Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 353 Morning (Day Three)

Late at night.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Thunder rumbled incessantly, and torrential rain poured down, washing over the earth before them.

A black cat quietly scurried past under the eaves, rushing forward through the rain.

Indeed, the most important thing is still the evidence.

While manipulating the black cat puppet, Li Wei pondered.

But this weather is just too unfriendly.

Looking at the rain all around, Li Wei sighed silently. Blizzards and torrential rains can easily destroy evidence, especially things like footprints.

Now all we can do is see if our reasoning is correct.

Li Wei manipulated the black cat puppet to leap up and stand on the second-floor rooftop, looking around. Normally, a bird puppet would have been a better choice, but in this weather, birds couldn't fly. He had to settle for the cat; it wouldn't be a big problem anyway.

Behind the main house lies the maze garden, which is currently in a somewhat chaotic state, which is to be expected. After all, the old butler had said that the renovations to the maze garden were not yet complete when the downpour began, so this was the only way to maintain its current condition.

There were also two gardens in front of the main house, but unlike the maze garden, they were simply ordinary flower beds and shrubs. A carriage was parked on the east side of the main house, next to the stables. Clearly, this was for the use of the people living there.

Li Wei's car was parked in a corner of the square in front of the main house.

Li Wei manipulated the black cat to survey the surroundings, taking in the entire manor. Then, he manipulated the black cat puppet to leap down and walk along the stables to the other side of the maze garden.

There was nothing here but a muddy patch of ground, though it wasn't truly nothing. Or rather, some things were just noticeable to the naked eye. Li Wei carefully searched along the trimmed bushes and soon found what he was looking for.

Sure enough, it's here.

Looking at the bushes in front of him, Li Wei's lips curled up slightly. He had to admit that deduction could be quite fun sometimes, especially when something the criminal was desperately trying to hide was finally discovered.

However, finding evidence is quite difficult... Well, never mind, it's too troublesome, let's just catch them in the act.

With this in mind, Li Wei had already come up with an idea.

The next morning, Li Wei got up early. He walked out of his room and went to the reception room on the first floor. To Li Wei's surprise, someone was already there before him... It was Ms. Ava. She was holding a book and had a steaming cup of tea next to her.

Outside the window, the rain had stopped, and the long-awaited sunshine shone into the room, bringing a touch of softness and warmth.

Ms. Ava smiled at Li Wei when she saw him.

"Ah, hello, Sir Levi."

"Hello, Ms. Ava."

Li Wei nodded to her.

"Why are you alone today? Where is Miss Bianca?"

"The child is still sleeping. Let her sleep a little longer. She didn't sleep well last night."

At first, Levi thought this was a bit strange, but after thinking about it carefully, oh... Bianca saw the corpse. Although for Levi, seeing the corpse meant he could eat, drink, and sleep as usual without any problem, Bianca obviously didn't have his steely nerves.

What book are you reading?

Levi realized that he hadn't had a proper conversation with this woman since arriving. Of course, he didn't think Ms. Ava was suspicious; after all, she was quite old, and her spiritual radiance was perfectly normal. She was just an ordinary old lady, not someone capable of climbing on roofs and causing chaos. However, Levi felt that as a member of the Cromwell family, Ms. Ava should have her own perspective on what was happening here.

So he decided to talk to the other party, and starting with a book would be the best idea.

"Hehehe, an interesting book."

Ms. Ava put the book she was holding aside, and then Levi saw that the cover read "The Tragedy of It".

A book describing the history of the Eite people.

"I never expected you to be interested in the It people."

"I just find their story quite interesting, Sir Levi, don't you think so?"

"I can only say it's alright..."

Li Wei shrugged. He had read about the Eites in history books. According to historical records, the original Eites had their own country. When Emperor Arthur arrived, the Eites, fearing his power, chose to submit. However, afterward, as Emperor Arthur continued his conquests, the Eites believed the time was ripe to regain independence, so they betrayed Emperor Arthur and allied themselves with his enemies.

The sudden betrayal by the Iti caught Emperor Arthur off guard, but Emperor Arthur was Emperor Arthur after all. He quickly took action to stabilize the situation. After the situation stabilized, Emperor Arthur sent troops to completely destroy the Iti Kingdom and turned the king and his Iti people into slaves.

Even so, these people did not settle down. Faced with Arthur's punishment, they outwardly chose to obey, but when Arthur went on a campaign, they launched another rebellion.

As expected, the rebellion was once again suppressed by Emperor Arthur.

This time, the enraged Emperor Arthur gave the Eites no further chance. He ordered Lance, one of the Twelve Knights, to lead a large army in retaliation against the Eites. This retaliation lasted for a year, during which millions of Eites were killed. Their blood soaked the city walls, and even now, the walls remain red.

Most of the Eites were killed, and only a few survived. They began to flee and wander, and after Emperor Arthur unified the empire, they went into hiding and seemed to disappear without a trace.

