Everyone Is A Lord: My Talent Is A Little Too Strong Chapter 2639: 1452: Calm Restored and Curious Minds (Part 2)
Previously on Everyone Is A Lord: My Talent Is A Little Too Strong...
Leo Ray initially gave a nod to the group, then surveyed the area. The Fortress had truly settled back into peace, aside from the battlefield fumes that still lingered somewhat.
A sudden recollection came to him, prompting his question: “And what happened to Jess and the rest of the Ancient Dark Elves?”
“My Lord, once the Rainforest Grand Army laid siege to this place, the Absolute Defense Barrier didn’t last much longer. General Jess and his comrades rushed out of the city multiple times to draw the foes’ focus, resulting in nearly all Ancient Dark Elf troops falling, General Jess included.”
With lowered gaze, Crisis informed Leo Ray: “It was precisely because of the Ancient Dark Elves’ sacrifices that the Fortress managed to endure until Grey Elder and the others came back.”
“I see, so they turned out to be the key heroes in this fight.”
Solemnly, Leo Ray gazed once more at the chaotic battlefield.
Thank goodness, the life essence of Jess and his fellows remains preserved in the Ancient Mine, so with enough time, they’ll be able to return.
With that in mind, Leo Ray steadied his expression and turned to Grey Elder and the group: “Esteemed elder, how exactly did you manage to drive back the Rainforest Fortress Alliance’s Grand Army?”
“Your Majesty, even we veteran servants were taken aback by it all. The tale begins when we journeyed toward Lina’s homeland.”
Grey Elder exchanged a grin with Yonir and Lina first, then bowed to Leo Ray before launching into his explanation.
From Grey Elder’s thorough narration, Leo Ray discovered that upon being transported close to Lina’s hometown via Ice Stone City, the team wasted no time heading straight there.
Being part of the Rainforest Fortress Alliance, Lina’s Mandela Clan might be modest in power, yet it secured an elder position within the group, allowing them to quickly grasp the ongoing events from the tribesmen who stayed behind.
After Loris and his allies made it back to the Rainforest Fortress Alliance, they hastily assembled a massive force mainly composed of Lions, Leopard-men, Bear-men, Centaurs, and Water Elves, launching an assault on the Fortress.
This force even incorporated multiple Legions from Lina’s own clan, as most Mandalas shine in wielding the Force of Nature, particularly for healing and purification roles, making them vital backups.
“So, you’re saying that Loris, Thomas, Old Susan, and the like launched this offensive against us right after getting back safely?”
Upon hearing that, Leo Ray displayed clear astonishment and doubt.
“Precisely, Your Majesty, we found ourselves equally baffled by that report. There was no logic to the enemy behaving so.”
Grey Elder furrowed his snowy brows and went on: “Following our deliberations, we concluded there could be just a single explanation.”
“You’re suggesting that Loris and his group got covertly substituted, aren’t you? The commands came from fakes, which makes sense of it all.”
Leo Ray lightly stroked his chin while theorizing: “However, the rest of the Rainforest Fortress Alliance remains oblivious to the pact we forged with the authentic Loris and company, so it’s no shock they’d obey the impostors and strike at us.”
“Just as we thought, Your Majesty pierced right through it.”
Yonir picked up the thread: “Despite harboring this doubt, we had zero proof at hand. Luckily, Lina astutely spotted a weakness in the enemy, verifying our suspicions.”
“Heh heh, My Lord, I’m nowhere near as impressive as Grandpa Yonir makes me out to be.”
Lina bashfully rubbed her head, her smile broad: “All I did was notice the enemy’s oddity when the supposed leader’s messenger demanded our entire tribe mobilize.”
“Though My Lord must already be aware, my people possess a special characteristic that demands extended sleep phases in caverns. That’s why we rotate shifts for urgent matters, avoiding total deployment.”
“Disrupting that rest brings on intense magical repercussions.”
As Lina spoke, Leo Ray nodded in contemplation.
True to what the young woman said, her clan does follow this peculiar custom, involving prolonged periods of rest akin to hibernation for energy gathering.
Lina herself skips this thanks to her practice of the Dead Spirits Beast Taming Technique, which lets her accomplish something similar through her sessions.
The real Loris, as head of the Rainforest Fortress Alliance, would certainly be aware of this custom and avoid calling for complete mobilization. A pretender, on the other hand, wouldn’t, especially since Lina’s clan is neither potent nor prominent.
After sorting through his ideas, Leo Ray posed another intrigued question: “And what came next?”
“Your Majesty, after verifying the foe’s true nature, we kept it under wraps and instead hunted for signs of the genuine rainforest leaders, blending into Lina’s clan’s logistics convoy before heading back toward the Fortress’s neighboring zones through the teleportation portal.”
Yonir’s aged gaze drifted as he recalled those moments: “If the rainforest leaders had been exchanged, the most probable spot was en route from the Shadow Market to the rainforest border Fortress. A thorough search along the path ought to uncover hints.”
“The rainforest leaders’ entourage possesses extraordinary might and assets, battle-hardened experts far surpassing the Dragonborn Queens. Even if every Witch Demon was mobilized, pulling it off without a trace would prove difficult.”
Yonir softly caressed his silver beard: “There’s just one approach that would let the Witch Demons pull it off.”
“The Illusion Technique?”
Leo Ray quickly seized the core issue, giving a subtle nod: “Provided the true rainforest leaders’ group got ensnared in the Illusion Realm, the Witch Demons’ covert actions would follow naturally.”
“Your Majesty’s wisdom shines through.”
Grey Elder commended Leo Ray before proceeding: “That’s right; right after departing the rainforest border Fortress, I scanned for Illusion Technique remnants along routes the rainforest leaders might have taken, since even the most expert illusion can merely confine its victims inside the realm, leaving tells beyond it.”
“As anticipated, at the fringe of a thick woodland, we detected Illusion signs—trees wrapped in haze, radiating a puzzling vibe.”
“The adversaries had masked the Illusion fog as typical dawn mist, complete with subtle droplets on the leaves. But on a night without moonlight, dawn mist makes no sense, breaking all reason.”
Grey Elder inclined his head to Leo Ray and pressed on: “Once we affirmed the Illusion fog’s presence, even as we plotted our following move, chaos erupted.”
“Out of the blue, figures burst from the adjacent woods—numerous Witch Demons and Dead Spirits Soldiers rapidly closing in around us.”
“In that instant, it dawned on us, though regrettably delayed, that we’d unwittingly wandered into an ambush, facing odds stacked against us.”
From Grey Elder’s lone narration, Leo Ray reflected: “Deploying the Illusion Technique naturally invites surrounding traps.”
Curiosity piqued, he then inquired: “Esteemed elder, how did you escape and dismantle the enemy’s plot?”
“Your Majesty, the events that ensued astonished even us.”
A enigmatic grin touched Grey Elder’s lined features as he carried on with his story.