Black Hearted Mage

The next morning, just as daybreak approached, the Rose Castle was shrouded in a drizzle and mist. Count Caesars was still deep in sleep, his four-poster bed tightly enclosed by heavy velvet curtains. Suddenly, a sharp knock on the door shattered the tranquility.

"My Lord, are you awake?"

"Sean, what's going on?" Caesars asked with some confusion. Unless it was something serious, Sean would never dare to disturb his rest.

"My Lord Earl, there is a visitor!"

The butler's answer came from outside the door, sounding a little anxious.

"Who could it be so early?"

Caesars frowned and poked his head out of the bed, looking out the window with sleepy eyes. He saw a hunched figure standing in front of the castle gate, his graying hair fluttering in the morning breeze - it was Old Quinn, Hawkeye's deputy commander.

When Caesars came into the living room in his bathrobe, old Quinn had already sat down on the sofa without any courtesy.

"Old Quinn, you want to spend the winter here?" Caesars repeated Old Quinn's request in disbelief, with obvious sleepiness and surprise in his voice.

Caesars looked around: the castle hall was empty, bare save for a few shabby pieces of furniture. A faint fire flickered in the fireplace, barely dispelling the early winter chill. He rubbed his temple and said, "I only have two or three servants here. Breakfast's manageable, but the rest of the time..." He shrugged helplessly. "Old Quinn, if you want a meal you like, you'll probably have to cook it yourself!"

Old Quinn narrowed his eyes cunningly: "Why, the owner of the Rose Castle treats guests like this?"

Caesars yawned, wrapped his robe tightly around him, stood up, and said playfully, "Old Quinn, you can stay as long as you want, but I can't guarantee the food."

He shuffled towards the stairs, then suddenly stopped as if remembering something. He turned to the butler and said, "Sean, arrange for his room in the west wing of the castle. If old Quinn and I meditate at the same time, it will cause a disturbance in our magic."

After saying this, Caesars went upstairs without looking back, leaving the butler with a confused look on his face. Although Sean had no idea what "magic disorder" meant, he still nodded respectfully.

Old Quinn watched Caesars's retreating back, then surveyed the deserted castle. The large living room lacked even the most basic decorations, save for a few badly worn sofas. The tapestries on the walls had long been removed, revealing a somewhat mottled surface.

Old Quinn lowered his voice and asked, "Sean, are you the only ones in this castle?"

Sean gave an awkward smile and nodded. The dim morning light shone through the stained-glass windows, casting hazy shadows on the bare floor. The entire castle was eerily quiet; you could almost hear the dust falling.

Before Earl Soren left, the castle was basically emptied, and the things left were all broken and defective.

"Sean, what does Caesars usually eat?"

"It's usually stewed monster meat, and it's done by that fat dog. Whatever the Earl has left over, including the soup and water, belongs to it, and no one else can have a taste of it!" Sean explained.

"You don't eat monster meat?"

"We can't eat it. Even if the fat dog can't finish it, it will store the stew in its storage ring. Aside from the Earl, if anyone else gets close to its food, its eyes will glow red. The Earl said this is a sign it's about to attack!"

At Sean's response, Old Quinn's wrinkled eyes widened slightly, his graying eyebrows rising unconsciously. He knew the puppy could stew meat; he'd seen it on the rooftop of Gravel Castle. He calmly adjusted his stance, resting his bony fingers on his carved cane, ready to take a closer look at this unusual puppy—its round body almost resembled a ball of fur, but its darting eyes sparkled with a strange brilliance.

The puppy always followed Caesar closely, until noon, when the elegantly dressed Caesar slowly walked down the spiral staircase. The silver embroidery on his silk shirt gleamed in the sun, and the chubby puppy finally appeared beside his boots, wagging its butt.

"You idiot! We're frying deep-sea bluefin fish today." Caesars poked the puppy's belly with the tip of his boot. "If you dare to mash the fish into pieces, you'll be eating bread crusts tonight!"

The puppy let out a puff of hot air from its nose and suddenly rushed towards the heavy oak door of the castle like a cannonball. Sean and the guards in shining armor who were guarding the door quickly pushed open the carved door together. The puppy nimbly squeezed out through the gap, its fluffy short fur rustling against the door frame.

