Chapter 27: A Bold Plan – Part 2

Bazel, as his name suggested, with his innate arrogance of looking down on others from a superior perspective and the demeanor shaped by his habit of giving orders since childhood, truly resembled a king.
“As long as one is willing to strive, the throne is not out of reach!” The person who first said this to Bazel merely wanted to inspire ambition in him, but Bazel interpreted it literally rather than abstractly, leading to his stubborn belief that “I will become a king someday!”
“That dream is no longer distant!” Reflecting, Bazel touched his already somewhat gray stubble—intentionally left to appear stern and resolute, as well as a reminder that time was relentless, and he needed to act quickly no matter what he wanted to do.
Essok was in sight. Through the magic device, Bazel gave one final order to his team: remain restrained, no commands, no rash actions. “Look at those fools! They’ve even prepared the guiding smoke channels, thinking we’re here to save them. Hmph! Let’s capture them calmly and execute Plan 1.”
“Yes!” The hundred-plus air knights and air cavalry following Bazel replied in unison.
Bazel was secretly pleased. These men were carefully selected, highly skilled, and had participated in over 20 actual combat missions to suppress bandit groups, with impressive records. They were the foundation of his rise to power and the key to his success—far beyond ordinary soldiers.
Along the straight, pillar-like smoke channels leading into the sky, the giant spotted owls divided into three columns and descended into the valley. Prior to this, both sides had displayed identifying signals as agreed beforehand.
Accompanied by two personal air knights and surrounded by numerous others, Bazel, riding the pure-white giant owl, arrived like a king. The opposing side’s response pleased him—their leaders and mages were all there, waiting in formation.
Still on his mount, Bazel observed intently. His first target was Simon Windwalker, the young man who had recently gained fame for accomplishing several remarkable feats, bringing great honor to the Sky Temple. Bazel had once considered taking him under his wing, but that was in the past. With the death of the black magician Sanders, Simon had been marked for elimination. Bazel’s orders were to act decisively—capture him if possible, otherwise kill him.
“Hmph! Better to hear about someone than meet them!” As he gracefully dismounted from his mount, Bazel already had a rough assessment of Simon Windwalker. He knew well what kind of character that somewhat reserved, somewhat insecure, somewhat obsequious, somewhat envious, and somewhat feigning composure expression represented—a person from humble origins who deliberately sought to curry favor in order to quickly integrate into the upper circles. No matter how talented such a person might be, their attitude was already inferior, and there was no sign of cleverness either. If one wasn’t deceived by their burly appearance, they were just an ordinary person.

With this understanding, Bazel’s covert attention quickly shifted to Green and the others. Among the three major factions, not a single foolish mage had appeared yet. They might be preoccupied with magic to the point of neglecting mundane matters, but they were by no means easy to deceive. Bazel strongly suspected that these people were the brains behind the caravan.

Sure enough, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Simon the Windrider eagerly began recounting the latest developments in Shegridden, almost as if seeking credit. But he was stopped halfway by Mage Green with a glance. Followed were explicit and subtle questions and tests, until everything was confirmed. Only then did they lower their guard slightly, though they still arranged for the cavalry officers to rest separately under the pretext of fatigue, out of caution against sudden attacks.

Bazel noticed every detail and guessed most of their intentions. Yet he wasn’t bothered at all—these behaviors were within his expectations. It wasn’t difficult for him to act politely and casually.

Before the dust from the journey had settled, Bazel, accompanied byNeo and Green, visited Shegridden. He then inquired in detail about his condition and, on behalf of Count Aventus and the ruling council of Hilfanis, acknowledged and praised the efforts and contributions of the caravan members.

At the same time, Bazel’s subordinates demonstrated strict military discipline and a resilient attitude. They handled their own affairs independently, quickly helping the cavalry dismount, feed their horses, and attend to personal needs. By the time Bazel came out of Shegridden’s room, his men were ready and awaiting orders.

Under the guise of assisting with defense, Bazel proposed strengthening the defenses of Esok, as the sun was already setting, and night belonged to the forces of darkness.

“I told my men early on that our mission had ended ahead of schedule. Defense, supplies, and other matters can be fully handed over to you…”

HearingNeo’s words, Bazel could only sigh in frustration as he realized they hadn’t even set up any defenses. The only noticeable thing they had done since arriving was destroying houses to create open spaces in preparation.

Bazel seriously askedNeo, “What if we can’t arrive this afternoon? How do you plan to deal with potential dangers at night?”

“To be honest, I have good relationships with Orland and Spencer, both professionally and personally…”Neo said, raising his eyebrows slightly. Such an expression suggested unclear relationships between the three, and it wasn’t hard to imagine some dealings involving power and money…

Shortly after, Bazel encountered another minor incident. Green, with a somewhat gloomy expression, said toNeo, “…Efficiency—this time you won. Ten high-tier Water Healing Scrolls. You can retrieve them at the Elemental Tower in Refuge Valley Town using this badge.” He handed the summoning badge toNeo and then turned away without saying more.

“Struggling for advantage…” Bazel thought with disdain. In his view, such tactics were like hallucinogens—bringing more losses than gains. Once one tasted the sweetness, it was easy to develop such a mindset, which could even change a person’s character and vision. Such people often had brief success but few who achieved lasting fame, and they rarely reached great heights.

Take what had happened not long ago to Simon the Windrunner and mage Green, for example. Ten scrolls ruined the chances of those young elite mages of making connections with the mages of the Elemental Tower—it was truly unwise.

This incident also made Bazel view the rumors about Simon the Windrunner being clever and good at making money with even less respect. “Showing off petty cleverness, making money while blocking others’ paths and offending them—typical of someone from the streets. No wonder they lack vision and breadth of mind.”

