The Shadow Organization Members Raised Through Pay-To-Win Are Too Strong

After I finished the bath, Chloe brought me clothes to change into.

“I have prepared the clothes for you, young master. After changing, I will guide you to the Count.”

Perhaps she had become more comfortable with me as the tension in her voice had decreased.

I accepted the prepared clothes.

It was a shirt made of luxurious silk fabric and neatly ironed pants.

After slowly changing clothes, I stood in front of the mirror.

‘Oh.’

They say clothes make the man.

Just by changing clothes, my entire image had become high-class.

‘Being a nobleman is definitely good.’

After finishing changing, I followed Chloe.

Passing through the grand corridor, they arrived at the Count’s study. As the door opened, Edgar greeted me.

“Young master Ethan, the Count is waiting for you.”

Now, it was time to face Count Hartwell alone.

I felt nervous for no reason.

Because I was not the Count’s true bloodline.

‘Bella must have spoken well of me.’

After taking a deep breath, I confidently stepped into the study.

As soon as I entered, the antique bookshelves and desk caught my eye. Sitting behind the desk was a middle-aged man, Count Benedict Hartwell.

His dark brown hair and well-groomed beard gave a sophisticated impression, but there were shadows of fatigue around the Count’s eyes.

I bowed according to etiquette to greet him.

“A pleasure to meet you, Father.”

The Count stared at Ethan for a moment, then spoke bluntly.

“To be called father by you… No need to bow.”

There was no real response.

The Count continued indifferently.

“Well, I suppose nothing much happened while you were away?”

It was just a perfunctory question.

Not a father’s concern for his blood-related son.

‘He just has no interest at all.’

I didn’t expect warm paternal affection from the Count anyway.

We were just playing the roles of father and son outwardly to get what we needed from each other.

“Yes, thanks to the Count’s attention and care, I stayed without any trouble.”

I also gave a perfunctory answer.

I had no intention of having this awkward conversation for long.

The Count then welcomed my return and unilaterally informed me of future plans.

About private tutors, escort knights, and responsibilities as a member of the family.

“I will keep that in mind, Count.”

“You may go and rest for now. I will send someone to call you for dinner.”

That was the end of the Count’s words.

It signaled that the meeting was over.

However, I felt somewhat unsatisfied leaving like this.

‘It shouldn’t end this way.’

To live comfortably in the future, I needed to imprint my existence on the Count.

Of course, I also had my own desires.

Instead of turning around, I briefly organized my thoughts. Then I spoke to the Count.

“Count, I am well aware of why I came here.”

You called for me first because you needed me, right?

“Although I am inexperienced and lacking now, if you allow me, I will gladly fulfill my role.”

I’ll do as you wish, so in return, grant me one thing I want.

I acted as respectfully as possible while trying to appear useful.

I demonstrated that I understood the Count’s intentions and showed a willingness to devote myself to the family.

“Hmm…”

The Count seemed slightly taken aback, as if he didn’t expect me to speak up confidently.

There was a momentary silence, then asked,

“Well, is there something you want?”

It worked!

For now, I needed money for future plans.

Even though I was an illegitimate child, I was still the Count’s son.

I would probably receive a monthly allowance, but it wouldn’t be enough.

However, there was no need to innocently answer that I wanted money when he had already asked me what I wanted.

“Count, I went through many twists and turns to get to this position.”

It really was a lot.

Working like a dog in the underground mines, escaping, and coming here in place of the original illegitimate child who died.

“I am well aware of my lacking background as an illegitimate child and the time I lived as a commoner to walk the path of nobility in the future. But now that I have become a member of the Hartwell family, I thought I should show a different side of myself from the past.”

Excuses to get money flowed smoothly out of my mouth.

“While it is good to communicate well with those who work for the family, I think it is also important to lead them materially. If I communicate with them and win their hearts, it will ultimately be a way to respond to the Count’s intentions.”

The words came out so smoothly that even I was surprised at how well I spoke.

Basically, I said I wanted money to help adapt to the family.

It sounded better to say it was for the people below rather than blatantly saying it was for himself.

And from the Count’s perspective, he would want me to adapt to the family as soon as possible.

Fortunately, my ploy seemed to work, as a slight smile appeared on the Count’s face.

“Hmm… That’s right. From now on, Ethan, you must become a member of the family.”

Finally, the name Ethan came out of the Count’s mouth.

“Alright, I will have Edgar separately provide you with an allowance.”

Having promised the money, the Count dismissed me.

I also got what he wanted, so there was no point in spending more time here.

‘Should I rest a bit before eating?’

With a satisfied face, I left the Count’s study.

* * *

After Ethan left the study, the Count was deep in thought.

The conversation from a moment ago was replaying in his mind.

“Ethan…”

The name that slipped out contained complex emotions.

A child born from a one-night mistake, a half-blood noble born from a lowly mother.

The reason for summoning him in the first place was purely for the family.

They needed a scapegoat to send to the front lines in place of the other sons.

However, the conversation with Ethan was enough to shake the Count’s thoughts.

“Indeed, the blood of a leopard.”

He was someone who had lived like a commoner for many years.

He probably never received a proper education.

