Lord of the Oasis Chapter 815 - The grand finale (II)

“Yes... Affirmative.” Abel paused briefly before nodding.

“Um... Lord Bernard.” The attendant glanced around, then whispered into Abel’s ear, “Judge Ethan and the others are not currently in the hall...”

“Where have they gone?” Abel inquired casually.

“Well...” The attendant appeared hesitant, seemingly struggling with whether to disclose the information. After a considerable pause, he finally stated, “I am unable to comment on that matter. Captain Abel is here to reconnect with old friends, is that not so? I shall summon Judge Cullen; he will provide you with an explanation.”

Abel gave him a peculiar look and responded, “I have no desire to see anyone in Ethan’s absence. Please arrange a lounge for me. I have a scheduled meeting with someone here shortly.”

“Very well,” the attendant replied with evident pleasure.

Abel acknowledged this with a nod. However, the attendant made no move for a long time, simply standing beside Abel with his head bowed.

“Is there anything else?” Abel asked.

“Captain, the rental fee for the lounge...” The attendant, perhaps assuming the captain had been absent from the monitoring station for an extended period, nervously pursed his lips and reminded him.

“Ah, it has indeed been quite some time. I had forgotten about such a procedure.” Abel placed a hand on his forehead and inquired tentatively, “By the way, what is the rental cost again?”

“Twenty gold coins,” the attendant replied.

Upon hearing this sum, Abel discreetly jingled the purse at his waist, an action the attendant did not witness. It contained merely a few silver coins.

“Charge it to Fanny’s account. I typically do not carry much cash when I go out,” Abel stated after a moment of silence.

“Naturally, naturally. It is merely a trivial amount, after all.” The attendant readily agreed, inwardly regretting not proposing this solution sooner, which might have alleviated the awkwardness. He recognized his slow reaction and felt he had squandered an opportunity to leave a favorable impression on the general.

Abel was taken aback by the attendant’s words. He was astonished that even a common attendant at the monitoring center would speak so casually. In the Elf Kingdom, twenty gold coins could sustain a middle-class elf for a significant portion of their life.

Considering this, Abel had no intention of offering the waiter a few silver coins from his meager funds as a reward.

He was, after all, a special general of the Supervision Bureau. Such stinginess at this juncture might arouse suspicion.

“I shall see to the arrangements for you, my lord. Please make yourself comfortable in the tea room in the main hall for the time being.” After confirming the specifications of the lounge Abel required, the attendant departed.

Abel ambled around the lounge area for a short while.

Standing by the window of the leisure section, adjacent to the tea room, he could just make out the horse trough in the backyard.

Reuben’s specialized carriage was parked there.

“Where could they be?” Abel mused silently.

The time required to arrange the lounge exceeded his expectations. Abel selected a quiet corner to sit.

He sipped his tea and indulged in some pastries, awaiting the return of the attendant.

Meanwhile, Kant had already proceeded to the guild nearest to the inn.

Before he could even initiate contact, a patrolling soldier appeared before him. It seemed they had spotted Kant and immediately converged on him, breathing heavily.

“Your Majesty Kant, what brings you here?” one of the soldiers inquired.

“Who else among our men is currently on patrol?” Kant, disregarding the soldier’s surprise, asked with urgency.

“The East City, near the monitoring station and the street where the guild was previously located. The majority of our personnel are concentrated in these areas,” a stern-faced soldier captain recalled meticulously.

“There are also men near the monitoring station?” Kant asked, surprised.

“Yes, a contingent of soldiers and the group involved in the planned attack were dispatched to the monitoring station today. Upon receiving the news, our brethren from the West District rushed over immediately,” the soldier explained. “They sent a soldier to deliver a message to us during lunch.”

“I understand.” Kant nodded and declared, “Then we must act swiftly. Quickly, dispatch individuals to locate the soldiers in the East City and instruct them to join us at the monitoring station.”

“Your Highness?” The soldier captain inquired, a note of confusion in his voice.

“Also, dispatch a few individuals to relay messages to the Dragon clan and the Midget clan, informing them to hasten back to the town.” Kant shook his head and issued the calm orders.

