Chapter 496: Hidden Motives
That deal was an absolute success...
You have to understand, the Sun King's Ruins had already been excavated during the trap removal process. The most precious resources, knowledge, and equipment had long been shipped back to the Black Tower.
All that was left of the Sun King's Ruins was an empty shell. Yet, even such a worthless husk was traded for a set of rare Eight-Formula Meditation Laws. No matter how you look at it, it was a fantastic bargain.
In the half year since obtaining that set of Eight-Formula Meditation Laws, the Black Tower's strength had grown noticeably. For that, Heron genuinely wanted to thank the young mage, but the matter of the Sun King's Ruins was a bit awkward...
But that was a request made by the young mage himself, so you can't exactly blame me for being deliberately deceitful, can you?
"Forgive the interruption today, but I have something important to discuss. It's about the magic-rich Specter Valley. Our Merlin Family wishes to cooperate with the Black Tower to deal with the Forgefire Clan. Once we've wiped out the Forgefire Clan, the ownership of Specter Valley will be shared between the Merlin Family and the Black Tower. And I have a way to at least double the valley's mana density..." Leon smiled as he brought up the idea of cooperation. Heron had been upstairs the whole time, so he must've already known what was going on downstairs. But the moment Leon stepped into the study, Heron hadn't mentioned cooperation at all—clearly waiting for Leon to say it himself.
What an old fox. With things set up like this, Heron's confidence only grew.
"Heh, so that's how it is..." Heron's tone was calm, just nodding slightly without any hint of emotion. It was a good two or three minutes before he spoke again: "This win-win cooperation—I see no reason to refuse. Heh, let me offer my early congratulations to our partnership."
"To a fruitful partnership..." Leon replied warily, extending his hand for a light handshake with Heron. He knew this duel with Heron was far from over—just the opening move, really. He'd seen Heron's acting before: the man had already stripped the Sun King's Ruins bare, yet could still put on a face of regret.
"Specter Valley really is a prime spot—mana flows thick there. Any mage who meditates inside grows much faster. Once we secure Specter Valley, the Black Tower wants seventy percent of the entry slots; the remaining thirty percent go to your Merlin Family. What do you think of this arrangement, Merlin?" Heron wore a faint smile, fully convinced this was only fair. He knew the Merlin Family's military strength at Inferno Fortress; when it came to dealing with the Forgefire Clan, the Black Tower would definitely be pulling most of the weight.
Given the circumstances, Heron felt his request wasn't excessive. This distribution was only natural. The Black Tower was one of Andalusia's two major mage powers, and usually quite domineering. If another faction wanted to cooperate, they'd be lucky to get twenty percent—so giving thirty was purely for the young mage's sake.
After all, during that Hand of Mana Gathering, he swapped an emptied-out ruin for the deal. No matter how you spun it, it was a bit shady. Now, working with the young mage, Heron couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
After the Hand of Mana Gathering ended and he returned to the Black Tower, Heron had his people collect information on the young mage. Once he read through it, Heron realized the young mage was nothing like he'd imagined. At first, he thought the kid was just someone Sage Joey had his eye on—a potential disciple, maybe. That's why he'd kept blocking Leon from joining the Hand of Mana...
Back then, the young mage was only a fifth-tier Archmage, yet he could easily defeat ninth-tier Magus Dylan and possessed terrifying computational abilities. But that wasn't all—the most shocking thing was that he produced three brand-new sets of Eight-Formula Meditation Laws in one go.
As for the young mage's background, it was even more incredible. Just over a year ago, he was only a ninth-tier magic apprentice. After his father, Rog Merlin, was lost at sea and their financial support vanished, he had almost no hope of ever becoming a mage. But then, Leon did one shocking thing after another—single-handedly propping up an alchemy shop called the Gilded Rose. In less than a year, the shop grew rapidly and now monopolizes the eastern kingdom's alchemy market.
The biggest change was in the young mage's strength—a guy who was supposedly doomed never to become a mage, yet in a year became a fifth-tier Archmage. That made Heron realize there had to be a powerful figure supporting Leon from the shadows. Maybe someone even stronger than him or Joey. If such a person really existed, they had to be a Heavenly Rank powerhouse.
In the world of magic, inheritance is everything. No matter how talented a mage is, no one becomes a master all on their own. And the stronger the mage, the more impressive their background—just look at Heron and Joey themselves...
If Leon were just an ordinary mage, Heron wouldn't think twice. But there was nothing ordinary about him. Heron had seen it with his own eyes: even as a fifth-tier Archmage, Leon had the power to take on Title Magus-level opponents.
