Chapter 23: A Show of Force
Eden Manor had a history spanning over five hundred years. Do not underestimate this estate located outside Zuer City. Having weathered the Dark Age, the Imperial Civil War, and other historical upheavals, it still stood firm to this day. This was the largest trading hub for Red Ore—storage, transit, and bulk sales of Red Ore all had to pass through here.
Compared to Eden Manor, most people preferred to call it the Pleasure Garden. The main commodity here, Red Ore, was neither an industrial mineral nor a gemstone. Its primary effect was hallucinogenic. After special treatment, Red Ore, when in contact with oral mucosa, would slowly enter the bloodstream, eventually inducing hallucinations. It was actually a natural sedative, also usable in medical and psychiatric fields.
The main buyers of Red Ore were nobles and the middle class. The terrifying thing about this substance was that its harm to the human body was barely greater than smoking—at least, that was what Eden Manor publicly claimed.
In reality, holding Red Ore in the mouth carried considerable risk. If one got too high and swallowed it, they would either die or lose half their life, causing irreversible damage to the nervous system.
The Empire had repeatedly proposed banning private sales of Red Ore. Unfortunately, the councilors strongly supported Eden Manor. Perhaps it was because over 97% of the Empire's population couldn't afford Red Ore, and its addictiveness wasn't too strong, so it was still being sold to this day.
As the owner of Eden Manor, Sir Eddie's influence in Zuer City was evident. Below the monarch were the councilors. After fattening up those councilors, he feared no one in the Council Hall except Monarch Harold, let alone middle- and lower-ranking officials. Those people, upon seeing him, had to address him as Sir. Joshua Eddie was undoubtedly a man with far-reaching connections.
Eden Manor covered a large area. Maids moved through the fields in the courtyard, hunting dogs in cages barked loudly. Trees, lawns, flowers—the estate had everything.
At the manor's iron gate, several gunmen employed by the Joshua family were chatting idly, cigarettes dangling from their mouths. In essence, they were no different from the hunting dogs in the cages.
"When is that Kukulin the master mentioned supposed to arrive?"
"Not sure. We'll bring the dogs out later."
"That's not good, is it? He's a guest."
"It's the master's orders."
"Heh, then we'll give him a proper welcome."
An hour later, over twenty gunmen stood at the gate, holding leashes for seven or eight hunting dogs. These dogs were quiet after leaving their cages, their fierce gazes a sign they had tasted human flesh—the Red Ore business wasn't about selling candy.
An old-fashioned car drove up the gravel road, trees on both sides blocking the harsh midday sun.
Creak~
The car stopped, a puff of smoke rising from under the hood. As a guest, driving into the manor was clearly very rude.
At the manor gate, a gunman with good eyesight looked toward the driver's seat. The next moment, he froze, because the driver was actually a dog!
"A d-dog is driving."
"What?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Even if the master told us to 'welcome the guest' here, we can't offend him. He's not a small fry."
"It really is a dog driving. Look over there."
Under the gunmen's stunned gazes, Bubu Wang pushed open the driver's door, got out, and even kicked the tire, as if to say, "What a piece of junk this car is."
The gunmen at the manor gate looked at each other, all a bit dazed. Fortunately, they soon snapped out of it, because... the guest they were welcoming was quite fierce.
If judged solely by appearance, Ges was definitely the most brutal-looking. Of course, that was because Reinhardt had some decency, covering the lower half of his face with his collar to avoid scaring children. From many details, it was clear Reinhardt was actually a gentle man—provided he wasn't fighting Specters.
As soon as he got out of the car, Su Xiao understood Sir Eddie's attitude. Having a bunch of gunmen and dogs waiting at the manor gate said it all—this was a show of force.
Hank, the old fox, was clever. He walked toward the manor gate first. Before he even approached, the hunting dogs began tucking their tails and backing away. They weren't afraid of strangers, but whether Hank counted as human was debatable.
Su Xiao led Bubu Wang and the No-Eye Squad into the manor. The gunmen weren't entirely cowards; they were paid by the Joshua family, after all. So they stood in two rows at the gate, holding shotguns, staring at Su Xiao and the others. However, Su Xiao paid them no mind.
Sir Eddie was just making a statement. Even if Su Xiao was the Vice Commander of the Execution Agency, Sir Eddie, backed by councilors, wasn't afraid of him. He even wanted to give Su Xiao and his group a show of force.
Walking along Eden Manor's stone path, Su Xiao saw, from a distance, a middle-aged man standing on the second-floor terrace of the castle. Behind him was an elderly man, and further back, several maids.
The middle-aged man was Sir Eddie. He had a beard, slicked-back oily hair, and wasn't potbellied. Sir Eddie had the charm of a middle-aged man, but as a drug lord in the Specter World, the ruthlessness emanating from his bones meant he wasn't easy to get along with.
"Vice Commander Kukulin, the last time we met was at the banquet half a year ago."
Sir Eddie smiled as he descended the terrace, but he emphasized the word "Vice."
"Did we meet half a year ago?"
"Uh~"
Sir Eddie's steps faltered, clearly choked by Su Xiao's words. The elderly man behind him frowned and, in a spot no one could see, touched Sir Eddie's back with his thumb.
Sir Eddie's expression quickly softened. He took a puff from his pipe, not angry but even more enthusiastic.
"A small fry like me, Vice Commander Kukulin naturally wouldn't remember. Enough of that. Since Vice Commander Kukulin has graced us with your presence, please, come in."
Seeing Sir Eddie's attitude, a smile appeared on Su Xiao's face. If the other party had gotten angry, Hank, who had been waiting, would have immediately escalated the conflict. Then it wouldn't be a shared lunch but a search. Su Xiao had already prepared a search warrant. However, the people behind Sir Eddie were troublesome; without an excuse, even a search warrant wouldn't work.
The group entered the manor's castle. In the side hall, a table was laden with sumptuous food. As the master of the castle, Sir Eddie naturally sat at the head. To his right were Su Xiao and the others—Bubu Wang was also in a proper seat—while to Sir Eddie's left were his family.
Sir Eddie's wife, who was also his sister, had passed away. In families passed down for generations, inbreeding was common. Presently, Sir Eddie's eldest daughter, second son, and three youngest daughters were all at the table.
No one spoke at the table. Su Xiao and the others leaned back in their chairs, watching Sir Eddie's family eat. This made Sir Eddie's expression grow increasingly grim.
"Vice Commander Kukulin, you invited me to lunch, only to watch my family eat?"
Sir Eddie chewed the veal in his mouth, bloody juice dripping from the corner of his lips onto his beard. If not for the terrifying appearances of those at the table, he would have slammed the table and lost his temper.
"Reinhardt, don't be shy."
Su Xiao picked up his utensils as he spoke. Reinhardt was even more direct, grabbing the steak from the plate, pulling open his collar, tilting his head back, and stuffing the steak into his mouth.
Gulp.
He swallowed it whole. Without lips, he couldn't chew finely.
"..."
Sir Eddie was clearly startled by Reinhardt's appearance and eating habits. His youngest daughter burst into tears.
"Sir Eddie, there's no need to beat around the bush. Where is that Specter? Or rather, which floor of the castle is it on?"