Chapter 177: 113. Moderation
“Oh? Your Highness doubts the results of the New Party’s investigation? After all, the evidence at the scene has already indicated that the Sorceress Research Society planned this attack, and Your Highness has already directed the Secret Bureau to conduct a nationwide sweep of the Sorceress Research Society.”
Fisher was very cautious not to reveal the clues he had currently learned, as he was unsure of the prince’s intentions in coming here.
If Godlin the Ninth and Blake, the operator behind the Pink Pavilion, were both members of the Pioneer Party, and they had countless connections, what position was this prince in?
As the prince most likely to inherit the throne, the former Prince Dexter always displayed a moderate demeanor. Many of his decisions and behaviors seemed like replicas of previous choices that sought solutions to current situations, akin to how he often invited subordinates for breakfast to reflect the affability of Godlin the Second.
Both the New Party and the Griffin Party held a similar evaluation of this prince: moderation.
But moderation also meant stability, maintaining the status quo. The pioneering policies of Godlin the Ninth had brought glory to Nali over the past decades, so Prince Dexter had great trust in the Pioneer Party; otherwise, he wouldn’t have entrusted many matters to them previously.
Thus, facing Prince Dexter’s inquiry, Fisher simply smiled lightly, skillfully shifting the topic, and tossed the question back.
“Lord Fisher, please look at this.”
Dexter glanced at Fisher, then twisted a golden cufflink on his sleeve with his fingers. In Fisher’s line of sight, a thick layer of shadow gradually poured out from the cuff, wrapping around the positions where Fisher and Prince Dexter sat.
Fisher’s gaze stirred slightly, about to take action when he heard Prince Dexter’s calm voice of reassurance.
“Calm down, Lord Fisher. This is a relic I carry, the [Projection], used to record some of my previous sights and sounds, all real projections from my memory.”
As his words fell, his figure gradually disappeared into a realm of illusion and shadow. The next moment, a scene began to emerge in the center of that black mist, resembling a lake illuminated by moonlight at night.
Fisher turned his gaze to the scene, which showed a corridor filled with moonlight, leading out to a courtyard carefully trimmed by the royal landscapers.
The moonlight condensed; in the corridor, countless intricate patterns were engraved on the walls and columns, and the golden triple-ring pattern indicated it was indeed the Golden Palace occupied by the Nali royal family.
At that moment, a man in a short robe leaned in the middle of the corridor, looking down at the courtyard bathed in moonlight.
The man had long golden hair and was quite handsome, but his face was so pale that it raised suspicions about whether he had overstretched his body, and it was the previously mentioned second prince, Lunsis Godlin.
The perspective of the black mist was very concealed, secretly observing from a corridor corner far behind Prince Lunsis, clearly Dexter was hiding there eavesdropping.
Before long, fragmented words from Prince Lunsis could be heard, but fortunately, Fisher could discern the general meaning of what he was saying,
“What on earth is wrong with you? Haven’t you caught her yet? Don’t you understand Father’s situation?”
Fisher’s brows slightly furrowed, concentrating on the scene within the black mist.
Since Lunsis began speaking, there was utter silence in the courtyard, with no response. Yet Lunsis seemed to have received a reply, continuing with his next words.
“Don’t talk about how he needs to rest this week; if this drags on for a second, a day, a week, the situation could worsen. We had previously agreed on the matter concerning Shivali’s visit, and you’ve messed it up. This absolutely cannot go wrong, understand!”
Lunsis’ pale profile looked somewhat fierce, starkly contrasting with his usual quiet demeanor.
After this sentence, he gasped for air while staring at the silent courtyard, seemingly waiting for a response. When none came, he glared at his surroundings in frustration and walked toward the other end of the corridor, leaving behind the quiet courtyard and moonlight.
The image in the black mist gradually faded, the swirling mist contracting slowly like a vortex, eventually returning to the cuff of Dexter’s sleeve.
“Lunsis often goes there to communicate with others. Previously, I captured photos of him hiding his identity on Natuon Street to converse with others.
