Chapter 135

Episode 135

After a brief meeting with Oracle, the young genius of the Kalisto Dukedom, I returned to the old Inspection Unit headquarters.

A group of knights had gathered in front of the headquarters once again.

The situation inside was chaotic.

Fortunately, they weren’t causing a commotion like the Black Dragon Knights.

“My lord, it seems to be the Azure Dragon Knights. I see Prince Romero and Vice-captain Darius.”

“Yes, I see them too.”

Romero and Darius, along with the other knights, were all wearing the insignia of the Azure Dragon Knights. At least they considered me a benefactor, so there was no need to be on guard.

We slowly rode towards the headquarters building. Romero and Darius approached us.

“Sir O’Brien, we’ve been waiting for you. I heard you went to meet Oracle at this late hour. It must have been urgent.”

Prince Romero was a kind and humble person. He even used honorifics when speaking to someone much lower in rank like me.

But his demeanor just now was a bit different from the Romero I knew. His tone was somewhat overbearing.

Well, I understood.

His older brother, a strong successor candidate, had fallen. If he missed this opportunity, he might never be able to dream of the throne again.

I bowed to him and replied, “It wasn’t urgent. I was just conducting an interview as part of the investigation. But what brings you here, Your Highness?”

“I wanted to speak with you, so I waited. Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all. I should have come to see you. I’m sorry for that. But there are a lot of knights. Is something happening at the main castle?”

“Haha, I just came with the knights since I was on my way. No need to worry. Let’s go inside.”

How could I not worry? It was obvious he was trying to show off his power.

Romero and Darius entered the headquarters first. Jericho, who had been waiting, approached me.

“Inspector, I heard an emergency order has been issued at the Duke’s castle.”

He whispered cautiously. I asked quietly, “Did His Grace give the order?”

“No, it’s from the Azure Dragon Knights. Prince Romero issued it, and Sir Darius is executing it.”

“I see.”

That was valuable information. It allowed me to view the situation more objectively.

Inside, I sat across from Prince Romero in the reception room. Darius stood by his side without sitting down.

“Mind’s Eye” didn’t work on him.

So, I had to rely solely on my own wits.

“I heard an emergency order has been issued at the Duke’s castle. I hope this investigation by the Inspection Unit doesn’t escalate into something bigger.”

“Oh, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s just that the Black Dragon Knights are involved in this matter… The order was given to protect the Duke’s castle. How did the investigation go?”

He must have been too anxious to sleep, judging by how he rushed over here.

“We’re organizing the testimony now. I plan to formally report to His Grace with the testimony tomorrow morning.”

“But you have some results, don’t you?”

“In terms of order, His Grace should be the first to see the results.”

When I drew the line, Romero’s expression became uncomfortable. It wasn’t quite displeasure, but it revealed his ambition for power.

A saying about money came to mind.

It’s not that a lot of money corrupts a person. It just reveals their true nature.

Power seems to be the same.

“How was your meeting with Oracle? It must have been quite chaotic over there.”

“Oracle is not involved in this matter. It was a reference investigation, not a suspect investigation.”

“I find that hard to believe. Oracle is childhood friends with my brother. She’s involved in everything he does. How can she not be connected to Eclipse?”

I smirked.

Romero flinched. Darius frowned, sensing insolence in my demeanor.

“That sounds like you’re implying I took a bribe from Oracle to negotiate.”

“That’s not what I meant. I was just expressing my doubts.”

“Let me say one thing.”

I leaned back comfortably on the sofa. There was no need to sit up straight and be formal.

What I needed to show the man in front of me was “composure.”

“There was an incident before. A knight order failed a protection mission twice. One of those times, they put the person they were protecting in grave danger. It was a terrible situation.”

I omitted the subject, but the two men’s faces turned red.

If they weren’t complete idiots, they would know I was talking about the Azure Dragon Knights.

“They deserved to be executed. At best, they could have been demoted to commoners, considering their past achievements. But the person involved showed mercy. They saved the knight order at the cost of their own achievements.”

“…”

“But now, that knight order seems to have forgotten that mercy and is acting as if they’re the main characters. If I were the person involved, I would regret the mercy I showed.”

There was a moment of silence. The ambition for power that the two had been subtly displaying disappeared.

Or rather, it was hidden.

“The investigation results will be announced tomorrow, so please wait patiently. Is there anything else you’d like to discuss? I have a lot of work to do. It looks like I’ll be up all night.”

“No, I’m sorry for coming without notice. Please continue with your work. We’ll be leaving now.”

“Take care.”

I instructed Selendis to escort Prince Romero out. Then, I returned to the hideout through the secret passage.

