As they walked through the forest again, the three of them became increasingly silent. Fernando seemed like a human-shaped storm about to erupt. The more depressed he became, the more terrifying he became.
The secret stronghold provided to Douglas was a hidden cave, with only traces of the magic circle operating in the deepest part, and the appearance was a purely natural cover.
"Mr. Douglas, please stay here for a few days, and we will come back to you after we have arranged things." Even though Douglas's attitude was warm and refreshing along the way, Roland still chose a very polite name when he said goodbye. After all, this is
A great mage.
Douglas did not feel left out at all. He took stock of the situation in the cave, nodded slightly, and said with an unchanged smile: "I am very satisfied to have a place for me to conduct research."
He doesn't mind being wary of others, on the contrary, he is quite satisfied, because organizations that do not guard against and test the magicians who defect to them have almost died out and become dust in history. He does not want the organization he is about to join to be like this.
There is no difference between that and committing suicide.
Before the fall of Antiphore, he, who was good at observing and thinking, had already understood the cruelty of the situation. Under the temptation, oppression, and coercion of the church, parents abandoned their children, apprentices assassinated their masters, and friends attacked each other. Incidents such as this happened one after another, and this
It did not disappear with the initial collapse of the magic empire. On the contrary, it became even more intense, because for a large number of magicians, there was no longer any money to wait and see and hesitate, either betrayal or death.
"It's best not to conduct magic experiments. Black-clawed dogs have a very keen sense of smell." Fernando warned with a sullen face, fearing that the archmage from Antiphore would be too confident in his own strength.
Douglas took out thick pieces of white paper from his storage bag and placed them on the stone platform in the cave. He looked at them as if admiring the most perfect "qingren": "Don't worry. I have enough mathematics to consume all my energy.
Research."
"Mathematical research...are you from a high tower?" After hearing about magic-related matters, Fernando's mood eased a little and asked with interest. In his impression, high-tower geometry was the first person to learn magic.
Things that have suffered setbacks, and the magicians in the tower are full of enthusiasm for mathematical research, just like Douglas in front of him.
The magicians of the ancient Magic Empire have long begun to pay attention to mathematical research, because it is closely related to the construction of spell models. They have achieved a series of results, such as tower geometry, but most of their energy is still focused on spell learning and bloodline.
In addition to research, after all, the results of mathematical research are difficult to produce immediate results. Only a small number of magicians take them for fun, most of them are astrologers, and the Tower is one of the most famous astrologer organizations.
When the Dawn War broke out and the church began to gain the upper hand, mages who were willing and free to study mathematics became even rarer. At least Fernando had never seen a guy with such an enthusiastic expression when talking about mathematical research.
Douglas raised his head and laughed self-deprecatingly: "Actually, I really want to join the tower, but they don't want me, a weird guy. After the fall of Antiphore, I never saw them again."
"I'm glad that you have always been able to clearly realize your own weirdness. If you could ask less why, you would be a very good friend." Fernando has always been willing to attack others, even if the other person is an archmage. He doesn't like it either.
will change.
Douglas smiled and did not respond to Fernando's words.
Roland glanced at Fernando complainingly. Why did he have to make up for his mistakes every time? Didn't he know how to speak without sarcasm? He had such a lovable and handsome appearance for nothing!
He coughed: "Mr. Douglas, don't worry about Fernando. He is a descendant of Arthur's barbaric empire. You can tell from his accent. By the way, if you need anything, you can make a list in the next few days. If there is anything special
It’s urgent, tell me now.”
"No." Douglas shook his head and watched Fernando and Roland leave, knowing clearly that when they came back, it would be time for him to be tested.
What will be the test?
…………
Leaving the forest in silence, Fernando and Roland said nothing, but they changed the hiding place in a tacit understanding, hid in the city, and walked towards Viscount Errekan's villa - this was their safest hiding place.
This place is only known to the highest level of the organization, but it is also a place that the night watchers cannot imagine.
Before this nobleman inherited the title of baronet, he hooked up with a high-level mage from the "Magician United Union" during a certain operation to annihilate magicians, and then used his power to eradicate powerful enemies and successfully succeeded.
He obtained a title, and later relied on the "intelligence" of the "United Magician's Union" to establish meritorious service over and over again, becoming a viscount. He was the first influential nobleman that the "United Magician's Union" attracted since it implemented its new strategy.
Fernando and Roland had already changed their appearance, and passed through the main gate in a swaggering manner with the familiar appearance of stewards of the Viscount family. No one doubted it, because this was indeed them, and this was their apparent identity.
The old butler remained silent as always, and did not ask any more questions about the two guys who often received special orders from the Viscount.
After returning to his room, Roland had just washed up when he heard Fernando's familiar violent knock on the door.
"Is there something? Discuss how to test Douglas?" Roland asked doubtfully. After a few days of intense emotional life, he just wanted to take a good rest.
Fernando's mental force field spread, he closed the door and growled in a low voice: "Roland, we must fight back!"
"Assassinating the Vulture?" This was something they had discussed before, so Roland reacted after being stunned for a moment, and said cautiously, "We have to make a strict plan to lure the Vulture with the whereabouts of other people, and then surround him.
Kill him?"
