I leaned in, studying the wear on his face, the lines of bitterness that ran deeper than just today. "You two have had your differences. Some might say you had reason to see him fall."
His eyes darted toward me, hazy with drink, but I caught the flash of anger beneath it. "You think I did this? Me?" He laughed bitterly. "I might hate the bastard, but murder? No, that's not my style. I have honor."
"Your brother always had Father's approval, didn't he?" I pressed, watching his reaction. "You've always lived in his shadow. Wouldn't this be a chance to finally get rid of that weight?"
I enjoyed the role of an investigator, I found it a fun test for my mind.
He slammed the mug down on the counter, liquid spilling over the side. "Yeah, I hate him! Hate my father for what he did to me, what he took from me, but I hate myself more for being such a horrible older brother. I hate myself for never having the stomach for poison, even if my talent was in the sword."
I watched him for a moment, his words slurring slightly as he stared into the empty mug. His hatred for his brother was a lie, it was a guise for his hatred of himself. But was it enough to commit murder?
[What the heart desired, it takes!]
[You have gained a new skill from [Drunken Talent: Tale Hark], [Sword Mind]: A Talent for the Sword beyond the definition of talent.]
'Amazing!' Another
The pieces were coming together, slowly, but none of the men were clean. Each had their reasons, their motives, but who among them had the cunning—and the coldness—to carry out the murder?
'The blacksmith did it. I felt it when I spoke to him and the title the system gave him was the last nail in the coffin.'
While his disdain for poison seemed genuine, it was precisely that intense hatred that made him the most likely culprit. His open hostility toward poison and poisoners made him seem like the most obvious choice and the least suspicious, but beneath that rugged exterior, there was a calculated plan.
The blacksmith's pride in his craft—and his belief that poison was beneath him—was a perfect front. He despised the poisoner not only for his craft but also for the growing influence the poisoner had over the city's market. The blacksmith feared that more people would turn to poison as a method of settling scores, reducing the need for the weapons he forged.
He had the strength and the connections to acquire the poison discreetly, framing it as the work of someone who truly lived in that world. He knew his reputation would shield him from suspicion, and his open disdain for poison would be his best defense.
After all, who would think the man who so openly hated poison would be the one to use it?
I returned to his workshop and found him closing up.
"Was it worth it? A man is dead and another is in jail because of your pride? Forget the law, I'll take your head!"
I was about to rush forward and behead him when a notification came from my personal terminal.
{Challenge solved! Security Clearance raised to Lvl-6!}
The system followed suit.
[Quest complete! +30 points!]
"That was very stressful, Young Lord Gray! You've truly got a knack for investigation!" The blacksmith chuckled.
"Of course, it was another one of this weird place's plots!" I was pissed off and left directly to the Jail cell.
The poisoner had just been released and the man who had supposedly been murdered stood around as well.
"*Sigh* whatever!" I motioned for the Poisoner to come over.
"Yes, your grace?"
"I'll be clear, serve me." I gave him an offer, and the amount of times Alexander nagged at me to start building a faction finally changed my mind.
"My lowly self is unworthy!" He fell to one knee.
"I'm never wrong about people, an 18-year-old Expert poisoner is destined for great things."
"Then, I have somewhere I must go first. My homeland and the birthplace of Poison Knighthood. Once I complete my training there, I can truly be of use to my lord!" He suddenly said.
"Good, go there as soon as you can, I'll send you some ancient scrolls to help when I have some free time."
"Thank you, my lord!"
"Oh and take your brother with you, such a talent shouldn't be wasted."
"I-I..hear and obey." He responded after a slight hesitation.
[You've gained an A-rank subordinate [Harrow Hark]!]
'Let's head home, I've wasted too much brainpower on a dramatic plot.'
On my way to the center area of the Ville, I noticed countless knights, servants, and carriages bearing different crests arriving one by one. The number of people was shocking.
[Flash-Special-Quest [Star Talent] Started!]
[A hidden unique talent declared as one of the children of the universe has arrived along with the Vassals and their staff. Find him, raise him, and impart your skills to him.]
[Completion requirement: The Talent swearing allegiance to the host.]
[Reward:[Status Check] will evolve to a special skill [All-Seeing Eye]. +100 points, 1 special-rank lucky draw.]
'Huh? I'm not imparting my skills to anyone. Ever. You should know how selfish I am, little system.' I almost chuckled aloud.
[Edit: You are not required to impart anything You are more likely to gain skills from those who swear allegiance to you.]
[Reward -30 points.]
'There's more to gain that way, you've gotten smarter little system.'
[...]
[Reward -35 points.]
'Fuck, I'm not teasing you anymore, relax!'
I lit a cigarette and headed back home after a long day of hard work. Little did I know, the system had scammed me into a long drama.
'This bad feeling…am I imagining things?'
…