Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 975: Listening in on Troublemakers

Chapter 975: Chapter 975: Listening in on Troublemakers

It was something else he wanted.

[They are so desperate that it’s so easy to manipulate them. Just a bit of this and that and they believe everything I say...] Eugene thought as he pretended to listen to the men’s complaints.

He even made Arabella and Ferdinand look like they are one-sidedly siding with the Sibruh Household.

"Due to the Empress’ visit, there are more knights guarding the castle.

There are also a lot going around the duchy since she sent her assistants to roam around so her claims of help will seem to be true.

Thus, for now, we must lay low until the Empress leaves.

I heard she will only be here for a few days.

Our comrades are also likely to be freed once she’s gone.

So let’s be patient.

We will attack again once we regroup with the others.

For now, stay here and hide since they are unlikely to visit here again.

I will continue sending provisions here but remember to only cook at night.

In the meantime, ensure to continue training and keep a lookout so you can hide in case knights or magicians head here.

Rest assured, once I become the Marquess, I will appoint those with the highest contributions as and the others will be soldiers with good positions.

You won’t have to fear for your family’s future again.

I will also ensure this village is developed again..."

Eugene Hamel made all sorts of grand promises he had no plans to follow through.

It was how he was able to make these people follow him. He used their anger and hatred towards the Sibruh family and their suffering to appeal to them and manipulate them into believing his words.

"Rotten bastard! He’s pretending to feel the same as them, but he is just manipulating them so he could become the Marquess instead," Arabella fumed.

She informed Alwin about the thoughts she heard from this man’s mind.

"Tsk. Why must people like him appear so often?" Alwin sighed deeply.

"Indeed. So annoying! We must catch them before this gets worse. He might recruit more people to join him," Arabella said.

"We will. Just the lies he spouted about His Majesty earlier is enough to have him beheaded.

But, let’s observe him for a few more days though.

Let’s catch everyone who’s in on this.

I’ll assign a magician to follow him around.

We cannot be hasty again."

Alwin was also pissed since Eugene Hamel was putting words to Ferdinand’s mouth. However, he was being careful due to the death of the spies caught last time.

"Yes, let’s do that. This seems to need a more thorough investigation," Arabella agreed.

"Are none of them spies?"

"Not a single one.

All of them were once residents here.

Mostly miners and farmers.

They used to mine here.

They were displaced for some reason which they believe was the former Marquess ignoring them.

Their families are living in another area here in Sibruh."

From their thoughts Arabella learned that these men’s families were relocated. But life was not easy where they were transferred either. They preferred living here since they earned a lot more from mining than from the farming they do in the new area they were transferred to.

And due to the pest infestation and plant disease, they were among the ones who had the most losses since they just began farming and thus, had no backup finances.

They joined Eugene because he paid them cash up front to work as his mercenaries and because of their hatred towards the Former Marquess.

Add Eugene Hamel’s manipulative lies and these people fully believed in him due to their circumstances.

"I see. Then, perhaps, this is a local conflict. Listen to their thoughts. The more information we get, the better," Alwin said and Arabella nodded.

"It’s strange though. There was once a mine here but I don’t see one. And I recall none from the records in the palace or the most updated records from the Marquess," Arabella noted.

"Hmm, let me see..."

Alwin closed his eyes and used magic to find tunnels underground. He grew roots underground and used to get a feel underground.

"There is a mine indeed! I saw a lot of tunnels but it seems to be a small mine.

There is still some equipment left inside.

It seems to have been covered up by a landslide.

The small entrance they made seems to have caved in and they have stopped mining since then.

But with all the tunnels they made, it was better that they left this place.

There are tunnels below us and a small earthquake could have made the ground cave in..."

"What?!!"

"They can’t stay here for long. If spring brings heavy rains, this place will become a hazard zone. They lived too close to where they mined," Alwin explained.

"Then... Is this why they had to relocate?"

It seems the Marquess had a reason. But he did not explain it to the people clearly. Or they did not believe him.

"Perhaps. They were too reckless to live aboveground where they mined. Or did they think it was alright since they did not make huge holes? Living here should not have been allowed in the first place if they planned to mine here..."

Alwin thought this was full scale stupidity.

***

After listening in on the gathering they followed Eugene until he went home and continued spying on him and people around.

This way, Arabella learned from Eugene Hamel’s thoughts that he was aiming to be the Marquess using the current issues because his elder brother was the heir of the Hamel Household.

The Hamel household was not innocent about this though.

They knew what Eugene was up to and were letting it be because if Eugene succeeded, it would make the Hamel Household the most powerful in Sibruh.

They were supporting Eugene behind the scenes with the condition that if he gets caught, he would pretend like he was the only one in this and his family had nothing to do with it.

Eugene agreed so his family was helping him.