Do you have a problem with necromancers?

Chapter 85 Living Life Seriously (6)

In the High Elf court, numerous noble petitions were presented to the Inkmaster Burkitt, demanding a thorough investigation into the origin of the Mad God Plague, with the key focus on confirming whether it was "deliberately brought over by humans from the continent"—almost to the point of directly accusing Raine of being the culprit of the plague.

After all, in the eyes of most high elves, humans are an inferior race, either stupid or wicked. Since they dared to invade the Gem Isles without permission, it's only natural that they would bring the Mad God's Plague to the islands, isn't it?

Damn it, how can humans be so evil! We have to use Iron Fist!
King Bolzak knew, of course, that they were protesting his meeting with Irene, who had married a human, so he ordered the Imperial Advisor to keep all the petitions without giving any reply.

He suddenly remembered that Rein had declined the invitation to stay in the capital for a few more days, even though the court offered very generous terms. Perhaps he had anticipated that staying here would eventually lead to a mass attack.

If you were to marry such a wise human being, Eileen, perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad thing after all...

In the Gull Castle of Searock City, the old Marquis Fahel met separately with the returning human sailors, asking each of them about the details of their voyage and cross-checking their testimonies to reconstruct what had happened.

Clearly, Zircon Island, originally designated as a transshipment point for smuggled goods, has been struck by a magical curse known as the "Mad God Plague."

During the transport of goods, some of the high elf workers suddenly fell ill and attacked their fellow sailors and human sailors. The disease quickly spread to the family fleet, killing many sailors as well. As a result, the surviving high elves and humans were forced to band together and retreat to underwater caves to hold out for reinforcements.

They hid deep in the cave, enduring hunger and the torment of their injuries, until finally Renn and the third prince of the high elves came to their rescue... Wait, when did Renn get in touch with the third prince of the high elves?

Since Rein had led the team ashore on Zircon Island alone, the old Marquis had no other way to learn the specific details of the process. But even with his limited understanding, he could guess that it was Ellina's true identity that was exerting its influence.

After a long night of questioning, the old marquis finally learned from a sailor that while he was undergoing spiritual treatment, he had overheard two court monks discussing "the prince who had returned to the royal family."

In other words, Ellina's true identity is a member of the High Elf royal family?

When Marquis Fahre thought of this, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of respect.

There was no actual evidence to support this conjecture, but the old marquis instinctively realized that this was probably the truth. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain why the third prince of the high elf royal family would extend a helping hand to humans—the high elves' racial discrimination was notorious throughout the world.

However, this means that the family seal ring given to Renn will probably be impossible to take back.

Because Lady Raine is a noble member of the High Elf royal family, if this son is offended, a few words in his ear and his wife writes a letter back to her family complaining, then the Faher family can forget about getting any goods from the Gem Isles.

Marquis Fahre quickly made up his mind: there was no other way; the smuggling trade was too important to the family, so he could only make things difficult for Dolores!

In Eagle Fortress to the northwest, Dolores, the heir to the Faher patriarch, also received news from Searock City.

When Raine arrived at the Searock City docks, he openly wore the family seal ring on his hand, which was seen by many of his clansmen, so the news could not possibly have been kept secret.

For the other Faher people, it didn't matter who would become the family heir. But for Dolores, it was like a bolt from the blue, giving him a strong urge to immediately fulfill his filial duty to his father.

what about me?
Making Renn the heir? Seriously... do they think I'm dead?!
Dolores is now in his thirties and has been stationed at Eagle's Keep for almost ten years. Since everyone knows that he is the next Marquis Fahl, many knights have already rallied under his command.

Now that they learned that the successor was going to be changed, the Eagle Knights were all dumbfounded.

If they were to turn to Renn now, firstly, there would definitely not be enough time; secondly, betrayal would mean a lack of loyalty and would be looked down upon by the other party; and finally, and most importantly, Renn also has knights by his side!

When he initially recruited squires in Searock City, family knights without fiefs rushed to send their sons to Salt Island. When the news spread, the Eagle's Keep knights almost laughed it off—could a place like Salt Island really support knights?
Now it seems that these idle knights were not short-sighted people at all. They clearly took advantage of being in Haiyan City to obtain information early on that the old marquis valued Rein more, and therefore placed a heavy bet on him in advance!
In the Hall of Wings, Dolores was still reading the letter sent by the raven when a knight at the command table finally lost his patience and shouted:
"Lord Dolores! Are you just going to stand by and watch the Marquis hand over the position of heir that should be yours to someone else?"