And with that terrifying computational ability, producing three sets of brand-new Meditation Laws in one breath—how could someone like that be taught by just anyone?
That’s why Heron was so sure—there had to be a Heavenly Rank powerhouse backing the young mage.
Just as he was thinking this, Heron added in a casual tone, as if it were nothing important: "By the way, Merlin, after we wipe out the Forgefire Clan, the Black Tower will need to take something from them. How do you feel about thirty percent of the slots?"
If you listened closely, it was clear the last sentence was the real point. Heron had already planned to offer more entry slots to Specter Valley—partly to make up for the previous deal, partly as a gesture of goodwill to Leon, since anyone with a Heavenly Rank backer was worth making concessions for.
"Thirty percent is too little..."
At that moment, Leon frowned and, after a few minutes of thought, said, "I think the Merlin Family should get seventy percent of the slots..."
"Uh..."
Heron had already steeled himself for some haggling, but this result still caught him off guard. Was the young mage getting a bit too greedy? Asking for seventy percent, barely giving the Black Tower a second thought—if it were anyone else, Heron would've kicked them out ages ago. Damn, who else would dare make such outrageous demands to the Black Tower? Must have a death wish.
But this was the young mage making the request...
"Lord Heron, I know this puts you in a tough spot. But you wanted something from the Forgefire Clan, right? No problem—even if you want ten things, that's absolutely fine..."
"Merlin, you..." Heron's expression grew even more troubled. After a good three or four minutes, he finally gave a helpless nod: "Alright then..."
Truth be told, Heron wasn’t nearly as troubled as he looked. If Leon hadn’t been right in front of him, Heron probably would’ve burst out laughing...
Because long ago, the Black Tower had gotten wind of a clue: the Forgefire Clan possessed an incredibly powerful magic artifact. If nothing went wrong, it was a True Spirit Peak Magic Artifact!
What did that mean? A True Spirit Peak Magic Artifact was almost equivalent to the power of a peak Title Magus—if news of such an artifact leaked, it could trigger a bloody storm across the entire Northend World.
To the Black Tower, this artifact was priceless. If they could really get their hands on it, their strength would leap forward yet again.
The Black Tower had been searching for a chance to strike at the Forgefire Clan and seize the True Spirit Peak Magic Artifact. But for years, most of their forces were tied up in other planes, making it impossible to muster enough strength—so the plan was shelved...
When Leon and Weiss were talking in the lounge, Heron realized this might be the opportunity he'd been waiting for: use the Merlin Family’s strength to wipe out the Forgefire Clan. What he really wanted was that artifact—the Specter Valley was just a bonus. That’s why, when Leon asked for seventy percent, Heron didn’t refuse.
From Heron's perspective, it was hard to say no. First, Leon was a Merlin Family member—if they didn’t team up with the Black Tower, the folks from the Sacred Land could easily crush the Forgefire Clan anyway. Second, Leon’s background was deep, possibly backed by a Heavenly Rank powerhouse. Someone like that you could only try to win over, never offend. There had already been some tension at the Hand of Mana Gathering, so Heron's concessions on entry slots were really an attempt to make amends. He definitely didn’t want to see his old rival Joey win the support of a Heavenly Rank.
"Heh, dealing with Lord Heron really is a pleasure..." At this moment, Heron had no idea Leon was already laughing on the inside.
Actually, when Heron mentioned wanting something from the Forgefire Clan, it sounded casual and unimportant. But having dealt with Heron before, Leon knew how cunning he was. After racking his brains, he finally figured out what the Black Tower was after.
Back in that desolate, decaying library, Leon had already learned that more than a hundred years from now, the Black Tower would send a host of powerhouses to strike the Forgefire Clan. Though they’d win the war, the cost would be brutal—seven or eight Title Magus-level experts dead, nearly a hundred Magi lost. Yet, instead of mourning, the Black Tower was ecstatic, because they’d finally obtained a True Spirit Peak Magic Artifact from the Forgefire Clan!
A True Spirit Peak Magic Artifact—compared to that, all the previous losses seemed trivial. The Black Tower was smug about it for quite a while.
But once they learned what the artifact really was, the Black Tower stopped smiling. It turned out the artifact was left by the Forgefire Clan’s earliest ancestors—a sacred totem. And while it was undeniably a True Spirit Peak Magic Artifact, in the Black Tower’s hands, it was utterly useless.