In a room exuding an aura of royalty, its ceilings soared to heights beyond the norm, concealed by vast, embroidered curtains. The room's grandeur was further emphasized by its expansive size, mostly hidden behind the curtains, their ends delicately brushing against a carpet adorned with intricate red and gold patterns.
A robust young man, clad in robes woven from threads of gold, reclined upon an elegant throne-like chair as he sipped a little amount of wine from time to time while he conversed with a shadow like stealthy figure kneeling on the ground.
"My lord, the mission was a success. The young duke is a corpse now," the shadow declared, confidence laced with reverence in his tone as he addressed the figure before him.
"Are you certain you've eradicated any traces that might hint at an act of assassination?" the man in the chair inquired, taking a sip of his wine.
"Absolutely, my lord," the shadow figure responded, voice low and assured. "Every detail has been meticulously attended to. There's no need for concern; our tracks have been thoroughly obscured. The demise of the young duke shall be veiled under the guise of suicide. As long as Melinda ensures that a fabricated suicide note rests beside his bed, all the suspicions would be doubted by then."
"Why did you not place the letter there yourself? Why entrust such a simple task to Melinda?" the young man queried, his tone tinged with irritation.
"My lord, there is a reason for that," the shadow figure explained respectfully. "Melinda has served as our spy within the ducal mansion for several years, establishing a close relation with the young duke during her daily interactions with him, that is why she possesses the ability to mimic the young duke's handwriting accurately, lending credibility to the fabricated note."
"Hahahaha! You have indeed prepared meticulously for this," the young man chuckled, swirling the wine in his delicate glass.
"As a token of my appreciation for your efforts, you may select one of the demihuman girls from the underground cellar for yourself. Take your pick later," he added, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Thank you deeply, my lord, for your boundless generosity," the shadow figure replied eagerly, excitement evident in his tone as saliva dripped from his lips.
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In a high castle on a rocky hill, Nolan dukedom...
Arthur sat on a couch in his room, idly toying with a scroll in his hands. It was the second reward he had acquired, and he found himself lost in contemplation for several minutes.
Suddenly, a window materialized before him, and his eyes gleamed with a deep amethyst hue. Arthur had activated his Sight of Genesis, focusing his newfound ability on the scroll in his hands.
[Universal Newsletter (Mythic) (Degraded)]
[Knowledge is a Weapon]
[This artifact once belonged to a certain god who perished during the War of Liberation. Since then, it has endured the passage of time, seeking a new master.]
[Effects:]
[Within a 5000 km radius around its master, major events are summarized as news headlines on a daily basis.]
[Maximum number of news headlines displayed and recorded daily: 5]
(Upgrade the artifact to unlock more effects)
"Universal Newsletter?" Arthur raised an eyebrow, skepticism evident in his voice.
"I expected a bit more from a mythic-ranked artifact, but news headlines? Even though in this world there are underdeveloped modes of mass media limited to large and wealthy organizations and groups. But still, a newsletter? Isn't it too trivial for an artifact?"
Disappointment clouded Arthur's eyes as he glanced at the scroll and returned it to his inventory after he bounded the artifact to himself by dropping his blood on it.
"I can read it when I am bored, after all I used to read newsletters in my last life too"
**Sigh,**
"I have to hurry up and figure out what to do about the assassin situation. Otherwise, things will spiral out of control," Arthur muttered to himself, attempting to shake off the disappointment of the wasted beginner's lucky draw.
Little did he know that what he dismissed as a simple newsletter would eventually play a crucial role in his future.
..
At that moment, the door to his room swung open abruptly, and a lady strode in with the confidence plastered on her face. Upon catching sight of Arthur sitting on the couch, a flicker of surprise passed through her eyes, and her demeanor shifted subtly.
Upon seeing the lady before him, Arthur recognized her as the tutor of historical studies of the previous Arthur. He was quite surprised by the way she suddenly barged in.
"Umm... I apologize for this intrusion, young master, but we are running late for today's class. Earlier, when I came to your room to fetch you, your maid informed me that you were sleeping, so I refrained from disturbing you. However, as time grew short, I had to intervene to ensure you make it to class on time," the lady addressed Arthur with a calm demeanor.
"Also, I find your maid's absence rather suspicious. Shouldn't she be attending to your needs, ensuring she's readily available in your vicinity? Yet, she is nowhere to be seen."
The middle-aged lady added further.
Listening to what she said, Arthur simply replied in a cold tone, "Go ahead to the study room and wait for me. I'll be there shortly."
After the lady left his room, he also exited the room and went towards the maid quarters.
There he looked for the quarter of his personal maid.
At first, when he entered that part of the castle all the servants were startled and a commotion broke out, at the end he was interrupted on his way by the head maid.
She was startled when she came to know that he was looking for Alice, as it was not appropriate for the young duke to himself come and look for his personal maid.
If world got out, every one of the servant in the quarter would be punished for the crime. Obviously, Arthur cared less about his pride as a son of the duke and didn't mind helping them out.
However, the staff remained unaware of his intentions, believing instead that the young master was offended and had come to cause a disturbance.
"Young master, I will immediately inform Alice to report to your chambers, and rest assured, she will be reprimanded for her lack of diligence," the head maid assured him.
But Arthur paid little heed to her concerns and calmly clarified, "It's not as you think, Head Maid. I personally requested Alice to return to her chambers. Now, I need to speak with her in private, and for that, my chambers are unsuitable. That's why I'm simply visiting her quarters."
"Please don't detain me any longer; it's urgent that I see her," he urged, determination evident in his tone as he walked away towards Alice's quarters, leaving the head maid somewhat shocked in his wake.
"Seems like the young master has already matured into an adult," the head maid mused to herself
Arthur was unaware that his tone that reflected a sense of urgency had left a misunderstanding lingering in her mind.
Soon, Arthur found himself standing before the door to Alice's room.
*Knock*... *knock*!
Despite his repeated knocks, there was no response from the other side. Growing increasingly suspicious, Arthur continued to knock, but still, there was no reply.
Doubts filled him as he made a bold decision and decided to barge in, bracing himself for whatever he might find inside.
******Bang!**
As Arthur entered the room, he found a girl in her late teens seated on the room's only bed, her back facing him.
"Alice," he called out, his voice filled with concern