Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 765 Passenger

Emerald City, Sunset Temple, Altar.

Under the solemn statue of the Goddess of Sunset, Thales stood in front of the altar with his hands behind his back, looking down at the body on the ground with an expressionless face.

"This is the assassin himself."

The coroner, squatting on the ground, tremblingly pulled away the white cloth on the face of the corpse, revealing the face of an unfamiliar middle-aged man.

"After investigating the scene, we speculated that he must have committed suicide out of fear of punishment after the assassination attempt, as he saw that he could not escape... We are confirming the identity of the assassin and are doing our best to track down any accomplices..."

Thales said nothing, just observed silently.

In the temple, the Star Lake Guards and Emerald Soldiers who came with the prince automatically and consciously guarded the main roads and stood guard against the walls. Everyone had a serious expression and terrifying eyes, making the atmosphere even more solemn and murderous.

Even the security officers who were busy investigating the case didn't dare to breathe deeply.

"We found a suicide note on him. We dare not open it without permission and have to wait for your Highness to make a decision." The head of the Goddess District's security department came to the scene in person. At the reminder of his assistants, he handed over a letter with sweat on his forehead, trying his best to be neither humble nor arrogant, and well-trained. "But we have reason to infer that this criminal must have planned for a long time, came prepared, and had a clear goal..."

Huai Ya wanted to step forward, but Thales took the assassin's suicide note without hesitation, unfolded it and read it, frowning more and more as he read.

"...According to our preliminary analysis, the assassin was probably an amateur and inexperienced. He did not completely break the wooden partition of the confessional. He just..."

The paunchy chief of police paused for a moment, and waited for another police officer who was overseeing the case to whisper something to him before continuing:

"But he still stabbed the priest... Unfortunately, the dagger must be poisoned... We are doing our best to track down the type and possible source of the poison..."

poison.

Thales listened to the report from the Chief of Security, looked at the suicide note in his hand, and glanced at the assassin on the ground from time to time:

The other person was middle-aged and bald, with a weathered face and a look of misery and despair. His half-open and half-closed eyes were staring back at Thales with a blank look.

Another death.

Another challenge.

Thales thought silently.

I don’t know when it started, but he has become so calm and natural in the face of death and blood, pain and despair.

As if he should.

As if this is natural.

It was as if as a ruler, he had long been accustomed to the absurdity of the world, and therefore was able to remain calm and at ease, without feeling anything unusual.

what?

Thales was shocked by his own thought.

He subconsciously turned his head and looked away, avoiding the dead face that looked slightly hideous due to slight deformation after death.

The coroner next to him wisely covered the body with a white cloth.

"We are currently investigating various clues in an orderly manner, but there must be many rumors out there. If Your Highness can find anything in the suicide note that can help solve the case..."

"Have you read this suicide note?"

"Of course not, Your Highness," the Chief of the Security Department denied decisively and answered fluently, "The assassination took place in the sacred Sunset Temple, and Zhengxin is no small matter. Before someone as important as Your Highness arrives, I and my subordinates will never dare to open it without authorization..."

"It's because you saw it," Thales' words made the director shudder, "that's why you don't dare to see it."

The Chief of Police did not make any excuses or apologize, and did not dare to refute. He just lowered his head even more.

Thales looked at the words on the "suicide note", including "Kevindill Family", and snorted.

He felt that he was beginning to understand these people from the South Shore who were very clear-minded but preferred to go around in circles.

Just like he knew those fighting and murderous northerners.

"Where's Chadway?" Thales asked softly.

"Who? Oh, you mean the assassinated priest—" The Chief of Security was stunned, then reacted, but he was soon interrupted by another voice.

"Thank you for your dedication to your duties, Director Zelot." Mallos came over with Huaiya from behind and smiled and nodded to the cautious director of security. "This is related to the temple. There is no trivial matter in the orthodox faith. The Duke is worried, so he came to understand the situation in person. Of course, please continue to handle the case and don't worry about us."

Director Zelot felt as if he had been pardoned when he heard this. He wiped the sweat off his face and apologized repeatedly, taking the opportunity to retreat to a distance with his men.

Under the watchful eyes of the guards on both sides, the director and the security officers pretended that the Duke of Xinghu was not in the hall, and continued to hold a serious meeting of the "XXX Major Homicide Case" task force on the spot. They even "forgot" to ask Thales to return the assassin's suicide note, and "forgot" to carry away the assassin's body.

Thales frowned and looked at Mallos.

"The priests and healers used divine magic and the Lexan Divine Grace Platform to try their best to rescue Chadvi."

Mallos answered Thales's doubts:

"I only watched from a distance, but from what they revealed, the poison is very toxic and the situation is not optimistic. Even if they can be saved, the hope of full recovery is not great."

All-out rescue...

Not much hope...

Thales took a deep breath when he thought of the fat priest who had sloppy manners and did not strictly observe the rules, yet helped countless people in an invisible underground corner.

Why him.

Why him?

