hapter <b>417 </b>


    Third Person’s POV


    ??? ??


    The entire underground tunnel and chamberplex was unguarded, as numerous guards <b>were </b><b>already </b>deployed outside.


    Should someone break through the encirclement to enter the tunnel, sending more guards underground would be futile.


    Lance also detected


    Sounds from within and confirmed someone was inside.


    Since he didn’t know who was captured, he knocked on the iron door and called out, “I’m from Alpha Bentley’s legion here to rescue. If there’s anyone from our pack inside, please respond.”


    After a brief silence, the breathing grew rapid, followed by a feeble voice, “Yes…


    Lance shed through the heavy chain on the iron door with a single w strike and kicked the door


    open.


    Inside the chamber hung a bloodied individual–hands suspended above, feet barely touching the ground, with no patch of unbroken skin left on their body.


    Their clothes were in tatters, covered in whip marks and burns, their face swollen and unrecognizable.


    Lance severed the iron chains suspending the person’s hands, causing them to copse to the floor in <i>a </i>limp heap.


    He noticed blood seeping from the person’s knees, clearly shattered and unable to support weight.


    “I’m Lance. What’s your name?”


    Lance asked as he helped them up. The individual had chapped lips and sores at the corners of their mouth. Though of simr height to Lance, they were rmingly light, a testament to the torture they’d endured.


    “Sto…” The voice was hoarse and weak, as if seared by fire.


    Clutching Lance’s sleeve with all their strength, the person’s eyes widened. “Are they… safe?”


    Lance’s throat tightened. “They’re safe, They’re outside, ready to escort you to safety.”


    “Th–that’s good…” The person’s hands went limp, their eyes slowly closing.


    Lance quickly checked for a pulse and signs of life, relieved to find they were still alive. He hoisted them onto his back and hurried out.


    Back to the daytime negotiation/Tad’s stance was unyieldingly firm.


    Before the talks, Abbot and Stewart had urged him not to mention Alpha Lance in fron


    Victor.


    But Tad, believing they would side with Lance as his former subordinates, only paid lip <b>service </b><b>to </b>their advice, harboring other intentions.


    三


    III


    O


    <b>1/3 </b>


    In previous negotiations, Tad had haggled repeatedly over the quantity of supplies<b>, </b><b>proposing </b><b>exchanges </b>involving cash and goods for Eugenius.


    However, Victor had rejected all these proposals, leading to a


    This time, Tad’s patience was truly exhausted.


    deadlock.


    To secure Eugenius’s release, he had already made significant concessions, yet Victor remained insatiable, making exorbitant demands.


    “It seems you have no intention to negotiate at all!”


    Tad mmed the table, his tone hardening. “I’ve made the utmost concessions, yet you persist in making unreasonable demands. This is sheer absurdity. If this is your stance, then there’s no point in continuing these talks!”


    Victor sneered, “Are you certain you wish to walk away? Are you prepared to sacrifice your intelligence operative?”


    Tad retorted, “It is you whocks sincerity. If you have no intention of negotiating, then there’s nothing more to discuss. Do as you please. These are Alpha Lance’s words.”


    Abbot and Stewart paled- they had agreed not to mention Lance.


    Victor immediately grew wary. “Alpha Lance? You im Alpha Lance is here? Where is he? Why isn’t he at the negotiating table?”


    Tad was about to speak when Stewart quickly interjected, “We received orders from Alpha Lance. He genuinely cannot attend the negotiations in person, He has recently been married and cannot leave the capital for the time being.”


    Stewart spoke in thenguage of the Dragon Ash Werewolf Kingdom, requiring no trantor.


    Tad, unable toprehend, cast Stewart a skeptical nce.


    Victor fixed him with a doubtful stare. “Alpha Lance is here, isn’t he?”


    Stewart smiled. “If Alpha Lance were here, he would certainly wish to meet you. Now that the two nations have ceased hostilities, Alpha Lance actually holds you, Commander Victor, in high regard. Should he be in Frostbite Town, he would undoubtedly seek to befriend you.”


    Victor countered, “Even in peacetime, we would not be friends. Alpha Lance, like Alpha Bentley, is a formidable figure. The people of the Dragon Ash have no desire to fraternize with those who inspire fear


    Alpha Bentley had once reimed the southern territory, but the tide turned when the Dragon Ash dispatched reinforcements.


    Alpha Bentley’s dyed support led to his defeat and the southern territory’s recapture.


    Victor had never directly confronted Alpha Bentley.


    He had joined the battlefield after the previousmander’s death. In his eyes, Alpha Bentley <b>was </b>a notorious werewolf.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Tad asked the trantor, “What is Stewart telling him<b>?</b><b>” </b>


    Stewart urgently signaled the trantor, but the local merchant, fluent only in the two nations <bnguage </b>and having limited contact with Stewart, tranted Stewart’s words truthfully.


    Tad red at Stewart and then said to Victor, “Yes, Alpha Lance has been in Frostbite Town for several days. He didn’t personally negotiate because he instructed me to act on his behalf. If you don’t <b>ept </b>these terms, the negotiations end here. Do as you please.”


    “This is Alpha Lance’s stance,” Tad emphasized once more.