Chapter 38: Exposure and Deception
The Noble Meeting proceeded as usual.
The Noble Judge laid out the list of crimes committed by the nobles, throwing them under the bus for all to see.
This was enough to strip them of their nobility.
All it took was a vote from the attending nobles.
Though it seemed a bit ridiculous, it was the rule of the land.
Until those rules were abolished, they had to stick to the script.
Only if the majority of attending nobles voted in favor would the accused nobles lose everything associated with their noble status.
Their assets would be confiscated, and their remaining properties would be divided among other nobles.
Not to mention, once they lost their noble status, they would have to face their countless enemies as commoners—with surviving being a major question mark.
It all depended on whether other nobles would take them in.
Even if they had a backup plan, there was one Fraudster who wouldn’t let them off the hook.
Ulysses was watching from the sidelines, ready for the critical moment.
Most of the noble representatives present were people he had prepped beforehand.
Before the meeting began, Ulysses had sent them letters with instructions on what to do.
All they had to do was vote.
Ulysses had spent so much time on this moment!
“Alright, let’s begin the voting! If you’re against stripping their noble status, please raise your hand. Each person gets one vote.”
Soon, only a handful of hands went up—not a lot.
Compared to the number of people Ulysses had instructed to vote in favor, it was pitifully few.
“Now, let’s move on to the next round. If you agree to strip their noble status, please raise your hands.”
A sly smile crept onto Ulysses’ face.
Here it comes!
But then, the next scene made that sly smile fade faster than an ice cream on a sunny day.
“Why?”
No one from the noble representatives raised their hands!
That meant nobody agreed to strip those disgraceful nobles’ titles!
Seeing this, the Judge began issuing his final directive.
“Voting is concluded. Votes against stripping outnumber those in favor. The remaining noble representatives forfeit their votes. Therefore, we declare that noble status will not be stripped at this time. Instead, hefty fines will be imposed. The Noble Meeting is hereby concluded.”
And that was the outcome of the meeting.
Ulysses watched in disbelief, his pupils slightly trembling, feeling a bit choked up.
“It’s impossible…”
He didn’t see what he expected.
Surely, during the voting, there should have been plenty of people voting in favor!
But not one!
This was absurd!
Could it be that his letters didn’t reach those noble representatives in time?
No, wait!
Ulysses had double-checked the situations of some of them.
They definitely received the letters!
Yet, those whom he confirmed got the letters didn’t raise their hands…
Ulysses covered his face with one hand, already drenched in cold sweat from behind.
What had he overlooked?
Where had he gone wrong?
Did his grand plan actually have a flaw?
Ulysses was spiraling into self-doubt.
Then a voice snapped him back to reality.
“Oh, isn’t that Mr. Barrett? Came to join the Noble Meeting, did we?”
Ulysses’ pupils enlarged as he slowly lifted his head, noticing a crowd surrounding him.
And they looked oddly familiar.
Upon closer inspection, it was all the nobles he had defrauded!
“You guys…”
Ulysses suddenly pieced it together.
The lead noble scoffed at him, “Surprised, Mr. Barrett? There’s no need to be shocked; we just saw through your little tricks. Who would’ve thought that the seemingly well-connected Mr. Barrett was merely a petty Fraudster? I was a bit surprised when I learned the truth.”
The surrounding nobles cackled, filled with mockery for Ulysses.
And just like that, Ulysses got it.
He thought he was the mastermind; instead, he was the clown the whole time?
A Fraudster… duped by a bunch of nobles?
Before the letters arrived, they probably already knew the deal.
Yet, they remained silent, pretending to understand, and acted like they were still going along with Ulysses’ plans.
So that was the truth?
“Ah, I get it now… I’m the only one who was the deceived clown…”
Ulysses’ spirit sank, absorbing some massive humiliation.
Months of executing this plan concluded today, only to end in failure’s ink.
He spent most of his youth scheming, only to find himself in a mess.
The plan had failed.
All of his efforts had gone to waste.
This dire situation caused Ulysses to momentarily blank out, unable to think ahead.
He just couldn’t process the absurdity of everything he’d been through.
Ulysses simply couldn’t accept his defeat.
The lead noble, seeing the young man before him fall silent, let go of his mocking grin, preparing for his attendants to take him away for interrogation.
The truth was he only found out yesterday that he’d been conned.
This Fraudster’s skills were top-notch, enough to fool more than half of the nobles present without leaving a single crack.
This was a secret among the nobility that couldn’t be leaked, nor could suspicion be shared.
Had it not been for a sudden voice in their heads revealing the truth, they would have truly been played by this Fraudster.
It was that very voice that helped them realize the Fraudster was among them, leading to this surround-and-accuse situation.
Being duped by such a young Fraudster was infuriating for any noble.
And with that anger came a thirst for revenge.
What was the Fraudster’s purpose? They’d do the complete opposite.
Abandoning the vote was just the first step.
Now that they had spotted the Fraudster, they would not let him slip away!
“Wait…”
Ulysses snapped out of his funk.
He still had someone he could trust!
Night Star!
With her by his side, everything could start anew.
She was his very first companion since becoming a Fraudster.
Ulysses clung desperately to that flicker of hope, lifting his gaze to mockingly glare at the nobles.
“Do you really think I’ll let you catch me?”
Stars ignite!
Conceptual interference!
In the blink of an eye, while those nobles and guards were momentarily dazed, Ulysses broke through their encirclement and dashed out of the courtroom!
But that wasn’t the end!
Just as he burst through the building, a dangerous aura swooped in fast.
It was another danger bearing the power of the stars!
Many nobles trained such powerful individuals.
In such a pivotal moment, bodyguards were a must.
They must have sensed something off about Ulysses, as if alerted by something unseen.
When they saw Ulysses making a run for it, those Star Holders quickly sprang into action.
“Go! Capture him!”
Ulysses’ pupils widened as the lethal air on the battlefield made it hard to breathe.
He was totally unfit for direct combat!
“Cursed Bird!!”
His words barely left his lips.
Nearby woods exploded with startled flying creatures.
Boom!
The waiting Cursed Bird quickly swooped in!
