"If you bring him along and something goes wrong, don't blame me for it." Andrew's tone was firm.

Chantelle immediately grew angry. "Mr. Lloyd, you're being way too arrogant! Mr. Veyne is respected even by Governor McCormick and is a genuine professional in geomancy. Besides, I'll be looking after him, so I don't see how anything could go wrong."

Andrew sneered coldly. "Fine, I won't interfere with that con artist. But what about this muscle head next to you? What's the point of bringing him along? We're not going to war—we're going to find a treasure site. More people won't help us succeed, and it might actually backfire, so send him back right now."

Chantelle hesitated at his words and turned to glance at Ralph, the wilderness survival expert.

Ralph snorted coldly and strode toward Andrew with clenched teeth. "You got a problem with me? Do you know how easy it would be for me to take down a little punk like you with these muscles?

"Ms. Garcia is under my protection. As long