Having unexpectedly uncovered Gold Rock Marquis's conspiracy, Magus felt a heaviness settle over his mind. The revelation cast a long shadow over the future. Unless they completely abandoned their hard-won territory, conflict with the Marquis was unavoidable. It was only a matter of time.
He shook his head, pushing the troublesome matter aside temporarily. Now was not the moment to brood—he still had the Black Sword Knight to interrogate.
The knight, restrained and standing before him with a hollow expression, continued answering questions under the effects of Charm Human. The spell did not erase awareness; it only compelled obedience. So while the knight spoke calmly, a faint tension remained in his eyes.
After learning that the Starfire Church's branch in Golden Rock Province had recently mobilized considerable manpower to hunt down some sort of magical creature, Magus suddenly raised his hand, interrupting.
"What kind of magical creature was it?" he asked with open curiosity.
"A cat," the Black Sword Knight replied flatly.
"A… cat?"
Magus blinked, caught completely off guard.
He had expected something fearsome—perhaps a rare magical beast or a threat capable of devastating a village. But a cat? That was unexpected. He racked his brain, recalling the many varieties of magical creatures recorded in his previous studies. None of the known feline species he remembered were difficult to handle, let alone enough to mobilize an entire church branch.
Still, the Starlight Continent was vast, filled with secrets unknown to most. It was possible that some extraordinary feline species existed without his knowledge. After several fruitless moments of thinking, he gave up the attempt and pressed on.
"And why were you searching for it? What made this creature worth mobilizing so many of your people?"
"It was an order from the High Priest," the knight answered after a brief pause. "I don't know the exact reason. Only that… it might be connected to a Wizard."
"A Wizard?" Magus muttered, his interest deepening.
The Black Sword Knight continued in his dazed monotone. "We sent out many teams. But that magical creature is unusually cunning. Up until the time I left for Blackstone City to carry out my assassination mission, no one had managed to catch it."
"A magical creature related to a Wizard… could it be a familiar?" Magus wondered aloud.
Yet something didn't quite fit. Judging from the knight's report, the creature had been hunted for quite some time, and no master had come forth to protect it. A familiar abandoned by its Wizard was almost unheard of.
Still… it was a lead. And it was the first genuine one Magus had encountered since arriving in this world.
He asked several more probing questions, extracting every detail he could regarding the creature, the pursuit, and the Starfire Church's movements. Only when he was certain nothing more could be gained did he lift the spell.
The knight staggered as awareness fully returned. Shock replaced the dull emptiness in his eyes.
"You—what did you do to me?!"
His voice trembled. Charm Human left memories intact; he remembered confessing everything involuntarily, leaving him shaken and horrified.
Magus, however, offered no explanation. Without acknowledging him, he turned and walked out of the dim prison chamber, leaving the pale Black Sword Knight questioning his own sanity.
When Magus returned to the council hall, Rune, who had already learned part of the situation from Brede, hurried forward.
"Did he say anything else?" Rune asked anxiously.
Magus recounted everything regarding the Starfire Church—their pursuit of the magical creature, their involvement in various assassination plots, and the hints regarding their high priest's motives.
Rune's face darkened with each sentence. At one point, anger surged through him, and he slammed a fist against the arm of his chair with a sharp bang.
"I knew it," he growled. "I knew my father's death was connected to them!"
It took him several long breaths to regain composure. When he finally spoke again, his tone was much calmer, though his eyes still burned.
"So the Storm Earl's ambush… it was arranged by Gold Rock Marquis?"
"Most likely," Magus replied with a nod.
"With the Storm Earl incapacitated and his sons struggling for succession, Gold Rock Marquis can influence the outcome. As long as he supports a suitable puppet, he can seize effective control over the entire Storm Territory."
Rune clenched his jaw. He knew this already, but hearing it spoken aloud by Magus made the threat feel even more real.
