Black Hearted Mage

In this thrilling battle, the duel between the Great Mage and the Fat Dog was surprisingly brief; the outcome was decided in just a few minutes. And Ximin, leader of the Royal Mage Corps and known as the elite magician of the Roland Empire, unexpectedly suffered a crushing defeat in this seemingly unequal battle!

Duke Solomon, witnessing this scene, couldn't help but burst into laughter. With a smug look on his face, he extended his hand and gestured to Prince Bernard, his meaning clear: the bet was over, and it was time to fulfill the bet!

At this moment, the fifty-year-old prince's face was somewhat gloomy. Westminster was a capable assistant he had won over with great effort. Who could have expected that this so-called elite magician could not even defeat a fat dog? This was undoubtedly a resounding slap in the face for him, leaving him humiliated.

Prince Bernard's expression grew increasingly ugly. He walked to Westminster with a sullen face, squatted down, and without hesitation, snatched the dragon blood wood staff.

"Westminster, if you want to accept the bet, then use this staff to exchange for the 350,000 gold coins!" His voice was cold, leaving no room for negotiation.

Prince Bernard had paid a huge price for this staff. He had spent over 400,000 gold coins to acquire it! This staff wasn't made from the heart of a thousand-year-old dragon's blood tree; it was simply slightly transparent.

This prince of the Roland Empire was arrogance par excellence. He unceremoniously handed the staff to Duke Solomon instead of directly to Caesar, seemingly completely disregarding Caesar. Furthermore, he unceremoniously ordered the guards to lift Westminster and then swaggered towards the luxurious carriage parked nearby.

As the prince walked away, Caesars's gaze slowly shifted to the frowning old duke. He seemed quite dissatisfied with the prince's actions, so he asked, "Duke Solomon, this guy is so arrogant. Is he trying to force you to take sides?"

Duke Solomon nodded solemnly and responded, "Yes, Caesars, the old emperor's condition has indeed been a bit bad recently. He's always drowsy, and he spends most of the day like this. Now, the two powerful princes are eagerly forcing the others to take a stand. If this continues, I'm afraid Fire Maple City will be plunged into chaos!"

Upon hearing this, Caesars couldn't help but frown and asked, "The old emperor is just drowsy. Is there no other reason for this?"

Duke Solomon sighed and replied, "Several magicians have carefully checked it, and it is indeed not caused by other factors."

Kaisas thought for a moment and then asked, "Will giving him a vitality potion have any effect?"

Duke Solomon shook his head and said helplessly, "Drinking the vitality potion does have some effect, but it only lasts for a few days."

Kaisas's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. He nodded gently, then spoke slowly, "I have a few bottles of specially made awakening potion here. Even a person who is unconscious can become lively and energetic after drinking it. However, this potion tastes unpleasant, and most people may find it difficult to tolerate it."

Duke Solomon's eyes flashed with surprise when he heard this, but he quickly regained his composure. He said firmly, "It doesn't matter. Even if this potion tastes terrible, the old emperor will definitely be able to drink it. His thirst for power is enough to enable him to overcome any difficulty!"

Caesars smiled slightly, expressing his agreement, and then added, "Actually, the old emperor doesn't need to drink the entire bottle of potion. Just a few drops will be enough. This sobering potion is extremely precious. One bottle costs five thousand high-grade magic crystals!"

"Five thousand magic crystals!" Duke Solomon screamed, clearly shocked by the price. He stared at Caesars with wide eyes, as if he had heard a figure from a fairy tale.

However, after a moment, Duke Solomon sighed helplessly, shook his head and said, "Although this price is indeed ridiculously high, I think that the old emperor will definitely be willing to accept it because of his extreme desire for power."

The smile on Kaisas's face widened. He nodded in satisfaction, then patted Emily on the shoulder, as if hinting at something. Emily understood, and a look of joy appeared on her face, because she knew that after this successful transaction, their cultivation resources would be further increased.

The puppy grumbled in dissatisfaction; it was already feeling very hungry.

"Your Excellency, please arrange lunch quickly. My fat dog has only had one meal today and is already very dissatisfied!"

"Let's go to the restaurant!"

The three of them slowly walked toward the dining room when suddenly, a crisp clang sounded behind them. They turned in unison to see the plump puppy clutching its massive magic steel food bowl. The bowl looked heavy, forming a stark contrast to the puppy's bulk.

The puppy gnawed its sharp fangs gently at the edge of the food bowl and followed the three people unsteadily, as if afraid of falling out. Its steps were a little clumsy, but revealed a unique kind of cuteness.

After they walked into the restaurant and enjoyed a hearty lunch, they moved to the living room. The puppy was already full and lying on the ground, motionless.

Caesars did not pay too much attention to the lazy puppy, but went straight to the point and asked Duke Solomon to exchange golden ginseng for magic crystals.

"Caesars, you only bring one golden ginseng every time. There are so many people here, and this is far from enough! Can't you get a few more?" Duke Solomon complained somewhat dissatisfiedly.

Kaisas smiled helplessly and explained, "Old Duke, I brought two golden ginseng plants this time. The golden ginseng in the crater is in short supply now, and that fat dog ate a lot of it. So, I won't be able to get more in the short term."

Upon hearing this, Duke Solomon couldn't help but sigh, "What a sin!" His eyes immediately fell on the fat dog that was snoring, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes. If the fat dog hadn't just defeated a great magician, Solomon would have been unable to resist butchering it himself.

"Your Excellency the Duke, is little Amy in Fire Maple City?"

"..."

Caesar asked. Seeing the old duke's confused face, Caesar could only continue, "She is the daughter of Lecia. Emily wants to meet her. They used to be playmates every day!"

