Unable to Connect

Ever since the Mage Association participated in the coup, I knew this person would eventually show his face.

The only question was whether I would contact him or if he would contact me first.

Over a week had passed, and I had been biding my time.

I was waiting for this exact moment.

The Mage Association had to pay the price for their role in the coup.

And that price, naturally, would fall upon the shoulders of the head of the Mage Association.

Victor, the head of the Brilliant City branch of the Mage Association, had participated in the coup. Victor was a direct subordinate of Medivh. Don't tell me a direct superior didn't know about his subordinate's involvement.

That would be like burning newspapers at a grave—he's just trying to fool ghosts.

"Camilla, Ligeia, and Mr. Anton, the three of you continue your discussion. I'm going to meet this legendary Archmage."

I stood up and walked out of the side hall, leaving the three of them behind to continue their debate.

I turned and gave Hilda an order to keep the area under lockdown until the three of them finished their discussion.

Hilda naturally took the command and delegated the tasks to others.

"Dominica, I'm leaving this place to you. No one is allowed to approach until those three have finished their meeting."

"Yes!!"

There would definitely be no problems with the stubborn Dominica on guard!

Speaking of which, don't the names Dominica and Dominic sound very similar?

It was probably just a coincidence. After all, their identities and the distances between them were so vast.

Thinking about it, it was actually quite interesting. If I didn't know better, I'd say those two even shared some similar facial features.

Dominica felt slightly older, though.

'Could they be siblings?'

Ugh, I was probably overthinking it.

I looked back at Dominica.

How could a girl as single-minded as her be related to a little trickster like Dominic?

"Lola, tell me about this Medivh."

I gave the instruction as I walked toward the communication room.

Lola didn't need to look up any records. For people we were about to encounter, she had the information ready at the tip of her tongue, having clearly done her homework.

"Medivh Francisco, male, ninety-one years old. He is the current head of the Mage Association. Based on his past combat records, his level is estimated to be at least near level seventy, if not exceeding it. His exact strength is unknown, but he once had a confrontation with a sacred knight. Rumor has it that both of them only tested each other and did not engage in a formal battle."

"Continue."

I kept walking while prompting her. Lola paused for a moment before continuing.

"Medivh currently resides in the Kingdom of Yadi among the Southern Kingdoms. Although it is a small country, it possesses immense wealth. Because it is situated right between the Kingdom of the Sun and the Kingdom of Flame and sits close to the coast, it is a resting point for many ships. Consequently, its commerce is highly developed, though the country itself has no industrial output."

"However, the mage industry in that country is very advanced. Almost all famous mages hail from the Kingdom of Yadi. Even in the Brilliant City branch of the Mage Association, over a third of the members were transferred from Yadi."

I nodded, having gained a basic understanding.

However, this was the first true powerhouse I was going to encounter.

After all... aside from the Pope, he was the first person I knew of who could go toe-to-toe with a sacred knight, and the first one I was about to meet.

"Let's go. Let's see what this Archmage is made of!"

I stepped into the communication room, where the display was already lit up.

When I arrived, an elderly man appeared before me. He had a head of white hair, a long beard reaching his chest, and a peaceful expression.

The moment we met, our eyes locked through the 3D projection.

In that instant, I felt this old man would be difficult to deal with.

His eyes were too sharp, and he seemed a bit too slick.

"My apologies for making you wait, Mr. Medivh."

"No, no. Your Highness, the Saintess of the Moon, you are too kind. It is my honor to wait for a lady as elegant and beautiful as yourself."

I offered a thin smile, barely humoring him.

Such words might win the favor of an ordinary woman, but they were useless against me.

"Mr. Medivh, allow me to introduce myself. I am the Saintess of the Moon, Luo Li Saint Sariel. You may simply call me Luo Li."

"No, no. How could I address a woman of such nation-toppling beauty by her name? It is better to call you Your Highness Luo Li."

Was there a difference?

No.

Then what was the point of all that preamble?

None at all!

This old man was clearly a slippery old rogue. He couldn't go three sentences without complimenting a beautiful woman; it was obviously ingrained in his nature.

I smiled faintly, remaining calm.

"Heh, Mr. Medivh, you flatter me. I wouldn't dare claim to be a nation-toppling beauty, but being unrivaled in the continent is no problem."

"Uh!"

