Chapter 840: Get Out
Before Brown Charlotte could finish speaking, Cassius Charlotte exploded, roaring furiously at Brown Charlotte.
"Calm down? I can't calm down! That bastard not only ambushed me, he ambushed Dorian Charlotte too, and even attacked us at the banquet—he's trampling on the dignity of the Charlotte Family, stomping all over us!"
Brown Charlotte, have you forgotten? The family's honor is supreme. Anyone who harms our dignity must pay with their life.
That stink of a merchant, a shameless bastard who only knows how to ambush—I'm itching to see him dead. If I hadn't been injured by his sneak attack, I'd have already ripped his head off and hung it above our family's gate!"
Brown Charlotte hesitated. He'd sent people to investigate, but the results were unclear and surprising. Although much of what he'd heard was about Matthew Merlin from his days as an Archmage, the feats were astonishing. Now that Matthew Merlin has advanced to Title Archmage—even if it's recent—his power must have changed drastically...
"Young Master Cassius, from what I've found, this Matthew Merlin already had the power of a Title Archmage when he was just an Archmage. He was very strong—now that he's broken through, I doubt any ordinary Title Archmage could handle him...
Brown Charlotte hesitated, choosing to be vague; the information he'd gathered was incomplete but shocking. Judging by what happened today, much of it was probably true—Matthew Merlin won't be easy to deal with...
Cassius Charlotte's eyes were bloodshot as he snarled through gritted teeth.
Brown Charlotte, are you really one of us? That damned bastard—if I wasn't injured, he'd be suffering horribly right now! But I'm hurt!
I want him dead—now! I don't care how you do it, I need him dead!"
Brown Charlotte sighed inwardly. Cassius Charlotte was the young master of the family; even as commander, Brown Charlotte's status couldn't compare.
"Alright, Young Master Cassius. I know someone—he's very strong. I've heard that if you can't handle an enemy, you go to him, and he'll take care of it. But it costs a lot to hire him.
You know about the Laura Family's destruction ten years ago, right? That was his doing. Back then, the Laura Family tried to swallow up a declining house, pushing them to the brink. That declining family supposedly had a Heavenly Mage ancestor, but now their strongest was only a Third-Rank Title Archmage.
The Laura Family wanted to devour that declining house, steal their wealth and heritage, and nearly wiped them out.
Then someone from that declining house found him, and traded all their family's wealth for the Laura Family's annihilation. In just one month, every member of the Laura Family died—no matter where they ran, not one survived.
If you want him to act—even if just against Matthew Merlin—it'll cost you dearly, Young Master Cassius...
Cassius Charlotte suddenly burst out laughing.
"A great price? What's that supposed to mean? The total wealth of a small family is nothing compared to my own. The Charlotte Family has been accumulating riches for generations—our foundation is so deep, even I can't count it. What you see is just the tip of the iceberg."
Let me tell you, whatever price that man asks—for the Charlotte Family, it's nothing! Now, take me to him. I want to go right now. I can't wait to see Matthew Merlin die!
Brown Charlotte could only sigh, wanting to say more but holding back.
He quietly led Cassius Charlotte away from the territory controlled by the Charlotte Family...
As they walked, Cassius suddenly realized he had no idea who they were going to see. The road grew more and more remote, and he couldn't help but ask.
"Brown, who exactly are we going to see? Why is it so remote?"
Brown glanced around, cautiously casting a life detection spell, then a mana detection spell. Only after confirming no one was nearby did he lower his voice to explain.
"Young Master Cassius, you need to be careful. We're looking for a Caucasus Battlemage. They're very prejudiced against Auckland factions, especially mages, and have always been hostile."
Brown had mulled this over for a long time. If the family used its own forces against Matthew Merlin, it would have to wait until after the Blazeforge Realm's grand offensive ended. Right now, every Auckland power with territory in the Blazeforge Realm was here.
Old enemies, once here, mostly kept things to verbal clashes—nobody dared start infighting at such a critical moment. No matter how furious the Charlotte Family was, they wouldn't make a move now.
