Wizard Alchemist

Chapter 806 Peace Talks Fail (4-in-1)

"This Taman Kingdom... no, the Taman Empire, has been taken over."

After Moxibi left, Roy's will was projected onto the serpent god's avatar, and he spoke to Atedia.

"They were lucky; they became the key pieces in stabilizing the situation."

Artedia sighed.

"However, this empire was built on betrayal. If they taste the benefits, they will betray us again..."

"Don't worry, I know what's going on."

Roy said calmly.

He now needs the allegiance of the Talman Empire.

How to tame them and train them to be loyal dogs is another subject altogether.

There was no time to worry about those things now. He talked to Artia about more important matters, namely the "Magic Revival" project.

He also told Artedia about this, because he needed the help of this trusted confidante.

"I let Zonianke escape before..."

If I had known this would happen, I would have simply broken my promise and killed it!
However, I'm not omniscient or omnipotent; I can't know everything beforehand. Now, all I can do is try to remedy the situation afterward.

Atedia's heart skipped a beat: "You want me to hunt down Zoniank?"

"No need. This kind of thing will be leaked sooner or later once the project starts."

If there's really something big going on, it's impossible to keep it a secret.

Therefore, if possible, I still hope to focus on cooperation.

Artedia asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

Roy said, "Spread the word that I have the means to resurrect people, even enemies like Freo. If the price is right, we can talk."

This was to reassure Zonianke and prevent it from thinking that it could gain its master's resurrection by betraying this information.

We need to make it understand that Yachinila can no longer tolerate it, nor its master.

In fact, even Roy couldn't be sure if Achinira would agree to Zonianke's request, because the "Magic Revival" plan did involve considerable interests, and someone might be willing to revive him. He should ask them carefully.

However, this kind of intelligence is not exclusive and cannot be a decisive factor.

The one who can truly lead this plan is the one who truly controls the Nehebul world.

To control Nehbur, one must rely on true strength.

"I see."

Artedia suddenly realized.

……

After that, Roy paid another look at the situation in Nehbur.

Because the mage tower abandoned its post, Org, Ruak, Isge, and others took the opportunity to intensify their attack.

As a result, the three mercenary groups were extremely powerful and experienced in combat. They cleverly used the unique "mist zone" terrain of the Mist World to outmaneuver the enemy and successfully defended most of the areas they controlled.

They couldn't afford to fight at any cost, so in a short period of time, there was no progress.

At the same time, the people of the Alage world, who were participating in the interdimensional war for the first time, also suffered an unprecedented blow.

The variety of weapons, equipment, professions, skills, and the unique tactics brought about by human ingenuity left them overwhelmed.

At the beginning, I suffered greatly from my lack of psychological preparation.

This can be considered as a narrow-minded native who has finally witnessed the power of the universe.

Putting everything else aside, the multi-class battle groups built around adventurer squads alone were difficult for them to handle, as they were used to large-scale battles.

"These guys..."

"Much stronger than gnolls!"

"It's too difficult. Those adventurers are all experts..."

Even the lowest-ranking member possesses strength equivalent to a high-ranking knight.

"And there are all sorts of magical equipment and weapons that are incredibly sophisticated!"

Kairadore, Kenen, Bethan, O'Dion, and the others were all somewhat disheartened.

However, Roy couldn't afford to worry about that for the time being.

He sent notices to the leaders of the three major mercenary groups and the Adventurers' Guild, urging them to make a decision as soon as possible.

As a result, the leaders of the three major mercenary groups all said they would listen to the Adventurers' Guild.

The leader of the Adventurers' Guild, the mage "Goodman," demanded equal negotiations.

He wanted to secure favorable terms for his own forces, so he couldn't possibly surrender unconditionally.

……

That month, at the end of July.

The former site of the Mage Tower, Kron Wasteland.

The serpent god incarnate, along with the mage "Goodman," the mercenary group leader "Kumperson," and others, met for talks.

The other party was taken aback the moment they saw the snake god in disguise.

"This aura... is extraordinary!"

Goodman instinctively looked up.

In his vision, it seemed as if a beam of light shot straight up to the sky.

Golden light, like the long string of a kite, connects this incarnation to the distant horizon.

