Chapter Sixty: Bloodfiend Progenitor: We Can't Investigate Everything-What If We Find Something?

This kind of ending... couldn't really be called a botched ending, could it? But given Humphrey's personality—someone who wouldn't make even minor mistakes—there was no way he would have left evidence behind. Making him exit on those grounds felt rather forced.

Just as the audience was thinking this, the Intelligence Director in the show seemed to have read everyone's minds and immediately doubled back, saying that the possibility of Humphrey being a spy was extremely slim.

"But I have no doubts about his loyalty. It is far more likely that he merely..."

"—Was grossly negligent." Theresis smiled as well. In just a few words, Humphrey's crisis seemed to have been resolved, and the atmosphere abruptly relaxed.

Afterward, the Intelligence Director suggested that Theresis could put the Bloodborne Archon on "gardening leave" for the time being, avoiding any open investigation that might alert the media.

And Theresis could not simply ignore the matter. If the Bloodborne Archon truly turned out to be a spy in the future, then Theresis, as Prime Minister, might even be suspected of "covering it up." If such a scandal broke out, Victoria's Civil Service System would undoubtedly be thrown into enormous turmoil.

"I simply cannot believe that one of ours could be one of theirs." The Intelligence Director still found the situation unbelievable and said,

"But if two of ours are both theirs..."

"Then all of us might become..."

"—All of them." Theresis nodded with lingering fear, looking thoroughly shaken. Accompanied by the canned laughter, the previously tense atmosphere was completely dissolved.

"...An Intelligence Director and a Cabinet Secretary. If both leaders are Ursus spies, then the entire Victoria Civil Service System, from top to bottom, is under suspicion of harboring spies."

On the landship, Vina watched the scene and felt the astonished, suspicious looks from her Rhodes Island and Lungmen companions around her. Her face burned in waves, and she felt utterly humiliated.

As the Crown Princess, Vina could only think of how her country's embarrassing affairs were now being broadcast not only throughout Victoria, but also in front of comrades she was fighting alongside. Victoria, once ruled by her ancestors, had exposed its most shameful side for all to see. She wanted to sink into the ground.

"That Chen Qi... how does he know so many secrets?! I have to get a clear answer from him later!"

It was not because she wanted to hold him accountable. Vina had no right to question why a Yan national had exposed Victoria's scandals like this. But as a Victorian, and as the Crown Princess, she had a duty to find out where Chen Qi had learned so many secrets.

Either he was a once-in-a-millennium political genius, or senior officials within Victoria's Civil Service System had leaked all that information to him. She had to get to the bottom of it!

Leaking information internally among Victorians was one thing, but revealing that many secrets to a foreigner was treason!

And this was not even over. If Chen Qi had been there, he would surely have comforted Vina—The even more embarrassing parts are still coming. This is nothing yet.

Sure enough, the scene shifted, and the trio appeared in the office once more. Theresis said with an unwilling expression,

"I can scarcely believe it. Our approval rating has dropped another three points."

"Not the government's, Prime Minister. Your personal approval rating." Standing before Theresis, the Bloodborne Archon analyzed the matter solemnly, then comforted Theresis, who was puzzled about what he had done wrong to cause the drop.

"A low approval rating usually means you are doing the right thing."

It was another thought-provoking line. Ablana of Deep Pool wrote it down almost immediately. Though she did not understand it either, she felt that Chen Qi would certainly explain why once she found him.

Yet the rulers and high-ranking officials from various nations who were following Yes, Prime Minister could understand what it meant.

Doing practical work inevitably harmed certain people's interests. Even policies enacted for the public could displease some citizens and cause approval ratings to fall.

On the other hand, low public approval was, in a sense, proof to civil servants that the Prime Minister had chosen the side of the "nation" over the "people." Thus, it was understandable that public dissatisfaction would lead to lower approval ratings.

What amused them even more was that Theresis believed his approval rating had dropped because people were unhappy about the suspension of military spending cuts. But the Bloodborne Archon merely chuckled.

"To be honest, Prime Minister, I do not think military expenditure is today's hottest topic of conversation across the nation."

"According to the mass media, it is probably the Perro that went missing from the artillery range."

"???" XN

For a while, the Bloodborne Archon's words left nearly everyone aside from ordinary civilian viewers and seasoned political figures—Amiya, the Imperial Guard, Ablana, and others—in prolonged confusion.

...Could it be that, to the public, military spending mattered less than a dog?

The Bloodborne Archon: You Can't Investigate Everything—What If You Actually Find Something?

Clearly, the fact that a missing Perro drew more attention than the nation's military budget seemed utterly incomprehensible to anyone who was neither a common civilian nor a politician or civil servant who had governed a country for years.

For a time, figures such as Amiya, leader of Rhodes Island, and Ablana of Deep Pool—anyone who had never dealt with similar matters—found the phenomenon completely baffling.

For a moment, even the thought "Are all Victorians idiots?" surfaced in their minds.

"I think it is perfectly normal." However, Vina, who had spent so many years among the slums and gangs, understood why this happened and said calmly,

"Most matters of state have nothing to do with ordinary people. Unless they directly affect the citizens' interests, like tax cuts, most Victorians simply do not care about national policy."

