Subaru Natsuki, who returned from the new Three Kingdoms

“No!” Crusch immediately shook her head.

"Things aren't as serious as you're making them out to be!"

"There are still many veteran ministers within the kingdom who have not been replaced. They can continue to maintain the kingdom's operation until the royal election is over."

Russell Ferro looked at her and did not continue arguing.

As the head of an intelligence organization and a top businessman, his insight was enough for him to see that Crusch would not be swayed by his words.

But it was precisely this that strengthened his resolve to support Crusch as king.

The woman before me possesses both ruthless methods and a compassionate heart; only someone like her is suitable to lead Lugnica toward a bright future.

The tea on the table gradually cooled down, but not a single page of the case file was closed.

After a while, Russell suddenly mentioned a name.

"What does Lord Crusch plan to do after Subaru Natsuki returns?"

Crusch paused slightly, her fingers on the record tightening along with her brow.

She hadn't expected the other person to bring up the missing name at this time.

Is Russell actually planning to use Subaru Natsuki as a breakthrough point?

“Of course, as instructed by Lord Myrotov when he was lucid,” Kurre replied matter-of-factly.

"Let them meet once Lord Mycroft has regained consciousness."

"and then?"

Russell Ferro pressed for an answer.

Crusch was silent for a moment, then looked away from the record and back at Russell Ferro's face.

"Make Natsuki Subaru's heroic deeds of saving the kingdom public."

Russell Filo nodded, but then asked in a slightly seductive tone:

"Is Lord Crusch really going to share this credit with Subaru Natsuki?"

Crusch immediately frowned.

"How can this be called a score?"

"This was originally thanks to Subaru Natsuki."

“It was Subaru Natsuki who discovered the existence of the fake Mycroft, and it was Subaru Natsuki who passed this information on to me, and then to you. Now that the Kingdom has been able to nip that organization's plot in the bud, Subaru Natsuki is undoubtedly the one who deserves the most credit.”

Russell Ferro shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this.

"I have a different opinion on this."

Russell Ferro pulled out a stack of records and pushed them between the two men.

He only recently began investigating Subaru Natsuki, but the results showed that the young man's past was almost entirely blank, as if he had only appeared out of thin air in the capital a few days ago.

"Can someone with such an unknown background really be trusted?"

“But he did save the kingdom after all,” Crusch replied.

“Really?” Russell Filo countered. “What if this is just a show staged by the enemy?”

"They deliberately pushed Subaru Natsuki into the public eye of the kingdom, making him a kind of spiritual beacon, in preparation for a future coup."

“That’s impossible. Doing this would be tantamount to cutting off his own arm. Exposing the organization’s existence will only lead to their power dwindling.” Crusch’s brows furrowed even more.

"Really? Lady Crusch, don't forget, your and my blessings can only detect those with wavering minds or those who have left 'traces' in the past."

"We haven't found a single truly loyal core member of that organization!"

"Subaru Natsuki's situation may also be similar."

"On the surface, he is the hero who saved the kingdom."

"But who can prove that everything he did was unrelated to this huge conspiracy?"

Russell Ferro patiently guided him.

Crusch remained silent for a moment, then moved his finger away from the edge of the record, still shaking his head.

"I believe Natsuki Subaru is not that kind of person."

“I recognized him with my own blessing, and Lord Wilhelm as well…”

"Lady Crusch, your blessing can indeed detect lies, and Lord Wilhelm also has a wealth of experience."

"But neither protection nor experience can guarantee that you will never be deceived."

Crusch's brows furrowed more and more tightly.

"So what do you want to do?"

Russell Ferro looked at her, his smile completely vanishing, and finally revealed his true purpose.

"I believe that once Subaru Natsuki returns, we should deal with him immediately."

Crusch's hand suddenly tightened.

"What? What right do you have to kill him?"

"He could become the kingdom's biggest threat."

Russell Ferro's voice remained calm, but that calmness sounded more jarring to Crusch than a roar.

“Lord Crusch, if you insist on publicizing his achievements, he will become a hero in the eyes of the kingdom’s people. At that time, he will only need to stand up and say a few words to shake the prestige you have just established.”

"so what?"

"If he is truly innocent, then I have simply killed the wrong person."

