Chapter 21: Third Episode: Chapter 3 (1/2)
Chapter 21: Third Episode: Chapter 3
Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation
On the sacred Church's Calendar of the Titan Empire, on the year 791, on the 29th day of the 4th month, the secretary of the Prison Department of the Imperial Ministry of Justice documented in the official logbook: the criminal records of the Captain of the Guards - Vick Keegan.
Unfortunately, if Captain Vick was tried and sentenced, then according to the records in the official logbook, he would not be released from prison until the end of the next century. However, he was fortunate enough because the charges against him were vague and not clearly defined. Captain Vick did not have to worry about having to refute those groundless charges in court. At the same time, he was also clear that if carefully scrutinized, those charges could most probably be condemned against him.
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On the morning of the 6th day of the 5th month, the medical officer of the Ministry of Justice received a letter from his hometown, informing him that his old mother was already on her deathbed. Being the only child of the family, he immediately gathered his belongings and traveled some thousands miles away back to his hometown. Although his colleagues in the Ministry of Justice were sorry to see his resignation, some were overjoyed at the bad news. A medical doctorate named Martin had been looking forward to this position for a very long time, and now his chance had finally come. He wished eagerly to be promoted to the position and take control over the medical department in the Ministry of Justice. Although the early summer morning was unbearably hot and dry, Dr. Martin felt like everything was praise-worthy.
The God of Light enjoyed playing silly jokes on people to add some excitement to their mundane lives. The high hopes of Dr. Martin only lasted for two days. Everyone should have seen his almost comical expression when the new attending medical officer appeared in front of him.
The newly appointed medical officer was Dr. Miryaken, who was a well-known tutor in the Nightingale School of Medicine. The High Official of the Ministry of Justice was a good friend of the Dean of the Nightingale School of Medicine, hence when the minister was in need of a chief physician with a rich clinical experience, the Dean recommended his best student - Dr. Miryaken.
Actually, the Minister of Justice’s move was somewhat uncalled-for, because all the current medical staff working in the Ministry of Justice were already certified doctors, who were experts in dealing with external injuries. The reason was obviously simple, as one could clearly understand the reasons behind the doctors’ rich experience after taking a tour around the ghastly torture rooms in the Ministry of Justice.
The Minister of Justice had no choice but to do this because the condition of the Captain of the Guards had deteriorated. If he had known earlier that the captain was so fragile, he would not have let those crazy dogs torture the witness so badly. But it was now too late to change anything. If the poor man could not survive this critical moment, then the minister’s efforts would be in vain. Moreover, the Minister of Justice did not have complete trust in his own men. It was a necessary move to hire an expert from another province.
The Marquis Andeses met his newly appointed attending medical officer in his office and he admired the doctor’s talent. However, he was also surprised to see that the doctor was much younger than any of the famous scholars he had heard of. The Marquis dismissed any doubts he had about the young man after receiving his old friend’s recommendation. In the eyes of the Marquis, Dr. Miryaken was a good young man.
It was already lunch time when the Minister of Justice sent the doctor out his doors. Normally he would go to the restaurant called ”Little Hen's Tongue” located around the corner down the road, to enjoy some steak, but today he felt the urge to have a change of taste, and finally, he ordered a creamy seafood noodle dish topped with an egg.
The High Official of the Ministry of Justice played an important role in the court, but when being compared with the other cabinet ministers he was also the one that had naturally received the greatest amount of rebukes. However, it was entirely understandable, as what judicial work really meant was to deal with all the bullshit other people throw at you and try hard to not have it smudged on your face. This description sounded really awful but it was widely agreed by the ministers working in the Ministry of Justice.
The Marquis Roment Huga Andeses sat on his reserved seat at the ”Little Hen’s Tongue”. Looking out the ceiling-to-ground window he had the perfect view of the bustling city street, but the Sir Marquis did not really like this arrangement. He had just witnessed two well-dressed gentlemen trade opium and scurry away, right under his nose and he could do nothing about it. He lost his appetite after having witnessed the exchange and did a quick calculation of the distance between the restaurant and his office. Dejected, the Marquis put down his tableware and walked back to his office.
