Chapter 204: Uneven Loot and Boarding a Pirate Ship
“Whether I’ll even be alive in a hundred years is a question. It’s hard for me to believe you right now.”
Rose lay on the bed, spreading her arms. She suddenly felt exhausted. After all her efforts, she had gained nothing.
Both her kingdom and herself had become stepping stones for Kailun. Not only had she been used, but she couldn’t even see a glimmer of hope for escape.
“I showed you the lost Time Magic before. That kind of thing can’t be faked. If it’s developed to its full potential, it can even reverse the flow of time. How about it? Impressive, right?”
Ottovia boasted about her abilities, even though she couldn’t achieve them herself.
Rose hugged a pillow and held it between her legs. “Since you’re so powerful, can you turn back time, back to two months ago? That way, none of this would have happened, and even Kailun wouldn’t have grown so strong.”
“Of course, of course. But only if you collect enough ingredients for me.” Ottovia answered immediately.
She was lying. Not only did she not have enough power now, but even if she did, she couldn’t do it.
Short-range, localized time reversal wasn’t a big problem. The limit of normal Time Magic was ten seconds. She was special enough to reach one minute, and the area could cover more than ten kingdoms.
But that was her limit. Reversing the entire world back to two months ago was simply impossible. No one could do it.
This was a limitation of the world’s rules, an unbreakable bottom line.
Long-term time reversal was impossible. No one could change what had already happened. Her ability to reverse time for one minute was already a “deception” of the world.
Time was like a woven thread. Only a small section at the end could be modified. For Ottovia, this small section was one minute.
But going back to the past and changing history would turn the original thread into a tangled mess. The inertia of time would erase everything.
In Ottovia’s view, long-term time reversal was impossible. The underlying rules of the world didn’t support it.
This view had been proven tens of thousands of years ago. Ottovia firmly believed in it.
Something felt wrong, but she couldn’t remember what it was. Her intuition told her that something important had changed.
“As a big shot from tens of thousands of years ago, don’t you have your own trump cards and forces?” Rose asked again.
Ottovia: “Of course, of course. But you’d better not ask too much about my affairs. Sometimes, knowing too much isn’t a good thing.”
“Tsk!”
Rose clicked her tongue in displeasure. “You people are all the same, so annoying. As we agreed, teach me the special magic that can help me escape, and I’ll have my hidden soldiers collect the ingredients for you. To strengthen our trust, shouldn’t you show me something?”
Ottovia: “This is so annoying. Didn’t I teach you a short-range random teleportation spell last night?”
She hated teaching others. These simple spells were child’s play to her, just a little more difficult than basic arithmetic.
Why were these humans so stupid? Battle mages were truly the superior civilization, but that power system had disappeared.
“Please, that was an eighth-rank spell you taught me last night. Even if I learned it, I wouldn’t be able to use it.”
Rose waved another pillow in frustration.
Ottovia: “That only proves that you need to collect the ingredients and create the Lucky Potion. That’s the only way you can escape. If you don’t want to be gagged by that human vermin again, then focus on collecting the ingredients and completing our cooperation.”
Rose: “…”
This entity was pure yet quick to recover, seemingly foolish yet quick-witted.
Contradictory and strange, Rose couldn’t form a clear image of Ottovia in her mind.
She sighed and covered her ears with the pillow. She decided to get some sleep. She would deal with tomorrow’s problems tomorrow. She was tired.
As for learning to dance, she might as well forget about it. At this point, she was ready to face Kailun’s punishment.
She didn’t care about her kingdom anymore. He could have her body. As long as she could escape, it was all worth it.
If that didn’t work, she could just sell out the entity hiding inside her, calling it “luring the enemy deep.”
……
At 10:00 PM, Kailun helped the limp Fox back to her room.
After Rose left, nothing untoward had happened between them. They had just enjoyed some wine together.
But Fox’s alcohol tolerance was truly low. She got drunk after a few glasses.
