Chapter 197: The Worthless Viscount
Inside a private room at the Gray Wolf Tavern, Leon and Father Auden sat side by side on a leather sofa, sizing up the man seated opposite them—Viscount Arend.
Leon frowned slightly.
The Viscount reeked of alcohol and tobacco. Even with a tea table separating them, the smell was unmistakable.
Having met Viscount Arend in person, Leon finally understood where Adele's beauty had come from.
The Viscount was already over forty years old. Years of indulgence in alcohol, tobacco, late nights, and debauchery had left his face haggard, his complexion pale and dry, with heavy dark circles beneath his eyes.
Even so...
His naturally handsome features remained impossible to conceal.
With no servants left to attend to him, and being both lazy and undisciplined himself, he paid little attention to his appearance. His shoulder-length hair was messy and unkempt, while a thin, untrimmed beard covered his chin.
His clothes had once been expensive garments from better days, but they were now old and worn. Even his collar had been left untidy.
Rather than resembling a noble...
He looked more like a dissolute singer or wandering poet.
According to Father Auden, although the family had declined and the Viscount's own idleness and foolishness had driven it even deeper into ruin...
The Viscount himself had actually lived quite comfortably all these years.
During his youth, the family had still possessed enough wealth to support his carefree lifestyle. Relying on both his handsome appearance and his family's fortune, he had been extremely popular with women, even marrying one of the region's most famous actresses.
Miss Adele had inherited the best features from both her father and mother, giving her the exceptional beauty she possessed today.
Even after the previous Viscount died, the family fell into decline, his wife wisely divorced him and fled, and he accumulated thirty million Fenni in gambling debts...
Viscount Arend still hadn't changed his way of life.
As far as the thirty million Fenni debt was concerned...
He had long since given up.
He continued frequenting drinking establishments and brothels, occasionally spending time with former lovers or noblewomen he met elsewhere, living off whatever spending money he could get from them.
The only thing that truly troubled him...
Was that every major casino in the region had blacklisted him.
After all...
Everyone knew he couldn't repay his gambling debts even if he lost.
“This tavern's fantastic! I never knew Hamel Town had such an upscale place!” Viscount Arend exclaimed while slumping comfortably into the sofa, stroking the leather upholstery with admiration.
Then he grinned at Leon and Father Auden.
“I just wonder how good the liquor here is?”
“Today, we still have to submit the paperwork at the notary office. What you need right now is to find a way to get rid of the smell of alcohol on your body—not drink even more, Your Excellency,” Father Auden reminded him coldly.
If someone arrived reeking of alcohol to handle legal paperwork...
The officials might refuse to process it, believing the person to be intoxicated and incapable of exercising proper judgment.
“Well, that's a little disappointing. But fine. It'll taste even better if I save it for after everything's finished and we celebrate.”
As he spoke, the Viscount pulled out a smoking pipe.
At that moment, Leon finally spoke.
“While you're talking to me...
No smoking.”
Viscount Arend looked at Leon in surprise.
Only then did he notice Leon staring directly at him with a completely expressionless face.
Feeling an indescribable sense of pressure...
He laughed awkwardly and quietly put the pipe away.
“Ah, of course, no problem. We're all going to be family soon. I've always respected my family's opinions.”
The moment he said that...
Both Leon and Father Auden couldn't help laughing.
After all...
What Viscount Arend was about to do here amounted to little different from selling his own daughter.
And his daughter, Miss Adele...
Knew absolutely nothing about it.
“Then the agreement remains exactly as I explained before, Your Excellency.”
Father Auden adopted an official tone as he began his lengthy explanation.
“Mr. Leon here will marry your daughter and inherit your noble title according to Imperial law. Once that happens, all property rights and administrative authority belonging to you as lord will temporarily pass into his hands until the next succession of the title.
“At the same time, all your debts—including those owed to the Watcher Merchant Consortium—will be transferred entirely to him...”
After finishing his lengthy explanation, Father Auden looked back and forth between them.
“Well? Do either of you have anything you don't understand?”
“Everything's clear,” Leon nodded.
“Yeah, yeah, I basically understand.” The Viscount smiled rather sheepishly. “It's just... there's one thing.”
Leon was still confused.
Father Auden, however, had already sensed what was coming.
“Your Excellency...
Don't tell me you've caused more trouble.”
“Oh, it's nothing serious. It's just... regarding the debt... there are a few additional items that need updating.”
The Viscount pulled several documents from his clothes and laid them on the table.
Leon and Father Auden examined them carefully.
Two were payment notices.
The others were unpaid tabs from taverns and dance halls.
Altogether...
They amounted to over a hundred thousand Fenni.
“How astonishing.”
Father Auden repeatedly shook his head.
“I only re-audited your debts last month. None of these existed back then.
“I'll be conducting a thorough investigation, Your Excellency.
“You'd better not have been trying anything clever.”
Knowing the Viscount as well as he did...
Father Auden considered it entirely possible that someone had learned a buyer was willing to repay the Viscount's debts in exchange for the family title, leaked the information to him, then convinced the Viscount to intentionally sign additional debt notes so he could squeeze out more spending money.
