Chapter 527: Cyrodiil Highlands

Chapter 527: Cyrodiil Highlands

On the high-speed dirigible.

Rayne, in the cabin, gazed out the window, deep in thought.

"If I completely wipe out the Isodrial Academy, it will create a large power vacuum in the Cyrodiil Highlands, giving other cults and secret wizard schools the opportunity to intervene."

"Moreover, the impact of my actions will be significant. After all, it would harm the empire's interests in the Cyrodiil Highlands, and even Menya would find this situation very difficult to handle."

"But this matter must be dealt with!"

In Rayne's view, this issue was not just about the sacrifices of Wei Er Li and Vandar, but also about the safety of his family in the future.

"Vice Headmaster Malcolm? 'Shield of Stone' Stewart?"

"If I take out these two, the Isodrial Academy will be left in name only. Other cults and secret wizard schools will also take the opportunity to intervene."

"Perhaps, once I arrive, I can first assess the reputation of the Isodrial Academy in the Cyrodiil Highlands. If the remaining people are useful, I might directly incorporate them into the Bishu Construct Guild?"

"Earth wizards, whether specializing in clay or rock, would greatly enhance the guild's earth and rock constructs."

A sudden idea flashed through Rayne's mind.

Although the remaining members of the Isodrial Academy would likely outnumber the Bishu Construct Guild, Rayne was not worried, as he was there.

Imperial Capital Temeril.

In the assembly hall of the Bishu Construct Guild.

Despite Makar and the other guild members diligently assembling and calibrating the 'Destroyer' golem, their faces were all somewhat disheartened.

"Sigh, even if we successfully repair the Destroyer Golem, will it really be of any use?"

"The records clearly state that only a 4th-level Dawn Mage can unleash the full power of the Destroyer. But the problem is, apart from Lord Rayne, who is a Dawn Wizard, even Headmaster Moria is merely at the Crystallization Peak."

"Sigh, that is indeed a problem. By the way, do you think Headmaster will succeed in advancing to Dawn Wizard this time?"

"It's hard to say. I just feel that Headmaster's decision to advance might be a bit hasty."

"Headmaster Moria wants to become a Dawn Wizard before the guild's promotion evaluation. That's too difficult."

"Indeed, I fear we will fail the guild promotion again! It would be great if Lord Rayne could return."

Hearing these whispers, Makar, Rayne's mentor, felt the most distressed.

Given the possibility that his talented disciple might never return, Makar had been dejected and drunk for several days.

However, over the past couple of days, he had come to a realization.

As a mentor, he might not have the strength to save Rayne, but he could at least protect what Rayne had built. With a fully functional Destroyer Golem, the guild would still have near-epic combat power, and even if they didn't get promoted, at least their resources wouldn't be stolen.

Thus, Makar threw himself back into the repair of the Destroyer.

Headmaster Moria, who had originally planned to focus on advancing to Dawn Wizard after the Destroyer's repair and the guild's promotion, decided to start his attempt today after careful consideration.

Suddenly, the gate to the assembly hall opened, and a hurried and excited voice rang out:

"Mentor, Lord Rayne has returned!"

The person was Audrey, Rayne's senior. Since Audrey learned of Rayne's strength, she had always addressed him as Lord.

"What!"

Upon hearing this news, everyone in the assembly hall looked up in surprise, their eyes fixed on the young Audrey.

"Audrey, where did you hear this? Is it true?" Makar rushed to Audrey's side, his excitement causing him to tightly grip her shoulders and shake her.

Audrey endured her mentor's iron grip, knowing he was just too excited. She replied:

"Confirmed. I went to Lord Rayne's residence and met Lady Olena, who told me herself."

"Great! Great!" Makar released Audrey, raised his fists high, and spun around, shouting.

Then, he pulled out a small steel flask from his pocket, quickly opened it, and took several large gulps, his face turning red as he said:

"Where is Rayne now?"

"Let's go and see him!"

Makar knew Rayne was now in a high position and would likely have many things to attend to upon his return, but that didn't matter. His disciple was busy, but he was free!

There was nothing wrong with a mentor visiting his disciple, right?

"According to Lady Olena, Lord Rayne stayed at home for only a short while before heading to Minter Province."

"Is that so? No problem, we can visit him in a few days. It's good that he's back!" Makar felt a bit disappointed but quickly regained his excitement.

"Wait! I need to persuade the Headmaster."

"Since Rayne is back, there's no need for him to rashly attempt to advance to the Dawn realm!"

With that, Makar immediately rushed out of the assembly hall!

On the other end of the corridor, in an office.

Vice Headmaster Bradley was somewhat bewildered.