"Also, because of this assassination, the Temple has some complaints against us," Mallos looked at Director Zelot in the distance, loudly and forcefully making his gloomy-faced subordinates to "solve the case within a deadline," and said, "Your Highness, you may have to be prepared."

Prepare? what to prepare?

Thales opened his eyes.

Are you planning to hunt down some bastard who dares to stir up trouble at this time and ruin the good situation from the corner, string him up from the bottom to the top with spears, and hang him on the top of Kongming Palace as a flag?

"The specific details of the case have not been revealed yet, but the news that the temple has infiltrated the assassin has spread. The entire Emerald City is still in shock. When they react..."

"They will turn their eyes to me." Thales rubbed his forehead. "What do you think, Wyya?"

Wyatt paused, somewhat surprised that Thales asked him first instead of Mallos.

"From the information we have so far, Your Highness, this assassination was organized, and even the target and location were carefully chosen," he subconsciously touched the notebook in his hand, and after hesitating for a while, he tentatively asked, "I heard from Vanguard Officer Glover that it seems that the assassinated priest and Miss Hilley have always been good friends, and they have a close relationship?"

Chadway, and Hillay.

Thales's expression turned cold as he thought of the poor people in the Ghoul Tunnel and their respect and admiration for Priest Chadway.

"I hope I am overthinking it," Wyatt observed Thales' expression, worried, "but if this matter endangers your relationship with Miss Kevin Dier, and thus affects your ability to deter the two Kevin Diers, your influence on various forces, and even your control over the situation in Emerald City..."

"How dare they?" Thales interrupted him coldly.

He turned to face the vast and empty temple, watching the officers coming and going in the distance and the guards on duty on high alert.

Mallos and Huaiya looked at each other.

Thales said coldly:

"It has come to this. Tell me, do they really not know or care, or are they not afraid of my anger and revenge at all?"

Not to mention whether the Emerald City, having overcome numerous difficulties to escape from chaos, will return to its old ways and be crushed to pieces in the millstone of power struggle?

Could it be that, as Miranda said, he had been too kind and polite for a long time, not tough and fierce enough, and lacked the thundering decisiveness to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys?

As Thales thought about this, the voice in his heart became stronger.

"They?" Huai Ya asked doubtfully.

"Or maybe they actually know," Majoros interjected at the right moment, looking at the assassin's body on the ground, "They know how you will react, and that's their purpose."

Thales' eyes moved.

"As Officer Casso mentioned," Mallos said softly, "giving up the difficult for the easy is often the origin of tyranny."

Huaiya was flattered and quickly bowed to Mallos.

tyranny.

Thales took a deep breath and tried his best to suppress his anger and impulse.

So this is what they want?

Forcing yourself to act violently in a fit of rage and destroy your own Great Wall?

Or is there some more despicable purpose?

"Have Comuto and Oscarson take a message to the local police station later - privately."

Thales frowned as he looked at Director Zelot, who was spitting and making a resolute statement in front of his sweaty subordinates in the distance:

("Use all manpower and resources! I'm putting this down here. No matter what methods you use, even if you turn the entire South Bank upside down and pry up all the floor tiles in the city, you must solve the case within three days! Throw them away. Whoever dares to let me - ahem, whoever dares to make Emerald City suffer, I will make him suffer! We must let all citizens see that our team of vigilantes is the most solid human last line of defense in Emerald City, and the most solid thirty-eight outposts in South Bank Territory. In the face of the turbulent sea, I will take responsibility...")

"Just treat this as a normal case and don't expand it too much. Don't do useless work like searching the whole city, lest people panic."

"Your Highness is wise." Mallos gladly accepted the order, and Huaiya was relieved.

Thales hesitated for a second:

"Also, regarding Chadway's matter, the Ghoul Tunnel..."

"I've given orders," Mallos replied immediately before Thales finished speaking, "The details of the case, including the identity of the victim, will be kept strictly confidential. Led by Aaron, the people in the tunnel will block the news and not let Miss Hilley know, so as not to affect the investigation."

Thales looked at Mallos in surprise, but the latter was calm and composed, showing no signs of abnormality.

"Oh, really?" Thales said with mixed feelings, but he finally nodded, "Well done, Thor."

Mallos had no expression on his face.

"But the rumors are so widespread that I'm afraid we can't keep it secret for too long."

Huai Ya on the side couldn't help but interrupt:

"And if Miss Hilley knew that you had deliberately concealed this from her..."

Wyatt was right.

Thales clenched his fists.

But he didn't need to take long.

Hopefully it doesn't take too long.

"Did you bring them?"

Thales interrupted Huaiya and deliberately ignored his concerns.

Huai Ya paused, glanced at Mallos, and nodded:

"Yes, Your Highness. But if it was really done by one of them..."

"So I'm going to bring them here," Thales said coldly, "Both of them."

Let's see who it is, or whose forces, dare to step forward and cause trouble at this critical moment and try to undermine the Duke of Xinghu.

