Chapter 60: Who Moved the Nobles’ Cheese?
“Well, well, if it isn’t my old friend, Mr. Eugene,” Titus said, his usual grin replaced by a cold smile, as he leaned against the cage, observing Eugene. He had arrived with Rebecca, greeted Abyss, and was now indulging in a little chat with his nemesis.
Abyss, his hand held by Rebecca, sat down at a distance, choosing not to involve himself in their personal vendetta.
Eugene, gasping for breath, looked up at Titus, his swollen face illuminated by the dim potion lamp and the moonlight streaming through the holes in the ceiling. “Heh… Titus, you’re not going to let me go, are you?”
He knew that with Titus’s arrival, any hope of escape vanished. Titus hated him the most, even if he wasn’t Eugene’s greatest enemy.
Emotionally, Eugene had murdered Titus’s mother, forcing him to witness her death, shattering his peaceful life, and pushing him down this dark path.
Logically, Eugene, as the leader of the Goat Eyes Gang, was the Black Hats’ biggest rival, a ruthless criminal deserving of punishment.
“That’s right, Mr. Eugene. Honestly, I was feeling quite good today. After beating you up… Well, several times, and seizing most of your assets, my resentment has subsided considerably,” Titus said, retrieving his spoon and chewing on it, the metal clinking against his teeth. “If only you hadn’t experimented on those children. You might have been safely imprisoned by the City Guard, enjoying their hospitality, until your patron came knocking.”
“I was just following orders,” Eugene said, leaning against the cage bars. “My boss told me to conduct the experiments, so I did.”
“So you used those innocent, vulnerable children, fresh from the orphanage, who worked tirelessly for you, as your test subjects?” Titus asked, tilting his head, his voice deceptively calm.
“It saved me a lot of money,” Eugene said bluntly, no longer bothering with excuses.
“Mr. Abyss, did you ask him how many children he killed?” Titus asked, turning to Abyss, who was sitting quietly, his chin resting on his hands, observing the scene with amusement.
“Three,” Abyss replied instantly.
“Three,” Titus repeated, his voice cold. “Remember that.”
“I’ve killed far more than that! What are you going to do to me?” Eugene roared, his face contorted with anger. “I don’t have time for this! If you’re going to kill me, just do it!”
“Don’t worry, you’ll die eventually. But I won’t be the one to do it,” Titus said, looking at Eugene as if he were already dead. “My patron will send someone for you soon. He’ll personally interrogate you. But before that, I’ll try to extract some information about your patron from you.”
“You know I won’t talk,” Eugene sneered. “I’m a dead man anyway. What can you possibly threaten me with? Pain? I’m used to it.”
Abyss shrugged. He disagreed, but Eugene’s memories were partially erased. There was nothing he could do about it.
Titus didn’t reply. He stepped into the cage, retrieved a small bottle from his pocket, and popped the cork with his thumb.
“What are you…”
Before Eugene could finish his sentence, Titus grabbed his jaw, forcing his mouth open. Titus, in his prime, his body free from addictive substances, possessed incredible strength, even without formal Dou Qi training. Eugene, in his fifties, was no match for him. Titus poured the entire bottle’s contents down his throat.
Eugene struggled, trying to spit it out, but Titus clamped his hand over his mouth and nose.
“Mmm! Mmm!” The small bottle was still lodged in his mouth. He clawed at Titus’s arm, but it was useless. His face turned purple, and he was forced to swallow the potion.
Titus released him, and Eugene spat out the bottle, blood staining its surface. Titus’s rough handling had cut his mouth.
“Cough! Cough! What did you give me?!”
“A truth serum. I always carry it with me, never thought I would actually use it. But today’s been full of surprises. Your gang’s mech and its pilot are lying upstairs. I couldn’t ignore that,” Titus said, his excitement growing. He bit down on his spoon, the pewter bending under his teeth. “Tell me, who’s your patron? And what are you building those machines for?”
Eugene wanted to resist, but the potion was already taking effect. He felt dizzy, a wave of nausea washing over him, an urge to confess overwhelming his rational mind. “My patron is Duke Myren! We were researching the black mud from Shadow Demons to create a secret army to overthrow Emperor Camper! Duke Myren’s men discovered that the black mud, after processing, becomes a powerful magic-negating material, a counter to the Emperor’s elite guards!”
“They’re planning a rebellion?” Titus exclaimed, shocked by the revelation.
Abyss and Rebecca, listening intently, were also surprised. Abyss had suspected the Goat Eyes Gang’s patron was using the black mud to target mages, but he hadn’t considered a rebellion.
Were the nobles of the Eastern Empire that bold? Based on the stories he had heard, Emperor Camper was a ruthless and merciless ruler. If this plot were exposed, heads would roll!
“Emperor Camper has extended his reach into too many domains, encroaching on the nobles’ interests. A coup is inevitable,” Eugene continued, his words fueled by the potion’s effects. “Duke Myren has been plotting to replace the Emperor’s lineage for years!”
“I thought the Emperor was lenient towards the nobles,” Titus said, his eyes narrowed.
“Hmph, even his leniency doesn’t excuse him for cutting into their profits. Who’s your patron? Has he never considered challenging the Emperor? I don’t believe it.”
“Well… You’ll meet my patron soon. And he has no intention of challenging the Emperor,” Titus replied.
Eugene, now incredibly talkative, asked, “By the way, I’ve always wondered, why do you always carry a spoon?”
“Eh? This spoon?” Titus said, momentarily confused, then grinned at Eugene. “It’s an old habit. I planned to use it to gouge out both your eyes, but for my patron’s sake, I’ll settle for one. You should be more careful about what you ask. I was planning to surprise you.”
“Aah?!” Eugene’s eyes widened in terror.
“Abyss, Ray, I suggest you two step outside for a moment. I need to settle some personal matters,” Titus said, crouching before Eugene, the spoon in his hand glinting menacingly.
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