But this was not the case. These Iti people began to actively participate in politics, business, and religion, especially the church. At that time, many bishops of the Catholic Church were Iti, and then they began to engage in espionage.

They claimed to be of divine lineage, sons of the Holy Lord, and possessed the right to establish a heavenly kingdom on earth. Therefore, they declared independence in Radiant City, the then-headquarters of the Holy Episcopal Church. They further declared that only the Itirs, as sons of God, had the authority to guide the believers.

No one else is qualified!
At the time, all the countries were completely baffled by this incredible move, having no idea what they were trying to do.

However, the Ete people once again overestimated the Holy Bishop's influence. They were also unlucky; the emperor ruling the empire at the time was Charles I, one of the greatest emperors in its history, nicknamed "Lord of the Dragons." Faced with this statement, Charles I immediately retorted… "I, a descendant of the Golden Family, haven't even spoken yet, and you bunch of stray dogs from who-knows-where dare to ride on my head? Divine blood, my foot! You've got a death wish!"
Thus, a religious trial officially began, and all those who claimed the Eites were the children of God were arrested and burned at the stake. All Eites within the empire were expelled, and all their assets were confiscated by Charles I.

While Charles I was not as ruthless as Emperor Arthur, hundreds of thousands of Eites were still burned at the stake.

Furthermore, Charles I issued a decree prohibiting the Eits from participating in politics and religion, and imposed heavy taxes on Eit merchants, thus suppressing them once again.

However, in modern times, these Etes returned once again. In fact, the Etes also played a role in the decline of the empire.

With the advent of modern finance, the Itt people began engaging in financial business. They opened banks, lent money at exorbitant interest rates, and if borrowers failed to repay on time, they would seize their collateral, including land and property. Furthermore, taking advantage of the empire's decline and the corruption of the nobility and royal family, they bribed high-ranking officials and colluded with nobles to exploit the common people.

It was precisely because of their actions that the empire gradually began to split, and some places eventually broke away from the empire.

It wasn't until Victoria II ascended the throne and wreaked havoc in Casablanca that these rats were finally suppressed.

In Li Wei's opinion, these are a bunch of cockroaches who are more trouble than they're worth. They are all bark and no bite, good at scheming but indecisive, hesitant to do great things but willing to risk their lives for small gains—that's exactly what describes the Yit people. Now these guys are running around the mainland all day, complaining about the oppression and expulsion they face from other countries, but in fact, many countries, from the official level to the grassroots level, share a consistent attitude towards these guys.

For example, regarding the series of questionable actions taken by the Kingdom of It after it submitted to the Empire, they only say that Emperor Arthur destroyed his country and enslaved his king and subjects. They never mention what they did in the meantime—that after the It people submitted to the Empire, they learned medicine and quickly monopolized the Empire's medical field.

Because Emperor Arthur was constantly fighting on the front lines, a large number of wounded soldiers naturally appeared. These wounded were sent to the rear, where the Eites would treat minor illnesses as serious ones, ultimately causing death. Not only that, they also smuggled military supplies, and later, while secretly colluding with the Empire's enemies, the Eites secretly poisoned the waterways throughout the Empire to weaken its strength. At the same time, they also used the pretext of treating illnesses and curing poisons to extort money from the people.

To be honest, Li Wei only thought that Emperor Arthur was too good-natured not to execute them and their entire families at the time.

However, after being enslaved, these people did not feel that their survival was due to Emperor Arthur's mercy. Instead, they secretly resented Emperor Arthur and then launched another rebellion while Emperor Arthur was away on a campaign.

Their rebellion was not simply a declaration of independence. Taking advantage of the fact that the main army was at the front and the garrison was small, these Itt people defeated the garrison and began a brutal massacre, killing hundreds of thousands of imperial citizens.

However, the Ete people never mentioned these things, only saying that they failed in their attempt to overthrow Arthur the Great's cruel rule and were then persecuted by him.

During the height of the Holy Episcopal period, these Iti people became even more unscrupulous, using the pretext of being children of God to frequently kidnap and murder people, using their blood to make bread. They even declared that those who did not believe in them were heretics and should be burned at the stake. This caused severe social unrest. These actions aroused strong indignation at the time.

Of course, the Itt people never mentioned this, only saying that it was all other people's fault and that they had always been pitiful victims.

Because "the same thing happened to them everywhere they went," the entire continent held little affection for the Ete people. After the Empire expelled them, these people went to Francis, and then "the same thing happened again," ultimately leading to the execution of the Franciscan royal family.

The Western Empire of Europe even issued a decree isolating the Itt people. However, it is clear that these Itt people will not give up so easily. The political turmoil and rebellions currently erupting within the Western Empire of Europe are rumored to be caused by the Itt people.

In fact, according to Li Wei, the Ete people's experience was entirely their own fault, and they deserved it.

Throughout world history, both in this world and in our own time, there have been people worse than the Eites, people more greedy than the Eites, people more cruel than the Eites, and people more stupid than the Eites.

But being wicked, greedy, cruel, and stupid... to be honest, he deserves it.

