Everyone naturally understood what the Wise Sovereign meant. And whenever the subject of exploiting loopholes came up, Dox took the lead, with Wai close behind, both brimming with enthusiasm. They eagerly listed the loopholes they believed existed and how to use them for the greatest possible gain.
Yet even as they zealously searched for flaws in the rules, a question inevitably arose in their minds:
When she laid down those rules, did she not know there were loopholes?
After pondering for a moment, Angel voiced this doubt.
Wise Sovereign: "Did she not know the rules could be exploited? Of course she knew."
Angel frowned. "Then why establish such rules?"
Wise Sovereign: "Because Gray Merchant and the others are merely her vanguard, sent to test you. Whether this trial ends in victory or defeat, she loses nothing. If Gray Merchant wins, her objective is achieved. If Gray Merchant loses, she will have used them to probe your true capabilities. Either way, she profits."
To put it bluntly, the Wandering Merchants organization was neither her personal guard nor her followers. Her manipulation of Gray Merchant and the others into fighting Angel was merely a casual move of one chess piece. And that chess piece could be discarded at any time.
This was what they called sacrificing soldiers to seize a city while the queen watched from afar. First sound out their depth, then arrange a strategy tailored to them.
Black Earl said solemnly, "Then even if there are loopholes to exploit in our battle with Gray Merchant, we should not reveal all our trump cards?"
The Wise Sovereign nodded. "Correct. Whatever trump cards you use in the coming battle, you will soon face trials specifically designed to counter them. So this trial does not merely test your combat ability—it tests your strategy