Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 833 - 98: Doubts

Chapter 833: Chapter 98: Doubts

"However, since the trick has been seen through, it should be useless now," Ava added without continuing to listen to the conversation full of insinuations between Catherine and Nicholas. She pondered for a moment and once again whispered into Pannis’s ear, "It seems to me that Catherine has noticed something, which means that the prince’s effort will be wasted, won’t it?"

"How could that be?" Pannis said with a sly smile, "If the listener cannot discern Nicholas’s purpose, then truly his effort would be wasted. A conspiracy that is seen through is useless, as it should never be exposed to the sunlight. However, nobles must live in the sunlight, so they rarely resort to conspiracies. Rather, they use tactics that let you understand everything but still have you act as they intend. Just like this time, Catherine must have seen through his thoughts, but still, she will owe him a favor, so they are not worried at all. Look at that Legendary Rank bodyguard, clearly eavesdropping on our conversation and understanding every word, yet showing no worry at all—because he is also very clear on this."

"Bang," as Pannis was whispering mockingly about Nicholas’s embarrassed teacher-cum-bodyguard into Ava’s ear, his head suddenly took a heavy blow. A thick hardcover book smacked right onto his head, interrupting the weird smile on his face. Lina, with one hand on her hip, slowly drew back the weapon of mass destruction, then turned her head as if she had done nothing at all.

"Why did you hit me?" Pannis, covering his head and with tears in his eyes, glared at Lina resentfully and said, "I didn’t do anything."

"Hmph." Lina, or rather Isabella, snorted, lifted her head, and said, "Lina asked me to do it, it’s not my fault. She saw how happily you were chatting and wanted to have some fun herself. There’s no helping it, you’ll just have to take the sacrifice."

"Why must I sacrifice when she wants to have some fun?" Pannis said innocently, "I’m not a dummy used for sword practice that’s placed there just for people to hit in order to feel happy."

"Dull fool." Vivian completely ignored Pannis’s pathetic look, shifted her chair to distance herself from Pannis as if afraid of becoming less intelligent by proximity, "From some perspectives, you are beyond help."

"Have you all had enough?" Clearly, the ruckus from some people was affecting Catherine’s conversation on the other side. Catherine glared at them and said, "We are discussing serious matters right now, all of you shut up."

And then, the world quieted, leaving only Nicholas’s voice continuing, "The basic situation is this: eventually, four villages were destroyed, the death toll reached eight hundred and forty-six people, including one hundred and two minors. Of course, it was no longer possible to tell if they were minors at the scene; that could only be determined from the population records."

"I understand," Catherine said in a ladylike, gentle manner, as if she was not the one who just yelled at her teammates, and spoke softly, "I think you must have already received the documents. So far, it is uncertain how many people have perished at their hands, but it has definitely exceeded four thousand. Including those unrecorded, the number might double. And this is just within two years; moreover, the frequency of their actions has been increasing lately. If left unchecked, no one can estimate how many more will have their time and lives taken."

"You have been investigating this matter; do you have any leads?" Nicholas asked, "If it’s convenient, could you briefly inform me? That way, the Empire can also keep an eye out."

"Sandy, the Legendary Magician Sandy," Catherine said. "Their organization is called Sands of Time, and Sandy is the only known member. As for his information, there should be a detailed introduction in the wanted notice updated last year."

"I’m aware of Sandy. Over the past year, many places in the Empire have been vigilant about his appearance," Nicholas said, "However, given the uniqueness of mages, it’s quite difficult to spot him if he intends to hide. Even if local officials do spot him, given the power of some regions, it’s impossible to confront a Legendary Magician."

"I understand, but remaining hidden for long always has its flaws," Catherine said, "As long as we pay more attention, it’s not impossible to expose his disguise. But you’re right, it’s best to notify those local officials. If they spot him, they must not act rashly and must notify the guilds as soon as possible; otherwise, it could lead to unnecessary casualties. Remember, at the very least, the opponent includes a few Gold Rank Mages, and possibly even a few Legendary Mages. Even the headquarters of several guilds must proceed with caution. So, I hope your local officials don’t act on their own after spotting the issue in an attempt to claim credit."

