Chapter 439: The Spy Within [Part 2]

"We need to get rid of that spy as soon as possible," Vogel said in a serious tone. "I don’t know what they used in the wells, but there is a good chance that they will use poison next."

"It will be difficult to find that spy right now," Dominic stated. "After the previous incident, I’m sure they are going to lie low."

Duran agreed with Dominic’s statement. Not only were they clueless about the identity of the spy, but they also didn’t know if there was one to begin with.

All they knew was that someone had likely leaked confidential military information to the Barbarians.

However, there was something that they didn’t understand.

How the hell did the enemies know that the Aurelion Empire and the Kingdom of Britannia were working together?

Only a few people knew about this secret.

Even they were only briefed on the situation just when they were about to set out to the Stoneguard Fortress.

Because of this, Dominic and Vogel ruled out anyone who was within their King’s inner circle.

"I think we need to have a talk with His Majesty," Duran said.

"You’re right." Vogel nodded in agreement. "If the spy is among His Majesty’s inner circle, that means they are either a high-ranking noble or someone he trusts very much."

After hearing what Dominic had to say, the two generals left to hold a meeting with their King using the Fortress Communication Crystal meant for long-distance communication.

Both generals deemed that the consumption needed for the communication to connect was worth the information that they were about to share with their King.

Marco, who was observing the discussion from a distance, narrowed his eyes.

Only a handful of people knew that Marco had a special ability.

This ability was to hear and see everything the person he targeted heard and saw.

This ability could only be used on one individual at a time, and it had very strict restrictions.

That restriction was that Marco needed to touch that person for more than ten seconds in order to leave an invisible mark.

And who was the person he used the ability on?

It was none other than Dominic, whom he had spent some time with.

Marco understood that although the Gryphon Commander had fallen from grace, he was still one of the leaders of this campaign.

This meant that he would also be privy to important information, which Marco was hoping would happen.

As long as he knew about the generals’ plans, he would be able to inform his son about it.

’So they think there’s a spy, huh?’ Marco smiled faintly. ’Good. Making them suspect each other is a good thing.’

Truth be told, if he could choose, he wanted to leave his mark on Duran.

Sadly, there was no way that the Black Tortoise General would allow Marco to touch him.

The Viscount was also not that stupid.

He already knew that Duran held a grudge against him because of something that happened several years ago.

Well, it wasn’t really a secret.

The two of them had been rivals since they were at the royal academy.

They didn’t get along back then and always clashed with each other. Even so, the one who had always won was Duran.

He was stronger than Marco, and their battles had always been one-sided.

Even so, Marco was very stubborn back when he was young. Regardless of how many times he had been beaten and sent to the infirmary, he never backed down from Duran’s challenge.

The Viscount thought that they would leave these childish affairs behind after they graduated from the academy.

For a few years, Marco and Duran hadn’t seen each other.

Duran was busy with his career as a military officer, while Marco was busy learning how to manage his territory from his father.

The two only reunited after the delegation of the Radiant Empire came to visit the Kingdom of Britannia to participate in their King’s birthday celebration.

And guess who was in that delegation?

Right, it was none other than Helen.

The moment she appeared, she became the apple of everyone’s eye. The King even proposed to make her his concubine, but the beautiful young lady politely declined his offer.

Everyone there, including Marco and Duran, thought that the old cow was still spicy for wanting to eat the young grass.

But they understood the King.

Every noble, as well as those who held high military positions, had been drawn to her beauty.

Duran, who was confident in his looks and skills, tried to pursue Helen relentlessly. However, he didn’t succeed.

No matter what method he used, whether soft or hard, the young lady didn’t yield and politely declined him each time.

In the end, Marco was the one who won the lottery.

He was the one who had succeeded in making the beautiful maiden accept his marriage proposal.

No one really knew Helen’s real identity since it was kept a secret. They only thought she was just a government official working for the Radiant Empire, asked to become one of their representatives during the King’s birthday party.

Marco only knew the truth after he married her.

While he became the happiest man in the world after their marriage, everyone else who failed, including Duran, held a grudge against him.

This included the King of Britannia.

Perhaps that was also the reason why Leone had been exiled to the Borderlands without being shown any kind of mercy.

It was a grudge that had festered for many years, instantly realized when the opportunity presented itself.

In the end, Marco no longer cared about their petty grudges.

The only thing on his mind right now was to keep his family safe, including Leone, who was currently leading the forces that were trying to stop the advance of the Britannian Army.

The next day, the army marched forth once again.

This time, they were sent off by the populace of Stoneguard Fortress with solemn looks on their faces.

In fact, the soldiers mirrored their expressions.

There was no joyous laughter, nor any proud bravado being spoken.

Instead, all of them marched with a determined look on their faces as if their very lives depended on it.

Duran and his warhorse were at the very front of the formation, while Vogel was at its center.

They had already created a foolproof strategy for today’s advance to the Borderlands.

And just as they expected, the Aslan Tribe finally understood just how difficult it was to stop the advance of the Britannian Army once they properly dissected their enemy’s capabilities.