Black Hearted Mage

The grand banquet began. Caesar, dressed in a noble robe, followed Joanna into the banquet hall. He was seated next to the main seat, a prominent and important position.

In the main seat sat an elderly man, dressed in ornate aristocratic robes and with meticulously groomed hair and beard. Old Joey sat side by side with Joanna, his gaze fixed on Caesars. This old noble had so easily believed the rumors that he considered the young magic apprentice his own nephew.

"Sister, my nephew has grown up so much, why didn't you tell me earlier? He is Master Kandel's personal assistant and old Roman's student. Can Avril also go to the North Tower to study?" Old Joey said.

Avril is Joey's granddaughter. She is only nine years old this year, but she has shown good magical talent and has become a future shining star in the Cavill family.

"No, the North Tower is too dangerous. It would be safer for Avril to stay in the Magic Guild." Joanna refused decisively.

"Joey, the North Tower is very dangerous. It's safer in the Magic Guild. Caesars, tell Joey how many people died in the Alchemy Tower this year, how many magicians and magic apprentices died in the North Tower!"

Joanna didn't want to explain to Old Joey right now. He was worried that the Cavill family wouldn't be able to keep the secret. Once the truth got out, the nobles would swarm around her like flies.

"Fifteen people died in the Alchemy Tower this year, one of whom was a magician, also a low-level alchemist. Fifteen magic apprentices also died in the High Tower, fourteen of whom were children of nobles!"

"How come so many people died?"

Old Joey shuddered when he heard the number Caesars said.

"The magicians of the Northland Tower are so powerful because of the brutal training environment. They've been taught the law of the jungle since childhood. Even in their teens, they already know how to eliminate their competitors!"

Joanna's words made old Joey give up his unrealistic idea. The Cavill family could not afford the loss.

"Kaesas, no one in the North Tower wants to get rid of you, right?" Old Joey asked for no reason. Kaesas has a relationship with the three great magicians.

"There is one, the dead magician. He opened the cage of the black snake and took out the magic crystal stone from the magic lamp, wanting the black snake to poison me to death!" Caesars said seriously.

"Ah! Are the people in the tower so brave? Caesars, you studied magic in the tower, how could it be related to the black magic snake?" Old Joey said in surprise.

Of course Old Joey knew about the Black Demon Snake. It was the nightmare of most people on the Roland Continent. Just mentioning the three words "Black Demon Snake" would make most people shudder.

"I helped Master Kandel feed the black magic snake and was paid handsomely. Moreover, I carry the black magic snake with me, and it is my secret weapon for self-defense!" Kaisas laughed proudly.

"You actually brought the black demon snake with you?"

Sitting next to Caesars was old Joey's youngest son. After hearing this, he pushed his chair away in horror and quickly hid aside.

"Coward! The black snake Caesars brought wasn't just any black snake, it was a golden-eyed black snake that could grow as thick as a thigh. The black snake is hidden in a linen bag and won't escape!"

Joanna looked at her nephew who was already over 40 years old and said with disdain and disdain.

"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Look everyone, there are so many delicious dishes on the table. Let's enjoy them!"

Old Joey quickly changed the subject, trying to ease the tension. Today was the Cavill family dinner, and it was unknown how long it would take for the next one to be held.

Caesars had a special liking for desserts, and the variety of delicacies here made him want more. He had never tasted such delicious food before, and a strong desire surged in his heart - he wanted to become a master wizard. That way, he could taste these delicious dishes every day, let his grandfather and father enjoy the finest rum, and he could wear smooth and beautiful silk robes.

However, the Cavill family was not as harmonious as it seemed. Like many other noble families, they faced internal conflicts brought about by the issue of inheritance. Conflict between those with the right to inherit and those without the right to inherit was often inevitable.

Fortunately, the Cavill family was only a small family, and the baronial title was relatively low, so the temptation of power was not that great. They only owned a small farm outside the city, and their main income came from the pastry business and the rent of the shop.

