Alexander and the others wondered what they should do to solve that situation, but nothing came to mind. He wondered if making Billy hook up with either Kate or Natalie would solve that since he showed some interest, but at least one of those two would feel hurt in the end…
"I thought that Billy would understand why I wanted to help…" Kate said and then sighed.
"He understands, and that is why he didn't leave the party immediately," Alexander said. "He said that he didn't have to be the leader forever and he didn't seem attached to that position."
"I don't think that Billy will hold a grudge over that… if we just apologize appropriately," Sarah said. "Our intentions were good, after all. The only issue is about the usual decision-making process that we ignored."
Alexander wondered if that would be enough, Billy can be quite stubborn when he wants, after all. Even more so now that he has the reason on his side.
"I am sorry for causing so much trouble to you all…" Rosalie said.
"Don't worry about it. We did the right thing, but the method was a bit…" Kate said. "I said that I would act alone, but I just recalled the time when Billy wanted to do the same, and I called him and made him change his mind. I need to avoid causing this kind of thing in the future."
Billy returned around midnight, and his friends tried to talk with him, but then Natalie noticed the smell of blood on him. Something went wrong when he tried to deliver the letters. He still was with the two he had written.
"What happened?" Kate asked.
"When I talked with the raven's master, I noticed someone was listening to us and approaching to get the letters. When I tried to get him, the raven's master attacked me from behind," Billy said. "I thought I wouldn't be recognized in a small village, but it seemed the beast's tamers and their leader were on high alert for my movements."
"It seems that sending a pursuing party for Rosalie wasn't the only breach in the terms of the truce that they did…" Alexander said. "Spies and even some people of this state are working for them."
"Things are getting out of control again…" Natalie said.
"I don't think that Jean wouldn't realize that some spies have infiltrated and some of his people are working for the enemy," Kate said.
"That means that despite knowing that, he can't do anything…" Sarah said.
Billy wondered if that was true. If that was the case, then Jean was going to lose his state even before the truce ended and from inside. Things were getting out of hand a lot faster than Billy had imagined…
"What should we do, Billy?" Kate asked.
"I have no idea," Billy replied.
"It isn't time for that!" Kate said.
"Time for what? Do you really expect me to have such a solution to this big of a problem?" Billy frowned.
Kate realized that chasing Rosalie wasn't their main goal. The beast tamers certainly were acting to weaken Hiloh state from behind and obtain it with ease in the next few years. Billy got lucky in finding a spy and someone working for the enemy, but finding others will be hard.
"At the very least, we have to warn my father and yours to keep an eye on things on those towns," Kate said.
Billy nodded since that was probably the only thing they could do. In any case, it seemed that the enemies were trying to avoid a war, but it was annoying that they thought that they could defeat them without one. It was possible, though. Many people were unsatisfied with Jean's decision to accept the truth. Most of those wouldn't accept joining the enemies' side, but some certainly would if they thought that they would benefit more from it.
The group hurried back home, but they still had to explain to Jean that they wouldn't use the dungeon anymore, so Billy left the group for a few days and told them to meet with him back in the dungeon town of the former silver breakers.
Billy couldn't just enter the town alone in the middle of the day without warning some possible spies. Even if he goes at night, he still would need to introduce himself to the guards to have the chance to enter his mansion. However, after crossing the gates at night while hiding as much of his face as possible. Someone appeared covered from head to toe in a dark cloak that resembled the one Rosalie and her servants used in an alley while he was heading to a tavern to think about what to do.
"He will be waiting for you behind the mansion at midnight," The cloaked figure said.
It seemed that Jean wasn't so oblivious of the affairs of the things in his state. Still, it seemed that he had been waiting for Billy, but what for? Could he be aware of Rosalie and her servants in his territory? In the end, Billy patiently waited until midnight to get his answers. He arrived earlier to check the area, and while some guards patrolled the place for a while, they stopped around midnight, and then Jean jumped from the ten meters tall wall and landed near in front of him. It seemed that he had a certain level of strength.
"We don't have much time, so we will need to be brief with it," Jean said. "I heard about the two you killed in that village and then noticed that something was wrong since you were supposed to be in the dungeon town, but you haven't arrived yet. That made me realize that you might have met Ignace's niece."
"You were aware of her on your territory?" Billy frowned.
"Yes, since they aren't soldiers or spies, they left many trails, and I had to cover them," Jean said.. "Either way, it will be better if you take her North to the other neighboring state that we have."
