Black Hearted Mage

Caesars slowly walked into the shop. The air was filled with the alluring aroma of carefully baked pastries. He took a deep breath, intoxicated by it, and then walked towards the back of the shop.

"Master Mage, please stay! The back is not a place for entertaining guests!"

The young clerk in the shop noticed that Caesar was walking towards the back of the shop and hurried forward to stop him.

Caesar stopped, looked at the waiter with a smile and said, "I am not an ordinary guest. I am Caesar Cavell, the nephew of Old Joey, and the great magician Joanna is my mother!"

In reality, Caesar's identity was a white lie. Joanna had Caesar impersonate her son in order to escape those annoying suitors. However, the lie was taken seriously by the Cavill family, and even by the nobles of Fire Maple City.

"It turns out to be Master Caesars. Please make yourself at your leisure!"

The man had obviously heard about Caesars before, and he immediately made way respectfully.

At the back of the shop is the area where pastries are made and baked. The temperature here is relatively high, but the aroma of the pastries is even more intense. The aroma of milk, nuts, flowers, and the sweet aroma of honey intertwine together, making you salivate.

As I walked out of the stuffy snack shop, a breath of fresh air hit me in the face, as if blowing away all my fatigue and boredom.

As soon as I exited the back door of the snack shop, I was greeted by the Cavill family's exquisite little garden. Flowers were actually blooming in the garden, emitting a charming fragrance. It was late autumn in Fire Maple City, and already there was a hint of winter chill.

Several maids were busy hanging out the laundry, their laughter and whispers echoing in the air, while the head maid stood under the eaves, staring at them sternly, as if supervising their work.

Caesars looked at the familiar scene before him, and a sense of familiarity welled up in his heart. He turned to look at Cecilia and said, "Cecilia, please help me clean up the small room we stayed in last time. I'm going to stay here for a while."

Hearing Caesar's words, Cecilia was stunned for a moment, then revealed a look of surprise. She quickly replied, "Okay, Master Caesar, please wait a moment."

Then she turned to the other maids and ordered, "You two go clean the small room upstairs. Vera, go prepare some tea and snacks. Remember to use black tea, and get some fresh snacks from the front."

After arranging everything, Cecilia turned back and took a closer look at Caesar. She noticed that Caesar had grown taller, but his face was full of fatigue. She couldn't help but ask with concern, "Master Caesar, you came back so suddenly this time. Did something happen?"

Cecilia noticed that Caesars wore a magic badge on his chest, a symbol of his magician status. She remembered that she had come into contact with magic badges when Joanna was still in the magic guild, so she was familiar with them. She asked in surprise, "Caesars, have you become a magician?"

Caesars smiled and nodded, his eyes gleaming with pride. He replied, "Yes, Cecilia, I have successfully been promoted to a magician. I have been traveling a lot recently, but I have been rushing around these days and I feel like I am about to collapse from exhaustion."

"Why are you in such a hurry?" asked the head maid, somewhat puzzled.

"Because I'm worried that I won't be able to return to Fire Maple City after the snow starts!"

"It's still too early for snow in Fire Maple City. It's still at least half a month away. Kaisas, go in and get some rest!"

Under the enthusiastic guidance of the head maid, Caesars slowly walked into the familiar living room and gently sat down on the soft sofa. At this moment, he had a strong desire to have a good sleep, but before that, he had to fill his stomach first.

"Cecilia, don't tell anyone else I'm back yet, and don't tell them I'm a magician. After I finish these refreshments, I want to get some sleep!"

"Okay, everything is up to you, Master Caesars!"

The maid carefully brought a cup of piping hot black tea and a plate of delicate, steaming, fragrant pastries. Caesars slowly savored the familiar flavors, secretly resolving to buy more of these pastries this time. His journey had only just begun.

Starting tomorrow, he planned to dispose of some magical items of unknown origin and purchase a batch of magic crystals for his own cultivation. Since his successful promotion to magician, his consumption of magic crystals had increased.

After finishing his meal, Caesars felt even more tired than before. He slowly walked upstairs to the small room and buried himself deeply in the soft quilt. He knew that only through a long sleep could he truly eliminate the fatigue of his body and mind.

Far away on the edge of the Endless Forest, a tense operation quietly unfolded. Five hundred elite elves had already laid an ambush, inspired by the crucial message conveyed by the Thornflower Trading Company. A day earlier, Nighthawk had spotted a number of suspicious figures in the central Blackrock Mountain. Based on the imagery captured by Nighthawk's flight, the elves had confirmed the authenticity of the information conveyed by the Thornflower Trading Company.

This time, the elves dispatched a sufficient force, including over a hundred ferocious shadow leopards and over thirty nimble nighthawks, with the goal of completely encircling and annihilating the Saint Laurent Mercenary Group. As the sky gradually darkened, a large number of figures began to prepare to leave the western part of Blackrock Mountain, planning to sneak into the Endless Forest under the cover of darkness.

All the Shadow Dancers, along with their Shadow Leopards, had circled the rear of the Saint Laurent Mercenaries, preventing the Lurkers from escaping. A large frost array had been set up at the edge of the Endless Forest. These arrays weren't intended to kill the enemy, but to prevent anyone from escaping. If the arrays were triggered by Saint Laurent Mercenaries, hundreds of elven mages would unleash their magic.

The elves carefully counted the Saint Laurent Mercenary Group's members through the images in the Image Stone. After comparing them, they discovered that the missing members were likely Lurkers. This crucial information was quickly passed on to the Shadow Dancer.

"Speed ​​up and sneak into the forest under the cover of night!"

A figure in heavy armor lowered his voice and shouted softly. However, the heavily armored paladin did not realize that he had become the target of the elven archer.

