Chapter 129: Report
Holmes's Mansion, Bristol Street, Salford Borough.
Suddenly, a knocking came from outside, waking Raven from his sleep.
"Who is it?" he asked as he sat up.
"It's me, Selene, my Lord," came a female voice.
"Come in," Raven responded.
An illusory figure passed through the door and appeared inside his bedroom.
"What happened?" Raven asked.
"We took care of the rat, my Lord," Selene said solemnly.
'Emanuel? Even after warnings from Stephaine and Marcellus, he still chose the other side, huh?' Raven had expected betrayal, but not despite the restriction spell.
[Why didn't the Blood Bone spell work? If it had, he wouldn't have betrayed us.]
'I think Blood Bond is more like a contract. I only ordered him not to send information to the Humphery House without my permission. But I never restricted him from revealing things to others. And I didn't bind him from leaving the mansion. As long as he didn't speak about the Holmes House to a member of the Humphery Family, the spell wouldn't activate. He must've used that loophole. Hmm, I learned two things from this.'
[What are they?]
'First, spells like Blood Bone aren't absolute. Too many loopholes. People can still pass information without talking or writing. Second, I shouldn't rely so much on the information from this monocle.' He took it from his inventory and put it on.
"It gave me hints about his past," he muttered, "but never showed me who he worked for. Even now, I still don't know which organization he belongs to, or how he connected to Inspector Bennett. Emanuel himself didn't seem to know either when I asked him. But why go so far to pass on information? Was he really that loyal to the Humphery? Or the organization?"
[Strange indeed. Maybe he was terrified of the people behind it.]
'Ha, I need to be more cautious when recruiting. Better to watch them long before calling them mine.'
His gaze shifted to Selene.
Truth be told, he'd thought the Sepoy Mercenaries would be the ones to break their word.
'But they've proven more loyal than expected.'
"Tell me everything. In detail," Raven ordered.
Selene nodded and began.
"After the main guests left the mansion, Emanuel met a few people and started acting oddly. He was sneaky and even went out at 2:00 a.m. Marcellus and I followed him—just in case—and found him meeting someone at the RA-02 police station."
"Who?" Raven frowned.
"Inspector Bennett, my Lord. I couldn't hear their conversation, but Emanuel left with a Gladstone bag and went straight to South Borough. Luckily, Marcellus followed and took care of him."
"And you?" Raven asked, knowing Selene didn't come here to report a dead rat.
"I entered Inspector Bennett's dream... and uncovered a secret." She paused, then recounted her experience in the dream world.
"He was a butler for a noble family from the Viser Kingdom?" Raven's eyebrows raised, especially at the mention of the stone tablet.
"You think the tablet is connected to the Holmes House?" he asked as Selene placed a large stone slab on the floor.
Raven knelt, his eyes scanning the inscriptions in an unfamiliar language.
No—there was something eerily familiar.
'I've seen these characters in Runeth's memories.'
[I never expected to find Edhen's language here. Charles mentioned the Laka Language was one of Edhen's oldest, but how did it get here?] Zera asked.
'Could someone from Edhen have crossed over and left this tablet behind?'
[Don't forget—the Holmes Family might've come to this world a long time ago, too.]
'Wait. Didn't you say they had deep ties to Runeth?'
[Exactly. Let's see what's written.]
As Raven pondered, Zera began to read aloud.
…
"Thou may not remember, but this lone guide has waited for eons.
Once, I stood as the keeper of the Mother's World, yet I was deceived by the children of divinity and lost what I swore to protect.
They seized the 'World,' but it remains beyond their grasp, shielded by the soul imprint of the Red Angel. None may unseal it—unless a Divine descends once more.
The Divine Children are cunning; they have hidden the 'World' and turned it into a game of shadows and deception.
Beware of them— they march under the sigil of a lion with a sword clutched in its fangs.
I crippled them, yet the past has a way of clawing back to life. Perhaps time has weakened their grip, but time is a fickle ally.
My strength fades, and my form withers. Yet my final hope lies in the one who is yet to come.
Seek the house marked by the rampant lion.
There, the 'World' still lies, held by hands too blind to see its truth."
…
"Can you translate this?" Raven asked.
[These words feel like prophecy. But I'm still confused. The Duskbane House probably unearthed it and had it translated with help from linguists. That's how they discovered the secrets of the Holmes Household.]
'So you're saying Holmes descendants are Children of a god?'
[Didn't I mention that the Holmes Family turned Runeth's soul into a Crown with help from a Divine? The Holmes line hails from the Elder Plane. Their progenitor ascended to godhood and spread his bloodline far and wide. Those of his blood are called Children of the Divine.]
'Then how did such a lineage get taken down by a Rank-1 demon?'
[Over time, the divine blood must've thinned and weakened.]
Raven nodded, then stored the tablet in his inventory.
He turned to Selene. "Did Reece find anything during scouting?"
"He hasn't returned yet, my Lord, but he sent his familiar. He'll arrive by early morning."
"Good. Don't tell anyone about what happened. Keep Emanuel's death a secret."
"What about Inspector Bennett's corpse?"
"You killed him, too?" Raven's lips twitched. "Forget it. Just dump his body in the Dream World. You can do that, right?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"Tell Rebecca to assume Emanuel's duties. She's my attendant now."
"What should I tell others if they ask about Emanuel?"
Raven frowned. "Contact Legacy News and the other press houses. Summon them to the mansion tomorrow morning. I'll give a statement. Keep them around until we leave the city—and make sure they capture everything."
He paused.
"Also, go to the police and file a missing person's report. If they refuse, speak with Head Constable Kyler. He'll help."
"Should I bring Lady Stephaine? She was the last to see Emanuel."
