Chapter 355: The Wisdom Of Atia
The next morning...
"So... I’ll see you soon?" Hayley asked, looking up at Ethan with a warm smile.
Ethan nodded. "Yeah."
She smiled back before turning around and making her way out of the house. She was returning home to check on Phoebe, tell Percival and finally, issue that challenge to her Uncle.
Ethan watched her for a brief moment before heading back himself.
He settled onto one of the living room couches.
Spread across the table before him were several documents, reports, and diagrams he had been going through earlier.
However, his attention had drifted to the TV screen mounted across the room, which was broadcasting the morning news.
"Following yesterday’s arrival, the No. 1 Hero has already begun clamping down on crime throughout the city."
Images flashed across the screen, showing crowds gathered around locations where several wanted criminals had already been apprehended.
The broadcast went on to show public opinion.
Many praised how swiftly he had acted despite only just returning, stating that his efforts over the past twenty hours had already accomplished more than those of the other individuals parading themselves as heroes.
Ethan let out a sigh before shaking his head. "What a guy."
Not long afterward, footsteps echoed down the staircase.
Isabella appeared, already dressed for work with her handbag on one shoulder.
She walked over to him with an affectionate smile. "Hey, babe. I’m heading out."
Ethan looked up and nodded. "Yeah."
She leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on his lips before turning toward the entrance. But had only taken a few steps when she suddenly stopped.
"Oh... what about the thing with my father?" She turned back to him.
Ethan nodded. "Yeah, I’m meeting with your father later today."
"Alright." Bella nodded in understanding before hurrying toward the front door, calling loudly in the direction of the garage, "I’m coming, Valerieee!"
A black vintage sedan was already waited in the driveway with Valerie behind the wheel.
———
In a different part of the city...
Dark Nova had just stepped out of the Enforcement Headquarters after handing over yet another group of captured criminals.
Till today, not many truly understood how he managed to catch them so easily, or how he did it so quickly.
But the answer lay in one particular blessing.
The Wisdom of Atia.
A blessing bestowed upon him by the goddess Atia, which in turn granted him the skill known as Perfect Deduction.
From even the smallest fragment of evidence, whether it was a witness’s testimony or mere hearsay, Dark Nova could reconstruct the most probable sequence of events with perfect accuracy.
In most cases, he had already identified the culprit almost as soon as he heard the details of the case.
At that moment when the hero emerged through the building’s entrance, someone hurried toward him.
"My Lady, please slow down!"
Several maidservants rushed after the young woman, trying desperately to catch up.
"You shouldn’t be running in public!"
"Please, My Lady!"
The young woman came to a stop directly before Dark Nova, breathing lightly from the short run.
She immediately composed herself before offering a graceful bow. "Greetings, I am Beatrice Morgenstein, the current head of the Morgenstein Family."
Dark Nova regarded her silently.
Beatrice had inherited leadership of the family after her elder sister, Eula, disappeared, while the remaining siblings had all declined the responsibility of leading the household.
Since her father’s death, the once-prestigious Morgenstein Family had steadily declined.
Their influence, wealth, and political standing continued to diminish with time, as many no longer considered them worthy of being counted among the Seven Great Vampire Families.
"I’ve been trying to find you ever since I heard you had returned to Gritnia." Beatrice continued.
Dark Nova remained expressionless as she spoke.
"One of the reasons your name carries so much weight is because of your record." She said. "They say that if Dark Nova is searching for someone, that person will be found. They say you never mistake the guilty for the innocent."
Her eyes met his. "That is precisely why I came to you. I’ve come to ask you to investigate a case whose truth was buried."
Dark Nova’s expression remained unchanged. "What case might that be?"
"The deaths of the family leaders... a few months ago." She answered.
Dark Nova gave a slight nod. "I am aware of that incident. The state of Gritnia concluded that those deaths were orchestrated as part of Lady Audrey’s plans."
