The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations Chapter 720

Episode 720: The culprit is inside. (2)

Everyone raised their heads. The magical power that had become visible to the eye soon began to take on various forms.

Some turned into birds, some into rats or bugs. Some bugs were so small that they were invisible to the eye.

Hundreds of creatures made of magical power were created and spread around Giselle.

In some ways, it was quite a creepy sight, as there were mostly small bugs.

The king asked Giselle.

“What, what are those?”

“These are the spirits I summon. I use them to monitor everyone in the castle.”

“You… were… monitoring?”

“Yes. Even though it may seem like I’m playing, I’m actually working hard behind the scenes.”

As soon as Giselle waved her hand, hundreds of Darks chattered noisily.

“The prime minister and the chief chamberlain are the main culprits!”

“They told me to drink poison!”

“The royal wizard is in on it too! The royal wizard hid the poison so it wouldn’t be detected!”

“The wizard under the royal wizard switched the tea and alcohol in the middle!”

“The court cook was paid a lot of money! That’s why he put the ingredients in even though he knew they were suspicious! Since someone died after that, he must have known it was poison!”

“The same goes for the servant in charge of testing poison! Since it’s a poison that doesn’t kill you immediately after ingesting it, I had to get an antidote every time!”

“The Minister of Protocol went outside and procured the poison! And he handed it over to his aide!”

“And the court physician and the chief minister destroyed the evidence… … .”

Dark’s mouth kept leaking out what each of the criminals had done.

It was a crime that involved nearly half of those working in the palace. Many of them were high-ranking officials.

They used their power and position to carry out the poisoning operation with great sophistication.

That’s why no matter how much we investigated, no evidence was found.

Dark, who had gathered together into a sparrow shape, shouted with a proud expression.

“That’s all I saw! And the owner just played around and I did all the work… … . Kkeueek!”

Jiselle shrugged as she subdued Dark.

“How is it?”

The king let out a ragged breath. The more he listened, the harder it was to hold back.

So many people were dreaming of rebellion!

“Really? Are you sure?”

Dark shouted again loudly.

“I bet my mom that it’s true!”

“… … .”

The king, who had been glaring at Dark for a moment, turned his head and looked at those who had been dragged in.

Their faces were already pale. Judging from their expressions, it seemed like they were really the culprits.

Of course, there was no one who would simply surrender to the words of a spirit(?) whose identity they did not even know.

“Your Majesty! This is a lie! This is nonsense!”

“How can you believe something like that without any evidence!”

“It’s the work of that mercenary wizard! I’m using magic to blur Your Majesty’s eyes and ears!”

Everyone was making a fuss. If it’s just a rumor without any evidence, they can make it up.

The king could not deny that. Given Dark’s abilities, it seemed likely to be true, but more solid evidence was needed.

The king looked at Giselle again and asked.

“I trust you. Those little bugs should be enough to spy on everyone. But there are too many people involved. I need more solid evidence.”

Jiselle nodded. He also thought that the criminals would not confess easily.

As Giselle gestured, Dark started talking again.

“Search the palace cook’s house! If you dig up the floor, there’ll be a space and a ton of gold coins! That’s more than you’ll ever earn as a palace cook!”

“If you touch the second compartment of the Royal Wizard’s Study, a secret space will appear! The poison used in this crime is there! And the disciple… … .”

“There is a hidden space under the desk in the chief chamberlain’s office! There is also the poison powder there… … ”

“There are gold coins and poisonous herbs in the basement of the herbalist who deals with the Minister of Protocol! Look at their transaction ledgers! There are records of the Minister of Protocol purchasing other herbs… … .”

“And the aide… … and that court musician… … . They all throw in a little bit whenever they have time!”

Dark’s mouth began to list the places where each person had hidden their evidence. As the story continued, the criminals’ faces turned pale.

Dark looked at the prime minister and shouted as if he was driving a wedge into him.

“In the residence of the most important minister, there is a document in which the high-ranking officials who participated in this matter wrote their names and left their seals! To prevent betrayal!”

The prime minister trembled.

