"Where's Kula Lala?" Ashes asked as he entered the living room, seeing only Fors lying decadently on the sofa.
"Xio took her," Fors lazily stretched, mumbling, "But she should be back soon. Anyway, you two always leave before dawn and come back after dark."
Ashes didn't doubt her. Soon after, the sound of a key turning in the lock came from the entrance. In the dim light, a small woman walked in, and a tiny jellyfish emerged from somewhere, floating obediently into Fors' arms, allowing her to hug its soft body and rub her face against it.
Xio rolled her eyes but, seeing Ash, began to speak. "The Hawkins gang in the East District is working for Capin, secretly involved in human trafficking. Most of the missing girls from the East District were taken by them. Additionally, every week a fleet of merchant ships arrives at the docks from the Sunya Sea. These ships are managed by the Bell Trading Company, but they never unload their cargo at the docks, so no one knows what's inside."
She paused before continuing, "However, someone managed to sneak onto one of the ships and found it packed with slaves from the Southern Continent."
"What happened to that person?" Ash asked after a brief pause.
"They're dead," Xio said gravely. "All of them are dead. The person who sneaked onto the ship, the head of the Bell Trading Company, and the higher-ups of the Hawkins gang, all died last night. Some drowned after 'accidentally' falling into the river, some fell from buildings, and some died by 'suicide' or 'accidental' deaths, but none were officially 'murdered.' If I hadn't known their connection to Capin beforehand, I might have believed they really died by accident."
"Did anyone notice you?" Fors, who had been lying idly, suddenly sat up, concerned.
"I didn't dig too deeply, and I've been doing similar work in the East District for a while, so I shouldn't have drawn any attention. Plus, Kula Lala and her sisters took care of anyone I came into contact with," Xio reassured her.
Hearing Xio's report, Ashes, though he had anticipated it, couldn't help but marvel at the speed of the cleanup. If the royal family could place guards around Capin, they certainly had other Beyonder individuals monitoring related personnel. While these individuals usually protected their charges, they would turn to murder if there was any sign of exposure. This was entirely expected.
"Ash," Xio took a deep breath, fixing her gaze on him. "Who's really behind Capin?"
Last night, Ashes had suddenly left and returned with a request for Xio to investigate Capin's subordinates. The next day, the news reported murders at Capin's villa. Combining these events, Xio easily deduced that Ashes was responsible for the villa's murders. Being a person with a strong sense of justice, she despised people like Capin and was more than willing to help Ashes investigate, despite the murders he committed.
Thanks to her reputation as the 'Arbiter,' Xio had built a good network and reputation in the East District. Leveraging these connections, she quickly discovered the involvement of the Hawkins gang and Bell Trading Company in the slave trade. However, she found that all significant figures she considered bosses had died overnight when she tried to dig deeper. This chilling revelation made her realize that Capin's backers were a formidable force eliminating all loose ends related to Capin, and if she continued, she would likely be noticed and targeted as well. She needed to know her enemy.
"…" Ashes looked at Xio's determined eyes and, after a brief hesitation, spoke slowly. "I can only tell you that it's one of the most powerful factions in all of Ruen Kingdom."
After a pause, he added, "Excluding the three major Churches."
Xio froze, speechless, while Fors widened her eyes in shock. Ash hadn't named names, but it was almost as clear as if he had. Besides the three major Churches, the most powerful entity in the kingdom was undoubtedly the royal family. Whatever influence the upper or lower houses had, they all had to bow to the royal family.
But why would the royal family be involved in the slave trade? Did they need the money?
"Why didn't you wait for me to leave before saying this!" Fors cried, on the verge of tears. Why did she have to hear this? Why did they have to discuss it in front of her? How did this involve her, a mere writer?
Ashdx glanced at her but chose to ignore her.
"The royal family?" Xio's head dropped as shadows obscured her face, hiding her expression. She had suspected it. Killing a few gang leaders and company heads wasn't difficult, but making them die in ways that looked like accidents and aroused no suspicion required a Beyonder force. And who else but the government could perform such deeds under the officials' noses?
"You can refuse to investigate further," Ashes said softly, seeing Xio's state. "This is indeed beyond your capabilities."
"No!" Xio clenched her fists, lifting her head to stare resolutely at Ashes. "I have a feeling this is related to my father's death! Even without your request, I will continue investigating!"
She had never believed her father died because of rebellion. Now, with evidence of the royal family's involvement in illegal activities, she felt there was a good chance her father was wrongfully accused. She had to pursue the truth and clear her father's name.
"Fine," Ash said, seeing her determination. "But before that, I need you to investigate something else. Admiral Hurricane Qilangos has infiltrated Backlund. I need you to track his movements."
(End of Chapter)
50 Power stones = Extra Chapter