The hidden war within the camp was fiercer than any battlefield. Dante's public protection inadvertently placed Aria at the center of all attention, making her a thorn in the side of many, especially Lady Lan. Aria knew she couldn't rely on Dante indefinitely to solve all her troubles. She had to protect herself, and more importantly, understand this world more deeply.
One morning, as Aria was walking from the medical area back to her tent, a young soldier, looking frantic, ran up to her. "Advisor Aria! You must come see! Something bad has happened at the provisions storehouse!"
Aria immediately followed the soldier. Upon arriving, she saw a scene of chaos. A section of the provisions storehouse was burnt to ashes, smoke still billowing, and several soldiers were coughing violently, suffering from minor burns. The acrid smell of burnt grain assaulted Aria's nostrils.
"What happened?" Aria asked, her voice grave.
Another soldier replied, "We don't know, Advisor. We were inspecting it when the fire suddenly flared up. It seems... someone deliberately set it."
Aria frowned. Deliberately setting fire to the provisions storehouse? This was no mere accident. This wouldn't just cause material damage but could also seriously affect the morale and fighting capability of the army.
She began inspecting the scene, her sharp special agent's eyes scanning every trace. She knelt, touching the ashes, sniffing the burnt smell. There wasn't just the smell of burnt grain, but also a faint, familiar scorched scent – the smell of a particular type of highly flammable oil. This was the kind of liquid she had seen used for intentional arsons back in the 21st century.
"This was no accident," Aria concluded, standing up straight. "Someone did this on purpose. And the goal wasn't just to destroy the provisions, but to cause panic in the camp."
Just then, Dante appeared, followed by several officers. His face was cold, his eyes as sharp as daggers sweeping across the devastated scene. Upon seeing Aria there, he subtly frowned.
"General," an officer reported, "The provisions storehouse burned down. It seems to have been an accident."
"An accident?" Dante repeated, his voice laced with skepticism. He looked at Aria, seemingly waiting for her to say something.
Aria stepped forward, looking directly into Dante's eyes. "Not an accident, General. I found traces of a special oil, used to create large, fast-spreading fires. The culprit was very sophisticated." She held out a singed piece of cloth she had just found, letting Dante smell it. "Do you smell it? This isn't just the smell of burnt grain."
Dante frowned, sniffing the cloth. His eyes became sharper than ever. He was accustomed to political conspiracies and rebellions, but this kind of "technique" caught him by surprise.
"Find the culprit," Dante commanded, his voice echoing throughout the camp, filled with anger and authority. "Search every nook and cranny! I want to know who dares to pull such dirty tricks in my camp!"
Aria sensed Dante's fury, and she knew the culprit wouldn't have a good ending. But what concerned her more was: Who was behind this? And what was their true purpose? Clearly, her presence had stirred too many things.
As everyone dispersed to carry out Dante's orders, he turned to look at Aria. His eyes still held indignation, but when he looked at her, they became more complex, mixed with protectiveness and something else that Aria couldn't define.
"You... it seems you always bring trouble wherever you go," Dante said softly, but without a hint of reproach. He reached out a hand, gently stroking her cheek, a touch that made Aria flinch. "Or does trouble always find you? Either way, I won't let anyone harm you. Anyone who dares to touch what's mine, I will make them regret ever being born."
His words were like an oath, a powerful affirmation of possession.