What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

"So do you think the Earl would lose to a simple madman, a fool who would jump into a fire pit?" Leon retorted.

"..." Johnny did not refute this time.

Although it is hard to believe, it is an undeniable fact that Leon killed the Count.

Perhaps the count was careless at the time, but even if the count was off guard, he was not someone who could be easily defeated.

The overall strength gap between Leon and the Count in their respective camps meant that if he made a wrong move, he would surely die. Therefore, he had to make every step extremely precise, which was not something a hot-headed madman or a fool who didn't know his own mortality could do.

In a way, Leon killing the Count was a testament to his abilities.

"...Then why did you kill the Earl?" After a long silence, Johnny asked in a deep voice.

He didn't know Leon's motives, and he was unaware of what had happened after he left. The investigation into Leon was carried out by Beckett, who was already dead.

The other officers only knew up to the point that Leon had gone mad and kidnapped Miss Ophelia, which was why the Count wanted to clean house. But it was clear that Leon kidnapping Ophelia was just a means to kill the Count. Before that, there must have been other opportunities and reasons that led to this situation.

What Johnny knows is that this matter is most likely related to the Earl's revenge plan.

He knew about the Count's revenge plan, which was being carried out with the help of the Great Witch Alexie. This voyage was also to help the Count deliver the reward for his deal with Alexie to Moilland.

He had personally opposed the count's plan, because the count's revenge plan seemed neither wise nor honorable, but the count was obsessed with the matter and insisted on going his own way.

From what he learned upon his return, the Count's revenge plan had failed, and it was probably Leon who ruined it.

“Mr. Johnny, if the Earl insisted on the death of someone you value, what would you do?” Leon answered Johnny with a question.

This answer cannot be said to be a lie. The reason for his conflict with the Earl was indeed the lives of Weiss and Selene, and these two people were not indifferent to him.

But that's not entirely true. He did it all for himself, to pursue an extraordinary life as a transmigrator. Only by killing the count and breaking free from his control could he have the freedom to pursue all of that.

Of course, the latter reason would not help persuade Johnny. Negotiations are a matter of personal judgment. He judged that Johnny was a man who valued his comrades and subordinates, so he had to find a way to resonate with him.

Leon guessed that Johnny's sudden change of heart to help him conquer the maze was because he heard that Johnny treated his subordinates in a similar way to him.

As he expected, Johnny let out a breath after a long period of thought, and then spoke again: "So what do you want to talk to me about?"

“I actually know part of the terms of the Count’s deal with you. Killing the Count must have caused you a lot of trouble, and I’m very sorry. If possible, I hope you can give me a chance to cooperate with you so that I can compensate you for the trouble you’ve suffered since losing the Count.” Leon carefully chose his words.

"You mean to hire me with the Earl's terms?" Johnny asked with a hint of surprise, then suddenly sneered, "Ha, cooperate with me?"

"Correct."

Are you worthy?

"Why don't you tell me what you want first?" Leon did not back down because of Johnny's cold words.

“The Earl’s annual expenses for all his projects add up to at least fifty million for hiring me. Can you afford that, kid? Besides, the Earl provides many guarantees, which you don’t. Considering the risks, I’ll have to increase it to seventy million here in the future!” Johnny asked.

“If you can support me in acquiring land and business in these surrounding counties, I can afford it,” Leon replied.

Chapter 196 Only by assassinating the emperor could one have a chance to sit on the throne.

Fifty million. That's about the combined revenue of Leon's two territories. And that's without even taking costs into account. Come to think of it, given Johnny's status, it's unlikely he'd earn less than one of the Count's officers.

Leon owns two territories, River Valley County and Southport County. Because he can produce magic essence on his own, his costs are actually lower, but overall he still can't afford to hire Johnny.

But with Johnny's support, he could turn the tables and use Johnny's ability to unite those cadres to take over their territories with ease. With the revenue from those territories, he should be able to afford it.

“My brothers want clean money, you fool! You say you know our terms of the deal, so you must know that the Earl has a charitable association set up for me, right?”

The investment in that thing must be flawless, without even the slightest problem. Once the Earl dies, the association will cease to exist. But to start a new one, only nobles with landholdings in the Empire are qualified to sponsor that kind of association! Can you do that?" Johnny asked coldly.

