Duke of Mark.

This is the territory of the Duke of the North and Grand Duke of Marcus.

Inside the grey fish castle.

The gloomy atmosphere continued to spread like low pressure.

Grand Duke Marcus, who ruled the Duke's territory, was recently hit by a wild boar while hunting and was dying.

This made the retainers very nervous, and the sons of the capable heirs were even more ready to go and confront each other in private.

Although it entered the era of empire, various technologies, especially the development of medicine, were not very perfect. Many doctors only knew a little about herbal medicine. With the inherited few symptomatic prescriptions, they were helpless in many diseases, not to mention quack doctors who only knew bloodletting therapy.

The Duke's condition is very serious and is already at its dying moment.

After all, not everyone can become a powerful superstring warrior, and even if they become a superstring warrior, they can at most strengthen themselves and cannot save others.

...

night.

In the ward.

The old duke woke up and shook the bell bell beside the bed.

The maid outside seemed to be asleep and did not respond.

"Damn it... Come on..."

Marcus struggled to shout, but the sound was as low as a mosquito.

People who are less than this step cannot experience this helplessness, which is despair like an abyss.

"The Lion King is old... have you all flattered the new hero..."

Marcus muttered in a low voice, feeling a strong sense of anxiety.

It seemed as if the whole world had forgotten him and threw him away in a corner like garbage.

"No...you can't do this...I'm still the Duke..."

He muttered to himself, and two lines of tears flowed down his eyes.

Huh!

Suddenly, a breeze blew.

‘I actually forgot to close the windows…How negligent… If I could still walk around, I would definitely hang them…I swear!’

Marcus tried hard to turn his head, but was stunned.

A figure wrapped in a black robe was standing by the bed. Under the black robe, there seemed to be a constant squirming darkness, and two rays of light fell on him.

"Am I dead waiter? My time is up?"

He said in a low voice.

"No, Lord Duke, I am a living person, and you have not died yet... although, it is approaching."

The man in black robe spoke, although his voice was low, but he was very young and sweet, and he was a woman.

"assassin?!"

Marcus was even more surprised: "How did you... come in?"

"I will introduce myself. My name is Ilya, and I am a magician! Oh, you may not understand what the word 'magic' means. I can explain to you that we are a group of people who master mysterious power!"

Yiliya chuckled and replied slightly.

"Mysterious man wanted by the Empire!"

Marcus tried hard to turn his eyes and recalled it.

"Yes, Lord Duke! Want to make a deal?"

Iriya waved his hand and a turquoise green light fell: "Treatment of minor injuries cannot completely cure you, but it can make you feel more relaxed!"

The next moment, a miracle happened!

Marcus felt that the tormenting pain was much better in an instant, which made his head much clearer, and his throat was not as if there was always a fire burning in his eyes, so he could speak easily: "What a magical power... You are not super string warriors!"

"The Super String Warrior can't save you!"

Iriya said: "And my healing technique... there is no problem in curing your injuries. Magic is omnipotent. In the future, it can even prolong your life... Now, tell me your answer!"

"I have no choice!"

Marcus replied with a wry smile.

There are no gods or demons in the empire at present, but only some natural worship.

Even if he wanted to sell his soul, no devil came to buy it.

No!

Perhaps in his eyes at this moment, this woman in a black robe and calling herself a "magic" is the incarnation of demons and devils, evil!

But the desire for life and the greed for power made him reluctant to die, so he could only agree: "I... promise you!"

"Very good, I will heal you...and in return, you need to protect the magician and build a mage tower for me!"

Iriya nodded with satisfaction.

Immediately, her fingers were drawn in the air, and characters appeared one by one, forming a contract: "Sign it... This is power of magic, no one can violate it! Extend your hand and use your will..."

Under her guidance, Duke Marcus trembled and stretched out his right hand, pressing his thumb hard in the light: "I accept it!"

Bang!

A mark emerged out of thin air.

Immediately, the contract burned, turned into light, and sank into his body.

"The deal is reached, then..."

Ilya raised his staff, and a tender green branch bud slowly withered: "Treat severe injuries, eliminate the disease! Witness the miracle... Lord Duke!"

The vibrant green light suddenly filled the entire room.

After a moment, the black magician disappeared.

Duke Marcus looked at his smooth chest without a trace of scar, his face full of incredible expression.

Immediately, he stood up, waved his arms and legs, and found that he was in a better condition than before he was injured.

He took a deep breath, stroked his body greedily, put on his robe, and opened the door.

"Duke...ah?"

The guardian guards and maids looked at the healthy duke, as if they had turned into puppets, motionless.

"Let's go!"

Marcus sneered, and his long-lasting majesty as a duke returned to him: "Let the guards come over, I want to meet...my good sons!"

...

"Another one, finished!"

Outside the Grey Fish Fort, Ilya smiled and said to Phil and Taklau: "The Duke of Mark is a wealthy place in the north, so there is no problem in building a mage tower."

"I don't understand!"

Taklau stroked his wand: "Why don't you let me do it... It's still very easy to deal with ordinary people if you 'manipulate humans'."

"Absolutely not possible!"

Iriya shook her head and said, "This kind of spell is too rigid after all, and it has the possibility of being discovered. At that time, we will face the joint encirclement of the empire and the nobles!"

"Unlike now, we are just collaborators, and we can bring unimaginable benefits to each other... Haha... I know the tempers of the nobles. For power and for the sake of interests, they can do everything and violate the law of the imperial state is nothing!"

"So, next... is to build a mage tower?" Phil asked for a moment of silence.

"really!"
Chapter completed!