Chapter 19: A New Side Quest

After dealing with Toronto, Mo Xuanyu spurred his horse and raced all the way back, finally returning to the capital city before curfew.

He did not rush back to the military camp but first went to Kane’s forge.

Inside, Kane had been anxiously awaiting news of Mo Xuanyu. If Toronto had escaped, all their efforts would have been in vain, and Mo Xuanyu’s life might be in danger.

To prevent the situation from implicating others, Kane had instructed the commune members in the district to go into hiding, so that even if they were pursued, losses could be minimized.

At last, amid the ticking of the clock, Kane heard a knock on the door and hurried to open it.

“Thank heavens, you’re safe,” Kane sighed in relief upon seeing Mo Xuanyu unharmed, quickly inviting him inside to rest.

“Well? Did you manage to take care of Toronto?” Kane asked, pouring him a glass of water.

Mo Xuanyu produced a secret internal document from the commune, which he had taken from Toronto.

Kane examined the contents and suddenly frowned in puzzlement, staring at a line near the bottom: “If necessary, history shall be sealed along with him.”

Kane was unsure of the meaning of this phrase but did not dwell on it, slipping the document into an old, unassuming book for safekeeping.

Under normal circumstances, secret documents of various factions are not destroyed, for they are part of history. Only by preserving these records can future generations better understand the events of the past.

Kane stroked the book’s cover and said to Mo Xuanyu with heartfelt admiration, “When all is said and done, people will surely praise and eternally thank you for your contribution, Mora.”

“I will protect this document well and ensure that people never forget you.”

If this document were destroyed, future generations would inevitably question the legitimacy of Mora’s espionage activities. Kane would not allow such a thing to happen.

For Mora, a master assassin and a great revolutionary of the commune, to bear the humiliation of becoming a spy was already a great sacrifice.

Kane did not want later generations to endlessly debate whether Mora was truly a good man.

Mo Xuanyu blinked and said, “It doesn’t matter. I’m just carrying out my mission. I don’t care how people judge me afterward.”

That was exactly the kind of person the original Mora was—completely indifferent to reputation.

“All right, all right, leave these matters to me.”

Kane waved off the topic, assuming Mo Xuanyu did not understand the importance of history. He took the hidden dagger from Mo Xuanyu and carefully maintained it.

Mo Xuanyu ate some bread there, and Kane thoughtfully warmed some milk and fried some bacon for him.

While cleaning and maintaining the dagger, Kane shared the commune’s future plans.

Although Erik’s recent mutiny had failed, he still commanded nearly 100,000 private soldiers.

These mercenaries came from nobles who wished to overthrow the Sun King but were unwilling to hand power over to the Free Commune.

From a god’s-eye view, the Nora Kingdom currently had three main factions.

First, the Royalist faction led by Wailun and Carmen, staunch defenders of the Sun King’s authority, allowing no one to challenge it. The kingdom’s army and the imperial guards together numbered around 150,000, well-equipped and wielding the formidable Sun Knight Order.

Second, the Constitutional Monarchists led by Erik, who sought to curtail the king’s powers, establish a new cabinet and parliament under a constitutional monarchy while preserving noble hereditary privileges, with about 100,000 troops.

Third, the rebel forces led by the Free Commune, whose original and unwavering goal was to topple the entire decayed dynasty and establish an equal society without kings or nobles.

The Free Commune currently had approximately 300,000 troops, but their soldiers were far inferior in quality to the kingdom’s army.

They lacked formal training, many were peasants and workers who often went into battle armed with pitchforks and sickles, and they suffered severe shortages of weapons and food.

At present, the constitutional monarchists and the Free Commune only cooperated temporarily due to pressure from the Sun King. Once he fell, they would immediately turn on each other, fighting for control.

“Provided, of course, that we can actually defeat the Sun King,” Kane said anxiously, moving close to the hearth to light a coarse cigarette.

“The rebels have secretly gathered thirty thousand men in the eleventh main city. We plan to launch a full-scale offensive this autumn to decisively crush the kingdom’s forces.”

Kane slowly revealed the Free Commune’s autumn offensive plan.

After several large-scale wars in recent years, other nations on the continent had reached the limits of their aid, growing disillusioned and convinced of the Free Commune’s inevitable defeat.

As a result, their sympathies gradually shifted towards the Sun King, and they ceased supporting the rebels.

In other words, the Free Commune might not last until next year.

Once winter arrives, the rebels, lacking money and supplies, will be no match for the kingdom’s army.

Though the kingdom lost many towns, it still firmly controlled vital ports and railways.

The autumn offensive was the rebels’ last hope.

“Thirty thousand rebels plus Erik’s hundred thousand makes a combined force of four hundred thousand.”

