After hearing Bessarius's "secret," Unas was momentarily at a loss. His state wasn't entirely feigned, because Bessarius had given him another piece of information: he had to take the initiative to contact Balnazzar.
As one of the three leaders of the Dreadlords, Balnazzar's status in the Burning Legion is naturally higher than Bessarius's. The two have already met, so the subordinate should take the initiative to contact the superior.
Unas had no idea what the consequences would be of linking these two demons together, but he had no choice but to do it.
Dathrohan is the leader of a powerful army, holding a high position and great power, while Unas is just a newcomer with an unknown identity who has made minor contributions. The disparity in their status puts Unas at a complete disadvantage when facing Balnazzar.
If this demon decides to eliminate him, he doesn't need to do it himself; a simple statement like "This guy has a demonic aura" will be enough to get him arrested and investigated by the Inquisition.
Unas also considered exposing Dathrohan's demonic identity, but regardless of success or failure, he would inevitably be bitten back, because it was a fact that he also had a demon within him.
The best course of action now is still those four words: feign compliance, adapt to changing circumstances, and infiltrate the enemy's ranks to assess the situation before making any decisions.
Putting aside Unas's troubles, the Monastery had been thrown into turmoil by the prison break these past two days. The return of the three powerful armies put people at ease. After a short rest, the three victorious leaders immediately convened a supreme meeting that very evening.
In a brightly lit small meeting room on the Cathedral rooftop, the members of the Council of Five gathered together.
Seated at the head of the table was a handsome and upright middle-aged man. His blond hair, golden armor, and eyes that seemed to radiate golden light enveloped him in a golden halo, like a peerless sword that concealed its power, inspiring people to bow down in reverence.
He remained silent, his eyes, sharp as swords, fixed on the pale-faced Grand Inspector Isillien across from him. The One-Eyed Baron sat to his left, the two seemingly forming an alliance. Needless to say, this imposing and radiant Paladin was none other than the Monastery's supreme warrior— Alexandros Mograine, the Ashbringer.
With a loud "bang," the entire conference table bounced, interrupting Isillien's rambling report. The red-clad figure who had slammed the table stood up abruptly, glaring at the chief prosecutor and calling him by name in a stern tone, "Isillien, how could you mess this up like this?!"
This man was dressed in the most common red maple battle robes found in Monasteries. His slender figure did not appear thin at all. His thick red eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and his face was filled with anger that made his hair stand on end. He was the supreme commander of the North Maple Legion —General Alfred Abbendis.
The last person in the room, Saidan Dathrohan with long white hair, was not sitting at the conference table. He stood with his hands behind his back by the small window in the corner, seemingly indifferent as he admired the night view of the church garden outside.
Isillien was rendered speechless by Abbendis's accusation. The dungeon was under the jurisdiction of the Inquisition, and as the highest-ranking official of the Inquisition, he could not shirk his responsibility. However, he did not expect that the first to attack him would be his own ally.
"If this table has a soul, it's yet another innocent victim you've harmed, Abbendis," Baron Tyrosus said sarcastically. "Suppress your anger; it won't help solve anything."
Abbendis snorted dismissively, sat down again, and said with the same sarcasm, "And what brilliant idea does the noble Tyrosus have?"
"No," the One-Eyed Baron wouldn't offer advice to his mortal enemy. "All I know is that martial law must end immediately. The flames of war in the Eastern Plaguelands have been ignited by your expedition. We must prepare for war with all our might; there's no time for cat-and-mouse games."
Isillien tried to sound calm as he said, "But we've only captured five escaped prisoners so far. If we prematurely lift martial law, there are still so many fugitives out there..."
"Didn't the Grand Inspector hear me? We don't have time for games! We absolutely cannot let martial law interfere with the Consecration Ceremony and recruitment," Tyrosus interrupted him without hesitation. "You and I both know why the list of escaped prisoners is so long, Lord Isillien. Let's end this farce quickly, by any means necessary."
