At the same time.
Nine Provinces.
Chen Capital, southwest.
With a flash of white light.
Gallagher, Helag, and the other Chosen Players and Architects from Prison Rock finally set foot on the land of Nine Provinces.
They had come for an exchange visit.
During this truce-period exchange, Gallagher and the others wanted to find out how they had lost—but they also wanted to use this opportunity to closely observe Nine Provinces' social foundations, material reserves, and the mindset of its players.
They would then use that to infer just how far the other side was prepared to go at the negotiating table.
After all, negotiations had already begun.
And more than anyone else, they wanted to know—would Nine Provinces simply flip the table and choose forced plunder?
Both sides' governing bodies had sent representatives.
But Prison Rock was undoubtedly under greater pressure.
After all, Nine Provinces was the victor.
They only needed to apply pressure, while Prison Rock had far more to consider.
The ones responsible for receiving them and showing them around Nine Provinces were an elite squad from the Strategy Group.
The squad leader was Cheng Xiu.
"Long time no see."
Gallagher greeted Cheng Xiu when he saw his familiar face.
Cheng Xiu smiled, though not particularly warmly. "Not that long. Come on, I'll show you around Nine Provinces."
After that.
He stopped making small talk and began leading the way as a matter of routine.
Gallagher and the others did not mind Cheng Xiu's coldness.
—Not that it would have mattered if they did.
The losers had no rights.
But they had not come to exchange pleasantries. They had come to observe.
From the moment they stepped out of the teleportation array, they began surveying everything around them.
What they saw were broad, clean streets and Nine