However, fortunately,
this Rein was merely a Peak Knight!
Relying on the forces stationed near Meister County, he should be completely manageable.
On the other side, Alonso was also very satisfied with what Magis had just said.
As for why not hire an assassin organization?
The difference was that hiring an assassin, once failed, Rein would realize immediately, and it would be very easy to backfire.
With the rebellion forces, this was an advantage.
They themselves were a magnet for attracting firepower, even if they failed, Rein could not trace it back to himself, and instead, they could divert Rein's attention through the rebellion forces.
At the office door, Magis watched Alonso's departing figure and fell into thought.
"It seems I need to make contact outside the city."
"Although the organization and Alonso are mutually using each other, him contacting us already violated a taboo, and soon he will realize that other than boarding our ship, he has no way back."
Magis pulled out a piece of stone emitting a faint aqua glow from his bosom and murmured softly.
a gray falcon rapidly flew toward the mountains outside of Meister City.
To the east of Meister City lay a large area of undulating hills that stretched endlessly, a slightly muddy forest road led eastward.
This road was the necessary route to Fishing Port Town, but this area was lush with vegetation and dense with trees, concealing numerous bandit gangs.
Among them was a group holed up in an abandoned mine, the Zaral rebel forces' stronghold in Meister County.
Meister County had also tried to eliminate these bandit gangs but failed due to the overly complex terrain.
A gray falcon swiftly flew into the secluded mine!
If one could shift their gaze to the gray falcon at this moment, they would discover a hidden paradise within the mine.
After passing through a dark tunnel over a hundred meters long, a spacious underground hall appeared before it, fires were lit all around, with many mercenaries dressed as robust men gathered in small groups.
Some of them were cleaning matchlock guns, and if Rein could see these, he would find them almost identical to those he had seen on "Shipwreck" last time.
Others were gathered around a knight in plate armor, listening intently.
"Over the two millennia of imperial rule, corruption has gradually taken hold internally, with many nobles in various regions now harshly exploiting the people...."
"...Following the frequent outbreaks of mysterious incidents, it collapsed under the last straw, which is why we, the Zaral Rebel Forces, were founded, to overthrow the corrupt rule of the Empire and establish a new, enlightened nation considering the people like the Eagle Federation..."
Such preachings were not limited to this place.
At least four or five groups within the hall were either discussing or listening to something.
"...For the sake of a new nation, we must not fear death and resist the Empire! Moreover, many nobles actually . You see those matchlock guns; they can quickly level the combat power gap between us and the imperial troops."
Some of these people appeared fervent, while others seemed suddenly enlightened, exhibiting a variety of expressions.
Nearby in the underground hall, a single room was crafted using the recesses left from the original mining with some partitions added.
Inside, two robust men were chugging red wine, and a lot of the red crystal-clear liquid spilled from the corners of their mouths, running down their necks, dispersing a strong aroma.
At their feet lay about ten wooden crate boxes, decorated with the pattern of a kite shield and something akin to rose blossoms, neatly filled with bottles of Bordeaux vintage wine.
"Tsk tsk...This operation went well, posing as bandits and snatching a cartload of precious twenty-year Bordeaux vintage." said a bearded burly man with a chuckle.
"We can still sell the remaining wine, turning it into weapons and military funds!"
"It's all thanks to being well-informed from the city, otherwise, we wouldn't have known such valuable vintage was in an inconspicuous merchant convoy."
Then, a gray falcon flapped down beside a nearby cage.
"Ah! Another message has arrived."
The burly man walked over, removed a small bamboo tube from the falcon's leg, took out a small paper slip inside, and started reading it.
In a moment, he turned to the other robust man and said, "Margen, looks like we have work to do. The city wants us to kill a guy named Rein, supposedly a tough one, a Peak Knight, so they want us all out."
"He should currently be traveling from the south of Rosby County to Flashgold Town, and that road is not far from here."
Continue your adventure at empire
Viscount Norman's mansion.
Rein politely declined Viscount Norman and Evelyn's invitation to stay longer, mounted a strong black horse, and began his journey back.
When Rein returned to the spot where he had met Hass previously, a mix of emotions surged in his heart.
A week ago, he had ventured in drizzling ice rain in cold and damp weather to Rosby City to participate in the accreditation assessment, feeling hopeful yet apprehensive about the road ahead.
But now, as he resumed his journey home, the winter sun bathed the path in front, the winding trail through the forest no longer dark and damp but seemed like a road strewn with shattered gold.