CHAPTER 198: CONFIRMATION OBTAINED

CH198 Confirmation Obtained

***

Sneaking out of the Inner City was much easier than sneaking into it. Allen, Alex, and Udara made their way back to their inn rooms without incident.

As a precaution, Allen entered the rooms first to ensure no one had broken in while they were away, only allowing the other two inside after confirming it was secure.

Alex then checked for any magical surveillance.

Once they confirmed no one was spying on them, the trio finally relaxed.

"It was a genius idea to ask the logistics officer about their supplies. No military officer would have answered your questions," Allen Holder remarked once they had settled in.

"I realized early on that many people we tend to overlook actually have the information we need, depending on the situation. You just have to know the right who and what to ask," Alex replied with a calm shrug. "I take it you got the confirmation the Patriarch and Lord Marshal need to prepare for an attack?"

"More than that." Allen smiled, his eyes glinting. "We have got a target to watch and harass."

After a pause, he asked, "Should I have my people neutralize Lucas Zell?"

"Huh? Why?" Alex frowned in confusion.

"Won’t he get suspicious if you don’t honor your end of the bargain?" Allen asked.

"Oh!" Realization dawned on Alex. He shook his head and waved a hand. "No, we don’t need to do anything to him. From the conversation, we can safely deduce that the Logistics and Procurement Department is being kept in the dark about the war plans. He won’t think anything strange if I fail to deliver. He’ll just write me off as another pompous, arrogant young noble who can’t follow through."

"Besides, the trade agreement is an opportunity for your Black Mantle to make some coin on the side."

"What do you me—?" Allen began but immediately stopped, realization flashing in his eyes. "Ah! I see."

He grinned. "Since the southeast already has a bandit problem, it won’t be strange if a bandit group targets the planned new supply line. We can intercept the goods and sell them back to Lucas Zell and his procurement department."

"Exactly." Alex nodded. "That way, we stall the resources meant for the ghost camp at Ormshire, and make coin selling the goods back to them. Two birds with one stone. If your men are lucky, we might even create a continuous loop of earnings."

Alex and Allen exchanged knowing glances.

"But still, it would be prudent to keep eyes on Lucas," Alex added. "Just in case he does something stupid. We can’t afford surprises."

"I agree." Allen nodded. "I will take my leave. I need to pass down orders and get everything ready for our exit in the morning."

"Understood." Alex nodded, then added, "Can you get me documents on the places and incidents Lucas mentioned? Ormshire, Olred’s Bend, the famine, and the wildfire?"

"No problem. I will have them delivered within the hour," Allen replied.

"Thank you." Alex curtsied.

Then Allen Holder left the room.

From the corner of his eye, Alex noticed the confused look on Udara’s face, along with her hesitation—but he said nothing.

Instead, he calmly settled into his usual daily cultivation meditation.

Less than an hour later—barely even a third of an hour actally—the documents Alex requested were delivered.

Udara received them at the door and waited patiently for Alex to finish his meditation, gently flaring her aura to alert and rouse him without interrupting.

Five minutes later, Alex exhaled slowly, emerging from his meditative state.

He opened his eyes and received the documents from Udara, who still wore a hesitant expression.

He had only just finished reading through them—roughly a quarter of an hour later—when Udara’s low voice broke the silence.

"Master, may I ask you a question?"

"You want to know how Allen and I confirmed the Kellermans are preparing for war... just from my conversation with Lucas Zell, right?" Alex asked, turning toward her.

Udara blinked. "How did you—?"

"It’s written all over your face," Alex said, smiling faintly.

"I’m sorr—"

"Don’t be," Alex cut her off gently. "Honestly, I’d be disappointed if you weren’t comfortable enough with me to ask about something you were clearly curious about."

He gestured for her to take a seat, just as he had done earlier with Lucas Zell.

"Do you remember the things I brought up during the trade discussion with Lucas Zell?" Alex asked once she sat.

Udara nodded. "Master Blacksmiths, ore, textiles, salt, and food."

"Good. Simply put, those are key necessities for war. Without them, raising and maintaining an army would be difficult—especially one large enough to invade our lands."

Realization flickered across Udara’s face. "Salt—for food and preservation. Food—to feed the soldiers. Textiles—to clothe them. Ore and Blacksmiths—to arm them."

"Exactly." Alex smiled, pleased with her insight.

"But... he said they weren’t available." She frowned. "And he wasn’t lying."

"Yes, he did say that. And I believe he truly meant it. That’s what he believes—or rather, what he was made to believe," Alex replied.

"There’s an old saying: the best-kept secret is the one known by only one person. In practice, that means the fewer people who know a secret, the lower the risk of exposure. The Kellermans’ military high command is likely keeping the details of the upcoming invasion hidden—even from their own logistics and procurement departments—to reduce the chance of leaks."

He paused for emphasis. Udara nodded, following closely.

"After all, if someone were looking, they’d easily spot the movement of such war-related resources," he continued.

"Now, let’s dissect what we got from Lucas Zell."

"He said the fief increased ore production and took on more blacksmith contracts," Alex recounted. "And the official reason? To rebuild Ormshire, which was supposedly devastated by a plague."

He leaned forward slightly. In contemplative tone, Alex added,

"But here’s the question: if the city was devastated by a plague—a medical condition that only affects living beings—why would you need to rebuild the city?"

***