“Understood.” Although the soldier remained unclear about the rationale behind these actions, they were committed to fulfilling Kant’s requests without question.

The soldiers tasked with delivering the messages were the fastest within the army, naturally adept at such missions. Having received Kant’s instructions, they promptly vanished into the bustling crowd.

“Let us proceed,” Kant commanded the soldiers following him.

To avoid drawing the attention of the street's many pedestrians, Kant, along with the squad captain, each directed a contingent of people towards the monitoring station.

Roughly ten minutes later, Abel had already consumed half of the snacks arrayed on the table.

A waiter approached him, announcing, "Captain Bernard, the room has been prepared. Kindly follow me."

"Understood," Abel responded with a nod, rising from his seat and falling into step behind the waiter.

Abel had made arrangements for a room situated on the first floor, reasoning that its proximity to the main hall and the constant stream of people would offer greater convenience for his eventual departure.

Throughout the escort, the attendant remained conspicuously silent, offering no initiating conversation with Abel.

The pair proceeded in quietude down the corridor until they halted before a simple wooden door.

The attendant produced a key from his pocket, unlocking the door for Abel, and inquired, "Mr. Abel, may I ask the name of your anticipated guest? We can dispatch someone to the front desk to greet them."

"There's no need," Abel gestured dismissively. "Those individuals are likely to be somewhat boisterous. If you attempt to greet them personally, managing them might prove quite challenging. They should arrive within the next half-hour; just let them find their way here."

"Ah, I see." The attendant hesitated briefly before nodding. "Very well."

"Excellent. Thank you for your service. You are dismissed now; I wish for a moment of solitude," Abel concluded with a nod.

"Yes, sir." The attendant departed the room with a dejected air, closing the door softly behind him.

Upon exiting the room, he let out a protracted sigh and murmured to himself, "It appears the general truly holds no fondness for me."

Typically, government officials rarely chose to rent rooms on the first floor. The environment there wasn't exactly tranquil, and the dim illumination in the corridor meant few lights were on. When the attendant heard Abel's request, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.

Chapter 874: Developments in the Plan

Once the attendant's footsteps had faded into the distance, Abel rose from the sofa. He moved to the door, gently pressing his right ear against the wood. After a prolonged period, he still detected no discernible sounds from within.

Abel drew a deep breath, twisted the doorknob, and extended his upper body outward. Pivoting, he scanned both ends of the corridor.

"It's dreadfully dark in here," Abel commented with practiced ease as he stepped into the corridor, adding, "Why did that waiter take the key?"

More than a dozen guest rooms lined the corridor on either side. Given that this business section was situated at the rear of the main hall, no artificial light reached this area to illuminate it.

Within the dimness, the faint light spilling from beneath a few doors became remarkably conspicuous.

Abel channeled his spiritual energy, levitating his body and gliding silently down the corridor.

He approached rooms where he detected signs of occupancy, cautiously assessing for any activity within.

However, the conversations he overheard outside the doors consisted of officials engrossed in discussing matters of state. For Abel, unfamiliar with the town's political landscape, their discourse on elections and constitutions sounded like an incomprehensible jumble, causing his attention to wander. After a brief period, he decided to move on. Perhaps Kant would have found such topics engaging.

Without conscious intent, Abel found himself at the termination of the corridor, before a particular room.

The door to this room was fashioned from iron, and bore no sect designation for identification. The occupants were engaged in conversation, and the warm glow of candlelight flickered through the narrow gap between the floor and the bottom of the door.

Abel leaned against the door, listening intently for a while. It remained unclear whether the inhabitants were speaking too softly or if the room possessed superior soundproofing compared to others. He could only discern faint tones, unable to decipher the substance of their exchange.

Abel retracted the spiritual energy that had sustained his flight, drawing it back into his body. Then, with closed eyes, he traced a magic circle in the air. The ambient moisture instantly coalesced and froze. As Abel's eyes snapped open, a gust of wind swept through, carrying the frozen droplets into the room.

Subsequently, Abel's perspective shifted. From this new vantage point, he observed the airborne water droplets adhering to each individual within the room.