The members of the Saint Laurent Mercenary Group quickened their pace, but just then, a dazzling white light suddenly emerged from the ground. This radiance, an extension of the magical radiance, caused the surrounding temperature to plummet. The more experienced mercenaries immediately realized they had stepped into a magical trap.

The frost on the ground quickly spread and thickened. In just two breaths, the frost was nearly half a foot thick. Many mercenaries' calves were frozen, and they cried out in fear.

When a large number of elves appeared, the chanting of spells echoed in the air, and then all kinds of colorful magic bloomed like fireworks.

Each elf's strength surpassed that of anyone in the Saint Laurent Mercenary Group. It was a one-sided massacre, without any suspense or life-or-death struggle.

The Saint Laurent Mercenary Group's stalkers were also found one by one by the Shadow Leopard's keen sense of smell, but one fish still slipped through the net. However, this fish was deliberately left out by the elf, because at least one fish had to be left to pass on the message.

When Caesars opened his eyes, a ray of sunlight streamed through the window onto his face, signaling the dawn of a new day. He rubbed his eyes and stretched, realizing he'd slept for nearly a full day and night. He felt refreshed, but also aware that time was running out. He had many things to attend to, including selling some items and purchasing more magic crystals to boost his cultivation.

Caesars rubbed his eyes and pulled a rope at the head of the bed. The rope was connected to the bell outside the door, and once it was pulled, it would make a crisp sound.

Not long after, a young maid hurriedly knocked on the door and asked softly, "Young Master, do you have any instructions?"

Her name is Vera, and she is Caesar's personal maid in the Cavill family.

Caesars smiled and replied, "Vera, tell the kitchen to prepare breakfast." Then he sat up and gestured to the maid to get a coat.

"Okay, I'll tell the cook right away!"

The little maid respectfully handed the robe to Caesars, saluted him, and then quickly left the room.

About a quarter of an hour later, Caesar finished washing and dressing, then went downstairs to the dining room. The rest of the family might still be asleep, as it was customary in the aristocratic circles of the imperial capital to not wake up until lunchtime. Caesar, however, had his own important matters to attend to, and couldn't enjoy the leisurely pace of the others.

After hurriedly finishing his breakfast, Caesars headed for the back door of the Baron's mansion. As the head maid gazed in astonishment, a faint glow emanated from Caesars' body, and his figure began to blur. A moment later, the spirited, youthful young man vanished, replaced by an old, white-haired man.

"Cecilia, close the door!"

Caesars said in a hoarse voice, then slowly took a step and walked out the back door. As he walked, he turned back and urged the head maid to close the door quickly.

The magician possessed all kinds of magical items. Cecilia had only heard about them before, but this was the first time she had witnessed such a scene with her own eyes.

Caesars wasn't worried that Cecilia would tell anyone about this, and even if she did, he wouldn't care. Cecilia was Joanna's confidant, so she was trustworthy to a certain extent. Moreover, her status in the Cavill family was extremely high, even higher than that of Joey's two sons.

The alley was flanked by the backyards of shops. Beyond the back doors of each shop, there were only high walls, devoid of any windows. Caesars strolled through the deep alley, leaning on a priceless staff, and walked slowly and steadily toward the alley entrance.

At the exit of the alley, there was a wide road. Suddenly, a staff stretched out from the roadside and stopped a moving carriage.

The driver was startled by this sudden situation. He hurriedly stopped the carriage and asked respectfully, "Master Mage, is there anything you need our help with?"

Caesars looked at the driver and said calmly, "Take me to the big square in the outer city."

The driver immediately agreed, quickly jumped off the carriage, and enthusiastically opened the door for Caesars. As Caesars entered the carriage, he noticed another person sitting inside. This middle-aged man was wearing a pale blue noble robe, with a hint of green patina on the bronze buttons.

The carriage quickly turned around and began to head towards the inner city. The young nobleman silently huddled in a corner of the carriage, not even daring to look at Caesar.

Caesars was not interested in communicating with the strange little noble, so he closed his eyes and thought quietly.

While selling magic items can bring lucrative profits, it also comes with significant risks. Selling each one individually is too troublesome, and the Elven Transfiguration Mask has certain limitations, as it can only create five faces.

Half an hour later, the carriage came to a steady stop at the edge of the Imperial City's Grand Plaza. Caesars casually tossed a gold coin to the somewhat reserved young nobleman, then dismounted and walked across the plaza.

Selling things in the Fire Maple City square did not require any formalities, and only required a stall fee of one gold coin. If a magician set up a stall in the square, even this one gold coin fee was waived.

The elf transformation mask worn on his face can not only change his appearance and hair color, but also his temperament and magical fluctuations.

At this moment, he looked like an ordinary old magician, leaning on a priceless staff, and slowly walked towards the north side of the large square. There was the largest magic guild in Roland Continent, as well as several businesses selling magic items. However, these businesses did not belong to the Fire Maple City Magic Guild, but were affiliated with other magical forces.

The square of Fire Maple City was enormous, circular in shape, about two miles in diameter, and filled with countless stalls. Dozens of Fire Maple City tax officials were constantly bustling around the square, collecting fees from the various stall owners.

Caesars came to the north of the square. He took out a clean and tidy piece of animal skin from his space ring, spread it flat on the floor tiles, and then carefully took out the items he needed to sell.

These items had been carefully processed, their original marks scraped off. Several storage rings, four or five staffs, several wands, a few worn magic robes, and a few magical accessories were placed on the animal skin.

Gusts of wind blew across the square, causing the edges of the hide to become slightly loose. Caesars quickly took out several magic steel weapons and held down the edges of the hide.