Kingdom’s Bloodline

I know.

I knew this day would come.

Ever since that judgment was made eleven years ago, I have known that this day will always come.

I left home when I was young, abandoned my family business, devoted myself to studying knowledge, and only wanted to study for the rest of my life. I never thought that I would be lucky enough to apply what I learned to help the people.

However, personnel affairs are complicated and entangled, which cannot be explained by the study of non-study.

For more than forty years, I have been the great judge of the Emerald City. I have experienced wars and peace, and I dare not be negligent in my actions. gave the mallet, took off his official robe, and still couldn't help but think over and over again:

Every time I read it, do I study the situation thoroughly without leaving any omissions?

In every trial, am I detached and impartial?

Every time I speak, do I think clearly and expound appropriately?

Every time I drop the hammer, do I live up to my oath and my original intention, to protect the interests of the weak, and restrain the reckless actions of the strong, to uphold fairness, and not to violate the law?

Over the years, have I ever misjudged eucalyptus? Wronged a good person? Contributed to oppression and exploitation?

Have I ever let friendship and loyalty, hatred and anger, interests and gains and losses, cloud my judgment, and I don't know it, or pretend I don't know it?

Or, for many years, I just deceived myself with righteousness, covered myself with official positions, intoxicated myself with power, took shelter under the law, and made excuses for my personal likes and dislikes and self-righteousness?

Leinster and I, and so many colleagues who are interested in this, is the dream city we built together still just wishful thinking?

If so, if strife and destruction are inevitable, is the future woven with blood and fire, conflict and death the eternal destiny of all the people in the city, and even mortals in the world?

If only in this way can the so-called civilization and progress be achieved, then are the so-called justice, morality and law just the tools we use to unite ourselves and gather popular expectations? Its significance lies in deceiving the public, maintaining power, and serving the rule. Is its value as good as nothing? Is the meaning clear?

So what is the difference between what we have learned and used, and the spears in the hands of soldiers, and the saddles on horses?

Where should the boundary between justice and public interest be? Where is the person who has the right to interpret them?

But I am old.

Thinking is no longer quick, logic is no longer clear, values ​​​​are gradually outdated, and life is dying, and there is no hope of finding answers to questions.

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Only when I am able to make progress and study deeper and deeper will I finally be able to solve my confusion and benefit the world.

The legacy of the old eucalyptus from that year is all here, and all the strange disputes are in it. Although there are thousands of threads, a capable person should be able to straighten them out. Although the roots are intricate, a virtuous person should be able to clarify them.

But Modo commits many murders and implicates innocent people.

When I resigned, there were 29 cases of relics under review, 15 copies of administrative affairs, 6 unreturned official documents, and 10 letters to be read. All of them have been marked and classified, and each left a letter to recommend someone to take over. If there is anything wrong, please contact me. All colleagues and colleagues should be more considerate and take care of you.

The remaining wealth of the family includes a large house donated by the Duke of Leinster in the past, several fields, a collection of more than 13,000 books, a deposit note of 206 gold in the Royal Bank, and 30 gold in cash.

The houses and fields were returned to the Emerald City, and the collection of books was donated to the South Bank and even the Xingchen Academy.

(The ten volumes of On Dao You Fa were borrowed from the study of the president of Longki Academy before I left office, and I brought them to the stars, and have not returned them for many years. No need to pay back.)

The money and wealth are entrusted to the eldest son and eldest daughter for distribution. My son is upright and prudent, and my daughter is resolute and resolute. Since each has a family and a career, we should put aside the past and work together, and we will be able to do well.

Housekeepers and servants in the family, keep them as before, and send them away when they are not used.

Four out of seventy gardeners in the front yard met evil masters and became disabled, and fifty-five servants in the back yard were abducted when they were young and did not know where they came from. The two of them worked hard and served the family for more than thirty years. Well, you should treat them like relatives, and provide financial support for the elderly,

Don't be lazy.

Once I go, no matter what the circumstances are, children, servants, students, peers, and even close friends, there is no need to pursue the old and the old, let alone revenge, but the time is coming, and the fate is just right.

For my funeral, firstly, I must not waste money and money, secondly, I must not talk about my feelings to disturb the audience, thirdly, I must not accept public or private condolences and gifts, and fourthly, I must not violate the law and hinder the governance of the city.

