Everyone Is A Lord: My Talent Is A Little Too Strong Chapter 2591: 1428: Listening and Decision-Making

“At the command of Your Human Majesty, here is the report on the current situation.”

Nal took a slow, deep breath, attempting to compose his nerves before he began the explanation.

Exactly three hours prior, Nal had been serving as a general, accompanying Dana and Davis to inspect the Forest-side Fortress located on the northern frontier of the Dragonborn territory.

Once they reached the stronghold, Nal and several other generals followed Dana's instructions to begin patrolling and bolstering the city's fortifications. Meanwhile, Dana and Davis departed for the scouting outposts surrounding the fortress to collect the most recent intelligence.

“Per the established timetable, Her Majesty the Queen and His Highness Prince Winged were expected back at the fortress no later than two hours ago. However, we waited an additional fifteen minutes beyond that window, and there was still no sign of Her Majesty or His Royal Highness.”

Nal’s draconic features were twisted with worry and desperation as he went on: “As more time slipped by, we realized the situation was abnormal and immediately attempted to establish contact via magic communication. However, we were completely unable to reach Her Majesty the Queen or His Royal Highness.”

“By that point, we were certain that some disaster had befallen Her Majesty and His Royal Highness. Both are known for being exceptionally punctual and have never been delayed like this in the past.”

“Following this, we immediately mobilized the fortress's elite troops to conduct a search along their path and checked the status of every nearby scout post. The findings were terrifying.”

Nal’s tone became increasingly grim as he continued: “Her Majesty the Queen, His Royal Highness, and the Imperial Guards seem to have vanished into thin air. No physical evidence was left on the roads they used, and there wasn't even the slightest indication of a struggle.”

Hearing this, Leo Ray gave a contemplative nod.

In contrast to the experts of the Human Clan, Dragonborn experts prefer flight, which makes it difficult for them to leave tracks or footprints on the ground.

Furthermore, Nal's final remark drew significant concern from the group.

“No evidence at all? The Dragonborn Queen and Your Highness Winged Prince are both Tier 6 experts. If my memory serves me, the majority of the Dragonborn Imperial Guards are at Tier 5, with several reaching Tier 6. More importantly, those guards are elite soldiers who would have signaled immediately if they encountered anything suspicious.”

Fanny’s pale face was etched with seriousness as she knit her brows and spoke: “This strongly suggests that if they were intercepted by a powerful foe, the enemy possessed overwhelming strength and carried out a meticulously prepared plan, leaving them absolutely no window to respond.”

“So, are we looking at a calculated ambush?”

Shuert’s weathered, wood-like face was deep in thought as he mused: “The only entity capable of such a feat would be the opposing faction. This couldn't be the work of a stray pack of Demon Beasts or a random horde.”

“Elder Shuert makes a fair point, but is there another potential explanation?”

Bruno stroked the thick fur on his bovine face while sharing his perspective: “Could His Highness Winged Prince have accidentally stumbled into a Barrier Area, much like our Minotaur fleet did recently?”

“While that is a theoretical possibility, it can be ruled out entirely.”

Nal nodded toward Bruno and explained: “The General might not be aware, but the Forest-side Fortress I mentioned is an inheritance from an ancient Dragonborn stronghold dating back to the Era of Blankness.”

“Although the majority of the ancient formations are defunct, one specific ancient formation remains operational: the Space Wave Detection Array.”

“We lack the ability to recreate such a complex ancient magic array, but through three millennia of practice, we have mastered its use. The array’s sensing field covers every scout post and the routes used by Her Majesty and the others, even reaching deep into enemy territory.”

“Over the last thousand years, even when the Shadow Market in the Land of Divine Favor manifested near the fortress multiple times, the array detected it perfectly. This proves its immense power and sensitivity.”

Nal let out a soft sigh and concluded: “This implies that any use of teleportation spells or the opening of a Barrier Area entrance would have been easily caught by the magic array. During the time of the disappearance, the array showed no reaction.”

“So the chance of them entering a Barrier Area is zero?”

Crisis reflected for a moment before asking: “General Nal, even if no physical traces remain, you should be able to estimate the timeframe and the location of the disappearance based on reports from the scout posts, correct?”

“To the Lord Clan Leader of the Wood Fairy Clan, that is exactly what I was coming to.”

Nal gripped his teacup tightly as he replied: “According to the logs from the scout posts, Her Majesty and His Highness finished their duties on time. They vanished on the return trip to the fortress, just before the two-hour mark. We have pinpointed the exact route and performed a rigorous sweep of the area, but we still found nothing.”

“Essentially, the Dragonborn Queen and Prince Winged vanished in that small window of time? No, since spatial anomalies are ruled out, it is more accurate to say they were intercepted.”

Hanal Tree rubbed his coarse chin and pondered: “To achieve all of this silently within thirty minutes suggests a remarkably precise conspiracy executed with immense power. The most probable culprit is the Rainforest Fortress Alliance stationed opposite us.”