Chapter 34: Clues for the Wizard's Apprentice
Chapter 34: Clues for the Wizard's Apprentice
Unexpectedly learning of the Golden Rock Marquis's plot, Su Nan felt a weight on his shoulders.
Unless they abandoned their territory, they would inevitably clash with the Golden Rock Marquis in the future.
Shaking his head, Su Nan pushed the matter to the back of his mind and continued interrogating the Black Sword Knight.
When he heard that the Starlight Sect's Golden Rock Province branch had mobilized all its forces just to hunt a magical creature, Su Nan interrupted the knight, asking curiously, "What kind of magical creature?"
"A cat."
A cat?
Su Nan was taken aback.
He had assumed it was a powerful and ferocious magical creature that forced the Starlight Sect to mobilize so many people, but it turned out to be a cat.
He thought back, but he couldn't recall any particularly powerful feline magical creatures in his memory.
However, the Starlight Continent was vast and rich in resources, so there might be a feline magical creature he was unaware of.
After a moment's thought, Su Nan asked, "Why did you want to capture that magical creature?"
"It was an order from the High Priest. I don't know the details, but it seems to be related to wizards."
The Black Sword Knight spoke with a vacant gaze.
"We deployed many people, but the magical creature was very cunning. By the time I came to Blackstone City to carry out the assassination mission, no one in the sect had caught it."
"A magical creature related to wizards. Could it be a familiar?"
Su Nan pondered.
However, from what the Black Sword Knight said, they had been hunting the magical creature for a long time without anyone interfering, which suggested that the creature was likely unowned and not a familiar.
Driven by curiosity, Su Nan asked for more details about the incident, continuing until he was sure he couldn't extract any more useful information. Then, he lifted the spell.
Coming to his senses, the Black Sword Knight looked shocked and bewildered.
"What, what did you do to me?"
The Charm Human spell doesn't erase the target's memory, and the Black Sword Knight clearly remembered how he had answered Su Nan's questions, which left him feeling uneasy and unable to understand how he had become so compliant.
Su Nan had no intention of explaining. He didn't even look at the Black Sword Knight as he turned and left the dungeon, leaving the knight standing there, pale and questioning his reality.
Back in the council chamber, Koy, who had already heard the news from Bradley, eagerly approached.
"Did he say anything else?"
Su Nan didn't hide anything and recounted everything about the Starlight Sect.
Koy's eyes immediately flared with anger, and he punched the armrest of his chair in frustration.
"I knew Father's death had to be their doing!"
After a moment, he took a deep breath to calm his rage and said more calmly, "So the attack on Storm Baron was also orchestrated by the Golden Rock Marquis?"
Su Nan nodded. "Most likely."
"The attack left Storm Baron comatose, giving the Golden Rock Marquis the perfect opportunity to meddle in the succession struggle in Storm Territory. By supporting a puppet, he can control Storm Territory from the shadows."
In Golden Rock Province, the Winter Frost Baron and the Storm Baron were the two most powerful lords after the Marquis.
The Winter Frost Baron had already aligned with the Golden Rock Marquis, and if the Storm Territory also fell into the Marquis's hands, he would virtually have the entire province under his control.
"We still have a chance."
Koy took a deep breath, his gaze resolute.
"According to the news from Storm Territory, the Storm Baron's sons are still locked in a struggle. The Golden Rock Marquis will focus his efforts there and won't have the time to deal with Flash Territory. If we can retake Flash Territory during this period, we will have the means to stand up to him."
If other nobles heard Koy's words, they would surely laugh at him for dreaming. How could a small territory like Flash Territory possibly stand up to the Marquis of Golden Rock, who controlled most of the Golden Rock Province?
But Koy was incredibly confident, and the source of that confidence was none other than Su Nan, the wizard's apprentice!
With control over Blackstone City, they already had the strength to challenge a baron. If they could reclaim an entire baron's territory, why would they fear the Marquis of Golden Rock?
Seeing that Koy was not disheartened but instead fired up for the challenge, Su Nan nodded silently and brought up another matter.
"I plan to leave Blackstone City for a while."
Koy was slightly taken aback and asked instinctively, "Where are you going?"
"Chime Rock City."
Koy recalled that Chime Rock City was located within the Silver Moon Territory, under the rule of the Viscount of Silver Moon.
"What are you going to do there?"
"Find something," Su Nan said vaguely, not elaborating further.
Chime Rock City was the place where the magical creature, which the Starlight Sect had been hunting, was last seen. Since coming to this world, Su Nan had never encountered any leads related to wizards, so he couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.
Even if the magical creature turned out to have no connection to wizards, it would still be worth the trip. A rare feline magical creature could offer some unexpected benefits.
Moreover, the assassination attempt by the Starlight Sect had left him frustrated. Intercepting the magical creature before the Starlight Sect could catch it would be a way to settle the score in advance.
Koy didn’t press for more details after hearing Su Nan's explanation. After all, the Viscount of Silver Moon was among the nobles who kept their distance from the Marquis of Golden Rock. In the Silver Moon Territory, the Marquis and Owen would find it difficult to interfere, so there was little risk to Su Nan.
"When are you leaving?"
"In a few days."
Considering the potential encounter with the Starlight Sect, Su Nan planned to make more preparations. For instance, he wanted to craft more rune gems for protection and further enhance the power of the Hidden Dragon.
Once he was fully prepared, he would head to Chime Rock City. According to the Black Sword Knight, the Starlight Sect was struggling to catch the magical creature, so it was unlikely to be captured soon.
To avoid another assassination attempt, Koy decided to move into the military camp, handling all his duties and daily activities there. Unless a legendary knight was involved, it would be nearly impossible to assassinate Koy with over a thousand soldiers and more than three hundred knight-level combatants (including the Black Rock Leopard) guarding him.
Given that Su Nan was about to leave Blackstone City, he decided to upgrade Koy's Black Rock Leopard to the Grand Knight level for added safety. This upgrade required forty-two Black Rock Leopards and cost nearly sixteen hundred gold coins.
Even with Blackstone City's rich resources, the annual tax revenue was only enough to create three Grand Knight-level Black Rock Leopards.
However, both Koy and the others, like Bradley, found it to be a worthwhile investment. Sixteen hundred gold coins for a Grand Knight-level combatant was an incredible deal!
(End of Chapter)
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