Governor Rostov's silence left everyone present feeling puzzled. This meeting request wasn't really a big deal; after all, since they were brothers, it should have been a normal thing to meet.

But why was their beloved Lord Governor still delaying his response? Was there something he couldn't speak about?

It shouldn't be, arranging such a meeting should have been straightforward, with no need for concern. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Yet Governor Rostov didn't agree immediately, as if he had some misgivings.

"Hiss—" Perkins drew a sharp breath; something seemed amiss.

Stan Sol had laid everything bare; his reason for coming and for abducting Hustace was to see Tobin. But why hadn't Governor Rostov expressed his position up till now?

This scene didn't quite align with the tales of the talent-treasuring Governor Rostov.

Logically, Governor Rostov should have chuckled and said something like "it's a misunderstanding," and then called for Tobin to resolve the issue, shouldn't he?

This was just a notion of Perkins; he didn't understand what was really going on but felt that something was wrong, and this wrongness was evident in his godfather.

It seemed Governor Rostov was reluctant to mention Tobin.

"Perhaps Lord Governor has his own difficulties." Igor explained for Rostov, believing that a governor who had done so much good wouldn't deceive people.

"Perhaps so, but it would still be better for Tobin to come over." Perkins shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Igor's explanation.

"Maybe he has his difficulties." Igor still felt the matter wasn't that simple.

"You seem to hold Lord Governor in high regard, always defending him." Perkins patted Igor on the shoulder, wanting to say more but sensing that now wasn't the time.

"He's your godfather; don't you respect him?" Igor retorted.

"Just addressing the matter at hand, I think he's wrong right now. His own son was abducted, and he had a way to clear up the misunderstanding but did nothing—that's surely a problem." Perkins spread his hands, "Anyway, at this juncture, I suppose Lord Governor sees me as a cohort of Stan Sol."

Igor scratched his head and was then surprised to find that the Thunder Army and League Guard had included them in the encirclement.

This was naturally thanks to Nakasha, who had no trust in them during this journey. If they didn't capture everyone now, they'd be negligent. Of course, Nakasha and his men could only surround Igor and the others without resorting to violence. After all, the threat of Stan Sol loomed large.

"Do you still think so now?" Perkins continued shrugging, as if he had expected this outcome.

"Think what?" Igor, not taking it seriously, didn't understand what Perkins meant.

"Fine, pretend I said nothing." Seeing Igor's composure, Perkins chose not to say much. It's good to have faith in someone, without letting his own doubts ruin Igor's simple perspective. Although sometimes it might be a lie, to a pure person, the truth can be more hurtful than lies.

"Haha, you should know, this will soon be over." Igor smiled.

"Why do you think that?" Perkins was puzzled by Igor's optimism.

"Look, isn't Hustace very calm? He's the governor's son, and naturally knows what his father will do."

"Your viewpoint is quite original." Perkins had to admire Igor's perspective; it had no logical basis, merely speculation.

Incidentally, it was strange that while Governor Rostov and Stan Sol were in a back-and-forth negotiation, everyone else was nervously confronting Stan Sol, except for Igor and Perkins, who chatted away as if they were mere bystanders.

Perkins had seen Igor's naïveté firsthand; he couldn't understand why Igor still saw Rostov so simply when it was clear the governor was hiding something about Tobin.

And from a long-term perspective, it might truly align with Stan Sol's thoughts—that Rostov had imprisoned Tobin.

If this were true, Perkins felt he couldn't forgive this governor.

"Maybe Tobin is at a critical juncture in his advancement right now and can't leave; Governor doesn't want to disturb him," Igor rationalized for Rostov, believing the well-regarded governor must have unspoken difficulties.

"Uh, well, ahem, things are indeed a bit odd." Perkins didn't want to upset Igor and could only chuckle along, internally dismissing such simple reasons.

He thought, Tobin was surely not in Luona right now.

"Perhaps Hustace knows about this; look at him, so composed."

Igor suggested they ask Hustace. However, the flames from the Fiery Blaze were too fierce, preventing them from getting close, leaving them to watch Hustace calmly observing the standoff from within the fire circle.

"No need to ask; the Lord Governor wouldn't abandon his son. He's merely stalling to buy time. It won't be long before those hidden masters of Luona appear," Perkins stated calmly.

"Which masters?" Igor remained clueless; while he might excel in storytelling, Perkins still outstripped him by miles in experience.

"You'll see in a moment." Perkins hinted mysteriously.

Stan Sol felt a twinge of anger; this governor of Luona kept talking about trivialities, many related to Tobin, which he didn't want to know. He'd made his intentions clear—he wanted to see Tobin, yet the governor never responded.

Was his leverage not substantial enough? Why did Governor Rostov not even show a hint of anxiety? He didn't want to harm Hustace over this matter.

But now, was this Rostov not forcing his hand? Was he obliged to take such measures?

Stan Sol couldn't help but sigh; he felt he might have to show Hustace some consequences.

Everyone has their struggles. Stan Sol was no exception. He didn't want to harm Igor's friend, but many things were beyond his control...

He felt it was time to increase the weight of his leverage...

Wait! There was an unusual scent! Stan Sol grew vigilant; this change in aroma didn't escape his keen sense of smell. He was an ancient Hunter, and the secret sensing skills shared a resonance within him.

Now he knew that a Hunter was approaching, and it was a master.