"It’s hard to say. Our current information channels are so limited that we’re essentially operating in the dark, effectively blind, let alone trying to judge the validity of the information they’re providing."
Lance put down the letter. It simply explained the situation and detailed the information exchanged between the two sides.
The Romani weren’t madn. The information they exchanged with Walter wasn’t nearly as sensational as what had been discussed in the carriage.
It was limited to the situation in several cities near Ovando: which had been captured, which were still holding out, where potential dangers lay, and what supplies were needed.
If this information was true, it would indeed be very useful. But the problem was the uncertainty.
The reason was simple: Lance didn’t believe the Romani still needed information from Hamlet. Even if they hadn’t possessed it before, Amanda had made her own reports later on. So, what was their motive for this?
A single carriage... isn’t that the typical modus operandi of the Seekers of Ons?
Was their goal to deal with the two traitors, or himself?
"You go back first; I can handle the rest," Lance said.
He simply didn’t want to overthink it; charging in with his Cavalry felt more productive.
This was the advantage his strength afforded him. He no longer needed to be as cautious as he had been at the start, where he’d had to calculate every move to the extre. Back then, he had no foundation and couldn’t afford any surprises.
Now, it didn’t matter. He would ignore those who didn’t provoke him and eliminate anyone who stood in his way.
Lance could afford to be relaxed, but Vick couldn’t. Vick knew their inability to discern the enemy’s motives stemd precisely from the weakness of their own intelligence channels; they couldn’t even verify the authenticity of the information provided.
Hamlet was a giant, albeit a misshapen one.
Now he understood why the Lord had gone to such lengths to prepare this operation. He had to succeed and not betray the Lord’s trust.
"I will definitely fulfill My Lord’s arrangents and achieve results quickly," Vick swore solemnly. His earnestness took Lance sowhat by surprise.
After all, Lance didn’t know what this young man was thinking to have suddenly beco so serious.
"Relax a bit. Intelligence work must be ticulous; you can’t be impulsive or chase quick success," Lance said with a reassuring smile. "You must rember, we’re still young and full of vitality. Ultimately, the future is ours."
"Yes!"
Vick had to hurry back, and Lance also needed to return to Hamlet. Though not afraid, Lance felt more at ease when he was personally overseeing things.
The caravan’s route was predetermined, and Vick quickly caught up with the slowly moving convoy.
The convoy was large. It was a disorganized procession stretching almost a kiloter from end to end, with hundreds of people within. No one noticed a single person’s disappearance or reappearance.
Naturally, upon his return, the first thing Vick did was find Walter to report the situation.
"Everything is going smoothly. I’ve reported to the Lord, and he told us not to worry about this matter and to just carry on with our planned tasks," Vick said.
Despite saying this, Vick still looked worried, clearly preoccupied.
"If you have any thoughts, feel free to share them. Perhaps I can help," Walter said. He was quite fond of the young man.
"This is an opportunity. I’m wondering how we can validate this information, but it’s clear we don’t have that capability yet," Vick admitted. He was desperate to make his mark, but the task the Lord had assigned him was to establish an organizational frawork, starting with Ovando.
Everything was just beginning; it was impossible, and they lacked the manpower, to verify these claims.
"Actually, you’re mistaken about one thing. Validating this information doesn’t necessarily require our direct involvent," Walter said with a smile, which naturally drew a questioning look from Vick.
"I’ve been pondering this myself: how can we use this information to our advantage?"
As he spoke, Walter took out the rudintary Map and, pointing to it, began to explain his thoughts to Vick.
"According to the intelligence, the Governor of that city managed to stabilize the situation by using his military to halt the influx of refugees. However, this is only a temporary fix. The price of grain there has skyrocketed, and their own supplies won’t last much longer. That’s why they’re seeking grain from external sources at high prices."
"You want to do business with him?"
"No, no, no," Walter said, laughing dismissively. "What we need to do is spread this information and let the other grain rchants in Ovando City know about it. Faced with the prospect of huge profits, they’ll naturally help us investigate. Then, we can gauge the intelligence’s veracity simply by monitoring their shipnt volus."
"But information is only valuable when few people know it," Vick said. "Once they confirm it and move in, we’ll be too late. The market will already be cornered."
"But what if our target market isn’t those places to begin with?" Walter said, a smile playing on his lips.
Vick looked at Walter’s smiling face and fell into thought. Where is our market?
An instant later, he seed to grasp sothing. He looked up, t Walter’s eyes, and said, "We want Ovando’s market."
"Exactly!" Walter nodded approvingly. The boy was quick on the uptake.
"Their supply channels are fixed in the short term, and their grain reserves are limited. If they choose to supply other places, Ovando’s local market will inevitably open up. That’s our opportunity.
You only see the hefty profit margins but fail to see the risks. Although those areas aren’t active war zones, friction and conflict are constant. Securing those profits would require a huge investnt and consu vast resources, especially for the necessary Guards. In contrast, we can do business right on our doorstep. While the profit might not be as large, it’s significantly safer, with lower risk and less pressure."
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