Meanwhile.

The Ore Town to the east of Yolanta.

The town is located at the foot of Mount Redpaw, northeast of Yolanta. For hundreds of years, the city of Yolanta had intermittent control over the city. In the aftermath of the Okad Civil War, Ore Town was a vassal to the newly built Blackstar Castle, but it repeatedly passed through councillors from other districts to become independent from the Yoranta region as a federal borough.

Without exception, these proposals have fallen into disappointment. There are enough constituencies in the Okad Federation, and the Speaker clearly doesn't want to split them up more trivially.

For the current mayor, Tom Lesek, there is an even more pressing reason for independence from Blackstar Castle......

Five years ago, the great explorer Tom Lesec and his family crossed one-fifth of Okad, eventually settling in Yoranta on the border. When he set out, Lesec had assembled a team of dozens of people, but by the time he finally settled in Ore Town, he was left with only a thirteen-year-old daughter and a seven-year-old son. Bandits, wild beasts, and even more dangerous things have mercilessly devoured many lives, including his wife.

Three years ago, his youngest son died of an illness. Two years ago, his daughter died in childbirth. Now Tom Lesec is truly alone. For all suffering, he chose to bear it silently. With his outstanding popularity, the old mayor gave him the position of mayor. After taking in a few teams of displaced people who had left their homes, the originally lifeless Ore Town gradually came to life.

But secretly, Lesec has another identity.

Leader of Yolanta's most powerful bandit bandits.

Looking at the territory around Yoranta, there is no bandit group that can compare to him.

The bandit group numbered more than four hundred men between the ages of twenty and fifty. Unlike other wandering bandits, these people have built their own villages in Redpaw Mountain. Many of them already have wives and children.

When Lesec first helped many displaced people, he lacked enough food and tools. They had no choice but to "requisition" grain and hoes from farmsteads in Yoranta and the surrounding area, under Lesec's arrangement. Soon, Lesec had a strong team.

The ore town below the mountain can hold a limited number of people. Some of them settled in the town, while the rest survived in the mountains, working as half-villagers and half-robbers. This is the situation that Lesec is facing.

……

Lesec is very worried about the fate of Ore Town if the fact that the residents of Ore Town "colluded" with the bandit group is revealed. According to Lesek's estimates, Mr. Eusta of Blackstar Castle can easily muster together about 1,500 troops, and he has fought hard to pull the young people who have lived a stable life in Ore Town into his camp, and I am afraid that there are only 1,000 people. Relying on the abundant ore production, Ore Town has hoarded a lot of weapons, but it is still insufficient compared to the accumulation of Blackstar Castle.

On the other hand, the resources accumulated by Ore Town are enough to fight a decent defensive battle with Blackstar Castle.

With enough time, Lesec is confident that he will be able to build a fortified fortress in the mountains that rivals Blackstar Fort. As long as he has the right opportunity, he can lead Ore Town out of Blackstar Castle. Eusta's clumsy old man was no match for him in terms of strategy.

Even the acting president of the Mercenary Guild, Maciei, is his ally. Half a year ago, Maciej murdered the former president and became the supreme speaker of the Mercenary Guild in the Upper Yoranta region. He teamed up with his brother, who was working as an illegal mercenary, and secretly sent a large number of illegal mercenaries for Yoranta for profit.

Lesec had met Maciej several times, but only once with his mysterious brother. The man had a terrible pair of "bull's eyes" that were impressive.

……

Lesec usually lives alone in a small two-story building in Ore Town.

"I see. The townwoman is back," Lesaik frowned deeply as he read the information his men had sent earlier in his second-floor study, "worst-case scenario. ”

In his heart, Lesec hopes that the town of Yolanta will never return to Yolanta to take up his duties. Old man Eusta is easy to fool, and the newcomer to the town may not be. To make matters worse, as soon as the town general returned to his territory, he immediately launched a purge against another bandof thieves in Yoranta. Perhaps, her next goal is herself.