The entire Emerald City stage was demolished.

Huai Ya was worried and turned around.

"You're not worried that they did it, right?" Mallos said suddenly.

Thales glanced at him.

"You're worried that they might not have done this," Mallos said meaningfully, "and that makes you upset."

Thales pursed his lips and did not answer.

He just turned around and looked up, but met the eyes of the stone statue of the Sunset Goddess above his head, which were both gentle and compassionate, yet cold and ruthless.

She looked down at Thales calmly and naturally, looking at the tragedy happening in the mortal world.

As if she deserved it.

As if this is natural.

It was as if, as a deity, she had long been accustomed to the absurdity of the world, and therefore could remain detached from it, independent of the world, and not feel anything strange at all.

This made Thales frown even deeper.

Mallos didn't say anything else, he just bowed and turned away.

"I knew it!"

The voice of Jann Kevindill, the Duke of South Shore who had lost his power, came from behind Thales along with his undisguised footsteps, cold and disdainful:

"Someone just won't give up, Thales, even though you and I have already made concessions. 'Someone' just can't bear to give up the chips in their hands, always feeling unwilling to give up, always thinking they can win more."

On the other side, the voice of Federico Kevindill, the long-decided Honorary Viscount of Archsea City, echoed with his cautious steps, and his words were full of meaning:

"Then I guess, Your Highness, this kind of thing happened because 'someone' wanted to remind the world again and again: without someone, the Emerald City would be in chaos; without someone, even the sun would not rotate."

Zhane and Fed looked at each other coldly, confronting each other sharply and refusing to give in.

Listen, it’s both “someone” and “someone”.

"Thank you for your insightful and helpful advice, Mr. Kevin Dill and others."

Thales shifted his gaze from the goddess statue above his head and turned back to the mundane world.

Feder saluted Thales respectfully, but Zhan En snorted and turned his head away, not being polite at all.

The prince waved his hand casually, pointing to the assassin's body covered with a white cloth on the ground:

"Hey, do you recognize this unfortunate guy? He died a tragic death."

Zhan En looked at the body and the bloodstains on the white cloth, frowned, and tightened his nose slightly.

Federico looked at his cousin, snorted disdainfully, then walked forward without a care in the world and lifted the white cloth, revealing the desperate and hideous face of the deceased.

At that moment, the two Kevin Dills showed almost identical confusion on their faces.

"Is this the deceased?"

Zhan En covered his nose and asked in confusion:

"Where is the assassin? How did you kill him?"

"Who is he? A believer who comes to pray?" Feder looked closer without any hesitation, frowning.

Thales did not answer, but crossed his arms, his face as gloomy as water, and allowed the two Kevin Dills to ask questions one after another:

"Who is he? Why kill him?" This is Zhan En.

"Was it still Lausanne II who did it? Did he escape from Shile?" This was Fed.

"Were there any clues left at the scene?"

"Are there rumors spreading out there again? How is Your Highness handling it?"

"What's going on in the houses in the city? Are you forced to find the murderer?"

"Who the hell is this guy?"

Thales carefully watched the reactions of the two, chewing on their words, and trying to see through the complex activities of power and interests in their minds after seeing the corpse.

"This guy's identity is still under investigation," Thales nodded, "but preliminary judgment is that this level of assassination is unlikely to be a lone wolf, it is organized."

The two Kevin Diers were not surprised at all and just looked at each other calmly.

"Then here comes the problem," Thales sighed, "After I exhausted all my efforts, used both soft and hard tactics, and finally reached an agreement with the two of you to stabilize the Emerald City... who is still dissatisfied and insists on doing such a thing to mess up everything?"

Tells paused, looked at Feder, then looked at Zhan En, and said in a more serious tone:

"Who else, when he couldn't get the result he wanted, simply overturned the chessboard, hoping that the Emerald City would be destroyed and everyone would go their separate ways?"

Both Kevin Dills were silent for a while.

"If there really is such a person, then he must not understand you," Zhan En spoke first, with a hint of disdain, "at least he doesn't understand your stubborn moral cleanliness."

Federico remained calm:

"Or maybe he knows you too well and wants to use this to coerce you, Your Highness, or even all of us, into making some compromise that is beneficial to him - just like someone did before."

Zhan En sneered and showed no weakness:

"Yes, I have done it, so I am not that stupid. But it is hard to say if it is someone who is used to assassination and was forced by us to compromise unwillingly."

"As we all know, any action that breaks the balance, disrupts the situation, and causes unrest and fear at this time is not conducive to your highness's rule and reputation," Feder said with a blank expression as usual, but his words did not give in. "If this happens too often, people will inevitably miss the Emerald City before your highness became regent."

Jenn and Federico exchanged hostile looks.

"Do you guys still remember?"

Thales spoke up, interrupting the cousins' tit-for-tat.

"We said in our last meeting: before the Praise Feast, before I announce the arbitration and the dust settles, neither of you should want to do anything to kill the other, right?"

