Volume 2: Empire Chapter 12 Investigation
Luke said disdainfully: "Swindler? I am not a businessman. Why do you call me a profiteer? I am an imperial spy. I invested 50 million imperial marks, and making money is just a side benefit."
"What's your other purpose?"
"You wouldn't understand even if I told you."
"If you explain it clearly, then I will understand, right?"
"I don't understand."
"If you don't tell me, you must be planning to sell me out!"
"Oh, right, right... There are too many people in the capital who are willing to pay a high price for you. I need to think about who I should sell you to."
Who would have thought that Dai Er was not angry, but asked curiously: "How much do you think I can sell it for?"
…
While Dale and Luke hide out in the lower city and settle down, Qingkong faces the Empire's investigation.
Princess Dale came incognito, and not many people knew her whereabouts. She stayed alone with Qingkong in the museum for a long time, and was attacked on the way back. Qingkong was suspected.
Moreover, Baron Sam Alvin, deputy captain of the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Knights, died in the museum. The cause of death was known only by the testimony of the museum's steward, so Qingkong also had certain suspicions.
However, due to Qingkong's special identity at that time, the Imperial Secret Intelligence Bureau and the Imperial Capital Security Bureau passed the buck to each other, so Agatha had to personally bring a team of imperial spies to the museum to meet Qingkong.
Fitch and Knight Jared cooperated with the Imperial Secret Service's investigation, and the museum's servants and royal knights were questioned separately.
Agatha dismissed everyone and stayed alone with Qingkong in a more private room.
"It wasn't me!" Agatha's first words made clear her position in the case. Dale's disappearance shook the imperial court, pushing Agatha, who wanted to keep a low profile, to the forefront of the storm: "But if I can't find Dale as soon as possible, or find the mastermind, I will have to take some measures to protect myself, which will stimulate His Majesty who doesn't trust me.
The mastermind behind the assassination of Dai'er wanted to intensify the conflicts within the palace and force everyone to take the most radical path, so that it would be a life-and-death struggle in the end..."
Qingkong, who was sitting opposite Agatha, did not rush to answer. She closed her eyes and analyzed the situation in the imperial court in a semi-meditative state.
There must be a mastermind behind the assassination of Princess Daier. And this mastermind has a high position in the imperial court, and is capable of knowing the whereabouts of Princess Daier and arranging an assassination against the princess in the imperial city.
Agatha is a major suspect. Regardless of whether she did it or not, once the seed of suspicion sprouts in the heart of Augustine the Great, he might take the opportunity to get rid of his daughter who is too capable.
The seed of doubt had already sprouted in Agatha's heart. She knew her father's methods, and in order to avoid becoming a prey, she would definitely take some action.
And her actions would further deepen Emperor Augustine's suspicion.
It's like two blind people are locked in a closed room, each of them is given a knife. The final result is that one of them will die, or both of them will perish.
If things are left unchecked, neither Luke nor the City of Fury will be able to remain unscathed in this storm that will affect the entire empire.
After a while, Qingkong said, "We didn't assassinate Princess Dai'er. Do you have any suspects? Do you have any clues about Princess Dai'er?"
Agatha shook her head. "The entire city of Saint Lun is now sealed off to search for Dale and the assassin, but there are no useful clues so far. As for the suspected mastermind... the eldest prince, the second prince, and the officials and nobles with various factions. If you add the power of the hereditary nobles, there are not many people worthy of suspicion, but not a few either, and they are all difficult to investigate."
Yes... No matter how domineering the imperial spies are, they have to behave properly when facing these top people in the imperial ruling class. If they can't even get in the door, there's no way they can find out anything.
Qingkong did not tell Agatha about Dale's whereabouts, but said: "We can't help you investigate the mastermind. After all, we just arrived in the imperial capital and can't even recognize the road.
You can only rely on yourself.
But no matter how things turn out, as long as Fury City is in Meteorite's hands, it will stand firmly behind you."
One of Agatha's purposes for coming here was to continue to gain the support of Raging Wave City. If things developed to the point where he and his father had a complete falling out, he would also have to consider the turmoil that the destruction of Raging Wave City would cause to the empire.
After all, those hereditary nobles who owned fiefdoms were becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the empire.
