News arrived from Nerovia-the imposter posing as Nichs had been uncovered. It turned out he was just amon man, someone who bore a striking resemnce to Nichs. After being noticed by Nichs, he had been taken in and trained to mimic his every move.


    After Nichs left Nerovia, this man had assumed his identity, visiting the ces Nichs was known to frequent. This exined why earlier investigations had suggested that Nichs rarely left his fief. In reality, he had long since disguised himself and moved about freely.


    "Has the man been secured?" Carissa asked quickly.


    "Don''t worry, he''s been taken care of," Jacob replied.


    Carissa let out a small sigh of relief. "Good. Prince Nichs cannot appear in Nerovia again. I''vee to understand his intentions. He''s been hiding under the guise of Gordon, sending orders from Willowbrook Estate. Everyone would believe that the so-called rebel leader is Prince Hayden. Meanwhile, Prince Nichs would have been known to be in Nerovia this whole time, never once involved in the rebellion." Jacob nodded. "Yes. If the rebellion fails, it won''t concern him. He can even im righteousness by killing Prince Hayden. If the rebellion seeds, all of it would have been his to im."


    "Then what of Mr. Murphy? Is he in Nerovia now?" Carissa asked.


    Jacob shook his head. "Mr. Murphy isn''t in Nerovia. He''s likely taken control of most of Prince Yuvan''s forces. I''ve already sent word to General Farrell. Even if Prince Yuvan surrenders, we must remain cautious. There could be a trap."


    Carissa recognized Clifford''s cunning, but she knew Thomas was facing challenges of his own. She turned to Jacob and said, "Shouldn''t you consider going to General Farrell''s aid?"


    "No," Jacob refused firmly. "The siege at Valken is critical. Even if Mr. Murphy is manipting Prince Yuvan''s feigned surrender, General Farrell will be prepared. The capital, however, is our primary concern. Their end goal is to force a pce coup. I cannot leave."


    "Then please keep an eye on the situation and send a carrier pigeon to General Farrell immediately," Carissa said.


    "Of course," Jacob agreed. "But do be cautious during your patrols, Your Grace. Prince Nichs hasn''t made a move yet, but his silence is unsettling. I fear he may be nning something-especially against you."


    "Don''t worry, I will," Carissa assured him.


    She had already considered this possibility, which was why she seldom joined the patrols, only going out when necessary.


    Carissa knew that absolute safety was impossible, but she also knew that caution was crucial.


    Lately, Violet had been apanying her whenever she ventured out, never allowing her to be alone. Carissa had stopped going to both the workshop and the women''s academy, fearing that her presence might attract trouble.


    For safety''s sake, Cynthia and Bun took on the task of overseeing the academy. It wasn''t only to teach the students martial arts but also to keep an eye out for any disturbances.


    As for the workshop, with na and Leah there, there were no major concerns.


    On the other hand, Michael had been watching the city gates closely, scrutinizing everyone who entered. Recently, there had been some forged documents circting, and once the gate guards ck off, it was easy for people to slip past.


    In the past few days, Michael had


    noticed several martial artists entering the city. While this wasn''t unusual, they typically avoided confrontation with the gate guards. So, a simple document check was all that was needed to allow them entry. But now, he would personally question anyone dressed as a


    martial artist.


    Just today, for example, there had been a group with an air of arrogance. To be precise, only one person was arrogant-a middle-aged schr, with a silk scarf. His beard was meticulously groomed, each strandbed with care, and his demeanor was cold and aloof. When asked for his papers, he ignored the question. He didn''t even bother to meet Michael''s gaze, as if Michael wasn''t even worth a nce.


    Fortunately, one of the men with him quickly exined that they were from a household registered in the capital, presenting their residence papers as proof. He kept apologizing and bowing, trying to smooth over the situation.


    The group didn''t look like typical


    martial artists, nor did they seem to be merchants. They resembled wealthy travelers, more likely aristocrats on a journey. Michael felt they looked familiar, but he couldn''t ce their names. Looking at their address, which was in one of the wealthier districts of the capital, he guessed his suspicion was probably right.


    After checking their documents and confirming there were no issues, Michael allowed them to pass.