Chapter 24: Schemes in the Shadows

"Good that you understand. Let me heal your injuries. Eat this, and you'll recover quickly."  

Saying this, he walked over to the severely injured teenagers. Their bodies were covered in wounds from head to toe. He sighed softly. These people were truly ruthless.  

"System, exchange for the Basic Healing Technique."

 

"Ding! 2,000 silver has been consumed to exchange for the Basic Healing Technique."

 

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for learning the Basic Healing Technique."  

Franz had originally planned to give these teenagers some basic healing medicine, but there wasn’t enough for all of them. So, he decided to exchange for the healing technique. Chakra was an incredible energy source. It could destroy an opponent's body but also heal it. In manga, using healing techniques required excellent chakra control. But for Franz, things were much simpler. All he had to do was learn it, and he could master it immediately. That was the absurd power of the ninja system.  

“What’s your name?” Franz asked Natasha’s older brother. He had the most severe injuries, but he could still sit up and talk, which made Franz admire the physical endurance of someone with the White Eyes.

The boy quickly responded, "Sir, my name is Gilliam."  

Franz nodded and gestured for Gilliam to lie down. He gently placed his hand on the boy’s wound, and a faint green light slowly enveloped the injury on his chest. Gilliam felt a soothing sensation, as if life was flowing back into him, and the pain began to subside. He was deeply moved. Truly, this was a member of the Bonaparte family. Were there any nobles in this world who would personally heal a commoner? It seemed that only the young master before him was capable of such a thing.

Meanwhile, the clone disguised as Old Third was struggling. Franz’s plan was to sneak into their camp, find a way to approach the mage, and take him out so the Golden Lion Guards could attack. But the mage was too cautious. No one but the captain of the guard was allowed near him. Franz was growing anxious because the transformation technique had a time limit. If he couldn’t disable the mage in time, he’d have no choice but to fight a hard battle.  

“Everyone, it’s time to eat!”  

Suddenly, the cook announced. It was noon, and in the camp, there was a kitchen specifically for the Iron Blood Clan’s men.  

"Hey, brother, is that food for the Grand Mage?" Franz asked the cook carrying a tray of food.  

"Yes, is there a problem?"  

Hearing the confirmation, Franz smiled and pulled out a gold coin, slipping it into the cook's hand as he said in a flattering tone,  

“Would you mind letting me take the food to the Grand Mage today? You know, not everyone gets the chance to meet him. I’m hoping to ask for his favor.”  

As he spoke, Franz skillfully slipped the gold coin into the cook’s hand, giving him a meaningful look. The cook didn’t show much reaction but discreetly pocketed the money and cleared his throat,  

"Consider yourself lucky today. Just remember to give the food to the captain, and he’ll take it to the Grand Mage."  

"Thank you, thank you, handsome. I’ll definitely remember your kindness!"  

Franz quickly took the tray of food and headed toward the mage’s room. But no one noticed when a small pinch of white powder slipped from his hand into the mage’s soup. After handing the food to the captain, Franz turned away, grinning to himself. “Let’s see how you survive this.”  

Franz made his way to the back of the camp. He had arranged with Forde that once the mage was taken care of, the Golden Lion Guards would attack. But now he was a little troubled. How would he send the signal? Franz opened up the system and began searching. He remembered there were many items available. After searching for a bit, he found something suitable... a flare.  

“Boom!”  

Red smoke from the flare shot into the sky. Franz quickly discarded it and ran. Below the hill, the Golden Lion Guards were lying flat on the grass, their bodies covered in green foliage. Forde quietly admired the young master. Before Franz left, he had instructed them to gather as much grass as possible to cover themselves, then make a strange crawling motion to sneak up on the hill. It worked—the enemy hadn’t noticed at all. This technique was something Franz had learned from watching military movies in his previous life. It was basic camouflage used by soldiers.