"Everyone just wants to live their own lives. News that does not greatly affect their lives cannot attract their attention as much as something they can relate to... That is probably the only insight I gained from all those years in the slums."

Her years in the slums had taught Vina most deeply that, aside from policies that benefited the people, everything else meant little to ordinary citizens.

If one wanted public support, the best way was to directly make a tangible impact on their present lives. Most people simply muddled their way through to the next day. Giving them another piece of bread or another glass of beer at tomorrow's table was more useful to them than anything else.

Just as Yes, Prime Minister showed, most citizens had no idea what effect reducing military expenditure would have. Yet the handling of a missing Perro could allow people to more directly feel the government's attitude toward them.

It was just that... the government was indeed unlikely to intervene in such a matter. The returns were too small, while the costs would be high. Even Hark, who cared greatly about approval ratings and votes, had not chosen to boost his approval by rescuing a Perro. That said enough.

However, while Vina could grasp this principle, Ablana of Deep Pool drew an entirely different conclusion.

"Count Warwick once said... the public is ignorant. To lead the public, you need to do things that make them happy. They do not understand what truly matters. Small favors are what they seek."

"Is Chen Qi conveying the same message? Are the Victorian citizens in Yes, Prime Minister... truly as the Count taught me?"

Yet Ablana increasingly felt that many of the messages and views Chen Qi conveyed through Yes, Prime Minister echoed her own beliefs. She was overjoyed.

The image of inviting Chen Qi to Deep Pool and having him use his methods of propaganda to drive Deep Pool's forces forward without resistance became clearer and clearer in her mind.

Returning to the plot, the Prime Minister played by Theresis sent Manfred away, intending to speak with the Bloodborne Archon alone about the suspicions that he was a spy.

"Humphrey, there is something I need to discuss with you privately. Something... highly confidential."

However, Theresis seemed unsure how to begin and hesitated awkwardly. Seeing the Prime Minister before him struggling to speak, the Bloodborne Archon said,

"Would it be easier for you to talk if I left as well?"

Clearly, the Bloodborne Archon still had no idea what he was about to face. Yet his interruption gave Theresis an opening, and he immediately said,

"A few years ago, there was a security investigation. Do you remember Sir John, the former Intelligence Director?"

"—Of course I remember. To be honest, I personally led that investigation." Mentioning his work, the Bloodborne Archon was obviously full of confidence. Naturally unaware that the former Intelligence Director had been a spy, the Bloodborne Archon immediately admitted several facts.

"First, Sir John was one of ours. He had been a close friend of mine for many years. Second, the whole thing was stirred up by the media."

"Third, the principle of an internal security investigation is that it must uncover no evidence whatsoever."

"A government security investigation merely exists to dispel media rumors, allowing the Prime Minister to announce in the House of Commons, 'After a thorough investigation, these accusations have been found to be entirely without evidence.'"

"Cough, cough, cough!"

The sudden turn made Vina, the Crown Princess, completely lose her composure. The plot had just been seriously discussing Humphrey's suspected espionage, only to suddenly take another jab at Victoria. Unprepared for it, Vina choked.

"If I ever get the chance... internal security investigations must be reformed too."

Vina was now practically treating Yes, Prime Minister as a "mirror that revealed demons" within Victoria's Civil Service System. Anything Chen Qi mocked in the show was something Vina would need to change and rectify herself if she ever returned to the throne.

"But what if you actually uncover something suspicious?" Theresis continued pressing him. The Bloodborne Archon sensed no danger at all and replied jokingly,

"Prime Minister, everything in government is suspicious—sending Bernard away to speak to me privately is suspicious enough."

"But in any case, that affair was utter nonsense. A typical case of the Victorian press stirring things up."

"So it was impossible for Sir John to have passed intelligence to Ursus?" Theresis understood the implication. Looking at the utterly confident Bloodborne Archon, he also roughly concluded that the man truly was unlikely to be a spy.

But this was a wonderful opportunity to tease him. At that moment, both the character played by Theresis and Theresis himself were more than happy to seize the chance for a little revenge.

"Would you stake your reputation on it?"

"Without question!"

"I see..." At last, a smile of successful scheming appeared on Theresis's face. Looking at the Bloodborne Archon, who had already fallen into the trap, he finally revealed the truth.

"Well, I regret to inform you that for most of his time in office—he was an Ursus spy."

The moment Theresis finished speaking, the Bloodborne Archon's previously confident expression froze completely. After a flicker of panic, he quickly reacted and asked,

"—I do not believe it. Who says so?"

"He did. He left all the documents to the government, including a detailed confession. Intelligence has verified everything, from beginning to end."

"But... dear heavens, he... I mean, he was..."

However, Theresis's words cut off the Bloodborne Archon's final avenue of retreat. Now realizing it was undoubtedly true, the Bloodborne Archon gradually understood the seriousness of the matter... and how it implicated him.

Sure enough, Theresis immediately questioned why the Bloodborne Archon had cleared the former Intelligence Director so quickly, listing numerous suspicious details.

