Duke's figure darted through the forest like a phantom.

He did not relax his vigilance. Although moving closer to the village could reduce the chances of encountering powerful demons, there was also the possibility of encountering the local defense forces of the Toulouse Territory.

As expected, Duke, moving swiftly through the forest, spotted several fast-moving figures.

They wore matching leather armor, wielding spears or bows, moving with well-trained coordination, spreading out in a fan shape toward Duke's direction.

Judging by their speed, they were clearly not ordinary people; they must be Awakened, among them two particularly powerful first-level Awakened.

"How did they find me?" Duke wondered.

He had been low-key all the way, never emitting a strong energy fluctuation, dealing with those demons with minimal disruption using sand.

But judging from their movements, they had clearly discovered him and were encircling him.

"A Toulouse Territory patrol team," Duke instantly deduced.

He stopped in his tracks, not rushing to escape or make the first move.

Because Gray Mouse had already mentioned that on the road, one might encounter a Toulouse patrol team and would certainly be checked if found.

But they were all first-level Awakened; unless the patrol had direct evidence proving you were a wanted criminal, they wouldn't generally resort to violence.

After all, it was normal for Awakened ones to hunt demons or train in the forest, and the patrols generally wouldn't make things too difficult for these Awakened ones.

Mostly, they didn't want to engage with first-level Awakened; if a fight broke out, they might not be able to keep them.

Having understood this information, Duke saw that the patrol did not attack him but merely surrounded him, so he obediently stayed in place and waited.

The patrol captain was a sharp-eyed man, appearing to be in his thirties.

His squad consisted of seven people in total, three first-level Awakened, and four Apprentice Awakened.

Initially, upon discovering Duke's presence, they felt a bit tense, but seeing Duke stop and not showing signs of aggression, their tension eased somewhat.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" the patrol captain asked.

Duke replied, "A Wandering Awakened, just passing through to see if I can find any spoils."

"Haven't you heard the recent news? No one is allowed to leave the territory at will," the captain inquired.

Duke scratched his head, "I've been in the forest for a few months and haven't really kept up with outside news."

The patrol captain frowned slightly, "You'll need to come with us. Don't worry, we won't do anything to you. It's just that things are strict in the territory right now, and we need to verify some information."

There was no way Duke could follow them. He vaguely guessed that the Toulouse Territory was also investigating Wizards, and all unfamiliar Awakened ones would become suspects.

Once he followed the patrol, his safety would no longer be under his own control.

"Sorry, I'm quite busy, and I'm afraid I can't go with you," Duke responded.

With these words, the situation instantly grew tense, as the patrol team members tensed their bodies, energy surging within, ready to act at any moment.

"I'm afraid that's not possible; I hope you can cooperate..." the patrol captain said, squinting slightly.

Just as the atmosphere was on the verge of exploding, and the captain seemed ready to order the capture of this suspicious Awakened, a lazy and familiar voice suddenly came from behind the patrol:

"Yo, isn't this Jelot? How come you're being stopped here?"

All eyes were instantly drawn to the speaker. Freya parted two soldiers and gracefully walked out.

She was still wearing that alluring outfit, her fiery red hair appearing particularly striking in the mottled sunlight filtering through the leaves, a slightly playful smile on her face.

Attached to her waist was a badge similar in style to that of the Toulouse soldiers, albeit of somewhat better material.

"Miss Freya?" The captain was visibly taken aback, his fierce demeanor softened a bit, even carrying a trace of subtle respect, "Do you know this person?"

"Of course I do, this is a good friend of mine." Freya walked up to Duke, casually patting the dust off his shoulder as if they were quite familiar.

"Oh, if he's a friend of Miss Freya, then there's no need to check. Apologies, Mr. Jelot, for the inconvenience,"

The patrol captain's expression grew more respectful, and the surrounding atmosphere relaxed considerably.

Duke glanced at Freya, noticing the trace of a playful smile in her eyes.

He didn't know why this woman chose to help him, but it was clear that she had some standing in the Toulouse Territory.

Still, it was puzzling why Freya, who had status in Toulouse, would choose to return through smuggling channels.

"You can leave. I'll have a chat with Jelot," Freya commanded.

"Yes!" The patrol members immediately distanced themselves, sensing the unusual relationship between Freya and Duke, fearing they might overhear something they shouldn't, and fled as if escaping.

"Thank you. Were you tracking me?" Duke thanked her, then directly asked. He didn't believe it was mere coincidence to run into Freya.

Freya laughed softly, "The way you say that... It's not stalking. It's just that you have a trace of someone's perfume on you, and I happened to catch the scent."

Duke saw that Freya's expression didn't suggest she was lying; he indeed hadn't noticed this detail.

Previously, Freya occasionally sprayed perfume on him, and he must have picked up some of the scent.

It seemed this perfume not only had an insect-repellent effect but a tracking and locating function as well.

"Did you want something from me?" Duke inquired, sensing no ill intentions from Freya.

Freya looked at Duke intently and said, "I was just curious about what makes people from the Other Plane different. It turns out we're not much different. We both have one nose, two eyes. Maybe something else is different..."

She glanced downward, her implication clear.

"What Other Plane?" Duke remained calm, obviously not admitting he came from an Other Plane.

Freya chuckled, "Don't worry. I'm just curious and won't tell anyone."

As she spoke, she leaned closer, her breath caressing Duke's neck, making it tickle.

At this moment, Duke contemplated whether to kill the woman in front of him.

He hesitated, deciding against it. Since she dared to approach him so fearlessly, she must have a means to ensure her safety.

Besides, Freya hadn't shown any hostility; attacking would only complicate things for him.

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