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"Knight Xuanfeng, there's no need to be so formal. Although Catherine is a cleric, she understands the situation. The construction of the 'Qingcheng' fortress is of utmost importance. If building the altar delays the completion of the fortress and allows the filthy human forces to tarnish the glory of the War God, even the most magnificent temple would not earn the War God's approval."

"The Holy Maiden's understanding is commendable, but establishing the War God altar will greatly boost the morale of our warriors. I assure you that I will build the War God Temple while ensuring the fortress is completed on schedule. Please do not worry, Holy Maiden."

"That is for the best. It's just that Knight Xuanfeng must take care. Unfortunately, Catherine's journey was hasty, and I did not bring any craftsmen. Otherwise, I could have helped alleviate your burdens."

After exchanging pleasantries, I took my leave. Once I was gone, Holy Maiden Catherine turned around and spoke towards the door behind her.

"You may come out now and share your thoughts on this Knight of the Temple's Scepter."

As she spoke, several people emerged from the door. Leading them was an elderly human mage, followed by twin leopard warrior brothers and a female fox shaman. Bringing up the rear was a middle-aged tiger man. Catherine greeted the old mage first.

"Master Wellington, you were once a wise advisor to my father, King Carter. I need your guidance."

These individuals were all Catherine's followers. Mage Wellington had been Catherine's father's magic advisor and was considered half-teacher to Catherine. Leopard brothers Lin Duo and Sate were her junior brothers when they trained under "War Saint" Leimen. The intermediate fox shaman Linda was her friend from the War God Temple, and the tiger man Taylor was a beast hunter Catherine had saved by chance. While noble lion clans usually had many followers, Catherine, who spent much of her time in solitary cultivation and had high standards, had few core followers.

"Your Highness, please allow me to be frank. Our previous plans need significant adjustments. Our earlier strategies were based on the assumption that Fontainebleau could not withstand human armies. Therefore, we focused on the lower three wolf tribes. However, with the scale of that Qingcheng fortress, if it can be completed on schedule and supported by sufficient troops, it could certainly repel tens of thousands of human soldiers."

"So what? He only has a few hundred wolf knights and thousands of half-beast slaves. That's not enough to fill the walls. Besides, wolves are naturally light cavalry; having them defend a city is useless. They probably can't even manufacture siege weapons," Lin Duo, the elder brother, countered immediately. Born into a prestigious family, he despised the arrogant country wolf.

"However, based on our intelligence, it seems Knight Xuanfeng is hiding something. At least the rumors about him finding a super beast corpse and having human mages as followers seem true. If he has other means, he might be able to defend this city," said the fox shaman Linda, who had gathered quite a bit of information during her wanderings around the city. Fortunately, I had kept many things confidential, like the Hydra incident, which involved only trusted members of the Snow Wolf Tribe. Others only knew that we had discovered a super beast corpse while pursuing human mercenaries.

Catherine nodded and turned to the tiger man. "Taylor, what do you think of his cultivation?"

"I find it very peculiar, Miss. His aura is close to the top level of Sword Hero. You must have felt it too. While impressive for his age, such strength alone cannot decisively impact the battlefield. Yet my 'Moon Affinity' ability 'Peeping' indicates he is extremely dangerous, almost at your level, yet I can't determine the nature of his hidden power."

"Could it be the enhancement from 'Tiger Soul'? Though it brings misfortune, its power and hidden abilities are undeniable," speculated Sate, the younger brother.

"Perhaps, though I doubt 'Tiger Soul' surpasses your epic sword 'Holy Covenant.' Still, a power that even my 'Moon Affinity' can't discern likely comes from that cursed blade," the tiger hunter said, unaware of the existence of qi and physical training. My "Scepter of Dominion" remained with the two-headed demon wolf Bingyan, while the silver crystal, possibly a divine artifact, was now a necklace around my neck. Its level was beyond his perception.

"Let's set that aside. Master, how should Catherine revise her plan?"

"Abandon the original plan to retreat through the passage. Ignore the fickle earth wolves. To achieve the greatest results, Your Highness must take control of this city and defeat the human army here, then rule Fontainebleau rightfully," the old mage stated firmly.

---

Leaving the Holy Maiden's quarters, I felt relieved that I had kept important secrets from the wolf disciples of the Red, Black, and Gray Tribes. Otherwise, that girl would have uncovered everything. Despite my outward calm, I was under immense pressure.

I sensed that despite being only twenty, she was already a Sword Sage. While I couldn't confirm if she practiced "Emperor Martial's Overlord Scripture," her aura suggested she likely did. In that case, I might not be a match for her. Moreover, behind that door were at least three more Sword Sages, one strong and one weak, both triggering reactions from my "Soul Transfer Great Art." One was likely a mage, the other a cleric. Had she decided to eliminate me, my chances of escape would have been less than ten percent.