Just a moment ago, he had received an urgent notification from the Imperial Wizard Guild Federation, stating that their Bishu Construct Guild's promotion was no longer an issue.

The previous issue arose because a reviewer from Isodrial Academy was not thorough enough in their work, failing to notice the discrepancies between the automaton data submitted by their own school and Bishu Construct Guild. This led to the suspicion that Bishu Construct Guild had stolen the designs.

"Strange, would Isodrial Academy be so kind?"

"They held us back before, but now they suddenly approve it? Could there be a bigger trap waiting for us?"

Bradley stroked his chin, his suspicions growing.

Sword Bearers Headquarters.

"Olena, you said Admiral Edward sent a message that Lord Rayne, after resolving the issue with Minstrel, did not return to the Imperial Capital, but instead went directly to Cyrodiil Plateau?"

Lieutenant Colonel Tatiana immediately stood up to confirm this news.

"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel Tatiana", Olena nodded, equally surprised by this information.

The implications of this action were clear!

"Oh no, Lord Rayne is being too rash!"

"The situation in Cyrodiil Plateau is complex, and 'Shield of Stone' Stewart is no weakling, even among the empire's Epic-Level Warriors."

"Moreover, with the advantage of being on his own school's territory, even a seasoned imperial guardian would have to show some respect to Isodrial Academy in Cyrodiil."

"I need to report this to Marshal Alfred immediately."

"Hmm", Tatiana's words made Olena's heart tighten, and she began to worry as well.

Meanwhile.

Cyrodiil Plateau.

In the central hall of Nelheim, the Isodrial Academy's headquarters, a wizard in a sandy brown robe was respectfully reporting to an elder enveloped in a faint earth elemental shield.

The elder was none other than the head of Isodrial Academy, the Dawn Wizard Stewart Aber, known as the 'Shield of Stone.'

"By the way, Malcolm, did you notify them to stop?"

"Yes, my lord. We have approved Bishu Construct Guild's promotion request, and we have also informed the two people Minstrel sent to return immediately."

"However, the contact person reported that they have not received any response yet."

"Hmm? They haven't returned?" Stewart's brow furrowed.

"Yes, I think it's possible that Marquis Oren's hospitality has kept them enthralled. After all, compared to the Imperial Capital, Nelheim's entertainment options are rather sparse", Malcolm explained.

If he were in the Imperial Capital, he would also enjoy the warm hospitality of the imperial nobility, after all, wizards are human too.<|im_end|>

"Where is Rayne now?" Stewart suddenly asked.

"Well, it was said that after arriving in the Imperial Capital, he immediately returned home and did not attend the subsequent high-level meetings and banquets."

"Check again!"

"Check Rayne's movements? Do you suspect that Rayne has already gone to Minstrel?"

"Yes, I'll do that right away", Malcolm suddenly understood and looked surprised.

At that moment, a young wizard in a sandy brown robe hurried over and said, "Headmaster, we received a message from the Imperial Capital. Half a day ago, Rayne left the Imperial Capital and headed to Minstrel."

"Half a day ago?"

"Not good! Could it be..." Malcolm's expression changed, realizing that his headmaster's earlier suspicion might be correct.

"Malcolm, find out Rayne's movements", Stewart said gravely.

"Yes, my lord!"

As Malcolm turned to leave, Stewart waved his hand, and the young wizard also exited the hall.

Once everyone had left, Stewart pondered for a moment, then drew a complex pattern in the air with his hand. It resembled a spider.

As the pattern lit up, an aged voice spoke, "Stewart, why are you contacting me directly today? Aren't you afraid the empire will find out?"

"Graham, Rayne might be heading to Cyrodiil Plateau", Stewart said, ignoring the other's teasing.

"Really? The Rayne who killed Staven? The empire's youngest Epic-Level Warrior?" Graham was taken aback.

"Yes."

"Didn't they say he and 'Red Queen' Menya were defeated and imprisoned by the Goddess of the Depths?"

"The information was incorrect."

"Hehe, I see. Is he coming here? So, you want my help?" Graham immediately understood the reason for the sudden contact.

"I need your help to deal with Rayne and take responsibility for the entire matter. In exchange, I will allow Tuttesh Academy to privately manage the western part of Cyrodiil Plateau", Stewart said gravely.

"Not enough! Add the two Bryton tribes in the central region as well", Graham smiled after a moment's thought, presenting his own terms.

"What do you need so many Brytons for? It seems the previous information was true, you are collaborating with the Evil Deity?"

"It's merely a magical experiment; I need the giant bloodline in the Brytons. This condition is not excessive, Stewart. You can take your time to consider it", Graham explained.

