"Good! I won't deprive you of your position, but you must use all the resources you have to assist me." Leylin glanced at the pleasure devil in front of him and nodded indifferently. With Beelzebub's divine force and knowledge of her truename, this devil would even agree if Leylin said he was a reincarnation of the Sovereign King of Gluttony.
With her life under a threat, it was not difficult to make requests of her.
"How vast are your connections? Can you influence the king?" Leylin asked bluntly.
"Master, I secretly have control over around a thousand followers. Two are earls, and five are viscounts… I can also indirectly affect two marquises and a duke…" Delia immediately reported to him. Beelzebub was completely ignored by the two of them, such is the sad fate of the loser.
"Only Marquise Louise can influence the king. She is the king's lover, and his newest conquest." The pleasure devil bit at her lips, looking very seductive. In order to survive and gain higher status, she did not mind using her own body. Hence, after the scare, she still unwittingly displayed her beauty in front of Leylin.
She was very confident. No matter how resolute a human was, they wouldn't be able to resist her charms.
"Marquise Louise?" Leylin was astounded. He had not expected this devil to be so effective as to influence the highest class of the kingdom.
Madam Delia finally explained how it was done to Leylin. Like other devils, she first used her pleasure house to attract nobles, and tempted them into their falls. Shady methods had allowed her to gain control of a large number of noble families' madams and ladies.
Making use of these social nobles, she frequently held dinner parties for the fallen, attracting even more to join. This network was like a virus that constantly expanded.
Recently, Madam Delia herself had personally guided the Marquise, Madam Louise, to try out some forbidden pleasures and successfully captured her. She had become devil worshipper and was even sent to the bed of the king.
Delia herself had the true body of a devil, and it was impossible for her to bypass all the detection methods and the wizards inside the court. However, it wasn't an issue for pure humans.
"I now have control over a batch of noble ladies, and they are all followers of the master. If you like them…" Madam Delia licked her lips, sending him an invitation that was very attractive.
"If I'm free in the future, I'll give it a try…" When it came to such a sweet invitation, Leylin did not hesitate to accept. He did have these needs usually anyway.
"Hehe… our services here will definitely satisfy you, master…" After hearing Leylin's promise, Madam Delia seemed to feel relieved. At the very least, while she still had value, Leylin would not get rid of her. Her entire body relaxed, which only made her seem more charming.
After understanding the power she held, Leylin nodded and sat on a couch nearby.
"Have you heard of Viscount Tim from the Baltic archipelago?"
"Him?" Delia shot Leylin a glance, seeming to be guessing at Leylin's relationship with the person in question.
"I've heard of him. He used to be the commoner son in the Gold Thornblossom Family, and he's scheming to get a position as the Marquis, as well as land…"
"What do you think are the chances of him succeeding?" Leylin laced his fingers together.
"There are many nobles hoping to obtain the Baltic archipelago. There is a marquis eyeing it, but the other party is the nephew of the king. While he did not do well and had his land attacked by pirates, that's the problem with the previous marquis. His tragic story already earned him pity points, and I expect that he can get what he wants at the end. I'm not sure how much or what he'll have to hand over in exchange though…"
Delia was a devil after all, and had also worked in the Dambrath Imperial Capital for many years. She, who had seen these power struggles countless times, could easily guess what would happen.
"Does master wish to help him?"
"No. Dispatch some of our people to make contact with him, but don't give him anything too substantial… I'm sure you're great at that…" Leylin stroked his chin.
"Dangling a carrot in front of a donkey's eyes so he can see it but not eat it, and therefore get him to struggle hard in vain? Hehe… master, you're terrible!" Madam Delia grinned brightly. Truth be told, devils were the best at using benefits to entice humans, unceasingly tightening the ropes around their necks or getting them to sell their souls.
"It's good that you understand. Do this for now, I'll inform you about other things in the future…" Leylin stood up, completely ignoring her astounding beauty and looking ready to leave.
"Master, aren't you staying?" Madam Delia was truly surprised.
"No, I still have many things to do in the capital. I'll come over whenever I have time…" Leylin always drew a clear line between work and pleasure.
Seeing this, Delia could only watch as Leylin left. Only after his figure completely disappeared did she look grim, "Damn it! How could he have my master's strength and know my true name? Just a look at him makes it obvious that he's a steel-hearted freak who wouldn't treat his underlings more leniently because of their beauty…"
It was the greatest misfortune of a pleasure devil to fall under such a master. However, with her truename in his grasp, Delia could do nothing else.
"Damn it. DAMN IT!" She could only begin to curse hatefully.
The other servants and dancers watched their boss fearfully. Only they knew what violence and darkness was hidden under her perfect and beautiful face. Hence, they all wished they could turn into ostriches, burying their heads in the ground.
Upon seeing this, she yelled even more violently. "You dwarf swines, get working! Do you want to get whipped?"
Days later, Leylin had changed into noble clothing and headed out of the church of wealth. Using the transfer services of the church, he'd received a large amount of gold from Faulen Island. Due to the fall of the Baltic archipelago, the family's profits from trade had risen bit by bit, which gave Leylin even more abundant funds.
Wizard training could not be sustained without money. They needed it for their expensive experimental materials and magic tomes.
"Tim's side has also surrendered. Everything is going well. I might go to the imperial capital and train for a while, since the Wizards' Guild can give me access to any materials below that given to high-ranked wizards. With help from my connection with mentor Ernest…"
Leylin looked at the distant wizard tower that reached through the clouds, and his eyes couldn't help but glint. His plans were going extremely smoothly. After seeing Leylin's strength, Tim's side had easily agreed to the deal.
After all, compared to what the other nobles could want from him, Leylin only needed Tim to confirm the deal and asked a low price. With Leylin having evidence of Tim having murdered the old marquis anyway, it was impossible for them to go their separate ways. Hence, as long as he was still in the outer seas, he would have to consider Leylin's stance. After considering it comprehensively, Tim naturally knew what to choose.
With proof of harm, Leylin would just need to create a ruckus, forcing the king to make an announcement and with proper documentation, make everything official. What would the church of the God of Justice be able to do then?
"On top of that, even if the king finds out the truth in the future, he won't acknowledge that this is the truth. He'll stubbornly protect the legitimacy of his reputation. He represents the dignity of a kingdom, so how could the king announce something that might be wrong? For his own reputation, he would rather allow absurd events like this. Such is the sorrow of those with power…" Leylin's lips quirked up into a cold smile.
Offending a king just for the son of a baron, who was only guilty of piracy and therefore less of an issue than associating with devils and demons? Was that worth it? The priests of the God of Justice would have to consider this properly.
With this done, Leylin, who was now considered clean, could revert to strutting around on the streets in his original appearance. Come to think of it, there was no crime pinned to him. At most, there were only suspicions.
"Now that I've shown my face outside the church of wealth, the others should emerge soon, right?" Leylin had never doubted the rate at which intel flowed between large organisations. After all, even Madam Delia had a huge intel network, much less the churches.
With the transfer of money at the shrine, his status, name and all other information were exposed.
"I'll be waiting!" Leylin chuckled and walked into the Wizards' Guild.
The Wizards' Guild was less cheery than the Thieves' Guild or Warriors' Guild, but in turn it was filled with a solemn, stately aura. Two magic puppets loyally guarded the place, emanating magic light. There were evidently spells of eternity cast on them.
'With such an air of wealth and extravagance, as well as their expenses… It's no wonder that there's only one Wizards' Guild in the Dambrath Kingdom.'
"Welcome! May I know which services you require?" A wizard apprentice received him and bowed towards him with etiquette that befitted wizards.
"I am Leylin Faulen of Faulen Island. I'm here to take the wizard ranking examination." Leylin had a bright smile on his face.
If he planned to study in the Wizards' Guild, he'd obviously need to have his rank verified. The rigour of this was far greater than what warriors underwent. He even had to make clear whom he'd learnt from before and what he'd studied. Wizards were a bunch of serious people!
However, Leylin was already prepared for this, and was therefore unafraid.
-x-X-x-
Meribald was a 367 year old high-ranking wizard, although he preferred to be called a scholar. With the power of his magic, even at his age he was plenty vigorous, and had very supple skin as though he was a young man. Only his greying hair betrayed his age, but it seemed more like an accent to his wisdom and foresight.
He had served as president of the Wizards' Guild in the Dambrath Imperial Capital for over a hundred years, and had handled innumerable major events. He had also awarded numerous medals to talented wizards, and judged notorious ones. By now, he'd begun to think his still and unfeeling heart would no longer receive any blows.
