Chapter 214 (1/2)

Chapter 214: The Chariot Overturns

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

It was impossible to hide the news that a giant mine of anti-magic soil was found in the Ferde Wilderness. It was as though a giant boulder was thrown into a small pond. The ripples would quickly spread in all directions.

For an ordinary lord—to have chanced upon a goldmine like this would definitely make them go slightly insane and drunk with happiness.

However, Link was an exception.

In his eyes, these gold coins were merely tools for the construction of his capital of magic. His final goal was to accumulate a strength powerful enough to turn the tide of any battle around. The day the anti-magic soil was discovered, Link calmly analyzed the situation and decisively mounted Dorias and headed directly to Hot Springs City, the capital of the Norton Kingdom.

The benefits from the anti-magic soil were far too great. If he chose to hoard all the benefits, he might be in trouble and end up not getting any.

For starters, King Leon would definitely demand a portion of the economic benefits. This was due to the war the kingdom was in against the Dark Elves. The war expenses had reached an all-time high, and the kingdom had never been so in need of money. If Link decided to resist this demand, his future as a Magician might be jeopardized.

Furthermore, if optimistically he could really hoard all the economic benefits for himself, his reputation would also suffer a huge blow. He would be branded as a cheapskate or a Scrooge.

How would he gain more followers then?

After some consideration, Link decided to take the initiative and head to the capital before the news spread.

As Dorias was a magical beast, he naturally could not enter the capital.

Link made Dorias stop in the Girvent Forest right outside the capital and said, “Linger around here for these next few days. Don’t go too far away though. I might need to be here for a few days.”

“No problem,” Dorias said, and he was in fact, elated. From his knowledge, there were also creatures of the tiger species in the Girvent Forest. Although they did not belong to the family of Wind Tigers, Dorias could not care less. He then hopped away ecstatically.

Link then walked into Hot Springs City after donning a robe. Upon reaching the entrance, Link saw an eye-catching conscription notice attached to the bulletin board. A large group of onlookers was attracted to this news board as well. From their accent, one could tell that they came from other provinces.

Link decided to stop and listen to what they had to say.

“I heard that the kingdom had won many wars and many civilians have been given the title of a knight.”

“I’ve heard similar things. A man in the neighboring village rode into his hometown on a large horse while wearing shiny battle armor. He looked amazing!”

“The king is really generous. Two gold coins for a basic salary every month while killing a Dark Elf would garner you five gold coins right away!”

After ten minutes, Link felt shaken by the common conception amongst the civilians. He realized that only the superficial and good news were being conveyed to the civilians, carefully packaged to seem alluring and enticing. Link heard no discussion on the fact that 20000 people died in the war as well as rumors of a stalemate.

The kingdom had also used gold coins as their main tactic to attract men into the army. Two gold coins per month would mean 24 gold coins per year. There were at least 100000 soldiers in the kingdom’s army. This meant that the kingdom needed 200000 gold coins per month just to pay off their military expenses. Link had not even considered food, equipment, and compensation, all of which required a great amount of money as well.

Link then walked into the city and was horrified to hear even more misleading news.

“Have you heard? Those Dark Elf bastards dared to resist us! They are simply courting death!”

“Relax! We will definitely secure victory. Just like before, the Dark Elves are merely struggling till their deathbeds.”

“Oh, have you heard? There will be some Dark Elves slaves arriving in the next few days. I’ve heard that the Dark Elven ladies have skin as pure and white as jade. Hehe.”

“Have you heard…”

The rumors all had one similarity—they were simply too optimistic. The citizens had not considered the possibility of failure. Link could finally understand Eliard’s woes. Eliard’s concerns were extremely accurate—the entire kingdom had fallen into a state of frenzied optimism. Link could see the kingdom as a speeding chariot on the road to nowhere, possibly even a dead end.

This scene was extremely shocking. When he reached the gate of the palace, he felt an unexpected chill on his back. He tapped it lightly with his hand and realized he had been breaking out in a cold sweat. This was not due to his fear, but due to his awareness. He had been too aware and could clearly see where the kingdom was heading towards.

Link walked forward in a trance and suddenly heard the sounds of clanging metal. The guards at the gate had blocked his path with their weapons.

“This is forbidden grounds to unauthorized personnel!” The guards frowned at Link.

Link pulled down his hood and allowed the Flame Controller Robe to emit a crimson red hue before speaking. “I am Magician Link. I request an audience with the king.”

Link’s expression was way too terrifying, and his name was even more so. The guards immediately bowed with respect and said, “Sir, please wait for a moment. I will report your arrival immediately.”

They then ran at full speed into the palace.

Ten minutes later, the guard returned with a Kingsguard Knight following behind. The moment Link’s face came into view, he was also taken by surprise and bowed, “I am Olaf, in charge of the Kingsguard Knight. Sir, please come with me. The king is waiting.”

Link’s achievements were made known to the entire higher echelons of the kingdom’s security forces. News of a Level-9 Magician would strike fear into anyone’s heart, much less the presence of one. Link simply nodded and followed Olaf deeper into the palace.

Link had walked through this path before. He followed the familiar path forward and quickly arrived at the parliament hall. There were two people in the hall. One of them was King Leon, while the other was Kingdom Magician Grinth.

In just a few months, Link felt that King Leon had gained many strands of white hair. His forehead seemed to have a permanent crease over it as well, exuding a lethargic demeanor. While Grinth looked slightly better, he was also not in good shape.

“It seems like the war in the North is going even worse than what Eliard had imagined.

Link interrupted their thoughts. “My King, Master Grinth,” Link said as he walked up and gave a slight bow. As they were both Master Magicians, he did not need to give a full formal greeting.