Work Prophet

Chapter 165 - 13: The Death of Ruse

(Correction, Ireya did not yet know that Ona was the shadowy figure behind the election, the previous Chapter has been modified accordingly.)

"You’re not talking about that dragon again?" Ireya asked in astonishment, "But what else could be scarier than that dragon?"

The old man didn’t answer her question immediately but instead said, "Do you know why I favored Blanco over you to become the head of the Arias family?"

"What are you talking about? Didn’t you cast your vote for me?" the girl frowned.

"But I had Torres change his vote to Blanco," Ona said, "And your uncle Antonio, it was I who had him vote for your brother too. So, do you still want me to devise strategies for you?"

"So all this was orchestrated by you?" Ireya exclaimed in shock, "Then, when my stepmother later sent an assassin after me, did you know about it as well?"

The old woman first nodded, then shook her head, "Your stepmother didn’t intend to take your life. After the election ended, she came to me to discuss how to remedy the situation. She planned to have those mercenaries kidnap you for a while.

"Once Blanco took control of Teacup Castle and became the new lord of Green Field, she would release you, forcing you to ’voluntarily’ renounce the position of head of the Arias family."

"And you agreed to this despicable plan?" Ireya said incredulously, "What if I had refused to comply? You would have killed me then, wouldn’t you?"

"No, you are my great-granddaughter, my bottom line was that there were no casualties in the Arias family. We would find someone to secretly send you away from the Bratis Continent," Ona explained.

"How very merciful!" the girl said with a cold laugh.

"That is why I was unwilling to choose you at that time," Ona sighed.

"Because I refuse to be your puppet?"

"Because you are too kind and righteous. If you had lost the election, you, despite being heartbroken, would not have done what your brother and stepmother did."

"Oh... So the reason I can’t become the new head of the Arias family is that I am too kind and righteous? And you wouldn’t want the family in the hands of someone who is kind and righteous?"

The young woman’s chest heaved dramatically, and she had to close her eyes, taking a while to slightly calm her heartbeat. Then she opened her eyes and said, "How ironic! Since when has kindness and integrity become derogatory terms?"

"For ordinary people, kindness and integrity are indeed wonderful qualities; however, for a lord, they might not be," Ona noted.

"Really? But my father, Ruse, was a kind and righteous lord. His subjects and vassals loved him, and Marquis Kuren also held him in high regard," Ireya argued.

"And then he died."

"He died in an accident, that doesn’t prove that kindness and integrity are harmful."

"How do you know it was an accident?" the old woman countered.

"It’s well known that Sir Caroman was a close friend of my father’s, and they had both been drinking heavily that day. It was my father who suggested they spar a bit with Sir Caroman, who agreed, and they went out to the open space outside the castle.

"They took their positions, but a servant from the Viel family mistakenly handed Sir Caroman a Hand Half Sword with a sharp blade instead of a practice one, leading to that unfortunate accident.

"At the time, apart from my father and Sir Caroman, there were about a dozen guests present. They witnessed the entire event. Unless they were all lying, that is the truth of the matter—a reckless competition, a careless attendant, all brewed into a tragedy that could have been avoided."

"If you live to my age, you will know that even what you see with your own eyes might not necessarily be the truth," Ona said.

"Then what is the truth?"

"I don’t know," the elderly man said, "but indeed, I do know something that others don’t. For instance, your father had a very private meeting with Hels, the second son of Marquis Kuren, several days before his death. They talked for a long time.

"There was even a fierce quarrel during the meeting. Your father eventually left the meeting abruptly and in anger."

"Are you implying that people from the Marquis Mansion are involved in my father’s death?"

"Sir Caroman was not only your father’s good friend but also a close friend of Hels. In fact, they spent much more time together than Sir Caroman did with your father. Ruse had just had a confrontation with Hels, and then turned around and was accidentally killed by Caroman. Do you really think this is just a coincidence?"

The girl was stunned, and after a moment, she exclaimed, "Such crucial information, why didn’t you reveal it earlier?!"

"Because the matter involved is too dangerous."

"Dangerous? How dangerous can it be?"

"Marquis Kuren’s eldest son, David, has always been regarded by outsiders as the next successor of the Figrola family. However, Marquis’s second son, Hels, clearly isn’t content to be overlooked. He approached your father, likely plotting to become the new master of the western lands.

"And Hels didn’t just represent himself. He must know he couldn’t match his brother in many aspects, and in a fair competition, his chances of winning were slim, so he sought help from a third-party force."

"A third-party force? Is there really a power in the western lands bold enough to meddle in the internal affairs of the Figrola family? Could it be those people from the Immanuel family?" the girl asked, puzzled.

"No, it’s people from the Royal Capital."

"People from the Royal Capital, wait... you mean it might be Sir Leo, the third son of Prince Timothy? Recently, he’s the only major figure from the Royal Capital who has visited the western lands." Ireya couldn’t help but gasp, "Hels’s backer was the Royal Family?

"But, but Sir Leo clearly had a better relationship with David. They even came to my dinner party in Green Field together, chatting and laughing during the event."

"As I’ve said, even what you see with your own eyes might not necessarily be the truth," Ona said, "especially those nobles from the Royal Capital. They are very skilled at disguising themselves."

"To think I previously thought highly of Sir Leo, who spoke up for me at the Marquis Mansion, only to find he might be involved in my father’s death!"

The more Ireya thought about it, the angrier she became, "No, I have to confront Sir Caroman about this!"

"He will not tell you the truth."

"Then I’ll bring troops to surround his Acorn Castle and force him to reveal the truth."

"That’s exactly why I was originally reluctant to tell you these things. Our army is not much stronger than the Viel family’s army. You won’t be able to take Acorn Castle. Even if you could, do you think Hels would just watch this happen?

"Not to mention, we still need the Figrola family’s support right now. We need their men to help us deal with the dragon in the swamp," the old man reminded.