Lingering Poison

Chapter 795: 16. Lingering Poison

"I'm more accustomed to working with professionals."

I heard Serrano van der Leif say arrogantly.

Ah, wonderful. She was provoking him again.

To be honest, I had no desire to get involved in this, because the "non-professional" she was so clearly referring to was another Inquisitor.

His name was Alexio Halstrad—one could tell at once from the name that he was an important figure of noble birth, much like my mistress.

However, unlike the long-declined van der Leif family, the Halstrads still retained a place in the Sol System to this day.

Of course, their situation was not much better in reality. It was a renowned family, yet it held no real power, and even its wealth amounted to only two factories—barely enough to cover the annual upkeep and repairs of their ancestral estate.

But roughly twelve centuries ago, the Halstrads had not been reduced to their present state, possessing little beyond their name and honors.

Back then, they had two naval commanders, a high-ranking Departmento Munitorum official, and an Ecclesiarchy bishop. Their web of power had been unmistakable. But everything declined after reaching its peak, and the Halstrad family was no exception.

The commanders died in battle; the official was assassinated by frenzied political enemies because of his policies favoring servicemen; and the bishop marched beside the Death Guard, dying beneath the banner in which he believed.

Strictly speaking, they had all met good ends, but that was no blessing for those left behind. After more than a dozen generations, both power and wealth had vanished, and now the Halstrad family had only the man before me remaining.

He was the last of the last descendants, and also a veteran Inquisitor. I respected him greatly—but my lady clearly held a different opinion.

She did