"For the Kingdom of Scayat, this is an undisputed provocation," said Elder Salda. "The death of the crown prince in a foreign country, especially one as ambitious as the Reles Empire, easily suggests a signal for war. I believe that the moment the King of Scayat received news of the prince's death, he executed the Reles Empire as a hostage in exchange and then began to mobilize his troops for defense. The Reles Empire is no longer trustworthy to them."
"But Reles won't declare war, that would violate the Mercia Convention, and such behavior would invite attacks from the other twelve kingdoms. Although the Reles Empire is powerful, it is not yet strong enough to fight the whole continent alone," Rocky said.
"The Reles Empire will definitely go to war, but it will be for 'revenge' rather than 'invasion.' Revenge is the most justifiable reason for murder in this world," Elder Salda shook his head. "If I'm not mistaken, the investigation will conclude that the prince of Scayat did not die by the hands of the Reles Empire."
"Yes," Rocky was surprised by the intelligence of the wizard. The wizard did not catch the detective like he did, but his analysis of the case was accurate. "The person who killed the prince of Scayat is his guard, Baddorf. I believe the detective has already arrested him."
"He must have been under the control of the wizard's magic," Elder Salda sneered. "As the prince's attendant, even if the master dies, the servant should never take on the duty of murder. The prince's death is of no benefit to him. Logically, he should not be the killer. If they want him to confess, only the wizard can achieve it. And this is something that the other kingdoms of the magical civilization, unlike the Reles Empire, could not have imagined... The key to this series of conspiracies is the five-day period. Even with the use of alchemical messengers, it would take at least three days for communication between the Reles Empire and the Kingdom of Scayat. And the news of the crown prince's death and the revelation of the truth is separated by five days. These five days are enough time for the impulsive King of Scayat, known for his rash actions, to commit a series of foolish mistakes."
"In fact, this is a war that could have been foreseen long ago," Rocky said. "The King of Scayat must have been prepared for this, but he lost in his own 'preparation.' If he had mobilized his troops one step ahead of the Reles Empire, he would have already been defeated."
"That's right. The final news that will be received by the other countries is that the prince of Scayat was killed by his own followers. This is a scandal of Scayat itself, but it has become a challenge to the Reles Empire because of the impulsive reaction of the King of Scayat. The Reles Empire is already famous, and Scayat is digging its own grave."
"But even so, the other kingdoms will not sit idly by. They cannot watch the Reles Empire invade the Kingdom of Scayat for 'revenge'. The twelve kingdoms serve as a constraint on the Reles Empire. Losing even one is digging their own graves. They will do everything possible to help Scayat in secret. For the Reles Empire, this war will still be difficult. Although it is a one-on-one battle in name, it is actually against twelve kingdoms," Rocky furrowed his brow.
"You also mentioned 'in secret,' right? As long as they cannot openly send troops to assist, they will be restricted in many ways. In this premise, the Reles Empire has at least gained a fair opportunity for war, which is what they desperately need after avoiding war by bypassing the Mercia Convention."
"There is another question... To what extent can a wizard control the human mind?"
"That depends on the depth of the wizard's research in this field of magic. If I were to do it, I could probably only make the person under the spell follow the lines and actions that I have pre-arranged. Their speech and behavior would be very stiff and easily noticeable," Elder Salda said. "But there is currently a wizard in the Imperial Magic Guild who has extensive knowledge in this type of magic. He should be able to make it appear more natural, almost without any flaws."
"What is his name?"
"Sinsas Nidell, a newly-promoted wizard. Five years ago, he lost both of his arms when he ambushed your teacher. As a result, his magical power greatly diminished. However, you don't have to worry about him using mind control on you. The protection of a legacy wizard's mind is much higher than anyone else. Even if there were ten Sinsas, they couldn't control you. Besides, he is one of the few wizards who are more interested in politics. But I didn't expect him to get directly involved this time."
"Alright," Rocky stood up. "Thank you for your insight.""A war, that's exactly what you need." Old Selda watched his figure walking towards the door and said calmly, "Seize the opportunity."
"I will." Rocky didn't turn around, opened the door and walked out with Alice.
…
The pouring rain gradually subsided. Leaving the Ancient Bell Library, Rocky's expression remained solemn. Alice was puzzled, "We've solved the mystery, why are you still so worried?"
"I should have thought of it earlier. Fortunately, Selda hinted at me... Xin Sas can mentally control the Prince's guards, naturally he can also control the chief inspector. Franja's confession that day was probably a play he orchestrated." Rocky said, "He still bears a grudge from five years ago and now he's using me to vent his anger."
