Chapter 286 286-The New Mayor

Chapter 286 286-The New Mayor

In this situation, Wyatt displayed the typical characteristics of a regular noble: he vehemently denied any involvement in the affair and worked hard to convince Hof of his stance.

Hof was now puzzled.

He had initially thought Wyatt was the one causing trouble, but it appeared not to be the case. So, who could the real perpetrator be?

Mambaton suggested to Hof, "My lord, could it be the work of that old fox Mibo? He may not excel in many things, but when it comes to scheming, he certainly knows his craft."

Wyatt thought to himself: Indeed, just like our lord 'Viper' Hof, they're both cunning old devils, engaging in a shadowy battle of wits.

However, he kept these thoughts to himself, striving to maintain the expression befitting a vassal in the presence of his lord.

After some thought, Hof declared, "I see now. Let's not discuss who's behind this for the moment; I believe I know when the crime was committed."

Wyatt, uninterested in getting involved, pretended not to hear.

Mambaton inquired, "When was that?"

Hof answered, "This morning."

Hof, accompanied by Wyatt and Mambaton, went to the prison and brought out the suspects.

He began questioning them about their whereabouts that morning.

As expected, their stories started to fall apart.

However, Portia, a capable individual even in his absence, had already made preparations.

He had bribed the entire group in advance.

Faced with the situation where everyone seemed to be complicit, Hof's questioning proved fruitless.

The rehearsed alibis now gave way to improvised fabrications.

Witnesses' statements overlapped and intertwined, creating a complex web that left Hof no choice but to give up.

Sighing, Hof addressed the ringleader, "Fine, I'll overlook this incident. But you must continue to produce what I need. Once you're done, hand it over to me directly for safekeeping. Understand?"

The group unanimously affirmed their understanding.

Thus, Howard's dispatch of Portia to thwart Hof's conspiracy had been a resounding success.

By buying time for Mibo, once reconciled with his relatives and returning to power, Mibo would be ready to declare war and counterstrike.

The next day, as Howard sat in the garden admiring the ginkgo trees, Portia arrived to report his success.

He bowed to Howard and said, "My lord, as per your instructions, I have successfully delayed Hof's conspiratorial plans. By the time Hof completes the forged evidence again, Mibo will have already finished meeting with his relatives."

Howard nodded, directing Vettel to reward Portia with fifty silver coins.

Vettel, looking at the innocently curious Boshni, reflected, "It's not exactly a scheme. In this world of deception and duplicity, it's just a reasonable course of action."

Boshni then asked Vettel, "Why hasn't Brother Howard come to visit my library yet? I clean it every day, but he never visits."

Vettel thought about how nobles in this world rarely read; they were more focused on valor and honor, leaving reading to the clergy.

However, looking at the brown-haired, ponytailed girl, his gaze softened.

He couldn't bring himself to disillusion her with the truth and gently reassured, "I'll speak to the earl in a few days. I'm sure he'll visit then."

Boshni cheered, raising her hands in excitement, "Oh! That's great!"

A few days later, Portia informed Howard that Hof's forged documents had been prepared once again, and it was likely that a proclamation against Mibo would be issued soon.

Upon hearing this, Howard instructed Bosiden to quickly check if Mibo had returned to Seasalt Village.

During this time, Vettel mentioned the library matter to Howard.

Remembering Boshni, Howard turned and said, "Alright, I'll go see her now."

In the library, Boshni was delighted to see Howard.

She eagerly picked out a few books from the shelves that she thought Howard might find interesting and placed them on the table in front of him.

Inviting Howard to read, he didn't refuse and began with the top book.

It was an adventure story about a hero who defeats an evil king.

After finishing the book, Howard asked Boshni, "Did the hero become the king afterward?"

Boshni, her right index finger resting on her cheek, replied, "I don't know. The story ends with the overthrow of the evil king."

Howard invited Boshni to sit next to him and pointed to a passage in the book, "See, this part says that the people of the capital really liked the hero and many hoped he would become the new king so they could have better lives. What do you think? Would the hero become the new king under the people's expectations?"

Boshni giggled mischievously and ran off without answering the question.

Howard slowly shook his head, finding Boshni's naivety endearing.

She followed her whims like an elusive breeze, unpredictable and free.

However, in Howard's view, the hero of the story, initially just a villager, couldn't possibly become a king overnight, even with the people's support.

He would need to climb the ranks step by step.

Soon, Boshni returned, and Howard shared his thoughts with her.

After listening, Boshni expressed her confusion, "Why can't he become a king all of a sudden? Didn't Brother Howard also rise from a knight to an earl, as swiftly as the wind?"

Howard explained, "My rise was different. I already had the status of a knight, which allowed me to be recognized by others. At least I climbed the ladder through legitimate means."Updated from n0velb(i)n.c(o)/m