In Li Wei's view, the Ete people belonged to the category of those who could not recognize the current situation.

Generally speaking, ambitious people who want to cause trouble do so when a country is at its weakest, with incompetent rulers and treacherous officials, and when the regions are in chaos.

But the Eites, on the other hand, always emerged when a powerful monarch was in power.

It started with Emperor Arthur, who tried to fight twice but realized he couldn't win, so he ran away.

Then he changed his identity, joined the Holy Bishops to cause trouble, and when he felt the time was right, he jumped out again. He encountered Charles I, the "Lord of the Dragons" who was bringing about the revival of the empire, and knocked him down with a slap.

Then the Eites, still unrepentant, once again tried to make the empire teeter on the brink of collapse. Just as they were about to cause more trouble, Victoria II ascended the throne.

Hmm... Speaking of which, Li Wei recalled the things he had seen in the royal treasury before, and wondered how many of them came from these It Capital families.

There are probably quite a few.

"Sir Levy, I have a question for you."

Ms. Ava took another sip of tea and looked at Li Wei.

"Excuse me, ma'am."

"Do you think... the fate of the Itt people is truly so tragic?"

Ms. Ava glanced at the book beside her and asked again, while Levi chuckled.

"Forgive my bluntness, madam, but in my opinion, you reap what you sow. Some people's choices are commensurate with their suffering. To be honest..."

As he spoke, Li Wei glanced at the book "The Tragedy of It" next to Ms. Ava.

“I’m not interested in what they say, just as I wouldn’t care how many reasons a murderer has to justify his actions. Murder is murder, and a crime is a crime. No matter how nice his words are, in the end we have to look at what he actually did, not what he said.”

"Is that right?"

"Yes, every murderer can give a hundred reasons to justify and legitimize their actions, such as being bullied by the victim, being blackmailed by the victim, or being abused by the victim... But to be honest, as outsiders, we cannot understand the feelings and privacy between the two parties."

Li Wei spread his hands and shrugged. This is why official announcements now only state that XXX killed XXX, because that's an objective fact. As for why XXX killed XXX, and what the specific circumstances were, the dead can't refute it, and we can't just listen to the prisoner's side of the story—after all, no prisoner believes they did anything wrong.

They might think that they broke the law, but they did nothing wrong; what they did was right, just, and natural, which easily resonates with most people.

Ultimately, judicial trials are not moral trials; they can only judge those who violate rules, not those who violate morality.

Because morality itself is an ambiguous and unclear concept that cannot be agreed upon, what you consider to be self-evident and reasonable may be considered heinous and immoral by another person.

The working class might feel that hanging capitalists from streetlights is something to cheer for, but the capitalists would think that it is utterly outrageous and unforgivable for a peasant to dare to lay a hand on them.

Anyone can have a hundred reasons that they feel are justified to kill anyone.

But the law is the only law.

"indeed……………"

Upon hearing Li Wei's answer, Mrs. Ava closed her eyes, pondered for a moment, and then slowly placed the book aside.

"As you said, Sir Levy, it is not what is said that matters, but what is done."

As she spoke, Mrs. Ava put her reading glasses back into her pocket.

"Then there's no need for me to continue reading this book."

"?"

Looking at the book "The Tragedy of It" that the old lady had placed beside her, Li Wei felt that she was implying something.

Just then, footsteps sounded, and then Li Wei saw Isaac and Sophie walk in. The former smiled when he saw the two of them, but Li Wei quickly noticed that when Isaac saw the book "The Tragedy of It" that Old Lady Ava had placed next to him, his smiling face suddenly froze.

He wanted to say something, but Madam Ava spoke slowly instead.

"Little Isaac, thank you for lending me this book, but I'm getting old and my eyesight isn't good enough. I can't read much of it, so you should take it back."

"…………………"

Upon hearing Ms. Ava's reply, Isaac maintained his stiff smile, then lowered his head and walked to Ms. Ava's side.

“I see, Ms. Ava… Actually, I really like this book. The indomitable will of the Eites in the face of difficulties deeply moved me…”

An unwavering will to do bad things? That's firm enough.

Li Wei glanced at Ms. Ava, who was currently with her eyes closed, looking as if she was about to take a short nap. And considering Isaac's appearance... hmm... hmm?

Li Wei knew exactly what Ms. Ava had told him.

At the same time, all of this is connected.

Then start.

Thinking of this, Li Wei stood up, and his action naturally attracted the attention of others. Li Wei then walked up to Sophie and looked at the young lady.

Good morning, Miss Sophie.

"Ah, you, hello... Lord Li Wei..."

Seeing that Li Wei had actually come up to talk to her, Sophie was clearly flustered. Although they had exchanged good mornings before, it was merely a formality. But now…

"Excuse me, what can I do for you?"

"Oh, it's really nothing serious."

Li Wei wore his usual polite smile as he looked at the uneasy girl in front of him.

"As you can see, the rain has stopped. Would you be so kind as to invite me for a walk after dinner?"

(End of this chapter)