Russell Ferro raised his eyes, his tone unwavering.

"But if he is truly an enemy, and we wait until he reaches the center of power in the kingdom before making our move, more than one person will die."

"As long as we get rid of him, Lord Crusch's credit will not fall on an unknown outsider, and the kingdom will be free of a potential threat."

Crusch slammed her hand heavily on the table, causing the tea on the table to slosh over the rim of the cup.

How could you say such a thing!

"He is the hero who saved the kingdom. You consider him a threat to the kingdom based solely on some unsubstantiated suspicions?"

She stared at the businessman in front of her, her voice low and heavy.

"Russell! What's the difference between you and a madman?!"

A near-maniacal smile spread across Russell Ferro's face.

"madman?"

"I don't consider myself crazy."

He sat up straight, his fingertips tapping lightly on the table.

"Lord Crusch, do you know what the six tongues' purpose is?"

"Love your country more than anything else."

"Even if it means killing my entire family with my own hands for the sake of the country, I won't blink an eye."

Crusch was stunned by this insane doctrine, but did not immediately retract her hand that was on the table.

Russell Ferro still hadn't stopped laughing.

"Furthermore, that Natsuki Subaru is definitely not as upright and simple as you, Crusch-sama, imagine."

Have you forgotten?

“Back then, Reinhard had already imprisoned one Natsuki Subaru, but at the same time, another assassin with Natsuki Subaru’s face appeared in the palace.”

"The fact that two Subaru Natsuki can appear at the same time proves this."

"Subaru Natsuki is also among their disguised targets."

Russell Ferro pushed his teacup aside.

"Perhaps the Natsuki Subaru we found is no longer the original Natsuki Subaru."

"But they are the true backbone of this organization!"

Crusch fell silent again, her fingertips leaving a faint white mark on the table.

In the end, she still said in an irrefutable tone:

“Sir Russell Ferro, I can pretend I didn’t hear what you just said.”

"But if I hear anything like that again, I will punish you for bringing chaos to the country."

Russell Ferro sighed and got up to leave.

After leaving the room, he walked out along the palace corridor.

A thoughtful glint flashed in his eyes.

Crusch was ultimately too upright.

Such a person is suitable for leading the country in the open, but not for dealing with the dirty business that cannot be brought to the forefront.

Things that are hidden in the shadows should naturally be done by someone like him who has lived in the shadows for many years!

Who told him to be Lugnica's shadow!

Russell Ferro has always acted this way.

Back then, the Bishop of Gluttony (the eldest) had not yet fully matured; he was just an infant. When the child was first adopted, the bishop treated him like a slave.

That adoption was devoid of pity, driven solely by a calculation of capabilities.

His initial goal was to utilize the Bishop of Gluttony's most powerful abilities to create a safer living environment and greater value for the kingdom.

In the years leading up to the Bishop of Gluttony's defection, he had been using his authority to deal with those in the kingdom who might threaten its security.

These people were all deemed dangerous by Six Tongues, but because they had not yet taken any action, they could not be punished by the kingdom's laws.

Since the kingdom is unable to intervene, let the six tongues of the kingdom do it!

The reason those people's names are forgotten is because they were all swallowed up by the power of gluttony directed by Russell.

Is this illegal or criminal? Perhaps.

But for Russell...

Any price is acceptable as long as the kingdom is safer!

Back at his chamber of commerce, Russell Ferro looked around.

"Have those two people been settled?"

The subordinate bowed his head and answered:

"Reporting to Your Excellency, everything has been arranged."

Russell Ferro nodded, turned, and walked into a hidden passage.

Two figures stood in the room at the end of the passage.

The man was tall, even somewhat obese. He wore a mask on his face and three more masks on his body.

The other person is petite and has an endearing appearance.

These two were Black Dog and White Sheep, who had just escaped from the Aiko Organization's gathering.

Both of them were in a very bad state at the moment.

The black dog's arm was still bleeding, and the white sheep was covered in dust with several tears in its clothes.

They clearly paid a heavy price to escape the organization's surveillance.

Before Russell Ferro pushed open the door, Aries was whispering to Black Dog:

"Brother, can we really escape from the organization?"

The black dog nodded.

"Don't worry, little sister."

"We will definitely be able to return to a normal life."