Todd unfolded the letter and carefully read the invitation from the "Relief Society." The letter, written by Theodore, the president of the "Relief Society," contained friendly language and an apparent inclination towards cooperation, raising questions about the true intentions of this terrorist group composed of radical outsiders.

Rachel sat down and said, “According to the information I just received: First, the monster in Northstone Fortress is the latest experimental product of the ‘Relief Society’—the ‘Necromancer Successor’; Second, the Knights discovered a cave in the Northstone Mine containing hundreds of corpses, including civilians from the kingdom and slaves from barbarians. There are indications that the ‘Relief Society’, a subordinate organization of the ‘Elders’ Council,’ is using these corpses as materials to mass-produce ‘Necromancer Successors’.”

Upon hearing Rachel's report, Todd froze at the table, slowly putting down the letter in his hand, and asked, "The Necromancer's successor?"

“Monsters constructed from corpses and skeletons, some of which belong to deceased ‘Inheritors,’ could be heads or spines.” Rachel’s expression was more solemn than ever before. “In the past, due to the toxicity of the ‘Sutherland Relics,’ the chances of survival for ordinary humans after contact with them were extremely low. Therefore, ‘Inheritors,’ though terrifying, were very few in number. But if it were truly possible to combine corpses and relics to create ‘Necromantic Inheritors,’ then the ‘Elders’ could not only build an invincible army in a short time, but could even rewrite the entire continent’s格局 (geju, a concept encompassing overall structure, overall situation, and overall dynamics).

Todd looked at the letter and pondered for a moment: "I guess the Relief Society wants to meet with me for two reasons: first, to find out whether I am friend or foe; and second, to find me as a collaborator in their research on the 'Necromancer Successor'."

Rachel was somewhat puzzled: "I could guess the first point, but how did you know the second one?"

Todd repackaged the letter and placed it on the table: "The 'Inheritors' force in Twilight Town can only hide for a while, not forever. The technology I possess may be the key they desperately need."

Rachel stood up from her chair: "Commander-in-Chief, I have a question."

Todd gestured for her to speak freely.

"If...if the conditions offered by the Relief Society are very favorable, would you agree to cooperate with them?"

Looking at the unnatural expression on Rachel's face, and recalling the suffering she had endured in the 'Clash Legion', Todd shook his head and said, "I can never condone such a practice that treats human life like dirt."

Rachel's expression calmed down slightly. She bowed, clutching the cross on her chest, and left the room.

Todd watched the woman's figure disappear, then sat back down, his eyes fixed on the letter on the table, remaining silent for a long time.

——————————————

Two days later, Todd's meeting with Theodore was arranged at the "Sisters Hotel".

The Knights cleared out all the staff from the hotel and conducted a thorough search, eventually surrounding it in layers.

Theodore, the president of the Relief Society, rode on horseback without any weapons, accompanied only by a follower named Goatbone, who was still dressed like an old blacksmith.

Todd was somewhat surprised to see that there were only two of them, but Hudgens' whisper made him frown.

In Muxi Town, many suspicious people secretly approached the "Sisters' Inn." They disguised themselves as merchants, travelers, and some were even residents of the town.

Todd's face appeared calm, but as he sat at the negotiating table, he gripped the hem of the tablecloth tightly.

The rapid development of Muxi Town, along with its indiscriminate immigration policy and lax population management, provided these spies and undercover agents with numerous opportunities to infiltrate and hide within the town.

Cumberland was right; he had indeed spent too much time on experiments and neglected the most basic task of a lord—territorial management.

After the meeting, Todd made up his mind to establish an intelligence and surveillance organization in Twilight Town and to begin localized management of the population.

“Todd, oh no, I should call you Commander-in-Chief!” Theodore sat down on the other side of the negotiating table, tapping the surface with a smile, and said, “We’ve come from afar, shouldn’t we prepare some food and drinks?”

Todd nodded, signaling Huggins to instruct the kitchen to start serving the dishes.

Throatbone sat down next to Theodore, looking at the large group of people across the table, and said in a tone that was half teasing and half mocking, "Lord Todd, you're as cautious as ever..."

Todd glanced at Rachel and Hudgens sitting next to him, then at the "Inheritors" team behind him, and finally just smiled at the throat bone.

Theodore took off his coat and tossed it onto the back of the chair, saying casually, "The last time we met, you were just a priest, and now you're the Grand Master of one of the Church's four great knightly orders... Fate is such an interesting thing."

After the dishes were all placed in the table, Todd said, "Mr. Chairman, let's get down to business. What does the 'Relief Society' want?"

“This dish tastes quite good.” Theodore picked up a piece of steak, put it in his mouth and chewed, sincerely praising the deliciousness of the food. He then said to Todd, “First of all, I must apologize. A few days ago at North Rock Fortress, my experimental subject had a small ‘dispute’ with your troops…”

Todd nodded imperceptibly, indicating that he was listening.

"After years of experimentation, I've found a way to allow the remains of 'Inheritors' to absorb flesh and blood and grow into creatures with equal combat power." Theodore scooped up a spoonful of soup, put it in his mouth, and smacked his lips. "This method can greatly increase the success rate of 'Sutherland Relics' while saving materials needed to prevent 'Inheritors' from mutating..."

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