Chapter 112

Episode 112

The full force of the Lucius Inspection Unit was focused on uncovering the secrets hidden within Gerard Castle.

Thanks to Jericho’s thorough training of the investigators, the investigation progressed rapidly. Jericho spared no mana, and I lent my power as well.

After three full days, every corner of Gerard Castle had been searched.

The investigators gathered all the discovered secret documents, materials, and valuables of unknown origin in one place.

“That’s a lot.”

“Indeed. There might be more secret warehouses in other locations. It’s less than I expected.”

“We can find out by interrogating Roman.”

“Do you think he’ll cooperate?”

I just grinned.

Of course, he wouldn’t cooperate with the investigation. He had lost the territorial war, and his life was in my hands.

But with my “Mind’s Eye” ability, I could easily determine if there were any other secret warehouses.

If there weren’t, it would save us administrative effort, which was a good thing.

“Analyzing these materials will take some time. I’ll delegate the trading company matters to Hassale and focus on this for now.”

“Good idea. But it might take longer than you think.”

“Hmm? Do you have a hunch?”

It was the same in my previous world. Secret ledgers had to be kept strictly confidential. Baron Roman had probably used a cipher that only he knew.

“Even if we find a crucial ledger, it’ll take time to decipher it. Well, it might be a different story for a top graduate of the Kalisto Academy.”

“Hahaha! I’m quite skilled at deciphering codes. My family handled a lot of those.”

“It won’t be an ordinary cipher. You know who’s behind this, right?”

“That’s true.”

“Don’t do it alone. Select investigators who are talented in linguistics and semiotics and work together.”

“Understood.”

I left the rest to Jericho and strolled through the captured Gerard Castle.

Despite being relegated to a humble territory, Roman’s extravagant taste was evident everywhere. Exquisite artwork and carpets pleased the senses.

Should I thank him? Thanks to him, I wouldn’t need to redecorate.

The office was much larger than the one in Walker Castle, spacious enough to accommodate fifty people. I sat at the desk and organized my plans for the future.

‘I should return to Walker Castle tomorrow and report to the Lady. I also need to send a messenger to the Kalisto main family.’

Lucia and Duke Kalisto were probably already expecting this. I didn’t think there would be much of a reaction.

‘The problem is how to deal with that Hylix bastard…’

He was the biggest obstacle right now. We could use the evidence we had gathered to put him in a difficult position, but we couldn’t eliminate him.

‘It’s an unfair world. The title of eldest son carries a lot of weight.’

Even if he was involved in various scandals, as long as there was no direct evidence of him ordering murder, he wouldn’t face any serious consequences.

Moreover, this war itself was difficult to interpret from a conventional perspective.

It was a territorial war approved by Duke Kalisto.

Even if they took each other’s lives, it wouldn’t be a problem. And the fact that the Grand Duke’s eldest son had supported one side wasn’t a crime.

‘He’ll just get a scolding from the Duke.’

That’s why I wasn’t relying too much on the letter Hylix had sent to Roman. It would be nice to have it, but it wasn’t essential.

I pondered for a while, considering all possible scenarios.

‘I have no choice but to escalate the situation.’

Even though I had impressed Duke Kalisto with my magic swordsman title, I couldn’t reveal it yet.

The only situation where I could reveal that grand title was after the “magic revolution” I was planning had succeeded.

Therefore, it was better to use the Lady as a figurehead instead of taking on the political burden myself.

‘The best strategy is to gather evidence, eliminate Hylix’s supporters, isolate him, and then push the Lady as the successor.’

And I would grow the Lucius Trading Company and make House Walker the wealthiest family in the Dukedom.

The Lucius Trading Company was already managed by key members of House Walker. And my family had discovered multiple massive gold nuggets.

Since we could skip the process of refining gold ore, it was much easier to raise funds.

It was only a matter of time before we surpassed the Kalisto Trading Company in scale.

If I wanted to, I could even shift the center of trade to the Walker Barony.

‘And then, the Lady will reveal her true colors.’

I still believed that “The Legend of Aldebaran” wasn’t just a legend but a prophecy. I was waiting for the Lady to show her true self.

‘I also need to ask her about the identity of the sommelier at the Lucius Club. My “Mind’s Eye” didn’t work on him, so he must be one of her closest confidants.’

Organizing my thoughts cleared my mind. I realized how much stress I had been under.

A soldier reported from outside.

“My lord, the Knight Captain requests an audience.”

“Bring her in.”

Selendis entered the room. My heart ached when I saw her damaged armor. The battle must have been fierce.