Leon did not reply immediately, as the requirement of at least 50 million per year was indeed far beyond the scale of his current money laundering.

“Alright, let me teach you something, kid. Just because you assassinated the emperor doesn’t mean you can sit on the throne, and just because you killed an earl doesn’t mean you can become an earl!” Johnny said decisively.

“But the prerequisite for sitting on the throne is to kill the emperor first! And why should I become a count?” Leon blurted out this rebuttal. “I have this labyrinth behind me, which allows me to produce magic essence on my own. I don’t have to be at the mercy of the witches’ gathering like the count did before! I have the technology to refine magic essence with a purity of over 90%. My sources are better and purer than the count’s. The potions I produce are more competitive than the count’s back then. Why should I become a count? I can completely surpass the count!”

After hearing Johnny's repeated sarcasm and irony, he finally couldn't help but voice his thoughts.

He possesses the labyrinth, along with Weiss's technology and Lena's support, allowing him to surpass the Earl in terms of the supply of goods he produced.

Moreover, as a transmigrator, he possesses advantages that the people of this world do not have. He can wield the power of a witch as a man, use two kinds of blessings without cost, and become the master of the labyrinth! If we have to say, his upper limit is definitely above that of Earl Frey.

In the past, he had been repeatedly suppressed by the realities of this world, and his desire to pursue an extraordinary life had gradually been extinguished. But now, with his desires rekindled, he was certainly no longer content to merely become a count.

To put it bluntly, Count Fry was a man who dared not fly too high and was content with the status quo. If Count Fry compared himself to the sun, then he would inevitably fly higher than the sun!

"You think you can get by just having a source of goods? Isaac Mustang has been in the business for twenty years, been a nobleman for fifteen years, and after getting the source of goods, he spent a full ten years managing this business to accumulate what he has today: territory, status, property, connections... How can you compare to him in any of these? Don't get cocky just because you found an opportunity to stab him in the throat!" Johnny continued to mock.

“When the Earl started out twenty years ago, he had nothing. If you and I join hands and integrate his legacy, it won’t take us this long to climb to his position. Why don’t you let me try? Or can you find someone more suitable?” Leon countered.

Ophelia and Bishop Beckett are both dead, and the Earl's underworld empire has no heir to continue Johnny's contract. No matter how Johnny tries to spy, this will only be the result.

The Earl's territory is currently managed by his wife with the support of her own marquisate. His eldest son, who is still a minor, will inherit the title. According to Bishop Beckett, they have no connection with the Earl's underworld business, and Johnny, who betrayed the church and got involved in the underworld, also cannot contact them.

As for the remaining officers, none of them individually posed a significant threat, and none of them held a formal rank and authority within the church like Leon. The Earl also had people in the church, but apart from Bishop Beckett, no one was as familiar with the underworld's businesses as an officer like Leon.

Not to mention, these people don't have independent sources of goods like Leon.

After considering all the options, Leon, who killed the count, turned out to be the most reliable.

Johnny could certainly train someone from scratch, but that would undoubtedly be the slowest method, and he would be destined to face a confrontation with Leon.

Leon was completely outmatched by him, but conversely, Johnny was in the same boat. He had no guarantee of victory against Leon, no stable and reliable source of funding, and no way to rebuild the charitable foundation so that the families of his deceased brothers could receive fully legal relief.

“But you’re not a nobleman after all. When I made my deal with Isaac Mustang, he was already an earl,” Johnny said.

Generally, any charitable foundation can be established as long as one has money and connections. However, foundations specifically for military personnel could potentially be used to operate large-scale private armed forces, and simply being a wealthy businessman is not enough to qualify. Only lords permitted to own land and armies can obtain approval.

Johnny, having lost his identity, is unable to handle the situation on his own, nor can he easily find a nobleman to reach an agreement with him. Leon's only missing piece is this noble identity; without it, Leon is completely unable to resolve the terms of the charitable foundation's transaction.

“Becoming a nobleman? I have the connections. Give me time!” Leon shouted back. “Why don’t we just get it over with? A war would only result in mutual destruction anyway. Why don’t you let me try? If I can meet your demands, you can continue your contract with the Earl. How about that?”

"..." Johnny fell into deep thought.

A long time passed, and Leon could only hear the sounds of the sea breeze and waves from outside.

