The black sun hangs high

Chapter 342 Temptation
Under normal circumstances, negotiation is certainly a complex and technical task.

Activities closely related to the political sphere inevitably involve a variety of complex knowledge and skills, including etiquette, interpersonal relationships, and the selection and use of rhetoric.

Things like this always cause great trouble for negotiators who are not proficient in this area.

When the sword-wielding hermitage leader spoke, Hugh was already prepared for all sorts of troublesome challenges. However, the sword-wielding hermit did not try to make things difficult for Hugh with words. Instead, like those dwarves who liked to turn the negotiating table into a drinking table and a boxing ring, he used the most straightforward and brutal negotiation method.

There was no unnecessary conversation or polite formalities; they went straight to asking about the purpose, conditions, and thoughts...

It was as if everyone could turn the meeting room into a battlefield if they couldn't reach an agreement.

Faced with this situation, Hugh remained remarkably calm. He gave Richard a wink, and the latter immediately stepped back, took out his notebook, and began taking meeting notes. Hugh himself, on the other hand, gave the Hermitage a smile.

“Our idea and goal of visiting the hermitage have already been mentioned in the documents submitted to the Legal Affairs Commission.”

He looked directly at the unusual female swordswoman before him, his tone calm: "The Dawn Society has effectively declared war on the Black Sun Society, but battles never end in a head-on confrontation. The Dawn Society hopes to address its weaknesses, especially in its fight against the Black Sun Society's mages."

The swordsman glanced at Hughes silently for a moment, then nodded slightly: "I've read that document... I personally agree with what you mentioned in it, however..."

She turned and walked to one side of the reception room, raised her palm and gently tapped twice on the flat, empty wall. A ritual hidden in the reception room was quickly activated, and a layer of color covering the wall quickly faded, instantly revealing a huge hidden oil painting.

The painting, shrouded in a magical ritual, covered an entire wall. When Hugh turned to look, he saw that the giant painting depicted countless different battle scenes—it was actually pieced together from many scenes of similar size.

In the first image, a tall figure clad in heavy armor holds a heavy shield, battling against various magical lights. The swordsman's silver sword is broken, with only half still held in his hand.

In the second scene, many spellcasters in robes are gathered in a barn-like building discussing something. Above them, a relatively slender swordsman in light armor is hiding in the shadows. Hughes sees that the swordsman is holding an alchemical bomb that is flashing with a dangerous light in his hand.

In the third image, a swordsman has clearly been captured. His armor has been removed, and his body is strapped to heavy metal shackles. His strong body is covered with gruesome wounds and bloodstains. He is bowing his head, seemingly dead, but in his hand hidden behind his back, he is tightly gripping a sharp metal blade.

The composition of the fourth image is quite classic. On a vast, empty battlefield, many figures have fallen, including severed limbs clad in heavy armor and bodies torn apart by magic and blades. In the very center of this brutal battlefield, a blood-soaked swordsman has severed the head of the last enemy with his weapon and is raising it high to show off to those around him.

"In the history of Vaan, apart from the war that just ended, the Legal Committee has never truly participated in any war... nor has it ever had a direct conflict with any country."

At this moment, the female swordswoman's voice finally showed some emotion. She said in a low voice, "The Legal Council cannot establish its position in Vaan by magic and academics alone. So we came into being, a group of emotionless, hostile wild mages, and extremely bloodthirsty madmen and monsters."

"To eliminate all threats at the outset, to drown all hidden dangers in blood, to nail the true control of magic to Merlinler and... Do you know what we paid to achieve these goals?"

Neither Hugh nor Richard spoke; it was clearly not the right time to offer their opinions.

Then the person in charge slowly said, "Every year, every month, the number of candidates whose bodies and wills have completely collapsed due to taking those magic potions far exceeds what the outside world can imagine... When necessary, we will even secretly list some mage apprentices as candidates."

"However, even if we can provide armor and weapons to fight magic, and use all sorts of expensive potions to give the body great power, countless swordsmen will still perish in the mission."

At this point, she gave Hugh a deep look: "I don't know much about the Dawn Society, but from what I can see right now, the people among you who are willing to fight against the Black Sun Society are probably just ordinary soldiers or mages, right?"

She raised her voice: "If the Dawn Society wants to use these people to fight the Black Sun Society, then you should go to the Voltel instead of us... Let them train your young people to be spies and agents, instead of throwing them into the battle against those spellcasters, which will only turn them into worthless pieces of meat!"

These words were utterly merciless, and for Richard, who had personally experienced the vast disparity in fighting strength between the two sides, their persuasiveness was self-evident.

However, Hugh shook his head with a smile, a gesture that slightly displeased the swordsman before him.

"It seems Mr. Ernst does not agree with my suggestion?"

"Misunderstood."

Hughes maintained his smile: "I don't want to refute your point of view. On the contrary, I agree with your statement. Letting people who do not have the corresponding power join the battle is an extremely irresponsible and arrogant adventure. However... Akatsuki's ideas and plans are not exactly the same as your understanding of 'battle'."

"Oh? Tell me."

