Chapter 63: Combat Experience

Regarding airships, some people were discussing, and I could only say that having mages on board an airship was a good idea, but mages could also be mounted on griffins… and the agility of the griffin meant it was definitely more powerful in combat than an airship. Furthermore, these two types of military units didn’t make much difference in front of high-level spellcasters. This was my opinion. Everyone was welcome to discuss if they had different views… as long as they didn’t curse, I could accept anything.

“What’s your view?” Watching the young man and his chancellor’s figures follow the attendant and disappear behind the heavy wooden door, His Majesty the Emperor thought for a moment before suddenly speaking.

“Your tendency to tease your subjects is getting worse and worse… that old fellow looked like he was about to throw up his heart from his mouth just now…” A pleasant voice came from within the dark red cloak hood. A slight hoarseness did not harm the soft beauty unique to a female voice. Instead, it added a lazy allure.

“Of course, the other side also had no particular view… a small sorcerer’s apprentice didn’t have many noteworthy abilities…” The lazy voice paused. Perhaps because her statement got no reaction, she sounded a bit disappointed. “Although I wasn’t at the scene, the messages sent back were enough to judge some things. Those zombies, although low-level, still bore traces of special modifications. That wasn’t a level a thirteen-year-old kid, a sorcerer who just awakened his abilities, could be involved in. However, there was one thing that still needed attention. I sensed some residual aura of necromancy on him… although extremely faint, it still existed.”

“You mean, although those zombies weren’t summoned by him, he might still have had contact with the summoner?”

“Just need to pay a little attention… after all, the aura of necromancy could also mean he himself comprehended some spell from the necromancy school. That’s quite common for sorcerers.” The person in red robe answered in a casual tone. “Looking at this incident, even if he was related to some dark power, there weren’t many over there who could cause a big impact… anyone with a bit of sense wouldn’t create such a farce.”

“That’s good… but I still need a more definite answer. After all, I don’t want a user of necromancy to just mix into the royal family like that.” The King’s quill danced, leaving smooth cursive characters on the documents. No fluctuation could be heard in his voice. “Of course, if the situation is unimportant, it can still be tolerated.”

“How much value does that so-called airship have? In my opinion… such a thing cannot stand against Sky Knights. Especially since it came from that little griffin’s mind…” The lady reached up and pulled off her hood, letting a waterfall-like cascade of wavy brown hair fall over her shoulders. Her flashing purple eyes sparkled with cunning light. Her brown skin did not harm her beauty but added a different kind of charm.

“Such a thing can only serve an auxiliary role at best. Things like logistical supply, transport, and long-range reconnaissance. Its large, clumsy appearance and slow speed are enough to make it the best target. If the enemy has no air units, then it is the ruler, but if the two confront each other… I have no interest in using my limited gold coins to boost the griffin’s confidence.” His Majesty the King tossed a document aside. “It’s still unclear what that fellow George is really scheming, and there’s no way to judge whether what he’s offering is an olive branch or a man-eating vine.”

“Then why are you studying him?” With just a light turn, the lady’s originally loose robe became thin and fitted, perfectly outlining her sexy figure. Then she stretched out her arms and playfully hugged the sovereign, who was concentrating on the documents. This action made her long hair lift slightly, revealing a small, slightly sharp protrusion at her temple. If an outsider were present, they would easily think of certain non-human races. “And even giving the griffin an extra piece of territory?”

“That place is almost as barren as the desert. Even the poor Connellyvis Family isn’t interested… and they can’t get it anyway.” His Majesty the Seventh paused his official duties but did not respond to this gentle entanglement. His gaze turned to the distance, his cold, hard look turning into a thoughtful shade. “It’s just that at this stage, we need to gradually increase this child’s influence. This relates to how many feathers we can pluck from that annoying bird of prey with his help. And what I hope for, naturally, is from their wings, even just one.”

“The old folks of the Connellyvis Family will absolutely not let you touch a single hair on their heads…” The lady chuckled lightly. “If they cut off this little fellow’s connection to the family, then wouldn’t you get nothing?”

“So I will try to entangle more hairs before they cut them off. For example, this airship…” The Emperor leaned back in his chair, seeming to enjoy this intimate feeling, but the cold sharpness in his eyes did not change at all. “If the Connellyvis Family accepts this arrangement and lets that young man follow the existing path step by step, even becoming a nominal clan head, then everything is still manageable. But if they interfere or make certain moves, then Connellyvis and Phoenix might have to choose between destruction and survival…”

“To directly confront the Connellyvis Family? Or… you want to force them…” The lady was now completely sitting on the throne, but these words made her straighten her waist, which had been leaning against the other’s body.

