Black Hearted Mage

The next morning, just as the sky was getting a little brighter, there was a burst of rapid knocks on the small wooden door of the attic, waking up the still sleeping air.

The sound of "dong dong dong" echoed in the small attic, disturbing Caesars' hazy dream.

Lying on the narrow wooden bed, Caesars frowned, his hand covering his forehead in frustration. Before he could even begin to speak, the clever puppy had already nimbly leaped up and deftly pushed open the heavy wooden door with its front paws. The hinges creaked softly, and the cool morning air suddenly flooded into the warm attic.

"Brother, it's time for us to inspect the gold mine!"

Emily's clear voice burst in with the morning light. She was dressed neatly in hunting clothes, a dagger tucked at her waist, her golden braids gleaming in the morning light. Seeing Caesars still lingering in bed, she quickly walked over to the cot, hands on her hips, her amber eyes filled with urgency.

"Emily, I'm getting up right now!"

Caesars rubbed his sleepy eyes, slowly sat up, and yawned. He reached out and grabbed the magic robe hanging on the head of the bed. The dark blue fabric was embroidered with silver star patterns, and it shimmered in the morning light.

"Brother, I heard strange chanting coming from the backyard last night..." Emily lowered her voice, a confused look on her face.

"It's the hymn chanted by those three old guys." Caesar answered casually while tying the belt of his robe, "It's a poem about fire purifying sin. They are just dreaming, now even fire is sinful..." There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice, and his long black hair was draped over his shoulders, shining with a faint blue luster in the morning light.

After getting dressed, Caesars walked towards the attic door, his boots making a creaking sound on the wooden floor. "Emily, wash up first, then have breakfast, and then go to the mine inspection!" He turned to his sister and said with a gentle smile on his face.

At this moment, the puppy suddenly rushed past the two people's feet at an astonishing speed, rushed down the spiral staircase like a dark red lightning, and disappeared around the corner in the blink of an eye.

Looking in the direction where the puppy disappeared, Caesars chuckled and said, "The maid's omelet and fried bacon are delicious. This fat dog must have gone to the kitchen to eat the bones and scraps removed from the bacon!"

Emily blinked and asked curiously, "How did it know that we're having bacon for breakfast today?"

"The fat dog's nose is so sensitive." Caesars walked down the stairs with a doting tone in his voice, "It must have smelled the fried pickled meat, otherwise it wouldn't be so anxious!" The faint sound of collisions and the tempting aroma of food coming from downstairs seemed to confirm his words.

Emily hurried down the hallway, her boot heels clicking against the marble floor. When she pushed open the oak kitchen door, she saw the plump, sleek-haired dog sitting at the head maid's feet, its polished magic-steel food bowl cradled between its front paws. Its wet, black nose twitched as it gazed eagerly at the head maid, who was busy at the stove.

"Kaisas, don't bring your sister here to get in the way."

The head maid stirred the sizzling cured meat in the pot without looking back, her other hand pointed precisely at the door. "Take Emily to the small dining room and wait. And you, greedy fat dog—" She turned and tapped the fat dog's head with a wooden spoon. "Take your treasure to where it should go. Have you forgotten the rules of the castle?"

The puppy drooped its ears and whimpered in frustration, but still obediently picked up the heavy food bowl, the metal rim gleaming coldly between its jagged teeth. It wiggled its rounded butt and ran toward the next door. Caesars and Emily smiled at each other and followed the furry leader. The head maid finally smiled kindly and placed the sizzling fried bacon on a plate. Two young maids worked together to lift an oak barrel filled with fresh bread. The aroma of food immediately filled the corridor.

The golden, buttery bread was still steaming, the edges of the perfectly fried bacon curled slightly, and the amber juice in the crystal glass reflected the morning light. When a few bones with some bacon clattered into the magic steel bowl, the puppy excitedly kicked its hind legs and let out a somewhat shrill cry of joy.

"Quiet!"

