Chapter 440

……

After this incident, everyone in Saint Laurent City was naturally in danger.

That was the Duke! The guards around him were all of the seventh-level strength, and there were a large group of sixth-level masters guarding him, but they were all killed, and they didn't resist for long.

Then, if ordinary people like us encounter such a ruthless killer, wouldn't we have no chance to beg for mercy?

But if you think about it carefully, it seems that there is no need for those killers to attack ordinary people.

But it's different for people who are slightly more senior.

Because they need to hold a meeting, everyone basically booked a hotel on the street close to the palace, and at dawn the next day, two figures appeared at the door of Orson's room.

"Oh, Miss Olivia, you are angry so early."

"You are the same, Miss Chelinina."

The two stood at the door and waited for a long time, and no one took the first step.

It was not until Orson opened the door that the two took a step forward at the same time.

"Orson! Are you okay?"*2

Chelinina came to Orson first and hugged one of his arms. Olivia was not to be outdone and hugged Orson from the other side.

Seeing the scene in front of him, Orson's scalp numbed.

"No, why do you think I'm in trouble?" Orson asked in confusion.

"Besides, you guys let go first. This is weird."

"Let her let go first." Olivia said. "I'm your fiancée. Why can't I hold you?"

Seeing Orson looking at her, Chelinina reluctantly let go.

"I'm just a little worried that something happened to you, Orson... Don't get me wrong."

Of course, Chelinina said this obviously for Olivia to hear.

"Didn't you leave with Duke Francois and the others last night? At that time, I just heard that Duke Francois was assassinated. I was about to go out, but I found that the hotel had been sealed and I was not allowed to go out." Olivia said. "So I came here as soon as it was daytime."

"Me too." Cherylina echoed. "And I just heard from the front desk that you came back very late last night..."

"Ah... this... I did have something to do last night..." Orson said.

"Something?" Olivia frowned and looked at Orson. "Orson, you didn't go to the crime scene, did you?"

"Yeah." Orson nodded, not lying.

"Then Orson, do you know who assassinated Duke Francois?" Cherylina asked.

"How could I know that?" Orson said, shaking his head.

When the two were about to continue asking something, another voice came from behind.

"Orson, you're awake, can I ask you for a favor?"

Everyone looked at the source of the voice.

Elsa was standing in the corridor.

At this moment, she had changed out of the dress she wore yesterday and put on her daily casual clothes.

"Your Highness?" Olivia also saw Elsa.

Elsa smiled and greeted the three people, then looked at Orson.

"We encountered some difficulties during the investigation. Orson, I now ask you to help me in the name of the royal family, okay?"

The other party had already brought out the royal family, so Orson naturally couldn't refuse. He could only nod helplessly, and then looked at the two girls beside him.

"Sorry, I may be out of the company for a while." With that, he followed Elsa out.

As for why Olivia and Chelinina didn't follow?

From Elsa's tone just now, it was not difficult for the two to conclude that the matter she wanted to ask Orson to help must be very important and only Orson could help. What were the two going for? To make trouble?

Or were they waiting to be driven away by Elsa and make themselves bored?

"Why didn't you follow?" Olivia looked at Chelinina beside her and asked.

"I still have some emotional intelligence, but you, aren't you Orson's fiancée? Why don't you follow?"

"Heh..." The two looked at each other again, and then parted unhappily.

On the other side, sitting in the carriage, Orson looked at Elsa who was sitting opposite the carriage, and thanked her: "Princess, you really helped a lot just now."

If Elsa hadn't come to pull him away, he would have fallen into a strange Shura field again.

It's not that I don't like them, but the atmosphere is too strange.

"Orson, you look like you have a lot of peach blossoms." Elsa said jokingly. "In addition to your fiancée, I always feel that Chelinina is also interested in you."

"No, no." Orson shook his head and then changed the subject. "By the way, Princess, why did you suddenly think of asking me to help you deal with that matter?"

"Oh, you mean this..." Elsa thought for a while, and then said: "Maybe it's intuition. I always feel that if you, Orson, help me, there will be great progress."

"Uh... intuition?"

