When a Hidden Quest in the Game Becomes Reality Episode 36
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When a Hidden Quest in the Game Becomes Reality Episode 36
12. Avoiding Suspicion (1)
[Self-destruction attack by the Sky Fortress!? The shocking briefing held in the Viscounty of Lawrence!]
[The forces Marquis of Ereiven dispatched in a surprise raid were 1 Sky Fortress and 200 Vanguards! All of them turned to ashes in an instant!]
[The Vanguards lost in the war against the Croysen Empire: 162 units! Yet the number of Vanguards lost to a conflict between nobles of the kingdom is a staggering 200 units!?]
[Damage to a marquisate on the border means a weakening of national power. This incident must not be dismissed as a mere quarrel between two territories.]
[Some criticize it as copying the unethical attack that caused heavy casualties to our own forces during the war with the Croysen Empire.]
[Adrian Lawrence's response went too far. Many insist the Noble Council or the Noble Auditor's Office must discuss punishment.]
The incident with the Marquis of Ereiven stirred up a great deal of controversy both at home and abroad.
Perhaps because the Ereiven family is so powerful, there were many media outlets churning out critical articles about me, which was annoying.
However, not everyone was like that, and regardless of how many articles were written, public opinion in support of me was overwhelming.
That public sentiment became a trend, prompting the neutral media to respond.
[This is purely the result of outstanding predictive ability and victory in information warfare! We must not forget that the surprise raid was carried out by the Marquis of Ereiven!]
[This never would have happened if the Marquis of Ereiven had not cowardly launched a surprise operation. Young Lord Adrian merely made a bold choice to protect his territory.]
[The collapse of the Marquis of Ereiven's proud lord's castle! The marquis saved his life, but suffered enormous damage from an unexpected counterattack!]
[A truly humiliating defeat! Adrian Lawrence, the rising young sun who turned the once-mighty Marquis of Ereiven into a setting sun.]
The people's reactions to this incident can be summed up briefly as follows.
-So you attacked with a cowardly ambush, but he predicted it all?
-Thanks for the joke of an attack, my lord marquis.
-Man! That was so damn satisfying!
-He's really incredible. To choose to throw away a Sky Fortress.
-He used one Sky Fortress to wipe out the equivalent combat power of five Sky Fortresses lol
-There's a reason he became an Archmage at 20 for nothing. Look how sharp his mind is.
-Will a new wind blow through the Kingdom of Rhinehearts?
-At the end of the day, it's still just nobles fighting.
At this point, it almost felt like the entire populace was on my side.
Nobles may see commoners as little better than semi-slaves, but I believe the support of the people can always become a great source of strength.
So from now on, I plan to communicate steadily with commoners to prove that I am different from other nobles.
[Thank you for your support. I will not forget your backing.]
The easiest way to communicate is to use an online diary similar to SNS.
It would be good to steadily build a sense of familiarity by regularly replying to commoners' posts and uploading photos or videos from my daily life.
[Enjoyed a glass of wine while watching the fireworks gifted by the Marquis of Ereiven.]
#30-trillion-gold-fireworks #BestBangForYourBuckWine
[Firing ten 7th-circle grand magic spells in a row at the Marquis of Ereiven's lord's castle.]
#GrandMagicSpam #ShoddyConstruction?
[Selling the wreckage of the Marquis of Ereiven's destroyed Sky Fortress as scrap.]
#ThisIsCreativeEconomy #EvenSkyFortressScrapIsExpensive
[Marquis of Ereiven trembling with rage and trying media manipulation.]
#shkshk #Pathetic
If I actively leveraged the SNS style of Koreans, a nation of online warriors, it would probably look something like this.
-Look at those truth bombs. The impact is insane lol
-Young Lord Adrian, please stop bullying the poor Marquis of Ereiven lolol
-He's different from your average noble. He's an Archmage but somehow feels relatable lol
Reactions poured in immediately to the hard-hitting posts.
And they were exactly in the direction I wanted.
"Over a million followers in just one day. Guess I'm an influencer now."
Nobles probably will not understand what I am doing.
In this world, nobles are a terrible hybrid of South Korean chaebols from Earth and supreme commanders who monopolize Sky Fortresses, Vanguards, knights, and mages.
Because of that, commoners can never challenge the authority of nobles.
So what do you think nobles' perception of commoners is like?
Convenient slaves to be exploited, or at best human resources that can be understood purely in terms of numbers. ## New Terms South Korean chaebols = South Korean chaebols
Therefore, my actions could not help but appear eccentric to the nobles.
"I am afraid they will say I have tarnished the dignity of the nobility."
"Sir William. What is the point of checking how others react? I am going to live without tiptoeing around anyone from now on."
However, the nobles' contempt for commoners is a structural problem of the world called Rondel, and it is by no means because commoners are inferior.