As long as he holds on to the bargaining chip of Nutao City, the worst outcome for him would be exile abroad.
"Thank you very much! According to the current situation in the imperial capital, it is not appropriate for Chief Inspector Meteorite to show up too often, otherwise it will arouse more suspicion from my father. I will do my best to find Dai'er. If she has not been killed, she should have been kidnapped by the mastermind of the attack.
Maybe if we find her we can find out the truth."
Qingkong replied, "Since arriving in the imperial capital, Meteor has been very well behaved. He knows not to make himself too conspicuous before His Majesty summons him. I will pass on your advice to him and ensure that no one sees him during this period."
"I'm sorry to wrong Chief Inspector Meteorite. When this matter is over, whether His Majesty summons me or not, I will definitely meet him. Give him a higher position and heavier responsibilities."
"I'll tell him." Qingkong's eyes never opened. Her mental power spread as much as possible, and the number of people monitoring the museum increased by nearly double.
The number of people monitoring Copper Mulberry Avenue should also have increased.
It would be best if Luke didn't go back these days.
When Qingkong was absent-minded, Agatha asked again: "Can I know what happened yesterday? Dale stayed here for a long time..."
The ice sculpture made by Dale was well preserved by Qingkong, and she did not let Agatha see it. Based on Agatha's understanding of Dale, it is very likely that she could tell from the ice sculpture that Dale escaped on her own. Without knowing Agatha's true position, it is better to let her know as little about Dale as possible.
“Princess Dale talked to me about some things related to the meteorite. She seemed to be very concerned about the recent messages from the palace and wanted to learn more about the meteorite through me.
I told her some of the things I knew.
Princess Dale is a very approachable person, I like her very much and hope she can come back safely."
Agatha did not doubt Qingkong's explanation to her. She guessed that Dai'er also wanted to know what kind of person Yunxing was. After all, the rumors about Yunxing in the palace were not positive.
"Yes, Dale is more like a real princess than us princesses, just like the princess kissed by the gods in the story. She has a beautiful face and a beautiful soul, and pure people can't help but love her.
This is also the reason why I was nervous when my father proposed this marriage. I was afraid that Chief Inspector Meteorite would see Dale and agree to my father's conditions in order to get her.
Therefore, in my father's mind, I am the biggest suspect in the assassination of Dale ."
Agatha's tone was filled with frustration.
Although she is the eldest princess of the empire, in charge of the Empire's Secret Intelligence Bureau, and her abilities are widely recognized, she knows that she is inferior to Dai'er in being a princess.
At this time, Qingkong opened his eyes: "So... when you knew that Princess Dai'er was assassinated, how did you feel?"
Agatha didn't expect Qingkong to ask her this kind of question.
The standard answer was in her mouth, but she didn't say it out loud.
"My mood at that time... the pressure I had been under for a long time was finally relieved. Dale's accident disrupted my father's plan against me. Although it forced me to stand at the forefront, at least I could move and didn't have to be trapped in Tulip Manor and wait passively.
It felt like there was a rope around my neck that was getting tighter and tighter.
This thought is cruel and makes me feel like a person like my father.
Even if I come to you, it's more for myself than for Dai'er.
This is what I really think.
Maybe I can say some words of sisterly love, but I know you won't believe it. Standing in this position, my heart will really become colder and colder. "
The room fell into silence, with only the "tick-tick" sound of the pendulum of the clock in the corner.
Agatha and Qingkong sat opposite each other, each lost in spiritual contemplation.
After a while, Clear Sky said to Agatha, "I concealed the death of Baron Sam Alvin from the sheriff of the Sheriff's Department. There are some things that Fitch doesn't know either."
Agatha perked up: "I knew that as the head of the Oulu College's Department of Mystic Arts, you would definitely be able to figure out what the secret technique was that killed Baron Alva?"
"It's a secret technique called 'Touch of Death', which uses the struggle of a sacrificed being before death to create a 'Death God' that can directly attack the soul.
I didn't tell the sheriff because this secret technique came from the Abyss Temple and is the Abyss Temple's top secret. I don't want to talk about why I know this secret technique, and I don't want people to find out the secrets of me and the Abyss Temple, so I concealed what happened last night. "
Agatha looked at the clear sky without saying anything.
