Chapter 25 -

“Apologies!”

Julia bolted upright with a swiftness that surprised everyone.

Once the weight lifted off his chest, Amon brushed the dust off himself and got to his feet. Thankfully, aside from a few bruises, he was unharmed.

“Ahem.”

Eloise cleared her throat and delivered a sharp blow to the back of the man’s knees, forcing him to kneel.

“This man attempted to attack you, Commander.”

“I saw it too!” Marvin chimed in.

Amon approached the man, towering over him. His appearance was nondescript—an average face, an unremarkable build, and even the sword that had clattered to the ground was utterly ordinary. Without Julia’s intervention, Amon would’ve subdued him easily. The man was no real threat.

“Why did you attack me?”

The man gave no response. Though his face was unfamiliar, his bloodshot eyes glared at Amon with intense hatred.

“Do you know me? I don’t recall ever seeing you before.”

The man scoffed. “Whether I know you or not is irrelevant.”

“Then what is relevant?”

The man clamped his mouth shut again, prompting Boyd to strike his thigh with the flat of his blade.

“Argh!”

Amon’s track record of resolving countless incidents within the capital meant he had arrested an untold number of criminals. Including their families, the number of people who might hold a grudge was considerable.

Yet, something about this man suggested his attack wasn’t born of personal vendetta.

“Are you the arsonist who set fire to the general store?”

“You’ll never know,” the man spat venomously. His tone was akin to a curse.

“You’ll never understand. My master will—ugh!”

“What’s this now?”

Suddenly, the man convulsed violently. Eloise, startled, released her hold, but the thrashing didn’t stop.

“Gah, urgh!”

The man clutched his chest, writhing on the ground.

“Hey!”

Eloise’s alarmed shout was the last sound before the man’s body went limp.

“What the...?”

Eloise hurriedly checked the man’s pulse, her expression darkening.

“His heart... it’s stopped. I swear I didn’t do anything. He just suddenly...”

While Eloise stammered, Boyd knelt beside the corpse and examined it closely.

“Considering how abruptly he collapsed, it looks like cardiac arrest. I don’t see any external injuries.”

Cardiac arrest? So suddenly?

Amon confirmed the man’s death himself, his face grim. Without delay, he began issuing orders.

“Eloise, examine the body and the scene thoroughly. Boyd, instruct the mercenaries to keep watch near the general store. Marvin, inform the Order about this incident.”

“Yes, sir.”

The three quickly moved to carry out their tasks. Amon gave Julia a brief nod before stepping into a nearby alleyway. Julia followed him shortly after, her expression tense. The narrow, dark alley carried an unsettling air.

“This is strange,” Amon said abruptly.

Julia nodded. “It’s clear. This incident is connected to the Duke of Bolev's case. I heard earlier that the explosive materials were found in a cart bound for the Duke’s estate.”

“You’re saying this was meant for the Duke’s household but somehow failed?”

“It’s possible. Or perhaps it failed on purpose.”

Julia shrugged, her face clouded with worry. “The attack on you may have been orchestrated by the true culprit.”

“But no one could have predicted I’d come here today. How could they have known...?”

If not for Julia’s insistence on joining the investigation this morning, Amon wouldn’t have been here. The arsonist’s actions had to be spur-of-the-moment.

Julia, deep in thought, hesitantly spoke. “Sir Spencer, everyone knows you’re the Commander of the Blue Order and that you’re leading the Bolev case. And... they also know you lost your parents as a child.”

“You think the culprit is aware of these details and deliberately targeted me?”

“Exactly. The arsonist likely knew this too and acted out of a twisted sense of loyalty to their master.”

Amon recalled the arsonist’s final words. His demeanor suggested a purpose far beyond personal vendetta.

“In that case, his sudden cardiac arrest might’ve been due to excessive loyalty. He could’ve carried poison to avoid capture.”

“I’m not so sure...” Julia murmured.

“Before he died, didn’t it seem like he was trying to say something? He looked too startled for it to have been self-inflicted.”

“Are you suggesting someone else killed him?”

“It wouldn’t be surprising if the true culprit had more accomplices. They might’ve silenced him.”

Amon replayed the moments before the arsonist’s death. The only people close enough to administer poison were Eloise, Boyd, and Marvin.

“Surely you’re not suspecting our own knights?”

“I’m just saying it’s a possibility. One of them could be working for the real culprit.”

“That’s absurd,” Amon said firmly. The knights were members of the Blue Order, comrades he trusted deeply. He couldn’t entertain the thought lightly.

An uneasy silence filled the alley.

“Commander Spencer?”

A voice called from the alley’s entrance. Amon looked up, recognizing faces that shouldn’t be there.

“You’re here.”

The knights were supposed to be back at the Order’s headquarters. Amon frowned.

“How did you find me? Did Marvin send you?”

“No, sir. We were sent by the Council of Elders.”

“The Council? At this hour?”

Amon’s expression darkened. The Council rarely summoned him for anything positive, and urgent summons like this were even more foreboding.

“Did they say why?”

The lead knight stepped closer, lowering his voice. “It is regarding the Bolev case.”

“What?”

The Council was notorious for their concern over the Order’s reputation. A murder involving a high-ranking noble family wouldn’t escape their scrutiny.

But why now, of all times?

“They said it’s urgent. You need to attend immediately.”

The knight’s words left Amon with little choice but to comply. He sighed, walking over to Julia.

“Lady Julia, I must go.”

“Where to?”

“The Council has summoned me. It’s not something I can refuse.”

Though Julia likely didn’t know who the Council was, there was no time to explain.

“I’ll consider everything you’ve told me.”

“All right.”

“Please, don’t stay alone. Go straight to the Order. Understood?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“If anything happens, find Carlyle.”

“I will.”

As Amon turned to leave, Julia caught his sleeve.

“Sir Spencer.”

Her small hand trembled. Amon glanced at it, then back at her face.

“Lady?”

“Please be careful. If today’s events were truly not a coincidence, then there may be more people after you.”

Her composed facade barely hid her concern. Witnessing someone’s death and encountering armed threats weren’t things she dealt with daily.

“So please...”

Julia’s voice wavered as she continued, “Don’t go alone. If something like this happens again—”

“Lady.”

Amon interrupted gently, placing his hand over hers. He carefully removed her grip and smiled.

“Don’t worry. I promise not to die before I catch the culprit.”

|| Prev || Toc || Next ||