Super Righteous Player
Chapter 726 - 267: The Viscount’s Mansion Atop the Hill_1

Chapter 726: Chapter 267: The Viscount’s Mansion Atop the Hill_1

Viscount Dorgoruki.

In the investigation at Saltpeter Ranch by the players, the only name they ultimately found was this one. It was as if this person alone was dealing with the Fallen, and no one else had any knowledge of it.

This was clearly not possible.

The political structure of the Brotherhood of the Far North consisted of an Earl’s domain and several Viscount’s domains below it.

And Dorgoruki was not the most authoritative among the viscounts, nor was he the one most loyal to Earl Yury. He lacked the power, and even more so the courage, to deal with the Fallen on behalf of others.

There was no need for deduction.

The truth was already clear.

——Viscount Osthoff Dorgoruki was nothing but a target set up by the Brotherhood of the Far North, a scapegoat.

Only then did Annan realize that they had long been prepared for the eventuality of being "discovered"... and their plan involved pushing Viscount Dorgoruki and his entire family to take the blame.

"Are they trying to buy time..."

Annan thought to himself.

No matter who had proposed the "Excess Gold" plan, who had taught them Curse Cellar technology, why they believed in this plan, and why they had agreed... in short, what they needed now was time.

If Annan didn’t know about the "Excess Gold" plan, his taking down the Dorgoruki family would have also successfully achieved a political objective.

First, arresting them with solid evidence would undoubtedly suppress the arrogance of the northern nobility and enhance the deterrent against other inland nobles.

And through the interrogations of Winter’s Hands, they could also cut off their channels of communication with the outside world... with enough care, they could even get a handle on a few of his "accomplices."

A grand harvest.

It could even be called a great victory—if nothing unexpected happened afterward, the Brotherhood of the Far North would not be able to make any waves ever again.

But Annan knew about the Excess Gold plan.

Then he could perceive...

"——This is a lizard’s tail-cutting strategy."

The Brotherhood of the Far North sought to buy time by ceding a large amount of political interest, scaling back their sphere of influence dramatically.

In this way, there was a second layer.

But there was a problem.

The evidence connecting Dorgoruki family with the Fallen and Annan’s knowledge of the "Excess Gold" plan came from the same location.

Since they had already prepared for the eventuality that the evidence of collusion with the Fallen would be discovered, could they be so certain that the "Excess Gold" plan would not be leaked?

Then, what if their purpose was to make Annan think that "they were just buying time" and to hinder him from taking action?

This was the third layer—coming full circle.

The current issue was which layer they were actually on.

"The north has its sages..."

Annan pondered with interest.

There was only one problem that Annan had not yet figured out.

Since the Brotherhood of the Far North had already used "Viscount Dorgoruki" as bait, thrown directly before Annan and his people.

How could they be certain that Annan could not persuade him to divulge information... or put another way, were they so sure that Viscount Dorgoruki could withstand the interrogation by Winter’s Hands?

So conversely,

Annan gave a deep look at the scar-faced military man wearing a uniform beside him.

——Is he really Viscount Dorgoruki?

As if sensing Annan’s gaze, Osthoff Dolgorouki suddenly turned his head, nodded at Annan, and revealed a kindly smile.

This smile made Annan squint his eyes slightly.

If he really was Viscount Dorgoruki... wasn’t he too calm?

Annan temporarily abandoned the idea of jumping to conclusions and capturing the man.

Because he smelled the scent of a trap—

and Annan deeply understood... There was no need to fear traps.

By deciphering the opponent’s traps, one could actually put the enemy at a disadvantage. The trap contained too much information, which in turn exposed the enemy’s situation and their understanding of oneself.

This was undoubtedly an opportunity as well.

And when Annan noticed their route, this feeling became even more apparent:

After leaving the subway station in Flannel Province, they walked west for a while and encountered a tall mountain.

Although it was Annan’s first time seeing it, he recognized it immediately—it was Mount Fran, the namesake of Flannel Province.

In the Elves’ language, "Fran" means "deep well," and it is one of the few mines in Winter, yielding scarce coal resources.

What lay before them was a rugged mountain path.

Even though the little barrier had blocked off the harsh blizzards from the outside, it still couldn’t keep out the chilling cold seeping up from the ground.

It was now noon, but there was not the slightest warmth to be felt.

The air in the mountain was damp and cold, as if it wanted to stick the soles of their shoes to the ground. To call this a "road" to the Viscount’s residence would be a stretch—it was more like a narrow path leading to a hunter’s cabin nestled in the mountain.

Not only were there no paved stones, but even the dirt on the road was not completely leveled, and it was so narrow that it could not accommodate more than four people walking side by side.

The only difference between it and a dense forest was that the trees had been somewhat cleared, with occasional trips over tree roots not yet removed or stumbling over stones.

It made one wonder—was this road really traveled frequently?

Or rather...

"Under these transportation conditions, how is The Lord Viscount’s daily food supply delivered up here?"

Xitan Pulan asked.

She was not a Hand of Winter, but she was still a young girl. For someone of her status, asking such a question was not impolite, nor did it come off as pressing.

"Actually, there is another way up the mountain, winding around from the west side. However, its opening is too far from the subway station... It’s more accurate to say, the path we took is the shortcut. But a bit further up, you’ll see the proper road," the Viscount explained. "As for the miners, they usually enter from the southern side through the mineshaft, so they don’t need to climb the mountain..."

He said, leading everyone out of the dense forest.

Suddenly, the view opened up—although there was still no stone paving, it was a spacious dirt road that wound up the mountain and was relatively smooth. The Viscount’s estate was at the very top.

"Lord Viscount, do you normally live this high up?"

Xitan Pulan pressed on, "Isn’t that a bit inconvenient?"

"Ah, that’s because I enjoy the sea view," he replied.

"Sea view?"

"Yes, you probably haven’t looked at the map. Beyond Mount Fran to the west is the Black Sea... which is the sea to the north of Noah."

The Viscount spoke warmly with a serene smile, "Living on top of the mountain, you can see a very beautiful sunset every evening. It’s the most beautiful scene one can witness in a desolate place like Flannel Province."

Annan squinted his eyes slightly.

Unexpectedly... Annan felt that the Viscount was not lying.

But he always had a vague feeling... as if something was not quite right.

Zoya also seemed somewhat silent. She hadn’t said a word since meeting the Viscount, quietly following behind Annan as if pondering something.