Chapter 74
He was the dean of the Imperial Academy—an institution every high noble passed through—and an expert officially certified by the Imperial Household.
In other words, ignoring his assessment was no different from challenging the empire’s order itself.
If they disregarded him and continued mining, and an accident occurred…
The responsibility would be immeasurable.
Even for Pavel Astrakhan, who proudly called himself the emperor’s loyal hound.
The deposit for the auction had already been paid. And with all the nobles present, there was no way to undo the auction now.
He was already hounded by the stigma of being “the uncle who stole his nephew’s rightful place.”
If trust and honor collapsed as well, he would become a hollow shell of a stand-in duke.
Worse yet, over seventy percent of this investment money belonged to the imperial prince.
If that money was tied up indefinitely, even the fragile relationship he had painstakingly built with the prince could crumble.
Therefore, the only thing he could do was—
“There is clear evidence that the organizers colluded with a certain noble house!”
—to blame the auction organizers and invalidate the auction itself.
“Collusion? How unpleasant.”
König answered flatly.
“Once ground stability is fully confirmed, we will reopen the site for further development.”
Whether that was one year later or ten years later was anyone’s guess.
“Damn… damn it all…”
Only Pavel’s suppressed groan echoed weakly through the auction hall.
It was a complete victory for König Kreuz.
* * *
After the auction, at Count Albon’s estate within Gelende—
“Tch!”
Crunch, crunch.
I chewed on the almonds served by the attendant and looked between the count and König.
“I did everything exactly as you instructed. So I trust Your Grace will keep your promise.”
“I’ll settle your son’s debt.”
“Th-thank you…”
Count Albon bowed low, forehead nearly touching the table.
As for how all this happened…
We go back to the night before.
After confirming the crystal at the rock mountain, we went straight to the count.
Or to be more accurate—we stormed in.
“House Astrakhan has already promised to pay 30 billion gold.”
Meaning the count had no need for our deal.
Since he refused to meet, König and Eloise kicked down the mansion doors and barged in.
Once we had him face-to-face, it took less than thirty minutes to break his resistance.
Naturally.
“You’ve been up to some interesting things.”
“W-what do you mean…?”
“You had the villagers decorate the town nicely.”
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He tried to play dumb, but it didn’t last long.
“My adjutant told me the blue quartz used in the village couldn’t have come from Gelende’s open-pit mine.”
Of course, Gerard had never said such a thing.
The decorations in Gelende were nothing more than pyrite and lapis lazuli.
But Count Albon took the bait König dangled without hesitation.
“Haha… Your Grace’s adjutant must be mistaken. S-sometimes blue quartz is found…”
His voice shook as he finished the sentence.
“Is that so? I didn’t think so. So I summoned an expert from the capital.”
“…P-pardon?”
“I heard he was vacationing near the Viscounty of Volken. He should arrive tomorrow morning.”
König’s twisted smile made the count’s rigid posture crumble instantly.
“Please… please keep it secret until the auction ends…!”
The count bowed so deeply one might think he had abandoned all noble dignity.
And in a trembling voice, he finally confessed.
“The truth is… the debt my son incurred long ago surpassed the estate’s total assets.”
His only heir had failed in business four times, then disappeared southward claiming he needed healing.
“To the south…?”
“Yes. The region filled with casinos. My foolish son fell into gambling, and the debt grew even larger.”
Then, days later, a letter arrived.
Your son, Fremia Albon, owes me 400 gold.
If he does not settle the debt within a month, he should be considered no longer your son.
— Pahein Solana
The count placed the parchment on the table, showing two thumbprints.
“…”
“Pahein Solana…”
For some reason, the Kreuz siblings simultaneously rubbed their faces.
I also heard Eloise mutter a quiet curse.
“Oh? So His Grace the Duke of Kreuz has heard the name? They say he’s a one-eyed pirate who even the southern lords struggle to handle.”
“Never heard of him.”
König turned his head slightly, expression barely shifting.
Looks familiar no matter how I look at it…
But I kept listening without commenting.
