Inside the Earl's mansion, Joseph and the four-member team led by Barnier had already brought the dying rebel member before them.
"It's him."
Sean looked at the man lying on the ground, whose clothes were already tattered. Originally having over 5,000 health points, he now had only 1,000 left, with his status showing human affinity still as hostile.
"Yes, my lord. A few others died in the fight; out of seven, only he was captured alive." Joseph said, glancing at the four people beside him.
He had just witnessed their fighting style. Even among mercenary teams, they were undoubtedly top-tier—well-coordinated and all four possessing considerable strength. He estimated they were likely on par with him.
If such people were to follow the Earl, he wondered how his own position might be affected.
Sean noticed Joseph's hesitant expression and curiously bent down.
"What is it?"
"Oh, nothing. My lord, we've captured the enemy. How would you like to handle this?"
Already half-dead on the ground, what else could be done? Just lock him up with the others.
"Did any of the rebels with him escape?"
"No, we surrounded the inn completely. Not a single one got away." Joseph said this with evident confidence, and the four-member team behind him nodded in agreement that all had been dealt with.
"By the way, my lord. There's something we found on this man. I'd like you to take a look. I'm not sure what it is—it feels like some kind of church rhetoric." Joseph handed over a thick, leather-bound booklet.
Sean took it and opened it, his expression instantly changing when he read the passage.
"Your previous life was spent in blissful ignorance, Until darkness came to the door of this fragile world, waking you from your dreams. Some indescribable horror awakens from a billion-year slumber, and everything we know as reality will come crashing down."
"From his person?"
"Yes, my lord."
"My lord Earl, I snatched his waist pouch at the last moment and found this. It was almost destroyed by magic." Latina added, not missing a chance to embellish her role.
"Didn't I point that out to you?"
"That doesn't change the fact that I grabbed it."
Sean watched the four bickering again, especially Latina who was speaking.
He waited until they almost felt embarrassed before slowly saying, "It really came from him?"
"Yes, what's wrong, my lord Earl?"
As if lost in thought, he didn't immediately respond to their questions. This kind of language was just like the talk of the Old Ones that the Depth Walkers he'd encountered often mentioned—clearly the rhetoric of Old One cultists.
The rebels were connected to the Old Ones? If so, this would be troublesome.
Sean frowned and gave new orders to the five before him.
"Joseph, tighten security in Oro City during this time. Strictly scrutinize everyone coming and going. As for you four, according to our agreement, since you've captured the rebels, I'll give you corresponding work. Since you weren't born into the military, I won't assign you to army posts. I allow you to become my personal operatives, a force hidden among the people."
In plain terms, they would be privately trained enforcers.
He had no armed forces outside the military, and some things weren't suitable for soldiers to handle, so they were the perfect choice—including gathering intelligence and carrying out special missions.
During normal times, they could still be part of the mercenary team and accept guild tasks, but once he gave an order, they would have to complete his business.
The four naturally had no objections to such easy, well-paying work. Even his fangirl requested to join the personal guard, to which Sean said it would depend on their future performance.
After assigning roles, Sean gathered all his subordinates again, including Diwala and members of the Morgan family.
Before everyone, he announced the findings of his recent investigation and the Empire's preparations for war.
Clearly, no one knew about this yet, and when the Bogars were mentioned, everyone's faces turned angry.
"The Bogars again. They've been at odds with our Basharan Empire for years. I suspected they might start a war, but I didn't think it would actually happen."
"Those damned Bogars have been prowling the Empire's northern border for ages. They'll attack sooner or later."
"For now, the north is still far from us. We need to handle matters within the city and absolutely not let the rebels exploit any weakness—not even a single person." Sean interrupted their discussion.
His reputation with the rebels was almost entirely hostile, so as long as he kept a close eye on the city's sand table, he might spot if they came to Oro City. But if the Old Ones were involved, that was a major problem.
After giving all instructions, Sean went to the underground dungeon again.
The recently captured Ulysses was also locked up here, but that half-beaten man probably couldn't speak now, so Sean went to Daskey's cell instead.
They had talked before, and Sean found that among the three, this girl had the weakest willpower, making her easier to break than the other two.
"Unfortunately, the information I received this time is more reliable, so another of your companions has been locked up. The rest died in the fight." Sean said.
Hearing that her comrades had died, Daskey didn't stay silent this time but shouted hoarsely in anger.
"You'll die too, you murderer!"
"I will die, it's true. No one escapes death. But whether I live or die isn't for you to decide. Perhaps we'll all perish under the dark forces. I prefer direct conversation. Have your so-called revolutionary army dabbled in the power of the Old Ones?" Sean suddenly asked.
Daskey didn't speak.
But a confused status appeared above her head.
He sneered coldly.
"Is this some new trick from you nobles? Trying to pin a crime on us for a public execution? Since I've fallen into your hands, I never expected to live!" Daskey glared at Sean with wide eyes.
"No? Then what's this? Found on your companion Ulysses. You must know his notebook, right." In the dim firelight, Sean opened Ulysses's notebook and even read it aloud to her, fearing she might not see it.
As soon as he finished, the girl's face twisted in terror.
"How... how could this be?"
"How could Ulysses have joined them?"
"Them? What does this represent?"
"Cthulhu... those cultists. How did they infiltrate the revolutionary army?"
The girl's body began trembling uncontrollably.
"Keep talking. What do these symbols mean?" Sean instinctively felt this was connected to the Old One cultists, and the name she mentioned was exactly the same as what the Depth Walkers had said before.