Medivh froze, seemingly not expecting me to be so shameless.

"Cough, cough... Haha... Uh... It seems Your Highness Luo Li is indeed extraordinary."

"There's no need for your praise, Mr. Medivh. Is there a reason you sought me out today?"

I watched Medivh with a smile. A look of confusion appeared on his face as he asked me in return.

"Eh? Wasn't it you who contacted me?"

"Is that so? Did I contact you?"

I looked at Medivh's aged face and repeated the question as if to confirm.

He nodded, looking quite serious.

"Indeed, you were the one who contacted me, right?"

I lowered my head, feigning a difficult contemplation before slowly speaking.

"Well... alright then, Mr. Medivh. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Medivh seemed satisfied with my reaction, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"I am also very happy and honored."

"Since we are both happy, then we can consider ourselves acquainted. Mr. Medivh, goodbye."

"Hey, hey, hey, hey!!"

The old man clearly hadn't expected me to pull such a move. Seeing me turn to leave, he was stunned for a second before immediately reacting to stop me.

"Your Highness Luo Li, please don't joke around."

"I am not joking. Since I was the one who sought you out, it was naturally because I had business. And now, I no longer have any business. So... goodbye."

"Don't, don't! Your Highness Luo Li, it's this old man's fault. I was wrong, okay?"

Seeing that I was truly about to leave, Medivh quickly put on an apologetic expression and apologized repeatedly.

I turned back, looking at him with feigned surprise.

"Oh? I wasn't aware of what Mr. Medivh did wrong."

A bitter smile appeared on his old face.

"Did I just dig a hole for myself? Your Highness Luo Li, please stop making things difficult for this old man."

"How can you say I'm making things difficult? That sounds so unpleasant. I simply have nothing left to discuss, so I'm going back to rest."

I slowly looked up with a smile, using my feigned composure to put a bit of pressure on him.

"Of course, if you have something to say, I can stay a while longer."

Medivh's face was a mask of helpless, bitter laughter.

"Fine, fine. This old man underestimated the younger generation. Your Highness's move truly made me jump into the very pit I dug for myself."

He took a deep breath, the wrinkles on his face twitching slightly as his gaze settled on mine.

"Respected Your Highness Luo Li, as the head of the Mage Association, I wish to discuss the rudeness Victor showed you previously."

Seeing the serious look in his eyes, I knew he wasn't joking anymore. Naturally... I wouldn't continue to give him a hard time over such a small matter.

"Since Mr. Medivh has brought it up, I will speak plainly. Victor allied with the demonized Garnet family in an attempt to overthrow the government. I have both the witnesses and the evidence in my hands. I wonder what kind of explanation Mr. Medivh intends to give me."

Medivh was slightly taken aback. He glanced at me, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

"Your Highness Luo Li, as far as I know, Victor was unaware of the Garnet family's demonization or their rebellion."

"Heh... Mr. Medivh, there's no need to play dumb at a time like this. You know what he did, and I know it too. If you're going to keep acting like you know nothing, then there's no need for our conversation to continue. I will report this matter in its entirety to the Holy See and wait for the Pope's decision."

As I spoke, a mischievous smile played on my lips.

"At that time, you won't need to explain anything to me, and there won't be any need to play the fool, right?"

"Your Highness Luo Li, do you truly want to push things to a desperate struggle?!"

Medivh looked at me with a grim expression, clearly extremely dissatisfied with my threat.

However, I maintained my faint smile.

"Mr. Medivh, you are mistaken. This isn't a desperate struggle; it's kicking a dog while it's down. When this matter is reported, I will announce Victor's alliance with the demons to the entire world. At that time... it's very likely that the vast majority of mages will no longer stay in Brilliant City. After all, your prestige among mages is quite high."

Medivh's expression softened slightly, but it remained incredibly grave.

"However!"

Before he could speak, I continued.

"You should also know that I have the original document tablet in my possession and possess the classes related to mages. At that time, I only need to announce that any mage who joins Brilliant City will receive a low-level title."

I paused for a moment to observe Medivh's face.

Right now, his old face looked as foul as if he had just eaten a can of rotten herring.

"At that time, do you think I will face a situation where the country cannot function due to a lack of mages?"

Medivh said nothing, his eyes filled with killing intent as he stared at me fixedly.