However, this was partly Kailun’s fault. His method of serving wine was a bit unique, and most people couldn’t handle it.
He helped the dizzy Fox onto the bed and covered her with a blanket.
Seeing her sleeping soundly, Kailun pinched her ear and left the room.
Ten minutes later, Kailun brought Shirley, the knight, to a teahouse in the Royal City.
Although it was already dark, the streets were bustling with various magic lamps.
The Royal City had become a prosperous and lively place. Even at two or three in the morning, there were people strolling on the streets or having late-night snacks with friends.
Tonight, he had to meet a very special guest. He brought Shirley along to broaden her horizons.
Shirley now had some potential for development, and Kailun wanted to give it a try.
“I’m curious who you’re waiting for. It’s rare for you to personally meet someone this late at night. Is it a beautiful princess from another country?”
Shirley’s first thought was of a beautiful girl, because that was what Kailun usually paid the most attention to.
Kailun shook his head. “I can be serious sometimes. The person I’m meeting tonight is from the White Jade Alliance.”
Shirley: “A woman?”
Kailun raised an eyebrow. “A man. Alive. Ninth rank.”
“Oh, that’s boring.”
Shirley sighed. She had thought she would see Kailun playing with a girl, but nothing happened.
It was boring. She might as well go back to sleep.
“Have you gone mad? It’s only been a few days, and you’re already learning to slack off from Hilna? That’s not a good sign. Young people should work hard and strive to prove their worth.”
Kailun finished half a cup of green tea. Shirley’s change was unexpected.
He should have brought Eve, the young knight, instead. At least she was more obedient and cute.
“No, working hard hasn’t brought me any extra benefits. Now that the Princess has achieved her goal, I only need to do my job. If you want me to apologize, I can show you my belly.”
Shirley refused to back down. She believed that Kailun wouldn’t make things difficult for her.
After all, she had limited value, far less useful than Hilna and the others.
Kailun rubbed his temples. “Who said I wanted to see your belly? And would just your belly be enough to satisfy me? You underestimate my appetite. You should think more about Hilna. If you had enough power, wouldn’t it be easy to protect her?”
He could sense that Shirley’s way of thinking was undergoing a major change, so he didn’t intend to use forceful methods.
“The Princess is no longer the Princess she used to be. In your kingdom, no one can harm her except you. As for extra work, please allow me to decline. I can show you my breasts instead.”
Shirley retorted expressionlessly. Her mind was filled with thoughts that she hadn’t yet sorted out.
She realized that she couldn’t think the way Kailun did. Otherwise, she would become his puppet.
She also realized that her past self was foolish. She needed to change.
Kailun glanced at Shirley’s breasts and finished the rest of his green tea. “They’re not as big as Rose’s. I’m not interested.”
Shirley: “… You’re so realistic.”
“Of course. Pour me some more tea. We’ll wait a little longer.”
Kailun gestured for Shirley to refill his cup. The vice president of the White Jade Alliance was already a few minutes late.
After about ten more minutes, someone knocked on the door, three long knocks and two short ones.
Kailun put down his third cup of tea. “Come in.”
As his voice fell, a masked person cautiously opened the door and entered the room. Upon seeing Kailun, he couldn’t help but sigh in relief.
“Greetings, Lord Kailun. I’ve heard much about your illustrious deeds. I didn’t expect you to be younger and more powerful than the rumors suggest. My name is Wilson, vice president of the White Jade Alliance. I’m here to discuss an important matter with you.”
Although Wilson had heard that Kailun was very young, he was still surprised to see him in person.
Judging from his appearance, Kailun was not even twenty years old. Yet, this young man had not only repelled the Temple of the Celestial God’s attacks several times but had also stirred up chaos in the world.
Because of some of Kailun’s decisions, the entire world had undergone earth-shattering changes. No one could stay out of it.
As a ninth-rank mage, he carefully sensed Kailun’s strength. Hmm, the strength he displayed was only at the first rank. It was obviously fake.
Since he couldn’t see through Kailun’s true strength, it meant that he was far stronger than himself. That made sense.
