Part Three Light and Darkness Chapter Thirteen Inheritance
"I underestimated you too much." The Duke's voice had no life at all, and he just spat out the words one by one. "You have never been involved in political affairs, so I have never been wary of you. I thought you and those military ministers
We are the same, but they are just people with more uprightness and less brains. I didn't expect you to be able to see some clues, and you actually negotiated an alliance with the original enemy in front of the battle, and put on a good show for us."
"Those who play with power must be smart. But those who don't play with power are not all fools." Captain Roland said calmly.
The Duke nodded slowly. If desire is too strong, it will block reason. If you pay too much attention to something, you will not be able to feel and grasp the whole picture and the subtle changes in it. If you are attracted by a leaf, you will not be able to see the entire forest.
He actually knows these truths. But he has been chasing the wind and waves of power and conspiracy for too long, and he is too addicted to it. His eyes can only distinguish things through Machiavellian means.
Captain Roland pointed at Asa. "Although I don't know him very well, and the last time a member of the group was killed by a necromancer made me suspicious of him, but I can at least see that the wounds on the bishop's body are definitely
It's not like someone who couldn't even use a sword stabbed him. Although you also covered up the wound, at least in my eyes it was concealed. Even if I'm not sure it's you, I can be sure it's not him.
"
The Duke smiled bitterly. He felt that even the expression on his face was breaking down. "I actually forgot about the eyes of the first swordsman in the empire."
"That's because your trap is so perfect. So you don't need to care about other details." Captain Roland praised lightly, but there was no friendly meaning in his eyes. "The previous necromancer killed the members of the Holy Knights.
Foreshadowing, a wanted order signed by the bishop, and hundreds of priests' witnesses. Even if I see something is wrong, I can only obediently follow the path you arranged for me."
"Actually, if the Bishop's attitude towards the Necromancer incident wasn't a bit strange, even if I was suspicious, I would never dare to negotiate a compromise with a Necromancer, so I wouldn't be able to know the true story of the wanted order.
Since the wanted person is not the murderer, there are not many people in the entire capital who are qualified to be the murderer. Judging from some clues and your performance at the scene, I am almost certain that you are the murderer." Roland
Captain De's voice and eyes became sharp at the same time. "Why did you want to kill Bishop Ronis?"
"Why?" The Duke smiled miserably. "Because he stood in front of me, and I stood in front of him. He wanted to strike first, so either I died or he died."
"what is going on?"
"I'm too lazy to talk about it. Now that you have taken control of the whole situation, you will find out through the investigation slowly." The Duke sighed. "But even if you and this necromancer join forces with each other, with your knowledge and methods, you will definitely leave.
He has not reached this stage yet." He slowly turned his head and looked at Rodhart. There was no betrayal anger in his eyes, only a deathly discouragement. "Many of them belong to him.
Arrangement, but I don’t know how you can win him over.”
"We are not trying to win over him, but he has chosen to believe in friends and justice." Captain Roland also looked at Rodhart with approval in his eyes. "Just after I discussed it with Mr. Sandro,
Later, when he suspected you but didn't know how to proceed, he came to me. He told me that he believed that his friend was definitely not a spy of the Undead Guild, and that he believed that there must be something hidden in this matter."
Asa looked at Rodhart, quite surprised.
Although the topic fell on himself, Rodhart still stood so straight, still so calm and calm, and showed the same kind and gentle smile to Asa.
"You know, the person who dared to stand up and speak for his friend in that situation at that time must be a person with vision, responsibility and confidence in his own judgment. So I believed him and told him everything we suspected.
Him. As for him coming to lurk in you, it was his own suggestion. We can use your plan to push things along, and this is all his credit."
"His credit..." The Duke thought for a moment, and his eyes, which had been turned gray by failure and despair, suddenly glowed. It was as if a pool of silent rotten water suddenly received some stimulation and stirred up from the bottom.
Somewhat angry, he looked at Rodhart. "I remember that you participated in the battle to encircle and suppress the Necromancer."
"Yes." Rodhart nodded, and his answer was still so polite and respectful.
