Chapter 128: Chapter 128: I Advise You Not to Do Anything Foolish
The Traveler!
Sunan was momentarily stunned, not expecting to hear the Traveler's name here.
"When did you meet that wizard?" Sunan asked casually, masking his interest.
Evans, unaware that the person before him belonged to the same wizard organization as the Traveler, thought for a moment before replying, "About three years ago."
Sunan's curiosity was piqued.
This timing coincided exactly with when the Traveler stopped attending gatherings.
Could it really be, as Remains had suggested, that the Traveler had perished somewhere in the underground world?
"What happened afterward?" Sunan inquired further.
Evans shook his head: "I only stayed with the Traveler for two days before leaving the underground world. As for the Traveler, before leaving, I heard him say he planned to delve deeper into the underground world. I don't know what happened after that."
Sunan was slightly disappointed.
If he knew the Traveler's whereabouts, he would have liked to meet this adventurous wizard apprentice, possibly gaining valuable information.
After chatting a bit longer and asking about the other three wizards, their conversation came to an end.
"In a few days, the royal family will announce their surrender."
These were Evans' parting words before leaving.
Outside the tavern, in a nearby building, Ke Yi and Marquis White Tower awaited news.
Seeing Evans calmly exit the tavern, they exchanged puzzled looks.
When Sunan returned, Ke Yi eagerly asked, "How did it go?"
Sunan briefly recounted the events, omitting the Tower of Stars, only mentioning that Evans had traded something very valuable with him.
After hearing this, Ke Yi and Marquis White Tower exchanged glances, surprised.
They hadn't expected Evans to come alone to surrender.
It was quite unexpected!
However, upon reflection, they were rather pleased.
Though confident of victory, capturing Redleaf Province without bloodshed was undoubtedly preferable.
As for leaving a trace of the Kessler bloodline, it wasn't significant.
At most, it was a minor branch, inconsequential.
"Now we wait for movement from Redleaf Province."
Sunan glanced in the direction of Starlight City, feeling slightly relieved.
Once this war ended, he could focus his efforts back on the underground world.
He had many tasks awaiting him.
Collecting materials for crafting simulacrums, seeking ancient beast descendants, and handling Kasham's crisis as well.
Returning wouldn't mean idle time.
Starlight Calendar 1254, Month of Slumber (December).
The Grand Duke of Starlight committed suicide by poison, and from the Grand Duke down, all royal members announced their surrender.
The Shimmer army then entered Starlight City, taking control of the military and political powers.
Thus, this war, which had drawn immense attention, finally concluded.
Shimmer Territory successfully overthrew the duchy's royal family, conquering the entire Starlight Duchy.
A new Grand Duke of Starlight was established.
Cangjin Empire, Holy Flame City.
Deep within the imperial palace, in the study.
The ruler of the empire, the Cangjin Emperor, sat behind his desk, engrossed in the secret report in his hands.
Scepter sat opposite, sipping fragrant flower tea, lost in thought, appearing absent-minded.
After a long silence, the Cangjin Emperor set down the report, a sneer flashing across his dignified face.
"Evans Kessler is quite decisive, doing nothing and surrendering to the rebels, sacrificing almost all the royal family members. He's certainly fulfilled his role as the royal guardian," he said with heavy sarcasm.
Scepter replied lazily, "I think he made the right choice."
"If Evans had lost his head and fought Sunan to the death, he would have met only death, and the Starlight royal family would have been eradicated, leaving not a single trace."
"Now, at least, he's preserved a bit of the Kessler bloodline, which is the best outcome."
The Cangjin Emperor frowned, asking solemnly, "Is Sunan really that formidable?"
"Very formidable!"
Scepter replied without hesitation, as if to emphasize the credibility of his words, adding, "At least I'm not his match."
The Cangjin Emperor fell into silence.
From as far back as he could remember, he'd known the wizard before him, fully aware of his mystery and power.
Yet here was this immensely powerful wizard, admitting he was no match for Sunan, elevating the emperor's apprehension of Sunan to a new level.
After a long pause, the Cangjin Emperor suddenly asked, "Is there a way to deal with Sunan?"
Scepter calmly sipped his tea, seemingly unsurprised by the emperor's words.
Setting the cup down, he replied unhurriedly, "I advise you not to do anything foolish."
The Cangjin Emperor frowned, "If you're worried about facing Sunan alone, then invite a few more allies, like other wizards from the Forest Cabin."
"Sunan is also a member of the Forest Cabin."
"So what? As long as the benefits are sufficient, those people won't refuse to act. Aren't wizards all pragmatic, driven by profit?"
"That's true."
Scepter didn't mind the hidden sarcasm in the emperor's words, nodding in agreement.
However, he then spread his hands, saying, "But the problem is, no amount of profit is more valuable than life."
"Honestly, I can't gauge Sunan's strength."
"After all, the resources at his disposal are astonishingly vast. No one knows to what extent he's grown over the years, or how many trump cards he holds."
"Moreover, the power Sunan has openly displayed is enough to deter anyone from confronting him."
"I advise you to abandon any unrealistic thoughts. The other members of the Forest Cabin aren't fools. No matter how much you offer, they won't agree to help you against Sunan."
"On the contrary, I believe they might be tempted by what Sunan offers and turn against you instead."
As Scepter spoke, the Cangjin Emperor's frown deepened.
"Are we just supposed to watch as the Starlight Duchy rises?"
Anyone familiar with Ke Yi's rise couldn't help but marvel at the miracle.
In just six years, Ke Yi transformed from an exiled noble scion and border city lord to a rapidly growing power, evolving from Baron Shimmer to Marquis Shimmer, and now a Grand Duke!
The speed of his rise and expansion was nothing short of miraculous!