Dolores asked in return, expressionless:

"What do you mean by 'the position that rightfully belongs to me as heir'? Sir Crawford, you need to understand that there is only one person in this world who can decide who the heir is, and that is my great and wise father."

“If he feels that Renne is more suitable than me to be the next Marquis of Fahre, then of course I am willing to trust and obey his decision. The most important qualities of the people of Fahre are unity, trust and obedience.”

The knights exchanged bewildered glances. Had their lord become so enraged that he was talking nonsense?

Just then, someone else suddenly spoke up:

“Your Excellency, if this is the Marquis’s will, then of course we have no choice but to obey. But is this truly the Marquis’s will? The tradition of the Fahr family is that the heir to the patriarch is granted Eagle Castle, but Rein has been granted Salt Island. Everyone knows what a wretched place that is. If the Marquis truly thought highly of him, how could he possibly send him there to eat salt?”

The knights immediately shouted:
"Yes!"

"There's definitely something wrong here!"

Dolores frowned slightly, stared at the knight who had spoken, and asked in a deep voice:

"What do you want to say?"

“I’ve heard that since the Marquis’s return, he has often acted strangely, saying one thing and doing another completely contradicting himself,” the knight said loudly. “For example, the mysterious death of Lord Kalicch on Salt Island enraged the Marquis, who even publicly interrogated Rein in the family hall. But halfway through the interrogation, he suddenly changed his attitude and announced that the matter would be temporarily shelved.”

"For example, when Renn resigned in the capital, the Marquis was extremely disappointed in him. He even expressed his disgust and dissatisfaction with his son in public on many occasions. However, when Renn returned from the capital, he suddenly changed his attitude again and even forbade his clansmen to discuss the matter in private."

"Clearly, the key turning point for each change in the Marquis's attitude was after he came into contact with Rein!"

"I suspect that Renn may be carrying some kind of magical artifact that can cast illusions through close contact, thereby altering the mind and behavior of the target!"

The knights listened with grave expressions, their hearts filled with doubt and uncertainty.

While this conjecture may seem far-fetched, it's not entirely without basis. The old marquis's attitude regarding matters concerning Renn often undergoes complete reversals, causing many clansmen who initially tried to read his words and fight for him to be frequently humiliated by him… These events had already reached Eaglehold.

While speculation without evidence is ultimately just speculation, in this social system ruled by feudal nobles, even the Minister of Justice often disregards the law, let alone these knights wielding weapons. If Raine's crimes could help Dolores come to power, then he must be guilty.

"It must be a magical artifact!"

"The old Marquis has been controlled and bewitched by Renn!"

"My lord! Just give the order, and we'll march back to Haiyan City, kill Renn, and save the old Marquis!"

Someone shouted this, and immediately all the knights rushed to express their opinions:
Our swords are ready to fight for you!

Dolores hesitated, saying with difficulty:
"These are all just your guesses. If Father is not under control..."

Two knights with exceptionally sharp eyes immediately rushed forward upon hearing this, forcibly supporting Dolores by the arm from beside the command table, half-lifting and half-carrying him to the lord's throne. They then drew their gleaming swords, knelt on one knee, and presented them to him with both hands.

"Please make the decision, my lord!"

“You…sigh.” Dolores gave a bitter smile. “You’ve really ruined my life.”

His expression struggled for a moment, then he finally reached out, grasped the longsword, and raised it high:

"Since Father seems to be in a bad state, it is my duty as his son and heir to save him! I, Dolores Fahre, hereby swear to the gods that I will rescue Father from the control of Renn! I will do whatever it takes, even give my own life!"

The Eagle Knights knights knelt down in unison, their armor pieces clanging and rattling.
"Your will is the direction we must move forward!"

Having finalized the rebellion plan, Dolores, no longer bothering to feign filial piety, took his longsword and went to the command table, where he gave instructions:

"Eagle Fortress's overall military strength is still somewhat inferior to that of Gull Fortress. If a conflict has already broken out, and Raven Fortress sends reinforcements upon hearing the news, then the situation will be extremely unfavorable for us."

The Eagle Knights nodded in agreement.

Of the three fortresses of the Fahr family, Eagle's Castle had the largest number of knights and could also conscript the most peasant militia. If the two sides were to engage in a direct battle, Eagle's Castle would actually be at a disadvantage.

However, recruiting militia takes time, and knights without fiefs usually spend most of their time in taverns and don't carry equipment with them, just like five fingers that haven't yet formed a fist.

If Eagle Fortress were to launch a lightning-fast attack on Searock City, it would likely be able to forcefully set the course of the battle before Gull Fortress could even react.

