The story of the black silk female knight

The two traitors from the Sage's Tower were actually somewhat resentful, but considering their current position and situation, they could only flatter the old lady.

"...However, their military discipline is really too poor, which is obviously inconsistent with the intelligence that was sent back to the Empire before."

The old lady thought for a moment, then gave instructions to the two traitors from the Sage's Tower:

"After we enter the city, try to find out what happened... Even a lion must go all out to hunt a rabbit. This is not imperial territory after all, so we cannot be careless."

"Yes, Granny." x2

After passing through the border checkpoint and walking along the official road for about two hours, a small northern town of America came into view.

The adventure team of a hundred people attracted a little attention from passersby when they entered the city, but they were only glanced at curiously and did not cause any ripples.

It is indeed rare to see so many people teaming up for adventures, but for the residents of the border city who see adventurers from all walks of life every day, it is not so unusual.

Both of the Sage Tower traitors were over a hundred years old and were quite familiar with America. They quickly found several suitable inns and had the group members stay in them separately.

After settling the rest of the group in, the two of them accompanied the old lady into a local tavern frequented by adventurers to gather information.

Just like the desolate lands without the wild beasts, the northern ice plains have become a popular new destination for adventurers after the disappearance of the Netherworld Catastrophe.

There aren't many usable materials in the Icefield, but almost all of them are rare materials that are hard to find elsewhere... For most ordinary adventurers, finding even one of these rare materials can be considered a fortune.

Therefore, there are quite a few adventurers staying in this border town. As long as you treat them to a couple of drinks and have a beautiful dancer accompany them, they are quite willing to share some information.

"Oh, you mean the border checkpoint."

At this moment, an adventurer who had already drunk half a pot of fine wine, while embracing a hot and beautiful dancer, answered the questions of the Sage's Tower traitors with a lisp:

"Isn't this the start of a war with the Eastern Continent? The elite soldiers were originally transferred to the Fran side to join the allied forces. Now, many of the people in the outposts were sent there after making mistakes. They basically don't do anything. Even if you don't pay them, they can just pass through."

"...Will this work? That's a border post!"

The traitor from the Sage's Tower was puzzled and, with a hint of worry, asked:

"What are the American military thinking? Aren't they afraid that enemies might invade from the ice field?"

"...Dude, are you kidding me? What kind of enemies could there be in the direction of the ice field?"

The adventurer took another big gulp of wine, laughing loudly as he slapped the dancer in his arms until her fair skin turned red. He showed no pity, but instead became even more excited.

"Who doesn't know now? The Netherworld Calamity that has plagued the Ice Plains for thousands of years has been completely resolved by that Sunflower Duchess! Now the Ice Plains are full of valuable materials, just like our America's backyard... What danger could there be in our own backyard? I heard that some high-ranking members of the Merchant Alliance have even suggested that we just dismantle all the border outposts."

"This……"

The two traitors from the Sage's Tower exchanged an incredulous glance. One of them then secretly looked at the old woman who remained silent until she asked the slightly drunk adventurer again:

"Isn't the military afraid that the Central Continent Empire might attack from the direction of the Ice Plains?"

"...Huh? The Central Continent Empire attacked from the Ice Plains? Hahahaha..."

The adventurer seemed completely amused, and under the influence of alcohol, he became even more excited, continuing to slap the dancer in his arms until she almost cried. But for the high bounty, the dancer could only refill the adventurer's cup while forcing a smile.

The adventurer laughed mockingly for a while before shouting:

"Brother, that's hilarious! Who doesn't know that the Central Continent Empire is in the Eastern Continent? How could people from the Eastern Continent possibly attack from the northern ice plains? Even a child could figure that out, right? Brother, you must have had too much to drink! Haha... chuckle."

"...Yes, yes, we drank too much."

The traitor from the Sage's Tower gave a perfunctory reply, gave the dancer a few gold coins, and then had her drag the drunken adventurer away.

They then used a similar method, offering fine wine and beautiful women as payment, to inquire about information from several adventurers who seemed to be quite capable, but they all received similar answers.

The American military's current focus is entirely on the coalition forces, and they have almost completely abandoned the Icefield, which no longer has the Netherworld Calamity... The outposts are now just for show and don't do anything at all.

As for the possibility that the Central Continent Empire might attack from the northern ice plains, the vast majority of people laughed and dismissed it, sharing the same view as the adventurer at the beginning.

"That's it."

Seemingly already knowing what she wanted to know, the old woman stopped the two traitors from the Sage's Tower from continuing to spend money hiring dancers to seduce the adventurers, and led them back to their room at the inn.

Upon entering the room, the old woman cautiously set up three layers of protective barriers to ensure that nothing inside would be known to the outside world. Only then did she smile with disdain and contempt.