“No! No!” The Emperor shook his head. “Maintaining the status quo with that old griffin is best. It’s just… this huge war chariot is already somewhat out of control and cannot stop. If it charges in the wrong direction… it would be more fatal than anything. So, at this time, this special little fellow’s marriage alliance with the royal family gives both of us a chance for compromise. When this compromise moves onto the correct track of union in the future, Connellyvis will no longer be a threat.”

“Is this really good? Is there no other way at all to solve the current situation?” A change appeared in the lady’s voice. There was helplessness, mockery, heaviness, but also as if there was nothing, just a light laugh. “Or do you want to accomplish what you couldn’t achieve back then, to prove some authority of yours?”

“I know… you like that child very much. Actually, I’m also hesitant…” With a long sigh, the Emperor stood up and walked to the window. “From my position, I also don’t want to put the shackles of marriage on that child so early, but some things… as royalty, there is no choice. It must be said this is a sorrow, but it’s hard to avoid…” That cold, stern expression of Ralphe VII disappeared, replaced by a solemn one. Only his slightly drooping brows and tight lips revealed his weariness. “Fortunately, for now, everything is still in a stable phase. Although there is some backlash… it’s not strong.”

“If everything goes smoothly, there’s still a chance to get rid of this shackle, right?” The red-robed lady reminded softly. “But… have you considered the impact of their reaction? Don’t forget about them… with the power they possess… if they want to interfere…”

“Not for now… before everything is settled, we can still placate her and him for the time being… as long as we use some methods.” The King was silent for a moment, then gently patted the smooth stone bricks of the window sill, making a light tap sound. “Moreover, the Goddess of Luck is undoubtedly on my side. That wonderful coincidence gave all this a good turn. As long as we find a way to make adjustments, we might achieve the best effect.”

The red-robed lady was silent. After a long while, she gently raised her hand. Her fingertips drew several glowing symbols in the air, and then her body disappeared into a patch of dark red shadow. Only a faint scent of sulfur remained.

The quill made a soft scratching sound on the parchment, writing a series of numbers next to a drawn blueprint. Constantine squinted, letting the soft camel wool cushion support his body. After the whole day’s dizzying series of ceremonies and document signing, he felt a lot of his strength had been drained. And the work he was doing now deepened this feeling of fatigue several times over.

“These things’ drafts were already decided long ago, right? It’s indeed a very clever means of transport, and the cost isn’t high either.” The Soul Amulet glimmered with a faint green light. The Lich seemed to have long been used to the youth’s various strange ideas. “But that King seems to have made a losing deal. This thing definitely doesn’t cost that many gold coins.”

“His money isn’t just for making the airship…” Constantine responded lazily.

His Majesty the Emperor’s current command seemed strict, but in practice, it was another matter. As long as he could borrow the power of a skilled alchemist, producing a smaller finished hot air airship within half a month wasn’t difficult. Moreover, Constantine could even use a hot air balloon to manage the task. A few days and a few hundred gold coins were enough to get things done.

This sovereign’s reach was certainly long. Although the Mage Tower’s student recruitment didn’t involve political vetting or forced isolation strategies, planting a few spies was extremely common. But in just one day, he was already fully informed about the hot air balloon. This speed was terrifying in this era. Since that was the case, he should clearly know how cheap and good this Constantine-style flying ship was.

This money should be considered a kind of indirect ‘reward’. Two hundred thousand gold coins weren’t a huge amount, but weren’t small either. For a mage, it was just a few pieces of high-level equipment. But for a noble, especially for Constantine at this stage, this sum was a large amount.

That faraway territory wasn’t worth thinking about, but at least now, he was an Empire Viscount. Of course, this kind of title was usually just a rank given to some errand-runners, like that Karl Cassas who came to deliver the decree. But his own title probably wouldn’t stop there. At least in the near future, it would definitely be the title of Prince.

“However, these things are distracting you a lot now. I clearly feel your power progression has slowed down… This isn’t a good sign.” The Lich’s voice sounded, seeming to carry some dissatisfaction. “Generally, a higher status represents having higher-level abilities. They usually need to pay a price ordinary people cannot afford, so they can handle any tricky and difficult opponent with ease. But don’t forget you don’t have such ability now. So, are you currently clinging to His Majesty the King’s thick leg, or are you still firmly standing on the same side as your own family?”

“You think I don’t want to accumulate power quickly? But didn’t you yourself say it’s not that easy?” Constantine sat up straight and shook his head irritably. Recalling the looks his stepmother and younger brother gave him at the dinner table, the youth felt a chill down his spine.

“Combat has always been the best ladder to accumulate capital. If you want to accumulate power quickly, then some challenges that are evenly matched or even beyond your ability are necessary.”

