Ang leaned against a large boulder and said calmly, "You figured that since you'd never been to Bahoya City, there wouldn't be any trace of hellhounds here, right?"
Hearing this, Quintina nodded instinctively, her face still showing a trace of confusion and unease.
Ang looked at her, a faintly mocking smile curling at his lips. "Then you've overthought it. A while ago, large numbers of hellhounds also appeared in Bahoya City. It was only after Hell Gate was closed that those monsters vanished. Most of the hellhounds you encountered in the wilderness had actually fled over from Bahoya City."
Quintina froze for a moment, then muttered softly, "Could it be... Bess has accomplices?"
Ang raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of teasing. "You're a mage too. Do you really think he could complete such an enormous operation alone? Bringing hellhounds to every major city across the entire plane, then withdrawing safely afterward—that wasn't something one person could accomplish."
Quintina bit her lip and said nothing, merely lowering her head in thought.
Seeing this, Ang continued, "So there's no need for you to worry. As long as Bess hasn't been caught, the Mage Association won't waste its time on insignificant people like you. The people of the Black Magic Society are like rats in the sewers. They've always operated from the shadows, and they aren't easy to catch."
Quintina frowned, as though she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing. Her gaze drifted into the distance, looking somewhat dazed.
When Ang saw that she did not respond, he changed the subject, his tone probing. "By the way, when you escaped, how were Central City's defenses?"
Quintina came back to her senses and answered quietly, "It was chaotic. A lot of people were fleeing in panic,