After suffering consecutive business failures and accumulating debt greater than the entire county’s worth…
The count had reached the point where everything went dark.
And what flashed through his mind at that moment was—
“Crystal.”
So, in a desperate attempt to do something—anything—he prepared this grand scam.
House Astrakhan had offered 20 billion gold, and promised another 10 billion if crystal was found.
Of course, true crystal would never be found in Gelende’s open-pit mine.
Tears glistened in the count’s eyes.
Now that his scheme had been uncovered—using villagers for fraud and all—he must’ve thought his last chance to save his son had vanished.
But König, Eloise, and I simply exchanged crooked smiles.
We were all thinking the same thing.
This could be…
A perfect chance to make Pavel Astrakhan drink muddy water.
“I’ll help you ensure that Astrakhan wins the ‘crystal mine’ at the auction.”
König said in the gentlest tone imaginable.
“Y-yes…?”
Of course the count was stunned.
There was no way crystal could be found in Gelende.
And the duke who claimed he brought in an expert from the capital certainly knew that.
But he was offering to help sell Gelende as a crystal mine at the auction?
The count couldn’t even blink in disbelief before—
“I’ll also take care of your son’s debt.”
—the even more shocking news dropped.
“R-really?”
König simply nodded.
Wearing a rare, benevolent smile.
“In return, I’d like to receive the village of Gelende. Naturally, the open-pit mine remains under House Albon.”
“O-of course! If you help me get my son back… I’ll do anything.”
With the agreement reached, the paperwork was completed swiftly.
And the moment we stepped out of the mansion, we headed straight for the rock mountain.
Late that night—
For reasons unknown, the cry of a crow echoed mournfully over Gelende village.
Caw, caaw!
[My wings will fall off at this rate!!]
“Tch!”
And the battle cry of the bravest squirrel in existence also rang through the night.
* * *
While Cherry’s group met with the count—
Behind the Gelende auction hall.
In a luxurious carriage parked between abandoned houses, a dark mood simmered.
“So… we lost the money, and the crystal mine’s development has been suspended indefinitely?”
The young man seated in the honored seat—hidden behind heavy blackout curtains—spoke without emotion.
A man with reddish-brown hair and emerald eyes.
He stared at the middle-aged man across from him.
Pavel Astrakhan—whose well-groomed blond hair had now wilted with cold sweat.
“Y-your Highness, if you would simply use a bit of influence so development can resume—”
“I believe I’ve already used enough. Haven’t I?”
He was Theon Wygdnia, the Empire’s Third Prince.
When the Astrakhan duke stepped down and the household’s power waned, he funded the entire crystal mine bid.
Not only that.
Instead of supporting the crown prince, he had chosen Pavel—going so far as to tip him off that crystal was buried in Gelende.
All Pavel had needed to do was show his face and act as the prince’s proxy.
But Pavel Astrakhan had failed even that.
“I prepared the intel. I supplied the funds. And all you can give me is worthless excuses?”
“Y-your Highness, please, I—”
He couldn’t finish the sentence.
The prince’s cold emerald eyes conveyed everything.
He fully intended to sweep the board clean.
After everything I’ve done to rise this far…
Pavel felt desperation choke him.
In a panic, he blurted out:
“Y-Your Highness…! Give me just one more chance and I won’t disappoint you. A-also—I heard something about a squirrel.”
“A squirrel…?”
“I received a report from the assassin I sent after Duke Kreuz. He said he saw a squirrel. I think… it might be the squirrel Your Highness is searching for…”
Pavel himself wasn’t sure.
But it was the only lifeline he had.
The squirrel the prince had been desperately searching for these past three years.
“And how would you know that?”
As expected, the prince’s gaze returned to him.
“I will bring it before Your Highness shortly…!”
“For the first time, I find myself looking forward to something you’ve said. I’ll wait.”
The prince’s lips curved for the first time—an amused, predatory interest.
Only his low voice echoed in the carriage.
“You have just one chance.”