In fact, most of the people whose talents I have examined through the Ten-Thousand-Mirrors, recruited, and am currently training are commoners.
Seeking out the talents of commoners and giving them education suited to those talents.
This is something only I, who possess the Ten-Thousand-Mirrors, can do, and I consider it a very important factor that will greatly expand my future.
Therefore, I could not look down on commoners.
"Adrian."
How long had I been so absorbed in online communication?
My father, who was occupying a seat in the young lord's office of the lord's castle that had become my domain, called out to me.
Not only my father and Sir William, but also my mother and the main figures of the family were present in the office.
"Do you have any plans going forward?"
"Of course."
Reading the worry on everyone's faces, I accepted the papers in my father's hand without any change in expression.
[Summons Order]
Young Lord Adrian Lawrence, Viscount, and Dame Arcia Klein.
The two are hereby ordered to appear before the Noble Audit Office.
Sender: Marquis Douglas Hammington, Director of the Noble Audit Office
The document was brief, but it was a summons order containing coercive content.
There are three possibilities that come to mind when looking at this order.
1. It is a prank by the Marquis of Ereiven.
2. It is a conspiracy by high-ranking nobles to tame me and Arcia.
3. It is a royal scheme to tame me and Arcia.
The reason all the ideas that come to mind are negative ones like schemes or pranks is that, if they had wanted to invite us with good intentions in the first place, they would not have sent a summons order like this.
Therefore, I could not help but think of the negative possibilities first.
"Father, what do nobles like most?"
Even as he tilted his head at how calm I remained after reading the order, my father gave his thoughts.
"Money, I suppose."
"Correct. I think so too."
Leaving aside my family, the retainers seated in the office were shooting me looks demanding an answer, wondering what on earth I was stalling for.
But Arcia, who was sitting next to me sipping iced tea, kept poking at me without reading the room, so I took out a high‑grade cookie from subspace and handed it to her as I satisfied everyone's curiosity.
"I am going to divert the topic with money. A lot of nobles will probably take an interest in me. The royal family, even."
"It would be nice if you explained a bit more clearly."
My next answer was simple.
"I have some money I accumulated through investments. If I pay the taxes on that entire amount in one go, the mood will change."
"So you are going to bury one topic with another."
"That is right."
It is the same method as when, on Earth, every time something political happens, celebrity scandals flood the news.
The problem, however, is that no one can empathize with my plan.
"Hmm...."
"It seems you have earned quite a lot from your investments."
Thinking it would be quicker to show them directly than to explain in words, I projected as a hologram in midair the account that had finished its money laundering.
[Account Balance: 60,000,000,000,000 Root]
"Huh?"
Everyone who saw it widened their eyes.
They appeared shocked by a sum they had never imagined.
But at Sir William's next words, I could only let out a hollow laugh.
"Oho, that is amazing! As expected, not just anyone can become an Archmage, can they? To think you have amassed as much as 60 billion Root!"
"Sir William, look closely. There are not three commas under the numbers, but four."
"Pardon?"
"If there are four commas then…."
I corrected his understanding, and only then did everyone count the digits with their fingers again and grasp the exact amount.
"S-sixty…?"
"60 trillion."
An amount that, no matter who looked at it, made no sense.
The expressions on their faces went beyond surprise to outright shock and disbelief.
I considered that a perfectly natural reaction.
"Here is the transaction history. Rather than a long explanation, it would be better for you to see for yourselves what kinds of investments were made."
So I opened up the transaction history created by Chester, the fortuity manager, and captured everyone's attention.
"What is this, an investment from the gods?"
On the list there were even cases where I had lost tens or hundreds of billions due to failed investments. ## New Terms Douglas Hammington = Douglas Hammington Chester = Chester Ten-Thousand-Mirrors = Ten-Thousand-Mirrors Noble Audit Office = Noble Audit Office
But in the end, when annual returns were low, they grew by as little as three times and, when high, by more than twenty times.
Looking at the list, it was enough to make me think I should be an investor rather than a mage.
Seeing the astonished expressions on everyone's faces, I simply summed up the situation without adding any unnecessary explanation.
"I was lucky."
"Young master, can you see the future? Or are you a regressor?"
"That's a funny joke."
At that, the others shook their heads, saying they no longer had the strength to be surprised.
And everyone could foresee the ripple effects this list would bring.
"There's going to be chaos."
"The nobles' pressure on you will probably lessen. No, there'll be even more people fawning over you, trying to curry favor somehow. At this point, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call you a world-class investor."
I asked my father about one thing that worried me.
"How much tax will I have to pay?"
"No matter how much tax avoidance you do, you should expect to lose at least twenty percent."
"Twenty percent means I'd have to pay almost 12 trillion, then."
"Yes."
To think I had to give my money to the country.
That's what taxes are, of course, but I couldn't help feeling it was a waste.
Still, in our country, to prevent tax evasion, nobles are given a few benefits when they pay large amounts of tax.