The two Kevin Dills were startled at the same time.

Thales lowered his voice and said threateningly:

"No way?"

He looked at the two of them separately:

"Are you dissatisfied that what you have is not enough?"

Upon hearing this, Federico immediately bowed his head in respectful obedience.

"Or do you hate losing too much?"

Zhan En also turned his head away, frowning.

Under the gaze of the Sunset Goddess Statue, three important figures in the Emerald City looked at each other silently.

"I don't know if you guys did this," Thales looked down at the body on the ground and spoke softly, "but you both hate that it was the other person who did it, right?"

Thales looked around:

"It would be best if you could use my help to kill the other party?"

The two cousins ​​remained expressionless and said nothing.

It fully embodies the essence of the Iris family's noble demeanor.

Thales looked at the two of them carefully, and finally snorted.

"Forget it. The details of the case are still being investigated. The truth will come out sooner or later."

Thales looked at the body on the ground:

"But the question now is: what should we do - Emerald City?"

He waited for a while, but there was no response. He frowned and said:

"I'm asking you guys."

As soon as these words were spoken, the two Kevindirs came back to their senses as if statues had awakened.

"Block the news and make the story round, saying it's an isolated incident, a personal grudge between the murderer and the deceased," Zhan En said coldly, "Starting from the temple, the three of us will come forward together to appease the various forces and assure them that everything in the Emerald City remains the same until everything is over."

"Same old trick," Federico snorted, "but it's pointless."

The two Kevin Dills looked at each other.

"This is a temple with a lot of people coming and going. The more we conceal the truth, the more uncontrollable the consequences will be," Feder said. "The people behind the scenes won't sit idly by and watch us block the news. They will make things bigger and bigger and try every means to let the whole world see it, so that people will doubt that our 'guarantees' are just empty words. Then we will only be more passive."

"That sounds familiar," Zhan En sneered, "They're not going to find another vampire killer to go to a banquet or a tournament and expose an old case, are they?"

Federico ignored the other party's sarcasm and continued in a deep voice:

"So we need to face reality. Your Highness, please inform the whole city and send down thunderbolts. On the one hand, warn and deter the suspected powerful figures, and on the other hand, force them to fully cooperate with us until we find the person behind the scenes, eliminate the root cause, and solve the problem from the root."

"That's tantamount to telling the whole world that the Emerald City under the rule of the Duke of Xinghu has lost control again, and he is unable to control the situation and can only swing his sword recklessly," Zhan En said disdainfully. "What if someone's family suffers heavy losses during the investigation, and becomes more dissatisfied and resentful... then the situation that Emerald City has finally recovered..."

"On the contrary, the Emerald City has been peaceful for a long time, and has become accustomed to selfishness." Feder shook his head: "It is precisely in need of cleaning up the deep-rooted disease so that when it returns to your highness's throne in the future, there will be less pain."

"So that they can rely more on you, the 'royal viscount'?"

"You can rely on your cousin if you must: 'Everyone, rest assured that everything in the Emerald City remains the same. Nothing has changed, just as it was when Duke Jann ruled.'"

Seeing that the conversation was about to turn into a sarcastic and mutually offensive tone, Thales coughed and interrupted them.

"After saying so much, do you really not care who the deceased is?"

Duke Xinghu looked coldly at the body on the ground:

"Or, you don't know who he is?"

Or does it not matter to them who dies?

Kevin Dill's cousins ​​reacted and turned to look at the dead man.

"Should we know him? Or at least know about him?" Zhan En asked cautiously, looking at the slightly distorted face of the deceased again.

"Which noble family is he from? A wealthy businessman? An heir? Or a prestigious clergyman?" Feder glanced at Zhan En. "Is it because his assassination has far-reaching consequences and involves too many people, so Your Highness will have to rely on Zhan En to appease all parties and give him more power?"

"Is he an old man from Emerald City? Is he related to my father's old case? Did he leave clues behind?" Zhan En looked back at Federico with disdain. "So as to force you, Thales, to reopen the arbitration at the Praise Banquet according to the wishes of certain people and redefine the truth?"

"Yes, but also no."

Thales snorted softly and stroked the suicide note left by the assassin in his pocket:

"In fact, this person is..."

But before he could finish, he was interrupted by the footsteps of a newcomer.

The three of them turned their heads at the same time, and saw a familiar figure coming up to them, accompanied and even "escorted" by Majoros and the Seychelles Knights of the Emerald Legion, under the strange looks of the guards on both sides.

"Cassian?"

Zhan En was the first to react, and was confused and puzzled:

"Why are you here?"

Federico frowned.

Thales was equally puzzled. He looked at Mallos, who shook his head imperceptibly.

Cassian, the slovenly knight who was supposed to be guarding Lausanne II in the Ghoul Tunnel, bowed slightly and frowned as he looked at the body in front of the altar.

