Restart:Untalented Man-Chapter 426: Voting Result

The result? Darren won a landslide victory.

147 out of 203 votes in his favour.

"Bullshit!" Johann was the first to retort. "There must be foul play."

His grandson received the least votes among the three, with a pitiful six votes.

"You probably had no friends when you were a kid." Demin sighed and shook his head while staring at the old man who was having his outburst. "The counting process was done right before you. There's no room for me to cheat."

"Then how would you explain the result?" Johann demanded.

"How do I know? Ask them, not me." Demin shrugged. "They can write down any names from our faction with Klover's blood if they want to. I never said they can only vote for one of the three candidates."

Demin's response hung in the air. A casual dismissal that left the room momentarily silent. The flickering candlelight played on the faces of those gathered, revealing their surprise at the newly acquired information.

"Why don't you say that earlier?" Betho who couldn't withhold his frustration spoke up. His question undoubtedly represents the rest of the people in the room.

Demin remained unperturbed, "I said 'write a name you strongly believe suitable'. Do I put any limitation?"

Johann was quick to take advantage of the situation, "I demand a second round of voting."

His eyes scanned the room in search of allies.

Betho, finding resonance in Johann's proposal, added, "Me too."

"Sure! We will do the vote as much as you want." Demin confidently said.

As the ink on the fresh ballots dried, the tension in the room intensified.

The second round of voting commenced.

When the results were finally tallied, a hush fell over the room.

Despite the numerical decline in Darren's votes, he still emerged victorious.

This time, the vote was split into four instead of the previous three with some of the votes going to an unknown candidate.

"Again!" Johann shamelessly insisted. His demand for yet another round.

He is not satisfied with the result. The vote for his grandson remains unchanged.

Demin scoffed, "Sure."

The repetitive insistence from the old man seemed to amuse him.

They braced themselves for another round of voting.

As the ballots were cast and counted once more, a sense of déjà vu settled in.

Darren emerged victorious again.

Johann's frustration simmered. The lines on his face deepened as he grappled with the persistence of the result.

However, the true blow came with a revelation that left the room momentarily breathless.

This time, the votes for Johann's grandson have plummeted to zero.

Having witnessed the unyielding pettiness of the old man, some faction members appeared to have withdrawn their support for Johann's grandson.

Demin's voice cut through the lingering silence, carrying a subtle mockery as he addressed Johann. "Have you satisfied yet?

The room, still recovering from the shock of the previous rounds, seemed to hold its breath as two influential figures clashed.

"Should we do another round of voting?" Demin continued.

His eyes locked onto Johann with a ridicule written plainly on his face.

Johann who was visibly angry could only click his tongue dismissively, "Tsk, enjoy your victory while it lasts, Demin!"

Rising abruptly, Johann pivoted towards the exit and left the room.

Betho did the same.

He didn't utter a single word but Demin could guess his emotions just by looking at his face.

Demin, unbothered by their exit, casually waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Have a good night, both of you."

As Johann and Betho disappeared from his line of sight, Demin redirected his attention to the remaining members. "Is there anyone else that is not satisfied with the result?"

Seeing no objection was made, Demin seized the moment and unilaterally declared, "Then, I'm pleased to announce Darren as our faction's candidate for the duke position. May fortune be on our side!"

People in the room responded with a tepid round of applause. It lacked enthusiasm but Demin didn't care since his objective was achieved.

With the conclusion of the meeting, guests began to take their leave.

The night had deepened and weariness settled over the attendees. Each one of them is eager to retreat to the comfort of their bed.

Demin, standing by the window of the meeting room, observed carriage after carriage departs through the glass pane. He didn't bother to escort the guests all the way to the front door.

As the last of the carriages disappeared into the night, Demin turned his attention to his son, "Darren!"

"Yes, father!"

"Don't be too happy and don't let your guard down."

Darren with confusion plastered on his face looked at his father and asked. "What do you mean?"

"That old man will not sit still and accept the result. He will try to eliminate you at all costs. I bet he must be thinking about hiring assassins right now."

Gulp-

A nervous gulp echoed in the room as Darren absorbed his father's ominous words.

"T-then...doesn't that mean your action has put me in danger?" he stammered. There's fear and a hint of anger in his voice.

Looking at his panicked son, Demin formed a subtle smile on his lips. "Maybe. But it also provides an opportunity for you to grow up, to be more mature."

Darren voiced his dissatisfaction. "Still, putting your son's life in danger is a bit..."

"Darren! The duke's position is at stake here. There's never been a chance like this for a branch family like us. If we don't grab it, who knows when the next opportunity will appear? What do you think would happen to us if we lost this fight? We have walked too far on this path. Whoever becomes a new duke, that person will try to prevent this situation from happening again."

Demin looks at his son with resolute eyes, "We must snatch the 'duke' title and bring it to our family. I don't care about all the absurd things you've been doing but this matter...you must not be half-hearted. Do you understand?"

"I understood, father."