At first, Shien had thought that since this secret mission was so important, Lamigium would surely send out all its elites, fully prepared to engage the Old Demon Faction in an epic battle of wits and strength.
But Shien had to admit that reality was indeed cruel.
Now, after Vivian's explanation, Shien basically understood. This mission was no grand clash between masters at all. It was a chaotic mess, with all sorts of hidden agendas and dirty tricks surfacing.
Because escorting Kilian, a special major criminal, could earn generous rewards from the nobles and royal family in the capital, many people were no longer acting to guard against a rescue by the Old Demon Faction. They were acting for profit instead.
Lyon wanted to use this opportunity to find a new encounter in the capital and take his life to the next level.
Magray's father wanted to compete for the capital's rewards, so he had forcibly slipped the squad his son belonged to into the mission regardless of the cost.
Even Mr. Beren had likely accepted Lyon's squad because Magray's father, a royal retainer, had whispered in his ear. Otherwise, he would never have knowingly forced Vivian's Squad and Lyon's squad to reconcile under the excuse of putting the bigger picture first despite the rift between them. And Mr. Beren personally joining this mission might not have been entirely unrelated to his desire to make a name for himself in the capital and win the favor of the royal family and great nobles.
That was why all these problems had led to the current situation.
It perfectly proved Shien's earlier point. In reality, everyone had their own thoughts, their own positions, their own standards and judgments. Every seemingly ordinary outcome was actually born from countless thoughts and actions intertwining.
Or