"Truly a barbarian country... Your level of knowledge here is quite low, isn't it? Cultivators at the Innate Realm don't even know that the world is round?"

"This... sigh."

The two traitors from the Sage's Tower simply smiled awkwardly, said nothing more, and obediently waited for the old lady's next order.

The old woman seemed to find her sarcastic remarks rather dull, and quickly turned her old face grim and serious again:

"His Majesty's order to me is to establish a systematic intelligence network here, to integrate our intelligence personnel here, and to improve intelligence efficiency... His Majesty is very dissatisfied with the current intelligence efficiency."

So I need to integrate everyone in the team as quickly as possible, from the maids and servants of noble families to the street vendors selling tea and boiled eggs in the slums, we need to have people in our ranks… You two used to be local strongmen here, do you have any good suggestions?”

"If we want to penetrate into the lower levels... we should start with the intermediaries in the slums."

One of the Sage Tower traitors thought for a moment and spoke first:

"According to intelligence, the coalition forces are currently carrying out a large-scale upgrade of some kind of equipment, which requires the recruitment of a large number of people to engage in production. Many people who used to struggle to make ends meet in the slums now have stable jobs and incomes."

Many of the people in these slums have ancestors who went bankrupt several generations ago and have no official status at all... They can get a guarantee of their status by giving some benefits to those intermediaries.

We can have some members of the team obtain new identities in this way, infiltrate those engaged in production for the coalition, gather intelligence on the coalition's new weapons, and further infiltrate the coalition later.

"...Hmm, this method is feasible, and it coincides with my own ideas."

The old lady seemed quite satisfied with this method, nodding with a smile:

"Tomorrow I'll go with you to meet those middlemen in the slums... Their positions are still very important, and I think it's necessary to use some magic to make them more reliable."

"Yes, Mammy."

The traitor from the Sage's Tower who proposed the solution readily agreed.

Then the old lady looked at another traitor from the Sage's Tower:

"What about you? Do you have any other suggestions or connections?"

"Of course."

The traitor from the Sage's Tower quickly replied with a forced smile:

"I know a gang leader here. His gang specializes in that kind of business... They kidnap beautiful women who are 'unidentified' or helpless, and train them to be bed partners for rich men."

Because of the nature of this business, the more beautiful a woman is without a formal identity, the more popular she is with that gang... As long as you, Granny, have a few pretty female subordinates cooperate with me and disguise them as drifters from the Eastern Continent that I have captured, it should be easy for that gang to take a liking to them.

After all, for truly wealthy people, local beauties are probably already tiresome; beauties from the Eastern Continent are a rare commodity, so they should be easy to win over.

"Using a woman as a 'honey trap'... it's not impossible, it's a basic skill for female intelligence agents."

The old lady thought for a moment and nodded in agreement:

"You can try this approach. Go meet with that gang leader tomorrow and sound him out... If things work out, I'll prepare the goods for you."

"Yes, Granny!"

. . . . .

The following morning, the two traitors from the Sage's Tower and the old woman went their separate ways.

One of the Sage Tower traitors led the old woman into the local slums to control the slum brokers and pave the way for his spies.

Another traitor from the Sage's Tower went straight to the local brothel street to meet the gang leader who controlled the street.

The traitor from the Sage's Tower didn't use his true appearance, but rather disguised himself. After all, he was now a wanted traitor, and if the gang leader didn't show any mercy and used him to exchange for the bounty, even if he managed to escape, it would be very troublesome.

Meeting the gang leader was not difficult for this traitor from the Sage's Tower. After all, he was a Radiant-rank expert. Even though he was a complete stranger, the gang leader could not tolerate being treated lightly and politely invited him into the luxuriously decorated reception room.

The traitor from the Sage's Tower had already prepared various excuses and was just waiting to discuss business with the gang leader when he suddenly realized something was wrong.

Because there wasn't a single gang thug in the room where they met.

If a strange, powerful expert of the Radiant Rank arrives with business, even if the gang leader wants to show sincerity or keep the conversation confidential, it's impossible for him to come without a single bodyguard. There's definitely something wrong with that.

"...You discovered it?"

As expected, the gang leader, seeing the sudden wariness in the eyes of the traitor from the Sage's Tower, continued to calmly sip his tea, his gaze filled with contempt.

"You don't seem too stupid... but you're still pretty stupid. All your actions have long been under my junior sister's control."

boom!

The Sage Tower traitor was also very decisive. Without wasting any words, he raised his hand and blasted a large fireball at the gang leader. He then instantly activated two layers of magical shields and smashed through the wall next to him in an attempt to break through.

However, it was completely useless.

The fireball aimed at the gang leader was completely blocked by a shield of holy light. What lay beyond the shattered wall was not a city street, but a deep blue sea.

The sun blazes over the sea, while whirlpools churn deep beneath.

