Chapter 130

Episode 130

We rode with momentum. We encountered the capital guards along the way, but they couldn’t stop us with our Inspection Unit insignia.

Jericho rode up beside me.

“My lord, the charge of conspiracy to commit treason won’t hold up. At worst, he just collected some donations and acted like the successor!”

Jericho seemed to want me to turn back.

If I had truly intended to arrest Lord Hylix and put him on trial, I would have reconsidered.

But my plan was simply to weaken Hylix’s influence.

Duchess Guinevere had also told me to do as I saw fit as the Inspector.

If this commotion occurred, many nobles would flock to Young Lord Romero or Lady Lucia. That was enough for me.

“Do you know what high-ranking nobles value the most? Justification. Holding a meeting for the succession while Duke Kalisto is still in good health is disrespectful.”

“But raiding the Duke’s castle is a bit excessive, don’t you think?”

“This level of performance is necessary to balance the power. You read the note I sent, right?”

“Sigh… How did things get so out of hand?”

“It was inevitable. The first mission we undertook is finally bearing fruit.”

Our first mission had been to uncover Baron Gerard’s corruption.

That was the beginning of our ill-fated relationship with Baron Roman. And through the territorial war, that ill fate had extended to Lord Hylix.

“It’s time to uproot them. This opportunity won’t come again.”

Just then, Selendis pulled on her reins and rode up on my left.

“My lord, shouldn’t we apprehend Rosalyn, the key conspirator, beforehand? She might flee when she hears that we’ve raided the Duke’s castle.”

“Good point, Selendis. Go and arrest her. You can detain her at our old Inspection Unit headquarters. We’ll meet there.”

“As you command.”

Selendis took five investigators and turned onto a side road.

We soon arrived at the Duke’s castle.

The knights and soldiers guarding the castle were startled by the sudden arrival of our mounted troops. But they relaxed when they saw my face.

“Inspector, is that you? What brings you here at this late hour?”

A knight asked politely. I took out the Inspection Unit insignia from my pocket.

“I’m here with the investigators on official business. Open the gate immediately.”

“Official business… you say?”

“I don’t like repeating myself.”

The startled knights opened the outer gate. Now, the problem was the knights guarding the inner castle.

The security level of the inner castle was the highest in the Empire, so there was a possibility of resistance. It was guarded by the elite knights of the First Knight Order, the Black Dragon Knights.

As expected, knights blocked our path.

“Sir O’Brien, why have you brought so many guests?”

“I’m on official business. Step aside.”

“I haven’t received any such orders. And why are you conducting an investigation inside the Duke’s castle?”

In short, they were questioning why the Inspection Unit was acting up when the knight order was present.

There was no need to argue with them.

*Clang!*

I drew my “Sword of Chaos” and activated my aura. Jericho discreetly took out his hammer from his subspace.

The Black Dragon Knights were startled when the investigators behind me also drew their swords.

But they were professionals. They immediately drew their swords and faced us.

“What are you doing! Are you trying to start a fight here?”

“The Lucius Inspection Unit is an organization authorized by Duke Kalisto, the master of House Kalisto. How dare a mere knight like you obstruct our path?”

“There are procedures for everything… Gah!”

The middle-aged knight couldn’t finish his sentence. The tip of my sword was already at his throat.

“If you resist any further, I’ll cut you down. As a knight, you should be prepared to die on the battlefield. Wouldn’t it be a dishonorable death to die here?”

“…”

The Black Dragon Knights finally lowered their swords. The inner gate opened, and we entered the inner castle.

“Arrest the criminal Hylix immediately!”

“Yes!”

“Aah!”

I intentionally shouted my order loudly, and screams erupted from the servants.

Lilith, the maid, came running from the end of the hallway.

“Inspector! Is there anything I can do to help?”

She had already gathered valuable information from inside the castle. But since she was offering to help, I decided to give her one more task.

“Inform your fellow servants that Lord Hylix has been arrested for treason. And try to scare them a bit.”

“Yes, sir! Leave it to me!”

Lilith was earning her two hundred gold debt. Screams and chaos filled the castle.

We pushed past the servants and ran towards Hylix’s quarters.

We had to move quickly. If the knights in the inner castle gathered their comrades, things would get complicated.

Thankfully, we didn’t encounter any Black Dragon Knights.

When we reached our destination, two knights guarding the door drew their swords.

“Halt! Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

“We’re the Lucius Inspection Unit. We’re here to arrest a criminal.”

“This is the Lord’s bedchamber!”

“Yes. And the criminal is Lord Hylix.”

The knights were flustered. Who would have thought that someone would dare to arrest the Lord of House Kalisto?

“I won’t repeat myself. If you obstruct official business, I’ll cut you down. Don’t forget that there’s immunity for actions taken during official duties.”

*Clang!*

I drew my sword and infused it with aura. The two knights flinched. They were no match for me.

Just then, the door opened.

“What’s all this commotion?”

The star of the show, Lord Hylix, appeared. The knights stepped aside.

“Aren’t you O’Brien? Why are you causing a scene at this late hour?”

“I’m here to arrest you.”

