Chapter 60: Viscount and Baron (Part 2)

"You mean... the royal family and those giants..." The butler's eyes moved slightly.

"Who knows? The struggle for royal power is always accompanied by conspiracy and bloodshed. Do you think all those 'viscounts' are royal children? No, most of them are sons of the Duke of Huntington's former soldiers, brave and skilled in battle, with no family background. Many are even orphans found on the battlefield, raised by soldiers, and then joined the army. The king appreciated them, bestowed them with a surname, and became their only support.

"They are the king's assassins, his sharp knives, and the meat bait Huntington throws into the wolves' dens. If any fool among us can't hold back our anger and takes action against them first, that would give the king the perfect excuse to punish us."

Baron Neumann drained his drink. "If we take this bait, we'll be gutted. If we leave it alone, it'll rot and stink on our territory." Huntington had set up his game with these chess pieces, allowing him to attack or defend.

"Oh, the old dog is very clever. I won't be fooled by him."

"But this Andre, he solved the case of the Axe family as soon as he arrived, and also captured Huipa..." the butler said hesitantly.

"I've always disliked that shifty fellow with the gray handkerchief." The baron waved his hand. "It's impossible to plaster a wall with mud. Let Piru hold his own and avoid being tricked."

He glanced at the clock and saw that he had been waiting for more than half an hour, so he stood up and said, "Let me change my clothes. I'm going to meet this... 'Viscount' who has no money, no land, and no friends."

-------

Andrei, who had no money, no land, and no friends, and only had the title of viscount, was now wearing a shining armor, with his left hand leisurely resting on the scabbard, leisurely admiring the oil painting hanging on the wall of the baron's reception room.

He had already prepared himself for a show of force, and didn't mind the fact that the Baron had left him out. This kind of thing was commonplace to him; if the Baron didn't show any reaction, Andre would have found it strange.

Andrei had been transferred to many noble territories, and being assassinated and plotted against was commonplace. Now it was just a new territory and new opponents. There were not many new things under the sun.

"Andrei?" The door to the inner room suddenly opened, and Baron Augustin von Neumann, with his beer belly and elegant attire, walked in. He said with a smile, "You are indeed a talented young man with an extraordinary appearance. It's a shame for you to be my deputy commander!"

Andrei, neither humble nor overbearing, gave the baron a proper military salute: "Lord."

This title perfectly avoided the status disputes between barons and viscounts, while remaining polite. It actually made the Baron's smile grow even wider. He patted Andrei's shoulder in a feigned cordiality and said, "Are you getting used to your new place, young man? I heard you've quietly solved the Axe family case and busted Graypa, the scoundrel in the kingdom's knights. Your contribution is truly invaluable!"

"It's what I should do." Andrei responded in a serious tone.

This sentence sounded too much like a pun, and the smile on the Baron's face froze. He patted Andre's back again, walked back to the sofa and sat down: "Originally, you have made a contribution, so I should give you a reward..."

'Huh...' Andre thought, 'The ultimate move is coming.'

"It's just that our West Eston City is truly a small place, without any major profitable industries. The surrounding towns and villages are even more impoverished... It's also because I'm useless. The territory King Delman gave me back then has been managed by me into this miserable state it is today...

"The city's potion master died in the capital three years ago, bringing the entire city's potion industry to a tumble. The Axe family's magical plant industry was also dragged down, and old Hurd died from excessive worry, leaving behind a family of incompetent descendants. The years have been tough, and the city's farmers have yet to recover from last year's severe drought, making it difficult for us to collect taxes.

"I'm sure the situation in the capital is similar. The knights have been complaining about their declining salaries lately, but what can I do? The funds His Majesty has allocated are limited, and I've done my best to support the knights. It's just a drop in the bucket... a drop in the bucket!"

Baron Neumann cried for a long time, but finally revealed his true intentions, saying, "So, I can only pay you the most basic salary according to His Majesty's regulations. As for the bounty... I will do my best to get it for you. But it all depends on His Majesty's wishes. However, as a viscount, you have a strong family background, so I guess you don't need the small salary of the Knights' Order."

Andrei smiled but didn't answer his question. He just said, "Anything else? If not, I'll go train with the Knights."

"Oh, there's one more thing." Baron Neumann patted his belly and smiled. "There's a Witch Forest not far from my territory. Although those witches are lawless and unruly vagrants, they brew excellent beer. In two days, they'll have their 'Midsummer Carnival'. Many people from the surrounding towns and villages will flock to participate... not just ordinary people, but also many prominent figures."

"To prevent any accidents, we in Neumann will have to send people over there to strengthen security. You should go find the Winchester clerk and have him lead a few knights to guard the area for a few days. Make sure everything is safe before returning."

He smiled cheerfully and said, "Buy me a few more barrels of beer! The Winchester clerk knows what I like, just take him there."

Andrei didn't even frown: "Yes, I obey."

The deputy knight commander, clad in silver armor, strode out of the city lord's mansion. The butler followed him, closing the door and returning to the baron. "Master, are you planning to...?"

"Cut off his salary and give him some unnecessary work to sideline him." The baron smiled slyly. "How much money does the Viscount have? Where does his wealth come from? He's just a fat man with a facade! Before long, he'll be finding ways to exploit those refugees and merchants! Then all we have to do is uphold justice and hand this traitorous scoundrel over to the King. Then we can deal with him naturally."

"Master is so wise!"

-------

"So, young master, are we bankrupt?" In the middle of the night, Jericho waited for Andre in the townhouse arranged by the witches. After listening to Andre's experience of the day, he couldn't help but ask worriedly.

"Almost," Andrei said. "It's not like we haven't experienced this kind of thing before... We've managed to pull it off before with picture albums and oil paintings, haven't we? So, how are the witches' sales?"

Jericho sighed, "Thank you for your hard work, Master... But I didn't sell a single one this afternoon... Well, they don't seem to like your model very much."

The master and servant fell into an inexplicable silence.