Nysa saw the opportunity to strike, particularly since Adam was among them, aiming to prevent his escape.
Nysa explained to Arthur that she had assumed dealing with the Layos Rankers would be relatively easy, considering their recent involvement in a significant battle.
Regrettably, Nysa's efforts ended up in vain. Adam managed to escape. He had suffered injuries in Nysa's hands. But they weren't substantial enough to prevent his departure. The outcome left Nysa visibly disappointed. She and her team did manage to eliminate a few Layos Rankers, but Adam slipped through their grasp.
As Nysa relayed the sequence of events to Arthur, her account resonated with him. The order Arthur had issued years ago had been driven by the fresh wounds of his son's loss and the sting of betrayal from those he had trusted. Although a decade had passed and circumstances had evolved, Arthur understood the importance of honoring his previous decree.
Learning that Adam had escaped despite Nysa's efforts incited a clenched-fist reaction from Arthur, battling to contain his anger. Yet, he had already decided to stand by Nysa's actions.
After a calming breath, Arthur regarded Nysa intently before asking, "So, where is this man now? Considering you managed to injure him with critical wounds, does that mean…"
Nysa's smile met Arthur's gaze directly, a new level of connection forming.
"Your Highness, I have independently verified that this individual is currently under treatment at a Layos army base secured by Grandmaster Saisha Goren. The location isn't very far from here," she hinted cryptically.
Nysa's implication took Arthur by surprise, prompting a thoughtful silence. Ultimately, he sighed and shook his head, responding with a trace of resignation.
"Unfortunately, we can't assault an enemy base directly without a justifiable cause. Our actions are already drawing Anfang Alliance's attention due to your initiative," Arthur commented with a voice laced in regret.
Nysa was about to say something to Arthur but the latter gestured to her to listen to what he had to say first.
"Don't misunderstand me, lass. I will support your actions and find a means to legitimize them. However, attacking a battalion and launching an assault on an entire army base are vastly different. This is a breach I can't rationalize or manipulate out of, regardless of the circumstances."
Foreseeing Arthur's stance, Nysa remained undeterred. She produced yet another array disk from her ID Storage, placing it on Arthur's desk once more.
"We do possess a legitimate reason for my actions, as well as any actions you may intend to take against the Layos forces, Your Highness. This array disk contains evidence of Saisha Goren's affiliations with the Half-Blood faction.
Hehe. I believe this proof could sway the Alliance's perspective in our favor," Nysa conveyed with confidence, her eyes ablaze with the fervor of battle.
Arthur was plunged into disbelief at Nysa's revelation. Swiftly, he engaged the second array disk, meticulously reviewing its contents. He then discreetly contacted his trusted sources via a private voice communication channel, cross-checking the details Nysa presented in her report.
The sheer magnitude of the discovery left Arthur reeling.
"This... this is big, lass Nysa. Where did you get this?" he inquired, verifying the authenticity of the data she had delivered. He found it astonishing that an Expert Ranker had infiltrated Layos' confidential affairs so deeply without any prior background or external support.
Nysa's response came with a hint of reluctance, as if she were hesitant to share this specific information with Arthur.
"I… someone I know from the half-blood forces gave me this."
Perceiving that Nysa might be associated with a half-blood, Arthur's disappointment surfaced. He cautioned her, his tone carrying a note of care.
"Child, you must exercise caution with this informant of yours. Their involvement could bring not only trouble for you but also for them."
Arthur had once contemplated transforming Jason into a half-blood through the artificial demon beast program under Sage Eliza's demands. So he wasn't antagonistic toward the half-bloods. He recognized that Nysa's connection with one could potentially lead to difficulties.
'Young love is always blind,' Arthur murmured inwardly, shaking his head.
"Hmm. Implicating the entire Layos kingdom in dealings with the Half Blood Bastian is impossible. At most, the blame might fall on Saisha Goren alone before Layos severs any ties with him," Arthur reasoned thoughtfully.
"Nevertheless, I must thank you."
He expressed gratitude for the array disk's provision, recognizing that it enabled him to confront Saisha directly without Alliance intervention. Moreover, it offered a chance to eliminate the Wolf of Layos, a traitor in Arthur's eyes who he needed to kill under any condition.
Chuckling slightly, Arthur continued, his tone exultant. "Of course, this array disk grants us the means to vindicate your actions too."
Stepping away from his desk, he approached the window, his gaze fixed on the panorama beyond. "Contacting the Alliance beforehand would be unwise. News would inevitably leak to Layos. It's better to act first and clarify matters afterward," he opined, his gaze drifting up to the clear sky.
"I guess this time I'll raise the level of this war campaign single handedly.
Ready yourself to depart the base, Nysa. we shall unleash an attack against Saisha Goren and that fucking traitor, catching them off guard," Arthur commanded without glancing her way.
Bowing in acknowledgment, Nysa took her leave. She anticipated that Arthur would soon reward her with a rare ranking resource for her contribution. However, the primary reason behind sharing the array disk with Arthur was Eren's request.
After all, it was Eren who had gathered intelligence on Saisha Goren's dealings with the Half Blood Bastian. He had stumbled upon the related proofs during his investigations into Demonmir's activities.
The butcher opted to employ this data not against Demonmir, but against his secret business partner, Saisha Goren.
Naturally, the presence of Jaime, also known as Adam, within the battalion and Nysa's "coincidental" encounter with him were orchestrated by Eren. Acting on Eren's directive, Nysa had allowed Adam to evade capture after inflicting significant injuries on him.
This wasn't the first time of Eren subtly manipulating Arthur. The butcher was set to exploit the duke's actions to escalate the intensity of the war campaign on both fronts. All while damaging Demonmir's business endeavors with the same move.
AN: Sirius Fenris informs Eren of Demonmir's dealings with Saisha Goren in chapter 1381.