The scorching sun baked the spirit and soul of the traitor in the Sage's Tower, while the abyss vortex gradually drained the strength from his body.

"It's actually a domain?"

The traitor from the Sage's Tower was even more surprised, followed by terror.

According to intelligence, among all the humans on the entire Frenoia continent, only one person can expand their domain like a monster lord.

"It's you! Duchess Sunflower!"

The traitor in the Sage's Tower suddenly roared hysterically:

"You've got all of this under your control? You deliberately let us in to kill us? But don't think you'll get away with it so easily! I was a sage for over 100 years, after all!"

While roaring, the traitor of the Sage's Tower gathered a large amount of magic power, making a gesture that seemed to indicate he was about to self-destruct:

"A mere domain! The Sage's Tower has already conducted research on this! Even without defeating the domain owner, as long as a large amount of magic power is gathered and unleashed in one burst, the domain can be shattered!"

"Then why don't you break it and show me?"

A melodious voice, tinged with a hint of allure, rang out. A female knight in silver armor, a short skirt, and black stockings appeared with effortless steps, looking at the Sage's Tower traitor with the same disdainful gaze one might show to a nobody.

"I don't think you have that ability."

"You actually look down on me?"

Feeling insulted, the traitor from the Sage's Tower grew even angrier, staring intently at Valensa, his magic gathering before him at an even faster pace.

"You've only been a Radiant Rank cultivator for a few days? When I advanced to Radiant Rank and became a Sage, your father wasn't even born yet! What gives you the right to look down on me?? I... uh?"

As the traitor from the Sage's Tower spoke, he seemed about to unleash a powerful spell on Valensa with the large amount of magic he had gathered, but just as he was about to cast the spell, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, his limbs suddenly lost all strength, and the magic he had gathered went out of control.

He looked down and found that a hand had appeared on his chest without him noticing... Someone had attacked him from behind without his knowledge and stabbed him through the heart with a hand chop.

"He's clearly just a nobody, yet he talks too much nonsense."

The contemptuous and disdainful voice rang out again. The traitor from the Sage's Tower, who had barely managed to raise his head again, only saw a moon-like sword light before knowing nothing more.

Even a powerful Radiant-rank expert with strong vitality would not survive if pierced through the heart and decapitated.

After slaying the traitor from the Sage's Tower, Valensa withdrew her domain, carried his body back to the gang's reception room, and tossed the corpse in front of the gang leader who was still drinking tea.

"Please, senior sister."

"...Phew, another dangerous and arduous task. I really don't want to do it."

The gang leader shrugged helplessly, but still waved his hand to collect the body.

"But what can I do? It's my lovely junior sister's request. Don't worry, I'll keep a close eye on these people from the Central Continent Empire for you... Their intelligence network will definitely be established, but they'll only gather the intelligence we want them to gather."

Chapter 66 The war begins, let's start with a grand fireworks display!

After the Phantom Thief replaced the traitor in the Sage's Tower, the intelligence network established by the spies of the Central Continent Empire became increasingly smooth.

In less than two months, the more than 100 spies from the Central Continent Empire, following the old lady's plan, either infiltrated some important grassroots positions or became intimate with powerful figures as bed partners, collecting all sorts of valuable intelligence.

Moreover, this new intelligence network also connected the Central Continent Empire's spies who were already lurking in various corners of the Frenoia continent, and under the personal command of the old lady, the intelligence gathering work was carried out more efficiently.

Every 10 to 15 days, the old lady would personally perform a ritual, smearing the papers filled with intelligence with blood and burning them with spiritual flames, thus transmitting the collected intelligence back to the Central Continent Empire.

Of course, everything the old lady did was under surveillance, and even the spies of the Central Continent Empire who were originally lurking were exposed as the old lady's intelligence network was established.

The old lady was actually very cautious, maintaining a high level of vigilance almost 24 hours a day, changing her lodging every two days, and always using a magical barrier to conceal information before each conversation.

Unfortunately, she was discovered and closely watched by Qingyi from the very beginning, and every place she stayed afterward was riddled with pinhole cameras and miniature listening devices. One of her two trusted guides was even replaced by the Phantom Thief.

In this situation, whatever information the old lady and her spies obtained was actually information that Tia wanted her to know.

At this point, the spies of the Central Continent Empire who had infiltrated the continent of Frenoia were no longer a significant threat.

Valensa no longer personally monitored these spies all the time, and gradually handed them over to ninjas who were also skilled in intelligence work.

She went home and found the doll girl, Yi Qiuya.

Yi Qiuya once said that in order to completely defeat the Dragon Emperor, Valensa must take the right path at three key junctures.

With the high-level fog demons collectively transforming into ship girls and swearing allegiance to Valenza, the last of Frenoia's three major calamities can be considered to have disappeared, and the second node has been completed.