Chapter 04

When Vincent contacted Ethelbert the next time, it was four days later.

"We found the killer, but he committed suicide at his home." Vincent's voice came from Ethelbert's cell phone, informing him of the outcome of the investigation. Of course, that's not what Ethelbert cares about either. He left Vincent to talk alone, and his attention was already on searching for specialized materials at the library.

"The killer's suicide scene is still unbelievably clean. His name is XX, twenty years old, a medical school student in the south of the city. His family background is normal, his parents are workers in another city. "Vincent, on the other side, paused for a moment as if assessing something, then let out an exclamation: "Pretty young!" His age and background made it impossible for Vincent to relate this medical student to the image of a cunning killer with a deep feud with the elite, political bureaucracy or business.

"–A…B…C…" On this side, Ethelbert was still searching for the title of the book he needed. The Yophiel school library is huge with a huge volume of readers. A single Yophiel major can occupy more than seven large library rooms, with thick, clingy old books and the words inside fading and yellowing over time. The search for specialized books has always been an obsession for students, but it has never been a problem for Ethelbert because he knows by heart the location of each book in at least seven large rooms of the Biology department. Now, however, Ethelbert was in a bit of trouble when the book he was looking for didn't appear as he was sure he remembered.

"But..." over the phone, Vincent's tone changed, sounding a little hesitant but beginning to become more serious and cautious. Even though Ethelbert was busy with other things, his sensitivity was always waiting.

"On the killer's scalp and tongue there is a tattoo. The symbol belongs to one of the Four Great Families."

Ethelbert's searching finger paused slightly. Until now, he had been silent, waiting for Vincent to continue.

As if seeing Ethelbert's current actions directly right now, Vincent let out a sigh and wearily said:

"It's an eagle."

Eagle. It is the symbol of the Celton family - also the family of Vincent.

Ethelbert was thoughtful and said nothing, but he was thinking. Because Vincent is not only one of his rare childhood friends, the Gotha family and the Vincent family are also two families with a long-standing treaty of handshake in the four legs of the illustrious Four Great Families. Gotha was a family famous in Europe and all over the world for a time thanks to the production of ships, trading ports, and trade in medicine and weapons. And Celton is a branch of the royal family, with many prominent generations in the fields of politics, law and military. Over the centuries, although the influence on many areas cannot be equal to that of Gotha, the position that the Celton family has built in Europe is not small.

There may not be enough information to tie the culprit to the Celton Family, but it is clear that anyone can guess that he is just a pawn in a position that begins to attack. The majestic Celton family.

"What are you doing?" Vincent suddenly changed the subject.

"Borrow specialized books." Ethelbert replied.

"Then don't bother you, I'll hang up." Immediately followed by a long series of disconnection beeps.

Ethelbert stood dumbfounded in front of the bookshelf. Today is not a good day for him.

"What are you looking for?" A girl's clear voice spoke up. Ethelbert turned to – it was Lily, a female student in the same department as him and one of the rare friends who had known Ethelbert since childhood. Like Vincent, Lily is the daughter of a fairly long-standing upper-class family in Elliana, although not one of the Four Great Families.

"Specialized book." Ethelbert replied faintly.

"Which book?"

"The DNA evidence of Phiclosolen."

"Ah, I borrowed the last one the other day. I plan to return it this afternoon. You can come back this afternoon. I can't give it to you in person because I've run out of grace period." Lily smiled sweetly, with a hint of regret in her eyes. If we were to judge, Lily was the most accurate representation of a female student at the aristocratic private school Yophiel. She has long, wavy chestnut brown hair, pink and white skin as clear as crystal clear in the morning, and cold brown eyes. Her personality exudes a luxurious aura unique to women in a noble family. The gentle classic beauty with the lovely calf-length skirt makes her look elegant, gentle and knowledgeable.

Ethelbert nodded to Lily in lieu of saying goodbye and calmly walked out of the library. If he is not busy this afternoon, he will stop by.

***

In the afternoon, Ethelbert stopped by Queen Street, where the prestigious Yophiel Academy was located. From the beginning, this street has been counted as a school campus, so no one is allowed to enter in a private car. Ethelbert told the family driver to park outside, letting him walk inside.

