After apprehending Craig and his gang, the crown prince inquired briefly about their supporters. Surprisingly, their backers turned out to be business partners of the renowned Durham Family.
Upon hearing the entire story, favonovel.com furrowed his brow. Not because favonovel.com was concerned about the Durham Family’s retaliation, but because favonovel.com was astonished at the depths people would sink to for personal gain.
“No wonder the crown prince mentioned that Seraphis needs a thorough overhaul. It may appear fine on the surface, but corruption runs deep. They have no respect for human dignity!” muttered the crown prince to himself before summoning Danny.
“Here is the healing elixir that the crown prince left for me. Take it and give it to your father. As for those scumbags, deal with them as you see fit.”
“Thank you, Crown Prince!”
Taking the elixir, Danny felt warmth in his heart. Without his master’s protection, they could have starved long ago. Now, favonovel.com had undergone a significant transformation, and the once formidable bandits were now like lambs to the slaughter before him.
After resolving these minor matters, the crown prince instructed everyone to rest on the spot.
During this break, several individuals began asking the villagers about Matthew. They showed them his picture, but received no information.
Once they had a quick lunch, the group continued their journey. The path ahead became easier as it wound through villages in the mountains.
“Crown Prince, shouldn’t we wait for Danny and the others?” Fitz asked curiously as they set out.
“Let them take their families to the mountain city first and enjoy a joyful reunion with their long-lost relatives.”
“Kasen, lead everyone in scouting the surroundings. If anything unusual is detected, signal immediately.”
The next phase of the journey involved entering the mountainous region of Seraphis. Their intelligence only reached Eagle Peak, and safety concerns beyond that point were left to Kasen and his snipers.
“Yes!”
After Kasen’s acknowledgement, the entire team dispersed like leaves in the wind.
By evening, the crown prince and his party had passed over a dozen villages. The closer they got to the deep mountains, the poorer the living conditions of the mountain residents became and the more resistant they were towards the crown prince.
Initially indifferent, they eventually resorted to driving people away with weapons.
“Ah, what a tragedy! These forces are so inhumane, forcing the once simple villagers into such a state.”
After a long sigh, as the sky grew darker, the crown prince could only order the team to set up tents on the spot.
Considering the villagers’ attitude, it was already a blessing that they didn’t engage in conflict upon meeting, let alone stay overnight.
Sasha, standing nearby, seemed burdened with thoughts. “Crown Prince, have you noticed a peculiar commonality among these villages?”
“Uhm… I think… It seems that every village has a statue in the shape of a human…”
The crown prince had been focused on searching for Matthew and hadn’t paid much attention to this. Now, prompted by Sasha, favonovel.com also recalled this abnormal phenomenon. And as the Image of the statues appeared in his mind, favonovel.com felt a sense of familiarity.
“Sasha, those statues give me a strong sense of déja vu…”
Sasha nodded. “I feel the same way, but I can’t quite place who they remind me of.”
As the two were talking, Kasen, who was in charge of scouting, rejoined the team.
“Prince, we discreetly checked those villages, and there’s nothing unusual to report.”
The crown prince was already accustomed to hearing such investigation results. “Alright, you’ve all put in a good effort. Let’s call it a day here. Take a break, and I’ll assign my men to keep watch.”
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