He hadn't expected how stunned he would be today.
Meribald pushed his spectacles up, his finger brushing against the uneven imprints on the identification document. There was no problem with the magic imprint! That was what his abundance of experience was telling him, but he was horrified by what the results of his investigation meant.
"Proof of nobility! Wizard Ernest's testimonial! And the final round of examination of the documents didn't meet with any issues! In that case, this young noble, who is just sixteen years of age, is really a rank 10 wizard? In Azuth's name…" Meribald's jaw slowly dropped as he looked at the young man in front of him.
With such innate skill at his age… Meribald wondered whether he was about to witness the birth of the kingdom's wizarding Legend.
"Excuse me, guild leader. Is there any problem?" The question raised by the young wizard across him shook Meribald from his reverie.
"Of… Of course not! Congratulations, wizard Leylin!" Meribald secretly sighed as he placed his magic imprint on the wizard ranking document. This document would be filed away as proof of Leylin's identity as a wizard.
"From today onwards, you are a mid-ranked wizard as verified by the Wizards' Guild! May Azuth bless you…" Although this was not the deity he believed in, Leylin still lowered his head respectfully to express his humility.
Meribald passed Leylin a wizard robe enhanced with a 'Remove Dust' spell and other coats of arms and documents. When conducting the ceremony, Meribald could see Leylin's love of magic and the pursuit of truth in his eyes; this same look once existed in his eyes when he was younger!
'Perhaps only such a person will truly have the ability to break through into the realm of Legends, and become a being that I can only dream of…' Meribald gasped in admiration to himself, a warm hearted expression on his face. He kindly gave some advice to Leylin as well. "Wizard Leylin! Although you have already entered the ranks of a mid-level wizard, I suggest that you study in the imperial capital's Wizards' Guild for a while. A few of the latest philosophies and models in magic are present here, and will be very important for you right now."
"That is precisely what I wish for, distinguished guild leader!" Leylin performed a wizard's bow to the high-ranked wizard. His movements were unbelievably graceful.
'I didn't expect that things would get this troublesome. It seems like the talent I displayed made me quite outstanding. However, I can't get the attention of the other guys without doing so…' Leylin secretly gave a bitter laugh.
A sixteen-year-old rank 10 wizard! Such innate talent seemed rather horrifying. After verifying his rank, a few old fogeys immediately acted as though they had suffered a stroke, and even involved the guild leader.
Fortunately, he'd already earned his fame as a genius wizard. All of his improvements had been witnessed by Ernest, and it had saved him a lot of trouble. With regards to the Devilblood Dagger and other items that would easily be associated with evil, Leylin didn't carry any of them with him.
'Proof that I'm a rank 10 wizard. Even if I travel abroad, it's enough for me to receive preferential treatment…; Leylin fiddled with the wizard insignia in his hand. It was decorated with a silver moon and stars, and there a sense of indistinct beauty to it. In addition, it was also bound to its wizard owner, and outsiders would absolutely be unable to make a counterfeit copy.
"Leylin Faulen!" A few men carrying the symbol of a high-level inspector stood at the door of the wizard guild. A team of guards crowded around Leylin, intercepting him.
Leylin even saw a few priests of the God of Justice among the team, watching him with judgeful stares.
'They're only here now? It's a little late… Or are they afraid of the power of the wizard guild?'
"Is anything the matter?" Leylin asked the inspector in front of him with a smile.
"You are suspected of a crime in the open seas. I need you to assist in our investigations!" The inspector said expressionlessly.
Judges, public security officers, policemen and the like all advocated righteousness, and were the main source of followers for the God of Justice. Leylin wouldn't be surprised if they had the backing of the church of the God of Justice or if they were tipped off by them.
"If I say no?" Leylin looked at him ridiculously.
"You do not have the authority to reject!" With a wave of the inspector's hand, a few guards immediately closed in.
"You…" Leylin gaze was as harsh as lightning, and he raised his voice by a few notches.
"Don't tell me you dare to apprehend an innocent nobleman in the imperial capital? And slander a noble mid-ranked wizard in front of the wizard guild at that!"
Noble! Wizard! Once these two upper-class identities were revealed, many guards immediately retreated in fear.
In their plain and simple thoughts, this was definitely a struggle between influential powers. Why should they take part? Aren't they afraid of getting into trouble for being involved?
After witnessing this scene, the inspector knitted his brows. But before he could take his next course of action, the intense sound of a horse's hooves could be heard.
"His Majesty decrees that Leylin Faulen will enter the palace and have an audience with the King!" An imperial knight dressed in a splendid suit of armor dismounted his steed and displayed a document to the inspector with the king's royal seal stamped on it. "His Majesty wishes to convene a legislative hearing with regards to this, and has specially gathered Viscount Tim to testify…"
For some reason, Leylin's peaceful state gave the inspector a bad feeling. However, he couldn't stop this from happening, or he would be declaring war on the law that he had vowed his loyalty and devotion to.
"You know… Even when things seem black and white, there will always be infinitesimal shades of grey existing between them. Isn't that right, Sir Inspector?" Leylin mounted the horse and taunted.
"Even with Viscount Tim bearing witness, His Majesty definitely will not let you off." The inspector's face changed drastically, but he eventually chose to have faith in the king.
"I'll wait and see," Leylin smiled lightly as he disappeared into the end of the road along with the knight.
"We'll wait in front of the main entrance of the court. I don't believe it..." The inspector bit his lip and waved his hand firmly. Evidently, the unease he felt had become stronger.
"What a pity… If Lorent and the others can reach in time…" The priest of the God of Justice sighed. "Even if that's the case, the sinner must receive trial and punishment!"
...
The events that followed progressed like a stage play. Numerous people appeared on stage one by one like marionettes at Leylin's fingertips, and evil got the last laugh.
With the victim, Viscount Tim, testifying personally, as well as the instigation by Marquise Louise, when her husband was asleep, Leylin didn't even need to open his mouth to speak. When it came to such matters, taking part in them himself would lead to a loss. He had to maintain the reserved and cold attitude of a noble.
The inspector's last trace of persistence was thoroughly smashed to smithereens with the king's single statement.
'With regards to the murder of the Gold Thornblossom Marquis in the open seas, our investigations have confirmed it to be a crime committed by the pirate crew called the Barbarians. I hereby order the arrest of the leaders of the aforementioned, namely Odge and Tillen…"
"Why? Why did it turn out like this?" The inspector knelt on the floor with tears in his eyes as he began to sob silently.
"Because this was a misunderstanding to begin with! In actual fact, I'm proud of how the kingdom has such a responsible and diligent inspector like you…" Leylin happened to walk out at this moment, and saluted elegantly to the inspector upon hearing him. He had the attitude of a person who was trying to put a stop to the enmity between them with a smile.
There were now two more titles to his name. One was his identity as an imperial wizard, and the other was as an honorary viscount. They weren't of much use, but they had a nice ring to it. He had received them after entertaining the king.
Even though the king used to be brilliant when he was younger, he was clearly addicted to wine and women at present. As long as it didn't involve his authority and prestige, the king wouldn't have any reaction. Leylin had his methods of handling such an old fellow.
What made him happier was that after this statement was issued in writing, no one else would give him trouble about the pirates. He could also conveniently hinder the Barbarians. What wasn't there to be happy about?
"Why…" Leylin smiled gracefully as he skillfully mingled with the circle of nobles in the imperial capital, and was even chatting cheerfully with Viscount Tim as if they were blood brothers. Seeing this, the inspector sunk completely into perplexity. At this moment, his faith was even in danger of being shattered.
"My child… Justice has always been lonely. The road of people persisting in justice is inevitably filled with thorns, but we believe that the ultimate victory will definitely belong to us!" The priest's warm hand landed on the inspector's shoulder, becoming his sole support.
'The God of Justice? Hmph!' Leylin's expression didn't change, but he sneered secretly to himself.
...
Outside the imperial capital, Lorent and company could finally see the city walls after a challenging trek.
"We finally made it. According to our intelligence reports, he's in the city. He can't run away this time!" Lorent's face was filled with excitement, and also a little fury at the same time.
Previously in Gloomwood Castle, they had first been impeded by the matter regarding the devil worshippers. As compared to pirates, the movements of devil worshippers were obviously much more important. But after busying themselves with it, they discovered that it was a false alarm. Not only that, they had wasted a huge amount of time, and even let their original target get to the imperial capital!
Fortunately, with the church's information network, he had nowhere else to run to now.
