Chapter 2292 - 96: An ‘Invitation’ (Part 3)

The opened note contained only a few brief lines:

'If you want to know what happened here and what secrets the Crow's Claw Sanctuary is hiding, just after the sun completely sets on the horizon tonight, I will send someone to meet you. Follow him, and he will take you to me, where you will find what you are looking for—'

Fang Hong held the unsigned and unaddressed note, stunned for a moment. It mentioned someone coming to meet them, but didn't say anything about the person's appearance or how both sides should make contact. How could they be sure the visitor was actually sent by the other party?

He looked toward Luo Hao and asked, "Are you sure this isn't some kind of prank?"

"At least the other party knows our identity," Luo Hao replied.

"That much is true," Fang Hong crumpled the note into a ball, struck a match and set it aflame, "You didn't keep that person around?"

"That's exactly why I said the person was a bit strange. He looked like an ordinary townsperson, but his gaze was dull, as if manipulated by some spell, and he stuttered, repeating the same lines over and over."

Fang Hong caught the implication in his words, "So you're saying that person was merely a puppet?"

Luo Hao nodded lightly.

"Mind magic violates the 'Stargate Declaration,'" Fang Hong said.

"It does if it's an Invoker using mind magic, or someone using mind magic against an Invoker," Luo Hao corrected, "But there is no such restriction for native on native interactions; besides, even though the Stars and Moon Council has always opposed the misuse of mind magic, the violators are numerous, and you can't just make most Mind Mages unemployed."

Fang Hong asked, "So the other party might be a native?"

"There's that possibility," Luo Hao looked at Fang Hong, "What do you plan to do?"

Fang Hong watched as the paper ball turned to ashes, lightly rubbing it with thick gloves, letting it disperse into dust. In this short time, he had already consulted with Miss Tata in his mind. As an outstanding Alchemist, he was scarcely incapable of handling such minor troubles.

He responded, "It's around the Winter Solstice now, and the sun sets at about six, by which time others will have returned to the inn. We'll just wait and see what kind of trickery the other party is up to."

"Are you deciding to trust them?" Luo Hao asked.

"Worth a try," Fang Hong appeared calm, "Even if there's a trap, it's difficult to capture a Combat Artisan. If they're interested in my Clockwork Fairy, I'll just send a few to them."

"You plan to use Clockwork Fairies?" Luo Hao was a bit enlightened, exclaiming, "Combat Artisans are truly convenient."

Fang Hong neither confirmed nor denied, but remembered something else and said, "Tonight, we need to arrange for a night watch." Although they flatly rejected those Crow's Claw Knights, the recurring intention from the other side required them to act cautiously.

And now their identities were exposed, although it was unclear whether the other party was friend or foe, it at least suggested Grey Owl Town might not be safe for them. "After tonight, we're leaving this place at dawn," he added.

Luo Hao nodded, echoing his sentiments.

After four in the afternoon, members of the Seven Seas Travel Group gradually returned from gathering information.

There was little progress in investigating the Crow's Claw Sanctuary and the Shadow People; they only gathered some peripheral information. Though the Sanctuary's governance wasn't particularly beloved locally, much like the innkeeper outside, most people were reluctant to discuss matters related to the Sanctuary.

Yet, due to the panic brought by the Shadow People, the local populace seemingly accepted the high-pressure rule of the Crow's Claw Sanctuary, and using the resistance against Nikopolas as a reason, the Sanctuary imposed religious taxes in addition to kingdom taxes in many parts of the Northern Territory.

This extra expense led to the bankruptcy of many small and medium-sized businesses, plunging the already impoverished Northern Kingdom residents into destitution. Big landowners grumbled, but nobles surprisingly kept silent.

This led to speculation that there was some sort of interest exchange between the nobles and the Crow's Claw Sanctuary.

In the harsh conditions in the Northern Lands, it can't be entirely wrong. After all, with Charter City destroyed and Elpaxin withdrawing his troops, it was only relying on the knights of the Crow's Claw Sanctuary that they could contend with Nikopolas's Dragon Beasts in the vast rural areas.

Maintaining these knights was a substantial expenditure itself, so naturally, those sheltered under its protection should bear the cost.

The Kingdom's excessive taxes seemed particularly inappropriate at this time—but all this, which seemed reasonable, gave Fang Hong an indescribable sense of dissonance. An organization suddenly rising in the Northern Kingdom, expanding and growing beyond its control, what it might bring to this land in the future is truly unpredictable.

Adrian's followers did not seem to be the kind of believers detached from earthly concerns; quite the opposite, witnessing their extraordinary ambition and desire for power in their rule in the north these days. Human desire for power is endless.

The Crow's Claw Sanctuary appeared to have little reverence for Colin Ishurian's holy governance. Of course, neither Fang Hong and Hilveld nor the other members of the Seven Seas Travel Group had any sense of belonging to this land; the Kingdom was not the kingdom of these Invokers. Compared to the original rulers of the land, the eerie behavior of the Crow's Claw Sanctuary made people feel uneasy.