Chapter 237 Relationship
When he saw Jolini Bateman again in the royal city, little Bateman could hardly believe his eyes. This brother, whom he respected and even feared, always seemed to him to be austere, powerful, and proud. He was the most outstanding young heir of the Bateman family, his father's proud heir, and the future Marquis of Bateman.
But at this time, the other party had a messy beard, was covered in dust, had deeply sunken cheeks, and his eyeballs were trembling nervously. He looked haggard, as if he had just experienced a life-and-death escape.
"...Father? Big brother? What happened?" Little Batman, who hurried back from the St. Bartolomeo Warlock College, carefully glanced at his brother and turned to look at the gloomy Marquis Batman.
His father sat in the shadows, stroking his cane without saying a word. But Jolini Baartman said in a hoarse voice, "Except for me, all eleven Silver Helmets Knights have lost contact in the Kasa Strait."
"Apart from you, are there any other Silver Helmet Knights alive?" Marquis Batman asked coldly.
"On the way back to the royal city, I tried to contact the others using mystical techniques, but no one answered me," Jolini said solemnly. "I also mobilized the spies we had planted in the Kasa Strait, and finally found some remaining armor fragments and broken human limbs near Spiral Bay, but it was almost impossible to tell who was who. The Silver Helm Knights all have noble blood, so I'll have to go to the Royal Court Council and apply for a traceable 'Ode to the Soul Guardian' to determine the specific casualties."
Marquis Baartman's grip on his cane tightened a little. "So, as of now, you are most likely the only survivor?"
"……yes."
Little Batman on the side was still in a bad state, but Marquis Batman and his eldest son both looked extremely ugly.
The Yuanxin Guards are an armed force affiliated with the king. At its peak, there were no more than thirty-six people. Each of them was a master who was ranked among the best in the country.
However, just looking at Cassius II's current confused state, one can tell that the sharpest knife of the royal family has fallen into the hands of the queen.
However, with the invasion of the Far North, the collapse of the empire's finances, and even the beginnings of nationwide riots, the conflict between the royal court, the church, and the queen had already intensified, almost reaching a fever pitch. Now that such a major incident had occurred, the entire Kite Heart Guard had suffered a devastating blow, and someone would inevitably use this as an excuse to attack the queen. Then someone had to bear the blame, and someone had to be the scapegoat.
Originally, death would be the most appropriate, as it would be better for everyone. However, as the only "survivor" and heir to the Bateman family, the old men in the Royal Court Council would definitely force Jolini Bateman to put the blame on the Queen - no matter what, he would die.
"...I'll go visit His Excellency Duke Kamu," Marquis Bateman said slowly, pinching his brow. He stood up, leaning on his cane, and glancing at his second son, who looked dazed and lost, he suddenly called out sternly, "Trang!"
Tran Bateman shuddered: "Yes, yes! Father!"
Marquis Bateman looked at his youngest son with particular scrutiny, always seeming too naive and foolish compared to his eldest. If he were merely the second son of a noble family, he might have been barely qualified, not bringing shame to the family. But if the succession to the title was involved, he would be instantly dissatisfied. But if the most outstanding eldest son had unfortunately become a victim of political strife, the Bateman family would have to preserve an heir, no matter what.
"Go ask for leave from the Saint Bartholomew Warlock College," he ordered coldly, "From today on, you are not allowed to leave the house or see outsiders, lest anything happen to the two of you—do you understand?"
To prevent someone from becoming desperate and using the second heir to threaten the Batman family - those old guys would definitely do it.
Tran Bateman opened his mouth, then subconsciously glanced in his brother's direction, only to find him calm, seemingly unconcerned with the cold, almost abandoning decision. After Marquis Bateman left, he hesitated for a moment, then suppressed his instinctive fear and slowly approached.
"...Brother." Little Batman called out timidly, not knowing what to say.
"I remember you attended the coming-of-age ceremony of that branch of the Brody family." Jolini Batman, half of his face hidden in the shadows, suddenly spoke without warning.
"...Yes, Father also went because of Duke Kamu's request." Little Batman whispered, "Brother, you had a mission that day, so you didn't go with me."
Before setting off that day, he felt it was a pity. He wanted to use his big brother's prestige to mock the two Brodys, especially Nova Brody who made him look bad. However, he just watched a good show of self-removal in public. He was so stunned that he even forgot to make trouble for Percy Brody afterwards.