“Have a seat. Let’s talk slowly. I’m curious why you didn’t contact me through a communication device but came here personally. Aren’t you afraid that the White Jade Alliance will suspect you?”
Kailun pointed to the seat opposite him.
Wilson sat down and held the warm teacup in his hands. “I was worried about that, so I made ample preparations before leaving. They won’t suspect me anytime soon. I chose to come to the Xiya Kingdom because I wanted to show my sincerity. This would be beneficial for our future cooperation.”
Traveling alone to the Xiya Kingdom was risky, but Wilson chose to take the gamble.
He wasn’t optimistic about the disorganized White Jade Alliance. The current short-sighted leader had even targeted him recently, seemingly worried that he would take away more power and benefits.
The already fragmented alliance was further divided into factions, unable to reach a consensus.
Instead of wasting time in the alliance, it was better to place his bets on Kailun.
As for why he didn’t choose the Temple of the Celestial God?
First, the forces he belonged to had an irreconcilable conflict with the Temple. Second, he wasn’t optimistic about the Temple’s future.
The Temple had suffered heavy losses on the main battlefield two days ago. He couldn’t help but suspect that Kailun was behind it.
When everyone else suffered losses, the one who remained unscathed was the biggest winner.
The times had changed. A formidable figure named Kailun had emerged. He felt that he should seize this opportunity.
“A wise decision. Tell me what you know. I’ll offer you a satisfactory reward based on the importance of the information.”
Kailun looked into Wilson’s eyes. Not many people possessed such awareness.
The current situation in the world was unclear. Making such a judgment required immense courage.
“The Empress of the Temple of the Celestial God demanded two towns from the White Jade Alliance. Only the current leader and I know about this. She demanded strict secrecy and offered resources enough to train six eighth-rank mages in return. I investigated those two towns. They don’t seem to have anything special, and their geographical locations aren’t advantageous either.” Wilson explained slowly.
Something unusual must be happening for the Empress to personally negotiate and offer such a huge reward. There had to be a hidden motive.
But on the other hand, if an ordinary cardinal had offered a normal reward for the towns, the White Jade Alliance wouldn’t have agreed under normal circumstances.
Kailun smiled. “She’s quite generous. Did your leader agree?”
Wilson instinctively reached for his teacup, but he stopped before it reached his lips. He glanced at Kailun and then took a sip with his eyes closed. “The leader didn’t agree directly. He increased the demand and said he wanted resources enough to train two ninth-rank mages.”
Speaking of this, Wilson became even more annoyed. He had thought that after making such a bold demand, the leader would share with him resources enough to train a ninth-rank mage. But that stingy bastard only offered him resources enough to train two eighth-rank mages.
Shamelessly, he claimed it was for the future of the alliance and a fair distribution. What a joke! That stingy bastard just wanted to keep everything for himself.
Of course, Wilson wouldn’t tell Kailun about this. Otherwise, wouldn’t it seem like he was complaining about an uneven distribution of loot?
Kailun’s eyes flickered slightly. “Did the Empress agree?”
“She hesitated for a while and said she was willing to pay resources enough to train one ninth-rank mage first, and the rest in two months. They reached a preliminary agreement.”
Wilson took another sip of tea.
“I think I understand. If the information is confirmed, I’ll give you a satisfactory reward. Don’t worry about that.”
Kailun beckoned to Shirley behind him. “Go back and get me a large map. I need it.”
Wilson quickly took out a thick map from his pocket and spread it out on the table. “If you want to see the location of the towns, I have a map here. I’ve already marked them.”
Kailun nodded with satisfaction, seeing that Wilson was so proactive. Although his motives weren’t pure, his actions weren’t problematic. They could cooperate for the time being.
He had earned extra points for coming in person and actively drinking tea. He had shown enough sincerity.
Kailun didn’t completely believe Wilson. He pondered as he looked at the two circled towns on the map.
They did seem very ordinary, so small that only their names were marked on the map. They were located far apart, with no apparent connection.
