Chapter Two-Hundred Thirty-Six

Chapter Two-Hundred Thirty-Six

Honey

Some small part of the bee scion was worried the Emperor might reject her verdict, but he seems to accept it easier than even she is willing to. How can her map be wrong? She and Leo worked together on it with the reports from the rockslides, and while her affinity is certain its accurate to those reports, her affinity is also certain the adventurers map is much closer to the actual truth than her own, now that she has something to compare with.

She lets her legs sprawl out beneath her, physical fatigue matching the mental from working her affinity and title so hard, and Leo gives her a concerned look.

Are you alright?

Just tired, she buzzes, not bothering with any dance right now. Teemo comes over and scoops her up and plops her on his head, earning an indignant buzz from her, but she doesnt fight it. Laying on the map isnt exactly helping figure things out.

Teemo taps his foot as he stands on his hind legs, looking at the map with a frown. Honey can feel his ear twitch as the Emperor speaks to him, and soon the Voice relays the message.

So Boss says we have a couple facts, so we should try to break things down and figure out what could possibly be going on here. So we have our two refugees, the adventurers, and even Honey all saying this map is the more accurate of the two. The Boss is confident in Honey, and he says having three sources agree either means the truth is with them, or theres a major conspiracy. Considering how many things would have to happen for all those sources to actively lie, we can basically count that option out. So we will need to plan using the map and the info weve gotten from Lechula, Merrik, and the adventurers.

Leo nods at that and gives a sigh. But what about the rockslides?

Thats the big question. Boss says theyre a single point of failure, so there must be something wrong. Maybe some kind of weird dungeon option, like the Southwoods climate control? Something that would confuse rival dungeons, but not adventurers?

Teemo doesnt sound very convinced, Leo doesnt look very convinced, and Honey definitely isnt convinced. Maybe, she buzzes, but that seems highly unlikely. We could ask the Southwood if it has any advanced options like that, but I dont think he does. Some kind of illusion doesnt sound like what the Maw would have access to. Its a metal affinity dungeon, not illusion.

Teemo nods, making Honey cling to his head, which in turn earns a chuckle from both him and Leo as the Voice speaks. Yeah, the Boss isnt so sure about it, but we can try to ask. Any other ideas that might sound absurd, but at least a little less absurd than that?

Leo grumbles as he slowly stalks his logic. The rockslides are either wrong or lying for some reason. Both seem impossible, but it has to be one or the other. He quietly growls as he considers, then gets an idea. Whatever the reason, theyre compromised, but to what extent? Is it all of them?

Honey buzzes and gets to her feet, determination helping fight back the fatigue. We can cross-reference the reports to see. They each have their own reports, so we can see which ones are giving the truth, and which arent. Teemo, can you please get the reports from the adventurers? She takes to her wings as he salutes, and orders her swarm to get out the rockslides' reports as he slips into a shortcut.

No, Im fine. Its just I know whats going on. She lands on the map and points out the compromised rockslides. We have twenty-seven more rockslides than the Emperor has on expedition. Theyre not secret spawns from the Maw, though. They all have a trail of reports linking them back to the Emperor.

She pauses and looks up at Teemo, Leo, and Aelara, meeting their eyes as well as she can. She can feel the Emperors confusion, before it gives way to shock as he comes to the same conclusion as she has, at least if the anger and feeling of self-disappointment are anything to go by. She feels a bit stupid for not putting it together earlier, too.

The Harbinger is Mental affinity. Its taken over the slides closest to the Maw. They no longer belong to the Emperor, which is why his number doesnt match with ours. Aelara gasps at that while Teemo and Leo look grim.

Mental? I need to warn the adventurers before they head out!

She gets up to go, though she pauses when Teemo speaks up. Have them swing by here before they go, if any of them are still willing! Aelara nods before running out of the cave. Leo growls as he looks at the map.

They know were coming, then. Theyll fortify their position now weve lost the element of surprise. The Wardens hackles rise with his frustration, and Honey buzzes in grim solidarity with her fellow scion. Teemo looks more confused than upset for a few moments, before he grins wide.

Boss says we might be able to use this. Leo and Honey both look confused, so Teemo elaborates. They know were coming, but they think we dont know they know. But we do know. So we can leverage knowing we know they know, without letting them know we know they know, you know?

What, states Leo, and Honey is with him. Even with her affinity, that all sounded like nonsense. Teemo keeps smiling.

Boss calls it counter-counter-intel. We make it look like were taking the bait, but were actually preparing to ambush the ambush!

Leo blinks at that before grinning wide, and Honeys wings start to buzz as she understands. Each of the false points of interest would be a perfect place to ambush their forces, but there are only a few places the enemy could launch an ambush from on those locations!

Dont send any more rockslides in there, though, says Teemo, knocking Honeys train of thought off the tracks. Tell the suborned ones to get into a better position to keep an eye on the fake points of interest, but dont send any fresh ones in. He doesnt want to send them on a deliberate suicide mission. Danger is one thing, but any others sent in there would be being deliberately sent to their death.

Honey and Leo both nod at that, and Honey has to admit she was vaguely pondering sending in a few more to try to lure out further ambush positions. The Emperor is right, though. Its one thing to send them into a dangerous location with little information when theres little to give. But knowing theyll be attacked by the Harbinger without giving them some means of protecting themselves?

Honey shudders at the thought. She knows how twisted the Harbinger is. Even with respawning, its not an experience she'd wish on anyone.