For the next battle, both sides prepared far more thoroughly than before.
To gather intelligence on the East Sea Alliance, the kingdom's Nightingale organization and Alex's personal spies both began operations.
However, before these spy organizations could compile their intelligence, Victor discovered an unusual situation. According to statistics from the territory's Commerce Department, trade in weapons and equipment throughout the Vela Region and its surrounding areas had risen dramatically.
The Arms Factory in Two Rivers County alone had received several foreign merchant caravans of unknown origin during this period, all spending enormous sums to purchase military goods produced by the factory.
According to the Intelligence Department's investigation, at least three of those merchant associations were funded by the East Sea Alliance and the Xister Kingdom.
Since the Commerce Department had been the first to discover the situation, once the investigation produced results, it immediately sent a telegram to the lord still on the front lines in the department's name.
After receiving the telegram, Victor understood that the Commerce Department was asking whether it should proceed with the deal and sell the territory's military equipment to merchant associations belonging to hostile forces.
Victor had not expected Rabik, the head of the Commerce Department, to be so cautious. He appreciated Rabik's keen observation.
The Commerce Department had handled the matter correctly as well. After discovering the issue, it had immediately contacted the territory's Intelligence Department and Internal Security Department.
It was through the close cooperation of the Intelligence Department and Internal Security Department that they uncovered the backgrounds behind those unidentified merchant associations. This intelligence would be of great help in the next stage of the war.
Victor immediately took the intelligence to Alex. Alex attached great importance to it. The document listed all the supplies those merchant associations sought to purchase,