Chapter 104: The Vanishing of House Vallahail
The room went still after Eula began.
"A month before now, the matriarch of House Vallahail, Lady Millis, went missing."
Hearing that, Leon’s ears perked, and he couldn’t help but ask, "Countess Millis?"
Eula nodded.
"Yes. At first, the head of the house, Count Sebastian Vallahail, was suspected by the Authorities and the royal guards, but he was soon found not guilty of all charges."
House Vallahail was a count house in the Liora Kingdom, proficient in alchemy.
Their ancestors came from a long lineage of well-known figures in the field, with groundbreaking discoveries. For a house like that to face those charges was a serious matter.
’The Liora Kingdom probably tried to save the very name.’ Leon thought all that.
After Eula finished, she waited for the others to speak.
Tsubaki, the combat division head, asked, "So Count Sebastian was behind it, and he tried to hide from the officials?"
Instead of Eula, Ajasai, the head of intelligence and the espionage network, answered.
"That’s what we think," he said, turning to Eula. "You remember the report I sent this morning?"
Eula nodded. "Indeed. My judgment is based on that report."
She took a breath and informed in a cold tone, "Count Sebastian is the one who’s responsible."
Leon noticed everyone agreeing with her. His eyes fell on a man named Ajasai, having silver-white hair, deep purple eyes.
Ajasai was not his real name. He was from a noble family. Leon couldn’t seem to recall his real name. But he knew what his future held.
’I have to put Hibuki in action,’ he thought.
A brief search of what Leon remembered would give him access to all their real names and information, such as their title, social standings, etc.
He just has to ask Hibulki after this gathering.
With that in mind, he listened to Ajasai before deciding to speak his point of view.
Ajasai, seated in his place, moved his hands as he explained.
"After the House Vallahail vanishing incident, I noticed that the royals and the official Authorities released the Count. That’s what attracted my suspicion regarding this matter."
His voice carried a sharp edge. If it were him, he would have declared him guilty without hesitation. He banged the table in irritation. "But my damn father—!"
Leon caught the flash of anger across his face.
"Hm?" he muttered quietly, recalling a fragment of information.
Father. Judgement. Guilty.
’Ah, I know who he is.’
He finally remembered his name. Not him, but his father’s name. He was famous and a respected man across Liora. Or at least that’s what everyone thought.
The Judge of the Royal Kingdom, the King’s close companion, a man praised as the pillar of royal justice.
Duke Edric Valemont.
’So, he’s his son.’
That explained the irritation written all over his face.
Duke Edric was corrupted to the core. Leon knew about it, the secrets hidden beneath the glitter of power.
Being a judge, he had committed crimes worthy of a first-rate criminal, from Illegal dealings, slave trafficking, to sexual harassment.
Leon laughed inwardly. ’Heh, can’t believe his son stands against him.’
Ajasai, or more precisely, Alden Valemont, was the middle son. Second in line to inherit the Duke’s house.
Ajasai continued; his voice was quieter but laced with quiet frustration.
"Because of his influence across the kingdoms, the King must have tried to save his name. That’s the only reason Count Sebastian walked free."
Leon’s eyes drifted to Eula.
The King was her father after all. But she showed nothing on her face. Not even a trace of anger.
’The second princess of Liora, who despises the royal. What a poetic phrase.’
According to Ajasai, the entire kingdom had fabricated Count Sebastian’s report to make him look innocent.
The picture was slowly coming together in Leon’s mind.
’So, the real evidence was buried, and Ajasai knew about it?’
Seriously, this whole thing was news for Leon; it was his first time hearing about this incident.
’Haaah... another offscreen incident.’
Leon leaned back slightly, letting the silence stretch before asking, "Do you have any evidence?"
All seven pairs of eyes, including Eula’s, all turned to him.
"Heh." It was Sumire, the Expert mage and the 7th head.
Leon ignored her, and so did Ajasai.
"I do," Ajassai replied calmly. "But it’s complicated to understand. What I gathered were pieces of information, so understanding them would be hard even if I showed them here."
Leon glanced around. The other’s still looking at him, like he was questioning their process.
But Leon was far from that.
"No worries, I just want to take a look. If you don’t mind," Leon said, then turned to Eula. "Is it fine for me to do that, Princess?"
Her eyes twitched. She sighed. "Do what you want."
"What?" Ume, seated next to her, looked stunned. Even Sumire was left in quiet awe.
Did they hear it right? She agreed that easily.
They all thought the same thing. Exactly how much confidence did she have in this boy? It wasn’t normal. It felt like she trusted him more than anyone else at the table.
Ajasai nodded. "If you say so, then here."
He took out a thick bundle of scattered photographs and mushed papers, setting them in front of Leon. "You want the report I sent to the Princess?"
Leon shook his head. "No need. I’ll make it short. Give me a moment."
He stood up and collected the stack of evidence.
Most of them thought he was acting cocky. Except Eula. She knew him well enough to understand. If Leon decided to step in, then he must have already noticed something that Ajasai missed.
Leon calmly spread every single piece of paper and photo across the wide table. He didn’t rush. He didn’t explain himself. He let his actions speak.
’Let’s see what you’ve overlooked.’
He scanned them all in one smooth motion.
Because of his S+-ranked intelligence, Leon’s mind connected patterns and information faster than anyone could follow here.
He began crafting a word cloud inside his head, pulling out fragments of places, times, names, and positions from the scattered documents.
Lines of invisible logic connected one point to another, creating a structure only he could see.
The others watched in silence, not fully understanding what they were witnessing.
.
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[A/N] : 1 more Chapter coming soon.