Gner's account

Now that they had traced back to an important segment, Kronos naturally continued watching.

Then Jason said, "The size is just right. Every corner of the room needs to be properly arranged, and the materials must be sturdy so they can't be easily damaged."

The worker said, "Don't worry, even a Dawn Knight would need three sword strikes to break this steel. An ordinary person simply can't."

Yes, this is also important Information. If you don't know it, when Kronos punches this steel, he'll surely break his own hand bones.

After that, it was just some casual chatter about everyday things, which Kronos lost interest in. However, he knew that if these Small Hole weren't resolved, he definitely wouldn't have the upper hand in this house.

An environment that allows for both attack and retreat has a significant impact on the course of the battle, so Kronos must know the location of every Small Hole in the entire Villa.

Time is clearly insufficient, so the plan to ambush Jason must be postponed further; it cannot be carried out so hastily.

Kronos didn't like to gamble on his luck, because he wasn't very lucky and didn't have a powerful figure protecting him.

Therefore, Kronos had to determine the location of these Small Hole in batches.

Fortunately, Jason didn't have Small Hole installed at every point along the pipes; he only installed them about a meter above the ground, which greatly reduced the workload.

It took Kronos a full hour and a half to use the Eye of Time to pinpoint the locations of the Small Hole throughout the entire Reception Room and dining room.

Although there was still much to be done, time was running out, and Kronos had to leave. The Banquet was about to end, and Jason was probably already on his way back.

Kronos quickly reached the spot where he had entered the courtyard. Just as he was about to jump out, he suddenly seemed to remember something and turned back to look at the Devil Dog lying beside him.

He hadn't forgotten to wake the Devil Dog.

Judging from the snoring, the Devil Dog wasn't sleeping very soundly anymore.

So Kronos raised his hand and swung a huge punch at the Devil Dog's head, then without the slightest hesitation, leaped over the wall.

All that was left was a Devil Dog was slowly transforming, but looked completely bewildered.

Kronos didn't leave immediately. Instead, he found a spot and quietly observed, wanting to see if Jason would notice anything amiss.

Not long after, Jason's carriage returned, and he went inside after getting off.

For more than an hour afterward, Jason did not react at all, presumably completely unaware.

As the old saying goes, "Those who are good at swimming drown, and those who are good at riding fall; each brings disaster upon themselves because of their own preferences." Simply put, those who drown are often the ones who know how to swim.

Jason trusted his Malice Perception too much, so he was completely relaxed in his defenses. When he encountered someone who could obscure his senses and scheme against him, he was almost always successful.

This also served as a reminder to Kronos: never be too confident in your abilities, for you never know when a situation might arise that could shatter your understanding and teach you a lesson.

But since Jason didn't react, Kronos left, since it was time to rest.

Kronos returned to his original state. After all, ordinary methods were no longer effective in investigating Jason, so he could only wait for Jason to leave the house and then sneak over.

This frequency needs to be controlled; if the fainting occurs too frequently, even the dumbest Devil Dog will notice something amiss.

So Kronos completely abandoned his idea of observing Jason during his morning run, and instead instructed Marquis Argel's Butler to inform him of every event at Kain Bank.

There was nothing Jason could do, so he invested in this bank and spent the rest of his time living a secluded life, rarely going out.

After all, this was Backlund, and as a Devil, he was still quite cautious.

Kronos didn't tell the Butler about Jason, nor did he even investigate Jason's situation through the Butler, so it wouldn't have attracted Jason's attention.

He was determined to see it through to the end with Jason; he was determined to get that Beyonder Characteristic.

However, to secure Jason's capture, we still need to improve our strength. If we can fully research the Mentor of Disorder's skills, it will definitely be beneficial to this operation.

Southern Continent, West Balam Colony of the Loen Kingdom.

A post-war commendation ceremony has just concluded here.

Unlike the honor ceremonies in Backlund, which were filled with exaggerated reports of military achievements, this was the front line of the war, where more than 80% of the military achievements were genuine.

