Therefore, all the above assurances mean they don’t concern themselves with the Merchant Organization. Should the Merchant Organization truly appear with ill intent, then they’ll just "communicate, communicate."
Even though strong dragons don’t suppress local tyrants, when it comes to powerful dragons like the Noah Family, the local tyrants still have to bow. The Merchant Organization is secretly controlled by the Birlos Family, but even if the Birlos Family inflated tenfold, it wouldn’t match the Noah Family. After all, the Black Earl is a true wizard standing atop the Southern Domain.
Thus, while they may not prefer to meet the Merchant Organization, they aren’t afraid of engaging them.
In a real confrontation, it is the Merchant Organization that would suffer.
The Wise Sovereign also saw the indifference on everyone’s faces, secretly shaking his head. If it truly were a situation akin to "subduing the enemy without fighting," he wouldn’t deliberately bring it up.
Even if he mentions a "small" episode, that’s based on his perspective of what appears to be a "small" episode.
In their hands, it’s not necessarily easy to handle. Moreover, this episode itself is... not ordinary.
"The Merchant Organization itself comes for us, so handing it over for us to handle seems reasonable. However, we’ve been wandering around this nearby area; the Wise Sovereign insists on having us fulfill bonus conditions and necessary conditions. They’re coming and going nearby, so doesn’t it speak to this being the Wise Sovereign’s territory? Shouldn’t the Wise Sovereign take full responsibility?"
The familiar Dox’s sophistry emerges.
Wise Sovereign: "If you choose to abandon the legacy land now, you may do as you wish. Since you don’t want to abandon it, then complete the conditions I’ve proposed."
To extend it further, the Merchant Organization’s people merely come to pursue them, while they seek the Wise Sovereign’s passage to reach the legacy land. The former is unintentional; the latter intentional. Regardless, the Wise Sovereign will trouble the latter first.
Undoubtedly, Dox’s sophistry fails once again.
"If we choose to follow the Wise Sovereign back to your residence, would this small episode then not occur?" Angel asked once more.
Wise Sovereign: "It would still occur. However, as long as you’re at my residence, you’d be considered my guests, and any intruders would be my responsibility to clear out."
As the Wise Sovereign spoke, he shot Angel a deep look: "So, you’re still planning to handle this small episode personally?"
"I have no malice towards you. If I wanted to kill you, I would have acted before. Moreover, if you truly wish to go to the legacy land, you’d ultimately have to pass through my residence. Would you still prefer to stay here and talk with me?"
While everyone felt that what the Wise Sovereign said made some sense, no one spoke up. This was because the Black Earl had already set the tone for Angel to make the decision.
Angel initially chose to stay here to talk, mainly for their safety. Therefore, rather than the Wise Sovereign’s rhetoric, they trust Angel’s judgment more.
However, at this time, Angel’s thoughts differed entirely from the others. He wasn’t making any judgments, nor was he concerned about any small episode; his concern was the Wise Sovereign’s answer.
Angel seemed to casually ask if, by going to the Hall of Wisdom, the small episode would cease. But on a deeper level, he wanted to know: Is the arrival of the Merchant Organization inevitable?
Since the Wise Sovereign was unaware that Cicia had gone to the Wilderness of Dreams, obtaining a pass in the short term would be difficult. In such a situation, if the Merchant Organization could still arrive as scheduled, then that’s worth scrutinizing.
The Wise Sovereign’s answer confirmed Angel’s suspicions.
There’s a high chance that the Merchant Organization will indeed appear and can track all the way to the Hall of Wisdom!
Angel: "May I inquire another question of the Wise Sovereign?"
Wise Sovereign: "Go ahead."
Angel: "Is that ’person’ hidden in the mirror unwilling to enter the Hall of Wisdom?"
The Wise Sovereign’s smile froze and gradually eased. He expected Angel to ask further about the "small episode," but surprisingly, Angel directly asked about that "person," even mentioning the name "Mirror Person."
Wise Sovereign: "How did you know?"
Angel shrugged: "I definitely don’t know. If I knew, why would I seek confirmation from the Wise Sovereign?"
Seeing the Wise Sovereign full of disbelief, Angel continued: "I merely pieced together some information to deduce it."
"Pieced together information? What information?"
Not just the Wise Sovereign, but others were curious about what Angel did, why the question leap was so significant.
Angel didn’t intend to conceal: "After we left, I left a small maneuver. This maneuver temporarily prevents Miss Cicia from handling subsequent passes for others."
Angel only shared this one piece of information, and the Wise Sovereign quickly understood its significance.
If Angel truly managed to stall Cicia, then ensuing situations will certainly change dramatically. Yet the Wise Sovereign was unaware of Cicia’s condition, assuming she was still diligently collecting treasures and allowing passage, which led the Wise Sovereign to unintentionally reveal: the Merchant Organization is bound to appear before everyone.
Since the Merchant Organization is bound to appear, if it’s not the Wise Sovereign pulling strings, then it can only be someone else.
The fact that the opponent dares to bypass the Wise Sovereign to do this indicates total disregard for the Wise Sovereign’s opinion.
The opponent bypassing Cicia directly, allowing entry, implies familiarity with the Mana Array of the Other-dimensional Space.
Combining these two pieces of information, Angel’s thoughts went to the person behind the Wise Sovereign, namely the "Mirror Person."
Thus, to truthfully say how Angel figured it out:
It was actually the Wise Sovereign who inadvertently leaked the information.
The Wise Sovereign observes them through various means, while conversely, they are indeed observing the Wise Sovereign too.