Abel could perceive the body temperature of each person present. Among those exhibiting generally elevated temperatures, one muscular man registered a 'blue' hue, indicating a significantly lower temperature.

From his position outside the door, Abel allowed a subtle smile to grace his lips.

Meanwhile, Bunduk, seated within the room, let out a sudden, loud sneeze. He couldn't fathom why, but at that precise moment, he experienced a sensation akin to a bucket of cold water being doused over him.

Trueben, who had been engaged in a verbal spar with the individual he was meeting, turned his head, casting a perplexed glance at Bunduk.

Following the arrival of the undead who had come to meet Bunduk, a heavy atmosphere descended upon them.

Currently, Bunduk was putting all his effort into convincing the undead soldier about the veracity of the information he had brought.

This conversation, however, was abruptly halted by a loud sneeze from Bunduk.

Taking a handkerchief from a member of the Dark Side, Bunduk offered a sheepish apology. “My deepest apologies, I suddenly felt a chill. Please, do continue your discussion.”

Trubin shot him a glare, silencing himself with a visibly displeased expression.

“I too felt a bit cold. It seems to be some movement at the door,” the snake-woman, who had just handed Bunduk the handkerchief, remarked with a seductive smile.

“Indeed, Jie Rou, go and investigate the disturbance at the door,” the undead sitting at the front desk instructed the attendant nearby.

Jie Rou, a dragon turtle, acknowledged this with a nod and slowly made her way towards the entrance.

As Jie Rou passed the sofa where Bunduk was seated, he idly glanced at her. He noticed her teeth were blackened and her eyes were blood-red, conveying a menacing desire to devour. Bunduk couldn't help but feel a jolt of shock. He had already registered the peculiar nature of the Dark Side members upon entering the room. The dragon turtle, stationed in the corner, had initially appeared the most docile of them all.

He had not anticipated that upon opening its eyes, it would reveal such a fearsome appearance.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, the ancient dragon turtle casually pushed aside the heavy metal door, weighing dozens of kilograms. It craned its neck to peer outside. Finding nothing amiss, it turned back and reported, “No one is there.”

“Understood, return to your post,” the undead nodded gently and gestured for the dragon turtle to come back.

“Dong!” The metal door swung shut. The dragon turtle closed its eyes and retreated to its original corner, appearing to drift back into slumber.

Having observed the entire exchange, Trubin could not refrain from posing a question to the undead sitting opposite him. “So, what now? What are your intentions regarding this individual?”

“Even if I were to believe your account, our superiors may not necessarily accept him. We require some form of proof,” the undead replied deliberately.

“What kind of evidence?” Trubin inquired, his brow furrowed.

The undead narrowed its eyes at Trubin, then turned its gaze towards Bunduk, posing a question. “Kid, you know Pick, correct?”

“Yes,” Bunduk replied, momentarily taken aback.

“I heard him mention leaving a specific type of insect within your body. Are you aware of this?” the undead inquired softly.

“I am aware,” Bunduk confirmed with a nod.

“Mmm,” the undead responded with a nod. “To be candid, if Trubin had not interceded on your behalf, you would not have even reached this point. However, as we have arrived at this juncture, we must ascertain the truth of your statement.”

“My intentions are genuine! I have resolved to join your ranks,” Bunduk stated swiftly.

“No, no, no,” the undead replied with a smile. “The promise should not be made by you in your current state.”

“What do you mean by that?” Bunduk feigned surprise, inquiring.

“Allow me to reveal the truth,” the undead, after glancing at Trubin, continued. “The poison that Pick administered to you not only shortens your lifespan but also erodes your mental power. Do you comprehend the implications of this?”

“This…” Bunduk gently shook his head.

“In essence, your life now rests in our hands. Abandon any thoughts of deception, for we can perceive your every thought,” the undead declared icily.

“Then, would you please save me?” Bunduk asked in a low voice. “If what you say is accurate, then Pick possesses the ability to control my consciousness, correct? I can assure you that my previous statement was the truth. You can summon Pick here; I am willing to swear an oath before him.”

“Grace,” the undead said after a moment of silence, calling out the snake-woman's name. “Go summon Pick.”

“General…” the snake-woman began, her tone laced with conflict.

