What Ron never expected, however, was that everything he perceived, every deduction he made, including his conclusion that Mera was still in the mansion, was all a picture painted by Kain.

Everything was within Kain's calculations.

In the cargo cart, the person beside Kain—the one Ron believed was a fake Mera trying to trick him by appearing next to Kain, thereby indirectly confirming it was Mera—was, in fact, the real Mera.

So, how did Kain manage this? Or was it just his plan, and Ron simply overthought it and missed the obvious?

Of course not.

In reality, Kain only deployed one layer of decoy to mislead, which was the initial carriage. The true escape route was this cargo cart.

But in terms of strategic thinking, there were three layers of decoys, where each discovery of one decoy layer led to entanglement in a new one.

From the outset, Kain had confirmed that the "other side" had a remarkably astute mind, possessing excellent counter-thinking capabilities to uncover Mera's mother's true identity, and thus orchestrate the pursuit of Mera to question her about her mother's whereabouts.

At the same time, this individual had already learned how Mera tricked the five Magus. He would see and understand, assuming his level of intelligence matched the premise.

At that point, this individual would categorize Mera's intellect as clever and deceptive, but still too naive to escape his scrutiny.

That was how Kain summarized his opponent's perspective of his side. And this was crucial.

Kain didn't immediately deploy a sophisticated strategy; instead, he crafted a decoy strategy precisely at "Ron's perceived level of Mera's thinking." This was intended to mislead Ron.

Ron would certainly see through the first layer of decoy and focus his attention on the second layer. And after noticing the "small" anomalies that Kain deliberately planted in the second layer of decoy, Ron would deduce the true situation through his spy network and the reality that no matter how Mera deployed decoys, she would eventually have to show herself. That's why Ron kept the mansion under tight surveillance.

But all of this was within Kain's calculations, and that was precisely the third layer of decoy.

Kain knew that the second layer of decoy—intentionally revealing himself—would inform Ron that "Mera" was also aware of his extensive spy network. From that, Ron would deduce that Mera had remained within the mansion all along.

In summary, Ron believed that Mera was the one orchestrating the plan, and that the events unfolded exactly within her perceived intellectual scope. And that was precisely what... Kain intentionally wanted him to realize.

Therefore, it wasn't that Kain successfully led Mera to escape, but rather that Ron himself opened the encirclement, allowing both of them to flee.

"Is this good enough, Kain? Why don't we set up another decoy to make him believe it more?"

Kain just shook his head at Mera's question. "No, that would backfire. In his perception, this cargo cart is the second layer of decoy you set up to conceal that you're still in the mansion. If there's another decoy, his deductions will waver, so this is enough."

Hearing Kain, Mera rubbed her forehead in distress. The game of clever minds truly was a headache, especially for someone new to it like Mera.

Mera actually just wanted to fight head-on to her heart's content, but since she couldn't win, she had to use her wits.

"So, are we just going to run away now?"

"Of course not. The longer we wait, the more flaws will appear. I bet if you don't show your face for a week, he'll know he's been tricked."

"So, my plan isn't over yet."

Kain understood that even escaping this way wouldn't completely solve the problem, because even if Mera escaped, Wilfred would still be there.

At the same time, if this deception was exposed, Mera would likely receive even more attention from that organization, and that was not good at all for Kain. Being targeted by such a force was too dangerous.

That's why he chose to simulate Mera's strategy to "limit Mera's thinking within Ron's thinking," keeping her image from being seen through.

The cargo cart departed Whesling, and just as Kain predicted, there were no pursuers.

This cargo cart also headed towards Adia, fulfilling its role as a decoy. Adia was the main waterway hub for the entire Kanzax province, with many waterways leading to various cities.

Kain and Mera got off the cargo cart, then chose a city that was somewhat chaotic and had a less than stellar reputation. In short, they chose an ideal place to "hide" when being pursued.

And that was also the location for Kain to plant false clues, transforming Mera into her own mother.

"Tsk, I've never been to this city before," Mera murmured, then turned to Kain.

"But how am I supposed to impersonate my mother now? I know they can pinpoint my location when I'm exhausted, but... isn't this too obvious?" Mera whispered, the two of them still heavily cloaked, not drawing the attention of passersby.

Kain didn't refute her, as Mera had indeed raised a very practical and valid point.

However, he already had a counter-plan.

"Last time, when you fainted, they caught a signal but didn't know its exact location because I interfered. That's why I chose this place, a suitable location for them to believe your mother has been hiding here."

"And of course, I'll create a plausible reason for it."

Kain's objective was to... track down a type of criminal organization targeting women in this city, something Kain believed wouldn't be rare.

Then, Kain proceeded to choose the largest and most powerful organization, one even protected by Magus. This would be what he used to deploy the next layer of decoy, and conveniently, eliminate a menace to the populace at the same time.

He set up a staged scenario where Mera pretended to be captured, then launched a counter-attack, striking directly at the heart of this women-kidnapping organization.

Naturally, this alarmed the Magus guarding the place, including a mid-class Magus, but neither Kain nor Mera cared.