Chapter 538: Crisis and Search

Chapter 538: Crisis and Search

Rayne quickly glanced over the document: "Application to advance to Grand Wizard School, and willingness to bear the corresponding responsibilities and obligations."

These documents, bearing the seals of the Empire and the Wizard Guild Federation, were standardized, and Rayne naturally had no objections. He signed it with a swift flourish.

"His Excellency Rayne, please follow this way. Once your school becomes a Grand Wizard School, you will be able to apply for a new base of operations. Typically, the Empire will designate a region in the borderlands as the base for a Grand Wizard School."

"Oh?" Rayne raised an eyebrow, showing interest.

Although he already had the Cyrodiil Plateau in mind, it didn't stop him from wanting to learn more about the specifics.

Soon, the group arrived at a room on the second floor of the Wizard Guild Federation headquarters.

As soon as they entered, Rayne saw a massive map on the wall. It was a map of the Dragon Empire's entire territory, shaped like an irregular ellipse. Various symbols were marked in the border regions.

Rayne knew that each symbol represented a Grand Wizard School.

However, even when excluding the coastline, these symbols did not form a continuous line along the Empire's borders. A significant portion of the borderlands was unmarked.

Clearly, this indicated that even with the support of the Grand Wizard Schools, the Dragon Empire could not fully project its power into the border regions. This was consistent with Rayne's understanding, as many border areas were resource-poor, dangerous, and sparsely populated, making them not worth the Empire's significant investment.

Additionally, Rayne noticed that a few symbols were located not in the borderlands but in the Empire's interior.

"His Excellency Paxton, how many Grand Wizard Schools does the Empire currently have?" Rayne asked casually.

"Including your school, the Empire currently has fourteen Grand Wizard Schools. For example, my own Serafin School is stationed in the northwest on the Pampas Plain, while the Hela Dun School is stationed in the southern Ersel Lowlands. The Isodrial Academy is stationed on the Cyrodiil Plateau."

Paxton listed them off as if reciting from memory.

"I see." Rayne nodded thoughtfully.

"However, the number you mentioned is incorrect. It should still be thirteen. The Isodrial Academy's application for demotion is likely on its way."

"Huh?"

The few people present all widened their eyes, looking at Rayne with a mix of confusion and shock, including Paxton, who was also an imperial guardian.

An application for demotion?

But why would the Isodrial Academy apply for demotion?

More importantly, if such a thing were true, shouldn't it be a closely guarded secret of the Isodrial Academy? How did His Excellency Rayne know?

"Could it be that you..." In that instant, Paxton recalled a certain rumor and blurted out.

However, Rayne had no intention of explaining. He smiled slightly and changed the subject: "So, what about the two Grand Wizard Schools in the Empire's interior?"

"Oh, those... that's the Cronus School's base—the Fallen Hammer Mountains, known as a forbidden zone, densely covered with black fog vortices. To prevent sudden incidents, the Empire has specifically designated this area for a Grand Wizard School to monitor."

The Fallen Hammer Mountains?

Rayne, of course, remembered the black fog vortices. He had passed through the Fallen Hammer Fortress on his way to the Bitterwind Tundra.

The dangers of guarding a forbidden zone, in Rayne's view, were no less than those of guarding the Cyrodiil Plateau. At least, the latter had a more predictable enemy in terms of numbers and strength. The former, however, was much more unpredictable.

"His Excellency Paxton, on behalf of the Bishu Construct Guild, I choose the Cyrodiil Plateau as our base of operations."

As Rayne's words fell, the room became deathly silent.

The few people present looked at Rayne with a mix of surprise and disbelief, as if to say: This is too ruthless. Not only did you force the Isodrial Academy to demote, but you're also taking their base?

Rayne couldn't help but smile at the expressions on their faces. Clearly, these few people had misunderstood the situation.

"By the way, Your Excellency Paxton, there's one more thing. I've established an association called the Construct Association, and according to the regulations, I need to report it to the Empire and the Wizard School Federation."

"Currently, the association has only two members: the Bishu Construct Guild and the Isodrial Academy. I hope the Federation can help publicize this so that all the schools and academies interested in the creation of construct creatures can learn about it."

"Construct Association?"

"Great! No problem at all." Faced with Rayne, Paxton couldn't really say no. After a brief moment of thought, he nodded in agreement.

"Thank you! If there are any other procedures, please feel free to contact me or Ms. Olena." Rayne gestured toward Olena, who was standing nearby.

"You're too kind, Your Excellency Rayne."

As they stepped out of the Federation hall, Audrey and Alicia were still dazed. Had they really completed the school advancement and chosen a base so quickly?

