Chapter 42: Checkmate
When Raze heard the explanation, he paused for a moment. "This isn’t the same as the story; father wasn’t paying any taxes in the story," he thought, then looked at the viscount.
"What exactly does the viscount do with taxes?" Raze asked, and the question instantly pissed off the viscount.
"You brat, what exactly are you trying to say?" Viscount Luke bellowed, gripping the armrest of his chair and leaning forward.
Raze face-palmed and dragged his hands down his face. "Oh brother." He dragged the words out, then looked at the count. "There is a saying: only the wicked run when no man pursues," he said.
His words shocked all three. The viscount frowned. "Are you trying to say—"
"Interpret it how you wish; that’s none of my business," Raze said. He walked closer to the table, standing between the viscount and the legal advisor while facing his father.
"If I’m correct, the majority of the security we have all around comes from the count army, and maybe the marquis as well, so what does this viscount even have to offer us?" Raze asked. His words were evidently meant to provoke and piss off the viscount even more, and it was working.
The viscount slammed his fist into the armrest and got up in anger. "I’ve had enough, Baron. I’ll take my leave now and you’ll be hearing from me."
"Oh, seat your five, hundred, pound ass down," Raze snapped. He looked at the viscount with a burning gaze. "You think you’ll walk out of here that easy? You wanted a discussion with my father, you wanted to talk, you even brought a legal advisor and all, so you’ll sit through it all and we will talk," Raze said; his voice resounded. The viscount subconsciously sat back down.
"So now tell me, what are you meant to do with the tax that you take?" Raze asked, looking right at the viscount.
"This, this kid, what is this aura around him and why can’t I win against him?" the viscount thought, looking at Raze with a shaky gaze.
"The viscount is meant to spend that money on major things, like supporting and developing the towns and villages under his jurisdiction, to help the count," the legal advisor spoke. He looked away from the viscount, not wanting to meet his gaze.
"I see, so that’s what you are meant to do," Raze said, and looked at the viscount.
"Tsk, now tell me, when have you done any of that of late? Maybe if you had helped the town the way you were meant to, things would have been better and my father would have been able to pay the remaining part," Raze said, then sat at the table, facing the Baron. "I’m just saying, time never knows what could have been if only you had done the right thing.
"Instead, you decided to blackmail and try to extort land under the nose of the count. I’m sure he would definitely hate that if he came to know it," Raze said.
The viscount’s eyes widened. He looked at Raze. "Are you trying to blackmail me?" he asked.
"Blackmail? No. I’m very sure my words can’t do shit against you when it comes to the count, but it will raise speculation; the count will definitely become curious about how you use your money," Raze said.
"You brat, you are trying to set me up, but you aren’t smart enough, kid. I saw all the development that’s happening. I can twist your issue in both ways: I can tell the count that I am the one helping your town, or I can tell him that you decided to build roads rather than pay the full tax to him," he said. There was a look of superiority on his face now.
"You see it, I have been doing this for more years than you have been alive for. You can’t manipulate your way into a win, kid; your entire family will be ruined, and this time, I take back my offer and I’ll be taking this count directly," the viscount said, a look of victory on his face.
Clap, clap, clap. "Pretty decent, viscount," Raze said while clapping, a smile on his face. If only Ella and Elaine had seen that smile, they would have known that it was over for the viscount, but the viscount thought it was a normal smile.
The viscount was confused as to why Raze was clapping; could it be that Raze had seen that he had lost?
"You know what, tell the Baron what you want to tell him. I’m sure he would love to come here and find out what exactly is happening, and when he comes, he’ll realize that the money for the development actually came from my trades with the Raven Academy," Raze said.
When the Raven Academy was dropped, the viscount and the legal advisor were shocked.
"The Raven Academy? Impossible," the viscount said.
"Tsk, what would I gain from throwing their name out like that? I am an official special student and my brother is a student there. I also trade with them and know a few people there who are pretty important, so yeah, I trade with them. What I trade you don’t need to know, but there is a real and legitimate source of income.
"But that’s beside the point. With the trades, I’ll be covering the taxes to the count directly. I’ll send over the first payment tied with a letter that tells the count all that you wanted to do, and then go further to explain that all the money sent to you as tax is used by you for an underground fighting ring and a very illegal slave network," Raze said, and a smile formed on his face.
This was his killer move. He could have dropped this little piece of information and won the battle, but he wanted to give the viscount some sign of hope. His smile deepened