"He once stayed in Kazimierz for an unusually long time. Not long afterward, several Intelligence agents were arrested."

"He was also constantly spending time with a Kazimierz interpreter..."

"That interpreter was an Ursus spy! Yes, we know!" To clear himself of suspicion, the Bloodborne Archon fought to salvage the situation.

"Most Kazimierz interpreters are Ursus spies—unless they are Gaulish spies."

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The Bloodborne Archon's words immediately provoked uproarious laughter throughout Londinium. Meanwhile, in Kazimierz, the senior officials of the Supervision Committee, who were also watching Yes, Prime Minister through special channels, all darkened in expression. The smiles had instantly moved onto other people's faces.

What did it have to do with them?! Yet every older Supervision Committee official understood exactly what it meant. Kazimierz survived between Ursus and Victoria not merely through formidable military strength, but also through its use of spies.

However, while the Supervision Committee had firm resolve to survive between two great powers, the spies under its command might not. Thus, quite a few Kazimierz spies really did earn money from multiple sides, acting simultaneously as triple agents for Kazimierz, Ursus, and Victoria...

But how did he know that dark piece of history? For a moment, the Supervision Committee suspected that there was a traitor within their ranks. Was that kind of intelligence something that could be made public?

"You never investigated at all." In the show, Theresis accused the Bloodborne Archon of gross negligence. Facing his excuses, he continued,

"Three months later, she moved to Victoria and settled at the Royal Guard Academy, one hundred and thirty meters from Sir John's home. They later became neighbors for eleven years."

"Oh dear..."

This evidence instantly left the Bloodborne Archon without an excuse. He had repeatedly emphasized that he was busy and had never had the time, but he had failed to notice evidence spanning eleven years.

But the Bloodborne Archon could absolutely not admit to negligence. In his panic, he blurted out a classic line worthy of another piece of "intangible cultural heritage":

"You cannot investigate everything, can you? What if you actually find something?"

The Bloodborne Archon was clearly beginning to talk incoherently, desperately trying to distance himself from the matter. Yet the more he explained, the darker it became.

"John gave me his word. A gentleman's word!"

"Never mind, Humphrey. I have a new question." Theresis did not want to listen to the Bloodborne Archon's excuses any longer, because he knew the man was most likely not a spy. He instead went all out in teasing him, eagerly awaiting his reaction.

"And that question is you."

"Me? You mean... you cannot possibly think..."

However, the moment Theresis said that, the Bloodborne Archon froze briefly before immediately understanding what he meant. Knowing that everything before had involved him and that he could not possibly clear himself of suspicion, he struggled for a long time before finally squeezing out,

"—I cannot speak a word of Ursus!"

"HAHAHAHAHA!" XN

The Bloodborne Archon's delayed excuse sent all the viewers into laughter. This time, even Vina, Chen Huijie, and the others aboard the landship could not stop laughing.

Even Logos, the rare male banshee, showed an unusual faint smile. Watching the Bloodborne Archon on television, torn and unable to find a way to defend himself, he murmured,

"Bloodborne Archon... I never thought I would see you looking so flustered. You are not supposed to be someone skilled at acting."

"Could it be that this scene only worked because he genuinely imagined himself as a traitor?"

That was what Logos thought. And he was not alone. Many Sarkaz who knew the Bloodborne Archon was the actor were equally amused to see him in such an awkward position. Seeing his expression, as though he had grievances he could not voice, they wanted to laugh but did not dare make a sound, fearing that the Bloodborne Archon would drag them off to have their blood drained the next day.

Naturally, Theresis in the show had no intention of letting the Bloodborne Archon off. Without caring how hard those Sarkaz were suppressing their laughter, he pressed aggressively,

"It follows that it was either negligence or collusion."

"Collusion?! I assure you, Prime Minister, there was absolutely no collusion!" Knowing that collaborating with an enemy was far deadlier than negligence, the Bloodborne Archon immediately refuted it.

"A gentleman's assurance?"

"Of course!" The Bloodborne Archon added with forced composure, "A gentleman of the Royal Private University!"

The Bloodborne Archon immediately distanced himself from the Royal Guard Academy. After all, the academy was not only connected to the former Intelligence Director, but had also faced criticism from the start—its proportion of foreign students was simply too high, and statistics showed that at least half of its graduates had not chosen to become Guard operators.

Thus, rumors had always claimed that the Royal Guard Academy was "training enemies for Victoria." With the Bloodborne Archon acting like this, one could imagine that its future enrollment rate might be affected...

Inside the television, however, neither Theresis nor the Bloodborne Archon knew anything about it, nor did they know how much impact their actions would have on that academy. Theresis merely changed the subject and asked,

"How is the garden at home?"

"Ah, that—" Before the Bloodborne Archon could answer, his expression suddenly changed. Realizing something, he turned toward Theresis with alarm and, for the first time, pleaded,

"Prime Minister, I beg you, do not put me on gardening leave..."

"Why?"

"I have to preserve my reputation!"

"You just staked your reputation on the former Intelligence Director's innocence."