“Before that banquet began, the Boss actually already knew the connection between Sinthe and the Case of the Missing Girls.”
“But the reason why the conflict between the two sides erupted was that you, Young Miss, were chosen as a target for the Case of the Missing Girls.”
“What?” Navia was stunned upon hearing this.
Melus sighed and continued, “The Boss didn’t tell you that he had contracted a rare disease.
The doctor said his remaining life would not exceed five years, and the Case of the Missing Girls plunged him into severe anxiety.”
“Five years is simply not enough to resolve this long-standing dispute, but if the Boss had an episode, you, Young Miss, would be exposed to danger.”
Melus smiled bitterly, “So he decided to use the intelligence he already had to carry out a deterrent.
He claimed to have mastered key criminal evidence against the other party and informed certain people in the gang, but as long as you, Young Miss, were safe and sound, he would not make this evidence public.”
“However, if you went missing, he, or others who knew the secret, would immediately expose the matter regarding Sinthe and the disappearance case.”
“In other words, a mutual destruction…” Navia bit her lip upon hearing this.
“Facts have proven that this threat is useful,” Melus nodded upon hearing this and continued, “Even though the Boss is no longer here, the other party has not made a move against you, Young Miss.”
Hearing this, Navia was a bit agitated, “I don’t believe it!
I couldn’t tell at all that he was sick!
He was clearly…
clearly the same as always!”
“No father wants his daughter to see him weak and dying, especially with the Boss’s personality.”
Melus shook his head with a bitter smile, “To him, even dying in a duel and bearing the name of injustice is better than losing face in front of his daughter.
And, that was for your protection, Young Miss.”
“The other party couldn’t just let it go like that.
A mere deterrent wasn’t enough to make those crazy people compromise.
For this, the Boss staked his own life.”
“Only in this way, after the pillar of the Spina di Rosula died, when we stopped investigating the Case of the Missing Girls and Sinthe, when the reputation of the Spina di Rosula declined day by day, and our organization basically retreated to Poisson and the Fleuve Cendre, when the other party judged that we were no longer capable of hindering them and were afraid of a mutual destruction due to the potential leverage, only then could you, Young Miss, live safely.”
“So, to protect me, he chose to die in silence…” Navia clenched her hands upon hearing this, “I cannot accept this!”
“Young Miss, you have misunderstood one thing all along,” Melus shook his head, “He didn’t want to hand you an umbrella; he wanted to hand you a sword.”
“If the Boss could have the good fortune to hear you say to me that you want to provide an explanation for everyone involved in this matter, he would definitely be very gratified.”
“That old man, just how many detours did he want to take…”
Tears welled up in Navia’s eyes, “No, he didn’t count on being able to see the day I understood him at all, that’s why he prepared so much!”
“He trusted me that much?
What if I…
just couldn’t reach that step?”
“The Boss gave you the right to choose,” Melus said, “You could also have chosen to give up the investigation and live a life of your own.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Navia lowered her head and sobbed, “According to his design, if I were willing, I could have lived a mediocre life forever.
But fortunately, he rarely talked to me about his worries, so he didn’t understand me at all.
In this matter, he really worried too much.”
“Melus, what is that key clue?”
“It is the location of the place where Sinthe is produced, which is equivalent to the headquarters of the other party.
When threatening the other party, the Boss did not show the content of this trump card to them.”
Melus spread his hands upon saying this, “But now this trump card is completely useless.”
“Also, that location…
was already wiped out by Lady Shadow,” Navia smiled bitterly and shook her head, “I thought…
sigh.”
“Yes, this is the truth of why my father would rather go to the dueling ring than enter the Fortress of Meropide,” in Neuvillette’s office, Navia said slowly to the three people, “To protect me, his daughter.”
“In other words, the Spina di Rosula found Vacher’s lair two years ago?” Neuvillette frowned upon hearing this, “Then why didn’t you notify or report it…”
“Enough, enough, Neuvillette, you’d best say Sinthes,” Eris quickly interrupted upon hearing this.
If he kept going, Navia would start arguing with him again.
“Why didn’t Mr.
Callas expose Vacher’s den?
Isn’t it clear looking at these?” She pointed at the half-person-high stack of files on Neuvillette’s desk.
“Look, from top to bottom in Fontaine—the Gardes, the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol, even the Marechaussee Phantom, and the Gardiennage—key institutions all have people caught, and even Palais Mermonia had a mole planted.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
“The nobility is even worse.
It involves one Duke, three Counts, and countless minor nobles.
Given their influence in Fontaine, if Mr.
Callas had reported it today, he wouldn’t necessarily be alive to walk to the duel arena tomorrow, believe me?”
Eris sighed.
“At the end of the day, this is the systemic corruption and depravity of the Fontaine government, making the public afraid to trust the purity of the government and choosing to compromise with criminals.
Does that sound honorable to you?”
“And look at what they’re trying to do?
They’ve even planted people in Palais Mermonia.
If this continues, will they know exactly what the Hydro Archon eats for breakfast every day?”
Hearing this, Neuvillette glanced at the half-person-high stack of files on the desk and effectively shut down.
Honestly, many of the people involved have no direct connection to the Case of the Missing Girls, nor were they people bribed by Vacher.
For example, among the majority of the nobility, only a small number actually collaborated with Vacher.
Others were just helping that small group of nobles, while many more were simply speculating.
They were gambling that even if things were exposed, the major crimes wouldn’t implicate them; in reality, their crimes were far from being that serious.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
“And If you’re enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!”