What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

“But we can’t be completely unprepared for his actions. If we let him investigate, the initiative will be in their hands,” Weiss said.

“Yes, so instead of sending people to track and monitor them directly, I deployed personnel in several key locations.” Leon paused here, “I can only pray that they don’t see Bishop Beckett in those places.”

……

Archives of the Inquisition, Southeastern Diocese.

Bishop Beckett arrived at the duty room in front of the administrative office. The inquisitor on duty there immediately stood up and bowed respectfully upon seeing him: "Bishop Beckett, is there anything I can do for you?"

“I would like to access a file,” Bishop Beckett said.

The Inquisitor on duty blinked and replied, "Ah, all the information and records regarding the incident that occurred in the parish before, as you requested, have already been handed over to the investigation team. I think nothing has been missed..."

He knew that Bishop Beckett was part of the investigation team investigating the Saintess incident and was doing his best to track down Bishop Weiss's whereabouts.

“No, what I need to retrieve is the case of the murder of Caron Esso, the intermediate judge of Hamel, Southport County, a year ago!” said Bishop Beckett.

"Wasn't that a case you handled?" The other person paused for a moment.

Why would someone who is currently handling a new major case suddenly request to retrieve the case file of an old case they handled a year ago that seems completely unrelated?

Is the investigation hitting a bottleneck, so you're looking back at cases you've solved to regain your mindset and feel?

“That’s right, you don’t need to ask any more questions, just hand over the file to me!” Bishop Beckett urged.

"I will follow your instructions." The other party immediately took action.

Soon, a sealed copy of the file was handed to Bishop Beckett.

Bishop Beckett took the file directly from the table next to him and examined it carefully. His goal was clear, and he quickly found a report analyzing the ingredients of a potion.

The file refers to the formula and ingredients of the salt disease remedy developed by "Witch Celia Hershey" for her own illness, as well as the analysis results after it was sent to the St. Rosalia Research Institute.

But in Beckett's mind, the truth was that Selene was indeed a witch, but she didn't have the resources to develop a cure for the salt disease. That cure must have been the work of another witch, Reina Lothark.

According to the archives, Selene Hershey was developing a special potion in the cellar next to her residence, while other apothecaries arranged by Henry Potter were trying to improve the potion in the workshop of the Hamel Town maze, so the same potion was also found in the maze.

But the truth is that the maze was where those potions were originally made; the potions in the cellar were just a disguise.

In any case, the potion recipe has been confirmed. The main ingredients are headhunter rabbit blood, slime sap, and extracts of several herbs. The resulting potion will emit a scent similar to mint and lemongrass—this is mainly due to the herbal components of the potion.

The herbal ingredients from Weiss's house, when finally mixed together, also had a similar aroma.

In fact, several herbs can produce this aroma when prepared, and these herbs are quite commonly used.

It's difficult to definitively say that the two have any connection simply because they smell similar.

But Beckett wouldn't overlook even the slightest possibility, let alone the fact that Fenrir, the mastermind behind the Hameltown maze incident, was now on his list of suspects.

Bishop Beckett carefully examined the ingredients in the case file. For each ingredient he saw, a corresponding herb found at Weiss's residence would appear in his mind. He didn't recognize the herbs, but when the evidence was filed, someone in charge of that area had already labeled them, and he had long since memorized all the characteristics of the evidence.

After Bishop Beckett finished reading everything, the doubts that had been as elusive as fog in his mind finally began to gradually solidify into tangible reality.

The ingredients are not exactly the same, but there are indeed many overlaps.

This is not enough to be considered crucial evidence, but for Bishop Beckett, it is almost sufficient to form a logically consistent conjecture.

After reviewing it again, he quickly reorganized the file and handed it back to the person in charge: "Thank you."

“It is my duty. Bishop Beckett, may I ask why you suddenly want to retrieve this old case file?” The judge bowed and scraped as he took it, asking tentatively.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to... sort out my thoughts." Bishop Beckett smiled slightly, then said goodbye and left.

He left the archives and boarded the carriage.

Meanwhile, in the building opposite the archives, someone was hiding behind the curtains, observing the entrance of the archives with binoculars, and also saw Bishop Beckett getting in and out of the car.

“I’ve found the puzzle piece, sir.” After getting into the carriage, Bishop Beckett immediately contacted the Earl.

Chapter 169 If you suspect a dog of stealing food, you should kick it.

After a brief pause, the count's voice came from the other side: "You already know his motives?"

"That's right. It's a cure for halogenation disease. Weiss Rogers is secretly developing a cure for halogenation disease. In the previous case, the seized medicine was sent to the St. Rosalia Research Institute for testing. It should have been around that time that we came into contact with Weiss Rogers."

The circumstances surrounding Bishop Weiss's involvement in the research are unknown, but I suspect she must have achieved a breakthrough. Leon likely developed a connection with her that we hadn't been able to trace. If there was some kind of affection between them, then Leon's motives for taking action in the Grand Diocese would be even more understandable.

