Chapter 97

“If we don’t raid them as soon as possible, who knows how many of the people here and your family members that would be replaced with Clay Dolls?” Claude asked on all the executives inside the room with him

All of them have ashen faces as they looked at each other. It can’t be helped. The Clay Doll Master’s ability was simply too much

It wasn’t a destructive ability that would instantly destroy the enemy but his presence alone could plant doubts in everyone

You wouldn’t know who the Clay Dolls are. You wouldn’t know if the person you are talking to is actually a real person or not

If the Clay Doll Master is inside the Greenwood City then it was possible that he already infiltrated the military and the mage families

That’s not a piece of good news for any of them

“General, please order the raid” Claude begged to the person sitting at the head chair

He was the newly appointed General of the Greenwood City – Bone Sage, a mage that is extremely powerful even amongst the 6th fusion rank mages

Since the previous general betrayed humanity and was killed as a result of it, he was replaced by another mage at the same rank

As the General of Greenwood City, he has the most say in this matter. Even the members of powerful mage families would have to give him face

“We can’t” General Bone Sage said simply

“Why not? Are you a Clay Doll?” Claude said back with a frown

In reality, even he is also shaken by the Clay Doll Master’s appearance. He doesn’t know whether some of the people here with him that would be the members of the raid are actually Clay Dolls

“Captain Claude, think again. I’m going to let your disrespect on me this time slide considering the situation and the help you gave us but conduct yourself properly”

“If the Clay Doll Master is really here, how would we know if someone in this room is an impersonator? That includes you, Captain Claude”

“Think of it, if the Clay Doll Master is in the city, he can slowly switch up the executives. The timing of you giving us the location of their hideout and the fact that that mage is here, don’t you think that makes you suspicious?”

The government and the families that hate the Twighlight Beast failed in their search of the organization’s hideout inside the Greenwood City

But now, Claude easily gave them the information they failed to find for quite some time. Add that with the appearance of the Clay Doll Master, which indeed made Claude suspicious

What if he was actually a Clay Doll and this is a ploy of the Twighlight Beast?

“General, I know that this is suspicious but—”

“If you know that it is suspicious then why don’t you tell us how you got the intel?”

Claude closes his mouth at that. Even if he wants to say how he got the intel, he can’t. That would result in involving Rezen

Rezen’s life was already put in ‘danger’ because of Macy, Claude cannot put him in even more danger now after his assistance

“I-I can’t say that…”

“And we can’t plan a raid in less than 24 hours especially after knowing that the Clay Doll Master is here”

“But General….”

“They may have infiltrated us already. Have you ever considered that while we are raiding them, they are actually the ones raiding us? What you want is careless and would put every mage that protects the city in danger!”

Claude knew that the General’s words were the truth and he don’t know what to do or say anymore

——-

Rezen’s Farm

“Ha!”

“Ha!”

“Ha!”

Ten Tattoo Warriors can be seen training in an open space that Rezen owns. They are readying themselves in case they have to fight later to save their fellow comrades

As for Rezen himself, he can be seen inside the Mushroom Home sitting on a small couch with Claude sitting opposite to him

“You’re saying that we can’t save them soon?” Rezen said and Claude has no choice but to nod his head

No matter how much Claude wants to save people, he is also not a brainless fool and a complete Saint

He badly wanted to help and his conscience was aching but he cannot…

Once he interfered even his family wouldn’t be able to completely protect him from the criticisms and punishment

The Preston Family is not something that even the government wouldn’t take lightly but the former also couldn’t completely disregard the latter

Not to mention, strong families always have a lot of enemies. If Claude made a move even if he was ordered to stay put, the government and his family’s enemies would use it against him and the Preston Family

To many people, this is what makes Claude terrifying. He is kind, excessively kind at that

However, his kindness doesn’t overshadow his brain. He always knows his limit and no matter how much he wants to save people, if it destroys the bigger picture, he would rather let himself drown in guilt

He is not the type of person that would always do what he wants for his own moral compass. He knows when to back down even if it hurts his conscience or it is against his morals

Claude is not 100% a Saint as he wouldn’t protect one person now to lose everything when if he sacrifices one person, he could save a hundred tomorrow

A person that is kind but not foolishly kind along with his talent, luck, and brains… who wouldn’t feel threatened with someone like him when this world lets people grow stronger than anyone else?

“I’m sorry…” Claude apologizes. He can’t screw up the things that the military is planning or else, it would cause a bloodbath

There’s a chance that there is an impostor or impostors among the executives and that the Twighlight Beast knew that their base has been found out

If that was the case then there is a high chance that they would be prepared for the raid and that would cost the death of the mages and they might even involve the civilians

No matter how much he wants to help, he cannot do that

“Clay Doll Master…” Rezen muttered. He was a bit disappointed but he also can’t blame Claude for that

Even Rezen is not a Saint. The only reason why he was even trying to save his people is the fact that his life is not in immediate danger

If there ever comes a time when his life and his subordinates’ lives are threatened, he would put himself at first

It can’t be helped, he was just a normal person months ago. He doesn’t think that he’s some kind of protagonist filled with an overflowing sense of justice

But even then, Rezen still wants to help rescue his subordinates as soon as possible before they are turned into materials for the werebeast nuclei

What should he do…

Rezen glanced around him and his eyes landed on the pot of lavender on the table in front of him

Soil… plants… farm…

Rezen squinted his eyes as he thought of something

“B-brother, how much money do you have?” Rezen asked and although Claude was weirded out, he still answered

“About fifty million mana stones, I guess?” Claude answered. That money is given to him by his family and he of course gladly accepted it

He could use that money for his cultivation or use it to help those that are in need. Why would he turn it down

“Fifty… that’s a lot but… I want it to be enough but I’m not sure…”

“What do you mean?”

Rezen thought of what he should say first as he took a deep breath

“Brother, if you have to sacrifice all of your money to help us save our people, are you willing?” Rezen asked and Claude answered with no hesitation at all

“Of course. If this is something that money can solve then not only would I give all of my money, I would also do my best to get more” Claude said seriously

It was what he truly felt. Inside him, he was guilty and also thought of himself as a bad person for not doing anything

However, he don’t want to cause bloodshed and lose his power, the power that he can use to save more people than he could if he acts on his own moral compass right now

“Brother, I’m not sure if this is going to work and you might lose your money for nothing. Are you fine with that?” Rezen asked seriously to make sure and Claude nodded his head

“Money can be earned again but lives won’t” Claude said and Rezen nodded his head

“Then, give me your money but it should be in the form of mana stones, I need all the mana stones that you have” Rezen said and Claude immediately went out to take what Rezen needed without even asking what the money would be used fo