Chapter 584: Threat
After that brief interlude, the party paused their advance. Beneath the canopy of ancient trees, the forest fell into a hush.
Everyone’s gaze landed on Leon, waiting for the young mage’s reply...
Councilor Suville wore a smug, cold smile, watching Leon with leisurely composure. He didn’t bother to rush things; in his mind, a command from Archmage Felton was not something Leon could defy—the only question was how long it would take for him to accept.
Since the outcome was already decided, Suville didn’t mind showing a bit of Black Tower magnanimity, giving the kid some time to weigh his options. He was more than happy to watch Leon squirm for a while.
Merlin, oh Merlin—as a young mage, you’re certainly impressive. You’ve managed to trip up a dignified seventh-rank Title Archmage like me more than once.
But so what?
I still don’t know how you managed to cozy up to Lord Heron, getting the Black Tower’s Chairman to shield you time and again. But things are different now. I’m acting on Archmage Felton’s orders, so I doubt Lord Heron will blame me...
Stalling a magical beast isn’t easy—casualties are inevitable. You’re just a sixth-rank mage, hardly worth mentioning. Without a few subordinates to rely on, well...
At that thought, Suville’s gaze toward Leon shifted again. In his eyes, Leon was already a trapped prey, caught in the snare and powerless to struggle...
Of course, Leon had no idea what was running through Suville’s mind. His brief silence was spent weighing the pros and cons—not out of any fear of Archmage Felton, but rather, whether now was the right time to turn against the Black Tower and the Watson Family...
This demi-plane at the end of the Howling River was almost certainly formed around the corpse of Primordial Deity Constantine.
In other words, Constantine—renowned in the age of ancient gods and demons, a symbol of wisdom second only to the King of Gods and Demons—was likely lying in eternal slumber somewhere within this demi-plane...
The corpse of Constantine was enough to drive anyone mad; even those at the peak of power could not remain calm in its presence.
Leon had never planned on sharing it with anyone...
Which meant Leon never intended to stay with the group for long. Breaking away at the right moment to search for Constantine’s corpse alone was always the plan.
The only question now was whether this was the right time...
The Sky Rank Golem’s power system had just been replaced. Its new engine—the Hydra Heart—was still in the process of fusing. Once the fusion was complete, the Sky Rank Golem’s strength would reach terrifying new heights, but for now, it still needed a little more time.
Maybe, waiting until the Sky Rank Golem finished fusing before leaving the group would be the smarter move.
After all, too many surprises had already cropped up in this demi-plane. In a way, Leon and his companions were living through a miniature version of the ancient age of gods and demons—what would come next, nobody could predict...
A bit more power could only be a good thing...
Besides, looking at the Black Tower’s demand from another angle, Leon didn’t actually find it unacceptable.
Compared to facing an ancient magical beast alone after leaving the group, staying with the party meant at least having the Black Tower and Watson Family’s Title Archmages to lean on. That had its uses, no matter how you sliced it.
Sure, the Black Tower and Watson Family would get their cut, but for a shot at seeing Constantine’s corpse, Leon could afford to be generous about such minor losses...
What’s more, Leon was starting to doubt the real reason Archmage Felton and Cyrus Watson had come here.
The Scepter of Norlick didn’t seem valuable enough to draw both the Black Tower Sanctuary and the Watson Family’s ancestral seat. Two high-ranking Title Archmages showing up at the same time was probably no coincidence.
If he wanted to figure out what those two old foxes were really after, Leon figured it was best to stick with the group and watch them closely...
Of course, even with his mind made up, Leon didn’t immediately agree to Felton’s arrangement. Some pushback was necessary—giving in to unreasonable demands without resistance was never the right move...
'I object. This isn’t a fair arrangement. The task of stalling the beast should rotate between all three factions,' the young mage said, frowning.
At those words, Suville—who’d been feeling smug up to now—suddenly looked grim.
Fair? What a joke. Who does this kid think he is...
'Archmage Leon, I believe I made myself clear before—this is a direct order from Archmage Felton.' Suville deliberately emphasized Felton’s name, reminding the young mage, 'Do you not understand the consequences of defying an eighth-rank Title Archmage?'
