Chapter 43: 42nd Chapter Priest Chapter 43: 42nd Chapter Priest “You may go in now,” the Attendant gestured to Shandela with a polite invitation.
Shandela pushed open the thick wooden door and stepped into the Lord’s study.
This place contrasted starkly with Distant View Tower; the curtains were usually drawn, sparing any concern for the invasion of strong winds. The illumination within was provided entirely by whale oil lamps, their small, abundant flas not only brightened every corner of the room but were also devoid of any dazzling effect. To reduce the odor of the oil, a mixture of pine resin and moth orchids had been added to the lamp, filling the room with a perpetual fragrance of flowers and herbs.
It could be said that only the Lord of Magnificent Castle could afford such oil.
Shandela couldn’t help but wrinkled her nose.
She disliked this scent—for the room, often sealed off, inevitably mixed with a musty sll. Rather than unnatural floral fragrances, she would prefer the briny, damp sea breeze, which at least made her feel free.
Earl Li Qiang Ola sat behind the desk, being the heir of the Ola family in his pri. Unlike his forefathers who had distinguished themselves in leading armies and establishing great feats, Li Qiang did not possess a burly physique nor impressive martial prowess. He was more like a scholar, his delicate and pale fingers seemingly more suited for touching books rather than steel weapons.
Shandela crossed the woolen carpet to the desk and gave a standard military salute.
“I hear you’ve refused the investigation requests from the other three police departnts again?” Li Qiang put down the newspaper in his hand and asked in a asured voice.
His voice was soft, but his articulation was crystal clear.
“Yes,” she said.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because in my investigation, I found that the North City Police Departnt is guilty of gross negligence—”
“And what does that have to do with the other departnts?” Li Qiang cut her off mid-sentence, “I expect you are aware that all four police departnts have different backers. They are inherently competitive, and allowing the other three to enter would only increase the efficiency of the investigation. Your reasons for refusal are not convincing.”
Shandela wisely shut her mouth.
She knew the Lord was right.
“Besides, they also want to know the truth, especially if there are Heretical Cult followers lurking in this city; and if there are, how large a force they’ve assembled.” Li Qiang looked at her, his black eyes seemingly bottomless, “What’s more critical is that by doing so, you are violating the contract—when the police departnts were set up, the contract specified they have the right to carry out various security activities within the city. You should know that the sponsors of the police departnts, that is, the shareholders of the large companies, have already begun to put pressure on .”
“I apologize,” Shandela bowed her head.
“Apologies, but no change?” Li Qiang frowned deeply.
“I hope, sir, that you can hold on a bit longer. The Seaguardian is sure to crack this case!” she said resolutely.
A brief silence fell in the study.
After a mont, Li Qiang stood up, walked slowly to Shandela, and asked, “Do you know how much the castle costs a year to run?”
“I do not, sir,” she replied.
“Sixteen million gold krelis. And our tax revenue and fiscal subsidies together are only ten million… The large companies which have set up factories in Magnificent Castle fill the remaining gap,” he said, his tone growing heavy, “You must understand, I can replace the Commander of the Seaguardian at any ti. So please, enlighten , what exactly do you wish to do?”
Shandela said earnestly, “I hope the city’s security will no longer be entirely in the hands of the police, but that the Seaguardian will be involved in co-governance.”
“Without covering the deficit, even the wages of the Seaguardian are out of the question!”
“Sir, I have consulted scholars at the Academy on this matter. If a city’s internal security is good, then outsourcing can indeed reduce administrative costs. However, if it is poor, the loss to the city would be ten tis the expenditure! Because unstable security lowers investnt confidence and severely impacts the city’s economic activities!”
“Oh? You understand these matters?” Li Qiang said, looking at her with surprise.
“In the past, Magnificent Castle faced a serious threat from heretical cult followers, and the city guards, in order to better deal with external enemies, had to separate out the responsibility of internal security, a choice dictated by environntal constraints. Now that we are no longer the bridgehead for exploring the New Continent, there is no need to stick to old duties.”
