Upon hearing Huang's words, several thoughts crossed my mind at that moment. Certainly, one of them was to question whether what she was saying was true. Of course, I'm not implying that she was lying, but the idea of someone attacking another continent without any kind of preparation seemed utterly senseless.
I could only imagine that such a person was probably seeking their own destruction. The patriarch seemed to share the same thoughts, as his expression clearly showed his confusion after hearing Huang.
"Huang, are you absolutely certain about this? I'm almost certain you recognize how senseless this sounds too. If there's one thing I know about Jun, it's that he's not foolish. He's a smart person and understands that it would be practically impossible to win a war of this magnitude with just his troops"
Upon hearing this, Huang seemed to want to say something, but she was clearly indecisive about sharing the information. After a few seconds of hesitation, she finally seemed to make a decision.
"About that... it seems there are other patriarchs assisting him"
She said. Hearing this, a series of thoughts crossed my mind, but I chose to remain silent. I decided to observe how the leading patriarch would react upon learning this revelation.
"Ren, I apologize if this sounds indelicate, but do you remember how long it's been since you were stabbed?"
Upon hearing his words, I began to reflect on the matter as I closed my eyes, trying to recall as many details as possible in my mind. However, to be honest, the memories of that time were gradually becoming hazy. It's not that I was forgetting; I sincerely doubted I could forget something like that.
It seemed more like specific details from that time were becoming blurred in my mind. The conversation I had with the men, some actions I took before the incident, the exact museum where it happened, and even the precise date of the event – all these things were becoming vague and hard to recall accurately.
"I can't remember exactly how long it's been, but I believe it's been around three years, or maybe a little more than that"
I replied. Upon hearing my words, he just nodded before drifting into his thoughts.
"It seems Jun has been planning this for a good while... But why is he so fixated on it?"
Pondered the patriarch aloud. For that question, only silence answered. To be honest, I had my own opinions about the motivations, but they varied considerably.
"Anyway, we need to take action... Huang, do you have any estimate on the number of Jun's troops?"
Asked the patriarch. Huang only nodded in response to the patriarch's question, and that was also information I was eager to know.
"It'll probably be around eight hundred people per ship. Jun's plan seems to be to occupy the port of the other continent for a while as he waits for the rest of the troops to arrive"
She replied. This plan made much more sense than the previous one. However, it was still just a conjecture, which could be right or wrong. Even though I could imagine other strategies, I also believed that Jun would follow this exact path.
"I understand. This probably means we still have some time, but at the same time, it's worrisome. I think it will probably take a day for us to prepare fully, maybe half that time if we hurry. However, even if we are fast, I suspect we'll still be late compared to Jun"
After the patriarch's words, the place fell silent again. Both seemed to be focusing their gaze on me, as in a way, I was the biggest victim of this entire situation. However, this realization would grant us a significant advantage.
"Don't worry; I have means to alert my colleagues on the other continent about this invasion. Moreover, your information will be of great help to us"
I said, leaning forward, demonstrating my respect under their watchful eyes.
"I am truly grateful for both of your support"
After these words, my next step would be to meet with Albert to plan our next moves. However, before I could do anything, the Patriarch's voice caught my attention.
"No need to thank us. I sense you are a person of good character. Furthermore, I have the desire to establish a lasting alliance with your continent; I believe you share this desire as well, correct?"
Upon hearing his words, I simply nodded in agreement. Then I bid farewell and, guided by the guards, left the palace and headed towards the inn where Albert and I were staying. Once I arrived there, I found Albert and shared with him all the information I had discovered.
I also mentioned that it was likely both spies were dead, but we planned to retrieve their bodies to give them a proper burial if possible.
Albert accepted my words, and then he wrote a detailed letter outlining all the events and what might occur in the upcoming days. The letter would be sent directly to the royal palace, where the king would read it and thus alert the other countries.
If you're wondering how we would send the letter, it's actually quite simple. Albert and I brought a trained bird to convey messages. This particular bird is the most obedient and swift among all that could have been chosen.
To be honest, since we arrived on this continent, the bird has been enjoying its freedom, although it always stayed close to us. I'm not worried about the bird being preyed upon, as it is probably larger than any other bird in the area.
Anyway, after finishing the letter, I approached the window and, grabbing a whistle that I had with me, blew it, producing a relatively loud sound. Minutes later, a bird appeared at the inn's window, making a small sound.
After petting the bird and offering it a treat, I attached the letter to its leg. Then I blew another whistle, which produced a slightly different sound. With that, the bird took flight toward the sky, disappearing into the horizon.