After a moment of consideration, the King could only agree.
Xander added, “Your Majesty, an imperial order is also needed to immediately block the news, lest the Thirteen Tribes learn of this and cause further complications.”
The King nodded in agreement, “Approved. All personnel involved in the search must keep the matter strictly confidential. Anyone who dares to leak the news will be executed without pardon!”
After the court session, Xander hurried back to his mansion.
When Athena heard the news, her face turned pale instantly. “How could this be? How could Uncle Trevor disappear?”
“Don’t worry, Trevor is a highly skilled person, he will definitely be fine,” Xander held her trembling shoulders and comforted her. “I have already dispatched secret guards, and there will be news from Nexalasia soon. It’s just too strange that the entire inspection team was wiped out. I’m afraid there are traitors inside."
Hearing this, Athena’s fingertips were ice-cold as she gritted her teeth and said, “It’s Richard; he has long regarded Uncle Trevor as a thorn in his side. But how could so many people be gone? It’s too strange.”
“There’s no one else but him.” Xander’s eyes flashed fiercely. “The Censor-in-Chief leads the inspection team, and he is Richard’s disciple. The so-called bandit attack is probably a charade orchestrated by them.”
As they were talking, the guard hurriedly reported. “Your Highness, a secret letter has arrived from Nexalasia. The secret agents have discovered traces of fighting in the valley. There are also several corpses dressed in guards‘ uniforms, all with arrow wounds. The arrowheads are specially made wolf-tooth arrows, not something ordinary bandits possess.”
“Wolf-tooth arrows?” Xander’s heart sank. “That’s a special weapon of the Thirteen Tribes. Richard is trying to frame the Thirteen Tribes and provoke a border conflict!”
Hearing this, Athena gasped, “What a vicious mind! If the King thinks it was done by the Thirteen Tribes, mutual trade will definitely be ruined. Even if my Uncle Trevor can come back, he will be charged with provoking border disputes!”
The guard presented the arrowhead to Xander. He picked it up and examined it carefully, seeing a blue light on the arrowhead.
Just as he was about to touch it, Athena quickly reminded him, “Be careful, it’s poisonous.”
Xander nodded gently, “I can see that. Do you know what kind of poison it is?”
Athena wrapped the arrowhead in a cloth and threw it into the basin of water. Black blood mixed with venom slowly dispersed in the water. The venom hardly dissipated, glowing with an eerie blue light. Athena gently fanned the air with her hand, smelling a faint, fishy stench.
Her expression changed slightly, and she immediately made a judgment. “This is the bone rot solution from the Blackwind Stronghold of the Thirteen Tribes. This poison is extremely potent. Once it touches the skin, it will spread through the blood, causing the bones to blacken and rot within three days, eventually leading to a painful death.”
Xander’s eyes narrowed, “The Blackwind Stronghold has always had dealings with Richard. When my Uncle Trevor was on a mission to the Thirteen Tribes last year, he found records of their private transactions. Richard is willing to spend the money; he’s even using this kind of secret poison.”
Athena gently stirred the water in the basin with a copper spoon. “Although the Thirteen Tribes have wolf-tooth arrows, the formula for the bone rot solution is only known to a few people in the Blackwind Stronghold. Ordinary Tribes simply can’t get it. Richard wanted to use this iconic poison to confirm the crime of the Thirteen Tribes' attack; his intentions are truly vicious.”
Speaking of this, the two looked at each other. They said in unison, “There are also traitors in the Thirteen Tribes.”
Xander scooped up the arrowhead from the water and carefully wrapped it in a handkerchief. “Do you know how to counteract this poison?”
Athena pondered briefly and nodded, “Since this poison comes from the Thirteen Tribes, the antidote must also be there. Only by finding the antidote can the poison be cured. In this case, the two of us, husband and wife, have no choice but to take a trip. Only by finding the traitors of the Thirteen Tribes can Trevor be found,” Xander said.
After the two had discussed it, Athena went to find Alexandra and explained the situation to her.
“Mother, the situation is urgent, and my husband and I must go to the Thirteen Tribes immediately. We’ll have to rely on you in the capital,” Athena said.
A flicker of fear and profound tenderness shone in Alexandra’s eyes. “But… Will it be dangerous?” she asked, her voice laced with worry.
Athena gently shook her head, “Mother, don’t worry, my husband and I will definitely protect ourselves.”
Alexandra’s eyes darted around anxiously, “I don’t want you to go, but it concerns the foundation of the Kingdom, and I can’t stop you. Just remember that you are not only my children but also the relatives of the two children. No matter what, you must protect yourselves.”
As she finished speaking, her eyes welled up with tears.
Athena and Xander said one after another, “Mother, we will definitely protect ourselves.”
“Go.” Alexandra stopped looking at them.
Then Athena and Xander turned and left. But as they left, they looked at the yard for a long time, without the courage to push the door in and see Randolph and Bernie. They were afraid that if they saw the children, they would never be able to leave.
In the end, Athena hardened her heart and said, “Let’s go.” She pulled Xander and left the palace.
Dark clouds covered the moon, and the mountain wind howled.
Nestled in a valley of the Grimpeak Mountain, over a hundred miles away from Nexalasia…
Trevor leaned against the mountain wall with a pale face, with dozens of wounds of various sizes on his body. Every movement caused him excruciating pain. Beside him, there were also several attendants lying on the ground. Some were hit by poisoned arrows, and some suffered serious external injuries. A soldier brought a bowl of clear water and whispered, “My Lord, what should we do?”
Trevor opened his eyes, a trace of determination flashing in them. “We’ll leave at dawn, heading towards Aeridon. Only by finding reliable tribes among the Thirteen Tribes can we survive. They used the Thirteen Tribes' poison to assassinate us, so there must be traitors among them. If the traitors are not found, Aeridon will not be stable.”
“My Lord, you look terrible.” The guard, Ben, looked at him worriedly, “Why don’t we rest for another day? Although you weren’t poisoned, you lost a lot of blood.”
“We can’t rest.” Trevor shook his head, looking sharply at the mountains. “The pursuers will be here soon; we must leave before dawn.”
He tore off the bottom of his robe and tightly tied it above the wound.
“Take the dry food and water, we’ll go west; there is a dense forest there where we can temporarily get rid of the trackers,” Trevor ordered. However, he looked at his poisoned soldiers with a sad expression. If he took them along, none of them would survive. But if he left them here to fend for themselves, he couldn’t bear to do it. These were all the soldiers who had gone through life and death with him.
Those who were severely poisoned and injured saw Trevor’s concerns. One of the dying soldiers said, “My Lord, leave quickly and don’t worry about us.”
Trevor gritted his teeth and looked at them in silence. He also wanted to turn around and leave, but his conscience wouldn’t allow him to do so. Just then, the sound of horses‘ hooves came from not far away. Everyone was stunned. The pursuers had arrived.
The injured soldiers looked at Trevor with tears in their eyes. “Go, go…”
Trevor was still hesitating when the soldier suddenly smiled up at him. “A lifetime spent following you into life–and–death situations, My Lord… It has been worth it.”
After speaking, he pulled out the dagger from his waist and stabbed it hard into his chest.