Chapter 217
Chapter 217
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 217
Chapter Title: Rendezvous with the Gray Mage Tower Lord
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217
Rendezvous with the Gray Mage Tower Lord.
"Well done."
Leyzon didn't hold back his praise for what Crow had accomplished.
"The location?"
"Not far from Sahā Village. It seems the Gray Mage Tower Lord was on the move as well."
"There must have been word about the necromancer, so that makes sense."
The Gray Mage Tower Lord was someone who held necromancers in high regard.
Recently, necromancers had undergone significant changes.
Ever since the major necromancer ambush incident, even the large guilds could no longer ignore them.
In this climate where hiring necromancers under the table had become rampant,
the emergence of the Abyss had caused a massive uprising among them.
They lashed out to vent their pent-up rage from the persecution they'd suffered at the Empire's hands.
This news would surely have reached the Gray Mage Tower Lord's ears as well.
"One thing that bothers me is that the Night Ravens seem to be pursuing the Gray Mage Tower Lord too."
"The Night Ravens?"
The Night Raven Knights, the Empire's shadowy enforcers where Crow had once served.
They were reportedly after the Gray Mage Tower Lord.
"With all the necromancer disturbances, they probably want to capture him as a representative figure."
"What's the chance the Gray Mage Tower Lord gets taken?"
"I barely managed to get word that they're mobilizing, so I don't know the details. But if the First Sword, Hana, is involved, it's very possible."
First Sword, Hana.
He was the captain of the Night Raven Knights.
"And to make an example of him, the odds of Hana stepping in are high."
Crow saw a strong likelihood of Hana making a move.
Leyzon trusted Crow's judgment.
Hana probably would step in.
'The imperial court's atmosphere has been chaotic lately.'
With the Emperor absent, the nobles were divvying up power and running wild.
This had turned the court into a hotbed of factional infighting.
It was so bad that even the White Lion Knight Captain had gone missing.
And now, even the imperial necromancers had vanished.
Yet they were too busy building their own factions to launch any real investigations.
They feared that sending out investigators might weaken their positions.
This situation played right into Leyzon's hands.
No matter how much they schemed, the imperial nobles showed no signs of taking action.
They were all too focused on bolstering their own forces.
'But even among those factions, there are two outliers.'
The Emperor's Sword and the Millennium Mage.
Even Rock Road had warned him to be cautious of those two.
'What the hell is that Emperor guy up to?'
Leyzon had planted eyes in the imperial court and was keeping tabs on things.
But the more information he gathered, the more questions piled up.
What exactly was the missing Emperor doing?
It kept nagging at him.
'I can't exactly overthrow the entire court.'
Leyzon slowly stroked his chin.
Then a sudden thought struck him.
'...No, maybe it's about time to stick my head in.'
Infamy was a form of fame, after all.
Leyzon's notoriety as the Abyss had spread far and wide.
It would have reached the nobles' ears for sure.
Besides, his forces had grown beyond what most nobles could muster.
He commanded several lords that even nobles couldn't touch.
And that was without mentioning the undead.
'With the tiger gone, the foxes are claiming the land as their own.'
They were desperately trying to seize each other's territories.
And that power struggle didn't just involve the obvious players on the surface.
Wolves that could tear the foxes apart.
They surely craved the strength of such wolves too.
A slow smile curved Leyzon's lips.
"So, high chance Hana's coming for the Gray Mage Tower Lord."
"Yes, that's right."
"Perfect."
Hana represented the Empire's shadowy side.
Capturing him would give Leyzon insight into the nobles' underbelly.
Then he could select the right imperial noble to approach.
'No more just sitting back and taking it.'
It was time for a wolf to enter the court.
"We'll use the Gray Mage Tower Lord as bait."
The path of a true mastermind.
Now, it was time for Leyzon to forge his own way forward.
A week after the battle in the crypt.
Leyzon had finally recovered.
There was still some lingering stiffness, but it was nothing to worry about now.
"Lord Leyzon, your color's fully back now!"
"Yeah, thanks for taking care of me all this time."
Syria rejoiced at his full recovery, and Leyzon smiled back.
Now his body was more or less healed.
It was time to get moving again.
'A whole week gone, and no real fallout from the crypt's demise?'
Leyzon had eyes and ears everywhere now.
He figured the crypt's death would ripple across the world.
But the world remained eerily silent, as if nothing had happened.
"Man, I saved the Empire and all, you'd think I'd get some kind of reward."
"If it's a reward you want, I'll give you one."
Leyzon was grumbling as he stepped out.
He turned toward the familiar voice and saw a striking woman with fiery red hair.
It was the Bloodless Sovereign.
She strode toward him, her heavy robes billowing.
Just a week ago, she'd clashed fiercely with the crypt.
But unlike Leyzon, the Bloodless Sovereign hadn't returned right away.
She'd stayed in the Dryad Forest with the young dragon Ner Mocardia, Leyzon, and the necromancers.
The crypt had been scheming in the Dryad Forest for some time.
There were bound to be traces left behind.
Though the underground had warped and become inaccessible, the surface remained peaceful, oblivious to what had transpired below.
As such, the necromancers and Bloodless Sovereign had thoroughly scoured the forest.
"Here."
