Super Righteous Player
Chapter 90 - 89 Am I Really a Gentle Person?_1

Chapter 90: Chapter 89 Am I Really a Gentle Person?_1

"It’s not like I want to complain, Tan Juan," Salvatore couldn’t help but grumble, "but isn’t it a bit too quiet around here?"

He had walked all the way from the main gate and hadn’t encountered a single living soul.

Let alone Annan and the players, he hadn’t even seen a servant or a housekeeper.

What was even more outrageous was that the entire manor was pitch dark, not even the lights were on...

From the entrance of the manor all the way to the inside of the house, everything was shrouded in darkness. Only the dining room was lit.

Yes, only the room where Annan and the body were had any light.

Groping in the dark, his heart racing with fear, he pushed open the dining room door—immediately discovering a pale, tranquil youth sitting like a mannequin under the dim light, along with a freshly deceased corpse.

And Annan was silently watching him, the corners of his mouth curved into a strange smile.

The ice-blue pupils instantly sent a chill down Salvatore’s spine.

At that moment, he felt he was nearly consumed by fear...

"At least turn on the lights, will you? Are you trying to save oil for the Lord Viscount? Green fire isn’t that expensive, right?"

Salvatore couldn’t help but make a pointed comment.

After his insistent urging, Annan reluctantly turned on all the lights that could be turned on in the manor...

"I just didn’t want anyone to know there were people inside the manor."

Annan sighed and patiently explained, "I have to stay here and watch the body; it’s the most crucial evidence. But I also don’t want to guard only the body while letting other important things in the manor disappear without a trace..."

Such as cash, jewelry, or tokens of that sort.

Of course, Annan didn’t say that last part.

But Salvatore looked surprised as he blurted out, "What, are you saying you didn’t kill him?"

From that statement, it was evident that while Salvatore hadn’t seen through Annan’s deception, he had somehow discerned some of his inner character traits...

Annan remained calm and patted the seat next to him, signaling Salvatore to sit beside him.

Then, he spoke in a low voice, "Indeed, I did kill him, but the problem is...

"He was a disciple of the Rotten."

Salvatore was taken aback upon hearing this.

He slowly looked towards Viscount Barber, a flash of realization coming to his eyes.

"I see, now I understand."

He quickly pressed Annan for information, "Did you manage to extract anything from Alvin?"

Previously he had addressed him with respect as "the Lord Viscount," but now he was merely "Alvin."

Annan silently smiled and replied, "It seems you knew something from the start. You just didn’t know he belonged to the Rotten."

"Naturally. The Rotten cult’s plan to invade the kingdom isn’t a secret. After all, His Majesty is getting on in years... or rather, whenever the reign of a ruler nears its end, the followers of the Rotten always seem to spring up out of nowhere, as if they were salesmen.

"I just didn’t expect to find them among the nobility..."

Salvatore mused.

Seeing his reaction, Annan formed a conjecture in his mind.

Could it be that Black Tower had already known about the Rotten cult’s scheming?

Hence, Annan inquired, "Then do you know which ritual they plan to use?"

His opening move was a trump card.

—And it indeed caught the naive Saul unawares.

"You mean the ’Fratricidal Killings’ ritual, don’t you? I’m aware of that," Salvatore replied frankly. "This seemingly abnormal succession war that erupted so suddenly made us suspect it might be part of some ritual or a foreshadowing. Of the possible rituals, the ’Fratricidal Killings’ life-extension ritual was the likeliest candidate.

"It’s just that the kingdom’s intelligence services couldn’t find even one member related to the Rotten cult, so they couldn’t confirm it... But the king is very wise. I think he must have had his own suspicions."

Upon hearing this, Annan fell silent for a moment.

...With his actions, the honest Salvatore had just demonstrated to Annan what ’giving away information for free’ really meant.

Annan merely asked casually, and this honest child spilled a bunch of information.

From this single statement by Salvatore, Annan was easily able to deduce a heap of crucial news...

Annan sighed, "That’s right, I did kill the Viscount. But you mustn’t reveal this information for now."

"You don’t need to say more, I understand,"

Salvatore nodded slowly, "You are indeed a wise and kind person, Tan Juan."

?

Wait, what do you understand?

Annan was somewhat perplexed.

But he did not show any emotion on his face, simply shifting his gaze away in silence.

Waiting for Salvatore to elaborate further.

"After all, he was a Viscount, and also a vassal of your grandfather. If he was killed by you, the rightful lord of the north, a direct descendant of his liege lord, then it implies he committed a serious crime worthy of the death penalty.

"That would mean his grandson would instantly become a criminal and be executed together with him. And he... knows nothing, did nothing wrong. His only crime is being Alvin Barber’s grandson."

...Now that I think about it, he indeed had a grandson.

But wasn’t he burned to death?

Upon hearing this, Annan asked, "Where is his grandson now?"

"In the church school, I’ve already investigated,"

Salvatore replied, "He stays at the church school usually and only goes home on weekends. This also raises another question... why was he sent to the church school?"

Annan nodded.

After cramming up knowledge for a while, he had come to understand the implications behind Salvatore’s words.

It’s not to say that church schools are bad... at least safety can be guaranteed. In fact, church schools are even safer than the estates of nobles; after all, nobody would try attacking the True God’s church.

However, children who graduate from church schools with excellent performance could join the church through internal channels, bypassing the preparatory stage of becoming a Deacon, who does miscellaneous tasks, and starting directly from the position of Priest—a formal clergy who can use Divine Arts.

When excellent classmates and friends join the church and secure a decent and stable job, it is uncommon for others to go out and look for work alone.

Therefore, ordinary nobles, to prevent their children from joining the church when they come of age, wouldn’t allow them to attend church schools—to "acquaint friends below their social class." Instead, they hire outstanding tutors for one-on-one instruction.

But it was different for Viscount Barber.

He was willing to send his grandson to the church school to learn... and many people praised him for his devoutness to the Silver Baron.

—But the problem is, Annan knew Alvin Barber was not at all a believer of the Silver Baron.

"Viscount Barber’s grandson must have been a sacrifice offered to the Rotting Father. His two sons were probably the same, which is how he managed to live for so long... It is precisely for this reason, he had no need to consider his children’s education or social connections..."

Salvatore analyzed.

Old Alvin only needed to consider the "safety issue."

Or rather, the freshness of the sacrifice.

Salvatore looked at Annan with a complex expression, "No matter whom you claim killed the Viscount, since I am here, there will be no difference in how the subsequent matters are handled.

"I can pass this important information to the Black Tower, escort your eyewitnesses and evidence, and vouch for you... And according to the kingdom’s laws, killing a guilty noble or clergy doesn’t carry any responsibility.

"The only difference is with Viscount Barber’s grandson—the real innocent in this incident, whether he lives or dies. If you declare the Viscount was killed by you, then whether it’s for plotting a heinous crime against the royal heir, aspiring towards the throne, or in fact, for attempting to murder you, the lord and liege, the ’lesser crime’, it would lead to his grandson being sentenced to death as well...

"But if you declare that Old Alvin was murdered by somebody else, then his grandson will not only be free from conviction but could also luckily inherit Roth Fort as the sole surviving heir. Ironically, he who lived solely as livestock, as a sacrifice, merely a tool."

Salvatore sighed softly, murmuring to himself, "You must be feeling indignant on his behalf.

"My intuition was right, you truly are a gentle person..."

...Wait a minute?

Annan was slightly stunned by his analysis.

Your analysis, seems kind of reasonable?

Is that really what I was thinking deep down?

—Hold on, what was my initial thought again?

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