The Strange Demise of Lord Busius

The domain of Busius Sunhand, entered through its grand main gate, began with a long, winding corridor.

Most of the pillars lining this corridor were inlaid with gold. Under the midday sun, they gleamed with an unbearable brilliance, casting an oppressive glow akin to a high-wattage bulb hanging directly overhead.

After what felt like an arduous journey through the corridor, they finally stepped into the main hall, where the Sunhand crest was proudly displayed. The few individuals present nearly collapsed from sheer exhaustion.

Yet, they dared not sit. Their lives, they knew, might be forfeited if they did.

The stern-faced man, seated upon the elevated throne, spoke. His voice boomed like a resonant bell.

“Speak.”

The handful of individuals swallowed nervously.

Under the dazzling light of the Sunhand crest, they could not lift their heads, nor dared they even glance upwards.

“Speak quickly!” a guard behind them urged.

The attending physician opened the case report. They braced themselves, then began to speak.

“Upon arrival to administer treatment, Lord Busius was already in near-shock from the pain, unable to speak coherently.

According to the statements of the mansion’s servants, the injury was estimated to have occurred approximately [X] minutes prior.

Treatment commenced [Y] minutes after the injury. After observing his symptoms and conducting internal verification, gastric perforation and erosive enteritis were confirmed.

Despite attempts to treat both conditions, neither conventional nor targeted methods proved effective.

Thirty minutes after the injury, Lord Busius went into shock, lost consciousness, and experienced difficulty breathing. Several mages immediately initiated specialized treatment, employing magic to support his internal organs.

Between thirty and thirty-five minutes post-injury, a chain reaction of internal injuries occurred, causing Lord Busius to lose the ability to breathe independently. We were forced to use magic to aid his respiration and address issues such as gastric fluid accumulation.

Forty minutes after the injury, certain areas of Lord Busius’s body lost their hematopoietic function. His cells could no longer repair themselves, and his condition deteriorated further. We employed various schools of magic, attempting to mend the damaged regions and clear necrotic blood clots and cells from within his body.

Fifty minutes after the injury, the injuries had spread throughout his entire body. His blood vessels simultaneously lost the ability to supply blood and oxygen.”

The attending physician turned to the final page, wiping cold sweat from their brow.

They dared not look up, unsure of the man’s reaction on the main seat. After a few hesitant seconds, under the watchful eyes of all, they read aloud in a trembling voice:

“Fifty-five minutes after the injury, Lord Busius was confirmed deceased. His death was attributed to organ failure, cardiovascular collapse, anoxic brain death, and widespread tissue necrosis throughout his body.”

No sooner had the words left their lips than one of the clansmen listening nearby slammed a fist on the table. “Absurd! I’ve never heard of such bizarre injuries. You failed in your treatment and now you’re fabricating facts? Do you have a death wish?!”

The few immediately dropped to the floor. “Everything they said is true, not a single falsehood! We implore your Lordship to see the truth!”

“Stand down,” the man on the main seat addressed the clansmen. “They would not dare to lie.”

He mused for a moment, then continued. “The Sunhands cannot simply let this matter rest. Yet, the nature of these injuries is truly peculiar. Therefore, our immediate priority is to discover who was responsible.”

The butler, who had arrived with the physicians, quickly stepped forward. “Reporting, my Lord. In the days leading up to the Governor’s incident, he abruptly began to operate under the cover of night, resting by day. Each evening, he would depart with his personal guard for unknown affairs. Even the guards only knew they were searching for suspicious individuals, but nothing more specific.”

He wiped the sweat from his forehead. Taking a breath, he continued.

“On the day of the incident, he followed his usual routine, returning to the manor to sleep in the early hours. However, for some unknown reason, after having already retired, the Governor abruptly rushed out again, not even summoning a servant.”

“After that, everything transpired as the physicians described.”

That day, Busius had an audience with Sorold. He went alone, and Sorold had dismissed everyone else beforehand. Thus, no fourth soul knew what transpired atop the Swordsaint’s Spire.

As for the heinous deeds Busius had committed, he certainly wouldn’t have confided in anyone else.

The man on the main seat, who was also the head of the Sunhand family, quickly made a decision.

“Find a suitable candidate within the family to assume the role of interim Governor of Saroyan’s East District, and investigate this matter and all involved parties.”

An elder beside him spoke up. “The situation in Saroyan is currently precarious. Sorold, who guarded the East District, was wounded by Hecate and has returned home to recuperate. Personnel in the other two districts must also remain vigilant for news of Hecate, ready to deploy at any moment. And the person we seek murdered the sixty-plus level Busius in an incredibly bizarre manner.”

The man on the main seat had also considered this issue. After a brief deliberation, he replied, “Request a royal dignitary, and have a Royal Knight accompany them.”

It wasn’t that there were no individuals over level 70 within the Sunhand family. But Saroyan held a unique status. For a super-family like theirs, guarding the imperial capital, sending a core family member there would arouse suspicion from the Imperial family. Therefore, borrowing someone from the Imperial family was the most suitable course of action.

“Furthermore, this peculiar manner of death,” he added, “I will present it to the main family during my next audience, requesting their identification.”

****

Iordera settled the subsequent matters.

Grandma Sharp sold her workshop on West Street and reopened a tailor shop on another street. Several beast-eared lolis moved in with her.

Though they still couldn’t play on the streets during the day, at least they could now live above ground.

“Don’t worry,” Iordera thumped her small chest, a gesture of fierce determination, and told them. “Let me work my way up in this city.

“You’ll be able to go wherever you please, and come out whenever you wish.”

“Elder Sister is so kind, pupu.”

“Woof!”

One of the lolis, tugging at her clothes, said sensibly, “Elder Sister Iordera, just take care of yourself. Don’t worry too much about us, meow.”

Obedient, thoughtful, sensible—what perfect, comforting daughters they were.

Iordera just didn’t know when Duo Duo and Little Pa had influenced them. Their speech had also started to develop an accent.

After settling them in, Iordera returned to work at the academy.

Coincidentally, it was a Monday. Iordera hurried back to the library to find her colleagues resuming their duties.

“Good morning, Mrs. Su, good morning, Uncle Charlie.” She greeted people along the way.

“Good morning, little Iordera.”

Iordera had been absent for several days, but no one in the library thought much of it. After all, Mrs. Lailila had told her to lay low, so her infrequent presence at school was quite normal.

“Oh, right,” Iordera pointed upwards. “Is Professor Luna here?”

“No, neither the Professor nor The Curator is here,” Mrs. Su replied. “It seems the Headmaster called them away. If you’re in a hurry to find them, you could check the academic building.”

Iordera quickly waved her hand. “No rush, no rush. I’ll just go upstairs to read and wait for her.”

She intended to thank Hecate, but she hadn’t yet figured out what to say. She also needed to carefully calculate how much “cost” Hecate’s assistance this time would amount to.