Chapter 217: Deeper, Deeper, Deeper (Part 1)

  In the Grand Hall of State of the imperial palace, the lights were on all night. Several of the ministers who had been summoned to the sleeping chamber by Cardinal that day had now rushed over again, but His Majesty the Emperor was not among them. Although receiving the people from Oufu was very important, it seemed more appropriate for him to remain in the rear palace to accompany the Queen. With these veteran ministers, Commander Roland, and the Chancellor present, it was already sufficient.

  The arrivals were the City Lord of Oufu, Sedros, and his deputy, Lord Bolgan. The attire of these two, who had hurried over, had not the slightest air of being on a diplomatic mission to negotiate with a nation; it was so simple it was almost ragged. But not a single person showed the slightest disdain for them. For Sedros to come here in person during these extraordinary times was enough to show the importance he placed on this. And at this time, Ainfast also needed Oufu. Even the most particular and old-fashioned ministers no longer had the energy to care about such minor details.

  The meeting continued until nearly dawn. When the ministers came out of the Grand Hall of State, the expressions on their faces were somewhat odd. It seemed they had breathed a sigh of relief, but without the slightest hint of joy, as if another, larger shadow was cast over their hearts.

  Sedros only rested for a short while at the guest house arranged for him before a carriage secretly took them to the Chancellor's residence. Another meeting was waiting for him there.

  In the Chancellor's study, Sophia, Commander Roland, and Ethan were already waiting. Except for Ethan, everyone had been up all night. Inside the palace, the discussions and negotiations regarding the relationship between Oufu and the Ainfast Empire were intense and prolonged. But what was to be discussed here was a deeper, more hidden, and more fundamental issue than what was discussed in the palace.

  "Mr. Sandro is not willing to agree to my proposal?" Sophia asked first. It was she who had suggested inviting Sandro to become the Court Magician.

  "It seems he will not agree," Ethan smiled wryly and shook his head.

  Even for the ministers who now knew that Bishop Javi was a Necromancer, there were still many things they did not know. For example, Javi's true identity, his relationship with Inham Marquis, etc. These matters involving Diya Valley were glossed over with very vague excuses. Sandro's identity also remained a secret. To the other ministers, he was just a retired magician from Diya Valley, a friend of Bishop Ronis, who had been invited by Commander Roland to help resolve this crisis. Sophia, however, wanted to take this opportunity to bring Sandro to the forefront.

  Sedros smiled and shook his head: "The most fundamental rule of the Necromancers of Diya Valley for hundreds of years is actually not to interfere in this mortal world. Although after hundreds of years, especially among the mages who have joined in the last twenty or thirty years, there have gradually been those who are enamored with fame, fortune, and power, but someone like Sandro would absolutely never wade into the muddy waters of power struggles."

  Although he had endured continuous long-distance flights followed by an all-night meeting, Sedros still looked so full of vigor. The spirit radiating from his eyes was no less than that of a young man. Although the two slightly darkened eye bags indicated that it had been some time since he had rested, he was still radiant. Because the result of the arduous talks throughout the night was that Oufu and the Ainfast Empire would immediately form an alliance. This was, of course, a matter worthy of a lift in his spirits.

  The Cardinal sent by His Majesty the Pope turned out to be a Necromancer attempting to usurp the throne. Although this matter could not be made public, the fact was laid out there. The relationship between the Empire and the Church had finally and completely broken down.

  In fact, starting with Bishop Ronis, the relationship between the Magic Academy and the Church had begun to become distant. Bishop Ronis had also intentionally or unintentionally wanted to dilute this relationship; his own almost never returning to Celeste for an audience with the Pope was one example. After twenty years of this subtle transformation, although they worshipped the same Lord and the same doctrine, in the eyes of the common people of the Empire, the Church's fundamental home of Celeste no longer had much standing. The holy land in their eyes was actually the Magic Academy in the royal capital. This was also an important prerequisite for being able to break with Celeste this time.

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  The foreshadowing buried for twenty years finally had a final rest stop placed on it at this moment. It was just a pity that Bishop Ronis could not see all of this. But from the perspective of the general trend, only after his death would the relationship between Celeste and the Magic Academy be brought into the open, creating an opportunity for such a complete break.

  Bishop Javi was now imprisoned, half-dead. All of his martial skills and magic had been crippled by the combined efforts of Roland and Sandro. And the temporary announcement to the outside world was that the Cardinal had suddenly fallen gravely ill and died.

  It wasn't that they couldn't think of a more suitable reason, but it was truly impossible to come up with an excuse to explain how a Cardinal, full of vim and vigor, who had just stirred up a storm in the royal capital and had personally summoned the ministers to the palace for a discussion, could suddenly vanish without a trace, with everyone else remaining tight-lipped.