For my body, there will be no coffin, no tombstone, no niche box, no dead body, no objects to be buried with, and no gold to cover my eyes. Please follow the old rules of the stars, cremated into ashes, and have a wife The niches are scattered on the shore of the south bank.

Back then when I went to work by boat, Muhai was a harsh test. On the way, there were endless storms, and the newlyweds suffered from serious illnesses. Now I am returning by boat, and the girl should repay my love.

If the children read it, they will always be between the sea and the sky.

As for my soul, I don't want to see the angel of heaven, I don't expect to meet with my wife and old friends, I just hope that the ferryman will do his duty justly, although there is no funeral money to bribe, but for the sake of my generosity to others, the boat is stable, Get to the shore quickly.

I wrote thirty-one volumes, entrusted to my students and friends, keep them if they are useful, and discard them if they are not.

The emerald favored me, so I worked hard to repay it. I helped the iris, and he thought about the emerald.

(Signed)

Born in Dream City, Lifetime Honorary Bachelor of Dragon Kiss Academy, Citizen of Emerald City, Love and Husband of Laenice Brennan, Johnny Brennan, leaving a message

My successor, please listen to me:

You are endowed with great power, and therefore you must walk carefully, trembling, and vigilant day and night.

You are endowed with great power, so when a greater power falls, you have the responsibility to withstand the pressure to maintain the weak and defend fairness.

You are endowed with great power, so when you lose it, you must be firm and decisive, and never return. Don't be greedy, deceive yourself, and lose your mind.

————

After reading this special suicide note, Thales put down the letter paper and looked at everything in front of him:

Slightly messy desks, scattered documents, overturned chairs, broken wine glasses, stained carpets - and the death scene marked with chalk after the body was removed.

Be careful! Take your steps lightly and slow down your movements, especially those evidences separated by labels, so as not to disturb the scene! Mallos' order sounded.

In the early morning, Judge Brennan's mansion, his former office and study room was crowded with people, crying and asking questions from time to time. It was a team of people from the Star Lake Guard who were working with the local security officers and the Emerald Guardians. With the help of:

Kongmuto dealt with the police officers with a smile, and gently comforted the children of the Brennan family who came to hear the news and cried hoarsely, trying to get some information;

Glover observed the layout of the entire study, and whispered to Morgan about where the murderer might have broken in;

d.d and Intaliano were lying at the desk, flipping through the documents on it;

Paul stood in front of the broken window, squinting and looking out of the window. Opposite him, Rolf stretched out his hand expressionlessly, feeling the gusts of cold wind coming from the window;

Miranda knelt on the ground with a focused expression, not letting go of any clues on the carpet, occasionally getting up and pacing back and forth, measuring the distance between different places.

It is said that it happened in the middle of the night.

As usual, Judge Brennan left a lamp in his study and worked overtime to process documents, but the gatekeeper, night watchman, gardener and servants in the mansion, including the neighbor's family who lived next door, all At the same time, he fell into a deep sleep, and even the housekeeper who went to remind the employer to sleep fainted in the corridor, still clutching a tray of supper.

According to the interrogation, most of the people inside and outside the mansion had nightmares or sweet dreams to varying degrees. The scenes in the dreams were so lifelike that it was difficult to distinguish the real from the fake. When they woke up, some people were afraid and some were ashamed.

But when the housekeeper woke up, realized something was wrong, and called someone to break open the locked door that had no answer, Judge Brennan had already collapsed in the study, losing his breath forever.

It is said that when he died, his eyes were wide open and his expression was painful, while the large French windows in the study were smashed violently, and the door was wide open, leaving only the cold wind howling.

Violent intrusion, murder and death, make people drowsy, and the dream is hard to distinguish between true and false, Thales frowned tightly, turned to the broken window, and the biting cold wind hit his face, Evil evil murmured, and Did 'he' do it?

The Duke spoke, and the audience was silent.

Mallos waved his hand, and softly asked the police officers and guards to bring the weeping butler and the children of the deceased (He has found justice for countless people, please be sure to find it for him, Your Highness.) Leave the room, leaving only the Star Lake guards.

It looks very similar. Miranda stood up from the ground. She nodded, knowing who the person His Highness was talking about. Unfortunately, there are no witnesses.

