The room was not lavishly decorated, but it was simple, exceptionally clean, and tidy. One could tell at a glance that no one usually stayed here, yet someone had always been responsible for cleaning it.
In this era, finding a clean inn was no easy task. The other rooms were occupied long-term by mercenaries and adventurers. One could hardly expect them to care much about cleanliness, nor expect the inn to clean up after them thoroughly.
After Hawk closed the door, Duke spread out Shadow Perception and released a Dark Eye. Only after confirming that no one nearby was spying on them did he speak. "I'll be leaving Goosepeak Fort soon and heading north to Turus Territory. Do you have any reliable channels?"
Turus Territory bordered the Layton Family's lands. It was also a very powerful territory, even larger than the Layton Family's domain.
If Duke wanted to reach the Fifth Outpost, he would need to pass through Tulus's territory.
Since Turus Territory and the Layton Family had their conflicts and frequent friction, having a more reasonable identity would save him a great deal of trouble.
Duke needed to cross Turus Territory as quietly as possible. He could not afford to get entangled in too much trouble. Reaching the Fifth Outpost quickly was his most important goal at the moment.
"Milord is going to Turus Territory? That... may be troublesome." Hawk looked uneasy, his tone carrying obvious concern.
"Go on." Duke gestured for him to continue.
"Milord, I'm sure you know," Hawk lowered his voice, as though afraid the walls had ears, "the relationship between the Layton Family and that Iron Wall Lord of Turus Territory... tsk, it's truly hard to put into words. The small border clashes have never stopped, and both sides are highly guarded against each other."