"Could this be the incarnation of a great wizard?"

Although he started as a wild mage, he has reached this stage and is no longer limited by the limitations of ordinary outlaws and powerful figures.

He also received a lot of support from the forces that backed him.

Therefore, a rough judgment was quickly made.

"Let me formally introduce you. This is Lord Roy, the World Lord of Araghi and the Grand Wizard of the Seven Towers Alliance!"

Amidst everyone's shock, the wizarding officials introduced Roy's identity.

This time, he finally stopped hiding his true identity and strength and revealed them to the other party openly.

This was done after careful consideration.

After killing Archmage Frey, even if the opponent doesn't know he's a great wizard, they will definitely measure him as having the strongest combat power at the peak level.

Without personally descending to the ground, this is the maximum strength that can be exerted at this stage.

Therefore, the next course of action is either to dispatch a legendary mage or to deploy an elite team composed of multiple classes.

They will also intensively explore various divination techniques and spells related to legends.

My basic information will definitely be leaked very quickly.

Members of adventurer guilds and mercenary groups will no longer act alone.

Therefore, it's better to be upfront to avoid taking chances and misjudging the situation.

Just as Roy had predicted, the revelation of this identity had a tremendous impact on those involved in the negotiations.

For a time, his emotions were in turmoil, and he sent messages frequently.

However, he is, after all, an exceptional individual.

Goodman eventually managed to quell the internal controversy and calm things down, avoiding being caught off guard.

He forced himself to remain calm and bowed slightly, saying, "So it is the High Wizard in person. My apologies for my disrespect."

Roy said, "We can start talking now."

I reiterate my previous demands: you should surrender as soon as possible and unconditionally accept all our demands for control of the Nehbur world.

This includes disarmament, dispersal of organizational units…

What he sought was to completely eliminate the potential threat posed by these armed groups, rendering them powerless to cause any trouble for his plans.

Then, gradually withdraw from this world, giving yourself the opportunity to properly digest the fruits of victory.

******
"As you should know, our Adventurers' Guild is a neutral organization independent of all factions, and we are allies with the Professional Guilds..."

After listening to Roy's explanation, Goodman pondered for a moment and said...

"We have never participated in the disputes between various forces; everything we did before was in self-defense..."

Roy heard this and sneered inwardly.

These so-called neutral organizations are essentially front men for those empires.

Their backgrounds are mostly those of imperial powers in the high magic world, such as the Achinira or certain high-ranking figures of other arcane empires.

This is also a popular destination for many unruly mages and vagrants.

For example, a farmer's son, with no way to advance his career, unexpectedly inherits the skills of a warrior or other profession, and may even be fortunate enough to become a noble spellcaster.

The academy system would never allow him to enter, nor would there be any positions within the mage tower for him to choose from.

You'll either become a bandit or a roving pirate, or a follower or a mage's bodyguard...

If you really don't want to, you'll have no choice but to take the risk.

This is essentially a form of flexible employment and a practical way to maintain the stability of the empire.

Therefore, in his view, these forces are essentially a kind of dynamic civilian organization that often follows the Empire's actions and carries out various "exploration" and "adventure" activities in the world.

Unlike wizards who prefer to send apprentices as spies, the Arcane Empire's invasion of other worlds began with the arrival of adventurers' guilds.

A large number of "neutral" personnel moved around for decades, centuries, or even millennia, collecting a great deal of intelligence.

A support system for various divination techniques and teleportation arrays was also established.

Once all of these are ready, the Mage Tower will be built.

However, there are exceptions. The forces controlled by wizards do not fall for this and are always on guard.

They don't recognize any so-called neutrality.

However, some things are better left unsaid even if you see them clearly.

Roy did not mention whether they would be allowed to enter Nehbur again in the future.

He simply said, "After we leave this world, we can renegotiate the conditions for relocation."

We will take the rights and interests of the Adventurers' Guild into consideration.

However, we need to follow our rules and maintain order within the community organizations…

Goodman looked troubled: "I'm afraid that won't work. If I do, I won't be able to explain it to the headquarters."

His words were both an explanation and a deterrent.