Could it be someone else? Glover asked back.

Rolf by the window clapped his palms to attract everyone's attention, but he only stared at Thales, flipping his gestures:

[No, it's him. 】

How do you know? Thales asked.

Rolf pressed his heart:

【intuition. 】

Everyone observed back and forth, all frowned, Miranda compared back and forth, but was still confused about the riddle between the mute and His Highness, and d.d was on the other side, imitating Rolf's hand gestures like a cat, shaking his head from time to time, as if he had gained something.

In any case, the body has no obvious trauma, and it has been sent to the Security Office for inspection. I believe the results will be available soon. Kong Mutuo, who was in charge of communicating with the security officer, added.

Thales lowered his head and looked at the letter in his hand again.

Then what happened to this suicide note?

This suicide note was written casually, filled with the owner's remorse and melancholy, relief and relief, full of mysteries, but intriguing.

Kongmuto coughed:

A few days ago, Mr. Brennan handed over a key to his most trusted student, saying that he was ill recently, and if he couldn't perform his duties, he would immediately hand over the key to His Highness the Prince.

I?

Thales couldn't help being stunned:

what?

Conmuto pointed to Brennan's desk, where countless documents were placed:

I was about to report to His Majesty when Brennan's students rushed over after hearing the news. They cried and opened the safe in his study with the key. The top ones were the arrangements and work handover documents after the death of the judge, personal letters. , in the middle is this suicide note, and the bottom...

Sunset, this is, d.d leaned over to the desk and couldn't help but start flipping through the documents, exclaiming as soon as he opened his mouth, the original file of the assassination of the Duke of South Bank!

Everyone was shocked.

Mallos looked at Thales, who pondered for a while, then nodded.

So several members of the Xinghu Guard stepped forward, carefully spread out the documents found in the safe, and examined them individually.

Be careful, these papers are old. Mallos picked up a scroll and reminded everyone.

But it's still well preserved. Glover spread out a document.

Everyone was in a hurry, assigning tasks under the command of Mallos, reading the documents, and only heard the sound of pages turning and scrolls scrolling.

Only Thales sat where he was, repeatedly reading the suicide note left by the Grand Inquisitor, his expression unchanged, but his mood complicated.

[The old testimonials of the past... Although the roots are intertwined, the virtuous master should be able to clarify...]

Thales squeezed the letter tightly. From the characters shown in the text, he recalled old Brennan's voice and smile, as well as his fleeting glimpse but deep impression when he first arrived in the Emerald City.

As the most respected old judge in Emerald City, he left these things to me, the key to the current political storm in Emerald City.

An outsider who has nothing to do with the Emerald City, and may even have evil intentions towards it.

Why?

Thales' eyes flickered, and he was gradually lost in thought.

After a few minutes, Miranda broke the silence.

So, Brennan was one of the presiding judges back then, responsible for Viscount Sona's murder of his brother.

Toledo flipped through the documents one by one, his expression becoming more and more surprised:

And these documents are the attendance sheet, incident records, and investigation logs of the Security Office... there are also interrogation archives, evidence and testimony, and closing reports... the trial documents in the court hall, the discussion records of the judges, Documents with Kongming Palace, even the weather and harvest records of Emerald City, land transactions and asset records, everything...

It's exactly what we need to check the old records now. Mallos looked at Thales thoughtfully.

Everyone looked at each other with complicated emotions.

Some are transcripts and duplicate files, and some are even, maybe even originals, the herald asked Laido to carefully examine the paper, handwriting, and seals of each document, This judge, he violated the rules and put these things Put it in your own safe and keep it privately for more than ten years?

Why?

Like that defender Slimani, Glover said emotionally, After the incident in Emerald City, Brennan had a premonition that it was his turn, so he made preparations in advance.

It's far earlier than Slimani, Miranda added. These documents are from more than ten years ago... Sona committed suicide when the trial was over, and Brennan knew that someone would come to his door one day. Come, check out the old eucalyptus of the year, so plan ahead.”

d.d scratched his chin.

So, Viscount Sona was convicted of committing the crime of murdering his brother...is there really a problem?

He is the seventh - Lausanne II followed the list and found them one by one, Miranda affirmed, This matter is far from over.

