Forty-nine Verse Assassination

The fact that Duke Irina was going to General Thomas's territory and personally officiated at his funeral did not cause any major turmoil. For a nobleman who has made great achievements and has no heirs, this practice of extreme grief has long become an unwritten rule. What really catches the story is another rumor that is spreading around the city, about Thomas's lieutenant, Leo's accusations against Ryan. The charges are treachery and murder—rarely are there such serious charges, let alone a high-ranking nobleman.

As it is known, the Court of Honor has the power to revoke the titles and domains of a nobleman, but not to the person. The ordinary courts, on the other hand, have the power to punish the defendant's person, but not in relation to status or honor. Filing charges at the same time means that once convicted, Ryan is likely to be completely finished.

Ryan heard the news early the next morning, and he immediately retreated to his mansion and said that he was ill, and faced all kinds of snooping with the most stoic silence. He stayed in the room until Rook pushed the door open from the outside.

"Dear nephew, did you get the news?" Luke entered Ryan's bedroom and immediately locked the door.

"Uncle, what should we do?" Seeing Rooke, Ryan jumped out of bed like a savior.

"I've just been out on a long trip, but I'm finally catching up. I haven't had time to inquire yet, so hurry up and tell me everything you know. ”

Ryan relayed all the rumors he had heard today.

"Hmm...... Well...... yes, not much different from what I estimated. Dear nephew, Leo obviously wants you to die, and it will be a ruined death! Leo is very loyal and loving to Thomas, which is very much in line with the boy's style. Tell me, what are the actions of Princess Irina and Arch/Judge Leonis?"

"There's not much movement on Leonis, he should be preparing for the pre-trial matters. Princess Irina didn't do anything out of the ordinary, except for an order from her to accompany him to the mountains to Thomas's funeral. ”

"She told you to go to the funeral?" said Rukhhara laughed.

"After all, I'm a disciple of Thomas...... But after the funeral comes the judgment!" Ryan explained eagerly. "Leonis is also on the way, so it must be after the funeral that the trial will be held in Thomas's domain!"

"......Haha

"What are you happy about, uncle?" Ryan was bewildered by the other man's laughter.

"Everything went according to my plan, and of course I had to have fun. Rook suppressed his smile, "Dear nephew, what do you mean, Princess Irina's actions?"

"She wanted to try to be as stable as possible before Thomas's funeral. Ryan replied.

"Can't you see anything else? Our Highness the Princess has clearly expressed the attitude of 'I don't care about this, you can do whatever you like'. In other words, she's favoring you!"

"Favoring me?"

"According to the orthodox trial procedure, if no physical evidence can be provided for such a serious charge, then at least two witnesses must be provided. And Leo's two witnesses are not simple, not to mention Ashrufat, the prophetess is an extremely crucial witness. Our Lady Phil is a messenger of the gods of nature, and no one dares to question her testimony. If you think about it, dear nephew, given Thomas's prestige and merits at the moment, Princess Irina has every good reason to arrest you publicly and put you in prison before the trial! But she didn't do that, but proceeded according to the ordinary procedure, and before the trial began, isn't it obvious that she is partial?"

"Ah...... But...... Even according to the ordinary procedure, once the trial is ......"

"Lady Phil's testimony will also be of great use? You have to understand that in order not to shake the morale of the army, in order to maintain the morale of the army, Leo, Aerufate and William Daley hid everything as much as possible. Now, apart from Leo, Ashrufat, and Pelle, no one else knows the truth. At least apart from the three of them, there are very few people who know the Tao. ”

"But two witnesses are enough! The law requires only two witnesses ......"

"What if Leo dies?" said Luke.

"Dead ......"

"If Leo dies, even Miss Phil's absolutely trustworthy testimony will be meaningless. That's why I'm out of the house. Rook pulled something out of his pocket and dropped it on the table. Ryan recognized it as a letter, the seal of which was stamped with a skull-shaped seal.

"Uncle, what is this?"

"The contract for the 'Night Dagger'. Rook spat out the word softly. "I commissioned them to assassinate Leo. If you stay in the barracks in Loren City, the chances of a successful assassination are really small. But if you go to Thomas's territory, it's mountainous...... The terrain is complex, and the chances are much greater......"

Ryan looked at the letter in shock, speechless for a long time.

"I don't want to use this trick either, but there's really no other good way. Rook said. "I've drawn a basket of plans, and now to make up for it, I have to think outside the box and consider other forces. Only you and I know this, and my dear nephew, even your father, must never tell him. Remember that!"

