Selene's information network had proven more valuable than Kael initially expected.
Within hours of their meeting, he had comprehensive intelligence on Greymoor City—military strength, economic output, defensive positions, supply lines, and most importantly, the hidden alchemical herb valley that Cassandra had mentioned. Selene's agents had been monitoring Aldric's operations for years, waiting for some sort of opportunity.
The herbs alone were worth millions. Rare alchemical reagents that high-tier alchemists would kill for—ingredients that could accelerate pill refinement, boost cultivation speed, and create remedies that didn't exist in standard pharmacopeia. Aldric had been selling them through black market channels for a decade, building wealth that should have caught the family's attention years ago.
It hadn't. Which meant either Aldric was either very clever or someone higher up was taking a cut.
