Everyone Is A Lord: My Talent Is A Little Too Strong Chapter 2639: 1452: Calm Restored and Curious Minds (Part 2)
Previously on Everyone Is A Lord: My Talent Is A Little Too Strong...
Leo Ray initially gave a nod to the group, then surveyed the area. The Fortress had truly settled into peace once more, aside from the battlefield fumes that still lingered faintly.
Something suddenly came to mind for him, prompting the question, “And what of Jess along with the rest of the Ancient Dark Elves?”
“My Lord, once the Rainforest Grand Army laid siege to this place, the Absolute Defense Barrier didn’t last much longer. General Jess and his comrades made repeated rushes beyond the walls to draw enemy fire, resulting in nearly every Ancient Dark Elf warrior falling, General Jess included.”
With lowered brows, Crisis informed Leo Ray: “It was precisely because of the Ancient Dark Elves’ sacrifices that the Fortress endured until Grey Elder and the others could come back.”
“I see, so they ended up being the key heroes of this fight.”
Solemnly, Leo Ray gazed once more at the chaotic field of battle.
Thank goodness, the life essences of Jess and his fellows remain preserved in the Ancient Mine, so with enough time, they’ll be able to return.
With that in mind, Leo Ray steadied his expression and turned to Grey Elder and the group: “Esteemed elder, tell me, how exactly did you drive back the Grand Army of the Rainforest Fortress Alliance?”
“Your Majesty, even we veteran servants found ourselves utterly unprepared. It all began when we journeyed toward Lina’s homeland.”
Grey Elder exchanged a grin first with Yonir and Lina, offered a formal bow to Leo Ray, and then launched into his explanation.
From Grey Elder’s thorough recounting, Leo Ray discovered that upon being transported close to Lina’s homeland via Ice Stone City, the team wasted no time in heading straight there.
Being part of the Rainforest Fortress Alliance, Lina’s Mandela Clan might have been feeble, yet it secured an elder position within the group, allowing them to quickly grasp the ongoing events from those left at the village.
Upon their return to the Rainforest Fortress Alliance, Loris and his associates hastily assembled a massive force mainly composed of Lions, Leopard-men, Bear-men, Centaurs, and Water Elves, launching an assault on the Fortress.
Among them were multiple Legions from Lina’s own kin, as most Mandalas specialized in wielding the Force of Nature, particularly for restoration and cleansing, making them vital aids that couldn’t be done without.
“So you’re saying that Loris, Thomas, Old Susan, and the rest launched this offensive against us right after making it back safely?”
Upon hearing that, clear astonishment and doubt appeared on Leo Ray’s face.
“That’s right, Your Majesty—we were just as baffled upon learning of it. There was no logic to the foes behaving so.”
Grey Elder furrowed his snowy brows and went on: “Following our deliberations, we concluded there was just a single possible cause.”
“You’re suggesting Loris and the others got covertly substituted, aren’t you? The commanders giving orders are fakes, and that makes everything fall into place.”
Leo Ray lightly stroked his chin while theorizing, “However, the remaining folks in the Rainforest Fortress Alliance don’t know about the pact we made with the true Loris and his group, so it’s no shock they’d obey the pretenders and come at us.”
“Just as we thought, Your Majesty pierced the truth right away.”
Yonir proceeded: “Though we harbored this doubt, proof was nowhere to be found. Luckily, Lina astutely spotted the adversaries’ weakness, verifying what we suspected.”
“Heh heh, My Lord, I’m nowhere near as impressive as Grandpa Yonir makes me out to be.”
Lina bashfully rubbed her head, her smile beaming: “All I did was notice the foes’ oddity when the chief’s messenger demanded our entire clan mobilize completely.”
“But of course, My Lord must already be aware that my people possess a special characteristic, one that demands extended rests inside caverns. That’s why we rotate shifts for urgent matters, avoiding total commitment.”
“Disrupting that rest brings about intense magical repercussions.”
As Lina spoke, Leo Ray nodded in contemplation.
True to what the young woman said, her clan truly followed a peculiar custom, one involving prolonged, dormancy-like recharges of power.
Lina herself could bypass it thanks to practicing the Dead Spirits Beast Taming Technique, replicating the effect through her practice sessions.
The real Loris, as head of the Rainforest Fortress Alliance, would certainly be aware of this peculiarity and avoid calling for full activation. A fake, on the other hand, wouldn’t, especially since Lina’s clan was neither powerful nor prominent.
After sorting out his ideas, Leo Ray inquired further with interest: “And then what unfolded?”
“Your Majesty, after verifying the foes’ true natures were compromised, we kept it under wraps and instead hunted for signs of the authentic rainforest chiefs, blending into the supply convoy of Lina’s clan before heading back toward the Fortress’s nearby allies through the teleportation portal.”
Yonir’s aged gaze drifted as he evoked those moments: “Should the rainforest chiefs have been exchanged, the most probable spot was en route from the Shadow Market to the rainforest’s frontier Fortress. A thorough search along the path ought to uncover hints.”
“The rainforest chiefs’ entourage possessed extraordinary power and supplies, battle-hardened experts far surpassing even the Dragonborn Queens. Even with every Witch Demon mobilized, pulling it off without a trace would prove difficult.”
Yonir softly caressed his silver beard: “There exists just one approach that would let the Witch Demons pull it off.”
“Illusion Technique?”
Leo Ray quickly seized the heart of it, giving a subtle nod: “Provided the actual rainforest chiefs’ group got ensnared in the Illusion Realm, the Witch Demons’ covert actions would make perfect sense.”
“Your Majesty’s wisdom shines brightly.”
Grey Elder commended Leo Ray before adding: “Yes, right after departing the rainforest frontier Fortress, I scanned for signs of Illusion Technique along routes the rainforest chiefs might have taken, since no illusion, however masterful, confines its victims solely inside the realm—traces always leak outward.”
“As anticipated, at the brink of a thick woodland, we detected remnants of the Illusion—trees wrapped in haze, radiating a puzzling presence.”
“The adversaries had masked the Illusion haze as dawn mist, complete with subtle droplets on the foliage. But on a night without moonlight, dawn mist simply doesn’t occur, which goes against all reason.”
Grey Elder inclined his head to Leo Ray and pressed on: “Having identified the Illusion haze, even as we plotted our following move, chaos erupted.”
“Out of the blue, figures burst from the surrounding woods—numerous Witch Demons and Dead Spirits Soldiers rapidly surrounded us.”
“In that instant, it dawned on us, regrettably delayed, that we’d unwittingly wandered into an ambush, hopelessly outnumbered.”
As Grey Elder narrated alone, Leo Ray reflected: “Once the Illusion Technique is in play, it’s only natural for encircling foes to spring up.”
Next, he posed with curiosity, “Esteemed elder, how did you manage to escape and dismantle the adversaries’ plot?”
“Your Majesty, the events that came next astonished even us.”
A enigmatic grin played across Grey Elder’s lined features as he resumed his story.