Atop the city walls of Chinston City, the pale afternoon light of four o'clock slanted down as the chill of the snowfield deepened.
Walking along the walkway, a dusting of white snow still rimmed the edges of the battlements. This long-unmelted silver coat made the texture of the stone bricks stand out all the brighter in the sunlight.
Lanqi's discussion with the assembly of lords was also drawing to a close.
Tomorrow, once he finalized the remaining administrative handovers that only he, as governor, could conclude, he would leave the Snowfield Province and head for the distant Northern Border Province farther north.
"Speaking of which, regarding Professor Meiqi, I heard an investigation team came from the Imperial Capital. It was precisely because of the information disclosed by those visitors from the capital that you mistook him even further for me. I'm a bit curious about what exactly they told you."
Lanqi turned around and asked the city-state lords.
The lords' expressions instantly turned a shade more embarrassed.
According to the final findings of the investigation, this Professor Meiqi was actually a cadre of the Spectre Party who had once taught at the Protos Royal Magic Academy. After resigning, he had moved to Box Mountain Province. Taking advantage of the current political climate, information asymmetry, and his formidable demagoguery, he had seized an opportunity and nearly infiltrated the highest echelons of the Snowfield Province.
If Professor Meiqi and Viscount Bourne had truly colluded and taken control of the Snowfield Province, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Before they could ever uncover the truth, they likely would have paid an irreversible price.
It could be said that, regarding this matter, no matter how the governor who had saved them chose to punish them, they would have had no complaints.
The lords exchanged brief glances from side to side before Viscount Laiwen Chinston finally spoke up.
"There has been a rumor recently. Bourne City, the northernmost city, took in an unidentified refugee. He claimed that something terrifying had happened in the north. However, after we dispatched men to contact the Northern Border Province, we found no such thing had occurred. We couldn't even verify the identity the refugee claimed for himself, as though the man had been fabricated out of thin air. His mental state was clearly deranged as well; he was soon sent to a hospital, and shortly afterward, he took his own life."
"Did anyone go to the north for an on-site investigation?"
Lanqi rubbed his chin and nodded.
In truth, from his earlier conversation with Viscount Chinston, Lanqi already knew the investigation team had strict orders forbidding disclosure of information. Therefore, had he asked outright, the lords might have hedged, and extracting every single piece of key information would have been quite troublesome.
From the investigation team's route, Lanqi had already formed a guess: it was most likely related to the Northern Border Province. That happened to be the final destination Cloris had commissioned him to investigate, where even her father, Duke Morotian Berenhard—bearer of the Original Slate - Undead—had gone missing.
"The matter was utterly absurd. It's said that not only our Snowfield Province, but other northern city-states also received similar refugees. This eventually drew the attention of the Imperial Capital, which dispatched an elite investigation team led by Major General Fanleiku," another lord beside him added.
"Major General Fanleiku..." Lanqi murmured.
Lanqi had heard of this imperial general back in the Imperial Capital. Born into an aristocratic family of the Protos Empire, Fanleiku had received rigorous military training and strategic education from an early age. In his youth, he had displayed extraordinary command talent and combat prowess. Now, at merely thirty-five years old, he was already an illustrious Tier 7 powerhouse and an imperial major general.
For the Empire to dispatch Major General Fanleiku, the potential threat of the situation had to be far greater than it appeared on the surface.
"Things are frightening right now. The residents cannot contact the south, northern transportation is temporarily cut off, and northern communication relay stations are frequently unstable. We are deeply worried that enemies we cannot resist might surge out from the north at any moment. The main garrisons are stationed in the Northern Border Province and the Northwestern Province; the Imperial Capital is unlikely to allocate concentrated forces to this Snowfield Province, which is mostly snowfields with relatively tiny urban areas."
"Back then, the tracks were still operating. The secret agents we dispatched to investigate arrived locally and verified that there were indeed no issues," another lord sighed as Lanqi pondered.
In truth, there shouldn't have been any major trouble. The war had not yet broken out, and the northern defense line possessed sufficient garrisons, so an unforeseen catastrophe seemed improbable.
By deduction, the greater possibility was that enemy spies were attempting to sow panic and suspicion across the north.
"What terrifying thing could make you worry to such an extent?" Lanqi asked again.
Now that they were all gathered, linking this matter to the farce with Professor Meiqi, they naturally dared not be perfunctory. Seeing that someone had already broken the gag order, the others had nothing left to fear and could speak freely.
His sharp question was like a cold dagger, making everyone present feel the sudden tension in the air.
The nobles looked at one another, their eyes filled with unease and hesitation. Some swallowed quietly, while others subconsciously fingered their lapels.
In the quiet, there were only faint breaths and exchanged looks.
Finally, Viscount Laiwen Chinston stepped forward slowly. His gaze grew resolute, the wrinkles on his face and his silver-gray hair lending him an air of composure and gravitas.
"That refugee said..."
Viscount Laiwen Chinston's voice paused, struggling to find the words.
"The Northern Border Province... was annihilated. It has already been dyed into a land of crimson."
He whispered the words into Lanqi's ear.
Although no one would casually believe such an absurd claim, it sounded utterly chilling. Especially under the current wartime atmosphere, if word got out, it could incite widespread panic regardless of how low its credibility was.
"..."
Hearing this, Lanqi fell into deep thought once more.
Standing on the ramparts, he cast his gaze into the distance, where snowy mountain peaks blurred behind the frost and snow, unable to reveal their contours.
A place where even Cloris's father had gone missing was indeed exceptionally perilous.
If he went alone, it would likely be a death sentence with no chance of survival.
He had previously assumed taking the Bishop of Domination along would guarantee absolute safety, but as things stood, venturing further north might harbor perils that even the Bishop of Domination could not necessarily handle.
Something seemed to be brewing in that distant north, invisibly approaching a critical point.
"Askesan, are you the one seeking to endanger the Empire?"
Lanqi's lips parted slightly as he murmured under his breath. Facing into the wind, he gazed at the frost-crisscrossed north, his emerald-green eyes shining like a bright lamp.
If something had gone wrong in the north guarded by the Bishop of Extinction, then no matter what, primary responsibility fell upon the Bishop of Extinction, Askesan.
He, Grand Governor Luoqi McCarthy, would certainly uncover the truth of everything and expose all their sins before the public in the Imperial Capital, Herrom!
Chapter 325