I smiled. At such a distance, no matter how capable he was, it was impossible for him to harm me.

I naturally wouldn't be afraid of his 'stare of death' attack.

Instead, I became even more triumphant.

"Mr. Medivh, I've never liked beating around the bush. Whatever needs to be said, I say it directly. Whether you're willing to hear it or not, the reality is right before your eyes. Are you willing to gamble the fate of the entire Mage Association and your own fate against me, or..."

The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly heavy.

Although the communication equipment couldn't transmit power, Medivh, as a long-time leader, possessed a natural aura. Even his smallest gestures could make an ordinary person tremble with fear.

I didn't say anything more, just looked at him calmly.

Until he finally gave in!

"Sigh... Your Highness Luo Li, since things have come to this, just state your demands."

"It's simple. Replace the mages the Kingdom of the Moon has lost and send a sufficient army of mages to participate in the campaign to wipe out the Garnet family. At the same time, compensate the Kingdom of the Moon for its losses with ten million gold coins."

"Ten million!? Why don't you just go out and rob someone?"

"Rob? How could robbing be faster than this?"

I replied instinctively, leaving Medivh choked for words.

"Fine... ten million it is!"

Medivh pondered for a moment before nodding.

But I suddenly realized something!

Damn it, I asked for too little!

The old geezer didn't even haggle with me; he just agreed instantly. It seemed I had still underestimated the Mage Association.

Ten million gold coins, paid just like that.

"Your Highness Luo Li, I can send troops, but since they are going to war, they can't come back empty-handed, can they?"

The old geezer was starting to set conditions.

But since he wanted to talk conditions, then let's talk.

"Mhm, of course they won't come back empty-handed. After the war is won, I will reward each person with ten gold coins. This isn't much, of course—just a small token of appreciation."

"After the war, those mages who perform well and are willing to stay in the Kingdom of the Moon's Brilliant City can be granted honorary titles by me. Those willing to become Temple Mages will be given the Temple Mage title."

Medivh's face went dark.

"Your Highness Luo Li, you are blatantly stealing my people?"

"That's right, I'm stealing them. Of course, you can also send some people you don't particularly like. No matter what kind of people they are, as long as they come, I'll dare to use them."

I looked straight at Medivh's old face.

His expression shifted through several shades—red, then white—before he finally gave a heavy nod!

"Hah! Fine, fine. What a Saintess of the Moon. This old man has truly learned a lesson."

"Deal?"

I asked, somewhat disbelieving. Medivh glanced at me with a dark face and spat out two words through gritted teeth.

"Deal!"

With that, the communication was instantly cut.

The moment the connection broke, I let out a massive sigh of relief.

With Medivh's current strength, he could destroy the Kingdom of the Moon single-handedly.

And the only trump cards I held were the Pope and the sacred knights.

Those two were not my direct subordinates; they were even still eyeing my Kingdom of the Moon like predators.

Using one enemy... to blackmail another enemy.

This time, I was being a bit reckless.

Fortunately, my guess was correct.

This old man's relationship with the sacred knights and the Pope was not good.

Otherwise, the one in trouble this time would have been the Kingdom of the Moon.

I let out a long breath, and my entire body suddenly felt lighter.

"Lola, was the communication just now recorded?"

"Please rest assured, Your Highness. It has been recorded by the photomancer."

"Mhm, that's good... Scrub the parts about Victor and the Mage Association's involvement in the coup, then send the message to the Holy See."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Lola nodded.

"Right, notify the Holy See that the demons have likely traveled to Seaview City by ship. Also, inform the Kingdom of the Sun that they should stay alert along their coastline and watch out for demon sneak attacks."

"By your command, Your Highness."

As we spoke, we had reached the door of the communication room, and the doors were already wide open.

Just as I was preparing to go back and enjoy my lunch, the mage controlling the communication room suddenly called out to me.

"Your Highness, please wait. I have something... I'm not sure if I should report it to you."

"What is it?"

Having just relaxed, I felt a bit tired and asked casually.

As a Saintess, I should always be close to the common people. Besides, if the mage in charge of the communication room had something to say, did it mean there was a problem with the room itself?

That would be a serious matter.

"Your Highness, I've discovered that the elemental signals from the direction of the Kingdom of the Sun have been erratic lately. It's very likely... that we are unable to connect anymore."