Work Prophet
Chapter 90 - 6 Traps

Chapter 90: Chapter 6 Traps

"The Trinidad Knight hadn’t responded to Ireya’s stepmother Vanessa’s call to participate in the siege of Teacup Castle, but that doesn’t completely clear him of suspicion,"

Li Yu continued, "I once suspected that it was a staged play by him and Vanessa, designed as a contingency. If Vanessa couldn’t take Teacup Castle, Trinidad could then win Ireya’s trust, positioning himself as Vanessa’s sleeper agent beside Ireya.

"Furthermore, this could explain why after Trinidad left the castle, the sleeper agent never appeared again... However, we all know what happened later. The actions of the lizard people were real, and the Trinidad Knight’s previous visit to the castle was indeed seeking help, and nothing else.

"It was also after that night that I began to suspect you, and once I entertained the notion that you were the sleeper agent, I found more suspicious points about you.

"First of all, our meeting was too timely, just before the mercenaries Vanessa had hired located Ireya and me. And we were in the wild at the time, where it’s improbable to encounter anyone else, let alone an expert like yourself."

"Besides, when I looked back on everything that happened that day, Honey Bear seemed ready to negotiate with us after I took down two of his men. But you didn’t give him a chance to speak and struck decisively, killing his men and thus completely enraging Honey Bear, before then finishing off the rest in one fell swoop.

"Of course, considering the situation at the time, I could commend your sharp grasp of the opportunity for victory and your decisive action. But then the two captives I left alive for questioning never woke up all the way to Green Field...

"I found it strange back then, thinking maybe I had been too hard-hitting. Looking back, it must have been your doing, and it was from that point on that you began to instigate the internal strife of the Arias family."

"All of these are just your conjectures," Jude said.

"Indeed, these are all my conjectures. I don’t have any concrete evidence on hand.

"I needed to do something to force your hand, so before leaving last time, I vowed to Ireya in front of everyone that I would find the sleeper agent within three days."

"When I heard your words, I did get nervous," Jude admitted.

"But it wasn’t enough," Li Yu said, "After I returned, I reviewed the past two days’ recordings. You still didn’t make any moves, unexpectedly composed."

"If I hadn’t been this composed, for someone with Enríquez family blood like me, I would never have survived until now," Jude said with a smirk.

"So, I decided to push you further. During lunch, I signalled you to come to my room."

Jude was clear about what followed. He picked up where Li Yu left off, "You lied to me, saying that you had found the sleeper agent, that it was Sir Alfred’s squire, Thomas—an extremely unexpected name."

"Because that was the only way to explain why I’d come to you and not anyone else. You looked unperturbed on the surface, but you must have been ecstatic inside."

"We quickly agreed on a price. I wanted fifteen Gold Coins, you generously offered twenty, and were even willing to pay half up front. If I’d known that money was for my life, I should have asked for more."

Jude laughed at himself, "My head should be worth a hundred Gold Coins, selling it to you for ten is too much of a loss, the worst deal I’ve ever made."

"You might not believe it," Li Yu said, "but I actually hoped that you wouldn’t strike at Thomas just now in the wine cellar."

"How could it be possible? You set a trap specifically for me to fall into, although I don’t know why you are convinced that Thomas is an inside agent. But all I would’ve needed was to ’accidentally’ kill him during his capture, and this would have confirmed it once and for all."

"Moreover, if Sir Alfred were to come after me afterwards, I could’ve just given you up, turning his anger onto you, the mastermind. How could I possibly pass up such a perfect opportunity to absolve myself of suspicion?"

Jude then added with a sigh, "I’ve heard about the things you did in Rock Snow City and witnessed your various methods along the way, so I’ve been trying to avoid conflict with you at all costs. But still, I ended up in your clutches."

After thinking it over, he continued, "I now know how you caught me, but I still don’t understand how you saw through my identity?"

"Because of the dragon in the swamp." Li Yu didn’t hide anything, "I inquired about some matters related to dragons with Fosto and Ona. They told me there once was a family with close ties to dragons, even rumors suggesting their rise was due to the help of a dragon."

"After that family established itself in the western lands, they named their family castle Dragon Flame Castle in memory of the dragon, and as their power grew, it became Dragon Flame City. Eventually, they became the rulers of the entire western lands."

Li Yu looked at Jude, "The reason you tried so hard to infiltrate Teacup Castle and create chaos within the Arias family was to protect that dragon, right? You didn’t want the Arias family to divert their resources to dealing with it."

"Sigh, with your intelligence, why can’t you see that I too was framed?" Jude let out a sigh.

"You’re saying you’re not an inside agent?" Ireya asked, "Who set you up?"

"Indeed, I am an inside agent; I admit I approached you with an ulterior motive from the start. It was I who killed your stepmother, it was I who left that note, but... that thing in the swamp has nothing to do with me."

"If I had known about that creature from the beginning, no amount of money would have tempted me into such a damned mess," Jude said, "I swear."

"You approached me only to get revenge for your family, or to wait for the dragon to grow up so you could tame it and use it to reclaim the western lands," Miss Rabbit said skeptically as she scrutinized the half-faced man before her.

"Why do you all arrogantly assume I care about my worthless identity? The Enríquez family was extinguished over nine hundred years ago; I couldn’t care less about something that happened nine centuries past."

"From the day I was born, this cursed lineage has brought me endless trouble, preventing me from living like a normal person, and not a single benefit."

"The reason I am here is because someone found me, gave me a sum of money I couldn’t refuse, and asked me to find a way to stay close to you, to cause some problems for the Arias family. I agreed, it’s just that simple."

"Who found you?"

"How much money did he give you?"

Li Yu and Ireya nearly spoke in unison.

"......"

"I was approached by a go-between. He’s nicknamed Grey Swan, and we’ve only had a few dealings, but that man’s reputation is pretty good. He paid me a hundred and sixty Gold Coins, and additionally, he promised me three hundred more if I could stir up trouble within the Arias family—it was an offer I couldn’t refuse," Jude explained.