"Dusen, Lynn!" Dolores began issuing orders. "Among the Eagle Knights, there are several of my father's spies, and they are not in the Wings Hall at the moment. Take your troops and bring them under control!"

"Grekat, Mossall! You will lead two hundred soldiers south into the mountains. You must control the valley area by tomorrow evening and prevent Ravenburg from sending troops north to provide support!"

“Cassett! Have the maester prepare the ravens for High Rock! This matter involves the overall changes within the Faher family, and the Grand Duke’s opinion and attitude are of utmost importance. I will write to him personally!”

As more and more Eagle Knights departed to carry out their orders, the entire Eagle Fortress, like a war machine turned on by a switched switch, began to rumble and roar into action.

Salt Island Iron Harbor City, Blood Fortress Lord's Study.

Ryan was finally relieved to see that everything that had been planned had now been realized and was on the right track.

He didn't bother to inquire about or care how his family was rebuilding their smuggling fleet. In any case, the smuggling fleet on Salt Island, with lizardmen and human fishermen as sailors, had already made several trips between the Gem Islands and the mainland, bringing back many exquisite works of art and magical ornaments.

The High Elves' art style is unique, truly one of a kind in the world. Their metalwork features extremely intricate openwork decorations, conforming to a fine geometric aesthetic, making them high-value treasures that are difficult for human craftsmen to replicate; the details are adorned with a variety of gemstones, and the combination of colors and luster is simply superb.

No wonder these artworks sell like hotcakes in mainland China; every piece released is snapped up by the market, and there's never a shortage of wealthy, generous, and tasteful buyers.

Raine didn't intend to waste time and effort finding market channels; instead, he chose to contact Claudius, the commander of the Nightmare Legion, directly.

Reselling arms is a traditional profit-making business for the Imperial Legion, so it is no exaggeration to say that the number of River Reach merchants Claudius knows could probably build another Nightmare Legion.

Knowing that Raine had high elf artworks, Claudius did not refuse and replied with a very high price—of course, the price he would get for reselling the goods would be even higher, so it was a win-win situation for both parties.

Aside from artworks, magical ornaments are also unique to high elves.

For example, attaching thermostats to earrings or necklaces can provide some protection against heat and cold, much like hand warmers or small electric fans, but the heat preservation function is actually quite limited.

However, the magic-related accessories were undeniably high-class, and many nobles were willing to buy them as family heirlooms to preserve them, pretending that their families also possessed considerable wealth.

For example, a spoon with a fixed poison identification technique will quickly turn black when it comes into contact with poison. In Bersalia's words, "To believe that this thing can identify most poisons is an insult to an assassin who is proficient in poisons."

What she didn't know was that the buyer didn't need to identify the poison at all. The spoon's sole purpose was to serve a bowl of soup laced with common poison at aristocratic private banquets, showcasing its magical color-changing ability to the guests, and then basking in their flattery, praise, and sycophancy.

Claudius was unwilling to purchase these magical artifacts, believing that "there was no way to know if there was any more insidious magic hidden inside," and that any accident would ruin his reputation.

All Raine could do was write to Magus, the captain of the Imperial Guard, asking him to find some merchants in the capital who dealt in magical ornaments and ask if they would be willing to come to River Bend Province to inspect the goods.

In summary, with the opening of the Gem Islands trade route, Salt Island's business revenue this quarter is likely to exceed its output revenue over the past few decades.

The human and lizardman sailors involved in the smuggling also earned considerable income and wages. Life at sea was so arduous that upon returning to Salt Island, they would indulge in excessive drinking and consumption, indirectly boosting the development of various industries in Iron Harbor City. Many artisans hired from Searock City even had no intention of returning.

Seeing the rapidly increasing figures in Blood Fortress's accounts and its gold reserves, Dia was overjoyed every day.

As the lord's affairs officer of Salt Island, she developed a sense of ownership over the place and often came to Renn to report on new income.

“I understand.” After listening to her report, Renn calmly said, “You are not only an administrator, but also my personal maid. Don’t always focus on the territory’s income; taking care of the guests is also your responsibility. What have they been doing lately?”

“Hmm…” Dia began to recall, “As for Ellina, she’s been training the Knight Guard every day lately. Bersalia told me a few days ago that she needed a separate room to make potions, so I had the butler arrange the room in the northeast corner for her. Aurora goes to the top of the castle every day to watch the ravens train.”

Renn was silent for a moment, then subconsciously felt that something was wrong.

As ancient heroes whom I forcibly resurrected, shouldn't they be racking their brains to find a way to escape their caged state? Why do they all seem to have given up struggling and started working and living their lives seriously?

