"Master, I've got the information. Along with Viscount Godfrey, three knights have entered our camp."
"Among them are two knights of unfathomable power. I suspect they might be Alpha-level fighters."
Torin's eyes widened at the news.
"What? Are you sure they're Alpha-level?"
Wyatt nodded, very seriously. "I'm certain. The moment I got near their tents, they noticed me right away. Their presence was terrifying—I once felt something similar when I encountered an Alpha-level beast."
Torin frowned, looking more and more grim. He himself had yet to advance to Alpha-level, and now there were two unfamiliar Alpha-level experts in his camp. Naturally, he was extremely uneasy.
"Master, are these knights also here to welcome the Princess back?"
Torin nodded silently and began pacing around the tent, pondering the relationship between Lambert and Princess Ava.
"Master, this might be a good thing, don't you think?"
Torin looked up and stared intently at Wyatt, waiting for what he had to say next.
Wyatt stepped closer, speaking in a respectful tone. "Master, think about it. Sir Samuel of the envoy arrived here at our camp a few days ago. Now another noble and two Alpha-level knights have turned up, and there's also the official kingdom envoy that hasn't arrived yet. It's certain they've come to bring the Princess home, and it stands a great chance of succeeding."
"Master, as you said before, there's a good chance we can keep our share when it's time to divide the spoils."
Hearing this, Torin's gloom lifted a little. Inspired by this idea, he then devised a quick plan to build up his territory.
He would take the initiative to share the benefits with the major nobles from the kingdom, in return asking them to sponsor the construction of Soaring Bird City. Of course, he would seek these funds under the guise of "sponsorship." Then, depending on the size of their contributions, he'd allocate portions of Soaring Bird City's land to those nobles.
Though Torin would lose full control over his territory this way, at least he could still manage certain aspects of it. Later, once he became powerful enough, he could gradually reclaim what truly belonged to him.
With that thought, Torin's mood brightened, and his confidence returned.
"Go fetch the good wine I've been saving. Then prepare some roasted meat and dried fruit. Tonight, I'll host a banquet for Sir Samuel and Sir Godfrey. Invite all their companions too!"
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Having made his decision, Torin was ready to befriend everyone interested in bringing the Princess home.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Soaring Bird City, Lambert had returned to the temporary tent Galahad had rented.
"Hey, guys, I have two pieces of good news. Want to hear them?"
Galahad, Garrett, and Godfrey all looked at Lambert, who seemed eager to create some suspense.
"Stop beating around the bush and just spit it out," Godfrey grumbled. He was impatient and hated that sort of drawn-out talk.
Lambert shook his head and smiled before speaking seriously. "First piece of good news: Baron Torin of Soaring Bird City is aware of the plan to bring the Princess back, and he's quite supportive."
Hearing this, Garrett and Godfrey didn't think much of it, but Galahad frowned. In his view, the fewer people who knew about bringing the Princess back to the human kingdom, the better.
"The second piece of good news is that the kingdom's official envoy will arrive in Soaring Bird City within three days. Once they're here, we can head to the giants' territory together."
At the mention of the envoy, Galahad finally relaxed. The fact that the kingdom would send an official envoy meant a deal of some sort had already been reached between the human kingdom and the giants' territory. This mission to bring the Princess home had a high probability of success.
Truthfully, Galahad's tense heart felt much lighter upon hearing this. In his original plan, if they couldn't wait for the kingdom's envoy, the four of them would have tried sneaking through the ogres' territory to rescue the Princess in secret—a crazed idea that was practically a death sentence. Yet Garrett, Godfrey, and Lambert had all been willing to go through with it.
"Lambert, thank you," Galahad said sincerely. Lambert's news had potentially saved their lives.
"We were all born bearing heavy burdens. Since the gods pity us, we should extend that pity to the world," Lambert replied, giving Galahad a knight's salute. "Helping you is like helping myself."
Just then, Godfrey's voice interrupted them. "I don't know about the kingdom's envoy, but we should watch our backs with that Baron Torin."
Galahad, Garrett, and Lambert all turned to Godfrey.
"You're all too young. You have no idea how malicious people can be. I've been wandering around this camp for the past two days, and I've noticed that most of the people here are slaves—there are hardly any regular civilians."
Godfrey took a swig from his wine flask, clearly displeased by what he had witnessed in Soaring Bird City.
"And I've picked up on a few hints. There's a slave-hunting group hiding in this camp. I don't know if Baron Torin is the one backing them, but given how close he seems to be with them, he's definitely no saint."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "If other races discover the atrocities of a slave-hunting group in this territory, do you know what would happen? To non-human beings, a slave-hunting group is an absolute taboo."
The tent fell silent as everyone contemplated what Godfrey had said.
"I don't know or care who Baron Torin is," Galahad finally spoke. "Our goal is to follow the envoy to the giants' territory and bring the Princess home. If he tries to interfere, I won't show mercy."
Godfrey frowned and shook his head. He could tell that Galahad, after surviving near-death experiences, had become more rigid and extreme. Garrett and Lambert also looked at Galahad but didn't offer any comments of their own. Stay tuned with Freewebnovel
"Let's just wait," Godfrey eventually said. "The kingdom's envoy will be here soon. Then we'll see Baron Torin's true intentions."
With that, the tense atmosphere in the tent eased a bit.
...
Elsewhere on the Meadowland Plains, in a dense forest where even sunlight struggled to filter through.
"Well done. You didn't back down at the brink of life and death," Orion said, recalling his abyssal dragon. He personally led the group at the forefront, with Rolan and Steelblade walking at his side.
"Dying isn't what you should fear. Real fear is shrinking back from your enemies and failing to conquer your own cowardice."
Orion was instructing Rolan while Steelblade listened in. "Also, don't just rely on brute force during a fight. Use your head. Understand your advantages and know your enemy's weaknesses. That way, you can be calm and confident in battle."
Rolan and Steelblade nodded repeatedly as they listened to Orion's guidance.