Raven nodded. "Once Bennett is declared missing, too, the police might try to cover things up or blame us. So, find out who's on duty. Inform the local magistrate about Emanuel's disappearance. If needed, write and submit a self-report."
"Yes, my Lord. Anything else?"
"Send a complaint to the Magistrate about Crest Merchandise's illegal occupation in Holmes Territory. That'll give us reason to eliminate any interference."
"Yes, my Lord." Selene bowed and left.
Raven pulled an amulet from his inventory, then picked up a notebook and scribbled notes before casting the 'Words of Eternity' spell.
"This mission will change her destiny, huh?" He shook his head and made a few more preparations.
…
It was around 8:00 a.m.
Raven changed into a black suit and left his bedroom.
In the main hall, familiar faces awaited: Jacob, Quincy, Selene, and Marcellus stood near the staircase.
A few reporters were stationed at the mansion entrance. Two cameramen recorded his arrival.
Jacob, dressed in his usual dark gray coat and polished black boots, stepped forward and bowed slightly. His sharp eyes flicked to the reporters.
"They've been waiting for an hour, my Lord. Asking why they were summoned."
Raven's gaze swept toward the reporters. Their breath fogged the cold morning air, pens already scratching across notepads.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward. The hall grew silent as the reporters straightened, ready with questions.
"Good morning, everyone," Raven said, voice calm and commanding.
"I assume you're wondering why I summoned you?"
A veteran journalist tipped his hat. "Mr. Holmes, is it true you're planning to recapture Azmar Town? Is that why we're here? Are you hiring more mercenaries?"
Another reporter, a young enthusiast, eagerly chimed in, "I heard you even invited Lady Anastasia from the Ravenshield Family. What's your connection to the manager of Mystic Cauldron? How do you know her? Is she here to support you?"
The female reporter, quill poised above her notepad, narrowed her eyes.
"I heard a strange rumor—your butler has been missing since the banquet. Humphery House is accusing you of killing him. Is it true?"
Oh? Even that rumor's out already? Raven glanced at the badge on her coat and narrowed his eyes. Legacy News, huh?
She looked to be in her twenties, with curly mahogany hair and a round face. Chestnut eyes peeked out from under her bangs. She stood no taller than 155 centimeters.
Raven adjusted his monocle, a flicker of curiosity passing through his gaze as he activated his status-sight.
Florence Collins. High shadow-element affinity… Just as I thought. No wonder she's with Legacy News. Already aware of Emanuel's disappearance, and now Humphery House is making accusations? I'll deal with them later.
"I'll answer your questions one by one," he said, turning first to the veteran journalist. "Yes, we do plan to reclaim Azmar Town. But tell me—are you aware that a group has been staying in Azmar for over a decade, supposedly conducting an archaeological survey?"
The veteran journalist hesitated, then shook his head.
Raven shifted his gaze. "What about you, Miss Reporter?"
"I've heard of it, Mr. Holmes," Florence replied evenly. "From what we've gathered, it's a private archaeological team sponsored by Crest Merchandise. They claim to have received official approval from Lord Count Spade."
Raven's expression sharpened.
"According to the Empire's Constitutional Law, Azmar Town and the surrounding ten kilometers fall under Holmes House jurisdiction. Even Count Spade holds no authority there. Isn't Crest Merchandise overstepping—acting like they own the place? Why hasn't anyone questioned it?"
A tense silence settled among the reporters.
Raven snorted coldly. "I invited you all here so you can witness how I reclaim what's rightfully mine. Let the people see that House Holmes hasn't withered."
He let the words hang, then added, "As for Emanuel's disappearance—he was the one I sent to inform Inspector Bennett of the situation in Azmar and ask for assistance in filing a case against Crest Merchandise. When he didn't return after two hours, a Sepoy Mercenaries scout was dispatched. They discovered that not only had Emanuel vanished after meeting the inspector, but Inspector Bennett himself had disappeared."
Gasps echoed through the room.
The police had kept that quiet.
Even a fool could connect the dots now.
"Are you implying Crest Merchandise is behind this?" the veteran journalist asked, voice low. "That they're cutting off anyone who tries to help you?"
Florence leaned forward. "How can you be so sure the inspector is missing?"
"I'm not claiming Crest Merchandise is behind it," Raven replied calmly. "I'm saying someone is targeting me, and the people who assist me in reclaiming my territory. You're welcome to investigate the truth yourselves."
Questions continued to fly, but Raven only offered what was necessary.
As murmurs spread among the reporters, Raven turned to Selene.
"Where are the guests?"
"Lady Anastasia and Young Master Daley left early this morning, My Lord."
Raven's brow furrowed. "They left the city?"
"No, My Lord. They went to visit Count Andres. He invited them yesterday."
Raven gave a small nod, then glanced around and noticed a few familiar faces were missing.
"Where are the others, Mr. Jacob?"
"Felicity and Leona went to Albert Street to fetch Reece, My Lord," Jacob answered.
"You're an Expert Walker now. No need to call me 'My Lord' every time," Raven said with a wave of his hand as he sank into the sofa near the hearth.
"Even as Expert Walkers, none of this would be possible without you, My Lord—especially those potions. They helped us break through the shackles," Marcellus replied solemnly.
"Indeed," Selene added. "Our Leader and Sir Marcellus would still be Radiant Walkers if not for your alchemic potions."
Raven chuckled, about to respond—then stopped.
The door opened, and Reece entered with Felicity and Leona. Behind them walked a tall, olive-skinned man with a chevron mustache. His blue eyes scanned the hall with quiet alertness. Brown hair framed a face that wore the weight of years.
'Franco.' A smile appeared on Raven's face.
Soon, they reached the main hall and bowed in greeting.