In the absence of any response from Jeremy, Ritchie fell silent as well.
The two of them remained quietly in the deepest part of the instance until Howard, Bonnie, and the others arrived.
When Howard, Bonnie, and their group reached the innermost part of the instance, they saw only Jeremy and Ritchie. Moreover, they observed no signs of a recent battle in the surroundings.
"Has the battle already concluded? Have you successfully eliminated Kean?"
After carefully surveying the surroundings, Howard addressed Ritchie and Jeremy with a question.
Ritchie shook his head and gazed at Howard with a puzzled expression.
Although Ritchie remained silent, Howard discerned what Ritchie intended to convey through his eyes.
Howard stepped closer to Jeremy and asked him softly.
"What exactly transpired here? Were you able to defeat Kean on your own? If your strength is truly that formidable, I believe we need to expedite our plans."
Upon hearing Howard's words, Jeremy lifted his head to look at him.
"Now is not the time to discuss this matter. What just happened was beyond my expectations. Nevertheless, the crisis has been successfully averted.
We'll discuss the details of this event once we are back in a safe place. Besides, many here do not need to know the specifics of what transpired."
When Jeremy spoke these words, he deliberately cast his gaze towards Howard's subordinates.
Howard nodded in agreement.
"You are absolutely right. Let's promptly return to the military base on the outskirts of Moonlight City. That place is undoubtedly the safest, and even if we encounter other crises, we can receive immediate support from others there."
Howard refrained from asking further questions.
He understood that pressing the matter now would only serve to anger Jeremy, without yielding any useful information.
The recent series of events had left Howard extremely perplexed.
At this moment, the only person who could provide him with answers was Jeremy. Therefore, Howard was determined not to provoke him.
Subsequently, Howard directed the group to exit the instance.
Although both bosses within the instance had been defeated during the battle, the rewards they yielded were not particularly generous.
Therefore, Howard wasn't overly concerned about the rewards given by the bosses.
He merely instructed his subordinates to take all the rewards back with them.
On the way to the military base, Bonnie, Claire, and Emma looked at Jeremy with concerned eyes.
Despite the fact that there were no visible injuries on Jeremy's body.
The three of them could tell that something was very off with Jeremy's current state.
Ultimately, it was Claire, Jeremy's former psychologist, who took the initiative to inquire.
"Jeremy, is there something particularly troubling you right now? Why does it seem like your face is marked with worry? If there's anything you can't resolve on your own, you can tell us.
The group soon arrived at the military base.
General Howard first instructed his subordinates to return to their respective duties. He also ordered some of them to protect Jeremy's friends, who weren't particularly strong.
Howard, Jeremy, Bonnie, and Ritchie then made their way to Howard's office.
Howard had invited Bonnie and Ritchie, in addition to Jeremy, for specific reasons.
The reason being that Bonnie possessed considerable strength, and she was also Benjamin's daughter.
As for Ritchie, it was because he was the second person, after Jeremy, to reach the final battleground.
If Jeremy's memory of the previous events was somewhat unclear, Ritchie could provide some supplementary explanations.
Once all the extraneous individuals had left the room, Howard addressed Jeremy directly.
"Now that there's no one else here, you can recount everything that happened in detail. If you have any concerns, feel free to share them as well." Howard said, his tone straightforward.
Jeremy nodded in acknowledgment and then began to describe everything he had witnessed in the deepest part of the instance.
After listening to Jeremy's account, Howard's expression grew exceedingly complex.
"If what you are saying is accurate, it signifies that we have barely scratched the surface of understanding what has just transpired.
Why did Kean come looking for you in the first place? Why did Kean suddenly attack his own ally? And why did Kean leave immediately after gaining such formidable power?" Howard pondered aloud, his voice laden with contemplation.
"These are questions for which we can find no answers."
Howard articulated his concerns.
Jeremy and the others nodded in agreement, acknowledging that these were indeed the most pressing questions. However, they also recognized that these questions were seemingly impossible to answer.
The entire situation was shrouded in layers of mystery.
"The only way to find answers now is to locate Kean." Howard declared as he stood up, his eyes fixed resolutely on Jeremy.
"I understand that you and Kean have significant conflicts, so I won't ask you to find him. The day after tomorrow, I will return to military headquarters. Once I am back, I will arrange a meeting with the Lannisters.
If we can obtain more information from the Lannisters, we might be able to unravel the mysteries we are currently facing. If we're fortunate, I might even be able to find Kean.
Although you and Kean are adversaries, my relationship with him isn't as dire. I might be able to understand what he's thinking." Howard's words were filled with determination.
Howard's remarks brought a sense of relief to Jeremy.
If Howard could indeed meet with the Lannisters, and even with Kean, he would certainly obtain crucial intelligence.
Jeremy nodded and said to Howard, "If you can truly accomplish these tasks, I will be immensely grateful to you. During your absence, I will make every effort to cooperate with your subordinates to swiftly complete the division plan for the industrial district."
The purpose of Jeremy's words was to alleviate Howard's concerns.
Only if Howard had no worries, could he devote all his energy to dealing with the Lannisters.
Howard nodded in agreement.
"That's good! If there's nothing else, you all may return to your duties." Howard said, dismissing the group.