Inan took a deep breath, suppressing the fury in his heart. That wicked woman Tiffany had done something to him; his temper was becoming increasingly volatile. Anger made one lose their reason… but he felt his decision to kill was correct.
The bystanders on the street were stunned. What kind of provincial upstart dared to commit murder in the Imperial Capital? Yet, they all clapped and cheered.
It was a righteous kill!
The Security Forces had already noticed the two nobles. Squabbles between aristocrats were not uncommon in the Capital, but Inan had gone straight to murder. And his victim was an Earl!
The captain of the Security Forces rushed over to maintain appearances. He glared coldly at Inan, maintaining a strictly professional demeanor. “Name!”
“Inan Hill.” Inan produced a handkerchief and wiped the blood from his sword, his expression one of pure disgust.
“A Viscount from the Northern Hill family?” The captain pulled out a magical booklet. After inputting Inan’s full name, he sought confirmation.
“Yes.”
“I see. Please do not leave the Imperial Capital without authorization for the next few days. I will report this to the bureau, and the director will forward it to the Noble Tribunal. Someone from the Tribunal will contact you soon to handle the matter.”
With that, the captain turned to leave. He cast a chilling, contemptuous glance at the corpse on the ground. To him, Inan was a hero. He intended to pass the responsibility to the Tribunal and didn’t even bother to take Inan into custody.
The dark-skinned Earl’s attendants were outraged. This captain’s bias was beyond ridiculous!
“You can’t just leave like this!” one attendant shouted, rushing forward to block the captain. “He killed our lord! He must be punished!”
“Obstructing official business. Take them away!” With a wave of the captain’s hand, the guards moved in to seize the Mordin servants.
“This is unfair!” the Mordin cried out. “Why treat us this way? We are part of the Isold Empire too!”
A flash of irritation crossed the captain’s face. He backhanded the attendant across the face. “Who is ‘part of us’?”
The slap sent the servant’s head whipping to the side, blood immediately trickling from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were filled with grief and indignation. “Our master was running for the Imperial Council! He killed a candidate for the Council, and you’re going to do nothing?”
The captain hesitated for a moment, but he still chose to ignore it. If he dared to stand up for these Mordin people, he would become a laughingstock at the station. The director might even call him in for a talk about a transfer or suspension.
Inan was also somewhat stunned. ‘Did I hit the jackpot?’
There were tens of thousands of nobles in the Capital, but only 100 Imperial Councilors and a few dozen alternates. And he just happened to kill one of them?
But… so what? When a Mordin clashed with an Isoldian, they were asking for death. No one would take their side. It was a pity the Earl had spent his whole life climbing to his rank, perhaps even contributing to the Empire… but the moment he became arrogant, his fate was sealed.
Inan returned to the carriage. The female soldiers mounted their horses, and the carriage slowly departed.
Throughout it all, Inan never learned the Earl’s name, nor did he care to. He didn’t even consider it a major issue. Normally, the Noble Tribunal would give him a mild reprimand, fine him, and call it a day.
When he arrived at the address Nancy had given him, he felt like a country bumpkin entering a palace. That wealthy woman actually owned a manor in the geographical heart of the Imperial Capital! It was incredibly luxurious; the property value was unimaginable.
The heritage of the Capital’s nobility was indeed profound, far beyond what a provincial noble like Inan could match. But then again, even a provincial noble had the ambition to conquer the ladies of the Capital and seize its power.
Feeling a sense of physical discomfort after killing the Mordin Earl, Inan took a bath in the manor while cleaning his sword.
When he emerged from the bath, he saw a blonde, blue-eyed beauty—the Thief.
“Yo!” she said, looking him over. “Viscount Inan, I didn’t realize… you have a nice body.”
Inan frowned slightly, ignoring her teasing. He grabbed a robe and threw it on. “Miss Thief, we meet again.”
He tied the belt of his robe and looked her in the eye, his expression calm. “Speak. Why did you bring me to the Capital?”
The Thief chuckled. “Oh, we have our reasons. Countess Nancy and I are planning to help you secure a seat as an Imperial Councilor!”
Inan couldn’t believe it. ‘I’m going to be an Imperial Councilor? And not just an alternate?’
This meant he was about to enter that exclusive circle of 100 people. Every Marquis was a Councilor by default, but Earls, Viscounts, and Barons had to struggle as alternates for a long time before having a chance to enter the core of imperial power.
Except for Duke Councilors and high-ranking officials who could directly submit proposals, the rest only had voting rights.
But one should never underestimate the power of that vote. Once you sat in that seat, life became effortless. Whether your territory faced an economic crisis, you had your eye on a beauty, or your relatives were in trouble… ambitious nobles would solve everything for you. Some might even send their own wives to your bed for no apparent reason.
That was the power of an Imperial Councilor! There were various benefits and security protections. With this status, he would, in a sense, be on the same level as Will!
But did these two women really have that much influence?
“What?” The Thief pinched Inan’s chin. “What are you thinking about? Aren’t you excited?”
“Of course I am,” Inan said with a slight smile. “Miss Thief, you look even more beautiful today than when we last met.”
“Save the sweet talk for little girls.” She let go of his chin and leaned in to whisper in his ear, “We’ve given you such a big reward, so you’d better work hard…”
“No problem. Just tell me who to deal with, and I’ll do it!” Inan declared his loyalty decisively.
“Our newly appointed female Chancellor has a bit of a temper. She’s already dealt with several disobedient Councilors.” The Thief nibbled on Inan’s earlobe. “So… I hope you’ll be more obedient. Understand?”
It was a blatant warning, but Inan didn’t care. As long as he got his piece of the pie, what did a warning matter? Even if the Thief wanted his body right then and there, the bastard wouldn’t even blink.
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