The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 114

15. Conspiracy: The Inquired Wastrel

As I mentioned before, I never expected the greedy Hilton family to stay still.

Especially since the expected profit from handing over the Elden royal family to the Empire would amount to millions of gold over twenty years, there was no way they would give that up.

So, I have been considering various scenarios and working hard to prevent them.

The first method that came to mind was assassination.

However, my companions and I are all strong and not fools who would readily eat food given by others.

Ah, except for Campbell.

But Campbell somehow has the image of being unaffected even if he ate poison.

Next is the direct assassination of the royal family.

This method is not only high-risk, but it has also become a meaningless option since Princess Rebecca awakened as a vampire.

If assassination is not possible, the next method would be to politically discredit me through public opinion, but this has also become ambiguous.

The reason is Duke Arnold.

Duke Arnold, who tightly controlled the royal family, became an absolute supporter as he became a subordinate of Princess Rebecca.

With this situation, even if Charlie was a key figure in the pro-imperial faction, there was a limit to politically cornering me.

In many ways, it was a difficult situation for the Hilton family.

Still, I expected them to do whatever it takes to stop the coronation and inauguration ceremonies.

In the end, I confirmed the card that Baron Hilton pulled out just before the coronation, and I thought it was quite clever.

‘They brought in the Holy State.’

Since they framed me as a devil, it was obvious what kind of backing they had.

Originally, if internal problems cannot be resolved, it is standard to bring in external forces.

In fact, I thought they would bring in someone from the Empire, but the Holy State was unexpected.

“Be careful what you say! Possessed by a devil? Don’t say things you can’t take responsibility for!”

Veins popped out on Count Hornet’s forehead.

That’s how shocking Charlie Hilton’s statement was.

Since the rampage of the Demon King Baal 20 years ago, the word “devil” has become a trigger for all continentals.

If I had to define it, it was an unreal fear.

Therefore, the claim of being possessed by a devil was like a gamble where the accuser would receive a punishment equivalent to the accused if it turned out to be a false accusation.

“It’s alright.”

I stood up and calmed the audience.

Since I was the target anyway, they must have prepared some kind of scheme, so there’s no point in just backing down.

First, I decided to find out what card Charlie had prepared.

“Baron Hilton, I would like to hear the reason why you are making such a ridiculous claim.”

“You must be feeling guilty inside, pretending to be so calm. Aren’t you curious how I found out?”

“That wasn’t my question. Give me a reason why I am possessed by a devil.”

When I released a bit of my energy, Charlie, who had momentarily flinched, burst out with his reasoning.

“I heard that you used to drink and assault passersby until your late teens. In short, you were a wastrel. Am I wrong?”

“Correct. But what does that have to do with a devil?”

“A guy like that suddenly comes to his senses and becomes a User-level expert in a few months and an Expert-level expert in a few years? Does that make any sense?”

I wondered what it was, but was that all?

The scheme they prepared was somewhat clumsy.

“It’s true that I grew rapidly, but all sorts of things happen in the world. If simply growing beyond the norm means being possessed by a devil, are the Seven Stars also possessed by devils?”

The court officials nodded their heads at my words.

Looking back on history, there were quite a few experts who became strong with an unusual growth rate.

Of course, there were only a handful of people who grew faster than me.

“That’s not all. There’s another reason why I’m sure you’re possessed by a devil.”

“Speak.”

“About a year ago, the intermediate devil Dantaleon was summoned in the Lloyd territory. Everyone knows about this incident. Isn’t that right?”

This was a fact in itself, so everyone was in agreement.

“So?”

“Since the end of the Final War, devils have rarely appeared in the world. Then, after twenty years, the place where they started to appear in earnest was Lloyd territory? Isn’t that too suspicious to be a coincidence?”

“It may be suspicious, but to claim that I am possessed by a devil based on that alone is just speculation.”

“No? You didn’t defeat Dantaleon at that time. Rather, you had been eaten by Dantaleon even before that. You are now the devil Dantaleon wearing the shell of the wastrel Henon.”

