Inside Linden City.

Although the Admiral had conflicts with the Arlan Military Police, the etiquette required for receiving imperial guests could not be neglected.

According to protocol, they should have been arranged to stay within the castle fortress, but to prevent these people from bringing up the embargo issue again—a matter where he would never compromise—the Admiral paid out of his own pocket to accommodate them at one of the city's finest hotels, the Dream Blue Hotel.

Twelfth floor of the Dream Blue Hotel, the most premium suite.

For this capture operation.

Driven by the Arlan state religion, the Eternal Sect, and the Arlan Military Police, a special inspection team was formed consisting of one priest and several high-ranking officials from the Military Police.

They brought along over a thousand personnel, conducting the capture operation with great momentum, chasing all the way from the Arlan border across the natural chasm of the Great Wall to the East Coast.

Except for the overall person in charge of this operation, Inspection Captain Zachak, no one knew exactly who they were trying to capture, only that it was a major fugitive, and they were strictly forbidden from inquiring further.

Zachak stood on the garden balcony, taking in the full view of Linden City's grand harbor. The dazzling array of ships constantly coming and going was quite spectacular. The azure seawater, orange trees planted along the shore, and the clear sky formed a beautiful painting. Such a wonderful place actually belonged to the Beima Principality—what a waste of natural resources.

His hair showed traces of white, and he wore a finely tailored Arlan Military Police officer's uniform. The entire sacred white outfit was spotless, with the red inner garment's collar buttoned tightly. His black military boots and leather gloves carried the authority of a high-ranking official, while his trench coat was merely draped over his shoulders. He appeared to be around thirty-five years old, with extremely stern features.

Most distinctive was his sword;

even sheathed, blood-red mist seeped through the gaps.

Sitting on a nearby sofa was a blue-haired Yisu person with wolf ears, pretty features, a tall and slender figure, straight and long legs, also wearing an Arlan Military Police officer's uniform.

"Ah, speaking of which, I encountered an elf in the lobby this morning—absolute perfection. His ears had that characteristic dark elf narrow elongation, yet his skin was so fair, with snow-white eyelashes and eyes like roses. Simply to die for."

The Yisu woman was in heat, but unfortunately, the man had been in too much of a hurry, and she couldn't just approach him to strike up a conversation. Damn it, just one look was enough to make her come undone.

Zachak completely ignored her. Only he knew the background of this capture target. If this operation succeeded, he would rapidly rise through the ranks into the Imperial Guard, with assignments directly appointed by the Emperor himself. He could even stand as an equal to someone as important as Blackflame Asura.

"Still no news?"

Zachak asked sternly to another leonin who stood at a terrifying height of two and a half meters.

He had already made arrangements with all the coastal town lords in this area—if any docking ships were spotted, report immediately for a reward of two thousand gold dragons. After all, legitimate ships wouldn't dock at those coastal small towns. Two thousand gold dragons was several times the net worth of a minor lord.

He had also deployed personnel for a carpet search of Linden City and its surroundings. The priest brought clergy to search for secret docking points along the coast. Carolso's group had pursuers behind them too, including senior officers from the inspection team. Although the exact location wasn't known, the general direction was locked down. With both ends blocked, a tight net had been cast.

The leonin had once been the runner-up in one of the imperial arena tournaments—a silver medal with terrifying prestige. Possessing immense strength, he was selected by the Military Police Guard and became an officer.

"They should be arriving soon."

The leonin said distractedly. With both ends blocked, it was practically a done deal.

Soon after, a military police officer rushed into the room to report to Zachak.

"A message came—they stayed at a post station near Fallspring Town one day ago."

The military police officer reported.

"How far is Fallspring Town from here? Is the general direction still this way?"

Zachak asked in an interrogative tone. He didn't want outdated intelligence;

he needed their current approximate range.

"Approximately seventeen hundred li from here."

The military police officer answered.

Zachak pinched his chin in deep thought. One day meant they could cover about three hundred li. As long as they intended to set sail, they must be in this area—just three or four days from arriving here. There was no escape.

"So is the range locked down? Which towns can they pass through to reach Linden City next?"

Zachak continued questioning. Sending people out to exhaust resources uselessly was pointless—precision was necessary.

Next, the military police officer rattled off over ten small town names like reciting a menu, including Lavender Town.

"Utterly useless. We'll continue holding our positions nearby, waiting for messages from that side."

Zachak instructed thus.

"Yes."

The military police officer responded with utmost respect before taking his leave.

"You, go to the Linden City Admiral's residence again and demand he execute the content of the Arlan Military Police Commander's directive for a comprehensive embargo."

Zachak believed the leonin would have more deterrent power, so he sent him.

Zachak believed the leonin would have more deterrent power, so he sent him.

The leonin picked at his sharp claws, absolutely unwilling to go.

"Of course I know it's impossible. We just need to keep pressure on him. This time, say that this directive was also drafted by the Commander under the Emperor's orders. Even if he doesn't execute it, he must concede maximum search authority allowing entry into all civilian residences."

Zachak's tone was icy.

"Maybe..."

The leonin still wanted to decline. This was the ultimate thankless chore. He originally thought he'd come to a foreign country for a trip to see the coastal scenery, but ended up with an "incorruptible" superior.

"This is a superior's order. You know the Military Police regulations."

Zachak showed no mercy.

"Received, sir."

The leonin left the room reluctantly, calling two military police officers outside to join him for some presence—going alone was just too awkward.

Zachak's gaze fixed dead on the harbor, watching the setting sun. This place would eventually become Arlan territory too. The Beima Kingdom had already been downgraded to a principality. In just a few years, it would immediately become the Beima Province. Not just Linden City—the East Coast had several ice-free ports, all first-class valuable assets. If the Emperor developed them, they would far surpass their current state.

"Carolso, Gloria, and who else..."

The Yisu woman spread one hand examining her nails while fixing them with a file. Although forbidden from inquiring, officers had privileges.

She hinted for Zachak to reveal something.

"This is not your concern. You only need to know that if we succeed, we'll all enter the Imperial Guard—nothing comparable to our current status."

Zachak turned around, his gaze cold, adding: "What do you think will happen if we fail?"

The Yisu woman felt extremely uncomfortable under this stare, straightening her back and sitting properly, shaking her head.

"You two are new here and don't understand the rules of Arlan politics. You must watch your words and tread carefully, step by step. Better to do nothing than make a mistake. Just one failure, and at best, you'll suffer cold treatment for life;

at worst, you lose your head directly. Do you think this matter is about cold treatment or losing your head?"

Zachak thought these newly promoted officers were too carefree, completely ignorant of how the world worked. Surface rules were surface rules—what actually operated were the real rules. Continuing so sloppily would only get them played to death.

The Yisu woman was somewhat frightened.

Since they still had to work together, Zachak didn't speak too harshly, only saying: "In the Eastern Sea, there's a place called Heaven's Port, a paradise for pirates. If those three set sail, we won't need to return to Arlan either. We can all pool six hundred gold dragons to buy a ship, plunder merchant vessels here, and spend our remaining years."

"Is it that serious?"

The Yisu woman widened her eyes, standing up, unable to stay seated.

"That's the reality."

Zachak applied pressure.

Not daring to delay, the Yisu woman left the room, called several military police officers, and prepared to devote all her attention to the search.