That damned Rausch, Bloody Iris, what is his name Federico or Federek, Morgan said fiercely, Lausanne II is his man, he must have ordered this, even if he is locked up—go back and beat him up He'll know it right away!

If it was instigated by someone else, the silent Paul suddenly said, You must know that Federico is just a pawn.

Everyone was stunned.

enough.

Mallos put down a witness file:

Guardian Kong Mutuo, tell the security department that these are important evidences for His Highness's arbitration, and we will pack them up and take them away. Go back to the palace and check carefully, and we must not let go of every clue.

Thales listened to their inferences, looked at the suicide note in his hand, and frowned more deeply.

Dongdongdong——Rolf knocked on the table, attracting everyone's attention.

Glover leaned over, followed Rolf's fingers and lowered his head, took out another bundle of documents from the safe, and spread them out on the table: It's not just records, Your Highness, look at the things he left on the upper floor of the safe.

What's this?

d.d leaned over and picked up the top few letters.

Oh, this is a love letter he wrote to his wife when he was young. It's a thick stack, touching and grotesque. Ah, it's so good.

Doyer smiled complicatedly, and immediately looked at the next few letters:

There was also the letter of renunciation from his father before. It seems that someone was at odds with the family, left the huge family property behind, and ran away from home... The reprimand letter from the dean of the college seems to be a rebuke to Brennan. The punishment for helping the students protest against the oppression of the Dragon Kiss Academy system, ah, it seems that I can’t get along with the boss... and the thank-you letters from the students, well, at least he is very kind to the juniors... Of course, the most is, oh, here!

D.D paused, and showed everyone a stack of letters.

These are... the letters that the Duke of Leinster wrote to Brennan when he was still studying at the Dragon Kiss Academy in the Principality of Anlun Zuo? Miranda opened one of them.

Almost every letter is full of heated discussions between the old prince and him, back and forth, back and forth, involving history and current affairs, law and jurisprudence, city construction and governance systems, talking about everything, and the end of each letter The old Duke greeted his relatives and sincerely invited Brennan to come to the Emerald City to serve.

Paul opened letter after letter, read them quickly, and passed them on to the next person:

Looking at the date, it should have lasted for several years.

Thus, Brennan was moved by the hospitality, and set off for the Emerald City. Glover took one of the long letters, and together with the others, he reconstructed the life trajectory of the murdered judge.

Hey, job-hopping with a high salary, more money for less work, and being respected by others, I would be willing to change it, d.d sighed, and then reacted to the strange eyes of everyone, his face was ashen, and he waved his hands in denial, Uh, I can It's not about me, Your Highness, I am very satisfied with my current job! You have a good leadership, and Star Lake Castle is comfortable and pleasant... I was just talking about this old judge...

But Thales was all focused on Brennan's suicide note and ignored his defense. Rolf patted another bundle of letters into d.d's arms, and pressed them together with his long-winded explanation.

At this moment, Miranda who was reading the letter suddenly said:

And even when he arrived in the Emerald City, he never broke the correspondence with the old Duke, and his tone was the same as that of a long-time friend.

Look, everyone, this is Brennan's official letter of appointment as a judge of the Emerald City, with the old Duke's autograph and stamp on it, Nehi picked up a picture frame in amazement, which contained a page of neat and gorgeous documents , with a conspicuous iris seal on it, It seems that he attaches great importance to it and shows it, and it has been carefully preserved for many years.

There is no better luck in life than meeting a confidant, Paul sighed, and he has both.

Not all. Nexizai held the picture frame carefully, studying every pattern on it. The old duke is not the only one who signed this letter of appointment, there are others at the bottom.

Following his fingers, everyone took a closer look:

The Viscount of Arch Sea City, Sona Cavendir?

Nexi nodded, triumphantly.

So, Brennan's appointment was also approved by Sona, and they have a good relationship? d.d scratched his chin, wondering how much His Highness had listened to his high salary job hopping words just now.

On the contrary.

When everyone turned around, Miranda showed the two letters in her hand and handed them to everyone.

Looking at these two letters, it seems that Brennan once worked with Viscount Sona, and cooperated in the trial of a peasant riot...

Revolts, riots, Morgan muttered, before the bloody year, the kingdom was everywhere.

