Side Story Count Richter POV: Pilars Of Basalt Or Pillars Of Sand (3)

"Hello, my lord. How can I help you?" An older man with strong features and a pair of cat ears greets Vlad at the door.

"I'd like to speak to Santiago. I have some business that requires his attention."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Santiago is actually out of town at the moment."

"Isn't that him in the back room there?" Vlad points to an open door at the back where Santiago is clearly sitting on a sofa drinking tea.

"My apologies, Mr. Santiago is in a meeting for the next few months." surprisingly, the man manages to deliver that line with a straight face.

"…. I'm not going to deal with this right now." Vlad brushes past the cat man and makes for the back room.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A cold voice rings out from behind him, and a vice-like grip crushes his shoulder. Pain erupts as his bones groan from the pressure.

[I should have brought one of my knights. I wanted to keep a low profile, but I should have known someone would make a move to attack me. They could gain a lot of favor with the Duke if I'm suddenly missing from the picture.]

"I'm so glad the Count has blessed us with his presence." The cat man and Vlad turn to the merchant like two children just caught fighting. "Percy, I hope you aren't badgering our guest."

"Of course not, sir." Percy removes his hand and returns to his position at the door. Vlad massages his shoulder before speaking up.

"I'd be careful about threatening a noble like that; I still run this town for the time being."

"I wouldn't dream of it. Percy just gets a little too motivated sometimes. He's a good kid."

"Isn't he about twice your age?" Vlad looks the merchant up and down. He appears to be in his thirties with long hazelnut hair. A near-permanent smile has been affixed to his face, and his clothes are loose and comfortable.

"That's not important. What did you want to speak with me about?" Santiago leads the Count into the back room and offers him a seat. The place is well-lit with magic lamps and upholstered with the finest fabrics. Vlad runs his fingers across the velvety couch as he sits down.

"Small talk only caused me problems at my last two stops, so I'll just get to the point." Santiago catches the mood and lowers his smile. The light air in the room quickly turns heavy. "I know you don't want the Duke to take control of the town because he'll favor his merchants, so I'm asking for your help."

"That will only put me in a worse position should you fall. I may even have to leave the area. It's safe to assume that the Duke will hunt down anyone who even thinks about going against him." Santiago takes a sip of his tea.

"I'm not asking you to stand with me. In fact, you're free to say whatever you want about me publicly."

"I already do." Vlad sighs a bit at Santiago's response.

[I'm just getting kicked around by everyone today, it seems. I just wish it wasn't being taken this far.]

"That's fine-"

"Really mean stuff too; I never hold back when I gossip."

"Okay, I understand-"

"I don't even know if half of what I say is true, but the nastier, the better. To flagellate someone above you is the greatest spice of life, especially when that person is the lowest of the scum." Vlad closes his eyes and takes a breath to compose himself in front of the merchant's onslaught. Few times in his life has he had to take such abuse.

"...Are you done?"

"No, but I'll give you a chance to speak nonetheless." Santiago's smile never reaches his eyes. It's as if he's looking at a particularly disgusting piece of garbage. Vlad holds in the rage boiling up in his stomach and continues.

"I'm sure you know how quickly this town is growing." Santiago nods at these words. "The number of adventurers has increased, and they are delving deeper into the woods than before. The amount of wealth moving through the town is incomparable to what it was even a few months ago."

"Ironhead was the only party willing to traverse the Argon Forest, so the profits from the woods dropped significantly after they retired," the merchant adds.

"Yes, but that all changed."

"No thanks to you." Santiago cuts down the Count again.

"I understand that, but I didn't do anything to stop it either."

"True."

"If you help me, even if it's just behind the scenes, I'll make sure you get a majority share of the goods derived from the forest. I can't do much to interfere with Patricia's farming activity, but I can lease you some land at a low price if you'd like to get into that industry as well." Santiago thinks for a moment.

"Behind the scenes, huh? That must mean you're looking for someone to fund you."

"That would be nice, but more importantly, I'm looking for information. Given that an army will be stationed in this town, you will undoubtedly be in the midst of the soldiers. Bored men tend to gossip."

"Hehe, I don't know what you're after, but I don't see any downsides for me. I'll give it some thought and let you know."

"Thank you for your time." Count Richter bows and makes his way out the door. Percy approaches the merchant to check on him.

"How did it go, sir?"

"Good, I guess. I'd heard he likes to throw his title around, but he was nearly groveling at my feet. He seems to have changed recently. I don't like helping Nobles, but I don't think I have much of a choice."

"You always have a choice, sir."

"Yes, but not always good ones." Santiago closes the door to the backroom and pulls out some loose papers. Plans need to be made.

"I'm home!" Count Richter announces to an uncaring house. The small castle near the center of town was once bustling with people, but now, even a pin drop could shatter the blanket of silence. Vlad removes his coat and makes his way to the dining hall. Dinner should be about ready. "The food smells great. What did you make today?"

"…" He gets caught up in the mood and tries to start a conversation with his wife, but she doesn't respond. At this point, he's lost track of how many days it's been since he last heard her voice. Her shrieks on that day still echo around his ears.

'Cough, cough'

"Well, I've got Jezabel, Eric, and Santiago on board, so we still have a chance. The negotiations were brutal, but we worked things out."

"…"

"If I manage to maintain my position, I'll be able to pay back all the people I owe with the increased revenue from the forest. Who knows, I could even give some money to those kids taking care of Shinobu–"

'Clack'

Vlad is interrupted by a plate of poorly cooked porridge being placed roughly on the table in front of him.

"Porridge again? It looks great." Vlad lies through a poorly constructed smile. He swallows back the bile rising in his throat and takes a bite. Vlad scarfs down the meal quickly so as not to raise any suspicion. "Thanks, Melissa. I need to head back to my study for now."

"…"

His wife grabs the dishes and takes them to the kitchen. It's unclear if she even took a bite of her food as her plate is still full. Vlad sighs and makes his way down the hall. His battle has only just begun.