“Oh, no! No! Where did you hear such a lie… … Your Majesty! Your Majesty! This is a conspiracy! You must not believe it!”

As soon as the prime minister finished speaking, the king shouted.

“Search the authors’ mansions and offices immediately! Bring me the evidence!”

Jiselle said, looking at the king like that.

“We will also send our mercenaries. There may be other helpers that we haven’t caught yet.”

“Do so! I will give the Yulien Mercenary Corps the authority to monitor the entire process!”

The Royal Knights moved together with the Yulien Mercenaries who were waiting.

They searched every place Dark had mentioned. With the Yulien Mercenary Corps watching them, no one dared do anything else.

And in the places Dark had mentioned, items that could serve as evidence popped out without exception.

The Royal Knights carried them and laid them down before the king.

The king spoke in a trembling voice.

“Check these out.”

The wizards and apothecaries who had not been taken away came out and examined the poison bottles and poisonous herbs.

After a while they bowed their heads and said.

“Yes, it is poisonous. It is a weak poison, but if taken for a long time, it can cause problems for the body.”

The king glared at those who were tied up with angry eyes.

They were writhing and screaming wildly.

“Your Majesty! No! This is all a fabrication!”

“That guy is acting up right now!”

“This is unfair! Please check again… … .”

But now the atmosphere has completely changed. Even those who had been wondering for a long time realized that these people were the culprits.

It was difficult to manipulate even the wealth in a hidden location.

In particular, the water lock found in the prime minister’s residence was decisive evidence.

There wasn’t anything special written on it, but it was enough to just have the names and signatures of the high-ranking officials.

Except for a few who continued to struggle until the end, the rest of the criminals all lowered their heads. They had finally given up.

The king asked, gnashing his teeth.

“So many people were involved in treason! Why! Why did you do such a thing!”

“… … .”

“Speak up! Why! Why didn’t you just target me first!”

Then Giselle stepped forward and spoke.

“Their goal was to kill all members of the royal family, leaving only the three young princes.”

“Why?”

“That is because only then can they, led by the prime minister, seize power and become regent.”

“That means… … .”

“Yes. I planned to poison Your Majesty after the Third Prince became the sole successor and there was no one to interfere with his ascension to the throne.”

“I, really?”

Dark answered that question.

“I heard the Prime Minister and the Chief Chamberlain meeting and talking secretly! Hey!”

“These guys… … . Ugh… … .”

The king was furious and tried to get up from his seat, but he fell down, clutching the back of his neck. His old body was so shocked.

Jiselle quickly stretched out her hand and used healing magic.

Saaak… … .

A warm breeze enveloped the king’s body. Only then was the king finally able to pull himself together.

But the magic was only a temporary measure. Her complexion was not good due to the shock that had accumulated on her already aged body.

The king spoke without hiding his tired expression.

“First, lock them all up. Then, arrest the authors’ families and those involved from the outside. After thoroughly investigating, we will execute them all.”

All those involved in the poisoning were dragged off to the Royal Knights and thrown in prison.

The king watched the direction they disappeared in for a long time, then slowly opened his mouth.

“Thanks to the Yulien Mercenaries, I was able to resolve the issue. I almost got fooled by their tricks and just dismissed it as an illness.”

At first, it was thought that there was an epidemic because people got sick over time and then died.

But when several royal family members died, poisoning was suspected.

A massive investigation was conducted, but no trace of the culprit was found. So the atmosphere eventually began to change to the idea that there was a disease that only occurred in the royal bloodline.

The king was helpless as everyone from the prime minister to high-ranking officials and even royal magicians were involved in manipulating the incident.

The king looked at Giselle and smiled self-deprecatingly.

“I am truly glad that you came at the right time. If it weren’t for you, everyone except the three princes would have died.”

Just when the incident was about to be covered up, Jiselle came to visit.

Giselle, who had a private meeting with the king, boasted that she would catch the culprit and told him to trust her unconditionally.

The king, who could not shake off his suspicion that it was not poisoning, entrusted the entire investigation to Giselle.

