Ambiru''s expression darkened as he listened, and he turned to ask, "The special code you mentioned earlier... what exactly does it mean?"


    "Hmm, it''s aplex symbol described on the note, made up of many strange and unfamiliar symbols that are difficult to put into words. If I see it again, I can definitely recognize it!" Rhett replied confidently.


    "Can’t you draw it?" Ambiru asked.


    "I can only reproduce a small part of it," Rhett responded.


    Ambiru walked over to a nearby desk, picked up a sheet of paper and a quill, and handed them to Rhett. "Try to recreate it as best as you can from memory."


    "No problem!" Rhett nodded, taking the paper and quill. He pretended to think deeply and then began sketching a mix of random symbols, including ancient script, odd shapes, and even a six-pointed star.


    As Rhett continued drawing the strange and unfamiliar symbols, Ambiru couldn’t help but sigh internally, "It seems like the alchemy workshop has truly beenpromised."


    As the deputymander of the gorge, Ambiru wasn''t aware of the exact location where the form for <em>ck Crow’s Sorrow</em> was hidden, but he did know about the general security measures. Not only was the form hidden in an extremely secret ce, but one of the safeguards was the creation of numerous fake forms to confuse any potential thieves. In his mind, if the real form had been marked with a symbol, it must have been done by traitors to ensure they could steal it more easily.


    "But... if the traitor had the ability to mark the form, why didn’t they just take it directly?" Ambiru wondered, but the mysterious note’s credibility led him to consider deeper possibilities. "Could it be that they’re lying low for now, nning something bigger? Or maybe they’ve already copied it and had some reason to dy?"Even with his vast experience, Ambiru couldn’t fathom that everything unfolding was a lie. Instead, his thoughts spiraled into a frenzy, trying to discern the traitors’ true intentions.


    A momentter, Rhett finished his drawing and handed the "halfplete" symbol to Ambiru, uncertainly saying, "Commander, I’m not sure how urate it is, but I did my best."


    By all logic, Rhett shouldn''t have known about the fake forms, let alone used them as part of his deception. In reality, this was his second time consulting Ambiru. During a previous simtion, he had falsely imed that Yumi was carrying the form and requested that she be apprehended. However, that n had failed when she saw through his lie, making Rhett realize the ws in his approach. This time, his fabricated story was more refined, with fewer obvious gaps.


    Ambiru examined the paper for a moment before fixing his gaze on Rhett. "You need to understand the gravity of what you''re saying today. If we go to Watermoon Castle and find no marks on the form, the consequences will be severe—for both of us!"


    "Commander, I’m fully aware of that! But think of it this way—if we catch the culprits, it’ll be a major victory and a huge step toward finding the true mastermind behind all this!" Rhett responded firmly, his tone persuasive. "Remember, every piece of intelligence from those notes has been urate so far..."


    Ambiru’s eyes flickered. He couldn’t deny that Rhett’s words made sense. Although some details in the note didn’t hold up to scrutiny, it was impossible topletely dismiss the possibility. Furthermore, with the sess of previous intel, Ambiru couldn’t ignore this shocking new information.


    He was tempted...


    "Let’s hope so. I’ll report this to Commander Avn. I don’t have the authority to inspect the form for <em>ck Crow’s Sorrow</em> on my own," Ambiru said after a moment of silence, taking a deep breath.


    Half an hourter.


    Avn arrived at the entrance of Watermoon Castle with a squad of soldiers, his demeanor radiating lethal intent.


    "Rhett, are you sure that someone slipped you that note?" Avn asked as he stood at the castle’s entrance, casting a final nce at Rhett.


    Surrounded by four sixth-tier Earth Knights on all sides, Rhett was both protected and monitored. Clearly, Avn wasn’t fully convinced by the contents of the note, but he also couldn’t ignore the need to investigate.


    "Absolutely!" Rhett replied confidently, unfazed by the scrutiny. "Let me see the symbols on the form, and I can confirm their authenticity to help identify the traitors!"


    Avn squinted slightly, then showed his identification badge to the guards. The knights at the gate didn’t dare to stop him and immediately allowed them to pass.


    Rhett followed closely behind, passing unimpeded through a series of corridors until they reached the end of a deep, dark passage.


    "Commander Avn!" a surprised voice called out. The ck-armored knight, Kris, hurried over, his expression respectful. "Commander, what brings you here?"


    "This doesn’t concern you, Kris. Stay outside and don’t move," Avn ordered.


    "Understood!" Though confused, Kris obeyed, standing guard at the entrance.


    After Avn opened the door, the group moved deeper inside, and he called back casually, "Kris, close the door."


    Under the watchful eyes of four sixth-tier Earth Knights, Rhett finally reached the innermost chamber of the underground vault.


    "What brings you here today, Commander Avn?" azy voice asked as Yumi, d in white robes, emerged from one of the rooms. "You rarely visit, and today you’ve brought so many people. Did something happen?"


    "Seize her," Avn ordered, his tone light, as he gestured toward Yumi. "Don’t let her resist, but be careful not to harm her."


    At hismand, the Earth Knights immediately surrounded the voluptuous woman.


    "Avn, have you lost your mind?!" Yumi cried out in disbelief as she struggled against them. She instinctively reached for her wand to fight back but froze when she heard Avn’s words. Allowing her hands to be bound behind her back, her ample chest heaved with anger, threatening to burst free.


    "I’m sorry, Yumi, but I have no choice," Avn said calmly.


    "Fine! But you’d better give me a good exnationter! When I report this to my master, he’ll hear about the unjust treatment I’ve received!" Yumi, usually mild-mannered, roared in fury, unable to contain her anger at being wrongly used.


    Avn inwardly sighed, ncing at Rhett. With the weight of the previous urate intel provided by Rhett, as amander, Avn couldn’t simply dismiss this matter because of a minor discrepancy.