"Prepare to accept punishment, Leylin Faulen!" Although they hadn't met, Lorente had already sketched an image of him in his heart: cunning, savage, and full of evil! This noble should have been burnt alive at the stake!
-x-X-x-
"Hold up, Lorent!" The high-level priest in the team walked forward at this moment.
"What's the matter?" Lorent furrowed his brows. The priest's expression gave him a bad feeling.
"I got the latest news through a Sending spell. The king has already issued a statement: the Barbarians have been found guilty of setting loose the Pirates' Tide on the open seas. With Viscount Tim as a direct witness, there's no hope of saving this situation…" The priest was visibly upset, but still informed the others of the latest news.
"We can't continue to investigate him as a subject. This mission must be abandoned."
"Then our hard work? Those thousands of innocent lives lost at sea? Will it go to waste just like that?" Lorent seemed to burst into an indignant red-hot flame, and suddenly drew his sword and shattered an enormous boulder next to him into pieces.
"There is nothing we can do. We can't go against the king's authority directly…" The priest had a helpless expression on his face.
Although there would be no problem overturning the entire Dambrath Kingdom if the church of the God of Justice was mobilised, the crux of the matter was that the powers of the church were spread across the entire mainland. It could not control the entire Dambrath kingdom.
Besides, the human kingdoms regarded the church overriding the king's authority as taboo. Success would only cause more problems than it gave benefits.
Other churches were also eyeing them covetously, like tigers stalking their prey. They wouldn't allow the church of justice to become the most powerful party here.
"Are we just going to let that noble escape his punishment?" Lorent's eyes were bloodshot.
"Of course not! The kingdom's statement represents His Majesty's pride, and we can't overthrow that of course. We can no longer accuse him of being a pirate, but we can search for other crimes…" The priest was very experienced in this aspect. After all, this was not the only noble family who had ever committed such deeds.
"However, we can't act against him for the time being. Let's carry out other missions first!"
"No! I want to stay here, and I won't go anywhere else until he admits to his crime!" The paladin said willfully. He was a bullheaded individual, and once he made up his mind, it would be impossible to hold him back.
The priest could only sigh helplessly upon seeing this.
...
A luxurious carriage slowly came to a halt on the roadside.
"Here. Careful, it's slippery!" Viscount Daniel was clothed in an extravagant suit. He alighted from the carriage, followed by Yalani and her sister Hera.
However, the pair of sisters were now dressed in splendid attire, and appeared very sweet and charming. Yalani blushed as she gazed at Daniel, her face lit with joy. This young girl was just fourteen years old, yet she had now lost her immaturity, and had the bearing of a mature and sophisticated woman.
Hera stared at the unmarried couple in front of her, and could only sigh helplessly to herself. She was so astute, but how could she not have realised the changes in her sister's body?
'Daniel is too impatient, and Yalani… Sigh… How could she have let Daniel get his way so easily? They didn't even have a simple wedding…' Hera sighed secretly to herself, and recalled the way Daniel looked at herself.
His gaze felt invasive and was brimming with wildness, even mixed with a distinctive sense of violence. It was as though she was meeting a wolf face to face.
Hera had seen her fair share of such looks, yet none gave her such immense pressure; this was the tragic part about having to rely entirely on someone else!
If not for Daniel's inclination towards fooling around instead of settling down, perhaps Hera herself would have been taken advantage of by him.
Grief suddenly overwhelmed her.
'Rafiniya and… Ley, I wonder how they're doing?' Hera quite liked little Rafiniya, and the mercenary named Ley had also left a deep impression on her. He was powerful and mysterious, his eyes filled with an unprecedented purity that could make one feel at peace.
'Forget Rafiniya, even that Ley guy rejected my good intentions!' But resentment crept into her heart in a split second.
"Madam!" The butler bowed respectfully and supported Hera as she alighted from the carriage, even passing her a handkerchief adorned with exquisite embroidery.
"Thank you very much!" Hera accepted it gracefully, and suddenly felt much better.
'You can be a mercenary for the rest of your life, Ley! When you're old, perhaps one day you will regret declining my offer then as you're chatting with your grandchildren…' Hera gripped the handkerchief tightly. It was only now that she realised why he left such a deep impression on her.
"Yalani, the person we're about to visit is a viscount— no wait. Perhaps I should now address him as Marquis Gold Thornblossom… This marquis just inherited his title, and a large fief off the mainland…" Hera could head Daniel constantly speaking from ahead of her. She could even detect an unconcealable envy from the tone of his voice.
That's right, envy! This was huge territory and the title of Marquis, things that Daniel couldn't obtain even if he worked hard for the rest of his life!
After interacting with and observing him for a short period of time, Hera could roughly tell that Viscount Tim actually wasn't as rich as he appeared to be. Living in the imperial capital was extremely expensive, after all.
Daniel was still giving strict instructions ahead. "Yalani, you must bear your manners in mind. After all, he's a noble that hails from a royal family, and has high demands when it comes to etiquette…"
"Also… Hera!" Daniel suddenly turned around, and abruptly stopped in his tracks, which almost made Hera bump into him.
"I'm… I'm very sorry!" Hera was slightly flushed as she curtsied in apology.
"It's alright…" Seeing Hera's mature and beautiful face, Daniel was slightly intoxicated by her, but quickly came to his senses.
"The main point is, Marquis Tim is still very young, and he's never even had an official engagement. Do you know what this means?" Daniel looked into Hera's eyes.
"Could it be…" Hera felt a chill in her heart, but surprisingly didn't reject the idea. Becoming the wife of a marquis was simply a dream that she had never even dared to think of previously.
Although competition for the spot of his actual wife would be fierce, it would be a great help to her small family in any case as long as she managed to have some sort of relationship with him.
'I'm afraid Daniel thinks the same way. He wants to get into Marquis Tim's good books through me, and even take a step further by getting support from him…' Hera was rather sorrowful. She suddenly turned to look at her younger sister, who was tugging at Daniel's arm. She, too, was wearing her best clothing, and her face was filled with both arrogance and vigilance, just like when she was hugging her own doll when she was younger.
'Afraid that I'll take her husband's favour away from her? What a naive lass, I'm not her enemy…' The two sisters shared similar facial features, and were both nobles in their own right, which would arouse the interest of males.
'I hope Daniel won't do that, or else…' Hera grieved secretly, yet could only force out a stiff smile. "Rest assured, brother-in-law, I know what to do."
"That's great!" Daniel continued walking ahead, relieved.
The Gold Thornblossom Marquis' mansion was indeed more imposing than theirs. It was said that this was just his temporary residence, but the entrance to his house was long filled with carriages, practically all of them belonging to nobles. The struggle for title and territory in the Baltic archipelagos had just passed. Those nobles who were on the lookout naturally had to express their goodwill, and even wanted to receive a share of profits from the overseas trade. In fact, Daniel was one of them.
Viscount Daniel clearly hadn't thought that it would be such a grand occasion that the house would be filled with distinguished guests. Hera and Yalani could only accompany the viscount to the tiny drawing room and continue waiting.
After several hours, Yalani had already made countless complaints, and even Hera was starting to get a little impatient. A young noble then entered through the door.
"Daniel, my friend!" He embraced Daniel cordially, and hurriedly looked over at Hera and her sister. That kind of expression made Hera's heart sink. "Are these the beautiful sisters from the noble family you mentioned? They seem pretty good!"
Tim rubbed his hands together. In fact, ever since that incident, there had been a demonic fire burning in his heart, waiting to be unleashed. Daniel wasn't even some figure with authority. But on account that he had such a pretty fiancee and sister-in-law, perhaps Tim could consider his request…
After enjoying the taste of immense power, Tim's eyes seemed to be ablaze. Yalani tugged her fiance's hand tightly. But the flattering smile on Daniel's face that Yalani had never seen before made him seem like a stranger.
'Something interesting has happened!' Leylin wandered around Marquis Tim's mansion with his hands behind his back.
In reality, this mansion was entirely his. Without the Faulens having a residence in the imperial capital, Leylin had moved into the place to create the idea that he and Tim were like blood brothers to outsiders.
After all, the Gold Thornblossoms had bought this place specially to use as a stop-over in the imperial capital. Its surroundings and all that were much better than those of hotels.
Tim had been scared out of his wits by Leylin's tricks. Once Leylin showed some interest in this place, he immediately transferred the deed and other things over, offering the entire estate to him. Hence, as a matter of fact, this was already his territory.
Leylin thought of how he still had to stay in the imperial capital for a while longer to study in the Wizards' Guild. His family also needed a place to lodge in the imperial capital as well, so he accepted it without caring about politeness.
