Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 547

I picked up a memo sheet that was placed on the desk and activated a fire spell to burn it.

The nobles stared at me, wondering what was going on.

"The first answer, as you can see, is 'light.' And..."

Shortly after I said that, the paper burned out, leaving a trail of white smoke.

"The second answer is this 'smoke.'"

At my answer, the nobles in the room were stunned.

"D-don't be ridiculous. How is that supposed to be objective information?"

"Father is right. Lord Rid, are you trying to confuse us with meaningless answers? Such behavior will only ignite our anger."

Remos, with a furious expression, slammed the table, and Galiel stood up, shouting in rage.

"Oh, using my own answer against me? That's quite clever."

I was genuinely impressed that Galiel could come up with such a quick retort. He might be sharper than I thought.

But Remos's face turned red, veins bulging on his forehead.

"Enough with the mockery. Lord Amon, we cannot possibly accept such an answer. Therefore, this plan—"

"My explanation isn't over yet."

I interrupted with a smile, and Remos, along with the other opposing nobles, glared at me.

Unfazed, I cleared my throat.

"First, about the light. Have any of you ever looked out from a high place, like a mountain or the upper floors of your mansions, toward the towns and villages in your territory at night?"

"I've done that many times. But of course, you can't see the villages or towns at night. Everyone knows that."

"Indeed, as Lord Remos said."

"At night? There's no way you can see distant villages or towns."

When Remos sought agreement, the opposing nobles nodded and voiced their support.

Remos seemed to think he had the upper hand and turned his gaze to the noble sitting next to Amon.

"Lord Barbarossa, you must agree with this as well, right? You can't possibly defend this."

"Hmm. Indeed, even from my mansion, I cannot see the villages or towns at night. All I see is the darkness of the night."

At his answer, Remos smirked triumphantly.

However, Barbarossa continued, "But..."

"Before the military expansion, the villages and towns were lively even at night, so their lights were somewhat visible from a distance."

"W-what?!"

"Yes, what Lord Barbarossa just said is the answer."

As Remos widened his eyes in surprise, I leaned forward and began to explain the current state of Baldia and the nights in the imperial capital.

In the villages and towns scattered across Baldia, fires are kept burning throughout the night.

The light from these fires can be seen from the windows of the upper floors of both the new and old mansions.

This is largely due to the Baldia family's establishment of charcoal production technology and the system for securing raw materials through tree attribute magic.

To prevent crime, the knight corps manages the charcoal used for burning throughout the night, distributing it regularly to villages and towns based on their size for lighting purposes.

Moreover, the special charcoal used for lighting is different from regular charcoal, with larger pieces designed to extend the burning time.

Baldia's charcoal is also sold in the imperial capital, with the lighting charcoal being especially popular and even supplied to the imperial castle.

It has become a highly sought-after product in the capital's market.

Hearing of its reputation in the imperial capital, Baldia's charcoal is in high demand across the empire.

In fact, Baldia is practically the only one capable of consistently selling large lighting charcoal, giving it a near-monopoly in the 'lighting' segment of the charcoal market.

Naturally, the popularity of lighting charcoal means that the nights in the empire are illuminated by 'firelight.'

By the way, without the light from fires, the nights would be illuminated only by moonlight, making them quite dim.

On rainy days or nights with cloudy skies, it becomes truly dark, with almost no visibility.

If I were to compare it to something from my previous life, it would be closest to the atmosphere of the sea at night.

"...For these reasons, the more active the economic development, the brighter the nights become. And by examining this light, we can objectively gauge the level of development. Even if a country tries to falsify its external information, it cannot hide the economic activities within its territory."

After I finished speaking, I glared at the nobles who had been voicing their opposition.

"Of course, I have already investigated the level of light in various villages and towns. The results were quite fascinating."

"W-what did you find out?"

Finally understanding the point of my explanation, Remos and the other nobles looked uneasy.

But I deliberately smiled.

"All the villages and towns within this territory were almost completely dark. However, the capital, Forneus, and the mansions where you nobles reside—except for a few—were brightly lit from night until morning."

"Wait, Lord Rid. With all due respect, there's something I don't understand."

It was Galiel who spoke up in a flustered tone.

"Yes, what is it?"

"You mentioned observing from high places, but there are only a few elevated areas or mountains in the Fox Clan's territory with good visibility. I can understand the capital, Forneus, since you stayed there, but saying you observed the entire territory seems like an exaggeration."

"No, it's not an exaggeration. In fact, I was accompanied by Amon."

"W-what?! Lord Amon, is this true?"

"Yes, it's true."

As Amon nodded, a murmur spread among the nobles.

Well, it's only natural for them to react this way, given that their financial situations have been exposed to the clan leader.

Those who have been dishonest or falsifying their account books must be feeling uneasy.

However, Galiel looked at me suspiciously.

"Then, could you explain how you did it?"

"Of course."

I immediately answered and turned my gaze to the Second Knight Corps standing behind me. A girl with a proud expression stepped forward and stood beside me.

"I'm Aria, the squad leader of the First Flight Squad of the Second Knight Corps' Air Unit."

She introduced herself with a crisp salute.

But Galiel, still not understanding, furrowed his brow.

"Lord Rid, what does this birdkin have to do with anything?"

"It's simple. I asked Aria and the other members of the flight squad to help me and Amon survey the territory from the sky."

"Don't lie to me. Even if adult birdkin could do such a thing, there's no way a child like her could carry a person and fly."

As Galiel raised his voice and slammed the table, Aria puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

"Even though the members of the flight squad, including me, are just kids, we've already mastered beast transformation. If we work in pairs, we can carry someone like Lord Rid or Lord Amon, no problem~"

She answered mockingly and then turned her head away with a huff.