The black sun hangs high

Chapter 173 Negotiating Conditions

The young mercenary soldier stood before the crowd.

He had a smile on his face, but his eyes were utterly empty.

As the soldier extended that strange invitation, all eyes turned to Hugh.

The atmosphere became subtle, and standing to the side, Violet, who had a deep understanding of Hugh's past experiences, looked wary and serious.

The only entity capable of creating such a magical phenomenon and communicating directly with Hugh in such a bizarre way could be the Black Sun Society.

Compared to what they did in Seren and Bordenne, the actions of these mysterious "wild mages" have become increasingly rampant and unscrupulous.

Within this Black Forest region, they have begun indiscriminately attacking soldiers from both countries and demonstrating in extremely cruel ways. Now they even dare to stand up directly and openly engage in dialogue in front of the Jaeger Regiment officers and soldiers...

If someone dares to do this, there are only two possibilities.

First, they no longer wanted to hide it.

Secondly, these guys felt there was no need to hide anymore.

Hugh stared directly at the soldier before him, who had clearly been turned into a "puppet" by magic, and asked, "The Black Sun Society, is it?"

"It is we."

The soldier smiled and nodded: "The society has been looking forward to and preparing for today's gathering for a long time, so please make sure you attend, Mr. Hugh."

"Prepared for a long time? When did the preparation begin?"

"Before the winter festival, when you haven't received the recruitment notice yet."

He stood straight, one hand behind his back and the other on his lower abdomen—a posture often used by scholars and professors. He said, "But at that time, our plan was still in the planning stage. We didn't officially begin implementation until the Fifth Jaeger Regiment set off from Brownhill Town."

The soldier maintained a smile throughout, yet his words instilled anger and fear in all the officers and soldiers present.

These few scattered sentences almost perfectly recounted the entire itinerary of the Fifth Javelin Regiment during this period.

In fact, the operations of the Fifth Jaeger Regiment have always been kept under "limited" secrecy within the Walter military. The fact that he could say such a thing can only mean that there are serious loopholes within the Walter military, or even traitors. Only in this way could the enemy possibly have knowledge of the Fifth Jaeger Regiment's operational plans and status!

Despite the clearly provocative words, Hugh remained remarkably calm.

After all, the previous bombardment of Borden had already proven that the Black Sun Society's infiltration of various systems in different countries had already reached a terrifying level. Since a city defense officer could be found who dared to fire on his own country's capital, it was only natural that a staff officer or clerk who would leak military secrets could also emerge.

The soldier took a small step forward towards Hugh: "Mr. Hugh, can you sense our sincerity from the Society's plans?"

"Does your so-called sincerity mean destroying the Jaeger Regiment's outposts and observation posts, killing over a hundred of our soldiers, and attempting to interfere with and hinder the Jaeger Regiment's subsequent operations?"

Hughes sneered: "If that's the case, then you can certainly be considered 'full of sincerity'."

"No, no, no... Mr. Hugh, what you said is basically accurate, but I still want to clarify some misunderstandings."

The being that controlled the soldiers' will said: "At least, the vast majority of the garrison in Black Forest Fortress, including a company of soldiers from the Fifth Regiment and those alchemists, are still alive. Therefore, the number of Regiment members who have sacrificed themselves for this association is less than one hundred."

The soldier's smile grew increasingly bizarre and sinister: "But if you refuse to attend this gathering prepared by the society, the losses the Jaeger Corps will suffer will far exceed your imagination..."

As he spoke, the soldier spread his hands, and his gaze drifted to the Votel officers and mages behind him: "In fact, you all don't need to be so nervous, nor do you need to be so hostile towards us... As long as Mr. Hugh is willing to attend the meeting, the Society is even willing to transport the crystal cannons that you urgently need out for you."

These arrogant words greatly offended the proud soldiers of the Waterl army. The accompanying Jaeger Corps officer angrily drew his revolver, but before he could make a further move, a strange magical disturbance suddenly emanated from the direction of the hill. Its speed was astonishing, and it even broke through the magical perception of Vilin, a Lake-level scholar, in an instant.

An extremely strong magical thread connected directly to the enraged Jaeger officer. Then, in front of everyone, the officer made an extremely strange move—he raised the revolver, but instead of aiming forward, he opened his mouth and pointed the muzzle at his own mouth.

Even without looking at the officer's expression, Hugh knew that this was definitely not of his own volition.

At this moment, Hugh didn't need to lift a finger, because the magical intervention from Virin had already begun the instant the officer showed any unusual behavior. Compared to the past, her spellcasting was now more decisive and powerful, and the intricate magic runes were instantly constructed, forming a complete protective ritual.

The moment the protective ritual took effect, the simple yet resilient ritual field swept through the air like a magic blade, instantly destroying the thin magic line that extended from nothingness. The officer, whose actions had been forcibly manipulated, also put down his weapon, panting.

Faced with Verine's exceptionally skillful spellcasting, the soldier showed no anger whatsoever. On the contrary, under the manipulation of the Black Sun Society member, he even revealed a hint of admiration: "Miss Verine truly lives up to her reputation as an outstanding scholar cultivated by Merlinler. Normally, the Society would be more than happy to welcome you to our gatherings, but unfortunately, not this time... You are not on the invitation list."

After saying that, he turned his head again: "Mr. Hugh, what has your decision been?"

"I am certainly interested in attending the association's meetings."

Hugh remained calm, as if he were completely unaware of the danger behind the invitation, and said to the soldiers before him, "However, I think your sincerity is limited... at least in my opinion, far from enough."