"Get back here, you damned dog!" Caesar's voice echoed in the stone hall. "I've prepared some top-quality silver frost charcoal for you. I'll be frying it right by the fireplace!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the puppy rushed back like a whirlwind. It stood on its hind legs and used its front paws to scratch at Caesar's straight trouser legs, whimpering in grievance, and its wet black nose twitched constantly.

"You greedy dog!" Caesars flicked the puppy's ears, and his ring flashed a golden light. "Do you know how expensive Silver Frost charcoal is? The charcoal I burned last time stewing meat was enough to buy half a wheel of golden cheese! Only two sticks of charcoal are enough to fry fish!"

The puppy lay down with its ears drooping, but its thick tail slapped the ground in anger, making the parquet tiles crackle.

"Stop pretending to be pathetic!" Kaisas took out a set of exquisite silver stoves from his space ring, and also took out some charcoal with a metallic sheen, "Hurry and get to work!"

The puppy immediately stood up, perked up. It took a deep breath, its chest expanding like a bellows, and then, with a puff, it erupted into a ball of orange-red fire. The flames danced merrily on the silver-frost charcoal, illuminating the puppy's glossy fur.

Old Quinn, sitting by the fireplace, narrowed his eyes. At the moment the puppy breathed fire, he clearly saw a tuft of short hair on its back flash an eerie red light, like lava flowing beneath its fur. The old man's age-freckled hand unconsciously clenched around his staff, his knuckles turning white from the strain.

"Old Quinn, don't touch the puppy with your magic, especially when it's preparing food. If it affects the taste of the food, it might attack you!"

Caesars warned Old Quinn that the other party intended to use magic to detect the puppy, which was a very dangerous move.

"Caesars, how powerful is its attack?" Old Quinn asked curiously.

"That's quite powerful! It usually only takes half a minute for it to kill an adult salamander."

Old Quinn was shocked when he heard Caesar's description. It would take him at least four or five minutes to hunt a salamander, and it would take quite a while.

Old Quinn gave up the idea of ​​investigating the puppy. He didn't want to make a fool of himself in the Rose Castle, but at this moment he became even more curious about the puppy.

"Kaisas, tell me the truth, what level of monster is it?"

"A high-level magical beast can be understood as a legendary magical beast. It's only in its teens, but it can already hunt high-level magical beasts. In another ten years, it should be able to hunt ground dragons!"

"Hiss," Old Quinn took a breath of cold air, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.

"It's definitely not a monster from the Roland Continent. Where did it come from?" the old wizard continued to ask.

“Someone gave it to me!”

"Kaisas, aren't you afraid someone will kidnap it?"

"Haha! That's a great idea. Old Quinn, you underestimate the high-level magical beast. If it's not by my side, it will turn into a completely ferocious beast, and no one will be able to control it. If it's injured, it will immediately go berserk, and its combat power will increase instantly. Anyone who has this idea will eventually become its food!"

Caesars looked at the puppy frying fish, serious and focused. This guy has a special liking for food. Old Quinn fell into deep thought, thinking about the puppy's origins.

"Kaisas, one last question. What is the name of this monster? I want to record it in the Warcraft Atlas!"

"Lava Dog!"

The puppy suddenly turned its head, hummed in dissatisfaction, and immediately turned its head back to stare at the fried fish in the pan.

Time slipped through my fingers like fine sand, the long, rainy season finally drawing to a close. The long-awaited sunlight pierced the clouds, coating the earth in a warm golden glow. A gentle spring breeze caressed the fields. A seemingly ordinary iron and wooden carriage slowly made its way along the drying muddy road towards Fire Maple City. The wheels rustled through the newly grown weeds, making a subtle rustling sound.

Inside Fire Maple City, the remaining winter snow was quietly melting. Glistening drops of water dripped down the eaves, creating a resonant rhythm on the bluestone slabs. After a full winter of covert investigation, Eagle Eye's men finally presented a list to the old emperor. The parchment scrolls were densely packed with the names of those involved in the smuggling of contraband. Each name, like a sharp blade, pointed directly at the darkest corners of the Roland Empire.

