Chapter 370

Three Hundred Twelve: Choice

Deep within a forest in Tivyán, inside a luxurious office in a military fortress, Gregor looked at the man in front of him wearing an officer’s uniform with some surprise. He never imagined that the highest-ranking official of the Prit An Yin Bureau would be a member of the royal family! Moreover, this person personally received him as soon as he arrived in Tivyán. What had he done to warrant such grand treatment?

Facing the scene before him, Gregor was momentarily stunned. After a moment of silence, he realized that the hand was still extended in front of him and quickly shook hands with the man.

“Oh… Prince Harold? I apologize for my rudeness earlier!”

After shaking hands briefly, Gregor immediately knelt on one knee and hurriedly greeted the man. Harold couldn’t help but smile slightly and spoke.

“Not all members of the royal family can be addressed as ‘Prince.’ In the future, when you encounter someone surnamed Despenser, make sure to check before performing any courtesy. Otherwise, you might cause a misunderstanding, Mr. Meyshos.”

“Um… So how should I address you…” Hearing Harold’s words, Gregor felt a surge of nervousness, while Harold continued.

“Haha, no need to be nervous. Addressing me as ‘Prince’ is correct; I’m just reminding you. Here.” Harold slowly walked back to his large desk and sat down, then continued speaking to Gregor.

“Stand up. There’s no need to perform such a grand salute every time you see me in the bureau. We must focus on work. Don’t always kneel endlessly.”

“Yes, Prince Harold.”

Listening to Harold’s words, Gregor stood up and nervously stood in front of Harold’s desk. He still didn’t understand why the bureau chief had called him in.

After sitting back down, Harold leisurely picked up a teacup and placed it in front of him, then poured himself a cup of black tea. As he poured the tea, he spoke to Gregor.

“Gregorius Meyshos, born in the Hunter Village of Igewent County. Your mother went missing when you were seven, and your father died at ten due to a hunting accident. At sixteen… or three years ago, you came to work in Igewent. You became involved in a local extraordinary event and joined the Igewent An Yin Bureau as a hunter two years ago. Due to your outstanding performance, you were promoted to apprentice six months ago and later appointed as a squad leader. Recently, you single-handedly captured a Black Tier member of the Necropolis Cult, which led to your promotion here. Haha… Quite impressive, kid, catching a Black Earth.”

Finishing pouring the tea, Harold recounted Gregor’s resume. Although he didn’t know the bureau chief’s intentions, Gregor nodded humbly in response.

“It’s nothing, just luck. The cultist had lost necessary equipment, so I was able to win.”

“Luck is also part of strength. No need to be modest.” Harold responded, then took out a small paper packet from his drawer, tore open a corner, and poured black powder into the teacup. Initially, Gregor thought it was some kind of tea, but it wasn’t.

“You must be quite puzzled right now, wondering why I wanted to talk to you alone. Actually, the reason is simple: your background is clean.”

Taking a sip of tea, Harold said to Gregor, who paused upon hearing these words.

“Clean?”

“Yes, born in the countryside, joining the bureau in a distant place like Igewent, having almost no connections to the forces in Tivyán, possessing certain abilities, a simple and clear record, and currently about to be promoted… I need someone like you recently.”

Putting down the half-drunk tea, Harold looked at Gregor with a sharp gaze, causing Gregor to furrow his brows slightly. He seemed to realize something and asked doubtfully.

“Prince Harold… Do you need someone like me because something has happened in the bureau?”

Harold gave him a slight nod of approval and replied.

“Yes, let me tell you straight. There’s a traitor inside the bureau…”

Hearing Harold’s words, Gregor’s heart tightened. Although he had suspected before, hearing it confirmed made him freeze in place. His eyes widened as he spoke.

“What… a traitor? Your Highness… do you mean there’s a spy in the bureau?”

“Yes, we don’t know when they infiltrated, how many there are, or what positions they hold… We’ve already leaked many important secrets due to this traitor issue, causing significant losses… This traitor problem has become my top concern…”

Sighing deeply, Harold sat in his chair, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness. Gregor continued to ask.

“Can’t the bureau find this traitor now?”

“I’ve tried many methods, but none have worked. That traitor is very deep and cunning. Regular methods haven’t revealed anything. Routine internal checks are useless, so I want to try something different.” Harold continued, and Gregor tentatively asked.

“So… Prince, you called me here… because of the traitor investigation?”

“That’s right, I’ll tell you directly. Since previous self-inspections yielded no results, I suspect the traitor has infiltrated key positions. This has made me lose confidence in everyone in the bureau, so I want to have someone unrelated to the bureau and far from the Secret World of Tivyán investigate this matter.” Looking at Gregor, Harold said calmly, though he was surprised when Harold confirmed it.

“Have me investigate the bureau’s traitor? But, Your Highness, I’m just a new apprentice and have no experience in such matters!”

“Don’t worry. You’ll soon be a Black Earth, and you won’t be alone. Besides you, others from remote branches will join you, and I will assign absolutely trustworthy people to lead you. Soon, you’ll form a small team directly under my command. One of your major tasks will be to secretly investigate the leaks within the bureau.”

Harold said lightly, waving his hand. Hearing this, Gregor was momentarily speechless. His mind was in turmoil, filled with thoughts he found hard to believe.

Gregor hadn’t expected the bureau chief to be aware of the traitor issue within the bureau and to recognize the depth and scale of the infiltration. Thus, he planned to organize a team with little connection to the bureau or Tivyán to conduct the investigation, and he would be part of it.

What shocked Gregor even more was that if he had been successfully replaced on the train, there would surely be a traitor in the secret investigation team Harold intended to form! A team against traitors containing a traitor!

Thinking this, Gregor felt a chill run down his spine. If the plot on the train succeeded, this newly formed team might lose its effectiveness entirely due to the impostor. The bureau might never uncover the traitor. And if replacing him was intentional by that group, did it mean that Harold’s plan to form the team itself had been exposed? How deeply had the Eight Pinnacle Nest infiltrated the bureau?