"Yes, I have a friend who was supposed to come to an appointment but failed to show up, so I was asked to go check it out." Cassian stared at the body, "Then I was walking on the street and heard people saying that something happened here."

friend.

Broken appointment.

Entrusted.

Hearing these words and bearing Cassian's gaze that was clearly trying to find the truth, Thales' eyebrows jumped.

Not good.

Pretty bad.

Did Shila hear something?

"Where is your mistress? Where is Xilai? Did she send you out? Why?" Federico's eyes were full of energy and he asked the key question: "Where is Lausanne II?"

"You shouldn't be here." Zhan En thought of something and his face became serious.

"The Emerald Legion was imposing martial law on the perimeter, but he showed up and insisted on coming in." The Knight of Seychelles said coldly, standing next to Cassian.

"Knight Cassian is more...persistent," Mallos added in a more polite way.

Cassian ignored them, he just stared at the dead body on the ground with a confused look on his face.

"If necessary, we can arrest him immediately and interrogate the killer...interrogate his experiences over the past few days, Your Highness..."

Captain Seychelles, who was about to report to Thales, hesitated when he saw the two Kevin Dills appearing before him.

He habitually wanted to salute Zhan En alone, but he resisted halfway. After hesitating for a long time, he finally bowed to the three of them in general, choosing the plural title:

"…Adults."

Oops.

Thales looked at Cassian, who was obviously sent by Xilai, and felt a headache. Were the details of Chadway's assassination leaked? Did she find out? Or did she suspect it?

Should he chase him away or pretend to hide it?

Thinking of this, Thales remained calm and said, "Okay, Thor, Captain Seychelles, please ask him to wait aside. I'll finish it first..."

"I might recognize him."

Cassian stared at the dead man and suddenly spoke.

The people around were all startled and followed his gaze to look at the body on the ground.

"what?"

Federico said suspiciously:

"You mean him? The one on the ground?"

Cassian nodded slightly, frowning.

Zhan En looked worried and shook his head at Thales.

But Thales calmly opened the suicide note in his pocket, leaned against the altar and sat on the ground.

"Lord Cassian, please come forward - no, Thor, Captain Seychelles, you don't have to leave. I may need you later," Thales said in a deep voice, motioning Seychelles and Mallos to stay. "Tell me, do you know this guy?"

Cassian came to the body and looked at the bald middle-aged man who had been dead for a long time on the ground with a complicated expression:

"It just looked familiar before, but now..."

But Federico interrupted him:

"So you're here on behalf of Xilai? Can you speak for her? Where is she? What does she want?"

Zhan En couldn't help but speak:

"My sister, is she... okay?"

Cassian looked at the two Kevindill men and frowned.

On the other side, Thales spoke without hesitation, helping Cassian out:

"Oh? Are you sure, Lord Cassian? Are you sure you know this man? Know him personally?"

Cassian took a deep look at the two Kevin Dills who had a deep hatred for each other, and turned to Thales.

"Yes, Your Highness. This person's appearance has not changed much, so it must be him..."

He paused and looked at his old friend:

"And you've met him, Seychelles."

"Me?" The Seychelles Knight was startled.

Cassian nodded slightly:

"Many years ago, we worked together briefly. He used to work for the Kongming Palace."

Kongming Palace.

All eyes turned to Zhane, who frowned.

"But, but why don't I remember this person?"

From a bystander to a party involved, Seychelles was in disbelief for a moment. He looked at the deceased again and again but was still confused.

"You had too little contact with him." Cassian's face was as dark as water.

Federico sneered.

"So he's one of your old subordinates, cousin," he said softly, "How come you're the only one who didn't recognize him?"

"I really don't know him." Zhan En coldly rejected the other party's suggestion.

Mallos frowned and looked at Thales: The prince did not say anything, he just put his hands behind his back and observed the reactions of several people.

"Because at that time, he was temporarily seconded from Gonghai City, and what he did was not an official job." For some reason, Knight Cassian seemed quite lost when he said this.

Seychelles' eyes moved:

"Gonghai City?"

Everyone's eyes turned to the other Kevin Dill again.

"Gonghai City... I knew it, no wonder," Zhan En understood and said disdainfully, "Feder, you just can't let go of that little thing back then..."

"I haven't seen him either." This time it was Feder's turn to frown, "At least not among the officers I've known since childhood."

Thales sat on the ground, looking at the body lying at his feet, and watching the performances of these people standing in their respective positions.

Look at that, Tails.

The voice in his heart sneered faintly:

Look at the scene of intrigue before our eyes.

Who is pretending?

Who knows it clearly?

Who is kept in the dark?

And you, Thales, how much can you gain from their farce by using your identity, power, means, and the resulting information gap?

Is it enough for you to identify friends and foes and decide victory or defeat?

"Be careful, old friend. None of us remember this man," Seychelles warned his old friend. "How come you are the only one who remembers him?"

Facing the suspicious looks, Cassian sighed:

"Because, because a long time ago, when I was still in the Tower of the End, this person was my classmate and we studied together."

