The Enigmatic Return (Neera and Jean) novel Chapter 1176

Robin shook his head. “I'm not questioning your abilities. Chad sent you to assist Ms. Garcia, so I'm sure you're qualified. However, you have never been to Phison, you are unfamiliar with the terrain of Mount Cloud, and you don't understand the conditions of the dense forest, so you are not suited to come with us.”

Shane nodded in agreement. “I share the same sentiment. Given the current situation, the more experienced the people entering the dense forest, the better. It should be those who absolutely have to go, and ideally, they should be familiar with the place. This is the best way to minimize the risk.”

Upon hearing this, Zephyr furrowed his brows but did not retort. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Neera.

After some consideration, the latter was also persuaded.

“We're about to leave. Is there time to find someone else?”

At once, Robin shot the person following him on the left a glance, signaling him to step forward.

“No need to find anyone. In consideration of your shortage of people, I've brought two men with me for this exact reason and hopefully, one of them can be of use. This lad's name is Wesley Gordon, a trusted aide of mine and a rare master of his caliber. Let him accompany you. Beyond this, I can't offer much help. Consider this as a token of my goodwill.”

Neera felt a warmth in her heart at those words.

She knew Robin was using the opportunity to demonstrate his loyalty, affirming his stance of taking her side.

With his assistance and support, Neera felt much more at ease.

Thus, she did not turn him down. “Then I'll take you up on your offer and borrow your man for a bit. My sincerest apologies for any trouble I may have caused.”

Robin waved an airy hand. “You are the heir apparent. Assisting you and lending a helping hand is my duty. There's no need for such formality. You must be extremely careful, Ms. Garcia, and return safely.”

Neera nodded. “Rest assured, I will.”

At that moment, a voice laced with sarcasm sounded.

“You sound so sure of yourself. It appears that you're unaware of the dangers here. You'd better hope for the best and try not to lose your life in this dense forest.”

The sarcastic remark, at such a tense moment, was particularly grating.

Neera's eyes darkened. Shane and Avery's expressions also turned grim.

Robin, however, remained composed. His tone hardening, he retorted at once, “This matter concerns the future of our family, Baxter. How can you act as if it's none of your business, even being in the mood to make such sarcastic remarks? Have you forgotten who you are?”

Though Baxter threw his weight around as an elder and raised his voice against Neera, he felt somewhat apprehensive toward Robin.

Thus, he pursed his lips, electing not to confront his brother directly.

“I'm not being sarcastic. I'm just reminding her to return in one piece. I didn't say anything wrong, did I? There's no need to overreact, Robin.”

“Overreact?” Robin shot him a sideways glance. “I see you're becoming more and more presumptuous. Ms. Garcia is participating in the selection for district presidency, yet you contribute neither manpower nor effort. Instead, you're here spouting nonsense. I have no idea what you're here for. If you have nothing else to do, go back and discipline your sons and men so as to cause less trouble for our family!”

Baxter's two sons, along with his subordinates, were arrogant and domineering, which had led to several instances of trouble; Neera heard about it when she arrived.

Unexpectedly, Robin's sharp reprimand caused Baxter's expression to sour. Not knowing where to look, all he could do was grit his teeth resentfully and turn to leave.

Robin ignored him. Instead, he turned to reassure Neera.

“Pay him no mind, Ms. Garcia. Go ahead without worry. With these people protecting you, nothing will go wrong.”

Neera gave a little nod. The trifling incident did not bother her in the slightest.

Once everybody was ready, the group set off for Mount Cloud.

There was a massive circular plaza at the foot of the mountain.

When they arrived, there were already small clusters of people standing in almost every corner of the square.

After observing them for a while, Neera realized she had seen many of those present at the meeting.

On the other hand, the others were new faces; she did not remember them at all.

“Who are those people? Why haven't I seen them before? Are they also from Bartitsu Guild?” she asked Shane quietly, who was beside her.

“There are many I don't recognize either, but they are probably part of the forces dispatched by Lordsworth Estate,” he answered. “The position of district president is not solely a contest within Bartitsu Guild, but a competition between Lordsworth Estate and Bartitsu Guild. Everybody wants control over these five regions. Whichever side manages to seize the position of district president will see a significant increase in power, breaking this delicate balance between the competing forces.”