"Not really, after all, Orson, you are very smart. Working with you, you will definitely help me."

"Okay..." Hearing Elsa say this, Orson was a little suspicious whether she went to Afro for fortune-telling.

Otherwise, how could there be no reasonable reason?

"Hey, I say, Orson." Elsa looked at Orson again.

"There are only two of us here, and I am the only one who can hear what you say. Let me ask you again, do you have anything to do with Francois's death?"

"Maybe." Orson answered.

When Elsa heard this, her pupils dilated slightly and her expression became nervous.

"After all, if my 'mother' had not been expelled from the house, Duke Francois should be considered my uncle?"

But after hearing Orson's next words, her expression relaxed again.

"I say, don't make such jokes at this time, otherwise if it is really you who did it, it will be very difficult for me to deal with it." Elsa complained.

"I'm sorry, Princess, I thought this would make you feel more relaxed."

"That won't make people feel relaxed, Orson. You and I are already in the same boat. We share honor and disgrace. If you get into trouble because of this, I will also be found out to have a connection with you, and then lose the right of inheritance."

"Princess." At this time, Orson suddenly asked again: "Is the right of inheritance really that important to you?"

"What does this mean?" Elsa looked at Orson puzzled.

"If you put the people's well-being, your own happiness and the right of inheritance together, what would you choose?" Orson asked back.

"I would choose the right of inheritance." Elsa said without hesitation.

"Why?"

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

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

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

"But I don't hate idealistic people."

After saying that, Orson looked out the window.

"Where is it?"

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

"That's to keep vigil for Francois. Young Master Henry rushed here as soon as he learned of his father's death yesterday." Elsa said so.

The distance between the Duke of Orleans and Saint Laurent City is not close. To be able to rush here in such a short time, it must have costly teleportation magic.

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

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

As if he heard the sound of the carriage next to him, the boy turned his head and looked at the carriage, and happened to meet Orson's eyes.

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.

"What are you looking at?"

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

"Well, little Master Henry. You should call him Duke Henry today."

"Alas, 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 special task force has now been set up here under the leadership of Elsa to investigate the cause of Francois' death.

In addition to Elsa's confidant Afro, there are several other people Orson doesn't know, but they all seem to be professionals in criminal investigation.

Under their advice, the entire Saint Laurent City has been sealed since early morning, and the guards responsible for public security have begun to search for suspicious persons from house to house.

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

In the past, Orson might have been worried that someone would throw dirty water on the gang he founded, but now the gang has been transferred and has nothing to do with Orson.

On the contrary, after the gang transfers, the person who transfers may be in danger.

As expected, after the meeting, the intelligence brought out by the staff made everyone dumbfounded.

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

"First is Agnelli, the leader of the largest local gang in Saint Laurent City. His ancestors are from Naples, but their gang has developed in Saint Laurent City for decades. The most obvious thing is to protect themselves, so they never lean towards a certain political force. Therefore, the probability of him directing this incident is very low."

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

When this was said, everyone was shocked.

"Don't be ridiculous, how could His Royal 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 such a thing to ruin his future."

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

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

"Yes, and it is a coincidence that when His Royal Highness invested in the acquisition of those facilities, it was just before this incident happened."

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

"In short..." At this time, Orson opened his mouth and gave a suggestion.

"I think we should report it to His Majesty first. Before His Majesty makes further instructions, we will not send out the results of the investigation. Even if we send it out, we can't bring His Royal Highness's name."

"And, everyone, think about it, this matter is harmful to the royal family and has no benefit. Why does His Royal Highness take action?"

...

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

The two were sitting at the chess table, playing chess.

"Is it too much to trust my sister to handle this matter?" Arthas asked, moving his chess piece.

"After all, she doesn't have much experience now, and with her personality... things may escalate instead."

"What else should I do? Ask you to help? Or arrange your people to let you monitor Elsa's every move remotely?" Odysseus said half-jokingly.

"Arthas, 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 order of succession?"

"Sorry, father, I am abrupt." Arthas said this, smiling awkwardly.

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

Arthas felt something was wrong.

Sure enough, the chess piece that Odysseus had just picked up fell again, and he looked up at Arthas.

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