I'm saving you all, do you understand?
Two watchtowers have already been blown into the sky. How could Soth still dare to give Leon any more excuses? These warriors are the elite of Viper's Nest—if the enemy strikes again, Soth will have nowhere left to cry.
"Grand Mage Merlin, shall we talk inside?" Just imagining the possibility, Soth didn't dare linger outside any longer. With a face full of forced enthusiasm, he invited Leon into his wooden cabin.
Three people entered the cabin: Leon, Soth, and Bell...
After sitting down inside, Leon glanced at Bell. He'd always heard that Viper's Nest had a tremendously powerful Grand Mage, even Salomon had personally praised him. Now, seeing Bell, Leon knew it had to be this man.
At the very least, this was a high-level Grand Mage of the sixth or seventh tier...
And his arcane sigils were incredibly powerful—Bell's actual combat strength probably surpassed even his rank.
To be honest, Leon felt a bit wary of this strongest mage in Viper's Nest.
If Viper's Nest's territory were anywhere else, Leon probably wouldn't have dared to come.
But since it's Venomfog Gorge, things are much simpler. Leon knew that as long as he stood on this land, he was already invincible. All that was left was to wait for Soth to bow his head.
"Grand Mage Merlin, this really is just a misunderstanding..." Soth bowed his head far faster than Leon had expected. Right now, all Soth could think about was how to get this walking disaster out of here as quickly as possible.
This walking disaster was terrifying—just one casual visit and Viper's Nest had lost over twenty elites, thrown into chaos for half an hour. If he came a few more times, he'd ruin the whole place.
It was like seeing a ghost...
How come no one ever mentioned that Roger Merlin's son was such a walking disaster?
Wasn't it said that Roger Merlin's son was useless, nearly twenty and still just a mage apprentice?
A damn mage apprentice...
Soth cursed through gritted teeth, thinking that if anyone said that again, he'd drag them to Venomfog Gorge and show them the two watchtowers blown sky-high.
"Um, Chief Soth..."
"No problem, Grand Mage Merlin, I understand!" Soth was so eager to get rid of this walking disaster that he agreed before Leon could even state his terms. "Five alchemy apprentices, two hundred thousand gold coins each, plus the damages Rios caused—two million gold in total, right? Don't worry, I'll have someone deliver the crystal card to the Gilded Rose tomorrow. Is there anything else you require, Grand Mage Merlin?"
Soth could swear to the heavens, that last question really was just being polite...
He might have been polite, but Leon certainly wasn't.
"Actually, I do have another request..." Leon suddenly remembered the familiar magical fluctuation he'd sensed when entering Venomfog Gorge. If he was right, it almost certainly came from that place—the one legendary mages of the past spoke of countless times.
Since this involved that place, there was no need to be polite at all.
That place might mean little to others, but for Leon, it was a chance to quickly acquire five Mana Harnesses.
...The moment Leon spoke, Soth wanted to slap himself. Why did he have to say something polite? Now look—should he agree or not?
But the words were already out—too late for Soth to take them back.
So Soth had to grit his teeth and force out a twitching smile: "Grand Mage Merlin, if you... if you have any requests, just... just say it!"
"Since Chief Soth said so, I won’t hold back..."
...Soth felt the veins on his forehead throb—when had Leon ever held back?
"Chief Soth, as you know, my Gilded Rose has some cooperation with the Silvermoon Mercenary Company. Recently, we need to supply a large number of alchemical items for the Silvermoon Mercenary Company heading to Razor Rift. Venomfog Gorge is a necessary route, so I'd like to discuss with you whether Viper's Nest can allow my Gilded Rose caravans free passage through the gorge during this period."
"Well..." Soth hesitated, furrowing his brow.
It wasn't that Leon's terms were all that harsh...
Honestly, Leon's request was pretty reasonable.
And the whole incident did start because the Gilded Rose caravan entered Venomfog Gorge. Leon's proposal genuinely showed a willingness to resolve the problem.
The problem was, Soth was worried...
