Dragon Monarch System

"The Aurion Empire." Hearing this, Nathan and Aditya looked at each other in surprise.

In the capital, there was one person who came from the Aurion Empire, and he was Silas.

Both Aditya and Nathan fell into silence. Both of them did not knew if Silas had really done this or some else was plotting to make Silas appear as the villain.

Aditya had a frown on his face. "Silas, targeting a spice vendor doesn't add up!!!" Aditya voiced out his confusion and frustration.

Obviously, Aditya had read the report that Celestina had written about Silas and the suspicion that she had about Silas. But it still did not make any sense. Why would he do something like this?

"It's too... petty for a man of his resources and connections."

Nathan looked at the crowd for a few seconds.

He suddenly had a thought or more like a possibility in his mind.

"Unless," Nathan met Aditya's gaze.

"it's not about the vendor. What if it's a diversion? A way to stir the pot, create unrest, or even send a message to someone through us?" What Nathan said did make sense. The chances of something like this happening were also possible.

Aditya rubbed his chin while considering Nathan's words. The possibility sparked a new angle in their investigation that neither had considered.

"A message,"

"But to whom? And why?"

For a moment, both of them became silent. After a while, Aditya made up his mind.

"We need to confront Silas. Gauge his reaction, see if he slips or reveals anything we can use."

Nathan's response was immediate. "But Your Majesty, confronting him directly could backfire. He's well-respected, and he has many connections with and outside of the Istarin Empire." He voiced his concern.

"I know. But walking on eggshells won't get us closer to the truth. We'll be cautious and frame it as seeking his help or insights into the incident. His reaction will tell us more than his words." Hearing this, Nathan nodded his head.

Besides, if something did go wrong, Aditya wasn't afraid. What could Silas do against Aditya? Aditya was determined to get to the bottom of this whole thing.

'I also should do something to make sure that no one will be able to repeat what happened here ever again.' Aditya had a new idea in his mind.

'I don't have any free time on my hands right now. So, I guess I will wait until Spencer's wedding is over.' Aditya was going to be super busy until Spencer's marriage. Aditya had allowed Spencer to take some time off and prepare for his wedding.

But no can, not even his secretaries could take his place. So, Aditya had to take his place and manage everything in his place. The numerous ongoing mysterious events in Azure City have made him even busier.

"Nathan, send someone to call Silas and his subordinate James to see me." Aditya's work her was done.

"Understood...!!"

"I want to see him in an hour. Also, let your men continue with their investigation. Ask the people if they have seen anything suspicious or anything strange around the area. Maybe we will get a new clue." Nathan nodded his head.

The next second, Aditya teleported back to the Dragon Palace.

He appeared back to his office. Seeing the pile of papers on his table, Aditya sighed before sitting down.

'Being the Emperor of the Istarin Empire is a blast until you actually have to do Emperor stuff.' This thought crossed Aditya's mind, and he couldn't help but let out a small, amused smirk. He was staring at the mountain of paperwork and reports on his desk. Each one represented a different issue or decision that needed his attention.

Aditya was basically suffering from over-success.

It was because the Istarin Empire was so huge that he and Spencer had so much work.

"And they said ruling an empire would be glorious. They forgot to mention it's also a glorified paper-pushing job." He couldn't suppress a chuckle at the irony of it all.

"Maybe I can declare a new holiday. National Do-Nothing-But-Eat-Cake Day. I bet that would be more popular than tax season." Aditya was momentarily distracted by the pleasant thoughts before the reality of his responsibilities nudged him back.

If Spencer hadn't been a cultivator, then by now, he would have died from overwork.

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Scene change______

Around an hour later, Aditya teleported to the old Castle that was located at the center of the Azure City.

These days, Aditya mostly uses this castle for his meetings. In the living room, he was waiting for Silas to come.

Nathan was standing behind him.

The room was filled with silence. Neither of them said anything. Both of them looked very serious.

The atmosphere of the room was heavy.

If Silas showed any sign or gave any clue of being the mastermind, then he would be arrested on the spot along with his subordinate.

Silas was escorted into the living room by a maid. As he stepped inside the room, the Emperor and the General stared at Silas.

