Chapter 1072: Chapter 595: The Value of Intelligence (Part 2)
Are you really so kind-hearted that you’d arrange for someone to keep an eye on me?
And conscript new recruits from within your own territory?
Clearly, you want to drain this Baron’s Domain of its wartime potential.
We’re all old foxes here, who do you think you’re playing with?
If Hamlet hadn’t taken this trip, he might have surrendered these things for his daughter, but now the situation in Bastia is beyond the Earl’s control.
Both sides acted out a part for each other, and soon returned to the real topic.
"Have you heard anything about Hamlet recently?"
"No! What’s happened now?" Upon hearing this name, Lawrence’s demeanor noticeably changed, losing the previous despondency and instead showing a hint of agitation.
The Earl raised a hand to signal calmness and then spoke about the ruins.
"We all escaped from Hamlet at that time, probably no one knows that city better than we do."
This news indeed caused Lawrence to fall silent; he was truly unaware, having been acting all this time to deceive the Earl, truly pretending.
He could only say that no matter how well he acted, nothing compared to this moment of silence, even the Earl relaxed his guard a bit.
"Back then, several of us were stationed outside, otherwise we couldn’t have survived. That place was quiet for so many years, why is it suddenly surfacing now?"
Lawrence pondered the Earl’s meaning and spoke only after a moment of silence, not forgetting to add.
"There’s something off about this; it might be false news, it’s best to send someone to check it first."
"That’s what I thought too. Francis has already taken money to check it out. We’ll know when he returns."
"Regardless of the truth, now that the Barbarians are restless, we can’t divide our forces. At least until the snow blocks the mountains, action can’t be taken. Hamlet is difficult to handle..."
Lawrence sighed, prompting the Earl to casually add,
"Those Barbarians have suddenly quieted down recently for some reason."
"They’ve stolen enough for the winter, what more can they achieve?" Lawrence’s tone was filled with indifference, dismissive.
"Alas, we’re old, let’s leave these matters to them." The Earl did not wish to continue the topic and casually diverted the conversation, eventually dismissing Lawrence.
The Earl stood in place, watching Lawrence’s somewhat hunched back disappear at the end of the corridor, his previously smiling face gradually turning indifferent.
Lawrence acted as if he didn’t feel the gaze behind him, but his expression also became bitter.
He had seen through the Earl long ago, over a decade before, and was forced to bow his head due to territorial and familial concerns.
But now it seems...
Reflecting on his previous delusions, he realized his daughter saw clearer than he did.
If he really married his daughter off, she would be persecuted by these people once he died, better to stay in Hamlet.
If Lawrence once acted for Lance out of necessity, under the Earl’s recent repeated probes, that last shred of sentiment was wiped out.
At their stage, what remained of a decade-long friendship?
Stepping out of the cold castle, he was met by the sunlight above.
Riding back to his domain and entering town, Lawrence seemed to notice something but didn’t show it.
Only after entering his castle room did his expression change, activating a hidden mechanism in the room and revealing a deep passage.
Changing into a different outfit and donning a mask, he then entered, holding a candlestick.
Noble castles often designed secret rooms and passages, one for hiding treasures, the other as a route to escape to the outside world.
Within the entire domain, only he and his daughter knew their locations.
Before he left, he had agreed on a code and rendezvous point, and he saw the signal upon his return, so now he had to go there.
The previous act paid off, now even if he stayed in his room for extended periods, no one questioned it.
Opening the barrier, he immediately felt the increased humidity, surrounded by dampness, with moss growing between the stones and a foul smell.
Yet Lawrence seemed oblivious, continuing further in until he opened an iron grille, finally exiting the most secretive part of the route.
No settlement can exist without a water source or drainage, and through the town’s sewers, he soon appeared in a passage separated by a sluice gate.
The activity here alerted those on the opposite side; in the dim light neither side could see clearly, but they had their unique methods.
"Why the blush?"
"Full of energy!"
"Why so pale?"
"Anti-cold wax!"
Lawrence didn’t know what these words meant, but he had learned the code from Lance.
The two wasted no time, quickly discussing the current situation.
"The sudden restraint of the Mountain Barbarian Tribe must indicate something is brewing. With time until snow blocks the mountains, they wouldn’t give up on the chance to raid, as it concerns their winter survival."
Lawrence didn’t use his usual tone; instead, he adopted a deliberately deep voice, relaying the information he had gleaned from the Earl earlier.
"I’ll look into it." A brief response came from the other party.
The two quickly exchanged a few words before departing separately.
The opposite party also left quickly, until not long after, Vick emerged from the riverside.
Though Lawrence had gone through elaborate disguises earlier, Vick knew very well who was on the other side. With single-line communication within the organization, only he was qualified to contact the two pieces arranged by the Lord.
Now, Vick came to Bastia with the Lord’s mission to develop intelligence. He had just arrived and was yet to gain a foothold, marking this as the first meeting, with more exchanges to follow...
This scene in Bastia was just a microcosm; surrounding lords were all beginning to stir, making arrangements to probe Hamlet.
But as Lance said, different nations, forces, and classes, even exaggeratedly the whole world, were shaking due to Hamlet’s reappearance.
Whether the Hamlet Region becomes turbulent or prosperous due to this, depends on that man...
...
Before Lance departed the outpost for the bay, preparations for the offensive against the Beast Lair were quickly underway.
Lance had accumulated ample experience from leading three previous exploratory missions into the Beast Lair.
First, a partial map of the Beast Lair was obtained, understanding its general environment.
Second, insights into the fighting abilities and habits of various Pigmen were gained.
Third, heroes with real combat experience against the Pigmen were instructing the Honor Guard on how to deal with them.
The use of intelligence is a distinguishing characteristic of humans from other species, and under such an advantage, operations proceeded exceptionally smoothly.
Initially, all were gathered at the second garrison, transformed from the number two target in the wilderness originally.
Heroes took turns leading sorties, using Pigman blood and death for combat training.
Even in the past, under dire circumstances with exhausted supplies, these people braved near-impossible conditions to resolutely fulfill the Lord’s command to hold the fort.
Now, backed by a fortified garrison with ample supplies and rest, as well as stable medical aid.
Furthermore, this group had recently been Blessed and strengthened by the Lord, making their overall strength more formidable.
Besides an initial minor setback, they swiftly adapted thereafter, their targeted tactics absolutely crushing to the Pigmen.
Yet they weren’t in a hurry to delve deeper into the Beast Lair; instead, they intended to bleed the Pigmen hard from this opening, depleting their living forces.
The Pigmen had attempted counterattacks, rallying under Pigman Knights and Pigman Mob leaders to push back once again.
Not only did they push those forces out of the Beast Lair, they even charged out themselves.
Only to be met with a swarm of human warriors... and cannons.
