The cell could hold about seven or eight people. It was cold, dim, and damp—hardly surprising, given the typical prison conditions of this era.

Fang Zhen had wanted to conduct the interrogation alone, but Dalia insisted on coming, so he allowed her to descend with Matthew, Agatha, and the others.

「In the interrogation room.」

Tied to a wooden rack inside was the Elder Mage, a man in his fifties.

The Elder Mage’s physique was surprisingly robust. His chest was thick with well-developed pectoral muscles. With his shirt off, his brawny frame looked more like a professional wrestler’s than a Mage’s.

Of course, it was fortunate the Elder Mage had such muscles. Even so, a section of his chest was caved in, and he was struggling to breathe. If Fang Zhen hadn’t held back on that kick, intending to take him alive, the man would likely be dead already.

The Elder Mage’s breathing was like a bellows, his lungs likely injured by the bullet and Fang Zhen’s heavy kick.

Fang Zhen disliked cruel interrogations. If technology could do the job, he’d use technology.

He took out the truth-inducing Alchemy Ointment he had obtained from the Curse Seal World. He applied it to the Elder Mage’s temples and smeared a little under his nostrils.

Before long, the light faded from the Elder Mage’s eyes, which became as unfocused as if he’d been given Dilating Eye Drops. He had fallen under the ointment’s control.

"Speak. Why did you suddenly attack me? What was your plan?" Fang Zhen asked.

Though the light in his eyes was gone, the Elder Mage spoke with surprising clarity. "Because Count Henry died suddenly and unexpectedly. We believed you were responsible and worried you would launch a preemptive attack on our barracks."

"After conferring with the other two Mages, we felt it was better to strike first. Our plan was to arrest Viscountess Ashton on the charge of murdering Count Henry, seize control of the Ashton Territory, and then offer the territory to Grand Duke Tarrenno in exchange for a reward and a higher standing within the Duke’s sphere of influence."

"Heh. Turning the tables. A well-practiced move," Fang Zhen said with a laugh.

’It’s actually quite interesting when you think about it.’

The three Mages had guessed that Fang Zhen was the one who killed Count Henry. They weren’t wrong—Fang Zhen had indeed done it. The problem was, the three Mages had no proof, which changed the nature of the situation entirely.

From the Mages’ perspective, it was just a suspicion without evidence. But that didn’t stop them from pinning the charge on him anyway, seizing his people first. Then, regardless of whether he did it or not, the outcome would be the same: he did it.

Their ultimate goal was personal gain. The truth wasn’t that important.

Fang Zhen found it bizarre. ’I really did kill Henry, yet I still feel like I’m being framed.’

’Damn. Anyone with a bit of a name in this land is no pushover.’

"You said you planned to sell out the Ashton Territory and the Viscountess to Duke Tarrenno? What role did Tarrenno play in this?" Fang Zhen asked.

The Elder Mage was completely incapable of hiding what he knew. "The Duke promised that if Count Henry successfully occupied the Ashton Territory, the Duke would only take seventy percent of the spoils. The other thirty percent would be left to Count Henry, and the Duke would also forgive all of Count Henry’s debts to him."

Hearing this, Dalia, who was standing behind them, flushed red with fury.

Dalia was the de facto ruler of the Ashton Territory. Yet in the deal between Duke Tarrenno and Henry, her existence was completely ignored. She herself might have even been considered just another bargaining chip. Anyone would be furious to hear that.

’This is outrageous!’

"Oh? So Henry owed Tarrenno a lot of money? And he brought his army to the Ashton Territory just to plunder its wealth?" Fang Zhen pressed.

"Yes. In fact, Count Henry was effectively bankrupt. His fortune was depleted, leaving him with only a few family heirlooms and a small amount of Gold Ropes. He was on the verge of being unable to pay his soldiers’ wages, owed money to Grand Duke Tarrenno, and couldn’t even scrape together the taxes for the King," the Elder Mage said.

"Failing to pay taxes to the King is a grave crime in the Kingdom, one punishable by the stripping of one’s title. Count Henry was at a dead end. If he couldn’t acquire new wealth, his title would be revoked, and his subsequent debt problems would snowball, crushing and consuming him. He had to occupy the Ashton Territory to have any hope of relief."

