Hyde!"

"What!?" John was utterly shocked, but realization soon dawned in his heart.

Yes, Raven's private soldiers looked decent, but that was all it was—appearances. At a disadvantage in equipment, they could never have stood against a group of bandits who were used to slaughtering people!

He had been shocked by how strong Raven's private soldiers seemed and how weak the Bloody Highlands bandits appeared. Now that he had heard Raven's explanation, everything made sense.

"Hyde went so far as to collude with bandits to force me to surrender my title, all so he could obtain a fief for himself." Raven's face was filled with bitterness. "That's why I came to beg you to save me..."

"That is utterly outrageous!" Viscount John slammed his hand against the table and shouted, "This is nothing less than trampling on noble dignity and the rules!"

"Baron Raven, go back and rest assured for now. I will go to Monen City at once and personally meet Count Talon. I will make sure he disciplines his child severely!"

Though he said this, John had no intention of doing it. Though he was a Fourth-Tier Ice Knight and a viscount, making him look like someone important, he was nothing before a powerful count. He said this only to reassure Raven and shake off this clinging nuisance.

"It's useless, Viscount John." Raven spoke desperately. "Hyde has gone mad! He forced me to come here today and told me to inform you to return Shining Gold Town to Eagle Territory."

"He said... he needs a complete Eagle Territory. And if you refuse... the tragedy at Eagle Fortress will play out in Snow Maple Territory as well!"

John's brows furrowed.

He had heard of Hyde. He was Count Talon's youngest son, a playboy.

If he had been the Slate Family's primary heir, or if he had outstanding strength of his own, John might have thought more highly of him. Unfortunately, he was neither.

How dare he threaten me?

"Did Hyde really say that? He wants to take Shining Gold Town from me based on nothing but an empty threat?"

"No, it isn't a threat!" Raven said. "Lord Hyde gave me four thousand gold coins. As long as you agree to return Shining Gold Town, all four thousand gold coins will be yours! The chest of money is in my carriage right now!"

John lightly tapped his fingers on the tabletop.

When he had first rented Shining Gold Town, he had spent ten thousand gold coins. Ten years had passed, and he had recovered more than four thousand six hundred coins from it. If he accepted four thousand gold coins and handed over Shining Gold Town now, he would not lose too much.

But that was not how the account should be calculated.

Shining Gold Town was not merely an important source of tax revenue. It was also a transportation hub. The exchange and sale of goods from the two surrounding baronies and one viscounty all had to pass through Shining Gold Town.

Because of this, almost every kind of craftsman a noble might need could be found there: blacksmiths, carpenters, bricklayers, potters, architects, and beast tamers. Even the mercenary guild had a branch there.

With it, Snow Maple Territory had come alive with unprecedented vitality. Although its taxes had amounted to only a little over four thousand six hundred gold coins over ten years, the positive benefits it had brought Snow Maple Territory had exceeded the tax revenue itself.

Besides, who did Hyde think he was to spout such nonsense? If he told John to hand it over and John obeyed, wouldn't that be humiliating?

"I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you this time, Baron Raven." John said, "Shining Gold Town was rented to me by Baron Donald. Before the contract expires, I have no intention of giving it up."

"But, Viscount John!" Raven seemed completely unable to accept this answer. He shouted hoarsely, "If you refuse, what... what am I supposed to do!?"

"If I fail to accomplish this, Hyde won't let me off... He won't let you off, either! The bandits from the Bloody Highlands will come looking for you very soon!"

"Then let him come!" John lowered his eyes and spoke with a trace of displeasure. "Baron Raven, you are also an imperial noble. You should have a noble's dignity and decorum! A mere Hyde has reduced you to such a disgraceful state. You truly are not yet a mature noble!"

"I can't do anything about it..." Raven gave an helpless smile. "Viscount, how about five thousand gold coins? I still have one thousand gold coins of my own that I can give you..."

John shook his head coldly. "Sorry, but I am afraid I cannot help you."

"If five thousand gold coins aren't enough, I can also give you three hundred bottles of Angel's Tear. I..."

"Enough, Baron Raven." John interrupted him. "If you feel tired, you can rest at Snow Maple Fortress for the night. I don't think anyone would dare disturb you."

Faced with such a clear refusal, Raven seemed to have had his soul pulled from his body. He slowly shook his head. "...No, there's no need..."

He stood up, but lost his balance and knocked over the chair. Kent wanted to step forward and support him, but Raven shook his head and refused. Then he staggered toward the exit.

"Hmph, what a worthless Little Bee. Even if Hyde is a member of the Slate Family, he cannot represent the Slate Family." John spoke confidently. "If he cannot even see through that, he is unfit to be a noble."

