Chapter 1033 Another Shaman
Aaron shot him a look. "Your efficiency sucks. It's like you said nothing."
"Hey, finding even a tiny clue is progress. If Rafael was easy to catch, he wouldn't be a threat." Mateo paused. "But that mercenary did spill something useful."
Aaron waited for him to continue.
Mateo added, "The guy who hired him is a man. He was in disguise, but the merc noticed he was missing half a pinky on his right hand."
Aaron squinted. "So, this guy is one of Rafael's trusted men?"
Mateo nodded. "Yeah, Rafael's got a crew. The leader's the one missing half a pinky."
Aaron sneered. "I knew it was him."
Mateo sighed. "But knowing this doesn't help. It's not enough to nail Rafael. His guys are loyal and won't rat him out. They'd take the fall themselves."
Aaron's expression hardened. "Rafael's good at keeping his people in line. Even a ruthless guy like him has loyal followers."
Mateo chuckled. "You think they're loyal to Rafael? Nah, he's just good at exploiting their weaknesses."
Aaron nodded. "Rafael would make a good king."
Mateo looked at him. "You think power requires ruthlessness?"
Aaron paused. "Everyone has their methods. I don't agree with it, but it works. Someone like Rafael, with a bit of luck, could outdo others."
Mateo squinted. "Maybe I should try being ruthless too."
Aaron glanced at him. "Being ruthless is an art. Not everyone can do it with a conscience. You sure you can?"
Mateo sighed. "Forget it, I'll stick to winning people over with virtue."
Aaron snorted. "You didn't come here in the middle of the night just for this, did you?"
Mateo teased, "You know me too well, Aaron."
Aaron said, "Cut the crap. What else? Nora needs to sleep, and I don't have time to waste."
Nora, who had been listening quietly, smiled. "It's okay, I'm not sleepy."
Mateo's tone turned serious. "I came to discuss something important."
"Go on."
"I found out Rafael might be planning to usurp the throne."
Aaron raised an eyebrow. "How'd you find that out?"
Mateo said, "Lately, my dad's been hanging out with a shaman named Yandel Yanez, treating him like a VIP."
"A shaman?" Aaron glanced at Nora, both thinking of Signe from Walter's place.
"What kind of shaman?" Nora asked.
"The shamans here are actually Hermans. They know some medicine and use it to trick people. Because they know a bit of medical stuff, they're convincing."
Nora wondered if the shaman Tomas had befriended was the same one she had encountered.
But then she thought it was unlikely. This country was full of superstitions, so shamans like Signe were everywhere.
And Tomas wasn't dumb. If it were a shaman like Signe with no real skills, he wouldn't fall for it.
Plus, someone like Signe, who could only fool regular folks, wouldn't dare mess with Tomas.
"Get to the point. Does this Yandel have anything to do with Rafael?" Aaron asked.
Mateo nodded. "I looked into Yandel Yanez and found he’s connected to Rafael. Rafael probably introduced Yandel to my dad on purpose. He wants to use Yandel to take the throne."
Aaron squinted. "You mean Rafael wants Yandel to convince King Tomas that Rafael should inherit the throne?"
Mateo sneered. "That's definitely a possibility."
Aaron said, "Do you think King Tomas is so gullible he'd listen to Yandel?"
Mateo's expression turned colder. "My dad might not be gullible, but he does believe in this stuff. So, he might buy into half of what Yandel says. And Rafael will work to make the other half seem true, so my dad fully believes it."
Aaron looked at him. "What do you think Rafael will do?"
Mateo said, "He'll prepare for both outcomes. On one hand, he'll have Yandel plant ideas in my dad's head, making him pass the throne to Rafael.
If my dad listens to Yandel, Rafael won't need to do more. But if my dad doesn't, Rafael might quietly kill him and then have Yandel spread rumors that I caused my dad's death."
Mateo's analysis made sense. Aaron's expression grew serious. "You're right. Keep a close eye on Rafael and see if he makes any moves."
Mateo nodded and pulled out a prescription from his pocket. "Recently, Yandel said my dad was weak and prescribed a tonic. My dad's been drinking it every day. I feel something's off, so I brought the prescription. Nora, can you take a look?"
Nora, who had been listening intently, nodded and examined the prescription. "This is just for replenishing blood and energy. Nothing wrong with it."
Mateo frowned. "Really? Could I be mistaken? Is Rafael not planning to tamper with the tonic, and Yandel is genuinely helping my dad?"
Nora said, "The prescription is for show. If they have bad intentions, they could tamper with the medicine during brewing, making it easier to kill someone quietly."
Mateo nodded. "You're right, Nora. But my dad isn't a fool. The person brewing the medicine is his trusted old servant, Owen Owens, who would never betray him."
Aaron reminded, "Tampering can happen during procurement too. Is Owen the only one handling the medicine from start to finish?"
Mateo said, "The royal family has a dedicated pharmacy. From procurement to brewing, it's all handled by Owen."
Aaron squinted. "Are you sure Owen would never betray your dad?"
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