Sean gathered everyone around him to discuss the search for the rebels, and also brought up the issue Latrina had noticed about the recent influx of refugees during the meeting.
Harry and Luke had been closely monitoring the movements of towns around Oro City for some time. In fact, they had long been aware of potential rebel threats, including outsiders—refugees, workers, travelers, and airship crew—almost every role the enemy might disguise themselves as.
But precisely because they had been so thorough, they hadn't found any clues, so they hadn't reported to Sean in recent days. It wasn't until now, when the topic came up, that the two admitted they had also been investigating.
However, they differed from Latrina.
They had seen the incoming refugees and even secretly sent people to look into them.
In truth, many were genuinely homeless people hoping to find a meal in Oro City. Even if there were rebel members among them, it would be nearly impossible to identify them.
"Oro Region has over 500,000 people, and if you include the surrounding towns and nearby villages, it might be close to a million. With such a large population, we can't send people to investigate everyone one by one. If the rebels are scattered and mixed in, it's incredibly hard to find them," Luke voiced the frustrating reality.
"The hard part isn't finding them—it's hiding."
Sean, who could see the real-time situation on the sand table, had a different perspective. As long as the rebels entered Oro City, he would surely spot them. Unfortunately, few of them came in, and those who did were likely just scouts.
Capturing them alone wouldn't lure out the ones behind them.
"Hiding?"
The people before him fell into deep thought.
It was easy for someone to hide. If they didn't want to come out, they might never be found.
"Is there a way to make these hidden rebels show themselves?" Harry suddenly posed a question that left the group even more silent.
If there were a solution, they wouldn't be holding this meeting.
Just as they were all troubled by this issue, Claude suddenly appeared at the entrance of the hall. Seeing that everyone was in a meeting, he didn't dare to enter, but lingering at the door made it hard not to notice him.
"Is there something?"
"Sean, big brother—no, Count. The soldiers just delivered a letter from the capital. I happened to be passing by, so I brought it over."
The capital.
Their hearts sank. Everyone probably guessed what the news was.
Sean took the letter from Claude's hand. The seal was stamped with a wax emblem of a stag's helmet, a crest representing a member of the imperial royal family, or more specifically, a top-secret decree from the kingdom itself.
Sean opened it.
As everyone had predicted, the Borgs had already launched their war against the Bashalan Empire.
But what Sean hadn't expected was how formidable the Borgs were. According to the king's secret decree, the Borgs had breached the northern wall in a single night and driven straight in. Now, the northern lords were forming a joint defense to resist the Borg forces, and even the capital had dispatched a massive army, including four marshal corps.
Over 500,000 troops heading north.
Even more shocking was that such a massive force could only manage a defensive stance.
Sean read through the entire letter several times. It essentially stated that the empire would deploy its elite troops alongside the northern nobles to set up defenses against the Borg offensive, and urged other lords to provide material or military support. All forces would be led by Prince Philip and head to the battlefield after arriving at the capital.
This meant the nobles in the east, west, and south regions needed to prepare—whether by donating money, supplies, or sending soldiers—to gather at the capital immediately and then reinforce.
After reading, Sean placed the letter on the table for the others to see.
"I didn't know much about the Borg nation before. Are they really that strong?"
After reading the letter, many likely shared his thoughts. Even Barney, a mercenary, bluntly dismissed the imperial soldiers as worthless, nearly angering Joseph and Asland beside him.
"With so many people, they're still adopting a defensive strategy. I don't know what the king and his ministers are thinking. Are they waiting for the Borgs to slowly occupy and fortify our lands before counterattacking? By then, we might not even be able to take back a single city."
Despite their mercenary backgrounds, Barney and the others still had strong patriotic feelings.
"Perhaps the king and the capital are waiting for the right moment. Confronting the Borg army head-on is indeed unwise. In Bashalan Empire's expansion history, there have been two clashes with the Borgs, each involving no fewer than 100,000 soldiers," Harry, as a scholar, was now able to speak.
"And the result?"
"Total annihilation."
He looked at them.
"This history doesn't appear in any accessible records, since it's not exactly glorious, but it's enough to show that the Borgs far surpass us in both technology and combat strength, and their overall Order level is very high."
"So I think the capital is waiting for the right moment to plan their next move."
Sean pondered Harry's words. They made sense. If the Borgs were truly that terrifying, it would be unwise to act rashly. In a battle of this scale, consecutive defeats would crush the army's morale, forcing them into guerrilla warfare using the terrain and the people's resistance, which could drag on for years without resolution.
The Borgs might not have that kind of patience.
Sean also thought about what the woman in the dungeon had said—that the Borgs were searching for certain items related to the ancient gods.
The pendant.
The silver key.
He hoped they weren't things that would bring disaster.
Looking at the conscription order on the table, Sean suddenly had an idea.
"Maybe we can use the king's decree to force the rebels out," he said abruptly.
Everyone turned to look at Sean.
The next day, somewhere outside Oro City.
The revolutionaries changed their base of operations almost daily, only by acting like wandering outsiders could they avoid the inspectors in Oro City. And it wasn't just the location—the passwords, meeting attendees, and methods had to be constantly changed to ensure safety.
At the same time, they kept sending people into the city to gather information.
"How did it go today?"
The door opened, and a young girl walked in.
"Big news. Count Vigel has issued a decree in Oro City to collect grain and money, apparently on orders from the capital. The war in the north is getting intense."
"Perfect. I knew the Borgs wouldn't be defeated so easily," someone in the room said.