Isillien's imposing manner was completely suppressed, and he could only look at Abbendis and Alexander meekly. Seeing that the two of them nodded to him, the Grand Inspector finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In reality, he was the one in the room who most wanted to end the case as soon as possible. Now that he had the approval of the Council of Five, he felt relieved. "No matter what method" was a pass, and with this pass, he had a lot more room to maneuver.
During the search for escaped prisoners, some criminals who have nothing to do with the escape may be caught by chance, such as thieves, robbers, and spies who have infiltrated the Monastery. As long as these criminals are forcibly identified as escaped prisoners, the list of escaped prisoners can be gradually reduced. After all, they are all criminals, and in times of crisis, they should be punished more severely.
This kind of trick of deceiving others and framing others is the same everywhere. Once the number of missing prisoners is reduced to less than one-third, they can announce that most of the fugitives have been captured, then lift martial law, and everyone is happy.
Afterwards, issuing some more arrest warrants would completely resolve this matter. The Council of Five had already tacitly agreed that he could use a more "efficient" method, since everything else had to give way in the face of war.
"Speaking of the Consecration Ceremony, I've seen the list of ten," Abbendis, his eyes fixed on Tyrosus with a venomous glint. "I never expected that the esteemed Baron would nominate a bastard of unknown origin!"
"Watch your words, Abbendis!" Alexander, who had been silent until now, suddenly shouted, "I will no longer tolerate any more foul language in this sanctuary!"
Faced with the Ashbringer's sharp gaze, even the general of the North Maple Legion couldn't help but feel a little hesitant.
Taking the opportunity, Tyrosus tossed several reports in front of him. "Abbendis, put away your racial prejudices. According to the reports from the Mage Academy and Hanni Medical Officer, Unas-Lawugade's bloodline is perfectly fine. Based on his appearance, there's only a very small chance he has a trace of Night Elf blood. Moreover, his performance during the Argent Dawn's campaign has earned him recommendations from several Paladins. There's no doubt he should become a member of the Silver Hand."
Before Abbendis could speak, his loyal ally Isillien, began to Charge for him, saying, "This is probably not a good idea. I've also seen those reports. Even putting aside the issue of bloodline, his origins remain a mystery. Don't forget who caused our country's destruction."
"I'm not worried about that," Alexander joined the debate, "The Cult of the Damned wouldn't send a spy with such a flawed identity."
"His origins are unknown, which is the greatest sin. No one who is not of pure blood is worthy of trust. If I were to guard the gate, I would never allow him to set foot in the Monastery," Abbendis began his racist rant again, finally declaring to Tyrosus, "I disagree with your nomination of him."
Neither side would yield on the issue of race, One-Eyed Baron, no longer willing to continue the pointless argument, stood up and declared loudly, "Then let's vote! Those who oppose the nomination of Unas-Lawugade, please raise your right hand; those who abstain, please raise your left hand."
Abbendis and Isillien immediately raised their right hands, but the remaining three people in the room showed no sign of doing so.
The chief prosecutor winked at Dathrohan had turned around, but Dathrohan ignored him and looked away.
Two dissenting votes were not enough to veto the One-Eyed Baron's nomination.
"Then it's decided. Tesoros's nomination is approved." Ashbringer made the final decision.
Abbendis was so angry he almost jumped up. He glared at Dathrohan, then turned and slammed the door shut without saying a word.
Isillien gave an awkward smile, "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." He was busy overseeing the operation to capture the "fugitive."
The fact that Dathrohan would support him was a pleasant surprise for Tyrosus; he had expected Dathrohan to abstain as usual. The One-Eyed Baron looked at Dathrohan with some gratitude. "I didn't expect you to help me."
Dathrohan laughed and replied with a cryptic remark, "I didn't expect that either."
Despite their victory, Alexander was not pleased. He shook his head and sighed inwardly, "The outside world is fraught with danger, yet we are still locked in internal strife..."