A fleet of ships appeared on the west side; it was a convoy of escort vessels jointly established by the local Chamber of Commerce and the Security Service, which sailed from Castells Harbour to maintain order on the water. They had come after hearing the warning bells from Leon about pirates.

These escort fleets are no match for Johnny's fleet; they might not even dare to approach. But if they go back and report the outrageous behavior of this "pirate" group, the next force to come and investigate will likely be a proper navy.

Johnny didn't have much time to linger, and taking action against the local law enforcement would only invite unnecessary trouble for him.

"Alright, I'll give you two months. I'll take care of those territories you want first. As for whether I'll give them to you or use them against you, that depends on whether you can keep your promise!" Johnny finally made his decision.

“It’s very fair,” Leon replied.

If Johnny agrees, he will have a chance to avoid conflict with Johnny and use him to quickly consolidate his territory.

This gives him yet another reason to strive to become a nobleman, and it is an urgent one at that.

“Then it’s settled,” Johnny replied.

Then, the mystical runes floating outside the lighthouse slowly faded away.

Leon waited a moment before cautiously peering outside. Johnny's fleet had already changed course and was heading away from Arend Island.

He did not relax his vigilance until Johnny's fleet had completely disappeared from the telescope's view before he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The crisis on Arend Island was temporarily averted, and he secured Johnny's willingness to make a deal, along with two months to prepare.

So what's next...?

"Bring me paper and pen. I need to deliver a letter to the priest immediately," Leon ordered his men.

It seems it's time to meet Viscount Arend.

Meanwhile, at Viscount Arendt's mansion, Adele lowered her binoculars on the terrace and breathed a sigh of relief, clutching her chest.

Thank goodness, the group finally left. In the end, they didn't seem to land on the island; they just stopped for a while on the west side near the pier before leaving.

Was it Leon Seth who did it? That guy actually managed to scare away such a large fleet. It's impossible for someone with the power of the Inquisition Director to do that, right?

Thinking about it this way, Adele suddenly felt that the inquisitor was more terrifying than she had imagined.

At times like this, she felt incredibly fortunate that at least the man didn't have the same inappropriate thoughts about her as those other men.

As long as you keep your distance from him and don't provoke him, you should be fine.

Adele could only try to comfort herself with this thought.

Chapter 197 The Rotten Viscount

In a private room at the Grey Wolf Tavern, Leon and Father Auden sat side by side on a sofa, sizing up Viscount Arend before them.

Leon frowned slightly. Viscount Arendt reeked of alcohol and tobacco, a smell that could be detected even across the tea table.

After meeting Viscount Arendt in person, Leon basically understood where Adele's beauty came from.

Viscount Arendt, over forty years old, looked haggard, with pale and dry skin and thick dark circles under his eyes, due to his addiction to smoking, drinking, and staying up all night to have fun. But even so, it could not hide his naturally handsome features.

Without servants to attend to him and being lazy and undisciplined, he didn't take care of his appearance. His half-length hair was messy and unruly, and he had a thin, unkempt beard. His clothes were good ones he had kept from before, but they were old and the collars were not properly trimmed. He gave the impression of a dissolute singer or poet more than a nobleman.

According to Father Auden, although his family had fallen on hard times and his own idleness and stupidity had pushed the family further into the abyss, Viscount Arendt himself had so far lived a relatively comfortable life.

In his youth, his family had some wealth that allowed him to live a life of leisure. With his substantial family fortune and handsome appearance, he was very popular with women and even married a popular local actress. Miss Adele inherited her parents' good looks, which is why she possessed such a unique beauty.

Even after the death of the previous viscount and the decline of his family fortunes, his wife's early divorce and departure, and his own gambling debts of thirty million, Viscount Arend still did not change his lifestyle.

He had long since given up on his 30 million gambling debts, still frequenting various places of entertainment and occasionally hanging out with an old flame or a wealthy woman he met on other occasions, getting some pocket money from her. The only thing that bothered him was that he had been blacklisted by all the major casinos in the area, because everyone knew that he had lost money gambling and could not pay off his debts.

"This tavern is really nice. I never knew Hamel Town had such a high-class place!" Viscount Arend slumped onto the sofa, stroking the leather and praising it loudly. Then he grinned at Leon and Father Auden, "I wonder what the wine is like here?"

