As the group advanced, Rhode saw more and more Syndicate members. Everyone was busy moving about and hauling things around, looking as though they were preparing for battle.
Although few people spoke, Rhode could sense the tension on every face-the tension of facing a formidable enemy.
Occasionally, he overheard soldiers chatting:
"I heard there are loads of enemies. How are we supposed to hold them off...?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Just do what Adjutant Oto says."
"Right, right. We just need to finish building the defensive positions and follow orders for everything else."
So they really did know we were planning to attack the Alterac Ruins.
That also means the intelligence Sally and the others gathered might really have been part of an enemy setup.
But if all that intelligence was false, what exactly were they trying to achieve?
If Oto already knew Rhode's three or four thousand troops were preparing to attack the Alterac Ruins, his men certainly couldn't hold them off. Why hadn't they evacuated ahead of time?
Why the hell were they building defensive positions here instead?
Were they planning to hold out until a large force arrived to reinforce them? But that didn't make sense either. Hadn't their boss, Duke Falconcrest, already left?
Rhode still hadn't been able to figure any of this out.
Just then, the squad of guards Rhode had joined came to a halt.
The officer leading them signaled for the soldiers to rest where they were, then headed into a small house.
Through the house's shabby window, Rhode could just make out someone who looked like an administrative official talking to the officer.
No, it wasn't a conversation. More accurately, the officer was giving a report.
The administrative official clearly outranked the officer. He waved a hand arrogantly, and the officer bowed before