Connor's Suspicion

The scimitar itself was beautiful; its golden hilt was long and slender, and the scabbard was inlaid with small, water-blue gemstones. The blade radiated a biting chill, having no doubt been soaked in countless amounts of blood.

However, why would he hand this to him?

Theus watched the departing rowboat and couldn't help but yawn.

It was already dark, and he had been busy for an entire day... He hadn't slept at all last night!

Seeing that Alexei didn't take it, Theus shoved the blade into his arms: "This scimitar is yours. I see you like wearing a military uniform, and you're missing a blade at your waist."

Alexei subconsciously looked down at the scimitar in his hands. It was Jeremiah's sidearm. Although that pirate captain had been filthy, this scimitar was impeccably clean and well-maintained; one could tell at a glance that it was something he treasured dearly.

He stood there, stunned.

"What, were you scared witless by the pirates?" Theus smiled. "There will be plenty to keep you busy later, so hurry back."

After saying this, he walked straight toward a spot not far away where Connor was leading a horse. Theus mounted it with movements that had grown more practiced, then pulled the reins while yawning.

The horse trotted away, carrying the two of them.

"...Young Master, he is still standing there."

Connor said in a low voice.

Theus turned his head to look at the pier. In the glow of the setting sun, Alexei stood motionless with the scimitar, lost in thought.

As if sensing Theus's gaze, Alexei slowly drew the scimitar. With a flick of his wrist, the evening glow shimmered on the blade as it traced an arc through the air, coming to a stop against his chest.

He then bowed slightly toward Theus and sheathed the blade.

This was the gesture used by the imperial military to salute a superior officer, but weren't they both civil officials?

This chief clerk was truly interesting.

Theus waved his hand and rode off into the distance.

"It's clear he really likes that scimitar," Connor remarked with a sigh.

"Indeed," Theus nodded. "Perhaps his family background isn't great; I can give him a raise."

Connor hesitated, not speaking, but instead urged the horse to leave with Theus.

--The chief clerk serving the Count of the Frontier was paid by the imperial family and was responsible only to them.

For Theus to pay Alexei directly was, strictly speaking, bribery and a violation of imperial law.

But what did that have to do with him, a butler? He was Theus's butler, not the Empress's; his master's master was not his master.

Alexei glanced at the scimitar in his hand; he did indeed like this blade very much.

What was this? Buying off his loyalty? He smiled and shook his head.

This lord acted strangely, but he didn't dislike him.

As for whether he could gain a foothold on this treacherous Storm Ocean? Alexei was curious, and full of anticipation.

"Forget it, I'll just work harder from now on, if only for the sake of this blade."

The pier fell silent once more. The faint, glowing lights in the distant sea reflected the moon rising in the night sky, quiet and serene.

Theus returned to the manor, dealt with the butler's inquiries perfunctorily, handed him a few blueprints, and instructed Connor to find a blacksmith to see if they could be forged before collapsing onto his bed to sleep.

The butler, Connor, felt a bit helpless. There were actually many things he wanted to understand, but for now, he could only wait until Theus woke up.

Young Master Theus's behavior over the past two days made him feel like a stranger. The young master of the past would never have personally negotiated with those pirates, let alone taken over the management of the territory.

But this change... was not bad.

Connor looked at the blueprints in his hands.

"Blast furnace? Steam engine?"

Connor didn't understand these things well; he only felt that the blueprints looked very complex, and he didn't know if the old blacksmith on the island could handle them.

Tucking the blueprints into his coat, Connor sighed, thinking of what had happened a short while ago.

He had been woken up this morning by a flustered maid.

He knew that maid; her name was Zoe. She had been taking care of Young Master Theus back on Duke Cohen's estate, and this time, coming to Castel Island had been at the young master's strong insistence.

This was actually against the rules. Male nobles generally didn't choose maids as their personal servants; it would invite ridicule and easily lead to trouble.

For instance, during activities like hunting, it wasn't very convenient to have her around to attend to his daily needs.

But Young Master Theus... the old master was a bit too doting on him.

Connor sighed. Perhaps there was some secret affair between Theus and Zoe, but that was the young master's private business; he would neither interfere nor pry.

A qualified butler should ask less and do more—this was the experience he had gathered over his decades-long career as a butler.

But not taking the initiative to pry didn't mean he was completely in the dark.

Therefore, while Young Master Theus was unconscious, he had arranged for Zoe to keep watch, knowing she would certainly be diligent and responsible.

So, when he saw the panicked expression on Zoe's face, his heart skipped a beat.

Sure enough, something had gone wrong.

Young Master Theus had gone missing.

Connor immediately organized the servants to search the manor thoroughly, and he personally went to the bedroom of Theus to look for clues.

The result was strange; there were absolutely no signs of an intrusion within the manor.

There were no unusual traces in the bedroom of Theus either; the windows were shut tight, and there were no signs of the door lock being pried open.

The night watchmen outside the manor could not have been the problem, and as for the servants, Connor questioned them one by one, and their accounts all corroborated each other; it did not seem like they had been bought off.

Then how did Theus go missing?

Contrary to what most people imagine, kidnapping the master of a house from a residence that is occupied and guarded is an almost impossible task to complete.

All successful cases in history were accomplished with the cooperation of an inside man.

For this reason, Connor immediately detained everyone in the manor to conduct a screening one by one.

He did not alert the soldiers outside because he did not want to make a scene, and besides, mobilizing soldiers required the approval of the Chief Clerk Alexei, who was a man of the royal family.

Furthermore, mobilizing soldiers would not be very effective; instead, it would be more likely to allow people within the manor to fish in troubled waters and smuggle Theus out.

Yes, from the very first moment the incident occurred, Connor suspected that Theus was still inside the manor.

Even with an inside man cooperating to kidnap Theus, it would be very difficult to transport him out of the manor immediately; the night watchmen within the manor were absolutely reliable, and it was nearly impossible to bypass them.

To be able to strike at a lord like Theus, the opposing side must have a tightly organized group. Who could it be?

Gem Bay? That group of pirates would do anything, but their preferred method was to sail their fleet right up to your face and demand money; besides, they were arriving today, and negotiations were about to begin soon.

Several of the old Duke's rivals? Perhaps it was possible, but was Theus really that important? The old Duke doted on Theus, but he was not yet senile enough to commit a grave error for the sake of an illegitimate son.

Then, could it be...

Connor's gaze drifted past the window and landed in the distance.

There stood a high spire, and at the very top of the roof was a metal plaque engraved with an image.

A lit candle, burning quietly in the dark of the night.

That was the symbol of the church; that was the cathedral of the Candlelight Society.