Sword God in a World of Magic

The soldiers didn't want to show it, but they subconsciously became wary of their officer.

Everything pointed to the fact that he was a traitor.

Shang could have kept the suspicious information a secret and could have passed it along to the relevant authorities.

Yet, he had unveiled all the suspicious information without censoring it.

He was essentially publicly accusing the officer of being a traitor without saying it directly.

The soldiers became very nervous.

If their officer were truly a traitor…

Then, would he just kill all of them to silence them?!

"They were smart," the officer said.

Shang and the soldiers only looked at him.

"Remember, no plan is complete without a backup plan for when the primary plan backfires," the officer explained. "By sending nine people, their primary plan evidently was to wake the True Path Stage beast."

"But if they fail, their backup plan was to get rid of me," the officer said.

The officer gestured to the corpses.

"They are most likely criminals on death row," he said. "Duke Mithril has a policy that criminals can gain freedom as long as they accomplish a deadly mission. The criminals have to take a poison to which only Duke Mithril's soldiers have an antidote."

"If they flee, they die. If they fail, they die. They can only survive by completing the mission."

"You told me that they threw the Firebombs into the lake without concern for their life," the officer said.

Shang nodded.

"This means near-certain death for them. Normal soldiers don't just throw their lives away like that. Only someone with no way out would consider doing something like this."

"Criminals are not part of Duke Mithril's main force," the officer explained. "The fact that they sent criminals means that they, to a certain extent, have expected this mission to fail."

Shang didn't say anything.

plan succeeded to some degree. I will surely be investigated by the higher-ups

SHING!

a Communication Crystal. "Might as well do it

looked at the officer in

expression wasn't visible due to

still suspected the officer of

he had unveiled

this was just

possible that a biased investigation would take place. It would have been

unveiled everything. He wanted to give the officer a chance to

the officer reported everything,

blowing up in anger, but not at the thing everyone was

Crystal. "You found a tunnel and didn't report it?! You

the superior

only

access to only

berating the

It was thoroughly humiliating.

will be put under investigation!" the superior

was a

give you one week to get everything in order for your replacement. I want you to report to me in one week,

wait near

then, the superior hung

officer only looked helplessly to the

heard that a Circle would arrive, they took a deep breath. Only now did they truly realize how far out

a lot. He still had some doubts, but he wouldn't accuse

right decision to

was in the mood to talk, so

didn't have

the new guards

in luxurious robes, each colored

and felt Mana swirl around

What was a Circle?