When Lei Zhen mentioned the name George to the black mage, there was no response from her.
However, her expression changed for a slight second and Lei Zhen managed to detect that slight change.
"Sigh, Yors Castle is really embroiled in constant trouble. First, it was the rebellion princes and now it's the head of the defense ministry. I'm surprised that Yors Castle is still functioning properly with all these problems." Lei Zhen sighed softly.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Those broken handcuffs of yours are nothing to me." The black mage retorted.
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ Alas, it was a futile effort because Lei Zhen wasn't going to fall for that petty trick.
"Save your saliva to fool someone else, black mage. Didn't I tell you from the beginning? We are not fools and you should stop overestimating your intelligence." Lei Zhen calmly said, insulting her in a roundabout way.
And he continued, "Those behind you and sponsoring whatever you're researching should be something big enough to topple a country. So I'm going to offer you another proposal of mine."
The black mage showed an uninterested expression, but her ears perked up slightly, clearly curious about the proposal.
"I can continue to sponsor your research in exchange that you swear loyalty to Princess Kate and tell the names of those supporting you." Lei Zhen proposed.
"Hmph, fat fucking chance!" The black mage spat.
What kind of proposal was that?
A proposal where she sells her freedom and sponsorship in exchange to be a dog?
Meanwhile, Lei Zhen chuckled softly at her reaction. "Ah, you're really easy to trick, black mage. Thank you for confirming my earlier suspicion of George being one of the helpers and that there is a bigger whale behind it."
"Y-You!!!" The black mage glared at Lei Zhen angrily and coughed up some blood due to her being agitated.
"Please calm your anger, black mage. Although it was kind of a trick, my proposal is genuine." He hurriedly explained.
Alas, the black mage no longer entertained him, lest she might spill the bean even more.
Given that she no longer had any intention to talk, Lei Zhen handcuffed her again to detain her. And unlike before, he would personally escort her while having Griselda and Tie Longkun on the outside to be on the lookout.
As for the injured soldiers that were escorting the black mage before, Lei Zhen had them sent to a medical center under heavy supervision.
After all, he can't eliminate the possibility of the injured soldiers being one of the culprits as well.
"Chief Jaruk, I'll have someone come over to fix the swamp for you once I returned back to Yors Castle." Lei Zhen went toward Chief Jaruk and explained his plan.
The Lizardarks were extremely helpful to them during this time such as slaying the summoned monsters and disarming the landmines scattered across the muddy water.
These two merits alone are worthy of his respect and admiration.
"You can rest assured, Chancellor. The swamp is our home and we can clean it up ourselves. You must've been exhausted to fight the black mage twice in a row and wasted enough mana." Chief Jaruk shook his head and kindly refused the gesture.
Although it was in a kind tone, Lei Zhen understood Chief Jaruk's true intention.
He wished to begin his monopolization of the swamp and does not wish for him nor the people of Yors Castle to intervene.
Thus, Lei Zhen nodded his head in understanding. "Then I'll trouble you with the hard work, Chief Jaruk. May we live in prosperity for centuries."
"Same to you, Chancellor."
As the two laughed heartily, Lei Zhen and the group officially left the swamp, leaving it to the Lizardark to develop.
At the same time, there was now a pact signed between the two in which they were allies in times of trouble.
"Why did you agree to ally with the Lizardarks?" Griselda asked once they were out of their presence. "I doubt Princess Kate would be happy about it since you made this decision alone."
"She would be happy if she knew Lux Forest danger would no longer be as dangerous as before. Which would effectively lower the prestige an adventurer would have in Yors Castle. After all, adventurers tend to be arrogant in Yors Castle because of their prowess to fend off monsters given the lack of soldiers we have." Lei Zhen calmly explained.
Tie Longkun tried to interject into the conversation, but Lei Zhen cut him off before he had the chance to do so.
"Anyway, the two of you shall now properly protect the transportation carrier. I'll still need to discuss with the black mage and think of a solution for the aftermath." Lei Zhen said, not planning on explaining further.
Capturing the black mage should have been the end of this mission, but with so many factors intertwining, Lei Zhen knew this was just the beginning.
The corrupted nobles and George being a traitor, were all things that he needed to figure out.
'Ugh, why did I have to come to Yors Castle out of all the places available in Magnolia?' Lei Zhen cried inwardly, feeling a heavy burden weighing on his back.
Entering the carriage, the black mage remained still and silent. Her eyes were closed and didn't even bother when she could tell Lei Zhen was sitting across from her.
"When we get back to Yors Castle, I'm going to be in charge of the interrogation. And I'll probably be using an inhumane method to get words out of your mouth." Lei Zhen slowly narrated what he would do when they returned.
In addition, he was saying how there would be no escape path compared to his previous careless moment.
Nevertheless, none of them caused the black mage to flinch even a bit since she knew what type of path she was taking.
"Sigh, what a shame that those researches you did would go to waste, but fret not. As a gentleman, I'll gladly take over your research and with my intelligence, I can definitely put those into good use." Lei Zhen smirked.