That was a rare situation to be seen in daylight, even for the Marquis Andeses who had worked for many years in the Ministry of Justice. Recently, reports regarding incidents of street fights and conflicts between the various gangs had completely disappeared from the front page of Dulin’s local newspapers. It should have been the nation’s pride, but while the department was considering reducing the members of staff in order to save costs, the inspectors from the Ministry of Justice also noted another problem: while the crime rate was rapidly declining, the illegal business sector was on the rise. What did this mean?
The Marquis suddenly thought of the comment an old officer made at their regular meeting yesterday. ”Be on the alert, Gentlemen, a large-scale criminal organization is beginning to spread right before our eyes!”
The old man was totally right! The trade happened right before his eyes! The Marquis wanted to report to the officials or summon his own men to get rid of the dealers he saw exchanging the opium wrapped in brown paper, but would it not be laughing at his own joke? He tried to forget about it and murmured to himself, ”One day, you little bastards! Sooner or later you will get the punishment you deserve!”
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The residence of Baron Thomas Aulet was located in the depths of the ”lair”. He was probably the only aristocrat who lived in the ”lair”, but the baron never complained about it because the place was well-concealed and it was perfect for someone with his job.
”Lair” was a term coined by the people of Dulin for the inner-city slum inhabited mostly by the poor, lower class people, as that was the place where vice gathered. It seemed like in every city there existed a place that was out of control, like this. For some people, this place was equivalent to hell; and for others, here was the place that resembled most to heaven.
This piece of free land was located in the northern city of Dulin, where the hustle and bustle of the city center faded and gradually became sparse. The muddy paths were wet throughout the year, and there were no clear distinctions between the main roads and alleys. Houses were cramped with one another and throughout the four seasons the place could only receive a minimal amount of sunshine. Poverty, hunger, plague and murder also contributed a lot to its bad reputation.
It was generally believed that the ”lair” was the most impoverished area in the whole of Dulin because the living conditions there were imaginably terrible. However, one should not be fooled by the exterior appearance because the amount of gold coins buried in the area was so plentiful that even the Lord Sea Monster would be envious.
The lair was basically the collection and distribution center of funds for the entire underworld in the whole Westland. These were mainly idle funds that had not been given any investment purposes yet. No one could calculate the exact amount of the funds but according to the rules of the underworld, accountants would be hired at each monthly meeting to conduct crazy calculations which would last for a month. In the same words, the statistics and allocation of funds would be recalculated and repurposed once a month, and for the duration of a month for each calculation. It might seem ridiculous, but the parties of the Underworld were extremely persistent regarding this matter. The flourishing prosperity and wealth of the Underworld were indeed beyond imagination.
Anyways, the den of Baron Thomas Aulet was situated on the top floor of the only theatre in the slum. This theatre had a glorious history, in fact, in the end of the sixth century, only less than a hundred years from now, most of the greatest opera singers of the West World had performed on this stage. However, following the decline of the economic condition and the decay of the class systems, this once renowned cultural theatre has been reduced to become the meeting place of gangs. Faint hints of its glorious past could only be seen clinging onto its magnificent Douglas architecture style and the 17-meter-high white rock column.
So…back to the baron’s apartment. As aforementioned it was located on the top floor of the theatre, where great men and artists used to enjoy their pastimes. The baron had transformed the place and decorated it with a very culturally artistic atmosphere. The maroon tiles were wiped so often one could see their own reflection in them, various plants and pots of beautiful flowers bloomed over the windowsill. And even though the furniture used did not seem like anything uncommon at first glance, they were in fact antiques engraved with signatures of the craftsmen. Although they were not built by any big names, their craftsmanship was of the most popular style and well-received during the sixth century. Hence, it could be said that Baron Thomas Aulet managed his house as if it was a museum.
At this time, three or five idlers gathered on the corner of the theatre street. They were dressed resembling neither a gentleman nor a rogue. It was the most popular fashion style among the rascals in these recent years. As they did not want to appear to be low-class with bad taste, they liked to incorporate a black formal coat, but on the inside was more often than not a funny looking rag.
”What’s with you today Phil? You’re acting a little weird.”
”Shut up, Dorde.”
”Oh, my elder brother! Have you not realized those fellows guarding in front of the theatre house? It’s them! Wanna bet? I bet you ten Ti coins that they are hiding some good tools underneath their big cloaks.”