And all of it was because of Sunan's support!
Given time, if the new Starlight Duchy continued to develop, it could eventually surpass the Cangjin Empire, emerging as the new dominant force in the southeast continent.
By then, the Cangjin Empire would be in jeopardy.
As the ruler of the Cangjin Empire, he couldn't allow this to happen!
For years, the Cangjin Empire had exerted dominance over the southeast, frequently clashing with neighboring countries, including the Starlight Duchy.
In fact, if the empire hadn't recently conquered a nation and needed time to recuperate, they would have intervened during the Starlight Duchy's internal strife.
No one anticipated the situation would develop as it did.
Had he known, he would have intervened in the duchy's conflict without hesitation.
"Let it go."
Scepter counseled unhurriedly.
"The Starlight Duchy has just ended a grand war. It won't recover for over a decade."
"Even with Sunan's support, it will take decades, if not centuries, for the duchy to grow strong enough to challenge the empire."
"By then, you'll be long gone, so why worry about it?"
The Cangjin Emperor's face darkened.
What kind of talk was this?
As an emperor, he couldn't just focus on his immediate concerns, ignoring the empire's long-term interests. How could he sit on the throne otherwise?
"You're part of the empire, a member of the royal family. Won't you contribute to the empire's cause?"
Scepter wasn't swayed: "The responsibilities of a royal family member, I fulfilled fifty years ago. Since then, my relationship with the empire has been purely transactional. You provide resources, I solve problems. It's that simple, so don't burden me with responsibilities."
Seeing the emperor about to speak, Scepter waved him off.
"I've said what I needed to say. How you proceed is your decision. If you cause trouble, don't expect me to clean up after you."
With those final words, Scepter vanished.
Leaving the Cangjin Emperor sitting alone at his desk, his expression shifting unpredictably.
Shimmer City, Base.
Before the mission bulletin board, a group of apprentices selected tasks when a voice suddenly called from afar.
"We won! Our Shimmer army has entered Starlight City!"
A boy of about twelve or thirteen came running, breathless, waving a battle report excitedly.
Hearing this, the surrounding crowd erupted, gathering around.
"Really? Weren't we just massing troops at the Redleaf Province border?"
"You're behind the times. I heard the Starlight royal family surrendered."
"No wonder it ended so quickly."
"Haha, now the Marquis is the new Grand Duke of Starlight!"
"The senior apprentices are here!"
The crowd parted as Xieman, Korey, and Atil walked in.
"We heard your shouts from afar. Has a new battle report arrived?" Atil asked with a smile.
An apprentice hurriedly handed over the report.
The three took it, smiles spreading on their faces.
"As expected, with the teacher around, Shimmer Territory was bound to win!"
Korey smiled as if it were obvious, though he felt a bit wistful.
He had hoped to join the war after advancing to a second-level wizard apprentice, but it had ended so quickly.
Having such a powerful teacher was sometimes frustrating.
"With the war over, the teacher should be back soon."
Atil smiled, and as she spoke, felt a weight on her shoulder—Amy had appeared there.
"Meow, is Sunan coming back? That's great!"
Amy said happily.
With Sunan and the Shadow Dragon at the front, it had been alone in the underground world. Exploring was fun, but after a while, it missed Sunan and the Shadow Dragon.
"I've found quite a few treasures recently, meow. I'll give them to Sunan when he's back."
"The teacher will love the gifts from Lord Amy," Atil chuckled, patting Amy's head.
The little cat squinted happily.
"Lord Amy, has there been any unusual activity from the manticore in Lake U?"
Korey suddenly asked.
Sunan had set a rule that no apprentice could enter Lake U without his permission.
Among the apprentices present, only Xieman, Korey, and Atil had been allowed by Sunan to enter Lake U to handle some errands.
Thus, they had met Karolaina.
Thinking back to his first glimpse of the underground world, Xieman still felt a sense of awe.
He had never seen such a strange and magnificent world before.
Until then, he hadn't imagined such an expansive world hidden beneath the surface.
"No, meow."
Amy tilted her head, thinking, "Karolaina has been quite well-behaved lately, occasionally helping me fend off monsters guarding treasures."
Xieman snapped out of his reverie, smiling, "Karolaina is bound by the teacher's soul contract. There's no need to worry about her doing anything irrational."
"Not necessarily," Korey snorted. "Manticores are wicked and cunning. Without the teacher at Lake U, she might be up to something."
Atil patted Amy's head, saying, "Don't worry, with Lord Amy watching, nothing will happen."
Amy immediately puffed out its chest, patting it with a paw, proudly declaring, "That's right, meow. With me here, you can rest assured. I'll keep an eye on Karolaina!"
"Lord Amy is amazing!" Atil praised.
Xieman and Korey exchanged a wry glance, feeling that Lord Amy was thoroughly under Atil's influence.
"Alright, everyone disperse and get back to work."
Atil instructed the apprentices.
"With the teacher away for so long, he might test our progress when he returns. Everyone should work hard and avoid mistakes that might get us scolded."
"Yes, senior."
The apprentices heeded her words and dispersed.
"You always know what to do. You're becoming more and more respected as a senior," Xieman commented with a smile.
Atil gave him a sideways glance, speaking softly: "That's because you and Korey are always engrossed in study and training. I don't have your talent, nor am I as driven, so I have more time to interact with the junior apprentices, which is why they listen to me more."
"Alright, weren't you going to take on tasks? Go ahead."
Seeing Atil didn't want to dwell on the topic, Xieman and Korey wisely fell silent, heading to the bulletin board.
Not far away, Miss Gree lay on a recliner, observing the scene with an intriguing smile on her face.
"Humans are truly fascinating."
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