The Adventurers' Guild headquarters is indeed an ancient and powerful force, with many legendary figures leaving their mark within it.

Moreover, the imperial high command often needs to collect all sorts of intelligence and resources.

Sometimes it's inconvenient to rely on official resources, so we still need them.

These intricate relationships, interwoven into a web, have become a powerful force.

Roy knew, of course, that he had the backing of the boss.

If it weren't for this concern, I would have personally killed them long ago.

but……

"My patience also has its limits."

If you find this unacceptable, then we'll have to settle things on the battlefield.

My legion is eager to achieve great things.

The people of the world of Araghi, and the recently surrendered Talman Empire, would surely be eager to use the heads of your subordinates as a source of glory.

Goodman's previously feigned troubled expression became even more unpleasant.

Ultimately, the negotiations failed to achieve any substantial results.

Basically, everyone was talking past each other, putting their conditions and confidence on the table for discussion.

……

"I didn't expect it to be as simple as the advance team I had initially thought..."

"They already have a high-ranking wizard in charge!"

After leaving the negotiation venue, Goodman and the others returned to their own territory and secretly discussed the matter.

The others, however, had already recovered from their initial shock.

"Isn't it obvious that every interdimensional war involves a great wizard?"

They lacked readily available weapons of war like mage towers, relying entirely on grand wizards to traverse the stars and provide strategic support.

"Wait, Roy..."

Why does this name sound so familiar?

"I feel like I've heard that before?"

Suddenly, Quinparson of the Eagle Mercenary Group remembered something, took out a wanted poster from his spatial ring, and began to examine it.

Upon closer inspection, however, one couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.

"Roy, a first-level wizard..."

"Is this the wizard who killed Edwin, the son of a noble family in the empire?"

Others had vaguely heard about this.

"Roy, a first-level wizard?"
No, he's already been promoted to level two!

I seem to have learned before that in the world of Torrad, he defeated Faith, the son of a noble family…

"No, it's clearly level three. In the battle of Fran Star in the Ellen Star Region, he seems to have participated in it."

As they were talking, they suddenly looked at each other in surprise, and then gasped.

Good guy.

In just a few hundred years, he has risen from level one to level four, and now he is already a great wizard?

Because of their possession of divination, knowledge of legends, and various other spells such as otherworldly exploration, the Achinila people have always had a vague understanding of Roy.

Following the legendary battle, the Ellen Starfield increased its investment in connecting these materials and disseminating them to various locations.

This is why all the major mercenary groups have already started to have his information.

This action could be seen as a way to nip his plans in the bud and prevent him from becoming a Grand Wizard.

However, it was clear that it was still too late.

The other party has already been promoted!
"Forget it, there's no need to worry too much."

His goal is not to destroy Nehbur, and he will not easily intervene in person to deal with us.

If it were merely an avatar descending or bestowing power upon subordinates, the outcome would still be uncertain.

"That's right, there's no need to be afraid of him!"

Soon, the group recovered from their initial shock and disbelief and encouraged each other.

Just like Roy wasn't too afraid of the Holy Lightbringer Harry Leot before, he was still quite confident thanks to the protection of the material world.

They were unaware of the existence of the Shadow Fiend King, or the various other trump cards Roy possessed, and simply regarded him as an ordinary archmage.

This is also why Roy isn't afraid to reveal it.

He has many trump cards and secrets; revealing them gradually will only distract the enemy.

Meanwhile, Roy was also discussing the group with his subordinates.

"The Adventurers' Guild has three Level 3 experts here, and the three major mercenary groups each have one Level 3 expert."

The classes are Mage, Warlock, Rogue, Warrior, Arcane Knight, Mystic...

They all come from high-magic worlds, with abundant magic content; they're not low-magic natives!

At the same level three stage, different backgrounds and platforms determine the actual threat.

Clearly, these people are not comparable to the native witch kings, level three heartless beings, or chakra warriors of the past.

Generally speaking, it should be at the priest level!
******
"Although I'm in a hurry, at this point, I shouldn't be too hasty..."

Who knows who these adventurers and high-ranking members of the mercenary groups are? It's unlikely that the younger generation will be targeted by the older ones, but it's almost certain that they've provoked a powerful figure behind them.

