That evening, Jeanne and Talulah visited Kashchey again to learn the specifics of the situation. However, before they could inquire about the noble council and the Imperial Emperor's Blades, Kashchey spoke first.
"Miss Jeanne, the commotion you caused a while back was no small matter. Not only did it startle a sleeping fellow like me awake, it even alarmed the one inside the Summer Palace of Deity Grypherburg"
At Kashchey's words, Jeanne and Talulah exchanged a glance. Had that incident truly drawn the attention of the nominal ruler of the Ursus Empire?
No wonder the tundra had been so quiet lately. It turned out that great figure had cast his gaze upon this desolate land; those vermin who could only scurry in the shadows naturally didn't dare to move.
"What exactly happened? I heard from Talulah that the Emperor sent Emperor's Blades here. Why would they come to the tundra?"
Jeanne couldn't quite figure it out. Even if the Emperor's Blades came because of the Divine Descent, how did they determine the source was the tundra? When the mountain forest appeared, even the nearest village hadn't noticed anything wrong.
Besides, those were the Emperor's Blades—the sharpest blades of the Ursus Emperor! It was impossible for the Emperor to be so bored in the Summer Palace that he'd send three of them here for a "team-building" exercise.
Could it be that while Kashchey was helping them find a way to contact the Emperor, he had accidentally leaked something significant enough to trigger a mission for the Emperor Blades.
"That has nothing to do with me. I've only just begun making contact on my end, and I don't know why they suddenly came here. As for the rest, see for yourselves."
As he spoke, Kashchey tossed a book onto the ground. The surrounding scenery began to shift rapidly, like a house made of building blocks being dismantled on one side and reconstructed on the other.
Before long, the three of them stood in an unfamiliar meeting room filled with Ursans Jeanne didn't recognize. Judging by their solemn expressions, they were discussing something of great importance.
"In other words, according to our existing intelligence, that 'thing' did not actually fall into the hands of the Infected Guerrillas, correct? Spokesman for Duke Kashchey."
The eyes of everyone around the round table turned toward the man in black sitting to the side. He was bundled up tightly, wearing gloves so that not an inch of skin was exposed. How did he even walk? Was he using some special Originium Art to sense his surroundings? Or was he so highly trained that he no longer needed eyes?
"Yes," the man in black answered firmly. He continued, "According to the intelligence obtained by the Duke, the mining area was already a ruin by the time the Guerrillas arrived."
At his words, the people around the table visibly relaxed. As long as the Guerrillas didn't have that item, it was fine. Once they dispatched troops to deal with the Guerrillas, they could take their time looking for clues.
As for doubting Kashchey? That old man would do anything for the sake of Ursus. Given their alliance, he certainly wouldn't turn on them before the plan was complete.
"In that case, we can rest easy. Information that even the people we sent couldn't retrieve—even if it was taken by someone, it will eventually fall back into our hands." A middle-aged man spread his hands with an "everything is under control" expression. It seemed his involvement in this matter was quite deep.
"Then how shall we deal with Patriot and his Infected Guerrillas? Shall we leave them be, or send a massive force to crush them?"
Some grew noticeably more cautious at the mention of fighting Patriot. They quickly urged the Commander-in-Chief of the Third Army Group to be calm, pointing out that the opponent now possessed a landship.
"Going now... our losses would be too great! Let the Gendarmerie harass them... or perhaps recruit some mercenaries from Kazdel. We must at least wait until that landship runs out of energy before talking about extermination, otherwise, the losses will be unacceptable."
"Losses? We've lost a landship! How dangerous do you think it is with those Shieldguards at the helm? Stop thinking about useless things and watch out for attacks on your subordinates!" The man from the Third Army Group was clearly losing his temper. These fellows spoke sweet words when they needed him, but now that he was in trouble, they prioritized their own interests...
He had lost a warship! It would have been better if it were destroyed and left there! Losing a warship—if the Emperor found out, it would be his head!
"Enough. Now is not the time to mobilize a large force. Kashchey will keep an eye on them for us; there won't be any problems." The old man in the center scanned the room and spoke again. It seemed he had made his final decision on the dispute. "We will find a way to cover the deficit caused by the loss of that landship. There is no need for concern."
The others fell silent, accepting the elder's handling of the situation. However, one specific phrase caught their attention.
"You said... now is not the time to mobilize a large force. Has something happened?"
This question silenced everyone as they awaited the elder's answer. Had something truly occurred that forced even them to stay their hand?
"Indeed. While the specific reason is unknown, according to what I've gathered, the Emperor secretly dispatched three Emperor's Blades to the tundra today to search for something."
At this, the crowd could hardly stay seated. That tundra was the place where they hid their "filth." If the Emperor's Blades discovered any clues, the consequences would be dire.
"Don't bother trying to get them to hide anything. The Emperor's Blades sent out this time are not the type who will cooperate with us. I advise you to go back and clean up your acts to prevent any real problems."
As the elder's voice faded, the surroundings blurred. Jeanne and the others exited the memory.
"Well? That was the entirety of the discussion. I have hidden nothing."
Talulah glanced at Kashchey but said nothing. She had tried to memorize most of the faces; some she recognized, but more she had never seen. These faces were the gift Kashchey gave them; at the very least, Talulah could use this to investigate who they were.
"However, this matter is not that simple! My subordinates gathered even more interesting news."
Seeing Kashchey intentionally leave them in suspense, neither of them spoke. They knew if they asked out of curiosity, Kashchey would "cling like a snake on a pole" and never leave.
"Tch, boring. I'll tell you straight: the reason the Emperor's Blades are moving is that they received intelligence that Laterano has dispatched several squads to every location related to the tundra."