Aditya was secretly impressed by Silas's calm demeanor. He was almost unworried by being summoned by the Emperor.

"Emperor Aditya, General Nathan," He greeted them by placing his right palm on his heart and slightly bowing his head.

"I hear there's been an incident. How may I assist the Empire in this troubling time?" He stood facing Aditya and Nathan.

Aditya studied him without saying anything. He was searching for any sign of deceit or nervousness, but Silas was like an open book. His concern was seemingly genuine.

Aditya continued staring at Silas for almost 10 seconds. At that time, Silas did not show any sign of nervousness.

"A minor explosion took place at the marketplace today!!" Nathan began while watching Silas closely.

"Near a vendor known to trade in western spices. Given your extensive network, we wondered if you might have heard anything... unusual."

Hearing this, Silas was genuinely surprised. "This is the first I've heard of it, I assure you. Such acts of violence harm us all. They disrupt trade and sow fear in everyone's hearts. If there's anything my contacts can do to assist in your investigation, you have but to ask." Silas politely said.

Nathan asked Silas a few questions. He asked where Silas was when the explosion happened. What is he doing in Azure City? And some other questions. Silas's honestly answered everything.

Neither Aditya nor Nathan saw anything suspicious with Silas.

Around 10 minutes later, Silas left after promising his cooperation.

Aditya and Nathan exchanged a look. "Your Majesty, what do you think?" Nathan asked.

Sigh.....!!!

Aditya sighed while rubbing his chin. "He's either a master at concealing his true feelings, or he is genuinely uninvolved. But his offer to help... that could be our opening to learn more." In the end, Aditya had a smile on his face.

Nathan nodded his head.

"Continue with the investigation. Also, tighten the security around the marketplace." Nathan nodded his head and then disappeared.

Soon, Aditya returned to the Dragon Palace. He continued to work till evening.

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Scene change______

Nathan and his men continued to work on this case.

Nathan was about to leave for the day when one of his men came running at him.

"Commander.....!!!" His voice was kind of excited.

"Speak...!!" Nathan said in a cold tone.

"Sir, we caught this man who was trying to sneak away from us. But he claims to have seen something that might help us with our investigation."

The man who got caught was a thief. He was a young man with more dirt on his face than fear in his eyes. The young man had short black hair. He looked ordinary in every way.

"What did you see?" Nathan asked in a cold tone.

"If you dare to lie, then we will chop off your arms and legs." Hearing Nathan's words, the young man trembled in fear.

"I ...will speak.....the truth." The young man hurriedly replied.

"I—I saw someone, right before the explosion took place," The thief shuttered. He nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"The figure was in a black cloak. It was a tall and big figure. Bigger than any merchant I've ever pickpocketed. And... and he limped. He had a mark on his hand, too. The mark glowed in the dark, ....it did."

"A mark? Can you describe it?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah, yeah. It was like a snake but with wings. I've never seen anything like it." His eyes darted between Nathan and others as if seeking some sign of approval.

Nathan took out a drawn portrait of Silas and showed it to the thief. "Did he look like this?" Nathan asked.

"No, sir. Not at all. This one was... menacing. He made my skin crawl just looking at him."

"Did you see anything else? Any more details?" Nathan asked in a hopeful tone.

"No, sir.....!!"

"I was looking for a target at that time." The young man looked kind of embarrassed.

"We can verify this boy's presence at the scene through other witnesses. He's a known pickpocket, but his information could prove valuable." One of Nathan's men said.

Aditya nodded. "Keep him detained, but treat him fairly."

Nathan then looked at the thief, who was also looking at Nathan with a pleading gaze. "Don't worry; since you have helped us with our investigation, your sentence will be reduced." The thief nodded his head, feeling relieved.

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Scene change_______

"So that's what happened." Nathan came to Aditya to report everything.

"This changes things. Silas's involvement is still possible, but we must consider other suspects. This mark... it's unfamiliar to me." Nathan replied.

Aditya's gaze was distant as he spoke. "We need to dive deeper into this symbol's origins. And keep a closer eye on Silas, not as a suspect, but potentially as a target. You understand what I mean, right?" Nathan nodded his head.

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