With the Dimo royal family lacking a strong leader and their long-standing indulgence in pleasures leading to a weakened military, their vulnerability was now apparent.
At this point, the various duchies bared their teeth, progressively escalating a war that swept across the southern territories.
Besides having a formidable army, the Alva Duchy boasted five high-ranking spellcasters. This number was not particularly surprising, but the composition was: among them was a grandmaster with ninth-level spells, two with eighth-level, and two with seventh-level spells.
The one standing before Garon was an eighth-level transmutation mage.
As Duke Thorn had indicated, Alva was poised to become the new kingdom, replacing Dimo if things went as planned.
"Your Excellency, the upcoming battle is merely a concluding one," Matthew continued. "We seek your assistance primarily to intimidate the enemy and minimize unnecessary casualties. You merely need to display your dragon might above the Golden Alliance Army to secure a significant treasure."
"Of course, should you choose to actively engage and help us defeat the enemy forces, additional compensation will be provided."
Matthew extended the invitation further, but Garon did not respond immediately, his dragon eyes flickering with contemplative light.
He didn't take Matthew's words at face value. If they were indeed soliciting the help of a true dragon, it indicated they couldn't easily crush the remaining forces of Dimo Kingdom. Another peculiar aspect for Garon was Duke Thorn's portrayal of the Golden Alliance Army's campaign as nearly unstoppable, advancing triumphantly despite a few negligible setbacks.
Observers often see more than game players. Garon felt that even a weakened Dimo, a kingdom with a millennium of history, wouldn't lack all resistance simply due to the loss of a legendary spellcaster. The speed at which the war was purportedly drawing to a close was unusually fast.
Meanwhile, the high-ranking mage from Alva watched Garon's expressions, his mood darkening. Then, an idea seemed to strike him, and his eyes lit up, "Your Excellency, I understand you are seeking spellbooks."
Garon shifted his gaze, his voice low, "That is correct."
Matthew smiled, raising his hand. With a flicker of light, a thick book exuding a faint scent of antiquity appeared in his hand. "The Spell of Oblivion, an eighth-level transmutation spell."
"If you agree to aid us, this spellbook is yours immediately. Additionally, under the witness of the God of Light, I promise you five more high-level spellbooks from various schools after the matter is resolved."
High-level spells are complex, involving numerous runes and incantations, and each spell requires an entire book to document. Due to the difficulty of mastering such spells, even if spellbooks are available, few can learn from them directly, making them not as valued as one might expect.
In Noah, many spellcasters exchange cherished spellbooks to complement their abilities, but high-level spellbooks generally circulate only among top mages and are not easily obtained.
The prospect of obtaining high-level spellbooks from various schools made Garon pause to consider further. Finally, he accepted the spellbook from Matthew's hand.
Before leaving the northern ice plains for the south, Garon had two main objectives: one was to acquire a portal to the Lava Half-Plane, which he had already achieved; the other was to gather as many spellbooks as possible, particularly high-level ones. The offer was generous indeed, and Garon had to admit, it tempted him.
---
In the capital of Dimo Kingdom, Kraken City, within the royal palace, the king—a man in his prime with a complex look in his eyes—stood in his vast bedroom in front of a large gold-latticed window. He looked down over the silent, tomb-like city under the cover of night.
A cool breeze touched him, slicing the moonlight into fragmented shadows that danced beside him.
"This millennium-old kingdom is now utterly decayed," the king murmured as if to himself. "The royal family is corrupt, the nobility greedy, full of parasites, and the military weakened. There seems no other way to revive Dimo."
He paused, his voice taking on a probing tone without turning around, "Teacher, are you truly confident?"
From the shadows emerged a swirling wisp of black smoke, coalescing into a face as gaunt as a skull.
"In my life as Halis, once I decide to act, I have never failed," the lips on the gaunt face moved, emitting a grating sound like nails on glass.
The name Halis Farkes, if known to the informed, would cause a tremor of shock; he was the legendary chief magician of Dimo, who had reportedly died years ago and was mourned nationally.
"Russel, as my student, I've watched you grow since you were a child. Just listen to your teacher, and you will be the first
emperor of Noah," the gaunt face continued. "As for the casualties and rivers of blood... hah, you've always been too kind-hearted."
"Indecisive and weak, how can you deter the restless nations? You must bear at least half the blame for Dimo's current plight."
Despite the harsh scolding, the king showed no anger.
He looked once more out the window, then turned back slowly to face the swirling black smoke, his expression weary.
"Teacher, you are right. I have failed the soldiers who died for Dimo and the citizens who live in constant fear."
"But you know, I never wanted to be a ruler. I'm not suited for this throne."
The gaunt face in the smoke was silent for a moment before replying in an unpleasant tone, "The arrow is already notched to the bowstring; there is no turning back."
"You can only accept reality or defy my will."
The king sighed deeply, his face tired and voice sad, "Teacher, you weren't like this before. In your pursuit of immortality, you have changed too much."
The smoke churned violently, and its tone became harsher, "It's not your place to question my situation!"
"If it weren't for Yelag constantly watching us, I would have resolved all problems long ago instead of dragging this out."
After a pause, the voice carried a hint of relief, "Fortunately, it seems he's too preoccupied to care about Kraken right now."
The king was silent for half a minute before turning back to the window.
"Let's do as you wish, then. I will cooperate fully."
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