readytorunbook Chapter 710 The Great Magician's Innocence
Chapter 710 The Great Magician's Innocence
Xu Ning learned about the Rose Society from Da Huang when they were at Qiufen Mountain.
After all, Da Huang was escorting the goods through Qiufen Mountain on his way to Baisong Town, a nearby town, to pay a visit to the local tyrant.
Yes, although the Rose Gang is not a legitimate underworld organization, it is definitely a powerful local gang.
"However... your name is Navia, may I ask what your relationship is with Carles and Clementine?"
Navia answered solemnly, "Those are my father's and mother's names."
Xu Ning straightened up slightly upon hearing this.
Xu Ning saw all three names on the map.
The Kares Line leads to the Fontaine Academy of Sciences, north of Fontaine.
The Clementine Line leads to Harbourville, south of Fontainebleau, which is where I entered Fontainebleau.
In Navia's storyline, she arrived at the opera house by taking a railboat along this waterway.
Despite considering the importance of the Rose Society, Xu Ning realized that he had underestimated the organization.
There are only two possibilities for the fact that the three most famous main waterways in Fontainebleau are named after the family of the leader of the Rose Society.
Either this organization wields such power that even Fontaine's political figures have to use its name to curry favor with them.
Either they really did a lot of good for the people of Fontainebleau, and the people are grateful for their kindness and commemorate it in this way.
Either way, it proves that this non-governmental organization should not be underestimated.
“Let’s sit down and talk, Miss Navia.”
Xu Ning pointed to the seat next to him.
Navia nodded her thanks, walked over and sat down, and the two men in black naturally walked behind her and stood on either side.
"Why did Mr. Xu Ning say we should have contacted you two days ago?"
Navia asked earnestly.
Xu Ning said slowly and deliberately, "The events at Qiufen Mountain were so well-received that even the Fengdan Special Patrol Team was able to get the news and react quickly. There's no reason why the nearby Thorn Rose Society headquarters would be completely unaware. So, your organization must have had more important matters to attend to these past two days, right?"
"Let me guess, did they conduct a thorough investigation into me first, which is why it took so long?"
Navia did not deny Xu Ning's guess at all, and said with a smile: "Yes. Perhaps Mr. Xu Ning does not know what the matter of 'being able to dissolve people in water' means to our Rose Society, but before contacting you, we must make sure that you are a friend and not an enemy of the Rose Society."
Xu Ning smiled and said, "Since you've come to see me, then we're friends."
“Hahahaha,” Navia suddenly abandoned her ladylike demeanor and laughed heartily, “I was prepared to be your friend before I even came here. Wasn’t I right, Myles, Silver? I’ve never misjudged you.”
The older of the two men in black, Miles, looked at her with doting eyes, "Young lady's judgment has never been wrong."
Then Miles looked at Xu Ning with a serious expression, "Of course, we also have the utmost respect for Mr. Xu Ning's character and abilities. If you don't mind the time, we would like to share an old story with you and sincerely hope that you can provide some guidance."
Xu Ning took a sip of wine and shook his head slightly. "You flatter me. As long as I know something, I can share it with you."
Navia had been watching Xu Ning's wine gourd the whole time. Hearing Xu Ning's affirmative answer, she said, "Myles, let me tell you. This matter has troubled me for so many years. I have finally found some clues and I want to solve it myself."
Miles bowed slightly. "Yes, Miss."
"My father was convicted of murdering his friend three years ago, but he refused to stand trial and ultimately died in a duel..."
Through Navia's account, Xu Ning learned that Kares, the former president of the Rose Society and Navia's father, was investigating the serial disappearances of young girls and seemed to have found some crucial evidence.
Then the murder suddenly happened.
Carles killed someone during a break at the banquet, was accused, tried, and then died.
"From your account, Mr. Carles preferred to die in the duel rather than accept trial, so until the very end, he certainly didn't reveal a single piece of evidence about that case, right?"
Navia nodded in response to Xu Ning's question.
"Yes, his refusal to go to trial was even a way of hoping that the authorities would not investigate the matter, even at the cost of his innocence, even if... he became known as the 'unjust Carles' in everyone's eyes..."
Xu Ning sighed, "If you can think of all this, you've naturally already guessed the outcome. If that's the case, why bother coming here to pursue the truth?"
If their own family members weren't already in grave danger, who would be willing to let the enemy go, keep the secret hidden deep in their heart, and calmly face death?
Everything Kares did was, of course, for his daughter.
Seeing Navia's gloomy expression, Myles couldn't help but say, "Young Miss, we all know that the president was like this back then because..."
Navia interrupted Myles, "I actually thought of this answer a long time ago, and I know what I'm about to face. But the truth is more important. The disappearances are still happening, and my father is still being branded a murderer. I can't watch all of this continue."
Navia stared at Xu Ning's wine gourd again and recounted what had happened that rainy night.
“There were no clues left between my father and the deceased, except for a set of clothes on the ground. We conducted many fruitless investigations, except for that long-circulated 'dissolution' prophecy, the truth of which is unknown, which provided us with a possibility that no one wanted to believe…”
"...If the killer was there on that rainy night, the clothes were his, the gun next to the victim was his, he did everything, but like those dozens of missing girls, he dissolved and vanished, leaving only a puddle of water. No, he couldn't even be observed; he was covered by the rain..."
Xu Ning slowly said, "So my arrival provides evidence for this conjecture, but you know, even if I can prove now that 'humans can dissolve' is true, the court will not overturn previous conclusions based solely on your conjecture."
Navia knew, of course.
"Before speaking with you, we had already explored the hidden secrets behind Linni's magic with Sora. In the basement of this opera house, there is a scene almost identical to the missing girl case. As long as we can find the method of this case, coupled with your methods to corroborate the evidence, we will definitely be able to convince everyone of this conclusion."
Xu Ning laughed, "It sounds like you've never really focused on whether that great magician is innocent."
"Then let me ask you a question. Suppose that things don't turn out the way you expect, but you can conceal a crucial piece of evidence that could convince the court that the girl's disappearance happened here, at the cost of sending the magician Linni to Mello Petersburg, would you do it?"