Dexter wore a complex expression, reached for the documents handed to him by the attendant beside him, tossed them to Fisher, and then passed his cup to the attendant behind him, indicating he wanted another cup of milk.
Fisher examined the documents, all were reports from the Secret Bureau regarding the attack, along with a pile of photos taken from tricky angles or magical recordings. If the prince wished, he could effortlessly track anyone.
“Lord Fisher, let’s be frank. Lunsis was involved in the terrorist actions related to the Shivali delegation’s attack. I suspect you might have an idea about this, am I right?”
Fisher raised an eyebrow, not immediately responding to Dexter’s question but instead smiling and saying, “Since Your Highness has confirmed your brother’s involvement in the terrorist actions, you could certainly detain him for questioning, couldn’t you?”
Hearing this, Dexter sighed, leaning back against his chair, and raised a finger to Fisher.
“Lord Fisher, let me talk to you about the current situation in the Golden Palace. Firstly, Father’s health is very poor; he hardly manages state affairs. However, he hasn’t left this world for a single day; he is still His Majesty King Godlin the Ninth of the Nali Empire, and also my father.”
“Father’s recent condition is strange. His life-threatening state has changed his temperament; he shows no interest in the state affairs I report to him daily and remains shut in his royal chamber. Previously, he could still join us for dinner, but now we can’t even see him for an entire day, not knowing what he does in the chamber.”
“Elizabeth cannot participate in state affairs; although she doesn’t communicate much with me, she remains loyal to her duties. Isabel and Selek can be disregarded due to their young age; the only issue is Lunsis, who dares to seek hope for the throne through such unscrupulous means. Although now I hold the financial power, and I will still be the one to carry on the legacy in the future, after all, Father hasn’t left this world yet.”
Dexter sighed, propping his chin with his hand and reflecting to Fisher,
“People often say a hero’s story ends in middle age, for once they reach old age, disease and death will surround you like maggots, distorting any noble will once held, turning them into the very image they once despised. Lunsis’s actions, if they did not stem from Father’s will behind the scenes, I certainly wouldn’t believe it. You just heard the content of his conversation. Lord Fisher, I do not wish to be an unfilial son, so secretly resolving matters regarding Lunsis is certainly best.”
“On the night before your resignation, the Secret Bureau actually discovered that there were others who broke into Saint Nali University. That escaped subhuman female student was not your true reason for resigning; the person who launched the attack that night is the reason you resigned. So, how about it, Lord Fisher, after hearing all this, can you tell me who colluded with Lunsis to attack the Shivali delegation?”
After hearing Dexter’s words, Fisher pondered for a moment, dipped some milk from his cup, and wrote the name “Pink Pavilion” on the table.
He did not directly write that the true mastermind was Blake; if the other party had connections with Blake, it could only be inferred that Fisher actually only knew the first layer of information, and had no idea about the Healing Room and the behind-the-scenes manipulation by Blake.
However, Dexter only glanced at that name and gently waved his hand over the table. This time, the ring on his ring finger glowed with a deep light, instantly swallowing the traces on the table and causing it to dissolve into white mist and disappear.
At the same time, his expression grew very serious, clearly seeing the vast connections behind the word “Pink Pavilion” that Fisher wrote. He raised his head to look at Fisher, asking,
“Lord Fisher, do you know who stands behind this entertainment venue?”
Fisher did not answer him immediately but raised his eyes to look back at him, countering, “Is Prince Dexter afraid?”
“Hahaha, not to that extent, just confirming whether Lord Fisher understands the specific reasons behind this.”
After seeing Fisher’s expression, Dexter let out a sigh, reached for the nearby cup, and drank the slightly cooled milk in one go, then said,
“He created this empire which is now being pushed forward by pioneers alongside my father when they were young. Back then, they were best friends who talked about everything. I have seen him many times when I was little. I just didn’t expect that in the end, he chose Lunsis instead of me.”
“Perhaps he doesn’t care who he chooses; he just wanted to achieve his own goals.”