'It's better to have Tim in the outer seas than a stranger. There are so many opportunities for our family businesses to collaborate…'
-x-X-x-
Leylin was rather satisfied with the current situation in the outer seas on the whole. Were external powers to take root there, extra variables would arise. Marquis Tim was someone he understood very well, so it was fine for him to be there.
Being fully aware of the Faulens' abilities, Tim definitely wouldn't stupidly declare war on his own initiative. In fact, Leylin believed that the powers he revealed during this operation were sufficient to intimidate him.
Given that Tim had already completely surrendered himself to him, Leylin didn't mind letting Tim have a taste of success. After all, Tim was the most influential nobleman in the outer seas, and at the same time, he was a vassal of the royal family. It would be a good thing if Leylin could bind Tim to his chariot of war through a mutually beneficial alliance.
No matter how deep one's hatred was, it would melt like ice and dissolve in the face of sudden huge profits. Moreover, there were only a few 'misunderstandings' between them. Still, although Tim had already expressed his will to pledge his allegiance to him, Leylin certainly wouldn't put down his guard against him.
"Ooh.... No…."
"Boohoo… Sister… Daniel… Save me!"
A familiar voice could be heard from the room. The guards and maids in the area undoubtedly recognised Leylin, and roughly knew his relationship with their master. They even knew about the transfer of the estate, and thus could only stare blankly at him as they didn't dare to stop him.
"Interesting! How should we play this game?" The corners of Leylin's lips curled into a smile as he pondered over this. Shortly after, he suddenly pushed open the door that had been tightly shut.
"What's going on? Tim, my friend? I think I hear an unusual voice!" Leylin scanned the room with a 'puzzled' expression. Daniel stood at the side, his face as red as an apple, while Tim's pants were already half undone. The pair of beautiful sisters stood next to the office table, weeping.
"Oh, Leylin!" Tim greeted Leylin as if it wasn't awkward at all, and gave Daniel an introduction at the same time. "He's a court wizard, an honorable viscount. This is Sir Leylin. My closest friend!"
Tim then turned to Leylin and said, "This is Viscount Daniel!"
"Sir… Sir Leylin!" Daniel felt that Leylin looked rather familiar, but he had long forgotten the mercenaries from earlier, hence he still bowed calmly. Court wizard! Honorary viscount! Although these were empty titles, they also represented an exceptional amount of glory!
He could even be favoured by His Majesty, and Marquis Tim was also his good friend. Just these facts were enough to crush Daniel completely.
"Good day, Sir Daniel!" Leylin had a doubtful expression on his face as he gestured towards Hera and her sister, whose clothes were all over the place.
"Oh! This is a pair of sisters that Daniel sent over from a noble family. What do you think? If you like them, I can give them to you for a while…" Such occurrences were extremely common among nobles and were not worth paying attention to. Tim had evidently misunderstood Leylin's gesture.
"Yes! Although I've popped the younger sister's cherry, I didn't touch the older one. She might even be the purest of all virgins…" Daniel was obviously an expert in this field as well.
It was just that from his supposed point of view, that statement seemed wrong. Perhaps he didn't even intend to actually marry the younger sister, and was just toying with her, thus he could just offer her as a gift without the slightest bit of hesitation.
Hera gave up all hope upon realising this. However, when she saw Leylin once more, her expression suddenly changed drastically. "Ley? You're Ley! Are you here to save us?"
"Ley?" Yalani was using the clothes on the floor to cover her chest as she sized up the noble who had hastily barged in. He really did look exactly like the mercenary from earlier, just that he now had the air of a noble.
"Ley… The mercenary?" At this point, Daniel had finally realised why Leylin looked so familiar. Wasn't this Ley the mercenary who had escorted Hera and her sister to his doorstep previously?
It was just that this was a court wizard, an honorary viscount! Compared to a mercenary who was worth as much as mud, they were obviously on two different ends of society. Even Daniel couldn't immediately see the connection between the two.
Hera felt as though her face was burning hot, and was ashamed to death. She quickly came to her senses.
To think that she thought she had magnanimously given Leylin a way out! Who would have thought this Ley was so secretive that even Marquis Tim, whom Daniel was trying to curry favour with, would be afraid of him?
All her previous actions were probably clownish in his eyes, right? No matter how much adversity they had met with earlier, Hera did not waver. Now, for some reason, streams of tears had begun to flow uncontrollably from her eyes.
"Erm… You guys know each other?" Tim scratched his head as he looked at the people around him, who seemed to be caught in an awkward situation.
"Yes. We met once on the way to the capital…" Leylin spoke very ambiguously. "Viscount Daniel is my friend as well. If there isn't any other trouble…"
Since it was such a trivial matter, Tim did not particularly mind helping Leylin save face. "No problem. I agree to the matter you raised previously!" Tim said as he clapped Daniel's shoulder, who immediately showed a joyful expression.
"Thank you so much! Thank you Marquis Tim, and Viscount Leylin! Thank you so much for your help…" Daniel was so emotional that he couldn't even speak clearly, and could only incoherently express his gratitude towards Leylin and Tim.
'Hehe… I heard that Yalani is Daniel's fiancée! He actually even brought her here for this purpose, just to receive a tiny amount of benefits,' Tim secretly viewed Daniel with disdain, but did not show it. What he was more interested in was the relationship between Leylin and the sisters.
What were women worth to him? If he couldn't get these two, he could find others. However, if he could use the sisters to discover Leylin's weak points or the people he held dear, that would be absolutely perfect.
Due to Leylin's deliberate interruption, the situation that had been about to occur naturally couldn't continue. Hera and Yalani swiftly rearranged their clothing. "Thank… Thank you…" Hera muttered as they brushed past him, her voice as low as a mosquito's buzz.
"It's nothing much." Leylin looked at Hera, whose face was flushed, and Yalani, who was visibly silent. The corners of his lips suddenly curved into a strange smile. "If you feel like you can't stay on in his place, perhaps you can look for Marquise Louise!"
"Marquise?" Hera obviously noticed the honorific.
"Yes." Leylin had to forcefully hold back his urge to laugh. This woman had just crawled out of a trap, yet was about to fall into an even deeper abyss. "Oh, and Lady Delia as well. Go straight to them, I believe they'll definitely help you."
"Thank you! Thank you! Leylin, you're really such a nice person!" Hera looked at Leylin, who was helping them 'wholeheartedly', then recalled her attitude towards them earlier. She started to sob so hard that it was silent.
Leylin watched as the sisters departed, and could even hear Yalani and Daniel screaming and quarreling not long after. Seeing this, Leylin's smile grew wider.
'My dear Delia! I found you a pair of vain souls, don't let me down… What will they become with your exploitation? Pleasure devils? Or lust demons? I look forward to it…'
"Sorry for disturbing a happy occasion, Tim!" Leylin turned to Marquis Tim, who was next to him.
"No matter. It's my pleasure to be of use to you, sir!" Seeing Leylin in this state, Tim suddenly felt a chill in his heart for some reason. Trying to pry into Leylin's thoughts was really such a foolish decision.
...
Tim eventually left the capital and returned to his territory, the Baltic archipelago. However, with a handwritten letter of alliance from Leylin, Tim now had a little more confidence to continue surviving in the outer seas, and also develop new areas.
After Tim had left, the enormous and magnificent mansion now belonged entirely to Leylin. Tim was even smart enough to leave behind a huge sum of operating funds for Leylin to squander, which pleased him greatly.
With Ernest's recommendation letter, Leylin successfully met another high-level wizard, Simell, and even obtained the authority to conduct experiments alone in Simell's wizard tower.
Although the president of the Wizards' Guild, Meribald, had made the same gesture of goodwill, Leylin eventually chose Simell after thoroughly considering the matter.
After all, given that he was the president of the Wizards' Guild, choosing Meribald would bring about a lot of trouble, but with Simell, it would purely be a working relationship. Additionally, Master Simell had remarkable academic achievements in alchemy, which appealed greatly to Leylin.
Through his studies, he had gradually fused the alchemy techniques of the Magus World and this world into one, allowing him to regain his original ability as an alchemic Grandmaster.
After reading extensively through the Wizards' Guild's latest magic research and the library resources, Leylin's understanding of magic continuously grew deeper.
Time ticked by, and two years passed within the blink of an eye. Winter had passed and spring had just begun. After the harshest season had passed, the giant trees in the garden were impatiently sprouting their tender buds, full of vitality.
In the study room of his mansion, Leylin was half reclined on his chair. His eyes were slightly shut as he connected to the A.I. Chip.
