(A.N.: Very Sorry for the late update... I was so busy at work yesterday which made me so tired that I couldn’t even write anything. Till now I don’t even know how I got home, just thankful I didn’t crash.

Unfortunately, the voices in my head have been quiet all day so the edits might not be up to the usual standards... I am very sorry for that, feel free to point out any mistake and thank you all for your continued support.)

The next morning came as it always did without fail.

Talia was up early and got dressed... Alicia, Lily and Maria were still asleep so the only person she met was Jensen.

She commanded the thrall to transport Jack into the hovercraft before she calmly kissed her sister on her head.

She calmly took her seat in the hovercraft and drove to the mercenary guild where the off-road trucks were parked.

Of the four trucks, they would only be taking three of them with Jack indisposed.

As for the supplies, Talia did not have to worry about procuring them... that was Lily’s job and she had taken care of that before they even began talking yesterday.

She simply had some of the supplies she stored in warehouse transferred into the trucks to provide more space on her own trucks.

However, for some reason, the off-road trucks were not fully loaded... Just essential supplies.

According to the plan, Lily and the rest of the Morvath family, except Jensen, would be making their way to the camp the next day with the main supply.

Lily had gone all out... from regular supplies to magical supplies to even magic-techs that the family would need to begin setting up their base.

Of course, there was still more to get but the rest of the low-grade mana stones were left behind as emergency funds.

Talia had also left an important mission for Lily... Getting the family emblem made into flags and metal pin-on badges.

The reason for the flags was obvious but the pin on badges would be used people they hired to help them run the settlement.

Talia glanced around, making sure no one was close enough to make out what was going on.

She ordered the thrall to carry the sack with Jack inside into the back of the truck she would be riding.

Of course, she could make out the prying eyes around her with her blood sense but none of them came close and she pretended not to notice... instead she just waited beside the truck.

While she waited, Talia pulled out a data-pad and scrolled through it.

She nodded as she made sure that all the recorded messages from the mercenaries working at the camp had been received by their dependents with replies even been sent back for them.

Now she just had to wait for the rest of the drivers to return.

She did not have to wait long. Within the hour, the drivers had gathered, excited to return to the golden land as they were starting to call it.

"My Lady, good morning," they greeted Talia excitedly.

"Good morning," Talia nodded at them before moving towards her own truck. "Let us get moving."

The drivers glanced at each other. "Ma’am, the last guy is not here."

"I know... Just get into the trucks and let us drive back." Talia said as she made her way to her own truck. "I hope you got a good night’s rest, because we are not making any stops or camping outside... we are driving all night to the camp."

The men glanced at each other... They had no more questions, who even questions their golden goose on how it lay eggs?

They made their way to their off-road trucks and got in.

Talia led them out of the parking lot and into the street, out the town, toward the base.

***

Ardeth Bay glanced at the man standing next to him.

After Jack had come to meet him, of course he had been sceptical, but now, he was not very sure where the trap was since everything Jack told them seems to check out.

’Perhaps he was truly telling the truth.’ Ardeth considered but he knew the type of person Jack was... he would never give them something like these for free.

Yes, he claimed to want to return to the group but the Jack he knew would be smart enough to see how that was a bad idea.

Not only did none of them trust him but most of the group were most likely going to treat him badly or even outright cause his death.

When he finally met his contact in the mercenary guild, the contact confirmed it most of the information.

According to his contact, the mission was indeed odd... A search mission in a mountain range known for the bandits and dangers other that lurk around, with security provided.

What were they searching for that far from the town? And how did they plan to secure it?

So far not a single Level 3 has been confirmed to be working with them and even that might not be enough.

The only reason the mission had been granted permission was because of the identifications of a Grade 2 runemaster.

Although his contact could access this much information, he did not have enough clearance to learn the runemaster’s identity.

But what he could access was good enough and watching the trucks leave confirmed it.

But that was not all.

’Several groups are also watching the trucks,’ Ardeth thought as he scanned his surroundings.

Just as he made them, he could tell that everyone had already aware of each other.

’But why did Jack not come here?’ Ardeth wondered according to their agreement Jack was supposed to return with them, but he was nowhere to be found which could only mean two things.

’Either he has been caught or he had run away... both options confirm he was indeed telling the truth.’

Which could mean... ’We were never the target?’

It was not hard to connect everything he was seeing.

Looking around at the other people also keeping an eye on the trucks he came to another conclusion that confirmed his thoughts

’He probably spread the information to others as well.’ Ardeth glanced at the men around him.

He could make out several groups among them and since he could most of the could most likely do the same, but none seemed to want to take any action against another.

"Boss, should we follow them?" one of his men standing beside him asked.

"Yes... Let us go." Ardeth nodded. He gave a final glance at the men he had made. They were also leaving, supposedly to follow the trucks.

They got into their off-road vehicles and took off after them.

Almost as soon as they reached the road, they met so many others going the same way. Although none of them got close to the trucks.

They simply used men on bikes to follow closer while the rest of them hung back.

Seeing the number of people following them, Ardeth finally confirmed it.

’Jack is not after us,’ he thought. ’He is after those people.’