"Rest assured, I will personally tell them that discovering a problem merits rewards, but handling it on one’s own, even if the outcome is good, will not only result in no reward but will also lead to severe punishment," Nicholas understood the habits of the nobles in his country well and knew how to control and guide them, "This way, no one will dare to take risks on their own again. However, has it been confirmed that Sandy was involved in this tragedy?"

"Not confirmed, just possible," Catherine shook her head, "Mr. Muir had been tracking Sandy and suddenly lost track of him, and then a few days later, the tragedy occurred; thus, the likelihood of his involvement is quite high."

"Alright, I understand," Nicholas nodded, "This time, as we head to the border together, I will emphasize to the local officials to pay special attention to Mr. Sandy when investigating suspicious persons."

"Thank you, Nicholas," Catherine said with a smile, "This incident happened suddenly and everything was prepared in haste. If it weren’t for your assistance, it would have taken much more effort."

"No, no, no, from a practical standpoint, this is actually a matter for the Empire, you are here to help the Empire solve the problem, I should be the one thanking you," Nicholas said, "But you also surprised me; the tragedy had just occurred less than four days ago and you had already arrived here, demonstrating the sensitivity of the major Guilds’ information networks, which I truly envy."

"I think you misunderstand," Catherine shook her head, "It’s not as exaggerated as you think, it was merely a coincidence."

"A coincidence?" Nicholas, still a young man, let his characteristic curiosity show as he glanced at the timepiece, "It’s not too late yet, if you are not in a rush to rest, could you explain the specifics to me? Of course, this isn’t an urgent matter, if everyone is tired, we can rest tonight and talk about it on the way to the border tomorrow."

"Well, it’s actually not that complicated," Catherine explained, "At that time we were in the Third Flame City in the Cammicarra Territory visiting Master Fila. The purpose of the visit was to investigate this matter, as we had some questions we needed to consult with Master Fila. That evening, we met two Mage Lords at the pub in the Third Flame City who were also handling official business there. Coincidentally, their territories border the Empire, so they received the news earlier, and during our conversation, they informed us of this."

"That’s quite the coincidence. I thought the Mage Guild’s communication was that fast," Nicholas remarked, "But, the neighboring lords? Are they from Jukayse Territory and Orlando Territory?"

"Yes, those two," Catherine recalled the two somewhat naive and charming Mages, a smile forming as she said, "Samoer and Jonas, one fat and one thin, both Gold Rank Mages, quite distinctive in appearance."

"No wonder, I was saying there were some issues with the trade goods, it was actually with their territories, and we have cooperated many times in trade, they are old friends," Nicholas realized with sudden enlightenment, "But when I arrived here yesterday, I got word that they had urgent business and had gone to the hinterlands of Butte, leaving only their deputies to deal with me, and in the end, it turned out to be a misunderstanding. I had thought that they had learned it was just a misunderstanding and felt embarrassed to explain that to me in person, and that’s why they avoided me and sent out their deputies, but it turned out that they had actually gone to the Third Flame City."

"Haha, what you said isn’t entirely impossible," the conversation between them finally lost the flavor of a negotiation between nobles, and as Nicholas let go of his intentions, Catherine returned to the demeanor she had towards him back when they were studying at the Knight Academy, the atmosphere became much warmer as they discussed inconsequential matters, "Those two lords were indeed very interesting people. Lord Jonas was oblivious to the ways of the world, and though Lord Samoer was slightly more worldly, he was also quite introverted. Seeing them reminded me of those Academy-style Mages in the Holy City, who are immersed in their own worlds, spending years hidden in their labs, a very familiar feeling. But if it were those two, it is possible they could pull off avoiding seeing you, as they also didn’t know how to interact with us at first and ended up running off in a panic."

"Indeed, Jonas sometimes acts as naive as a child," Nicholas commented with a smile on his calm face, "But technically, they wouldn’t do such a thing. Samoer is actually very talkative and has a lot of diplomatic experience. He usually represents them in negotiations with us. That lord has seen many big events, it doesn’t make sense for him to be so shy and awkward."

"Click", a sound came from Pannis’s location, and several people looked over to see that Pannis, unawares, had snapped off a corner of the thick table in front of him. However, Pannis didn’t seem to notice, instead squinting at Nicholas and said, "Wait, Your Highness, could you please repeat what you just said?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote and give monthly tickets at qidian.com, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)