BossNovelChapter 1258
Carissa and her group arrived in Lunvale, posing as traveling merchants. After gathering information about Stone
Village, their first priority was to contact Kyle and Travis.
She marked the inn where they were staying with an orchid drawn in a conspicuous spot, leaving a secret signal.
Anyone familiar with the code would be able to find them.
That evening, Kyle and Travis arrived, both looking exhausted. They were covered in dust, their clothes wrinkled,
their hair hastily combed with their hands, their shoes caked with dirt. It was clear they had just cdown from
the mountains.
Carissa had been on edge the entire journey, her heart heavy with worry. Upon seeing them, she quickly asked
about their situation.
Kyle first tried to ease her tension. "When we sent the pigeon post, we had lost all contact and there was no
trace of them. But just a couple of days ago, we found something. In the old forest south of Stone Village, we
discovered a mark left by Rafael. It proves they had been there, and it should have been just a few days ago.
That news allowed Carissa to breathe a little easier. But then Kyle explained the reason for their temporary
disappearance.
"We received a secret directive from the king to investigate where the grain and weapons were hidden in the
mountains," Kyle continued. "So, when we got the message, we set off to search for it."
Rafael had originally disagreed with such an extensive search, believing it was like looking for a needle in a
haystack. He thought it better to monitor their movements closely, to see who they interacted with, who brought
in supplies, and how much was sent. He felt that would be more efficient and safer than heading into the
mountains right away.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHe also believed the food wouldn't be stored in large quantities in the mountains. They would only need enough
to last through the winter, as more supplies would have to be brought in cspring. After all, they were looking
at provisions for thousands of people.
However, Salvador's letter insisted that only by uncovering weapons and armor could they confirm the
conspiracy and label it as rebellion. Once confirmed, they could destroy the weapons and use nearby forces to
eliminate them.
Rafael had brought fewer than
twenty people, just the four of them, along with sguards. After receiving the secret directive, they split into
groups and entered the mountains, agreeing beforehand that no matter what they found, they would meet back
up in five days.
Five days later, only Rafael and Dylan had not returned. Everyone else had regrouped at their designated
meeting point.
by
They waited for another day, but with growing concern over their safety, they decided to venture back into the
mountains to search for them. It wasn't until a few days ago that they discovered a sign left Rafael, high up on
the southern mountain. The mark was carved into a tree—an orchid with all its petals intact. This was a good
sign-it meant they hadn't encountered any immediate danger or injury when they left it.
The orchid mark was a special symbol used by the Pathfinders Guild members. If injured, a petal would
be missing. If they were in danger, one of the corners would be gone. If their lives were at risk, only half a petal
would remain.
Seeing the full blossom confirmed that they had been unharmed when they left the signal.
"But it's been 20 days without any word. I'm still worried," Carissa said, her brow furrowed. "Is there any news
from Tiberius? Could he have discovered our arrival?"
"We've had one person specifically tailing him these past few days," Kyle said. "He's been frequenting the local
brothels and coffeehouses, or hosting his friends for lavish meals at his estate. It seems the Realm Defender has
been living quite comfortably."
Carissa's eyes narrowed. "And his relationship with the local authorities-is it still as we originally investigated?"
"The local officials are openly
disgusted by kim, but they're too intimidated to act," Travis answered. "He's been maintaining a household army-
just about 50 or 60 men, sof whom are decent fighters. He treats them well and keeps them well fed. In
return, they help him lord over the area. It's a combination of his title and the loyalty of these lackeys that lets
him run wild."
Carissa paused for a moment, then pressed on. "Has there been any evidence linking him to Stone Village?"
Travis shook his head. "We've been here for a while now, and while it's neither a short nor long time, we haven't
found any sign of his people having been to Stone Village. So, it's hard to say."
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