I had offended the Church of the Lord of Light to a small extent before, and accumulated some grudges. Although I am not afraid of them, if I am really targeted, I will be constrained and feel very uncomfortable.

However, being too smooth and lacking in sharpness also makes one vulnerable to being taken advantage of.

It's important to strike a balance...

Only then can it be properly resolved.

Amid the discussion, Roy was also weighing his options.

His primary objective now is to preserve the fruits of victory and the benefits he has already gained.

Including the Shadow Fiend King, the Mage Tower, and the entire world of Nehebul...

I want them all!

Thinking about this, he looked into the previous encounters again and learned that the legions of the Araghi World were indeed having some difficulty fighting against these forces.

They were originally natives, but after stepping out of their own world, they finally began to wage war against other countries, and were in the most difficult period of transition.

"I'm so sorry, sir..."

We simply cannot deal with such a formidable enemy on our own!

When asked privately, these heroes of the human world revealed the truth with shame.

"It's alright, you should also start reorganizing and transform into a battle group model of the same moderate size."

Roy offered some words of comfort in return.

Kairado exclaimed, "Only now do I understand why, after conquering the Gnoll Empire, you wanted us to organize the honed heroes into teams through adventurer quests, allowing them to undertake various adventure missions."

This is to support the new organizational structure of three to five people per team, and ten to one hundred teams per battle group.

Such a battle group is organized like a mercenary group, and can adapt to missions in many interdimensional wars.

After testing, it was found to be of moderate size and its combat capabilities were comparable to those of a spellcaster.

You can team up to take on challenges and handle many tasks.

After arriving at the battlefield, they learned that the mercenaries rarely launched large-scale frontal attacks, focusing instead on special operations such as infiltration, stealth, and decapitation strikes.

This is a completely different approach from the traditional practice of driving indigenous militias to consume "human resources" on a large scale.

In general, the tactics are very flexible. Sometimes, a small adventure team can hold off an entire legion, exposing thousands of people to the threat of various spells.

A strategist once proposed the idea that a great knight riding an otherworldly warhorse summoned by a mage's "Mount" spell could deal with an army of thousands, including many high-ranking knights.

The answer is yes.

By fully utilizing their mobility and flexibility, the Grand Knights can continuously engage and fight the Legion, thus inflicting ongoing damage.

After the expert was killed, the remaining people collapsed at the first touch and posed no threat whatsoever.

Therefore, in modern magical warfare, numbers are not very effective.

However, conquering other worlds inevitably requires a large amount of manpower and resources.

Because the territory that has been conquered needs to be maintained and defended.

Resources won't just magically appear in your possession; you have to send people to investigate and extract them.

"I will have the Taman Empire take charge of this. You can just reorganize and develop in a streamlined and specialized direction!"

But this isn't something that can be achieved simply by talking about it.

It requires a significant investment.

Goodman and his associates clearly understood this, which is why they were so fearless.

They have now spread their forces out widely, making it difficult to capture them all at once.

However, if they want to behead a powerful figure, they can quickly gather together and support each other.

……

Time quickly passed, and about two weeks later...

The world of shadows.

Inside the command room of the Mage Tower.

The spirit Celine floated in mid-air, her lips moving as she recounted her recent gains, a material form resembling a girl's head.

"Legion Staff - Lightning (Level 2)...Relevant data has been successfully retrieved, and the attempt at sorcery modification has been successful."

Lady Freya has compiled several modification plans based on this information; please take a look.

The golden dragon incarnate sat there and glanced around briefly.

"Lightning bolts, lightning chains, thunderbolts, thundercloud storms..."

These are all different applications of the Evocation spell, which can be quickly implemented by simply modifying the rune array inside the spell circle.

With further mastery, one can even use other materials to create similar fireball staffs, meteor staffs, and so on...

However, compared to other improvements that delve into the essence and master the basic energy configuration, its value is negligible.

Freya is indeed a capable assistant; she has already grasped the essence of alchemical magic arrays and successfully applied them to other fields.

For example, summoning magic...

The "Summoning Staff" is extremely convenient, directly connecting to the mind and will through magic crystal energy storage.

By combining the previously established school assets "Kenko Kareni", one can summon a small-scale monster army.

