Black Hearted Mage

The grandmother the Countess mentioned must be Grand Duke Redstone's mother. And the only people who could possess an elven transmogrification mask could be from the Thornflower Trading Company. Caesars was well aware of this, as most elves in the crater didn't possess transmogrification masks.

You should know that making an elven transmogrification mask requires the soft hide from the abdomen of a super beast, and this soft hide mainly comes from earth dragons. Although the elven elders use soft hide to make magic scrolls, it is rarely used to make transmogrification masks.

"Countess, how can you tell that I am wearing an elf mask? Who is your grandmother? How was the mask destroyed?" At this time, Caesars was full of doubts and was eagerly waiting for the Countess's answer.

The Countess smiled faintly and said, "The Eye of Truth, a magical elf ornament, allows me to see that there's a mask covering your face. As for my grandmother, she was originally from the Thorn Flower Company, but she's deceased. During one of her expeditions, she encountered a ground dragon, and that's how her mask got damaged!"

After hearing the Countess's answer, Caesars thought about it carefully and felt that what she said was not a lie. So he decided to continue asking: "Countess, may I ask if the Earl is in the castle?"

"Of course, my husband is in the castle, but he can't see guests now." The Countess's voice was full of helplessness and sadness.

"Why?" Caesar asked curiously.

"Because Nicholas has been in a coma for more than ten years. But believe me, you definitely don't want to see him. Everyone who sees him will have nightmares!" The Countess said in a firm tone.

"What? In a coma for more than ten years?"

Caesar was very shocked. It had been rumored that Burns was very low-key and never left the Earl's Castle. He didn't expect that he had been in a coma for more than ten years.

"Yes, he has been in a coma for more than ten years. I have tried countless methods, but I still can't wake him up."

The Countess's eyes revealed deep sorrow. She really didn't know how to revive Burns. For the past decade or so, she had been relying on alchemical potions to keep Burns alive.

"Then why did the count fall into a coma?" Caesar asked anxiously.

"I don't know the specific reason. More than ten years ago, Burns went to a banquet at Earl Solon's mansion. Shortly after returning, he fell ill and then fell into a coma. To this day, Nicholas still can't wake up!"

The Countess' tone was filled with sadness and helplessness. She loved her husband deeply, and watching him in a coma for so many years, her heart was filled with pain and helplessness.

"Madam, there are no priests in your mercenary group, right?" Caesars suddenly asked.

"Yes, only Earl Soren has a priest. There is no priest in Earl Garlon's mercenary group!" The Countess answered very affirmatively.

Kaisas frowned and fell into deep thought. He knew that in this world, priests had the ability to heal injuries.

The Countess mentioned Earl Solon, one of the three earls of the southern Roland Empire and the most mysterious. He controlled the powerful Golden Viper Mercenary Group, and was said to be extremely powerful. However, Earl Solon himself rarely appeared in public, and his reputation was not well-known. Unlike Earl Garlon, Earl Solon was low-key and never made a fuss.

There were rumors that the three earls had banded together in the south to fight the foreign enemies, but judging from the information we had received so far, this rumor did not seem to be credible.

"Madam, Lord Garlon shouldn't be short of gold, right? Why would his mercenaries be looting in Felwood?"

"Robbery? No, they were arresting people! As far as I know, they sent all the captured mercenaries to Earl Soren's stone mine!"

Upon hearing this news, Caesar's heart sank and his brows furrowed.

"There's no need to capture mercenaries for mining, right?" he asked doubtfully.

Caesars couldn't understand why a powerful noble in the Roland Empire, needing to mine stone, could simply recruit his own subjects. There was no need to go to the trouble of capturing mercenaries, which was completely against the laws of the Empire.

"The mine is heavily guarded, and Earl Soran's men are practically all confined to the mine. There's only one tunnel in and out, and the magic steel gate won't be opened except when meals are delivered. There's no way for stalkers to sneak in!"

Caesar nodded and fell into deep thought. He couldn't help but think of the news that the Countess had revealed to him before, but this information made him confused and puzzled.

Count Garlon would not be so proactive in something that did not benefit him. The benefits involved were definitely not just a few gold coins; it was not worth taking such a big risk just for a few gold coins.

Why did Earl Soren send the mercenaries to the quarry? And why was Earl Garlon so actively involved? What secrets lie behind this?

Caesars realized that this matter might be more complicated than he had imagined, but he was powerless. He had no ability to investigate further, no way to find more clues, and no way to uncover the truth of this mystery because his strength was too low.

"Ma'am, you can't find out anything about the mines?"

"It's risky to gather information. A powerful noble with a private army is like an emperor in his own territory. Forget about going into the mines to gather information. Even entering the other party's territory requires prior notification. The lord has the power to arrest and interrogate intruders."

The laws of the Roland Empire were jointly formulated by the nobles, and one of the provisions was that as long as the crime was not treason, the nobles could use gold coins to atone for their crimes. No matter how serious the crime was, they only needed to pay a corresponding amount of gold coins to avoid punishment.

However, there was one crucial stipulation within these laws: the sanctity of the nobles' lands. This law ensured that the nobles had absolute power within their lands, allowing them to arrest and interrogate any intruders at will.

The Countess knew Earl Soren's situation very well and knew that his mines hid some unknown secrets. However, facing this situation, she felt powerless and unable to change the status quo.

"Madam, I would like to see the Count, may I?"

"Of course you can, but please be prepared, Nicholas looks a little scary right now!"

