I, The Janitor! Chapter 113: Luck, or Perhaps Not? - Novel Cool

Chapter 113: Luck, or Perhaps Not?

Chapter 113: Luck, or Perhaps Not?

Indeed, the Lane family's situation was dire, and it was only a matter of time before it completely collapsed, perhaps within a couple of months.

Upon hearing the Princess's assessment, the Minister of Defense couldn't help but nod in agreement, a strange sense of gloom settling over him.

No matter who became the new Lionheart Duke, they could only watch as the Lane family fell apart. And what about the Princess and himself, who were also struggling to keep their own affairs afloat?

The old nobility's influence ran deep; nearly a third of the twenty major departments were under their control, like fat, bloated lice sucking the life out of the nation.

The merchants and Members of Parliament, initially raised to counter the old nobility's control over the Upper House, had, after over a century of development, become too powerful to control. They were now using the Lower House's legislative power to relentlessly pursue their own interests.

With the joint support of both Houses, the kingdom's control over commercial activities had loosened in recent years. Despite the thriving business environment, the tax revenue was rapidly declining.

The kingdom's wealth was being concentrated in the hands of the great merchants and the old nobility, who were growing stronger and richer. Meanwhile, the common folk and the nation were becoming weaker and poorer.

These problems could have been suppressed, but the war six years ago shattered everything. Now, the kingdom faced annual fiscal deficits, military equipment was neglected, rebels were wreaking havoc, and all these issues were on the verge of erupting.

Even with the efforts of two generations of the royal family, the control of finances had returned to the royalty. As a member of the Princess's faction, the Minister of Defense had gained the authority to intervene in the military department. Still, the overall situation remained grim.

If the Princess's reforms ultimately failed, and these issues were not addressed, the kingdom would be like a cabbage, rotting slowly.

"Your Highness, Princess Veronica!"

As these thoughts crossed his mind, the white-haired old man took a deep breath, straightening his slightly hunched back with effort. He spoke solemnly, "After the Lane Blood Night, several high-ranking positions in the military became vacant. I plan to seize this opportunity to gain more control. If you have no other matters to discuss, I shall take my leave."

"Nothing else."

Shaking his head, the Minister of Defense noticed his hair had turned even whiter since their last meeting. The Princess's eyes softened, and she added, "Your health seems a bit off lately. Please take care of yourself.

I understand the urgency, but if you collapse from exhaustion, all our efforts over the years will have been in vain."

"Absolutely!"

The young man vaguely acknowledged the Princess's words, then, without standing to see him off, left the room with two young officers, his shoulders slumped.

"Come in."

As the door creaked open, a youth in a dark woolen coat entered, his face weary. He slumped into a chair opposite the Princess, and said, "You handled this matter well."

Unbothered by his lack of manners, the Princess smiled and asked, holding up the newly appointed Lionheart Duke's file, "A person who was only recently registered in the Lane family registry, and not even a blonde, becoming the new Lionheart Duke... How did you manage that?"

"It's simple."

The tired young man lifted his eyes, took out two dice from his pocket, and placed them on the table. He explained, "Without any interference, the old Duke's chances of choosing him were only 3%. But if you kill five to six heirs, moving him up to the fifth position in the line of succession, the probability skyrockets to 15%."

Afterward, I just need to sneak into the hospital again, find the old Duke's medicine, add something to speed up his heart rate, then kidnap the granddaughter of the old Duke's most trusted butler, and force him to deliberately provoke the old Duke's emotions. This will increase the probability to thirty-six percent."

Although no one touched them, as the Lazy Youth spoke, the two dice on the table kept jumping and changing.

First, one stood up on its edge, showing a three and a one; then a one and a five; followed by a three and a six, exactly matching the numbers the Lazy Youth had mentioned.

"Finally, order a carriage-load of bananas from the Banana Fruit Company and secretly remove the wheel locks. This will cause the carriage to overturn at the intersection, blocking the main road to the hospital, delaying Lyon's arrival. If I can make him arrive at the moment when the old Duke's emotions are most volatile, the probability of him being chosen will reach sixty-six percent..."

As the Lazy Youth spoke, the two dice on the table flipped over, both showing sixes, and his story came to an end.

"Now, it's all up to luck."

Pointing to the two dice on the table, the Lazy Youth concluded:

"As long as the development of events falls within this sixty-six percent range, he will be chosen by the old Duke. But if it's outside this range, someone else will become the new Duke."

"I see."

After listening to the whole story, the Princess lightly clapped her hands twice and then exclaimed:

"It's truly an amazing ability. Even though I've already worked with you several times, I still find it incredible after hearing your explanation.

Although these are unrelated matters, as long as they are done as requested, the success rate of any matter can be increased to around sixty percent..."

"It's not around sixty percent, it's exactly sixty-six percent."

After slightly correcting the Princess's statement, the Lazy Youth pointed to the dice on the table and said:

"The left die represents the tens place, and the right die represents the ones place. The highest number on a die is six, so the maximum success rate can only be sixty-six percent."

"So, have you considered replacing them with two ten-sided dice?"

"No, only these two dice have that effect."

"Alright..."

With a hint of regret, the Princess blinked and took out an anonymous check, placing it on the table and passing it over.

"This is the agreed-upon payment. It's been a pleasure working with you."

"I'm sorry, but this time I need to add some extra fees."

After folding and putting away the check, the Lazy Youth said seriously:

"You didn't tell me before that Lyon Lane is also an employee of our Sixth Cleanup Bureau, and he's highly valued by the Director. So, this time, I'm actually taking a considerable risk."

"I can accept the increased fees."

The Princess frowned slightly and then thought for a moment before making a request:

"But this additional fee wasn't agreed upon beforehand. So, as compensation, you also need to use these two dice to answer one more question for me."

"Sure."

Nodding in agreement with the Princess's proposal, the Lazy Youth picked up the dice and asked:

"What do you want to ask?"

"The same as before."

Taking a deep breath, the Princess closed her eyes and said softly:

"What must I do to save this country?"

(End of Chapter)

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