Meanwhile, Ronald in the sky was still increasing their altitude.

It was still morning, with no dark night sky to conceal them, nor bright sunlight to hinder people from looking up at the sky.

Under such circumstances.

If they didn't want to be noticed, increasing altitude and speed was undoubtedly the best choice.

After all, not many people were like Catherine.

Possessing a nearly unbreakable cognitive confusion ability.

Once they reached a certain altitude, Ronald turned and continued flying southeast. He didn't plan to fly openly to his destination but needed at least to leave the influence range of this city.

During the flight, Anthony, who was being carried, gradually came to.

The elderly Caster took stock of everything he had just witnessed, then coughed twice and requested:

"Can you put me down? I'm feeling much better now."

Anthony was immediately freed.

At this moment, the elderly Caster didn't immediately ask anything, because he saw a rare sight before his eyes.

The cold wind at high altitude blew past the three of them.

The airflow that made one unable to open their eyes silently separated from them due to Costate's magic, allowing Anthony to view the ground below and the surrounding sky from an unprecedented altitude.

The varied terrain below seemed like a chessboard; the masses were already invisible, with only mountains, rivers, and vast cities as the chess pieces visible on the board.

And around the three of them.

Clouds scattered irregularly, massive and unseeable, casting shadows even in the sky. Occasionally, the sun showed its dazzling form, like a giant spying on the ground below.

Anthony had experienced flying before.

With his age and experience, he had indeed encountered similar scenes.

But such flying Casters could never match Ronald's height, speed, or Costate's ability to eliminate distractions, allowing one to calmly observe the spectacle.

In the face of rapid speed and transforming scenery at high altitudes.

Anthony couldn't help but feel a sense of insignificance, a notable shift in his mindset, so much so that the questions he intended to ask were forgotten on his parted lips.

After a while, Ronald began to descend.

They landed on the highest point of a mountain range not far south.

Although much lower than before, the air remained chilly, causing one to shrink back.

This coldness brought Anthony back to clarity.

He glanced at Ronald and Costate, who seemed as usual next to him, and finally spoke:

"Before today, I never thought you... you had such powerful abilities. If it's you, perhaps you can indeed successfully raid the headquarters of the Nine Commandments."

Others had been shocked by such strength issues before; Ronald had encountered it more than once now. So even though Anthony was visibly swayed, Ronald simply returned a reassuring smile:

"It's always been our goal."

"And Anthony, I already openly told you this when we first met."

Upon hearing this, Anthony lowered his gaze.

He thought of Frank.

This friend who made a mistake through neglect, fearing catastrophe by now. If he had known Ronald's capabilities earlier, Anthony might have been less resolute, opting for other possible strategies.

But what happened was irreversible, and Anthony knew what was appropriate to say, and what wasn't.

So he quickly composed himself and proposed:

"Ronald, we should act quickly."

"This incident in the city must have exposed us to the Nine Commandments' Caster network. If... if they have means to interrogate souls, there's a high chance Frank could reveal our plan."

This was indeed bad news.

But Ronald didn't intend to blame anyone; he simply shrugged and stated the reality:

"Actually, they're already pursuing us."

"Costate's spell made quite a stir, and as we were leaving, support arrived at Frank's manor, trying to capture us, the 'criminals' in flight."

Anthony looked surprised, having not forgotten the terrifying turmoil of the storm:

"In that environment, you could still track external changes, even the enemies' movements in the manor?"

Ronald replied calmly:

"My reconnaissance magic has a vast scope; detecting such things is easy."

Before Anthony could reply, Costate stepped forward upon hearing the enemies' movements and requested Ronald:

"Sir, should we turn back and eliminate them all?"

"If all involved parties 'remain silent,' we won't be exposed so soon."

Ronald decisively shook his head:

"Costate, don't underestimate our enemies."

"This is, after all, the territory of the Nine Commandments; even if involved parties are dealt with, others around will witness everything. Unless we mercilessly massacre the city, they'll surely pass the message onward."

Costate had no objections to Ronald's decision.

She simply nodded in agreement and continued to inquire:

"Sir, then should we hasten our journey and launch an attack on the headquarters of the Nine Commandments?"

Ronald shook his head again:

"Firstly, the enemies' speed can't match ours, yet message transmission inevitably beats our flying pace. Therefore, even if we set off directly now, the city we arrive at will likely be on alert."

"There'll be troublesome situations for sure."

In the city undoubtedly lived innocent civilians.

And for powerhouses of their level, the consequences of conflict are self-evident.

Costate knew Ronald wouldn't harm innocents, so she continued asking:

"Given the situation, what should we do now?"

Ronald replied without hesitation:

"Based on current intelligence, I have a different plan."

With his words, Ronald pointed to the distant sea, gazing at the endless ocean, and a smile crept up his lips:

"We won't head to their capital, but here instead."

"Still an attack on the Nine Commandments, our luck serves us well, as there's a target in this direction achieving similar effects."

Costate tilted her head, showing a hint of confusion.

Limited by insufficient intel, the maid didn't comprehend Ronald's meaning and choice.

But Anthony immediately caught on.

What Ronald was pointing to was precisely the intel Frank mentioned before!

"You're referring to the island with ruins?"

"We're heading there, targeting the core members separated from the Nine Commandments!"