What use did the Empress have for these small towns? To station troops?
But the White Jade Alliance could easily surround these two towns. It would be like trapping turtles in a jar.
Kailun frowned. He couldn’t understand the Empress’s intentions.
It didn’t matter if he couldn’t understand for now. He just had to obstruct her.
Kailun pointed to a town closer to the Xiya Kingdom. “This town is good. I’ll suggest that the Balance Chamber of Commerce buy it.”
Wilson was stunned. “Are you planning to spend a huge sum to buy this town?”
Kailun shook his head with a smile. “No, just a few gold coins will suffice.”
“But the leader will definitely not agree. The Empress’s offer was too high.” Wilson was confused. He couldn’t keep up with Kailun’s train of thought.
Kailun drew a circle on the map with his finger. “Since when did buying and selling territories require the approval of the leader of the White Jade Alliance? I’ll just contact the king of that town.”
If a kingdom didn’t have any powerful forces within its borders, then the king had full ownership of the territory. This was the case with the town Kailun had pointed to.
Although the king of this town had joined the White Jade Alliance, it didn’t matter.
Kailun’s plan was to bypass the White Jade Alliance and buy the town directly from the king while he was unaware. Once the agreement was signed, he would be on the moral high ground.
He might not be a moral person, but as long as he was on the moral high ground, all his actions would be considered moral.
He would offer 100,000 gold coins, and if that wasn’t enough, he would offer 1,000,000 gold coins. If that still wasn’t enough, he would send a ninth-rank assassin to “negotiate” amicably.
This town was very close to the Xiya Kingdom. A ninth-rank mage could reach it in about a day.
“I think I understand. As long as you’re fast enough, you can buy the town and send people to occupy it. But this is tantamount to directly offending the White Jade Alliance. Is it really worth it?”
Wilson’s eyes gleamed. This simple and brutal method was very effective, but it also had its drawbacks.
The Xiya Kingdom already had an irreconcilable conflict with the Temple of the Celestial God. It was normal for them to create obstacles for the Temple. But offending the White Jade Alliance for this required careful consideration.
Kailun waved his hand dismissively. “It doesn’t matter. If they want it, they can buy it from the Balance Chamber of Commerce. As long as the price is right, I’ll definitely sell it. But the timing of the sale will be decided by me. It might take a month or two. If the White Jade Alliance isn’t willing to resolve this peacefully, then the vice presidents of the Balance Chamber of Commerce definitely won’t stand idly by.”
The biggest problem with this town was that it wasn’t adjacent to the Xiya Kingdom or its surrounding kingdoms. It was located deep within another country’s territory, making it difficult to manage and defend.
Therefore, Kailun planned to hold a public auction after buying it. He didn’t intend to occupy it himself, nor would he allow anyone else to occupy it.
If the Empress sent her people to garrison the town, Kailun would organize an expedition, a one or two-day expedition.
He would hit and run, never staying for long.
It would take the Temple of the Celestial God several days to send troops to the town, and their mobilization time would be at least three or four times longer than Kailun’s. If the Empress truly had the courage to keep sending reinforcements, then he could help the Pope “steal her base” while she was busy elsewhere.
Sacrifice one town to take down the entire Temple of the Celestial God.
No matter how he calculated it, he wouldn’t lose. If it really dragged on for a month or two, his advantage would only increase.
Afra was constantly adapting to her daily increase in power. Carol’s magic power was growing exponentially, and it wouldn’t be long before she recovered to her peak. It seemed that everything hinged on the next month or so.
Kailun counted his trump cards and guessed his opponents’ trump cards. Everything was becoming more and more interesting.
‘Have I boarded a pirate ship?’
Wilson shivered, seeing the smile on Kailun’s lips.
What kind of madman dared to directly confront both the Temple of the Celestial God and the White Jade Alliance? Even if they were disorganized, their combined forces could easily overwhelm the Xiya Kingdom.
Was it too late to run away now?
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