Black Hearted Mage

"Isn't the other party a noble from the Stone Breaking Kingdom?"

Although Caesars didn't know much about the Gravel Kingdom, he did know some of the situation. He knew that most of the nobles had left, and those who remained didn't have enough strength to target the Safin family. Furthermore, the Gravel Kingdom didn't have many magicians, let alone alchemists. Therefore, he suspected that the count wasn't from the Gravel Kingdom.

"It's Nicholas Burns, a nobleman of the Roland Empire!"

Hearing this name, Caesars frowned and tried to recall if he had heard of this person before. But he found that he had no information about this name at all.

"I've never heard of this guy!"

Caesars shook his head, indicating that he really didn't know who this Nicholas Burns was. He began searching his mind for various possible clues, but still found nothing.

"Mr. Caesars, Burns is a very low-key man. He has no property in Fire Maple City. His fiefdom is right on the border of the Roland Empire. It's normal that you haven't heard of him, but you must have heard of his mercenary group - the Golden Viper. He was the founder of the original Golden Viper mercenary group!"

Hearing this, Caesar's eyes suddenly lit up. He nodded, for he was no stranger to the Golden Viper Mercenaries, having some grudges against them. However, he knew little about the mercenary group, only that it was jointly controlled by three earls.

"Where is Burns' fiefdom?"

Caesars wanted to learn more about Burns' background. If he could get more information, he might be able to find a way to deal with him.

"The southwest of the Roland Empire!"

In the southwest of the Roland Empire lies a vast land bordering the Violet Alliance and the Redstone Kingdom. Home to lush forests, fertile land, and magnificent mountains, it is a place brimming with life and vitality.

In this land, there was a nobleman named Nicholas Burns. He owned vast territories and great wealth, and became one of the most powerful figures in this land.

"Why was the Golden Viper able to profit from the Sighing Mine? Count Safin, do you know the inside story?"

"Actually, the profits from the Sighing Mine have nothing to do with the Golden Viper. These profits belong entirely to Burns, or rather, to the Countess personally. The minor friction with Burns's steward was due to the Ice Grass and the Countess, who is also a magician!"

"Who does the Golden Viper Mercenary Group belong to?"

"No one can say for sure. The mercenary group belonging to Burns has been stationed in the Sighing Mine for a long time. They seem to be independent and do not interact with the other two earls."

"One last question. The Golden Viper Mercenary Group has a deputy leader named Trudeau. To which earl does he report?"

"He must be Earl Garon's man. Trudeau is extremely domineering and unscrupulous, just like Earl Garon!"

After hearing Count Safin's explanation, Caesars finally understood something. It turned out the Golden Viper Mercenary Group didn't belong to a single count, but rather was a complex organization entangled with a myriad of complex interests. If he tried to fully understand the situation, he would likely face numerous difficulties.

Garlon, the low-level magician of the Northern Alchemy Tower, was a student of the Great Alchemist Kandel. A few years ago, he had attempted to murder Caesars with the aid of a black demon snake, but was ultimately killed by the golden-eyed black demon snake's counterattack.

Garlon had successfully been promoted to a low-level alchemist that year. This status meant that he needed a lot of financial support, because the alchemist's research work often required huge amounts of gold coins.

Generally speaking, ordinary nobles simply couldn't afford such high expenses. Only those with strong financial resources like the Earl could afford to support an alchemist. Furthermore, what was even more coincidental was that this Earl Garlon and the low-level alchemist Garlon had the same surname, which made people think that there might be some kind of connection between them - perhaps they were father and son.

For Caesars, or from the perspective of most ordinary people, Garlon's attempt to kill him was really puzzling. After all, as a low-level magician and low-level alchemist, Garlon should have a bright future. Why would he kill a snake breeder who posed no threat to him?

But from the perspective of the nobility, especially the aristocratic magic apprentices in the Northland Tower, they completely followed the law of the wolf. As long as they felt that the opponent was a potential threat, they would find ways to eliminate the target.

