The thought was a sobering realization when considered in hindsight. Kassie really did play us all.

Indeed, she might not have been the one to suggest or push for the raid, but she suggested a frontal assault — a way to make them focus all their forces on stopping us while we diverted and raided them for information.

But that frontal assault had not been a distraction at all, like she claimed it’d be. Kassie had simply wished to step in, crush them to the ground, and plunder all their resources.

The only reason she didn’t have to was because I stepped in.

’No wonder she said my growth was concerning her!’

I shot her a lacerating glare.

She glanced back at me and raised her brows in confusion. I ignored her and stepped forward, inhaling.

In the hall, there were people sobbing, and some were silent. The hall carried an oppressive silence, though it was not without faint noises here and there.

I studied all of them and pointed to a young lady who looked like a maid.

"You, step out."

She slowly moved. Nisha and Tristan were arriving at that time.

"Bring out your patriarch."

The lady trembled as she walked out. She glanced and trembled at one man in the center. He sat cross-legged and had a ratlike shifty face.

As my gaze met him, his mustache curved and he laughed.

"Young man, you’re late. The Patriarch and Matriarch are long gone and soon, the Boundless Wave Clan will be pulverized."

His face turned darkly stern.

"Now that they have gone and done this. They will regret it. This... this is crossing the line!"

I paused for a moment, looking at the man while I considered the things he said.

Then I turned to Tristan and Nisha.

"I think we have a mole."

Tristan gave me a confused look.

"Who among us will—"

"Not among us, of course..." I cut in. "There’s a mole in the Boundless Wave Clan."

Tristan and Nisha both wore gloomy expressions.

This was bad — far worse than we expected.

"If there’s a mole... then?"

Tristan’s tone carried urgency.

"We can’t afford to carry all of this back. We have to hurry back and get to the Boundless Wave Clan."

The man laughed again. The other men who looked as old as him all put on grim expressions. They were silent, but lethal resolve was locked upon their faces.

Tristan stepped closer, speaking with a distraught tone.

"We should move as soon as possible. I’ll relay this to Levi and—"

"Wait."

At the sound of my voice, Tristan paused. Nisha was standing behind me, and so was Kassie, all staring at me for some reason.

Tristan looked at me for a moment but silently waited.

I laid my gaze on the elder who had spoken. I scanned every single one of them with a cold, calculating keenness.

"So what? You got fed information from the inside, and your side has launched a counterattack. So what? They’ll simply be walking into their death trap."

The elder grinned maniacally.

"You can bluff how you want, but we know about White Feather’s illness. Gone are the days when she used to be a powerful summoner. Now she’s nothing but a degrading relic that does not deserve to sit as the leader of the clan. Why do you think even her own elders are willing to betray her? Her merchants... we didn’t even need to try. Those elders of hers were enthusiastic to help us as long as we removed her from the seat."

He glared at me.

"And that is exactly what will happen today. We waited patiently for her to spend all of her cards, and she just spent the last one."

Then he grinned again and laughed.

"You made a big mistake by coming here. Because of you, your biggest contractor is going to die, and your reputation as an organization is going to enter the gutters."

He paused, his gaze settling oddly for some reason.

"But we can make you a counteroffer," he said in a cold, deliberate voice.

"Whatever amount White Feather promised you, the Crystal Deep Plan will pay twice the amount. As you know, our pockets are swollen with wealth. We will pay anything. Release us and vanquish the matriarch of the Boundless Wave Clan and that vile thing she calls a daughter. Do that and name anything... it’s yours."

Tristan and Nisha exchanged glances, while I stood in front with an indifferent expression, simply looking at the man.

Nisha walked closer to me and whispered,

"I think this is where your role ends. We need to inform the boss about this development and have him make a decision."

I shot a piercing glare at her as I turned sharply.

"What?"

Nisha held my gaze with stern eyes.

"We are a criminal organization, not heroes. I need you to understand that we make decisions in the interest of the company and its reputation. Everything else comes second."

I continued to stare at her, and her eyes returned my gaze with equally dangerous evenness. It seemed like she was ready to move if it meant defending her suggestion.

Tristan came closer to us and separated us further.

"What is bad for the reputation of the company is this... we’re in front of—"

He paused abruptly as the elder who had been talking suddenly erupted forward with movement. Shadows moved behind him and flowed out like black winds. They merged into swirling dark spears that instantly wheeled toward us.

One at least... the other wheeled toward Kassie with even more terrifying speed and insurmountable power. But she merely slapped it away and blurred forward, grabbing my collar to pull me out of the way. Nisha fell into her shadows, while Tristan was fast enough to dodge both of them using the abilities of their summon.

The spears moved on their own, twirling in the space beyond us. They turned and rolled toward us again. However, this time, I was not caught off guard.

I exploded forward, rising with overflowing waves of white incandescent flames. Then I clashed with him, and the flames exploded across the entire hall. A deafening detonation rolled through pillars, carrying flames through every corner.

The terrible force devoured the pillars and tore them away with insane speed. A blistering wind followed swiftly after the flames, roaring through the hall with tyrannical power.

The elder shook and scrambled on the ground. He tried to move, but that was too difficult for him. His gaze fell downward, widening in horror at what he saw. A searing blade of white flames had severed both of his legs, and beneath him were pools of blood that the flames danced upon faintly.

He lifted his paling face, and his eyes trembled.

"What... what... are you?"

His voice could hardly form the words.

I stood above him, looking indifferently.

"Me? I’m a sovereign."

I said with a shrug.

"The third Sovereign."

My gaze fell down condescendingly.

"And no... you’re the one who made a big mistake. Your patriarch and his forces just made everything easier for White Feather."

I scoffed.

"White Feather will decimate your forces singlehandedly."