"The Cristin Clan’s hidden treasure is common knowledge among the Kingdom’s nobility. The Cristin Clan is also famous for its skill in managing wealth. Count Henry came to Ashton with the goal of marrying Viscountess Ashton, having her manage his finances, and seizing both the wealth of the Ashton Territory and the Cristin Clan’s treasure."

Hearing the Elder Mage’s explanation, Fang Zhen glanced back at Dalia.

Although Dalia was still angry, hearing the Elder Mage mention how well-known her reputation for financial management was throughout the Kingdom made her feel a little proud. She couldn’t help but puff out her already ample chest.

Fang Zhen didn’t doubt it.

From his conversations with Dalia, he already knew she understood the concept of compound interest. Moreover, among the many surrounding noble territories, the Ashton Territory was one of the few that was not only running normally but also had a surplus and a significant accumulation of wealth. Even Montagu’s invasion of the Ashton Territory was likely motivated by wealth.

It was probably a family tradition. The Cristin Clan had been famous throughout the Kingdom for their great wealth and numerous treasures, and it seemed Dalia had inherited this fine legacy.

"Oh, so from what you’re saying, Grand Duke Tarrenno isn’t particularly interested in land?" Fang Zhen asked.

"Yes. Grand Duke Tarrenno’s problems are very similar to Count Henry’s. He’s not good at accumulating wealth, but he is belligerent, which is very expensive. He also has to lend money to other Counts in exchange for military support. His finances are on the brink of collapse."

"Even if the Duke acquired the land, he wouldn’t be able to squeeze much more value out of it. Due to his wars, there aren’t enough people to farm, so the land lies fallow and is frequently raided. The number of diligent farmers has dwindled. The land also requires soldiers to guard it and the Lord to patrol it. Instead of making money, it loses money. Compared to land, the Duke is far more interested in the Cristin Family’s treasure, which could directly alleviate his financial pressure," the Mage said. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Upon hearing this, Fang Zhen’s eyes lit up.

’Valuable information.’

Dalia and Matthew, standing behind him, were just as perceptive. Their eyes lit up one after the other, and they exchanged a look with Fang Zhen.

"Do you know any more information or secrets about Duke Tarrenno and Count Henry?" Fang Zhen asked.

"No... I’ve told you everything I know," the Elder Mage said.

"Oh. Then tell me about yourself and your companions. Where did you all come from?" Fang Zhen asked.

The Elder Mage’s eyes were vacant, but his words were clear. "We were apprentices under the same master, Grand Mage Anani. I was hired by Henry because he offered a very high fee. His reputation is so poor that no other Mage was willing to work for him."

"Later, I brought my two junior apprentices along, but Count Henry already owes us four months’ salary. My juniors and I were considering terminating our contract with him."

"A Mage’s career path is quite simple. My juniors and I just want to acquire more money and a higher status so we can pursue further studies in the Mage Association and obtain a lifetime Mage position."

Fang Zhen chuckled.

The three Mages were rather interesting. They had come to serve the infamous Henry because his offer was just too good to refuse. But then they discovered he was a Count in name only, writing empty checks. He had nothing, just a high price he never paid.

’No wonder they were looking for a way out.’

Fang Zhen asked a few more questions about Henry’s Army.

There wasn’t much valuable information. Henry’s Army only had a few directly subordinate Knights. Although they were also nobles, they had no chain of command among themselves. They were constantly at odds with each other, with no single direct superior. It was a completely disorganized mess.

Seeing that he couldn’t squeeze any more information out of him, and that the truth serum’s effects were about to wear off, Fang Zhen ended the interrogation.

Matthew and the others, having witnessed Fang Zhen’s methods, clicked their tongues in amazement.

They weren’t fools. They knew the Elder Mage was so cooperative because Fang Zhen had used some kind of trick.

"My lord, what should we do with the two remaining Mages? I think we should either imprison them or release them. After all, they are members of the Mage Association. While the Association may not take sides, its members are very tight-knit. Killing them could cause a lot of unnecessary trouble..." Matthew advised.

"Execute them." Fang Zhen was decisive, uttering just those two words.