But her expression was bright.

She saluted.

“Congratulations on your victory, my lord.”

“You’ve worked hard. I gave you the most dangerous mission in this war, and you achieved a great victory. I should be the one congratulating you.”

“I didn’t fight alone. I had the help of Sir Paris and the other knights. And the soldiers who bravely fought against the enemy cavalry deserve to be commended as well.”

“Of course. I’ll reward the knights and soldiers generously.”

But Selendis hesitated. It was unusual for her to do so. What was wrong?

“…I’m still not sure if I should tell you this, but I believe I must.”

“What happened?”

“Princess Beatrice helped us.”

I was surprised to hear an unexpected name. Selendis explained how she had received help.

“Her Highness asked me to keep it a secret from you, but I couldn’t. I owe her my life.”

“You’re right. You did well to tell me. I’ll pretend I don’t know anything about it, for your sake.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

“But I heard you were injured. Are you alright? Your armor is badly damaged.”

“I’m fine. I’m just ashamed.”

She was still impressive. It was incredibly difficult to fight against a seasoned high-ranking knight. And Selendis had done it.

“It’s our fortune that our knights can learn your swordsmanship style. I look forward to working with you.”

“Yes, my lord.”

We discussed the aftermath of the war. Even though our casualties weren’t heavy, we still had a significant number of injured and dead. I ordered them to be compensated generously, so their sacrifices wouldn’t be in vain.

“And erect a memorial at the canyon. They might have been our enemies, but they were also victims of their lord’s incompetence.”

“I’ll make the arrangements immediately.”

“I’m planning to return to the main castle tomorrow. Leave this place to Jericho and come with me.”

Just then, Jericho entered the room with a knock. He was holding a book bound in a navy blue cover.

“My lord! We found something that looks like a ledger!”

“Already?”

“There’s an intriguing word written on the cover. ‘Eclipse.'”

“Eclipse” usually referred to a solar or lunar eclipse.

Since this was a world inside a game, it could just be a random word. But as someone who had transmigrated into this world, it felt different to me.

An eclipse meant obscuring the sun or the moon, which were celestial bodies that shone brightly in the sky.

Let’s consider the “solar eclipse” we’re familiar with.

What symbolized the sun in this world?

In a narrow sense, it would be Duke Kalisto. In a broader sense, it would be the Emperor of the Empire.

Since there was no way they would be plotting a rebellion against the Empire in this small territory, we could interpret it in the narrow sense.

In other words, “eclipse” implied a plan to prepare for succession.

Jericho had grasped the hidden meaning.

“But there’s a problem. It’s filled with writing, but we can only recognize a few characters.”

I took the book from him and opened it. I could recognize the individual characters, but they didn’t form any meaningful words when combined.

I examined it more closely.

‘It’s definitely a coded document.’

I couldn’t understand the content, but the format itself was organized into categories with a consistent pattern.

“It seems like decisions and actions are categorized by date or specific periods.”

“I agree. Hmm, but it doesn’t look easy. I couldn’t find any patterns in the symbols.”

“What do you think about the word ‘eclipse’?”

“Well, could it be the name of their secret society? It has a sinister vibe.”

It was highly likely.

No, it had to be. If we could decipher this ledger, the true nature of the Gerard territory, which had been called the “land of opportunity,” would be revealed.

“Jericho, stop all other tasks and focus on deciphering this book. Understood? It’s an important book, so keep it safe.”

“Yes, sir! Don’t worry. I’ll decipher it!”

I returned the book to Jericho. It felt like a lottery ticket, waiting for the draw date.

***

Two days later, we entered the city where Walker Castle was located early in the morning.

An unexpected crowd had gathered.

“The lord is coming!”

“Ooh!”

I recognized many faces. They were the residents who had stormed the castle and demanded revenge against Baron Roman.

“Long live Baron O’Brien!”

“Long live!”

“Long live!”

Cheers erupted from everywhere, men and women, young and old. I waved, acknowledging their cheers.

“Should I thank Baron Roman? Thanks to him, the residents seem united.”

“We need to execute him immediately. We have to complete the Inspection Unit’s sixth mission.”

“I can’t even joke in front of you.”

I entered the castle with the stern Selendis. The knights and soldiers, led by Paris, greeted us with bright smiles.

“Welcome back, my lord. Congratulations on your victory.”

“You and everyone here deserve to be congratulated. I’ll reward all those who contributed.”

After commending the knights and soldiers, I immediately requested an audience with the Lady. As usual, she was elegantly enjoying her tea, like a graceful crane by the water.