Chapter 875: The Timely Arrival of the Team

“Go, he is currently with Luo Qi,” the undead commanded.

“Understood.” The snake-woman nodded in reluctant agreement and replied. The instant she exited the room, a smile graced Bunduk’s face.

“Dong!” The door opened once more, and Abel, who had been concealed on the ceiling earlier, rushed out of the hall upon receiving the crucial intelligence.

He encountered Kant and his companions.

“Your Highness!” Abel exclaimed.

Hearing the shout, Kant, who had just entered the hall, paused in surprise before realizing the identity of the forty-year-old elf before him – it was Abel in disguise. After a quick assessment of their surroundings, Kant’s soldiers held their positions while he pulled Abel into a corner of the hall. “Why did you emerge? Did I not instruct you to await us in the room on the first floor? There are still many people present in the hall.”

“I received urgent news!” Abel stated nervously. “Pick, Pick is currently with someone named Luo Qi. The members of the Dark Side organization are preparing to go out and send a message to him.”

“What?” Kant exclaimed, surprised by the rapid turn of events. Their initial strategy had been to meticulously search from the first floor, seeking an opportune moment to uncover the prison’s location.

“It’s a rather lengthy tale,” Abel quickly interjected, gesturing for Kant to lower his voice. “Bunduk and the others are currently situated in the conference hall at the rear of the first floor. Bunduk appears to be quite secure for the moment. Our priority now is to dispatch a team to shadow that member of the Dark Side.”

“That member of the Dark Side…” Just as Kant was about to press for details on this individual’s identity, a striking snake-woman, her features concealed by a black veil, gracefully emerged from the rear into the main hall. Her figure was undeniably alluring, and her demeanor exuded an extraordinary presence. She navigated the crowded space with remarkable poise, her movements so precise that she didn’t brush against anyone. Kant’s inquiry halted mid-sentence, his gaze fixed intently on the woman.

“It does appear to be her,” Abel whispered, peering around cautiously.

“Assemble a small contingent of soldiers and follow her discreetly,” Kant commanded. “She, along with Pick, are not ordinary combatants. Ensure the soldiers exercise extreme caution.”

“Understood.” Abel nodded, and without wasting another moment, he relayed the order to a few soldiers who promptly set off in pursuit.

Meanwhile, Kant led the remaining soldiers towards the back of the first floor. The very waiter who had served Abel earlier hurried forward, politely blocking their path. “Apologies, sirs, but the rear area is a restricted business zone. Entry is prohibited for all unauthorized individuals.”

“A friend of mine settled the deposit half an hour ago. You may verify this,” Kant replied with a casual air.

“Are you all associates of Lord Bernard?” the waiter inquired, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Kant and the waiter held each other’s gaze. After a brief pause, Kant softly affirmed, “Indeed.”

“In that case, allow me to escort you to the suite Lord Bernard has rented,” the waiter said, his professional demeanor returning as Kant’s steady look made him uneasy. He abandoned his previous casualness and responded with marked respect.

Kant gave the attendant a cursory glance and waved dismissively. “There’s no need. We can find our way.”

“This…” Before the attendant could voice further objections or offer assistance, Kant had already stepped forward, proceeding into the restricted area.

The soldiers following Kant pushed past the attendant, entering the back section.

Left standing alone, the attendant muttered to himself, lamenting the peculiar nature of the day’s events.

“Your Majesty, there are numerous rooms; we have no way of knowing which one is correct,” one of the soldiers to Kant’s right expressed with concern.

“The keys to all the rooms are held by the attendant for safekeeping. Even the tenants cannot access them without permission,” Kant explained. “Our objective is simply to identify which room’s door stands ajar.”

“I understand,” the soldier replied, nodding.

Kant inwardly sighed, reflecting on how the knowledge acquired from his encounter with the Midget clan was proving unexpectedly useful in this situation.

“Maintain silence among the soldiers,” Kant instructed.

“Yes!” the squad captain readily agreed, turning to relay the order. “Attention, all soldiers! Absolute quiet!”

The troop, moments before filled with hushed conversations, instantly fell silent, their obedience immediate.