Chapter 235
Chapter 235. Conspiracy
While the Kroll Kingdom was advancing its plans in full swing, unusual movements in the Eden Kingdom had already begun to spread like dark clouds.
The magic power nodes within its borders were dimming and dissipating at a speed almost impossible to detect with the naked eye. The first to notice that something was wrong were the threeLegendary Archmagess in the royal service.
They carried crystal balls that recorded the fluctuations of the nodes and rushed into the royal palace. The light upon the crystal balls flickered between brightness and darkness, like fireflies on the verge of death.
“Your Majesty, if this continues, in less than three months, every Magic Array in the nation will fail. Even the most basic Illumination Magic may stop working.”
The old Archmage at the head of the group spoke with a trembling voice, his graying beard shaking from urgency.
The Eden King, however, merely turned the gemstone ring on his finger with careless indifference. When his gaze swept over the crystal balls, it even carried a trace of impatience.
“They are merely fluctuations in a few nodes. Old friends, you are making far too much of this.”
He raised his hand and signaled for Marcus, who stood beside him, to step forward.
“Marcus has said that this is an unavoidable stage in the conversion of power. Once the ‘Adjudicators’ are complete, let alone a few nodes, even making the magic power of the entire continent serve us will be no difficult matter.”
Marcus bowed in salute. Beneath his black robe, his fingers snapped lightly inside his sleeve, and a faint smile hovered at the corner of his mouth.
“Please rest assured, my lords. The magic power that has dissipated is merely gathering toward the ‘Adjudicators.’ Once they awaken, Eden will have no rival. When that time comes, the entire continent will look up to us.”
The three Archmages looked at one another. One of them could not help rebuking him. “What kind of thing can absorb such a vast amount of magic power? Your Majesty, I believe...”
“Enough.”
The Eden King slammed his hand onto the table, and the gemstone ring flashed coldly beneath the candlelight.
“This king has already decided. There is no need for further words. Withdraw.”
The three old Archmages looked at the fanaticism in the king’s eyes, then glanced at the strange Runes faintly exposed beneath Marcus’s black robe. In the end, they could only sigh heavily. As they turned away, another light on the crystal ball went out.
Deep within the royal palace, a massive construct was slowly opening its eyes as magic power poured into it. In its pupils burned an inhuman scarlet glow.
When the news reached the Kroll Kingdom, William was reviewing the drafts for a new batch of academy teaching materials.
The messenger knelt on one knee, his voice carrying an urgency he could not hide.
“Your Majesty, an urgent report has come from the Eden Kingdom. According to the Shadow Guard’s report, the magic power nodes within Eden’s borders are weakening at an unnatural speed.”
“Yet the Eden King has ignored it. Instead, he has placed great trust in a warlock named Marcus, who is said to be secretly forging an ‘ultimate weapon.’”
William’s fingers tightened abruptly around the quill, and ink spread across the paper in a dark blot.
He rose and walked to the map. His fingertip landed heavily on the territory of the Eden Kingdom.
That land faced the Kroll Kingdom from across the border, and its magic power nodes were densely gathered.
“The magic power nodes are vanishing...”
He repeated the words in a low voice, his brows furrowing deeply.
“Marus?”
The Minister of Military Affairs beside him wore a grave expression.
“That is correct. According to the intelligence, he advocates using living sacrifices to strengthen living weapons. The Eden King must have been blinded by power to believe in such wicked arts.”
“What about the threeLegendary Archmagess?” William asked at once. “Did they not try to intervene by force?”
“They tried, but the Eden King ordered all Magic Towers sealed and sent the Royal Guard to watch the entrances to the nodes.”
The messenger added, “It is said that the oldest Archmage tried to force his way through, but Royal Family members from the Secret Realm arrived and beat him into severe injury. He is now under house arrest.”
William was silent for a moment. Then he suddenly struck the table with his palm, shaking the books until they rustled.
