"Why was there such a massive commotion over there?"
Camo frowned as he gazed toward the distant forest, muttering to himself as a sliver of unease rose in his heart.
Though his own strength was nothing to boast about, his eye for power was decent. Even if he didn't know the exact level of the person who had unleashed that attack, they were certainly someone he couldn't afford to provoke. Perhaps even the commander stationed here couldn't match them.
At that thought, Camo quickly turned to look at his butler.
"Richter, tell Remoke to come out of the mage tower immediately. I'm feeling a severe lack of security right now."
"I understand. I shall go find Mr. Remoke at once, though it may take a bit of time."
"Make it quick!" Camo said, looking into Richter's eyes with utmost gravity.
Since the army sent by the Carian Royal Family couldn't necessarily guarantee the safety of this region, he felt it was necessary to prepare some of his own contingencies. If the Carian troops proved unreliable, he would have to rely on his own strength.
Camo couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for having previously diverted some of his own troops to assist Harold. But since they had already been sent, it was impossible to ask for them back now; doing so would only make the commander resent him.
"What information have you gathered?"
"The local populace's general impression of their Lord is that he is lustful. He has some administrative ability, though it doesn't compare to the old Lord before him. Also, he prefers to stay cooped up in his mansion and rarely comes out."
"The information I gathered is more or less the same, but I have one piece of valuable intelligence."
"Let's hear it." Krith's eyes lit up as he looked at Derrick.
"Lord Camo has someone arrange for a courtesan to be brought in at regular intervals. Lately, perhaps due to stress or some other reason, he's been having someone sent in almost every day."
"That is an unexpected harvest... but unfortunately, none of us are women, and none of us know the art of disguise." Krith shook his head with regret. This was actually a golden opportunity; if utilized correctly, they might have been able to complete the mission the Sovereign had entrusted to them directly.
But now, it seemed they had to abandon this path and find another way. The look of disappointment on Krith's face became even more pronounced.
"Actually, we still have another choice, don't we?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Krith and Derrick looked up at Cole, who had suddenly spoken.
"We just need to bring the woman who was chosen into our fold. Isn't that the best way right now?"
Hearing this, Krith's face went dark. "Setting aside how you'd even determine who was chosen, do you want us to be hunted down by the Carian soldiers in this city by recklessly exposing our identities?"
"Uh... fair point..."
Krith let out a long sigh. Setting Derrick aside, he seriously suspected Cole was only here to provide side effects.
"If we don't use this opportunity, what's the plan?"
"Doesn't he still have a butler? We could observe the area around the mansion for a while. Maybe we'll find an opening," Derrick suggested.
"That sounds feasible. Let's move."
"Strange... why haven't those three come out yet? It's just gathering intel, how could it take this long..."
Standing outside the town, Mohg frowned as he looked toward Toriland and muttered to himself.
It didn't make sense. He had only sent the three of them to gather some basic information about the local Lord; how could it possibly take so much time? Could it be that the Lord's security and secrecy were so tight that not a single shred of information leaked out? That seemed impossible.
He only needed the Lord's basic address and likely locations, not some incredibly precise daily schedule.
"Lord Mohg, are you troubled by something?" Liana tilted her head as she approached him.
"Yes. There has been no word from the three I sent in earlier, which leaves me a bit puzzled. But fortunately, time isn't that tight yet."
As he spoke, Mohg glanced toward the Carian military camp. He estimated it wouldn't be long before the Carian Knight returned to garrison the camp. After this incident, they would surely tighten the defenses of the surrounding area. He just didn't know if they would focus more on guarding the Magic Well or Toriland Town.
Either outcome didn't make much difference to him; it only meant a slight change in his target. If they reinforced the town, he would attack the camp. If they reinforced the camp, he would strike the Lord of Toriland to trigger a riot and force the camp to send reinforcements.
The prerequisite for all of this was having sufficient martial strength and enough intelligence to support these moves. If either condition was missing, it would be difficult to achieve. Of course, martial strength was the most important.
It was a pity his martial strength wasn't yet at the level where he could simply crush those before him; otherwise, he wouldn't need to plan so meticulously.
However, there was still one problem with this plan: when the Lord of Toriland called for help, would the Carian Knight choose to hold his post or go to the rescue? That would be the biggest question when the time came.
But before that... he felt he needed to find a place nearby to set up a Blood Pool. If things went south or if his goal was achieved, he could use the Blood Pool to arrange for his subordinates to leave first. Otherwise, the casualties from a retreat might be too painful to bear.
As long as he could reach a certain point through the Magic Well, he would have nothing to worry about. Among those present, he was the only one who truly commanded the sky!
"Let's go. We'll move further away for now. I need to establish a new Blood Pool just in case."
"Yes, Lord Mohg."
"By the way, I still haven't fulfilled my promise of a blessing for you. Once this is over, I will bestow it upon you. The current situation isn't suitable."
"Your affirmation and trust are already the best rewards for me," Liana replied, lowering her head slightly.
"Even so, I will not let it go unrecognized. Once matters here are settled, I will grant you a new round of blessings."
Mohg patted Liana on the head, then waved his hand, leading the group of blood-blessed warriors in another direction. Once the Blood Pool was settled, he would finally have some peace of mind.
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