Chapter 170

"This won't make people relax. Orson, you and I are already on the same boat. We share weal and woe and share weal and woe. If something happens to you because of this incident, I will also be found out to be in contact with you. Then lose your inheritance."

"Your Highness Princess." At this moment, Orson suddenly asked again: "Is inheritance really that important to you?"

"What does this mean?" Elsa looked at Orson in confusion.

"If you put the people's peace and contentment, your own happiness and inheritance rights together, what would you choose?" Orson asked.

"I will choose inheritance." Elsa said without hesitation.

"Why?"

"Because only if I inherit the throne, the first two will be possible." Elsa said this, looking at Orson, her eyes full of determination.

"..." Orson was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and laughed.

.

"Haha, I'm sorry, I'm too worried. Your Highness, Princess, you are still as idealistic as before."

"However, I don't hate idealistic people."

After finishing speaking, Orson looked out the car window.

"Where is it?"

At this moment, on the street where Francois was killed yesterday, a group of people wearing white cloths on their heads and black robes were standing there.

"That's the wake for Francois. Young Master Henry came over immediately after learning about his father's death yesterday." Elsa said.

The distance between the Duke of Orleans and the city of Saint Laurent was not very close. To be able to come here in such a short time must have been through the use of extremely costly teleportation magic.

Orson looked at the grief-stricken crowd. In the center of the crowd, a thin boy stood there quietly.

Although Francois's body had been processed and put into a coffin, and it had become much more respectable, his face, which was distorted by pain due to excessive blood loss, could not be restored.

As if he heard the sound of the carriage next to him, the boy turned his head to look at the carriage, and happened to catch Orson's eyes, who was looking at him.

For some reason, Orson read a hint of danger in the boy's eyes.

"Orson, Orson?" Seeing Orson staring out the window, Elsa called him specifically.

"What are you looking at?"

"Ah, it's nothing. The kid in that group is the son of Duke Francois. His name is Henry, right?"

"Well, young Master Henry, I should call him Duke Henry after today."

"Oh, what a poor child. He lost his mother a few years ago, and now he has lost his father." Orson couldn't help but sigh.

Chapter 74: Fear

Orson followed Elsa to the Imperial Court.

A task force has now been set up here, led by Elsa, to investigate the cause of Francois' death.

As for the personnel inside, in addition to Elsa's close confidant Avro, there were also several other people whom Orson didn't know, but they all seemed to be professionals engaged in criminal investigation.

At their suggestion, the entire city of Saint Laurent has been closed since early in the morning, and the guards responsible for public security began to search for suspicious persons from house to house.

As for those gray industrial chains that hover on the edge of crime, they are the top priority of the investigation.

In the past, Orson might have been worried, thinking that someone would throw dirt on the gang he founded due to this incident, but now, the gang has been transferred and has nothing to do with Orson anymore.

On the contrary, after a gang transfers, the transferee may be in danger.

And sure enough, after the meeting and discussion, the information the staff came up with made everyone stunned.

"According to intelligence, we have compiled several lists of the leaders of the underground forces currently active in Saint Laurent City, especially gangs involved in casinos, pubs, underworld and other businesses."

"First of all, there is Agnelli, the leader of the largest local gang in Saint Laurent City. His ancestors are from Naples, but their gang has been developing in Saint Laurent City for decades. What they know best is to protect themselves wisely, so they never He is inclined to a certain political force, so the probability of his instigation in this incident is very low.”

"And most of the remaining gangs are agents of other nobles. Among the agents we can find, the one with the largest identity and the most control of underground forces..." The staff member said this, paused, and then said: " It’s His Royal Highness.”

As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked.

"Don't be kidding, how could His Highness do such a thing!"

"That's right! His Royal Highness is the future of the empire, and it is impossible for him to do something like this to ruin his future."

"But..." At this time, Elsa motioned for everyone to be quiet.

"According to your information, the two largest underground forces in Saint Laurent City, and the ones most likely to hide people and arrange assassins, are them, right?"

"Well, and it's a coincidence that when His Royal Highness funded the acquisition of those facilities, it happened not long before this incident happened."

"Although I don't want to think about it that way, it is not impossible that His Royal Highness prepared a dark network in advance to acquire these forces in order to plan the assassination of the Duke."

"Anyway..." At this time, Orson gave a suggestion.

"I think it should be reported to His Majesty first. Before His Majesty gives further instructions, we will not send out the results of the investigation. Even if we send them out, we cannot bear the name of His Royal Highness."

"Furthermore, think about it, this matter is very harmful to the royal family.

And if there is no gain, why should His Highness take action? "

…

In the palace, Alsace was sitting in his bedroom, and sitting in front of him was Odysseus.

The two of them were sitting at the chess table, playing chess pieces.

"Leaving this matter to the imperial sister, are you trusting her too much?" Alsace moved his chess piece and asked.

"After all, she doesn't have much experience right now, and with her character... things may intensify."

"Otherwise, what should I do? Let you help? Or put your manpower in and let you remotely monitor Elsa's every move?" Odysseus said half-jokingly.

"Alsace, you are the elder brother. Don't you have to give in to your sister in everything? Besides, aren't you ahead of Elsa in the line of succession?"

"Sorry, father, I was abrupt." Arthas said, smiling awkwardly.

At this moment, a guard came in, whispered a few words in Odysseus's ear, and then glanced at Alsace.

Alsace felt bad.

Sure enough, the chess piece Odysseus just picked up fell down again, and he raised his head and looked at Alsace.

"Alsace, do you know what he just said to me?"

"I don't know, I would like to hear the details."