The point when I started to make a name for myself in the kingdom was after I defeated Dantaleon.

From that time on, I was called the Devil Slayer.

The claim that I was possessed by the devil Dantaleon was an act of damaging my honor and ability at the same time.

“Charlie Hilton, you’ll say anything.”

“Of course. I was told not to bark if I couldn’t bite. I also have a decisive witness to support my claim.”

The fierce battle with Dantaleon in the Lloyd County was vividly witnessed by all the family members residing in the inner castle.

Even the head of the family, Count Lloyd, witnessed it, but he brought a witness.

At this point, I became curious.

I wanted to see the face of the witness he brought.

“Bring the witness. I will judge after seeing him.”

Charlie Hilton put his fingers in his mouth as if he had been waiting and whistled.

Then, the outer gate of the palace creaked open.

A figure appeared against the sunlight.

At first, only the shadow was visible because of the light.

However, as the eyes gradually adjusted to the light, the identity was revealed, and it was a very familiar face.

“…Phillip.”

That’s right.

The identity of the witness was Phillip.

My half-brother.

This was quite unexpected.

Why is Phillip here?

I thought he was missing in Molty territory.

After the elven insurgency in the Eastern Great Forest, Molty territory was devastated.

Even Phillip’s maternal grandfather, Count Molty, was captured by the elves and his head was hung.

Phillip’s head was not there, but I naturally assumed that he was captured and killed by the elves.

But he was alive and well in front of me, and a scary hypothesis came to my mind.

“Ladies and gentlemen who brighten Elden! Let me start by revealing my name. I am Phillip Lloyd, the eldest son of the current Seven Star, Count Lloyd.”

Phillip Lloyd.

The name Phillip is insignificant, but the surname Lloyd attached to it is not light.

Especially since he was the brother of Henon Lloyd, who was about to be crowned as the royal consort, people’s curiosity was amplified.

“Many of you are wondering why I am standing here. I just mustered the courage to convey what I have seen and heard to you.”

Phillip, who took a moment to catch his breath, slowly moved his finger and pointed at me.

“My half-brother. No, I can’t even call him my half-brother anymore. I directly witnessed the scene where the devil Dantaleon entered his body.”

After that, Phillip’s nonsense was hard to listen to.

“After being possessed, Dantaleon, who was in Henon’s body, accidentally revealed his true form to me. Then, he revealed his true form to kill me. That’s how he caused the accident called Devil Manifestation.”

I noticed it from the first time I saw Phillip, but that guy’s eloquence is pretty good.

The material was also stimulating, so there was something that made the audience listen.

“He hurriedly hid his true form because he was scared, and the person who remained in that place was Henon, so he naturally got the nickname Devil Slayer.”

“You have to lie within reason.”

“That’s not all. I was scared, so I ran away to my maternal family, Molty territory. But Dantaleon, who had his true form exposed, seduced the alien races and burned down the entire Molty territory because he was bothered by me.”

For reference, it was the Druid Merlin’s incarnation, possessed by Elder Richard, who burned down Molty territory and massacred the residents.

But Phillip made it seem as if the tragedy at that time was planned by me.

Anyway, you can say anything if there is no evidence.

Phillip’s unfounded claims were quite plausible, and the nobles looked at each other with a ‘Could it be?’ expression.

Naturally, Princess Rebecca, who had been watching the series of changes, was furious and questioned Phillip.

“Are you Phillip? That’s ridiculous.”

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

“Greetings can come later. Your words are full of holes.”

Phillip’s face was filled with sorrow as soon as he heard the princess’s question.

As soon as I saw his expression, I realized that the answer was already prepared.

“I also want to confess what Your Highness is curious about at this place. Although it’s as hard as dying…”

Phillip, who wiped away fake tears with a handkerchief, continued.

“In fact, I was a child abandoned by my father. The Count only favored Henon, who was the son of the woman he loved, even though he was an illegitimate child.”

I know how much Phillip benefited from being the eldest son, and Phillip himself knows it too.