At the Safin family's martial arts arena, Caesars took out some magic steel weapons and equipment. When Count Safin saw the emblems on the weapons, he looked at Caesars with a puzzled look.

"Mr. Caesars, these are the weapons of the Golden Viper Mercenary Group!"

"I picked up these weapons in Felwood a few days ago. The ones with emblems are cheaper, while the ones without are slightly more expensive!"

No one in the Safin family believed what Kaesus said about being able to pick up high-quality magic steel weapons in the dangerous Felwood Forest.

Caesars produced a number of weapons and equipment, the emblems on them having been polished away. Count Safin's eyelids twitched. Although the emblems were gone, he could tell at a glance that it was the style of the magic steel armor: the heavy armor of the Paladin of the Church of Saint Laurent.

"Mr. Caesars, we don't need heavy armor!"

"I'll just give it to you as scrap metal. It's taking up space in my storage ring!"

Paladin armor is extremely heavy, and only strong warhorses can bear it. Therefore, few people will buy this kind of plate armor. And a good horse with a good pedigree is much more expensive than a set of heavy armor.

The Safin family was very satisfied with the deal, as they obtained high-quality magic steel plate armor, but they lacked excellent weapon forgers. Only by remelting the plate armor could they forge it into sharp magic steel arrowheads.

The two sides quickly began trading weapons and equipment for puff pastry, cheese, and various precious herbs. Although Caesars had underestimated the Safin family's strength, they had doubled the amount of puff pastry and more than five thousand high-quality herbs like ice and snow grass.

The Safin family's behavior was not objectionable; they simply strictly followed the rules of the nobility and tried their best to pursue maximum benefits.

During his communication with the Safin family, Caesar also learned some important information: the three great country nobles in the south of the Roland Empire were not as harmonious as the outside world said.

Since the horse that Caesars rode bore the mark of the Golden Viper Mercenaries, he had no choice but to abandon it before leaving Felwood. After all, in this land, anything related to the Golden Viper Mercenaries would cause unnecessary trouble.

The southwestern part of the Roland Empire is controlled by three earls, who have complex political relationships and power struggles among themselves. Therefore, Caesar must carefully avoid these potential threats to avoid falling into danger.

"If you want to deal with your enemy, you must first understand it, find its weaknesses and deliver a fatal blow!"

These words were deeply etched in Caesar's mind; they were the precious teachings of his ancestors. He knew that only by deeply understanding the enemy could he find their weaknesses and deliver a fatal blow. This strategy applied not only in battle, but also in all kinds of challenges.

After leaving Felwood, Caesars entered the Redstone Kingdom. This kingdom, located east of Felwood, was renowned for its abundant resources of magic crystals. Here, people could travel to other locations via public carriages. The magic crystal trade was the Redstone Kingdom's primary source of income. All the major magical forces on Roland Continent, from the Magicians' Guild to other organizations, flocked to purchase the magic crystals.

Despite its relatively small size, the Redstone Kingdom boasts seven large magic crystal mines. The magic crystals produced by these mines are of exceptional purity, containing minimal impurities. This makes the magic crystals of the Redstone Kingdom highly sought after, and a target of numerous magical forces.

The Redstone Kingdom is a relatively open kingdom. Due to its good relations with various major magical forces, no other forces dare to provoke it.

Caesars did not stay in the Red Stone Kingdom, but took a carriage directly to Burns' territory. He prepared a gift in advance - three hundred ice grasses.

According to Count Safin, the Countess on the border had a rather special status. She was the illegitimate daughter of the Grand Duke of Redstone, and it was precisely because of this relationship that she was able to reap a significant share of the profits in the Sighing Mine.

The Golden Viper Mercenaries, who frequented Felwood, had nothing to do with Earl Burns. All they had were gold coins and magic crystals, so there was no need to rob mercenaries in Felwood.

