Chapter: 95
How in the world does the Alrn family know about my son?
The Newman family, being a noble house based in the underground world, typically remembers the players involved down here. But the Alrn family’s name isn’t on that list.
Why would the reputable knight family of Alrn ever poke their noses into the underground? They have no reason to, nor do they need to.
To put it another way, it just means that the Alrn family’s intel network isn’t that wide. They might catch some rumors that float to the surface, but that’s about it.
Muscled pigs relying solely on their strength can’t possibly uncover what’s hidden beneath the surface, Kurze thought.
But it was different this time.
Lucy Alrn had means to dive below the surface.
How?
As he frowned over these convoluted thoughts, Kurze’s internal monologue came to a halt as he realized how pointless this pondering was.
It’s not hard to guess that his son had fallen victim to Agra’s curse. He had been actively doing things to save him, after all.
By simply tracing back those actions, one could guess all sorts of things.
“I’ll have to find out if this information comes from the Alrn family itself or if it’s something this Young Lady Alrn has.”
He momentarily lost his cool when his son was mentioned, but soon regained his composure and lowered his gaze.
‘Oh, you’re unwell? I knew that already. I only asked because I thought it would annoy you. Are you mad now, you pathetic lord? I hope you are!’
“Damn that girl.”
However, as he read the next line, Kurze bit down hard, feeling exasperated.
How arrogant. So incredibly arrogant.
He already knew that Lucy Alrn was this kind of person.
The one who dubbed the third prince of the empire, Arthur, the “Pitiful Prince.”
She was a pile of pride and arrogance, completely clueless about manners.
But watching from a distance and standing in front of her were two entirely different matters.
If a mere mediocre individual had pulled such a stunt, Kurze would have buried them using the Newman family’s power.
Oh, and of course, he’d get what he wanted first through appropriate negotiation.
But this was the daughter of the Alrn family.
The daughter of a noble family with some of the strongest forces on the continent.
Right now, she seemed to be holed up like a senile old man in her own territory, but in the past, her family was a nightmare that made all the kingdoms tremble.
If Benedict Alrn, who loves his daughter, were to go mad, the Newman family would surely be reduced to ashes.
So, touching her was off the table.
He couldn’t force anything.
Kurze Newman was the head of the Newman family before being just a father.
‘I know very well what the desperate lord wants.’
‘But you know, it’s you who’s in a rush, not me.’
‘What will you do? Do you have the guts to negotiate with your child’s life hanging in the balance? I must say, you seem like a pathetic fellow who couldn’t handle it.’
‘If you want to talk, come out here yourself, you gloomy lord of the trash family.’
Having read through the first page of the letter, Kurze took a deep breath, trying to remain calm.
Stay composed. You can’t fall for their provocation.
As he assured himself of that, he turned to the next page.
‘Did you think there would be more to read? There’s nothing! Were you expecting something? Hah. Silly you.’
‘Looks like an amateur getting played by a little girl~’
He tossed the letter onto the desk.
Having worked in the underground, Kurze had experienced countless scenarios.
Being disregarded by a kid was something he was used to.
Yet, for some reason, reading this letter felt like something deep inside him was breaking, and he couldn’t endure it.
“Lord?”
“Shut it.”
“Yes!”
Damn it. It’s tough to gain the upper hand in this situation.
That Lucy Alrn is someone who wouldn’t bow her head, even if she crumbled.
Just look at how she sends such a letter to the head of a noble family.
A person this full of pride wouldn’t bend their knee to anyone.
Usually, the easiest way to deal with such people is to smash them, but looming behind that is Benedict Alrn, who has a notorious reputation.
“A foe who won’t bend, huh… then I have no choice but to bow first.”
After weighing it all, Kurze found himself smiling unconsciously.
Bowing wasn’t that hard.
If Lucy Alrn had a way to cure Agra’s curse, negotiating for her to heal his son would make bowing feel light.
But the problem was the uncertainty.
Could Lucy Alrn really have a way to cure Agra’s curse?
Even if she did, would she risk incurring the wrath of the Evil God just to heal his son?
He planned to take the initiative and slowly extract information, but not like this.
Is Lucy Alrn cunning, or is she just acting out of her personality?
Who knows?
But one thing’s for sure: nothing can be confirmed without meeting Lucy Alrn in person.
“I’ll have to deceive her for now.”
Kurze shuffled the letter he had carelessly tossed aside and pulled out a fresh sheet of stationery from his drawer.
Then, swiftly scribbling down a few sentences with his fountain pen, he handed the letter to his confidant.
“Deliver this to Lucy Alrn.”
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
Who would’ve thought I’d visit that place again after graduating from the Soul Academy?
*
After hearing everything I told him yesterday, Grandpa said this:
[You don’t get it, do you? You’re a resource they can’t replace. So just call them out and demand what you want.]
