Volume 9 Chapter 3 The Season Of Schemes – Part III
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
*Lucy’s Perspective
”Well, hello there. You’re Viscountess Lucy Blackberry, aren’t you…”
A boy with a rather unremarkable appearance sat before me, his gaze unsettlingly direct.
He was Count Kent Blackdagger.
Married to Miriallia, the Dream Demon known as Black Dagger, he’d become the youngest General in the Kingdom and swiftly rose to the position of South DistrictMargrave after vanquishing the traitor Gertroud.
He was a renowned Hero, spoken of in hushed tones.
But if I didn’t know beforehand, this boy before me would just look like a common ruffian.
This is the Hero they speak of… Could anyone believe that a man who looks like this wields power comparable to a Demon Lord?
Kent Blackdagger in front of me seemed entranced by my appearance; his mouth hung open, dumbstruck.
”Yes. With the esteemed Count Kent Blackdagger gracing us with his presence, our family name will surely rise in the ranks among the Capital City Nobles. After all, our family is a newly established noble house…”
”Oh, come now. I hear the Blackberry family possesses a considerable fortune, enough to make even the sparrows of Capital City chatter.”
The plump incubus man sitting beside Kent introduced himself as Aldo Dracul, the Chancellor of the True Demon Kingdom.
I had invited Chancellor Aldo to help me advance my plans to seize power during this Capital City upheaval, and to support Gilbert’s planned coup.
Ideally, I would have brought Kondrad, the leader of the South District Margrave’s forces stationed in Capital City, along with Aldo.
However, I hadn’t anticipated the arrival of such a prominent figure as Kent Blackdagger.
”I told Kent about Lady Blackberry’s beauty, and he practically flew over here. I thought he might be intruding, but I brought him along anyway.”
Aldo exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders and put on a show, but knowing his personality, it was clear he had orchestrated Kent Blackdagger’s arrival on purpose.
”Flattery like that to Chancellor Aldo? It makes me blush just thinking about it! Please, Sir Kent, don’t gawk at me so!”
Kent, who was stealing glances at my face, seemed to be whispering something to Miriallia who sat beside him, checking for confirmation.
His voice boomed across the battlefield, powerful and commanding, yet here, in front of the small boy, there was no hint of such vitality.
”By the way, I’ve heard you’ve got some interesting activities going on at your house. Mind if I join in?”
”Oh, and where exactly did you hear such tales?”
”Let’s just say I have my sources.”
I had heard that Aldo hosted several guests with unique talents at his manor, acting as his eyes and ears, supplying various information and connections, as Mr. Lord of Sven had informed me.
It seemed that the rumors about my underground poker games targeting Nobles had reached those ears.
A chill of sweat trickled down my spine for a moment.
But I managed to maintain my composure.
”You’re as sharp as ever, Prime Minister of the Kingdom. However, I assure you that I’m engaging in formal matches, adhering strictly to the laws of the Kingdom. Should you have any concerns, I can present the agreements exchanged with my opponents.”
I made sure to have the Nobles I stripped of their fortunes formally sign a document acknowledging their debts before letting them go.
Of course, the panic brought on by the high sums had them signing without reviewing the contents, meaning that they unwittingly agreed to terms no sane person would.
While the laws of the Kingdom forbade Lords from transferring territories to others, they were allowed to bestow inheritance rights to relatives.
Thus, I added a clause granting inheritance rights to female relatives within those debt agreements, ensuring that the women I had ensnared served as my slaves while the land continued to pass down as my own.
Among my collection of completely nude slaves, there are already more than 5 noble families with territories, and nearly 20 if you include those without land, whose ladies serve me.
”I see… What does Lady Lila think?”
Miriallia’s mother, who stood behind Kent, was a young succubus who could be mistaken for a girl, but she was known as the power behind Lord Gwain in the Capital City, his loyal wife, Lila.
The cold sweat that had momentarily subsided began to soak her back once more.
For she was credited with helping Lord Gwain, known as the kingdom’s finest bureaucrat, to shine during the previous Demon Lord’s reign, according to the bureaucratic nobles.
Lila’s legendary prowess made her a fitting role model for me, aspiring to be the kingdom’s first female Chancellor.
”Lady Lila? I had heard you were serving the South District Margrave, but I didn’t expect to see you in such a youthful form…”
”Oh? Viscountess Blackberry, you have a silver tongue. I’ll take that as a compliment. By the way, regarding Aldo’s question, legally speaking, there’s no crime that a Viscountess must condemn. And since it’s her, I’m sure there are formal documents in order.”
It seemed Lady Lila could see through my intentions, but she wasn’t giving me an opening to pursue the matter further.
”In that case, it’s legal. Then, I’ll join in too. A Chancellor can’t take part in illegal gambling. But with Ms. Lila’s stamp of approval, as the keeper of the kingdom’s laws, I should be able to participate.”
Aldo declared his intention to join my hosted poker game with a chuckle.
”Oh? Chancellor Aldo, do you desire me? Don’t you have a beautiful wife?”
I watched the Dragonia woman standing quietly next to Aldo, a question forming in my mind.
I had heard whispers that she was a noble with blood tracing back to the former Black Dragon Duke, a family that had fled to the Kingdom after losing a succession battle for their dukedom.
”I’ve got Tifa’s blessing. Not that I have an eye for beautiful women like Kent does, but hey, I can appreciate a lovely face.”