Normally, this process would involve a power test and a school advancement mission, and choosing a base would require extensive discussions by the Federation, taking at least ten to fifteen days. But here they were, with everything settled.

After leaving the Wizard School Federation, Rayne's carriage headed toward the Sword Bearers Headquarters.

Since Rayne had been absent from the Sword Bearers Headquarters for a considerable amount of time, he needed to meet with Marshal Alfred.

As the deputy head of the Bladesworn, it was his duty. Just now, he had heard from Olena that the Empire's situation was becoming increasingly dire. It wasn't just the issue of cults; multiple mythical realms within the Empire were also affected.

Additionally, Rayne wanted to gather information from Marshal Alfred about the Brotherhood of Dragonhide.

In Rayne's view, with his current strength and his relationship with Menya, the conditions for rescuing Anna's mother, Dareen Hawkmoon, were now ripe.

The carriage soon arrived at the Sword Bearers Headquarters.

In the office on the top floor of the administrative building:

"Lord Rayne, congratulations on your victory in the competition", Marshal Alfred said, rising from behind his desk and walking forward with a smile.

"Thank you, Marshal." Rayne bowed slightly, showing respect to the head of the Empire's Bladesworn.

After some pleasantries, Marshal Alfred got to the point: "Rayne, you've visited multiple mythical realms, such as the Blazing Canyon and the Dragon Valley. The Empire's situation is becoming increasingly dire, and this latest trouble is coming from the mythical realms."

"Not just the Bladesworn, but the Military Department and the Wizard Federation have all noticed that the stability of several mythical realms is fluctuating dramatically. Many of these realms were once closed pathways to other planes. If something really goes wrong..."

"Currently, the Empire's Senate, we, and the Military Department have sent people to investigate."

"Marshal, what do you need me to do?" Rayne asked, his brow furrowing.

If that was the case, the Empire's situation was indeed deteriorating.

No wonder he hadn't seen Elder Ivan or General Augustus at the competition; they must have been dealing with this issue.

"Nothing for now, but once the situation is clearer, we may need your help. Additionally, the Empire will hold a high-level meeting before then."

"I understand." Rayne nodded.

However, with this development, he couldn't afford to delay the rescue of Anna's mother any longer.

After a moment's thought, Rayne said, "Marshal, does the Bladesworn know the location of the Brotherhood of Dragonhide's base?"

"Rayne, this matter involves the Crown Prince, so the Bladesworn department has only maintained the minimum level of attention. However, it is certain that the three known outposts in the Imperial Capital are not the true headquarters of the Brotherhood of Dragonhide. They are merely gathering places for meetings and exchanges."

Marshal Alfred shook his head and said.

However, after a moment of hesitation, Alfred still asked, "Rayne, although your current strength is astonishing, the other side is the empire's royal family. There are some things you should consider."

Marshal Alfred stopped there, believing that Rayne would understand his meaning.

Rayne naturally understood.

However, rescuing Anna's mother was something he had to do.

After some thought, Rayne decided to reveal part of the truth. "A very good friend of mine, her mother is likely being held in one of the Brotherhood of Dragonhide's secret hideouts."

A very good friend?

Alfred's face showed understanding. He had long known that Rayne had several close female friends. Love and anger for a beauty, it was understandable for a young man.

No wonder, even against the Crown Prince, Rayne was not willing to back down.

"Actually, their base is likely within a small mythical realm. However, the exact way to enter or where to enter from is something the Bladesworn department is still unclear about."

Marshal Alfred revealed an important piece of information.

"A small mythical realm, huh?" Rayne nodded.

No wonder they hadn't found the source of their concoctions. Logically, refining such substances would require significant equipment and raw materials, which are not easy to hide and would need a large space.

He had previously thought that their secret base might be somewhere underground in Tamriel, or near the dragon's nest.

Now, it seemed he had underestimated the Crown Prince's resources.

This made the search much more complicated.

Direct confrontation had been on his mind, but it wasn't a wise move. If the other side acted out of desperation, the consequences could be dire.

However, sending Bladesworn spies to investigate in detail wasn't practical either, given that the other side was backed by the Crown Prince, making the situation too sensitive.

It seemed there was only one way.

That was to use the newly acquired ability, 'Shadow Traverse,' to search, but that also had its issues.

Without knowing the spatial nodes of the mythical realm, searching blindly would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, and it would consume a lot of psi energy. Additionally, the mythical realm would not be without defenses, likely having large protective ward arrays.

Forcing entry through a large protective ward array into a small mythical realm would require an astonishing amount of psi energy.

"Given this, I first need to gather more clues to narrow down the area. On the other hand, I need to study the fifth level of Advanced Iron Heart Meditation to further enhance my psi energy", Rayne thought to himself.

