Wizard: I Add Points and Hunt Monsters

Chapter 256: Chapter 129: Got Played? Serves You Right

He remembered. It was from that time at the Ceres Manor—he recalled Marco saying that the Vasquez People were destroyed because a pirate posing as a bard delivered a prophecy.

"That business with the Vasquez?" Marco also remembered. "They found it? The Shetland Royal Family has had a bounty out for so long..."

"What if I told you the Ernst Clan was the one behind that prophecy?"

Lisi countered, then continued as if answering her own question, "Or, to be more precise, what if they had someone else deliver that prophecy for them?"

"They..." Marco’s eyes widened, finding the possibility hard to accept.

The others reacted similarly. Only Old Jack wore an expression that said he’d known all along.

Wei’en, on the other hand, heard this and inwardly praised the Ernst Clan’s maneuver. ’Very slick.’

’If I’m not mistaken, they must have fabricated that prophecy back then to earn merit through war, right?’

’Something must have gone wrong later on, causing their scheme to fall through.’

"Wait," Kali said, raising her hand slightly. She then asked apologetically, "I was just wondering, wasn’t the Ernst Clan afraid of other people discovering the truth?"

"Good question," Old Jack said, giving her an approving look. "The key was that the person they found to lead it could take all the blame."

"That’s right," Lisi nodded. "They put forth a scapegoat—no, two of them!"

"Two?"

"Yes. One of them was the Ceres Clan, and the other..." Lisi didn’t keep them in suspense. "Is the Black Pearl!"

"The Ceres Clan? The Black Pearl?"

"The Black Pearl?!" Old Jack almost sprayed out a mouthful of wine. He coughed and asked, "Are you sure they wanted the crew of the Black Pearl to take the fall?"

However, seeing the others staring at him, he quickly added, "I mean, having the Black Pearl be the scapegoat... um... that’s quite an idea."

"It certainly is," Lisi and the others didn’t doubt Old Jack’s words at all.

Only Wei’en, who knew why Jack had reacted so strongly, inwardly curled his lip.

’And here I thought you knew everything.’

’Feeling shocked now that you know you’re the one who got played?’

’Serves you right!’

"I don’t get it. How did the Ernst Clan pull it off?" Marco asked after a moment’s thought. "The Ceres Clan aren’t idiots. Didn’t they resist?"

"Marco, you’re really..."

Lisi gave him a look one might give an idiot. "Your Nascimento Clan is part of the Caster nobility too. Don’t you understand the principle that interests come first?"

"The Ceres Clan is just new money, a recently risen family. In status, heritage, wealth, and honor, they can’t possibly compare to the Ernst Clan. And how could they expect to enter that ’circle’ without paying a price?"

"Interests..." Marco had no rebuttal. Compared to the others in his clan, he truly hadn’t paid much attention to internal family affairs.

"I don’t know the specifics of the deal between them. But Old Ernst is the one pulling the strings behind the Ceres Clan’s recent miserable state."

Kali now understood why the Ernst Clan was doing this, but not how.

"So what’s the story with the Black Pearl?"

"Them?"

Lisi said thoughtfully, "According to Yegor, that pirate came from the Black Pearl. Combined with their recent appearance in Caster, the Ernst Clan took advantage of the situation."

"Wei’en, you must remember Collins, the Ceres Clan’s butler, right? He’s from the Black Pearl, which serves as ironclad proof of their collaboration."

Wei’en nodded in cooperation. "Mm-hmm."

CREAK.

"Hm?"

"Sorry, sorry. I squeezed a bit too hard..." Old Jack said, holding up his now-dented flask. "Please, continue. Go on."

Wei’en was secretly delighted. ’With a reaction that big, he must be absolutely furious, right?’

’Now that he knows the Ernst Clan set him up, will he still be so cooperative?’

But Wei’en didn’t pay Black Jack’s reaction much mind. He was more interested in the so-called ’circle’ Lisi had mentioned.

’Could this "circle," the one the Ceres Clan was willing to pay such a heavy price to squeeze into, be the Glory Society?’

’If so, he had to admit, Old Count Ernst—whom he’d only seen at the Dawn festival—was really something else...’

’This was like selling someone down the river, and the Ceres Clan was still helping them count the cash.’

’Tsk tsk, poor Old Sayam.’

’Not only did he lose several sons and the family business, but now he’s been branded a traitor...’

"In fact, Director Nifa has already confirmed with the Klande City-State Secret Investigation Department that the Ernst Clan has already reported this matter upwards."

Before anyone could ask, Lisi continued, "And their report claims that the prophecy from twenty years ago was a joint conspiracy between the Ceres Clan and the Black Pearl. Their goal was to snatch a treasure from the Vasquez People."

"A treasure?"

"It’s a forbidden artifact, and it’s located right here in Caster. As for which one it is, the higher-ups haven’t said."

’A forbidden artifact...’

Wei’en thought about the few he’d seen before, and then recalled what Clelia had said last night. ’Could it be... Forbidden Artifact 0-78, Rover’s Left Eye?’

’Fuck.’

’Is the Ernst Clan really that capable? They’re even scheming against the Dawn Church?’

At that, Marco understood. "So, their actions... were they tacitly approved by Klande?"

"Yes. At the very least, they have the support of some people on that side."

"But I still don’t get it. If the higher-ups already know the Ernst Clan’s intentions, why..."

"Why don’t they intervene?" Lisi cut in. "Well, have you ever stopped to think about why Director Ales chose to sacrifice himself?"