"No." Fernando's bright red eyes were full of seriousness and anger, "Benson has defected. The Black Claw Dogs know very well how many of us are here. Maybe then it won't be us that surround and kill the vultures, but they will surround and kill us.
Yes, you know, this kind of insidious method is the specialty of Black Claw Dog, and I also want to kill Benson together!"
"How is this possible? Benson must be hiding in the tribunal now. There is no way we can lure him out and kill him!" Roland rejected Fernand's proposal without hesitation, "otherwise we wait a little longer and contact the headquarters before we come back.
Several high-level magicians can more confidently kill the vulture."
Fernando controlled his anger and shook his head: "The vulture has a very keen sense of smell. After these few days, he will no longer make such reckless raids. Instead, he will unite the local nobles and clergy to act together, and even rush to
Other areas.”
"Then what are you going to do?" Roland asked in confusion. This won't work either. That won't work either. What exactly does Fernando mean?
Fernando almost roared: "Attack directly to the Inquisition and kill Vulture and Benson! They must be there!"
"You're crazy!" Roland felt that either Fernando was crazy or he was crazy.
In the past, when the Magic Empire still existed, there were indeed cases of breaking into the Inquisition and even the Cathedral, but in the past hundred years, no magician has dared to directly attack the Inquisition. This is the lair of the black-clawed dogs, with powerful gods.
Magic circles and high-level night watchmen, no magician running around like a rat in the gutter can have any idea of it. You have to choose a good way to commit suicide!
The breeze blew, and Fernando's slightly messy hair fluttered, like a prelude to the beginning of a storm: "Since you can't think of it. The church and the black claw dogs can't even think of it. In more than a hundred years, the Inquisition has never been directly attacked again.
Their reaction will definitely be slow, and it will definitely be very chaotic. We only need to kill the Vulture and Benson before the church and nobles react, and we can leave calmly!"
"This, this... But, our strength..." Roland felt that his mind was in chaos. He thought for a moment that this was something that a vulture could never dream of, and for a moment he thought it was too crazy and funny.
Fernando said without smiling: "We have a great mage."
"Douglas?" Roland suddenly woke up, the magician's instinct recovered, and said to himself, "The strongest in the whole city is the vulture, the eighth-level knight, and the others are newly promoted cardinals or knights, and maybe there are
Several high-level magicians who betrayed us, but certainly no archmage, otherwise we would not have been able to escape so easily, and we would have lost at least two-thirds of our personnel."
He paced back and forth: "Nine-ring magic is weird and powerful. The strength of the Archmage far exceeds that of high-level ones. In the case of a surprise attack, there is no problem in breaking the tribunal. It would be better if it could 'stop time'. Well, Benson
We have no idea that we will pick up an archmage. Except for Garros, only the president knows. Well, there is no problem with the strength comparison, but Douglas has not been tested yet? Will he betray us?"
Fernando still had a straight face: "This is the test. Kill the vulture and he will be one of us."
"That's it..." Roland felt that there was a possibility of success, but he was very hesitant, "But this will anger the church. I'm afraid that the 'Heart of Time' will be sent over by then."
Speaking of the "Heart of Time", he had a fear that he was not even aware of. That epic knight used the bones and blood of magicians to create his own glory, and even killed a legendary lord. He was the nightmare of countless magicians.
He is the real devil of the abyss in their hearts.
At this point, he suddenly realized that he had been led in a big circle by Fernando: "We have Douglas, and we can use the lure method to kill the vulture. Even if they deliberately fell into the trap, they would never have thought that we have the Archmage.
, why attack the tribunal directly? Fernando, don’t be blinded by anger, look for an opportunity to get rid of Benson next time.”
Fernando snorted: "Let others evacuate Pefos County in advance, and you should also leave in advance. If the church wants to retaliate, it must find us first."
His expression became a little more serious: "We must kill the traitors immediately. Only by proving that we have the ability to kill the traitors and cause trouble to the church will the nobles be willing to cooperate with us secretly and support us to cause greater trouble, and they will not arbitrarily
Betray us!"
"Roland, you should be very clear about how critical the situation is now. If you are unwilling to take risks, you will have to wait for death slowly. We must show our value so that we can get help. If you retreat step by step, you will lose all opportunities for cooperation."
Roland gritted his teeth and thought for a while: "Fernando, you must pay attention to safety, especially if Douglas is a traitor."
He had agreed to Fernando's suggestion. According to the rules of the Magician United Union, as long as both leaders of the branch agreed, then action could be taken.
Fernando did not smile because Roland agreed. He clenched his hands and suppressed his anger, preparing to explode at the right time.
…………
In the forest, near the secret stronghold.
"I'm keeping watch outside," Roland said to Fernando, fearing that there were already night watchmen ambushing him around.
Fernando nodded and entered the hidden cave directly.
He had just crossed the last barrier when he suddenly stepped on a piece of paper covered with words. There were papers like this all over the floor.
Looking at Douglas who was busy writing, he saw that his neatly combed hair was very messy. Fernando curiously picked up the paper at his feet and read the content on it.
Seeing this, Fernando stayed where he was. He had always been recognized as a magic genius and was also very talented in mathematics. However, the formulas, words, and symbols written on the paper gave him a feeling that he had never studied mathematics.