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Chapter 122
Chapter 122: Broaden Your Horizons; Plotting a Grand Venture Abroad
The unobstructed moonlight cascaded down.
*Splash, splash~*
The fountain in the center of the courtyard churned, its gurgling water echoing crisply. Bathed in the night, it shimmered with a faint, silvery glow.
The entire courtyard was somewhat quiet at this moment.
Leinas stood silently by Tang Zheng's side, a hint of ease in her eyes.
Imina stood not far away, leaning against a statue with a faint trace of awkwardness on her face. She felt that in this situation, it was probably inappropriate for her to be here.
The sight of Leinas swearing fealty just now still left Imina in shock.
Before this, she would have felt it was no problem to be here, but now, she suddenly felt like an outsider.
Imina glanced at Tang Zheng, who was lost in thought, then her amber eyes shifted to Leinas's fully revealed face.
*Is that the reason?*
The thought flashed through Imina's mind. Leinas's situation was no secret in the Empire.
As if sensing Imina's gaze, Leinas turned slightly and nodded at her.
The thoughts and feelings passing between the two women.
Tang Zheng paid them no mind right now. Leinas's sudden pledge of loyalty was completely unexpected, but it caused an idea he had previously suppressed to resurface.
Forming a faction!
Tang Zheng had indeed had this idea before, but it was merely a thought.
Besides the fact that he had no manpower, the most important thing was, even with enough people, how large of a faction could he build in four years? Even with the buffer of about a year after the Great Tomb of Nazarick's arrival, it would make no difference.
His opponents were not the native factions of this world.
Even a massive underground organization like Eight Fingers, which spanned an entire country, was instantly and utterly destroyed the moment it came into contact with the Great Tomb.
An underground faction?
This was no child's play.
Don't be so narrow-minded!
Tang Zheng was very clear on what could help him in the future.
As long as the Bone King still suffered from his persecution complex—his desire to display his might by casually slaughtering hundreds of thousands to prove a point, yet also his wish to demonstrate benevolence and friendship—as long as these human weaknesses still existed...
The only thing that could offer him aid, the only thing that could even hope to contend with the Great Tomb, was something on the level of a country!
After a brief, quiet moment.
"What was the result of this year's war between the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Baharuth Empire?" Tang Zheng suddenly asked.
Leinas subconsciously parted her lips, but she quickly froze; she hadn't been paying attention to that.
"The Re-Estize Kingdom is in a rather dire situation," Imina's placid voice came from the side. "This time, it wasn't even the autumn harvest season yet, though it's unclear why the Empire suddenly launched a war."
"But because of it, the Re-Estize Kingdom's border garrison suffered disastrous losses."
Leinas raised her head, her deep blue eyes looking at Imina in surprise.
She never expected that a half-elf, a Worker who kept to herself, would actually pay attention to the Empire's wars.
"Without the Adventurer's Guild providing intelligence support," Imina said coolly, turning her face to the side, "Workers can only gather intelligence themselves. Therefore, any news has a certain value."
Tang Zheng nodded, lost in thought.
Regarding the events that occurred between the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Baharuth Empire before the start of the main story, only two left a deep impression on him.
One was this year's Royal Court Tournament and the appearance of the future Warrior Captain, Gazef.
The other was two years from now, when Gazef would single-handedly slay two of the Empire's Four Imperial Knights on the border battlefield. It was then that Leinas was chosen by the Blood Emperor to become one of the new Four Imperial Knights.
These two events might not seem to have a clear connection, but in reality, a distinct thread linked them.
This year, the Kingdom suffered heavy losses, and the Empire won a great victory.
Two years later, the Blood Emperor wouldn't just inexplicably send two of the Four Imperial Knights to join the battlefield.
This meant that something must have happened next autumn that caused the Empire a major loss.
"Leinas, the fact that you wiped out two noble families probably won't stay a secret for long."
Tang Zheng looked at Leinas with a helpless expression.
The original Leinas had used the Blood Emperor's power to deal with her own family and her fiancé's family, but now, she had done it herself.
These were two entirely different concepts.
It was only a matter of time before suspicion fell upon Leinas. Given the Blood Emperor's personality, he would inevitably issue a warrant for this provocation against his authority.
"I have brought trouble upon you, Lord."
Leinas realized this as well. Her pale face turned slightly grim as she bit her lip.
Suddenly!
Leinas spun around abruptly, looking at Imina, who was standing not far away.
"Hey, Tang!"
Imina jumped, immediately holding up her hands and taking a step back, a stiff smile on her face.
"Is your adventurer team still recruiting?"