"Once they take action against the 'bandits' in the mountains, they will definitely order Ore Town to fully support them, and even station them in Ore Town," Lessec said in his heart, "When the time comes, my affairs will definitely be exposed." ”

The time is not yet ripe, and as a last resort, Lesaik does not want to immediately create a rebellion against Blackstar Castle.

Nor did Lesec try to become a lord of the entire Yoranta region. Admittedly, there are many examples of Okad being recognized by the council as a new lord after his subordinates have successfully rebelled, but Lesec doesn't want to bet on the possibility.

A beautiful battle of annihilation may be able to dispel Blackstar Castle's desire to continue attacking Ore Town, but once Blackstar Castle asks for help from the surrounding area or even the Federation, it is likely to face a real desperate situation.

But even so, in the Okad, if he doesn't prove his strength, he will only be devoured by others. Even if the ultimate goal is to bring the opponent to the negotiating table, a fight is inevitable.

Lure the enemy to Ore Town, then launch a surprise attack. It would be best to capture the town, so that she could be forced to agree to her terms. Even if she is allowed to run, she can rely on the advantages of the Red Claw Mountain to make the enemy retreat.

…… If only this strategy could be used, Lesaik smiled wryly.

According to the intelligence, the enemy army has a spellcaster. He took advantage of the terrain of the valley and with just one man, he defeated a bandit group of three hundred people. According to one survivor who died in his life, hundreds of people died in the valley when arrows of flame fell without missing arrows.

"What the hell is that? The one named Melia Goth, did she invite a Blue Ocean level spellcaster? There's that kind of monster here, and there's nothing you can do about it. ”

A blue ocean-level mage deigns to deal with the bandit group, which is simply a knife to kill chickens. The only puzzle is why such a caster would enter the battlefield alone. Could it be that this person is experimenting with some new spell? That's bad news.

I can only hope for new information from President Maciey, Lesec thought distressedly. He would rather engage in a field battle with an enemy army outnumbered by himself than face the wrath of a Blue Ocean Tier spellcaster......

Suddenly—

Boom!

There was a loud bang.

Lesaik in the study clearly heard a loud crash from the first-floor bedroom beneath his feet.

Even the entire floor is shaking slightly......

"Attack?" The word immediately popped into Lesaick's head.

He took the short sword he had with him in his hand. On horseback or in open terrain, Lesaik prefers to wield his riding spear. However, in a small house, the dagger was a much more convenient weapon than a spear. If it's a thief who doesn't have long eyes, Lesec can take out the opponent in one turn.

Lesec walked down the stairs and gently touched the first floor. If there is a chance, he wants to hit the enemy by surprise.

However, when he actually arrived at the restaurant on the first floor, Lesec looked confused.

"Delusion......"

In front of you is the same restaurant as usual. In the corner of the wall, a bronze table clock with the minute and hour hands coinciding towards twelve. Wooden chairs are neatly arranged around the oval dining table. Maybe it's because I'm too careful. Perhaps some family was careless and overturned an oxcart under their window. Nothing surprising......

Lesec turned slowly.

"Come out," Lesaik said, staring straight into the darkness behind him, "I know you're there. ”

……

"It's sharp."

From the shadows of the corner, the laughter of a young man sounded.

"I wanted to teleport to the wasteland a little further south," the young man in the shadows got up from his couch, "and there was a little accident. Where the teleportation had never been, it was a few kilometers off the beaten track. Didn't mean to break into your home. ”

Lesec took a deep breath. The handsome half-elf black-robed mage in front of him looked extremely young, with short black hair and turquoise pupils, exuding an arrogant and noble temperament.

Is this what he really looks like? Lesec thought to herself, or did she cast a change spell to change her appearance?

"I'm the mayor of Ore Town, Lesec." Lesec introduced himself.