And in the end, Jiselle caught all the culprits.

“As promised, I will give you the reward you desire. What do you wish for?”

Giselle answered the king’s question with a slight bow of her head.

“I will copy the royal wizard’s magic books. I am a wizard myself, so I need a lot of magic books.”

“Let it be so. What else do you need? I will give you as much as you need.”

“I don’t need any other treasures. I just want artifacts with sufficient magical power.”

“I’ll give you as much as I can. Is there anything else you need?”

The king wanted to give Giselle a great reward, because it was a dangerous incident that could have really ended the royal family if Giselle had not helped.

Jiselle shook her head with a pleasant smile.

“That is enough. I hope that this incident will be an opportunity to continue our good relationship with the Kingdom of Arsena.”

“Of course. How could I neglect the benefactor of the royal family? The Kingdom of Arsena will always welcome the Yulien Mercenary Corps.”

The Yulien Mercenary Company traveled around various kingdoms, solving their difficulties and building a reputation.

Through this work, I was also able to gain the support of the Kingdom of Arsena.

The king, who had praised Giselle several times, stood up from his seat. He was so shocked that he needed a moment to rest.

Those gathered in the building dispersed and returned to their respective seats. As they left, they looked at the Yulien mercenary group with awe.

“It really lives up to its reputation.”

“They say there is no problem that cannot be solved if you just take on the task… … .”

“They say even nobles can’t move, and it’s true.”

Most of those who were gossiping were of low status. The nobles bowed their heads and said nothing.

The nobles were furious at being humiliated by the lowly mercenaries, but there was nothing they could do about it.

Now, it was obvious that the Arsena royal family would unconditionally side with the Yulien mercenary group. They would not trust the nobles anymore because of this incident.

The skills of the Yulien Mercenary Corps themselves are also extraordinary. The 6th Circle Master was defeated by the vice-captain in one move. The other executives were also rumored to be very skilled.

So it’s better to avoid getting involved as much as possible, especially in turbulent times like these.

When the work was done, Giselle and her party were treated more warmly than before.

After collecting all the necessary rewards, Jiselle was about to leave. However, an inexplicable uneasy feeling caught his ankle.

“It’s strange. It’s strange.”

“what?”

Kyle asked Giselle, who was pacing around the room alone and muttering.

Jiselle tilted her head for a moment, then asked Kyle back.

“Isn’t it really weird?”

“So what?”

“Wherever you go, accidents happen all the time. In every kingdom.”

“That’s because you created the incident… … . Sorry.”

Kyle turned his head away from the conversation. He had a creepy feeling that something big was going to happen when he finished speaking.

Osval, who was listening to the conversation between the two, said.

“Brother! This world is originally filthy! It’s been like this since the old days! The nobles are busy exploiting the people to satisfy their own greed! Aren’t the knights also bandits? They’re all corrupt! Eight! This filthy world! We need to turn it all upside down! We need a revolution!”

“I know that. But… … No matter what, something feels strange.”

“Osval the Man! I will never be corrupted! I will live only for justice!”

“……okay.”

Jiselle stood there for a while, lost in thought.

He also knows that the atmosphere of this era is harsh. Everyone disregards human life and only pursues their own interests.

Just looking at this incident, it’s clear. Didn’t they try to wipe out the royal blood as a group?

But it was strange that in every kingdom he went to, there was a fight between those in power.

“Hmm… … .”

At first, I thought it was just that kind of era. In reality, everyone’s greed was clear.

But at some point, I started to feel uneasy. It was a suspicion based purely on intuition.

“I need to meet the prime minister.”

Jiselle suddenly went to see the prime minister who was locked up in prison.

No one could stop Giselle, for she enjoyed the king’s favor.

The prime minister was locked in the deepest prison. He was already so helpless that he seemed to have given up on life.

Even though Jiselle, who was no different from his enemy, came, he didn’t even pay attention to her.

Jiselle looked at the prime minister for a moment and then asked.

“You, this wasn’t your idea, was it?”

“… … .”

Only then did the prime minister slowly turn his head and look at Jiselle.