Chapter 253

In the underground chamber of Drunken Night, in a small hidden room corresponding to the private box where Karl and the others were, Mina pressed her ear to a bamboo tube, carefully listening to the conversation above. Her hand moved quickly, writing down the dialogue on paper with a ballpoint pen.

Rustle, rustle…

In the entire chamber, only Mina's breathing and the sound of her writing could be heard. This kind of activity was something she had done many times before. To control an intelligence organization, the first thing to master is how to gather intelligence, understand its sources, and analyze the process.

She needed to understand every step of the process. As Lucas's business expanded, he would need more accurate intelligence, and she was working hard to ensure that future success.

"..." Mina continued listening for a while. What she heard were mostly trivial complaints. She removed her ear from the bamboo tube, stuffed a cloth into the hole, and stood up to leave the hidden room.

Soon after, a beastkin girl entered, taking over Mina's position, and began listening again, occasionally jotting down notes.

The underground listening system in Drunken Night often relied on people with good hearing, many of whom were beastkin girls. They were part of the intelligence network. They spent most of their day in these hidden rooms, with meals and other necessities sent to them, ensuring they didn't miss any important information.

Although it was dull and tedious, the pay was very high. Each person earned 300 copper coins a month, and they also had four days off each month, which helped them unwind. Without those breaks, staying in the hidden room for extended periods could drive anyone mad.

Mina quickly returned to the castle. As soon as she entered the study room, she saw Chris and Aiden listening attentively as Lucas assigned tasks. She stood quietly to the side.

"Chris, your team's task is the most critical. You need to delay the Santner knight squad for half a day, then retreat immediately. Be sure not to let them follow you," Lucas said seriously.

"Yes! We will complete the mission at all costs!" Chris snapped a salute.

"Don't get yourselves killed. You need to stay alive to continue serving me. You haven't even married yet," Lucas said with a serious expression.

"Yes!" Chris's eyes flashed, and he stood even straighter.

"Go prepare. As soon as the order is given, leave immediately," Lucas waved his hand, signaling Chris to leave. This time, the War Wolves had the heaviest responsibility.

"Yes!" Chris saluted again and turned to leave.

"How about I help too? I can disguise myself," Freya suggested from the side.

"No need. It's better to be cautious, or all our efforts will be wasted," Lucas shook his head. This mission was a new test for the War Wolves.

"..." Freya wanted to say something else but was stopped by Annie.

"Aiden, don't underestimate your task. Immediately assign fifty veteran soldiers and one hundred new recruits for this mission," Lucas turned to Aiden, his expression serious. "Both types of medium-sized ships are to be assigned to you, and take two smaller supply ships as well. Make sure you bring everyone back."

"Yes! I will lead the team personally," Aiden saluted and shouted.

"The specific action plan is here. Go and prepare immediately," Lucas picked up a file from the table and handed it to Aiden. The file contained his arrangements and important notes.

"Yes!" Aiden took the file with both hands, saluted again, and then left.

"Huff..."

Lucas watched Aiden leave, leaning back in his chair. He turned to look at Mina and, in a hoarse voice, asked, "So? What actions have they taken?"

"This is their conversation for today." Mina handed Lucas her notebook and poured him a cup of hot coffee, then placed it in front of him.

"Huff..." Lucas took the notebook with one hand and the coffee with the other. He blew on the coffee before taking a sip, but his eyes remained fixed on the notebook.

"Eh? This Black Iris organization is actually quite impressive," Lucas frowned, then turned to Annie and said, "Relay the message to the Guard Division, and have Ryan force the method of transmitting messages out of them."

"Yes!" Annie nodded.

"Good. They're getting impatient too," Lucas smirked, closing the notebook and speaking softly, "Annie, record this action plan. We'll be using it frequently in the future."

"Ah?" Annie was momentarily stunned. "Frequently? Does that mean young master will be tricking people often in the future?"

Everyone in the room exchanged strange looks as they observed Lucas. After all, today's mission seemed rather unusual.

"This is called hype. After hearing it enough, even if they don't believe it, they'll subconsciously believe half of it." Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Is this really effective? After all, can a false report of a band of thieves really lure out Santner?" Annie tilted her head, puzzled.

"Just watch and see!" Lucas smiled faintly. He was well aware of how powerful a well-crafted lie could be.

As long as Karl believed the drama he was playing, and the chase that followed, Lucas was confident that Santner would fall for it. The plan to lure the tiger out of the mountain was more than halfway successful.

"Young master, we will go and prepare now." Nicole said softly, standing up.

"Mm, go ahead." Lucas nodded.

Nicole took Helen's hand, and they left the study room. In the distance, Lucas could still hear Helen's voice, "Nicole, I'm a little nervous."

"It's okay, it's just a few words." Nicole comforted, her voice growing faint.

"Relay the message to the Guard Division and have them cooperate." Lucas said.

"Yes!" Annie wrote down the order, sealed it in an oil-paper envelope, and then took out a wax-like pale white substance—it was animal glue.

She held it over the fire, melting it slightly before sealing the envelope. Then, she took out an iron stamp and pressed the character "C" (meaning 'confidential') onto the envelope, creating an embossed seal. Soon, the order was delivered to the Guard Division.

Nicole and Helen walked out of the castle, heading towards the Drunken Night Restaurant. As they passed by an ordinary passerby, a sudden whisper reached them: "The target is coming this way."

"..." Nicole silently nodded and continued walking, her hand firmly holding Helen's. She knew exactly who the target was.

"Helen, how are the children at the orphanage doing?" Nicole asked with concern.

"Ah?" Helen was startled for a moment but quickly saw Nicole's subtle gesture. Not far ahead, seven beastkins were walking toward them. Realizing what was happening, she softly responded, "They're all doing well, they have porridge every day."

"That's good. Recently, Sedona City hasn't been very safe. You need to remind the children not to run outside and play." Nicole said, her tone caring.

"What's going on?" Helen twitched her rabbit ears in confusion.

"I heard from City Lord that a group of very dangerous horse bandits, called the Swiftwind Bandit Group, has arrived near Sedona City. They seem to be looking for someone, so it's better to be cautious," Nicole lowered her voice and glanced at Karl and his group who were passing by.

"They're vicious, I've heard from City Lord that they're a band of two hundred horse bandits."

"Ah? Are they looking for something?" Helen got into the role, covering her mouth in surprise. "Do you think they'll charge into Sedona City?"

"I heard they're looking for a wolf-tribe beastkin," Nicole's lips curled into a sly smile, her tone remaining calm but with a hint of mischief. "Don't worry! With City Lord around, there's no way they'll break into Sedona City."

Karl, who had just walked past, froze in place, turning his head to look at the two women as they walked away. His brows furrowed as he thought to himself: Is this just a coincidence? They're also looking for a wolf-tribe beastkin?

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