Facing Grover's sudden approach and handshake, Ralph's brows furrowed slightly, his expression stiffening for a moment, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

He wasn't bothered by Grover's enthusiasm, but rather by Grover's body odor.

However, as someone from a Great Noble family, Ralph had received an excellent education since childhood, and his expression management was impeccable, so he quickly adjusted and cooperated with Grover with a smile.

After shaking hands with Ralph, Grover enthusiastically greeted the other three Great Knights.

He humbled himself greatly, seemingly forgetting his status as an envoy, as if he completely regarded himself as a mercenary who took money to solve problems for others.

The others didn't know what Grover was thinking, but seeing this Great Knight from the Free Country humble himself so much, Ralph and the others also breathed a slight sigh of relief.

They had been a bit worried that Grover might be an arrogant fellow, as many people from Great Nations naturally looked down on smaller countries.

Saying they had their noses in the air was sometimes not an exaggeration.

Ralph and his companions worried that Grover might be such a person, which would make their interactions very uncomfortable.

Not to mention people like them who had always enjoyed high status in the Kingdom, even ordinary commoners would feel uneasy facing such condescending behavior.

"Mr. Evans, Great Mage Alfred is unwell and resting in the manor, so it's inconvenient for him to come and see you. Would you like to accompany me to pay your respects to Great Mage Alfred?"

After a simple exchange of pleasantries and introductions, Ralph spoke, inquiring of Grover.

However, though it was phrased as an inquiry, Ralph had already made a 'please' gesture, giving Grover no room for choice.

Grover showed no dissatisfaction with this, maintaining a hearty smile as he replied, "Naturally, I have long heard of Lord Demonbane and it is my honor to meet Liens."

Even a true envoy couldn't expect the strongest person in a country to personally come and greet him.

Grover naturally understood this, and he had gathered relevant intelligence before coming to the Hartwin Kingdom, so he was naturally very curious about Lord Demonbane, whom he was observing closely.

"Please!"

With that, Ralph placed his hand on Grover, and an orange-yellow magic circle unfolded beneath them.

Grover felt a surge of magic enter his body, and his body instinctively wanted to expel it, but he suppressed that impulse because he sensed no malice.

Because Grover didn't resist, the magic quickly formed a special elemental structure within him and rapidly spread throughout his body.

This caused Grover to start glowing, looking like a giant human light bulb.

Then, Grover and Ralph's figures instantly vanished, and the orange-yellow magic circle on the ground slowly faded.

Watching Ralph and the two leave via Earthwalk, the other three Great Knights dismissed the welcoming soldiers and returned to their Stationed locations.

They did not follow the two to meet Alfred; the Rebel Army was not far away, and they dared not relax their defensive work.

After all, the city's magical ritual couldn't block everything.

On the other side.

In an instant, Ralph and the two appeared in a manor. Looking at the drastically changed surroundings, Grover recalled the experience just now and pretty much guessed what magic it was.

Earthwalk, an earth-elemental magic, whose effect is to quickly transfer people or objects through the earth veins.

Although this magic is not listed as a Grand Magic, its difficulty in mastery is among the highest for ordinary magic, and coupled with its high magic consumption, it is mostly a magic used by Great Mages.

However, Grover had seen many individuals use it in the Free Country, but this was his first time seeing it used to bring someone along.

"Is it a specialization in earth veins?"

Grover mused inwardly, and based on his professional knowledge, he quickly deduced that Ralph might possess magic abilities related to earth veins, and he was likely skilled in earth-elemental magic.

Silently noting this, Grover's expression remained unchanged as he followed Ralph through the manor. Not long after, the two of them arrived in front of a courtyard.

"You've arrived... This must be Mr. Evans from the Capital. Great Mage Alfred is already waiting for you inside. Follow me."

A knight in armor with a longsword at his waist blocked Ralph and the two, glanced at Grover, and said.

Grover could feel that the knight in front of him was also a Great Knight, which left him a bit stunned, unable to believe that the Lord Demonbane, whom he had not yet met, could have a Great Knight guarding his gate.

In the Free Country, only a select few at the very top possessed such qualifications; even there, a Great Knight was a powerful individual capable of dominating a region.

The three entered the courtyard, which was very quiet, with no noisy sounds, only the gentle rustling of leaves as the breeze swept through, making people feel calm and peaceful, unconsciously lightening their steps.

His gaze swept across, and Grover could see a white-haired old man sitting quietly on a stone chair, with a stone table beside him on which a tea set was placed, and faintly, the teapot on the stone table still emitted a faint wisp of steam.

Perhaps noticing his gaze, the old man looked up at him.

At that glance, Grover felt as if he had been completely seen through; neither his body nor the various thoughts in his mind could hide from those eyes.

This filled him with fear, his hair stood on end, and even the honest smile he had always worn on his face became difficult to maintain.

"Good perception."

Alfred withdrew his observing gaze and commented to Grover.

"Thank you for your praise; this humble one's only skill is this."

Grover accepted Alfred's evaluation with a constrained expression.

Although the Free Country has many races, humans still constitute the majority, so races that conform to human aesthetics are more easily accepted by humans, and their social status rises accordingly.

And races like pig-men, with their ugly appearance and generally poor overall strength, naturally remain at the bottom of the hierarchy year-round.

Due to his racial background, Grover had never met the true council members who controlled the Free Country, but he felt that the old man in front of him would definitely not be weaker than those individuals.

A great reputation is never unfounded. At this moment, he felt that the intelligence's description of Lord Demonbane was not exaggerated, and might even have underestimated him.

At least, it wouldn't be difficult for the other party to kill him.

"You've met. Now leave. I need to continue resting. Don't disturb me unless there's something else important."

Alfred had no intention of continuing to chat with Grover; he simply met him once and then told Ralph and the two to leave the separate courtyard, not to bother him again unless necessary.

"According to scout observations, there's a major movement on the Rebel Army side. It appears they are dismantling their camp and may be withdrawing from their current position. Should we send troops to interfere while they withdraw?"

Ralph reported the intelligence from the frontline scouts to Alfred.

"Hmm, prepare. I will act. Take this opportunity to weaken the Rebel Army's strength, and after the disturbances in other areas subside, we will take down this largest Rebel Army in one fell swoop."

Alfred gave the order without much thought.

When the Rebel Army withdrew previously, the Kingdom also sent troops to intercept, but it always remained at the level of interference, without completely defeating the Rebel Army.

The superficial reasons were roughly a few: first, concern for the Evil God; second, the Rebel Army's strength was not low; and third, the existence of the Rebel Army could, to some extent, maintain the current stability of the situation.

The chaos in the Hartwin Kingdom was initially caused by the Rebel Army, but its development has now extended beyond the Rebel Army, with rebellions appearing in multiple locations.

Some arrogant individuals have even established new nations within their own territories, declaring themselves kings.

In contrast, the Rebel Army was considered better; they merely raised the banner of overthrowing the Hartwin royal family and nobles, and outwardly, they were still subjects of the Hartwin Kingdom.