The Laws of Werewolf Hunting

Chapter 548: Diverting trouble to the east
Three days after Sir Pence's death, Sir Franklin visited Baron Jonard.

His purpose seemed to trouble the old man.

"Someone actually hired someone to kill someone just for a history book? I have to say I have no recollection of such a ridiculous person. But since you think it's necessary, I'll still let the lads know."

"What's the notification?" Franklin asked curiously.

“Tell them to stop.” The old man looked at him like he was a fool. “If the person asking for the book was among them, they would hear me and stop. What, you’re not really planning to punish him, are you?”

"He killed a nobleman."

"Did the murderer confess that he was given instructions to kill?"

"not at all."

"That's right, he just wanted the book, the death was an accident. Even if stealing a book is a crime, he didn't get the book, did he? Besides, Sir Penson should thank that killer in heaven; it saved him from doing so many stupid things in his life!"

Franklin had no choice but to admit that this blatant cover-up was effective.

After all, that's the truth, and his main goal wasn't to catch the mastermind, but to take the book back.

Moreover, Sir Jonard was an extremely distinguished man, a close confidant of the late King, and a member of the House of Lords, the most powerful figure in his party. If it weren't for some unpleasant events that occurred later, the old knight would not have abandoned everything to come to Sasha.

"Could you give me more information? I want to know what Sir Penson does in his daily life, who he is close to, and perhaps before he leaves, he will entrust his belongings to someone he considers trustworthy for safekeeping."

“He’s a general in the Security Service, if you know what I mean,” Sir Jonard said dismissively.

In this context, "general" is not a position, but a status.

This means that Sir Benson can enjoy all the fruits of his labor without having to do any work.

However, Franklin was more concerned about Sir Jonard; the fact that such a derogatory term for an officer came from the old man spoke volumes. He truly couldn't understand why the old sir would choose to associate with country nobles and Darkborns.

"His father was a promising man, but not very good, so before he died he could only arrange for his son to be a senior officer in the police department. Sir Penson never thought about how to improve his abilities, he only knew how to flirt with women, so when the police department was ordered to be abolished by the Queen, he became a complete waste. He couldn't even quit drinking, so he couldn't even wear a police uniform."

“I believe that in the past two months, his so-called friends have all left him one after another, and it will be very difficult for him to find someone he can still trust.”

Having said this, Sir Jonard indicated that he had nothing more to say, and Sir Franklin had no choice but to rise and take his leave.

He then visited Ms. Gloria Dominion.

The woman's identity is mysterious, but her family is the largest landowner in the city.

A book detailing how land ownership in Sasha City changed hands may have an unusual significance for the Dominion family.

“Yes, Sasha’s Land. My father has always wanted to see the original book so he would know whose land is available for purchase.”

Gloria Dominion was a beautiful woman with a vintage, elegant air. When she sat gracefully on the sofa in an indoor setting, dressed in black, the sunlight streaming through the curtains shone on her upper body, creating an effect reminiscent of an oil painting.

Sir Benjamin Franklin had rarely seen such a beautiful and poised woman, and he looked at her with admiration:
"But it has many copies."

“Oh, the original and the copy are different,” Gloria said. “Although the original author of Sasha’s Land is dead, he has a student who is constantly updating the original content. The museum’s copy only records the version from thirty years ago.”

"So, do you still want this book now?"

Gloria's lips curled up into a charming smile, a smile that seemed out of place for a child whose father had recently died, yet it was still captivating: "I don't want it anymore, because my brother and I have discovered that if we adjust the prices of the agricultural products we need, people will figure out how to grow them themselves, and it doesn't matter who owns the land."

Franklin almost forgot that the Dominion family and the Druids had an ambiguous relationship.

He immediately warned himself that he could only be friends with Gloria at most, and must never take things any further.

After leaving the Dominion family’s old mansion, he went to see Mr. Fox, the original author’s student, but the latter knew nothing about the matter—including the death of Sir Penson.

Mr. Fox has been collecting information on local land title changes and meets with Pence once a year; their last meeting was last December.

He looked quite bewildered: “The local cultural community does regard the teacher’s work as a treasure, but I really can’t imagine anyone being willing to commit such a heinous act as murder for it. In the end, it’s just a collection of materials, and all of its contents can be found in government archives and church records. We are just the organizers. There is no room for creativity in compiling this kind of book.”

