Dracula, recalling Augustus's words on the way back, sternly reminded him, "Your Holiness, I don't think we can rule out Enzo's possibility yet. If it really is Enzo, he predicted our predictions, did the opposite, and intentionally left his name to clear himself of suspicion—that's not entirely impossible. Enzo is extremely cunning, far surpassing the other ministers."
"Exactly, Enzo is a sinister person; I feel like I can't see through him. It's better to be careful with him," Karl echoed from the side.
"Although I don't like him either, I have to say he's a rare talent with many uses, but we must be cautiously wary of him. Also, I think Enzo's authority is too great now, and it might be difficult to control him in the future," Faol said worriedly.
It seemed that his most trusted confidants all had strong opinions about Enzo. Augustus smiled slightly, "Alright, I know everything you've said. I have my own arrangements. Now is not the time to talk about Enzo as a person. I want to know if you have any way to determine if Enzo is related to this matter."
"If he is involved, then it will be much simpler to follow the clues and find the other accomplices. If he can clear himself of suspicion, then he can be involved in the investigation of this matter; I believe he will certainly have better methods for such things than we do."
After a moment of thought, Faol frowned, "It's difficult. The captives and seized goods haven't been sent back yet, so our investigation can't even begin. By the time the other Swiss Guard soldiers return with the people and things, the news will probably have already leaked, and things will only be more difficult then."
"To determine if Enzo is related to this matter now, we can only actively probe him. The best scenario, of course, is if he can prove his innocence, but there's a greater possibility that after we tell him about the matter, we still won't have conclusive evidence proving his involvement, nor can we confirm his non-involvement. What do we do then? We can't just lock him up."
"Moreover, if he truly is involved, Enzo must be prepared and will answer flawlessly, which could mislead us. If we let him investigate under such circumstances, wouldn't that be shooting ourselves in the foot? Therefore, I believe that unless there is irrefutable evidence to clear his suspicion, he must never be allowed to be solely responsible for the investigation."
Just as everyone was at a loss, there was a knock on the door, followed by a servant's voice, "Your Holiness, Enzo requests an audience."
Everyone immediately perked up. It was truly a case of speaking of Enzo and Enzo arriving, but they were all puzzled.
"What is he here for?" Karl scratched his head in confusion, then smiled wryly, "He wouldn't be here to turn himself in, would he?"
"No matter what he's here for, we can't refuse him. As for his purpose, we'll know once he comes in and we ask. This fellow is notoriously well-informed; he might have already heard some rumors. Let's see what he has to say; it might be helpful for the investigation," Faol suggested.
"Do we need to excuse ourselves?"
"No need, you all stay here. Since when do I have to hide from him when I do things? Let him in immediately, and you all listen to what he says. If you have any questions, ask them directly to avoid complications."
Augustus went to open the door and instructed the attendant, "Please invite him in, bring him directly here."
Soon, Enzo arrived. Seeing that besides Augustus and Faol, Karl and Dracula were also waiting for him, he showed no surprise at all, which greatly surprised Augustus.
After a simple bow, as soon as Enzo sat down in the chair reserved for him, he went straight to the point, "Your Holiness, did you encounter any unexpected events on your way back?"
Enzo's sudden question almost made the jaws of those present drop. Karl immediately stood up abruptly, reaching for the sword at his waist.
Augustus, quick-witted, immediately pressed Karl's hand, pushing the half-drawn sword back into its sheath, and motioned for him to sit down. Looking at Enzo again, he saw that he remained expressionless, sitting there motionless.
"Why do you ask that? Have you heard any news?" Augustus asked calmly.
"A few months ago, our people noticed a team of suspicious individuals carrying a large quantity of questionable supplies entering the city. The leader was a close confidant of one of our ministers, but the city guards let them in without any inspection or questioning.
My subordinates could not overstep their authority, but out of concern for Rome's safety, they took it upon themselves to follow them. They brought the items to an old, abandoned warehouse for storage. When they arrived, they realized that everything was military-standard heavy crossbows.
I found this matter strange, so I kept people watching, but because they didn't commit any illicit acts, I never reported it to you. For a long time afterward, they didn't move this batch of weapons, but they sent people to guard them every day.
Until a few days ago, that minister's confidant again brought people to retrieve this batch of weapons and left the city. My people followed them, but my subordinates were truly incompetent and lost them. When they returned again, those few carts of weapons were nowhere to be found.
It's all my fault for being careless; even at this point, I didn't take it too seriously, thinking he was just reselling weapons for some money or building his own armed force. And without evidence or concrete proof, it was difficult to report to Fao Si.
It wasn't until today, when I learned that you returned on horseback and only a small portion of the Swiss Guard soldiers returned, yet General Karl was instructed to bring people and return with you. Only then did I realize that his batch of weapons was very likely intended to be used against you!
I dreamed that they would dare to lay hands on you. Realizing that my oversight might have caused a great mistake, I was filled with remorse and rushed here to understand the situation." By the end of his speech, Enzo's face was full of self-reproach.
After listening to Enzo's narration, Augustus was deeply shocked, not by the fact that the other party had planned actions against him so early, nor by the fact that the enemy was right beside him, but by the unexpected extent of Enzo's surveillance over Rome.
But, is this true? How could there be such a coincidence in the world?
Augustus wasn't the only one with such thoughts. Dracula asked, "Enzo, how do we know if what you're saying is true or if you're deceiving us? You should know that the bandits who attacked us left your name!"
"Bandits?" Now it was Enzo's turn to be astonished. "They went to all that trouble to prepare, and in the end, they hired bandits to carry out such a risky venture? Then Dracula, your Swiss Guard…"
"My Swiss Guard is fine, only a few people suffered minor injuries. It's just that there were limited horses available at the time, so I only brought a small number of people and the Pope back first. The remaining people are currently escorting the captives and seized weapons."
"That's great! It's good that there were no losses." The gloom on Enzo's face vanished, replaced by overflowing joy.
"What's so good about it! You haven't cleared yourself of suspicion yet. How do we know if what you're saying is true?" Faol poured a bucket of cold water on him.
Unexpectedly, Enzo didn't take it seriously at all and said with a smile, "Oh, this is simple. Please, Your Holiness, come with me; I'll take you to a place, and you'll see for yourself."
"However, this involves some secrets of the Papal States, and the fewer people who know, the better. It's best if you all don't follow. Of course, if Your Holiness deems it acceptable, I have no objection."