?


    Lord Ivan and Lady Diana exchanged meaningful nces, recognizing the immense value of this enigmatic magical spell. Obtaining it could elevate their kingdom to unprecedented heights of power, potentially even leading to its transformation into an empire.


    After a moment of contemtion, Lord Joseph concurred with Lady Eliza, "You make an excellent point, Lady Eliza. I''m now quite intrigued by this mysterious spell. If we delve into its intricacies, it could indeed revolutionize magical theory and spellcraft, vastly enhancing our kingdom''s overall strength. Perhaps one day, we might even see our kingdom ascend to an empire."


    Lady Eliza nodded eagerly, "Exactly! This mysterious spell holds immeasurable potential for our kingdom''s future. The possibilities are boundless if we unravel its secrets."


    "I share your sentiment, Lady Eliza. We cannot allow this opportunity to slip through our fingers. Acquiring this enigmatic spell for our research is paramount, and we cannot afford to let others seize it ahead of us."


    "Absolutely, we must prevent others from obtaining it. Its destructive potential, coupled with the absence of residual mana, poses a grave threat to our kingdom as long as it remains in unknown hands."


    As Lady Eliza and Lord Joseph discussed, Lord Ivan and Lady Diana''s expressions turned serious. They were acutely aware that a spell of this caliber, wielded by a high-ranking mage, could easily obliterate their entire kingdom.


    Lady Diana fixed Lord Ivan with a determined look and asserted, "This is an exceedingly serious matter. We must locate the caster of this spell promptly. It''s far too perilous to leave such a destructive power in the hands of unknown individuals."


    "Indeed, given the recent rumors surrounding this vige, I''m inclined to share your assessment, Lord Ivan."


    "Which is precisely why His Majesty the King has entrusted us with the mission to recruit them into our ranks before the noble houses have a chance," Lord Ivan added, nodding solemnly.


    A few minutester, Lord Ivan addressed the group, "Let''s enter the vige, shall we? This is not a suitable ce for us to discuss further, and our spies have already booked rooms for us at one of the best inns avable in this vige; we should talk about it there."


    Lady Eliza was taken aback. It appeared she had underestimated Lord Ivan''s resourcefulness, once again.


    "Oh, My Lord Ivan. It seems that I''ve underestimated you once again. You''re very clever, you''ve arranged everything beforehand. I''m impressed!" she remarked yfully, drawing a nce of slight jealousy from Lord Joseph towards Lord Ivan for gaining Lady Eliza''s attention.


    Lord Joseph, however, managed to control his emotions and spoke in a neutral tone, "Well, I agree as well. This is not a ce for us to discuss sensitive matters."


    Despite his fiery temperament, he wasn''t foolish enough to jeopardize a crucial mission assigned personally by the king, all over ady''s favor.


    Before entering the vige, Lord Ivan turned to the coachman and instructed, "We will be going on foot from here. Take the carriage inside the gate and park it somewhere safe, and don''t forget to tend to the horses."


    "I understand, my lord," the coachman replied with a slight bow.


    Turning back to his threepanions, Lord Ivan said, "Well, that''s settled. Let''s move inside." Lord Joseph, Lady Eliza, and Lady Diana nodded, following Lord Ivan towards the entrance.


    This time, the two guards didn''t halt them, instead opening the massive wooden gate. One of the guards greeted them with a smile. "Wee to Pinebrook vige, and have a nice time in our vige."


    Lord Ivan and hispanions exchanged puzzled nces, as this warm wee was unexpected. Even in the capital, such courtesy was rare, usually reserved for those of great power and influence.


    As they entered the vige, Lord Ivan turned towards the guards, prompting a frown from hispanions. Lord Joseph, perplexed, asked, "What happened, Lord Ivan?"


    "Just a moment, I have something to ask them."


    "Alright... but don''t take too long," Lord Joseph replied with a shake of his head.


    Turning to the guards, Lord Ivan inquired, "By the way, I forgot to ask earlier, but could you tell me where I can find the hero of this vige?"


    The guards exchanged uncertain nces. One of them finally spoke up, "We don''t know, sir. We''re upied with guarding the entrance. Others in the vige might have more information. You could ask around."


    "I see..." Lord Ivan nodded, producing two gold coins from his magic pouch. He disyed them to the guards, asking once more, "Are you sure you don''t know?"


    Regrettably, even in the face of gold coins, the guards remained tight-lipped about the hero''s whereabouts.


    "Sigh! It''s a pity you don''t know..." Lord Ivan muttered in disappointment, then returned to hispanions.


    ''Even after showing them the gold coins, they remain loyal to their owner,'' Lord Ivan thought to himself, rejoining Lord Joseph and the others.


    "So, Lord Ivan. What did you learn from the guard?" Lord Joseph inquired as soon as Lord Ivan rejoined them.


    Lord Ivan shook his head, his voice tinged with disappointment. "Unfortunately, I couldn''t glean any information from the guards about our target. It seems they''re resolute in keeping the hero''s location a secret, revealing only what he''s done for the vige."


    Lady Diana interjected, suggesting, "Lord Ivan, perhaps a bit of generosity might loosen their tongues. You know what I mean..."


