Chương 428: Chapter : 428

"I assert that high-level internal collaboration is highly likely," Karna stated firmly.

"Someone inside the Bluemoon military deliberately turned the automated sensors off. Someone with high-ranking clearance deactivated the network just long enough for the Black Magicians to march through the valley. Once the enemy reached the gates, the insider turned the sensors back on to feign ignorance. It is the only explanation for the delayed alarm." Karna finished his extensive report. He stood completely still. He waited for his master's judgment. He felt very proud of his thorough analysis.

He believed he had uncovered the exact truth behind the invasion. Ken sat in his wooden chair. He did not speak right away. He stared at the floorboards. The room was incredibly quiet. The only sound was the distant chirping of a bird outside the window. Ken processed the detailed briefing. He evaluated the three possibilities. He looked at the logic Karna presented. He saw the clear path the spymaster had drawn. But Ken also saw something else. He saw a massive, glaring blind spot in the analysis.

Ken slowly lifted his head. He looked directly into Karna's silver eyes. He did not smile. He did not frown. His face was a mask of relaxed, absolute authority.

"Karna," Ken asked softly. His voice was incredibly calm. It did not hold any anger or disappointment.

"What time do the outer perimeter guards change their shifts?" Karna blinked. The question caught the spymaster completely off guard. He expected his master to ask about the suspected traitor. He expected a command to hunt down the insider. He did not expect a mundane question about guard schedules.

"The shift change, Boss?" Karna asked. He looked slightly confused.

"The Bluemoon Kingdom protocol dictates a mandatory guard rotation every twelve hours. The morning shift change occurs exactly at dawn. Six o'clock in the morning." Ken nodded slowly. He kept his hands laced together.

"And what exact time did the magical bells finally ring?" Karna accessed his flawless memory. He pulled the exact data point.

"The alarms sounded at precisely six-oh-four in the morning. Four minutes past the hour." Ken did not say anything else. He just looked at the spirit. He let the silence hang in the air. He let the simple numbers do all the talking. Karna stared back at Ken. The spymaster's silver eyes suddenly went completely wide. His jaw dropped open just a tiny fraction of an inch. A massive, shocking realization hit him like a physical blow. The question instantly exposed a critical pattern Karna had entirely overlooked.

Karna realized his massive mistake. The automated magical sensors were not turned off by a high-ranking traitor. The sensors were tied directly to the physical presence of the guards. When the night guards left their posts to return to the barracks, and the morning guards walked out to replace them, there was a mandatory, brief window of transition. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. During that specific transition, the perimeter was not actively monitored.

There was a tiny, natural gap in the coverage.

"Four minutes," Karna whispered out loud. His voice shook with genuine disbelief.

"The shift change takes exactly four minutes to complete. The guards leave the wall. The new guards arrive. The manual oversight is temporarily absent." Karna looked at Ken in absolute awe.

"They did not have an insider turn off the alarms," Karna realized aloud. He felt completely stunned by the depth of his master's insight.

"The Black Magicians simply knew the exact military schedule. They timed their march perfectly. They sprinted through the sensor zones during the exact four-minute window when the guards were rotating. The moment the new guards stepped onto the wall at six-oh-four, the sensors picked up the enemy presence. That is why the bells rang late." Karna lowered his head. He felt a deep, profound sense of embarrassment. He was the greatest intelligence gatherer in the world.

He had spent hours analyzing magical runes and cloaking spells. He had built a complex theory about high-level treason. And his master had dismantled the entire theory with a single, incredibly simple question about a basic work schedule.

"I completely overlooked the human element, Boss," Karna admitted softly. He bowed his head in pure respect.

"I focused entirely on magical interference. I failed to recognize a basic logistical exploit. Your analytical superiority is absolute. I apologize for the flawed report." Ken casually unlaced his fingers. He waved his right hand in the air. He dismissed the apology entirely. He did not want to brag. He did not want to make the spirit feel bad. He just wanted to solve the problem efficiently.

"It is fine, Karna," Ken said lazily. His voice returned to its usual, relaxed tone.

"People always overcomplicate things. They always look for grand conspiracies and magical hacking. Sometimes, bad guys just look at a clock and run really fast while the guards are drinking their morning coffee. It is a very simple trick." Ken leaned back in his chair. He casually redirected the focus of the conversation. He steered the strategic direction without ever revealing how truly brilliant his mind really was. He made it look like a lucky, simple observation.

"But this tells us something very important," Ken stated calmly. He looked out the small window toward the sky.

"If the Black Magicians possess the exact guard rotation schedules of foreign kingdoms, their intelligence network is incredibly thorough. They are watching everything very closely." Ken turned his dark eyes back to Karna. The relaxed posture remained, but his commanding presence filled the room completely.

"We need to stop worrying about what happened in Bluemoon," Ken ordered smoothly.

"The kingdom has already fallen. The seed is gone. We cannot change the past. We must focus on the present." Karna stood perfectly straight. He was completely ready for his new orders.

"What is your command, Boss?"

"I want you to shift your entire focus toward our own internal security measures," Ken instructed. His voice was firm and undeniably clear.

"If they know the schedules of a foreign army, they might be studying the schedules of this capital city. They might be watching the Royal units. They might be watching this estate." Ken pointed a lazy finger at the door of his bedroom.

"I want you to audit the perimeter of this city," Ken commanded.

"Check the blind spots. Find the gaps in the Royal Guard patrols. If the Black Magicians decide to march on this capital, I do not want them slipping through a four-minute coffee break. Secure our borders." Karna placed his hand over his heart. He offered a deep, flawless bow. His respect for his master had grown even deeper today. He was completely amazed by Ken's hidden intelligence.

"It will be done immediately, my Lord," Karna promised.

"I will personally oversee the internal security audit. No enemy will slip through our patrols. I will ensure this city remains completely blind to them."

"Thank you, Karna," Ken nodded lazily.

"Keep me updated. Do not start any fights. Just gather the data."

"Understood," Karna replied.