In Victor's room, Leon only told him about his purpose for returning to the Empire. He didn't mention a single word about what happened after his capture, his relationship with the Silver Dragon Queen, or the speculation about cooperation between Constantine and the Empire. Victor was different from Rebecca.
The crazy girl had only been included in their "old, weak, and sick" group after Master's initial screening and Leon's secondary assessment, finally confirming she definitely wasn't a spy.
Therefore, the mole who had betrayed Leon back then had to be either Victor or Martin.
The more said, the more likely mistakes would be made. Leon wasn't so excited about reuniting with an old comrade that he forgot the purpose of his visit.
Inside the room, after listening to Leon's account, Victor's reaction was similar to Rebecca's initial response.
First, shock, then he mentioned that he too had been caught in the illusion back then, and when he came to his senses, Leon was already injured and lying on the ground.
"Oh, so it seems it was a group illusion after all," Leon said softly.
"Yeah, it's a pity we were too slow to break free from the illusion back then. Otherwise, we might have been able to save you, Captain," Victor said.
Leon's eyes flickered slightly as he quietly observed Victor.
His words were quite subtle.
"Might have been able to save you, Captain." Didn't that imply "I'm not the mole"?
Interesting, Leon thought.
However, Leon didn't show anything and simply replied, "It's fine, don't worry about it. I'm okay now, aren't I?"
"So, Captain, what are your plans next? To find Martin?" Victor asked.
Leon raised an eyebrow slightly. Instead of hastily answering Victor's question, he glanced at Rebecca beside him.
The twin-tailed loli was sitting at the table where Victor's old guitar lay. She wasn't particularly interested in music and was just randomly plucking the strings with the ivory-white pick.
Well, it seemed that in this world, the only one who could communicate with Leon through eye contact and activate the team voice chat was Rossweise. Leon withdrew his gaze and looked back at Victor.
"Not in a hurry. Martin's family background is special, so we can't meet him easily," Leon said.
Although Rebecca mentioned that Martin was often scolded by his stepmother at home, he was still the youngest son of an imperial minister. You couldn't just meet him whenever you wanted.
Upon hearing this, Victor thought for a moment and said, "Meeting him isn't that difficult."
"Hmm? Do you have a plan?" Leon asked.
Victor nodded. "In two days, it's Martin's stepmother's birthday banquet. It has invited various friends, as well as many politicians and ministers. We can disguise ourselves and sneak in to find Martin then."
Leon thought for a moment. "Indeed, it's a good opportunity…"
But… wasn't it too much of a coincidence?
Leon had just returned to the Empire, thinking it would be hard to see Martin, and now his stepmother happened to be having a birthday? It wasn't that birthdays couldn't happen, but the timing was just too convenient.
Leon didn't voice his doubts directly. He assessed Victor, his mind racing, before finally asking, "What's the relationship between Martin and his stepmother like? I just want to confirm whether Martin will definitely attend his stepmother's birthday banquet."
Victor's eyes shifted slightly. His weathered face showed no expression, but he hesitated a moment before replying, "I remember their relationship should be quite good. He even gave his stepmother a very valuable piece of jewelry."
Leon let out a long "Oh," then glanced at Rebecca. The crazy girl had somehow moved behind Leon, her cute little face cold as she met his gaze without saying a word.
Leon didn't say anything either. He looked back at Victor. "This information is very timely, Victor. So, we'll go to the banquet in two days."
"No problem. Oh, by the way, what about after finding Martin? How do you plan to identify the mole who framed you back then?" Victor asked.
Leon smiled mysteriously. "I've already thought of a way."
Victor paused, then also smiled. "Ah, since I'm also a suspect, I won't ask further."
"Thanks for your understanding."
After a pause, Leon added, "Oh, and since you brought it up, I'll be direct. For safety's sake, please stay at the bar these two days. Do you understand what I mean?"
Victor wasn't foolish. Someone who could serve as a deputy in the military naturally understood Leon's intention. The so-called "for safety's sake" wasn't for Victor's safety, but for Leon and the others'.
If Victor really was an imperial spy, given the chance to pass on information, Leon and the others would be in trouble. By keeping him at the bar and monitoring him from outside, they could cut off his contact with the Empire.
As for why Leon wasn't worried about imperial agents lurking outside—that was the Master's role!
If there were indeed imperial agents nearby, the Master would have rushed in to inform Leon long ago. Each member of the "old, weak, and sick" group played a crucial role.
Understanding Leon's meaning, Victor nodded.
"Alright, I understand."
"Good. Sorry for the trouble. We'll come find you in two nights," Leon said.
"Okay."
Leon didn't linger. He stood up, took a step, and walked toward the door. Rebecca walked ahead, leading the way out. As they passed the table near the door, Leon looked at the guitar on it.
He suddenly stopped and said, "You've been using this guitar for many years, haven't you? Haven't you replaced it?"
Victor chuckled behind him. "Times have been tough, so I've been using it as long as it still works."
Leon nodded slightly and glanced at the ivory-white pick beside the guitar. It was translucent and clear. Victor had always liked to pursue delicacy and taste in such small details, Leon thought, and then stepped out of the room.
.
.
.
After closing the door, the two left backstage, passed through the colorful dance floor and the smoky corridor, and arrived outside the bar.
Cool, fresh air greeted them. Rebecca greedily took a deep breath and stretched lazily, her flat chest fully displayed.
"So, do you think it's him?" Rebecca asked.
Leon frowned in thought and shook his head. "It's hard to say. We shouldn't make any judgments before seeing Martin."
Rebecca chuckled, playing with her ponytail as she bounced over to Leon's side. "You're still as cautious as ever, Captain."
"It's always better to be cautious."
"But you still got betrayed by a mole back then."
"…"
Well, this girl might not have the ability to communicate with Leon through team voice chat like Rossweise, but her sharp tongue was just as potent as that mother dragon's. She always knew how to hit Leon where it hurt the most.
"But back to the point, Captain, what if this birthday banquet Victor mentioned is a trap? What if they're intentionally luring you in, planning to kill you and silence you? Should we still go?"
What Rebecca thought of, Leon had naturally considered long before.
"This is a good opportunity to contact Martin. If we miss it, who knows how long we'll have to wait. So, we'll definitely go. It's just…"
Leon chuckled, "We don't have to be punctual."
Rebecca's little brain barely kept up with Leon's train of thought. "Not punctual? You mean we should go a little late?"
Leon shook his head. "No, quite the opposite. We… will go early."