Badge in Azure

It was extremely difficult to train wardens, and losing over 3,000 would nullify any defensive divine arts that they had put in place. The fossilized gods burst out of the exit and reduced the remaining wardens to mincemeat.

The Holy See had reserve forces, but they consisted of only just over 2,000 cavalry units. The instant death magic spells that Saleen cast from his tower had an unusually high rate of success in such environments, and had messed up the Holy See’s plans.

By the time the cavalry arrived, it was too late. Over 1,000 fossilized gods had been released, and they rampaged on the plains.

The Holy See was still able to press forward, and retreat was not an option. After all, while the forces from Daliang City could retreat under the protection of the magic net, but there was nothing but a vast plain outside the city, which meant that there was nowhere for the Holy See’s forces to run.

After fighting many battles that lasted over a year, the Holy See’s knights were no longer inexperienced military men as they had once been. They knew that, if they were to run, it would only result in greater casualties.

Lex saw everything happening beneath the city and sighed. “It would have been great if you’d been able to get here sooner.”

“If I had shown up sooner, the forces from Alchemy City would have revolted sooner, too. Lex, the grudge between me and Alchemy City is now all on the surface. They might have appeared to be acting against you, but it was actually me they were targeting. They destroyed Pompeii City in an act meant to keep the southwestern nobles in check. But now that I’ve settled that side of things for you, you’ll be able to rally them if you send someone over. Then, you can catch Holy Rock City in a pincer-like attack.”

There were no mages from Holy Rock City in the magic tower, and, hence, Saleen did not bother concealing anything in his speech.

“I’m not going to do that. My brother is still alive, after all.” Lex sounded rather sad as she said this. Her brother had some inherent physical defects that no magic pharmaceuticals could cure. His body would only last to about the age of 40.

Any extra days he lived from that point on were simply bonuses, and there was no way he could run a country in that state. The throne would be hers in 20 years or so. If Safilos found that disagreeable, then it would be a good time to take the city by force.

Saleen had simply been testing the waters with Lex, and, since she refused to do it, he put the matter aside. As Saleen saw it, Lex’s brother had no intention of becoming emperor. Saleen was a king and loathed being one. He expected her brother to feel doubly so, as he was ill all the time and lacked energy.

Managing the day-to-day affairs of a nation was not much different from doing battle, and it might actually be more tiring. Mages who went out on adventures had longer lives than emperors, on average—being emperor was a high-risk profession as well.

However, it was beneficial to not have to attack Holy Rock City. The Holy See was still around, and Holy Rock City would hit them all the same.

But then again, the problem at hand was that, while Holy Rock City was quite able to defend against the Holy See, they were utterly incapable of launching assaults. As such, Saleen needed to clip the Holy See’s wings in order to give Holy Rock City an easier time retaking Kroraina.

Things could get gotten more chaotic, and more people could die; still, Myers Mainland would not crumble. When a person became capable of living over 1,000 years, they had a very different view about life and death—be it their own or that of others.

Saleen had felt heartache when he destroyed Ironwall City, as it was done out of desperate need. He would no longer have felt so at present: it was simply fate. If fate had decided that he had to die, then he would have fought back. But if fate demanded the deaths of others, Saleen simply stood by and watched.

When gods perished, all the beings within their divine kingdom were in trouble as well. It involved the lives of tens to hundreds of billions, even trillions. In comparison, the wars on the mainland were hardly worth mentioning.

Saleen recalled the times he had felt rather uncomfortable around Faerun when he was dissecting dead bodies. Looking back on it now, Saleen saw that Faerun had only been thinking about magic knowledge, and that it had nothing to do with cruelty.

“The southwestern nobles will be disappointed,” Saleen said nonchalantly.

However, Lex unexpectedly replied, “I’ve reached an agreement with Arbola. She will support me, so I won’t need to attack Holy Rock City. So long as I’m able to maintain the defense of this place, Golden Plains will see to it that this place becomes the second capital city.”

“You’re setting up a new country?”

“Indeed. Let’s save gobbling up Qin for when my brother is dead. I can now rally the southwestern nobles and make sure that Holy Rock City gets no support from the south. I hope that you’ll be able to take control of Separation Sea for me around the vicinity of Daliang City, cutting the Cloudflow’s fleet off from its waters for good. I’ve lost all control of the areas in that city’s domain. I may give up lands here, but I’ll take the area east of Titan and seize control of all the regions surrounding Separation Sea.”

“Daliang City will become the frontline, then!”

“Isn’t this place the frontline already? Who doesn’t want a piece of the Cemetery of the Giant? If I can keep this place, then I’ll become the empress of a nation. If I lose it, then I’ll just go spread your faith with you and become a charlatan. When our contracts are fulfilled and we’re finally free, we’ll build our own kingdom in the interdimensional space.”

“Fine, but Lex, no need to worry, we can—”

“Saleen, I’m running out of time.”

“Lex, I’m not here to help you with the defense of the city this time.” Saleen had no choice but to lay it all out like that.

Lex was, evidently, too exhausted to look like a queen. In that moment, she felt more like a tired, weak woman.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m here to hunt down an important figure of the Holy See. If a certain someone ends up dead, you’ll have an easier time here.”

“Who’s your target, then?”

“The great head inquisitor. We’ve fought before, and he was very tough. He possessed powerful holy items, as well.”