Kent said quietly, "Are you really certain there is no trace of the Slate Family behind this?"

John paused. "What do you mean?"

"I was just thinking about what Baron Raven said." Kent replied, "He said he still had one thousand gold coins."

John asked, "What's wrong with that?"

Kent said, "Raven shouldn't have that much money. Denise's own son failed to inherit the title, so she could not possibly have given him much. And whether it was purchasing formalwear or repairing the castle, both required large sums of gold coins. Where did his money come from?"

John pondered this. "Are you saying he lied?"

Kent shook his head. "No. I am more inclined to believe that everything Baron Raven said was true. It would be impossible for anyone to act that well."

"Then what do you mean?" Through the window, John watched Raven's hunched back gradually recede. It truly did not look fake. "Could Donald have left him an inheritance?"

Kent said, "Angel's Tear..."

"Angel's Tear!?" Realization dawned on John's face. "Oh, right. That new wine he invented a month ago. Are you saying he relied on Angel's Tear to earn more than one thousand gold coins in profit within a month?"

Kent said, "There must have been some initial investment from Denise, but as for the profits, I don't think they could be less than three hundred gold coins. Otherwise, the Slate Family's motives cannot be explained."

John rubbed his chin. "Are you saying that if it were merely Hyde, he would not dare provoke me? Only with the Slate Family backing him would he have the confidence?"

Kent silently agreed, then returned to the earlier point. "I have tasted Angel's Tear as well. It is indeed an extremely smooth and luxurious red wine, and there are few competing products on the market. I believe that once production is expanded, it will definitely yield enormous profits."

"And Eagle Territory is so close to the Bloody Highlands, while the Slate Family also has connections with the horse bandits there..."

John sucked in a cold breath. "The Slate Family wants to obtain Eagle Territory not merely for a petty noble title, but to control the production of Angel's Tear, then smuggle it through the Bloody Highlands to the Phidon City-States and the Insar Empire for enormous profits!?"

The more he thought about it, the more certain he became that he had guessed correctly.

No wonder Hyde had demanded Shining Gold Town first instead of hastily reclaiming the easier-to-obtain Eagle Beak Mountain and Thousand Needle Jungle.

The craftsmen in Shining Gold Town could be mobilized immediately, greatly expanding Angel's Tear's production capacity and minimizing the chances of a leak!

With Eagle Town's current production capacity alone, it could earn three hundred gold coins in profit each month, or three thousand six hundred gold coins a year! If its scale were expanded tenfold, that would mean thirty-six thousand gold coins in profit each year!

That far exceeded the income of a viscount's domain—enough to tempt a count's family!

So Hyde was merely a smokescreen. The true person giving the orders was probably Count Talon himself!

At the thought of opposing the entire Slate Family, Viscount John felt cold sweat break out across his back. "Why didn't you remind me just now!?"

Kent was speechless inwardly.

His viscount had always cared deeply about his pride. If Kent had contradicted him in front of an outsider, what good ending could he have expected?

Naturally, he could not say that. "This is only a conjecture, after all. We need to contact Mr. Hyde before drawing a conclusion."

"That makes sense." Viscount John nodded. "Write a letter on my behalf now. Then take it and immediately visit Hyde Slate! You must find out what he really means!"

Kent accepted the order and withdrew.

At that moment, Viscount John became the headless fly himself. He paced back and forth through the room, consumed by anxiety. Even his favorite Angel's Tear had become difficult to swallow.

Only when dawn broke did he lie down on the chaise in the study, intending to rest for a while. But the instant he closed his eyes, he heard a hurried series of footsteps.

With a bang, the family retainer Penglie pushed open the door. "Viscount, this is bad! Kent, he... Kent..."

"What are you panicking about!?" John rose to his feet. "Speak slowly. What happened to Kent?"

The answer was a period of silence, followed by a stretcher being carried inside.

Kent lay on the stretcher, both legs drenched in blood and twisted into grotesque shapes like a rag doll.

"Viscount John...!" Kent forced himself to sit up.

"Speak slowly." John pressed down on his shoulder and leaned closer.

"Hyde refused to see me... He had his men break my legs...!"

"Where is Hyde?" John asked.

Kent coughed weakly and said in a low voice, "...He has already returned to Monen City."

A bone-chilling cold crept up Viscount John's spine. Hyde clearly had no intention of negotiating further. He had left Shining Gold Town to distance himself from the large-scale invasion by the Bloody Highlands bandits that would follow!

He roared, "Prepare the carriage! I'm going to Eagle Fortress!!"