Chapter 151

Episode 151

As expected, Godfrey made a grand entrance.

He was accompanied by ten paladins, a priest, and several attendants.

The scale was completely different from when I was investigated in Caribe. It was as if they were on a demon hunt.

“Sir Godfrey, it’s an honor to see you here.”

“It’s been a while. I heard about the territorial war. Congratulations on your victory, albeit belated.”

“Thank you.”

It was a good thing I had bought a lot of holy water from him. If this were our first meeting, he would have demanded to see Prince Arthur’s body immediately.

We exchanged brief pleasantries and got down to business.

“I never imagined something like this would happen. This incident has been reported to the Holy City as well. I’ll conduct the initial investigation, but there might be further investigations.”

That was impossible.

Arthur’s body wouldn’t last even a day. Even if high priests came from the Holy City, there would be nothing to examine.

In other words, everything depended on Inquisitor Godfrey.

“Duke Kalisto and I will fully cooperate with the church’s investigation. Please let us know if you need anything.”

“Hmm, then let’s go see Prince Arthur.”

“Before that, I have something to tell you. Let’s go to my office for a moment.”

The paladins behind him looked at me suspiciously. Godfrey seemed hesitant for a moment but followed me, lured by the scent of money.

I delivered the prepared lines.

“Although you’ll be investigating separately, this incident involves a member of the Imperial Family. The situation is quite complicated, so I need to explain it to you in advance.”

“Hmm.”

His stance was ambiguous. This wouldn’t be easy.

“First, I have a bit of a history with Prince Arthur. You might have heard, but I had a duel with him when I was in the capital.”

“I heard about that. I also heard the prince can no longer wield a sword.”

“It seems the prince hasn’t given up on his dream of becoming emperor. He ended up learning magic. He became a magical experiment subject.”

Godfrey didn’t react much. It seemed he already knew this much.

“While fighting Prince Arthur, I had no choice but to reveal the power I was hiding. It was a form of self-defense.”

“What power?”

Showing him was better than explaining it a hundred times.

I raised my finger and ignited a magical flame. Godfrey flinched.

“You’re a magician?”

“I can wield both sword and magic. I was hiding it due to unavoidable circumstances, but I had to use magic to deal with the rampaging Arthur.”

“Does Prince Karma know about this?”

“Yes.”

Godfrey stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Things were going according to plan. He had received a large sum of money and learned about my true power.

A greedy person like him would conclude that it was better to befriend me than to corner me.

“Tell me what you want.”

“I don’t want anything. I just wanted to tell you what happened so you wouldn’t misunderstand.”

“Go ahead.”

“Prince Arthur was out of his mind due to his rampaging magic. He wasn’t rational. I had no choice but to subdue him, but he won’t last long.”

Godfrey waved his hand, urging me to get to the point.

Impatient, as always.

“The prince was corrupted by demonic energy because of the magical experiment. He needs a constant supply of blood and power, and it seems he became corrupted by absorbing it from the monsters in the area.”

“You say ‘it seems.’ Is that just speculation?”

“Court Magician Muon orchestrated this incident. We won’t know the truth unless we find and interrogate him.”

The corners of Godfrey’s lips curled up slightly. He must have thought he had found a weakness.

“Isn’t that your judgment? We only act according to divine providence.”

“If this matter isn’t handled properly, I’ll also be imprisoned. I’ll be forced to work for the Empire in the Magic Tower. Then this territory will have a new lord, and we won’t be able to purchase holy water anymore.”

I revealed that Jericho was also a magician. His expression softened slightly.

“Are you threatening me?”

“Threats are for when someone has done something wrong. I’m just concerned about our business. The anti-monster armor is selling very well. We need to increase production and purchase more than double the amount of holy water. If this continues, we won’t be able to continue our business.”

Godfrey’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of doubling the holy water purchase.

He took the bait.

“Tell me what you want.”

“All I need is for you to conclude that Prince Arthur’s corruption was caused by Court Magician Muon’s magical experiment. I don’t want anything else.”

Godfrey pondered for a moment and nodded.

“That’s not difficult. If there’s no clear evidence, we can only speculate.”

“Thank you, Sir Godfrey. Prince Karma, who will soon ascend to the crown prince position, will remember this.”

The church’s investigation began that day and continued throughout the day.

Godfrey showed no mercy. He ruthlessly examined Arthur’s body, tearing off his arm and opening his chest to check his heart.

But since the body was practically mummified and Arthur was beyond recovery, there were no screams.

That night, Godfrey informed us that the investigation was complete.

The announcement was made in the presence of Prince Karma, Princess Beatrice, Duke Kalisto, and myself.

“It has been confirmed that Prince Arthur was corrupted by demonic energy. This is a clear crime that threatens the safety of the Empire and all those on the continent. However, the cause of the prince’s corruption is Court Magician Muon’s magical experiment. Therefore, we must capture and interrogate him to uncover the truth behind this incident. The Imperial Family should clarify this point.”

