Black Hearted Mage

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the clouds onto the Imperial City Plaza, bringing a refreshing and tranquil feeling. Caesars and Emily arrived early, planning to set up a stall in this bustling area to sell some items.

After spreading out the hides, Emily first sorted out the remaining items from yesterday. She looked at the three sets of magic pattern leather armor and the several hard armor patches that increased the armor's defense, and she couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"Brother, it seems that there are not enough things. Is there anything else you want to take out for the stall?"

Emily looked up at Caesar, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

Kaisas smiled slightly and took out some items from the backpack on his back.

"Of course. Today we are selling equipment for magicians and archers. Here are magic robes, magic accessories, wands, and various alchemical potions." He said as he showed these items to Emily.

Then, Caesars took out a complete set of archer's leather armor, including a magic steel bow, arrows, bowstring, etc. Emily's eyes lit up, and she immediately got busy, sorting these things and placing them neatly.

Seeing Emily's seriousness, Caesars felt very relieved. He knew Emily was working hard and was looking forward to this stall.

"Emily, after you put your things away, take a look at the herbal atlas. There aren't many people in the square right now, so you can study it first." Caesars said gently to Emily.

Emily nodded and replied with a smile, "Okay, brother!" Then she continued to concentrate on organizing the items on the stall, looking forward to a good harvest today.

Emily quickly arranged the items and then pulled a thick book from her storage ring. This herbal atlas came from the Roland Continent. It not only contained exquisite illustrations but also detailed descriptions of the distribution areas and growing environments of various herbs, as well as some of their characteristics and uses.

At the same time, Kaisas also took out a few magic crystals from his storage space, sat quietly aside, and began to absorb the magic power contained in them. Although he had reached the level of a mage in the field of arcane magic, he was still only a great magician in terms of elemental energy.

At this moment, a clear and pleasant voice came from not far away: "Amelie, Caesars!"

Caesars looked over and saw a girl in her teens standing at the carriage door. She was wearing a beautiful long dress and had a surprised smile on her face as she briskly stepped down from the carriage.

"Little Amy!" When Emily heard the voice, she quickly put down the book in her hand and called the other person's name with joy.

"Little Amy, you're almost a big girl!"

Looking at the little girl in front of him, Caesars couldn't help but sigh. After not seeing her for a few years, little Amy had changed so much that he couldn't recognize her at all.

At this time, another person walked out of the carriage. It was Leixia, whose appearance had not changed. But she was now wearing a magic robe and stepped out of the carriage step by step.

"Kaisas, thankfully you're still the same, you haven't changed at all, otherwise I wouldn't have recognized Emily!"

Little Amy walked to the stall happily with a bright smile on her face. Her white and tender little hands gently patted Caesar's shoulders like a butterfly.

Caesars turned to look at Little Amy, his lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. His gaze lingered on Little Amy for a moment, and he had already clearly detected her strength.

"Wow, little Amy, you work really hard. You're already an intermediate magic apprentice!" There was a hint of surprise and admiration in Caesar's voice.

When little Amy heard Caesar's praise, her heart was as sweet as honey. She laughed happily and said with some pride, "Of course I meditate very seriously every day. Otherwise, how could I reach the intermediate magic apprentice level so quickly!"

Caesars nodded, acknowledging Amy's diligence. Then, changing the subject, he mentioned another person: "However, compared to Emily, you're still a little behind. She's now a high-level magic apprentice!"

"What? Emily is already a senior magic apprentice?" Little Amy was so surprised that she couldn't close her mouth, her eyes widened, and her face was full of disbelief.

"Little Amy, don't be so surprised. It's only been a few days since Emily was promoted. Oh, by the way, are you living in Solomon Manor now?" Caesars smiled and comforted her, his tone relaxed and gentle.

Little Amy blinked, seemingly still in shock. However, upon hearing Caesars' words, she nodded and replied, "Yes! I almost forgot. Duke Solomon asked us to continue having lunch today. And the butler brought back a lot of fine wine. I heard it was specially for you!"

Little Amy suddenly remembered the Duke's instructions, a hint of excitement appeared on her face, and she couldn't wait to tell Caesar the news.

Upon hearing this, Caesars raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a satisfied smile: "Well, Solomon is still a bit of a conscience. My wine is almost finished!"

As he spoke, he took out a spacious and comfortable sofa from his space ring and motioned for little Amy and her mother to sit down. Then he turned to Emily and said, "Emily, go chat with little Amy and her mother. Fatty and I will just watch the stall."

Emily nodded obediently, walked to the sofa, and started chatting happily with little Amy and her mother, talking about what had happened in the past few years.

At this moment, six or seven gorgeously decorated carriages slowly drove to the opposite side of the square. Each carriage was pulled by four shiny horses, and the wheels made a slight creaking sound as they rolled.

In the Roland Empire, one needs the title of earl to own a four-horse carriage.

The carriage drivers expertly steered the horses, bringing them to a steady stop in front of the Magic Guild. Immediately afterwards, a dozen figures dressed in ornate aristocratic robes disembarked. They walked hurriedly, as if something important awaited them.

At the edge of the square, three women, young and old, sat together, chatting happily. Their laughter rang out from time to time like silver bells, and was occasionally accompanied by a few exclamations.

Meanwhile, Kaisas was absorbed in absorbing the energy of the magic crystal. The fat puppy lay quietly on the stall, as if enjoying the tranquil atmosphere. The little golden-eyed black magic snake curiously poked its head out, its golden eyes vigilantly scanning everything around it.