She had already realized that what she just heard was not suitable for an outsider like her.
The familiar words sounded once more.
A strange look appeared in Leinas's deep blue pupils.
"Sorry, we're not recruiting."
Tang Zheng shook his head just as he had before. "However, there's a big overseas job. Interested in taking it?"
"I'll take it!" Imina replied instantly.
"Lord." Leinas's eyes held a hint of doubt.
"It's fine."
Tang Zheng smiled, unconcerned.
"Your situation couldn't have been hidden anyway, and I never planned to stay in the Baharuth Empire for long."
He was actually quite interested in Imina, not because of her looks, but because of her status as a half-elf.
As a crossbreed of human and elf, a half-elf's talent should be somewhat higher than a normal human's. Moreover, due to her mixed blood, Imina wasn't exactly welcomed by the people of this world.
"You two get ready. Leave the Baharuth Empire now and head to the Royal Capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom."
"Leinas, try to be as high-profile as possible on your way there. Don't hide your identity when you reach the Royal Capital."
A glint flashed in Tang Zheng's eyes as he laid out the next steps for Leinas. "Then find a man named Gazef. He's very famous, so it shouldn't be hard to find out his whereabouts."
"Find a way to fight him. You don't need to win. A draw or even a loss is fine."
Though her face showed some confusion, Leinas still placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded respectfully. "Yes, Lord."
"Miss Imina," Tang Zheng said.
"Just call me Imina."
Imina rolled her eyes.
"You don't need to be high-profile. Try not to let anyone know your relationship with Leinas. When you get to the Royal Capital, investigate an organization called Eight Fingers."
"You don't have to actually investigate. Someone will likely start tailing you if you try to sell this intelligence. Just ensure your own safety."
With a flick of his sleeve, Tang Zheng tossed a mithril dagger to Imina.
It was the very same mithril dagger he had taken from the member of Eight Fingers.
"Lord, what about you?" Leinas asked worriedly.
"I still have some things to take care of in the Imperial Capital. You two go on ahead. We'll regroup in the Royal Capital," Tang Zheng said softly, looking up at the profound night sky.
If he was going to make a move, the sooner the better!
He wondered if Blue Rose was in the Royal Capital yet. Even if not, there was something else there worth scheming for.
He hadn't been in a hurry before, but now he might as well take care of it.
(end of chapter)
The unobstructed moonlight cascaded down.
*Splash, splash~*
The fountain in the center of the courtyard churned, its gurgling water echoing crisply. Bathed in the night, it shimmered with a faint, silvery glow.
The entire courtyard was somewhat quiet at this moment.
Leinas stood silently by Tang Zheng's side, a hint of ease in her eyes.
Imina stood not far away, leaning against a statue with a faint trace of awkwardness on her face. She felt that in this situation, it was probably inappropriate for her to be here.
The sight of Leinas swearing fealty just now still left Imina in shock.
Before this, she would have felt it was no problem to be here, but now, she suddenly felt like an outsider.
Imina glanced at Tang Zheng, who was lost in thought, then her amber eyes shifted to Leinas's fully revealed face.
*Is that the reason?*
The thought flashed through Imina's mind. Leinas's situation was no secret in the Empire.
As if sensing Imina's gaze, Leinas turned slightly and nodded at her.
The thoughts and feelings passing between the two women.
Tang Zheng paid them no mind right now. Leinas's sudden pledge of loyalty was completely unexpected, but it caused an idea he had previously suppressed to resurface.
Forming a faction!
Tang Zheng had indeed had this idea before, but it was merely a thought.
Besides the fact that he had no manpower, the most important thing was, even with enough people, how large of a faction could he build in four years? Even with the buffer of about a year after the Great Tomb of Nazarick's arrival, it would make no difference.
His opponents were not the native factions of this world.
Even a massive underground organization like Eight Fingers, which spanned an entire country, was instantly and utterly destroyed the moment it came into contact with the Great Tomb.
An underground faction?
This was no child's play.
Don't be so narrow-minded!
Tang Zheng was very clear on what could help him in the future.
As long as the Bone King still suffered from his persecution complex—his desire to display his might by casually slaughtering hundreds of thousands to prove a point, yet also his wish to demonstrate benevolence and friendship—as long as these human weaknesses still existed...
The only thing that could offer him aid, the only thing that could even hope to contend with the Great Tomb, was something on the level of a country!
After a brief, quiet moment.
"What was the result of this year's war between the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Baharuth Empire?" Tang Zheng suddenly asked.
Leinas subconsciously parted her lips, but she quickly froze; she hadn't been paying attention to that.