Miranda glanced at him, and continued: It seems that Sona insisted on sending all the criminals to the gallows as a warning to others, while Brennan advocated that the accomplices should not be prosecuted, and the main criminals would leave. political operation.

d.d took the letter, frowning while reading:

And the old duke severely criticized Brennan in a rare way... He said that Viscount Sona was neither indiscriminate in his care of people's lives, nor cold-blooded and merciless to the people, but he had to use extraordinary methods in extraordinary times... and told Brennan to stop talking What kind of nonsense that 'Sona is in power, and there will be a catastrophe on the South Bank'... And he will also reprimand his younger brother, let him know more about the suffering of the people, and respect the authority and professionalism of the Grand Judge...

Not close, as a foreigner traveling thousands of miles, he dares to criticize the lord's younger brother, this Brennan is really kind. Paul thought deeply.

It's not just kindness, Mallos said with emotion rarely, it's also loyalty.

Miranda picked up the third letter:

In the end, it seems that the old Duke made a compromise order, and the principal criminal was sent to the prison of bones, and the accomplice was fined and sentenced, forcing the two to compromise and get back together—at least on the bright side.

The crowd reviewed Brennan's letters one after another.

So to sum up, Brennan has a deep relationship with the old Duke himself, even a close friend, but he has a bad relationship with Sona, and it can even be said that he has a bad relationship. He often disagrees with each other. When it comes to attacking each other, the old Duke needs to mediate .”

d.d smiled sarcastically:

And don't forget, back then, it happened that Brennan was in charge of the trial of Sona's brother murder.

Take these letters with you, Mallos said firmly. There must be a reason for them to be left here—Your Highness?

Everyone was quiet for a while, and all looked at the prince.

Thales frowned.

Originally, he was devastated by the emerald city's predicament, and tried to reach a compromise with Zhan En, letting him go on this matter in exchange for stability, but now when this matter comes out...

How's it going outside? Thales took it easy, putting away Brennan's suicide note, How does the entire Emerald City see this fate?

Mallos glanced at him, hesitated to speak.

Miranda, Paul, Glover, d.d, Nehsi...all looked at each other, not daring to speak, and in the end it was Mallos who coughed:

Judge Brennan is highly respected, Your Highness, people... are very concerned.

Yes, I understand.

Thales automatically filtered out the embellishments in Mallos' words, and sighed helplessly:

Very good, so now the emerald city is full of excitement, everyone is watching, and everyone is in danger...

Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay.

Coupled with the fact that the situation is getting worse every day, I want to be sloppy and not go down to track down the old case...it's impossible.

Not to mention reaching a compromise with Zhan En.

What a coincidence at this time.

Thales shook Guertaxa in his pocket, thinking about what a difficult day he was going to have. At this moment, Kongmutuo came back to report.

Your Highness, the autopsy report from the Police Department has arrived. The preliminary judgment is: Brennan died of... eh, died of poison?

Thales was taken aback.

What?

Everyone was also surprised: Take poison?

What kind of poison did you take? Where did you get the poison? Mallos' complexion changed.

At this moment, d.d's voice suddenly sounded from across the desk, full of surprises:

Oh my God, this is the batch of 646 classic limited cellar wine from Anlun Zuo Principality! It was specially brewed to celebrate the marriage of the Gester family's 'Three Sisters of the World'! Ah, look at the picture, this bottle is Saoirse version!

Under everyone's surprised eyes, Doyer excitedly opened the wine bottle on the table, brought his nose closer, and sniffed the wine intoxicatedly:

He actually drank it by himself! Tsk tsk, with the current price of this wine in the market, you say that this old man is not corrupt, anyway, I don't believe it—

Taylor's expression changed instantly!

call! call!

It was too late to say it, Miranda was agile, and rushed ahead of everyone, the figure turned over the desk in a flash, and snatched the precious wine bottle from d.d's hand!

Hey don't, I'll just smell—

On the other side, Glover's figure pressed down like a hill, and knocked Doyon down to the ground!

idiot!

Miranda's face was livid, and she put the cap back into the wine bottle through the glove, pressed it tightly, and then slammed it back on the desk!

Why, what's the matter? Is something wrong?

D.D, who was pressed to the ground, realized something was wrong.

Mallos moved his eyes, and Kusta took out a piece of cloth with great experience, and wrapped the bottle of wine firmly.

