Sigmund asking this question was not because he sensed any special connection.
The secret bond originating from the same soul between the Mushroom Tribe and Lin Jun had nothing to do with him, nor did he possess skills to peek directly into the essence of souls to discover the clues within.
This group of routed soldiers who fled back before him were all as wretched as the lowest refugees, yet they specifically brought along a seemingly ordinary Puchi.
One only needed to deduce slightly to know that even if this Puchi wasn't the Mushroom Tribe member the Empire had been searching for secretly recently, it must have other extraordinary value.
Facing the Duke's direct inquiry, Mengya dared not play dumb.
She knelt on the ground, answering carefully and respectfully:
"Honorable Lord Sigmund, your eyes are like torches. This is a strange Puchi this humble demon luckily discovered on the edge of the fallen area. Thinking it might be valuable to the Empire... to Duke Elinore whom this humble demon serves, I risked death to bring it back."
"You are Elinore's person?" Sigmund raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
Mengya hoped Sigmund would refrain from intercepting the Mushroom Tribe member for Elinore's sake, but having been out on field missions recently, she obviously knew little about the current relationship between the two Dukes.
The commercial war between Elinore and Sigmund was currently in full swing.
The "red wine" transported to various places within the Empire for sale had encountered several attacks previously, some successful, some failed.
On the surface, they flew the banner of bandits, but behind the scenes, there were shadows of Elinore's faction.
Regarding this, Sigmund wasn't very angry; instead, he found it somewhat laughable.
He knew perfectly well that this was because that woman Elinore couldn't find the exact source of his goods and was driven to start jumping over walls in desperation.
As a countermeasure, Sigmund merely adjusted the transaction method with those vampire nobles slightly, changing it to letting them send their own personnel to pick up goods within his territory.
Sure enough, no more "accidents" occurred on the transport routes thereafter.
Although Elinore was stupid, she clearly wasn't stupid enough to dare anger all her vampire colleagues simultaneously.
And now, a Puchi of the Mushroom Tribe discovered accidentally by her subordinate, highly likely the one the Empire's higher-ups were secretly searching for, actually came to his territory by a twist of fate...
Then what else was there to say?
Sigmund stepped forward, lifted No. 13 up, turned it left and right, and examined it thoroughly.
What surprised Mengya was that this Mushroom Tribe member, who had always hated being picked up, appeared extremely docile this time. Even when Duke Sigmund squeezed it hard to test its elasticity, it didn't resist!
Probably awed by the Duke's unfathomable majesty and power—Mengya could only guess so.
As for No. 13, its feelings at this moment were more complex. On a physical level, it instinctively detested being manipulated by this non-mushroom like this. But on the other hand, deep in its heart, a sense of tranquility almost like returning to the embrace of the fungal mat arose.
Entangled between two feelings, it chose to crash.
After quite a while, Sigmund seemed to have completed his inspection and gently placed No. 13 back on the ground.
He turned and paced back to that obviously widened high-backed chair, sinking his heavy body into the shadows.
"Keep your Puchi safe." His gaze swept over the uneasy Mengya and Old Fish. "Simon, arrange for them to go down and rest, and change into some decent equipment. Since they are Empire soldiers, they shouldn't look like beggars when they leave."
"Yes!" Adjutant Simon immediately took the order, signaling these survivors who luckily escaped with their lives to follow him out of the hall.
...
Changing into brand-new standard leather armor and cloaks, and enjoying a long-lost baptism of hot water, a refreshed Mengya returned to the barracks room where they were temporarily settled and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Phew—scared me to death!" She patted her chest, revealing a look of rejoicing after surviving a disaster. "I thought the Duke would definitely detain the Puchi! Didn't expect him to let us leave just like that... Duke Sigmund is indeed a big shot with extraordinary magnanimity!"
Old Fish beside her also nodded, rarely not contradicting Mengya. In that situation, if it were him, he would definitely intercept that Puchi first.
Even if not directly possessing it, at least he would take the opportunity to stick a foot in this Mushroom Tribe matter.
Didn't expect this Duke to follow the rules so much, showing no greed at all in the face of such an important thing.
"But speaking of which," Mengya leaned closer, lowering her voice, a trace of confusion on her face. "Isn't Lord Sigmund always commanding troops on the frontline? If I saw correctly, that chair he sat in was a full double the width of Lord Elinore's! Commanding wars on the frontline, yet he can be nourished to be so... plump? Or rather, it's my first time seeing such a fat vampire..."
"Shut up! Idiot!" Old Fish jumped up abruptly like a cat whose tail was stepped on. His withered palm covered Mengya's mouth tightly, his eyes full of shock and anger. "Are you tired of living? This is still High Fortress! It's someone else's territory! Do you want to be made into a blood slave and hung on the city wall to dry?"
Mengya whimpered under his cover, hurriedly pulled his hand away, shrank her neck, and dared not speak nonsense again.
No. 13 aside repeatedly savored the feeling of being held by Sigmund. If it could stay here, it felt that wouldn't be bad either.
Unfortunately, that vampire with a body shape close to a Puchi didn't seem to have plans to keep it.
...
"My Lord, are we really... not interfering?" Adjutant Simon couldn't hold back, proposing in a low voice again, his eyes full of pity.
"I have my own considerations. You may leave." Sigmund waved away the adjutant.
"Yes." Simon dared not say more, bowing and withdrawing.
In the empty and cold hall, only Sigmund remained.
Mushroom Tribe, Puchi...
The crushing defeat in the Battle of Dragonroar Valley was bestowed thanks to the army of Puchi Masters.
Regarding the importance of the Mushroom Tribe, he was clearer than the vast majority of people in the Empire.
However, he also had his own concerns.
It wasn't that he wasn't tempted, nor was he afraid of the possible entanglement afterward from that stupid woman Elinore who only knew how to play underhanded tricks.
What he truly worried about was that roommate who shared this body with him.
Although restricted by the inability to hide his actions, he had never been able to investigate this roommate's background with great fanfare.
But based on various clues, he guessed that behind the roommate, there was highly likely an intricate connection with those Mushroom Tribe forces that suddenly popped up.
Even... bolder speculation: the roommate itself might be a Mushroom Tribe member!
In the confrontation on the soul level, he was already at a disadvantage.
If he rashly introduced another Mushroom Tribe member highly likely related to the roommate into his own territory, he worried he would completely lose control of the situation.
Weighing the pros and cons, he generously allowed Mengya to leave with that Puchi suspected to be of the Mushroom Tribe.
Anyway, he was facing the United Kingdom. Humans were too busy protecting themselves right now; large-scale warfare was impossible in the short term. Using Puchis to enhance combat power wasn't an imminent matter.
Better to let Elinore be this pathfinding stone; it would be just right to observe the reaction after the Mushroom Tribe came into contact with the vampires.
After pondering for a moment, he raised his arm, preparing to summon his confidants to arrange for more spies to infiltrate Elinore's sphere of influence and monitor the follow-up of that Mushroom Tribe member.
Just then.
Dong... dong... dong...
The clock embedded in the wall behind him chimed the hour just then, long and dull.
"Sigmund" paused his half-raised arm, then changed its trajectory.
He turned sideways skillfully, fishing out a jar of clear golden honey and a bottle of crimson Delicious Red Wine from a hidden compartment behind the wide chair.
Unscrewing the jar lid, pulling out the bottle stopper. One mouthful of honey, one mouthful of wine.
He narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, and his whole person transformed from an upright fat vampire into a puddle of vampire.
(End of Chapter)
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