The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 138: More Innocent

Chapter 138: More Innocent

Edward frowned when he heard the question. The queen had said that no one had been identified yet. Although there were a few suspects, there was no evidence against anyone.

Those with motives lacked the ability to poison the king or obtain such a rare poison. Those with the ability lacked the motive. The conclusion was that the culprit had been extremely careful and left no loopholes.

The queen was now betting that the person behind it all had their eyes on the throne. It would only be during this period of tension that they might grow anxious and make a mistake.

"No useful leads yet," Prince Edward replied, then went on to explain the situation to the second prince just as the queen had written it to him.

"If those with motives lack the ability, and those with ability lack the motive, why not investigate the relationship between these groups? Something might come up," Prince Lucan suggested. Of course, he wanted to find whoever was targeting their family and deal with them.

"If you have thought of this, then Father and Mother must have as well. There’s really no leak or evidence. Everyone around Father has been investigated. Nothing turned up. According to Mother, it was thanks to the seer that Father managed to live this long. Otherwise, he would have died a few days after I left for the north," Prince Edward explained.

The queen had sent a lot of information she wanted her son to be cautious in the coming days.

"The seer?" Prince Lucan frowned. He had always found the seer suspicious. Though the man had served by the king’s side for many years, Lucan still believed that those who used sorcery could not be fully trusted. There were many history books in the royal library about kings who fell because of the magicians and sorcerers around them.

Some kings even dared to seek immortality and committed all manner of evils, only to end up mad or dying miserably.

There was once a king from an eastern kingdom rumored to be powerful because he had a magician who made him invulnerable to knives and arrows. He reigned for ten years and was greatly feared, but in the end, he was betrayed by that very magician. It turned out that the so-called loyal servant had been using the king as a test subject. Once he was no longer useful, the magician exposed the king’s weaknesses, leading to his death.

The official record claimed the magician had revealed the king’s secret to his enemies. Yet, there were darker rumors that the magician had been using the king to raise a rare worm that granted abilities, a creature that required royal blood to grow. When it matured, the magician vanished with the worm, leaving the king vulnerable and easily defeated.

Though the second version was only a rumor, Prince Lucan believed it to be true. After all, the king had brought prosperity to his kingdom, and they would never record such a shameful end for him officially.

Not to mention those charlatans with no real power who still managed to deceive even wise kings. While Prince Lucan believed his father was smart and not easily fooled, that didn’t mean the seer was beyond suspicion.

In Lucan’s opinion, a seer was even more dangerous than a magician. Someone who could see the future could easily manipulate others to their advantage.

If the seer was truly loyal, he was an asset to the kingdom. But if he harbored any greed, then the royal family was doomed.

"Did Mother investigate the seer?" Lucan asked after a moment. He still felt that the seer might not be loyal.

After all, a man’s enemy could very well be someone within his own household or among his most trusted friends.

"You doubt the seer?" Prince Edward frowned. He knew how much their father valued the man. He also didn’t think the seer had any reason to betray the king or their family. They were on the same side. His father honored the seer greatly there was truly no reason to suspect him. Moreover, according to their mother, it was thanks to the seer that the king had lived a few days longer.

When he returned from the third region that time, the king even told him that after he became king he should listen to the seer. He even entrusted the seer to train a young seer to serve him in the future. So what would make the seer betray them?

"Why not? Think about it. Among all the people you suspect, who is truly capable of poisoning Father without leaving a trace?" Prince Lucan pressed.

Prince Edward’s frown deepened. Indeed, it seemed the seer was the only one with that ability. The king trusted him completely, and most times, when they met, there were no other people present. The seer could easily harm the king without anyone suspecting. But... why would he?

Seeing that his brother still doubted him, Lucan continued, "Sometimes the most trusted person is the deadliest. How many kings have lost their lives because a traitor hid among their most trusted subordinates or even their family?"

Prince Edward couldn’t argue with that. The more innocent the seer appeared, the more suspicious it became. He suddenly thought of Anastasia and the missing seal. Given how close the seer was to the king, surely he would have known about them. That is if his father’s move to send him those two items were not the seer’s advice.

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Anastasia had been chosen to be his wife, on the seer’s recommendation. It was said she had good fortune but who else could have seen that, if not the seer?

Moreover, it was the seer who convinced the king to reopen the old temple that had been sealed for two generations. He now lived in the palace. No one knew his origins or how he had first met the king. In their youth, he had only visited occasionally. Now, he lived among them.

What if he had motives?

A man who appeared old and humble, without ambition, yet had smoothly entered the palace and earned more respect than the high priests of the church such a man could not be simple.

"You have a point. I’ll send a message to Mother; she needs to investigate the seer," Prince Edward said.