Chapter 1267  Carissa and the others had already taken over Fernbrook Villa.  There was hot water when they needed it and clothes were provided, though they were a little short. To avoid inconveniencing Rafael, Everett sent someone to find a set of proper clothes that would fit him.:  Rafael was soaking in the bath, while Carissa was scrubbing the dirt off his body and washing his messy hair. Tiberius was someone who knew how to enjoy himself. The fragrant shampoo he used worked wonders. After scrubbing for a while, one’s hair would become extremely soft.  But Rafael was a different story he was far too dirty. It took three changes of water before he was properly clean. Then, Carissa gently helped shave off his stubble, revealing the handsome face beneath.  Rafael looked at her face, which had become much thinner, and his heart nearly broke. He realized she must have been struggling with worry these past days. If he had known, he would have sent her a letter to ease her mind.  Since the new clothes hadn’t arrived yet, he had to make do with Tiberius‘ garments, which were a bit too short. But with some socks to complete the look, it at least appeared tidy enough.  The two of them stood close, wrapped tightly in each other’s arms. Rafael’s voice was hoarse. I didn’t know you’d come. I didn’t expect Kyle to think something had happened to me and to go to such lengths to gather everyone.”  “I’ve been so worried since I didn’t hear from you. I’m glad I came. At least I could see you sooner,” Carissa murmured, snuggling against him. The warmth of his body pressed against hers erased the anxiety and restlessness that had clung to her for so long.  “I won’t let anything happen to me. I’ll be careful, always,” Rafael whispered, pressing a burning kiss to her forehead. His arms tightened around her, as though trying to merge her into himself. “You won’t ever have to worry about me.”  Earlier, she had cried in front of everyone, and he felt both heartbroken and touched. She was always very reserved with her emotions, so in the past, he would hold back his feelings a little to keep from burdening her.  He had never truly believed that he was of great importance to her–he wasn’t unimportant, but he hadn’t believed he was essential to her happiness.  But after seeing her cry in front of so many people, he realized just how much she cared for him.  The couple had so much to talk about, but there was an annoying interruption from Everett outside, knocking on the door.  “You two have a lifetime to enjoy your love,” Everett called, “but duty calls. Once you’re done cleaning up, come out so we can discuss matters,  ”  3/2  +25 BONUS  Chapter 1267  When Rafael heard the insistent knocking, he sighed and called out, “Coming.”  He opened the door to find Everett standing there, visibly irate. Upon inquiring, Rafael learned that no one had wanted to disturb the newly reunited couple, so everyone had hesitated to interrupt them. That left Everett no choice but to come personally to knock on the  door.  Naturally, it was an embarrassing situation, so getting angry was a normal reaction.  While Rafael had bathed, Everett had taken it upon himself to question Tiberius. He learned that these private soldiers belonged to Yuvan, and Tiberius was responsible for covering up and transporting grain on Yuvan’s behalf.  Tiberius insisted he had no knowledge that they were private soldiers and claimed to have never transported weapons. He distanced himself from any wrongdoing, but Everett wasn’t looking for a confession at the moment. They had bound Tiberius and planned to deal with him properly when they returned to the capital. When they reached the Supreme Court, he would be forced to reveal whatever he knew.  Now that everyone had gathered, a heated discussion ensued, with no one certain whether these men were bandits or private soldiers.  Everett raised his hand to silence them. “Enough. I have a plan.”  As soon as he spoke, the room fell quiet. All eyes turned to him, waiting for his guidance.  Everett continued, “First, we need to determine how many of them there are. If it’s only 5,000, then I recommend we take action. We’ve got people on the way here, and with them, we’ll have about three to four hundred people.  “Plus, most of us are skilled in martial arts, so fighting them head–on shouldn’t be a problem. Also, Lunvale should have forces ready to fight bandits. If we declare our intention to crush the bandits, the local authorities will be forced to send troops.”  Rafael had already been considering some action. Originally, he had planned to request reinforcements from Ebonflow after gathering more intelligence.  However, with Carissa bringing the Mystic Army and a number of skilled martial artists, as well as Everett having brought in apprentices from Meadow Ridge, their combined forces numbered three or four hundred. Plus, they were all trained in combat, with many experts among them. With this force, their chances of winning were quite high.  Based on the terrain, they could only engage in flexible, small–scale operations and couldn’t launch a large–scale attack. They had to be cautious of any traps, especially since the enemy had been stationed there for some time and likely had developed strategies for defense. A full- scale attack could lead to heavy casualties.  Rafael shared his opinion, and everyone agreed.