Deep in the Nox Mountains, known as Guardian's Spine, between South Wantina Territory and the Krui Di Empire to the south.
In the gloom, an ancient hall stood in silence.
It was a hidden cavern in the heart of the mountains, surrounded on all sides by steep rock walls. It looked like a masterpiece carved jointly by nature and human ingenuity. Even with a careful search, it would be difficult to discover that a dilapidated temple lay concealed beneath a dark, sealed barrier.
Several clusters of lamplight flickered inside the temple, their glow appearing and disappearing as they cast several pitch-black silhouettes.
At the center of the main hall, several people sat or stood around a stone conference table, intricately carved and engraved with ancient craftsmanship, as though they were the protagonists of a silent play.
Their clothing was nothing special. Even if they walked out of the temple, people would only assume they were hunters, geologists, or explorers in the Nox Mountains. Some were even dressed so plainly that they looked like commoners. Yet at that moment, they all displayed an unusual presence, like a well-trained theater troupe putting aside their acting and returning to a state of readiness.
Until an unknown amount of time had passed.
"Duke Miss Hughberlian has returned."
A voice rang out.
Unlike the people around the conference table, the figure standing on the pulpit quietly gazed at the dimly gleaming Rose Window as he spoke to them.
In an instant, the figures around the conference table all turned toward the pulpit and the black-robed priest who had appeared there at some point.
"She also went to the home of a wealthy merchant in South Wantina Territory. As luck would have it, the plan can now be moved forward. You no longer need to spend