Chapter 543, Section 542: Sources of Materials for the Mushroom Castle Defense
Beria is the captain of an elite spy squad under Movre.
At this moment, he was hiding in the sheltered spot of a barren hill far away from the High Fortress, observing the military fortress being transformed through "distant vision".
The ancient fortress of High Fortress was naturally heavily fortified on the north side to defend against the empire, while its defenses on the south side were relatively weak.
After Duke Sigismund occupied the area, his first priority was to strengthen the southern city wall, inscribing various defensive magic arrays and erecting magic towers one by one.
Moreover, three new camps were established around the fortress in a triangular pattern, significantly expanding the actual area of control and making this strategic location as impregnable as an ironclad fortress.
However, the specific city defense renovation plan for Sigismund was not the focus of his trip. He was there only to keep watch.
According to reports from his men lurking inside the fortress, a shipment of marked supplies is about to be transported out of the south gate.
This batch of supplies was neither material for constructing defensive magic arrays nor ordinary military supplies, and should not have appeared in the southern area of the High Fortress. Its nature is highly suspicious.
Beria even suspected that Sigismund might be secretly doing business with human forces.
However, the movement of a batch of supplies doesn't prove anything. What Lady Mofrey wants is substantial evidence that can truly strike at Sigismund, which is why he appeared here.
As the sun set and the afterglow bathed the city walls in a dark gold, three carriages, devoid of any family crests and covered with heavy tarpaulins, drove out of the fortress's south gate. Their design perfectly matched the description in the intelligence report.
The leader was even a registered Blood Knight, but he wasn't wearing the knight's armor, clearly not wanting to attract attention.
The carriage turned straight east toward the dense forest.
Beria did not immediately follow, as the risk of exposure would be too high.
There was only one road through the dense forest for horse-drawn carriages, and he planned to wait near the exit.
He was operating alone this time, without any team members. In such a mission that requires extreme stealth and tracking, numbers are not an asset, but rather a liability.
When it comes to the skills of stealth, tracking, and concealment, he is confident that he far surpasses his subordinates.
Their value lies in weaving intelligence networks and conducting targeted surveillance to gather clues, while the final confirmation and tracking are handled by him personally.
His caution was also necessary; a spy squad had already disappeared before them.
However, he did not see the caravan at the forest exit; judging by their speed, they should have come out long ago.
Unless... the unloading site is in the forest?
That's strange. Even if you're trading with someone, the other party has to take the goods away, right?
If we don't come out this way, are we supposed to turn back and swagger past the High Fortress?
After thinking for a moment, he took off his shoes to make noise while walking.
They then sprinkled anti-magic powder and deodorizing powder on their bodies.
Only then did they sneak into the forest.
The forest was not pitch black; the scattered fluorescent mushrooms illuminated the forest's outline for travelers.
The Empire was already aware that creep was essentially a supply line for Puji, and had been clearing creep near the border ever since the war.
However, it's easier to clear the fungal carpet in open areas, but in terrain like forests, unless the entire forest is burned down, it's impossible to completely clear the carpet.
Therefore, this is one of the few areas near High Castle where mushrooms still grow.
After searching for a while, he finally found the wagon that had just finished unloading.
The goods were piled up by the roadside, and the demons transporting the goods were loading boxes of cans onto the wagons.
This scene thrilled Beriah; he felt he was very close to uncovering the secret Sigismund had hidden.
But this also made him more cautious, carefully hiding himself in the darkness.
Despite the distance, Beriar's keen hearing allowed him to catch their conversation.
"This is the last box."
"Seriously, after so many shipments, I still don't even know who the other party is."
"Are you tired of living? Stop being curious about all this nonsense. Isn't it enough that you got a jar after coming all this way?"
"Yeah...hehehe..."
"Quiet down!"
At the Blood Knight's reprimand, the group fell silent and turned back.
Beria did not continue following the convoy, but instead kept a close eye on the shipment from a distance.
He needs to determine who Sigismund is dealing with!
Soon, there was movement over there.
*Smack* *Smack*
Hollow-out cows and horses emerged from the hole, swallowed the packed supplies one bag at a time, and then turned and squeezed back into the hole.
"Puji?"
Belial looked around, trying to find the Puji Master.
The Puji Master didn't see it, but discovered something that shouldn't exist.
It was a long, thin object, like a tattered white rag bag, lying quietly on the fungal carpet.
Knowing one's surroundings is a basic skill for a high-level spy, and Belial clearly remembered that there was nothing there before!
This gave him the creeps, even though he didn't know what it was and hadn't yet met the actual trading partner.
But Beria felt he could no longer stay and immediately wanted to leave.
"You've been watching for so long, don't you want to know more?" The white rag writhed, emitting a sticky and disgusting echo that sent a shiver down Belial's spine. "For example, how is that delicious 'wine' produced?"
He'd been exposed! When? Without hesitation, Beria retreated hastily, turning and running!
"Yes, yes! Run! You'll be safe once you're out of the forest! You're faster than the last one!"
...
Just as the caravan drove out of the edge of the dense forest, the lead Blood Knight suddenly pulled on the reins.
He turned around and looked at the forest behind him, which was dotted with fluorescent lights.
A night breeze swept by, rustling the leaves in the woods.
"My lord, what's wrong?" asked the half-vampire attendant following closely behind.
The Blood Knight remained silent for a moment, then slowly withdrew his gaze from the shadows of the trees: "No, it's nothing, probably just the sound of the wind."
...
It's great to have the support of an empire; we never lack any resources.
In terms of vast territory and abundant resources, kingdoms are far inferior to empires that occupy the most fertile regions.
The fortress was built to the highest defensive standards, and without these rare resources from the Empire, Lin Jun would have had a hard time obtaining them from elsewhere.
This is why Lin Jun and Xiao Xi went into the "wine" business together.
Unfortunately, it was a 30/70 split, and Lin Jun only received 70%.
Lin Jun felt cheated because she had dealt with all these spies herself and put in so much effort to get such a small share.
But having known Xiao Xi for several months, Lin Jun was willing to accept this loss out of consideration for their shared bond.
Captured spies can also fill the talent pool, which can be considered a virtuous cycle.
It's a bit troublesome to stuff people into the tunnel. Lin Jun plans to learn the Puji Transformation Technique soon, so that even if they come out of the tunnel, others will only see the Pujis playing around.
Lin Jun took out the list of city defense supplies and scanned the inventory, checking off each item one by one until the very end.
Mermaid tears? Siphonophore crystals?
Things from the sea...
Can I use the Fishman's Tears?
Lin Jun thought of the crevice on the seventh floor that was filled with seawater. She wondered how those fishmen were doing now.
(End of this chapter)
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