Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening-Chapter 132: Too Much Attention

People in the County of Seres woke up to the tragic news of the Count’s passing. Word was going around that he was assassinated in the dead of the night by an unknown group of assailants.

This was shocking news as most people believed the aristocracy was untouchable. They held all the power, made decisions that affected the lives of everyone around.

Then, some decrees explicitly stated that harming a noble in any way was grounds for capital punishment. No one, no matter how powerful, was crazy enough to attempt taking the life of a noble.

Unless, of course, it was the work of a rival noble who wanted blood. In these cases, the underground forces were the ones hired to carry out such missions.

Even then, such missions were mostly undertaken during an outing of the said noble. It was very rare to hear a noble being assassinated in their own homes, as their mansions were built like fortresses.

Not even mentioning the level of security the nobles had, their mansions were also protected by sophisticated magic not known to the public.

Regardless of how this happened, someone or a group of people had managed to do the impossible, and the implications were as many expected.

All minor nobles and rich merchants who had some form of conflict with the Count made haste to prepare for a fight, some opting to leave the County before the emergency decree was passed.

Things were already dicey enough; they couldn’t afford to be caught in the middle of this.

The forces of the underworld knew they would be taking a lot of heat, possibly flushed out and exterminated. A lot of blood was bound to flow, and before that happened, many decided to lie low until the heat blew over.

The forces of the late Count spread out into all corners of the County, searching every nook and cranny of the lands. People were advised to stay indoors and not resist the knights.

A halt was put on adventuring as all adventurers were forced to stay put. Homes were ransacked, institutions were turned upside down, and questions were asked of the people. Anyone found skipping town was accused of being an accomplice and arrested.

The slums of the County, where the shady characters hid, were overrun by the knights of the late Count. Every rumour was investigated, every association was scrutinised, and many were arrested on sight, brought in for more questioning.

All this took place in the span of a few hours after daybreak. Panic and fear spread like wide fire; marketplaces were shut down; nothing was spared. Within a few hours, a poster of the assailant was in circulation.

A couple of questions here, a few beatings there, and a name was put on the poster. The prime assailant had been identified: Jess Retrove.

Within a few hours, the knights managed to get all the information they could on their suspect: where she lived, her occupation and her associates.

Many would argue that the forces of the late Count were going overboard, mistreating the people and abusing their power. However, the assassination of a noble was no small occurrence; someone had to pay.

A few calls from known contacts quickly brought up Jess’s history and that of her current associates. However, when the second name was identified, the leading figures of the investigation had to take a pause.

The newest associate of their prime suspect, a rising star whose name was causing waves, popped up. Caleb Zane - the very first Black ranked adventurer - was said to have strength that rivalled the most powerful commanders in the kingdom.

From what they gathered, this Caleb was responsible for crippling a Baron some time back, cleared a sealed dungeon alone and was even rumored to have aided in subduing the chaos that occurred in the capital.

The fellow was gaining a lot of attention, and to think he was associated with the beastkin responsible for the Count’s death, the Count’s family couldn’t care less.

They touched a noble, and by the laws of the kingdom, they had to be put down. By day’s end, news had reached the ducal capital – Sunspire, and spread even further, reaching the heart of the kingdom.

The count’s family wanted a manhunt for the primary suspects of the act. The two mere named fugitives of the highest calibre; they were noble killers and couldn’t be allowed to roam free.

A bounty was placed on their heads with a sizable reward for anyone who had news of their whereabouts and, if possible, their capture.

But what the Count’s family and forces couldn’t predict was how the other nobles related to the deceased Count reacted. These nobles connected the Count’s death to something else.

And because the reports circulating did not mention how the Count died, these nobles assumed the two assailants were on a mission to clear the filth of the kingdom; they feared the king had a hand in this.

A storm was brewing as many of the kingdom’s aristocrats feared for their lives. With no news of where the killers were, everyone was on high alert, constantly looking over their shoulders.

Many of the nobles, especially the high-ranking ones, knew exactly how strong Caleb was, or maybe they didn’t. The man was a monster never seen before.

Night was already over the land, and no news of the suspects had been obtained. No sightings of the two suspects; it was like they disappeared.

"This is getting out of hand, my lady." John, butler to Duchess Erindor, stated calmly. "There’s a lot of panic from the nobles..."

"Naturally..." Silvia replied with a gentle smile while she read the reports on her desk. "It seems the king will be having an easier time. Time is running out..."

John nodded in understanding, knowing exactly what the Duchess was referring to. The guilty nobles would soon be making radical decisions to save their skin. But as far as he was concerned, they were made.

What was left was their final play and how the Royals would respond.

"These reports on the incident are falsified." The Duchess suddenly said, her brows furrowed slightly. "They’re smearing the good name of my darling; this is unacceptable!"

Caleb had promised her they would not be killing anyone in their vendetta. So seeing how he was painted in the reports drove her mad. If only the fuckers knew he was her man...

The butler couldn’t help but reveal a gentle smile that quickly disappeared. He had never seen the Duchess this passionate about anyone. It was a refreshing sight he wished to continue seeing.

"You have nothing to worry about, my lady." John actually said. "I doubt the Royals would do anything against him without actually hearing his side of the story."

"I suppose..."

Silvia sighed and sat back in her chair. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, her mind racing with various thoughts about the incident.

Caleb had already done enough to spread his name across the entire kingdom. Those deeds were barely public, however, with this new addition, he was now top of the rankings.

’He’s not meant for such a small stage, is he?’ The Duchess thought with a sweet smile. ’Whatever path he chooses, I’ll be on his side...’

"Have the officials in the Seres County retract the emergency decree. The people have no hand in the Count’s demise." Silvia opened her eyes and stated.

"Yes, my lady." John gave a curt bow and left to carry out the instructions.

As the Duchess watched John exit the study, her mind went back to playing out the recent events and how they could come together in the future.

’Fufufu, things will be getting a lot more interesting...’