"The Re-Estize Kingdom is in a rather dire situation," Imina's placid voice came from the side. "This time, it wasn't even the autumn harvest season yet, though it's unclear why the Empire suddenly launched a war."
"But because of it, the Re-Estize Kingdom's border garrison suffered disastrous losses."
Leinas raised her head, her deep blue eyes looking at Imina in surprise.
She never expected that a half-elf, a Worker who kept to herself, would actually pay attention to the Empire's wars.
"Without the Adventurer's Guild providing intelligence support," Imina said coolly, turning her face to the side, "Workers can only gather intelligence themselves. Therefore, any news has a certain value."
Tang Zheng nodded, lost in thought.
Regarding the events that occurred between the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Baharuth Empire before the start of the main story, only two left a deep impression on him.
One was this year's Royal Court Tournament and the appearance of the future Warrior Captain, Gazef.
The other was two years from now, when Gazef would single-handedly slay two of the Empire's Four Imperial Knights on the border battlefield. It was then that Leinas was chosen by the Blood Emperor to become one of the new Four Imperial Knights.
These two events might not seem to have a clear connection, but in reality, a distinct thread linked them.
This year, the Kingdom suffered heavy losses, and the Empire won a great victory.
Two years later, the Blood Emperor wouldn't just inexplicably send two of the Four Imperial Knights to join the battlefield.
This meant that something must have happened next autumn that caused the Empire a major loss.
"Leinas, the fact that you wiped out two noble families probably won't stay a secret for long."
Tang Zheng looked at Leinas with a helpless expression.
The original Leinas had used the Blood Emperor's power to deal with her own family and her fiancé's family, but now, she had done it herself.
These were two entirely different concepts.
It was only a matter of time before suspicion fell upon Leinas. Given the Blood Emperor's personality, he would inevitably issue a warrant for this provocation against his authority.
"I have brought trouble upon you, Lord."
Leinas realized this as well. Her pale face turned slightly grim as she bit her lip.
Suddenly!
Leinas spun around abruptly, looking at Imina, who was standing not far away.
"Hey, Tang!"
Imina jumped, immediately holding up her hands and taking a step back, a stiff smile on her face.
"Is your adventurer team still recruiting?"
She had already realized that what she just heard was not suitable for an outsider like her.
The familiar words sounded once more.
A strange look appeared in Leinas's deep blue pupils.
"Sorry, we're not recruiting."
Tang Zheng shook his head just as he had before. "However, there's a big overseas job. Interested in taking it?"
"I'll take it!" Imina replied instantly.
"Lord." Leinas's eyes held a hint of doubt.
"It's fine."
Tang Zheng smiled, unconcerned.
"Your situation couldn't have been hidden anyway, and I never planned to stay in the Baharuth Empire for long."
He was actually quite interested in Imina, not because of her looks, but because of her status as a half-elf.
As a crossbreed of human and elf, a half-elf's talent should be somewhat higher than a normal human's. Moreover, due to her mixed blood, Imina wasn't exactly welcomed by the people of this world.
"You two get ready. Leave the Baharuth Empire now and head to the Royal Capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom."
"Leinas, try to be as high-profile as possible on your way there. Don't hide your identity when you reach the Royal Capital."
A glint flashed in Tang Zheng's eyes as he laid out the next steps for Leinas. "Then find a man named Gazef. He's very famous, so it shouldn't be hard to find out his whereabouts."
"Find a way to fight him. You don't need to win. A draw or even a loss is fine."
Though her face showed some confusion, Leinas still placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded respectfully. "Yes, Lord."
"Miss Imina," Tang Zheng said.
"Just call me Imina."
Imina rolled her eyes.
"You don't need to be high-profile. Try not to let anyone know your relationship with Leinas. When you get to the Royal Capital, investigate an organization called Eight Fingers."
"You don't have to actually investigate. Someone will likely start tailing you if you try to sell this intelligence. Just ensure your own safety."
With a flick of his sleeve, Tang Zheng tossed a mithril dagger to Imina.
It was the very same mithril dagger he had taken from the member of Eight Fingers.
"Lord, what about you?" Leinas asked worriedly.
"I still have some things to take care of in the Imperial Capital. You two go on ahead. We'll regroup in the Royal Capital," Tang Zheng said softly, looking up at the profound night sky.
If he was going to make a move, the sooner the better!
He wondered if Blue Rose was in the Royal Capital yet. Even if not, there was something else there worth scheming for.
He hadn't been in a hurry before, but now he might as well take care of it.
(end of chapter)