End Tower.

The End Swordsman?

Everyone looked at each other, then at the body on the ground, wondering:

This middle-aged man, no matter his figure or clothing, does not look like a man with martial arts skills.

"You were still in the Tower of the End for so long... Was he the Duke of South Shore Guardian at that time, or Uncle Leinster?" Federico seemed to be thinking about something.

"And at that time, the Viscount of Gonghai City was still Uncle Sona... After saying so much, who is this person?" Zhan En could no longer bear it.

"His name is... I... I'm sorry, I really don't remember his name," Cassian stared at the bald middle-aged man on the ground, his tone filled with unspeakable guilt, "All I can remember is that he is a native of Emerald City, his family is in business, he is very rich, and his connections are very strong, so he was able to go to the Tower of Termination and return to serve..."

Seychelles couldn't help but snorted:

"You said you knew him, but you don't even remember his name?"

Cassian hesitated to speak, and finally turned his head away in shame.

"It's normal."

Unexpectedly, it was Mallos who spoke.

"Everyone will meet and know many people in their lifetime, but most of them are just passing strangers. We may not even remember their names or faces," Majoros sighed as he looked at the bodies on the ground. "So most of the time we don't know how important some passersby are to our lives."

His words made everyone think deeply.

"And you remember his face, Lord Cassian, which is quite impressive - just tell us what you know."

Cassian paused, then nodded respectfully to Mallos.

Seychelles stared at Mallos, especially at the bandage exposed at the other's collar, and snorted coldly.

"Because we are from the same hometown, we met and had dinner together in the Tower of the End, but we are not very familiar with each other. I don't like his personality and extravagant habits..."

Cassian tried hard to recall:

"Later, it seems that he failed to learn the craft, so he gave up his studies and returned home. When I saw him again many years later, he seemed to be working as a clerk, related to the maritime business..."

"Then why would he, a civil servant in Gonghai City whose family is extremely wealthy, come to work with us?"

Seychelles hated being dragged into this for no reason and asked impatiently:

"When did it happen? What did it happen to you? What was your mission?"

Cassian looked at him, then at Zhane, and shook his head sadly:

"I'm sorry, but I'm bound by my oath. That's all I can say."

Seychelles snorted disdainfully:

"A knight's oath?"

"Or the oath you swore to my uncle?" Federico's eyes gradually became sharper. "Lord Cassian, what are you hiding? For whom?"

He turned his head:

"Do you know the inside story, cousin? Why did the assassin target him?"

Zhan En looked at the bald middle-aged man's remains on the ground, still seemingly confused, but he remembered something and his expression changed slightly.

"Your eagerness only makes you look more suspicious, Feder." The Duke of South Shore glanced at Thales, who seemed to be distracted, and coldly retorted to his cousin.

Federico sneered and shook his head.

"That's easy. If what Cassian said is true, then we can check the personnel records of the Gonghai City Government Office and compare their identities and resumes one by one. We should be able to identify them: what is his name, what he has done, and why the assassin specifically targeted him..."

Thales sat on the ground, crossed his hands, and suddenly spoke softly:

"Botte."

Mallos noticed his master's abnormality. He interrupted the two Kevindirs who were arguing and turned around sharply:

"Your Highness?"

Everyone fell silent and looked back in confusion.

"I say, Bott," Thales sighed and turned to the body next to him, "This man, his real name is Perry Bott."

Everyone, including Zhane and Federico, was stunned.

"Your Highness, have you known this for a long time?" Federico's expression changed.

"Has the Security Bureau found out anything?" Zhan En frowned.

"Perry Bott... Perry... So, this is his name... Perry..." Cassian chewed on the name and looked at the middle-aged man on the ground, feeling less guilty.

"Perry Bott... Bott, Bott?"

But Seychelles noticed something else and was surprised:

"Could it be that 'Bot'?"

Zhane and Federico looked at each other, both in shock and confusion.

Cassian was stunned:

"That Bot? What Bot?"

Seychelles snorted coldly and pointed at the body on the ground: "You just said that he is a native of Emerald City, his family runs a big business, he is rich and well-connected, and he spends lavishly... Who else could he be?"

Cassian was still confused:

"I don't understand. Which noble family is this?"

"You do not know?"

"Should I know?" Cassian asked.

Seychelles shook his head and laughed at his old friend, not sure whether it was mocking or helpless:

"Well, Master... No, this family is not a noble one, but they are in the underworld, among us common people..."

He came to his senses, looked at the several great men around him who were of indescribable noble birth, and quickly changed his words:

"Well-known in the illegal world, at least."

The two Kevin Dills frowned.

Seychelles is difficult to:

"In fact, they were once a well-known mafia family in Emerald City and even in the South Coast Territory. But the business they were doing was, was..."

"Drug trafficking," Zhan En looked at the little Bert on the ground in disbelief, and took over Seychelles' words, "They are trafficking drugs, and they are very aggressive. They have infiltrated the entire city and affected the future development of Emerald City."

