Four days had passed since the decisive conversation between Jonady and Raelia.
During this time, Jonady underwent intense training with the court mages, honing his affinities with wind and lightning magic.
Though still needing refinement, these new skills gave him a strategic edge and renewed confidence.
Between his sessions, he regularly exchanged information with Raelia on the evolving situation at the front, while meticulously refining their counter-espionage plan.
This plan, inspired by the maskirovka tactics of his own world, aimed to disseminate false military information to trap traitors.
The goal was straightforward: to identify which noble family would relay this false intelligence to the enemy.
The first few days yielded no results, but everything changed on the seventh day.
In a luxurious manor on the outskirts of the capital, Count Philippe Kiot, a short and bald nobleman of 47 years, stood before an enchanted mirror. The reflection that appeared was not his own but that of a demon with blazing red eyes and black horns.
— "So, you're saying they plan to send reinforcements?" asked the demon in a deep voice.
— "Yes, prepare your troops to intercept them," Philippe replied, his tone laced with servility.
As the communication ended, his son, Roy, a well-dressed young man of 27 with the air of a marquis, stood beside him. He broke the silence with a sly grin:
— "With the demons on our side, Father, we'll soon take control of the kingdom and bring down the Ednia family."
Philippe responded to his son's words with a hearty, smug laugh, his face contorted in a twisted smile. Father and son laughed together, convinced their betrayal would lead them to glory.
What they didn't know was that they were being watched.
On the manor's rooftop, a masked figure dressed in black had observed the entire scene. This shadow, vanished into the night without a sound, carrying crucial evidence.
At the castle, in an austere council chamber, the generals, Princess Raelia, and Jonady were gathered. The masked agent from the secret unit bowed before them and delivered a detailed report. The evidence of Count Philippe's treason was damning.
The revelation caused an uproar. Several generals, outraged, immediately proposed sending troops to execute the traitor. But Raelia, raising a firm hand, calmed the assembly.
— "Hold on. Let Jonady explain our next move."
All eyes turned to Jonady, who had been listening silently until then. A determined smile crossed his face.
— "We counter-attack," he declared with confidence.
The room seemed to hold its breath, hanging on his every word, ready to hear the details of a plan that promised to change the course of events.