It was the moment the burden on the Imperial Family was lifted. Prince Karma said with a bitter expression,

“I promise on my name that we will capture the mastermind behind this incident and thoroughly investigate the cause.”

*Fizzle.*

At that moment, Prince Arthur’s body behind us turned to dust and disappeared. He couldn’t withstand the divine power after his demonic energy had depleted.

The noble body that carried the Emperor’s blood had passed away.

But no one mourned him.

“Then we’ll take our leave. We’ll send the next investigation team to the Imperial Palace. We expect your cooperation, Your Highness.”

“Very well.”

Godfrey glanced at me and left the territory with his paladins and priests.

We took the opportunity to discuss the next steps.

“Beatrice and I will return to the capital immediately. We’ll announce this incident and handle everything fairly.”

“We’ll leave it to you, Your Highness.”

Duke Kalisto bowed. It was a gesture that implied a request to ensure my and Jericho’s safety.

“We regret that a member of the Imperial Family harmed House Kalisto. As the Inquisitor revealed, he was out of his mind after becoming a magical experiment subject, so I hope you understand, Duke.”

“How could a mere subject harbor any ill will? I only wish for the peace of the Imperial Family.”

Prince Karma and Princess Beatrice also left my territory. Only Duke Kalisto remained.

But unexpected words came from his mouth.

“We’ll hold an emergency vassal meeting here. Prepare yourself.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Jericho, Balzac, and I started moving busily.

The vassals, having received the summons, gathered one by one. Rumors of the incident in Alpheon had already spread throughout the Dukedom.

Moreover, the news that Prince Karma, as well as the church’s Inquisitor and priests, had been dispatched was enough to amplify their anxiety.

“Sir O’Brien, what’s the reason for this gathering?”

“Tell us something. It’s frustrating that no one is speaking.”

Many nobles approached me separately, trying to get information.

“Duke Kalisto will hold a meeting soon. You’ll find out then.”

“Hmph, how frustrating!”

Soon, the vassal meeting commenced in the conference room.

Over 50 nobles gathered, but there was plenty of space. It was thanks to Roman’s extravagance and indulgence.

Duke Kalisto, seated at the head of the table, solemnly began,

“A grave incident occurred in our territory. Prince Arthur, harboring a personal grudge, attacked my vassal.”

Some vassals gasped. All eyes turned to me.

But this was just the beginning.

Duke Kalisto spoke about the dangerous experiment conducted by Court Magician Muon and revealed that Prince Arthur had become corrupted by absorbing demonic energy.

Expressions of disbelief erupted from all around.

*Thump.*

The Duke slammed his hand on the armrest. The conference room, which had turned into a marketplace, fell silent.

“Fortunately, we were able to stop Arthur’s rampage thanks to Sir O’Brien’s strength. However, that doesn’t erase the fact that the Imperial Family attacked me and my family.”

“We must send an envoy and demand compensation for this incident.”

Scribe Maxim spoke up. Other vassals voiced their agreement.

“Therefore, I plan to send a plenipotentiary to the Imperial Family to handle all matters related to this incident.”

Plenipotentiary.

It meant a minister with full authority. In other words, someone who could negotiate with the Imperial Family on behalf of the Duke.

All the nobles fell silent, awaiting his decision.

Secretly hoping they would be chosen.

“I’m considering entrusting this role of plenipotentiary to Sir O’Brien.”

“…”

“Sir O’Brien?”

In the silence, it was Scribe Maxim who spoke up.

Based on rank, he should be the one going.

“He’s only recently been appointed. It would be difficult to entrust him with such a heavy responsibility, even if it happened in Walker Barony.”

“I agree with the scribe. It makes more sense for the scribe to go instead of Sir O’Brien.”

Prince Romero finally revealed his true colors. This must be what they meant by “returning kindness with enmity.”

‘Should I have just gotten rid of the Azure Dragon Knights back then?’

Still, I understood. He would be closer to the successor position if I was powerless.

In short, Prince Romero considered me a key asset in the Lady’s faction.

“Hmm. It would be better for Sir O’Brien to show you himself rather than me explaining. What do you think? It’ll be quite an entertaining spectacle.”

I stepped forward and raised my hand so everyone could see. As I channeled my magic, a blue flame ignited in my palm.

“Th-That’s!”

“Magic? It’s definitely magic!”

“Sir O’Brien was a magician all along!”

Everyone was shocked.

They couldn’t have imagined it. It was common knowledge that those who awakened mana went to the Magic Tower.

Thankfully, Duke Kalisto corrected their misunderstanding.

“To be precise, he’s not just a magician. Sir O’Brien is a magic swordsman, proficient in both sword and magic.”

“A magic swordsman…!”

“Isn’t that the highest level of mastery that only existed in ancient times?”

“Unbelievable!”

After withdrawing my magic, I asked Scribe Maxim and Prince Romero,

“I believe this is sufficient proof of my qualifications as a plenipotentiary. Do you have anything else to say?”

The two remained speechless.

But Romero’s ambition for the throne seemed a bit excessive.

He regained his composure and raised his voice.

“My esteemed Duke, I have something to say.”