Thales clapped his hands.

"That's right. The father of this poor Perry on the ground is none other than Old Bot, nicknamed 'Dogtooth', who was a backbone figure of the Blood Bottle Gang in Emerald City many years ago, a giant in the underground world, and the kingdom's leading drug lord."

Thales raised his eyes:

"Remember anything? Anything?"

Mallos said nothing.

Cassian understood something: "Yes, 'Dogtooth' Bot, yes, I have heard of this name..."

"Their family was destroyed a long time ago," Zhan En came back to his senses and said coldly, "Because the old guy Gou Ya has no respect for the law and is insatiable. He endlessly produces and sells vicious drugs in the South Bank Territory and even the entire kingdom, causing public outrage. Even a benevolent and business-oriented palace like Kongming Palace cannot tolerate him."

"Old Bot's territory and power were taken over by the Blood Bottle Gang's men," Thales said softly, "but the market and business were taken away by their competitor, the Black Street Brotherhood."

"Blood Bottle Gang?"

Federico repeated.

"Thor, send someone to find the barber and ask him to pass on a message," Thales looked at the captain of his personal guards, "Just tell him, tell him that if the female leader of the Blood Bottle Gang calls, calls..."

"Phantom Blade Catherine." Mallos reminded.

Thales snapped his fingers. "Yes, her... Tell him that if Catherine doesn't come to see me before sunset today..."

His expression darkened:

"Then I have to go see her instead."

The prince did not explain the difference between these two views.

But the two Kevin Dills and the two knights beside them looked at each other with different feelings.

Federico rolled his eyes:

"So this guy is the son of an ex-gangster and drug dealer, but why did the assassin target him..."

Thales raised a hand and interrupted him.

"It is said that when old Bot was still alive, the Bot family relied on the huge profits from drug trafficking and the Blood Bottle Gang to make some official connections. They made his son, this Perry, a small official, responsible for liaison, passing messages to the Blood Bottle Gang, and helping the Kongming Palace do some dirty and tiring work that is shameful and hard."

Thales looked at Kevin Dill and the others and smiled:

"Sounds familiar, right?"

Zhan En was unmoved, while Feder seemed to be thinking about something.

"Until his father died, the Bot family's name was no longer effective in the Blood Bottle Gang, and Perry became much more honest."

Thales continued to speak in a mysterious tone:

"Until one day, Little Bot received an order from his immediate superior, asking him to set out from Gonghai City and go to the other side of the sea, to the Kingdom of Night in the East Continent, to meet several mysterious masters in order to participate in a political conspiracy that would affect the ownership of the Starry Throne: gather assassins of unknown origin, intercept the Eckster envoys, and trigger a diplomatic crisis in order to force the king to choose the heir to the throne from among the princes. Of course, we all know what happened next."

Mallos frowned.

Thales stared at Zhan En, who remained expressionless.

"You should remember it now, right?"

Zhan En looked up suddenly!

"You have already found out the identity of the deceased, so I guess you have also found out the truth?"

The Duke of Iris said coldly:

"You were just testing us to see if we were suspicious of each other?"

"Because it really has something to do with you, right, cousin." Federico spoke, but his tone was no longer confident, but full of worry.

Cassian, who was standing aside, sighed softly, while Seychelles lowered his head, not daring to breathe.

These two extreme masters suddenly realized:

I don’t know when it started, but these three big men around me have quietly taken over the battlefield.

And now the battle cry has sounded.

War is dangerous.

Thales ignored Zhan En's questioning and Federico's reminder, but sighed:

"But whether it's the king or the princes, the achievements and successes of those big men have nothing to do with poor Perry: this unlucky little Bot, he clearly followed the rules, but something went wrong. The person he received in the Kingdom of Night was not the agreed-upon vampire master, but the fallen nobleman who failed in the coup."

The two Kevin Dills frowned at the same time, with different moods.

"That's right. Selina Corleone, the number one traitor of the Kingdom of Night, the sister and mortal enemy of the Queen of Night, was the one who boarded the ship of Iris to land in Arched Sea City and enter the Kingdom of Stars eight years ago."

Thales sighed, feeling inexplicably moved:

"As a result, this shameless vampire nicknamed 'Ugly Woman' tried to take advantage of Iris without any effort. Not only was she not interested in being a cannon fodder for Kevin Dill's political conspiracy, she even created trouble and caused countless disasters, which completely led to the bankruptcy of the 'Rising Star' plan and caused heavy losses to the Iris family, and the disaster continues to this day."

Federico stared at Zhane:

"It's a big deal, cousin, it's a big deal."

The latter just pursed his lips and said nothing.

"Anyway, this incident made Duke Iris furious, and he questioned him personally."

Thales spoke softly:

"Obviously, poor Perry Bott didn't know what was going on, and it wasn't his fault, so the Duke comforted him in a gentle voice and said he would not pursue the matter any further. Little Bott was so moved that he burst into tears and wanted to sell his whole life to Iris - until Perry left the castle and was sent to the high seas in a daze."

high seas.