Miranda snorted, took off her gloves cautiously and quickly, threw them on the ground, and wrapped them carefully with cloth.

d.d watched the female swordsman's movements, then looked at the bottle of wine, and widened his eyes:

Take poison! You mean, the poison he took is in this wine!

Everyone didn't answer, they just looked at him with strange expressions.

d.d's complexion changed drastically, he quickly took out the handkerchief from Glover's pocket, and blew his nose desperately, as if he wanted to blow out the aroma of the wine he had just inhaled, while at the same time he was scrambling to break free from the suppression, as far as he could from the bottle of wine Far.

Go and see him, Thales frowned, and then remember to punish him so that he can have a long memory.

Mallos looked gloomy and nodded.

Okay, don't cry, just smell it, such a small amount is fine, just scared, Intaliano followed the order and stepped forward to check d.d's nose, Do you know how lucky you are? If Kong Mutuo came a little later...don't pick it up, it's all bleeding!

Ignoring d.d's grateful lament over there that he was lucky enough to survive the catastrophe, Thales returned to the present, looking at the bottle of wine wrapped in cloth:

So, Old Brennan was not murdered by Lausanne II, but committed suicide by taking poison in his study?

Mallos also frowned, and everyone looked at each other.

No, I think Lausanne II has indeed come.

Miranda put on new gloves again, thoughtfully:

But for some reason, he couldn't handle that well-informed and seasoned old judge.

Everyone looked at the female swordsman.

I saw Miranda pacing slowly, walked to the opposite side of the desk, and patted the overwhelmed guest.

According to the traces in the room, I think that after Lausanne II activated his ability and broke in unimpeded, he came to Brennan's study, sat in this position, sat opposite the desk, and began to write about the old eucalyptus of the year. , interrogate old Brennan.

Miranda paced to the bookcase, measuring the distance:

Perhaps because of overconfidence, he felt that an old man with no power to restrain a chicken would not pose a threat to him, so Lausanne II did not even bind Brennan.

With his ability, it doesn't matter if he is bound or not. Morgan said angrily.

Knightly demeanor. Mallos said suddenly.

What? Miranda was taken aback.

Mallos looked at the door.

Except for Brennan himself, no one in the whole mansion was injured, not even blood or signs of fighting, and even the watchdog fell asleep. The watchman narrowed his eyes, It can be seen that he did not embarrass or torture Brennan. .”

Thales' eyes moved when he heard this.

impossible!

On the other side, almost died young, so the unwilling d.d blew his dying nose over and over again, while saying indignantly:

I still remember that innocent mistress, her expression before she died - he tortured her, let her blood dry on the bed, just to torture her lover.

D.D blew his nose again, and then returned the handkerchief. Glover held back his disgusted face, and kindly signaled that he could keep it for himself.

In the end, the old man taught me to be a murderous beast, first to kill the classmates, and then to kill the innocent, Doyer said sullenly, and put the handkerchief back in his pocket, Fuck the knight.

Listening to these words, everyone had different thoughts, Thales coughed:

Mira?

Miranda nodded, continued to pace, came to the desk, and pointed to an empty wine glass on it:

The old judge came to his senses and understood what had happened when he saw Lausanne. So while he was dealing with the killer calmly and buying time, he walked to the bookcase and opened the bottle—perhaps it was poisoned wine that had been preserved for many years.

Everyone looked at the wrapped bottle of famous wine, full of surprise.

Paul tutted:

Knowing that there is no escape, why don't you just kill yourself?

It's really kind. Morgan's evaluation was concise and powerful.

Not only, look here, Miranda walked to the corner, pointing to an empty wine glass lying in the corner, the second glass.

Thales' eyes changed.

Yes, Lord Brennan, Miranda sighed, looking at the two cups on the table, he not only drank it himself, but even tried to invite the killer to drink with him.

Everyone was shocked.

In the setting sun, this old man is not only kind, but also a tough guy. Hearing this, Morgan couldn't help but change color.

Glover looked at Brennan's fallen position and shook his head:

Unfortunately it didn't work out.

No, he succeeded!

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be d.d lying on the ground, looking at the second wine glass carefully with disgust and caution:

These are glasses, and there are lip marks on both glasses - the killer must have drunk!

d.d eyes shine:

Lausanne II, he is poisoned! Terribly poisonous!