Harold had sensed the danger towards the Sumeragi in advance. That too, before the talks of engagement had come out, immediately after the outbreak of miasma. If thought of it like that, then she could understand how he was able to gather the information about the ingredients required to make the medicine even without a few days passing by after the engagement was decided.
In other words, this meant that Harold had tried all possible means for the sake of saving the Sumeragi who should have been completely unrelated to him. Although he was insisting that he had done it for selling a favor, if the money, time and effort spent until the medicine was created, was put on scales, then the merit of saving the Sumeragi would be too less. All the more when considering Harold, who seemed to be for the pure blood principle from the way he talked.
Thinking about that dedication and his thoughts, Erika’s vision blurred.
Honestly, even Harold had made this decision only after thinking over it for a long time.
It was clear that if Erika knew he was giving them this much support, then her sense of obligation would be much more than that in the original work. Then the reason why he took actions which weren’t in the game was because he wanted a patron.
In the place where the Stokes couple’s eyes could reach, he wouldn’t be able to move freely and he would also be unable to have his way with gathering people who could act for him.
And there, he thought of making contact with the Sumeragi with the cover of a fiance. He had thought that he could trust Tasuku, since he knew Tasuku’s personality from the game. He had compassion, was understanding and also had personal connections, and if Kazuki could gain his cooperation, it would become easy to support the protagonists from the shadows.
By offering the medicine, industrial cooling down could be delayed, LP farming could bolster the economy and if the protagonist took care of the miasma accumulation event, even forestry could be restored. If that happened, even without the financial aid of the Stokes, the problem of managing their territory would disappear, and if Erika’s engagement was cancelled, they wouldn’t receive a serious blow. Moreover, regarding the cancellation, Harold himself had informed in that letter that it would be fine to do it.
(Exactly like a “debt” parade on the scale of Kazoe Yakuman*. Although that salesmanship feeling of pressure isn’t half-assed, as long as I don’t have any unreasonable requests, Tasuku should cooperate in most of the things)
(TL – *A term in Rīchi(Japanese) Mahjong about which I have no idea of. I think it means the person who has that gets a high amount of points, maybe. You can look it up here. If anybody has a thorough understanding of it, please explain in the comments)
That wasn’t confidence but conviction.
However, he had a single concern. That concern which might be classified as an “unreasonable request” was connected to Zen who was in front of him, so he unintentionally warned him.
「Right, after that think about your future also」
「What do you mean by that?」
Harold who had adjusted his voice so that it couldn’t be heard from outside, reduced it even more. It was to the level that Erika, hidden in the closet, was barely able to catch it.
「I’ve told it before, but in the near future, there is a danger that the Stokes family will fall. If you don’t want to become jobless, it’ll be prudent for you to be prepared just in case」
「But aren’t you spreading LP farming to prevent that?」
「If nothing is done about the current taxation and wasting of money, it’ll just be to the degree of an extension. Even I’ll think of something, but it might not succeed. I have no intention of helping you bastards, so do something by yourself」
Even the always happy-go-lucky Zen lost his composure at this.
Harold who was talking about it as though it was natural, was the one who was weird.
「If that happens, what will happen to the people of the Stokes territory?」
「Who knows. But if it is Tasuku Sumeragi, he won’t do anything bad to them」
He spoke in a slovenly manner. But a name which Erika couldn’t let slide rose up.
(Why is father’s name being used here……….?)
「Err………What do you mean?」
「In the letter, I have appealed to the Sumeragi side to not deal with the populace unjustly when the Stokes family falls. Really, I can’t help but laugh at their weakness since they wouldn’t survive if something like this isn’t done」
Even if he told appeal, it didn’t mean that he asked for the Sumeragi to provide for them. If it were the Sumeragi who were close to the royalty, the people could expect some influence and support from them.
It could also be said that since Kazuki didn’t know whether Tasuku would accept this “request”, he sold an excessive amount of favors.
(Most probably, it’ll become the territory of another noble, and I pray that a person more decent than the one now comes)
Although, by that time, he wouldn’t be there in this land. He was