Koga City, Earl's Mansion.
I hadn't set foot in this place since the last appearance of the Ghroth's Eye. I remembered that incident had nearly destroyed most of the mansion, yet now it looked perfectly intact—rebuilt remarkably fast.
Stepping into the Earl's Mansion, the construction still followed the previous layout. I had stayed here for a few days before and remembered the floor plan. Now, though rebuilt, the new Earl, Ryan Hamilton, had kept the original design.
Everyone has their weak and sentimental side... In Sean's view, Ryan might clash with him on certain matters, but rebuilding the mansion showed a nostalgic streak.
Inside the mansion's reception hall...
Ryan Hamilton, along with several other wizards and knights, was present, a few of whom Sean recognized.
Cleveland...
That knight, once Aria's personal guard, had actually defected to the new Earl!
Makes sense.
A wise bird chooses its tree. This world didn't have the chivalric code Sean knew. If Cleveland kept following Aria, he might not even get a decent meal. Why not switch to the new Earl Hamilton? After all, they were all Hamiltons, and no one would hold it against him later.
Also present was another person on Sean's [Hate] friends list—Warren!
Ignia's senior disciple...
"Baron Weigel, long time no see!"
As Sean entered, Ryan was the first to greet him with a smile.
It startled Sean. He vividly recalled their first meeting, with its cold sarcasm, especially when Ryan used his status to mock Aria for lacking powerful allies.
How long had it been, and Ryan had learned to say such [insincere!] pleasantries.
"Long time no see. I remember our last meeting was here too, wasn't it?"
Maybe the speaker meant no harm, but the listener took it to heart. Sean had just been trying to make conversation, but the moment he spoke, a [Dissatisfied!] status appeared above Ryan's head.
Their last meeting at the mansion was during a period of mutual dislike. After the incident that followed, they rarely interacted. Sean mostly talked more with Freya and Ignia back then.
Not exactly fond memories, no wonder Ryan put on a sour face.
"I heard Baron Weigel arrived in Koga City a few days ago and has been staying at some gun shop on Brucan Avenue?" Since they clearly didn't get along, Ryan dropped the pleasantries, his expression instantly darkening.
In this regard, he fell far short of the previous Earl Hamilton.
"Yes, I arrived a few days ago."
Sean noticed both Ryan and Warren had [Sneer!] statuses.
They were deliberately laying out all his movements, making it clear that whether in Taylor Mian or Koga City, everything he did was under their watch.
Everyone took their seats...
As an invited guest, Sean had a seat too, though it was a bit far back, even behind Warren.
Servants poured tea, and the real conversation began.
"Since Baron Weigel is no outsider, I'll speak plainly."
"That's best!"
Sean picked up the tea on his table and held it.
"I know you visited my sister a few days ago, and I've heard roughly what you discussed. So I hope you'll turn a blind eye to Hamilton family matters. Whatever choices you made before, I can overlook, but I want our future interactions to be more pleasant."
It was phrased politely, but it essentially meant he was in charge of this territory now.
"And the conditions?" Sean asked deliberately.
The Hamiltons weren't fools; they'd attach conditions to any demand.
"Taylor Mian can continue enjoying Koga City's benefits. I heard Baron Weigel wants to develop the fruit industry? Koga City can help, but we need a similar commitment from you," the other said with a smile.
In Sean's estimation, even if he refused, Ryan's current power couldn't directly revoke the town's facilities. But as Koga City's true ruler, he could target the town openly or covertly later—they were too close to avoid it.
"Of course, there's one more thing," Warren, sitting beside Ryan, chimed in.
"I want you to stay away from my junior disciple. She's a wizard of Elinta, responsible for the safety of all Koga City and the Southern Border, not someone a small-town noble like you can order around." He didn't dare directly accuse Sean of feelings, but in Warren's eyes, he refused to acknowledge Ignia's relationship with Sean.
Sean looked at Ryan, then at Warren.
"You're meddling in this too?"
"Elinta is still a wizard organization in Koga City. We're just reminding you," Ryan said expressionlessly.
Sean took a deep breath.
Interesting...
Today was clearly an ultimatum. They'd shown him he couldn't escape their surveillance, claimed control over the region's resources, and then laid out terms.
It wasn't negotiation.
It was a direct command!
For a moment, Sean wished the Ghroth's Eye would reappear and cause chaos, replacing Koga City's ruler. But he chose another path instead.
"Doesn't Earl Hamilton know what I did in Riyetis?"
Time to pull rank.
In Riyetis, he knew the Grand Duke and the Prince, and his identity as a member of the Sky-Covering Wings was nothing to sneeze at, even in Koga City.
"I've heard a bit, but doesn't Baron Weigel think Riyetis is too far away?"
Looks like they were set on a hard line.
Freya had originally gotten him into the Sky-Covering Wings to use the wizard organization's name for convenience, but she'd likely aimed at someone with political savvy like the previous Hamilton. This Ryan was clearly more emotional—if he wanted a fight, he'd get one!
"Our conversations always seem to go nowhere," Sean said.
Everyone in the room heard it, and a mix of [Surprise!] and [Mockery!] statuses appeared.
"Oh? So Baron Weigel—"
"Milord."
Just as he was about to speak, someone rushed in from the entrance.
Bursting in during a meeting meant it was permitted. The person went straight to Ryan's ear and [Whispered!] a few words.
Then Ryan Hamilton looked at Sean with a [Shocked!] expression.
"What's wrong, Earl?" Warren asked urgently.
It was obvious to everyone, especially when Ryan looked at Sean, almost speechless.
"Baron... Baron Weigel truly has skill. No, I can't call you that anymore. Hmph, no wonder you speak so boldly—you've found a backer. Impressive." He spewed a string of 'praise,' but his temper was clearly flaring.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Stop pretending. My informant just got word that the Empire is planning a new city in the Takoma region, and its ruler is the newly appointed Count Sean Weigel!"
Pfft—
Sean nearly spat out his tea.