Marcus gave a detailed introduction to the situation in Red Leaf Territory.
"The Earl of Red Maple Territory's standing Knight Order has about five hundred members, of which about two hundred have explicitly pledged allegiance to Sir Gawain. The remaining three hundred are currently neutral, and both sides are vying for their support."
"However, Alanric has also secretly cultivated a private army of about one hundred men. In addition, His Highness First Prince Elliott seems to have dispatched a crack squad of about fifty men to secretly infiltrate Red Leaf City, serving as Alanric's aid."
"Currently, both sides are in a standoff, but Sir Gawain is worried that once the Earl... Alanric will immediately make his move."
"Of course, Sir Gawain is not without support. His maternal grandfather, the Viscount of Blue Lake Territory, has replied that he will soon send an Earth Knight leading a hundred-man Knight squadron to Red Leaf Territory to support his inheritance of the title."
Lei Luo nodded, having generally made his judgment.
Gawain was not without a chance of winning; he merely lacked a decisive force to break the deadlock.
"Knight Marcus, you've worked hard on your journey. This matter is of great importance, and I need to consider it carefully and discuss it with my subordinates."
Lei Luo looked at Marcus.
"You return to Red Leaf Territory first. I have an appointment with Viscount Baker of Red Maple Territory, and I will be going to Red Maple Territory in a few days. Since the two territories are adjacent, I will go to Red Leaf Territory and discuss this matter in detail with Sir Gawain in person."
Marcus was overjoyed, knowing that since Lei Luo was willing to personally visit Red Leaf Territory, he must already be interested in participating in this matter. He just had concerns about the compensation or other issues that needed to be discussed in person with Sir Gawain.
"Thank you, my lord. I will go back and report to Sir Gawain immediately."
After Marcus withdrew, silence returned to the study.
Bolin looked at Lei Luo's solemn expression and asked with some concern, "My lord, should we... intervene in the affairs of the Earl of Red Maple Territory? That involves His Highness First Prince Elliott..."
"Go and call Ed and Barrett."
"Yes, my lord," Bolin replied.
Soon, there was a knock on the study door, and a moment later, Ed and Barrett walked in, one after the other.
"My lord."
The two bowed in salute.
Lei Luo nodded, motioning for them to sit down.
"Bolin, tell them what just happened."
"Yes, my lord."
Bolin replied, concisely recounting Marcus's plea for help and Gawain's promise to grant half the ownership of the copper mine, also pointing out that the matter involved First Prince Elliott.
After listening to Bolin's narration, no one spoke in the study for a while.
"My lord, a medium-sized copper mine is invaluable and greatly aids the development of a territory. However, the struggle for succession in the Earl of Red Maple Territory has His Highness First Prince Elliott behind it. Our Blackstone Territory's foundation is not yet stable. Getting involved in a vortex of this level too early, I'm afraid..."
Barrett weighed the pros and cons before stating his opinion.
He did not speak definitively, but his concerns were obvious.
Rashly confronting the Prince, who is in the line of succession to the kingdom, would be too much pressure for the developing Blackstone Territory.
Bolin, listening from the side, also quietly echoed, "Yes, my lord, His Highness First Prince Elliott... We must be cautious."
Ed remained silent, his eyelids lowered, seemingly still deep in thought.
Lei Luo's gaze swept over the faces of the three, taking in their expressions.
"Barrett, Bolin, do you still remember the Blood Wolf Band?"
Bolin was startled, then replied, "Of course I remember, my lord. Those hyenas, they invaded our Blackstone Territory twice and were sent scurrying with their tails between their legs."
When he mentioned this, his tone carried a hint of pride; it was one of the more impressive battles he had participated in.
Lei Luo nodded slightly.
"The first time, they suffered heavy losses. Why did they return so soon after, launching a second attack? Was it merely for revenge?"
"Would a group of bandits entrenched on the border be willing to pay such a huge price again for so-called 'revenge' just to chew on our hard bone?"
At these words, Barrett's brow furrowed again.
Ed also looked up, seemingly wanting to speak but hesitating.
Indeed, the Blood Wolf Band's actions were strange.
They were bandits, seeking wealth, not a fight to the death.
After being crippled the first time, they charged even more furiously the second time, which defied logic.
The atmosphere in the study became somewhat subtle due to Lei Luo's words.
Lei Luo looked at their thoughtful expressions and said, word by word, "They are First Prince Elliott's men."
No one spoke, and the room fell into an eerie silence.
After a long while, Ed, who had remained silent, finally spoke.
"I had long suspected this, but since my lord did not explicitly say so, I dared not speak too much."
"Bolin, Barrett, you both lived in Lei Long City for a long time. You must have heard something about First Prince Elliott's character."
"It's not surprising for Elliott to do such things."
Ed even omitted the respectful title for the Prince at the end, directly stating his name.
Bolin and Barrett nodded. First Prince Elliott was known for being secretive and narrow-minded, so such actions were not surprising.
"My lord, since the Prince already sees us as a thorn in his side, we have nothing to hesitate about!"
Barrett said in a deep voice.
"We must get involved in the muddy waters of the Earl of Red Maple Territory! Not only for the profit from that copper mine but also for the survival of our Blackstone Territory! We absolutely cannot let the Prince's scheme succeed. Otherwise, once the Earl of Red Maple Territory falls into his hands, the north of our Blackstone Territory will never know peace!"
Ed also nodded in agreement.
"Barrett is right. My lord, it now seems that aiding Gawain is not us actively provoking the Prince, but rather a necessary counterattack. If we can help Gawain succeed, we will not only gain a large income but also a reliable ally, disrupting the Prince's plans in the North. This move will be more beneficial than harmful."
He analyzed calmly.
Bolin looked at Lei Luo, then at the agitated Barrett and the calm yet resolute Ed. The worry in his heart was replaced by a sense of shared enmity.
"My lord... I understand."
Lei Luo looked at his most important aides reaching a consensus, a slight smile appearing on his face.
This was exactly the outcome he wanted.
Unifying their thoughts would greatly facilitate the subsequent work.
"Very good."
Lei Luo stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the distant, continuous Black Stone Mountain Range.
The sky outside the window was clear as a mirror. Several crows with dark red feathers swept across the sky, finally landing on a withered old tree outside Blackstone Town, letting out a few hoarse caws.
Just then, there was another urgent knock on the study door.
"Come in."
A dusty knight walked in quickly, kneeling on one knee: "My lord!"
The knight's voice held an uncontrollable excitement.
"As you instructed, our team has been taking turns patrolling the edge of the Mist Forest. We found a group of Pegasus in a clover meadow near the Black Stone Mountain Range! There are about a dozen of them!"
Although Blackstone Territory had already formed a Pegasus Knight squad, the number of mounts had always been scarce, greatly limiting the development of their aerial power.
Lei Luo had arranged for people to patrol the edge of the Mist Forest daily, and today, good news finally arrived.
