Chapter 188: Elwood Whitmore

The book remained open in Edgar’s hands as he stood beneath the dim light of the Tower of Souls.

The pages were unlike anything he had seen before.

There were no ordinary words written on them at first.

Instead, the information slowly appeared whenever he focused on a particular name or thought about a person whose body had been absorbed by the Tower.

Names, faces, locations, relationships, memories, and fragments of conversations appeared across the pages.

It was almost as if the book had taken everything those people knew and organized it into something Edgar could understand.

Edgar slowly turned another page. The information about the seven men was relatively simple.

Most of them had been minor members of the organization, responsible for transporting slaves, guarding shipments, or following orders from people above them.

However, the information became considerably more detailed when Edgar focused on the name Elwood Whitmore.

The pages began changing. A large amount of information appeared.

Edgar’s expression became serious. ‘So this is him.’

Elwood Whitmore had been born into one of the oldest noble families in the southern part of the kingdom.

The Whitmore family had controlled large areas of land for generations, owning mines, farms, forests, and several important trade routes.

Unlike many nobles who relied entirely on their family name, Elwood had expanded the family’s influence considerably after becoming its head.

He had started by taking control of several smaller territories through marriage agreements, business arrangements, and political favors.

Over the years, his influence had continued growing.

Eventually, Elwood became one of the most powerful figures in the southern territories.

He wasn’t officially the ruler of the region, however, his influence was so great that many nobles treated his words almost like orders.

Edgar continued reading.

Elwood controlled several major trade routes connecting the southern cities to the central territories.

He also had connections with merchants, military officials, local nobles, and even several influential figures within the royal administration.

‘That’s troublesome.’ Edgar turned another page.

Elwood had apparently been involved in several large-scale businesses.

Mining,Agriculture,Transportation, Weapons, Mercenary companies and, hidden behind layers of intermediaries, the slave trade.

The information wasn’t enough to reveal exactly how the organization operated, but it showed that Elwood had been receiving regular reports about missing shipments.

Edgar’s eyes narrowed. ‘So that’s why they were so worried.’

The slaves weren’t simply being sold by a group of criminals operating independently.

There was a much larger organization behind them. Elwood had apparently never directly involved himself in the transportation of slaves.

Instead, he used several intermediaries.

Those intermediaries worked with smaller groups, and those groups handled the actual kidnappings and transportation.

If one group was caught, the connection would end there. Nobody below the higher ranks knew the entire structure.

It was a surprisingly careful system. Edgar continued reading.

The book revealed something else. Elwood had connections with several powerful merchants in the southern cities.

Some of them were responsible for purchasing the slaves after they arrived at hidden locations.

Others provided documents, transportation, and information about patrol routes.

There were even several corrupt officials who had deliberately ignored suspicious movements in exchange for money.

Edgar slowly closed the book halfway. ‘This man really went deep.’

He opened it again.

There was another section describing Elwood’s political influence.

He had supported several nobles during disputes and provided financial assistance to local authorities when the kingdom lacked resources.

In return, those people owed him favors.

He had also maintained a close relationship with several members of the southern military command.

That meant Elwood wasn’t simply wealthy.

He had influence and influence was considerably more dangerous than money.

Edgar continued reading until he reached information about the southern territories.

Elwood was considered the unofficial head of the southern region. Several important cities relied on his trade networks.

Even some nobles who disliked him maintained a relationship with him because cutting ties would hurt their own businesses.

Edgar slowly exhaled. ‘No wonder those men were so confident.’

They had believed that nobody would dare touch them because they were protected by someone like Elwood Whitmore.

Unfortunately for them, they had underestimated Edgar. He turned another page.

There was information about Elwood’s personality as well. He was described as patient, calculating, and extremely careful about protecting his identity.

He rarely became personally involved in conflicts and he only allowed others to act on his behalf.

Even when one of his businesses failed, there was rarely enough evidence to connect the failure back to him.

Edgar stared at the information for several seconds. ‘He’s going to be a pain to deal with.’

