Darkstone Code

Chapter 1243 - 1241: A Gust of Wind

After finishing breakfast, the two of them headed to the Secretariat together.

The Secretariat is a street away from the Imperial Palace.

It’s not the distance between the left and right sides of the road, but rather the distance from one end of the road to the other.

It’s said that the first Emperor of Gafura always had his guard up against the nobility, possibly because he was aware that establishing the Imperial Family after seizing power would lead to dissatisfaction among the nobles. In any case, these two places are somewhat far apart.

Lynch arrived at the Secretariat when it was almost ten o’clock, which is actually not too late for this time.

The people of Gafura are used to having breakfast at nine o’clock; their afternoon actually refers to the time period from one to two o’clock, not from eleven to twelve o’clock, so considering the time now, it roughly equates to nine o’clock in the Federation.

The Secretariat is very large. It’s not Lynch’s first visit here, but this time it’s much more bustling than the last.

Even from a distance from the parking lot, the sides of the road were already filled with parked cars, and quite a few nobles were walking in groups towards the main building of the Secretariat.

The young count’s car drove directly into the Secretariat’s parking lot. The places outside were already full, but there were still some empty spots here.

However, no one would randomly park. Each empty spot has an owner, and counts below do not have the right to park here.

Once the car was parked, the two got out. Some people noticed them but only nodded, having no intention to come over to greet them.

These are all formalities, as nobility places a great emphasis on etiquette.

"It seems you’re no different from before," Lynch casually quipped while standing by the car.

The young count paused for a moment, not quite understanding, "I don’t quite get it?"

Lynch glanced around, "Look, not a single person came over to stand with us. You’re still being excluded by the mainstream group as before."

The young count chuckled, a very nonchalant kind of laugh, as he started walking toward the building, speaking dismissively as he walked, "They look down on us, just as we look down on them. It’s nothing, I’ve grown used to it."

Previously, these new generation nobles were actually not favored by the nobles of the Secretariat. Many of the new generation nobles were the kind that were "gone in a generation."

Their titles didn’t carry inheritance rights, or they were merely barons or viscounts, which could only be passed down for one or two generations before reverting to commoners.

The hereditary nobles in the Secretariat and those who had the means to maintain their noble status looked down on these "temporary nobles." They believed these people weren’t true nobles in the genuine sense and even considered sharing a room with them shameful.

They had a low presence in the Secretariat overall, and often when the nobles were chatting, these people either wouldn’t come or would sit in a corner if they did.

They wouldn’t speak throughout the meetings, and even if they wanted to say something, others wouldn’t pay attention to them, let alone quiet down to listen.

Lynch was also a minor noble, an Empire Baron, and it seemed that the Emperor was unlikely to give his descendants the opportunity to inherit the title, a typical "gone in a generation."

With Lynch’s help, these new generation nobles quickly gained a foothold in the Amelia Region; they are now very wealthy and hold some power.

They looked down on others just as others looked down on them.

The two entered the Secretariat, where the meeting hall in the center of the building was extremely grand.

The place was already filled with nobles of all ranks. With the struggle between the Noble Group and the Imperial Family intensifying, nobles scattered across the Empire have recently returned to the Imperial Capital.

They gather here daily to share or discuss issues, and when there’s a meeting, the crowd is as large as it is today.

"Our spot is over there...," the young count motioned with his mouth, guiding Lynch toward a corner where the minor nobles who had attended the welcome ball yesterday were already gathered.

They stood up to greet Lynch upon seeing him, as a sign of respect towards him.

After shaking hands with everyone, Lynch and the young count sat down, surrounded by nobles ranked according to their status and power.

Within the entire Secretariat, this group of people constituted only a small fraction, perhaps not even accounting for five percent, highlighting how many nobles Gafura has enfeoffed throughout history.

Nobility has also become an obstacle to the country’s development!

"Today’s atmosphere feels a bit off...," a noble sitting beside them whispered, conveying information, "Rumor has it that the secret police were deployed last night, and some people haven’t shown up this morning."

Lynch was somewhat surprised, as was the young count.

After the ball ended last night, Lynch hadn’t seen the former countess for a while, and they chatted about future political changes and the young count’s position.

The young count, on the other hand, fooled around with two girls until dawn; he was at the prime of his youth, younger than Lynch, not only a noble but also possessing great wealth.