If he hadn’t been the eldest son in the first place, the battle for the head of the family would have ended much earlier.

I couldn’t help but laugh when all the sounds Phillip spat out were like shit.

“My father was already blinded by his love for his child. He didn’t believe me no matter how many times I told him. I thought I would die to Dantaleon first, so I ran away from hell.”

This cannot be undone.

Phillip touched not only me but also Count Lloyd, who is a Seven Star.

A declaration of severing ties with the family forever.

I waved my hand at Rebecca, who was about to get angry, and stopped her.

Then I stepped forward.

“Phillip, can you take responsibility for what you just said?”

“I don’t want to talk to a devil.”

“That’s funny. Let’s say your words are correct. Then how are you going to prove that I am a devil?”

“I’ll speak from here.”

Charlie Hilton, who had been happily watching the situation since Phillip’s appearance, stepped forward.

“Soon, the Archbishop and Inquisitor from the Theocracy of Bellanus will visit. They have already arrived near the border, so they will arrive in a few days.”

The nobles were shocked as if they had been struck by lightning.

Princess Rebecca was the same.

“The judgment of the Theocracy’s Archbishop and Inquisitor will be certain. If Henon avoids Bellanus’s judgment, Phillip and I will also gladly pay the price for falsely accusing the royal consort.”

The move that Charlie Hilton prepared was quite powerful.

The funeral ended vaguely, and the coronation and inauguration ceremonies, which should have been held at the same time, were vaguely postponed.

All attendees returned home and had a great time conveying the events that took place today.

However, no one unilaterally sided with one side and hastily stood in line.

All results would be decided only after the Theocracy’s Archbishop and Inquisitor arrived.

* * *

The capital, Fontano, was in a storm-like atmosphere due to the overlapping funeral of King Alfonso.

Usually, the gossips, who were busy chattering loudly in the tavern, were unusually tight-lipped and just poured alcohol down their throats.

It was a season where they didn’t know what would happen if they misused their tongues.

At that time, I was at Andre’s mansion.

Sion, Campbell, and Andre faced me with serious expressions.

These people here were my confidants, so of course they didn’t believe Phillip’s nonsense.

However, Sion seemed quite shocked by the fact that Phillip was alive.

“Young Master, I can’t believe it.”

“I feel the same way.”

“How on earth could he have survived in Molty territory? Even his maternal grandfather, Count Molty, died in that chaos, didn’t he?”

Sion’s question.

She’s too naive to reach the truth.

She has overcome life-and-death crises several times and has enough experience in the world, but it’s still not enough.

She is ignorant of how endless the nobles can be when they truly start to be greedy.

“Sion, do you remember the letter we found in Elder Richard’s house when we were in the Elven Sanctuary?”

“Yes, it was a secret letter stating the secret deal between the Hilton family and the Elven Elder.”

“That’s right. If we add just one more element here, would no one in Molty territory really know about the elven attack?”

The tail hair on the top of Sion’s head stood up.

“Could it be!!”

“That’s right. Phillip must have made a deal with the Hilton family in exchange for Molty territory. Otherwise, his survival cannot be explained.”

“But Count Molty was Phillip’s maternal grandfather. Are you saying that Phillip sided with the Hilton family by sacrificing his own maternal grandfather?”

“Of course. Phillip even sniped his own father at the funeral. He has already decided to completely turn his back on the family.”

‘After that, the Hilton family would destroy the Lloyd family, and he would become a puppet head of the family.’ – I added.

Sion, who witnessed the naked face of tremendous ambition, lost her words.

Campbell, who was listening from the side, whistled with his hands behind his head.

“Whew! That’s really amazing. As expected, the nobles in the upper neighborhood are worse.”

Sion said with a worried look.

“Young Master, what do we do now? It’s unlikely, but the Archbishop from the Theocracy might make the wrong judgment.”

“There’s a high probability of that. Not just a high probability, but he probably will.”

“Huh? Why? Isn’t Vice-Captain being too negative?”

