Because of magus's sudden intrusion on the battlefield, the war reached an unexpected conclusion—one that neither the rebels nor the defenders of Blackstone City had foreseen. The clash, originally predicted to drag into a grueling stalemate, instead ended swiftly and decisively in favor of Blackstone City.
In this battle, the rebel forces suffered catastrophic losses. More than thirteen hundred enemy soldiers were killed, their corpses scattered across the trampled, blood-soaked fields. Another six to seven hundred were captured alive, disarmed, and escorted back in chains. Those who managed to escape fled in disorder, vanishing into the surrounding hills without leaving a trace. Their formation collapsed; their morale shattered.
In contrast, Blackstone City paid a far smaller price—though it was not without pain. Fewer than two hundred of its soldiers fell in battle, a number surprisingly low given the scale of the conflict. Yet over twenty of the Black Rock Leopards—elite war beasts painstakingly trained and invaluable in combat—were killed or gravely wounded. When the post-battle count was conducted, Rune's expression twitched in pain at the thought of losing so many of these irreplaceable assets.
But while the commander grieved the loss of his beloved war beasts, the rest of Blackstone City vibrated with triumph. To rout the rebels so completely at such a cost was, to the common people and even to the veteran knights, nothing short of miraculous.
The entire city erupted into celebration. Cheers filled the air, taverns overflowed with laughter, and bonfires burned through the night. The atmosphere of Blackstone City had not been this lively in years.
That evening, Rune hosted a grand celebration banquet within the inner castle's great hall. The hall, usually stern and solemn, resounded with music, clinking cups, and hearty laughter. Knights sat shoulder to shoulder, their armor polished for the occasion. Even several badly injured knights appeared, wrapped in thick bandages yet still determined to join the revelry. They raised their cups with exaggerated enthusiasm, competing to drink each other under the table.
After finishing a round of toasts with the officers in the main hall, Rune slipped away to the quieter rooms in the back. There, in the meeting chamber, he found magus resting leisurely. What surprised him more, however, was the sight of magus gently stroking a white cat nestled on his lap.
"When did you get a cat?" Rune asked, speechless for a moment. He had seen magus pull off countless baffling feats, but somehow a cat still caught him off guard.
Magus looked up and smiled lightly. "This is Amy—my friend."
Then he turned to the cat and added, "Amy, this is my brother, Rune."
Rune blinked. He wasn't sure whether he should laugh at magus introducing him so seriously to a cat, but before he could voice his amusement, the next moment left him completely stunned.
"Meow, hello there."
The white cat lifted a paw politely as if greeting royalty.
Rune's jaw dropped. A talking cat? Even after the many unbelievable things he had witnessed from magus, this still managed to shake his understanding of the world. It was moments like these that reminded him how vast and strange the world of magic truly was.
After a pause, Rune cleared his throat awkwardly. "…Hello."
He sat opposite magus, took a long sip of wine to steady his nerves, and only then began speaking about the matter he had originally come for.
"I think now is a good time to reclaim the Iron Throne."
Magus wasn't surprised; he had already expected Rune to bring this up. He nodded with a faint smile. "When do you plan to send troops?"
"Three days from now." Rune's expression became serious. "We cannot give Owen any chance to reorganize the routed soldiers. If he gathers them again, taking the Iron Throne and capturing Shining City will be far more difficult."
Magus considered it. "But even if we ignore the routed remnants, the moment the offense and defense switch, it won't be easy for our forces to breach Shining City's walls."
"That's true." Rune chuckled, glancing at him meaningfully. "But don't we have you?"
Magus returned the smile but didn't comment further. Rune's meaning was clear. With magus present, there were more than ten methods to tear open Shining City's defenses. And once the siege broke into street combat, Blackstone City's forces would gain an overwhelming advantage. Owen's elite cavalry had already been annihilated, and his remaining soldiers were demoralized and scattered. If he lost the thick walls and solid defenses of Shining City, he would have no power left to challenge Blackstone City.
Magus suddenly remembered another matter. "By the way, how's the sale of the potions going?"