“Haha, that makes sense, I shouldn’t care about this. If it is Blake, I think about it: there will be a charity event at the Healing Room this weekend, and Lunsis will attend, which seems to make sense.”
Dexter’s voice was steady, and he could deduce many things without Fisher having to say much.
“I see. It seems this weekend’s charity banquet will be quite lively. One last question, Lord Fisher, after asking, I will leave and not interfere with your good deeds. Rather, in a sense, I may help you quite a bit since after this weekend, Lunsis may never step out of the Golden Palace again.”
“Please go on.”
“Is the person Lunsis is searching for that escaped subhuman girl from Saint Nali University?”
After hearing Dexter’s question, Fisher didn’t respond immediately but suddenly seemed to recall something and countered, “I heard that not long ago, Prince Dexter received an anonymous letter congratulating you on your thirty-fourth birthday, said to be sent by a subhuman.”
Dexter was slightly taken aback, reaching into his coat and pulling out a letter wrapped in a white envelope.
He opened the envelope in front of Fisher and then took out the letter inside, handing it to Fisher while smiling, “Lord Fisher, you are very well-informed. Indeed, this has happened, but that letter was not for me; I thought it was a prank from some sibling.”
Having spent nearly half an hour together, Fisher had already formed a general understanding of this unfamiliar prince’s personality; he very much liked to be open and sincere with his subordinates. No wonder Elizabeth mentioned in the Royal Academy that her brother’s idol was Godlin the Second, the “Wise King.”
He unfolded the letter, which was poorly written in Nali language and contained only a simple message,
“Congratulations, happy thirty-fourth birthday, and I hope all is well. There is still one year until the promised return date.”
“Sender: Child of the Sea.”
It contained only these two simple sentences, with nothing else.
“What promise, happy birthday, I have no idea. Moreover, there are still three months until my birthday. Would anyone really send a congratulatory letter so early?”
Listening to Dexter’s words, Fisher stared at the letter before him; his intuition told him that this letter was indeed not meant for Dexter, but for whom?
Fisher folded the letter and returned it to Prince Dexter, then spoke,
“The matter regarding Saint Nali University is a scandal. Lunsis is using the power of your subordinates to help him find the person he is looking for, and you understand the methods of the Healing Room. If I had concrete evidence, I wouldn’t have resigned from Saint Nali University.”
“While evidence from the Healing Room is hard to find, Lunsis, that naughty younger brother, certainly made a tangible appearance before me.”
Dexter had already grasped Fisher’s meaning; he straightened his suit and stood up, his voice steady as he approached the door of the breakfast shop.
“This weekend’s charity dinner should be quite lively. Lord Fisher should participate as well. With me getting involved, whatever you plan to do will likely become smoother.”
Fisher did not confirm or deny and stood up from the table, realizing that Dexter also intended to act against Lunsis at the charity banquet. It was clear he was no longer planning to feign ignorance; regardless of whether he had the support of Godlin the Ninth behind him, he would detain Lunsis.
In Fisher’s view, Dexter had already made many speculations regarding this matter. His final inquiry was merely to gain an affirmative answer.
As commonly believed, Dexter’s evaluation of “moderation” did not seem fitting, at least from Fisher’s perspective.
“Thanks to your Highness.”
Dexter stood at the door of the breakfast shop, smiled slightly at Fisher behind him, left with a parting sentence,
“I’ll treat you to breakfast after it’s all settled, Lord Fisher.”
Fisher watched his departing figure thoughtfully. Just as he was about to leave, he was suddenly caught by the shoulder by the shop owner. When Fisher turned around, puzzled, the owner’s expression was somewhat anxious but still extended a few fingers toward Fisher,
“Sir, sir, you and the prince’s breakfast hasn’t been paid for yet!”
“??”
Fisher turned his head to look at the attendant and the composed prince who had already left the street, seemingly just now understanding what the owner had just said.
It seemed that this prince’s character was even more interesting than he had imagined, especially regarding being stingy; Fisher was encountering a gentleman at Saint Nali who was even craftier than himself.
(The End of This Chapter)