He may have learned some etiquette from Cael, but what he showed just now could not simply be learned through education.

The skill to twist words to get what he wants, the bold attitude that was almost impudent. That was an innate talent.

No matter how much he grew up among the dogs, the blood of a leopard cannot be hidden.

“Interesting.”

The evaluation of Ethan conveyed by the witch Bella suddenly came to mind.

The witch called to confirm the bloodline was the direct disciple of the Magic Tower Master, known as the ‘Red Witch.’

The Red Witch, famous for her picky personality, had called Ethan extraordinary.

This was not something to be taken lightly.

“An unexpected asset has entered.”

A faint smile spread across the Count’s lips.

* * *

As soon as he left the Count’s study, I faced another person.

He had a much larger and sturdier physique than me and exuded a similar aura to the Count.

“Ah.”

I immediately recognized him without needing to think deeply.

He was going to be my brother.

‘It must be Bastel.’

Bastel Hartwell, the Count’s second son.

Albert, the eldest son, was currently studying at the Imperial Royal Academy, so it was natural that he was not at the estate.

And excluding the youngest sister, the only sibling who could be at this estate was Bastel.

Upon noticing me, Bastel’s eyes turned cold.

He was throwing a sharp gaze like a predator eyeing its prey.

‘Ah, is there a problem?’

Even if I was an illegitimate child, there was no reason to show such blatant hostility.

Yet, the fact that he was hostile meant that something unpleasant had happened to Bastel.

And that unpleasant thing was probably…

‘I guess he suffered losses due to the paralysis of the mines.’

Bella had mentioned that Bastel was doing business.

And Bastel’s mother, the Countess, also led a large-scale merchant group through her family.

Naturally, she would have helped Bastel’s business.

But now that the mana stone mines had collapsed, they must be in a difficult situation.

‘Bastel is someone whose emotions show on his face.’

I smiled slightly and decided to give Bastel a glimmer of hope.

He had just given orders to the Black Ravens not too long ago.

Support the merchant groups and nobles who suffered damage from the mana stone mines.

‘They should have roughly compiled the list by now, right?’

The Black Ravens I created were competent, so they would have done a good job.

They would probably provide compensation soon.

I greeted first.

“Your lowly younger brother greets you, Brother Bastel.”

He greeted as politely as possible, but Bastel angrily lashed out.

“Who is your brother! You dirty-blooded bastard!”

Oh, quite direct, isn’t he?

To reveal hostility so blatantly even though we’ll continue to run into each other in the future. But I had patience tempered by my past life experiences.

Responding with anger was just foolish.

And I understood why Bastel was angry, so I smiled as leisurely as possible.

“Haha, Brother. You seem to be in a very bad mood. But don’t worry too much, as good news will come soon.”

The good news I mentioned referred to the support from the Black Ravens.

Bastel seemed to want to react to my words, but I had no intention of talking for long.

I just said that much and left the spot.

‘The mood should get better by dinner time.’

Humans are originally simple creatures.

If something bad happens, the mood becomes gloomy; conversely, a smile naturally forms if something good happens.

‘Should I take a nap for a bit?’

This is the privilege of the nobility.

A leisurely life of sleeping when you want to sleep and eating when you want to eat.

On the first day of becoming a member of the Hartwell family, I decided to enjoy this leisurely life.

* * *

While watching Ethan’s departing back, Bastel’s eyebrows rose.

Deep wrinkles formed on his forehead, and contempt was dripping from his tightly shut lips.

‘What’s with that guy?’

He recognized the boy coming out of his father’s study at a glance.

That he was his half-brother, Ethan.

In fact, there was no reason to harass him since he was going to enlist instead of himself or his older brother.

But Bastel’s insides were boiling.

He recalled the news of the collapse of the mana stone mines that he had heard from his mother.

The Rosemund Marquis family, his mother’s family, operated the largest merchant group in the empire.

They invested a significant portion of their earnings in the mines, and the three largest investments were the three mana stone mines.

But within a few days, those mines collapsed one after another in a catastrophe.

The situation was such that they couldn’t even estimate the time for restoration. The damage was entirely borne by the Rosemund Marquis family.

Coincidentally, Bastel’s own business also faced setbacks.

The support he received from the Rosemund Marquis family was cut off.

Bastel let out a deep sigh and ground his teeth.

‘That illegitimate child even enters the house at this timing.’

Bastel hurled curses at his half-brother in an irritated manner.

But the target of the curses, Ethan, didn’t care at all.

Rather, he even smiled with a composed face.

And he even spouted nonsense about good news coming soon.

‘Has he really lost his mind?’

But for some reason, Ethan’s actions gave him an ominous premonition.

And that intuition was spot on.

“Ba-, Bastel young master!”

One of Bastel’s attendants came running frantically, out of breath.

Sweaty forehead, eyes filled with fear.

It was clear that something serious had happened.

“What is it that you’re acting like this!”

Bastel asked irritably.

The attendant stammered as he answered his question.

“The, the merchant group… The merchant group was attacked!”

Bastel’s eyes widened.

Gripped by an eerie feeling, he stared down the corridor where Ethan had disappeared without realizing it.