'I’m not a member of the Black Tower,' Leon replied coolly.
'True, you’re not a member of the Black Tower,' Suville paused, his cold smile deepening, 'But this isn’t the Blazeforge Realm. Who can guarantee nothing unexpected will happen here?'
A threat—a blatant, naked threat!
Leon showed no reaction to Suville’s threat, but Councilor Weiss, standing nearby, was visibly alarmed, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Damn it, Suville, do you even know what you’re doing? Weiss cursed inwardly.
Weiss had been following the situation closely. As a member of the Black Tower, he saw nothing wrong with Felton’s order—better Leon do the heavy lifting than his own side.
What he hadn’t expected was for Suville, emboldened by Felton’s command, to ignore Lord Heron’s warnings and provoke the young mage yet again.
Was there really nothing that could be settled with a proper discussion? Why did it always have to come down to threats?
Weiss knew perfectly well that behind the harmless facade of this young mage lay a power that even he, a councilor of the Black Tower, found deeply intimidating.
A member of the Black Tower’s Sevenfold Council, a seventh-rank Title Archmage, afraid of a sixth-rank mage? No one would believe it if he said it out loud.
But it was true. Weiss was certain—this young mage had a power that could make even him afraid.
And as for you, Suville—your power is barely a hair’s breadth from mine. Haven’t you noticed I’ve always been polite to Archmage Merlin? Where do you get the confidence to provoke him again and again?
Not to mention, that young mage has a Sky Rank powerhouse backing him. You talk about the consequences of angering an eighth-rank Title Archmage, but do you even realize what happens if you anger a Sky Rank mage...
Even Lord Heron, at the very peak of the Black Tower Council, is still a step away from Sky Rank. That alone should tell you how terrifying a Sky Rank mage truly is.
Felton may be from the Black Tower Sanctuary and a seasoned eighth-rank Title Archmage, but whether he’s reached the very pinnacle of Title Archmage is anyone’s guess.
Threatening Archmage Merlin like this—if you really piss off the Sky Rank mage behind him, how are you going to survive that wrath?
Damn it, if I’d known Suville would pull something like this, I’d have asked Lord Heron to send him back to the Black Tower sooner, before he landed us all in trouble.
'Archmage Merlin, please don’t take Suville’s words to heart—I’m sure he didn’t mean it that way...' Resigned to playing peacemaker yet again, Weiss forced himself to speak up, trying to smooth things over. But before he could finish, Felton cut him off.
'Suville speaks for me, Archmage Merlin. I expect you to consider this carefully.' Felton’s deep voice came from the front of the group, full of the unyielding authority of a true leader.
'L-Lord Felton, I...' Weiss was stunned, scrambling to speak.
'Enough.' Felton waved a hand, cutting Weiss off again. He turned, a hint of annoyance in his voice as he addressed Weiss: 'Remember your station as a Black Tower councilor. The Black Tower’s authority is not to be challenged.'
At that, Weiss was left speechless. He could only glance at Leon, relieved to see the young mage’s face calm and unruffled, not angered by Felton’s words.
Just then, Cyrus Watson—who’d been watching the drama unfold—finally spoke up: 'I fully support Lord Felton’s proposal. Speaking of fairness, Archmage Merlin, as the weakest member of the group, you should contribute more. That would be fairer to the rest of us.'
The two old foxes, always at odds, were suddenly in agreement...
Weiss, who’d just started to relax, tensed up again and shot a nervous glance at Leon. Hell, let’s hope we don’t actually piss off this young mage.
Others might not know Leon’s true strength, but Weiss knew all too well. If it came to a fight, they’d have to join forces with the Watson Family just to barely hold their own.
At this point, Weiss wasn’t even worried about angering the mysterious Sky Rank mage behind Leon. His main concern was how to survive if things really got ugly.
As Weiss anxiously watched Leon’s face, ready to cast a defensive spell at the slightest sign of trouble, he saw the young mage simply frown, then say something that left him utterly stunned.
'Now that I think about it, you both make some valid points. In that case, I’ll have my subordinate take care of stalling the beast.'