'A.I. Chip! Display my current statistics.' Leylin inwardly commanded.
[Leylin Faulen. Age: 18. Race: Rank 10 Human Wizard. Strength: 8.1. Agility: 7.8. Vitality: 9.2. Spirit: 10. Condition: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Multitalented. Spell Slots: Rank 4(3), Rank 3(5), Rank 2(???), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)]
[Progress of Weave analysis: Rank 0 Weave 100%. Rank 1 Weave 100%. Rank 2 Weave 100%. Rank 3 Weave 53.71%. Rank 4 Weave 31.99%.]
The A.I. Chip faithfully executed Leylin's order, and displayed a row of data.
-x-X-x-
The lack of changes to his stats and wizard ranking was within Leylin's expectations. After all, he had used the Devilblood Dagger to advance in rank before, and couldn't be as arrogant now that he was in the capital. The bottleneck was understandable.
What he HAD gained with the materials here was that he'd managed to complete the analysis of the 2nd level of the Weave, removing the restriction on spell slots for it.
'Though I haven't been working hard on increasing my wizard ranking to avoid arousing suspicion, I have already accumulated enough resources. There won't be any problems with becoming a high-ranked wizard. Once I leave the capital, I'll be able to advance quickly…'
Leylin was very happy about his progress in power, but there was something that made him frown. Since two years ago, he'd already sensed a malicious intent circling the surroundings of the capital, and felt a sense of someone watching him. He had a feeling that if he were to leave all of a sudden, he would immediately be met with a terrifying attack.
'Is it that bunch of evil paladins of the God of Justice?' This was the capital after all. If Leylin made his mind to hole himself up, the other party could only watch on helplessly. Leylin had a general idea about who those people hiding in the shadows were. He was planning to take care of the problem in one fell swoop when he left.
"I've recorded most of the information that I can from the Wizards' Guild. There are only a few aspects of research left, and those are nearing completion. Dambrath is a small country after all, and it's already amazing enough that they have reserves suitable for up to rank 15 wizards…"
After the experiences over 2 years, Leylin had the chance to move once more. As for the destination? Leylin already had numerous choices, with Silverymoon City in the north as his most fitting choice.
"But before leaving, there are a few things I need to handle… I should use this opportunity to take a look there…" A map appeared before Leylin's eyes. This was the sacrifice from the unlucky captain of the Ashen Hawks, who had been a high-ranked warrior.
"The scope of the map is generally the capital, but there have already been changes to the names of places and their locations. Even with my abilities, I've only just incidentally found this place… I never expected it to be there. What kind of surprises are lying in wait for me?" Leylin mumbled to himself, before getting up and leaving the room.
"Young Master!" "Young Master!" The maids and servants that Leylin saw on the way bowed to him with exceptional respect.
They were well aware that he was not just a noble, but also a powerful wizard. He was practically the same as those people in the legends of old!
"Mm." Leylin looked very calm as he hummed in answer, and it was enough of a response for his servants to feel grateful for.
While walking on the streets, Leylin's wizard robes gathered reverence from many. His symbol which marked him as a rank 10 wizard gave rise to even more cries of awe. Leylin had gradually gotten used to such treatment. In no time, he arrived in front of a tall wizard tower.
"Leylin!" A few low-ranked wizards who were similarly in wizard robes were already waiting there. A delicate and pretty female wizard took the opportunity to greet him, her eyes gleaming at the sight of him.
"Mm. Julia, Jale, Angelo. Good afternoon!" Leylin nodded, with a gentle and calm expression on his face. These wizards were all Simell's students. He was currently studying with them under Simell, and they therefore they were somewhat like classmates.
"Senior Leylin, help me take a look at this bottle of 'Exploding Potion'! I've tried it so many times but to no avail…" Julia produced a fiery-red test tube, almost leaning against him.
She knew very well what kind of background he had. Not only did he have exceptional talent at magic, his family had control of the tremendous trade in the outer seas!
Such status had turned Leylin into a sort of prince charming for many ladies in the capital. Some had even taken the initiative to proclaim their love for him, but unfortunately, Leylin politely rejected all of them. In his opinion, that sort of thing was just too boring. If he wanted to enjoy himself, there were more than enough means to do so at Delia's place. Why would he waste effort on this?
The warm treatment he received from the women made other male wizards shoot envious looks at him, but Leylin was completely unperturbed.
He took the test tube and took a quick look at it, "There are errors in the settling time of the neutralising agent. Also, the spell was cast far too early…"
While he had only made a few comments, many wizards suddenly looked enlightened.
"Alright! If there's nothing else, I'm going in." After casually chatting with others, Leylin entered the wizard tower, leaving behind gazes of envy.
"Mentor Simell gave Leylin the authority to enter the wizard tower as he wishes. That's something only a few disciples get the chance to have!" Julia gazed at the tremendous wizard tower with an envious expression.
"He is a rank 10 wizard, the most powerful magic genius here! If you get to rank 10, mentor will also give you that right…" A male wizard beside her glanced at the badge at his chest. The symbol that implied his status as a rank 5 wizard had always been the source of his pride, but it only seemed unsightly now.
"We really can't match up to that talent…" The few other wizards were around rank 5, and could only smile wryly at each other after hearing that sentence.
"Grandmaster Simell!" Leylin had rather good luck. Simell hadn't been performing any experiments, rather resting in the entertainment room outside.
"Oh, it's Leylin. Come in, take a seat!" Simell was a very spirited old fellow, less than a metre tall with a kindly look on his face.
Strictly speaking, Leylin was not his disciple. Their relationship was similar to modern-day postgraduate students who helped their mentors with experiments, and things were easy and comfortable between them.
After hearing that, Leylin did not hold back and sat down, exclaiming, "Grandmaster Simell, I hope to get the authority to enter Alchemy Room Number 1!"
As he spoke, he placed a golden card on the table. While he was free to do as he wished, there was still a price to pay. Leylin knew this very well.
"Mm, looks like you're finally preparing to begin! Have you gathered all the materials?" Simell chuckled as he glanced at Leylin's left hand.
"Thanks to you, I've collected everything. I still need to perform the last step in lab conditions within the wizard tower…" Leylin rubbed the ring on his left hand.
"Mm, I'll authorise the tower genie to let you in. Also, please take Julia and the others into your care a little. I don't have that much time…" Simell spoke.
How could ordinary, low-ranked wizards or wizard disciples compare to Leylin in his extravagant spending? Every day, they could only accumulate spell slots, and then through brewing potions or smelting items at an elementary level, gain rewards of a few gold coins.
For those who were unlucky, they would have to copy large quantities of spell scrolls and slowly save them so that they could be exchanged for spellbooks and other materials to break through. Some mentors would just completely forget their students. Simell having Leylin help out meant he was already quite kind.
"Alright, I got it!" Leylin got up and took his leave. Within the alchemy lab, Leylin took off his Ring of Wizardry on his left hand.
This ring that could increase the number of spell slots of rank 5 spells by 1 was like a divine artifact for low-ranked wizards. It was also made of unique material with possibilities to strengthen it further. Through his studies under Simell and his own ideas, he had finally found a way to strengthen the item.
"Tower genie, do I have the right to go in yet?" Leylin asked bluntly.
"Master has authorised wizard Leylin Faulen to use Alchemy Room Number 1, as well as the elemental pools, particle accelerator, rank 2 magic puppets…" A robotic voice sounded. This was the tower genie of the entire wizard tower.
With its help, a wizard's abilities could be displayed to the limits. However, the tremendous price to create one meant that even if many wizards hoped to have one of their own, they couldn't go through with it.
Mithril, adamantine, and all sorts of items were shifted out of Leylin's bag of holding.
"It took me such a long time. I finally have a way to use it…" Leylin had a smile on his face, the Ring of Wizardry already on the table. Dazzling lights enveloped the ring.
...
Seven days later, Leylin gazed at the brand new ring in his hand, a look of satisfaction on his face.
The A.I. Chip immediately showed the stats.
[Item Name: Ring of Wizardry. Weight: 15g. Materials: Obsidian, Wizard's Alloy, Dragon Blood, Mithril, Adamantine, Rainbow Feathers. Effects: 1. Spell slots for all spells under rank 6 increase by 1. (Specific to Wizards) 2. Secondary rank 5 spell, Wail of the Banshee. (Available for use once every 7 days). Power is comparable to a weaker version of Wail of the Banshee. Description: This is a powerful ring that other existences might covet. Its materials have been utilised to bring out its utmost power. Close to becoming a Legendary item.]