I intended to make full use of that, so I could say the loss wouldn't be too great.
"I heard that if a noble pays a large amount of tax, they can receive tax-exempt benefits through the royal trading company."
"Yes, that's right. If you use a trading company operated by the royal family, you receive tax-exempt benefits equal to half the tax you paid."
Tax exemption on purchases equal to half the tax paid.
It was a fairly significant benefit, but my father pointed out that there was one catch hidden in it.
"In truth, it's called tax exemption, but the profit is already included in the production cost, and profit is also included in the distribution cost. Their aim is to spur nobles, tempted by the tax exemption, into spending and make a double profit."
The royal family really did come up with a clever system.
In a way, it looked a bit sly, but I thought it didn't matter much.
I was planning to spend a huge sum anyway, so the actual tax would probably amount to around one-tenth of my 60 trillion in assets.
"Is there anything else you want to buy?"
"Yes."
In response to my father's question, I gave him a meaningful smile.
"We need to increase the numbers for Sky Fortress and Vanguard."
* * *
Craft, the major city belonging to the County of Otis.
"Hahaha! This kid is a riot! He's got a talent for surprising people!"
Count Otis, who had been casually watching the news at his lord's castle, burst into hearty laughter and kept exclaiming in admiration.
Seeing him like that, the Countess of Otis and his beloved daughter, Michelle Otis, expressed their confusion.
Count Otis then shared the news video with the two of them.
[This is an economic report. It appears that Young Lord Adrian Lawrence has completed tax filing on the income he earned through investments. However, that amount is an astonishing 60 trillion, shocking noble society.]
[As a result of verification by the National Tax Service and the Financial Supervisory Service, all of the investment transaction records submitted by Young Lord Lawrence were confirmed to be true, and the agencies concluded that no wrongdoing was found.]
[Adrian Lawrence, the son of Viscount Lawrence, who had been called a prodigy since childhood and had shown extraordinary brilliance.]
[He is currently known as a genius who has reached the 7th circle at the age of 20, but it seems that his talent is not limited to magic alone.]
After watching the video, his wife and daughter widened their eyes and let out exclamations of admiration.
"Goodness. Is this the talented subordinate you were talking about?"
"Yes. He'll be granted a countship now that he's become a great mage, so I can't really call him a subordinate anymore. Personally, I wanted to connect him with Michelle, but in just a few days he's become far too big a figure."
"Still, isn't there some way? There couldn't be a better son-in-law than him."
Hearing their parents' conversation, Michelle Otis clicked her tongue in protest.
"His looks are more or less my type, but I don't want to be a woman who benefits from a former spouse. I plan to become a power holder myself."
"How?"
"If I get my hands on the fortuity of Grand Duke Lucas Manuel, that'll be a neat solution."
"You're still saying that? When are you going to grow up, you little brat."
"Ah, I'm telling you it's possible!?"
At that, the Countess of Otis looked like she was about to burst with frustration, but for some reason Count Otis wore an expression as if he were lost in thought. ## New Terms Otis County = Otis County Craft = Craft Countess of Otis = Countess of Otis Michelle Otis = Michelle Otis National Tax Service = National Tax Service Financial Supervisory Service = Financial Supervisory Service Lord's castle = lord's castle Young Lord = Young Lord Countship = countship Great Mage = great mage 7th circle = 7th circle Grand Duke Lucas Manuel = Grand Duke Lucas Manuel
"Why are you reacting like that?"
Pulled out of his stray thoughts by the gazes of his wife and daughter, Count Otis shrugged his shoulders and let out a dry chuckle.
"Well, if Young Lord Adrian obtained Grand Duke Lucas's fortuity, it would make his current extraordinariness easier to understand."
Unable to accept her father's line of reasoning, Michelle scrunched up her face in a sudden frown.
"The Riverdale Ducal House acknowledged him as part of the same sect, remember."
"Considering how unstable his position is, being under the Riverdale sect is also the most suitable shelter for him. On top of that, Young Lord Adrian is meticulous enough to have thoroughly hidden himself until he became a great mage."
"But his assets were transparently accumulated through investment, and that was officially recognized by royal agencies."
"Could there perhaps have been some sort of deal between the Riverdale family and the Linehart royal house?"
"Father, do you like conspiracy theory novels?"
Saying his leap in logic was far too extreme, Michelle snorted at her father's words.
"Are you mocking your old man right now?"
"I'm not mocking you; I'm just laughing because it's funny."
Just as the father and daughter were carrying on their rather feeble war of words.
The hologram, which had been continuously broadcasting the news, delivered a new report.
[We have breaking news. Just now, an announcement has been made from the presidential palace of the Prius Republic that they have obtained Manuel Lucas's fortuity….]
"Huh?"
"What!?"
And the contents of that news reversed the expressions of father and daughter 180 degrees.