"They made a move because I showed interest?"
I frowned as I listened to Alsatyn's words.
'Alsatyn, are you saying...'
"Informant, are you so incompetent that you can't even manage the one skill you're supposed to have? Pathetic."
No matter how deeply the Newman family is tied to the underworld, how could they have connected the necklace to me when only here was it even mentioned?
Unless...
It couldn’t be that the information was leaked from your side, right? Is this some kind of confession? Or have you lost your mind and decided to betray me?
"I apologize, Lady Allen. I’ll accept whatever punishment you deem fit, but the situation is urgent, so could you please hear me out first?"
'Tell me.'
"Go on, incompetent informant. Not that it will prove anything other than your uselessness."
Alsatyn began to explain calmly beneath the sound of my mocking laughter.
"The first thing I must inform you is that the Newman family has had their eyes on you for quite some time. From what we’ve gathered, they’ve been paying attention to you for at least four to five months now."
That would have been around half a year ago, shortly after I inhabited Lucy's body.
The only thing I did back then was train furiously within the Allen family. The only time I went out was to get that old man from a dungeon in Evans.
But that was just a standard training exercise for our family’s knights. There’s no reason for them to have taken an interest in that.
Unless...
Ah, the reputation-boosting quest.
I treated Agra's curse with the potion I had.
The moment I remembered that, the mystery began to unravel.
As mentioned before, the Newman family is deeply entwined with the underworld. They are a noble family that amassed wealth and status through all sorts of dirty and corrupt means, and they play a significant role in various side stories, usually in a negative light.
But not everyone in the family is like that.
In the end, the Newman family is still composed of people, and there are a few regular quests tied to them.
One such quest involves the firstborn of the Newman family, who is suffering under Agra's curse.
The head of the family has poured his wealth into keeping his son alive, but Agra's curse is relentless.
Without a proper cure, all his efforts are nothing but futile struggles.
The head of the Newman family surely knows this. He’s desperately searching for a way to break the curse to save his son.
But here’s the problem.
Breaking Agra’s curse means becoming an enemy of Agra, which puts one at risk of the god’s wrath, just as I’ve narrowly avoided death several times because of that bastard.
I can handle it because I know what Agra is capable of, but ordinary people in this world view Agra as an evil god who nearly destroyed the world.
Who would willingly accept the threat of such a god?
No matter how much they’re paid, if their life is on the line, it’s meaningless.
Most powerful figures avoid breaking Agra's curse because they fear the consequences. Some rare individuals are willing to sacrifice themselves, but those people are usually noble clergy.
And it’s obvious what those people think of the Newman family, given their ties to the underworld.
Of course, they wouldn’t help.
But does that mean the Newman family can force someone to help them?
Not at all.
Anyone powerful enough to break Agra’s curse is typically someone who could be considered a walking catastrophe on their own.
If the Newman family had the power to threaten such individuals, they would have solved the problem themselves.
If you can’t find someone to break the curse, you could use an item, right?
That’s a fair point.
But acquiring an item powerful enough to suppress Agra’s divine power isn’t easy.
No matter how broad your network or how much money you have, it’s meaningless if the item isn’t available on the market.
In a situation where nothing seems to be working, how desperate must the head of the Newman family be, watching his son slowly die?
He’s willing to do anything to save his son.
So when rumors spread about someone who could perform miracles, wouldn’t he pay close attention, hoping that person could save his son?
But here’s the funny thing.
If this quest’s trigger occurs when you have low reputation and power, you usually get kidnapped.
So why was I able to walk around freely despite lacking in all areas?
Is it because I’m an Allen family lady?
Honestly, with each passing day, I’m more and more grateful for having started as a noble.
If I had started with all sorts of penalties as a commoner or a slave, I can’t even imagine...
Ugh, I don’t even want to think about it.
In the game, it just ends with a game-over screen, but that’s not the case here.
I’m sure I would have faced something horrifically grim, like a scene you’d only see with a 19+ warning.
"From the moment Lady Allen first visited this place, they must have assumed that our actions were aligned with your intentions."
'So...'
"So, you’re saying they stole the necklace? And you’re proud of this, you pathetic informant?"
"I apologize."