After all...
A man foolish enough to let the Watcher Merchant Consortium's casino cheat him into thirty million Fenni of gambling debt...
Would naturally attract plenty of swindlers masquerading as drinking companions.
Fortunately...
People like that were easy enough for Father Auden to deal with.
“No, no, nothing like that!” Viscount Arend waved his hands repeatedly with a grin.
“I've just been partying a little harder lately.
“Besides...
Compared to thirty million...
What's a hundred thousand?”
“Your Excellency,” Leon finally spoke, “your spending habits have exceeded even my imagination.
“To be honest...
I'm somewhat concerned.
“After I inherit your title...
Will you continue causing me trouble this way?”
After meeting him personally...
Leon realized that Viscount Arend was even worse than Father Auden had described.
The man was a truly hopeless piece of trash.
“Of course not!” Viscount Arend declared immediately.
“Don't worry.
“I've completely turned over a new leaf.
“Once Your Excellency inherits the title, I'll finally be able to leave my old life behind.
“From then on...
I'll never be the man I used to be.
“I'll just be a retired former Viscount.
“You only need to give me somewhere peaceful to spend my retirement, bask in the sunshine, and enjoy the rest of my life.”
The Viscount spread his hands with a cheerful grin.
“Good.”
Leon smiled faintly.
He hadn't believed a single word.
During his years as an Inquisitor collecting debts, Leon had encountered countless compulsive gamblers like this.
Their gambling debts might not have reached the Viscount's outrageous level...
But at least half of them had already become utterly hopeless cases.
And among those hopeless cases...
Viscount Arend was an unparalleled specimen.
Once every inheritance procedure had been completed...
Leon would personally deal with the Viscount in a way that ensured he could never cause another problem.
Not that Leon intended to kill him.
After all...
There would still be future noble formalities requiring the Viscount's involvement.
For all his uselessness...
Viscount Arend possessed one advantage.
He was far easier to control than his daughter Adele.
If the previous Viscount died immediately after Leon inherited the title through marriage...
It would naturally arouse suspicion.
It might even attract unnecessary investigations.
Even without an investigation...
It would damage Leon's reputation.
Since the Viscount himself had already said all he wanted was a place to retire...
Leon naturally intended to arrange one for him.
A comfortable place to live.
Food and drink.
Even good tobacco and fine liquor if he desired them.
The only thing he might lose...
Was a little freedom.
And if Viscount Arend dared resist...
His residence might have to be changed to a prison instead.
Unlike Adele...
Leon had absolutely no intention of indulging him.
Under Father Auden's guidance, the two quickly completed most of the application documents before setting off together to submit them at the notary office.
After they emerged...
Viscount Arend impatiently declared,
“Well, that's one stage finished.
“I propose we head back and celebrate with a drink!”
“We're nowhere near finishing,” Father Auden replied.
“Your Excellency, we haven't even truly begun.
“All we've done is confirm that these inheritance procedures are legally feasible.”
Naturally, before proceeding any further, they first had to ensure the inheritance application wouldn't be rejected.
If this had involved a powerful lord...
The procedures would have been extremely strict.
In some cases, approval from the Imperial capital had to be obtained even before the marriage took place.
Fortunately...
Viscount Arend's status had already become so insignificant that completing the paperwork posed little difficulty.
“Huh?” the Viscount said in disappointment.
“I thought all I had to do was sign the papers.”
“Only now are we beginning the first real step.”
Father Auden turned toward Leon.
“And that first step...
Is getting your daughter married to Director Set.
“In other words...
It's time to begin persuading Miss Adele.”
“That first step doesn't sound particularly easy,” Leon remarked.
“Don't worry!” Viscount Arend declared confidently.
“I'll persuade her myself.
“No matter what...
A daughter should listen to her father, shouldn't she?”
“So far as I'm aware...” Father Auden replied, glancing meaningfully at Leon, “Miss Adele's relationship with Your Excellency is rather distant.”
The persuasion he referred to...
Was actually directed at Leon.
He had never expected the Viscount to convince Adele.
But Leon...
Could certainly "appeal to both emotion and reason."
“That can't be right. At the very least, when she was little, I...” The Viscount thought for a moment.
“I carried her before.
“This time I've even chosen an excellent husband for her.
“He's handsome.
“Wealthy.
“Influential.
“And still so young!
“What could she possibly be dissatisfied with?”
In truth...
Viscount Arend had hardly spent any time with his daughter at all.
After his wife left...
Adele had been raised almost entirely by her grandfather and the family nanny.
Later, she left to study elsewhere.
The Viscount only occasionally picked her up, patted her head, then immediately went back out to enjoy himself.
It wasn't that their relationship had been particularly hostile.
He simply had never fulfilled the responsibilities of a father.
Nor had they ever developed any genuine father-daughter bond.
“Very well. Then I'll trouble Your Excellency with persuading her first.”
Leon paused before adding,
“However...
I suggest you avoid mentioning me for now.
“Miss Adele's impression of me...
Is probably not very favorable.”