Ⅲ
Crack!
Heavy breathing mingled with the peculiar crunch.
It was the sound of someone grinding her teeth in fury and breathing hard.
Arthur was certain that if he stood before the Countess of South Los right now, she would jump up and hit his knees.
Of course, if he really were standing before her right now,
Arthur would never have answered that way.
Not because he lacked the courage.
It was his sense of propriety as a gentleman.
It definitely was not because he feared being struck by lightning.
"Please rest assured.
You will receive word very soon.
Also, please keep this Communication Crystal with you.
And, of course, I would much prefer that you maintain your current arrangements."
Once Arthur finished speaking, he ended the communication.
With a pivotal moment in his life at stake, Arthur would never be careless. Even if he needed the Countess of South Los, he would not let her know the slightest detail.
The Countess of South Los could be trusted.
But what about the people under her?
Arthur did not trust them.
It would be bad if the slightest hint of trouble made Old Lion change his original plan.
So the best option was to keep the Countess of South Los suitably vigilant, even a little paranoid.
Then why notify the Countess of South Los in advance at all?
Aside from genuinely needing her cooperation,
he feared that she might take everyone down with her or...
run away.
The latter was unlikely, but he still needed to guard against it.
And the former?
That was what truly demanded his attention.
Arthur would never doubt the Countess's resolve.
Every bolt of lightning that struck meant a life lost. Some were people of no consequence, but at the beginning, they had all been members