“That’s all nonsense. Where can I go for that kind of adventure now? Do you want me to drop everything and go out adventuring? If I could run, I might have run long ago… Now neither the King nor the old man would let me go. I don’t want to live the life of a wanted criminal. Moreover, before that, a single Walter would probably catch me and bring me back!”

“Yeah, having you go out adventuring definitely won’t work. But if it’s experiencing combat, I thought of a way.” The Lich’s voice carried a hint of pride. “You just need to concentrate…”

…

Constantine’s eyes focused slightly as he looked at the scene before him.

A large forest appeared as a dark, black mass under the gloomy night sky. With gusts of night wind, the treetops of every tree swayed, making rustling sounds. It sounded like an unknown beast lying on the earth, signaling to all adventurers that this was its territory. The shadows on the ground moved in the weak starlight, creating the illusion that patches of dark shadows were living things. These shadows drifted among the trees like ghosts, slow and quiet.

“Almost no different from the real thing…”

The youth rubbed his nose and carefully adjusted the adamantine scimitar on his belt upward a bit, making it fit his hand position better. Then he carefully watched the movements between the trees. Although it was quiet, he faintly felt something wasn’t right. The low calls of night owls in the forest had stopped at some point. Everything was quiet all around. The night was completely enveloped in this eerie silence.

Quietness didn’t always mean everything was normal. The calm before a storm was especially unusual.

Constantine shifted his gaze slightly but soon stopped in one direction. He noticed an ugly thing poking its head out from a bush. In the dim light, he couldn’t correctly distinguish its color. It was either grayish-white, grayish-green, or something similar. Its irregular shape was covered in wrinkled skin. Only upon close observation could one distinguish from its pair of glass-ball-like eyes that it was a head similar to a human’s. But the irregular distribution of its facial features made one feel nauseous just by looking.

Constantine slightly lowered his body and slowly raised his left hand. With a not-so-loud click sound, a bolt shot straight toward the part below that head.

The sleeve crossbow’s accuracy was reliable. With a disgusting friction and tearing sound, that figure fell heavily into the bushes. The bolt pinned to its neck gave it no chance to call for help. But Constantine soon realized he had miscalculated. Almost immediately, a chaotic chorus of sharp screams arose from the woods. Clearly, the creatures hiding there weren’t just one.

A group of goblins.

The youth frowned. He noticed that with the screams, four or five figures rushed out from the bushes. They had the same-colored skin and hair, wearing dark, crude leather gear, but they were only three to four feet tall, looking like a group of gnomes or dwarves… if one ignored their ugly heads. Led by a slightly taller one, they screamed, holding wooden clubs studded with nails high with one hand, assuming a surrounding posture. However, at the same time, these things didn’t forget to carefully hold wooden shields or some cover in front of their chests with the other hand. And the closer they got to the youth, the more technically they slowed their steps.

A cold flash. The scimitar at Constantine’s waist had already left its sheath. The slash actually faintly carried the sound of wind and thunder!

The one closest to him was the first to suffer. The short enemy’s crude wooden shield, held in front of its chest, split into two with a crack. Then came the leather-wrapped body. The poor creature screamed and fell backward. Skin and bones only slightly resisted before being split apart. A mass of colorful stuff splattered out with a splash, making a disgusting mess on the ground!

This scimitar of the youth was a fine product forged by dark elves from adamantine. The thin blade had little resistance but was extremely heavy, facilitating force application. The blade edge had been deliberately sharpened and maintained by Constantine. Although it couldn’t cut through iron like mud, slicing flesh and bone was as easy as cutting butter. Combined with the acceleration effect of the draw technique, this situation wasn’t strange.

But the effect created was undoubtedly terrifying enough. Moreover, the creatures before him were naturally timid. The remaining few goblins immediately let out even louder screams and turned to flee back into the bushes!

Constantine scoffed. Goblins were naturally cowardly. Once the battle turned unfavorable for them, they would flee with their heads down. In fact, if they had all rushed him at once, he, having just used the draw technique, might have been hit by two or three of those spiked clubs.

Stepping forward, slashing. The goblins weren’t slow, but their two short legs obviously couldn’t compare to a human’s running speed. Within a dozen seconds, before they could completely run back into the bushes, they were each cut down by the scimitar! In the heat of the moment, Constantine even had the leisure to perform a few not-so-standard martial arts moves.

But clearly, the youth celebrated too early.

Just as he almost caught up to the last goblin, there was a sudden loud rustle from the bushes beside him. A white figure shot out, pouncing at him! This sudden attack startled him, making him instinctively raise the scimitar to block… Then he immediately realized something was wrong, but it was too late…

“Roar!” With a low growl, that white-furred monster—a large wolf a full eight feet long and four feet tall—violently opened its huge jaws and bit down hard on his left arm!