Leaving the Sword Bearers Headquarters, Rayne soon arrived at the entrance to his own estate.

However, the bustling crowd and the long queue of people lining the road, visible through the carriage window, made him pause in surprise!

Following Rayne's victory over the Imperial Guardian Pantoskoc, who held the title 'Storm Cloud,' in the Royal Arena, the news had spread rapidly over the past two days.

The entrance to Rayne's estate was now a constant stream of visitors, bustling with activity.

Originally, the beautiful woman Jennifer had been troubled by the lack of potential business partners in the Imperial Capital, but now she was overwhelmed with choices.

Not only were there more than ten duchy-backed trading houses, but over thirty marquess-level ones, and countless earl-level ones.

Both Jennifer and Claire, who had seen the world during her studies at the Royal Academy, were stunned by the impact of Rayne's victory.

Only the barbarian girl Lagrelle found it normal, as in barbarian tradition, the strong possess everything.

Emma, Rayne's mother, was beaming with joy, her previous illness having disappeared. Every day, numerous noble ladies and young misses would visit her, showing their concern and engaging in warm conversations.

However, not everyone enjoyed the attention. For instance, Mint found it rather troublesome.

Whenever she tried to play in the courtyard for a while, she would be praised by the enthusiastic noble ladies, who would then take her by the hand and lead her into a room for a lengthy chat. She had to maintain proper posture and smile politely, as she had just learned the etiquette of the nobility.

After returning to his study, Rayne said to Matteo, who was by his side:

"Matteo, turn away all visitors except for those I know well."

On one hand, he intended to focus on finding the Brotherhood of Dragonhide's secret base. On the other hand, he had no intention of wasting time on social networking with the nobility.

At his level, such formal pleasantries were meaningless unless it involved someone of comparable strength, like an Imperial Guardian. He was the one others referred to as a "connection", not the other way around.

"As you wish, Lord Rayne." The small-statured Matteo bowed in acknowledgment.

However, not long after, a knock sounded at the door.

Hmm? Rayne furrowed his brow, having just given Matteo his instructions.

"Lord Rayne, Viscount Hamadi is here to see you", Matteo's voice came from the doorway.

Hamadi?

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Rayne's mind!

Yes, that matter—while it might be difficult for the empire's official departments to investigate, it would be different for the federation.

"Please bring him to the study."

"As you wish, my lord."

Soon, Hamadi's familiar figure appeared at the study door.

"Lord Rayne, congratulations on your victory over High Majesty Pantoskoc", Hamadi bowed deeply.

Hamadi's understanding of Rayne far exceeded that of most imperial nobles, especially regarding events within the federation. He had learned about these through special channels, so his attitude toward Rayne had changed significantly upon their meeting, becoming much more deferential.

"Thank you, Lord Hamadi. Your courtesy is much appreciated", Rayne smiled and gestured for him to sit.

After some pleasantries, Hamadi stated his purpose. First, he conveyed the federation's congratulations, and second, he delivered an invitation from Helm, the dean of the Federation Mechanical Institute.

Rayne took the letter and read it. It essentially stated that Helm hoped Rayne could find time to visit the federation again to collaborate and exchange ideas on ancient goblin machinery.

"Please thank Dean Helm for his invitation. Unfortunately, I'm quite busy at the moment, but perhaps I will visit in the future. I look forward to discussing mechanical engineering with him."

"Of course, Lord Rayne. I will convey your message."

"By the way, is there anything you need us to do? Please be assured that while our capabilities may be limited, we will escalate the matter if necessary."

Hamadi's question was purely out of politeness, and he didn't really expect any response.

He knew that Rayne was no longer the same as before. Not only had his strength increased dramatically, but his connections had also grown significantly. What could Rayne possibly need from them?

Even Hamadi couldn't think of anything.

Just as Hamadi was about to take his leave, Rayne smiled and said:

"Lord Hamadi, there is actually something I need your help with."

"Really? Please tell me", Hamadi was initially taken aback, but then his eyes lit up with excitement.

"I need you to investigate the secret base of an organization called the Brotherhood of Dragonhide. If my information is correct, their base should be located within a small mythical realm. I don't need you to enter it; I just need you to determine the general area."

Rayne carefully chose his words.

"Rest assured, Lord Rayne. We will take care of it", Hamadi was overjoyed!

"As long as it's within the Imperial Capital, we should be able to provide you with the information within three days. Do you really not need us to handle it directly?" Hamadi looked at Rayne with eager anticipation.

Although he didn't know the specifics, he believed that even if they couldn't resolve it, the federation certainly could. This was the first time Lord Rayne had made a request, so he was determined to do an excellent job.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end