The rows of tall trees on both sides of the road with golden foliage slowly falling as a sign of autumn seem to cover the front of the old Yophiel school with a layer of golden silk.

Walking leisurely, a person like Ethelbert, who was not used to looking sideways while walking, suddenly met a familiar figure. He slowed down and watched. His eyes weren't mistaken, and it was Coronis. What is that old tea shop owner on Noémie street doing here?

As if sensing a gaze on her, Coronis turned around. Right after that, her eyes caught sight of a familiar tall figure in her memory - a guy with a classic style but possessing a dazzlingly beautiful appearance like the beauty of the god of light Apollo. Anyone would have to look at him from the crowd as long as he stood there.

"Ethelbert, here—" Coronis smiled brightly and innocently. She walked over to Ethelbert. Under the golden sun, her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail behind her, making her more lively and youthful.

Coronis seemed to be the one who couldn't hide his surprise when he saw Ethelbert here. Not letting herself suffer from curiosity, she immediately asked:

"What are you doing?"

"I went to school to borrow books from the library." Ethelbert rarely answered strangers while on the road. He saw Coronis' emerald green eyes seem to grow even wider, unable to hide his surprise under the thick glass. She was excited:

"You're a Yophiel student, aren't you?"

Coronis did not dare to confirm his thoughts until Ethelbert nodded. Now she could no longer contain her excitement.

"Oh my god, you're a Yophiel student aren't you? That's amazing. I never dreamed I'd meet a real Yophiel student!" Coronis' eyes curved like a crescent moon in a bright smile. In the sunlight and at a close distance, Ethelbert saw once her rosy white skin had faint brown freckles, like a field of buckwheat flowers.

"The maiden with the galaxy on her rosy cheeks," thought Ethelbert.

"I just delivered to a customer in a nearby neighborhood, and when I had the opportunity to go far, I stopped by Queen Street to see Yophiel." Coronis honestly told.

Exactly, Yophiel is considered one of Elliana's most proud and ancient historical and cultural works before the whole world. This number one private school in Europe has been around for nearly eight centuries and is a historical witness to the rich cultural sediment of this country. Each year, the school accepts just over a thousand students, and all must be the children of nobles with outstanding abilities. Because of its popularity, Yophiel is also considered a place worth visiting, attracting many tourists.

"I heard that the Yophiel school library is the pocket of human knowledge. No book in the world is not available in Yophiel?" Coronis' eyes looked at Ethelbert with excitement, her hand unconsciously grasping his sleeve without realizing it. There seemed to be sparks of excitement in the girl's eyes.

Ethelbert was at a loss as to how to act. He was a bit surprised and somewhat confused when Coronis grabbed his sleeve. Coronis suddenly narrowed the distance between the two. It makes Ethelbert be awakened once again to the memory of her special scent on her body - the smell of herbs like that of a deep forest in a fairyland, where everything is transparent, pure and pure; where spirits sing day and night.

"Not to the point of being so pompous." Ethelbert looked away in confusion, avoiding her gaze.

"But the library there has a lot of books, doesn't it? I've been wanting to find old books on scents and herbs for a long time, but the city library doesn't have any." Coronis said regretfully.

"Tourists can also visit Yophiel, right?" Ethelbert asked softly.

Who would have thought that Coronis would hear this even more sobbing:

"Don't you know the entrance ticket is very expensive? That's three thousand dollars! What's more -" Yophiel pouted "--you can't borrow it even after watching it."

Ethelbert was silent, slightly lowering his head as if thinking about something. Coronis's hand that had been holding onto his sleeve had also let go. Ethelbert sighed with the thought in his head but decided to speak it out anyway.

"Coincidentally, I also need to go to the library today, you can come with me. The students' acquaintances in the academy get free admission." Hesitating a little more, he continued: "I still have tickets to borrow two books, you can borrow one."

Coronis couldn't seem to contain his sudden jolt anymore. She kept rushing to hug him and then jumped up because she was interested, making Ethelbert a little scared and confused, also attracting a lot of attention from people on the street. Yet, oddly enough, for the first time in twenty years – Ethelbert felt that it wasn't bad to be bothered.