The southwestern border of the Roland Empire is a land of rolling hills, devoid of towering mountains. Burns Castle is situated on a hill near the border, constructed from a dark red rock, a type of hematite.

This rock is very hard and has countless tiny holes naturally in it, so houses built with this rock are warm in winter and cool in summer.

Burns Castle also follows the style of a war fortress, with narrow windows, high walls, and arrow towers above the walls. This is the southern border of the Roland Empire, and war may break out at any time.

The castle walls were over two meters thick and ten meters high, constructed of dark red boulders. Six or seven guards stood guard at the demon steel gates, and twenty or thirty archers manned the perimeter walls.

"I want to visit the owner of the castle!"

Caesars got off the carriage, walked to the gate of the castle wall, and handed the gift list and visiting card to a guard.

"Master Mage, please wait a moment. I will go in and report!"

The profession of magician is highly respected everywhere, especially in remote areas like the Roland Empire.

At that moment, in the spacious living room of Burns Castle, a woman in her forties, dressed in an ornate gown, stared in amazement at the gift list in her hands. The gift clearly exceeded her expectations, but she couldn't understand the giver's intentions. To her surprise, the list actually included the ice grass she desperately needed.

"Since he is also a magician, please invite him to the living room!" said the Countess with a smile.

The Earl's steward immediately nodded in agreement and quickly turned toward the castle gate. Not long ago, he had gone to Redstone City to purchase herbs, but unfortunately, someone had snatched all the herbs away first, nearly sparking a conflict. Although they ultimately succeeded in acquiring dozens of ice and snow grass plants, they still hadn't fully fulfilled the Countess's mission.

"Master Mage, please follow me!"

The Earl's steward was extremely respectful. After bowing deeply, he led Caesar towards the magnificent and sturdy castle.

The castle's living room seemed a bit dim, but this didn't detract from its splendor and elegance. The walls were unpainted, retaining the original dark red color of the massive stones used to build them. These stones had clearly been meticulously cut, resulting in an imperceptibly smooth surface and gaps so tiny they were practically imperceptible.

The floor is paved with white marble, with a few pieces of red marble cleverly inlaid in it, forming a unique color pattern that adds a unique aesthetic. Several chairs made of flame maple and a coffee table of the same material are neatly placed in the center of the room.

A middle-aged woman sat on the main sofa, gazing curiously at the unexpected visitor. Caesars was also filled with confusion and curiosity, as he had originally intended to visit the castle's owner, Earl Burns. Normally, the Earl himself, not the Countess, should have greeted him.

"My apologies for disturbing you, Countess. I came here only to ask a few small questions, nothing important."

Caesars said politely, taking a seat. He then placed a small wooden box on the coffee table. By observing the Countess's magical fluctuations, he discovered that she was an intermediate-level magician.

"All of you, please step back. No one should be around the living room. I want to discuss something important with this magician!"

The Countess did not check the ice grass, but suddenly said these words, which surprised Caesars. He originally thought that the Countess would check the ice grass first, but she did not expect that she would directly ask everyone who was not involved to leave the living room.

After hearing what the Countess said, the butler immediately waved to the maids, signaling them to leave. Then, the butler turned and walked out of the castle gate, leaving Caesars and the Countess alone in the living room.

After everyone left the living room, the Countess began to use her magic to explore her surroundings. She seemed extremely wary of her surroundings, carefully checking to see if anyone else was nearby. Caesars watched the Countess's actions, and a trace of doubt welled up in his heart.

After a moment, the Countess finally relaxed and turned to look at Caesar. Her eyes revealed a mysterious and profound light that made people feel awe.

"You are wearing an elf transformation mask. My grandmother also had a mask a long time ago, but it has been damaged long ago!" The Countess said slowly.

Following these words, the Countess took out a mask from her storage ring. Half of the mask looked like it had been burned, and the magic patterns on it had been damaged and could no longer function.