"The Orchid Tavern on Oak Street, have you heard of this name?"

When Arthas heard the name, his pupils suddenly widened and he looked at Odysseus in surprise.

"Father, why are you bringing this up?"

"I don't mind if you develop your own gang. Whether it's you or Elsa, it's normal to have some secrets."

"But!" Odysseus slammed the chess table in anger, and his wives fell down one after another.

"Not long before this happened, you had purchased so many tavern and casino businesses with your personal property!"

“Whenever you can’t do it right, it’s during this sensitive period!”

Seeing Odysseus furious, Alsace, even though he was in high spirits, had to kneel down and ask for his forgiveness.

"Father, Erchen... Erchen didn't mean that, and Erchen didn't do this... It's just because the underground forces and darknets developed by other people were too huge. Erchen knocked on the other party, and the other party understood. Give these things to me."

"Of course I know it can't be you, but look at what stupid things you have done! If this is exposed, what kind of public controversy will you get into? You still think you are not enough to make the nobles hate you, do you?" Decius said angrily.

He is not worried that Alsace will be considered a murderer because of this incident, but as his eldest son, the person who will inherit the throne of the empire in the future will not only have outstanding military achievements. If he has no political ideas at all, it is just a joke. But those old fritters.

"Fortunately, Elsa notified me directly, and I can help you suppress this matter." Odysseus said, put on his coat, and walked out.

He also wanted to wrap up the matter in Alsace, and members of the royal family must not be involved in this case.

Arthas looked at Odysseus's leaving figure and lowered his head in despair.

He began to regret why he had beaten Orson in the first place.

etc……

Orson, could this be intentional?

Arthas became suspicious when he thought about Orson's decisive actions at that time.

Not only was the decision to abandon the dark web made quickly, but the subsequent price provided to Alsace was also extremely low.

At first Arthas thought it was Orson's initiative to show his kindness, so he accepted the kindness.

The dark web did provide him with some help later.

However, if all of this was designed by Orson, then he would be a bit too scary, right?

Thinking this, Arthas shook his head.

Impossible, absolutely impossible. If Orson was so terrifying, it would be absolutely impossible for him to control him. All of this should be just a coincidence.

Chapter 75: Hint

Inside the palace hall.

At this moment, a group of nobles were confronting Odysseus.

"Your Majesty, could you tell me why we other nobles are not allowed to use private detectives to investigate the assassination of Duke Francois?"

A robed nobleman said this and looked at Odysseus.

He is a count under the Duchy of Orleans, and his speech is obviously speaking on behalf of Orleans.

"Sorry, this matter is relatively big, and the city of Saint Laurent is not very safe recently. If you hire a private detective, we cannot guarantee the safety of the detective, nor can we guarantee that what you investigate is not a smoke bomb deliberately left by the murderer." Aude Hughes explained.

After hearing this explanation from the royal family, several nobles had no choice but to give up.

"Your Majesty." At this moment, Henry, who was silent on the side, suddenly spoke.

Only fourteen years old, he was now only as tall as Odysseus' chest. He stepped forward and raised his head to look at Odysseus.

"Your Majesty, as for the security of private investigations, this can be guaranteed by the guards in the city, right?"

"By not opening up the investigation, does it mean that my father's death has something to do with the royal family, and that the royal family is going to clear out all the clues before issuing an innocuous announcement?"

As soon as these words were said, several nobles nearby could not sit still. They came to Henry one after another and pulled Henry back.

In particular, Henry's uncle Sean, now the regent of the Duke of Orleans, directly rebuked Henry:

"Henry, now is not the time for accountability. It is impossible for His Majesty to do such a thing. Let us trust the royal family first."

"But it was my father who suffered!" Henry shouted.

As this sound fell, the whole hall fell into silence.

"Duke Henry." Odysseus was silent for a while, and then said: "We can understand your mood. You have lost a close relative, so you want to quickly find your enemy and avenge yourself for killing your father."

"However, please be clear that the murderer is capable of killing your father regardless of the entire Duke's guard."

"The forces behind the murderer are definitely not weak, so finding him out will not be achieved overnight."

"Is it difficult?" Henry raised his eyebrows and looked at Odysseus curiously.

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, if you wipe out all the dark forces underground in Saint Laurent City, you will definitely be able to find some clues. But now that a day has passed, why are you still just searching on the surface from door to door? "

"Why don't you search those mercenary group stations and underworld strongholds? It's obvious that the person standing behind them is probably the murderer who killed my father, right?"

After Henry said this, he sneered, not like a fourteen-year-old child at all.

"I'm not putting pressure on the royal family. If the royal family can't do something, as your majesty's loyal vassal, I don't mind helping your majesty solve your problems."

"By the way, Your Majesty, I saw the eldest son of the Duke of Antica and Her Royal Highness the Princess sitting in a carriage today. Our land is a contract passed down from ancient times to this day, and we will not tolerate changes in the contract."

After saying that, he took his vassals and left here directly.

"What is this Henry...who is he? He is only fourteen years old, but why does he look like a forty-year-old man?"

In the corner of the hall, Elsa stood with Orson. She looked at Henry who was leaving and asked in a low voice.

It's no wonder that she was confused. Henry himself was not a very flamboyant character. In his previous life, everyone just regarded him as an ordinary nobleman.

But in such a short period of time after Francois's death, the vassals of the Duchy of Orleans seemed to have Henry as the core. Even Regent Sean seemed unable to suppress Henry. I'm afraid that after returning, , Sean is only a regent in name, but in fact the power of the duchy will still fall into the hands of this fourteen-year-old child.

"This kid may be a bit like me." Orson said, shaking his head.