Chapter 377

Glancing at Leon and Emma’s intertwined hands, Red-haired Bureau Director waited until he let go before curling her knuckles and forcefully tapping the intelligence board at her side twice.

“According to the information given by Watchtower Palace, the Nightmare Black Cult will deploy over seven hundred followers, starting tomorrow they will establish a total of thirty-five outposts one after another.

In five days, when Soulfall Black Abyss reaches the ‘overlap point’ with the Kingdom, these thirty-five outposts will simultaneously hold rituals to provide coordinates for the Nightmare King, allowing it to carry the Soulfall Black Abyss into reality.

And our task is to clean up all thirty-five outposts before that happens. At the very least, we need to clear thirty-three. As long as there are two or fewer outposts left, the Nightmare King won’t be able to fully enter reality.”

After explaining the mission objective, the Red-haired Bureau Director flicked the intelligence board again and then pointed at the more than ten maps pinned on it, her expression serious: “The places marked with red crosses on these maps are the outpost locations pre-marked by the General Bureau based on the information provided by Watchtower Palace. These include twelve counties of the Kingdom, two cross-county mountain ranges, and the eastern sea.

I’ve just requested support; the nine outposts in Merino County, Wales County, and Barrow County will be handled by Leo Subdivision;

The six outposts located in the eastern sea and Hesperito Volcano Group will be taken over by Water Bottle Division. We only need to handle the remaining twenty outposts. Next, I’ll assign tasks.”

Twenty outposts…

Looking around the conference room at the eight other people besides himself, Leon quickly calculated.

Three-seven-twenty-one. So if the director doesn’t move and continues to guard the Capital City, including myself, each person would roughly have to handle three outposts.

Considering that among the cleaners present, only he is a Level 3 Cleaner while the others are Level 2 or even Level 1, he estimated he might get one less or even just one outpost.

“Emma, the seven outposts in Leon County and Coast County are yours. If you don’t have enough time, you can be ruthless.”

“Okay.”

Huh? That’s already seven tasks gone?

Amidst Leon’s somewhat surprised gaze, the map with the most red crosses was directly taken down by a strand of red hair and placed on the table in front of Emma. And unsurprisingly, Emma nodded and frowned as she looked at the marked times and positions on the map.

“Next is Tom… The four outposts in Snow登山脉 are yours. Be careful when you act; the snow hasn’t melted yet on that side, don’t cause an avalanche!”

“Yeah yeah, I’ll try my best!”

“Not trying, but must!”

After warningly glaring at the somewhat lazy Tom, the Red-haired Bureau Director continued assigning tasks:

“Next is Pione, you go to Barfu County and Belai County…”

“Armin, this one goes to you… And remember to keep it down this time, no random medication allowed…”

“Halley, these are yours…”

“Spike, and you… If you’re too busy, you can mobilize the garrison troops, but remember to file a report afterward…”

Wait… Aren’t they all assigned?

When the last two maps were bundled together and handed to the burly colleague sitting opposite, Leon couldn’t help but stand up, his face full of surprise as he asked:

“Director, what about me? What do I do?”

“You stay behind to guard.”

“…”

Seeing Leon’s somewhat speechless expression, the Red-haired Bureau Director raised her hand and pointed toward the Royal Palace, her face calm as she explained: “The Nightmare King has a grudge against the ancestors of the royal family, so it might take this opportunity to attack the royal members. Therefore, we need to be cautious.

Fortunately, your identity is special, entering the palace isn’t a problem, and you’re also familiar with the princesses and princes, making you suitable for this job. If I’m caught up in some unexpected situation, you’ll be responsible for protecting the royal family. Remember to request assistance from the General Bureau if anything goes wrong.”

Although the Red-haired Bureau Director didn’t say it outright, after exchanging a glance with her, Leon immediately understood her meaning and realized she was worried about the female journalist from Gemini Division.

Since stealing the director’s wallet, the journalist named Nicole hadn’t appeared again. She was a genuine Level 1 Cleaner with a Sheep Tail capable of concealing her presence, which couldn’t be ignored.

So protecting the royal family was probably a ruse; the director’s real intention in placing him inside the palace was likely to bring him closer to the royal family’s [Same Script Stone Slab]. If something happened on her end, he could immediately contact the General Bureau through the royal channel for assistance.

“I understand.”

Nodding knowingly after receiving his task, Leon sat back down comfortably. Meanwhile, the Red-haired Bureau Director, having finished all the arrangements, clapped her hands forcefully and summarized crisply: “If there’s nothing else to add, everyone should set off now! Also, considering that two other divisions are involved this time, we can’t determine how far they’ll go or whether mistakes will occur. Therefore, it’s best if we completely secure the twenty outposts under our responsibility!”

…

The next night, deep in the Royal Palace.

Joshua, the Freckled Prince, who had endured patiently receiving six or seven groups of guests all day, had barely fallen asleep when a knocking sound came from outside his bedroom door.

“Tap, tap-tap”

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“…”

The Freckled Prince, exhausted from the day’s events, was sleeping deeply. But after waiting a while without a response, the sound of knuckles tapping on wood suddenly grew louder, and the rhythm became increasingly urgent, forcibly waking him from his slumber.

“Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!”

???

Who? How dare someone knock on my door like this? Are you looking to die?!

Forcibly awakened by the knocking, the Freckled Prince irritably climbed out of his soft bed, rushed to the bedroom door, and yanked it open.

“Damn it! Today I must… It’s you?”

Upon recognizing the face of the visitor, Joshua, who was about to start yelling, turned pale and hastily closed his mouth, instinctively stepping back a large step. But realizing he seemed too cowardly, he forced himself to step forward half a step and then sternly scolded:

“Who gave you permission to come in! Get out… Leave! Now!”

“Move aside, thanks.”

After giving a sidelong glance at the outwardly fierce but inwardly timid Joshua, Leon, holding a pillow and thin blanket, pushed past the obstructing prince and entered his room, leaning the pillow against the armrest beside.

“Can’t you understand human language?”

Ignored, Joshua’s eyes narrowed, and he quickly ran over, lifting his foot to kick the sofa and the man lying on it over. However, after being stared at by Leon for a while, he finally put his foot down, his cheeks twitching as he angrily shouted: “Get out! This is my room! Don’t overstep! Careful, I…”

“I’m here to protect you.”

Interrupting him, Leon, full of fatigue, yawned and then half-heartedly informed: “There’s been an incident recently, you might be in danger, so the bureau has tasked me with protecting the royal family members.

But I can only protect one person, so I thought about it: during the day when I’m awake, I’ll protect your dad, mom, and sister. When I’m tired at night, I’ll come here to protect you. This way, I can consider myself doing my duty…

Hmm… If you have no objections, then it’s settled. I’m going to sleep now.”

(The chapter ends here.)