After listening to the whole story, Rode realized that the person they referred to as the "tumor" was none other than the man with the iron mask, Manolobana.
From the beginning, this guy had been causing trouble for him. Rode initially thought it was because he had offended Manolobana's son, Hablin. But later, he realized that the higher-ups were not that petty. Manolobana was trying to use the End of Days Cult to attack Green Feather, who was protecting him.
It was said that Manolobana was heavily suspected in the Redstone Village case, and Green Feather had used her privileges and reputation as a Guardian to vouch for him.
If Manolobana successfully tarnished Green Feather's reputation, it would not only damage her honor but also make the elders of the Thalorian Council doubt her suitability as the next king. The possibility of considering her during the succession would decrease.
Rode had only recently figured out all these twists and turns. No wonder he, as a major suspect, could freely enter the academy without much trouble, except for the iron mask causing trouble.
However, if he continued to think about it, he would find many strange things.
The only reason for the iron mask's actions was that he wanted to secretly support another candidate. But wasn't his approach too obvious? Not only did he personally suppress Rode, but he also came to persuade him. Wasn't he afraid of being reported?
Didn't the Thalorian's system avoid such things? Didn't they have measures to prevent unfair competition?
This was not about nurturing a poisonous insect. If there were no limits to internal conflicts, humans might self-destruct before external enemies could harm them.
This was obviously not allowed.
From Rode's perspective, the iron mask's behavior was just basic manipulation. He hadn't committed suicide after being attacked eight times, nor did a group of End of Days Cult members come forward calling him their father. This proved that their behavior was still at a relatively primitive stage.
The fact that Raisin and the others were so outraged proved that such things were not normal in the royal city. People had not become accustomed to it yet.
The iron mask's actions not only might not help his supporters but could also drag him down.
If Rode were in his position, he would definitely kick the iron mask, who was a hindrance, away.
The "big event" that Raisin and the others mentioned was directly reporting Manolobana's violation of the laws of the royal city to the Royal City Government Office and being willing to confront him in court.
Rode had no objections, as bringing down the iron mask would remove any obstacles in the investigation, allowing them to quickly uncover the truth, find the culprit, and free him from this mess.
He immediately took out the Spirit Raven Messenger and wrote down the whole story, delivering it to Lauren.
If they could get the help of an official from the Internal Affairs Adjudication Office, their chances of success would greatly increase.
When Raisin and the others heard that Rode could contact an official from the Adjudication Office, they were all very happy.
In the past few days, Manolobana's words had been corroding them like venom, making them feel disgusted. It had a great impact on their faith in fire and their mission to defend the royal city. If they were defending such a group of people, why should they fight? If the royal city was filled with such people, what was the meaning of the sacrifices made by warriors throughout history? Who wouldn't want to live a comfortable life behind high walls?
Only by bringing him down could they get rid of this burden.
While waiting for Lauren's reply, Rode briefly told them about what had happened recently. He mentioned that he had received the First Class Kimberly Star Medal, obtained a Hunter's License, participated in hunting plague monsters, joined the Ash Diggers' archaeological expedition, and cleaned the Iron Cross District's sewers.
Raisin and the others were astonished.
After a while, Alexis sighed, "Truly a special student, we are really not the same species."
Karmon was envious, "Why don't I have such good luck? If I could show off like this, I would definitely find a new girlfriend!"
Raisin knocked on his head.
"Still thinking about that End of Days Cult member? I think you should give up on the other half of your body too."
Karmon's face turned red, "I'm not thinking about her at all, it's just that the residual effects of the ritual haven't been completely cleared."
Rode laughed, "Actually, you can think of her like this. She is an End of Days Cult member, and she is not the same species as us either. She is a person transformed from a giant rat in the sewers. The rat's skin is rotting, yellow pus is flowing in the decaying flesh, and the mold-covered meatballs on her body are like blooming cauliflower. Her head is missing half, and the gray brain matter trembles in the half skull..."
"Ugh!"
Karmon's face turned green.
Obviously, he didn't really not care, and he must have had some other fantasies.
Rode sympathetically patted his shoulder, "It seems like you still need treatment."
"No, he needs to find a new girlfriend."
The three of them burst into laughter. At that moment, a crow emitting a spiritual light flew in through the window and landed on Rode's hand.
Rode took the letter from its back, and the crow chirped, lowered its head, and the spiritual light dissipated, curling up in his hand.
He unfolded the letter, and it read:
Rode,
I'm glad your memory has recovered. Please wait at the Yusef Medical Center, I will arrive soon.
I am aware of the situation with your friends. Manolobana's actions are naturally unacceptable, and he will be investigated and held accountable. Please have them write a formal report, and I will sign my name and submit it to the Royal City Government Office through official channels.
Lauren
After reading the letter, the three of them were very excited. They kept repeating every sentence they were going to write, trying to portray the despicable image of the iron mask.
Rode was a little nervous and constantly considered the perspective from which he provided the information, avoiding irreconcilable contradictions.
After a while, Lauren arrived with six people wearing gray coats. Lauren briefly introduced them as the investigators of the Redstone Village case, which had been troubling them for almost a month. They were eager to obtain new leads.
This was exactly what Rode wanted. Since he deduced that he couldn't be the culprit, he just wanted the case to be solved faster.
After thinking for a moment, using the excuse that he had only partially recovered his memory, Rode provided several key clues:
Baker Street No. 13, the name "Alexis," the evil ritual performed by the End of Days Cult at the crime scene, and the killer's method of crushing the black skull to kill the entire migration team. He even told them about the lightning symbol without reservation.
After listening, one of them suddenly clapped his hands and said, "I know!"
"This is a variant spiritual realm ritual. The original spiritual realm ritual was used to summon evil gods or unknown powerful spiritual realm beings associated with the ritual symbol. After modification, it is used to search for materials hidden in the gaps between the spiritual realm and the mortal world."
"We have seen remnants of this ritual in many places, but we lack the intermediate symbolic signs, so we cannot decipher the purpose of the ritual."
Lauren praised, "Your information is very important. Our investigation can take a big step forward."
"That's right!" one of the gray-coated individuals said, "The Cult of Contamination must be searching for some kind of fragment that is related to the Book of Fated Death they obtained in the ruins. Once they gather all the fragments, they may gain great power and destroy the royal city."
"The sacrificial ritual requires newly deceased souls, fresh blood, and gathering objects of spiritual power. The larger the search range and target, the more sacrifices are needed. This can explain why the size of the rituals varies in different places. The one in Redstone Village must be a very large fragment, which is why so many people needed to be killed."
"The key is to search for the gathering objects of spiritual power. The ritual in Redstone Village directly used redstone, which is not normal. Redstone is one of the worst spiritual materials. The spiritual materials they transported must have been stolen."
"Find the Black Priestess Saimir! She is the key figure!"
"Baker Street No. 13, Alexis, we need to investigate immediately."
With a few words, they dispelled the fog and determined a new target.
Lauren nodded, "Rode, you have made another contribution."
Rode smiled, "If I solve the case, can I be rewarded with a house in the Upper City?"
A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled.
Lauren laughed, "We'll see. If you can personally capture the three leaders of the Cult of Contamination, even the old royal palace can be yours."
After that, he met with Raisin and the others, carefully listened to their account of the whole process, read the report they wrote, made some modifications, and signed his name.
Rode also signed his name.
Lauren put away the letter.
"If there is any new information, I will notify you."
He turned around and walked out of the Yusef Medical Center with the six people.
(=)
