In the lord's manor, Keynes approaches Henwell, looking serious. "Tell me honestly! Did you orchestrate this? This can't be kept under wraps, and no one will be able to protect you if it's true!"

  Henwell lets out a bitter ugh, "Ha... my lord, if I had such skills, I wouldn't be just a stand-in! I really stumbled upon this by accident, and because it's so significant, I had to inform everyone."

  Keynes believes it might just be a coincidence. After questioning Henwell's two attendants, both confirm they hadn't seen Henwell doing anything suspicious. They prepared Henwell's belongings and nothing suspicious had ever been found.

  Keynes trusts Henwell's words, feeling that this matter is far too severe for a child to orchestrate. Could it be a scheme by the Phoenix family? And what role does the Grand Duke py in this? Is the duchy looking for an excuse to reignite conflict?

  Not only Keynes, but everyone in Cloud Tree City who knows about the incident is pondering the underlying causes and potential future implications. The news spreads quickly, and by evening, nobles from a hundred miles away are already aware of the situation.

  Was Henwell truly uninvolved in this matter? Of course not. The entire incident is his brainchild, and the pnning began over a year ago. Over time, Henwell meticulously refined his scheme, leading to the current outcome.

  Were the weapons and armor forged? Certainly not. The underground weapons market is flooded with equipment from the Kingdom of Ika, much of it brought back as spoils by soldiers after the War of the Six Kings. With so many weapons circuting among civilians, the appearance of new, active-duty Ika equipment wouldn't raise suspicions.

  Were the documents and drawings fabricated by Henwell? You could say yes and no. While Henwell provided the intelligence, most of it came from genuine Ika sources. By adding a few portraits and maps, Henwell ensured they blended seamlessly with the rest of the materials.

  When did these items end up with those assassins? They were pced with them yesterday, but not by Henwell. It was the local power broker, Meredith, who handed them over. While trading weapons and supplies, Meredith discreetly inserted these documents into the lining of the weapon bags.

  This is why Henwell wanted to pull Meredith into the fray and why he feels confident in managing this ambitious woman.

  The arrival of thousands of cavalry outside the city has made Meredith realize something is amiss. It won't take long before she understands the full extent of what's happening. Once she realizes that she has inadvertently helped orchestrate this upheaval, she will have only two choices: kill Henwell or join him.

  As for whether the Kingdom of Ika is truly looking to stir up trouble within the duchy using this opportunity, the answer is a resounding yes. Henwell himself provided many of the insider details to them. This information was reyed through his ally, Roderick, the deputy commander of the Eleventh Legion, to the authorities in Ika.

  Why would Roderick help Henwell?

  Naturally, to help himself.

  By merely passing on intelligence to the kingdom, Roderick distances himself from the actual pnning of the assassination squads, which was done by the legion commander. If the duchy catches wind of this, the commander might not face consequences directly, but to avoid a diplomatic incident, he would likely be reassigned away from the border.

  To smooth things over, the kingdom would undoubtedly send Roderick, who has connections with the young master of the Phoenix family, to negotiate. In such a scenario, a deputy commander's position seems inadequate compared to becoming the legion commander.

  Currently, there is indeed an assassination team from the Kingdom of Ika in Cloud Tree City, but they will soon be exposed. Meanwhile, the escaped assassins have become highly sought after. Various factions want to capture them, either to silence them or to gather evidence.

  For now, life is challenging for all the assassins who have accepted the bounty on Henwell. However, these individuals are not Henwell’s ultimate targets.

  His true targets are their employers—the nobles who want him dead. If one investigates thoroughly, connections between these nobles and the Kingdom of Ika can be uncovered, some even tracing back to the War of the Six Kings.

  The internal political ndscape of the duchy is indeed set for a shake-up due to these events, but it won't be too severe. The nobles are all too busy dealing with the chaos to pay attention to a mere child like Henwell.

  A few days ter, it becomes clear to all parties involved that the Kingdom of Ika is indeed connected to the unfolding events. The Phoenix family reacts with great agitation, prompting Baron Jansen to immediately rally his knights and troops.

  Over five thousand soldiers, combined with Peace Haven's three thousand troops and conscripted veteran reservists, amass over ten thousand strong at the border.

  In response, the Eleventh Legion of the Kingdom of Ika mobilizes swiftly, with neighboring nobles answering the call to arms. As more and more troops gather at the border, even the previously passive Ogiro Kingdom finds itself compelled to mobilize its forces to the frontier.

  Simultaneously, the regur armies of all three nations are actively being repositioned, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of impending war. The border residents of the three kingdoms are anxious and have begun preparing for possible evacuation.

  Amidst the tension, few notice that certain merchant caravans within the three nations are capitalizing on the situation, selling off stockpiled essential goods at infted prices.

  The mastermind behind it all, Henwell, is calmly packing his bags at the City Lord's mansion in Cloud Tree City, preparing to leave. When Lord Keynes hears of Henwell's departure, he seeks him out.

  "Things are a mess right now, why the rush? If a real war breaks out, there won't be any need to walk the Path of Honor!" Keynes remarks.

  Henwell shrugs, "That's for the noble lords to worry about! I'm just a stand-in, and my task is to complete this journey. Then I'm free!"

  With a sly grin, Henwell adds, "Besides, with all this chaos, it's the perfect time to slip away! Who's going to pay attention to me now?"

  Keynes, who has always looked out for Henwell, urges him to wait another day. The next day, Henwell sets off with over a hundred cavalrymen to his next destination. These riders aren't there to protect him; they're tasked with delivering witnesses and evidence to the capital. No one dares to interfere with this convoy.

  On the contrary, everyone fears any incident on their territory, so local nobles dispatch private troops to escort them safely.

  Many nobles are too preoccupied to trouble Henwell, wary of him turning the tables and accusing them of colluding with foreign powers. To avoid such a predicament, they hastily stamp their seals and send him on his way like a pgue.

  As for the assassins, they wouldn't dare unch a frontal assault on the military. Moreover, many nobles are now desperately trying to silence these assassins to distance themselves from the plot against Henwell.

  Thus, Henwell easily collects the seals of approval from most of his adversarial nobles.