Bishop Beckett explained his speculation.

"How confident are you in this hypothesis?" the count asked.

“More than 70%.” Bishop Beckett still didn’t dare to give a definitive answer.

He was ultimately a meticulous person. His speculation was based on no concrete evidence, but on the premise that "Leon Seth was the most likely to commit the crime." He used a clue that could be a coincidence or the truth to attribute the motive to him, thus constructing a complete hypothesis that could not rule out any unexpected circumstances.

The fact that this hypothesis was 70% certain relied on Bishop Beckett's confidence in his intuition.

But for them, that was enough. They weren't a tribunal. They didn't need any evidence at all, let alone further investigation or even to punish Leon directly!

Before learning the motive, their previous suspicions about Leon were at most 50%, or even lower. Considering the possibility of affecting Leon's value, they would not take any rash action.

However, if they are more than 70% certain, the situation is different. For them, they can basically ignore the negative impact of the remaining 30% possibility. In the end, even if they are wrong and Leon is dissatisfied with the Earl's management, it is not a big problem.

"..." The count fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.

“Are you still hesitating?” Bishop Beckett sensed his master’s hesitation on this matter. “I think you’d better reconsider his value. He poisoned Caron Esso when he was just a low-ranking judge. Just because you say he has no ambition doesn’t mean he’s docile. And now his danger is beginning to show.”

“He’s dangerous to others, but not to us. Caron Esso isn’t his master, but I am. A dog that barks at its master can still be useful if it’s trained, its spine can be broken, and it can learn to obey.” The count’s voice was deep.

"So, you still intend to give him another chance? Are you going to confront him directly and then negotiate?" Bishop Beckett did not raise any questions about the Earl's decision.

Even when assessing Leon as dangerous, he still agreed that Leon posed no threat to the Earl.

“Before that, let’s eliminate his motives; it will also serve as a warning,” the Count said.

“You mean…” Bishop Beckett had already sensed something.

“I don’t need to teach you that,” the count replied.

“Then I will proceed as you wish. I need a few days to prepare.” Bishop Beckett paused, “But what if he discovers it beforehand and stops me?”

“So what if he found out? Since he’s on guard, our suspicions are basically confirmed. We can see how he reacts, can’t we?” the count retorted. “If he really can’t handle it, we can just find someone else.”

If their next move can serve as a warning, making Leon completely submit, that would be ideal.

If Leon were to rebel, even if the Count were to completely sever ties with Leon, it wouldn't be a significant cost. At least compared to the momentous matter of seeking revenge against Archbishop Rogers through Weiss, this cost would be negligible.

Leon may be a valuable hound, but he is not irreplaceable. Since Leon's management model has proven effective, they can train new officers to manage the maze.

Ultimately, what can a dog do if its owner suspects it of stealing food and kicks it?

“Understood,” Bishop Beckett replied respectfully.

……

Some time later, at the Hamelin Town Heresy Tribunal prison.

Lower-ranking judge Petra carried a tray of food, humming a tune as she walked toward the cell area.

Just as she turned the corner, another judge, who was rushing by, bumped into her.

As the other person bumped into her, they raised their arm to block the impact, which ended up hitting the plate, causing the entire plate to tilt towards Petra, and the food on it to fall over as well.

"What the hell are you doing?" Petra cried out in fury as she was drenched in bread, bacon, and soup.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" Zona Mendes, the junior judge who bumped into her, apologized repeatedly. "I was just rushing to get a file, I didn't mean to..."

"Damn it, my uniform is covered in soup, what am I going to do? Everything's spilled!" Petra's day is really going to be a disaster.

"Here's what we'll do: my spare uniform is still in the locker in the guard room by the door. You can take it and wear it! Why don't you go and clean up first? I'm so sorry!" Zona apologized repeatedly.

"Oh, the clothes are one thing, but what about the work? This is a special meal delivered to cell number nine, the chief specifically instructed me to do it every day! If I change my clothes and then send another one, it will definitely be late. If the chief blames me, will you take the punishment for me?" Petra persisted.

The prisoner in cell number nine was Selena Hershey. Leon had been using her status as a patient to give her special care, with her meals prepared separately and delivered on time, without any neglect.

"I'll deliver it for you, okay? I'll treat you to dinner tonight to make up for it, I'm so sorry!" Zona said with a smile.

Seeing that the other party was sincere, Petra finally calmed down a bit: "Then you can clean up all this on the ground!"

"Of course!" Zona nodded repeatedly. "Go change your clothes quickly."

Petra left with a string of complaints, and Zona quickly found something to clean up the mess on the ground. Then she went to the mess hall to get another meal and headed towards the area of ​​cell number nine.

Halfway there, she passed through a secluded corridor. She looked around, quietly took out a paper packet, opened it, poured all the powder inside into the soup, and stirred it with a spoon.

