Mevis couldn’t be bothered with more conversation, so she turned and walked away. 

 

When the figure in the black robe turned around, all he saw was the flash of her large, snow-white tail disappearing around the corner.

 

“Heh, what a clever little fox. When did the cunning Foxfolk produce such a naive girl? Her strength is quite formidable, legendary… Hmph.”

 

Speaking to himself for a while, the figure in the black robe strode past the guarding beastman warriors and entered the central command tent.

 

Inside the tent, an elderly fox with mottled fur and a short stature was seated cross-legged on a central blanket, leaning on a rather ragged-looking wooden staff.

 

The old fox had long whiskers, an unruffled demeanor, an air of transcendence, and an aura of a formidable master.

 

“……”

 

“……”

 

In the spacious tent, it seemed there was only the elderly fox present. The figure in the black robe and the fox locked eyes for a while, but for some reason, neither of them spoke immediately.

 

“… What is it? Haven’t I told you not to enter our camp without permission? Even if there’s an agreement between the King and your master, you’re still a human.”

 

The elderly fox spoke with a detached tone, raising an objection to the intruder, although he didn’t seem particularly concerned. Perhaps this was the confidence of a strong individual.

 

“… What’s wrong with your eyes?”

 

After holding back his curiosity for a while, the figure in the black robe couldn’t help but emit a small, almost stifled, sound of laughter.

 

“Darn it! Don’t you even mention that to me!!”

 

It was as if the elderly fox had been stepped on its tail. In a split second, he lost his composure, transitioning from the dignified master to a grumpy next-door neighbor. He almost grabbed the wooden cane at his side and swung it at the cheeky human before him.

 

In truth, it wasn’t entirely the fault of the figure in the black robe for lacking courtesy. It was just that the appearance of this old fox was a bit too comical.

 

Since the moment they met, this fox had never opened his eyes, not because he was pretending to be profound but because both eye sockets seemed to have taken a few punches and were completely black. They were also covered in strange-colored patches, making it difficult to look at.

 

Probably to conceal this, all the curtains of the entire tent were tightly closed, and no fire was lit inside. It was pitch dark in there, and if the figure in the black robe didn’t have the ability to see in the dark, he might have been deceived.

 

“Pfft…”

 

The figure in the black robe could have contained his laughter initially, given his professional training, but the old fox’s outburst made the entire situation even more… cough, so it really wasn’t entirely his fault.

 

“Enough! Did you come here just to make fun of me?”

 

“Cough… No, of course not.”

 

Sensing that the old fox’s voice was turning icy and that a killing intent was gradually emanating from him, the figure in the black robe finally restrained himself.

 

Even though he appeared frail, it was only on the surface. The High Priest of the Saharit, the current chieftain of the Foxfolk, held a status in the Beastman Kingdom similar to a high-ranking official in a human empire. 

 

More importantly, he was a true legendary-level figure, having been renowned for decades. He was not only decisive in battle but also possessed the cunning and slyness unique to the Foxfolk. He was difficult to deal with and was only truly subservient to the powerful Beast King.

 

He was certainly not comparable to that young fox outside.

 

“Don’t be angry, High Priest. You know I didn’t mean it that way. I’m here to ask on behalf of my master why the beastman army has been inactive.”

 

“We have already informed you of the situation within the Wanhe Fortress, and the allied forces within the Kingdom have been temporarily delayed by various reasons. Right now, taking this formidable city, eliminating the target, and achieving a chance for negotiation between the Beast King and my master are the priorities. I don’t think someone as intelligent as you would fail to see these reasons.”

 

“Hmph, you make it sound so simple.”

 

The old fox, Saharit, didn’t lift his head, maintaining his original posture. He questioned in a low, solemn tone, “Didn’t the Beastman King promise to send his troops only on the condition that we assured him that General Leyton was severely ill and incapable of controlling the situation? But now, do you want to tell me that the person who stood atop the city walls the other day was an imposter?”

 

“I observed the high morale of the defenders at the Wanhe Fortress, their skill in warfare. This indicates that there must be a competent general in command rather than the chaos you described. Just on this basis, you are not qualified to dictate terms.”

 

“That’s a misjudgment!”

 

The figure in the black robe didn’t back down, responding with the same intensity. 

 

“Indeed, we made an error in this regard, but didn’t my master provide you with three times the resources and provisions you initially required to maintain the army’s expenses? I believe this already demonstrates our sincerity as the Beastman Kingdom’s partners. Shouldn’t the Beastman Kingdom, as our cooperating partner, also show some reciprocation? What happened earlier, those minor skirmishes, can hardly be called a siege, and…”

 

“A divine miracle.”