At the same time, he was confident that the other party wouldn't delay for long, as Rayne was looking for Stewart, the one from Isodrial Academy, not him.

He could wait.

"Deal!"

"Ha ha ha!"

Far away at the Tuttesh Academy base, Graham couldn't help but laugh joyfully after ending the call.

"Rayne, good. I thought he wouldn't come back, but he actually did."

Suddenly, a distant voice seemed to echo in his mind, 'Reward for killing this Rayne.'

Compared to before, the distant voice was much smoother, no longer broken and intermittent.

Clearly, the bond between them had deepened.

"Of course, Your Majesty, the Demon Spider. This is precisely what I intend to do."

"By the way, we can also take care of Stewart. Before the empire reacts, Nelheim will have enough sacrifices to allow your avatar to descend directly."

Graham's deep yet joyful voice echoed in the vast, empty hall, adding an eerie atmosphere.

Evening fell.

Rayne's high-speed dirigible began to enter the Cyrodiil Highlands.

Standing on the deck of the dirigible, Rayne gazed into the distance, where the continuous mountain ranges appeared one after another. The dense forests gradually thinned out, and more coniferous forests began to appear on the ground.

As they continued to fly, the vegetation on the ground became shorter and sparser, with more shrubs and alpine meadows. Snow-capped peaks could be seen in the distance.

The highland scenery gradually unfolded before Rayne's eyes.

"I heard the Brytons live here in the highlands." Rayne recalled the Bryton legendary warrior 'Corpse Splitter' Greg, whom he had once defeated.

The Cyrodiil Highlands are home to many nomadic tribes, but the Brytons are an exception. Legend has it that they possess giant blood and are primarily hunters.

They are known for hunting fierce creatures like Highland Ox, Thick-skinned Mammoths, and Giant Bears.

After a while,

Rayne noticed from the dirigible that a convoy of several dozen Highland Oxen, laden with goods, was slowly moving northwest through the alpine meadows below.

"Hmm? A Bryton convoy?"

"Judging by the direction, they must be heading to Nelheim."

With Rayne's keen eyesight, he could clearly see the simple leather armor and the tall, robust figures of the Brytons, each with a red mud mark on their foreheads.

This piqued Rayne's interest.

"Stop the dirigible here. Wait for me here. I should be back by noon tomorrow", Rayne said to the elite soldier beside him.

"Yes, Lord Rayne!" the soldier replied.

Soon, Rayne leaped from the deck, his levitation spell allowing him to descend slowly to the ground and approach the convoy.

"Hmm, quite a bit of the cargo seems to be ore?"

As he neared the convoy, Rayne scanned the area and noticed that nearly half of the Bryton convoy's cargo was various ores, including some rare ones. Although the goods were covered, Rayne, as a Metal Dawn Wizard, could easily detect this without visual inspection.

"Stranger, one of the rules of the wilderness is not to approach a convoy without permission."

At that moment, a young Bryton, over two meters four tall, wearing simple leather armor and wielding a single-bladed battle axe, stepped in front of Rayne and said sternly.

"Are you heading to Nelheim?" Rayne smiled slightly.

"So what if we are?" The Bryton youth eyed Rayne suspiciously, gripping his battle axe tighter.

"Can I travel with you?"

"We do not welcome strangers."

"Then, can I buy some ore?" Rayne didn't mind the refusal and smiled.

"How did you know we were transporting ore?" The Bryton youth's expression changed immediately. He whistled, and seven or eight equally tall and strong Bryton youths rushed out from both sides of the convoy.

Rayne chuckled to himself, then shook his head. He transformed the Tempered Adamantine in his hand into a shield, then a longsword, and finally into a single-bladed battle axe identical to the one the Bryton youth was holding.

This caused the Bryton warriors to stop in their tracks, exchanging startled glances.

"High-tier wizard?" The leader, a large, dreadlocked elder, eyes wide, exclaimed.

"Stand down!"

He called out, then stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Respected wizard, we are just a simple convoy. What do you require?"

The elder was well aware that his tribe, with its thin giant bloodline, was no match for a high-tier wizard.

"Don't worry, I just want to buy some ore."

"Ah, well." The large, dreadlocked elder showed a hint of hesitation but nodded, seemingly wary of Rayne's strength.

"Elder, this is for Isod...", the youth began but stopped himself.

However, Rayne had already heard the word 'Isod.'

Could it be Isodrial Academy?

This made Rayne smile, and he became increasingly interested.

Perhaps from this convoy, he could gather valuable firsthand information about the Cyrodiil Highlands and Isodrial Academy.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end