Chapter 398
Investigate Thoroughly, Investigate with Heart
“—Lily, please reply for me.
‘Just say that I agree to respond using the second method, and emphasize… According to the information I have, Griffith does indeed have contact with the Star Antimony people. We need to intervene in the ‘search for evidence’ operation—I will personally participate, and we will ‘absolutely’ find evidence.'”
Eivass said softly.
“Searching for evidence” was essentially a house-to-house search.
Eivass did not know if the torso part of the “Sister Sasha’s Holy Feast” priest graduation set was already in Griffith’s possession. This was why he needed to conduct a thorough search.
However, he could indeed use this set of equipment.
Griffith’s Path of Love profession was Blood Mage, which required life force to cast spells. This would also trigger the special effect of the torso part of “Sister Sasha’s Holy Feast.”
The Privy Council would definitely not oppose this matter. Regardless of whether Eivass could find evidence or not, they would not want to be involved, especially since Eivass was so confident that he could find new evidence after two rounds of searches by the Arbitration Hall and the Inspection Bureau. This meant he would likely be fabricating evidence himself.
Therefore, they would be eager to distance themselves from Griffith and avoid being dragged down with him, especially those ministers who had a private meeting with Minister Griffith last night.
At the same time, this was also Eivass’s last chance for them.
Eivass did not expect that the first “informant” would only be the Privy Council Minister.
Thus, Eivass mentioned “there were several people who sent letters” in his reply. This was a trap Eivass had casually set, and it was used immediately.
Whether he believed it or not… After Griffith ran into trouble, he would definitely convene another “Chocolate Pie Internal Meeting,” tell them about Queen Isabel’s reply, and claim that there were several other co-informants.
After he warned them again, he should receive a second batch of anonymous letters soon.
Of course, considering the nature of these letters, they should be letters of repentance because they did not send letters to inform the authorities immediately like their “colleagues.”
And if they did not send letters this time…
“…Hmph.”
Eivass sneered and leaned back in his chair. “It’s getting cold, it’s time for the old gentlemen to go home and trim their gardens.”
“What do you mean?”
Lily, who was writing a reply, looked up with some confusion.
“Gardening leave.”
Eivass explained casually.
Seeing that Lily still didn’t understand, he further explained, “It means they will retain their salaries and have paid leave. However, during this period, they are not allowed to work or enter the workplace.”
“…It sounds quite good?”
As a personal maid, Lily blinked, not quite understanding.
Getting paid without working, what a good deal?
“It means they are suspended and isolated for investigation. During this time, the Inspection Department and the Arbitration Hall will visit them at any time, so you should also stay home… it’s equivalent to house arrest.”
Eivass chuckled lightly. “It’s just to leave some room for ‘just in case nothing is found after the investigation is over,’ so it’s just suspension, not dismissal. But even if nothing is found after the investigation is completed… it means the Queen is hostile and suspicious of them. Their circle will naturally not dare to let them get close, lest they bring the gaze of suspicion with them.
“Besides, if the Queen has given them gardening leave and nothing is found, wouldn’t that be disrespectful to Her Majesty? So the Inspection Department must find something… and it won’t be just a perfunctory process like usual.”
Investigate, thoroughly investigate, investigate with heart—these three levels are naturally different.
Moreover, something could definitely be found on these people. The Privy Council Minister could be excused by saying he did not expect it; but after being reminded by the Camelot Minister, if he still refused to bow to Isabel… then let’s see how strong his neck really is.
Eivass narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze deep.
He pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned to Lily. “You said earlier that you saw Griffith talking to an Eye Demon?”
When it came to Eye Demons, Eivass could only think of the Giant Prince’s elder brother.
He had turned into an Eye Demon after his death and eventually became an Eye Demon Lord—but at this stage, it should still just be an Eye Demon.
It belonged to a top expert of the Rose Cross, who was a very powerful general of the Star Antimony. He was a Fifth Tier Demon Avatar. He had contracted many demons with himself and his children when he was idle, including this Eye Demon.
Minister Griffith’s master in the original timeline, Count Leipzig, was also a member of the Rose Cross. It was normal for him to know the master of the Eye Demon.
