Horne was clearly a smart man. Along the way, he quickly figured out where the problem lay: the Giant Rock Merchant Guild had leaked something.
Duke waved a hand, unconcerned. "It's not your fault. You were never asked to keep this matter confidential."
There might even be Crawford Family spies within Black Sail itself, let alone an organization like the Giant Rock Merchant Guild.
Bell had certainly learned about Duke's Dream Manor as well. That was one of the drawbacks of leaving Black Sail: security was not high enough.
He could only remain as vigilant as possible and watch for every potential danger.
"Rest assured, Mr. Duke. I'll report this matter and make sure it's thoroughly investigated," Horne said apologetically.
Duke merely smiled and said nothing. There was nothing to investigate. Even if they found something, could the Giant Rock Merchant Guild really make a move against members of the Crawford Family?
He could not rely on the Giant Rock Merchant Guild in this matter. Merchant guilds were profit-driven organizations to begin with; there was only so much they could handle.
After returning to Dream Manor, Duke pondered the matter for a long while.
Now that he had failed to obtain the Crystal Core, there was no need to remain here any longer.
Bell was certainly still watching him from the shadows. Staying too long would only bring trouble.
At that thought, Duke's mind stirred. Magic power surged within him as he activated the spell model for Shadow Perception.
A moment later, the surrounding Shadow Space fell within his perception. A patch of shadow lurked not far outside Dream Manor.
Protected by the manor's Wizard Formation, that shadow could not pass through it and could only watch from afar.
After using Shadow Perception to investigate the surrounding area, Duke calmly