The Ring of Wizardry now seemed darker in colour. The powerful magic rays from before had completely disappeared.
"Mm! After refining the soul force on the ring, I get a rank 5 spell? Wail of the Banshee, a rank 5 sound attack spell? Not bad!" Leylin was very content with this improvement.
Wearing the ring that was now slightly heavier than before on his left hand, Leylin got up and left the wizard tower. He had accomplished all that was possible for him to do here, and there was now nothing holding him back from leaving.
'All that's left is this map…' Leylin looked through the information the A.I. Chip supplied as he muttered to himself.
'The names here are the original ones, and it's been hundreds of years since some of these places had these names… Seems like this isn't Siegfried's treasure map but something even more mysterious…' Leylin even had the suspicion that Siegfried had not explored the map enough, because there were far too many riddles here, to the point that Leylin was left scratching his head in his confusion.
Thankfully, Leylin had had a lot of time in the past two years. He'd whiled his free time away trying to decode the map. Recently, he had finally begun to discover its true secret!
-x-X-x-
"This secret was hidden so carefully. I'm growing more and more interested." Following the map, Leylin arrived in front of the capital's library.
The library was in the central district, a place mostly visited by nobles. In an era where the passage of information was strictly regulated, the so called public library actually only catered to a few high-ranked people like scholars and wizards. Leylin was a frequent visitor, to the point that even the doorman recognised him.
"Mister Leylin!" He called out sweetly, not surprised at all at Leylin's arrival. Leylin had frequented this place in the last two years, using it to augment his database on the World of Gods. With the various databases in the A.I. Chip having gradually been filled to completion and its foundations completed, his visits had also grown more infrequent.
The library was as tranquil as ever. The white marble building stood tall, seemingly eternal, and the only sounds within it were the rustling of turning pages.
The interior of the library was very spacious and empty. Next to the rows upon rows of bookshelves were a few rattan seats, where many scholars rested.
In these two years, some had become acquaintances that Leylin was on nodding terms with. They would nod at him if they caught his eye, before bending their heads down and wading into the sea of knowledge again. Everyone quietly did their own work, and Leylin loved this atmosphere.
'I never expected that something I've been trying hard to find was right by my side!' Leylin sighed inside, arriving in the deeper parts of the library.
It was rather dim inside, and many of the tomes on the shelves had already fallen apart. Numerous scattered pages were sandwiched in worn-out book covers. The sight already left people dizzy.
While the area had already been tidied up, a putrid smell from printing ink still lingered in the air. This region was where the library piled up random books and documents, and very few ventured here.
'The results of only passing on knowledge to the elites means that once society collapses, information can no longer be passed on…' Leylin looked at the thick layer of dust on the shelf and sighed at the thought. Of all the historic records that he had gathered, from the invasion from the Magus World till now, there were many blanks in the middle. This was the result of a loss of culture.
Descriptions of the dawn of the gods was a taboo amongst taboos. If any scholar dared tread on this forbidden zone, they would end up put on trial by large churches and burnt at stake.
'Trying to conceal it won't solve anything. Even rank 1 Magi of the Magus World know already about the ancient Final War, and have been working hard to regain the glory of the ancient times. The World of Gods is more conservative… Is it because the World Will is asleep, or is it a restriction on the gods?'
Leylin's eyes shone as he arrived at the depths of the library. This was a very remote area where it was exceptionally quiet. Not a soul was in sight, and even the cleaners rarely came here.
"Not bad, not bad! That saves me a lot of trouble." Leylin sized up the surroundings, nodding in satisfaction. A transparent magic barrier isolated this place from the outer world. Just in case, Leylin had added a layer of illusion such that anyone who came here would only see a mess and darkness, with volumes and trash lying around.
"The immemorial elf of spring…" Leylin slowly chanted a passage of a mysterious incantation. This was something he had obtained from the map, where the secret incantation to activate it was hidden in the poem next to the map.
'They actually use the Mek Coding which has been lost to history, hiding the secret incantation at the beginning of every line. If not for the A.I. Chip analysing it against a sea of data, it would have been impossible to decode it…
'There's even a restricted time where it can be opened. It has to be after the ancient 'Spring Sacrificial Ceremony', or there won't be a response. Why do I find this method so familiar…' Leylin looked at the changes to his surroundings with interest. This method of maintaining secrecy and such elaborate set-ups reminded Leylin of Magi.
Indeed, Magi! Only they, who pursued the truth with the most extreme of harshness could think of something so intricate, with coding and an incantation that was complicated to the extreme. It only served to further his anticipation.
"This is the beginning of spring, and the ceremony just passed. It's 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and it matches with the poem, 'The scorching sun travels to the northern corner of the sky'..." Leylin muttered, eyes glinting.
A specific time, place and secret incantation. With these three requirements fulfilled, an ancient bookshelf suddenly creaked.
'It's not a magic formation. I didn't notice anything when I scanned this place earlier. Such concealment techniques…' The glint in Leylin's eyes brightened.
The shelf shifted away, revealing a path that led downwards. However, Leylin did not descend.
'If I didn't interpret it wrongly, I'll only enter a dimensional maze if I go there. Even high-ranked wizards could die there… The real treasure is here.' Leylin headed to the shelf that had shifted, a spell formation appearing at his fingertips.
This was not a spell model of the Weave used by wizards, but a real, higher-grade model similar to that in the Magus World! Countless rays of light fused together like a loop to form a special three dimensional rune.
"In the name of sklngla, open!" Leylin chanted. The spell model in his hands flashed and disappeared into the shelf. The light quickly dimmed, and nothing changed. However, a hint of delight showed on his expression. He knocked at the back of the shelf, and a hollow sound resounded.
"The solid wooden shelf became hollow..." Leylin mumbled to himself, "The item wasn't actually hidden here but in another void node. Only at certain times with the correct incantation will it link with space and time in order to show the true treasure…"
His expression constantly changed, "Such a method of overlapping space and time is practically a reproduction of methods in the Magus World!"
Slightly agitated, Leylin used the dagger to slash at the shelf to take the treasure that his predecessor had hidden. At this stage, he was certain that Siegfried had never come here and only been lucky to get the map.
The shelf itself was small. Even though it was hollow, only a thick black book made of parchment paper was there. This was the harvest from Leylin's exploration.
"I sense… an aura similar to Magi… There must have been Magi who comprehended laws conducting experiments here trying to induct Magi into the natives…" Leylin was in no hurry to begin reading. After verifying it was harmless, he immediately kept it in his bag of holding and quickly began to clear the traces of his presence.
After he left the library, the shelf had been silently shifted back to its original position. Even the wooden planks that had been hollowed out were exchanged.
Once he had returned to his residence, he sent the servants away and went to his underground secret room. After activating his protection spell formation, Leylin made himself a hot cup of tea and began to look through his profits this time.
Past the black cover, much of the parchment paper had rotted. There were strange, twisted letters on it, with a unique air to them.
"It's the Amidix Script used in ancient times! Thankfully, I've seen content on this before… The A.I. Chip already has enough data to analyse it…" Leylin began to interpret the words in the book.
'The stars in the horizon are falling! I… I've seen the falling meteors when a true god dies! They are a group of powerful gods from another world. They call themselves… Magi!'
"Is this a record by natives of the final war? Interesting, interesting!" Leylin read on.
'The sky is crying, the earth is wailing… The continent is in pieces in an instant. After the paramount high gods sank into slumber, the battle god Ares and Mother Earth fell one after another…'
'The Magi and the gods brazenly showed their strength. A careless attack seemed to consume what had accumulated in the universe over millions of years…'
As so much time had passed, there was still damage despite the perfect protective methods. It made it more difficult for Leylin to interpret.
'... In the dark era… A god from another world descended. It called itself the Distorted Shadow, a great rank 8 Magus!'
'The Distorted Shadow enlightened humans and imparted great power of magic…'
"The gods all sent down their avatars, ruthlessly killing all who had inherited the power of distortions…'
"The rejection by the world eventually caused the fall of the Distorted Shadow…"
The gods finally defeated the Magi and sealed off the World of Gods, establishing a network to fend against magic to prevent something similar from happening again…"
'Year 327 of the Dark Calendar. Another generation of people with extraordinary powers emerged. They successfully went through experiments to break away from the Weave, and called themselves arcanists. They had powerful arcane arts that allowed them to burn mountains and fill seas. Even the gods feared them…'
'Year 981 of the Dark Calendar. The Arcane Empire was destroyed, and thus began the age of the gods… Arcanists became taboo. Any spellcasters who did not use the Weave were listed as wanted and annihilated by the churches of various gods…'
Eventually, the dark history of the gods showed itself before Leylin.
