Chapter 188 – Allen Takes Half a Step Closer to the Conspiracy
Not long after, Gu Yi returned carrying a stack of books.
"So many?"
Allen looked at the assorted books in confusion, especially since they were all written in scripts he didn't recognize.
Though the Europa continent now largely used alphabet-based writing systems, each country still had its own variations.
"I can't read," Gu Yi admitted awkwardly.
She was a girl from a remote mountain village—being able to eat and stay warm was already fortunate enough. Hoping to learn to read was far from realistic.
Besides, no one in the village was literate; there wasn't even a way to self-study.
Of course, in time, once she'd spent more days at Kamar-Taj, Gu Yi would naturally have the chance to learn.
"Yao-mei, I'll teach you the Knowledge Charm later."
Allen cast a Knowledge Charm on himself, then started rummaging through the pile and picked out a diary.
Suddenly, Austedt shouted in fury, "Put that down!"
A lot of his secrets were written in that diary.
With a smug look, Allen replied, "Told you. What kind of decent person keeps a diary? Who writes down their true thoughts? If it's written down, it's not from the heart—it's sleazy."
Austedt was just about to make a move.
Gu Yi opened her fan-shaped magical tool with both hands, while Geralt had already drawn his sword, the other hand reaching toward the potion at his belt.
Seeing the formation of two mages and a witcher, Austedt didn't dare show even a hint of defiance.
He was merely a sorcerer, not even a proper mage.
He only knew a spell or two—none of them practical—and had a few potion recipes. Even against low-level monsters, he'd likely flee in terror.
"Hehehe… got it."
Allen turned to a page in the diary that recorded Austedt's crimes. After showing it to the king, the latter roared in fury.
"Despicable scum! So this was your conspiracy all along!"
Foltest's gaze toward the vampire harpy had softened, now tinged with grief.
"Clark, come see this. The content's pretty intense," Allen said, handing the diary to Geralt. Agatha eagerly leaned over to read the truth.
Gu Yi, frustrated by her inability to read, could only blink curiously.
"Yao-mei, I'll explain it to you. I promise it's juicy."
"Mhm!"
Gu Yi looked forward with anticipation, waiting for Allen's explanation.
"Austedt came to work at the royal palace and fell for the king's sister. Damn… she's really something—totally worthy of someone as dashing as me. So the sorcerer gives himself permission to pursue her. But before he could make a move, he found out she was already with someone. That made him furious. He thought, 'You two have something going on? Then what do I do with my third leg?' The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Finally, he decided—these two shameless people shouldn't be happy.
"So he used a mind-altering potion to manipulate the king into executing the princess under the pretense of preserving royal dignity. But that wasn't enough. Austedt cursed the princess, turning her unborn baby into a vampire harpy—destined to wreak havoc on the entire kingdom."
Allen recounted the story with dramatic flair, and it was roughly spot-on.
Gu Yi understood the gist perfectly. The true culprit was driven by jealousy and used sinister tricks to frame them—even an unborn child wasn't spared. Truly despicable.
She glanced at both the king and the sorcerer, her eyes filled with contempt. Neither seemed like a good person.
The four of them had just taken in two major bombshells and were still trying to process it all.
"Sounds exactly like the royal families across Europa—always mixing bloodlines," Agatha commented.
"..."
Geralt, having traveled far and wide, was unfazed. He'd seen even worse messes.
"Since you've discovered the truth, I have nothing more to say," Austedt said calmly, but added bluntly, "But you have no right to punish me. Only the Brotherhood of Sorcerers has the authority to judge me."
Hearing this, King Foltest looked despairingly at Allen and the others for help.
According to the Brotherhood's charter, no country was allowed to punish a sorcerer without permission.
"We never said we were going to kill you," Allen replied righteously. "Austedt the Sorcerer fulfilled his duty and honorably perished while slaying an evil werewolf."
Foltest's eyes lit up, and he quickly echoed, "Yes, yes… Austedt died heroically in battle with an evil werewolf."
"You people—!"
Austedt lost his composure.
They were framing him for a death-by-monster that never existed, ensuring he'd die without leaving any evidence behind.
"Allen, take a look at this."
Agatha picked a book from the pile, its cover resembling dried human skin.
The first page revealed the title.
"The Book of Cyttorak!"
Allen didn't even need to read further to recognize it as a book of dark magic.
Cyttorak—ruler of the Crimson Cosmos—was an immensely powerful demon, second only to the Four Great Deities. Any spell associated with this demon would naturally be formidable.
"Looks like you've been hiding quite a bit," Allen said, eyeing Austedt. "Need me to use some methods?"
A second-rate sorcerer possessing such a powerful book of dark magic made no sense at all. Something shady was clearly going on.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Austedt replied, avoiding eye contact. "You've already uncovered my secrets. There's nothing else to hide."
"Still playing dumb? Hold him down and strip him—I'm going to apply some pressure."
At Allen's command, Geralt and the others swarmed in.
"Stay away from me!"
But outnumbered, Austedt couldn't resist. Even the king joined in as they stripped off his robe.
The vampire harpy, the only passive observer, watched with wide eyes. She couldn't comprehend why humans—normally her prey—were now attacking one of their own.
Pop!
A toilet plunger was pressed against Austedt's left chest. Allen questioned coldly, "Are you going to talk?"
"No, I really have nothing left to say. I'm not lying!"
"Oh? Still acting tough?"
Pop! Pop!
Allen yanked the plunger off, then slapped it onto the right side of Austedt's chest. "This is your last chance."
"I'm telling the truth—even if you kill me, I have nothing else!"
Austedt calmed down, his expression turning steady.
Turns out, the punishment wasn't torture at all—just mildly irritating. At worst, he had a couple of red rings on his chest. No real damage.
Pop!
Allen pulled off the plunger. "Hold him down. I'm going to prepare a truth serum."
Within fifteen minutes, Allen returned with a bowl of black liquid.
Gu Yi had noticed several books containing information on alchemy and potions. Based on that, Allen had guessed Austedt specialized in potion-making. So he'd found the alchemy room and concocted a simple version of a truth serum.
With a beaming smile, Allen said, "Time for your medicine, big guy."
He force-fed the liquid into Austedt's mouth.
Within a minute, Austedt's mind had gone blank.
"Tell me your secret," Allen demanded again.
"I am He—"
Suddenly, Austedt's expression froze. Blood poured from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. His eyes bulged wide open as he died, clearly filled with unresolved resentment.
"He's dead?"
Allen frowned. "The potion wasn't toxic—it should've just caused diarrhea for three days."
Agatha examined him and offered a guess: "He must've had a Truth Lock on his soul. The moment he touched the real secret, his soul was extinguished."