The head maid yelled loudly, and the fat dog immediately shrank its neck, daring only to make a slight hum from deep in its throat, with its entire face buried in the food bowl. The smacking sounds of its chewing were accompanied by the regular rhythm of its tail sweeping across the floor.

The sound of a puppy chewing bones can make you hungry just by listening to it.

After breakfast, Caesars strolled into the rose garden. The gluttonous puppy lay sprawled beneath the flowerbed at the castle's main entrance, its dark red belly rising and falling with each breath, occasionally groaning from a heavy meal. Emily suddenly tugged at Caesars's sleeve, "Why isn't the carriage here?"

Caesars blinked mysteriously, his fingertips gleaming with magic. "What kind of carriage do you want?" He opened his arms, his robes rustling in the morning breeze. "Hold on to me, and remember to cast Light Body and Feather Fall on yourself first—let's fly straight over!"

The open-pit mine was a scene of bustling activity. Hundreds of miners were scattered throughout the vast pit, some wielding pickaxes to chip at the rock walls, others pushing wheelbarrows laden with ore, and still others busily constructing new support structures. The clanking of hammers, the shouts of workers, and the roar of magical machinery intertwined, echoing across the empty valley.

On the northern edge of the mine, a dozen newly built stone houses are neatly arranged. These simple yet sturdy dwellings provide the miners with a rare haven, offering both shelter from the wind and rain and a place to relax after work. Washed clothes hang out to dry in front of each dormitory, and wisps of smoke drift from the chimneys, adding a touch of life to this rugged industrial site.

Located in the southern part of the Roland Empire, the humid and rainy climate brought considerable trouble to life in the mining area. The canvas tents initially erected would mold within a month due to the excessive humidity, and their surfaces would quickly become covered with green moss, becoming slippery. It was for this reason that the foreman was forced to order the construction of these more durable stone huts to improve the miners' living conditions.

The open-pit mine wasn't large. The designated mining area was long and narrow, about two miles long from north to south and less than half a mile wide from east to west. Not only were there striking red warning signs with black lettering erected around the perimeter, but heavily armed guards patrolled the area. Several archers lurked in hidden locations, hidden from the public eye. Their sharp arrows occasionally gleamed coldly in the sunlight. Each of the guards wore a solemn expression, their swords at their waists swaying gently with each step, making a subtle metallic clang.

Yet, even with such a tight security net, it couldn't stop those desperate individuals blinded by greed. Less than a month after the mine opened, at least a dozen groups were already spying, ready to make a move. Interestingly, the news about this gold mine didn't originate from the mine itself, but from Fire Maple City, thousands of miles away—where rumors of astonishing mineral reserves were circulating.

Caesars was not worried about the affairs of Fire Maple City. These were things that Duke Solomon should worry about.

“This is what a gold mine looks like!”

Emily stood on tiptoe, gazing at the dusty work area in the distance. Miners were sweating profusely as they hammered away at the rock wall, the clanging of chisels filling her ears. She had expected to see a glittering spectacle, but now all she saw was gray rock and a cloud of dust. Her interest instantly waned, and her small nose wrinkled slightly in disappointment.

"Gold ore is just rock containing gold. You think you're digging out gold ingots?" Caesars couldn't help but shake his head, pointing to a small pile of ore not far away and explaining, "These ores need to be sorted and classified, then crushed and ground, and finally smelted at high temperatures to remove impurities before you can get the gold you imagine."

He glanced over the orderly mines—overseers sent by Duke Solomon were inspecting various work stations, and experienced miners were shouting orders to the workers. Everything here was running smoothly, and there was indeed no need for him to worry too much. Just as he was about to return to the castle with Emily, Sean, dressed in a dark brown butler's robe, hurried over. Beads of sweat covered his forehead, and the silver pocket watch chain on his chest swayed with his hurried steps.

"Your Excellency, Miss Emily!" Sean saluted breathlessly. "Someone tried to steal the ore again last night. This time, it was two nimble stalkers. Our guards couldn't keep up with them at all!"

"Brother, why do they want to steal the ore?"