  And such an obvious lie was undoubtedly a loud slap in the face to His Majesty the Pope, who everyone knew wanted to regain control of the Magic Academy. Regardless of whether His Majesty the Pope now had the energy, or whether he would pursue the matter after he did, everyone knew they should take preventive measures. In this situation, seeking an ally was absolutely necessary.

  Oufu had long been, in fact, a buffer zone between the eastern and western continents, and it had displayed inconceivably powerful combat strength in the previous battle against the Crusader army. From any perspective, it seemed that the Empire and Oufu should elevate their former mutual non-aggression pact to a strategic alliance.

  In yesterday's meeting, City Lord Sedros had taken the initiative to propose the alliance, and the conditions he offered made all the ministers feel very satisfied. And after such an incident, His Majesty the Emperor and all the ministers' impression of the Pope and Celeste had reached a point where trust was no longer possible. So, under the leadership of Commander Roland, everyone also participated in the negotiation of the alliance.

  Of course, forming an alliance was by no means a smooth and easy matter. This pact elevated the relationship between the Empire and the Church from a state of rupture and stalemate to one of hostility. Moreover, the details of the alliance required mutual coordination and negotiation. Even though it was the general trend, the ministers would not necessarily eagerly agree to the terms of the alliance. They had to judge whether this ally's strength and potential were worth completely severing their relationship with the Holy See.

  Throughout the entire night, Lord Bolgan alone shouldered the task of negotiating the details with all the important ministers of the Empire. Almost every minister was impressed by the mind and ability of this unremarkable dwarf. Whether it was the Empire's military, internal affairs, economy, or agriculture, this dwarf seemed to be very clear and proficient in every area. And not only did he discuss the details of mutual cooperation after the Empire and Oufu formed an alliance, he also pointed out many problems that existed within the Empire itself, how they should be improved, and how they could be gradually corrected during the adjustment period. His clarity of thought, unique insights, and eloquence left everyone astonished. Even the always astute and capable Chancellor seemed somewhat overshadowed by this dwarf.

  After a night of negotiations, all the ministers had completely eliminated their last trace of contempt for Oufu. No matter how powerful the beastmen's combat strength was, it was only temporary courage. No matter how good a leader's ability or how unique his vision, it was impossible for him to be well-versed in every aspect. But to be able to grasp the details of an entire nation's development—this combination of political and economic talent—meant the potential for development was immeasurable.

  Choosing an ally between nations is like a wise person choosing a husband and wife. Although it is indeed a very intimate relationship, everyone will first clearly see the other's bargaining chips, carefully weigh them, and see if it is suitable to choose this bird to share the nest. Through a night of negotiations, they saw Oufu's potential and naturally weighed the value of the choice.

  The exhausted Lord Bolgan was now resting at the guest house. A whole night of debate had already pushed his mind to its limit, and there was no meaning for him to participate in this discussion. Although what was being discussed here was a conspiracy, it had nothing to do with politics or the economy.

  "If Mr. Sandro could truly stand openly on our side, it would be an immense deterrent to Diya Valley or the Church... We can fabricate a reasonable story about his identity and origins..." Sophia frowned, lost in thought, then looked up at Ethan, revealing an expression with a hidden meaning. "Is there really no other way? For example... does Mr. Sandro need something... is there something he can't let go of..."

  "I'm warning you not to play these little tricks with him," Ethan frowned and shook his head, giving Sophia a slightly annoyed look.

  Sophia seemed a bit surprised by Ethan's expression. She was taken aback and said no more.

  Ethan was also slightly surprised. First, he was surprised that Sophia would reveal such an attitude, which clearly implied "by any means necessary." Second, he was surprised that he would subconsciously feel a flash of anger towards her. Although this anger had a hint of concern, it was anger nonetheless.

  At this time, Commander Roland also nodded and said: "It's truly better not to force someone to do something against their will in this kind of matter. Otherwise, given Mr. Sandro's temper, it will likely be counterproductive. His principle of standing on our side is already a great help. And although we deliberately concealed it this time, the Church and Diya Valley will sooner or later know of Mr. Sandro's attitude. We have also achieved the goal of using his shocking power as a deterrent."

  "Now, the other ministers all believe that the Pope reached an agreement with Javi, that Necromancer, asking him to find a way to regain control of the Magic Academy. And for them to know this is enough... But we all know that what's behind this is probably not that simple." Sedros sighed and continued. "Magnus couldn't possibly fail to see Javi's identity. Even if he didn't know that he was once the assistant to Duke Mrak, who had such an experience here, and a disciple of Commander Roland, he could at least see that he came from Diya Valley. So for him to be sent here, it couldn't be just to regain control of the Magic Academy."