When Donna caught up from behind, she saw Hibel riding the Royal Griffon, circling above the Orc camp.

She encountered no attacks, for the entire Orc camp was empty; not a single guard was present.

It was clear the Orcs had retreated very hastily, leaving many things behind—even valuable siege engines and alchemical weapons.

Donna approached Hibel with caution, noticing how excited the young lady was.

"The Orcs have actually retreated! Surely, something major has happened in the Wilds!"

Hibel inspected every corner of the Orc camp to confirm that it was not an ambush.

Donna, also overjoyed, asked Hibel, "Miss Hibel, have we won?"

"We have won!" Hibel said with certainty. "The Orcs' daytime attack was merely a cover for their retreat. They abandoned their supply train to withdraw quickly with light packs. We should immediately organize our forces to pursue them and delay their retreat. Perhaps we can even seize the opportunity to deal a devastating blow to the Orc main force."

Hibel gazed in the direction of the Orcs' retreat. The path was littered with discarded items, clear evidence they had jettisoned everything possible to move quickly. Since the Orcs are in such a hurry, intercepting them could lead to unexpected victories.

At this moment, a squadron of Griffons flew over from Anjik Fort.

Hibel immediately went to meet them. Seeing they were all Marquis Anderson's close followers, she said at once, "Knight Fusch, please find Marquis Anderson and inform him of the Orcs' urgent retreat. The rest of you, follow me to pursue the retreating Orc great army and find an opportunity to delay them."

However, the arriving Gryphon Knights surrounded Hibel and Donna.

Knight Fusch said to Hibel, "Miss Hibel... The Marquis has ordered that no one is to leave Anjik Fort.

"Please come back with us."

Hibel argued urgently, "Don't you see? The Orcs are retreating in such a hurry! Something major must have happened in their rear. If we seize this opportunity, we can deal a devastating blow to the Orc main force."

The Gryphon Knights remained unmoved. They continued to circle Hibel and even began preparing Magic.

"Miss Hibel, please comply with military orders. If you have any concerns, you can discuss them with the Marquis when you see him."

Hibel asked, "Where is the Marquis?"

Knight Fusch replied, "The Marquis is now in Storm City. He feared news of his return would leak, so he didn't inform others.

"Miss, the Marquis does not wish for you to encounter any danger.

"Please return to the city with us."

Marquis Anderson went to Storm City? Why would he go to Storm City at a time like this?

Could he have already known about the Orcs' retreat? Is that why he felt at ease leaving Anjik Fort?

What exactly happened?

More questions arose in Hibel's heart.

She took another glance at the direction of the Orcs' retreat, then helplessly followed the Gryphon Knights surrounding her back to Anjik Fort.

And so, because Marquis Anderson forbade anyone from entering or leaving Anjik Fort, no news of the Orcs' great retreat leaked out.

Everyone believed the war at Anjik Fort was still ongoing. They thought the Orcs might assault the fortress at any moment, bringing battle to the very gates of Storm City.

「Nuta City was under lockdown due to riots, and sporadic fighting continued to erupt, even at night.」

Battles erupted frequently and were extremely fierce, especially in the residential district near the northeastern city wall.

Captain Donald stood on the top floor of a tower. Surrounded by elite heroes from several mercenary corps, he looked down at the pitch-black houses below.

His men had surrounded the Elf Envoys within this small area.

Although the agents sent by the Rose Court to protect the Elves fought valiantly, they couldn't prevent the encirclement from steadily tightening.

An Illumination Magic spell shot into the sky, instantly revealing a few agents hiding in the rooftop shadows. A barrage of attack spells immediately rained down on them.

These agents, holding up magical shields, clumsily jumped from the rooftops as elite members of the Farsight Mercenary Corps fanned out to encircle them.

After several houses were cleared, the mercenaries following them would meticulously search for any secret rooms or passages where people might be concealed. Once they confirmed no Elves were hiding inside, the encirclement tightened further.

Although this method of searching was slow, it ensured no Elves within the encirclement could slip away.

"Captain, at this pace, we'll be able to complete the task Grand Priest Lancelot assigned us before daybreak. By then, Captain, you will be Viscount Donald."

Donald greatly enjoyed the flattery from his subordinates.

After daybreak, my family's glory will be restored by my own hands.

"Once I am ennobled as a Viscount, I will take you all as my retainers and make you knights. You will pledge loyalty to me, and House Donald will grant you honor."

The heroic mercenaries saluted Donald in unison, as if they had already received their knighthoods.

Donald continued to watch the district below with a triumphant air.

The Elf Envoys were trapped like turtles in a jar.

At this moment, Prince Elrado sat on a chair in a humble dwelling, looking expressionless out the open door.

Including this place, he had already switched hiding spots six times.

The Elf guards he had brought with him were now down to only four.

Like Prince Elrado, they were dressed in green military overcoats and held hunting bows, standing guard at the door and in the courtyard.

The Elves' slender, tall figures and handsome features made even the plain military overcoats look fashionable.

Outside, the night sky was sporadically illuminated by flashes of multicolored Magic.

Prince Elrado said to the human agent who had been faithfully standing by his side, "I came to Nuta City because I believed you could ensure my safety. But now it seems... you can neither keep my presence here a secret nor guarantee my safety."

The Farsight Mercenary Corps finding this place so purposefully clearly meant they knew I was here.

This infuriated Prince Elrado immensely.

Moreover, not only did the Rose Court have a mole leaking information, but they also lacked the ability to protect him.

Facing Prince Elrado's wrath, the lead agent also felt deeply wronged.

The assassination attempt on Yan Xing had triggered a security breach within the Assassin's Guild.

The Assassin's Guild had been investigating internally for a long time. Yet, the informant's identity remained undiscovered, while the list of suspects only grew longer.

For such an important task as protecting the Elf Envoys, how could they possibly use those under suspicion?

Consequently, the Rose Court had to cobble together personnel. While their loyalty was assured, their numbers were far too few.

"Please rest assured, Prince... Lady Karol has everything under control. We will also fight to the death to protect your safety..."

Before the lead agent could finish his sentence, another agent rushed in from outside.

His clothes were riddled with holes, large and small, from fire, and his face bore extensive burn scars.

"We need to leave, it's not safe here anymore."

The lead agent's expression grew even more troubled.

Prince Elrado chuckled softly, stood up, and walked outside.

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