Chapter 124: The Hunt for the Second Son (6)
A few days have passed.
In every territory under Baskerville's jurisdiction, in every square, rooms have been set up.
<Information on the process for investigating and compensating for the disappearance of infants within Baskerville's territory>.
-The purpose of this room is to uncover and compensate for all cases of infant disappearances that occurred between the years B,C 10 and A,C 19 of the Empire.
In accordance with the principles of Article 1, Paragraph 4 of the Vikir Special Law, a compensation plan is being sent to all families and nurseries where missing children occurred during this period, so that the liquidators and related parties can fill out the relevant documents and submit them to the city hall within the time limit and recover the remains of the lost children. ...
The Baskerville family has thoroughly investigated a series of incidents, including infanticide and kidnapping, and conducted compensation procedures.
While they did not reveal that a demon of the highest order had descended, they did not mince words about the horrific acts committed by the Baskervilles' second son.
This was a small consolation to the bereaved family, whose lives had been destroyed by the loss of their child, and who had organized protests and hunger strikes to demand an investigation and find out the truth.
They were also able to receive real-time reports on the punishment process of the perpetrators and see them in person.
The first to be brought to justice was the set's mother, Noot, who served as a participatory judge and juror.
She was surprisingly not brainwashed by the demon and cried out the whole way to the courtroom to be allowed to see Set.
Noot was summarily executed on a total of 1,642 charges, including releasing poisonous snakes in the children's rooms, first-degree poisoning, conspiracy to kidnap the eldest daughter, and aiding and abetting the kidnapping of Set's infant.
Set's nannies were subsequently lined up and publicly executed, as were Set's henchmen who worked under him to systematically kidnap and transport children.
The trial and execution of a high-ranking member of Baskerville's inner circle on the spot came as a shock to many estatesmen.
It reaffirmed the perception that the laws of Baskerville were so severe and thorough that not even Baskerville could escape them.
Also.
Numerous orphanage directors who sold children were decapitated, and brokers, lobbyists, and government officials who participated in the falsification of documents were torn limb from limb.
Countless others disappeared or were crippled as dew on the sentence.
For those children who had no family, memorials were erected and maintained annually by high-ranking officials.
Many annual rituals were organized for constant remembrance.
All of this was the handiwork of Osiris, the patriarch of the House of Baskerville, and entirely under his care and control.
No, one. There was a being to whom Osiris had ceded some of his authority.
Vikir Van Baskerville.
This hero, who survived a war with barbarians outside the borders, was recognized upon his return as the original discoverer and chief contributor to the project.
He was given a share of the state's authority and his fame grew to great heights.
Osiris and Vikir's work was swift and precise.
Within days, all the relevant special laws were in place, and it was no more than a week before they were actually enforced on the ground.
It was an event of such magnitude that an imperial commission was sent to investigate it, but it was unusual that no noise was heard afterward.
* * *
"Right, right, come here, Pomeranian."
Hugo shaved his mustache, a lifelong vice.
It didn't exactly make him more likable, but it was surprising to see him try so hard to look pretty for his granddaughter.
Pomeranian touched Hugo's dull chin and smiled brightly.
"Look at her smile. He looks just like Roxana, and just like Penelope."
Hugo held the Pomeranian's gaze with a mixture of happiness and sadness.
Meanwhile. Vikir had been summoned to Hugo's office and was watching the scene.
Osiris was there, too.
"Long time no see, brother."
Hugo has been overworked lately, and his eyes are a bit hollow.
But as he smiles faintly at Vikir, his face seems much more human than before.
To Vikir, who bowed reverently, Hugo said.
"You must be very busy these days."
"Yes."
"By the time I'm done with this matter, it will be too late. Hurry up and join the Academy."
Vikir shook his head.
"The family is still in turmoil. I'll have to wait until things are a little more organized before I go...."
Vikir still didn't believe Hugo.
Purge. A large-scale purge.
Hugo seemed to be using this incident to reorganize the power structure within the family.
Reality is not a fairy tale.
This series of trials and punishments, which seemed to be a process of justice being served, was actually just a show, Vikir thought, an outgrowth of the political battles of the big boys.
It was rare for a Baskerville family to fully admit responsibility and pay compensation in a high-profile case like this infanticide and kidnapping.
But Hugo had done so.
It was an act of cold political judgment, not an appeal to emotions like morality or humanity.
"To officially recognize the family's responsibility for the incident, and to remove those involved from their positions of authority. To eliminate many of their enemies and consolidate their power.
Re-weaving the plate. aka 'making a new board'.
The number of those who have been ousted from the power structure due to this set incident is numerous.
From the most insignificant to the most prominent.
When these people are purged and demoted at once, several lines are shaken.
For example, the power of the seven counts to keep the family in check was significantly weakened.
It was only natural that the limbs were cut off.
There was also some shuffling within the Knights.
A series of elderly senators and deputies were purged to punish demonic infiltrators, a process spearheaded by the family line, Osiris.
Vikir, with his pre-Regression knowledge, was of course part of the operation, and not just to solidify his position as a representative of Patriarch Hugo's line.
Data on the contacts Set had been secretly making.
Vikir smuggled it out and handed it over to Sindhiwendi to analyze.
To determine the identities and current locations of the other Ten Commandments.
'I don't want to do this! I'm already overworked enough as it is, and what, you want me to track the location of demons at the King level? How many heads do you think I have?
Of course, she didn't want to take on such a dangerous task.
'So. You don't want to trade with the natives?'
In the face of a mega-deal of epic proportions with the natives of Depht, she had no choice but to give in.
...Well, let's just say it was.
There was one thing Vikir didn't understand right now.
'Why would they want to send me to the Academy, especially at this point....'
Vikir has no reason to refuse, but the timing is a little too good to be true.
It's good to have a public figure like Vikir as a face when you're trying to weed out the noise like Hugo is doing now.
It's good to have someone like Vikir as the face of the family when there's no one in the family who doesn't know that Vikir is Hugo's line, so that Hugo can take the knife with a good cause.
After all, Vikir was the first to recognize and report Set's corruption.
"Sending me to the Academy now would be inefficient from Hugo's perspective.
So Vikir didn't understand why Hugo was trying to send him to the Academy so soon.
Normally, Hugo would take the initiative and tell him to delay his enrollment for a few years....
"Is he up to something?
But since he couldn't ask outright, he could only suspect.
Then.
Osiris, who had approached, spoke up.
"My father is concerned that you will be caught in the aftermath of a power struggle and get hurt."
...concerned?
Vikir laughed in disbelief.
Hugo wouldn't do that. Who was the great man to be worried about that heartless scoundrel?
It was strange that Osiris should even be listening to him in the first place.
"Isn't this supposed to be Butler Barrymore's job?
But Butler Barrymore was too busy marveling at Hugo's mustache.
"My lord. You look much better without a mustache."
"Indeed, but it makes me look very hollow."
Hugo smiled weakly as he styled the Pomeranian's hair into a feather braid, a skill he didn't know where he'd learned.
'What an unfamiliar sight.'
Vikir thought to himself.
... Tuck!
Osiris's hand came up to rest on his shoulder.
It was unexpectedly warm.
Vikir looked up to see Osiris standing next to him, looking down at him.
"Thanks to you, I know. That I have duties as an individual, but also as a brother."
"...."
"Do not worry about yourself, but go to the Academy."
Osiris seemed to be trying to change, at least a little, in the way he treated his brothers from now on.
He turned to Vikir with an awkward, clumsy smile.
"I'll have everything sorted out by the time you return home for your first vacation."
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