Chapter 128: Pieces on the Board
Chapter 128: Pieces on the Board
[Do you think he will agree immediately?] Zera asked.
Raven leaned back slightly.
“If he’s cautious, he won’t decide right away,” Raven replied inwardly. “He’ll probably visit the Sinclair and Amell families first and gather as much information about me as possible.”
He paused briefly and continued.
“Unfortunately for him, both houses are on poor terms with me. They’ll likely paint me in a bad light.”
Raven’s gaze darkened slightly.
“In the end, the decision will depend entirely on him.”
Still, Raven had no intention of remaining ignorant of George’s actions.
“Augustus,” he called.
A young man stepped out from the adjacent room.
He had black hair, deep blue eyes, and stood about 155 centimeters tall. Dressed in a neat black shirt and trousers, a short sword rested at his waist.
The young man bowed respectfully.
“Your orders, My Lord.”
“Follow him,” Raven said calmly. “Monitor his movements and report anything unusual.”
Augustus nodded.
“As you command, My Lord.”
Without another word, he turned and quickly left the house.
Raven tapped the edge of the tea table lightly.
“Westin.”
Another figure appeared before him.
The man was lean, with black hair and sharp brown eyes. He wore dark clothing with a hood draped over his shoulders, and twin daggers hung at his waist. His appearance was closer to that of an assassin than a common rogue.
Raven spoke without hesitation.
“Your task is information gathering.”
“Search the town for anything unusual. Pay special attention to unfamiliar faces or suspicious activity. Anyone new who has appeared in Oakvale recently—find out who they are.”
As he spoke, Raven took out a small pouch filled with gold coins and tossed it toward him.
Westin caught it effortlessly.
“I understand, My Lord.”
He slipped the pouch into his coat and silently departed.
The hall soon returned to silence.
Raven decided to spend the night improving his spearmanship in the Illusionary World and returned to his bedroom.
Meanwhile, George began moving according to his own plans.
He first arranged a late-night meeting with the Amell Family and sought an audience with their elder, Rodrigo.
Inside the guest house assigned to the Amell Family, a gray-haired old man sat calmly in a wooden chair. Deep wrinkles lined his forehead, and his sharp eyes studied George carefully.
Rodrigo was the only Peak Radiant Rank powerhouse within the Amell Family. Behind him was a blonde-haired young man with thick eyebrows and amber eyes. He appeared well-armed and quietly stood behind Rodrigo like a knight.
“What is the reason for visiting me so late at night?” Rodrigo asked while slowly stroking his beard.
George remained standing rather than taking the seat opposite him. Lowering his head respectfully, he spoke.
“I came to seek your help, Sir Rodrigo.”
Rodrigo’s eyebrows rose slightly.
“What kind of help?”
“Although I currently serve as the inspector of Oakvale,” George said carefully, “the blood of the Murray Family also runs in my veins.”
He then explained his family history and revealed his intentions.
“If you assist me in inheriting the lordship of Oakvale, Sir Rodrigo, I swear that I will devote my life to supporting the Amell Family in the future.”
Rodrigo listened silently.
After a moment, he chuckled softly.
“Peerage nobles are not people I can approach casually, Mr. Inspector. Even if I personally request their assistance, they will not lift a finger without receiving something valuable in return.”
He paused before continuing.
“To inherit the title, you would need the support of three peerage nobles. And even convincing one such noble could cost you hundreds of thousands of gold coins.”
“H-Hundreds of thousands…?”
George’s eyes widened in disbelief.
His entire family’s lifetime savings barely amounted to twelve hundred gold coins.
Seeing his reaction, Rodrigo’s smile deepened.
“But,” he said slowly, “this situation may also present an opportunity for us.”
George looked up.
Rodrigo leaned forward slightly.
“We recently received secret intelligence through one of our affiliated organizations. The Second and Third Brigade Colonels of the Second Regiment of the Fallen Army stationed in Cleverwood is preparing to withdraw their forces to confront the Sterlingheart Family.”
He tapped the armrest lightly.
“That means only few squads will remain in the city.”
George’s eyes widened.
“Then, there will only be a few captains left in the city?”
Rodrigo Amell nodded.
“You should consider yourself fortunate.”
Rodrigo crossed his legs and continued.
