Chapter 162

It was a terrible guess, but no one was embarrassed. Only Kloud frowned for a moment, but Eckhart and Ober had no change in their facial expressions.

“With the assistance of the western national knights, the Herod Knights, and the southern national knights, the Idil Knights. We searched more than 80% of the private houses and official residences within a 30-mile radius of our travel route. We also did a meticulous investigation of those areas near the temple and the site of the accident, questioning the staff of the official residences and the servants and maids who accompanied the journey.”

“Did you find any clues?”

“Unfortunately, we have not yet found convincing material evidence…” Ober fumbled his words intentionally.

Eckart looked at him after taking a quick review of the investigation report.

“But I have captured those who received a secret order from the duke,” said Ober.

Looking across, Eckart rested his jaw on his right arm casually. As he moved his chin as if to ask him to continue, Ober knitted his brows a bit.

But he soon continued casually, “They are a father and son who live in a private house about eight miles from the accident site. The father said that there was a nobleman in the capital who approached him to pay his enormous gambling debt if he carried out a mission as instructed. So, at his order, this man disguised himself as a temporary servant in the official residence and mixed hallucinogens in the food distributed to the stables. The horses ran like crazy as the drug worked through their systems.”

“Hallucinogens…”

Eckart closed his blues halfway. He recalled the Roshan’s star residue that the horseman Barton had found. Although Ober hastily came up with a fake alibi to set up a trap, it was quite close to the standard answer.

“But the nobleman who promised them a big reward apparently did not appear for a while. On his way to the capital to protest, he was inadvertently discovered by the search team. As he was babbling about the accident, they interrogated him and extracted his confession. We are currently transferring him to Milan.”

“Is there any evidence that the noble in question in the capital who met them is associated with Duke Hubble?”

“They informed the search team what he looked like and what he was wearing as well as the suspect’s name. The suspect’s name is Erez, about six feet tall, big with black hair. He allegedly said he was a servant at the duke’s mansion.”

Eckart barely managed to hold back the urge to jeer at Ober.

Obviously, only Ober or Duke Hubble would have plotted such a treason without informing Mrs. Chester about it. Besides, regardless of which of them plotted treason, he would not have revealed his moles easily. He would probably have killed his moles, or taken the measure to hide the moles from the outside world if he had not killed them.

But Eckart already knew that Ober was talking nonsense. How could Duke Hubble let the father and son be captured by the search team? How could they have such detailed information about Duke Hubble’s minion Erez? How could Erez voluntarily give these one-time scapegoats his personal information?

Ober’s investigation report was nonsense. Eckart didn’t care much because he didn’t expect Ober to investigate properly. If Kloud or Duke Kling had come up with this kind of investigation outcomes, he would have punished them on charges of defaming the imperial family. But since Eckart’s goal of the investigation was something else, he just pretended to believe what Ober was talking about.

“So, did you arrest this guy named Erez?”

“I tried to take him away from the duke’s mansion, but it was too late. As the duke had no use for him anymore, he seems to have been recently killed by the duke while trying to get rid of the evidence. According to the testimony of a servant with the duke’s mansion, the duke’s deputy took him and never returned.”

There ensued silence after Ober finished talking. After thinking about something for a while, Eckart withdrew his arm supporting his chin, and erected himself upright.

“Got it. Let me wrap up the investigation here. Thanks a lot for your hard work.”

“My pleasure, Your Majesty. As you know, I have had a close relationship with Duke Hubble, so I disrespectfully toyed with the idea of covering up the fact and disguising it as an accident, but…”

Ober slowly knelt on one knee again, making his heartfelt confession.

Except for showing his customary manners when he entered or left the emperor’s office, he had never voluntarily knelt before Eckart. Ober also knew very well that Eckart couldn’t trust his report entirely because he knew the emperor was not dumb.

This was like a play from the beginning. Ober knew he was one of the prime suspects with respect to the Roshan incident, but to his surprise, Eckart entrusted him with the exclusive power to investigate the incident. It was natural that Ober smelled a rat.

“As your loyal servant, I couldn’t reject your trust in me. I am so sorry to report to you about such disrespectful investigation results.”

But that’s why Ober was willing to join this dramatic production today.

“I’m amazed by your loyalty, Ober. I’m deeply touched. Of course, I know very well you and Duke Hubble’s families have maintained a very close relationship since the previous emperor’s days. I have no regrets whatsoever for ordering you to investigate the truth. Although I realized how terrible the things they did are, how dare I compare you with the treasures on earth as I’ve confirmed your righteous loyalty?”

Well aware of Ober’s cunning tactics, Eckart was not much different from him.

So, Eckart chose words that were the exact opposite of the stigma of guilt he wanted to stamp on Ober’s forehead. He spat out words one by one as if they were covered with goodwill curses. “If the guy Erez was murdered, like you said, his body could still be kept in the mansion. Let me order the Justice Department to search his house and estates for his body. Also, I intend to confine Duke Hubble for investigation as he might try to get rid of other possible evidence.”

“That’s a wise decision. But I think it is right for you to jail the duke in a dungeon by applying the relevant law strictly…” Ober said, looking up at him.

“Why don’t you just house arrest the duke until the witnesses arrive in the capital and the duke is proved guilty after the court trials are complete?”

“Ober, if your report is true, the duke is certainly a traitor. ”

“You’re right. If the duke dared to harm you, he must rightly be executed. I have no intention to defend the duke at all.”

“Do you have any particular reason to put him under house arrest rather than putting him in jail?

“Your Majesty, the duke is your uncle on your late mother’s side. Even if he made such a foolish decision, hasn’t he made tangible contributions to Aslan as a cabinet official from the late emperor’s period until today? Besides, the duke is an aging vassal who is over sixty years old. With that in mind, if you refrain from making a decision that disgraces the duke too much, it will be of great help to publicize your generosity to the people.”

Ignoring his words, however, Eckhart quickly began calculating the gains and losses of his decision on Duke Hubble’s fate.

Ober’s excuses about Duke Hubble’s kinship relationship with Eckart’s late mother and Duke Hubble’s contributions to Aslan were not unfounded but insincere. As Ober already decided to forcibly take the duke’s power, he had no reason to truly worry about the duke’s disgrace, let alone the cruelty of the imperial power.

Accordingly, Ober’s remonstration was no more than his most obvious desire among the words he spat out after he came into his office. He had a reason to keep the duke in his mansion on Noble Road rather than confining him to a dungen. In other words, he had a reason to confine him to a place everybody could believe was totally isolated from the outside world, but at the same time was a safe place where he could do anything he wanted to the duke secretly.

“If you insist, let me respect your advice. I don’t think it’s good for me to have my way unconditionally.”

Eckart made the decision after a short silence.

“Since you have made a big contribution by finding out the truth, let me take your advice.”

The turning point in changing the times wouldn’t necessarily be a giant and dramatic event. It sometimes started with a very small choice.

At this moment, Eckart and Ober instinctively realized that whoever became the master of the next age, the glory of the past that shined until now would not last long.

The one who could endure this crumbling time with strength and the one who would chew more, swallow up blood and flesh, would eventually emerge as the winner.