Chapter 5 – Randolph’s Scheming: Midnight Encounter

It’s bribery, plain and simple. Though in this world, for nobles, bribery itself isn’t considered evil.

Using your own wealth to grease palms and get favors… that kind of thing isn’t even outlawed.

Of course, taking bribes and then committing outright treason is a problem.

“So the Holy Noucrates is trying to exploit the Turmakas family’s financial troubles?”

They call it “donations” from merchants, but there’s every chance the Holy Noucrates is using the Turmakas house as a pipeline to meddle in the Grafald Autonomous Territory.

By the way, this kind of thinking all comes from the anime, games, manga, and novels I devoured in my previous life.

I loved medieval fantasy stories full of political intrigue and scheming.

And to be honest, I especially loved the erotic games set in those worlds. Though I only had time to sink into those before I started working…

“Hoh… Impressive. You connected the Turmakas family’s finances and troop numbers all the way to Holy Noucrates interference. Frankly, I’m impressed.”

“Just a lucky guess. But the way you’re talking, Zeph—it really is Holy Noucrates meddling, isn’t it?”

It had been framed as mere merchant donations. Zeph gave a big nod, like he was confirming the answer.

“Yes. Actually, a little while ago one of Lord Randolph’s retainers came to me with a confidential offer.”

“…Huh?”

“Tomorrow at the debut ceremony, Lord Randolph plans to publicly denounce you, Lord Deil. The focus will be your legitimacy as territorial lord.”

“Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa.”

Now I understood why Zeph had come back with answers so fast after I asked him to look into it.

Simple—he’d been tipped off by one of Randolph’s own men.

As suspected, the Holy Noucrates was standing behind Randolph. They were using him to sow chaos inside the Grafald Autonomous Territory.

“I served Lord Jost for many years, after all. Tomorrow, Randolph will stand in front of everyone and question whether you were rightfully chosen as lord. He wanted me—Lord Jost’s closest aide—to join in at that moment.”

The plan was to create an instant atmosphere of “Yeah, Deil as lord is kinda bullshit, right?”

“Man, they really had the balls to approach you with that…”

“They were pretty blatant about using the Holy Noucrates’ military might as backing. It was less a request and more a threat. Lord Randolph probably assumed the whole retainer group was only grudgingly accepting you as lord.”

Randolph’s retainer apparently gave Zeph one hell of a sales pitch.

‘Side with us and the Holy Noucrates will remember you fondly.’

‘No way you’d go against us, right? We’ve got the Holy Noucrates backing us!’

‘The Turmakas house is about to get way bigger with Holy Noucrates support! Better to be on our side, yeah?’

…Roughly that vibe.

“By the way… they’ve apparently made similar approaches to the other three noble houses.”

“…So when Randolph denounces me tomorrow, they want the others to pile on?”

“Yes. But since they came to me with the offer, it probably means they haven’t gotten firm yeses yet from the northern Eckelun, southern Shadima, or western Raizon houses.”

Damn… Randolph, you little shit. Already making moves…!

If either Lord Cardon—who was close to the Holy Noucrates—or Lord Edward—who leaned toward the Auranz Union—had become lord, Randolph probably wouldn’t have pulled this.

But the new lord has no ties to either great power, and his mother was a commoner. That’s why Randolph saw an opening and jumped on it.

The goal is probably to boost Holy Noucrates influence here. Or maybe, over a few years, fully absorb the Grafald Autonomous Territory.

(It hasn’t even been that long since we announced the new lord to both great powers…!)

But this made one thing crystal clear: I don’t have the luxury of lounging around as territorial lord.

The “position” I’d gained wasn’t rock-solid by any means.

“Lord Deil. If all four noble houses openly oppose your ascension tomorrow, things will get extremely difficult.”

Worst case, exile… And then the two great powers might turn this place into a proxy battlefield over the next succession.

And if the Holy Noucrates is already moving, it wouldn’t be strange if the Auranz Union was doing something too.

At this point, I can’t even trust the remaining noble houses!

“…Give me some time alone to think. Zeph, thanks for telling me.”

“Yes, sir…”

Zeph bowed lightly and left the room.

■

(Fuuuuck, gaaaaaaah!)

That night, I was drinking and punching my pillow to blow off steam.

I vaguely remember doing the same thing on stressful nights in my previous life…

“Fucking with me…! I’m the territorial lord, dammit! Sure, globally my position might suck, but why the hell do I still get treated like trash inside my own territory, huuuuh!?”

That bastard Randolph…! Smirking as he cozied up to me, planning to betray the lord the whole time…!

If that prick had a little sister he doted on, I’d pamper her nice and slow right in front of him…!

To vent, I started building a very detailed fantasy scenario in my head.

Tie Randolph up and restrain his sister on a device so she can’t move an inch. Then put on a show—deep, sloppy kisses, strip her naked, and utterly destroy her pussy.

Ram a massive vibe into her cunt and stuff a gag ball in her mouth. Of course I’d fuck her raw, and hell, knock her up good and proper so I could show off her swollen belly to that bastard Randolph.

Hook her nose, ruin that pretty face until it’s pathetic… How’s that feel, Randolph? The sister you adored is turning into a cock-loving bitch under my hands…!

I kept raping Randolph’s imaginary sister in all sorts of other scenarios too.

My cock was throbbing hard, but with the debut ceremony tomorrow I wasn’t in the mood to actually call a woman.

No choice—I leaned fully on past-life knowledge and kept ravaging her in my mind. But the fantasy got abruptly interrupted by a cool, clear voice.

‘To think there’d be someone with such wonderfully twisted tastes in this world.’

“!? Wh-who’s there!?”

Not my imagination. I distinctly heard a woman’s voice. But I was alone in the room.

‘Over here.’

I turned toward the voice. In the mirror at the end of my gaze, it was reflected.

“A… cat…!?”

A black cat was staring back from inside the mirror.

Weird… There’s no cat in my room… Is this some fantasy-world phenomenon because mana exists?

‘You… want to try being the Demon King?’