In the Empress's sleeping palace, Sofia stared in a daze at the line of open boxes in front of Murphy.
Ivan, Lars, Sophie, Felipe, Azir...
Now they were all reduced to bloody heads.
"You really did it," the Empress seemed still somewhat incredulous. "When I learned of Azir's betrayal, I almost thought I was going to lose you."
Murphy also smiled, "I guess I'm just lucky."
The Empress stood in front of those heads for a while before ordering them to be taken away. "As per our agreement, you may continue to advance your plans with the muggle government. Arkaim will not interfere with your actions."
"Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty," Murphy said. "However, I have another request."
The Empress looked at him for a while, a hint of blush rising on her pale cheeks, "Speak."
Now that the other suitors had either been dissuaded by Ivan or killed, only Murphy remained. If he truly proposed to her, should she accept?
"The British Ministry of Magic, before my arrival, asked me to bring a diplomatic letter to you, hoping to establish relations with Arkaim. If possible, the Ministry hopes to engage in trade and various interactions and collaborations with Arkaim," Murphy said.
Let's talk about business instead of feelings; it's too formal otherwise.
"The British Ministry of Magic?" The Empress paused for a moment. "Is this also your intention?"
Murphy nodded, "Your Majesty, you know what I want to do."
"Suvia will soon embark on a comprehensive study of magic technology under the guidance of the muggle government. This will profoundly affect the global wizarding world, and it's foreseeable that Suvia will face immense international pressure. Most of the magical powers I can leverage come from Britain."
"Therefore, magical cooperation between Suvia and Britain is necessary and urgent for the future."
"I hope Your Majesty can agree to this request."
Sofia frowned, "Suvia is Suvia, Arkaim is another matter. We've been isolated from muggle society for nearly a hundred years and have little to do with other magical communities. We don't wish to get involved in international affairs."
"But, Your Majesty, Arkaim is on Suvian land, the only magical government within Suvia. No one will separate Suvia and Arkaim in their views. To other countries' wizards, Suvia is Arkaim, and Arkaim is Suvia."
Sofia then realized that she might have fallen into Murphy's trap.
She had been focused on regaining power and hadn't thought deeply about the implications of Murphy's actions in Suvia. But now, she realized that if he intended to use Suvian land and the muggle government to conduct magical technology research, it would undoubtedly violate the International Statute of Secrecy.
Wouldn't other countries' wizards pursue Arkaim then?
"Cough cough, Mr. Murphy, are you threatening us?" Lady Yaga, who had been standing behind the Empress since the beginning, finally spoke up.
Murphy had gone to the Ancestor's Tomb to help Lady Yaga kill Felipe Carlos after freeing up from the Duke's mansion.
He had waited a while before taking action, appearing only when Lady Yaga and Felipe were nearly finished fighting. His first move was a barrage of muggle bombs, intending to "accidentally" take out Lady Yaga as well.
Unfortunately, although the old woman appeared frail, she had stubbornly survived Murphy's several rounds of indiscriminate AOE attacks.
With Lady Yaga present, Murphy maintained considerable restraint and politeness in front of the Empress.
"Of course not, Lady Yaga," Murphy said, looking innocently. "It's a suggestion for the betterment of both parties."
"What if we don't agree?" Sofia seemed a bit angry.
At the time, Murphy indeed mentioned his plans to break the International Statute of Secrecy, but because of Arkaim's long isolation, she hadn't seriously considered the impact it would have on her.
She was responsible for her lack of consideration, but the bigger problem seemed to be Murphy's half-stated intentions. He never mentioned it until now, after she agreed not to interfere with his actions.
This made Sofia recall Azir's words – cooperating with such a person was akin to serving oneself up on a platter.
"I apologize, Your Majesty, for not explaining the stakes earlier," Murphy said. "But as I've mentioned before, the dissolution of the Statute of Secrecy is inevitable. My actions in Suvia will hasten this process, which are foreseeable events. On this basis, collaboration is truly more beneficial for both sides."
"I can't force you to agree to anything, but the future of the wizarding world might not be as peaceful as it is now. I still very much hope to have Arkaim as an ally."
"Ultimately, you still want to drag Arkaim onto your chariot," Lady Yaga said. "The British Ministry of Magic alone isn't enough to stand against the entire wizarding world, so you want to pull us in as well."
This indeed was Murphy's thought.
He involved himself in the Empress's power struggle partly for this reason.
The British Ministry of Magic was largely under his control, but what he intended to do in Suvia was to completely break the International Statute of Secrecy. No matter how secluded Suvia was, such a significant move couldn't be hidden. He would face unimaginable pressure.
A newly infiltrated British Ministry of Magic would struggle to withstand such pressure. He needed Arkaim, this pure wizarding city, to stand against the International Confederation of Wizards.
"Change is not what Arkaim desires," the Empress said. "We just want to live in isolation."
"But the change has already arrived and will sweep over everything," Murphy said. "No one can live isolated from the environment, and no wizard can truly detach from the world."
"Resisting the tide will only lead to destruction, but riding it could lead to prosperity. Your Majesty, don't you want to make Arkaim stronger under your rule?"
The Empress wavered for a moment, looking at Lady Yaga for her opinion.
After hesitating, Lady Yaga looked at the Empress, then at Murphy, and suddenly said, "We might agree to your request. But we have a condition."
Murphy had a bad feeling, "Go on."
"If Arkaim steps into the outside world, there's a great risk. Moreover, the Empress is still young and has just rid herself of a traitor like Ivan. It's a time for her to consolidate her reign and recover."
"It's not advisable to risk ourselves for a foreigner at this time."
"But if the foreigner becomes one of us, it's a different matter."
Lady Yaga stepped forward, looking at Murphy, "If you want an alliance between the two countries, it's possible."
"But you must marry the Empress."
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