"As expected, experiments to make Magi natives were conducted before, and they succeeded as well… All during the dusk of the gods." The rise of the arcanists evidently was a result of this. Those obscure methods to cast spells were a mutated version of spell models from the Magus World.
"It's far too troublesome to simulate a profession out of nowhere. Even with the A.I. Chip it'll take a long time. But if I can get an arcanist's inheritance…"
-x-X-x-
Leylin was inspired. Truly, truly inspired from the bottom of his heart. Compared to the emasculated profession that was wizardry, the arcane arts were practically built for his sake. If he could change professions and become an arcanist, his power would definitely grow.
He was also very interested in the inheritance of the ancient Magi who had comprehended laws. It was a pity that most of the content in the notebook were records of history. There were only a few sentences that mentioned arcanists.
"A matured path to power and an account of experiences will be a much better reference." Leylin's eyes shone as he scanned through the book, hoping to find any clues regarding arcanists.
Arcanists had solved the problem of being rejected by the World of Gods. While they had been celebrated for a short while, they soon became taboo and intolerable to the gods. All information about them had been destroyed, and this was the first time Leylin was seeing descriptions of them.
Through the A.I. Chip's precise analysis and research, Leylin finally found a place that somewhat had connections with arcanists. However, once he found the location on the map, his expression changed.
"I never thought it'd be here." Leylin unhurriedly memorised the landmark and then stowed the black notebook away.
"From the tone and clues, the person who wrote this must have been an arcanist. In that case, their words should be trustworthy..."
Arcanists were the result of the painstaking work that ancient Magi had done to adapt to the World of Gods. Though it was not as if Leylin could not begin his own research into the department, it would be a massive waste of time. He wouldn't be able to go as far as what those Magi had. He had to get the arcanists' inheritance!
"But it's coincidentally in the north… This is just…" Leylin sighed, "I guess I'll need to bring my schedule forward. Thankfully, I don't have anything else to do in the capital. All the information accessible to wizards below the higher ranks has been recorded…"
At this thought, Leylin headed outside and clapped his hands, "Men!"
...
As the first son of a baron and honorary viscount, Leylin's status made him a nobody in the capital. His leaving would not raise any ruckus… except from those who had their eyes on him, of course.
*Crack!* The wooden cup cracked, clear water splashing out from the gaps in his fist.
"What? He's finally leaving?" Lorent was still in his paladin attire, though he now looked rather haggard, and his eyes were bloodshot. Ever since his decision to hang on to Leylin, he had been hiding in the shadows of the capital, waiting for his target to mess up.
Unfortunately, that little noble was very slippery. He basically did not leave his residence, and the places he frequented were like the Wizards' Guild and places for nobles that were guarded tightly. He had not even left the capital, making the paladin grind his teeth the entire time.
His target seemed to have noticed that he was being spied on, and had been unbelievably kind in his daily actions to the point where it was unquestionable. He lacked the terrible vices some nobles had, and he was practically the model that all nobles should have sought to emulate.
Since he could not find other proof of him committing crimes, Lorent obviously could not do anything to him. After wearing down his patience, Lorent had already decided to make his move and take Leylin in!
However, this was something he was doing in private. He could not attack a noble in public in the capital, or the church would be the ones that would not let him off! While Lorent detested Leylin, he had no plans to die together with him. Hence, the operation had been put on hold till now.
"There'll be plenty of opportunities once you leave the capital! You will definitely be punished for your crimes!" Lorent mumbled to himself, face gleaming majestically righteously. It was as if he was the personification of justice and kindness.
...
Days later, a carriage slowly left the range of the capital.
A few bandits that had been eyeing it definitely saw a young noble getting on the carriage and immediately sent out a person to inform the people at the back.
"A bunch of troublesome flies…" Leylin was evidently the one inside. His eyes were now closed, obviously having discovered the people peeping on him long before.
'The followers of the Sovereign King of Gluttony in the Dambrath Kingdom have all been gathered and managed by Delia. The faith is still spreading…' After making sure that the bait was now on the hook, Leylin strangely thought of something else.
In two years, he had reorganised the devil worshippers in the entire Dambrath Kingdom, and with Delia's power as a pleasure devil, it was easy to control them.
At the thought of Delia, Leylin was reminded of the depraved balls that she hosted for the fallen. He had to admit that she was very fascinating and knew how to enjoy herself. A certain pair of noble sisters were on the verge of becoming famous, and Leylin watched their souls in secret to find that they were just one step away from falling to become devils.
'Seems like I'm rather proficient in the abilities of devils… But even if they transform, those sisters will only become regular devils. Only souls that are exceptionally pure and determined will be even more powerful after falling, turning into the most terrifying devils…'
Leylin suddenly recalled the female knight, as well as the priest and paladins of the God of Justice. Those souls were the ones that had devils extremely thirsty for them. The purer a soul was, the greater the possibility that a legendary being would be born when it fell.
"She might be going north too…" Leylin thought back to the scene from before when they'd bade farewell, a slight smile about his lips, "Till then…"
The carriage slowly rode out of the gates of the capital, and there appeared a wide expanse of wheat fields at both sides. After walking past a few ranches, signs of human activity gradually grew more sparse.
"Master…" The voice of the coachman was heard from the front, "I sense a wave of enemies nearby!"
He was evidently not a regular coachman. It was unknown what kind of methods he had used to conceal the powerful energy undulations on his body.
"Don't worry about it. Go on!" Leylin chuckled nonchalantly, "The fish couldn't wait any longer and took the bait…"
He'd tolerated the paladin for long enough too.
Smite Evil! The other party had more tolerance than Leylin had anticipated. After driving into a low forest of shrubs, golden light in the shape of a crescent shot out from the roadside, the target evidently the carriage Leylin was in.
The paladin's Smite Evil glowed incomparably hot, and held purifying power. It was very formidable against the undead, devils, demons, and all other evil. Even Leylin did not want to contend with this purification energy.
Intense magic rays flickered from the carriage, and Leylin tore through a few spell scrolls.
Magic Barrier! Dragon's Breath! Fireball!
Boiling hot flame energy met the evil slash in the air. Qi and flames shot everywhere, exploding in resplendent heat and light. A magic protective layer had already risen in the surroundings, having the effects of preventing probings and prophecies.
These were Leylin's accumulations over these two years. Not only had he learnt more spell models, he also had the wealth and physical resources to make suitable magic items and scrolls for himself.
"Evil will be punished! Leylin Faulen, you will be put on trial for the loss of innocent lives in the outer seas today!" Lorent had on a full set of paladin armour, the rays of light on his expression dazzling to the extreme. There was even an unusual flush on his face.
"Hehe… Paladin? Haven't you seen the kingdom's decree and statement?" Leylin pulled the fabric of the carriage and walked out. He seemed to be teasing the paladin, "The pirates in the outer seas have nothing to do with me. As a follower of the God of Justice, are you holding fast to your own justice by trampling over the law?"
Evidently, when it came to battles of the tongue, Leylin absolutely dominated him. Lorent immediately turned red.
"Ah… It's because there are so many evil maggots boring into the holes in the laws that criminals like you can get away with any crimes! Today, I, Lorent, will end all these mistakes!" Knowing he could not refute Leylin, Lorent chose to use his own method to defend his justice.
Holy light filled his longsword, and a powerful qi even more powerful than Siegfried's exploded. Shrouded in this light, the paladin seemed even more unsullied. It formed another layer of translucent armour, completing his original metallic breastplate.
'Paladins are all so troublesome! Not only are they immune to many negative effects, they have a terrifying vitality that gives them resistances to all sorts of illnesses…'
"Unfortunately, I am not your only opponent…" The spell that Leylin had prepared for a long time was launched. "Hold Person II!"
Even if his opponent had resistance to magic, he still hesitated for a moment in the face of Leylin's high-grade spell.
The coachman, who had been cowering aside, suddenly made a move. A black dagger instantly appeared in his hands, allowing him to break through the protective barrier and appear in front of Lorent.
The dagger, which concealed a powerful curse, broke straight through Lorent's defences and formed a huge wound on his chest.
"You… Tiff The Defiler!" Lorent retreated, rays of divine healing spells flickering on his body. His habit of holding back when it came to commoners made it such that he did not have his guard against the ordinary-looking couchman, and he had been ruthlessly attacked by Tiff.