That was putting it mildly.

Edgar closed the book. He had learned enough for now.

There were still many unanswered questions, especially regarding the church and the reason slaves were supposedly being requested.

But he couldn’t investigate everything at once. Edgar placed the book against his side before looking toward the newly upgraded Tower.

The Tower had already returned to its quiet state. ‘At least this upgrade was worth the Nightmare Stones.’

The Soul Archive had already proven useful.

If he could continue feeding information into it, he might eventually be able to uncover the entire structure behind the slave trade.

Edgar let out a tired sigh. “One problem after another.”

He turned away from the Tower and began walking toward his house.

There was still one more thing he needed to check.

…Sister Elara.

—

Edgar entered his house several minutes later.

The main hall was illuminated by several lamps, creating a warm contrast against the darkness outside.

He immediately noticed Hera and Elara sitting together. The two women were talking quietly.

Elara looked considerably more relaxed than she had earlier that day.

When she noticed Edgar, she straightened slightly. “Lord Edgar.”

Edgar nodded before walking over and sitting down. “What are you two talking about?”

Hera smiled. “We were talking about the Church of the Night Goddess.”

Edgar glanced toward Elara.

“I see.”

Elara nodded.

“The Church of the Night Goddess has existed for a very long time. It has several branches throughout the kingdom, although the southern branch is considerably smaller.”

Edgar listened quietly.

The conversation continued for a while as Elara explained some of the church’s basic structure.

The church wasn’t simply a place where people went to pray. It also operated orphanages, healing centers, shelters, and several charitable organizations.

They had priests and nuns stationed throughout the kingdom, with larger temples located in major cities.

Edgar occasionally asked a question, mostly about how the church operated in the southern territories.

Elara answered everything she could, however, after a while, she suddenly looked toward him.

“Lord Edgar.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you know much about Semele?”

Edgar blinked as his eyes remained on Elara. “Why are you asking?”

Elara hesitated.

“I don’t know.” She lowered her gaze for a moment. “I just feel like I’ve seen that woman somewhere before.”

Hera immediately became interested.

“Semele?” Hera tilted her head. “That would be strange. Semele rarely goes anywhere.”

Elara frowned.

“I see.” She looked toward the table. “But when I saw her, I felt like I recognized her.”

Edgar remained silent. He had noticed something was strange about Elara’s reaction earlier.

Now he was even more certain. There was something connecting her to Semele.

He simply didn’t know what it was.

And he had no intention of allowing the church to become involved in whatever mystery surrounded Semele.

If the church discovered something unusual about her, there was no telling what they would do.

Edgar leaned back. “You might be mistaken.”

Elara looked at him. “Perhaps.”

Edgar smiled slightly. “You’ve traveled a long way and spent most of the day walking around the Fortress. You should get some rest.”

Elara hesitated before nodding. “I suppose you’re right.”

Edgar stood up. “I’ll take you back to the Soragon Bazaar tomorrow.”

Elara immediately bowed her head. “Thank you, Lord Edgar.”

She stood and began walking toward the room she had been given.

After a few steps, she turned around.

“Good night.”

“Good night.”

Elara disappeared down the corridor.

Edgar watched until she was gone and he then looked toward Hera.

She was already smiling.

“What?”

Hera raised both arms toward him.

Edgar stared at her for a moment before understanding.

A faint smile appeared on his face. “Come here.”

Hera didn’t need to be told twice. Edgar walked over and effortlessly picked her up, carrying her in his arms.

Hera’s face became slightly red as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Edgar carried her toward their room. The Fortress outside had become completely silent.

The Eternal Night covered everything beyond the walls, while the faint glow of the lamps illuminated the roads below.

Edgar glanced toward the darkness through the window.

There were far too many mysteries gathering around his Fortress.

Edgar narrowed his eyes. ‘I’ll deal with them one at a time.’

He looked down at Hera in his arms and for now, he had other things to worry about.

He continued toward the room as the door slowly closed behind him.