"I'm curious, Mr. Lesek," the half-elven mage's tone was as natural as if talking about the weather, "how did you find me?" ”

"The order of the chairs has changed, and there are several scratches on the chair I used to sit on," Lesaick said, "and the teacup has moved a little bit. Your disguise isn't enough, Mr. Mage. ”

"Well said," the half-elf mage looked surprised, "Mr. Lesek, are you really just a mayor?" ”

"Compared to this- Honorable Mr. Mage, did you really come to Yoranta alone with a teleportation spell? As I understand it......"

"Come out, Renee. Your concealment is perfect. But it's better to just come out now. ”

Although he was mentally prepared, Lesaik couldn't help but be surprised when he saw the second person coming out of the shadows. The previous black-robed mage was young enough, and this half-elf girl, who was at most fifteen or sixteen years old, was even younger than him. With short black ear-length hair, a lilac cloth coat, and two daggers as thin as cicada wings, his face is exquisite, and his eyes are like lakes in the summer sun, looking directly at Lesec.

…… Is it a bodyguard? Both are half-elves, maybe there is some kind of blood relationship between the two.

"I've put my ...... Friend called out," the black-robed mage spread his hands, as if to emphasize the fact that he was not carrying a weapon, "can you put down your sword now?" Mr. Mayor. ”

Several thoughts flashed through Lesaick's mind in an instant.

How about rushing straight at the mysterious half-elf mage and subduing him. It takes about five to six seconds for a mage to fully cast a prepared spell. Through repeated training, it can be shortened to between two and three seconds at most. In terms of the distance between him and the half-elf mage, within two seconds, Lesaik had absolute confidence to rush to the other party's side. Even if you are a powerful mage, you can't be caught with a sword against your neck. As long as he gags his mouth and ties his hands, no matter how much arcane he prepares, he can only stare dryly.

But the problem is that there is another person behind him. The girl with the dagger in her hand, she was much closer to the black-robed mage than she was. No matter how swift her movements are, she can always stop herself first.

In the cramped room, it was impossible for him to bypass her and attack the black-robed mage anyway. And when he dealt with this girl by himself, I am afraid that the black-robed mage would have already cast a powerful spell against him. Not to mention that although this half-elf girl is young, she gives people an extremely strong oppressive force, and she is probably not an opponent that can be easily defeated.

"I see. I'll lay down my arms," Lesec made the wisest decision after only a few seconds of hesitation, "but instead, keep me safe." ”

The black-robed mage looked approving.

"You can't 'surrender' to me, Mr. Lesek," he said, "I didn't come to attack you, but I came here by accident. But I'm going to have to compensate you for your 'loss'. ”

"I don't have anything to lose......"

"Are you going to reject the offer of a Blue Ocean mage?" The half-elf mage said "elegantly".

The corners of Lesaick's mouth twitched twice.

"Then thank you, sir," said the mayor, abandoning his intention to excuse himself, "I don't know what to call you?" ”

"It doesn't matter what you call me."

The half-elf mage paused for two seconds, revealing an expression that had never been seen before: "It's just 'Mr. Moon'." Please call me by that name. ”

What nonsense, Lesec thought. This man speaks a standard lingua franca that cannot be more standard, and even he cannot tell which country he is from. Common sense meant that unless he wanted to hide his whereabouts, he wouldn't be able to risk teleportation failure and break into remote Yolanta.

So, whose ears and eyes is this young half-elf mage trying to hide? First of all, it can't be the old stubbornness of Eusta. However, the townswoman had just returned to Yoranta, and perhaps the half-elven mage was her enemy.

More likely, however, the young mage was lurking on the frontier from the sight of all of Okad. Okad is preparing to invade the Five-Nation Alliance. Maybe he was someone from the Five Nations, maybe someone from Elrios who had been sheltering the Five Nations in the past. Considering that he had never heard of such a powerful half-elf mage in the Five Nations Alliance, it was more likely that he was an Elrios. Even the possibility of an empire cannot be ruled out......

In that case, Lesaick's palms sweated slightly. The moment he lays down his weapon, he will kill him.

The half-elven mage shrugged.

