Chapter 327: Chapter 281 The Killer is Not Me, It’s the Earl’s Party!_2
I offered him a choice: a piece of candy or a firearm.
My reasoning was this: if he chose the firearm, it would prove he had murderous intent. Such a child could not be allowed to live.
If he chose the candy, it would prove the child was deeply calculating. Such a child could not be allowed to live.
If he chose both, it would prove his greed was profound. Such a child could not be allowed to live.
If he chose neither, it would prove he was inherently rebellious. Such a child could not be allowed to live!
"Ugh..."
The listeners’ lips twitched. This old fox was indeed cunning.
In my experience, when it’s time to pull out weeds, you must get the roots too. Carelessness is the greatest taboo.
When stabbing the chest, remember to pierce both left and right sides, in case someone’s organs are reversed. If that’s not enough, put a hole right through the middle of their head.
"Byron, your uncle is still your uncle. You’d do well to learn a thing or two."
Andrew was immensely pleased with himself. The interrogation techniques he had mastered in life, skills for manipulating both body and mind, finally had a chance to shine (Chapter 224).
This, aside from nagging people about marriage, was one of his few little hobbies.
Byron ignored his uncle’s morbid sense of humor, glanced at the time, and continued to update them,
"The heartbroken Sea Hunter Byron Tudor will arrive on the battlefield in one minute.
Aside from the ’Resurrection via Borrowed Corpse Plan’ that Violet and Jacqueline are in charge of—which needs to be carried out slowly after I land—
Bruh, is the final step, the framing operation you’re responsible for, ready?"
To explain why the Royal Iron Law had no effect on the bandits, a genuine ’Outlaw Madman’ cobbled together from the entries [Outlaw Madman] and [You Are Not the Killer] is less plausible than The Kingmaker Warwick, who holds a higher position in the legal hierarchy. He’s a much more logical culprit.
"Captain, no problems at all.
The script requires us to find a group of scapegoats under The Kingmaker, Earl Warwick’s command to sabotage the scene and then be caught red-handed by the returning reinforcements.
Most of our people are in position. Only the last core stronghold remains. We’ll move immediately."
Bruh, having reached the back door of a tavern, ended the call and nodded to his fiancée, ’Fairy’ Rigel, beside him.
Meanwhile, throughout the city, fleeing members of the Lancaster Party were shouting, "By order of Earl Warwick, divine retribution upon the Newman family!"
The tavern owner and several attendants, already up and about, heard the commotion outside and looked at each other in bewilderment.
What? Did the Earl send others besides us? Have they already eliminated the Newman family who dared to offend him?
While this is indeed in line with the style of His Excellency The Kingmaker, why weren’t we informed of such a major operation?
BOOM!
A large hole was blasted through the tavern wall.
Firelight from outside flooded into the tavern.
"Are these the last ones?"
Referring to her area of expertise, Rigel gave Bruh a flirtatious, sidelong glance,
"Don’t underestimate the intelligence capabilities of us Skin Wearers.
Most of the spies Warwick dispatched are employed within the Governor’s Mansion and the Newman family’s businesses. There are 21 in total, and the last five are right here.
This is also a core communication hub with the clearance to speak directly with Earl Warwick."
Hearing their true identities discussed so openly, Warwick’s informants immediately realized something was terribly wrong.
Just as they were about to scatter and flee, they inadvertently saw the dancer’s face—as enchanting as a Fairy’s—and froze, their eyes filled with nothing but utter infatuation.
Title Effect: [Absolute Charm]
"Any living being that sees her face while she is in her Fairy state will become madly infatuated with her, regardless of gender, be they human, animal, or Demon Monster.
Her charm ensures that no matter how strange or even incomprehensible her actions, others will understand, forgive, and even obey her.
To maintain the effect, they must see her face once every twelve hours."
Suddenly, a chill permeated their bodies, as if another, colder body pressed against their backs, slowly seeping in. Then, their vision went black, and they knew nothing more.
Their bodies had been seized by Undead Servants, summoned by Bruh using an ability borrowed from Byron.