Caesars had heard that the Cavill family's small farm, located in the north of Fire Maple City, was small, consisting of only 1,800 acres of fertile land. Even more interesting, the farm was only a few miles away from the stone mountain where the tombs were located.

The Cavill family didn't engage in the grain business, not because they lacked the wealth or power to enter the field; on the contrary, they possessed substantial financial resources. However, their decision to avoid the grain industry was primarily to avoid conflicts of interest with the nobles of Fire Maple City. These nobles owned vast tracts of fertile land, amounting to thousands or even tens of thousands of acres. Despite this, Fire Maple City was not a major grain-producing region in the Roland Empire.

In contrast, the Emerald River Basin in the south has hundreds of millions of acres of fertile farmland. It is known as the granary of the Roland Empire. The grain produced there is not only of high quality but also cheaper.

Because the grain production in the area surrounding Fire Maple City was limited and unable to meet local demand, a large amount of grain had to be continuously transported from the southern part of the empire to fill the gap. In this process, a sharp conflict of interest gradually surfaced - a conflict arose between the nobles in the imperial capital and those in the countryside.

The influx of low-priced grain from the south into the market impacted grain prices in the imperial capital, harming the interests of the nobles of Fire Maple City. If the imperial family had not intervened promptly to mediate, this conflict would have likely sparked a civil war, bringing great turmoil to the Roland Empire.

A luxurious carriage belonging to the Cavill family was slowly driving towards the outskirts of Fire Maple City. A patrol from the imperial capital could be seen on the road. Inside the carriage sat two people: the great magician Joanna and Caesar, who was wearing a small robe.

"Ms. Joanna, have they started exploring the graves over there?"

"No, we're just clearing a path. There are a lot of spotted spiders in the dense forest, but there are also a lot of people going through. If the nobles want a share of the profits, they have to contribute. Let's go live on the farm first. The magic element there is higher than in the city, and the meditation effect will be better!"

Looking out the car window, Caesars could already see the rocky mountains in the distance, where thick smoke was billowing.

"Ma'am, they're setting the mountain on fire?"

"No, we're burning the trees and vines we cut down to clear the road. That'll scare the spiders away. Setting the mountain on fire won't work; the spiders will just flee!"

The carriage soon reached the rocky mountain, and Joanna wanted to see how the road was progressing. The nobles were camped outside the dense forest, and many figures in leather armor were looking toward the rocky mountain.

A burnt smell filled the air. In the dense forest with vines at the foot of the stone mountain, a simple gravel path led to the stone mountain, with thick ashes on both sides of the path.

After walking for more than 300 meters, the two of them smelled a pungent odor at the foot of the stone mountain. A large area had been cleared at the entrance of the stone cave.

Kandel, wearing an alchemical mask and protective suit, was spraying some pungent potion. Old Roman, wearing animal-hide gloves and an alchemical mask, was throwing yellow powder on the ground.

"These two damn old guys, what they spread is extremely poisonous. Caesars, let's go to the farm first!"

Joanna grabbed the small figure and immediately cast a flash spell, fleeing the poisonous area. No wonder she didn't encounter anyone else along the way; it turned out they were spraying a highly toxic alchemical potion.

"Ma'am, what are they doing?"

Back in the carriage outside the dense forest, Caesars asked curiously.

"Kandel is spraying strong acid, and Old Roman is spreading sulfur powder. As long as it doesn't rain, or we build a greenhouse, we can keep poisonous spiders away for three or four months!"

"Where will you camp?"

"That's right. That place is too dangerous now. We can't go there for at least three to five days!"

Joanna's carriage suddenly turned and headed east along a road lined with farmland. Before long, they arrived at the Cavill family's farm. The farm wasn't far from Stone Mountain, and it only took a short trip to reach it.

Upon entering the farm, one can see a courtyard surrounded by high walls, with an unusually solid gate. Inside, the courtyard is vast, housing dozens of houses, two high-foundation granaries, stables, a mill, a well, and other facilities.