Ryan nodded.

"I'm afraid that after Leo's death, Ashruphat will find another witness. If he continues to accuse, then no one will be able to save you. Assassination can only be used once, and the second time someone else will be on guard. ”

"What then?" Ryan asked.

"As soon as Leo died, I immediately filed charges against Aerufat against the Court of Honor, in my own name. Luke thought for a moment and replied. "He's got a bunch of tails to catch on—to torture captives, to pose as knights, to harm civilians...... Each of them is a well-documented, irrefutable crime, a complete violation of the knight's honor. Ashrufaat is a smart man, and smart people know how to compromise...... "He thought of his plan in his heart and smiled again.

......

“...... The path to God is unpredictable, because he places all his virtues in his words, in his myths. God has given us guidance, but we are still obligated to interpret it. The body in front of us is empty and unconscious, but it still gives us the best hope that this noble soul has left the world and entered into eternal glory. Because of pain, we need to be saved, and because of despair, we look for hope. And the soul that once existed in this shell is the salvation we are seeking. His courage and wisdom will always illuminate the path ahead of us. We will once again find the meaning of life, and the grace we lost when we were born. God has taught us the answers, and through one man's example, has explained everything to us perfectly. That's why we lost his ...... today."

After Irina finished her eulogy, all those present, including her, knelt down to show respect for the deceased. By this time the three servants were ready, and they carefully placed Thomas's coffin in the tomb, covered it with a cover made of white marble, and filled it with earth.

This is Thomas's family cemetery. In fact, Thomas was the last man in his clan. His death represented the complete severance of the bloodline of a noble and powerful knight in the kingdom of St. Jean. This kind of thing always makes people feel extra sad.

Irina watched as the servants filled in the last shovel of soil. Thomas is dead, and the shadow that the old man in the black robe boasted of is gone, and now everything depends on her own efforts. She must reconcile the contradictions between the two nations, must promote competent and loyal courtiers, and must govern Cassilos and St. Jean well.

The funeral was over, and everyone else had left, leaving only those who were closest to Thomas and grieving the most.

A knight hurried over and whispered a few words in Irina's ear. Irina's face changed several times in a row, but she calmed down after the last moment.

She walked briskly away from the funeral site, and a little farther away, her Judge, Leonis, was waiting for him with an anxious expression.

"What's going on?" asked Irina.

"Just this morning, on the way to General Thomas's funeral, Knight Leo was assassinated!" Leonis said. "The murderer's weapon was a repeating musket, and he got close to Leo's side, and while he was defenseless, he fired several shots and then fled, and Leo died on the spot. ”

"What about the murderer?"

"Fled. Although I immediately sent someone to hunt him down, the murderer was obviously prepared...... This is not a temporary idea, but a professional approach. And this area is mountainous, if the murderer doesn't take the big road, I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to catch him!"

Many thoughts crossed Irina's mind.

"And what about the scheduled trial?" asked Irina.

"It can't be done. Although I have the testimony of Ashrufat and Phil, the trial cannot begin without the accusers. Leonis replied. "Your Royal Highness Princess, regarding this matter, I think Lord Ryan is very suspicious. If you lack professional manpower, then I recommend that you authorize me to carry out a full investigation of Duke Lane. ”

"I'll take care of this myself. Irina replied. She waved her hand, and Leonis stepped back.

This assassination is indeed likely to have been carried out by Ryan...... It is conceivable that he has been pushed to the extreme, and he has done whatever it takes. With a little investigation, you'll definitely be able to catch some grips. Then he would be her pawn forever, just as she had learned from the black-robed old man.

Suddenly, there was an uproar. Because two servants appeared at the gate with the old man in black robe.

All those present immediately took their leave. The servant brought a long-backed chair for the black-robed old man, so that he could sit there half-leaning and half-sitting. The black-robed old man's eyes looked at the new tombstone on Thomas's grave, and he didn't move it for a long time.

"I've heard about Leo's accusations against Ryan, and I've just heard that he's been assassinated. After a long time, the old man finally spoke. Now only he and Irina were left here, and the others, including the two servants who had brought the old man, had left.

"What do you want to do?" the old man asked, his body may have decayed, but his voice was still sharp.

"Everything is done in accordance with the law. I will send someone to investigate the ...... of this assassination," Irina replied, but she knew that the cover-up was futile, and that the weakness in her voice had betrayed her.

"Leo is dead, do you think Ashrufat will give up?" the old man ignored.