Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Seeing the unusual behavior of the two men, Oliver grew suspicious.

He was the one in charge of the negotiations, and he had already stated that there was no need for further discussion. So, why were the two of them trying to intercept Victor? Was there a reason behind it? Since Oliver had only assumed command after the recapture of the Southern Frontier, his subordinates were already unwilling to accept his authority. If negotiations were taken out of his hands, it would diminish his authority, which he absolutely could not accept. "Both of you, cback here," he said sharply.

He then instructed the translator, "Tell Marshal Crow that if he's not sincere about it, the negotiations will end. If he still has a desire to negotiate, then the terms I set must be accepted." After the translator conveyed the message, Victor turned to look at Oliver. The former's face showed clear signs of impatience, though he did not appear entirely assured. Nonetheless, he did not let his guard down.

"Return to the city!" Victor ordered.

Louis and Timothy rushed forward, continuing to stand in Victor's way.

Louis bowed deeply. "Marshal Crow, Marshal Prince doesn't know Septimus personally and has no emotional attachment to him. So, he is unwilling to exchange Simonton City for him. However, we place great importance on Septimus, as he was once our comrade in arms. Please wait a little longer while we persuade our marshal." "If you could persuade him, you would have done so by now," Victor said coldly. "And didn't the Hell Monarch already make it clear? If you don't agree to exchange Septimus for Simonton City, then there is nothing more to discuss." "No, that's not it," Louis insisted. "His Highness is already on his way to Simonton City and should arrive in a few days. He values Septimus greatly, so things should take a turn for the better once he arrives." "The Hell Monarch is on his way?" Victor scrutinized Louis, not missing any subtle expressions on his face. Louis nodded earnestly. "Yes, that's right. He will arrive in a few days." Timothy retreated to apologize to Oliver, "Marshal Prince, please be patient. Even though we have decided to end the negotiations, it is important to maintain a facade of prolonged discussion. Otherwise, if news spreads that we gave up hastily, it could damage our reputation." Growing increasingly suspicious of the two men, Oliver pulled Timothy aside and asked, "Tellthe truth. Where is the Hell Monarch now?" Timothy hesitated. If he spoke candidly, Oliver might hold a grudge, especially since Rafael's mission to rescue Septimus had only been shared with Louis and him, and not with Oliver.

Timothy could only say, "I'm not sure, but having followed His Highness for three years, I have sunderstanding of him. He may have gone to Sandoria to rescue Septimus, but he didn't inform us to avoid leaks." Oliver's anger flared. "If you had such suspicions, why didn't you inform me?" Timothy thought to himself that Oliver's emotions were always on display. If he knew, it would be easy for Victor to sense it.

Victor had grown suspicious of Oliver's decisiveness, especially with the mention of Rafael. Timothy wondered if Louis could hold him off.

Regardless, even if they could delay for an hour or half an hour, it would at least buy Rafael more time. Today's negotiation was the best chance for carrying out the rescue mission.

"It's just a guess. How could we dare to inform you of something so uncertain?" Timothy said.

Oliver glared at him, his expression severe. He pondered for a moment, fearing that it wasn't just a guess and that the Hell Monarch was indeed on a rescue mission.

If Rafael succeeded, Starhaven

wouldn't need to trade anything with Sandoria or spend a single coin. Then, the Hell Monarch would gain even more prestige in the military.. Thus, Oliver couldn't do something that would go against Rafael's plans. Even if Oliver couldn't get a substantial reward, he should at least benefit in sway.

Softening his tone, Oliver said, "Regardless of whether your guess is correct, we can't take kisks. We should delay as much as possible. Let's go. We need to keep Marshal Crow occupied with Simonton City." Timothy breathed a sigh of relief and followed him.

However, they couldn't delay for long. Victor's suspicion had grown too strong. The moment Oliver mentioned the Hell Monarch, Victor had sensed something was off.

Victor kept his doubts to himself and continued talking for a while. But when he saw that Oliver didn't seem too concerned ncerned and was just dragging things out, he decided to stop the discussion immediately. "We're done here. Let's head back to the city," said Victor, having been driven to his breaking point by Oliver's superficial demeanor. If the Hell Monarch was indeed attempting a rescue, it would likely occur when the guards changed shifts, which was around midnight. They should still have tto return to the city now.

He grabbed his cloak and marched out, followed by his men. They quickly mounted their horses and left. Oliver turned to Timothy. "We've done all we can. The rest depends on the Hell Monarch's abilities. If the rescue is successful, he will have achieved a great feat. If not, we cannot be blamed." X RULE #1 choose married women They have reason to keep things secret, as do you.

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