If anyone else had said that, the person in charge would certainly not have believed it. After all, there were far too many people in Vain who liked to boast. However, Hugh's identity and experience were too special. As the person in charge of the hermitage, she was also eager to hear what "brilliant insights" this young man, who had once killed his colleague as a weak wild mage, would have.

"The factors that constitute confrontation and battle are extremely complex... As depicted in these paintings, both sides may kill or annihilate their opponents on the front lines, or they may infiltrate each other's gathering places and use other tools and means to achieve great results."

Richard, sitting to the side, had his eyes shining as he took notes at lightning speed. He realized that this seemingly informal meeting could play a huge role in the future of the Dawn Society and the Dawnblade.

Hugh continued, “When I was still on the run in Seren, I only had two spells at my disposal… and the only thing I had that could harm the swordsman who was chasing me was a rather unusual alchemical bomb.”

Upon hearing this, the person in charge of the swordsman frowned: "Is it just 'not quite normal'?"

"Well, perhaps its power and form are indeed somewhat bizarre... but undeniably, in an open space, the destructive power of a suddenly exploding 'hair' is ultimately limited. The fundamental reason that pursuer died was because he underestimated me, desperately wanting to crush me in a small shop with his own strength." "Mr. Ernst, are you deliberately boasting to me about your glorious achievements?"

"Of course not, ma'am."

Hugh shook his head: "The reason I used this unpleasant case is to illustrate a very important point—the strength of power does not directly determine the outcome of a confrontation. The acquisition of intelligence, understanding of the environment, the use of external forces... such factors can all affect the outcome of an event."

He pointed to the new type of firearm at the swordsman's waist: "I have noticed that the swordsmen in the hermitage have replaced their equipment on a large scale. I imagine that you have all felt the impact of these new products. Magic, steam, and metal machinery have been perfectly integrated into them, and the integration is still ongoing."

"So, what if we could apply the same approach to other areas?"

"Think about it, madam. What if, in the future, sword-wielders no longer need to appear immediately when taking action, but can instead rely on professionals who have mastered espionage skills, carry dangerous weapons, and can use some magical tools to deal with enemies to create a huge hunting ground? After successfully surrounding and locking onto the prey, the sword-wielding hermits with extremely strong combat power can then make their move..."

Perhaps because of those "bad habits" he had developed before, Hugh's voice involuntarily took on a subtle, guiding, and seductive tone.

Richard, who was sitting to the side, heard it very clearly, and his expression became subtle.

However, the usually very serious head of the hermitage now had a different expression.

She didn't pay much attention to Hugh's tone, because the picture he was describing seemed to be able to effectively help the Legal Committee and the Sword-wielding Hermits deal with some problems that were difficult to handle in the past.

So she began, “I admit, Mr. Ernst, what you say is very tempting, but to achieve this goal, the Hermitage alone is not enough… The Waterloo have the highest investment in spies and secret agents…”

"Easy to handle."

Hughes raised an eyebrow: "Princess Sophia of Walter is also in Merlinle now. I will discuss this matter with her."

……

The morning in Merlinle passed by peacefully, little by little.

Holding her magic book, Vera slowly walked down the long steps of the academy area. Along the way, she encountered many familiar faces. Most of these mages, who had studied and trained in the same classroom in the past, cast complicated glances at her.

Vera encountered similar stares when she visited her former teachers and professors.

Perhaps because they had been notified in advance, these proud mages, who always considered themselves orthodox Merlinlers, did not show much hostility towards Vilin, the "traitor." However, the sense of alienation hidden in their expressions and words was not so easy to conceal.

She is in a bad mood now.

However, the reason for this situation was not the strange looks that the mages inadvertently revealed, nor the occasional inquiries and questions about the Dawn Society and Hugh Ernst that were thrown out during the conversation.

What truly saddened Vilin was the situation of one of her mentors.

This mentor was the same magic scholar who had helped her conquer lake-level magic and introduced her to the special field of "evil magic".

To Vera's surprise, she saw him this time in the ward of the Merlinle and Healing Mage Academy.

He's crazy.

He's gone completely insane.

The cause and effect have not yet been clarified. The healing mage in charge of taking care of Vilin told her with some difficulty that the mentor was normal the night before. That night, he and the other professors had a simple celebration to celebrate some new breakthroughs and progress he had made in the field of "evil magic".

"He even bought expensive wine from the outer city, but in the morning, the apprentice found thick smoke coming out of his room."

"When the others arrived, they found that he had gone mad... All the notes and documents he used to record the progress of his research had been burned by him with fire magic, which is how the thick smoke came about."

"The walls and floors of his bedroom were covered with strange symbols and patterns scribbled on with magical ink, which did not conform to any known type of magic."

"We have conducted multiple rounds of assessments and have basically concluded that during his research on 'evil magic,' some inappropriate actions triggered a violent magical shock, ultimately causing irreversible damage to his mind."

Violet finally reached the top of the long staircase. She sat down on a bench beside the stairs, slightly raised her gaze, and then looked back down at the ground.

Throughout Vaan's history, countless spellcasters have gone mad from their research into evil magic, and the general perception of these researchers is predominantly negative.

However, faced with the shadow hanging in the sky, this issue, which has been resisted by people in the past, seems to have finally come to the forefront.

(End of this chapter)