Rebirth of the 8th-Circle Mage

Chapter 68: Count Eisen (2)

The gates open to reveal the hidden pride of Count Eisen’s family. There was a garden so enormous that if one didn’t know that they were visiting Count Eison, one might mistake it for a forest.

‘He still likes to show off.’

The size of the house was one of the best ways to demonstrate power. However, in Henry’s eyes, a place this grand seemed like a waste.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

After a long ride, Henry finally arrived at what seemed to be the front door of the mansion.

“Please wait here, I will bring the count out.”

Vedican’s tone changed from informal to formal. Even though he was furious, he couldn’t treat an honored guest casually.

As soon as Vedican walked away, Hagler asked Henry, “Um, sir.”

“What?”

“This building here… Isn’t it a little small for a mansion belonging to one of the Patrician Families?”

“This isn’t the mansion.”

“What? Then what is it?”

“This is probably the reception building.”

“...What?” Although Henry had responded in a casual manner, Hagler’s jaw still dropped. It was incomprehensible to him. “I guess not all counts… are the same…”

“That’s right. They still hold the title of a Patrician Family.”

“By the way, sir, where is Elagon? I haven’t seen him in a while.”

“Here.” Henry showed Hagler the blue wrist brace he was wearing.

“Huh? This is Elagon?”

“Spirits are not living creatures, so when they are not active, they usually reserve their strength like this.”

Elagon was still a newborn, so he didn’t spend a lot of time awake.

Some time passed, and finally, a massive, colorfully decorated carriage stopped in front of the reception building. Eisen emerged from the carriage.

‘Right, I forgot he’s also like Iselan.’?Like Iselan, Eisen had a massive build with impressive-looking muscles despite the fact that he was a middle-aged man. He was two meters tall and resembled a brown bear. He looked at Henry with a frown and said, “Is it you?”

Although Vedican had told him everything, Eisen spoke in a voice full of irritation as if he had just heard the news.

“Yes, it is.”

“Aren’t you one arrogant mercenary? You’re acting like scum just because you have a piece of letter with an imperial army seal on it. Do you realize whose soldiers you fought?”

He’d long surpassed the status of Sword Master, thanks to being a genius titan of industry. Eisen’s murderous tone was heavy enough to suffocate a person.

‘Even so, it’s not even comparable to Von’s.’

Eisen’s spine-chilling attitude wasn’t as great as that of Henry’s sword, Von. Henry replied in the same way he’d been greeted, “I apologize. If I’d known that they were your treasured dogs, I would have used words instead of fists. However, they were so vicious, I had no choice.”

Hagler and Vedican listened with widened eyes. They had never seen anyone talk to Eisen like that.

“H-how dare you talk back to the count!” Vedican raised his voice.

“Hahaha!” However, Eisen let out a satisfied laugh. Everyone looked confused, except for Henry, who was smiling.

‘I knew it.’

Courage, fighting spirit, strength, bravery, and more—these were things Eisen valued as a descendant of titans of industry. Henry’s attitude might appear arrogant to others, but Eisen saw it as boldness, and he appreciated toughness in men.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a bold fellow. Yes, you’re right! You need to beat dogs that don’t listen!”

Even the bold Vedican couldn’t talk back to Eisen the way Henry did. Vedican had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.

“Let us talk in more detail inside.”

Henry’s enemy in his previous life welcomed him and guided him inside.

* * *

.

The reception building was bigger and better decorated than the mansions of most nobles. It was filled with jade tables and couches made of the finest sheepskin, and paintings and silk-embroidered carpets filled the hallway.

Greedy Eisen loved showing off his wealth, which he used to overwhelm his opponents. Of course, Henry wasn’t affected in the slightest. Soon, the servants in charge of the reception room came to serve expensive tea. Each glass cost dozens of gold.

‘He doesn’t even enjoy tea. He just wastes taxes on this.’

Count Eisen’s flashy appearance gained him the reputation of a fool among the nobles, and his expensive tea was notorious for tasting like garbage. It was true vanity!

Henry nodded in satisfaction with just a cup of tea. Count Eisen was still as big a fool as ever, and Henry knew exactly how to deal with someone like this. He was now going to put his little act into play.

“The rumors that you have exquisite taste are true. I didn’t expect to taste such a precious tea here.”

“Hahaha! You sure are smart. I had a feeling from the first time I saw you that you and I were the same.”

‘The same, my ass.’

Henry’s flattery made Eisen’s happiness shoot through the roof. However, this was only to be expected since he’d grown more theatrical since failing to join the three Great Families. For this reason, everyone around the mansion tiptoed around Eisen. However, Eisen’s frustration only disappeared when a bold person like Henry appeared.

Henry had to stoop to Eisen’s level with small talk for some time. Although Eisen wasn’t a part of the three Great Families, he was quite useful as he still possessed the highest rank among the rest of the Patrician Families.

Not long after, Henry began to bring up his real purpose for visiting. “Count Eisen, the real reason I’m here is to present you with a useful tool.”

“Useful tool?”

“Yes. This letter of recommendation.”

