Four Split Personalities

But... what if they were given an excuse?

An excuse that is justifiable and well-founded?

For example, the territory of Konda, having been schemed against by the Dizzy Royal Family, proactively seeking help from Griffin, hoping they could dispatch troops to eliminate the tyrant ruler?

"No... It can’t be..."

Varez swallowed hard, his face pale as he looked up at Sin Knight, whose expression remained calm and composed, while his back was now drenched in cold sweat.

Veronia wasn’t looking much better, although not shivering like Varez, she too was visibly shaken, her pretty face pale and filled with uncertainty and disbelief.

"It’s just a speculation, but as far as I can see, there are very few reasons that explain the rebel’s delaying tactics, and the possibility of dragging the Griffin Dynasty into the fray seems the most likely."

Sin Knight sighed softly and said with a bitter smile, "It’s understandable, really. The highly respected prince’s wife passed away too soon, and the prince himself and Duke Wittem both died in quick succession. Those who have lost their object of loyalty, yet are brimming with unreleased fervor, are not incapable of inviting wolves into their home. Since they dare to rebel and put themselves in a life-or-death situation, it’s clear they no longer care about the future of the Empire. Revenge is the only thing on the minds of those rebel leaders, and bringing Griffin into the picture would be the most direct and maddest move."

Veronia, born in Telon, clenched her fists gently and whispered, "But would the Griffin Dynasty be so willing to be used by those rebels? They..."

"They wouldn’t mind,"

This time, it was Varez who answered, his gritted teeth revealed his grim face, "Remember what Duke told us before? That decaying lion has been waiting too long for an opportunity like this. As for being used by others, hmph, when the time comes, they can easily find an excuse to wipe out those damn rebels, or loot them before putting on a good show. Either way, Griffin won’t lose out!"

Veronia lowered her head, saying nothing.

"Alright, both of you, it’s too early to be pessimistic."

Sin Knight, who initially suggested Griffin’s involvement, smiled warmly, spreading his hands, "After all, this is just a guess. Even if it’s true, Griffin won’t be able to deploy a legion into the Empire so quickly. As far as I know, they have very few troops stationed in the Southern Territory adjacent to us, the Shaven, and the structure of other legions is also quite bloated. Plus, those power-holding nobles will definitely not come to a conclusion right away. It’s far too soon to lose hope now. If the enemy could exert their strength immediately, why would the rebels desperately delay at the frontier?"

Veronia pursed her lips and finally nodded quickly, adjusting her mood, "You’re right, your honor, now what should we do..."

"Right now, we need a safe place for everyone to rest."

Sin Knight, with a weary face, looked up at the increasingly dark sky and said softly, "Even if there isn’t one, we must create one."

...

The pair nodded in silence, their expressions still gloomy. They understood the reasoning, but finding or creating a place in the region teeming with rebels where one could rest with peace of mind was easier said than done.

At least they couldn’t think of a way, so they both looked towards Sin Knight with hopeful eyes.

And the latter did not disappoint them...

"I do have an idea, though not necessarily foolproof, it’s worth trying."

Sin Knight slightly narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the topographic map he had casually drawn, "Let everyone rest a bit more, then we set off..."

"Yes!"

...

Game Time PM 19:05

Shaven Empire, somewhere in the northern territory of Prince Bartholo’s domain

"Sin Knight, this place is..."

Varez, walking alongside Sin Knight at the front of the group, glanced at the brightly lit village under the night sky, hesitated, and turned to the latter. After the seemingly random march before, he was somewhat unable to tell where they were. The only thing he knew was that there were far fewer seekers than before, as the pace of the group slowed down half an hour ago, and the tense atmosphere in the air had diminished.

"Prince Bartro rules the North Territory."

Mo casually accepted the Alchemy Potion handed over by his housekeeper from the side, took a sip, and said calmly, "We left Telon’s territory twenty minutes ago. If the rebel’s arrangements are based on ’territorial borders’ rather than ’general areas’, then the town ahead should be relatively safe."

[Is this... Prince Bartro’s territory?]

Varez was somewhat surprised, but not overly so. After all, geographically speaking, the direct controlled region led by Telon, the territory of Prince Telon, and Prince Bartro’s territory were all relatively close. Among them, Prince Telon’s western border joined with the Royal Family’s directly controlled region, and the southern border with the northern border of Prince Bartro’s territory. Sin Knight’s five hundred-man troop was originally planning to detour towards the southeast, so changing course southwards would make it not surprising to arrive at the closer Prince Bartro’s territory at dusk.

In conclusion, this was definitely a piece of heartening good news. After all, even Varez, a junior commander who scurried about under Sin Knight’s command, had no idea where they were at the moment, making it even less likely for the pursuers to detect the group’s movements.

Moreover, Prince Bartro’s territory is not under the rebels’ control, and considering Prince Bartro, who resides in the capital of Telon all year round, is a staunch royalist, it’s nearly impossible for the rebels to extend their defensive lines to this point under such circumstances...

"That may not be the case."

Sin Knight, who had been holding off on ordering the main troops to enter the town, did not agree and said with a grave look to Varez and Veronia, who had rushed from the rear, "If our opponents are truly desperate enough to involve the Griffin Dynasty in order to ’avenge’ His Majesty, then there would be no pressure for them to overstep the boundaries into Prince Bartro’s territory. Especially a location like this that is very close to both the Royal Family’s controlled region and Telon’s territory, which could serve as a supply base or as ’eyes’, we should not be careless."

Both of them nodded slightly: "So what you are suggesting is..."

"Have all scouts conceal themselves and spread out around the town for surveillance, and then have the knights surround the place."

Sin Knight made the deployment without hesitation, and Varez and Veronia immediately relayed the two orders.

Ten minutes later, accompanied by a barrage of commotion and exclamations, the remaining large troops silently appeared in the darkness, cautiously entering the seemingly ordinary town.

"Resles Town?"

Mo, walking at the forefront, glanced at the wooden sign at the entrance and chuckled lightly: "This name is rather interesting...

"Uh huh, interesting, interesting."

Although Varez and Veronia did not understand why Sin Knight said this, they nodded their heads earnestly in agreement.

Moments later, the formidable group of over four hundred people marched into the town square, lining up neatly under the shocked and fearful gaze of the townspeople.

"I suggest gathering everyone in the town square for now, and start with a headcount."

The Sin Knight, who had traveled ill all the way, gently wiped his forehead and asked Varez and Veronia with his cane in hand: "What are your thoughts on this?"

Despite the fact that he was just asking, how could they, having witnessed Sin Knight’s prowess, show any disagreement? They promptly arranged for a group of people to gather up the residents scattered throughout the town.

"Remember to be polite."

Sin Knight specifically reminded them, saying gently, "After all, we are the uninvited guests here."

"Yes."

Everyone took orders and then quickly dispersed, beginning to politely yet assertively invite people.

The town wasn’t large, so the process didn’t take much time. In less than half an hour, a large crowd had already gathered in the square. Meanwhile, Varez and Veronia received a message from the scouts outside the town...

Five regular townspeople dressed as low-ranking thieves suspected to be rebels attempted to flee towards Telon’s territory and committed suicide after being captured.

This place... is indeed not safe...

Chapter 596: The End