Chapter 635 - 244: Is This a Choice a Normal Person Would Make?

’Ales...’

Thinking of the former Director of the Secret Investigation Department, Mitra’s mind drifted.

"Is there a problem?" Wei’en asked lightly, noticing her expression.

"N-no."

Mitra’s eyes refocused. Gazing at the young Wizard before her, she suppressed the flutter in her heart and said, "I presume you’ve analyzed the events of that night in Caster in detail, so you must already know a few things..."

Wei’en chuckled softly. ’Such deference.’ This Favored One of the Desire Sect was even more resigned to her fate than he had imagined.

’All the better.’

"I know a few things. In fact, I’m clear on the general course of events, but there are still some details I don’t understand. I hope you can provide the answers."

"I understand. I’ll start by telling you what I know..."

Mitra let out a soft sigh. Her gaze drifted from the young Wizard to the wine glass by her hand as she began to recount the past:

"It all started seventeen years ago. Back then, Ales was the Deputy Director of the Secret Investigation Department and the youngest Director Level Extraordinary in all of Caster City State. He was full of ambition."

"The situation in the city-state at the time was very complex. The Noble Committee, the Council, and the Dawn Church were constantly at odds. To be more precise, the Noble Committee and the Council had joined forces to resist the Dawn Church..."

’Resist the Dawn Church?’

Wei’en’s expression shifted slightly. ’Were the Council and the nobles really that brave back then?’

’He hadn’t known the full extent of the Dawn Church’s power before, but now he did. It was a True God Church that dominated the entire Eastern Continent. They could easily obliterate not just the small Caster City State, but even the Shetland Kingdom.’

’How could the Noble Committee and the Council dare to resist such a formidable power?’

"Do you know who was in charge of Krimms Cathedral at the time?"

"Andrews?" Wei’en mused.

Mitra nodded. "By then, Andrews, who had arrived in Caster City State with Ales, had already assumed the post of Bishop of Krimms Cathedral."

"And Ales wasn’t the Director yet?"

Wei’en raised an eyebrow. ’I see what she’s getting at.’

’Ales and Andrews were around the same age, but seventeen years ago, their respective statuses were already diverging.’

’As a saying from his past life went, where you stand depends on where you sit. Their different positions would inevitably lead to different perspectives.’

’It had nothing to do with friendship; it was simply a matter of their respective positions.’

’Clearly, Ales must have viewed the Dawn Church from the perspective of the Secret Investigation Department, or rather, from the Council’s standpoint.’

"Exactly! At that time, Bishop Andrews had just taken over the position and had to clean up the mess his predecessor left behind. He was under a lot of pressure, facing a lack of cooperation from the Council and the Noble Committee on every front."

At this point, Mitra added, "I should also point out that the Dawn Sanctuary won’t intervene in a city-state’s affairs for something like this, unless a war or disaster breaks out."

"This created an opening for the nobles and the Council, and it set the stage for what came next..."

’What came next... That must have been the incident where the Secret Investigation Department suffered disastrous losses...’

Wei’en didn’t interrupt, listening quietly as Mitra continued her story.

Just as he’d suspected, the overwhelmed Bishop Andrews decided to take the initiative. However, Andrews knew his friend’s character; Ales would never allow him to do anything that would harm the city-state’s residents.

Therefore, before initiating his plan, he used a treasure map—the one leading to the ruin on the Western Continent where Tina was—to trick Ales into leaving on an expedition.

Then he began to use his power to proactively court a number of Extraordinary Clans, promising benefits to win over every family he could.

It had to be said, the Dawn Church’s name was a very effective tool, especially since many nobles were already followers of the Dawn...

So, upon seeing an Archbishop humble himself before them, those nobles gladly accepted, causing a rift in the seemingly united Noble Committee.

Subsequently, Andrews used the power of these nobles to seize control of the Noble Committee and counterbalance the Council.

In fact, by this point, his goal had been achieved. All he had to do next was consolidate his control, balance the power between the Noble Committee and the Council, and buy more time.

But Andrews was careless. He didn’t realize that among the nobles he’d won over was Old Ernst, a man who wanted nothing more than to see the city-state in turmoil. Nor did he sense their determination to seize control of Caster City State for themselves.

Thus, one evening, the Ernst Clan used the resources of the Glory Society to procure a forbidden object and, through a series of schemes, placed it inside the Secret Investigation Department...

What happened next was a story Wei’en already knew.

The Demon Clown went on a rampage, slaughtering countless members of the Secret Investigation Department, until the returning Ales borrowed Tina’s power to bring the forbidden object back under control.

"...Less than two hours after Ales dealt with the forbidden object, he became the new Director of the Secret Investigation Department, thwarting Old Ernst’s plan."

Mitra’s tone was filled with regret. She herself had only learned of these events long after, through her contacts with the nobles of the Glory Society. Back then, Ales was still widely considered the most pathetic figure in the city-state.

"Oh? So Old Ernst wanted to use the incident as a pretext to take control of the Secret Investigation Department?"

"Yes," Mitra nodded. "The City-State Guard Army and the Secret Investigation Department have always been under the Council’s control. If the Noble Committee could seize the Department, then combined with their own family guards, they would have an absolute advantage."

Wei’en asked thoughtfully, "Then what was Bishop Andrews’s role in all this seventeen years ago? Did he just let it happen?"