Volume 9 Chapter 3 The Season Of Schemes – Part III
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
[Expose]…[Swindle] Skill allows one to revert altered events or objects back to their original state or perception.
Consumes 10 Skill Points for Combat Skills.
I’m not quite sure, but it seems the [Expose] Skill is meant to uncover [Swindle].
In that case, was [Cheatster] unleashed because I was unknowingly under the influence of [Swindle]?
I have some Skill Points left, so I’ll try to acquire the [Expose] Skill.
And then, I’ll activate the [Expose] Skill from the Combat Skills menu.
──The [Expose] Skill has been activated.
──Removing the influence of Lucy Blackberry’s [Swindle] Skill.
Suddenly, the suits of the 8 of hearts and the 8 of clubs in Lucy’s hand on the table swapped back.
”Ah, it’s Swindle!”
Milly noticed the change in the cards and shouted.
At that moment, Lucy dropped her gaze to her hand.
”Eeek!? How did the suits go back to normal! That shouldn’t be possible! There shouldn’t be anyone who can break this Skill!”
Lucy scowled as she looked at the cards on the table.
”No, you lose. I had won. You used your [Swindle] Skill to make it seem like I had lost, putting me under your influence. And you’ve been using that Skill to swindle assets from many nobles, haven’t you? Am I wrong?”
Lucy averted her gaze and tried to stifle a cough when faced with my accusation.
”Wrong. This is a conspiracy. It must be something Sir Kent has cooked up. What a shameless man, to go to such lengths just to have me!”
Lucy, about to throw a tantrum in anger, was restrained by the n*ked slaves, Ophelia and the others.
”Lady Lucy, you lost to Lady Blackdagger. You should accept your defeat and hope for Lady Blackdagger’s mercy. According to the Kingdom’s laws, illegal use of Skills is a crime punishable by the [Criminal] job.”
Ophelia glared at the struggling Lucy, who was still pinned down.
”L-let go of me! I am your master! You slaves dare to betray your own master?!”
”Unfortunately, we are now legally under the ownership of Sir Kent Blackdagger. Therefore, our master is Sir Blackdagger. And you, Lucy Blackberry, are also now the property of Kent, Sir Blackdagger. Now, greet your new master.”
Ophelia began to treat Lucy, who was no longer her master, with a cold, hard edge.
”Why should I serve Sir Kent?! I haven’t lost yet! This match is invalid!”
Annoyed by Lucy’s continued excuses, Ophelia used her Harvesting Skill to strip her n*ked, just like herself.
”Kyaaaah! What are you doing?! How dare you look at my n*ked body! Don’t look! Don’t look!”
Lucy, stripped n*ked by Ophelia, was still pinned down and couldn’t hide herself.
”Oh, you’re a ‘smoothie’, aren’t you? You’re an adult, but you still don’t have any… hair. And what’s with these inverted nipples? How odd.”
Ophelia, as if to show me, began to tease Lucy’s inverted nipples.
”Don’t look! Don’t look! Nooooo!”
”Don’t make such a fuss just because your new master saw you n*ked. A noble lady should not be so easily flustered. Lady Blackdagger, I apologize. It seems this slave lacks education, both as a slave and as a noble. But I will educate her properly, so please forgive her.”
Ophelia seems intent on taking responsibility for the education of her former master, Lucy.
”Sure, but you guys are okay with becoming my slaves? Since it was discovered that Lucy was using illegal means, you don’t exactly need to become my slaves, right?”
”We were originally nobles who were to be exiled from the Capital City. Our lord perished due to Lucy’s trap, and we have been named the successors of the house, but without someone’s patronage, the house will collapse. I believe everyone here needs the support of Lady Blackdagger.”
Ophelia has come to ask me for the house’s patronage.
Looking around, I saw that all the women who had served Lucy as nude slaves were now looking at me with eyes filled with expectation.
”But hey, you understand what it means to accept my patronage, right?”
”Yes, we have no reservations about offering our bodies if we can receive your support. Moreover, Sir Blackdagger is not the sort to abandon troubled women. Please, won’t you protect us?”
The eyes of the women watching the negotiation between Ophelia and me were visibly uneasy.
Certainly, if I were to abandon them here, the nobles of the Capital City might well chew them to the bone and discard them by the roadside.
”Mother-in-law, is it all right to protect them?”
I sought confirmation from my Mother-in-law, who had been watching the proceedings.
”Hmph, fine. But make sure to report properly to His Majesty Shifa. Even though they’re exiled nobles, we’re protecting nearly 20 proper noble houses. However, I recommend returning the territories to His Majesty Shifa. It’s troublesome to protect landholders of the Kingdom, so it’s better to return the territories first and then offer protection. If they can’t give up their lands, they shouldn’t expect the protection of the Blackdaggers.”
Mother-in-law made some conditions for protecting Ophelia and the others.