Many in Seaview City knew that for the past decade, Soth had been trying every trick to expand deeper into Venomfog Gorge. But he'd never told anyone the real reason.
That was because Soth knew—deep within Venomfog Gorge lay a Sanctuary of the Ancients...
Back when Soth was just a petty thug, he'd found the corpse of a powerful swordsman at the entrance of Venomfog Gorge. The swordsmanship Soth now possessed came from that man's legacy, though Soth's talent was mediocre—he was still only a fourth-rank swordmaster.
But what Soth found wasn't just swordsmanship—there was also a thin diary.
The diary recorded why that powerful swordsman had crossed the sea to Seaview City, and why he ventured into Venomfog Gorge in search of the Sanctuary of the Ancients.
At that moment, Soth was terrified as he held the diary.
Almost as soon as he'd mastered the sword technique, Soth founded Viper's Nest and plunged into the power struggles of Seaview City. Over twenty years, he turned Viper's Nest into the city's largest underground faction and, to everyone's bewilderment, finally took control of Venomfog Gorge.
(Irrelevant passage about chapter ending, skip translation.)
For Soth, Venomfog Gorge was simply too important...
So important that Soth couldn't tolerate the slightest mishap.
Leon’s terms sounded reasonable, but what if something went wrong? For Soth, that would mean twenty years of work down the drain.
So, after some thought, Soth decided to refuse.
"Wait, Chief Soth..." Soth's brow furrowed, and Leon instantly knew he was about to refuse. This was a chance to quickly obtain five Mana Harnesses—there was no way Leon would let him refuse. Before Soth could say a word, Leon produced a glass vial: "I heard the poisonous mists in Venomfog Gorge have been a real headache for Viper's Nest these years, so before coming, I had someone prepare an alchemical potion."
"An alchemical potion?"
"Yes, it's an alchemical potion that protects people from the mists." Leon uncorked the vial, and a faint fragrance filled the cabin. "I call it Arcane Spring. You don't need much—just this one bottle, placed somewhere ventilated, and for at least three days, the mists of Venomfog Gorge won't threaten your men."
"There's an alchemical potion like this?" Soth's heart leapt with joy. If this Arcane Spring potion was as miraculous as the young Grand Mage claimed, his plan to expand deeper into Venomfog Gorge could be completed three years ahead of schedule.
For the past ten years, the mists of Venomfog Gorge had caused endless trouble for Viper's Nest—every month, they lost more than ten elite members to the poison.
Soth never expected that a negotiation meant to settle things quietly would bring such good news.
Wait a minute...
No, that's not right!
Soth was just about to thank Leon when he realized something was wrong. The smile froze on his face, and he suddenly went pale. His eyes, still fixed on Leon, now brimmed with anger and terror.
No, this isn't helping Viper's Nest!
This is an outright threat!
By producing the Arcane Spring potion, this young mage was really saying that the Gilded Rose had already done deep research into the mists of Venomfog Gorge. If they could make a potion to neutralize the mists today, then tomorrow, they could easily make one to strengthen them.
In fact, this young Grand Mage might already have a bottle of such a potion on him right now.
Otherwise, even as a fifth-rank Grand Mage, how could he dare to enter Venomfog Gorge alone?
At that thought, Soth felt a chill run through his body.
If a potion like this appeared in Venomfog Gorge, it could spell disaster for all of Viper's Nest. The mists, once only a threat, could instantly become a deadly monster—hundreds of elites and twenty years of hard work wiped out in a moment.
For a moment, Soth felt all his strength drain away. He just sat there, staring at Leon with a gaze full of complicated emotions.
Roger Merlin's son was truly terrifying...
"Grand Mage Merlin, I’d wager you have more than one potion in your pocket?" Soth knew better than to provoke this young mage, but after seeing Viper's Nest brush so close to disaster, he couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark.
"Heh, of course. If Chief Soth thinks one bottle isn't enough, I can always provide a few more." Leon smiled at Soth, eyes twinkling.
(Irrelevant separator, skip translation.)
(Irrelevant author note about writing schedule, skip translation.)
(Irrelevant author apology, skip translation.)