    Lord Ivan understood her insinuation but shook his head. "Sigh! I''ve attempted that approach, and the result remains the same. They''re not swayed by gold coins."


    Lady Diana, Lady Eliza, and Lord Joseph exchanged incredulous nces. They found it hard to believe that someone would resist the lure of gold coins.


    "Sigh! It appears we have no choice but to rely on your spies, Lord Ivan," Lady Diana sighed.


    "I''m afraid so..." Lord Ivan nodded.


    Lord Joseph then suggested, "Lord Ivan, please lead us to the inn. We can discuss the rest once we arrive there."


    "Very well..." Lord Ivan nodded and guided the group down the sidewalk, passing by the under-construction road and some damaged houses.


    As they strolled through the streets of Pinebrook vige, they were astounded to find that the vige streets were as well-kept as those of some of the kingdom''s most prominent cities, if not cleaner.


    "This vige is truly evolving at an astonishing pace. If this continues, it might even surpass some of the most renowned cities in the kingdom in a few years," Lady Diana remarked, her voice tinged with wonder as she took in the sight.


    Lord Ivan nodded in agreement. "Indeed, that''s a distinct possibility. However, there''s little we can do about it. Undoubtedly, there will be nobles who grow envious of the vige''s constant progress. It''s even possible they might seek to undermine it out of spite," he mused, considering the potential reactions of the kingdom''s prideful and avaricious nobles.


    As they continued their way through the streets, they couldn''t help but notice a massive wall being constructed at the far end of the vige. It towered high and seemed imprable without using the vige gate.


    The sheer size and thickness of the wall left them in awe. Its construction was still underway, but even from a distance, they could discern its considerable girth, thanks to its impressive height.


    "They''re constructing such an enormous wall to safeguard the vige, and it appears they''re building it far beyond the vige''s current borders. The vige head must be nning something of immense scale... Something that could send ripples throughout the entire kingdom in the future," Lady Diana mumbled, her voice filled with astonishment at the sight of the colossal protective barrier.


    This revtion startled not only Lady Diana but also Lord Ivan, Lord Joseph, and Lady Eliza. One question resonated in their minds: What could the vige head possibly be nning?


    Lord Ivan''s expression mirrored his surprise. ''This is wholly unexpected. Building such a massive wall would require a substantial amount of gold coins. Where are they acquiring such resources?'' he pondered internally.


    A few secondster, Lady Eliza voiced her thoughts in a hushed tone, "It seems there''s something enigmatic transpiring in this vige. Could it be that our targets are somehow linked to this?"


    "I can''t say for certain, but there''s a definite possibility that our targets have ties to the vige''s swift progress. That''s precisely why we must exert every effort to bring them into our fold before someone else does," Lord Ivan dered with a solemn tone, impressing upon the others the gravity of their mission.


    "Definitely! That''s our main priority, and we can''t disappoint his majesty the king. He is expecting us to seed no matter what!" Lord Joseph quickly nodded.


    They continued moving, with Lord Ivan leading the way towards the inn. After a few minutes of walking, they spotted a massive Roman-style building in the distance. A huge sign read "Silvermoon Inn" in bold letters.


    Two figures stood at the side of the building, their eyes fixed on Lord Ivan''s group. They approached swiftly.


    "My Lord, you''ve arrived. Wee to Pinebrook vige."


    Both individuals came before Lord Ivan, bowing slightly, like servants to their lord. Lord Joseph and the twodies apanying them understood that these were the spies Lord Ivan had mentioned.


    "Rayn and Tyler, is everything prepared?" Lord Ivan inquired as soon as the two arrived before him.


    "Indeed, My Lord," Tyler quickly nodded,prehending his Lord''s intention. He promptly handed four keys to Lord Ivan, stating, "We''ve already booked the most luxurious rooms for you, My Lord. Here are the keys for the rooms."


    "You did well," Lord Ivan epted the keys, then turned to Lord Joseph and the twodies, saying, "Let''s go inside and rx for a moment before we discuss the important matters, shall we?"


    "Naturally. I''m feeling quite ufortable after walking such a distance..." Lady Eliza nodded, feigning tiredness with a seductive gesture.


    With that, they entered the inn, and Rayn and Tyler followed them, as they too would be staying at this inn.


    —


    Meanwhile, at the Monroe family residence, Yuan and his wives, along with the entire Monroe family, were having ate lunch in the dining hall. They were all busy, which had dyed their meal.


    During lunch, Madam La suddenly fixed her gaze on Yuan and spoke with a serious tone, "Yuan, I''ve heard rumors about someone ''important'' from the kingdoming to our vige. We don''t know if this ''important'' person has good or bad intentions towards us. However, I believe they''reing here for only one reason, and that''s you and your wives."


    Yuan and his wives stopped eating, frowning at Madam La. They wondered who this unknown person from the kingdom could be, seeking them out.


    Seeing their reactions, Madam La continued, "Our soldiers recently spotted two unknown individuals asking about you and your wives, even offering money in exchange for information. Our soldiers investigated and found out they were staying at the ''Silver Moon Inn'', one of the best inns in our vige—"


    Before she could finish, the dining hall''s door burst open, and a soldier rushed inside.


    "Madam La, something big is happening in our vige! Four people have arrived in a very luxurious carriage, apanied by a few soldiers!"