After sending the letter to my homeland, Albert and I quickly met with the leading Patriarch to offer our assistance. We were obviously quite concerned about what might be happening on our continent. At this very moment, Belfri could very well be under the control of enemy forces.
Although the Patriarch reassured us, stating that it was unlikely, as Jun couldn't prepare so quickly, I was perplexed and uncertain about what to think. In the end, both Albert and I decided to simply believe him, as there was nothing more we could do at that moment.
Next, the leading Patriarch began uniting his forces with other patriarchs who were not aligned with Jun. This led us to another unanswered question: what was the reason for the other patriarchs joining Jun in this foolish idea of invading another continent? Although the Patriarch seemed to have some ideas about the matter, I chose not to pry and just ignored that line of questioning.
Anyway, I felt a relief seeing that most other patriarchs remained loyal to the leading Patriarch. However, even with this loyalty, if Jun had already conquered the kingdom of Belfri, it would be extremely difficult for us to intervene, as it would force us to fight at sea while they would be firmly established on solid ground.
In the end, Albert and I headed towards Jun's territory with the intention to investigate. We planned to confront Jun there when we were ready, which would probably be a few hours after our arrival. Although the Patriarch had initially suggested providing some escorts, Albert and I declined the offer, as, to be honest, we didn't think we would need them.
I'm not implying that we will be able to resolve any problem that arises. In fact, our intention is to avoid at all costs any situation that might create problems later. We already have more than enough concerns to deal with.
Putting that matter aside, we arrived at Jun's territory a few hours later. To be honest, the place wasn't too far from the imperial city. When we disembarked, Albert and I headed towards the enormous mansion that stood out in the city from a distance. Even from afar, the mansion was clearly visible to both of us.
Upon reaching the mansion, we noticed strangely there were no guards. Perhaps this was expected, as Jun shouldn't have been in the residence. Either way, the Patriarch provided us with a key that could unlock Jun's house locks.
As we opened the door, we began to explore the mansion, searching through each room. On the first floor, we found nothing of great interest, just the kitchen and the living room. So, Albert and I decided to go up to the second floor.
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Upon reaching the second floor, we decided to split up to explore different rooms and speed up the process, as we couldn't stay in the mansion until the next day. I entered several rooms, but found nothing noteworthy. In the end, there was only one room left. Unlike the others, this one was locked, but I easily opened it with the key the leading Patriarch had provided us.
The first thing I noticed upon entering the room was that it was an office. The careful arrangement of objects, including the desk and the bookshelf, indicated that this was a place of work. If there was anything relevant, it would surely be there. However, I must admit my hopes of finding something were not very high.
Or rather, Huang had already been here and examined everything he could, given that it was part of his responsibilities. Although he had discovered some interesting things, nothing was truly remarkable. I, on the other hand, decided to review some books and notes scattered around the office.
Among the notes, I found some intriguing things. It seemed that Jun deeply admired his parents, which, if we stop to think, was quite common for someone his age. However, tragedy struck him when his parents passed away, and he found himself compelled to take over the family business. Over time, his obsession grew as he discovered more about a distant continent.
From the notes, I learned that Jun's parents succumbed to a disease for which there seemed to be a possible cure on the other continent. Unfortunately, maritime storms thwarted their journey, and Jun only discovered a way to overcome them too late.
Although I could grasp his situation, I still couldn't fathom why on earth he was trying to invade and take possession of my continent. It simply didn't make sense to me. Did something happen during that time that made Jun change his mind? As I pondered this, I leaned against the bookshelf and felt the edge of one of the books pressing against my back.
Suddenly, the bookshelf started to move, startling me. As I stepped back, I watched in fascination as the bookshelf revealed a small hidden corridor. Although I didn't know what to expect inside, I felt a certainty that I might find something relevant. It was with that thought that I decided to venture into the mysterious corridor.
It didn't take long for me to find a cell with two bodies. From their clothes, I could immediately recognize who these people were. I had seen them before, before they were sent to this continent.
Both had few visible wounds. Examining them, I couldn't identify any kind of blow that could have killed them. I suspected that both had been poisoned or something similar, a death that acted from the inside out.
In the end, all I could do was offer a brief prayer for them to rest in peace. Then, I carried them outside and wrapped them carefully in cloths found on the spot. Next, I went to Albert and recounted everything that had happened. Of course, Albert didn't take the situation as lightly, but I couldn't blame him. All we could do was take the bodies with us, hoping that when all this confusion ended, we could take them back home.
With that, Albert and I headed to the leading Patriarch, and then set out to find Jun and stop him, whatever he might be planning to do.