In Golden Rock Province, below the Marquis, the two most powerful nobles were Earl Winter Frost and the Storm Earl. But Earl Winter Frost had already bent the knee to Gold Rock Marquis. If he now gained control over the Storm Territory as well, then the entire province would fall under his dominion.
"Yet we still have a chance," Rune said firmly, eyes hardening with renewed determination.
"According to the newest reports, the Storm Earl's sons won't have a decisive victory anytime soon. Gold Rock Marquis will be too occupied there to pay close attention to Shanguang Territory for now. If we can reclaim Shanguang Territory during this period, we will finally have the foundation to resist him."
Other nobles might have scoffed at Rune's bold statement. The idea that a weakened Shanguang Territory could stand toe-to-toe with a Marquis who practically ruled half a province would sound like a pipe dream.
But Rune's confidence was not blind.
He had Magus—a Wizard's apprentice—on his side.
They already held Blackstone City, proving their capability to rival a Baron's territory. Once they restored Shanguang Territory, their strength would grow dramatically. Rune truly believed that with Magus supporting him, even Gold Rock Marquis was no longer untouchable.
Seeing Rune's spirit lifted instead of crushed, Magus nodded in approval. This was the kind of resolve they would need.
He then said, "There's another matter. I plan to leave Blackstone City for a while."
Rune blinked. "Where are you going?"
"Stone Bell City."
Rune frowned slightly as he tried to recall its geography. After a moment, he remembered: Stone Bell City lay within Silvermoon Territory, the domain of the Silver Moon Viscount.
"What business do you have there?" Rune asked.
"I'm searching for something," Magus replied, intentionally vague.
The truth was connected to the mysterious magical creature hunted by the Starfire Church. According to the knight, it had last been sighted near Stone Bell City. Since arriving in this world, this was the first time Magus had encountered a clue possibly related to a Wizard. He absolutely could not let the opportunity slip.
Even if the creature turned out to be unrelated, a rare magical feline was still worth investigating. He might even gain some unexpected rewards.
And while he couldn't openly challenge the Starfire Church yet—not after their failed assassination attempt on him and Rune—he certainly had not forgiven them. Finding the creature before they did would be a small but satisfying way to take revenge.
Rune didn't press for more details. Stone Bell City was within the territory of the Silver Moon Viscount, one of the nobles who kept distance from Gold Rock Marquis. Rune felt reassured; even the Marquis wouldn't recklessly act against Magus there.
"When do you plan to leave?" Rune asked.
"In a few days," Magus replied. "I need to make preparations."
Since confrontation with the Starfire Church was possible, Magus intended to craft additional runic gemstones for self-defense and continue strengthening Hidden Dragon's forces. Only after he felt completely prepared would he set off for Stone Bell City.
Besides, according to the Black Sword Knight, the Starfire Church had made no progress catching the creature. It was unlikely to be found anytime soon.
With Magus planning to leave soon, Rune made his own preparations for safety. To prevent another assassination attempt, he decided to move into the military camp—sleeping, eating, working, and meeting officials all under the strict protection of over a thousand soldiers and more than three hundred Knight-level fighters, including the Black Rock Leopards.
Unless a Legendary Knight personally intervened, Rune was essentially unassailable.
For added protection, Magus decided to "upgrade" Rune's personal Black Rock Leopard. Using several of the beasts he had accumulated, he merged them into a single, far stronger being—raising it to the Great Knight level.
This particular upgrade consumed forty-two Black Rock Leopards and cost nearly sixteen hundred gold coins.
Even wealthy Blackstone City, with its mines, only generated enough annual tax revenue to create three Great Knight-level Black Rock Leopards. Such combat strength normally came at an enormous cost.
Rune and Brede were ecstatic. Sixteen hundred gold coins for a Great Knight-level combatant was an incredible deal—beyond what any noble would dream of.
It was more than worth it.
And with that final preparation, the path for Magus's upcoming journey began to take shape.
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