The investigation is deadlocked.

During those three days, Sir Franklin had actually investigated Sir Penson's friends in Sasha, but the results were the same as those of Sir Jonard. He also investigated Sir Penson's bank accounts and found that the deceased had withdrawn all the money and valuables even earlier.

Then he remembered the clue that Mr. Bello had provided the day before.

The heart of Sir Penson's ancestor has also disappeared, and it is highly likely that it is being kept by someone along with that history book.

The thought of that scene made him instinctively touch his chest; the curved, four-millimeter-thick metal plate beneath his suit gave him a great sense of security. "Perhaps there's some information I've overlooked; I should go and investigate Clayton Bello again," the man thought.

He didn't know where Clayton Bello lived, so he rode to Rusty Silver Coin, only to find it closed. There was a Mother Earth Cult leaflet pasted on the door, which looked like a seal from a plague zone, creating a desolate and pitiful atmosphere.

Fortunately, Clayton Bello seemed to be a popular figure in the area, and any policeman passing by knew where he lived.

Jazz doesn't actually like Darkin. He doesn't think he discriminates against these creatures. Killing all Darkin is an idea that only extremists would have. He just thinks that their numbers should not increase anymore, and that they should not be allowed to enjoy themselves.

The curse that God gave them was a way of telling them that their sins were heavier than others and that they did not deserve to enjoy blessings.

Violating this self-evident principle will lead to new evils. If one day humanity begins to envy the Darkin for being able to acquire wealth through the power of the curse, and thus desires to be cursed, that would be the greatest corruption of the world.

Franklin admired Clayton Bello's honesty in his duel with Mr. Silver, but that did not mean he would fully agree with him after seeing Clayton's living conditions.

"You have a beautiful big house?"

"Ah."

"You have so many servants?"

"Ah."

"You have a daughter?"

"Ah."

"Do you still light fireplaces and use large bathtubs in early spring?"

"Ah."

“That’s not true.”

"Hmm?" Clayton, leaning back in his chair, gestured for the barber to leave, then turned his back to the noble knight and asked, "What's wrong?"

“Neither is quite right,” Franklin said sincerely. “I can tolerate two of them for your sake, but the combination is not acceptable.”

“I don’t quite understand what you mean, Sir.”

"Since you are burdened with a curse, you should maintain a life of poverty; this is a virtue."

"Sir, look at these servants. If I were to live a life of poverty, who would work for them? You can't come up to me in your fine boots with spurs and say such things."

Clayton lazily raised his arm and rested it on the back of the chair, turning half of his face to reveal his smooth, beardless, handsome features.

Sir Franklin stared at his face, a sense of familiarity washing over him.

"Mr. Bello, you served in the military before?"

"Yes, I fought in Loren."

"We may have seen it before—at the first military parade after the war."

“Sorry, I was there, but I don’t remember you,” Clayton said. Franklin, though possessing the qualities of a warrior, was not particularly handsome, and he may not have been as strong back then as he is now.

Franklin was quite satisfied with the answer; now he could accept that Clayton was enjoying all of this.

"It's alright, let's get down to business. What do you know about Sir Penson?"

“I know nothing about Sir Penson, you even told me his name.” Clayton sighed deeply. “But if you ask me, I think Sir Penson’s death is closely related to the Earth Mother Cult that has recently started to gain prominence in the city. Perhaps you could investigate it.”

“Disillusioned people are easily drawn to religion. If the White Church cannot help Sir Penson, he may consider turning to another religion.”

The gentleman nodded solemnly. Then he took his leave of Clayton.

After he left, Julius, who had been standing to the side, said sarcastically, "You tricked him into dealing with the Earth Mother Cult. Isn't that taking advantage of a fool?"

Yes, Clayton has absolutely no evidence to support his point.

"Why did all the people I originally entrusted with this matter strangely give up the bounty? A member of the Knights Order is more than capable of handling this kind of thing. He has the ability and the background. I can't imagine what kind of accidents could happen. Since he can't find the book, cracking down on the fraud gang is also a contribution to the local area."

Clayton stretched and got up to walk to the living room, where the photographer and camera had been waiting for some time.

(End of this chapter)