Emily tilted her head, her golden curls gleaming in the sunlight. She couldn't understand what was so good about stealing those gray and yellow stones; they looked just like ordinary rocks.

"Emily!"

Caesars looked into his sister's innocent eyes and patiently explained, "They don't really want the ore. Instead, they want to collect samples to send to the old emperor. If they can prove that this is a rich mine, they can force us to pay more taxes and also undermine Duke Solomon's status."

As he spoke, he pulled out a magical communication stone emitting a faint blue light from his bosom and solemnly placed it in the butler's hand. He then leaned close to Sean's ear and whispered a few words in his ear. The butler nodded frequently and carefully put the communication stone into his inner pocket.

Half an hour later, Caesars and Emily appeared among the dew-covered rose bushes in the castle garden. The chubby puppy remained in the same position they had left it in—lying on its back on the cobblestone path, its pink belly rising and falling rhythmically with its snoring, and glistening saliva hanging from the corners of its mouth.

Caesars pulled out a honey soufflé, ate half of it, and deliberately dropped the remaining piece on the edge of the moss-covered flower bed. "That's a great way to wake it up," he winked at Emily, the morning dew reflecting off his eyelashes like tiny specks of light.

Seth lowered his voice and drew a circle with his finger next to his temple. "Last week, when I woke him up from his sweet dream, he grumbled for a quarter of an hour. I finally had to use a handful of soufflé to convince him!"

Before he could finish his words, the sleeping puppy suddenly twitched its wet nose, its stubby front paws moving unconsciously in its sleep, as if swimming in the air. Its black nose turned at a slight angle, trying to determine the correct location of the food.

The puppy blearily opened its eyes, its damp nose twitching slightly. It seemed barely awake, its plump body wobbling as it lifted itself up, its legs still unresponsive. But the aroma of milk wafting through the air instantly fixed its sights on the tempting half-sliced ​​pastry lying on the ground not far away. It stumbled forward, its crimson eyes growing brighter as it wobbled with each step.

When it finally reached the soufflé, its large tongue eagerly swirled around, and the delicious treat instantly vanished into its wet mouth. "Woo~" the puppy purred contentedly, its short tail wagging like a propeller, its round, fat face etched with happiness.

"You slept all night yesterday and half the morning today, you're getting fatter and fatter!"

Caesars patted the puppy's chubby back as he spoke. His hands felt full of flesh, no bones at all. The puppy whimpered in dissatisfaction, as if it were hungry again. The puppy touched its storage ring with its front paws and pulled out a few sticks of dark red jerky.

"Brother, what kind of dried meat did Fatty take out? It smells so good!"

Emily next to her seemed to be greedy as well, and was trying hard to smell the aroma of the dried meat.

"Amelie, you can't eat this jerky. It's made from viper meat and contains some toxins that can't be removed. I have some white crocodile jerky here, and it tastes almost the same as what fat dogs eat!"

Caesars took out a linen bag and handed it to his delighted sister.

In the castle's quiet study, Caesars leaned over a large oak desk. His slender fingers slowly moved across the map, tracing every inch of his territory. "The northeast borders the territories of three barons..." he muttered to himself, tapping his fingertips lightly on the parchment. "The east is still unclaimed territory for now. I'm afraid the House of Lords won't be able to hold on for long." His gaze continued downward, settling on the winding Emerald River at the southern border. The surging water roared almost audibly on the map. As his gaze shifted westward, his expression grew subtler. On the other side of the dividing road lay the territory of Earl Nicholas Burns, both Earl and son-in-law of the Grand Duke of Redstone.

Suddenly, Caesars straightened up and slammed his hand down on the map. A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes, like a hawk spotting its prey.

"Those rats sent by the nobles of the Imperial Capital are most likely hiding in the Viscount's territory in the north!"

According to the footage recorded by the photo stones around the gold mine, the leather armor of the two high-level stalkers was 90% new, with the surface greased and kept very clean. This wasn't typical for living in the wild; if they did, their armor would undoubtedly be grimy.