"I know what you're thinking, Mr. Mayor," said the black-robed mage, "if I'm going to kill someone, there's no need to say so much. ”

“…… Can you read minds? ”

"It's just normal speculation. Rest assured, I have the self-esteem of a mage...... It's not going to be done to ordinary townspeople. ”

Lesec sighed softly, and the short sword in his hand fell to the ground with a "clang".

"I can only trust you, sir."

"Well," the black-robed mage nodded in satisfaction, "Well, I have a few questions now. ”

"Excuse me."

"Are you really a normal townsman?"

"Of course."

"Then answer me: why is there a dark room in this restaurant?" The half-elf mage smiled demonically, his turquoise eyes as if they could pierce walls, sending chills down Lesek's spine, "Let me see what's inside—weapons, and forbidden ......"

Lessec tried to grab the short sword on the ground, but the half-elf mage reacted faster than him. As soon as the half-elf mage raised his hand, the short sword flew towards him out of thin air, and he firmly grasped it in his hand.

"Sure enough," the black-robed mage's voice was a little lower, "I know. The average mayor isn't as capable as you...... as well as rich. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the quaint table clock in the corner.

"What do you want?" Lesaik said hoarsely. This is a real disaster from the sky. He would rather die on the battlefield than be so aggrieved and be killed by an inexplicable mage in his own home. Certain...... There is still a chance......

"Actually, I don't really care about your little secret...... But from now on, sir, please answer my questions honestly," the half-elf mage's voice was gentle, but it had the power to resist, "please believe me, if you can show enough usefulness, I can consider sparing your life, and even share my own secrets with you." Now let's talk about it. Mr. Mayor...... Who are you? ”

……

Leaving the mayor's house, the half-elf mage Levi Fedorovich had a satisfied smile on his face.

Everything went smoothly...... He thought.

Suddenly, his smile froze.

"Goth, Fran, and Her Highness the Princess," he said gloomily, "are you so fond of peeping into other people's plans?" ”

The remote probe that can hide from him is obviously the hand of Fran, who is proficient in illusion. Lévy glanced at his sister Renee beside her, who still looked indifferent. Maybe this little girl had already discovered Goth's existence, Levi thought, but he just deliberately didn't say it.

John Goth, dressed in a gray robe, stepped out of the darkness not far away.

Behind him were the blonde swordswoman Katerina Greccia in the red Guardian costume and the illusionist Franbel Matthias in a dark purple dress.

Linna is sticking to Goth, so she must come along. And Fran didn't want to see the two-person world of Goth and Linna, so she joined halfway.

"I had Bena and Cliff watch you, Levi," Goth looked pensive, "but you can still be here." You've got some interesting tricks in your way. ”

"It's just a little trick to carve insects." Lévy didn't care.

"You'll have to tell me," Goth's expression became serious, "......what is your purpose?" ”

Lévy chuckled.

"My purpose here is the same as yours, John."

Goth's complexion changed slightly.

"You guy," he said warily, "could it be ......?"

"I've given up on that plan," Levi said with a rare languid expression, "Victoria and His Highness Dimi are here, and that plan is too risky. I re-evaluated the gains and losses, and decided that working together to save Elizabeth was the best policy. Now my purpose is exactly the same as yours. ”

"The plan? You really want to assassinate-"

"Who knows, you won't believe me no matter what I say," said Levi, "and in that case, I'll go back honestly and be under the watchful eye of Brother Cliff and His Highness Bina." How's that? ”

"......" Goethe hesitated slightly.

"Support Victoria and Her Highness Dimi in their efforts to rescue Lady Elizabeth...... It's up to you to do whatever you want. I'll tell you what I've done so you can take over. Lévy said, throwing out a suggestion that Goth couldn't refuse.

"Okay." When Lévy talked about this, Goth really couldn't refuse.

"That's what you planned to do in the first place, didn't you? Trust me," Levi patted Goth on the shoulder, "you're going to be as good as I am — if not better." After all, we're 'one kind', aren't we? ”