Beatrice’s face tightened immediately. "Those are lies. They are lies that have been fed to everyone."
She took a step closer. "The families who lost their leaders know that Lady Audrey was not our enemy. Those family leaders were her allies."
Dark Nova looked at her for a moment before replying. "Unfortunately... your claims do not entirely align with the evidence. There were surviving family leaders who later came forward."
"They testified that Lady Audrey killed Lord Ainzbern and went on to link their lives to her own."
Beatrice grew irritated. "I’m standing here trying to tell you the truth. Those testimonies are lies. They were fabricated by the Chief Enforcer and the King."
Dark Nova remained unmoved. "Please excuse me, Madam. I do not intend to spend any more of my time discussing this matter."
Without waiting for another reply, he stepped forward and shot into the sky, disappearing from view almost immediately.
Beatrice stomp her foot on the ground in frustration. "Unbelievable!"
In the aftermath of Audrey’s death, official statements released by the State of Gritnia declared her the mastermind behind nearly every major incident that had shaken the nation three months ago.
The reports claimed she had orchestrated the deaths of the various family leaders and manipulated events from the shadows.
Although she had not, in truth, been responsible for the deaths of the Vampire and Wolf family heads, that blame was attributed to her as well because it conveniently fit the narrative.
Coupled with the testimonies of the elf family leaders who came forward claiming Audrey had held them under her control and intended to eliminate them, public opinion quickly settled on that conclusion that it was all Audrey.
——
Within the Palace, and inside the King’s private study...
The rebuilt room was considerably larger than before. One section had been designed almost like a lounge, where several expensive couches had been arranged around a low table.
Beyond that lay the main workspace, with the King’s desk positioned before towering bookshelves that lined the walls behind it.
Ethan sat on one of the couches, staring at the tv that also continued cycling through the same set of reports surrounding Dark Nova’s arrival.
"I assume you drink?" King Carson’s voice came from behind him. "I mean... you’re definitely of drinking age, right?"
Ethan laughed a little. "Yes, Your Majesty. I am."
Carson walked over carrying two glasses, handing one to Ethan before lowering himself onto the opposite couch with his own.
Then Ethan glanced back toward the television. "I’m curious... how long exactly are we meant to deal with this guy, Your Majesty?"
Carson sighed. "Norman..."
He took a slow sip before continuing.
"He was assigned here by the Western Coalition. Truth be told, I knew nothing about it until yesterday."
There was a hint of annoyance on his face as he added. "I intend to correct that by the time I attend the Coalition meeting later this week."
Ethan nodded before asking, "But why was he sent here in the first place?"
"The demon situation." Carson answered. "Combined with everything else that’s happened over the past few months."
"But you don’t have to concern yourself. You, the demon girl my son fancies, and a handful of others have already been exempted from his investigations."
"If he finishes whatever mission he came here for and leaves quickly, I’d very much prefer that outcome myself."
"I see." Ethan swirled the drink lightly. "Well, I actually ran into him yesterday."
Carson’s eyes widened slightly. "What?"
Ethan nodded and briefly recounted how the confrontation had unfolded.
"It wasn’t a long encounter..." Ethan added. "But he’s pretty strong."
Carson sighed. "He belongs to a group people generally refer to as the Blessed."
"Oh yeah, I know that, Your Majesty." Ethan said in acknowledgment.
"I see. Well, Norman’s situation is... unusual." Carson added. "It’s not just one god he has received blessings from."
Ethan’s eyebrows rose as he expected to hear that part.
Carson nodded. "Unfortunately, no one knows how many. But perhaps that’s a good thing, so long as whatever he does is in the interest of my country. It would have been a serious problem otherwise."
The conversation drifted naturally from there.
They spoke briefly about the Western Coalition before the casual discussion eventually came to an end.
Both of them understood there was another reason for this meeting.
Which was the matter of the Assault Suits, an issue they both needed to reach a conclusion on.