Duke Solomon suddenly realized and said, "Emilia is not in Fire Maple City. She is in a manor outside the city. I will send someone to pick her up and bring her to Fire Maple City tomorrow!"

"Send little Amy to the Imperial City Plaza. Emily and I will set up a stall there for the next few days!"

Emily was a little excited. She could finally see little Amy again.

Not long after, Caesars hurriedly left the Duke's Palace, carrying the magic crystal. Meanwhile, Solomon immediately informed the old emperor of the good news that he would obtain the golden ginseng and the sobering potion.

The afternoon sun was warm and gentle, casting a shadow over the Grand Plaza of the Imperial Capital, creating a bustling scene. People were coming and going in an endless stream, shopping, strolling, or chatting with friends. It was a bustling scene.

Caesars led Emily through the bustling crowd and walked straight to a sturdy fire maple tree. The fire maple tree was tall and straight, and its dense branches and leaves swayed gently in the breeze, as if welcoming their arrival.

Caesars took out a thick piece of animal hide and spread it flat on the ground. Then he took out two exquisite flame maple chairs and a small and exquisite coffee table and placed them neatly beside the animal hide.

"Emily, just sit on this chair and watch how I set up the stall!" Kaisas said to Emily with a smile, his eyes revealing confidence and expectation.

Then, Caesars took out several sets of leather armor and weapons, as well as a small amount of herbs, from his space ring and placed them neatly on the stall. However, he did not take out the magician's equipment for the time being, as if he had other plans.

Caesar's stall was located on the south side of the Grand Plaza, about two miles away from the Magic Guild on the north side. He had chosen this location, clearly hoping to keep a low profile and avoid attracting too much attention.

Just as Caesars was busy setting up his stall, a tax collector in a black uniform approached. He was a burly man with a serious expression, nicknamed the "Imperial Hound," and was responsible for collecting various taxes.

Seeing this, Caesar said politely: "Hello, sir. I just came here to set up a stall. This is a gold coin of tax. Please accept it." After that, he took out a glittering gold coin from his pocket and handed it to the tax officer.

The tax officer took the gold coins, checked them carefully, nodded with satisfaction and said, "Well, not bad. I wish you a prosperous business!" After that, he took out the account book and made a record, then turned and left to continue inspecting the area he was responsible for.

Leather armor is the most commonly used armor among mercenaries, far surpassing any other type of armor. Among the many types of leather armor, Magic Pattern Leather Armor is undoubtedly the most premium, offering the same lightweight and flexible qualities as regular leather armor while significantly improving its protective capabilities.

Among mercenaries, leather armor is worn by a wide variety of classes. Archers, Assassins, and Wind Warriors are particularly frequent users of leather armor. After all, for these classes, flexibility and agility are crucial in combat, and leather armor perfectly meets these needs.

Surprisingly, even shield warriors, renowned for their defensive prowess, sometimes choose to wear leather armor. This isn't because they don't prioritize defense, but rather because magic steel plate is too heavy, significantly hindering their ability to dodge in combat. While leather armor offers slightly less protection, it allows shield warriors greater flexibility in combat.

When everything was ready, Caesars leisurely sat on the chair made of flame maple wood, and then took out a pot of black tea that had been prepared long ago from his arms. He gently opened the lid of the pot, and a rich tea aroma immediately wafted out.

Meanwhile, the puppy was lying lazily on the stall, motionless. Apparently, it had just eaten too much and had no desire to move at all.

The afternoon sun was so intense that it seemed to scorch the entire world. Therefore, when some people crossed the square, they would invariably choose to walk under the shade of trees to avoid the scorching sun.

Just then, Kaisas's stall welcomed its first customer. It was a relatively thin mercenary who slowly crouched down and carefully examined a set of matte black leather armor on the stall. The leather armor looked of high quality, clearly meticulously crafted.

After inspecting the leather armor, the young mercenary did not stand up immediately, but continued to examine several other sets of leather armor. His movements seemed somewhat slow and methodical, as if he was carefully comparing the pros and cons of each set of leather armor.

After a while, the mercenary finally stopped what he was doing, raised his head, looked straight at Caesar, and asked, "Can I ask a question?"

"can!"

The mercenary asked suspiciously, "These magic pattern leather armors appear to be intact. So how did their owners die?"

Caesars calmly replied, "Their cervical vertebrae were severed from behind. The weapon used was exceptionally sharp, and the technique was clean and efficient. That's why the leather armor is so intact, without even a trace of blood on it!"

As Caesar spoke, he observed the mercenary in front of him calmly. He secretly speculated that this mercenary might also be a stealth fighter or an assassin.

The mercenary was obviously shocked by Caesar's answer. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "How could so many assassins be attacked from behind?"

The corners of Caesar's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. He explained, "This isn't surprising. The difference in strength between the two sides is too great. One side is a high-level assassin, while the other side is all Paladin-level assassins. Whether it's a head-on confrontation or a sneak attack from behind, the outcome will remain the same!"

After hearing what Caesars said, the mercenary trembled all over as if struck by lightning, and involuntarily took a breath of cold air and made a "hiss" sound.

"These leather armors are 600 gold coins a set?" the mercenary asked.

"Yes, the price is clearly marked: six hundred gold coins!"

Kaisas pointed to the wooden boards on the stall, on which the prices were written.

"Where's the weapon? I mean the short sword!"

“Someone bought it!”

The mercenary sighed after hearing the answer. He chose a set of dark gray matte leather armor and put down six hundred gold coins.

"Emily, setting up a stall and selling things is that simple. Come and try it later. The prices are clearly stated, and all you have to do is collect the gold coins!"

"Great!"