“Four hundred thousand against one hundred and fifty thousand.”

“We have a slight advantage, but not enough to guarantee victory. Keep in mind, kingdom soldiers are elite fighters capable of taking on two or even three opponents at once.”

“Mora, if possible, I hope you can help me obtain intelligence on the kingdom army’s troop deployments,” Kane requested.

“That would greatly increase our chances of victory.”

“Of course, don’t push yourself if it’s too dangerous. You must prioritize maintaining your cover.”

“After all, if things go badly and the rebels suffer a crushing defeat, you will be the last hope to overthrow the Sun King.”

Hearing this, Mo Xuanyu swallowed the bread in his mouth.

【You have triggered a side quest: Intelligence Theft.】
Difficulty: B
Task Guidance: Important secrets may be stored in the Sun King’s study—assuming you can get in.
Time Limit: Seven days.
Reward: Forge master Kane’s favor rises to “Close Friend.”
Failure Penalty: None.

“Just favor?” Mo Xuanyu sighed inwardly. But since there was no penalty, he accepted the mission casually; after all, there was no harm done.

After Mo Xuanyu departed, no longer worried, Kane picked up his forging hammer and rummaged through the most secret chest in the warehouse to retrieve a piece of dark, heavy ore.

Meanwhile, back at the military camp, Mo Xuanyu took a bath.

His black hair fell over his shoulders as he leaned against the window, feeling the evening breeze, and asked Mo Xiao if anyone had noticed his absence today.

Mo Xiao shook his head. “Many came bearing gifts and invitations to dine, but I sent them all away.”

“Good job,” Mo Xuanyu nodded in approval.

“I’ll rest for a bit. You don’t need to be too tense; at least inside the Knight Order’s barracks, no one would dare attack us.”

With that, Mo Xuanyu left the window, while Mo Xiao remained standing, a faint floral scent lingering on his nose—though he knew it was just soap.

Still, he felt reluctant to let go. Though uncommunicative, simply being near his teacher brought him comfort and peace.

“Good night, Teacher.”

Mo Xiao extinguished the kerosene lamp in the living room and went to his own room next door.

The next day, Mo Xuanyu held a meeting within the capital’s Knight Order, attended by all senior knights.

Thanks to the increased favor with the Sun King faction after completing the main quest, these senior knights treated Mo Xuanyu with great respect.

They had also heard of his recent military achievements, and their once frivolous appraisal of his appearance was replaced by reverence.

After all, they had never seen such a young Knight Order captain, who was also exceptionally honest, indifferent to wealth, making it a pleasure to work under him and promising a bright future.

“This meeting isn’t about anything major,” Mo Xuanyu said, hands crossed, voice gentle yet clear. “I just want to understand our true combat strength. Please report honestly.”

His meaning was simple: no hiding, no falsifying. Remove any deadweight or nepotism and give me the real numbers.

Mo Xuanyu gestured to a staircase, and the senior knights followed suit.

After tallying, Mo Xuanyu found that only about three hundred knights in the capital’s order were genuinely capable.

Nearly two-fifths were mere hangers-on.

Even so, these three hundred were absolute elites.

Having obtained the exact figure, Mo Xuanyu said, “The city hasn’t been peaceful lately, and war seems imminent. I will request funds from the Sun King to update your equipment.”

“This funding is crucial. I expect everyone to set an example and ensure it’s used properly. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

Mo Xuanyu smiled faintly, wielding a big club in one hand and a honeyed date in the other—appearing gentle, yet holding leverage over many senior knights.

Behaviors like shirking duty or embezzling weapon funds might seem minor but could result in suspension and investigation if pursued.

The senior knights silently added another note to their impression of Mo Xuanyu: not to be trifled with.

After the meeting, Mo Xuanyu took a carriage to the palace.

It’s worth mentioning that the reason he sought to strengthen the Knight Order was that it was part of the autumn offensive plan.

Mentor Peter had specifically instructed Mo Xuanyu that once the two armies clashed, he must immediately lead this elite cavalry to confront Erik’s forces.

The advantage of this was that the Free Commune could offload the most troublesome Sun Knight Order to Erik’s army, allowing them to reap the benefits without direct risk.

This raised a question: would the Sun King agree to let Mo Xuanyu take such an important elite unit to fight Erik?

The answer was yes.

As mentioned before, although the Sun King was the sovereign, his power was still constrained by the great noble families.

As the saying goes, centuries-old dynasties and millennia-old noble houses, the aristocracy controlled the kingdom’s class channels and land resources, contending with royal authority.

Allowing Mo Xuanyu to use the war as an excuse to destroy the noble families supporting Erik behind the scenes was tantamount to clearing obstacles for the Sun King’s rule.