"You're actually banding together with someone like him? This crime alone could you send you to be burnt at stake!" Lorent glanced at Leylin, who was in front of him, looking delighted because he'd finally found evidence of Leylin committing a crime!
"Is that so? That's only possible if you can send that information on!" Leylin shrugged his shoulders.
-x-X-x-
Indistinct shouts and cries could be heard, causing Lorent's expression to change.
"We've been surrounded, and their numbers are huge…" A high-ranked assassin suddenly appeared from the shadows, a demonic claw with sharp nails poking out from his chest.
The assassin mumbled and collapsed, revealing the figure of a high-ranked pleasure devil behind him.
"You're actually colluding with a devil!" Lorent yelled, unhesitatingly striking out. He had been overwhelmed with shock. This noble seemed to have some terrifying secret that surpassed his imagination.
"Quick! The confusion spell that I set up won't last for long. We can't let even one person go!" Leylin's expression was icy.
After two years, Tiff and Delia were now completely under his thumb. He had gathered the strength of all the devil worshippers to kill Lorente in order to ensure it was done!
"Don't worry, master!" Delia had now completely demonified herself. With Tiff, who had almost legendary strength, it was no problem to kill a mere high-ranked paladin.
Given that they were of factions that were natural enemies, with hatred accumulated between them, things blazed the moment they started fighting. All sorts of spell undulations rained destruction on the region.
It was a pity that Lorent's extraordinary willpower and strength made no difference. A high-grade devil and a near-Legend Professional were enough to crush him. His surrounding comrades all cried out for the last time in their lives, gnawing at his soul like ants.
"Has it… has it reached this state?" Lorent's eyes were slightly blurry, with a black dagger stuck into his chest. His longsword had disappeared long ago, and his armour was full of holes from the devil's corrosive fire.
He panted. There was no remorse for losing his life, instead indignance and pain that justice was not served,
"Why… Why are there people like you in the world!" He looked at the young wizard drawing close, eyes like saucers and even blinking bloody tears.
"Because devils run amok in this world!" Leylin seemed to sigh, and the Devilblood Dagger slammed into Lorent's forehead.
The Devilblood Dagger trembled. This was a high-ranked paladin who was subordinate to the God of Justice, definitely the strongest person it had ever absorbed strength from! It transmitted terrifying, berserk draconic energy to Leylin's body, sending it in waves. It eventually cried out, unable to take the burden.
'My Devilblood Dagger was made on Faulen Island. I hadn't used any high-grade materials, which is why it can't take this pressure…' Leylin's eyes glinted. A dark luster shot into the dagger from his hands.
"Woo Woo…" The skull at the end of the dagger roared, numerous tiny blood vessels extending and latching onto all parts of Lorent's corpse.
Something that looked like a tumour was absorbed from these blood vessels. Powerful holy force was transformed, to the point that the dagger itself showed signs of breaking.
*Ting!* Finally, with a sad cry, the Devilblood Dagger shattered with a dull sound.
But the moment before it cracked, Leylin felt the transfer of tremendous life energy. The A.I. Chip's prompt sounded:
[Beep! Host has gone through a one-time boost from the Devilblood Dagger. Strength +1.9. Agility +2.2. Vitality +0.8.]
Leylin's current stats were abruptly refreshed, [Strength: 10. Agility: 10. Vitality: 10. Spiritual Force: 10.]
The massacre and all of Lorent's life force had pushed the rest of Leylin's stats to the bottleneck of 10 points. Alike to 1 point, this was an incredibly difficult hurdle in the World of Gods, showing how tough breaking through was.
Leylin now heard a sharp ringing sound from his soul. After his various stats had broken through, a long-awaited power spread throughout his body and limbs, landing him in a strange state.
The A.I. Chip's prompts continued to show. [Beep! Host's various stats have reached 10. Obtained Feat: Elementary Perfect Body.]
An introduction to this feat followed. [Elementary Perfect Body. As the host's genes have gone through their initial upgrades, host has obtained a quality unique to exceptional creatures in the World of Gods. Body now possesses elementary resistances to poison, fire, cold, and corrosion. Endurance in various environments has increased.]
"So having a property of 1 all round is a threshold for regular beings. 10 is the threshold for exceptional creatures…" Leylin's eyes flickered. His current stats had changed.
[Leylin Faulen. Age: 18. Race: Human, Rank 10 Wizard. Strength: 10. Agility: 10. Vitality: 10. Spirit: 10. Status: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Elementary Perfect Body. Spell Slots: Rank 4(3), Rank 3(5), Rank 2(???), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)]
After breaking through this bottleneck of extraordinary power, Leylin felt the limitations on the advance of his spiritual force loosen. It now grew extremely lively, to the point that he was only a step away from making contact with the 5th level of the Weave.
"Deal with the aftermath according to my orders." Leylin slowly exhaled, as if he had gone through a complete transformation.
"Understood, Master!" Madam Delia respectively bowed, her flaming tail and devilish wings playfully bouncing about. While they already knew his identity on the surface before, Delia and Tiff were now even more reverent towards him.
On the surface, he seemed ordinary, which meant what was hidden underneath that front was something more terrifying. For Delia, who had been a devil for numerous years, she understood this fully well.
As for Tiff, an existence that had been invaded by Leylin's soul force for years, the effect of Leylin himself being in front of him was obvious.
"Good! Tiff and I will go ahead secretly. Delia, you're in charge of the network in the Dambrath Kingdom as well as the surrounding followers…" Leylin gave instructions for his plans.
Once everything went as he had planned, Leylin turned to gaze in the direction of the imperial capital.
"The next time I return, things will be completely different…" Leylin's eyes shone.
...
Great azure waves roiled and crashed in the vast sea, and ice sheets and a snowy barren island could faintly be seen in the distance. A few seagulls soared in the horizon, occasionally letting out a few clear cries.
A merchant ship heading north was speeding through the winds and waves. The sailors controlling the ship had tanned skin, their hands full of dark calluses gripping tightly on the mooring rope as if it was their life and everything.
"The oceans in the north are slightly different from the outer seas of Dambrath in the south." At this point, the guests had all returned to the hold of the ship, and only Leylin and Tiff who was disguised as his butler were on deck.
In the face of such a sudden stormy sea, Leylin did not find it hard to adapt. Rather, he began reminiscing about his time with the Scarlet Tigers.
'The kingdom's navy has long since returned. I wonder how Isabel and the rest have been doing…' Leylin gazed at the huge waves afar, yet he did not seem to see them. He instructed Tiff, "Legends are active in Silverymoon. Your identity is sensitive, so once we reach the northern lands you don't have to follow me. Try to gather some forces in secret…"
"Understood!" Tiff pressed his right hand to his chest, looking exceptionally solemn. In this period of time, he was now certain that this little noble must be the chosen one of the feathered serpent god, Kulkulkan, and could even be the child of the god…
"Come to think of it, we're finally reaching the northern harbour…" Leylin nodded, noting that the ship had already successfully passed through the storm.
The World of Gods was vast, and hastening on the journey was an exhausting and dangerous matter. Even as a medium-ranked wizard and with Tiff who was on the verge of becoming a Legend protecting him, it still required much effort to reach the north from the south.
They set off from the Dambrath Kingdom and headed north, passing through numerous human kingdoms and bypassing a few regions belonging to other races. They had even met with danger a few times.
The horse carriage had been relinquished after that, and they switched to a ship. The entire journey took around a year's time.
"Welcome, esteemed young master!" The leader of the sailors came over, a trace of respect in his gaze. To be able to take on such huge waves without even a twitch meant this noble was a true man of the sea! That meant he was worthy of being respected by these sailors.
"Mm! We're finally past that stormy area…" Leylin laughed.
"Recently, the sea tribes in this area have been very irritable. The tsunami was caused by an angered deep sea whale. Thankfully, our druid managed to calm it down in time…"
His expression was grim, "If this situation continues, I'm afraid we'll have to give up on this route and invite a great or even legendary druid to investigate the cause…"
Leylin had to admit that druids were extremely proficient at protecting the environment and placating dangerous species. Being closely attuned to nature, most druids were elves, though there was no lack of humans and other races. This was even more obvious in Silverymoon.
"So we're finally reaching the jewel of the northern lands…" Leylin exclaimed in admiration.
Silverymoon was the city of wizards. This legendary city was also called the jewel of the northern lands!
The city was protected by the Chosen of the Goddess of the Weave, who was also her daughter. She represented the peak of magic among humans, and every year countless wizards were attracted to this place so they could further their studies and train.
Silverymoon contained the most advanced research on magic, and the imperial palace even held information about legendary spells!