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Heir of the White Lotus (Web Novel) - Chapter 2189: Scale of Infiltration
Chapter 2189: Scale of Infiltration
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In the days that followed, Davos’s counterattack began.
Thanks to the intelligence gathered by the Shadow Directorate, the Known Lord’s office dispatched mission after mission to clear out the Iron Covenant’s camps in the vicinity.
Battle-hardened adventurers were sent beyond the city’s borders, their targets ranging from small encampments to fortified strongholds. Some missions were expected to last days. Others would take months, perhaps even years.
The hunt had begun.
Within the city, the Shadow Directorate carried out a systematic cleansing of its own. Every name extracted from the three traitorous Unknown Lords was investigated. Every suspected safe house was searched. Every hidden contact was tracked down.
The scale of the infiltration was horrifying.
Some of the spies had spent years embedded in Davos, living ordinary lives and blending seamlessly into its bustling streets.
They had worked as cleaners in government buildings, sweepers in public squares, cooks in noble households, and servants in the mansions of influential people. They had listened to conversations, memorized schedules, and passed information to their handlers without raising the slightest suspicion.
Some had even been born in Davos. They had grown alongside its people, attended its schools, and worked in its markets. They had friends, neighbors, and colleagues who knew nothing of their true loyalties.
And then there were the more dangerous ones. Magi of various ranks had infiltrated the city’s institutions, using their abilities to conceal their identities and gather intelligence.
Paladins had served among the guards of influential merchants, while others had quietly climbed the ranks of various organizations. A few of them had even occupied positions that granted them access to sensitive government records.
They had been hiding in plain sight. And now, they were being dragged out of their holes.
Emily Damon suspected that the moles had been planted throughout Davos during Nigel Norwood’s long tenure as Known Lord.
Over the years, he had carefully scattered misinformation, corrupted intelligence networks, and poisoned the flow of information within the city. When he was finally ousted, the web he had left behind continued to operate, distorting reports and concealing threats from those who needed to see them most.
In the end, the misinformation he had spread proved even more devastating than the City Watch’s betrayal. It had crippled Davos’s ability to recognize the danger approaching until it was far too late.
The purge continued for weeks. And with every passing day, more names were added to the list.
***
But while Davos was busy hunting its enemies, the rest of the Free City Alliance was busy deciding what to do with it.
The Red Gala had dealt a devastating blow to the city’s reputation. For years, Davos had stood as one of the most influential members of the Alliance, a city whose wealth, military strength, and political connections made it a natural leader.
Now, its City Watch had been exposed as a nest of traitors. Its government had suffered heavy casualties. Several influential Unknown Lords were dead or imprisoned, while the city’s economy had been crippled by coordinated attacks.
Worse still, the Iron Covenant had demonstrated just how vulnerable Davos could be when its enemies struck from within.
The other Free Cities were watching. Some expressed condolences. Others offered assistance, though their generosity came with strings attached. A few were already calculating how much influence they could gain from Davos’s misfortune.
The question of leadership soon came to a vote.
Davos abstained.
The result was decisive.
Greyreach assumed leadership of the Free City Alliance, taking over the position Davos had held for years.
It was a humiliating blow.
The loss of leadership meant more than a title. Davos had lost its ability to set the Alliance’s agenda, direct its collective priorities, and wield the same influence over decisions affecting trade, security, and diplomacy.
Matters that might once have been settled with a word from Davos would now require negotiation with Greyreach.
And Greyreach had little reason to hurry to restore Davos’s former standing.
Davos’s political isolation deepened. The city became vulnerable and everyone could see it.
Its forces were stretched thin. Its government was struggling to rebuild. Its most influential figures were dead or occupied with the aftermath of the Red Gala.
And its Known Lord had committed a substantial portion of the city’s remaining strength to hunting down the Iron Covenant.
To an opportunist, it was an invitation.
Davos was a weakened city. It had a diminished reputation. And there was a leadership vacuum waiting to be exploited.
Surely this was a perfect time to seize a little more power?
Surely the Witch of Davos could no longer afford to threaten anyone?
The only problem was. This was a calculated move by Emily Damon.
She knew something the rest of the Free City Alliance did not.
Davos was not as unguarded as it appeared.
Hidden beneath the ordinary life of the Rabbit Hole, behind the unremarkable appearance of a tavern owner who served ale to adventurers and merchants, stood an Emperor Paladin.
Hannibal, the Warden of the West.
Of course, Emily did not rely entirely on his strength. After all, she herself was a Supreme Magus.
But still, knowing that an Emperor stood behind her changed everything.
She could afford to commit her forces elsewhere. She could afford to pursue the Iron Covenant beyond the city’s borders. She could afford to make enemies, provided those enemies did not understand what awaited them should they attempt to strike at Davos herself.
Of course, she had not left the city completely defenseless. A sufficient force remained to maintain order, guard essential institutions, and respond to any threat that might arise.
The City Watch was being forged anew, and its recruitment process had already begun.
And so, while the other Free Cities debated the extent of Davos’s decline, Emily Damon was already preparing for her next move.
"So, what do you say, Genevieve?" Sitting in her office, the Known Lord looked at the young lady across from her and smiled.
"Are you interested in this opportunity?"
Emily was sending a political delegation to Greyreach, as were all the other member states of the Free City Alliance.
The purpose was not merely to formally recognize Greyreach as the Alliance’s new leader, but also to discuss security measures and other matters concerning the member states.
Since Genevieve had been the one to bring intel about the Iron Covenant to Davos, even though her warning had never been acted upon, Emily believed it was time to reciprocate.
Additionally, Emily had another hidden agenda.