The Countess stood up and gracefully adjusted her long skirt, which brushed the ground lightly, making a slight friction sound. Then, she led Caesars to the stairs on the side of the hall.

The staircase was constructed of flawless white marble, meticulously polished to a mirror-smooth surface, giving it a bright and elegant feel. Each step was polished so clean that it seemed to reflect a person's shadow. Caesars cautiously followed the Countess, ascending the stairs step by step, feeling the solidity and stability beneath his feet.

They reached the top floor, where a south-facing room came into view. The room was beautifully furnished, creating a particularly warm and inviting atmosphere. In the center of the room stood a large bed with white curtains and crisp, clean bedding. Beside the bed sat a soft, comfortable chair. Sunlight streamed through the large, crystal-clear windows, creating a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere.

However, as Caesars entered the room, the strong smell of alchemical potions hit his nose. The pungent smell made him frown, but he forced himself to move forward. He noticed that the room was filled with a faint magical aura, which seemed to flow slowly throughout the room, giving it a mysterious and oppressive feeling.

The Countess gently drew aside the curtains, letting the light from outside into the room. Then, she carefully opened the curtains on the bed, revealing a figure lying on the bed. When Caesars saw the figure lying on the bed, he couldn't help but shudder.

The man on the bed was emaciated and gaunt, a dehydrated corpse. His muscles had shriveled to the point of disappearing, leaving only a thin layer of skin tightly wrapped around his bones. His face was as pale as paper, his eyes were closed, and his breathing was so weak that it was almost imperceptible.

"His vitality is constantly draining away. He can only last for one or two years at most..."

The Countess's voice was filled with sorrow, and her eyes revealed endless pain and helplessness. She slowly sat down beside the bed, reaching out and gently stroking the patient's bony forehead, as if trying to convey some warmth and comfort.

Caesars stood quietly by, watching the scene before him, a heavy emotion welling up in his heart. He realized the patient was on the brink of death, his life gradually fading. This scene made him feel extremely helpless, and at the same time, he had a deeper understanding of the fragility of life.

"Ma'am, is his soul still intact?"

Caesars frowned and asked in confusion. When he saw the terrifying figure on the bed, he suddenly remembered the great undead magician Sandro.

The Countess took a deep breath, a trace of sadness flashing in her eyes. She said, "It's intact. The Redstone Kingdom's great magician came to see him. He suspects Nicholas has been poisoned by some non-lethal, chronic toxin. This toxin is very rare and difficult to detect even with toxin detection. We have tried various methods, including using powerful antidotes, but none of them have worked."

Caesars nodded in understanding. Strong antidotes were usually only effective for lethal toxins, and they came in several varieties depending on the ingredients. For this rare, chronic toxin, ordinary antidotes might not be effective.

He then asked, "What about the strong life potion and the recovery potion? Have you tried to let the Countess drink it?"

The Countess shook her head and replied, "Although these potions are precious, I was able to buy them with the thorn flower badge left by my grandmother. However, they didn't work at all." There was a hint of despair in her voice, as if she had tried everything but to no avail.

After a moment of silence, Caesars offered a suggestion: "Perhaps we could ask the elders of the crater to help with the treatment. They possess great power and knowledge, and perhaps they could find a solution to the problem."

However, the Countess's expression darkened, her voice filled with helplessness: "That's impossible. The elven elders won't treat humans, and Nicholas's condition makes it impossible for him to leave. Without the magic pattern formation to maintain him, he probably wouldn't survive for even a few days."

"Ma'am, I have something you might be able to try, but there's no guarantee it will wake the Earl!"

The Countess did not speak, she just looked at Caesar quietly, she no longer believed such words. In the past ten years, she had made countless attempts.

A fist-sized green gem was found by Caesars, with a rich breath of life wrapped around the surface of the gem.

"How did the Life Gem from the Duchess's Tomb end up in your hands?"

All magicians know the origin of this life gem. During the final stage of the Duchess's Cemetery, this life gem suddenly disappeared.

"Ma'am, I found this during their fight. Try this first. If it doesn't work, I really have no other options!"

"I can't touch this gem, just take it and use it!"

When Caesar handed the life gem to the Countess, she refused it. Caesar looked through the gem and found nothing unusual.

"There's nothing unusual about the magic gem, but I absolutely cannot possess it, as it already has its owner. This life gem fell within the realm of death, and no one should have been able to obtain it. No one has ever entered the Duchess's cemetery alive, and the protective magic circle has been in operation for over seven thousand years. Even the most powerful elven magic pattern master cannot break it!"

Caesars was shocked. He had never thought that the Countess knew so much about what happened in the Duchess's cemetery. So he gently placed the Life Gem on Burns' chest. The gem seemed to have found its home, firmly fitting on Burns' chest, as if it were a base specially made for the gem.

When the magic power began to slowly wrap around the gem of life, a huge amount of life force flowed continuously along the gem into Burns's dry body like a skeleton.

Gradually, subtle changes began to appear in Burns. His once pale, dull skin began to glow with life and radiance, and the sound of his heartbeat grew clearer and stronger. Simultaneously, the Life Gem itself underwent significant changes, its color shifting from its original emerald green to a gray-green, and its once rich aura of life faded.

Kaisas picked up the Life Gem, and its life force seemed to have dried up. At least on the surface of the gem, no life energy could be sensed.

Caesar felt that he was extremely unlucky. The person had not yet been saved and his life gem seemed to be useless.

"Ma'am, I'm going to rest in the castle hall for a while!"

Caesars took back the gem of life and walked out of the room. He felt that he could not help others casually in the future, as he was at a great disadvantage.