As soon as Albert and I joined the Patriarch, he informed us about the recent events. Apparently, Jun had already left with some boats and his followers for the battle. Currently, the ships were somewhere in the storm, probably crossing it as they headed towards our continent.
The Patriarch also assured us that Jun was not on any of those boats. It seemed he was in a fortified city, waiting for his men to take the coast of the other continent. Although the Patriarch had overwhelming force that could have captured him, it was quite obvious that going down that path would result in many casualties.
The Patriarch even apologized to us for not being able to make that decision. I could really understand him; after all, I didn't want unnecessary deaths either. Surprisingly, Albert didn't seem to mind this much, which, to be honest, surprised me. He appeared quite disturbed when I showed him the bodies of the spies.
Anyway, the only option we had was to wait for news. Albert and I couldn't risk ourselves, because if something happened to us while we were here, it probably wouldn't end well for both continents. The Patriarch, in fact, was the first to realize this and stopped us from trying something.
To be honest, neither Albert nor I were planning something like that. I mean, what could we both do in this situation? I just hoped everything was going well on the other side. Actually, I should think positive; that's what I worked so hard for in all those defensive strategies, in case this day came.
After that, we kept waiting and waiting. The Patriarch was constantly talking to someone and giving orders, while Albert and I just waited for news. I wasn't sure how much time had passed since we sat on that couch. To me, it felt like hours. Anyway, when the door opened, and a man who seemed to be a messenger came in, Albert and I stood up almost at the same time.
"Do you have any new information?"
The leading Patriarch, who was sitting in his chair, asked while observing our new guest. The man nodded, approached, and started pointing out some points on the map that was on the table.
"Around this region, our forces are clashing with Patriarch Jun's forces"
He said. Hearing these words, Albert and I became a little calmer knowing that, at least, we had already encountered the enemies, and from the looks of it, they hadn't fully taken over the port of Belfri yet.
"I see, but this is strange. Jun knows he couldn't win in a head-on battle. I don't see a reason for him to have waited for us, given that they departed long before we did"
The Patriarch said. Hearing the Patriarch's words, the man nodded and then pointed to the most extreme part of the map where there was a large red circle indicating our continent.
"Apparently, some boats have already managed to reach the mainland and are currently in the process of taking over the area"
Said the man, pointing to the marked region on the map. Hearing this, my expression became visibly concerned, and Albert wasn't any different. Although it was something we were expecting, hearing it in person was like a bucket of cold water being poured over our heads.
"Do you have any information on what's happening there?"
The Patriarch inquired, while the man seemed pensive for a few seconds before speaking.
"I believe they are facing difficulties in taking full control of the place. The attack was sudden, which might have given them a significant advantage. However, due to the sudden nature of the attack, it's uncertain to be completely sure of the current situation"
He said. Listening to the man's words, the patriarch leader merely nodded. After the messenger left, we were alone again. Every hour, new information about the progress of the battle arrived. Meanwhile, the Patriarch contemplated a plan to destabilize Jun's forces in the fortress, seeking a strategy that would result in few or no casualties.
After a few more hours, we received a message informing us that the naval warfare was about to end, with victory predicted on our side. Hearing this news, Albert and I could relax a bit. With calm returning, we began to focus our minds on finding an effective way to capture Jun.
Even though some of Jun's men were on solid ground, we believed we could overwhelm them in numbers. It was at this moment that I had an idea. To determine its effectiveness, I asked the patriarch if we had access to a detailed map of the city and the interior, where Jun was hiding.
A few minutes later, I was examining the detailed map of the main mansion where Jun was hiding. As I suspected, there was an underground passage leading out of the city. When I pointed to it, Jun seemed momentarily surprised, questioning why he hadn't remembered the existence of this passage.
In truth, the fault was not his. The mansion had been built long before the birth of the patriarch leader, or even Jun. I doubted the current owner even knew about the passage's existence because, although he had renovated the place, he probably didn't imagine there were secret passages.
In the end, the plan was quite simple: our soldiers would use this secret passage to sneak in and capture Jun. Since we had no other ideas, everyone agreed with this approach. After that, preparations were made, and selected soldiers began to be dispatched to the location we indicated.
I think I don't need to say that this will be a silent mission, so we also took that into account when choosing the soldiers, based on their individual and group skills.
Additionally, we also sent some soldiers to stay outside the fort with the intention of drawing everyone's attention outside. That way, they probably wouldn't expect an attack from within, which would make them more inattentive.
In the end, we had to remain on alert as we awaited more news. I won't lie and say I wasn't nervous, but even so, I could only believe that everything would work out.