If she knew the top secrets of the Abyss Temple, her relationship with the Abyss Temple would indeed arouse suspicion.
Now Agatha also really wants to know the answer.
But she knew even more clearly that Qingkong's words to her were a sign of trust in her. If she crossed the line, it would only cause a rift in the relationship between the two.
"Thank you for telling me this secret. I will not use any means to investigate your relationship with the Abyss Temple. I am willing to wait for you to tell me, even if it takes an indefinite period of time.
I heard from Meteor that behind the Abyss Temple is the Celtic Duke of Tedega Hills. The intelligence of the Secret Service also shows that the Celtic Duke is strengthening his barbarian legion and said a lot of things that are not conducive to the unity of the empire at the Brotherhood of Blades.
He could profit from any unrest in the imperial court.
It’s a direction for investigation.”
Qingkong said: "This is all I can help you with... By the way, the Abyss Mages in the Imperial Capital are led by an Abyss Apostle named Radley Morris, the fourth apostle.
If you can't handle him, you can leave it to me."
"Thank you again. The benefits of this visit far exceeded my expectations. You are also welcome to visit my Tulip Manor often. We can learn about magic, alchemy, mysticism, or some topics between women."
Qingkong smiled and said, "Okay, after the affairs of the academy branch are dealt with, I will definitely visit Tulip Manor."
"Goodbye..."
Agatha left the Qingkong Museum with satisfaction. Knowing the direction of the Abyss Temple was much better .
Sitting in the carriage on the way back, after passing the section where Dai'er was attacked, she couldn't help but think, "Dai'er, please don't be in any trouble!"
…
Dai'er started yawning after returning home.
She was really too sleepy.
Yesterday she ran all the way from the Imperial City to the Lower City, and after being caught by Luke, she was forced to memorize documents all night. In the morning, she finally took a nap, but was woken up by Luke again, and had to eat, dress up, and memorize documents...
"I can't open my eyes. Even if you use a magic to cheer me up, I can definitely fall asleep while standing." Dale was so sleepy that she staggered along the stairs to her room, and her words were confused: "Don't call me before dinner... No, don't call me before breakfast tomorrow."
After the upstairs door was opened and closed, Fast Legs asked Luke, "Sir, is there anything I can do for you?"
"Yes... Find a way to get to Copper Oak Avenue and tell Kylena that I won't be back these days. Ask her and Shelley to keep an eye on our people and not to go out unless it's urgent.
Get another check for 10 million Reichsmarks, try to come back before the evening, and follow me to find Melken to sign the investment agreement."
The fast-legged man listened to the surroundings for a moment, then said worriedly, "I didn't dare to say much in the car because my wife was there. Investing so much money in the downtown area, will it cause too much noise?
This doesn’t seem to be part of your plan.”
"Plans must be made as changes occur. I know what I am doing. Go and do what I ask you to do first. Go early and come back early. Be safe."
"Yes, sir."
Luke left quickly and stayed at home to draft the investment contract to be signed with Melken that evening.
At this time, the news that the Melken Institute of Extraordinary Species was about to receive an investment of 50 million Reich Marks spread rapidly in the lower city through various channels.
The various forces in the Lower City District only then realized that the businessman who came here a few days ago actually had such a terrifying fortune. An investment of 50 million Reichsmarks and a luncheon were set.
What kind of arrogance is this? What kind of wealth is this!
The bigwigs from all sides regretted that they didn't take the businessman from Nutao City seriously when he came to visit them. They treated him as an ordinary buyer, accepted his gifts and sent him away casually.
As a result, Melken took the first bite.
I don’t know how much investment funds this arrogant businessman has left. If he acts too late, he may not even be able to get a share of the profits.
As the tide inside the imperial court grew, Luke stirred up the undercurrent in the lower city. Luke's residence became the center of the lower city of Saint Lun, with countless spies gathering around it. At the same time, all parties checked and balanced each other, and no one dared to use the "conventional" means here.
Upon receiving the news, Melken immediately sent his men to protect Luke's residence, and then visited various forces in the lower city area.
Half warning and half requesting them not to do anything out of line.
