The other side looked at Edward with mocking amusement.
That gaze was like that of a predatory cat toying with its prey,
Both excited and... cruel.
Edward asked, his fists clenched.
"Because I am Motuo Wus!"
"Brigadier General Motuo Wus!"
"The once direct commander you, Ghost Squad, answered to!"
This 'imperial envoy' finally gave the answer.
"For the sake of keeping the 'sacrifice' intact,
"I didn't smash your kneecap."
The 'imperial envoy' said these words, but then lifted his foot and slapped it across Edward's face.
Edward rolled into the corner of the tent; the imperial envoy sat back down.
He watched as Edward struggled to stand in the corner of the tent but was unable to rise and couldn't help laughing once again.
"Do you really think I let you 'move freely' because I was being careless?"
"What an ignorant brute."
"That's the difference between us, why I'm a brigadier general, in control of everything, and you're just a pawn to be discarded at will."
Edward wanted to retort,
But that kick not only made his head spin but also numbed his entire mouth as if it had lost all feeling. He couldn't even speak, feeling as though the lower half of his cheek had vanished.
And the imperial envoy no longer paid any attention to Edward. He slightly turned, raised his hand, and pulled down the black silk cloth that had been covering something next to the fruit bowl on the round table.
The cloth slipped away silently, revealing what was underneath to Edward's eyes.
Edward was taken aback.
He had never imagined encountering such an object as a crystal ball inside a military tent.
"You really aren't smart."
"What exactly is the purpose of the glasses you wear?"
"Is it to make yourself seem smarter, to appear more cultured?"
The imperial envoy shook his head with a look of helplessness.
Edward's performance gave him little sense of accomplishment.
He would have preferred to see the other man's horror upon understanding everything,
Rather than his current stupor and helplessness.
"Chen Xi. Prus Family is a 'sacrifice'!"
"It's not easy to find a 'sacrifice' with such a long history and ancient bloodline. Chen Xi. Prus Family was handpicked by me, they meet all of 'his' requirements."
"It's just a pity there are too few of them."
"I had to arrange to gather them together."
"Fortunately, I did quite well."
The 'imperial envoy' seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
Then, he added another sentence.
"Of course, you're also a 'sacrifice'."
"However, compared to the offering for 'him,' you're just a 'sacrifice' amongst the ignorant masses."
Edward, who had slightly regained his senses, asked directly.
This question caused the 'imperial envoy' to shake his head with a sigh.
"I enjoy conversing with intelligent people."
"You're just too stupid."
"Or are you both blind and deaf? You don't know about the strange incidents that have happened in the last five years?"
Without giving an answer, the other party just gave a hint, looking forward to Edward's reaction.
This time, Edward finally snapped out of it.
He remembered the rumors about a colossal phantom appearing in the skies above the 'Lan Bridge Ambush' five years ago, in October of PY81. It was said to be so huge that it stretched across the entire battlefield, and witnesses on both sides died within a week of the event.