CHAPTER 336: CHAPTER 335: WHISPERS BEHIND THE WALLS

At a distance, a lone figure crouched behind a half-broken wall, eyes fixed on the pair sitting under the glow of the lamps. He squinted, trying to get a clearer look as Vaenyra lifted her hood and removed her veil.

His eyes widened. ’An elf?’

He leaned forward slightly, excitement flickering in his chest. ’I have to report this to the Duke... he’ll have to know about this right away.’

But when he turned his head, preparing to retreat, something made him pause. A faint breeze brushed past him. His instincts screamed. He snapped his gaze back to where the two had been sitting.

The bench was there, the same soft glow of the lamp, but Lumberling and the elf were gone.

’What? Where did they?’

"So you’re the one that ruined the mood."

The voice came from behind him.

Qi surged through his veins on reflex, but before he could even turn fully, pain burst along his neck, a sharp, stunning impact that numbed his limbs. His vision swam, then his vision turned into darkness.

The last thing he saw before his body hit the ground was the faint outline of Lumberling and Vaenyra standing over him.

"Now," Lumberling said quietly, "how should we deal with this one?"

.....

At the guest compound, the spy slowly woke up to the sound of voices nearby. His head throbbed, and when he tried to move, he realized his hands were bound behind his back, his mouth covered by cloth.

"Where did you pick this guy up?" Aurelya asked, her tone curious as she leaned against the wall.

Lumberling stood nearby, arms crossed. "He was following us, peeking from behind a building. Judging by his clothes and how he moved, he’s one of the Duke’s men. I wasn’t sure what to do with him yet, so I brought him along."

Liraeth’s expression darkened. "So what now? Are you planning to absorb his essence?" she asked, eyeing the man carefully.

Thessalia stepped forward, her voice calm. "We haven’t reached your goal yet, Lumberling. Killing him would draw attention, and likely force a fight with the Duke before we’re ready." She paused, glancing at the bound man. "But letting him go isn’t an option either. He’s already seen Vaenyra and the rest of us."

Vaenyra folded her arms, her eyes sharp. "Then we’ll fight if we have to," she said. "I’ll take the Duke myself. The rest of you can handle his men."

Her decisiveness filled the room with tension, but Lumberling quickly raised a hand. "Wait," he said, his voice calm but firm enough to stop them all. "Let’s not rush this time. Instead of drawing our blades, I think there’s a better way to deal with this."

He crouched slightly, resting a hand on his knee as his eyes gleamed with thought. "So listen, we’ll do it like this..."

...

At the red pavilion, the faint scent of incense lingered in the Duke’s office as Knight Corven knelt before the desk, his head lowered in shame.

"My Lord," he began, "Paul has yet to return. I fear he may have been discovered, either captured or... dead."

Duke Hadric’s brow furrowed slightly, though his tone remained calm. "I thought you were personally overseeing their movements, Corven."

The knight clenched his fists, his head lowering even further. "It was my mistake, Duke Hadric. The man from the Iron Legion split from his group, and his companions scattered around the city. I followed the others myself and left Paul to keep watch on him alone. I underestimated them." He bowed deeply. "Please punish me for this failure."

Hadric leaned back in his chair, silent for a moment. "Is there any word yet from the message we sent to the capital?"

"It will still take a few days before it reaches them," Corven replied carefully.

The Duke let out a quiet sigh, rubbing his temple. "This will be troublesome... especially now." His tone carried both irritation and thought.

After a brief pause, he straightened in his seat. "Invite them here. I’ll speak with them myself."

"Yes, my Lord." Corven bowed again, guilt still visible in his eyes. "I deeply apologize for the trouble I’ve caused."

Before Hadric could respond, a firm knock came from the door.

"Duke Hadric," a guard’s voice called from outside, "Lord Lux Arrezvul and his companions are requesting an audience."

Corven stiffened immediately, the blood draining from his face. ’They came here on their own...?’

Hadric’s expression hardened. "Tell them to come to my office," he ordered.

"Right away, my Lord," the guard replied before hurried footsteps echoed away down the corridor.

Moments later, the door to the Duke’s office opened. Lumberling and his four companions stepped inside with calm, confident steps. The Duke sat behind his desk, hands folded neatly as if he had been expecting them. Knight Corven stood nearby, his posture stiff but his eyes sharp, carefully watching every movement.

"Duke Hadric," Lumberling greeted with a pleasant smile, bowing slightly. "Nice to see you again."

"The pleasure is mine, Lord Lux," Hadric replied, his tone polite yet edged with quiet curiosity. "To what do I owe this sudden visit?"

Lumberling chuckled lightly, as though they were discussing something trivial. "Ah, nothing serious. I thought I should report something to you."

Hadric raised a brow, feigning interest. "Oh? And what might that be?"

"You should tighten your city’s defenses, Duke," Lumberling said casually, hands clasped behind his back. "While my companions and I were exploring, we happened to notice a little rat following us. Seems your city has a few eyes that aren’t very discreet."

A faint silence followed.

Corven’s shoulders tensed slightly, though he tried to hide it. His fingers twitched by his side, his gaze flickering for a moment before he straightened again.

Hadric, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm. "Is that so?" he said smoothly, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint, polite smile. "Then I must apologize for the negligence. I’ll make sure our security improves."

He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. "And this spy you mentioned, where might he be now?"

Lumberling’s grin widened a little. "Who knows?" he said, looking amused. "We’re still getting some answers from him."

The air in the room thickened, heavy with tension. For a brief moment, it felt like one wrong word could start a fight. Knight Corven’s hand slowly drifted to the hilt of his sword, his eyes narrowing at Lumberling.

Behind Lumberling, the three elves quietly shifted their stance, hands near their weapons, ready to move if the Duke’s men dared to make a move.

But Duke Hadric raised a hand, his calm voice cutting through the charged silence. "What do you want, Lord Lux?"

Lumberling’s grin faded into something more neutral. He didn’t rush to answer. The quiet stretched just long enough to make the Duke’s guards uneasy before he finally spoke.

"I want to talk with you. Alone."