"Sir, we can't stay here any longer," a young man with a soft demeanor said anxiously to Sid.At this moment, Sid looked like a haggard elderly man. Originally, he looked energetic even though he was already in his sixties. However, at this moment, not only had his appearance changed, but his demeanor also showed signs of aging."Blaine, thank you for your service. You're dismissed now," Sid replied."But if I leave, who will handle your disguises?" Blaine asked worriedly."This mask can last for three days, which should suffice for me to finish what needs to be done," Sid replied."But isn't Mr. Carson already feigning surrender? He can handle those matters!" Blaine protested."You're wrong. Although you've been by my side for some time now, you haven't fully grasped human nature," Sid explained. "Carson's surrender isn't feigned. Given the opportunity, he will genuinely give in, and my departure presents him with the perfect chance.""How could that be...""Because that's the
Carson now held two identities. Previously, he had agreed with Sid that if they were defeated, he would quickly surrender and try to gain Quintin's trust. However, he needed to immediately contact the supporters of restoration within the city, rally all forces, and quickly strive to overthrow Silverboa's rule over Sandstone after surrendering. To outsiders, he appeared as a surrenderer. At times, he would even play the part convincingly and fully embraced this new identity. However, Cleo's arrival disrupted his plan."Mr. Cleo!" Carson approached Cleo and bowed respectfully.Sid, now disguised as Cleo, could not help but smirk. It was still early, and many of the invited guests had yet to arrive. He reached out and placed a hand on Carson's shoulder."Carson, make sure you perform well tonight. Don't disappoint me," Sid said, his voice tinged with a hint of mockery.In fact, Carson had two sets of plans in mind since he did not know if Sid would show up tonight. If Sid had not show
However, there was one strange thing about tonight’s party. Although many people from Sandstone had received invitations, the number of involved nobles was small. They were all prominent individuals who secretly harbored some opposition to Silverboa. However, their adeptness at concealing their sentiments allowed them to receive invitations. According to Sid's plan, these influential nobles would be the seeds of resistance for Sandstone to overthrow Silverboa. In fact, Carson had hinted at this to some of them, so they were excited upon their arrival. These resolute individuals had not given up on liberating Sandstone from Silverboa's clutches, and they knew that the rulers of Obscura had not given up on them either. Therefore, upon receiving the message, they hurried to the venue.Shortly after, the party began. There were only sixty attendees, making the party relatively small. Besides, these sixty individuals constituted only a tiny fraction of Sandstone’s entire noble class. This
"I'm sorry. It seems that not everyone present tonight is sincere," Libby replied. She maintained her gentle and delicate appearance, evoking a sense of pity in those who looked upon her.The man clearly felt the same way and said, "Ms. Libby, no matter what happens, I'll stay by your side and protect you." Hearing his words, Libby glanced at Adrian teasingly. However, she found that Adrian's attention was not on her. Instead, he was scanning the guests around him. The man noticed the change in Libby's gaze and took a closer look at Adrian. He also felt somewhat anxious due to the significance of this party. Therefore, he had not paid attention to Adrian earlier. Now, seeing Libby's gaze lingering on Adrian, his expression soured."May I ask who this gentleman is?" he asked."Oh, he's a distant cousin of mine," Libby explained."I see, so he's a relative. That explains it," the man replied. Initially, he found it strange when he noticed Adrian's obvious lack of interest in Libb
Just as Adrian expected, the nobles were testing each other. It was not until Adrian disclosed the party's theme that they realized they had been invited by the city lord as individuals with aspirations to liberate Sandstone. Although they did not dare to completely let their guard down, they had at least slightly lowered their defenses.Adrian walked into the banquet hall with Libby and took a seat on one of the chairs. Each of them held a glass of wine as they observed the attendees."Mr. Cleo? What's he doing here?" Libby asked. She was very familiar with Cleo because he had frequent dealings with Libby in business. In her view, Cleo seemed like a spineless person, and he had even mentioned several times before that he would surrender if war were to break out and Obscura were to fall. Therefore, she was surprised to see him here.However, after exchanging greetings with Cleo, Libby frowned. She sensed that something was amiss."Why are you..." Sid was a bit panicked when he saw
Sid had gained some understanding of Cleo before assuming the latter’s identity. He was certain that Libby was aware of the original Cleo's intention to surrender, so it was indeed strange for him to appear in such a place. In an instant, Sid's mind raced with countless thoughts. After making up his mind, he decided to take a gamble. The situation was already dangerously precarious, and he felt compelled to take the risk."That’s impossible! You clearly told me that you would surrender too! And this man beside you, judging from his features, he's from Silverboa, right?" Sid tried to make the best decision under those extremely dangerous circumstances."What are you talking about? Aren't you the same?" Libby replied, pretending to panic. Then, she stated her stand emphatically and turned the tables against Sid.Sid furrowed his brows, but on the inside, he was relieved. It seemed to him that he had made the right bet. Libby had indeed expressed her intention to surrender before Cle
Lucky for him, others started to approach, and they were confused seeing Cleo in a hurry to leave."Ms. Libby, what's going on? Is there an issue with the man who came with you?" someone asked in suspicion.Everyone was being cautious right now. After all, liberating Sandstone was fraught with risks. Even if Silverboa did not have any concrete evidence in their hands, a mere decree from them could spell the downfall of these aristocrats.After Sid left, he glanced back and noticed that Libby and Adrian were now surrounded. This brought a slight sense of relief to him, and he began scanning the crowd for Carson. However, he could not find the latter no matter how hard he tried. With the situation now beyond salvage, whether Carson surrendered or not no longer mattered. Now, the only thing he had to do was to leave this place immediately. But Sid was still within Carson's territory, and Adrian might be observing his every move. Therefore, he could not afford to act rashly like leavi
Under such circumstances, what alternative path could he choose?"Don't trouble Ms. Libby, everyone. I guarantee with my life that she is one of us."She was indeed among them, but not one of them.Carson smiled bitterly.The surrounding nobles, upon seeing Carson, were momentarily stunned before bowing to him in succession. In their hearts, they still held a sense of awe toward him. Not only because he had always been the highest authority of the city, but also because in such circumstances, he could still cling to his beliefs and find a way to restore Sandstone. Just for this reason, he was worthy of their respect."My lord, but Ms. Libby...""Enough. I invited her here. Would I harm myself?" Carson said solemnly.The crowd finally quieted down. Carson was the host of this banquet, so he must have some grasp of the current situation. Even if he might betray them, he would not betray himself. So, no matter how many doubts there were about Libby, as long as she was trusted by th