Suddenly, the topic turned to the stall, and little Amy asked in surprise, "Amelie, did Caesars really give you 10% of the magic crystals?"

Emily smiled and nodded, then replied, "Well, these are the cultivation resources my brother gave me!"

Little Amy's eyes widened in disbelief, and she exclaimed, "He's so generous!" As she spoke, she cast her gaze towards Caesar's stall. It was filled with a dazzling array of valuable items, a sight to behold. Little Amy roughly estimated the value of these items and couldn't help but feel a surge of envy. She looked at Emily with envy.

Then, little Amy said excitedly, "Amelie, we're going to Violet City next year. We can practice magic together!"

Upon hearing the news, Emily's eyes lit up and she almost jumped up with excitement. "Really? That's great!"

Caesars frowned slightly, lost in thought. Although the information revealed by Little Amy was not much, it was like a flash of lightning that streaked through the night sky, gradually clarifying his suspicions.

Based on these clues, Caesars boldly deduced that war between the two empires was imminent, likely beginning with localized clashes. Before the formal outbreak of hostilities, both sides would employ various tactics to weaken the other. Among them, the Hawkeye Organization was highly likely to launch an assassination attempt against high-ranking officials within the Saint Laurent Empire. Naturally, the Saint Laurent Empire would not sit idly by and would inevitably retaliate.

However, amidst this storm, one place seemed exceptionally calm—Violet City in the south of Roland Continent. This city was actually the safest place, as it was closely guarded by the Thorn Flower Trading Company.

On the eve of the war, the Roland Empire is likely to transfer some important figures to the Violet Alliance to ensure their safety.

Within the Violet Alliance, there was a key figure—Countess Kasiqi. The vast territory she controlled undoubtedly became the Roland Empire's rear base, far from the war.

The more Caesars thought about it, the more he felt that Duke Solomon's plan was incredibly ingenious, and the involvement of the Empire's Eagle Eye made it even more confusing. They took one step forward and looked three steps ahead. Caesars secretly admired the foresight of those old men.

As time went on, people poured into the square like a tide, and the originally empty square gradually became crowded. Amidst this noisy crowd, Caesar's stall stood out, attracting many mercenaries to stop.

These mercenaries wandered around the stalls, carefully selecting the equipment they wanted. They held gold coins in their hands, and the prices were clearly marked on the stalls, and the transactions went exceptionally smoothly.

At that moment, the crisp sound of horse hooves echoed throughout the square. People turned their heads and saw several lavishly decorated carriages slowly approaching from the northern part of the square. The wheels of the carriages made a crisp sound on the cobblestones, as if announcing the noble status of their owners.

The carriage slowly stopped not far from the massive fire maple tree. The door opened, and two or three magicians and a dozen nobles of varying ages stepped out. These people were dressed in bright and beautiful clothes, and had elegant demeanors, clearly people of prominent status.

The young nobles from yesterday were now among them. Unlike their arrogance and dominance yesterday, they all lowered their heads, as if filled with awe for Caesars. They didn't even dare to look him in the eye, only occasionally glancing at him from the corner of their eyes.

"Mage Caesar," an elderly mage stepped forward and said to Caesar, "These noble children express their deepest apologies for what happened yesterday. My student has been severely punished for his misconduct yesterday. He cannot come today. I hope you can forgive his recklessness."

Sandro, dressed in a red magic robe, lowered his posture as much as possible and looked at Caesar with some fear. He made a standard aristocratic apology, then took out a small wooden box and placed it on the coffee table next to Caesar.

"Sandro, don't be so reserved. You're the pillar of the Magic Guild. I guess in a few years, you might even be the Guild Master!"

Caesars opened the small wooden box, took a look, and said with a very satisfied smile.

Sandro smiled bitterly, thinking to himself that nearly all of Fire Maple City's great magicians had been severely punished by Caesars. He himself, currently only a high-level magician, was somewhat reserved when facing a great magician. This seemed perfectly normal.

"Caesar, let me introduce these nobles to you!" Sandro pointed at one of the nobles and was about to introduce him to Caesar.

However, before Sandro could speak, Caesars interrupted him and said, "Sandro, this is Earl Lawrence. I've met him before. Several of his descendants are studying in the North Tower. Two of them are studying in the Magic Tower, and another is studying in the Alchemy Tower in Kandel!"

Caesar's gaze fell on the old nobleman. He knew very well that the Lawrence family was a prestigious and large family. In such a family, there would naturally be all kinds of talents, but of course there would also be some mediocre people.

Caesars looked at Earl Lawrence and continued, "Earl Lawrence, I heard that when I entered the Northland Tower to become a snake breeder, Kandel commissioned you to investigate me. Is this true?"

Earl Lawrence nodded slightly and answered frankly, "Indeed, Mr. Caesars. Everyone who enters the Northland Tower will be secretly investigated. This has always been the tower's practice!"

Caesars nodded and continued, "Oh, so that's how it is! Which of the nobles here is the earl's descendant?"

"That's the bastard who broke the magic gem!"

The elderly Earl Lawrence pointed at the pale young man with unspeakable anger in his heart.

"My Lord Earl, if he likes to smash magic gems, just tell me in advance and you can prepare the gold coins in advance. I dare not brag in Fire Maple City, but I can find magic gems worth tens of millions of gold coins, and I can prepare them this month!"

Speaking of magic gems, Caesars thought of the Golden Viper in the Icecrown Mountains, whose lair held a large number of magic gems. It was time to retrieve them; he was desperately short of magic crystals. After the Elemental Energy Master was promoted to Mage, the cultivation resource consumption would double.