Upon hearing this, the soldier's expression seemed to freeze for a moment. The Black Sun Society member hiding behind the soldier seemed not to have expected that, even at this moment, Hugh, as the disadvantaged party in the negotiations, would still have the courage and confidence to negotiate with him.

However, Hugh ignored his reaction and continued, "The Society seems to understand the significance of these crystal cannons to the Jaeger Corps, and also the importance of those hostages."

He stepped forward, standing directly in front of the soldier, and a black mist, belonging to the messenger in the mirror, swirled deep within his eyes: "But what makes you think I will definitely choose to accept the invitation?"

As he spoke, the black mist completely filled Hugh's eyes, giving his face an air of pressure that set him apart from ordinary people.

"Right, that is it!"

Alexandra's voice kept echoing in Hugh's mental world.

This legendary countess had experienced countless negotiations, large and small, throughout her life, so she immediately offered her advice to Hugh: "When conditions permit, the best way to deal with a threat is always to threaten back!"

“Since these members of the Black Sun Society went to such great lengths to plan this and specifically chose to meet you at the most dangerous time for the Javelin Regiment, it means that the gathering they mentioned must be very important—grasp this point, and you yourself will be the most important bargaining chip!”

So, Shug stared intently into the eyes of the soldier before him. In the light and shadow brought about by the power of the Dark Abyss Palace, that unique sense of oppression successfully transmitted towards the direction of the Black Forest Fortress through the magical connection on the soldier's body.

Following Alexandra's advice, Hughes stated his demands directly: "My choice depends on your sincerity... If you have no authority to make a decision, then pass on my words to the person among you who has the authority, and let me speak with him."

The soldier's eyes flickered, and the will hidden behind the soldier exchanged glances with Hugh, as if it were seriously trying to figure out Hugh's attitude.

After a few seconds of silence, the soldier nodded: "Alright, Mr. Hugh, what are your conditions?"

“Return all hostages immediately, and transport the crystal cannons and ammunition needed by the Fifth Mercenary Regiment in the form of a convoy. Let them follow the team behind me back to the Mercenary Regiment’s position... As for me, I will stay here and go into Black Forest Fortress with you to attend the gathering you mentioned.”

The moment Hughes uttered those words, Veraine, who had been standing silently behind him, frowned. Her lips and hands trembled slightly, but she ultimately remained silent and made no other move.

Upon hearing Hugh's conditions, the Black Sun Society member immediately gave an affirmative answer: "Of course! We will fulfill your request now, please wait a moment."

The moment the words left his mouth, the special magic cast on the young soldier immediately dissipated, and the soldier, who had already lost consciousness, collapsed to the ground. He was then dragged back by a group of army mages and handed over to the waiting alchemist.

"Are you really going to do this?"

Vera's voice came from the side. Hugh turned his head, his gaze briefly meeting hers, but he did not speak.

Without a sound, Vera had already gotten the answer she needed from Hugh's expression. So she sighed heavily, stepped forward, and in front of the other mages, officers, and soldiers, reached out and took Hugh's spellbook, then replaced it with her own.

After making this gesture, Vera looked up, her eyes flickering behind her glasses: "Then use it well, especially the last page... Remember to return it to me when you're done."

Hughes nodded solemnly: "I understand."

Before the two could exchange more than a few words, one of the accompanying mages pointed towards Black Forest Fortress: "Look over there!"

Under the cover of night, a long, narrow procession emerged from the gates of Black Forest Castle. It consisted of the hunters who had been stationed inside the castle, as well as the alchemists who had been tending to the wounded. Leading the procession were a Stream-level mage and the officer in charge of the castle's defenses. All of them appeared to be in a dazed state, clearly indicating that the Black Sun Society had exerted a special influence on them through their magic and rituals.

Behind the hostage group, several enormous figures appeared—they had been lying prone on the hill, almost blending into the mountain and rocks.

These behemoths were comparable in size to steam train carriages, with short, stubby limbs and enormous heads. In the deep night, their rugged backs shimmered with a dim, deep red light, as if their skin were covered with burning charcoal.

"It's a Molten Earth Dragon..."

Vera immediately recognized the species of these enormous animals, and she couldn't help but shake her head: "The Black Sun Society actually has the ability to raise large magical animals?"

To the soldiers' astonishment, these enormous magical creatures, already extremely rare on the Goddess Plains, arrived in front of the gates of Black Forest Castle. Immediately afterwards, huge trailers were attached to the molten earth dragons, and on these trailers were the crystal cannons that the Fifth Hunter Regiment urgently needed.

It seems that the Black Sun Society had prepared these conditions long ago, and they were ready to carry them out as long as Hugh made the request.

Soon, the group of hostages walked down the road, and as the magic cast on them wore off, the poor hostages immediately collapsed to the ground and were carried to vehicles at the back by the alchemists and soldiers who had been waiting for a long time.

As the molten earth dragons dragging the crystal cannons approached, the packhorses in the group, which were specifically used to carry ammunition, and the heavy draft horses prepared to pull the crystal cannons, all showed great unease. These enormous magical creatures were natural enemies of many land animals. As close relatives of ancient dragons, their very existence was a deterrent to other creatures.

A figure jumped off the molten earth dragon at the very front.

This was a middle-aged man with a mustache, wearing a black top hat and a dark suit. He slowly walked up to Hugh, with one hand behind his back and the other in front of him.

Clearly, he was the one who manipulated the young soldiers to communicate with Hugh and the others.

"The deal is done, Mr. Hugh... You have surely seen the sincerity of the Black Sun Society. Now, it is up to you to fulfill your promise."

The middle-aged monk turned to the side and made a "please" gesture: "Please follow me."

(End of this chapter)