”Dorde, try not to be so restless, even if you can only maintain it for today. Although those fellows are from other provinces but never underestimate them. If not you will end up like the fate of old Hordak.”
”It…it was them who took Hordak’s life? Oh my God! A fowl like me should not stay in such a dangerous place surrounded by people like them! So…so why are we here again?”
”To maintain the order.”
”What? To maintain what order?”
”The baron, and the order of the lair. Get it now you stupid pig?”
”Oh, is it an order from the boss?”
”No, the baron has already said, if anyone of us does not behave today, we would end up worse than poor Hordak.”
”But why today?”
”Because an important person is coming today,” before Phil could finish his sentence he noticed a man on the opposite street signaling him with an exaggerated hand signal.
”Oh my God! He’s here! Stay alert!”
A carriage appeared at the corner of the street. Strangely enough, the bustling street quieted down in an instant at the arrival of the carriage and the people automatically moved to the side of the road. Among them, a couple of men from the Underworld took off their hats to show their respect towards the carriage. They had obviously received the news about the visit of the extremely important person.
The carriage pulled to a halt at the entrance of the theatre house, and all the big men in black cloaks gathered around to form a human shield to guard the important person. The grand human-shield started from the carriage all the way towards the entrance of the theatre house. The people who gathered around to pry were irritated because their visions were completely blocked and they could not even manage to get a peek at the VIP.
In the ”lair”, His Imperial Highness Prince O’Neil Andrew Morisette was not the prince anymore. His identity had changed to become Titan’s King of the Underworld - Big Brother ‘Balance’.
The young man removed his cloak in the corridor of the theatre house and a faithful servant eagerly went to put it away for him. Baron Thomas Aulet received the young man with open arms but they did not speak a word to each other after that, until they arrived at the fourth floor of the building.
Hatchet men had already been positioned at various ambush points all around the theatre. Concerned about Brother Balance’s safety, the baron had begun his elimination operation a week before the big day and eradicated all potentially dangerous men within a ten-mile radius of the lair. He was confident that nothing could threaten his young master anymore.
Brother Balance was directed into a secret chamber. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than a small cloakroom, but once you pushed through the inlaid mirror one would have discovered a meeting room the size of ten meters square feet.
Someone was already waiting inside the meeting room, and he stood up from his seat at the young man’s entrance. The young man gave him a friendly hug and received a kiss on the back of his hand in return.
This gentleman was Lord Mueller from Bavaria Province of the Deiss Kingdom. Apart from being the king of grain and oil in Bavaria, he was also the representative of the underworld in the aforementioned province. More than half of the trades that happened between the Deiss Kingdom and the borders of Titan were being controlled by this Lord. He visited Dulin this time by the invitation of O’Neil Andrew Morisette, of course, the whole trip was conducted in secrecy.
Both of them exchanged a few words of greeting before hot tea was served. The atmosphere in the secret chamber appeared to be a little tense; the Lord was quite worried about Oscar’s ability because of his youth, while Oscar had some concerns about his plan.
The little fatty’s worries were not unnecessary. Based on experience, Oscar learned that things often did not progress as planned. Even though he had a well-placed mole inside the Ministry of Justice, but the information that the messenger sent was not the most exciting. The condition of the captain was dreadful, he could not even be moved now.
Aside from his friend Vick, the evil actions of the Secretary of State concerned the young prince even more. News had come from Damorga saying the investigation of the spies was still ongoing, but the results would probably not be any good. Although the newly appointed warden was Dortmund Andrew Nedgabel’s confidante, but he still could not cease the actions of the privileged spies. At the moment there was only Domingo watching over the Prisoner Self-Management Committee, no one could be sure that the enemy would not take this opportunity to throw them into disorder.
Oscar felt that time was running out. Although he had no choice but to cut a deal with the big boss of Titan’s biggest enemy state, he believed that their cooperation would work out as planned if the benefits were well distributed.
”Lord Mueller, I believed that Mr. Percy had transferred my message to you. Would you be interested in being a part of the plan?”
”Haha, honorable Brother Balance, your plan is really creative, and I could feel the sincerity from your proposal. You know, in the underworld, sometimes sincerity is much more appreciated than the benefits of interest.”
”If so what is the other matter that concerns you? I personally think that what I proposed gives the best to both parties, and I don’t think there is any other way to go about this better.”