“We will be attacking them with some of the Spade Council members. Sir Baronet Ares has also agreed to cooperate with this operation and will join with his two peak Radiant Walkers.” He deliberated for a second and added.
“As long as we deal with those lieutenants, reclaiming the city will become a far easier task.”
Rodrigo’s eyes gleamed.
“Do you understand what it means to recapture a city from the army of the Viser Kingdom?”
George shook his head slowly.
“It means our reputations will soar.”
“And when the war ends, His Excellency will undoubtedly reward us. At that point, gaining recognition as peerage nobles would not be impossible.”
George’s face lit up with excitement.
Rodrigo continued calmly.
“If three peerage nobles support your claim, you will have the legal right to inherit the Murray barony.”
“But there is one problem.”
George leaned forward slightly.
“We currently have no reliable way to infiltrate the city without alerting the enemy garrison.”
George fell silent.
In truth, he did know a hidden route into Cleverwood.
His grandfather had once used that very path to escape assassination during the Murray Family’s brutal succession conflict.
After several moments of hesitation, George finally spoke.
“I… may know a way.”
Rodrigo’s eyes sharpened.
“There is a secret route leading into the city, unknown to anyone,” George said quietly. “My grandfather once used it to escape pursuit during the succession war and told me an ancient underground military passage lies there.” George paused for a moment and then added.
“Other than me, no one knows where the entrance is.”
Rodrigo knew that George wouldn’t give away the information easily and asked.
“What are your demands?”
“I know that once we succeed in recapturing the city, the merits of success will directly go to your three families and other Spade Council nobles. I will be nothing more than a minor character then. Though I trust Sir Rodrigo, I’m afraid that others might discard me once recapturing the city.”
George said nervously.
Rodrigo nodded slowly and spoke.
“Your worry is understandable, Inspector. But you should know that even if we took all the achievements, we would get nothing from this town or city. After all, we are from Spade County, and we don’t covet your land or your wealth.”
Inspector George also understood it. That was the reason he boldly revealed his birth secret and tried to gain support from Raven and others.
“We will let you accompany us all the way into the city. But you should at least protect yourself. We can’t babysit you after all.” Rodrigo said solemnly.
George nodded.
Then Rodrigo’s expression turned cold.
“There is one more thing you must remember.”
“We will begin this operation only after receiving confirmation from the spies placed inside the city. That may take one or two months.”
His gaze hardened.
“Until then, this matter must remain absolutely secret, even from those closest to you.”
He paused briefly before adding with clear disdain.
“Especially from that brat of House Holmes.”
George nodded solemnly.
After exchanging a few final words, he left the house quietly.
Meanwhile, Rodrigo glanced at the young man standing quietly behind him.
“Young Master Mack,” he said, “what do you think of him?”
Mack frowned slightly as he considered the question.
“He is cautious,” he replied after a moment. “I doubt he will make a decision immediately. Most likely, he will visit Edwin Sinclair and Baronet Ares first to gather their opinions.”
He paused before asking,
“But why did you tell him about our plan? Wasn’t it meant to remain strictly confidential?”
Rodrigo chuckled faintly.
“It is all part of the plan, Young Master. I received instructions from the Lady of Shadowfen to tempt him with the possibility of a noble title. However, I did not expect him to approach us voluntarily.”
Mack looked surprised.
“How did she know about this situation in the first place? Her Ladyship truly is mysterious.”
He folded his arms thoughtfully.
“She also asked us to keep an eye on that brat, didn’t she? What exactly does she see in him?”
Rodrigo shook his head slowly.
“It would be unwise to pry too deeply into her affairs, Young Master. As long as she continues to support you, your chances of becoming the next heir of House Spade will remain very high.”
He continued calmly,
“Her connections and sources of information are more reliable than anyone else’s.”
Mack still looked unconvinced.
“But what is her connection with the Viser Kingdom? How did she manage to plant spies inside their territory?”
Rodrigo had no answer to that.
After a moment of silence, Mack asked again,
“Then what about Thomas Holmes? Why did she speak so highly of him?”
Rodrigo turned his gaze toward the dark window.
“If her Ladyship is truly interested in him…” he said quietly,
“Then that boy is far more dangerous than he appears.”
…