But after careful thought, Eivass felt something was not quite right.
—Did Griffith need this Eye Demon as an intermediary to contact his master?
“What else did the Eye Demon say?”
Eivass pressed. “Besides wanting Yulia’s blood.”
When Lily returned in the morning, she first reported this matter to Eivass, explaining why she did not act as agreed.
Lily shook her head. “The Eye Demon didn’t say anything else… but I interrogated Minister Griffith with the ‘Love Potion’ and obtained some information.”
Then, she told Eivass all the detailed information she obtained, Minister Griffith’s proposal during the “Chocolate Pie Meeting,” and her own speculation about the “Blood of Heracles” and the “Swamp Dweller.”
Finally, Lily concluded, “This is all I can deduce. Perhaps there is something I don’t know…”
Although Lily was Eivass’s personal maid, it did not mean she did not have feelings for the other members of the Moriarty family.
When she learned that Yulia might be harmed, Lily was also very angry.
Eivass nodded and praised her with some pleasant surprise. “You’ve done very well, Lily. Your on-the-spot decision was completely correct.
“As for why this matter was used to lure Miss Alistair… Hmph. It’s simple.”
A slight smile played on Eivass’s lips. “Earlier, ‘I’ referred to myself as an ‘Imperial citizen’ in the media.”
—I am a noble of the Hrasal Empire, with noble blood flowing through my veins, blessed by the Pillar Gods!
“These were the words Miss Alistair said at the time. These were the true words she swore to the Pillar Gods.”
Eivass said slowly. “Under what circumstances could one become a noble of a now-destroyed empire, still possess ‘noble blood,’ and be blessed by the Pillar Gods?
“There is only one possibility. That is, being a Child of the Moon during the empire’s era, or a direct descendant of a Child of the Moon.
“The Eye Demon has千里眼 (thousand-mile eyes). It had likely seen me before—me, Eivass, using the identity of Beyad, as a Child of the Moon. So it assumed that Alistair was actually a Child of the Moon who had lived for a long time, and her escape now was likely to bring this information back.
“From this perspective, Yulia is a ‘Heracles’… this is likely the true information. Because as a true Imperial citizen, Miss Alistair probably has a way to determine royal bloodlines.”
No wonder…
Eivass murmured.
He recalled Yulia’s unreasonable strength when she was a child… that was a characteristic of Heracles.
“Heracles” means “Glory of Hera,” and the Hera here does not refer to Queen Hera but to the Hrasal Empire.
In the stage of an illiterate infant, this divine power was a means to protect “Heracles”; after learning to read and write and gaining rationality, this power would quickly weaken. But even if weakened, it was still far superior to ordinary people.
Undoubtedly, Heracles should not exist in this era.
They had all died out by the end of the Hrasal Empire. Three hundred years had passed since then; even if there was an inheritance, it could not have been discovered only now.
Then there was only one possibility.
—Yulia was indeed a “Swamp Dweller.”
Just as Haina stored fragments of Lancelot within her, and Eivass stored fragments of Sacred Entities… the “fragment” Yulia stored might be the Butterfly.
This might also be the reason why the Butterfly was a “unique” Phantom Demon in the game… apart from the one within Yulia, there was no second Butterfly.
At the same time, it was also the reason why the Butterfly, despite not having completed its hatching, possessed the rank of a high-level Phantom Demon, equivalent to human rationality and intelligence!
The Rose Cross clearly knew this long ago, but they maintained a silent attitude towards it.
Only when they learned information about Alistair did they reveal this secret as leverage.
If the Hrasal Empire could be rebuilt, Yulia would be the “symbol” that must be obtained.
Clearly, the Rose Cross hoped that Miss Alistair, as a remnant of the Hrasal Empire, would take the initiative to find them and inquire about this matter!
If Avalon had not driven Alistair away in the end, they would find another way to lure her, seeking the truth!
Were his grandfather Jacob or his foster father James related to the Rose Cross?
“…You want me that much.”
Eivass narrowed his eyes. “Then I’ll do as you wish.”
It seemed that when he went to the Church, he really had to take the opportunity to visit the Star Antimony.
Update complete, meow!
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