    "You, go get Grumi," Avn instructed one of the alchemists.


    "Understood!" The blue-robed alchemist quickly ran to a chamber around the corner.


    By now, the entire underground vault had been thrown into turmoil. Every alchemist had been forced to stop their work, even though it meant ruining their concoctions. Though the disruption was costly, the gravity of the situation was clear to everyone.


    After her initial shock and anger, Yumi began to calm down, realizing she might have been wrongly used. Her attention shifted to the middle-aged mage standing under heavy guard by the Earth Knights. His treatment differed significantly from that of the others, which made her suspicious. She remained silent, watching the situation unfold.


    About half an hourter.


    Grumi finally appeared, his hair scorched ck, clearly in a foul mood.


    As he observed the scene before him, his expression grew more serious. "Commander Avn, what’s going on here? What’s serious enough to warrant such amotion?"


    "Bring me a vial of Dawn Powder," Avn requested.


    "I have one here," Grumi replied, pulling out a small vial of pure white powder from his pocket. "But why do you need it?"


    He tossed the vial to Avn, his tone annoyed.


    While Grumi had no issue with Avn bringing people here—that was within his authority—seeing Yumi, a student of a royal alchemy master, bound like a criminal filled him with outrage. He feared this incident could damage his standing in the Kingdom of Ginlun, where he had hoped to learn more from the royal alchemy master.


    "I need to inspect the form for <em>ck Crow’s Sorrow</em>," Avn stated.


    Everyone froze at his words.


    Even the enraged Grumi was stunned into silence, rubbing his ears as if he had misheard. "Avn, did you say you need the form for <em>ck Crow’s Sorrow</em>?"


    "Yes," Avn confirmed solemnly. "We have reliable intel indicating a traitor among you, and the real form has been marked with a special symbol. To be safe, I need your cooperation."


    A collective gasp filled the room.


    "Impossible, that’s impossible!" Grumi eximed, his expression exaggerated as he waved his hands. "This vault is so secure; no outsider could have entered. The people inside don’t stay outside for long, and the real form is mixed with many fake ones. Finding the genuine one requires exceptional skill. I regrly check everything, and I swear there’s been no breach."


    "This is an order—cooperate," Avn said, his tone growing heavier. "If you refuse, it’ll only make you look guilty. I’ll fetch it myself if I have to."


    "You..." Grumi''s chest heaved with anger as he nced at Yumi and then back at Avn. "Fine, I’llply, but let me ask—what does Yumi have to do with this?"


    "I’ve exined that there’s a traitor among you," Avn said. "Right now, it’s just suspicion, and we need to confirm it. But we need your cooperation."


    "Yumi can’t possibly be a traitor!" Grumi protested, but seeing the calm determination in Avn''s eyes, he had to relent. "Alright, I’ll fetch it, and I’ll prove Yumi’s innocence."


    Grumi, though appearing angry, was actually thinking quickly. He decided to use this opportunity to earn favor with Yumi.


    "Don’t worry, Yumi. You’ve been wrongly used, but I’ll clear your name!" Grumi assured her, his gaze firm. "Once we examine the form, the truth wille out, and you’ll be vindicated!"


    Yumi’s expression was grim, and she remained silent. She had nned to stay calm and observe, but she never expected to be used of treason.


    Grumi left the room.


    A few minutester.


    "The form is here, but only you can look at it, Avn," Grumi called out from the corridor.


    "I need to bring this man with me—he provided the intel," Avn exined.


    Instantly, Rhett felt the weight of multiple gazes fall upon him.


    There was shock, suspicion, and even mockery.


    Yumi’s eyes were filled with anger as she looked at Rhett. "It’s you? Why would you nder me? What makes you think I’m a traitor?"


    In a situation like this, an ordinary person might have crumbled under the pressure, revealing their guilt. But having lived two lives and seen countless trials, Rhett knew that this was just a simtion. He didn’t falter—in fact, he even smirked contemptuously.


    "nder? Yumi, you know exactly what you’ve done. I advise you to confess now, or you’ll regret it when the truthes out!"


    With those final words, Rhett didn’t waste any more time and quickly followed Avn.


    "The form is here, but you only have three seconds to look at it," Avn said, handing Rhett a sheet of yellowed parchment.


    Rhett nodded, taking it and ncing at the text. It was filled withplex descriptions, ingredient ratios for various magical nts, and specific extraction and mixing procedures. Even some of the alchemical equipment needed to be custom-made.


    His heart raced with excitement as he quickly memorized the first section of the text.


    A few secondster.


    Avn frowned. "Rhett, what are you doing? Apply the Dawn Powder already."


    "I was just trying to see if I could identify the marks with my eyes. I’ll use the powder now," Rhett replied with an awkward smile, his eyes never leaving the parchment.


    Grumi’s eyes narrowed with suspicion, sensing something wasn’t right.


    But then he thought, "Whatever their n is, with Sky Knights and other powerful figures here, there’s no way they can escape. What am I worried about?"


    With that thought, Grumi rxed a bit, though his gaze still carried a hint of ridicule as he looked at Rhett.


    Rhett deliberately moved slowly, carefully opening the vial of Dawn Powder while sneaking in a few more nces at the form.


    "7.3 units of Wraithvine extract, 2.9 units of Darkcrystal whiskers, preheat for 103 seconds on low heat, then increase the temperature evenly over 7 seconds..."@@novelbin@@


    "Rhett, why haven’t you applied the powder yet?" Avn’s voice grew cold.


    "Just a moment—I think I can see the marks with my eyes," Rhett replied earnestly.


    Avn’s eyes narrowed, and his tone became more forceful. "Apply the Dawn Powder right now."