The Bloodless Sovereign tossed something to Leyzon.
He caught it absentmindedly, and his eyes sharpened in an instant.
"This is..."
In Leyzon's hand was a pair of black gloves.
They were embroidered with strange golden patterns.
Leyzon knew exactly what they were.
"Gloves of Sloth."
"That's right. Legend-grade gear."
Gloves of Sloth
[World Exclusive][Legend]
Restriction Ascension: None
A boy lost in sloth realizes one day. That if everyone else falls into sloth too, they're all the same.
[Special Effect]
―Activates special skill 'Sloth'.
[Sloth]
The target's attacks slow down when pointed at with a finger, entering a sloth state.
Cooldown: 10 minutes
A befittingly absurd effect for legend-grade equipment. Even with the cooldown, it could be useful anywhere. More than that, the crypt bastard had this all along? 'Why didn't he use it?' If he'd used it, Leyzon might not have gotten the chance to finish him. Leyzon pondered briefly, then a possibility flashed through his mind. '...Maybe prophets can't use equipment?' The crypt hadn't shown any sign of using gear. 'Prophets serve transcendent beings from outside.' Equipment is born from phantasmal beasts. Legendary gear is essentially tribute to transcendent beings. In other words, prophets had no authority to use equipment. 'Didn't know that.' This could be a huge advantage against future prophets. Or maybe equipment just had no effect on them. 'An unexpected discovery.' Odds were high he'd face more prophets ahead. Better commit it to memory. Leyzon tucked the gloves away carefully and glanced at the Bloodless Sovereign.
"What's this? Handing it over so willingly."
"You took down the crypt. Besides, I want to keep our business relationship going."
Even the Bloodless Sovereign had no desire to covet Leyzon's possessions. She knew picking a fight with him would bring nothing good.
"Sahā Village's finance operations? They're about to blow up big time."
She could already see the value in it. The Bloodless Sovereign had dominated the underworld for ages. Naturally, she knew better than anyone how to turn a profit.
"The underworld looks chaotic. You must be busy."
"Heh, that's separate from business."
The underworld queen licked her lips greedily. What a glutton.
"That Steel Wolf Guild master of yours? Pretty promising. Want me to groom him?"
"Give him the royal treatment, and I'll cut you a commission."
"Deal."
Rafila was in for a rough patch ahead. But after a week of cozy time with Aegis, it was time for him to work. He'd enjoyed his happiness; now back to business.
"You'll hear about the key soon. And I'm claiming that swallowed skillbook, obviously."
"Sure. Keep bringing them my way."
For his evolution, Leyzon needed skills. So he planned to devour every skill he could get his hands on. The Bloodless Sovereign waved goodbye after that and departed. She'd make a solid business partner going forward.
"She's finally gone."
Hanok peeked out once the Bloodless Sovereign vanished. She still rubbed him the wrong way.
"Hanok, what about the Shadow Warlord?"
"Brother went off to rescue more sub races yesterday."
As the Bloodless Sovereign said, various factions were rising in the underworld. This had led to more frequent kidnappings of sub races. With the court neglecting public safety, it was getting worse. Thus, the Shadow Warlord couldn't stay in Sahā Village long.
"Lord Leyzon, he said next time we meet, he'll be even stronger."
Leyzon understood Hanok's words. In the recent battle, Hanok had been sidelined as a non-combatant. The helplessness he'd felt before the crypt still haunted him. But Hanok clenched his fists, refusing to yield.
"I'm too weak to protect you right now."
He'd grown stronger, but it wasn't enough to stand by Leyzon's side. So Hanok wanted to grow even more.
"You'll be heading out on your next schedule, right, Lord Leyzon?"
"Yeah, this damn world won't let me sit still."
"Then I'll head to the dungeons."
A pioneer's strength ultimately came down to dungeons. Hanok knew that all too well. The gap between him and Leyzon had widened after Leyzon's evolution. To close it, Hanok had to keep pushing himself. Knowing that, he declared his plan. He'd hit the dungeons during this leg of the journey. Leyzon grinned.
"Permission granted. Go for it."
Hanok's face lit up. Next time they met, he'd surely be much stronger. Lately, the Steel Wolf Guild had recruited a bunch of promising new pioneers. Some were top-tier. Hanok could definitely tackle dungeons with them. Everyone was heading their own way. Feeling that, Leyzon sent Hanok off.
"Cheeky little brat."
"Not bummed about it?"
"Not at all!"
Leyzon chuckled briefly at Syria's grumbling.
"Hanok's got Haron. He'll grow big time."
"Hmph, he won't catch up to me!"
"I'm looking forward to it."
Everyone had grown fond of Hanok, it seemed. And there was one more who cared for him.
"Crow, must be nice seeing your disciple grow."
"Blue blooming from green soon enough."
Crow, who had once mentored Hanok, smiled along with Leyzon. With Hanok away, Crow would stick around for a bit. The Night Ravens had deep ties to him, after all.
"Told your girlfriend it's a long business trip?"
"No such thing."
Always settling down just a little too comfortably. But if he said so, Leyzon let it drop. Everyone walking their own paths. Then it was time for Leyzon to tread his.
"Time to meet the Gray Mage Tower Lord."
And before that, whatever lurked in his shadow. Time to step on some big tails.