On the stone bridge at the border of Broken Wave Bay and Forest Village, the leaders of the Broken Wave Gang and the Holy Hand Association stood a few meters apart.

Bard, an Earth Tier Warrior, was powerfully built with knotted muscles. Standing on the bridge, he looked like a small mountain, exuding an intense, oppressive aura.

Daniels, in contrast, looked more like a frail old man.

Yet as he stood before Bard, he showed no signs of tension, appearing completely at ease.

"Of course I know what happened on the island today."

Daniels smiled faintly, his expression relaxed, as if everything was under his control.

"Black Forest Island has a new Lord. Your men provoked him, and he captured them."

He reminded him with a gloating tone, "You’re in trouble, Bard. The nobility are a petty and vindictive lot. That Baron, Duane, will certainly come after you. He might even eradicate your Broken Wave Gang!"

Bard snorted, his expression souring.

"Without my Broken Wave Gang, do you think your Holy Hand Association will be any better off?"

His tone was full of disdain. "I don’t believe the Baron will allow a power that could threaten his rule to exist within his territory."

At these words, Daniels’s smile vanished. He shook his head. "I can pledge my allegiance to him."

He shrugged, his nonchalant expression returning.

"You know, Level 3 Mages are quite rare, especially one like me who specializes in Healing Magic."

"Besides, unlike you, my men haven’t offended the Baron."

A flicker of anger crossed Bard’s eyes. He knew in his heart that Daniels was speaking the truth.

The Holy Hand Association and the Broken Wave Gang were indeed in very different positions right now.

This was one of the reasons he had taken the initiative to contact Daniels.

He took a deep breath, seemingly trying to compose himself.

His voice was low and forceful. "Black Forest Island has been abandoned by the Pruck Kingdom for years. No noble has bothered to manage this place. Now that such a young Baron has arrived, what kind of backing or power do you think he really has?"

Bard snorted contemptuously. "Are you really willing to give up everything you have now and pledge your loyalty to him?"

Daniels’s expression hardened. He gestured with his magic staff. "Go on."

Bard laughed, knowing he had hit a nerve. "Besides, what about all those things you’ve done? What do you think the Baron will do to you when he finds out?"

At this, Daniels’s expression turned grim.

He narrowed his eyes at the burly man before him. "So what’s your plan?"

A cunning glint flashed in Bard’s eyes. "It’s simple. We join forces, turn him into a figurehead, and make him the next Monbodt!"

Daniels was silent for a moment. Then he slowly raised a single finger and stressed, "That’s only the first step!"

"Right. That’s only the first step!"

Bard’s smile grew wider, and somehow, more sinister.

"Monbodt is just an ordinary man who can’t cultivate, but this Baron is different. We’ll turn him into a new Monbodt, but we can’t let him live as peacefully on this island as the old one did!"

That was their second step, and their third.

Their ultimate goal was to either drive Duane out or kill him outright.

Daniels laughed. "Excellent. Now we can discuss how to handle the current situation. A direct assault? I heard your man, Hardy, and the twenty-odd men with him were subdued in an instant!"

When the conversation turned to specific countermeasures, Bard grew cautious as well.

He knew Hardy’s strength well. He’d been a Middle Level Warrior for many years, and his training had progressed decently.

Plus, the two Basic-level Warriors with him were quite capable.

’For three men like that leading a squad to be taken down so easily by the Baron... The strength of his guard can’t be underestimated.’

’If I really went straight to the castle to start a fight and they turned out to be overwhelmingly powerful, it would be suicide.’

’The most critical thing right now is to figure out what we’re up against.’

"Until we have a clear picture of the Baron’s and his guards’ overall strength, I advise against a direct attack."

Bard said gravely, "Once we have a better grasp of the situation, we’ll decide what to do!"

"I was half-expecting you to march your men straight to the Baron’s Castle!"

Daniels said with a smile, "But I agree with this course of action."

As he spoke, he glanced at the person behind Bard. "That young man is Broo, isn’t he?"

Bard glanced back and nodded. "Yes. Monbodt sent him with a message."

He chuckled. "That fellow doesn’t want to hand over the house, land, and wealth he’s enjoyed for so long to the Baron either."

Daniels added, "After all, he’s always seen himself as the Pruck Kingdom’s official Lord on Black Forest Island. Now that the real Lord has arrived, he’s bound to be resentful."

"We’ll just wait for him to gather the intelligence, then."

Daniels asked, "And what about your man, Hardy? Are you just going to let them hold him?"

Bard tapped his fingers against his iron bracer. ’Hardy is one of my most trusted men. Of course I have to get him out.’

"I’ll have someone take a gift to the Little Baron and request the release of Hardy and his men."

He looked at Daniels. "You should prepare a gift as well. We can go together."

If men from both the Broken Wave Gang and the Holy Hand Association presented gifts at the same time, any Baron who wasn’t a complete fool would realize the two factions had joined forces.

Daniels considered this for a moment, then nodded. "When are you planning to go?"

"Tomorrow afternoon," he said.

Daniels nodded. "My men will be here waiting for you tomorrow afternoon."

"Agreed!"

The two men shook hands, then turned and walked off the stone bridge.

Though they had struck a deal, their true intentions differed.

Daniels, for his part, felt there was still room for negotiation with the new Lord, so long as they didn’t become outright enemies.

In fact, if the Lord simply agreed to leave Broken Wave Bay alone—essentially ceding it to him—he wouldn’t mind pledging loyalty to the Baron.

Actually trying to overthrow the Baron, let alone kill him, carried enormous risks.

Bard’s mindset was completely different.

He had never once considered pledging fealty to the new Lord. Even driving him out was a last resort. What he truly wanted was to kill every last one of them.

Over the years, more than one Pioneer Lord had died on Black Forest Island. ’Would the Pruck Kingdom really investigate another death?’

As for what Broo had said about this Baron having a Celestial Tier Warrior for a father, he didn’t believe a word of it.

Celestial Tier Warriors held immense influence in the Pruck Kingdom. Would the son of such a man really be sent to Black Forest Island?

Even if he were, someone should have come ahead to make arrangements.

For the new Lord to arrive so unannounced was clearly not normal.

Of course, this was all just Bard’s speculation.

Even if the new Lord really did have a Celestial Tier Warrior for a father, he wasn’t afraid.

Worst case, after the deed was done, he could always flee to the Starfall Islands and take refuge there.

’The main issue is the Holy Hand Association. Even if Daniels won’t join my side, he must at least remain neutral!’

Bard narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Broo. "Do you remember what I told you?"

Standing before the man, Broo’s breathing grew shallow. The pressure was too intense.

"I... I remember!"

Bard had ordered Monbodt and Broo not to mention the Baron’s Celestial Tier Warrior father to the Holy Hand Association.

After all, if Daniels heard that news, his resolve would certainly waver.

Bard waved his hand dismissively. "Go on. Tell your father to watch what he says!"