"Huh?"

Brand turned back, it was rare to see this Merchant Lady being modest. Even back in Buqi, this lady’s heart was higher than the sky, she would never show hesitation in front of anyone, as if she was born to be someone who dominates the scene.

"With desire comes weakness," Little Roman replied in a profound tone, but she let slip in the latter half of her sentence: "Aunt said, besides, if someone tried to trade with me using Brand and little Roman, it would be quite troubling for Roman."

The first half sounded reasonable, but the more Brand listened, the more preposterous it became. He pinched the little girl’s cheek: "Don’t seriously talk about trading your fiancé—"

"Ouch, Brand, you... ouch... let go..." Our Merchant Lady immediately raised her little eyebrows high, her little face was pulled crooked by Brand.

Next to them, Nun Princess Magdal looked at this man and woman with a strange expression, for some reason, she felt a little envious in her heart. After a while, she managed to squeeze out a fitting remark: "You two have a great relationship..."

Brand smiled slightly, let go of Little Roman, and looked up at the pure silver moon over Ambeser.

In the following days, news of the heavy clouds of war from the North finally spread. The Cruz people had already moved their cavalry into Sword Castle, the threat of the Tuokui Lion-men seemed to become reality overnight. The term Holy War quickly replaced young swordsmanship masters as the hottest topic among the people of Ambeser. Even the air seemed to be brewing with a heavy sense of conspiracy as the transfer at the Ande Fulei Grand Temple approached, making the Holy Temple busy.

On the other hand, ever since he had seen Eagle Djal beside Marquis Youxi, Brand had sensed a hidden crisis. He entrusted Su and the bloodline under Andreg to gather information—Vampires, being creatures living in the shadows, excel at secretive operations and intelligence gathering. Madara had previously sent vampires among humans several times to gather intelligence, so Brand was just copying a proven method—yet the information brought by Medphis and Andreg only deepened his suspicion. It was said that Anlek was now residing in a castle south of Ambeser, which was guarded as tightly as a royal city.

Brand knew Anlek’s cunning nature very well; if he was being so cautious, he must be plotting something. Unfortunately, the Vampire Lady tested the castle’s defenses and found no way to infiltrate. This news filled Brand with a sense of urgency. He now wanted to see Princess Griffine to warn her in advance, but unfortunately, the estate where the princess resided was equally well-guarded, otherwise, he would have been inclined to sneak in once.

As the time for the noble council’s peace conference drew near, Brand had to reluctantly abandon his suspicion of Anlek. Meanwhile, Main Priest Wood sent his trusted aides daily to inform him of the movements within the Holy Temple and among the nobles—although that information seemed superficial, Brand could have probed it with a little effort. But Main Priest Wood’s actions saved him a lot of time, partly to assure him of the Holy Temple’s stance. Besides, the fact that Main Priest Wood was managing the daily affairs of the Flame Temple at the Ande Fulei Grand Temple conveyed enough information already.

After settling his mind, Brand had to confront the largest problem he had to solve: how to infiltrate the noble council’s peace conference. He wouldn’t ask Main Priest Wood for help since it was a major issue likely to leave a handle, and the Lord of Priest certainly wouldn’t agree. Brand himself was also unwilling to provoke trouble with the Flame Temple at the moment.

After much thought, the only moderately reliable news was the one Su brought back a week ago.

Of course, that wasn’t a very reliable piece of news either.

...

In the middle of the Recovery Month, two days before the noble council’s peace conference—

Ambeser faced the sea to the west, where the Shakrodi Strait split the narrow peninsula, and the salty sea water etched a white wave trail at the base of the cliffs, constantly beating against the dark brown rocks. Geographically, Ambeser was at the northern end of the Anseli Mountain Range (Anlek Mountain Range), where the mountains meet the sea. It’s a place where sea winds and ocean currents converge, with a humid climate and clouds gathering at the mountain foothills. The abundant rainfall resulted in forest coverage, and to the east of this port city laid vast expanses of mountains and forests, densely covered with black pines and Anlek hazels.

Silver Elf Princess Melisha hid in the bushes, a silvery-grey battle robe draped over her petite body, soaked with the dewy dampness of the night. She couldn’t help but cough a couple of times; her gaze passed through the wooded hillside, gazing far into the distance where a brightly lit small town lay in the darkness.

There were a few estates in the small town. This place was more than a dozen miles away from Ambeser, and the town could be said to exist in reliance on the port city. Near Ambeser, many such towns existed.

"Is this it, Su?"

She tapped the map on the tree stump with her knuckle and turned to ask.

The eyes of the young girl Su shone brightly under the light, but her expression was lacking, as if answering this question was as tedious as reciting a textbook, yet she still completed it meticulously. Her gaze also fell down the mountain, and she had already ordered her subordinates to confirm the small town many times in recent days, absolutely without error.

The Silver Elf girl was born not to doubt her companions, after hearing this response, she turned back towards the dark place in the forest and called softly: "Lord."

Immediately, a hissing sound came from the bushes.

"Wait, hiss—"

...

(Furious uproar concerning the little overlord server of BLZ!) (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)