Before leaving for Stone Bell City, he had entrusted Rune with a batch of potions to sell through the Fire Fox Merchant Guild. He was curious about the results.
At the mention of this, Rune's face brightened. "The response was excellent. The potions sold out in less than three days. Completely gone."
He continued enthusiastically, "Tyrion also sent word. It seems many lords from across the Thorn Flower Duchy want to order more potions from us. At present, we already have preliminary orders for over five hundred bottles."
"Tyrion's suggestion is to confirm with you first. If you want to take the orders, he can start collecting deposits from the lords immediately."
"We'll accept them, of course," magus replied without hesitation.
After reclaiming the Iron Throne, he planned to begin constructing his base of operations—his own Magic Plant Garden, a Magical Item Creation Workshop, a Potion Laboratory, a Large-Scale Research Center, a Puppet Factory, and other essential facilities. The cost of all this would be massive—at least twenty to thirty thousand gold coins.
Naturally, he could not rely solely on the territory's resources for such expenditures. He needed external income, and the potion trade was the perfect source. With just this trade route, the financial pressure he faced was greatly eased.
Rune continued, "The Fire Fox Merchant Guild also delivered a number of supplies for you. I had everything moved to the warehouse in your courtyard. Take a look when you have time."
"I will," magus replied.
Leaving the meeting chamber, magus returned to the courtyard. Amy leaped from his arms, flicked her tail, and darted away—most likely to play with Hidden Dragon again. Magus headed to the warehouse, where he quickly located several stacked crates.
Two of the crates were filled with books. Their covers were old and worn, and though someone had tried to clean them, the aged parchment and faded ink carried the unmistakable scent of time. Magus picked them up one by one, flipping through them carefully.
As expected, over ninety percent of the books were knowledge-based—general magical theory, alchemical notes, and various treatises. Many overlapped with the information he already possessed. Only four of the books contained actual spell model diagrams.
One was the Zero-Ring spell Message.
Another was the Second-Circle spell Melf's Acid Arrow.
Hidden among Amy's master's belongings, he also remembered another Second-Circle spell model: Crushing Sonic Wave. Both were powerful offensive spells.
But the other two spell books truly delighted him. They were both First-Circle spells: Silent Image and Summon Monster.
Silent Image was practically an essential spell for all wizards. Its effect allowed the caster to conjure illusions—creatures, objects, scenes—within a certain range. These illusions could be moved freely to mislead enemies or create openings in battle. Mastering it would significantly enhance magus's flexibility in combat.
Summon Monster, on the other hand, carried a degree of unpredictability. The summoned creature varied each time, making it less reliable. But with preparation, repeated casting, or clever strategy, its uncertainty could be turned into an advantage. If luck was favorable, the spell could change the tide of a fight.
"All in all, both spells are extremely practical," magus murmured.
He counted silently. "Including these two, I now have nine First-Circle spells left to master. At my current pace, I'll need at least a year to fully internalize all of them."
He sighed softly. Despite the long road ahead, he did not mind. A wizard could never have too many spells. The more diverse the magic at his disposal, the better prepared he was for any unforeseen danger.
Besides the spell books, magus found several other texts that piqued his interest. One, in particular, was Puppets and Golems.
Golems were considered a branch of puppets—one that had undergone the most extensive study since the birth of arcane magic. In their earliest forms, golems were created merely as obedient servants or assistants, simple constructs with little more intelligence than a broom or a bucket.
It was only later that ambitious wizards began inscribing runic matrices and complex arcana onto them. These runes imbued the golems with specialized skills, combat functions, and rudimentary decision-making capabilities. As their magical architecture evolved, their power skyrocketed. Eventually, entire legions of them—the famed Golem Legions—were deployed onto battlefields across the continent.
The more wizards invested in researching these constructs, the more diverse and powerful golems became, ranging from small helper units to enormous siege-breaking titans.
Magus closed the book slowly, excitement flickering in his eyes. With a Puppet Factory planned, this knowledge would soon become indispensable.
The future was beginning to take shape.
And with the Iron Throne soon to be reclaimed, nothing—neither rebels, nor nobles, nor armies—would stand in his way.
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