Chapter 422 423-On the Brink
At this time, all three of them were out, hence their absence from the inn.
"These three days, although there seems to be no change on the surface in Lorinda, and the situation appears to be improving after the support from Breeze City... in reality, things have gotten worse."
Vivia paused before saying, "The news of Lilianne's disappearance hasn't spread yet, that's what Sister Antalya told me. Harry can no longer be trusted."
"In order to ensure Lilianne's safety, he has completely sided with Red Eye. The mana collapse you triggered is one of the catalysts. Although he wasn't aware of the situation at the time, to an outsider, it signifies our inability to confront Red Eye. Sadly, the reality is indeed such; if we were to face Red Eye and his group again, our chances of victory are indeed very slim."
With nearly half of our actual combat strength lost, the full extent of our opponent's capabilities still unclear, and the strength that has been revealed already difficult to counter, coupled with distrust and even defection among our own ranks... there couldn't be a worse situation.
After laying out the situation, Vivia's focus shifted to Howard.
"Howard, where have you been these past few days? How did you survive a mana collapse of that magnitude?"
Unless one distances themselves in advance, no one could survive a mana collapse caused by a magus of the same level.
This is almost a consensus among all magi.
Although others might not know, Antalya is very familiar with Howard's mana fluctuations, which is why she could confirm that the mana collapse was triggered by Howard, leading to Ali and Jelia nearly going berserk.
Howard's chance of survival was zero, a fact known to all.
It was only because no one had seen his body that they refused to believe it.
But now, Howard was standing alive and well in front of Vivia.
"I'm not entirely sure myself; I was unconscious at the time. When I woke up, I found that I had been rescued. It was a girl who saved me, probably around your age, likely a magus too… but she didn't leave her name."
Howard recounted his movements over the past three days.
There wasn't much to tell, really; after waking up, he had stayed in that room the whole time, and when he finally left, he hadn't picked up any useful clues…
Wait… maybe that wasn't entirely true.
Howard thought back to the girl's last words.
Although not entirely certain, Howard felt seventy to eighty percent sure that the girl had specifically come for him.
And it wasn't because of his royal status, but more likely because of him being a visitor from another world.
The other party might be aware of his identity.
"A girl?" Vivia frowned slightly but didn't say much.
Her expression didn't show much joy either.
"Then I really should thank her… Anyway, the best outcome is that you've safely returned, although it's a pity Antalya and the others aren't here right now."
"Right, you mentioned that support from Breeze City has arrived?" Howard asked.
"Yes, that's information Antalya herself confirmed. Breeze City has dispatched three squads of city guards to support Lorinda, led by two knights, one of whom is a level 3 magus."
This is probably the best news Howard has heard so far.
Although their ultimate goals may not align, their stances do coincide.
"Has the shopkeeper made contact with them yet?"
It's unclear what level of combat capability knights from deeper within the New World possess...
"It doesn't seem so. Sister Antalya appears not to intend to make contact but rather to stay hidden in the shadows."
Using these people as bait to take the forefront, then?
Given the current unknowns about Harry's true situation, it's highly probable that this reinforcement group could fall into an ambush by Red Eye, with even the possibility of the level 3 magus being killed.
However, correspondingly, such a large-scale operation would inevitably reveal much of Red Eye and his group's strength.
Even if Red Eye is cautious not to act rashly, his connections with Harry would likely be impacted by this.
These reinforcements won't care about the intricate web of relationships here; they are here merely to hunt.
In their eyes, Red Eye is nothing more than a fierce prey.
But in reality, the hunters are not necessarily them.
"I need to make contact with them and rendezvous with the shopkeeper and the others."
Howard made his decision.
Antalya's judgment is certainly not wrong, but she's too focused on her own interests, aiming to be the last one standing to reap the benefits.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with that, but being the last one standing also requires certain prerequisites.
If one's strength is insufficient, they might instead be dragged down and drowned.
Judging from the confrontations so far, their strength is clearly lacking.
If Greg were awake, Howard would not oppose this plan because then they would have two veterans on their side.
Facing a weakened Red Eye, although risky, the chances of success would not be low.
"Is this wise? It might disrupt Sister Antalya's plan," Vivia attempted to dissuade Howard, her unease creeping in, yet she still trusted Antalya's judgment.
"I'm not sure, but I believe it's better than Antalya's plan," Howard stated.
"Red Eye's cunning and strength both exceed our expectations. If we hesitate now to preserve ourselves, we might all end up dead here."
"Do you think those reinforcements won't be able to sufficiently weaken Red Eye and his group?"
"Exactly. If Greg were awake, I would definitely follow the shopkeeper's plan. I've faced Red Eye and his group, and Ali has confronted Red Eye directly. We stand no chance of a decisive victory against them. The shopkeeper's strength is formidable, but so is Red Eye's. And with just two more experienced fighters, Ali and I would be thoroughly tied down."
Howard paused before continuing, "I'm not looking to completely ruin the shopkeeper's plan, I just want to add a layer of insurance."
At least to remind those who still see themselves as hunters, who the real beast is.
"I thought Sister Antalya was cunning enough, but it turns out you're even more so," Vivia sighed.
"I really don't know what those Breeze City nobles are here for, doing nothing but already being schemed against by you. What's your plan?"
"My plan is simple, just to warn them.
People can infer; provide a detail, and they'll fill in the rest themselves.
Rescuing Lilianne is necessary, but we can't let Harry become an obstacle for us anymore." Howard halted the conversation there.
After understanding Howard's intentions, Vivia abandoned the idea of stopping him.
She provided the likely location of Antalya and the others.
"The management quartet is meeting there today, and the three knights from Breeze City should be there as well.
Even though they're just knights, in Lorinda, they're considered quite significant nobility, not to mention one of them is a level 3 magus," Vivia said.
"Getting in shouldn't be difficult, but if you want to approach those three knights without revealing your identity, you'll need a careful plan."
Howard nodded and smiled, "Don't worry, I won't suddenly disappear again."
"Um..." Looking at the faint swelling at the corner of Vivia's eyes, Howard opened his mouth but didn't know how to start.
He could probably guess the reason, but he didn't have the right to ask, and bringing it up would only make things awkward.
After a pause, under Vivia's puzzled gaze, Howard waved his hand, "Never mind, I'm off now."
"Be careful on the road."
Following the address Vivia provided, Howard had little trouble locating the place.
Lorinda, neither particularly small nor large, is essentially a congregation of a few thousand people, hardly even a town but rather a cluster of villages united for warmth.
Including a portion of the forest, a few thousand people don't occupy much space—perhaps just the size of two districts in Breeze City.
However, due to its complex terrain, those not well-acquainted with the area could easily find themselves lost.
With some cunning, hiding here wouldn't pose much of a challenge.
The management quartet clearly understood this well.
To maintain secrecy and concealment, the meeting place was chosen at the edge of the settlement, in a seemingly ordinary two-story building.
Being a detached structure made it easier to ensure privacy and security.
Surrounded by numerous roads, it allowed for a quick departure.
It was evident that, even on their own turf, the quartet felt little sense of security.
The mana collapse three days prior had been terrifying.
Only a preparatory-level magus or higher could trigger such a collapse, and opting to do so indicated they were driven to desperation.
Unbeknownst to them, a preparatory-level magus in Lorinda had reached a breaking point, and now might already be dead…
This realization made these not-so-worldly leaders understand that ordinary people are essentially powerless in the face of a magus.
Thus, the threat posed by Red Eye seemed even more precarious.
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