Shandela suddenly knelt on one knee, “What’s most important is that the city guards are loyal to the Earl, while the police are not under your control! Just like this case, if soone hadn’t attacked Wangshui Manor, we wouldn’t have known about Kuiqi’s underground private prison. Please forgive my bluntness, but no matter who is the instigator, all the various scandals happening in Magnificent Castle will ultimately be associated with your family by outsiders.”
The lord did not reply imdiately.
He paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back a couple of tis before he spoke, “Rise, you may.”
His tone was no longer as stern as before, and Shandela realized that the Earl was moved.
“The impact of this matter is indeed not small. I fear that it won’t be long before it becos common knowledge throughout the Old Continent.” Li Qiang sighed lightly, “The death of several dozen people is actually not such a big deal, but they should not have burned down the theater beloved by the royal family.”
A tightness gripped Shandela’s heart.
She wanted to say sothing but didn’t know where to begin.
“As for you… I’m a bit curious, have you been considering this matter for a long ti, or did you decide to do this only after you saw the Seaguardians imprisoned in the dungeon?” Li Qiang scrutinized her.
Neither was the case.
Shandela did not want to admit that the man with major suspicions of being a heretical cultist was the catalyst for her actions.
“If Magnificent Castle itself is a hell, then I admit that I have broken the rules. But there are places like Yeni Temple… and many who cannot bear to see the truth covered up, those eager to bravely reveal secrets. Isn’t it a bit unfair to deem it a hell?”
She had not taken such nonsense to heart at first.
But as the investigation deepened bit by bit, she was surprised to find that the other party was not shooting arrows at nothing.
“I just… do not wish for the Earl to be deceived by others.”
Seeing Shandela hesitate, Li Qiang did not press her further, “If it’s the latter, that’s fine too. A subordinate with good intentions is always better than a ruthless scher. In fact, I admire those who are willing to stand up for the weak because my forebears sacrificed themselves on the battlefield with such beliefs.”
“You flatter .”
“But I must also speak plainly upfront. If you want to legitimately regain control of public security, the city guards must achieve so substantial rits. I can give you at most two weeks. In two weeks, I need a truth no matter what,” Li Qiang emphasized the word “truth,” “You understand what I an by that, right?”
“Of course, I understand!” Shandela clenched her fist to her chest.
“Moreover, the threat of heretical cultists cannot be ignored. To assist you in the investigation, I have found you a helper.”
“A helper?” She was taken aback, “My lord, just our city guards alone should be able to—”
“Not necessarily. Didn’t you report that you had seen the enemy who attacked the manor? Yet despite your master-level skills, you still failed to capture them, so I specially contacted an expert.” Li Qiang clapped his hands at the attendant, “Rest assured, this person will definitely not be colluding with the police or the big companies; you can completely trust her.”
As the study door opened again, a woman in a black and white robe entered.
“The chanical Sect… Priest?”
It took Shandela a good while to recognize the person’s identity, only because the other’s attire was quite unusual. Setting aside the habit-like robe that looked similar to a nun’s garb, the decorations on her body were so nurous they dazzled the eyes. Seven or eight earrings and studs, a gear-shaped ring on each finger, and even a silver stud embedded in her lip. The most eye-catching thing, however, was the huge cross on her back. The cross, seemingly forged from silver, stood almost as tall as her when erected.
The woman’s makeup was also excessively bold, with black eyeshadow nearly encircling her eyelids, long curled lashes, blood-red lipstick, and all her nails painted black. If it weren’t for the three-toothed emblem hanging on her shoulder, Shandela would have found it hard to associate this person with a Priest of the chanical Sect.
“Hey,” the other tilted her head and winked at her, reaching out her hand proactively, “Nice to et you, I am Ge Wei.”
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