Though I had no intention of becoming Aldo’s lover, Tifa, his spouse, was definitely someone I wanted to add to my collection.
Besides, Aldo had inherited the Dracul estate, which sprawled over vast lands bordering the South District.
If I added his wealth to my own, it seemed my family could claim the most extensive territory in the Kingdom.
”W-Will you really join our little gathering?”
”Of course! I want to show off my prize once I win you over. I’ll even get to brag to Her Majesty about it. By the way, Kent will be joining this contest too, right?”
Aldo was trying to rope Kent into the mix as well.
”Naturally! How could the South District’s Stallion like me resist participating when faced with such beauty? Don’t underestimate Kent Blackdagger, the embodiment of lust!”
Kent’s nostrils flared with excitement, clearly caught up in his own thoughts.
I couldn’t help but shiver, apprehensive about whatever fantasies might be running through his mind.
Still, the Blackdagger family was known as the wealthiest among the Kingdom’s nobility──excluding the Demon Lord──and the thought of Kent bringing his title, the South District Margrave, along only increased my anxiety.
If I could defeat Aldo and Kent, I would not only become the Kingdom Chancellor but could potentially rise to stand against the Demon Lord… I absolutely could not back down from this challenge.
”So, are you really sure about this? Losing this contest could mean losing everything!”
”Oh, I’m fine with it. If you win, I think I could gladly pass the Kingdom Chancellor’s seat over to you,” he replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
”I have no objections either. If it means getting my hands on a beautiful lady, I’m willing to make all sorts of sacrifices!”
”Understood. I shall make the preparations, so please wait a moment.”
The two easily agreed to participate in the wager.
Maintaining an air of calm to mask their surprise, they rang the bell.
At that moment, the n*ked Ophelia and her companions opened the door, carrying a poker table.
Aldo and Kent stood there, their eyes going wide in astonishment at the sight.
”…Well now. This is quite the treat. I, too, should invite everyone next time… Ouch! Sorry, that was a joke. Tifa, stop, that hurts!”
Aldo squinted at the n*ked slaves, only to be pinched by his main wife, Tifa.
”This looks like a hobby Kent would enjoy. Perhaps we should try this at our place sometime. What do you think, Kent?”
Miriallia spoke to Kent, who was still stunned by the spectacle beside her.
Rumor had it that the South District Margrave’s harem had already exceeded 3 digits, and the beauty of the women comprising that harem was acknowledged by the kingdom’s citizens.
”…Well, yes. It’s a bit embarrassing… umm, but I definitely want to do this.”
The n*ked slaves energetically set everything up.
We silently watched over the scene.
”Lady Lucy, we are ready.”
Ophelia announced the completion of their setup.
The two men were watching intently.
”If you can defeat me, you may claim all the n*ked slaves, including Ophelia here, so do your best.”
I teasingly stroked Ophelia’s nipple with a feather fan, and she let out a soft gasp.
”Oh, my. This lady is also quite lovely… and all the others are beauties too. If I had them in my establishment… Ouch! Tifa, your nails are digging in!”
”With these, they wouldn’t pale in comparison to our maid. Ms. Annabella recently requested to increase the number of maids in our household.”
Miriallia whispered to Kent while appraising the women beside him.
”You’re right. They seem noble, but they all look so earnest. If we win, perhaps we can recruit them as our maids.”
Both of them seem determined to win this poker game, but I, holding the unpublicized job title of [Cheatster], had acquired a Skill called [Swindle].
Thanks to this, I could manipulate my opponents, twist their perceptions, and turn a losing hand of poker into a winning one.
So, as much as it’s a shame for them, the winner of this game has already been decided──me.
Once I get their signatures on the property transfer documents, everything will be settled.
I was confident I could push the conversation without giving myself away.
”Now then, before we start the game, let’s confirm the details one more time. The game is poker, with a stake of ten large gold coins per round. We’ll play for these, and the winner takes all. In the case of bankruptcy, the woman can be accepted as collateral for the debt, allowing for an extension of the game. By the way, my entire fortune, including land and personal property, amounts to about 5 hundred large gold coins.”
Aldo’s cheek twitched at my proposal.
”Heh, this is excellent. Five hundred large gold coins could be considered one of the largest fortunes in the Kingdom. By the way, I should be able to rustle up about a thousand large gold coins if I liquidate everything.”
”Milly, how much do we have? 2500 large gold coins?”
”Um, let me ask mom.”
Kent and Miriallia had no grasp of their own assets and were looking to Lila for salvation.
”Um, according to Helga’s report, combining the assets of the Blackdagger family and the South District Margrave domain, it should be around 30 thousand large gold coins…”
At Lila’s words, I couldn’t help but shoot up from my chair with a loud screech.
”Wha!? Thirty thousand large gold coins!! Not regular gold coins?”
”Yes, large gold coins. It includes personal property, land, buildings, and even monster materials.”
Lila’s words made me legs tremble.
Could the Blackdagger House, with its 3 thousand gold pieces, be wealthier than the current Demon Lord, Shifa, whose power was waning?
”Then, let’s ditch this boring bet of ten large gold pieces and make a single-match wager for 5 hundred large gold pieces to get Lady Blackberry right away?”
Kent made a preposterous proposal.
He’d been raising the stakes of the wager, all the way to 5 hundred large gold pieces, to ensure a decisive finish in a single match.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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