"According to what Captain Roland said. You went to find him immediately after the battle, which showed your trust in your friend and justice." The Duke even regained some vitality in his voice, and his lips even pursed a little.
The angle seems to be a slightly wry smile.
Rodhart nodded and sighed with regret. "I learned about the assassination of Bishop Ronis only after I received the order. I was so shocked for a while. The scene was too big, so I hesitated for a while, so I couldn't catch up.
Stop the fighting between the regiment leader and Mr. Sandro. Fortunately, they can distinguish the situation themselves."
The Duke thought for a while and nodded slowly. His expression was still depressed, lost, and sad. But it was no longer that lifeless. It was as if after these thoughts about machinations that had long become a part of his soul, he again
He regained some interest in life. "I once said that I know you are a visionary, decisive and wise person. But now I know that my evaluation of you is still low." He forced out a wry smile again.
"I originally thought I was raising a cat that had not yet become a tiger, but unexpectedly it turned out to be a tiger pretending to be a cat and trying to swallow me up. But I am still a little relieved to know this, because I am not so defeated.
It's just that the new generation is better than the old generation."
"I'm sorry. I'm not dealing with you, Lord Duke." The expression on Rodhart's face was very serious and sincere, as if a child was expressing his feelings to an adult. "I just did what I thought I should do.
.”
"Good temperament. Good vision." The Duke smiled and nodded. His smile was a bitter smile, but it seemed to have a knowing meaning. It was like the loser in a wonderful and difficult card game. Although he was completely defeated, he was not defeated.
There is no anger or hysteria. In addition to the frustration and loss of failure, there is also admiration for the opponent and even a little sympathy.
But others obviously couldn't understand the profound meaning in his eyes. Captain Roland sighed, and he seemed to feel that the Duke, an old, cunning and difficult enemy, gave up so quickly and completely when he failed.
Some regrets. "Actually, I didn't expect you to give up as soon as you saw us appear. I thought you would struggle, or at least defend yourself."
"Since you dare to appear in front of me at the same time, it means that you have no intention of giving me any room to struggle. In this situation, no means or tactics can work. Can't I even see this?"
The Duke swept his eyes lightly over the faces of Captain Roland and Sandro. "Killing me is almost the same as killing a chicken, so why should I die as ugly as a chicken?"
.”
Captain Roland looked at the Duke who was silent for a while and sighed: "Actually, your intelligence and talent, no matter how well used they are, are enough to go down in history. You don't even need to be in such a hurry, just take your time for more than ten years."
Year, the entire empire may really fall into your hands. Why do you need to go further and further down the road to power, and even bury yourself?"
The Duke was slightly startled. Looking back now, it seems to be true. Wouldn't it be better if he didn't go further and further like this?
But after thinking about it, the Duke smiled bitterly and shook his head. It was impossible, because he had already started walking. Once many things start, there is no way to stop. After victory, you will have new goals, and then keep making progress, thinking
Keep walking higher, stronger... and finally... The Duke suddenly remembered a story he told his daughter a long time ago, a fairy tale about shoes that once put on, could only dance non-stop until death. Himself
He is the person who likes to dance. Power and ambition are those magic shoes. Once put on, people will go crazy to death.
Captain Roland's words interrupted the Duke's train of thought: "Your mistake is that you are too ambitious and your desire is too strong."
"I said it. I was not wrong, I was defeated." The Duke suddenly stood up, and his voice completely regained its luster. "I was not wrong. I am not the first one to walk on the road of power and ambition, and I will never be the first one to walk on the road of power and ambition."
Not the last one. I just failed and fell on the roadside. Naturally, there were others who followed my footsteps and stepped on my body to walk higher." The Duke's eyes did not look at anyone.
, but looked up at the ceiling. His face was serious, like a lonely believer reciting his own Bible. "The reason for my failure is that I was too complacent and too addicted to the power of power. The desire was too strong.
It will block your reason. If you pay too much attention to some things, you will not be able to feel and grasp the whole picture of things and the subtle changes in them. If you are attracted by a leaf, you will not be able to see the entire forest. Only by not being limited to the thing in front of you, and looking beyond
Only by being broader can you go further. Only by pursuing power without being obsessed with it can you gain real power. Those who come after me will definitely learn from my lessons and go further than me."
