The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 440: Where the Perpetrators Came From

Aldrian walked outside the mansion with a heavy heart. To be honest, he had known for a long time that Eleine would eventually have to return to his mother’s side. She was supposed to be by her side as her retainer, assisting her in every way, yet instead, she had accompanied him on his journey.

Since they had always been together, from their time in the secret realm until now, it made him feel lost and saddened to hear her say that she would be leaving soon. Although he had gained many acquaintances, friends, and even a lover, Eleine, who had always been by his side, held a special place in his heart.

Trying not to drown in his sorrow, he exhaled and forced himself to stay positive.

"Yes, Mother must miss Eleine as well. They haven’t seen each other in over six years. With Eleine returning to her side, she will have her trusted companion again. Mother needs her, especially after losing Cecile. Eleine and Mother can support each other once more," he thought to himself.

Once again, he exhaled and tried to focus on the problem at hand—finding the ones responsible for spreading the gu.

Based on his earlier guess, the ones who spread the gu had already escaped, but truthfully, he was still unsure of their movements. His assumption could be right or wrong, but one thing he was certain of was that they hadn’t dared to enter the mansion or spread the gu near it. If they had, the number of infected inside would have risen, as the gu would have inevitably reached the mansion directly.

The information he gathered from the infected was too vague and offered no clues about the perpetrators.

As he pondered where to start looking for leads, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and slapped his forehead.

"Why did I forget about the one ’being’ that always watches over my domain?"

He had been too preoccupied to remember this and had relied only on conventional methods for his investigation. Why was he making things so difficult when he had something that was always watching?

He stood still and focused his intent, reaching out to communicate with that being.

"Heaven, you can hear me, right? And you must already know what I want to ask. I know this will be easy for you since it happened within my domain. So tell me—how many of them are there, and show me the ones responsible for spreading this gu outbreak in the city?"

After a few moments, he finally received a response from Heaven. A smile formed on his lips as the answer reached him.

"Fifteen people... Oh, these are their faces?" Aldrian was truly astonished by Heaven’s efficiency. Then again, it was to be expected from the force that governed the universe, so he didn’t dwell on it and simply accepted the answer.

What he had just experienced was more than a simple response—Heaven had not only answered his question but had also embedded the faces of those responsible directly into his memory. It was as if he had already met them, their images stored within his mind and ready to be recalled at will.

Aldrian was truly ecstatic about this and grateful to have Heaven as his helper. He could already imagine how much simpler things would become in the future with Heaven’s help, as long as the events occurred within his domain. Investigations like the one he was conducting now were just one example of how he could rely on Heaven to make things easier.

However, he still didn’t understand why Heaven said they couldn’t help him when something happened outside his domain—like when he had asked about Cardinal Carsius’s location. He had asked about it before, but Heaven seemed reluctant to answer. That was a mystery he could only uncover slowly over time. freewebnøvel.com

"Where are they?"

A few seconds later, he received a response, but the answer made him frown.

"They’re dead?" He paused for a moment, then asked again,

"How did they die?"

He waited a few more seconds, and the answer left him stunned.

"Infected by the gu outbreak?"

Suddenly, something clicked in his mind. A smile formed on his lips as he finally grasped a crucial clue and determined the direction he needed to take next.

"I see, I see... The second prince actually sent a suicide squad to the city to spread the gu. With a suicide squad, there would be no clues linking him to the outbreak. He must have thought that I wouldn’t find any evidence of his involvement once those people died, just like the others who perished from the outbreak." He thought to himself.

Aldrian felt like giggling to himself, finding the second prince’s efforts amusing.

Unfortunately for the second prince, he had no idea that Heaven itself was literally aiding Aldrian in this case.

"Where did they come from? They must have arrived in the city while I was at the Rosalind Barony."

Heaven had to know the exact time they entered the city. And since the teleportation station within the city was connected to the places they had come from, Heaven must also know which city was linked to the portal at that moment.

He dismissed the possibility that they had entered through the city gates, as they were likely below the duke stage. Traveling to Caritas from wherever they had come from would have taken more than just a few days, meaning the timeline wouldn’t match if they had taken a conventional route.

After a few seconds, he received another answer.

"Varuga Town?"

He fell silent for a moment. He wasn’t familiar with the place, so he decided to ask someone more knowledgeable about the empire.

"Do you know Varuga Town?" Aldrian sent a voice transmission to Arson Vuran.

Arson, who was in the middle of his disguise as an old man near the mansion, was momentarily stunned upon hearing Aldrian’s voice in his mind. However, he quickly responded.

"Varuga Town? That’s a town within the Donovan Grand Duchy’s territory. The Donovan Grand Duchy is in the northern region of the empire, and Varuga Town is located in the southwest part of the duchy. It’s quite remote and surrounded by dense forests. Because of its isolation, many people use it as a base for shady activities."

Aldrian was stunned upon learning the town’s location.

Donovan Grand Duchy? The one led by Grand Duke Donovan, one of the nobles supporting the second prince and the very person who suggested the "Plague" plan to him?

From the memories Aldrian had read from Marquess Xavier and Duke Schmidt, Grand Duke Donovan was highly respected among the nobility for his sharp mind and strategic thinking.

However, Aldrian frowned at this move, whether it was the second prince’s decision or Duke Donovan’s. If so many claimed that the duke possessed great intellect and strategic insight, then why had he made such a fatal and foolish mistake?

Sending a suicide squad from his own territory was no different from leaving a glaring sign that the operation had been authorized by the very authority governing that land—in this case, Grand Duke Donovan himself.

He should have known this was a reckless and fatal move, yet he still went through with it. And the second prince agreed to it as well?

Did they simply not care that Aldrian would find out about their involvement?

However, after thinking it over again, he could understand why they had made such a reckless move. They must have believed that no evidence would be left behind, as the suicide squad had already died from the outbreak. With their deaths, nothing would point back to them, and no one could prove their involvement.

Although many would still harbor suspicions toward the second prince’s faction, since the outbreak had only occurred in Weilmar Barony, that was as far as it would go. Suspicion without evidence was nothing more than an accusation, and its impact on the populace would remain minimal.

They must have also assumed that even if he suspected their faction was behind it, he wouldn’t have any evidence. Plus, with his hands full managing the outbreak, they likely believed he wouldn’t have the time to go after the second prince directly.

If he pushed himself to attack the second prince while neglecting the city’s people, he would be criticized for abandoning them. In the end, his image would suffer, and many would begin to see him as a man who cared little for the well-being of the people.

"Pfft!"

Aldrian nearly laughed at their sheer confidence and arrogance.

Too bad for them, he had resources they could never have imagined, making their plan effortlessly exposed. His next course of action was already set.

Until now, since arriving in the Atria Empire, he had only used passive-aggressive methods. But from this moment on, he would strike directly at the enemy’s camp!