“How certain are you of your ability to pull this off?”

“60 percent.”

“Will you need me? Saleen, I’m a level-ten mage now, too.”

Saleen was mildly stunned, but quickly replied, “No need for that. I will face the enemy all on my own.”

“So you’ve been so loud and pompous because you were just coming to attract the enemy’s attention?”

“Indeed. I’d be heading to the Separation Sea later. I’ll bait the great head inquisitor into action from there.”

“Huh? Hahaha…” Lex was stunned for a second before laughing. Saleen’s methods seemed too simple and straightforward; but there were times in which, the simpler the plan, the more effective it proved nonetheless.

Saleen was, indeed, at Daliang City on very important business. He was about to leave the city and head for Separation Sea, as the place, obviously, had something of equal value to the Cemetery of the Giant.

The Holy See would definitely have sent forces there to overwhelm Saleen, and they would need someone of comparable power to Theisio in order to do so.

But, given how Theisio was needed at Daliang City and could not give up on the Cemetery of the Giant, the person who had probably gone to fight Saleen would be someone from the Tribunal.

“Lex, don’t laugh. I’m about to get something very important done. Do you remember the coordinates for this spot of the Separation Sea?”

“I do. So, you—”

“Yeah. This is the so-called ‘eye of the sea.’ It has a portal connecting to the deep sea. The precise reason why the portal was never recorded in any books is because it has been suppressed by eye. The very reason that the Separation Sea has never had any water-related disasters is that there have never been any abnormalities in the eye.”

“Saleen, for real?” Listening to Saleen’s analysis, Lex thought that it sounded rather far-fetched.

“We’ll know once I get there.”

“Here. Take this, then,” Lex said as she took off the God’s Ring, attempting to put it onto Saleen’s finger.

Saleen was truly touched. The God’s Ring was no ordinary equipment, and even godly items paled in comparison. It was something that Lex’s father had left behind for her, and he could not afford to lose it.

Saleen took the ring and put it back onto Lex’s finger, saying, “Lex, I’ll show you what I’m capable of now.”

As he said this, Saleen released his own magic amplifier from the Starline Bangle—the Elemental Order.

“What is this!?” Lex asked, stunned.

“The Elemental Order—a magic amplifier capable of boosting my powers 24 times over.”

“Saleen, you said that you have a 60-percent certainty of killing the great head inquisitor, right?” Lex asked. She had found a problem with that statement.

“Indeed. The great head inquisitor might have advanced to level 11.”

“Then, what level of certainty does he have of killing you?”

“10 percent,” Saleen answered confidently.

The coldness on Lex’s face dissipated and she patted Saleen’s shoulder, saying, “Alright; go, then. When I’ve become an empress, then you shall be king. Getting to this position will be more difficult than advancing in magic.”

Saleen laughed. Lex finally was able to relax; his teacher had been wise to have him craft a magic amplifier. He put Elemental Order back in its equipment slot and said, “I’ll stay here for the night and leave tomorrow morning.”

Lex blushed and said, “What do you plan to do during your overnight stay?”

“Oh? Didn’t you go looking for Eleanor to ask her to make some meds for you so that you could bear me a son?” Saleen asked playfully; Lex seemed to be in a good mood.

But Lex’s expression turned glum upon hearing that, and Saleen was puzzled. Lex sighed and said, “Even if I wanted a child right now, we wouldn’t have time to raise one. I’m so envious of Sika…”

Saleen thought that what she said was sensible. He and Lex held a lot of people’s lives and livelihoods in their hands, with the result that they had to be on guard at all times. Sika, on the other hand, only needed to take care of the couple hundred of thousands of people from the Caucasus.

Furthermore, those Caucasians treated her as if she were their god, and her children, too, were hailed as the lifeline of the Caucasians.

Even though Sika had no intention of letting her children become priests, those two had nevertheless been born with priestly powers.

“Well…we’ll just lay off the meds for the time being, then,” Saleen said and scooped Lex up, heading straight for the floor below. No one could enter the 16th floor, and Saleen was the only one who had been granted access to it.

That floor held the mechanical core of the Sky City and was also where the large-scale magic furnace was housed.

“Do you still think about me, Saleen?” Lex did not struggle, and wrapped her arms around Saleen’s neck instead as she whispered into his ear.

“Yeah.”

“Even when Sika’s around?” Lex asked a very woman-like question. She was a perfect example of royalty, and would not have ever asked such childish questions.

“Yeah, I still do,” Saleen said, nodding hard. He was not a kid anymore and knew well enough that that was the only correct answer at that moment.

“Mages are not allowed to lie,” Lex pinched Saleen’s nose, seeming a little forceful in it. But, then again, her strength was incomparable to Sika’s, and, to Saleen, her pinch felt incredibly soft and gentle.

“I’m an astrologer, as well,” Saleen said and cast the Puppet Constellation. The equipment did not fully open within that space of the magic tower. The ball hovered in midair and cast thousands of stars around them.

Brilliant starlight filled the space, making it seem like they were floating among the stars. The mechanical core of Sky City transformed. The metal structures around them transformed into flowers and trees.

Lex then smiled and said, “I’ll still be happy, even if that was a lie. You know, it’s only when I’m around you that I find running this country to be incredibly boring.”