"Franja didn't tell the truth?"
"She did tell the truth. The chief inspector's plan might indeed be as she said, but the magician they hired won't follow the plan." Rocky narrowed his eyes slightly, "During the subsequent trial, he will make the Prince's guards identify me as the murderer."
Alice felt that Rocky made sense, but she still didn't quite understand, "How did you figure out that Franja was mentally controlled?"
Rocky sighed, "Have you forgotten? How did you find Franja?"
"Magic mark!" Alice understood, "I see, since there's a magician involved, it's impossible not to discover the magic mark you left on Franja."
"But you easily caught Franja. Why did Xin Sas allow her to be captured and provide intelligence to me?" Rocky said, "He wants to stabilize me, making me relax my investigation of the case, and ultimately deal me a fatal blow in court, and by then, I won't be able to turn the tables and can only become a scapegoat."
"This magician has quite the audacity to oppose the Empire. If you were made a criminal, the Empire would have no reason to go to war and would be put in a very awkward diplomatic situation because of it." Alice sighed, "It's not like you cut off his hand, does it really need to come to this?"
"For many magicians, magic is as important as life. A magician who loses his hands and suffers various spell casting restrictions has more than enough reason to be overcome by hatred." Rocky said, "Fortunately, this time we have the most powerful ally. Even if he's a magician, he won't be able to kill me."
"That's true. Even if they don't care about your life, the Reles Empire won't miss the opportunity to go to war." Alice smiled slightly, "What's the plan now?"
"I want to meet that unlucky guard first." Rocky said, "Let's go to the chief inspector's office."
...
The headquarters of the Nomenge chief inspector was not far from the Mercyia Holy Academy. This arrangement was also made to protect the noble students in the academy, who would be the future of the Empire's political scene and must not encounter any mishaps.
The building where the chief inspector was located was named Lier Castle and had a similarly long history as the Mercyia Holy Academy. In the affluent inner circle of the capital city, it was inconspicuous like a stone in a flower bed. Once noticed, it would feel disruptive to the atmosphere. Its overall construction was made of black marble, which justified its location in terms of cost, but the designer seemed to favor angular shapes. The distinct architectural style of Lier Castle, with its sharp corners, could not be ignored from any angle. It was a castle made up of countless stone boxes, so compared to Lier Castle, the name "Square Castle" was more deeply ingrained in people's minds.
Rocky and Alice walked through the hall of the Square Castle, passing under the marble beams. Their arrival did not attract much attention. The people in the chief inspector's office seemed to not even see him. They neither stopped him nor asked any questions. The guard at the door gave him a cold glance and then continued his duty. It was almost impossible for a suspect in a murder case to receive such treatment. It was already good enough that the chief inspector didn't keep an eye on him twenty-four hours a day. This also indicated that Xin Sas was controlling Franja and telling Rocky the truth... if the magician didn't plan to seek revenge.Rocky's memory is quite amazing. Even though he was only here five years ago, he can easily navigate through several identical corridors no matter how they look.
"Do you know where this guy Badov is?" Alice tilted her head and asked.
"Of course, I don't know. He should be in the middle of being casted by a wizard," Rocky said. "But I know where we can find Mers, and he can take us to Badov."
Rocky also noticed by chance when he passed through this corridor five years ago. Mers' office was located on the far left of the fortress, and through the window, one could even see the street outside. This is not considered a reasonable treatment for a special investigator of the Special Investigation Bureau. Such a noisy and bustling location is usually reserved for rookies who have just entered the department. But Mers chose it voluntarily.
"I like rooms facing the street. When I'm tired, I can look outside through the glass and see the crowd, their various expressions, joys and sorrows. Although it's a bit noisy, it can calm my heart." Mers brewed a cup of coffee for Rocky and Alice. "Sorry, I didn't ask what you wanted to drink because I only have coffee here."
"It's okay, anything is fine." Rocky said understandingly. Mers' office was simple yet complex. There were files everywhere, but not many objects. There was a desk, a few chairs, and even no bookshelf or cabinet. The only noticeable items were the coffee pot in the corner and a large bag of coffee beans.
Mers, the famous detective of the Imperial Capital, sat behind his desk, which was piled high with papers and file bags. The various documents partially obscured his face, leaving only his eyes, which were looking at Rocky with a slight smile.
"I have a hunch," Mers smiled, his expression as natural as breathing. "You didn't bring good news."