Then, one by one, they joined the line of their fellow spies outside. After the Lancaster Party’s forces retreated, each possessed individual moved to a designated target location.
They too began to shout, "By order of Earl Warwick, divine retribution upon the Newman family!"
Rigel watched their retreating figures. Although she was an executor of the plan, she still harbored doubts,
"Darling, can we really frame The Kingmaker, Earl Warwick, using such minor figures?
Can a few nobodies really pull this off? This loophole seems a bit too glaring, doesn’t it?"
Bruh, having grown up in the Kingdom’s center of power, smiled and corrected his fiancée,
"You can’t approach this with the mindset of a detective seeking truth. You should use a politician’s mindset and consider *why* it’s being done.
Do you think the Royalist Party, which is fiercely contending with the Earl’s Party for power and profit, actually *needs* the truth?"
Rigel was taken aback.
"Huh? Isn’t that the case?
A great noble who defended the colony for their Royalist Party has died. Surely, finding the true culprit should be the absolute priority, no matter what?"
But Bruh shook his head, a profound look in his eyes.
"For them, the truth behind the Newman family’s annihilation might be important, but then again, it’s not *that* important.
Regardless of who the murderer is, or whether any clues were left, the Kingdom’s official announcement will undoubtedly pin the blame squarely on the Lancaster Party.
Because only the Lancaster Party is deemed worthy of such a crime.
We left clues pointing to The Kingmaker merely to give Edward IV a plausible excuse to challenge Warwick, to make them fight even more fiercely.
The Kingmaker... The Kingmaker... listen to that title. Does it sound like a title for a mere subject?
What king could tolerate such a figure strutting about right under his nose?
If you are The Kingmaker, then what am I? A puppet dancing on your strings?
Never mind Edward IV; even I couldn’t stand it."
"Now, by sacrificing the entire Newman family, we’ve given Edward IV a small pretext against the Earl. I believe he will be quite pleased with this exchange.
Many powerful figures believe they are the ones playing the game. In reality, just like the common folk, they are merely pieces in the hands of those even higher up.
If they can still generate value even in death, then all the better.
In short, the culprits who annihilated the Newman family are either from the Lancaster Party or the Earl’s Party. The possibility of them colluding is not ruled out either.
In any case, it couldn’t possibly be the loyal Sea Hunter, hehe..."
As he spoke, Bruh had already transformed back into the guise of the ’Executioner’ Bill and was striding briskly towards the port.
Once he blends in with the support troops, no trace of him will remain.
Rigel, never having been exposed to such dark affairs, quickly donned the ’Tilly’ skin and hurried after him.
She stuck out a large, pig-like tongue and said in a muffled, deep voice,
"Politics are so dark! It’s terrifying, you know!"
The same actions and tone, if coming from a ’Fairy,’ would be charming and cute.
But coming from Tilly, it was enough to scare passersby to death on the spot.
Their plan was timed perfectly.
The Oceanids in Navy uniforms had already charged out of the naval base, launching assaults along the coastline towards the port area and the merchant ships seeking refuge there.
Even the slowest-witted civilians had begun to react to the sounding alarm bells.
Unfortunately, the time remaining was far too short, insufficient for them to evacuate their families to safety two kilometers inland from the coast.
"I don’t want to die!"
"Creator, save me!"
As countless people fled, praying desperately,
Suddenly, the sound of rushing water—WHOOSH!—came from beyond the harbor, and a vast Blue Hole abruptly unfurled.
The pirate-Navy joint fleet, which had departed early and thus remained unscathed in the turmoil, burst forth as if divine soldiers descending from heaven.
Lining up in formation on the sea, they unleashed a scorching storm of metal upon the tide of Oceanids while rapidly approaching the coast.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM...
The thunderous volleys shattered the night sky.
At the head of the formation, The Golden Deer radiated a brilliant Divine Light, instantly shining like warm sunlight into the hearts of everyone present.
In the wide eyes of all who watched, at that moment, they were angels!