The Persuader and the Politician’s Gambit 

“Alright!”

To the dismay of his two guardians, Richie agreed without a moment’s hesitation.

Kelly was about to try and reason with him, but the second young master stopped her with a subtle gesture, indicating that Ard should be allowed to continue. Richie was already deeply dissatisfied with their passive approach; trying to dissuade him with more vague reasoning would be pointless.

The young man asked calmly, “I wonder, Lord Ard, how do you plan to bring down that Baron Paunch? And what help do you require from us?”

Ard looked at the young man. “Second young master…”

“Hmm, call me…” The young man glanced at Richie. “Call me Roco.”

“Alright.” Ard nodded, then recounted everything he had done so far.

When Kelly heard that Ard had willingly walked into the lion’s den, she said with admiration, “To go so deep into enemy territory… your courage is truly commendable, my lord.”

Roco looked at Ard with keen interest. “And now you are spreading misinformation in the Baron’s manor. Are you planning on playing the double agent?”

A corner of Ard’s mouth lifted. “That’s right. The Sunstone Gang has been around for many years, and although they were supported by the Baron, their Boss man has never truly submitted to anyone. The tribute he gives is more out of a sense of mutual benefit. However, Baron Paunch doesn’t see it that way. He sees the Sunstone Gang as nothing more than a dog that fetches him profits. And now, that dog wants to stand up and be a man in front of him. That is something he cannot tolerate.”

“And that gave you the opportunity you needed,” Roco said, resting his chin on his hand. “Using the Baron’s maddeningly vast treasury as bait, using the Sunstone Gang’s current predicament as an opening, and conveniently using little Richie’s status as a deterrent… a brilliant, overt gambit, my lord. Even if I were that Boss man, I would have no choice but to follow the blueprint you’ve laid out. The Sunstone Gang has no other options. You’ve simply exposed their existing problems and lit the fuse.”

Roco clapped his hands softly. “To acquire such a powerful pawn with nothing but words… impressive, most impressive.”

Ard said humbly, “You flatter me. It was just a bit of luck.”

“However,” Roco’s tone shifted, his eyes sharpening, “the key to you gaining the Boss man’s trust was your knowledge of the Baron’s hidden treasuries. May I be so bold as to ask, who exactly are you, my lord? I do not believe a common man could possibly know the location of a miser’s treasure, something he values as much as his own life.”

Kelly also realized this, her gaze turning suspicious. Richie looked at Ard with an expectant expression, hoping he could provide a suitable answer.

Sigh, so they noticed after all.

Ard cursed inwardly. He had tried to gloss over that detail, precisely to avoid this kind of suspicion, because he had no logical way to explain the source of his information. He couldn’t very well tell them he was a regressor and that in his past life, this fat pig had been slaughtered and his treasure maps made public.

His hesitation was only for an instant. He said slowly, “Forgive me, but I cannot tell you the specific reason.”

“Everyone has their secrets. I can understand that.” Roco’s gaze became as sharp as a blade. “You have come here as a persuader, my lord. As such, you should understand that while a persuader deals in bluffs and stories, those stories are not entirely empty. They must contain a kernel of truth. And the persuader uses that truth within the bluff to gain the trust of others. Just as you used the treasury to tempt the Boss man. You have no intention of giving it to him; you are merely using him. But you do, in fact, know the location of the treasure, and so he took the bait. So, my lord, what is the truth within your bluff for us?”

“Of course. I would not come here empty-handed,” Ard said with a smile. He took out the ledgers and records the Boss man had given him.

Roco intercepted the two books before Richie could grab them, earning him a pout from his younger brother. As Roco carefully read through the pages, Ard sipped his tea with a leisurely air, though in truth, he was trying to calm his racing heart. He was immensely relieved he had managed to get his hands on these records beforehand. With Richie’s personality, he could have probably won him over with a bit of persuasion, but he had never expected to have to deal with the older, much shrewder brother.

Roco’s expression darkened as he read a certain line. He had suspected Richie’s ambush was deliberate, but he never thought it was the work of a mere Baron, and for such a laughable reason as blocking a potential trade route. Heh, Roco thought, a cold anger stirring in his heart. Since when did our family become something a mere Baron can trifle with?!

The two record books were incredibly detailed. With a little investigation, they would be more than enough evidence to issue a search warrant for the Baron, not to mention the charge of attacking Richie. Roco placed the two books on the table without a word.

Ard smiled. “Is this evidence enough to condemn the Baron?”