She was right, too.
Protecting nobles with their own territories would create an enclave of the South District Margrave in the Kingdom, which would be a headache for Shifa.
I agreed with Mother-in-law’s plan.
”Can you accept these conditions? If you do, I can treat you as nobles of the South District Margrave, of the same rank. Of course, you won’t have any land. But, I can find you wonderful spouses, and the men of the South District are rich and kind.”
The ladies immediately agreed to my conditions.
I figured they weren’t interested in land because they weren’t supposed to inherit any, and they didn’t seem to have any attachment to it.
It was probably that noble disease they were born with.
They figured it’d be easier to give up their troublesome duties and move to the South District, where they could marry into wealth.
”Alright, the deal is done. You’ll be protected in the South District Margrave. And once you return to the South District, you’ll get back the assets Lucy swiped from you.”
The women cheered at my proposal.
They probably didn’t expect to get back the wealth Lucy had stolen.
I wasn’t interested in the money myself, so I just offered it up to help them get started with their new lives in the South District.
”Kent, you’re so soft on women…”
Milly sighed in exasperation.
”Elder Brother Kent is so cool! You’re amazing! Elder Brother is totally my prince!”
Meanwhile, Miriel was for some reason getting super excited all by herself.
”Hmph! Kent! Enjoy it while it lasts! By now, the coup should be successful, and your father-in-law, Arbalest, along with Aldo and Quenelra, will be captured and brought before the Demon Lord. And you, you’ll be under a decree of extermination for your treason!”
Lucy, who had been crying because she was seen n*ked, turned to face me and spat out words filled with venom.
”What, a coup d’état? Didn’t you mention some fishy rumors in Capital City?”
”Yeah, there was talk of a Noble plotting trouble due to the military reorganization. It seems an ex-General named Gilbert is at the center of it all, scheming.”
”Elder Brother Kent, the ‘Noble Brotherhood’ organized by ex-General Gilbert is a group primarily composed of ex-officers and Nobles who have been banished from the military due to Sir Arbalest’s reforms. Their aim is to shout down Arbalest’s supporters and oust Sir Arbalest as the king’s traitor.”
Miriel had told me about the organization aiming for a coup.
”Calling father a traitor… that’s a laugh. I’d rather not think he’d be ousted by such idiots…”
”Sir Kent! Sir Kent! A urgent messenger has arrived from the Capital City garrison!”
A female Ogre guard who had arrived with the messenger sprinted into the room alongside a soldier dressed in the South District Margrave’s military attire.
”Your Excellency Kent! It’s terrible! A, a coup d’état! Sir Arbalest has been captured at the Kingdom military headquarters. Mr. Quenelra seems to have been bound as well. Moreover, the rebel army is already advancing on the castle! There are traitors among the castle guards, the gates have been breached, and enemy soldiers are closing in on the throne room!”
The messenger, having finished his report in one breath, collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air.
He must have galloped all the way here from the palace.
”Ahahaha! It’s my victory! Now, free me and I’ll spare your lives! Hurry up and release me… ugh…”
Upon hearing about the coup, Lucy suddenly regained her vigor, but Milly silenced her with a jab to the sternum.
”Oh dear, even my father-in-law has been tripped up. We can’t just stand by and watch him be killed. For now, let’s return to the palace and regroup our forces. The enemy won’t make it easy for him, after all.”
”Indeed. If they kill stepfather, they’ll be crushed by the Kingdom’s army. They’re planning to use him as a hostage.”
”The Arbalest had some unexpected gaps too. If only Acleia or Eclair were here, they might not have been able to breach it… but you can’t win with what you don’t have.”
Father-in-law was a bold warrior and a proud statesman, but he had a tendency to enjoy the thrill of danger, and this time, it seems that weakness was exploited by the enemy.
”Once we rescue Father-in-law, let’s turn the tables on him.”
”Yeah, he always teased Kent for liking women, and he never listened to my suggestions. If we save him this time, it might be good to give him a taste of his own medicine. I think it’ll be good for him.”
Milly had repeatedly warned him about his reckless behavior this time, but he just laughed it off.
She seemed to think this was the perfect opportunity.
”Understood. Then let’s head back to the palace and gather our troops for now. Milly, sorry to ask, but could you go ahead and gather soldiers from Kondrad?”
”Alright, alright. I’ll take Miriel with me too. Coming, Miriel.”
With a call, Milly disappeared in a flash, taking Miriel with her.
”Now, it’s not safe to leave you all here. How about you come with me back to the palace?”
”Yes.”
And so, I hurried back from the Blackberry mansion to the palace, determined to mobilize the army to reclaim our stepfather.
~New Skill~
[Expose]… Due to the influence of the [Swindle] Skill, it is now possible to revert altered events or objects to their original form or perception. Consumes 10 Skill Points. Combat Skills
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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