Chapter 88: The River Council
Watching the change in the other’s expression, Sylvia didn’t speak immediately but instead turned her gaze toward Lakdevo:
"Do you know who this Dragon Scale belonged to?"
Lakdevo tilted his head slightly, as if falling into thought.
But before he could respond, Carsonette—who was lying on the ground—beat him to it:
"King of Stars and Eternity!"
"An ancient Dragon King!"
"Oh?"
The gray-haired puppet looked at him with interest, and Carsonette did not disappoint. He revealed everything he knew:
"After the end of the ancient era, that Dragon King fell. As time passed, His relics scattered across the continent, and this scale was acquired by our family three hundred years ago."
He wasn’t lying, nor did he dare to.
As a demon known for cunning, he understood precisely when to speak the truth and when to lie.
And now, facing such a terrifying being, he wasn’t going to play tricks.
Before absolute power, tricks were useless.
At that moment, Lakdevo’s scarlet eyes fixed on him:
"According to my memory, Laktia—the King of Stars and Eternity—fell before your demons disappeared."
"And the place of her fall was also within the territory of you demons."
Upon hearing this, Carsonette shook his head:
"It wasn’t us. At least, not according to the information I have."
"Besides, this scale indeed came into our possession only three hundred years ago, and its previous owner was a human noble."
He wasn’t lying.
Sylvia, always keeping a sliver of her gaze on his face, drew her conclusion. Then she tossed the scale to Adela and changed the topic.
She first pointed to the fallen noble who hastily caught the Dragon Scale, then asked:
"Her grandfather made a deal with you, didn’t he?"
At this question, a trace of regret surfaced on Carsonette’s face, and he replied:
"Yes, Your Grace."
"But the one who made a contract with the Count Tuya was my father. I only inherited that contract."
"Very well, then tell me the details of the transaction—why it was made, and what was traded."
Carsonette fell silent for a moment before revealing a bitter smile:
"Apologies, my lord. I only know that the Tuya family owes us a very powerful clock-shaped Forbidden Object. As for the rest, I know nothing."
"Before my father disappeared, he left behind a large number of contracts. All I know about them is who I need to collect from and what I need to collect."
"As for how the debt came to be, I have no idea."
Oh? A rich heir, is he?
After completing an appraisal using the Authority of Greed, Sylvia nodded to herself and turned her gaze to Loruze, who had just finished cleaning his hands and returned.
"Lock him in the Court of Radiance for now."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Loruze nodded respectfully, then looked at Carsonette with the gaze one might use to observe a rare creature.
"No, my lord!"
In an instant, the demon panicked.
The environment of the Court of Radiance was a torment in itself for foul and fallen demons. Simply being there was akin to undergoing torture.
"I can contact my family. We can pay the ransom!"
"I haven't committed any evil in your territory. I’m only here to collect a debt!"
His voice was filled with panic and unease, but Sylvia could detect a hint of theatricality behind it.
She smiled, and in a mocking tone said:
"You killed someone in the City of Alova."
"No, that was a wicked man!"
Carsonette "strenuously" defended himself.
"I could smell the stench of sin on his soul."
Smell it? What are you, a bloodhound?
While mocking him silently, Sylvia listened as Carsonette continued his explanation:
"By the standards of the River Council, he was someone who deserved to die!"
The River? This guy must’ve mistaken me for the Ferryman because of the disguise Lakdevo and I created...
She chuckled inwardly, about to reply, but Carsonette hadn’t finished speaking. He went on:
"A noble being such as yourself must surely uphold the rules you’ve personally set."
"Though I do not know which senator you are from the Upper House of the River Council, a great one like you wouldn’t trouble someone as insignificant as me."
"Would you...?"
At the end of his sentence, he glanced cautiously at Sylvia, only to find her expression had turned somewhat peculiar.
The gray-haired puppet remained silent for a moment, then asked in an odd tone:
"Why would you think I’m a senator from the Upper House of the River Council?"
At that moment, it seemed she had seized upon a clue to the greatest secret atop the River of the Dead. The crow perched on her shoulder had also fallen silent.
Carsonette was clearly stunned by the question, then replied with slight guilt:
"Didn’t that Ferryman address you as 'Master'?"
"Oh? Explain in detail."
A smile gradually curved Sylvia’s lips, and the amusement in her eyes deepened.
Realizing he might’ve said something wrong, Carsonette gave an awkward laugh, then had no choice but to spill everything he knew:
"According to our family records, the River Council is composed of the Upper and Lower Houses."
"Unlike the bicameral system of human societies, the Upper House atop the River of the Dead directly governs the Lower House."
"The Upper House holds seven seats in total, and each senator has a human form."
"As for the Lower House, its seats are not fixed. Its senators all take the form of crows."
"Moreover, the Lower House is directly loyal to the Upper House, and addresses the senators of the Upper House as 'Master'."
Upon hearing this, Sylvia’s gaze grew increasingly deep and unreadable:
"Are the senators of the Lower House all Apostles?"
"Yes."
Carsonette nodded, then cautiously glanced at Lakdevo. Seeing no reaction from him, he continued:
"But the Ferrymen of the Lower House are relatively weak in the domain of Apostles. The specific reason isn’t recorded in our family’s archives, so I do not know."
"Very well."
Sylvia nodded, then moved her fingers slightly and said to Loruze:
"Find an empty room and lock him in it."
"I trust he won’t try to escape—will he?"
As she spoke, her half-smiling gaze once again fell upon Carsonette, who had regained his ability to move and was now repeatedly shaking out his hands.
Seeing that reluctant yet resigned expression on his face, a glint of starlight flickered in Sylvia’s eyes. At the same time, her fingers twitched once more.
"O-of course."
Faced with the blatant threat, Carsonette wore an expression even more pained than crying.
As the demon was led away by Loruze, Sylvia didn’t turn around but spoke to Adela:
"You’ll use this Dragon Scale first. Hmm… Later, go to my office and take that mask."
"With the help of these two items, finish crafting the puppet as quickly as possible."
"I have a feeling that the City of Alova won’t remain as peaceful as it used to be, and St. Ruls Cathedral needs another top-tier powerhouse besides us."
Her tone was remarkably calm, but the weight of her words was anything but.
At that moment, both Lakdevo and Adela nodded thoughtfully.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Unable to make sense of everything after pondering for a moment, Adela decided to stop thinking altogether, while Lakdevo’s gaze had already fallen upon the Dragon Scale.