Chapter 165 - 164: The Investigation Is at an Impasse

The tense atmosphere in Wushan Fortress dissipated with the arrival of Princess Blanche.

As someone who had experienced the incident firsthand, and as the central figure whose interests Broel and Jesus defended, her account would determine the outcome of the entire affair.

If she wished, she could hold Wushan Castle responsible and cause immense trouble for Lurans and his people.

But at the same time, a single word from her in Wushan Castle’s defense could bring the matter to a simple close.

In truth, her stance was made clear with the first words she spoke upon entering the fortress: this matter had no direct connection to Wushan Castle.

Not only that, but she also praised Wushan Castle for its swift response and expressed high admiration for Ronin’s fearlessness in the face of danger.

Although the Princess chose not to pursue the matter, Lurans still apologized for the inadequate arrangements and thanked Her Highness Princess for her magnanimity.

And so, the potential conflict was resolved amidst this amicable exchange.

Of course, an investigation was still necessary. The matter couldn’t end so easily. Now, everything depended on the results from Knight Commander Toru.

「Nightfall.」

As dusk settled, Wushan Castle ushered in a moment of celebration.

In the lavish grand hall, golden murals gleamed under the light, creating an atmosphere that was both opulent and dignified.

A faint fragrance of incense permeated the air, intertwining with the music from professional musicians to compose a magnificent piece.

Nobles in exquisite formalwear mingled among the crowd, attended to by impeccably dressed servants as they enjoyed the banquet’s lively atmosphere.

The banquet arranged by Wushan Castle for Her Highness Princess was neither canceled nor postponed.

Everyone, including the evening’s guest of honor, Princess Blanche, acted perfectly normal, as if the afternoon’s assassination attempt had never happened.

Ronin did not attend the banquet. On Lurans’s orders, he was in bed, recuperating while listening to Macken’s report.

After the Wushan Castle Knight Order took control of the Beast Fighting Arena that afternoon, Toru and his men had thoroughly interrogated and vetted all the arena’s staff, as well as the spectators present that day.

However, they hadn’t obtained any valuable intelligence.

First, all the assassins involved in the incident were dead, except for the Golden Knight who had managed to escape.

Even assassins from the Skull Society would carry their mark, but this time, Toru found no valuable clues on the bodies or clothing of these assassins.

Their identities had been registered, but anyone with enough money could enter the Beast Fighting Arena. It was impossible to expect a strict identity verification system.

"The key is Mundo, the one disguised as a gladiator."

Ronin offered his own idea. "Have you looked into him?"

Macken nodded, then shook his head.

"According to the Beast Fighting Arena’s records, the gladiator Mundo first appeared in the Wushan City arena over a year ago. He’s won many matches since then, so many in the audience are familiar with him."

Ronin raised an eyebrow. ’He’s been here for over a year?’

’At that time, my predecessor hadn’t even died, and Lurans didn’t have any thoughts of a marriage alliance yet. They couldn’t possibly have predicted that Princess Blanche would come to the Beast Fighting Arena in Wushan City.’

Ronin did think of one possibility, though.

’Mundo must have been an assassin lying low in Wushan City as a gladiator. His goal was to wait for the right opportunity to kill a target—someone other than Blanche.’

’But her sudden arrival must have made them change their plans.’

"How did he join the Beast Fighting Arena?" Ronin asked.

’If we can find a lead, like who introduced him, we’d have something to go on.’

"According to the arena’s management, Mundo was a down-on-his-luck knight who heard he could earn a decent sum just by fighting once in the Beast Fighting Arena, so he signed up."

Macken replied, "To get into the Beast Fighting Arena, Mundo bribed the official in charge of recruitment. He offered the man ten percent of his earnings, and that’s how he became a gladiator."

’It’s like he’s rootless. No matter how much we investigate what’s visible, we’ll never find the source if there’s nothing buried deeper.’

"What about the Cyan-skinned Giant? Has anyone looked into that?"

After a moment of thought, Ronin asked, "Blanche told me that Cyan-skinned Giants aren’t common in the Wushan Demon Beast Mountain Range; they’re mostly found in the Mist Mountain Range. Has Toru investigated where the giant was brought from?"

’Although the Mist Mountain Range is closer to Wushan Castle than Mountain Forest Town is, transporting a Third-level Magical Beast all that way would still be incredibly expensive.’

’The Wushan City Beast Fighting Arena is a business, after all. And a business must pursue profit.’

’Insisting on transporting the Cyan-skinned Giant despite the enormous cost... doesn’t that suggest another motive?’

Macken froze for a second, then shook his head. "I don’t think that’s been investigated."

Ronin said urgently, "Then go tell Toru. Have him investigate from that angle and see if he finds anything."

"Yes, my lord!"

Macken acknowledged the order and immediately left.

Ronin couldn’t help but rub the bridge of his nose. ’If this whole assassination investigation ends with us finding nothing, that would be beyond embarrassing.’

’No matter how much Blanche sides with us, Wushan Castle still needs to provide a proper explanation.’

"Are they just going to make the arena’s recruiter take the fall in the end?"

As he was worrying about this, an unexpected figure appeared in his room.

Ronin looked up and saw Lurans standing before his bed.

"Hm?"

He glanced toward the door in surprise, wondering why Tom hadn’t announced the visitor.

Tom shrugged helplessly. It wasn’t that he hadn’t wanted to announce the arrival; Lurans had gestured for him to remain still.

"I thought you were asleep."

Lurans pulled a chair over and sat by the bed. "Depleting your Spiritual Power too much can cause terrible headaches. How are you feeling now?"

’Ronin hadn’t expected the old man to come all this way just to check on him.’

"Thank you for your concern, Grandfather. I slept for a couple of hours this afternoon, and I feel much better now."

Ronin smiled and asked, "How was the banquet?"

"It was very grand and lively. Princess Blanche received the reception she was due."

Lurans adjusted the scarf around his neck and sighed softly. "It’s just a shame the banquet was missing one of its main stars."

Ronin’s heart skipped a beat. "Oh? And who might that be?"

Lurans gave him a wry smile. "Why, the valiant knight who rescued Her Highness Princess and single-handedly took down two Advanced Level Knight assassins, of course."

At this, he looked Ronin directly in the eyes. "My grandson, Ronin Wushan."

Ronin managed an awkward but polite smile. "Grandfather, the stories going around are a bit exaggerated. It wasn’t that easy to take them down."

"Those aren’t my words."

Lurans stressed, "Those were the words of the eyewitness herself—Her Highness Princess."

’Ronin felt a wave of helplessness. He’d been so focused on getting her to hide the fact that he was a Mage, he’d completely forgotten to tell her how to describe the fight.’

"So, out with it, boy. What level is your strength at right now?"

"Advanced Level Peak?"

Lurans shook his head. "That doesn’t seem likely."