I understood the situation.
The Newman family snatched the necklace to lure me out, didn’t they?
Even though Alsatyn is competent, there’s no way he could win against a noble family putting all their resources into acquiring an item.
It’s more accurate to say the Newman family acted quickly rather than blame Alsatyn’s incompetence.
'Has the Newman family contacted us?'
"Did that worthless Newman family send anything?"
"Not yet."
Why not?
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They took the item, so shouldn’t they propose a deal or summon me?
As I tilted my head in confusion, Alsatyn cautiously spoke up.
"May I share my speculation, Lady Allen?"
'Go ahead.'
"Speak. I’m curious how long you can keep proving your incompetence."
"I believe the Newman family wants to gauge Lady Allen's reaction."
The Newman family has long operated in the shadows.
They know very well how to erase their tracks.
If they wanted, they could have left no trace, but they deliberately left evidence leading back to them, which suggests it was intentional.
Based on this, Alsatyn explained that the Newman family likely wants me to contact them.
"If you reach out first, they’ll be sure that the item they obtained is something you desire, giving them the upper hand in negotiations. Even if you don’t, they’ll keep monitoring us and obstructing us, eventually acquiring what you want. Ultimately, the Newman family wants you to come to the negotiating table."
I don’t know why they’re moving so urgently, but Alsatyn’s explanation made sense, and even my old man agreed.
<If leaving evidence was intentional, they probably do want you to reach out.>
Hmm. The Newman family must be in a tight spot.
What should I do in this situation?
Simple negotiations to retrieve the necklace would be possible, but I don’t want to stop there.
The Newman family holds significant influence in the underworld, which means there’s a lot I could take advantage of.
No matter how I look at it, I’m the one with the upper hand here, and the Newman family is at a disadvantage. It would be a shame to just retrieve the necklace and part ways.
There must be a way to get more out of this.
As I mulled it over, I realized I wasn’t cut out for politics.
Nothing I thought of seemed like a good solution.
In novels, the protagonist would usually come up with some clever strategy to get more than they initially aimed for in situations like this.
Why don’t I have that kind of talent?
I guess even causing chaos after being reincarnated is something only the smart ones are good at.
What a cursed world.
But it’s fine.
I might not have a talent for politics, but I do have Grandpa-e-Mong.
Help me, Grandpa-e-Mong!
‘Grandfather, what should I do?’
<Are you asking how to retrieve that necklace?>
‘No, that’s a given. I’m asking how to get even more out of this situation.’
<That means you know what they want and are confident you can provide it?>
‘Yes, of course.’
While I can’t personally break Agra’s curse just yet, I do know the location of an item that can.
If the item doesn’t seem trustworthy, I can even broker a deal with someone capable of breaking the curse.
In simple terms, I can offer a solution one way or another.
I’m a seasoned player, after all!
<One more question. Do you urgently need that necklace right now?>
Hmm. Let’s see.
Considering the time it takes to complete the questline that spawns from that necklace and raise the favorable impression of the inferior young master to 70...
‘I can afford to wait for up to two more months.’
<That’s more pressing than I expected. In that case, it’s better to take a firm stance rather than waiting for them to get more desperate. Answer a few more questions for me.>
"Oh, that was quick."
The head of the Newman family, Gus Newman, smiled as he looked at the letter his confidant had brought.
The item they aggressively snatched must have been quite valuable to Lady Allen, given how quickly she sent a letter.
Licking his lips, Gus leisurely opened the letter, starting from the top.
"To the petty lord of the worthless Newman family."
"Kuh-hup."
She’s clearly furious.
Gus was well aware of Lady Allen’s foul mouth, but he hadn’t expected her to address him this way.
Under normal circumstances, Gus would have been irritated by such an insult, but not today. He didn’t frown even slightly.
Her anger indicated desperation, which was exactly what Gus wanted.
However, as he read further down, Gus’s expression began to darken.
It wasn’t just because the letter was filled with insults.
Had that been the case, he would have dismissed it as a petty tantrum.
"...What kind of woman is she?"
Gus's face turned serious because the letter contained a biting remark:
"How’s your weak little boy, cherished by the evil god?"
She had struck right at his sore spot.