“We need to go to the notary office again today to submit the paperwork. What you need now is to figure out how to get rid of the smell of alcohol on you, not to continue drinking, Your Excellency,” Father Auden coldly reminded him.

If someone comes out to handle official business while reeking of alcohol, they will be suspected of being intoxicated and lacking judgment, and will be refused service.

“That’s a bit of a downer, but it’s alright, it’ll taste even better when we celebrate after the event.” The Viscount said, pulling out his pipe.

At this point, Leon spoke up: "No smoking while we're talking."

Viscount Arendt glanced at Leon in surprise upon hearing this, only to find Leon staring at him expressionlessly.

After sensing an indescribable force of will, he chuckled dryly and put away his pipe: "Ah, of course, no problem. We'll all be family from now on, and I always respect my family's opinions."

Upon hearing this, both Leon and Father Auden couldn't help but chuckle. After all, what Viscount Arend was about to do here was essentially the same as selling his daughter, and his daughter, Miss Adele, was completely unaware of it.

"Then the agreement is as I said before, Your Excellency. This Mr. Leon will marry your daughter and inherit your title according to the laws of the Empire. In this way, your property rights and management rights as a lord will temporarily belong to him until the next inheritance of the title. At the same time, your debts, including the portion owed to the Watchers Merchant Guild, will also be completely transferred to him..."

Father Auden gave a lengthy explanation in a businesslike tone, and finally looked back and forth between the two men, "Well, is there anything you two still don't understand?"

“It’s very clear.” Leon nodded.

"Ah, I basically understand, but... there's something." Viscount Arend suddenly smiled a little embarrassedly.

While Leon was still completely bewildered, Father Auden had already sensed something was amiss: "Your Excellency, don't tell me you've gotten yourself into trouble again."

“Oh dear, it’s nothing serious, it’s just… I have some points to add or update regarding this debt.” Viscount Arend said, pulling out several documents from his person and placing them on the table.

Leon and Father Auden examined the documents closely and found two overdue payment notices, as well as overdue bills from the tavern and dance hall, totaling approximately tens of thousands of dollars.

“It’s quite surprising. I just re-audited your debts last month, and these things weren’t there then.” Father Auden shook his head repeatedly. “I will investigate this thoroughly, Your Excellency. You’d better not be up to any shady business.”

Based on his understanding of Viscount Arend, it wasn't impossible that someone would reveal the fact that they were willing to buy his family's title by helping him pay off his debts, and then follow the swindler's advice to deliberately sign an IOU to make extra money.

You have to understand that if Viscount Arend could be swindled out of 30 million by the Watchers' Casino, there must have been other swindlers around him as his cronies.

However, those minor characters were easy for Father Auden to deal with.

"No, no, no, how could that be? I've just been having a bit too much fun lately." Viscount Arendt laughed and waved his hands repeatedly. "This little bit of money is nothing compared to the 30 million debt."

“Your Excellency Viscount Arendt, your extravagant spending habits are a bit beyond my expectations. To be honest, I’m a little worried that after I inherit your title, you might continue to cause me trouble in this way,” Leon asked.

After meeting him, he discovered that Viscount Arendt seemed even more outrageous than Father Auden had described him, an unimaginably rotten person.

"Of course not! Don't worry, I've completely turned over a new leaf. Once Your Excellency inherits the title, I'll be able to sever all ties with the past. From now on, I'll never be the same person I was before, just a retired former viscount. All you need to do is give me a place to retire, bask in the sun, and that'll be enough." Viscount Arend chuckled and spread his hands.

"That's good." Leon smiled slightly.

He didn't believe a single word Viscount Arend said.

When Leon was serving as an inquisitor and collecting debts, he had seen quite a few of these gambling addicts. Although their gambling debts were not as outrageous as Viscount Arend's, at least half of them were hopeless. Not to mention that Viscount Arend was an unparalleled oddity among them.

Once all the inheritance procedures are completed, he will personally handle Viscount Arend's affairs so that he will not cause him any more trouble.

Of course, it wouldn't warrant killing him. After all, he would still be needed to handle some noble procedures in the future. As a useless person, Viscount Arendt still had one advantage: he was much easier to control than his daughter Adele.

The fact that Leon inherited the title in this way, just after the death of the previous Viscount Arendt, could easily arouse suspicion and might lead to unnecessary investigations. Even without an investigation, it would still damage his reputation.