The rest, while perhaps a bit exaggerated, are at most slightly overstated; there's no such thing as one person stopping an army of tens of thousands or a warship.

In this war, the most outstanding force on this battlefield was the squad of the Earl Hall's second son, Alfred Hall, who truly distinguished themselves in battle.

Even those taxi drivers who always looked down on the nobility had to give this squad a thumbs up and say "Awesome!"

The most outstanding members of this squad are Captain Alfred and Vice- Captain Gner.

In the eyes of many generals, this vice- Captain Gner, was even more dazzling than Alfred.

Although Alfred is excellent in every aspect, he would never have achieved what he has without Gner's help.

So, at the same time Alfred was awarded the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Gner was also promoted from a regular Soldier to Major.

Everyone knew that if Gner continued to work hard, he would one day become a general, but Alfred knew that whether Gner would continue down that path depended on one person's decision.

"Gner, I'm being transferred to Northern Province. I wonder if you'll have time to come with me?" Alfred asked as they watched the sunset.

Gner knew that he wasn't asking if he had time, but rather if Kronos had any other plans for him.

Gner shrugged. "Who knows? Anyway, nothing's happening right now."

He had contacted Kronos several times, but Kronos said, "Everything is based on your ideas. If I need you one day, I will ask for your opinion. So your future is your own decision."

Kronos really doesn't need him right now. There's nothing important, so why would he call him back just for Jason? What happens after Jason is killed? He'll just sit around doing nothing?

So it's better to stay in the Southern Continent; Gner likes the atmosphere there too.

"Would you like to come with me? It's not too dangerous, and we can see other styles of the Southern Continent," Alfred asked.

Without hesitation, Gner agreed immediately. After fighting side by side for so long, Gner still respected Alfred. As a comrade-in-arms and as a friend, he was qualified, so naturally he would not refuse.

Alfred patted Gner on the shoulder happily, clearly appreciating Gner as a comrade-in-arms and excited to continue fighting side by side.

"Don't be so happy. If one day Kronos needs me, I will definitely leave. Just don't stop me then," Gner said softly, gazing into the distance.

Alfred's expression stiffened. "Why do you insist on going back to be his subordinate? It's so much more comfortable fighting in the army. I'll be at the top, and nobody will bother you. It's so much freer."

Gner's lips curled up slightly. "Kronos has never restricted me in any way."

"What about your future? You're doing so well here, and several generals have high hopes for you. Maybe one day you'll have the chance to become a general, or even a Admiral. That's much better than being a Marquis's lackey!"

Alfred had actually wanted to say this for a long time. At first, he wanted to recruit Gner, but later he felt it wasn't worth it for Gner's sake.

Gner could tell there was no intention to Incitement in those words, so he wasn't angry. He simply looked at Alfred quietly and then spoke.

"You should know that I used to be a soldier, but I was discharged a while ago."

Alfred nodded. Gner had mentioned it briefly, only saying that something had happened at the time that made him not want to join the army anymore.

"I joined the army at eighteen, starting in the army. I rose to the Lieutenant Colonel of the Army in four years. Back then, many more generals had high hopes for me than they do now. Even the church tried to recruit me," Gner said, beaming with pride.

Alfred was a little confused. With such a bright future, how did Gner end up like this?

"During a sparring match, I broke the leg of a nobleman's son. That nobleman himself had some connections with the Levett Family. Because of this one incident, basically everyone who had high hopes for me scattered."

"If it weren't for the last general protecting me, I don't know what would have happened. As a result, I was thrown into Navy Base as an instructor, where I stayed for eight years. None of those who had thought highly of me back then ever paid me any attention again."

"In the end, it was only after Kronos spoke to the Levett Family that I was able to retire normally and leave the prison that protected me but also confined me."

"Alfred, I know you treat me like a brother, but Kronos treats me like a brother too. He has never restricted my actions; I've always made my own decisions."

"But from the day I left that Royal Navy Base, I will always take his will as my goal. This is not what he asked of me, but my own decision."

"As for the future and prospects you mentioned, I have no interest in them, nor do I believe Kronos can't afford to provide them."