Slaughter, a Sacrificial Pawn

Hearing Robson's answer, Borol thought for a moment and understood his intentions.

As supreme commander of the Steel Warband, Elena considered herself a champion of absolute justice. Given her nature, once she discovered a massacre in Cloudmist Territory, she would never stand by. She would move to suppress it at once.

And while Elena was dealing with the "villains," they could try to move the altar from beneath Dark Cliff Fortress to somewhere safe. Even if she knew the fortress held a secret and searched it, she would find nothing.

There was some risk, but if it kept the Star-Shattering Sword Saint from uncovering their research, it would be worth it.

The hesitation vanished from Borol's eyes. He turned to Robson and asked in a low voice:

"How long do you need to move the altar?"

"Five days would be ideal. But given the urgency, we only need to take the power crystal at its core. The altar inscribed with array patterns can stay."

"We can lay a temporary layer of stone slabs over it and carve runes to conceal its magical aura. That should hide it perfectly. The process will take about two days."

"Of course, if you could send over the High Mage from your estate, my lord, I believe we could cut that to less than a day."

Robson smiled at Borol as he spoke.

"...I'll send someone for you to command. Don't disappoint me, Robson."

"Rest assured, my lord. We're in this together. I know what needs to be done."

Robson nodded slightly, then added before Borol could rise to leave:

"One more thing, my lord. Have you decided what to do about the 'raid'?"

Borol fell silent for a moment before answering slowly:

"The captain of Cloudmist Territory's security force is loyal to me. I'll