Storm of Gods

Chapter 193 Dark Cuisine
Duke Nasser's face turned red with anger. This mad dog James, who usually only knew how to yell and shout, suddenly used such a veiled attack, leaving him momentarily at a loss for how to retaliate.

“I’m talking about the Hexbird News!” Duke Nasser’s voice was slightly hoarse, he was getting agitated.

“Your Majesty, the city is in chaos. Hexbird News is deceiving people, which is extremely dangerous. We did not anticipate this extent in our dealings with the Kingdom of Lilong. I think we need to reassess the role of Hexbird News.”

“Duke Zheng, newspapers are just a form, and the Heldan Daily serves the same purpose. Have you ever considered that it is the severity of the incident itself that has aroused such public anger?” Grand Scholar Kundera said. “Our Montcareta is a country blessed by the Mother Goddess, and every citizen of Montcareta is a child of the Mother Goddess. Such strong public resentment is unprecedented. Instead of thinking about how to quell public resentment, Duke Zheng is thinking about eliminating the competitor of his Heldan Daily and making it the only one in the country. People would think that you are just a major shareholder of the Heldan Daily, not a member of the cabinet.”

Duke Zheng remained calm, but he also sensed that these damned Grand Secretaries had become increasingly arrogant and domineering since Vladimir was about to advance to demigod status. If he were to truly become a demigod, wouldn't the cabinet be in chaos?

Aura XVIII maintained a stern face, revealing neither joy nor anger, as he had done since his ascension to the throne. The two sides argued fiercely, and although the attacks were sharp, they were not enough to make Duke Nasser and the others back down. They knew very well that once this breach was opened, it would be dangerous.

"Your Majesty, setting aside how to handle this incident, if we handle state affairs according to the wishes of the people whenever they cause trouble, how will the country be governed if others follow suit?" Duke Nasser said, bowing. "As for my unfilial son Anthony, whether he has been misled or not, I am willing to accept any punishment Your Majesty may impose."

“Your Majesty, Lord Nasser’s father also died on the battlefield for his country. Although Anthony made mistakes, he also made contributions. His loyalty to Your Majesty and the kingdom is beyond doubt. Stripping him of his title and imposing a severe punishment is enough.”

King Aura XVIII nodded and looked at Earl Nasser gently, saying, "Duke Nasser, I understand your intentions. Rest assured, I will handle this fairly. That's all for today. James, make sure the city guards protect the safety of the Nasser family without any mishaps."

“Yes, Your Majesty,” James said, bowing. “Duke Nather, rest assured, no innocent meritorious official will be harmed.”

The discussion lasted for half a day without any results. Duke Nasser had already achieved some initial success, which was to stall for time and give him time to see who was causing trouble. As for the public's commotion, it was just a passing fad and would dissipate after a while.

Duke Nasser and Duke Zheng left together, and the two inevitably had to discuss things. His Majesty the King might be willing to sacrifice Antony for his reputation for justice, but this matter was not so easy. Once the first step of the delay plan was achieved, the rest would be easier to proceed.

After everyone left, James looked at Aura XVIII. He couldn't imagine that the king, who now always wore a stern face and maintained a dignified demeanor, was so easygoing and cheerful in his youth. He had the enthusiasm of Prince Akris and the kindness of Prince Hawke. But after ascending the throne, he changed completely. He spent many years resolving the issue of illegitimate succession. Others may not know how much he sacrificed, but the people of the School of Heavenly Principles knew very well. The forbearance and self-discipline involved were truly beyond the reach of ordinary people.

"James, you're acting a little different today."

"Your Majesty, I do this every day."

The king shook his head. "We didn't argue today."

James smiled. "I suddenly realize that yelling is useless against them. We have to change. Your Majesty, if we back down today, it will be very difficult for us to get back up."

King Aura XVIII nodded slightly. “It’s alright. They underestimate the anger and wisdom of the people. Some things need to ferment and be fully released before we can take action with a legitimate reason. Right now, the time is not right.”

In the past, James, who was always at the forefront, would have thought that His Majesty the King was too patient and had let these people go. But now he realized that everything was under His Majesty's control. Governing a country sometimes requires decisive action, and sometimes it requires a gradual approach, especially when it comes to the foundation of the nation. If you fight head-on, even if you win, the country will be severely damaged, or even suffer internal strife. After all, there is the Black Meteor Empire on the border that is watching with covetous eyes.

"Your Majesty, will the evening study proceed as usual?" James asked.

“I heard you’re very angry and have completely given up on them,” Aura XVIII asked.

James nodded and then shook his head. "Actually, things have changed a lot in essence, but it doesn't matter. We should win over some, isolate some, and cultivate some. We should put more energy into the younger generation like Simmons, give them opportunities, and set examples so that we can divide them from within. Then we can take the opportunity to give the new forces of the Order of the Fathers a chance."

"Simmons is a bit underwhelming. What are his chances of winning against Didia?"

Upon hearing this, James immediately turned into a bitter face. "His Highness said that it's probably only a 20% chance. Your Majesty, please don't let him die."

King Aura nodded. This was also why he had Aklis acted as the notary. Although Simmons was somewhat unreliable, he was a pioneer and representative of reform among the nobility, and this banner could not be lowered.

“Find an opportunity to change the rules of the academy, so that elite students from the Knights Order and the Order of the Order can take turns participating in the academy,” said Aura XVIII.

