The Enigmatic Return (Neera and Jean) novel Chapter 1220

Darcel smirked. "Oh? You think the Lord of Phison is a mere plaything for your entertainment? Don't forget, his influence extends far and wide, a fact known to all. Your words may reach his ears sooner than you think. Have you considered how he might retaliate when that happens? Perhaps you should ponder that while you still can?"

Cayden was left speechless.

Naturally, he was aware of the power held by the person in charge of Lordsworth Estate.

After being reminded by Darcel, he quickly backed down and anxiously looked around for a way to save face.

"Um, what I said earlier was just a spur-of-the-moment remark. It doesn't mean anything. Hah! We should get going!"

Neera found the situation amusing, but she held back her laughter.

Cayden's words had sparked her curiosity, so she redirected the conversation.

"But, only one family can emerge victorious in this election. Is it appropriate for Lordsworth Estate to amass such a force?"

"There's nothing wrong with it," Darcel calmly replied. "The only rule in this selection is to capture the white flag, but how it is accomplished is not specified. Since it's not defined, there are many loopholes, and this is one of them. You should know that loopholes are meant to be exploited. Gathering force is just a means, similar to allied families with good relations. There's no difference between the two."

Neera understood. "I see. In that case, wouldn't the Bartitsu Guild be in great danger?"

"It all depends on whether the families in the Bartitsu Guild are smart enough to unite and fight back using the same tactics."

Cayden joined the discussion at this point. "That's right. If the Bartitsu Guild continues with its current individualistic approach, they won't stand a chance against Lordsworth Estate. Without a doubt, Lordsworth Estate will crush them. However, I believe they can't possibly be that foolish."

Neera hesitated. "But isn't the infighting within the Bartitsu Guild quite severe? Are they willing to cooperate?"

Darcel smirked. "Cooperating shouldn't be a problem, but each family's ulterior motives are hard to discern. As the saying goes, *."

Neera couldn't help but worry when she thought about the situation at the Gordon residence.

"I believe that Shane won't allow the Gordon family to get involved. Besides, the Gordon family is currently working with the Medicina family, which puts them in a precarious position no matter how you look at it."

"As for the Medicina family, there's no need to worry. They follow the direct orders of Lordsworth Estate. Therefore, when they stand with the Gordon family, the other families in Lordsworth Estate will not see the Medicina family as enemies. Furthermore, they will respect the Medicina family enough not to act against the Gordon family."

"But what about the Bartitsu Guild?"

"That's hard to say."

That was exactly what Neera was most concerned about. "The Gordon family's position within the Bartitsu Guild was already precarious. The two night raids were most likely targeted at the Gordon family by the Bartitsu Guild. With the power of Lordsworth Estate gathering now, the Gordon family is still aligned with Lordsworth Estate. I'm afraid they will be targeted by various factions within the Bartitsu Guild. I don't know if Shane and the others can withstand it..."

Seeing her worried expression, Darcel comforted her in a gentle voice, "Don't overthink it for now. Trust that Shane will handle everything properly. What we need to do now is join them as quickly as possible."

"Actually," Cayden interjected, "rallying together may not necessarily be a good thing. Everyone knows the rules: only one family can emerge victorious in the end. Therefore, each family is like a lone wolf fighting fiercely for survival. Even if two major forces were to confront each other, it wouldn't change this rule. So, rallying together means gathering too many wolves in one place. Once the external threats are dealt with, the internal conflicts will begin. Anyone who reaches the top of the mountain together, vying for the white flag, becomes an enemy. The ensuing battle will likely only intensify, not diminish."

Neera had also considered this, and it made her even more worried.

Regardless of whether it's the Bartitsu Guild or Lordsworth Estate, the Gordon family, caught in the middle, finds itself in a precarious and dangerous situation.

Darcel remained surprisingly calm. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, exuding an inexplicable sense of confidence and assurance.

...

On the other side, Shane and his group were ascending the mountain, diligently searching for Neera and Darcel.

However, as the day wore on, their search yielded no results, no matter how thorough they were.

Shane grew increasingly agitated, as did Charles and several others from the Cox family.

Caleb had initially remained composed, but gradually, he could no longer maintain his nonchalant demeanor, and his expression became increasingly solemn.

Though he had complete faith in Darcel's abilities, he couldn't help but worry.

Shane recalled the circumstances before parting with Neera, and his brows furrowed.

"Could we have been looking in the wrong direction? The hollow where Neera and I were is right behind a cliff. They could have easily fallen off. If we're going to search, we should start from the bottom of the mountain. There's no sign of them at all on this uphill path. What do you say we head down the mountain now?"