But Cassius was impatient and insisted on acting now, leaving Brown no choice but to seek out the Caucasus Battlemages.
These heavy-armored lunatics have a natural enmity toward Auckland, especially mages. If you're caught by them in the wild, they'll beat you to death. After being driven back to the Caucasus Highlands years ago, they've had zero goodwill toward Auckland mages. If they get the chance, they'll never show mercy.
Besides, Caucasus Battlemages naturally suppress mages. Their combat skills are designed to counter spellcasters. They can cast spells, but they're more like armored warriors with countless battles under their belts. One-on-one, mages of the same rank rarely stand a chance against them. If they weren't so outnumbered, Auckland wouldn't have driven them back to the Caucasus Highlands.
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Brown Charlotte gave Cassius a special warning, but Cassius didn't care—in fact, he smiled.
"Ha! So it's them? Perfect. I was worried your contact couldn't handle Matthew Merlin, but now I'm not worried at all. As long as they're willing, the price doesn't matter..."
Seeing Cassius's attitude, Brown Charlotte couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.
Soon, Brown led Cassius to a remote encampment. The camp blended into the surroundings so well that, from a distance, you couldn't tell it was there. As they reached the entrance, a group of Caucasus Battlemages in heavy armor, helmets, and armed with spears, surrounded them.
"Don't attack! We're here to do business with Lord Kempes!"
Brown shouted quickly, and only then, under the watchful eyes of the Caucasus Battlemages, did they enter the camp.
Inside one of the tents sat a middle-aged man in heavy armor, but without a helmet. He had thick brows and piercing eyes, looking every bit the brute. When Cassius and Brown entered, his face showed no welcome—more like he'd just seen his worst enemies.
Cassius swaggered in and immediately called out to Kempes.
"So you're a Caucasus Battlemage? I want you to kill someone. What's your strength? If you're good enough, name your price..."
Cassius had barely finished speaking when Brown's face turned green. Sure enough, before Cassius could finish, Kempes—who'd been sitting behind the table drinking and eating—glared over.
"Get out!"
Cassius's face instantly darkened. He pointed at Kempes and cursed.
"You damned bastard! Do you know who you're talking to? Standing before you is the young master of the Charlotte Family! If we didn't need you right now, do you think I'd come to this backwater? There's nothing here—not even a sparrow! You're just a country brute, and you dare—"
Cassius rambled on, but before he could finish, Kempes leapt over the table straight at him.
Cassius sneered, instantly raising his rune shield, but Kempes seemed not to notice. His massive hand gathered a burst of light and slammed it onto Cassius's shield.
A violent surge of mana erupted, and Cassius's rune shield shattered like glass. Kempes's big hand clamped around Cassius's neck, lifted him with one hand, and slammed him hard into the ground.
With a muffled thud, Cassius spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, feeling as if his skull was about to shatter. His eyes were filled with utter disbelief.
Damn bastard... This savage can break my rune shield with his bare hands—how dare he treat me like this...
Cassius couldn't even get a word out. Beside him, Brown Charlotte's face turned pale. Cassius, that bastard, had forgotten the warning I'd given when we came—these Caucasus Battlemages aren't easy to deal with. The Charlotte Family may be a mage house from Auckland, but in these Battlemages' eyes, we're no different from anyone else...
To speak like that in a Caucasus Battlemage's camp—isn't that just asking to get killed...
Brown Charlotte had no doubt Kempes could kill them both right here. Kempes seemed ready to do just that, and Brown Charlotte quickly spoke up to interrupt.
"Lord Kempes, please—spare us! Let's talk this out. Young Master Cassius has long admired the Caucasus Battlemages; he's just a little excited, that's all. Please don't take it to heart. This target may be tough for others, but for you, Lord Kempes, it's a simple task..."
That man has been seen often in Poisonmist Valley these days. No one else can get in, but for you, Lord Kempes, it should be no problem. Kill him there—no one will ever know. Besides, in that place, only you can unleash your full strength...
Whatever you need, just say the word—we'll meet your demands...