Mystery: The Stranger

Chapter 34 Clinking Glasses

Earl Karen wanted to consolidate the coastal province, but he didn't want the Tamara family to be tainted with too much bloodshed. Someone had to bear the stigma, and he, this demon, was the most suitable candidate—he was born evil, had enough power, and was "loyal" to the Tamara family. No matter how brutal his methods were, they would only be attributed to the nature of a demon, and had nothing to do with the Tamara family on the side of order.

Is he being treated like a demon to eliminate dissidents, or a vicious dog to intimidate all sides?

Snow almost wanted to applaud the woman in front of him; it was brilliant, a perfect use of her talents.

Even he thought that this was how a demon should be commanded.

Just like raising a dog, isn't it for guarding the door and biting people?

However, the demons of the Fourth Age either manipulate people's hearts from the shadows or wantonly slaughter cities to vent their desires. Almost none of them would live their lives as such an open executioner. With the Abyss as their backing and a way out, very few demons would actively seek refuge with other forces.

"Although I am indeed a demon, I think I should keep a low profile."

Snow attempted a final struggle, feeling somewhat that it contradicted his principles of secrecy and low-key survival.

"You are no ordinary demon," Count Cullen interrupted him, his tone unwavering. "You are a demon loyal to the Tamara family. There's no need for you to be discreet or hide anything. Go ahead and do what you must do, what you do best."

She leaned forward slightly, her eyes carrying a hint of reassurance, but more like a condescending promise: "You will be my most trusted subordinate."

Snow chuckled silently to himself.

I don't believe you for a second!

"Ha, if you insist on doing so, then so be it."

"I am willing to die for the Earl, even if it means dying ten thousand times over."

Snow lowered his eyes and hesitated for a moment before finally agreeing, his tone respectful and merely a businesslike formality.

His strong mind, honed by years of experience, allows him to remain calm and composed no matter what situation he is in.

To put it bluntly, when you work for someone else, you have to be prepared that no boss is easy to get along with.

It's not so much dissatisfaction as a feeling of subtlety, even a sense of absurdity.

After all, it was quite sudden. As a demon born to represent ferocity and evil, his many shady deeds in the past have now become lawful and justified with the Earl's authorization. Even he himself finds this change absurd.

The allure of power?

Well, he couldn't refuse, because he was also eager to improve.

......

The next day, as dawn broke, Snow led the personal guard of Count Cullen, which had been assigned to him, and once again entered the territory under Viscount Grey's control.

The transfer of power proceeded exceptionally smoothly; the ability to assess the situation and be flexible was an instinct ingrained in the very bones of the nobles of the Solomon Empire.

By simply changing the lord, without altering the local faith and the foundation of the vassals, the transfer of control over the entire territory was completed smoothly with almost no trouble.

However, this swift surrender also made Snow a target of private contempt and exclusion from the old nobles of the coastal province.

In the eyes of others, he was an opportunist who swayed the powerful and a fickle opportunist. His easy defection to Count Cullen naturally made him unpopular with the other nobles.

When Earl Cullen hosted a banquet, inviting all the upper-class nobles of the coastal province, and held a public investiture ceremony to officially promote Snow to the new viscount, the malice hidden throughout the room almost materialized and rushed towards them.

As the apostle of desire, Snow had an extremely keen sense of the good and evil in people's hearts, and instantly saw through everyone's inner thoughts.

The Northern Continent was still in chaos, and everything was not yet finalized. These nobles were all secretly observing and waiting for the situation to become a stalemate, hoping to take advantage of the situation to negotiate with Count Karen, increase their own bargaining power, and seek more benefits.

Snow, however, was the first to bow down and submit, easily seizing a large territory and the title of viscount, thus squeezing everyone's room for negotiation.

In their eyes, Snow was a traitorous nobleman who had betrayed his allies, and everyone secretly despised him. While everyone revered and submitted to Count Cullen's demigod power, they made no attempt to conceal their contempt and disgust for Snow.

The Hawke family's reputation, built up over many years, was completely ruined by this incident.

But Snow didn't care at all; the slander, insults, cold looks, and contempt from others could never shake his mind.

To put it bluntly, these guys who won't even leave their names in history are really not worth paying attention to; they are all destined to dissipate into the mists of history.

At the banquet, he roamed around the table like a docile and loyal dog, holding a wine glass and bowing to toast everyone he met. He praised the wise laws promulgated by Earl Karen and talked about the many benefits to the people's livelihood and commerce of the territory after the implementation of the new regulations. Every word he said left the nobles present with no way to refute him.

The nobles had already agreed to use cold indifference and deliberate alienation to ostracize and embarrass Snow, hoping to make him feel awkward and embarrassed at the banquet.

Now he travels around, loudly proclaiming his intention to establish a law court in the newly acquired territory, fully implement the Earl's decrees, unite the strength of the entire coastal province, and jointly seek regional prosperity and stability. His words are grand and righteous.

The nobles present were all filled with disgust. They had originally wanted to ostracize Snow, but now they were disgusted by him instead. However, due to Count Cullen's authority and power as a demigod, they dared not leave their seats at will and could only suppress their dissatisfaction and silently endure it.

Finally, one nobleman could no longer tolerate it. He waved his hand and ordered his servants to replace the sweet red wine in his glass with strong spirits, and took the lead in raising his glass to return the toast to Snow.

This move was like a key to breaking the deadlock. A group of nobles who had been holding back their frustration and resentment towards Snow followed suit, all switching to strong liquor and taking turns to persuade Snow to drink.

These nobles were all extraordinary individuals who had embarked on the path of the superhuman, possessing physiques far exceeding those of ordinary people and an impressive capacity for alcohol. However, they were still flesh and blood after all, and such occasions were not suitable for using underhanded tactics; they were basically competing based on their actual drinking capacity.

Snow, all alone, calmly accepted the toasts from the assembled nobles, drinking them all without hesitation.

After several fierce battles, he displayed exceptional manners, overwhelming all rivals and accepting all challengers. He even managed to get several disgruntled nobles drunk to the point of near vomiting. In fact, he vomited so violently at the banquet that he completely lost his composure and showed no sign of embarrassment whatsoever.

He drank it with gusto and vomited it out cleanly.

Even after the banquet ended, it was Count Cullen's personal guards who came forward and carried the limp Snow away from the banquet.

This finally brought the farce to an end.

Count Cullen, who sat in the main seat and watched the whole thing unfold, looked at Snow being carried away in a disheveled state, and then at the group of nobles at the table who were also drunk and in a disheveled state. His expression was inscrutable and his feelings were quite subtle.

She had no idea things would turn out this way.

The dinner was originally expected to lead to a semi-public conflict between these nobles and Snow, with the nobles using their hostility towards Snow to express their dissatisfaction with themselves.

But now... the conflict doesn't seem to have escalated as expected.