"It seems you have something in mind," Count Hamil said.
Despite being weighed down by negative conditions, the man didn't miss a thing when observing others. The moment Sean's eyes flickered, the count caught it.
It was easy to imagine that if this count didn't suffer from these ailments, he would have been a formidable politician in his prime.
In Sean's eyes, the count wasn't under any curse... According to him, he'd felt something wrong with his body three years ago. A curse couldn't last three years—it was likely that the root of the illness had taken hold back then, and now, whatever magic was involved had turned into a disease.
"What are you thinking, Baron Weigel?" the count asked again.
"I was just recalling the magical beast I encountered today," Sean said. He hadn't yet mentioned the avalanche, since only he and the archaeological team knew about it.
"You suspect someone was secretly raising it?"
"It's just a guess."
Sean had seen the status that instantly appeared above the giant rat's head, which clearly indicated someone was communicating with it. But he couldn't present that evidence directly to others.
So he could only guide the count to help explain things for him.
"I'll have Aelia look into this. If there's any progress, she'll inform you."
From the moment he learned about his arrival at the count's estate and the ambush on the road, Sean understood that although this count couldn't often appear before others due to his illness, he was fully aware of everything happening around him.
"So, Count, what was the real reason you called me here? It can't just be to tell me someone's targeting the nobles." After all that storytelling, the count was probably waiting for Sean to ask first.
"Correct. I did call you here for something only you can accomplish... As I said earlier, among all the nobles, you Weigels are an exception—you've barely left the mountains for a hundred years. If someone wanted to strike at the noble circle, you'd be the easiest target, yet you've lived well all these years. So I'm certain the Weigels were never on their list."
Sean noticed a [Pondering!] status gradually appearing above the count's head.
With so many negative effects, the man could still persist in thinking—it was admirable.
Unfortunately, his guess wasn't entirely accurate. Perhaps since the avalanche, Sean's own town had been targeted too!
"Maybe it's because Taylemian is so remote that they gave up on the Weigel family. But with your arrival, you might become a new target... So I need you to help me find the enemy hiding in Koga City."
"You mean, Count, you want me to lure out the enemy?"
Sean roughly understood the count's intent. In short, he wanted to use Sean's newcomer status as bait to see if anyone would approach him, since in the count's assumption, the enemy might be among the nobles.
He looked up at the count before him...
And at that moment, a [Testing!] status appeared above the count's head.
Huh...
Testing? What was he testing?
There was only Sean in this room. Was he testing Sean?
Sean quickly recalled the statuses he'd seen on those viscounts outside. Maybe the count had told them all the same story...
Damn!
What an old schemer—even at death's door, he was still thinking about how to trap the southern nobles.
"Yes, because you're the most suitable," Count Hamil said earnestly.
If Sean couldn't see the count's current status, he might have believed it...
"This job is probably dangerous. Doing it alone feels a bit..." Sean thought about how to act out the inner turmoil of someone accepting a mission, since agreeing or refusing might not matter.
The count had likely told everyone the same thing, so agreeing wouldn't necessarily mean being taken seriously.
"Don't worry about safety. I heard you're close with the witch from Elinta—that's a good start."
"Elinta?" Sean frowned at the unfamiliar name.
"That little girl who's always with you. You probably don't know yet. She comes from a legendary wizard organization under the Bashalan Empire—a worthy companion to have," Hamil said.
"Don't worry. I said I'd ensure the safety of all southern nobles, and there won't be any mishaps. The Bashalan Empire has stood in the world for over four hundred years—it's seen every kind of threat. This is just a minor episode... I've already reported the situation to the north. Koga City suffered a major internal conflict a hundred years ago, and I won't let that happen again."
Count Hamil assured Sean, repeatedly emphasizing that Koga City was formidable and nothing to worry about.
After all, this city was his domain, just like Taylemian had been Sean's. So Sean could understand that. Finally, he symbolically agreed to the count's request and took his leave from the room.
The time wasn't long—probably similar to the previous viscounts.
That meant they'd all likely received the same message. The count was just testing whether there were traitors among the nobles.
Shortly after Sean left, Count Hamil, still in the room, spoke to the chamber behind him: "What do you think of this baron?"
An elderly man, equally aged but noticeably stronger, stepped out.
"Typical villager mentality. Even if you give him the task, he probably won't put his heart into it..."
"That's not what I'm asking, and there are plenty of nobles like that." Hamil sighed.
Even with the enemy at their doorstep, the nobles couldn't let go of their petty power struggles!
"This Baron Weigel is cautious, and Taylemian itself lacks strength. I heard the avalanche in Taylemian a while back involved some snow giants, so he's unlikely to have ties with the enemy," the man behind him said.
"Snow giants? In the south? Why didn't I know about this?"
"Because Baron Weigel ordered it kept quiet, and Taylemian's intelligence has always been scarce, so we didn't receive it," the man quickly replied.
Information about Taylemian was indeed sparse. If not for the morning report that Miss Aelia had met Baron Weigel in the market, even Koga City's intelligence department wouldn't have known he'd left the town.
"Enough. This incident is a reminder to you all. Don't underestimate any established situation—it can change at any time... Any news from the north?"
"Oh, we've received word. The Red Dragon Witch, Freya Igueil, will personally come to Koga City!"
..........................
After leaving the count's room, Sean followed the butler who had led him in back to the courtyard.
Many people were still waiting for him there, and just like before, the count called another noble over.
It seemed the count intended to spread the message among all the nobles...
"How did it go?" Ignia asked as she approached Sean when he came out.
"What did the Count say?"
This question drew a crowd of onlookers, so Sean just shook his head, imitating the other two viscounts by staying silent.