“Foolish. Magic power is the foundation of a kingdom. Who destroys his own roots for the sake of some so-called ‘ultimate weapon’?”
“Marus’s wicked arts may unleash shocking power in the short term, but in the long run, they will only make the land lose its magic power. Even infants born nearby will find it difficult to become mages.”
The Minister of Military Affairs was deeply worried.
“Your Majesty, the Eden Kingdom is playing with fire. If their ‘ultimate weapon’ is truly completed, could it...”
“It will not be completed.”
William interrupted him, his gaze sharp as a blade.
“Power piled up through sacrifice has a rotten foundation.”
“Send word at once. Have the border legions strengthen their defenses and keep close watch on every movement in the Eden Kingdom.”
“In addition, send a message to the Royal Magic Academy and have them prepare. Once Eden’s magic power nodes collapse completely, it will inevitably trigger magic power turbulence. We must set up Protective Arrays in advance and avoid being affected.”
He paused, then continued, “Send a secret envoy to meet the three Archmages of Eden as well. Tell them that the Kroll Kingdom is willing to provide them with protection.”
“As long as they can escape with the research materials on the magic power nodes, I will build Magic Towers of equal standard for them.”
The Minister of Military Affairs accepted the order and withdrew, leaving William alone in the study.
He looked at the churning clouds outside the window, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the outline of the Eden Kingdom on the map.
The disappearance of magic power nodes meant that countless mages would lose their power. Farmland would suffer reduced yields due to the imbalance of magic power, and even the air currents in the sky might become violent.
How could this be some “ultimate weapon”? It was clearly the fuse of destruction.
“Marus... Eden King...”
William murmured the two names, and cold light flashed in his eyes.
“You truly think wicked arts can make you invincible? Just wait. Soon enough, it will be your turn to taste the grave you have dug for yourselves.”
He turned back to the desk and wrote an edict.
From this day onward, the Kroll Kingdom would close all magical trade with Eden. Any magical materials or scrolls involved were to be destroyed on sight once discovered, without exception.
Once the order was issued, the border ban fell like a blade. Trade roads were sealed with iron barricades, traveling caravans were stopped in rows at the border fortresses, and even carrier pigeons were intercepted for inspection.
In the most direct way possible, the Kroll Kingdom severed all ties with Eden.
When the news reached the Eden Royal Palace, the king was raging at the chaotic magic power patterns inside a crystal ball. The moment he heard that all trade had been cut off, he smashed a priceless magical vase onto the floor. Shards scattered to Marcus’s feet.
“A pack of backwater fools! They dare cut off my road?”
He kicked over a gilded chair, spittle spraying onto Marcus’s face.
“What about your wretched experiment? Did you not say it was nearly complete? Now I cannot even touch a hair of Kroll’s head. What use do I have for you?”
Marcus bent down and picked up a shard. Even when it cut his fingertip, he made no sound. He merely lowered his head and laughed coldly.
“Why is Your Majesty so anxious?”
He lifted the black cloth behind him, revealing a metal container half as tall as a man. Inside it soaked a pale-purple, viscous liquid, with faint points of light rising and sinking within.
“In another ten days, the living weapons can be produced in large numbers. When that time comes, what Your Majesty should be concerned about is whether to attack the Kroll Kingdom first or the Dragon Kingdom first.”
The king’s furious expression froze. He leaned closer and stared at the container.
“Are they truly that powerful?”
“Have you forgotten thatLegendary Archmages?”
Marcus scooped up a little of the liquid with a silver spoon and swayed it beneath the sunlight.
“He is still under house arrest in the Magic Tower. What do you think?”
Before he even finished speaking, the king was already rubbing his hands together and laughing. The rage from moments ago had turned entirely into greed.
“Good. Good. Send more men to him. Whatever he needs, give it to him. Even if we have to empty the treasury, we must let the neighboring kingdoms know who is truly the overlord.”