Restart:Untalented Man-Chapter 471: So, It’s Fake?

The banquet eventually comes to an end, and Johann is responsible for seeing the guests off.

Compared to when they arrived, wearing pleasant smiles, the guests' expressions were marked by unease and filled with uncertainty.

It is understandable since a big thing happened a moment ago.

Johann was standing at the entrance.

His eyes scanned each departing face without much emotion. He offered polite nods and occasionally forced smiles, but it was clear he was not seeking their approval or friendship.

Regardless of their thought, it held little weight in his mind.

As the last of the guests made their way out, Johann turned back to the now-empty hall.

Or so he thought.

He was surprised to see two figures lingering near the entrance.

"Why are the two of you still here?"

Demin, leaning casually against a column, "Wow, you really want to chase us out?"

"If you have nothing to say, then yes… get out," Johann replied.

He isn't close to Demin. And he still remembers Demin's trick to make his son a prime candidate to be the next duke.

Just as he was about to retaliate, his grandson was assassinated.

Now that he thinks about it, Demin benefitted a lot from his grandson's death.

'Maybe I should ask SIN to investigate about this.' Johann thought to himself.

"You might want to hear us out, Johann. We have a proposal that could benefit you."

Johann crossed his arms, "I don't have time for games. Speak quickly."

Betto speaks on behalf of him and Demin. "You made quite a spectacle tonight. It's clear you're serious about taking down Percival."

Johann raised an eyebrow, "And what of it?"

"We want to help," Demin said bluntly. "Percival's downfall serves our interests too."

Johann's eyes narrowed. "Why would I trust either of you? You've always had your own ambition and I know about it."

Demin sighed. "That's true. We won't deny it. But, we had a common enemy to face."

Betto nodded. "Percival's a threat to all of us. He's too powerful for you to take down on your own. Since you want to bring him down, our faction must join forces together to increase our success rate."

Johann looks at the two of them suspiciously. This offer was so enticing that he couldn't believe it coming from their mouth.

"What exactly are you planning?"

"Don't be too suspicious, Johann," Demin said, "Don't you remember that I had a son? If Percival can kill your grandson, he can kill my son too. I'm doing this for his sake."

"That sounds reasonable. But, I believe there's more to it. Speak."

Betto and Demin exchange glances with each other.

Betto then said, "We will take a step back and let you become the next duke. However, you must agree not to name anyone as your successor."

"Hahaha!" Johann laughs as soon as he hears that.

These two are already thinking about the arrangement after he dies while he is still standing right in front of them.

No wonder they are willing to compromise and help.

"What do you think, Johann?" Betto asked.

After thinking for a while, Johann agreed, "Alright! What can you offer?"

Demin replied, "Manpower, resources and money."

Johann raised an eyebrow. "So generous?"

He was genuinely surprised by the commitment Demin and Betto were willing to give.

At first, Johann didn't put much hope on their help.

Knowing these two for years, he immediately assumes they want to take advantage of the situation to reap the greatest benefit with minimal contribution.

Demin shrugged, "We can't be half-hearted when Percival is our opponent."

"You're right." Johann nodded. "Let's get down to the specifics."

Under Johann's suggestion, the three moved to a more secluded corner of the hall to discuss the details.

....

Back at the Duke's residence, the atmosphere was unsurprisingly tense.

Percival had gathered his most trusted men in his study. Their expression was grim.

On the large table at the centre of the room, hundreds of letters lay scattered.

All were opened and read.

At a glance, anyone who had attended Johann's banquet would immediately understand why the room had fallen into such disarray.

Percival stood at the head of the table. His calm face can barely contain his fury.

The moment he had stormed out of the banquet, he ordered a thorough examination of all the letters he had stored over the years.

He needed to know if any of the damn documents Johann had shown were authentic or not.

From Percival's perspective, it is impossible for him to forget any big incidents if he orchestrated them.

He knows himself better than anyone else. As such, how could he let obvious evidence laying around? He would undoubtedly destroy them as soon as possible.

"Report!" Percival shout.

His butler speaks, "Your Grace, we have examined approximately half of the letters. So far, we've found no proof that matches the story Johann told. However, there are still many more to go through before we can conclude."

"And the handwriting? Is it possible someone could have forged these letters?"

"Your Grace, it's difficult to say. The handwriting on the letters Johann showed is remarkably similar to yours and your closest men. If they are forgeries, they were done by someone with exceptional skill."

Percival clenched his fists, "So, there's a high chance they were fake."

"Most likely. But it will be hard to prove until we find the inconsistencies between your past activities and Johann's accusations."

As his men continued to sift through the piles of letters, Percival paced the room.

He knew that simply discrediting the letters was not enough. He had to turn the tables and ensure that any momentum Johann had gained was swiftly quashed.

"Keep looking! At the same time, we need to give a response. Announce that Johann's claim is fake and baseless. Also, accuse Johann of breaking into my study and stealing important documents. Make it clear that he's trying to overthrow me."

His butler took notes, "I'll immediately release the news."