Then, as if nothing had happened, she carried her meal through the guard post of the prison area, greeted another junior judge on duty and explained the reason, and walked along the corridor to the deepest cell.

"Room Nine, your lunch." She pushed the tray through the small opening in the door and called out to Sally, who was sitting inside reading a book, through the small window above.

"Okay, thank you." Upon hearing this, Sally put down her book, stood up, and placed the plate on the table.

Zona stood at the window, staring at Selena, hoping to see her take a bite.

However, as Sally placed her plate on the table and was about to sit down, she noticed that Zona was still there and asked, "Is there anything else?"

"It's okay, go ahead and eat." To avoid arousing suspicion, Zona decisively turned and left.

Selena listened to Zona's footsteps as she left, but didn't touch the food on the table. Instead, she continued reading.

It wasn't that she had any suspicions, but rather that several days ago, Leon had specifically warned her not to touch anything except for meals that Leon personally delivered. He had even prepared spare food and water in her room for this purpose.

She never touched the meals and water that were regularly delivered to the cell; Leon would take them away and dispose of them whenever he arrived.

Leon's arrival time is not fixed, but it is usually in the afternoon.

This time, less than fifteen minutes after the meal was delivered, a series of hurried footsteps were heard, and the cell door was opened without warning.

Sally looked up in surprise and saw Leon walk in with a serious expression.

“Mr. Leon?” Sally blinked.

"You didn't eat what we just had, did you?" Leon asked seriously.

“Mm.” Sally nodded.

Leon breathed a slight sigh of relief, stepped forward and picked up the plate to examine it closely. Then he quickly took out a container from a bag and divided the food into portions, as if collecting evidence.

"Mr. Leon, is there a problem with these things?" Sally became slightly nervous because of Leon's actions.

“We don’t know what’s wrong with the food yet, but the person who delivered it is a big problem. I need to have it checked.” Leon looked at Sally. “Don’t make a fuss yet. If you see that person who delivered your food again, be on high alert.”

After he became director, the Inquisition was basically completely under his control. However, a few people who had been placed there by Bishop Beckett during his tenure as director were still kept there, including Zona Mendes.

After Leon became the director, he significantly expanded the number of personnel and took the opportunity to place several loyal people among them. He did not reveal this to the outside world, and neither Bishop Beckett nor Zona and others knew which judges were his subordinates.

After deciding to deal with the Count, Leon not only paid attention to the investigation of Bishop Beckett, but also secretly intensified his surveillance of the people left behind by Bishop Beckett.

He also arranged for people to be near the reformatory where Melissa was located, and he also arranged for people to be around Selene. Even so, he did not dare to let Selene eat any food other than that he personally delivered, because he was worried that the Count might take action in this regard.

Just two days ago, he had arranged for someone at the archdiocese archives to send an urgent report that Bishop Beckett had suddenly visited the archives of the Southeast Archdiocese, where Leon knew very well that the files on the Caron Esso and Henry Porter case from a year ago were sealed.

The fact that Bishop Beckett wanted to compare the information in that file with something he had investigated meant that Leon was being further suspected, and they were likely to take action. And then today, his men monitored Zona's movements.

Leon had been watching the water intently for a long time, and finally saw a fish bite the hook.

“Mr. Leon,” Sally looked at Leon with concern, “are Melissa and I still safe?”

“I will ensure your safety,” Leon replied firmly, glancing at Sally.

Chapter 170 Unruly Gangster Style

Deep within the labyrinth of Arend Island, in the temple.

Weiss stood in front of the lab bench, shook the test tube, poured the liquid into the reagent, compared the color change, put down the solution and said to Leon, "It's Holy Water Number Nineteen."

"What did you say?" Leon frowned upon hearing this.

“The samples you sent contained the same ingredients as the holy water number nineteen, right there in that thick soup,” Weiss said.

"What is Holy Water Number Nineteen? Is it poisonous?" Leon asked, somewhat surprised.

No matter what, the holy water used by the church to heal should not be poisonous.

He was basically convinced that Zona Mendes had poisoned Selene Hershey on the orders of Bishop Beckett, but he still brought back the meal Zona had given to Selene as evidence and handed it over to Weiss for testing, as Weiss was an expert in this area at the church.

"Holy Water No. 19 is not poisonous; on the contrary, it is often used to treat poisons. It is a special slow-release agent that can delay the absorption of drugs and the onset of various poisons. If additional materials that preserve the power of the Supreme God's blessing are added, it can also be effective against curses."

"Take your cursed blood, for example. Although the Church doesn't have the ability to cure it, it can delay the onset of the curse by administering a high concentration of Holy Water No. 19. This is the only method the Church can use to deal with someone afflicted by the cursed blood," Weiss explained.

"The church actually has something like this? So they didn't poison Mrs. Hershey?" Leon asked.