He decided to go and see for himself what those three elves were doing.

The knights and squires of Bloodfortress train daily in the castle courtyard.

Traditional knights of the Southern Empire mostly learned sword and shield techniques, while knights of the Northern Empire preferred two-handed swords. Ellina's vision clearly went beyond that; she required all knights to master sword and shield, greatsword, spear and shield, and bow and arrow. If it weren't for the fact that Salt Island couldn't raise horses, she might have also trained them in horsemanship, charging and thrusting, and mounted archery.

When Renn arrived in the courtyard, he saw the knights' servants fighting each other in pairs.

Ellina, meanwhile, sat under a large tree, leisurely sipping mead soaked in warm water.

"Don't you have anything else to do?" Ryan sat down next to her and took her bottle of liquor. "I didn't bring you back to life so you could drink here."

"What else do you need me to do?" Ellina asked, frowning.

"What's your opinion on impersonating Irene Fladsika?" Renn asked.

Ellina paused for a moment, then said:
"At most, I won't deny it."

“Very good.” Renn smiled with satisfaction.

The elven princess, who initially refused to cooperate, has now softened her stance considerably. If Bersalia's value lies more in her intellect and poisons, Aurora excels in long-range archery and sniping, and Dia possesses wide-range dragon breath attacks, then Ellina is a powerful hero who dominates close-to-mid-range combat. Whether it's spear skills or lightning magic, she plays a role that other heroes cannot replace.

Of course, her white hair and golden eyes were equally pleasing to the eye. Even without a perfect, fake smile, her indifferent or even disdainful expression was captivating; Renn felt he could tease her all day long.

However, since her attitude has softened, there's no need to deliberately provoke her for now.

Raine turned back to the castle and went to the room that Dia had mentioned, only to find that it had been decorated in the style of an alchemist.

Scattered on the wooden crates were various herbs, minerals, and animal remains. On the table were a large number of neatly arranged reagent bottles, and in the corner of the room, a crucible was bubbling away, the liquid inside being a bright green color and emitting a strangely unsettling odor.

Berthalia was facing away from the doorway, fiddling with something in a mortar and pestle.

"What are you doing?" Renn asked, leaning closer.

“Oh, you’re asking about this?” Bersalia showed him the contents of the mortar. “This contains the white nest of lampreys. After crushing it, you can dissolve it with high-purity Sunlight Liquor to make a very special solvent.”

"What kind of solvent is used for this medicine?"

“A potion that will make you lose control,” Bersalia said with a smile.

After a moment of silence, Renn suddenly felt he could understand how Ellina had felt when she faced him earlier.

"Can't you make some normal potions?" he said imperiously, adopting a superior's demeanor. "Is there any that will rapidly increase muscle explosive power after taking it? If you make it, you can give it to the knights."

“Yes,” Bersalia said. “I have a recipe for a berserker potion that supposedly increases strength to three times its original amount, but the price is that your entire arm will be crippled after you exert yourself once.”

"This potion of yours," Renn pondered for a moment, then asked, "can it be used on undead creatures?"

Berthalia knew exactly what he was thinking as soon as she heard him:
"I don't know, I haven't tried it, but I guess it probably won't work. The berserk potion works by increasing muscle activity by accelerating metabolism. Do undead undead bodies have metabolism?"

"Yes, for example, you guys."

“Then I wouldn’t mind using this potion,” Bersalia said with a smile. “Anyway, even if my arm is ruined, you can use your flesh magic to recreate one for me.”

Raine turned to look around the room and found that most of the reagent bottles were empty. Whatever Berthalia's schemes regarding poisons, she hadn't yet put them into practice, so there was no way to find any clues.

Leaving Berthalia's alchemy room, Renn spiraled up the tower stairs to the Raven's Nest at the top of the castle, where he indeed saw Aurora feeding a raven a piece of raw meat.

Upon seeing Raine, she seemed a little embarrassed, quickly tossing the raw meat into the pile of straw on the ground, and calmly asked:

"Raine, what are you doing here?"

“I heard someone’s trying to poison the ravens in Iron Harbor,” Raine said seriously, “so I came to check it out.”

“No, I… okay.” Aurora clearly had no sense of humor and said frankly, “I just miss the ravens I used to keep.”

"Do wood elves use ravens too? I thought you would tie letters to arrows and shoot them to the recipient with a whoosh."

“We do indeed use arrows to shoot letters,” Aurora explained, “if the letter itself contains a duel invitation.”

(End of this chapter)