That's right, that's what adventure is like!

Chapter 92 The King and the Second Son

The Blue Crystal Heart was the focus of the struggle between the two sides and was undoubtedly a core secret. Therefore, Roland did not directly ask Zane for a trade, but only said that he wanted to stay by his side.

This showed him just how corrupt the quartermaster really was.

The first step is to inventory and store the goods.

The escort team from the nearest city brought one hundred barrels of Purple Source Whale Oil. Zane inserted a bright red iron skewer into them and pulled it out without looking up: "The magic is severely dissipated and needs to be purified before use. We'll calculate based on eighty barrels."

The escort captain's expression changed, and he was about to argue when Sain shoved the iron skewer into his hand: "Check it yourself."

He checked it, then left in a sorry state.

Roland later used his magical senses to examine the iron skewer, which contained several "diluting" runes. No matter what was inserted into it, the magical concentration would be reduced.

Then comes resource allocation.

The supply train sent people to collect the standard armor to be sent to the front lines. Zane not only gave out 30% less, but most of it was also severely worn and missing parts, such as missing shoulder pads or linings.

After those men have passed by with their armor, he will take out a brand new one from the storeroom, instruct his men to smooth out the military markings, and store it in his own men's tent.

Three days later, this armor will mysteriously appear on the black market and be sold through special channels to the noble alliance in the south, where soldiers are in dire need of enhanced combat capabilities.

Finally, there is the weapons inspection.

According to regulations, the magic crystal cannons at the front line are pulled back to the fortress every once in a while to check for severe wear and tear. If the wear and tear is severe, it is necessary to replace them with new ones.

Zane would never make such a request. The magic crystal cannon is extremely powerful and can affect the course of the battle. Doing too much would attract the attention of those above.

He would simply dismantle the old magic crystal cannons, classify them as "unrepairable and handed over to the Forge Division for recycling," and give the Forge Division some useless parts, keeping the truly valuable cannon barrels and magic crystals for himself.

Using these methods, he earned more than two thousand gold coins in less than three hours.

Or rather, it was the person behind him who reaped those benefits.

Although defeat in the war was inevitable, Roland never imagined that the army had become like this. Looking at the soldiers carrying cannon barrels, he sighed, "I really wonder what His Majesty the King would think if he saw this."

"The King?" Zane held the ledger, looked down at the numbers, and sneered. "You really think he doesn't know?"

Roland was taken aback: "Did he know?"

"Of course I know," Zane said casually, seemingly unconcerned about the shocking secret he had just revealed, "but he tacitly approved of it."

"Why?" Roland found it hard to understand. "These properties all belong to him, why would he do this?"

'

Zain raised his head, his eyes calm: "How long do you think this war will last?"

Roland was silent for two seconds.

The situation map he saw last night showed that the Empire's reinforcements were only three days away, and considering the delay in his own map, they might be even sooner.

Therefore, he gave an estimated date: "If we don't consider other unforeseen circumstances, at most one month."

The change he was referring to was naturally something like the Blue Crystal Heart, which could influence the course of the war.

Finn nodded, clearly agreeing with the assessment: "Very good, then in a month you'll know why he did it."

After saying that, he stuffed the ledger into his pocket and walked in another direction: "I've shown you so much, now it's time to assign you a task."

Roland frowned and followed him into the tent.

An oil lamp was lit inside, its dim light casting a long shadow of Zane that stretched all the way to the entrance.

There was a bag on the table, left by Cole a few hours ago, already filled with supplies Zane needed.

“I gave that kid a way out,” Zane said, pointing to the map in the corner of the table. “By going around the Blue Crystal Mountains, he has a chance to cross the battlefield and reach the area controlled by the Empire.”

"In addition, I contacted friends within the Imperial Army to help him resolve his identity issue, giving him a chance to survive over there."

Roland's pupils contracted slightly; hearing these words from him was not a good sign.

Combining this with what Zain had shown him earlier, a bad feeling rose in his heart.

“I’ve investigated your background,” Zane said, leaning back in his chair and staring at Roland, a glint in his cloudy eyes. “The clerk in Broken Rock Town speaks highly of you, saying you might be a chosen one of the gods.”

Roland narrowed his eyes, his right hand already resting on the hilt of his sword.

"Don't be nervous," Zane shook his head, indicating that there were still many people patrolling outside. "If you make a move here, you can't get out—besides, I have no intention of killing you."

"I need your help. If you are truly a chosen one, it shouldn't be difficult."

He bent down, pulled a wooden box from under the table, opened it, took out a black key, and placed it on the table. A number was engraved on the end of the key.

17—566—5396.

"There's a path beneath this fortress leading into the Blue Crystal Mountains," Zane said, pointing to the ground. "It's almost ready to be used to outflank the Imperial army and launch an encirclement."

"Before that, a group of elites will scout ahead to confirm the exit is safe. I need you to be faster than them and kill one of them at the entrance."

"This key is your pass, ensuring you can pass through that passage and reach the interior of the mountains."

Roland stared silently at the key, its metallic sheen gleaming coldly: "Whom did you kill?"

"The leader of that group was the king's second son."

Zain spoke casually, as if he were talking about an ordinary person: "This guy is a real nuisance. He's desperately trying to win this war and has disrupted our plans."

Roland realized: "So, I'm now playing Cole's role, a scapegoat?"

"Hmph—I suppose so," Zane gave him a half-smile, then pushed the bag Cole had left behind forward. "I know your adventurer habits. Consider this my advance payment to you."

The pocket was light. Roland weighed it in his hand, then glanced at the item description and nodded slightly: "A reasonable price. I'll accept this commission."

He didn't mention the difficulty of the matter, nor did he ask what kind of interests were involved, because the matter itself was very valuable.

The king's second son, who serves in the army, may not know why he would undertake such a dangerous mission, but he must know the clues to the Blue Crystal Heart.

This is a good opportunity.

Roland stuffed the pocket into his bag, turned around, lifted the curtain, and went out.

Then, he stood there, stunned.

As far as the eye can see, snowflakes are flying.