“I hate to believe it, but we have to assume that the Theocracy people have also been taken over by the Hilton family.”

You should always keep the worst in mind and act.

With that in mind, I decided to figure it out for sure.

How far have they gone?

2 AM.

I told Andre to create an alibi and left with Sion and Campbell, landing on the roof of the mansion.

The reason why we didn’t come out through the gate and came out secretly was to avoid the eyes of possible surveillance.

As expected, strange men were lurking around Andre’s house, carefully looking around.

It was obvious that they were surveillance planted by the Hilton family.

-Vice-Captain, what should we do? Kill them?

-No. Pass through secretly.

After exchanging unspoken communication with hand signals learned in the North, we moved quickly, crossing the roofs.

Everyone, including me, was an Expert-level master, so the speed was like a flying squirrel.

Before we knew it, we crossed the capital and arrived at our destination without being detected by a single guard.

It was the mansion where Charlie Hilton was staying.

‘It’s amazing.’

It’s not like he’s a king.

A mansion using more luxurious materials than the royal palace.

Soldiers were guarding the gate with elaborate patterns.

I was properly showing what power that even makes birds fall meant.

-Wait here.

I ordered to stop with hand signals and hid in the bushes.

Then I cast Druid skills.

[Life Control]

[Share Vision]

[Taming]

It was the same method as when I spied on Princess Rebecca last time.

I tamed a mouse and roamed every corner of the mansion.

Since it was an unfamiliar road, I was a little lost at first, but soon I found the target room.

I infiltrated the room through the ceiling, and there was a crystal ball and two men inside.

One was Charlie Hilton, and the other was Phillip Lloyd.

A man’s appearance was reflected in the crystal ball, and he looked just like Charlie, so I knew he was Count David Hilton.

-You’ve made quite a bit of progress.

“It’s as Father said. Now, all we have to do is have the Archbishop, who we have already bribed in the Theocracy [government by divine guidance] recognize Henon as a devil-possessed person, and it’s over.”

-Don’t let your guard down until the end.

“Of course. I heard that the Inquisitor is John, who is from the Seven Stars [powerful figures], so no matter how strong he is, he’s just a cat in front of a lion.”

Phillip intervened in the conversation between the two fathers and sons.

“Um… Count.”

-Huh? Who were you?

“I’m Phillip. Hehe.”

The Count pretended not to know, and the more he did, the more Phillip rubbed his hands and bent over.

I wondered if that humble appearance was the same as the half-brother who slandered me at the royal palace earlier.

“Um… when Henon’s matter is finished…”

-I know. You are the next head of the Lloyd family. I look forward to it. Count Lloyd.

“Thank you!!”

Phillip’s mouth widened at the word Count.

So Phillip didn’t see it.

Charlie’s contemptuous expression looking at him from behind.

‘I’ve seen most of what I need to see.’

I returned the mouse and released the taming.

I returned home again.

When I explained what I had heard, Sion was furious.

“I knew it. Phillip was really worse than trash.”

“Vice-Captain, more than that, I’m worried about that knight John? Can you beat that person?”

“I’ll have to persuade him.”

“No matter how much you persuade him, he’ll lean towards his own side. Won’t he believe the Archbishop more?”

Campbell was right.

I don’t know John’s personality, but from what I’ve heard, he seems to have completely turned away.

While I was deep in thought, Sion carefully opened her mouth.

“Still, John is said to be a Seven Star, so wouldn’t they know each other as Seven Stars? How about getting information through that?”

“!!!”

That’s a great idea.

Why didn’t I think of that?

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I found a good solution.”

I stroked Sion’s head as a sign of doing well.

Her cheeks seemed to be slightly flushed, but maybe it’s just my imagination.

Anyway, I currently have close relationships with three Seven Stars.

I have a father-son relationship with Count Lloyd.

I have a guardian relationship with Karina of the Crimson Flames.

I have a senior-junior relationship with Pilgrim Tom.

I decided to ask these three about what kind of person John was.