Soon after, Bazel summoned his trusted men and whispered, “The one who told us must rest thoroughly. After dinner, act on my command.”

“Yes, leader. But what about dinner?”

“Eat with them. Eating dry rations would arouse suspicion. But strictly control the food—send a few sharp-minded brothers to help cook under the pretense of assistance. Also, use our methods to test the food. Use our own utensils. Let them eat first. Pay attention to their expressions; if there’s a trick, not everyone can be a good actor.”

“Understood…”

Soon, Bazel’s men took full control of military affairs, while Star 745 was responsible only for internal matters, such as protecting civilians or non-combatant troops.

As the red hues spread across the western sky, Esock became lively. The aroma of food spread with the heat from the fire, and faintly, the scent of alcohol could be detected. The alcohol was found in the ruins of Esock. Although the army prohibited drinking, Star 745 had its own ways—limited consumption with strict supervision. Nio wasn’t worried that drinking would cause problems.

“What should we do about the alcohol?” Bazel’s subordinates asked, not out of craving but out of concern that there might be something wrong with the food and alcohol—what if the food contained poison and the alcohol was the antidote?

“Do as they do. Remember, they’re soldiers, not opera actors!”

Bazel was right. Nio’s men weren’t actors; they simply trusted their commander deeply.

Shortly after Bazel and his men arrived, Nio sent word that he had confirmed these people were not enemies, so there was no need for tension or vigilance. Thus, during dinner, the atmosphere was warm. Some straightforward and outspoken members of Star 745 even told Bazel’s men, “Our captain told us to be cautious earlier…”

Bazel’s men followed orders meticulously—checking the food, paying attention to details, and imitating their actions. No incidents occurred. After dinner, the former members of Star 745 scattered in small groups to digest or, feeling sleepy, went back to their rooms to sleep. Seeing this, Bazel felt the time was right and ordered his men to act.

The men brought by Bazel were indeed well-trained and efficient soldiers. Divided into several small teams, they launched attacks simultaneously, each fulfilling their assigned tasks, making the entire operation swift and effective.
“Huh? What are you doing…?” Most of Star 745 couldn’t keep up with the pace; only a few individuals with strong quick thinking and high alertness managed to respond. And it was under such circumstances that an accident occurred.
“What’s going on! I can’t gather my combat energy!”
“Ugh, my head… This isn’t good. You drugged us!”
“Damn it, you’re the ones who’re cheating! You’re the ones who drugged us!”…
The problem affected everyone on both sides! What was frustrating was that both sides were in the dark—was there a third party involved?
No. Soren, controlled by the AI avatar, was still working tirelessly in the Ice Valley to improve and reorganize the monsters, while other factions were even further away. Here, there were only enemies.
Bazel was smart. By now, he had guessed who was behind this. Sure enough, before he could figure out exactly what toxin was at work, he saw Neo, Green, and a few others arriving together.
Without getting up from his chair, Bazel calmly set down his cup, glanced at those who had entered, and asked with a raised chin, “Whose idea was this?” Even under such circumstances, his tone remained condescending.
Green, Hess, and the others didn’t speak, but their gazes shifted toward Neo in the center.
Bazel forced a smile. If this was all Green and the others’ doing, he would feel much better. But the truth was cruel—he had clearly been deceived from the start. Sometimes, to pull off something, one doesn’t need many actors; just one good one. Unfortunately, he realized this too late.
Bazel had no interest in asking stupid questions to give his opponents more sense of achievement or pleasure. By now, he could mostly guess: Green and the others were just acting their parts—trying to appear cool and indifferent, full of suspicion. Those were actually the least skillful performances. Next came pretending to be foolish or simple-minded. Then there was Neo, who seemed shrewd but not in the right ways—calculating, opportunistic, greedy, driven by lust… But these were all just appearances. Perhaps Simon Windwalker really was that kind of person, but the key was his cunning—that was his true nature.
Bazel’s gaze turned to Simon Windwalker, who met his eyes without any hesitation.
For some reason, at that moment, Bazel felt that Simon’s sapphire-like eyes didn’t belong to such a body—like high-end accessories paired with vulgar clothes. Bazel wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. His emotions surged violently, yet he tried hard to suppress his urge to vent, because he knew the young man across from him was on his side—unscrupulous in his actions. This time, to achieve his goals, he had even deceived his own subordinates and drugged them.

“You’ve succeeded. Enjoy the pleasure and glory that come with victory,” Bazel said, his tone laced with contempt. “It won’t be long before your subordinates realize you exploited their trust in you—essentially sacrificing them to achieve your goals. They’re nothing but tools to you, truly despicable…”
Nio smiled and said, “We always have to deal with tricky problems and face dilemmas; there’s no such thing as a perfect outcome. Still, thanks for the reminder. In our line of work, it’s not good to be too sentimental or heartless.”
Bazel didn’t respond to Nio’s words but instead asked, “Where lies our mistake?”
This doubt had been plaguing him; he simply couldn’t let it go. He believed he hadn’t made any mistakes—so why was the other party so certain? Clearly, they had suspected it from the start, otherwise they wouldn’t have kept playing tricks on him.
“There were two rescue requests in total, which you must be aware of. What you don’t know is that I already had some secret agreements with Spencer and Orlando long ago. That’s why you came to Esok today—you should have taken a detour and flown in from the direction of Aidalah.”
It was such a simple issue, something that could have been explained in just one sentence. Since Spencer and Orlando hadn’t mentioned it, Bazel and his men had doomed themselves. Bazel grew frustrated: “I even went to the trouble of leading my team on a detour, flying in from the direction of the Refuge Valley…”