Federico's head snapped up.

Seychelles frowned and said nothing.

Cassian had no expression on his face, but his eyes were gray.

Zhan En glanced at the remains of little Bot on the ground and gently closed his eyes.

"Of course. Maybe it was the blessing of the setting sun. Perry, who had been unlucky for half his life, was lucky enough to survive the fatal ocean ship." Thales waved at the goddess statue above his head, "We are lucky enough to see him again - in front of the setting sun goddess."

Everyone was silent for a long time.

Until Zhane opened his eyes and regained his composure.

Maybe there is also indifference.

"Survived a ship on the high seas and returned from years of exile," Duke Iris said coldly, "Doesn't that sound familiar to you, cousin?"

"Do you really think this is a good time to change the focus, cousin?" Federico responded indifferently.

Zhane didn't answer.

"Little Bot escaped with his life," Thales sighed and continued, "but as a 'complementary measure' for his disappearance on the high seas, his family was destroyed and his wife and children were separated in Gonghai City."

Seychelles snorted coldly:

“Retribution for drug trafficking.”

Thales shook his head:

"Therefore, little Bot has been harboring hatred since then, hiding his identity, waiting for the day when he can take revenge on the arrogant, cold-blooded, cruel and vicious Duke of Iris."

Everyone looked at the person lying on the ground:

The middle-aged man's face was filled with resentment, despair, cruelty and distortion.

Cassian sighed, then squatted down and covered little Bert with a white cloth.

But Federico sensed something was wrong:

"But if he wanted revenge, why did he come to the Sunset Temple? To complain to the priest? And who wanted to assassinate him..."

Federico paused.

He understood and looked at the prince in surprise.

Zhan En took a deep breath. He looked at the bloodstains on the white cloth and realized something. He spoke with difficulty:

"He's not a victim, is he?"

Thales looked back at him, trying to find some different emotions in his expression.

"No, he is not," Thales said faintly, "This Perry Bott is the assassin himself."

Zhan En turned his head suddenly and stared at Thales!

Federico, Seychelles, and Cassian were all startled.

"Obviously, he came to assassinate someone, and after the assassination, he saw that there was no hope of escape, so he committed suicide out of fear of crime - at least that's the preliminary investigation result."

Thales slowly took out the letter from his pocket:

"All the things I just said, these unknown secrets, were left by little Bot in his suicide note - I have to say, the handwriting is pretty beautiful."

Zhan En suddenly took a step forward, but Mallos, who was prepared, stopped him and prevented him from getting close to the prince.

"Who?"

Looking at Mallos in front of him, whose expression remained unchanged but who would not tolerate any discussion, Zhan En had to take a deep breath, step back, and suppress his emotions.

He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and spoke in a trembling voice:

"Who was the person who was assassinated by him... by this bastard drug dealer?"

Thales sighed, feeling heavy-hearted.

He unfolded the assassin's suicide note and read the last few lines.

It was the most desperate curse written in the most vicious language.

"This young Bert said in his suicide note that he had nothing left. His only remaining wish in these years was to make the young Duke, who was so noble and inviolable, so well-known and praised by everyone, suffer retribution and consequences..."

Zhane's face grew paler, and Federico frowned.

"...Little Bott wants him, wants him to be remorseful for his arrogance of being high and mighty and thinking that he will never be threatened by lowly insects and unknown passers-by... for his heinous crimes of being vicious and vicious, shirking responsibility, taking human lives lightly, and killing people to silence them, yet he can still get away with it and be respected..."

Thales sighed:

“…pay the price in blood.”

A heinous crime...

Mallos couldn't help but frowned:

Is this what a drug dealer said?

Thales put away the letter:

"For this, he is willing to sacrifice everything and fight to the death."

After he finished speaking, Cassian sighed deeply.

Seychelles looked livid.

"Then what is he going to do..." Federico wanted to say something, but stopped himself.

Zhan En's expression changed:

"Do not……"

"And little Bot is going to start from here, to find the whereabouts of a certain lady who had to hide because she angered the prince." Thales looked at the statue of the sunset goddess, frowned and nodded, "Because he once swore to the sunset that he wanted Zhane Kevindill to experience the same pain of being separated from his family and losing his loved ones as he did."

Flesh and blood separated...

Losing a loved one...

Zhan En's body trembled, his expression was dazed:

"No, no no no... Don't be her..."

"Yes, the person who was assassinated was none other than Priest Chadwe."

Thales nodded heavily and told the truth:

"He, or rather, their target, is Xilai."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhan En turned pale, his body swayed, and he fell to his knees with a thud.

Kneeling in front of the altar in the Sunset Temple, where countless sacrifices and offerings had been made.

Kneel down before the sunset goddess who is high and mighty and inviolable, who is indifferent to all kinds of human affairs and who has seen all the retribution and reincarnation with her eyes lowered.

(End of this chapter)