Undoubtedly, it would be a while before Shiloh, and Uilleam could successfully persuade the Solis representative to divulge information about his clan willingly. However, Kyran was not burdened with this concern, as he was confident that Shiloh and Uilleam would figure out a way to overcome this problem on their own.
Kyran did not respond immediately.
As the idea of Shiloh, Uilleam, and the Solis representatives acting as his spies settled in Kyran's mind, a wave of unease washed over him. He yearned to convert them into his Servants before they returned to their clans, but the harsh reality of his low mage level shattered that notion.
Considering this, Kyran considered marking them, as he did with Olivia and a few others in the Somuli plane.
The problem was that marking would leave a trace.
In the Lower Realm, a mark's trace was easily concealed and barely detectable by mages. But that was not the case in the Higher Realm. The lowest mage level there was Sovereign, with a few High Sovereigns and Overlords. Tracking and identifying the magic signature on the mark would be child's play.
Furthermore, the Solis Clan had far more information about the Ancient Magic Cores because of The Emperor's obsession with acquiring them and the Heart of the Cosmos. They would undoubtedly possess the means to discern the magic signature emanating from the magical traces left by the mark.
Kyran had to tread carefully, for leaving his mark near the clans under The Emperor could lead to dire consequences.
In any case, there were other ways for Kyran to make Shiloh, Uilleam, and the Solis representatives swear allegiance to him, so that was not exactly a real problem. The only reason he did not outright ask them to become his spies was because he wanted them to suggest it themselves.
After all, there was a difference between a person being forced to become a spy and one who offered to become one.
Ladon and Thorn watched the exchange between Kyran and Shiloh's group in silence. They appeared calm, but inwardly, they were surprised that Kyran considered making Shiloh, Uilleam, and the Solis representatives spies.
For the record, most clans would plant a mole in other clans. This was a practice done by most large clans and even some of the medium-sized ones. However, most moles were trained at an early age and were very loyal to their original clan.
But Kyran wanted to use members of the clan he wanted to spy on— a move that Ladon and Thorn found absurd and risky.
"Alright," Kyran finally replied after what felt like years.
The prolonged silence might appear as if he was contemplating whether to accept Shiloh and Uilleam's proposal, but those who were quite familiar with him would know he did that to put on a show. Because if he agreed immediately, Shiloh and Uilleam might think he was desperate or even a pushover.
"Then—."
"We'll do a Soul-binding Oath to form a contract," Kyran declared before Shiloh could even suggest how they would go about the details of their becoming his informants.
"S-Soul-binding Oath?" Shiloh and Uilleam wondered in confusion.
They were not the only ones who found the oath unfamiliar; Ladon and Thorn were similarly clueless about it.
Meanwhile, Diara and the other Ancients looked at Kyran in surprise. They knew what a Soul-binding Oath was simply because they were Ancients who possessed vast knowledge about Ancient Magic.
Kyran could not help but approve of Uilleam's insight inwardly. Unlike Shiloh, Uilleam knew the right questions to ask.
"Yes," he admitted with a slight smile, giving a somewhat menacing air around him. Explore more stories at m,v l'e-NovelFire
"I want you to keep an eye out for any information about The Emperor's return and the mages he is after."
Ladon and Thorn's expressions turned grave at Kyran's answer. They only knew the gist of what The Emperor had been up to, and if not for meeting with Kyran, they would not even know he was involved.
But going through Kyran's answer to Uilleam's, why did it seem as if the former was unaware of the situation? What exactly was going on? Did they misunderstand the situation?
Shiloh looked at him in confusion, "Something like that... We are from the Blade Dancer Clan, so it is close to impossible for us to get anything about The Emperor unless he wants the information to be known."
"Is that right? Uilleam does not seem to agree with you," Kyran replied without looking at him. In fact, he had been observing Uilleam when he answered the latter's question.
Uilleam looked at Kyran with narrowed eyes. With a sigh, he said, "I don't know why you knew about that, but that is classified information even among the main family members of the Blade Dancer Clan."
"What's that supposed to mean, Uilleam? If it's classified, then why do you know that?" Shiloh asked in disbelief.
Kyran looked at them in amusement. With that simple exchange, he managed to confirm that Shiloh was part of the main family of the Blade Dancer Clan. As for Uilleam, it appeared his position was far more crucial for him to be privy to classified information.
Instead of answering Shiloh, Uilleam only raised his hand to stop him before addressing Kyran once more.
"Although I said that, of course, if we got hold of new information, I will let you know at once."
"Good," Kyran nodded. "That's all I need to hear."
Shiloh was displeased at the situation but decided to have a separate talk with Uilleam once they returned.
With that, Kyran concluded their discussion, and they proceeded with the Soul-binding oath. He then gave them an enhanced communication orb and other items that would help them in emergencies.
Uilleam also swore that they would handle the Solis representative and make him a good spy.
Kyran refrained from commenting on that and decided to let Uilleam do the rest. Compared to Shiloh, he did find the older guy reliable.
Once everything was done, Kyran talked to Diara and the Ancients separately to resolve his concern if he decided to take the tower with him.
After their talk, Ladon and the others noticed a sudden change in their demeanor. Fortunately, they were sensible enough not to pry for details.
Finally, after he had taken care of everything related to the people inside the room, Kyran declared, "Let's end the hunt and leave."