Roco said calmly, “It is. Once we cross-reference it with the contents of his treasuries, we can have him arrested.”

Richie said with adoration, “Big Brother Ard, you’re amazing!”

Roco suddenly said, “Since you have these, why put yourself in further danger? Once we return to the capital, we can have him arrested according to the law. Lord Ard, let us stop here.”

“The matter is not yet resolved. How can we stop here?” Ard sneered inwardly. Once he takes this evidence back to the capital, who knows what other variables will appear. Ard had seen enough in his past life. For these high and mighty figures, the “bigger picture” was all that mattered. The suffering of the common people in their grand game never even entered their field of vision. Once this evidence reached the capital, it would likely be used as a bargaining chip for political gain. He could trust Richie, but this Roco was a consummate, unreadable politician.

Ard said calmly, “In a few days, I will arrange for the bandits and the Baron to fight each other. When they are both weakened, all I ask is that you step in and capture the remaining forces and the ringleaders. There is no harm in it for you, is there? You can even take the opportunity to remove a scourge from this land. Thank you for your concern, Lord Roco, but I just want to do what I can.”

Roco tapped his fingers on the table. “Even so, we do not have enough men with us this time. Although according to your plan we would only need to reap the rewards, we do not know what might happen. It would be better to wait until we return to the capital to discuss this further.”

“A moment ago it was ‘arrest’, now it is ‘discuss further’? And with this evidence, you could request assistance from the neighboring lords, could you not? With your status, it should be possible. For example, the border Marquis nearby.”

Roco chuckled softly. “You don’t trust me, my lord?”

Ard met his gaze and smiled. “What do you mean, Lord Roco? Of course I trust you. It’s just that some things, if left for too long, tend to spoil. If it is inconvenient, then I will not trouble you further.” With that, Ard reached for the two record books, but Roco’s hand shot out and pressed down on them first.

Ard raised an eyebrow. “What is the meaning of this, my lord?”

“Lord Ard, when one asks for help, one must pay a price. Even if it is the right thing to do.”

Ard laughed. “Lord Roco, I have also read these ledgers carefully. The invisible wealth you stand to gain from them is far more than just the capture of a minor Baron. That Boss man had no idea how many secrets that should never have been exposed were contained in his records. But I am no fool.”

“It is not good to be too clever,” Roco said.

“Are you two fighting?” Richie finally sensed the tense atmosphere between them.

“No, just exchanging opinions,” said Ard.

“How could we be fighting? Just a small disagreement,” said Roco.

Roco looked at Richie, then released his hand from the record books. After Ard had taken them back, Roco said, “I know what you are worried about. And I have no right to ask for your trust. But I was being sincere when I said I intend to deal with this Baron after we return to the capital.”

Ard countered, “Do your actions always follow your sincere intentions?”

Roco was stunned for a moment. He thought back on his life and let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Rarely.” He turned to Richie. “What is your opinion?”

Richie’s eyes widened. “Second Brother, you’re asking me?”

“Of course,” Roco said with certainty.

Richie said, his voice firm and clear, “I want to help Big Brother Ard. I don’t really understand politics, but I know what the Baron is doing is wrong. Now that I have witnessed it with my own eyes, I cannot just let it go. And I believe Big Brother Ard is acting with good intentions, doing something you all think is a thankless task. Let this be my last act of willfulness. I will listen to you all in the future and seriously study those political matters.”

“My foolish little brother.” Roco walked over to Richie and ruffled his hair. “Those things are not learned, they are experienced. They are taught by life itself. But if this is what you wish, then I will indulge you this once. Your big brother will help you with this matter. Just remember, from now on, you need to do less and listen more.”

Kelly gave a wry smile. “But my lord, if we do this, we will be…”

Roco knew her concerns. “I will explain it to Father.” He turned to Ard. “Well then, Lord Ard, we will help you. But remember, we will only be responsible for the cleanup.”

Ard nodded. “No problem. I do not wish to make things too difficult for you.”

Roco suddenly asked, “By the way, Ard. I’ll just call you Ard, and you can call me Roco. May I ask you one last question?”

“Please.”

“Why are you so insistent on having us handle the cleanup? I can think of many other ways to deal with the remaining forces, and I believe you can too. You could even have taken the Baron’s treasury for yourself.”

Ard smiled. “Because your actions represent this country. The common people of this domain have suffered for too long. They need something to believe in—that their country has not abandoned them, that their future still holds promise. And that is something a lone hero cannot provide.”