Trial

After the room fell silent, Gillian suddenly said something like this.

"This won't do. We need to find out if that mage is actually from the Alliance, or even if he the Alliance, what impact it might have on us..."

Recalling the white-robed mage, Gillian felt from the first moment she met Fran that Fran was not simple and could very well affect their mission.

And what Fran said came from the Northern Lands Society...

Even now, Gillian has not been able to definitively confirm the existence of that Northern Lands Society.

She asked directly at the time, and Fran easily told her that the Northern Lands Society was located in the Northern Territory and had its own Battle Mage Corps.

These words have remained deeply etched in Gillian's mind, and she still remembers them very clearly, even though it happened yesterday.

She almost immediately dispatched people to investigate the place Fran mentioned, but just from Fran's words, she knew that the Northern Lands Society was not close to the Snow Bear Territory and would not be able to return for a while.

This made her even more irritable, and the unverifiable information she received while inquiring about the truth gave her a premonition of impending failure.

"Since she belongs to the Sword Chant School, let's arrange for a Profession to duel her..."

"Wasn't she not in her room during the duel? I remember those Mercenary should have someone skilled in this line of work; they could have sent someone to scout it out."

"I'm going to bribe those servants from the Snow Bear Territory. I want to see if that mage in the lord's manor has given anything away..."

Gillian arranged several tasks in one go, all in order to test Fran's true nature.

The Church Warrior, heads bowed, remained silent, motionless like statues, listening to Gillian's instructions.

Meanwhile, inside a residence in Snow Bear City.

This place had long been occupied by Mercenary and used as a temporary residence, while the original residents had long been driven to other places.

Parkerrick paced back and forth in the room, from one end to the other.

Liam sat in a chair, his expression equally solemn, and the room had been silent for a while.

With a heavy heart, Liam slowly said:

"What specific effect does the clause in our contract, 'to do everything in our power to track down the lost item,' have, and how do we achieve it?"

The punishment of being 'hated by all spirits' in the contract is no joke. Anyone who bears this punishment will arouse disgust in others as soon as they appear in their sight.

Even worse, some might rush up and attack you directly.

Even the city lord of White Dragon Port wouldn't dare to bear such a price easily, which is why the Mercenary signed the contract with peace of mind.

The Mercenary originally thought this would be a simple investigation mission. As long as they did their best to investigate, they would never break the contract. Even if they couldn't find the item in the end, it wouldn't be their fault, and the contract wouldn't punish them.

However, in the previous incident, Pakrick had immediately sensed danger.

He understood that if they continued their 'all-out search,' they would likely face an attack.

The attackers could be Orc Tribe, followers of the Church of the Goddess of Ocean Currents, or even the lord of the Snow Bear Territory...

"If we can see that thing, then our duty to investigate it will be complete, and we can directly evade punishment."

"So if we want to survive, we have to wait until the very end and try every possible way to catch a glimpse of that thing."

"Of course, this was something we had to do after that thing was found."

Parkerrick paused for a moment, then continued:

"For us, the best outcome is that those thieves will stay hidden in the mountains and forests no matter how fierce the fighting is outside."

"If we can hold out for three months, our mission will be considered complete. What I fear most is that that thing has suddenly been found."

The room fell silent. Both of them knew they had fallen into a trap.

Even if they manage to get that item in the end, they might not be able to return to White Dragon Port alive to exchange it for ten thousand Gold Coin.

Because they are involved in a war, and the two sides in this war are the city lord of White Dragon Port and the followers of the Goddess of Ocean Currents.

These Mercenary were nothing more than unlucky souls tricked into joining the city lord with some Gold Coin; they had to fight tooth and nail just to survive.

At this moment, Parkerrick suddenly spoke up, saying:

"What puzzles me most right now is whether the girl standing next to the lord was actually the Alliance mage when the followers of the Goddess of Ocean Currents arrived in Snow Bear City that day."

Liam also recalled that striking girl; to be honest, they had only seen girls that age among those who had just entered the Mercenary world.

By the time a Mercenary gains some fame, they are usually in their twenties, which is the norm in their Mercenary profession—only those with outstanding abilities can live long.

Fran, however, became a mage at such a young age. Even if she advanced in the Spirit Realm, she was still a force to be reckoned with.

"If she really is a mage from the Alliance, does that mean even the Alliance has intervened in this war...?"

Parkerrick's tone gradually turned slightly fearful, and after composing himself, he continued:

"Then the intensity of this battle may far exceed our imagination; we may not even be able to get close to that thing."

Even Liam, who was listening nearby, trembled.

They had witnessed firsthand the true strength of the Alliance.

The Alliance is one of the most powerful forces on the continent. Compared to the Alliance, the Church of the Goddess of Ocean Currents and White Dragon Port are too small. Perhaps the Alliance could crush these two forces with just a gentle squeeze.

However, as one of the most powerful forces on the continent, the Alliance also faces pressure from other major powers.

This means that although the Alliance could directly crush these two forces, it wouldn't be worthwhile. For the Alliance, defending against and attacking other major forces is the most important thing.

If the Alliance intervenes, or even just sends a single Battle Mage Corps, it will be enough to overthrow the entire Snow Bear Territory. At that point, even survival will be a luxury for them.

"If she really is from the Alliance, then we need to consider how we survived the penalties imposed by the contract."

Liam, standing to the side, spoke these words heavily. Even he knew that if the Alliance intervened, their only chance of survival was to run away at all costs.

Just as the atmosphere in the room was gradually turning pessimistic, a voice came from outside the door, accompanied by hurried footsteps.

"Boss, the mage you told me to keep an eye on is making a move. It seems like she's going to fight the Goddess of Ocean Currents's people."

The two exchanged a glance, then stood up together.