Westminster Bank

Chapter 261: Chapter 163: That Son of a Bitch Roy

After leaving the conference hall, Roy and Elder Pence were led by an Attendant to their guest rooms for the night.

The Dragon Hunting Ceremony was the next day, so as honored guests, they were naturally staying at Beowulf Manor.

As soon as they entered the room and confirmed there were no spies from the Beowulf Family or any devices emitting Spiritual Power fluctuations, Roy asked, "Is the Beowulf Family still refusing to lease the Dracul Mountain Range to us?"

A century ago, the Dracul Mountain Range was territory divided between the Beowulf Family and the Dragon Family. Now, with the fall of the Dragon Family, a portion of the range—specifically Traitor’s Cliff and its surrounding area, used to seal the Mad Dragon—was sectioned off to be jointly managed by the major Law Enforcement Organizations.

The rest was mostly divided among Beowulf and the lesser Dragon Slayer Clans under his command or in his lineage.

Ordinary Law Enforcers were forbidden from entering the mountain range without an invitation from the Beowulf Family. The mountains were home to not only a fair number of third, fourth, and fifth-generation Dragon Descendants but also a great many from the seventh and eighth generations.

Any Law Enforcer below Bronze Tier who entered without traveling in a group and carrying sufficiently lethal weapons would likely be torn to shreds by Dragon Descendants who were true "Racial Knights."

High-Tier Dragon Descendants were one thing, but the swarming groups of Low-Tier seventh, eighth, and ninth-generation descendants were the most troublesome, which was why Dragon Guides were necessary.

Besides assisting in the hunting of the Dragon Race and its Descendants, experienced Dragon Guides were not only living maps of the mountain range, but their senses—honed from childhood with specialized Magic Potions—functioned as a "Dragon Descendant detection radar." They could identify impending enemies or potential threats from the slightest disturbance in their surroundings, allowing them to reroute to a safer and easier path.

Dragons were the apex of the Magical Beast ecosystem; they were absolutely not like lions on the African Continent that could be poached with a gun and a local guide.

When facing one, there were only two choices: defeat it, or be destroyed.

Pence said, "The Beowulf Family is a tough nut to crack. Getting them to issue an order to hunt Baron Constantin was difficult enough. The Constantine Family is likely refusing the Plains deal because the Beowulf Family is backing them..."

"Is Norton ready?"

"He has already infiltrated the Dracul Mountain Range and is on standby."

Roy hesitated for a moment before saying, "Many high-ranking members of the Old Blood Clans and Law Enforcement Organizations will be at the Dragon Hunting Ceremony. What if someone sees through our plan?"

"Do you really think the others can’t tell that Baron Constantin isn’t Anthony’s real killer?" Pence said coolly. "All that’s needed to produce a result is a suitable justification."

"And the only things that can support such a justification are power and might."

Elder Pence silently held out his hand, and a speck of blood-red Fire bloomed and danced on his fingertip. "Once we obtain the soul tainted by that aura, the Hestia Family can truly be considered to have risen on the Inner Side."

Roy said, "If this plan succeeds, we might also get our hands on the Constantine Family’s Plains... Elder, is that thing really there?"

"I’m not sure," Elder Pence said, shaking his head. "But didn’t the news say the Dragon Witch was in contact with Baron Constantin? Add to that his previously hidden identity as a Dragon Knight, and there’s a high probability that the other half of its remains are there."

"Otherwise, it would be impossible for a Bloodless to suddenly transform into a Dragon Knight after just a few years on the Outer Side..." Pence said. "The only possibility is that he was tainted by its aura."

"Some Dragon Knight. He’s just a buffoon who, at best, contracted with a third or fourth-generation Dragon Descendant."

Roy said, "He’s just a good-for-nothing whose engagement was broken, yet here he is, making a scene. Wouldn’t it be better if he just quietly took the blame and died according to the plan?"

Pence said, "Astrology is currently unable to predict his location. He must be using some kind of aura-blocking Taboo Item. If we still can’t find him, the family’s plans and strategies may have to change for now."

"That guy has a sister on the Outer Side. If the time comes, we can go after her. I refuse to believe he won’t show himself then," Roy said.

...

Meanwhile, in the sitting room of another guest suite, Cosso Lancelot frowned in silence.

His daughter, Freyja Lancelot, said, "Father, you and I both know there’s more to my brother’s death. Baron Constantin is missing, and the Constantine Family has already paid compensation in full... Lancelot’s Family shouldn’t be taking part in this manhunt."

She continued, "When the engagement was first arranged, you were the one who told me what kind of person the Baron was... And when I broke it off, you scolded me for making such a terrible mistake..."

"Someone has to pay for Anthony’s death," Cosso said. "As for Baron Constantin, let’s just say I misjudged him... If he weren’t a Dragon Knight, if he hadn’t been in contact with the rumored Dragon Witch... I could have treated him as an ordinary person."

"But he just had to be a Dragon Knight. He just had to be in London on the day your brother Anthony died. And he just had to be carrying a staff made from the Canaan Tree..."

"The chain of evidence all points to him... Your grandfather was the one who presided over his Judgement that day. The moment he saw Baron Constantin, he knew that this Bloodless who had been hiding on the Outer Side was not as simple as he appeared."

Cosso said coldly, "You were one of the people who pointed the finger at Baron Constantin back then. Why? Why have you changed your mind after only a few days?"

"Did Baron Constantin get to you?" he asked. "Or are you acting on someone else’s orders? You haven’t been yourself ever since you were taken hostage by Baron Constantin on the Dragon Land subway."