‘What if I get threatened in the process?’
The Newman family deals in the underground.
Being low on reputation and power could result in a game over for me, you know!
Sometimes I wish there was a save point here—if things go south, I could just reload. But this isn’t a game!
I’m scared!
I don’t want to experience disappearing without a trace!
Grandpa spoke as if he already knew the answer, and I was persuaded by his words, agreeing to follow his advice.
Thus, while writing a letter to summon Kurze Newman, I stumbled into another obstacle.
‘To the lord of the pathetic Newman family.’
I couldn’t write the letter the way I wanted.
Everything I said and did is under the control of the Mesugaki skill.
Whatever I try to say gets translated by the Mesugaki skill, and even my movements are to ruffle the opponent’s feathers.
At least there aren’t many instances where I’m forced to act, which is a relief. But writing this is an exception.
At this point, every movement of my fingers is controlled.
Do you have any idea how bewildering it was when I had to write my exam answers in the Mesugaki dialect last time?
Fortunately, that wasn’t a major issue, but this one is different.
An aristocrat’s daughter can’t write to another noble family’s head like this!
Why does it change from “Dear Lord of the Newman Family” to “Pathetic Family” just like that?!
After tearing the letter into pieces and starting over several times, I found myself despairing at the wall of reality.
Then, Grandpa offered his input.
[If it’s going to turn out like this, let’s provoke them. Make them so mad they have no choice but to come.]
‘…Is that really okay?’
[Didn’t I say? If they pick a fight, it’s a win for you?]
Well, if I can’t send a polite letter, maybe just provoking them will work.
With no other option, I accepted Grandpa’s suggestion, wrote a letter full of Mesugaki flair, and sent it to Kurze Newman through Alsetin.
And now, two days later.
I was out on the streets with Karl, waiting to meet Kurze Newman.
At first, I thought it would take weeks going back and forth over letters before we’d meet, but it seems they want to skip the pleasantries.
Did my Mesugaki skill’s provocation actually work?
As I stepped into one of the Soul Academy’s restaurants, designated as the meeting spot by Kurze Newman, an employee at the counter approached me.
“Are you the Young Lady of the Alrn family?”
‘Yes, that’s me.’
“Correct. Your escort.”
“I’ll show you to your table.”
Following behind him, a private room in the restaurant came into view.
When the employee opened the door, I saw a middle-aged man on the other side of the empty table.
His once-black hair, now streaked with gray, was slicked back, and his face was marked with various scars as if carved by a rough life. His fierce blue eyes held a cold gaze.
Despite his age, there was an undeniable resolve in his stance, as if nothing could sway him.
“Nice to meet you, Young Lady Alrn.”
A stiff greeting, lacking any trace of a smile.
Normally, I would have offered my respects in return, but I didn’t.
Instead, I sat down without responding and asked the man, “Where’s your lord?”
“You pathetic little dog of the Newman family. Where’s your master?”
“How rude. Young Lady Alrn, isn’t it?”
His voice was filled with a strong force as he furrowed his brows.
Even Grandpa would be surprised by this sudden change.
But I wasn’t even slightly taken aback.
This is exactly how Kurze Newman behaves in-game.
At first, he sends out a dummy to assess whether I’m real or a fake, gauging my capabilities.
In the game, you’d have to level up your perception skills just to catch on.
So even if I knew that the guy in front of me wasn’t the real Kurze Newman, I’d have to be deceived due to lacking skills.
But this isn’t a game anymore, is it?
In this world where commands don’t dictate my words, I can call forth the real Kurze Newman even without skills.
“I know everything, so stop the act.”
“Ha! A pathetic little dog like you think I’d be fooled? You really are a silly dog of the trash family.”
A chuckle slipped from my lips as the middle-aged man slowly started to rise from his seat.
He attempted to come closer to me.
However, he couldn’t achieve his goal.
Karl blocked the path between the middle-aged man and me.
“Step aside.”
“Nope. Why should I listen to commands from a mutt of the Newman family?”
“Ha. Are you losing your mind? You don’t think I’m Kurze Newman?”
“Correct. The Young Lady just stated that.”
“Do you think I’d joke around when my son’s life is at stake?!”
At first, I was convinced this guy was fake, but when the middle-aged man raised his voice, I flinched slightly.
What if he is the real Kurze Newman?
In the game, he would always have a dummy for testing when meeting someone new, but reality could be different.
I threw that hasty remark to see if I could intimidatingly gain the upper hand, but what if it turns out to be truly rude?
Doubt and concern slowly bubbled up within me until the door behind me swung open.
“Enough of that. It seems you’ve already figured it out.”
…Phew.
Thank goodness.
I thought I was done for.
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