Only then did Eisen take a look at Vhant’s letter and after reading it, his eyes widened in surprise. “Is this true?”

“Yes it is, and I’m the one who destroyed the Viper Knights, who were disguised as bandits.”

Henry decided to take this chance to prove his skills.

“Even though you dealt with a weak unit, you still managed to win against the Viper Knights?

“That’s right.”

There was a moment of silence, but then Eisen nodded. “I see… That’s why you’re so confident in front of me. It’s because you have skills.”

“I’m flattered.”

“No need to be flattered. Men should be brave, and it’s a good thing that you destroyed those Viper Knights. You’ve made a national contribution!”

It was well known in the imperial palace that the Viper Knights were in cahoots with Marquis Aubert. The knowledge made Eisen’s delight feel more satisfying. However, Eisen’s smile soon turned into a sharp glance. “By the way… Why did Vhant come to me when he could have reported directly to the imperial palace himself?”

No matter how much of a fool Eisen was, he knew that Vhant had been demoted because he’d supported Henry. It was known in the imperial palace that Marquis Aubert and Count Eisen were not on good terms. There was clearly a motive behind providing Eisen with this material.

Henry decided to answer him truthfully because he knew that if he tried to make up a story, it would only backfire. “I was the one that suggested it.”

“You?”

“Yes. Everyone in the empire knows that the count and the marquis are not on good terms. From what I understand, Chief Vhant also has a terrible relationship with the members of the three Great Families.”

“I used to be a Central aristocrat, but even I have a bad relationship with Vhant, not just the three Great Families.”

“That’s right, which is why I’m making this suggestion. If you have a common enemy, wouldn’t that mean yesterday’s enemies can become today’s comrades?”

“...What?”

“When I used to work at the Caliburn Fortress, I learned that there is no such thing as an eternal enemy. Wise men join hands with an enemy in order to take down a bigger opponent.”

“Hmm… That is true. You do have a point despite being so young.”

Just as Henry had predicted, flattering Eisen worked.

“You’re an interesting little fellow. What’s your name?” It was significant for someone from a Patrician Family to ask a stranger’s name.

As if he’d been waiting all along, Henry stared into Eisen’s eyes. “Henry Morris. My name is Henry Morris.”

“...What?” Eisen saw an image of the dead archmage within Henry.

Eisen felt goosebumps all over his body and inadvertently gulped down his saliva.

Henry replied with a sneer, “Are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

“Y-yes, I’m fine.”

Although it wasn’t official, Henry finally let an enemy from his past life know that he had returned. It made enough of an impact. Feeling satisfied, Henry quickly changed the subject so that the mood didn’t worsen.

“I didn’t mean to surprise you. I often get worried looks because of this name.”

“I must say, it’s not a very pleasant one.”

“Haha, I do apologize.”

“No need to apologize. It’s not like you were responsible for it. The responsibility falls on your parents.”

“I’m grateful that you said that.”

“...Even though it’s a coincidence, it’s giving me the chills. The more I think about it, the odder it is. I can understand why Vhant would do such a thing, but why would you suggest it?”

Perhaps it was the influence of Henry’s name, but Eisen’s attitude suddenly grew sharp.

However, Henry had already prepared an answer. “It’s because of you, Count Eisen.”

“Because of me?”

“As you can see, I’m a poor guy who was born a baronet and didn’t even go to a Swordsmanship Academy. In addition, although I served at the Caliburn Fortress, my background isn’t enough to guarantee success in the real world.”

“So you suggested this in order to get my attention?”

“Yes.”

Unfortunately, Eisen’s reply was unexpected. “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

“What… do you mean?”

“It’s unsettling that all the pieces of the puzzle fit so perfectly. My intuition about this kind of thing is usually pretty good. Regardless, I will accept the gift and make sure that Aubert is humiliated in front of the emperor, just as you and Vhant want, but…” Eisen’s gone grew cold. “This doesn’t sit well with me. I have a bad feeling about this. Vedican!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Give him a generous reward, one that will satisfy him.”

Henry never expected that Eisen would make a decision based on his gut feeling. However, he at least managed to confirm that the name Henry Morris was very unpleasant to Eisen.

‘I didn’t expect this to happen…’

However, Eisen had already made a firm decision and Henry decided not to fixate on not accomplishing all his goals.

‘I guess this will have to do for today.’

Henry had already introduced himself to Eisen, so he could wait until the next opportunity. Besides, he hadn’t planned on accomplishing too much, and he didn’t want to push things.

‘Overdoing won’t do me any good.’?He decided to stop and continue another time in the future.

* * *

After Von arrived in Enkelmann, he handed over the management team to Harz, just as Henry had instructed. After confirming the agreement, Harz carefully reviewed the contents and signed it, and the operations team immediately began an audit of Enkelmann’s finances.

The results were incredible. The city was running very efficiently and barely wasted any money. Von once again acknowledged Harz’s skills, and Harz proudly received the bonus that Henry had promised.

Von finished all the tasks that Henry had ordered and immediately returned to Vivaldi.