“Well done. Nobles are all the same. They’re all opportunists.”

“That’s a hasty generalization. At least the Lady isn’t like that, right?”

“The Lady is more than a noble.”

I agreed with that. She wasn’t just a noble; she was the mastermind.

“The testimony is complete. Would you like to review it?”

“Already finished?”

“Lady Ionia has become quite capable. Thanks to her, I was able to focus on the testimony.”

Jericho brought the completed stack of documents.

I reviewed them calmly.

The crimes of the already executed Baron Roman, as well as Rosalyn’s numerous affairs and misconduct, were meticulously recorded.

It also clearly outlined how they had plotted to frame Duke Kalisto and commit treason.

Since Rosalyn had already confessed everything, there was no need for cross-checking.

The highlight was undoubtedly Grand Duke Hylix’s testimony.

“It’s perfect. It’s like you read my mind.”

Jericho had accurately understood my intentions and portrayed Grand Duke Hylix as a victim. With this level of quality, things would go according to our plan.

Since we had given him a reliable poison, Hylix wouldn’t be able to change his mind.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Do you know what’s more certain than praise? This.”

Jericho made a gesture with his thumb and index finger, mimicking a coin. I nodded.

“If this testimony is accepted, there will be rewards. Of course, Selendis and Ionia too.”

“You’re the best, Inspector. Ah, I can finally get some sleep.”

“Leave the rest to me and get some rest.”

The next day, I left the headquarters with Selendis and Jericho to have an audience with the Duke.

Head Butler Muller, who had been informed in advance, was waiting for us.

“You’ve caused another outrageous incident.”

“I feel like I hear that a lot from you.”

“It means your status has changed that much. But remember, being in the spotlight can sometimes be dangerous.”

I nodded quietly to him and entered the Duke’s office.

Normally, I would activate “Automatic Combat” and check how many of Fenrir’s elites were present, but it wasn’t necessary today. It was official business.

“I greet the only sun of Kalisto, Duke Kalisto.”

I added a title I wouldn’t normally use, to emphasize the atrocities of “Eclipse.”

“I’ve been waiting, Sir O’Brien. Is the testimony complete?”

“Yes, it is.”

Secretary Maxim extended his hand to me. I handed him the testimony I was holding. Maxim then presented it to the Duke.

The Duke carefully reviewed the testimony.

“…”

It was quite lengthy. It took him a full half-hour to finish.

Then, Duke Kalisto instructed the secretary to review the testimony as well. So, it was a while before I could hear the Duke’s words.

“First, I’d like to hear the Inspector’s opinion. There’s no point in discussing Roman, as he’s already been executed.”

“No, it’s worth discussing. He was executed after losing the territorial war, so he still holds the title of Baron on paper. It would be best to demote him to commoner.”

Duke Kalisto pondered for a moment, then nodded.

“Very well. What about Rosalyn?”

“She was the ringleader of Eclipse. It would be appropriate to arrest and punish her and her entire family.”

“By punishment, do you mean execution?”

“Execute Rosalyn, but enslave her family. There’s no need to take the lives of those who weren’t involved.”

It might be more terrible than death. Having lived as nobles all their lives, becoming someone else’s slaves would be like falling into hell.

“Very well. Lastly, what about Hylix?”

“As stated in the testimony, Grand Duke Hylix was led astray by those around him. He displayed unbecoming behavior as a member of the Empire’s greatest family. It would be appropriate to punish him.”

“What level of punishment?”

“I believe a year of probation would suffice.”

Duke Kalisto pondered for a moment, then turned to Secretary Maxim.

“What do you think?”

“I believe it’s an appropriate decision. Please proceed as you see fit, Your Grace.”

Only then did Duke Kalisto set the testimony aside.

“I sent away the women and children I cherished to prevent succession issues. Yet, this still happened.”

“It’s not your fault, Your Grace. This could happen in any family. When I visited the capital, I witnessed the succession disputes in the Imperial Family firsthand. It’s fortunate that it ended like this, Your Grace.”

“If that’s the case, then it’s fortunate…”

Duke Kalisto paused and sighed deeply.

“I’m worried about the future.”

It was a statement filled with meaning.

The Duke was aware that Romero had issued an emergency order and was mobilizing the army. Many things would change in the coming year.

“Well done, Sir O’Brien. You may leave.”

“Yes, Your Grace. I’ll take my leave.”

After leaving the office, we visited the Lady’s quarters. She had been waiting for us, with three empty teacups prepared.

The real challenge was yet to come.

How would the Lady react to this incident?

I had a strong feeling that there would be a significant change.