"So you saw Nova Brody, who removed himself from the throne, and Percy Brody, who stole his title." His brother's eyes fixed on him. "In your opinion, what is the relationship between the two of them?"
Little Batman was stunned for a moment. Somehow, the image of Percy Brody flashed through his mind. Whenever his brother was mentioned, he would pretend to be indifferent and show off secretly - to be honest, it was quite useless.
But he replied, for some unknown reason: "Not very well, as far as I know."
Little Bartman shrugged nonchalantly. "In the few times I was there, whenever they met, Percy Brody would take the initiative to provoke them."
—And every time, little Brody would be so angry at big Brody that he would turn around and run away, maybe even hiding in his blanket and crying. But after a few days, the scar would heal and the pain would be forgotten. The next time they met, they would immediately rush over excitedly to "communicate", and then the whole process would repeat.
Tron Bateman spoke more fluently: "I once heard Percy Brody say that his cousin insulted the whole family."
——Although it was the fabricated tabloid with Nova Brody as the protagonist that insulted the family's reputation, it's almost the same.
His brother stared at him with an unfathomable expression, which made little Batman become as stiff as a quail again.
"I did hear that Percy Brody took a long leave of absence from St. Bartolome's School of Warlocks when his expelled cousin was imprisoned," Jolini Bateman said slowly. "He went to White Tower University and even took the initiative to protect several students. This is very strange. For cousins who have a bad relationship and even direct conflicts of interest, it is normal to kick each other when they are down. Why would they protect each other's students?"
"...I don't know about that. Brody and I don't have a very good relationship." Tran Bateman pretended to be nonchalant and talked nonsense. "But from what I know, he once said that his cousin is a genius in the field of theology. Maybe he wants to take the opportunity to steal some important research?"
To avoid being noticed, he quickly asked, "So, big brother, why are you asking him? Hasn't that Nova been imprisoned in the Inquisition?"
Jolini narrowed his eyes and stared at him for a while, until little Bateman broke out in a cold sweat, and then he slowly looked away: "You should have heard of 'ghost'."
"...It seems to be related to the rebellion in the West District." Tran Batman hesitated. "I heard from my classmates that the guy who calls himself 'Ghost' is the soul of the rebellion."
"'Ghost' is Nova Brody," Jolini Bateman said in a cold tone. "Somehow, that guy escaped from the Inquisition and went to Port Morris to cause chaos. It was under his command that the twelve Silver Helmets were almost completely wiped out."
He didn't mention the gods—everything about them was kept secret by the higher-ups. If his younger brother were to let slip something one day, and word got out that "the only remaining gods in the world were supporting the rebel leader," it would be a huge problem.
Little Batman: "..."
He slowly opened his mouth and forced himself to close it.
Percy Brody, I was wrong about you, little Bateman thought dully. Your advice really came from the best of my heart—how could I have provoked such a terrible guy and deliberately spread rumors about him?!
"Before he did anything, he removed himself from the family," Jolini Bateman said expressionlessly. "It's possible that he voluntarily cut off his robe to show his attitude and stance to those low-class people...but it's also possible that he did it to protect the family and Percy Brody."
Little Bateman's face gradually turned pale. He heard the unfinished bloody meaning in his brother's words: "So if Nova Brody and Percy Brody have a special relationship, maybe we can start with the latter."
That man had the protection of the gods, the covert support of the academy, and a following of powerful figures like Ole Asagi and an army of untouchables. He wasn't someone to be trifled with. But Percy Brody was just a mere viscount. How about the head of his grade at St. Bartolome's School of Warlocks? There were three of them every year. So what if he was a young prodigy? Even if he was talented, he still hadn't grown up yet.
Tran Bateman heard himself stammering, "But, but the relationship between them doesn't seem to be good..."
Jolini Bateman narrowed his eyes slightly. "In that case, I remember that Nova Brody's mother is still alive?"
“…”
Seeing his silly brother still standing there in a daze, Giorini frowned and suddenly asked sternly, "I haven't been able to take care of you these days, and Father doesn't know yet—are you still touching those things?"
"...No." The expression on Little Batman's face gradually disappeared. He lowered his head and whispered, "With the soul contract, how could I..."
"That's better." Giorini snorted coldly. Seeing his brother hanging his head in front of him without saying a word, he warned him again coldly: "It doesn't matter if you destroy yourself, but don't implicate the entire Bateman family! If I find out that you try to research that kind of thing again, I will be the first to kill you without anyone else having to do anything - do you understand?!"
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