The aged emperor's fingers trembled as he ran them over the list, a sharp glint in his cloudy eyes. He nodded slightly to the spy chief standing beside him, his dark brown leather armor gleaming coldly in the candlelight. This widespread scandal, like a cancer, must be completely eradicated—in the most discreet manner, of course. Certain names were destined to be expunged from the empire's rolls forever.

At the same time, in a manor on the outskirts of the imperial capital, haunted by the lingering vines of the old vine, several carriages draped with black curtains silently entered the courtyard. The heavy oak doors closed immediately after the carriages entered, shutting out any prying eyes. Over twenty unconscious nobles were carried off the carriages one by one. Their magnificent silk robes trailed on the dew-soaked grass, their delicate jeweled buttons gleaming eerily in the sunlight.

Men in leather armor silently carried these distinguished "guests" into the brightly lit banquet hall, where a sumptuous banquet had already been set out - but it was destined that no one would enjoy it.

The iron-and-wood carriage slowly rolled into the streets of Fire Maple City, its wheels making a dull thud as they rolled over the bluestone slabs. Caesars was leaning against the window, surveying the familiar city, when he was suddenly drawn to the sounds of discussion coming from a streetside tavern.

"Have you heard? Something big happened outside the city last night!"

"Hush, keep your voice down... I heard that the two princes and a dozen adults are..."

The intermittent conversation made Caesar's heart tighten. He leaned against the car window and listened carefully. When he confirmed that the two princes of the Roland Empire and more than a dozen nobles had all been poisoned at the banquet last night, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Caesars turned his head, his gaze like a knife piercing the old wizard sitting across from him. Old Quinn still maintained his calm expression, his wrinkled face showing no emotion.

"Old Quinn, was this done by you?" Caesar asked in a low voice.

The old mage slowly raised his eyelids, a gleam of light flashing in his cloudy eyes. "The old emperor gave the order himself." His voice was hoarse, like rubbing sandpaper against it. "This incident has shaken the very foundation of the empire. If the outside world knew that the two princes were involved in smuggling contraband, it would bring disgrace upon the old emperor and the entire imperial family!"

Caesar sneered, "So we're going to silence them? Didn't those nobles who were smuggling get away with it? According to the law, this is treason, and the title and land should be stripped!"

Old Quinn tapped his staff lightly with his bony fingers, his gaze turning to the familiar street scene outside the window. "Yes, according to Imperial law, this is the way it should be. But this time..." He sighed, "It can only be executed in secret. Some things are more important than the law!"

Caesars nodded slowly, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the edge of the car window. His gaze passed through the crystal glass, sweeping across the bustling crowds and rows of shops on the street, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Old Quinn," he turned, his dark eyes gazing directly at the white-haired old wizard beside him, "take me to the commercial district." His voice was low and firm. "I have five thousand magic steel ingots, as well as top-quality fire lizard leather and rock white crocodile leather. If you want them, trade them for magic crystals."

Kaisa paused, then reached out to stroke the puppy's warm fur. "I'll be at the Cavill family tomorrow. If you need anything, come find me at the Grand Square the day after tomorrow."

A hint of displeasure crossed the old wizard's wrinkled face. He stroked the crystal ball on the tip of his staff and said with reproach, "Kaisas, you now own two territories. Even Earl Soren's wealth has fallen into your hands. These strategic materials..." He emphasized, "Can't you make some contribution to the empire? With your level of cultivation as a great wizard, you simply cannot use up all these resources."

"Great Magician?"

Kaisas smiled slightly, and suddenly a black magic ball leaped out from his fingertips, with tiny space cracks faintly visible at the edge.

Old Quinn looked at the strange magic ball, which gave him a feeling of extreme danger.

"The magic crystals I consume in meditation now are ten times what a great magician needs. The cultivation resources I get in exchange for these riches won't even be enough to fill the gaps between my teeth. The magic crystals that belong to me, not a single one can be lost!"

Kaisas lifted the spell and looked at the old wizard with a complicated expression.