 

The old fox, Saharit, suddenly uttered two words, causing the words in the black robe’s mouth to come to a halt, and his expression to become somewhat stiff.

 

Saharit chuckled mockingly. “What, do you think that with all the commotion at the Wanhe Fortress, my Beastman Kingdom wouldn’t notice? Do you remember the divine punishment that streaked across the sky a few days ago? It happened at the western border of the Human United Kingdom. Surprisingly, you didn’t mention any of that.”

 

“Well… that was just an accident…”

 

The figure in the black robe’s momentum suddenly plummeted, and he sounded somewhat uneasy.

 

He had assumed that the Beastmen, as non-believers in the divine, wouldn’t care about gods and such ethereal matters. But he hadn’t expected Saharit to be so clever and use this aspect to his advantage.

 

According to the information obtained by his master, on the day the divine punishment occurred, Princess Lilya, the fifth princess, seemed to be suppressing a planned rebellion. What’s more, her location was very close to the incident.

 

If it had only happened once, they could call it a coincidence. However, Lilya had just arrived at the Wanhe Fortress when another earth-shaking divine miracle took place. This made it difficult not to connect the dots.

 

Despite their efforts to investigate, they still didn’t know who had summoned the divine power twice and why. They also had no knowledge if it could be used again.

 

However, even so, Lilya had to die. The princes couldn’t just give up the throne because she had experienced a couple of divine miracles.

 

“An accident? Hehehe, do you take me for a fool? Let me ask you this, do you remember the massive golden curtain that appeared on the Wanhe Fortress during the recent siege?”

 

“That scale, even if it falls short of miracles, is at least magic of the sixth rank or above. In other words, there is a powerhouse in that city comparable to His Majesty the Beastman King, surpassing the legendary realm.”

 

“Messenger, how many lives of Beastman warriors do you think I need to sacrifice to make up for this enormous gap in power? Hmm?”

 

The old fox’s voice became increasingly unpleasant.

 

It was evident that he was very displeased with the severely misguided intelligence from the man in the black robe. After all, until the light screen unfolded, Saharit had no idea that there was such a formidable expert within the stronghold.

 

Although there was a woman with white wings before who, through a special means, exposed and defeated Saharit’s Heavenly Eye technique, such things could be accomplished by experts specializing in certain aspects of legendary level. So, at that time, he only had suspicions.

 

“Surpassing legendary level…? Impossible. The Human United Kingdoms don’t officially have such level of experts. Currently, the known ones in the world, aside from the Beastman King, Feathered Emperor, and the Three Holy Saintess of the Holy Empire who can reach this level with artifacts. But there’s no reason for them to appear in the stronghold.”

 

“There’s nothing that’s impossible. Sensing my fox clan’s inherited Heavenly Eye technique, injuring me with one move, and casting defensive magic of rank six or above can only be beyond legendary.”

 

Saharit impatiently waved his hand, “Don’t come to me with questions about the human world. You rats from the sewers know it better.”

 

“I don’t care who is there now, but as long as the other party is still in the stronghold, I cannot go all out to launch a strong attack. You know how terrifying the surpassing level is.”

 

“But our deal…”

 

Seeing the man in the black robe persist, Saharit’s closed fox-like eyes slightly opened, and after a moment of icy glare…

 

But in the end, he reluctantly lowered the hand that had secretly lifted and sighed.

 

“Alright, I’ll give you a hint. If that princess named Lilya is as clever as you describe, she definitely won’t stay put in the city. We want to minimize losses, and she won’t be an exception, understand?”

 

The man in the black robe’s hand trembled, as if he suddenly realized something, and said with some disbelief, “Are you saying she will leave the city?”

 

“Yes, indeed. I have a rough idea of your royal family’s situation. For that princess, it’s a calamity, but also an invaluable opportunity she won’t miss.”

 

“Surprise attacks, decapitation, burning the food supply to cut off our provisions, the only methods you can use to force back my beastman army are those few.”

 

“As long as she leaves the stronghold, it’s manageable, isn’t it? What you truly want is her life, isn’t it?”

 

“I see, the Grand Priest is truly a mastermind. I admire that.”

 

Saharit didn’t react much to the man in the black robe’s flattery and rather impatiently waved his hand.

 

“I’ve told you what you wanted to hear. Now leave. If you dare trespass into my camp again, Mevis won’t hold back.”

 

The man in the black robe’s figure disappeared into the pitch-black tent, and Saharit’s expression finally revealed a hint of gravity.

 

“Miracles… gods… Are there truly gods in this world?”

 

The last sentence was spoken softly by the old fox, heard only by himself and the chilling wind howling across the plains.