Asa remained silent, quietly listening to the conversation between the Duke and Captain Roland. Rodhart also listened quietly and carefully. Sandro's energy did not seem to be focused here at all.
He pondered for a while and looked around.
The Duke lowered his head, glanced at everyone's face, and said slowly and calmly: "I say again, I was not wrong, I just failed." He sat down again, picked up the rapier on the table, and
He turned the sword's edge, pointed it at his own chest, and thrust it in.
Asa subconsciously took a step forward, but when he saw that Captain Roland and Sandro were not moving, he also stopped.
The rapier passed through the Duke's body, emerged from behind and pierced the back of the chair, blood dripping from his chest. The sword passed through the center of his heart.
With a dull expression of pain, the Duke sighed. He met Asa's strange look and said in a slightly throbbing voice: "Actually, sometimes I also think about it, how can someone like you ignore everything?"
Although people who don't pursue it are a little stupid, it's really easy..." As the blush on his chest and the back of the chair continued to expand, the Duke's voice became softer and his head slowly lowered. Finally, he
died.
The study was very quiet. Everyone except Sandro looked at the Duke's body still sitting there with different eyes. After a while, Asa suddenly asked: "Why did you let him commit suicide?"
"He is going to die anyway. Suicide is the same thing." Captain Roland replied.
"That's not what I meant. I meant that he died like this. We can't produce any evidence. Will others believe that he killed the bishop?"
"Others naturally won't believe it. There's no need to believe it."
Asa was stunned: "Then...I..."
"I'm sorry." Although he said he was sorry, Captain Roland looked at Asa calmly, as if he didn't mean the slightest bit of apology. "You are still a wanted criminal. The charge of killing the Bishop must still be held on you.
On the body."
"Why?" Asa couldn't understand it at all. The culprit had beenheaded, but the blame could not be removed.
"Duke Mrak's reputation is very good both in and out of government. He is also very powerful. You know this."
"I know." Asa nodded. The Duke's reputation is not only good, but combined with his current power, it has almost become the common goal of people with ambitions in both the government and the public.
"If we suddenly announce that he is actually the real culprit of the murder of Bishop Ronis, then the whole government and the public will definitely be in an uproar. An image that is so honest, honest and capable in everyone's mind is suddenly shattered. What will happen?"
"I don't know." Asa shook his head.
"Externally, this is a big scandal for the empire. The reputation of the empire will be hit among countries, and the relationship between the church and the empire will also be affected. Internally, the trust of the people and petty officials in the court will plummet. People's hearts will plummet.
Under the turmoil, it’s hard to say what will happen to the officials and merchants who originally relied on the Duke. In short, it will definitely be detrimental to the empire. Therefore, the news that the Duke is actually the murderer cannot be spread. It is enough that only the people here know."
"So I have to take the blame for him." Asa frowned.
"I'm sorry." Captain Roland sighed, and seemed to look at Asa with some seriousness. "Actually, I don't want you to be caught. After all, such a large reward amount is not a small burden on the empire's treasury."
"Anyway, you're used to being wanted. It's no big deal to be wanted again." Sandro glanced at him and said weakly. "And this wanted order is also good for you. If I remember correctly, the bastard of the Undead Guild
They seem to be hunting you too. This wanted notice can help you stay on high alert at all times."
Asa sighed feebly and replied: "Okay. It's useless for me to refuse anyway. But since the Duke is not the murderer of Bishop Ronis, how can you explain his death."
"Of course he was killed by you." Captain Roland said calmly. "Anyway, you have already been charged with such a heavy crime, so you shouldn't care about this one more. Don't worry, this is just a temporary expedient. When the time comes,
We will help you clear these charges."
"I didn't expect that after the culprit dies, I will inherit all his crimes." Asa smiled helplessly and suddenly remembered. "But if I am still the murderer, then... what will Xiaoyi do? She...
She is also with me..."
"Yes. According to what you said, she also has something to inherit. It's just a little different from you." Captain Roland nodded and said to Rodhart. "Go and bring her."