Chapter 110: The Blood Night's Impact
Chapter 110: The Blood Night's Impact
As expected!
After listening to Lyon's words, the old man furrowed his brows slightly, then asked with a frown:
"Why did you kill him?"
"It was work-related."
Since he wasn't sure how much the old man knew about the "underworld," Lyon didn't directly reveal his fabricated story. Instead, he countered with a question:
"How much do you know about the Clean-up Bureau?"
"I have some basic knowledge."
Having thoroughly investigated Lyon's file, it was natural that he would also look into his work. After a brief silence, the old man waved for the two officers to leave, then lowered his voice and said:
"There is a royal manual that, once a name is written on it, allows one to maintain their soul's 'silence' even when aware of abnormal existences, thus avoiding their attacks. My name is also on that list.
Furthermore, since you mentioned the Clean-up Bureau, it implies that this incident wasn't solely an internal strife within the Lane family but is related to your 'work' at the Clean-up Bureau?"
A manual that can maintain the soul's "silence"? It seems not all "ordinary people" are unaware of abnormal existences; they are just not as numerous.
Lyon memorized this information, then nodded and said:
"Yes, Bobby Lane merged with an abnormal object. He not only tried to seize the abnormal object I was guarding but also threatened the lives of ordinary people to force me to reveal the Clean-up Bureau's secrets.
Although the Clean-up Bureau has a policy of non-aggression towards ordinary people unless necessary, the situation was urgent, and he could no longer be considered human, so I had no choice but to kill him."
...
So that was the case...
After learning the "truth" about the Lane Blood Night from Lyon and comparing it with other information he knew, the old man's previously furrowed brows relaxed slightly.
If Lyon had directly given the answer at the start of the interrogation, he might have seized upon a few doubts and continued questioning.
However, Lyon first "tested" him with two questions, then confirmed his understanding of the Clean-up Bureau before reluctantly revealing the "true" situation of the Lane Blood Night.
As the saying goes, a wife is inferior to a concubine, a concubine is inferior to a mistress, a mistress is inferior to a secret lover, and the current situation is similar to the latter.
Compared to an easily obtained answer, this piece of intelligence, obtained with great difficulty, naturally carries more credibility. At the very least, the Minister of Defense, who had only a basic understanding of the Clean-up Bureau, already mostly believed Lyon's words. However...
"If possible, I hope you can change your story."
In Lyon's slightly surprised gaze, the old man spoke earnestly:
"Regarding the Clean-up Bureau, you can say whatever you like. But when others outside the Bureau ask, I hope you'll cooperate with us and frame the Lane family's incident as an internal strife."
Us?
As an "ordinary person," Lyon wasn't very familiar with the political situation in the kingdom. Still, he had vaguely heard about the person standing behind the Minister of Defense.
"The Princess... plans to take this opportunity to move against the old nobility?"
"Yes."
Acknowledging Lyon's guess, the white-haired old man said,
"If you wish, you can be more straightforward... This is a frame-up!"
Speaking without hesitation about his intentions, the old man's sharp eyes, like those of a hawk, fixed on Lyon's eyes. While closely observing Lyon's expression, he explained rapidly:
"Whether it's a riot or an internal strife, with so many important members of the Lane family dead, they're finished. However, the old nobility is a united front. Even if the Lane family loses all influence, the positions they vacate won't fall into the hands of others but will be swiftly filled by other nobles.
In the end, aside from the Lane Armory becoming the Marsoni Armory, and the Department of Transportation, Department of Finance, and Department of Agriculture officials with the surname Lane all changing to York or some other surname, everything will continue as usual. This country will remain unchanged."
"I'll keep it brief." The elderly man's tone rose slightly as he spoke seriously to Lyon, who was listening intently. "But now, things are different. As long as you cooperate, the incident with the Lane family can be an opportunity for the Princess. It can push this country towards a better future!"
"I don't understand." Lyon frowned, not quite grasping the situation.
"Whether it's an internal conflict or an attack by rebels, aren't the dead all members of the Lane family? How can this be a good opportunity for the Princess?"
"Because the kingdom needs stability. No department can, or should, suffer a large-scale vacancy all at once." The old man noticed Lyon's unfamiliarity with political maneuvers, even less knowledgeable than his own daughter. He thought for a moment before explaining in simpler terms:
"Over two hundred people were injured or killed in the Lane family incident, and more than a hundred of them were mid-level officials from various departments of the kingdom, especially the Department of Transportation and the Department of Military. These two departments alone have nearly eighty vacancies.
Out of the forty-seven subordinate departments in the military, a quarter of them have started to accumulate work due to the sudden vacancies. Two small sub-bureaus have even come to a temporary halt due to the loss of their leaders.
Although the old nobility will quickly send replacements, it will take one or two months for the new officials to take over and familiarize themselves with the work. It may take three months or more to fully address the backlog, and even then, for the next half a year, these departments may struggle due to the new officials' lack of experience.
Just imagine the severe consequences if not one, but two, three, or even more noble families encounter similar issues within half a year. That's the perfect excuse to take action!"
If this incident could be classified as an internal conflict, the Princess could use the pretext of maintaining the kingdom's stability to demand a reduction in the number of old nobility members in various departments during the parliamentary session. This would serve as a check on their excessive power.
Even if the Princess's efforts were unsuccessful, she could still demand that the old nobility yield some of their power. This would ensure that no single noble family dominates a department, preventing a complete halt in operations if similar issues arise.
When these noble families can no longer rely on having a large number of their members in a department, the Princess's supporters would have room to maneuver. They could attempt to form alliances with others to counterbalance power and even regain control over critical affairs in these departments!
As he spoke, the old man's face flushed slightly, his eyes gleaming with excitement, envisioning the Princess's successful reforms sweeping away the kingdom's long-standing problems. "Consider the Lane family as an example. If the number of their officials in the Department of Transportation was reduced to half or even a third of what it was before, could they still control the construction of the old city like before? If the number of Lane family members in military procurement was also halved, could the Lane Armory continue to consume such a large portion of the military budget each year? If..."
"Your Highness has sent someone..." One of the two young officers entered the room with a hand order, his expression odd. "The Princess's messenger says... The old Duke of the Lane family is on his last legs. He requests that the top five successors come as soon as possible..."
The Duke of Lionheart is dying? Hearing the young officer's words, the old man's expression changed. He immediately stood up from the bedside, his demeanor resolute. "Anyway, consider my words. An opportunity like Lane Blood Night won't come again. Your choice might become..."
"Um..." The young officer looked at Lyon, lying on the bed, covered in bandages, and sighed. "This man here is the fifth successor of the Lane family..."
What?!!!
(End of Chapter)
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