Dreams unattainable for many, such as sleeping with beautiful girls without any responsibility, were as easy for him as a chef asking what he wanted for dinner.

This also led him to often fool around with different girls during this period, something the former countess discussed with Lynch. She was somewhat worried.

Her husband had become weak and sick due to frequently fooling around with women, lacking a robust physique when ill, ultimately failing to overcome it.

She didn’t want the young Count to follow the old path, and now the only one who could persuade the young Count was Lynch.

Both of them were focused on their tasks all night, ignoring what was happening outside.

Lynch frowned, "Can we find out how many of those nobles were arrested and for what reasons?"

"Or were they just restricted in their actions?"

Nobles have their own laws and courts, and everyone has always avoided these issues, trying to make civilians believe this country is fair.

Whenever a noble commits a crime, they must first be tried in the noble court, then the Secretariat gives the final verdict, and then they face a "fair" trial in the common court.

All nobles who are judged in court have actually been abandoned by the Noble Group long ago.

Those nobles who have not been abandoned by the Noble Group will not appear in a common court, let alone be judged or sentenced!

Although the secret police have great power, they also have many limitations, and Lynch didn’t know much about these things, which is why he asked.

The young Count frowned and glanced at the senior nobles seated in the core area, his face looked unpleasant, almost like a horse’s face.

When his uncles and aunts were fighting him for the title, those senior nobles were quite troublesome.

Clearly a family matter, yet it was brought to the Secretariat; if it weren’t for his good luck and the Emperor’s firm grip on power at that time, his succession rights would have been stripped by the Secretariat long ago.

Someone then explained to Lynch that the secret police could only request cooperation from the nobles, and ultimately, the Secretariat decides whether these nobles are guilty or not.

The young Count glanced at Lynch, and when their eyes met, both roughly understood the situation.

At 10:45, someone struck the Golden Bell, and its heavy sound instantly overshadowed the nobles’ chatter.

In the core seats sat seven nobles, these seven being the highest-ranking nobles of the Secretariat.

There were no Empire Ministers present; Empire Ministers and nobles of the Secretariat have always been at odds, at least they have been historically.

Loyalty to the Emperor or loyalty to the nobility, a choice must always be made.

Loyalty to the Emperor brings power, enabling them to hold key ministerial positions.

Loyalty to the nobility... perhaps, at best, offers a dignified noble status.

"If last night you weren’t dozing off on a woman’s belly, you should know that some people were taken into control."

The Duke sitting in the center looked at the others. Though slender, he exuded a rather "robust" aura, and most nobles averted their gaze when they met his.

His gaze swept halfway around the hall and paused briefly where Lynch and the young Count were seated.

Their eyes met for about two to three seconds before the Duke moved his gaze away.

After surveying the hall, he continued, "A few days ago, we apprehended a group of spies, and through interrogation, we discovered that some individuals betrayed the nation’s interests for their personal gain."

"We’ve identified some of them, and if any of you are unaware of who they are, just look around and see if anyone is missing."

"This is not an end but a beginning."

"We will continue to interrogate, and I too wish to know how many people are enjoying the privileges and conveniences granted by the Empire while engaging in ugly acts of betrayal!"

"Remember, this is by no means the end, nor will it end so simply; we will unearth everyone!"

The Duke paused briefly, seeming a bit agitated.

When he calmed down, his tone also became more relaxed, "In the near future, you all will remain in the Imperial Capital; whoever leaves will be arrested!"

He said this while specifically looking in Lynch’s direction, "Baron Lynch, you too!"

"If you don’t have a place to stay here, we can arrange accommodation for you!"

Lynch stood up, slightly bowed. He was just a Baron, after all, facing a Hereditary Duke, and he needed to show respect, "Your Grace, I have a place to rest."

"When I heard this news, I was also very outraged. Everyone shares the same attitude towards traitors; if I’m needed, I will do my utmost to cooperate."

The Duke’s face showed a slight smile, but it quickly faded.

Lynch’s "cooperation" pleased him, this was a discerning man.

He continued, "I have a proposal here that requires everyone’s discussion..."

As he spoke, he opened the file bag in his hand and took out the documents within, "...regarding the impeachment of the Eldest Prince!"