During this period, the opposition from those people should be much less, which is an opportunity. This is also the true purpose of the academy: to allow elites from among the common people to gradually rise to prominence, rather than letting bloodline determine everything.

"Your Majesty is wise," James said sincerely. He then realized that it was fortunate that His Majesty and Vladimir had been at the helm all these years; if it had been him, the conflict would have escalated beyond repair, and internal strife might have erupted. Aura XVIII's face remained expressionless; he simply gazed calmly outside. That person was still there; this was just a minor skirmish. He wouldn't stand idly by…

***
The public protests lasted all day, but the situation took a turn the next day. The Herdan Daily published a headline from the family of the victim in the Anthony case, the woman's uncle, who said that the woman worked in the sex industry and had been kicked out of her family. She was also said to have a lot of debts. He believed that this was very likely a frame-up against Viscount Anthony.

There is no evidence, but the other party's identity is very convincing. Which is more credible: a promiscuous woman whom even her family dislikes, or a hero who has returned from the battlefield?
At the same time, all the evidence collected by the funeral procession was found to have inconsistencies that could be overturned. For example, the previous cases were from a long time ago and had already been judged at the time, so they could not be brought up again. As for the killing of innocent people and the claiming of credit on the frontier, there was no direct evidence pointing to Anthony as the perpetrator. It was entirely the personal act of a centurion. Anthony was at most deceived. After all, he was traveling from Heldan to the frontier, where the situation was complex and many things were beyond his control. Of course, he could not escape the responsibility for the oversight.

In addition, although neither the Hexbird News nor the Heldan Daily has reported it yet, it has already spread throughout the city that another body with its internal organs missing and its eyes gouged out has been found at the West Wharf.

In other words, Anthony was not the real Visceral Demon. The pressure was once again on the Undertaker. They managed to stabilize the situation temporarily with the fish and shrimp they had caught earlier and continued their investigation. However, when the real Visceral Demon started committing crimes again, things became strange once more.

At the Undertaker's base, Travis's face was dark. Why did this hot potato always end up in his hands? He wasn't actually that interested in the position of Captain-Commander.

The Visceral Demon case is the Undertaker's business, but now Anthony is in his hands, and this new case is also in his hands. The other captains are all very clear-headed and protecting themselves. This time, the water is too deep.

The coroner had already examined the body. The old man's eyes shone brightly. "Captain, this technique is one of those two, and it's exceptionally beautiful and skillful."

Among a bunch of opportunistic lackeys, there are two true internal organ demons, both of whom are extremely professional in their methods.

“This should be the earliest one,” the coroner said. “Although both of them were very skilled, their styles and the pace of their investigations were different.”

Travis frowned. "Samo, speak like a human."

"Both of them are skilled in the Soul-Destroying Curse, and both kill the living. But the first one derives pleasure from the victim's fear, while the second does not. To be more precise, the first one prefers to strike when his prey is terrified," Samo said. "Corpses can talk, even though they have no eyes."

Samo stroked the skin of the corpse. It was a female corpse, but there was no lewd intent in it. It was purely a feeling of appreciating a work of art. He muttered something under his breath.

Travis frowned. "Speak your mind, even if it's just a guess. Tell me what you have to say."

Samo is a gravedigger with a strong necrophiliac tendency. He would have been killed if he had been caught by the Funeral Director, but after they discovered his abilities in this area, Samo was given a permanent position. He cherishes his job and works diligently. "Captain, this is just my guess, a chance inspiration. The difference in the methods of the two Visceral Demons gave me a strange idea. It seems that the Visceral Demon's method of harvesting organs while the victim is alive is somewhat like cooking."

Samo smiled. "You know, some of the weirdest dishes are made from human ingredients."

Even after witnessing countless disgusting scenes, Travis still felt a wave of nausea wash over him. "What evidence do you have?"

Samo shook his head. "Captain, there's no evidence, it's just intuition. Just like some fallen ones like to eat when their prey is fearful, hehe, the other party is probably a dark gourmet."

Travis was silent for a moment. “Don’t tell anyone about this. Let me know if you have any leads. Also, you’d better go out and get some sun.”

Samo smiled, revealing his big white teeth. "If it weren't for the captain taking me in, I would have died long ago. Now I just live each day to the fullest, whether I'm in the sun or not makes no difference. Besides, the sunlight will create a barrier between me and them." Samo pointed to the boxes around him that contained corpses and said, "I'll lose my abilities."

Travis left the cold and gloomy morgue. There were two real internal organ demons. The first had appeared many years ago, and the second had only appeared in the last two years. The others were just small fry and posed no threat at all. The Undertaker had captured and secretly executed many of them over the years, but he had never been able to catch these two. They were not ordinary hidden masters.

Gourmet? This is an extremely special and secretive path that requires considerable talent. Normally, gourmets gain power in a positive way, and both countries and churches welcome the arrival of the Gourmet Association. However, every path has its negative aspects, and occasionally, dark gourmets also appear on this path.

That's a clue; we'll need the assistance of the Food Critic Association.

Travis had a lingering question: with their hidden powers, these two surely had a way to make the body disappear completely, so why did they deliberately leave clues?

Provoking the funeral procession?
If that's the case, it's still good. The fear is that there are other motives. This time, the earliest internal organ demon, which hasn't appeared for a long time, just happened to make a move at this time, which means that it helped Anthony invisibly. Is it a coincidence or something else?
Stepping outside, the warm sunlight shone on him, but Travis felt no warmth at all.

(End of this chapter)