211: Chapter 209 Get to the pit quickly!

Lately, strange rumors have been circulating in Gur City.

It was said that the City Lord had dismissed most of the city's army, leaving only the Guards to maintain basic order, while secretly forming a new army elsewhere.

Oh, right—this wasn't just "gossip."

After all, many of Gur City's Soldiers had returned home, which the citizens and certain observant individuals had seen for themselves.

As for the latter part, some had indeed discovered that a convoy belonging to the City Lord’s Mansion would hurriedly leave the city every morning and only return as the sun set behind the mountains.

Judging by the deep ruts carved into the dirt road before the city gates, the wagons could not possibly be empty.

As for what the convoy was actually transporting, it was related to the "gossip" of recent days.

"Years ago, the City Lord unexpectedly obtained a treasure within a certain labyrinth that can greatly enhance a legion's combat capabilities."

The source of the rumor could no longer be traced, but everyone from the Vice City Lord down to the street vendors had heard of it.

To the ordinary citizens, this was nothing more than idle chatter for their leisure time; however, Joey took it very seriously.

Ever since his brother's mysterious and tragic death in the family's secret room, Joey, fearing his identity might be exposed, had begun to live in seclusion.

He had rarely gone out in the past, and now, even that "rarely" was gone.

But that did not mean he had lost his ability to gather intelligence.

Having operated in Gur City for many years, he still had a few trusted subordinates.

"What is that impostor planning?"

In the bedroom, Joey sat by the bed, deep in thought.

He wanted to investigate the convoy's destination, but since his brother's death was definitely linked to the impostor, he didn't dare act recklessly.

"Who on earth is he? To think he could hide it from the Church and murder that idiot in my secret room."

After thinking for a long time to no avail, Joey cursed irritably.

Although there was no evidence pointing to the City Lord, Joey's sixth sense told him there was no other possibility.

He had been in Gur City for over forty years and everything had been peaceful, yet the very day his brother showed his face to the impostor, he was gone by the afternoon.

Joey wouldn't believe it wasn't his doing even if he were beaten to death.

"Knock, knock—"

There was a sudden knock on the door, followed immediately by a voice: "Lord Joey, I have intelligence."

It was his private secretary, brought over from the Kingdom and very trustworthy.

"Come in and speak."

A man pushed the door open and entered, standing respectfully before him. "Our people have found that the City Lord's convoy is transporting a shipment of weapons to Moza Village outside the city."

"Moza Village?"

Repeating the name of the village, Joey felt it sounded vaguely familiar.

He soon remembered that the village's location was originally wasteland. It was only after the "City Lord" returned from the Silent Forest that it was designated as a village for refugees who didn't want to work on the construction projects and preferred to farm.

Joey hadn't thought anything was amiss at the time.

The pay for working at the construction site was not low, but it was normal for some refugees to prefer farming.

Looking at it now, however, Moza Village was likely not so simple.

Folding his arms and thinking for a moment, Joey asked, "How are the village's defenses?"

"The subordinate who investigated was afraid of being discovered, so he didn't conduct a close-range reconnaissance.

He watched from a distant hillside and only knows that the village is quite large—it could even be called a small town."

I see...

This unknown development made Joey feel restless.

There were only five months left until summer; all unexpected factors had to be eliminated before then!

Deciding to take a risk, he instructed the secretary, "Go see where the City Lord is."

"Understood."

The secretary also held a position in Gur City, so he could use the excuse of "reporting official business" to find the City Lord. Joey wasn't afraid of being detected.

About an hour later, the secretary returned.

"What is he doing?"

"Uh, the City Lord is wandering the streets of Gur City with his wife and a demi-human."

Wandering?

What is there in Gur City worth wandering around for?

It's one thing to be with his wife, but he's also bringing a demi-human?

Joey felt as if his mind was about to explode from the series of doubts surfacing. He quickly shook his head, forcing himself to calm down.

Once he felt he had mostly regained his composure, he hesitated over whether to take this opportunity to visit Moza Village.

"What if it's a trap... No, I can't miss this opportunity."

Ever since the impostor came to Gur, this was the only time his whereabouts were certain. At other times, he was either nowhere to be found or staying at the construction site.

If I give up now, who knows how long I'll have to wait for the next time he goes out for fun.

"Go keep an eye on the City Lord. If he leaves the city, notify me immediately." Joey was very confident in the secretary's abilities, so he didn't go into detail, believing the man could handle it himself.

"Understood."

The secretary turned and left, while Joey changed into loose clothing suitable for movement and slipped out of the city, heading all the way toward Moza Village.

It was evening when he left. Even with Joey moving at full speed, the sky was already pitch black by the time he reached the vicinity of the village.

Of course, this made his movements even easier.

As a Magister, Joey was confident that as long as he didn't run into the City Lord in Gur City, no one could take his life.

Therefore, without hesitation, he quickly approached the village where lights flickered in the darkness.

Upon entering the village, he immediately spread out his Mental Energy. The result of the scan was as expected: most people in the village were ordinary, with only a High-level Knight living in a small house at the village entrance.

Relieved, Joey headed deeper into the village.

"Fire!"

Suddenly, he saw a light ahead. Before he could peek, a loud shout rang out, followed by a series of violent explosions.

Snapping back to his senses, he hurriedly ran closer and hid behind a thick tree, poking his head out.

On the open ground ahead, a group of men stood in a neat line. Ten men at the front were kneeling on one knee, holding strange-looking objects that appeared to be weapons in both hands.

Opposite them was a row of archery targets. Every time a finger pulled a mechanism on the weapon, fire would flash from the mouth of the circular tube, and another hole would appear in the target.

Some targets remained unscathed, likely due to a missed shot.

This was likely the treasure the impostor had brought back from the labyrinth.

But... why have I never seen this before?

Even the Church's Record of Blessings has no mention of it.

Unconsciously scratching his head, Joey planned to charge straight in and seize a few people for interrogation.

No sooner said than done.

Pulling out his staff, he walked toward the training ground with steady steps.

Although everyone here was focused on practicing, they were bound to notice a living person walking over.

A captain asked, "Who are you..."

"Who I am isn't important. What's important is that you..."

"Who you are is very important."

Joey was stunned for a moment and turned to look. An old man was standing at the edge of the grounds.

His hair and beard were half-white, and his expression was kind. If he hadn't been wearing a robe and holding a staff, Joey would have probably just thought he was an ordinary old man.

I can't sense any mana fluctuations from him; he's stronger than me.

The next second, Joey turned and bolted.

Faced with such a decisive move, the old man's expression visibly turned sluggish. Was he not even going to put up a fight?

Taking this opportunity, Joey manipulated his Mental Energy to wrap around the weapon in the hands of the man closest to him, then rushed toward the village entrance without looking back.

"Stop!"

The old man gave chase. The man whose weapon had been stolen looked at the captain in a daze. "What... should we do?"

"Mr. Domit's orders were that no matter what happens, we are to stay at the training ground."

"Yes, sir!"

About half an hour later, the old man walked out of the darkness alone, smiling. "It's late. Everyone, go get some rest.

Also, tell Domit to notify the City Lord that the matter has been taken care of."