“Arrest? Me?”

Hylix laughed in disbelief.

“Ha, you’ve truly lost your mind. On what charges are you arresting me?”

“Conspiracy to commit treason.”

“Treason? Why would I, the legitimate heir and eldest son, plot treason?”

“I don’t want to list your crimes here. There are too many ears listening. It would be in the best interest of the family if you cooperated with the arrest.”

“In the best interest of the family. Hahaha!”

Hylix laughed heartily and gestured to the knights, asking for his sword.

“You’ve truly gone mad. A mere hound trying to bite its master? I was planning to deal with you soon, but I didn’t expect such a good opportunity to present itself… You’ll regret your actions today!”

*Rumble…*

Powerful aura started to gather.

The aura surrounding Lord Hylix’s sword was a deep purple. He had mastered the Kalisto swordsmanship, so he would be a formidable opponent.

‘But can he defeat me with just that?’

I had easily subdued Prince Arthur. Even though he had used underhanded tactics, I had overwhelmed him and cut off both his hands.

And now, I had mastered all the basic magic spells and learned intermediate-level magic, further enhancing my aura.

The blue glow of my sword was just for show.

If I wanted to, I could unleash a purple aura even stronger than Hylix’s.

“If you insist, we have no choice but to fight. I’m warning you, you’ve resisted arrest. The Inspection Unit won’t be responsible for what happens next.”

“You should be the one worried. Don’t come crying to me when you lose your head.”

Just then, a group of knights barged in.

“Your Lordship!”

“Protect the Lord!”

Uninvited guests had arrived. Knights clad in black armor stood in front of Hylix.

They had arrived sooner than I expected.

“Your Lordship! Step back. We’ll deal with him!”

“No, it’s fine. Everyone, stand down. I’ll deal with him myself. He caused a scene in the Duke’s castle, so I have to silence him.”

Hylix pushed past the knights.

An unavoidable stage had been set. He assumed a familiar stance and launched the first attack. His figure vanished from sight in a split second.

*Whoosh!*

“Automatic Combat” reacted instantly.

His sword, which had been aiming for my right side, suddenly changed direction towards my left chest.

No, the trajectory split into two.

Three.

Then, four.

The attacks were so fast that I couldn’t tell which one was real with my naked eye.

But I calmly swung my sword.

“Automatic Combat” would determine which attack was real.

“Stop!”

A commanding voice boomed just as our swords were about to clash.

Hylix and I stopped simultaneously. Our swords were inches apart.

The one who had given us the order was Duke Kalisto.

“What’s going on here? I heard you were arresting Hylix. Sir O’Brien, I demand an explanation.”

Duchess Guinevere appeared, followed by Lady Lucia and Romero.

I sheathed my sword and received the deciphered secret ledger from Jericho.

“Your Grace, there has been a treasonous plot within the Dukedom.”

The Duke was surprisingly calm.

Would he have reacted this way if I hadn’t called myself a magic swordsman? It was hard to say.

“The criminal Hylix conspired with Roman, Rosalyn, and others to run a secret society called ‘Eclipse.’ This is their ledger. The beginning states: ‘When the eclipse ends, the sun rises again. For the new sun that will illuminate Kalisto!’ The eclipse refers to your downfall, Your Grace. And the new sun undoubtedly symbolizes Lord Hylix.”

“Lies!”

Hylix shouted and tried to approach me. But he flinched when the Duke raised his hand.

“Is this what you were doing in Alpheon?”

“Yes.”

It would be easier to talk to him if he already knew.

I presented the deciphered ledger to the Duke. He slowly flipped through the pages. His expression hardened.

“F-Father, this is slander! Don’t believe this scoundrel! It was all Roman’s doing!”

“I’ll decide whether it’s slander or not. You, step back.”

Hylix desperately pleaded with Guinevere for help with his eyes. But she shook her head, signaling him to be quiet.

He must have felt his strength draining away.

And his vision probably went dark.

“Sir O’Brien, one question. Why didn’t you report this to me beforehand?”

Staging was important for a scandal of this magnitude.

If I had informed him beforehand, this dramatic situation wouldn’t have occurred. Today’s events had to spread throughout the social circles and the gossip mills.

“This came to light during our investigation into Roman’s corruption, which was an Inspection Unit mission. Treason is a serious crime that requires immediate action in any nation. Please forgive me for not obtaining your permission beforehand.”

“So, you’re saying Lucia approved of this?”

I just bowed my head. There was no need for me to answer when the person in question was present.

“Yes, Father. I ordered him to do it. The Inspector acted according to protocol.”

“I see.”

The Duke pondered for a moment, then handed the secret ledger back to me.

“The Inspection Unit will handle the interrogation. But I won’t tolerate any further disturbances.”

“As you command, Your Grace.”

“And Hylix, if you have any grievances, you can resolve them through dialogue. I suggest you talk to the Inspector. Now, let’s go, my dear.”

Duke Kalisto left with Duchess Guinevere. Hylix called out to them desperately, but they didn’t stop.

I turned around and quietly ordered, “Arrest the criminal.”