As soon as Caesars got off the carriage, he began to sense the magical elements around him. He was surprised to find that the concentration of magical elements here was much higher than that in Huofeng City.

Inside the farm, there is a three-story stone building made of snow-white marble. It is understood that this building is the summer retreat for the Cavill family.

"Ms. Joanna, why can we see this kind of marble everywhere?" Caesars asked curiously.

He had seen this marble many times before. Its color was as white as snow, dazzling, and its hardness was relatively high. It could be found in the ruins of the Violet Alliance and in the lobby of the Mage Alliance headquarters. Even the floor tiles used by the Cavill family were made of this marble.

"There are several quarries in the Northern County that produce this kind of marble in large quantities. It's not expensive, and transportation is easy, as it's shipped along the Raging River. This marble is just a little whiter, which makes the room look brighter!"

When entering the living room, Caesars saw two familiar maids who had arrived before Joanna.

"Miss, the rooms have been cleaned and the cook is preparing lunch."

"Well, you guys take a break too. This is my territory, and Joey has no right to come here!"

Caesar was led upstairs by the maid. He needed to start meditating. He needed to have enough magic power to practice spells. Caesar had magic crystals, but Joanna told him that it was best not to use magic crystals when meditating for low-level apprentices.

In Caesar's pocket, there was a gray linen pocket, inside which was a small black snake and a dark storage ring. To prevent the ring from being swallowed by the small black snake, Caesar tied it tightly to the rope inside.

The small figure looked around, and when he found that there was no one around, he opened the storage ring, looked at it for a few seconds, and then hid it in the thick linen pocket.

Looking at the vast pile of high-level magic crystals, Caesars was even more motivated to become an intermediate magic apprentice as soon as possible, using these magic crystals to accelerate his training. As soon as he was promoted to a magician, he would leave the Northland Tower and cultivate underground in the ruins of Ludwig Castle. There, he found the largest magic gathering circle and spell books dating back over ten thousand years.

Five days later, the road near the stone mountain was widened and paved with flat stone slabs to facilitate the transportation of various supplies and the entry and exit of the nobles' carriages.

In a large farm not far from the Stone Mountain, nobles and magicians gathered together to discuss the supplies they would need. Several nobles, dressed in ornate robes, expressed some dissatisfaction at having to shell out gold coins again.

"The land is ours, and the roads have been built, so why do we need gold coins?"

An earl shouted with his face flushed, and the gold coins were spent like water, which made him feel extremely distressed.

"Don't we have gold coins? Strong acid, sulfur powder, and a large amount of magic crystals and high-level potions required for tomb exploration. If you don't want to participate, then get out immediately! I believe there are many people eager to join."

Old Roman was once a nobleman, and he showed extreme contempt for those nobles who were reluctant to spend their gold coins but still wanted to gain benefits. In his view, such nobles were not true nobles. They lacked family background and completely violated the basic rules of nobility.

"Count Bordeaux, we will deliver the gold coins to your house tomorrow. Now, please leave my estate immediately!"

Duke Solomon, dressed in a black robe, frowned, his eyes revealing dissatisfaction and majesty as he stared directly at the middle-aged earl. Duke Barton, standing beside him, nodded slightly in agreement, while Duke Joyce smiled, as if he had already seen through everything.

When the three grand dukes of the empire reached a consensus, it meant that the Bordeaux family had been kicked out of the center of power.

The Count of Bordeaux was so angry that his face turned red, but he lacked the courage and strength to challenge the three dukes, so he could only leave in disgrace.

"Solomon, you're going to return the gold to someone like him?"

Old Roman was somewhat dissatisfied. He felt that the treatment of the Count of Bordeaux was a bit too light and did not hit the other party's sore spot at all.

"Old Roman, the Count of Bordeaux is a nepotist. His sister has an illegitimate child with the Emperor. We can't touch him for now. We have to give His Majesty some face!"

"No wonder there's no noble background at all!"