Furthermore, the contract signed with the Bone Demon King, Osteron Daimon, also provides the service of summoning Bone Demons.

"In addition to these, there are other legion supplies, various materials, and equipment!"
After final confirmation, we obtained 168 level-two staves, 368 robes, armor, magic helmets, shields, gloves, leather shoes, and other equipment, as well as over 1200 magical ornaments and artifacts in this battle.

"Tens of thousands of level-two spell scrolls, hundreds of thousands of level-one spell scrolls, and tens of millions of level-zero spell scrolls..."

Legion supplies serve multiple people, so they may seem like a considerable amount at first glance.

But in reality, the Arcane Empire had already industrialized arcane magic.

The mass production line of the magic machine means that a level 0 scroll costs only 5 to 10 magic coins.

Large-scale procurement may result in even lower value.

This amount, in the tens of millions, is only worth a few hundred million.

First-grade and second-grade scrolls are priced slightly higher.

But it's only in the range of a few thousand, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands.

The total value is also measured in "hundred million".

What Roy really cared about wasn't these things, but something else entirely.

"We also discovered twelve roll printing presses, along with a production workshop for material processing, each with a daily output of over ten thousand sheets..."

Roy took a closer look; it was a wardrobe-sized device used to process things like magical paper and monster hides, capable of continuously producing spell scrolls.

Mass-produced scroll levels cover most spells from level zero to levels one and two.

Primarily using Evocation-based attack spells, the level and various mastery feats simulated by different levels of machines vary.

******
"This kind of advanced stuff, other wizards really wouldn't be able to handle it."

Moreover, it seems to have been automatically locked due to a lack of remote authorization...

But I can handle it!

Roy projected his soul power onto the golden dragon avatar and observed it with the Eye of Hermes.

The next moment, the mind enveloped him.

[Reverse Engineering] and [Secret Technique Unlocked] are activated.

With a soft click, the internal mechanism activated, and the "printing press" automatically destroyed itself.

However, Roy was not flustered at all. With the help of the [Repair Expert] ability and the [Alchemy Godhood], he easily repaired it and even made some modifications on the side.

A new interface adapted to the source of wizarding magic, capable of connecting to the human body and using the human brain as a "battery," has thus been completed.

Because the magic machines of mages mainly rely on magic crystals, wizards are not good at this kind of energy conversion.

For some more complex operations, Roy simply compiled them into a more user-friendly, simplified program.

In this way, even apprentices can use this machine.

That eliminates the risk of being held hostage.

Of course, he also added some of his own secret techniques to lock it in.

If it is stolen by chance, or even if the mages attack the mage tower and take it back, they will be at a loss when faced with such a secret place.

Roy wanted to see how their reverse engineering and repair expertise compared to his own.

However, what happened next was both funny and sad.

"The public accounts of the Mage Tower are almost empty..."

There are only over 6 million in cash...

The gold coins Celine mentioned were magical gold coins.

This gold coin, with a soaring eagle engraved on the front, its two talons grasping a longsword and a staff respectively, and a complex array of runes on the back, was the common currency of several arcane empire alliances led by Achinira. Its value was generally considered to be equivalent to magic stones, with a 1:1 relationship.

6 million may seem like a lot, but for a unit like the Mage Tower, it's really a stretch.

"No need to ask, it must have been misappropriated and divided up."

Freo needs to feed a lot of people to carry out his plan.

Forget it, I'm not the disciplinary inspection department of the Arcane Council, I can't manage that much..."

Just then, Celine told him some good news: "I found the ledgers, and evidence that many of Quinparson's subordinates were fraudulently claiming benefits from the Mage Legion!"

"Ok?"

Roy was slightly taken aback.

He then seemed to be deep in thought.

This is something that can be used.

While it may not be possible to fundamentally change the overall situation, it is still possible to start with small steps and gain the support of relevant personnel.

……

Next came all sorts of odds and ends.

Essentially, they are all continuations of the previously captured mage towers.

Roy spent some time and effort taking stock and processing the data, and roughly confirmed that the total value was over 10 billion.

Excluding the mage tower itself, the harvest also included some high-value items that are difficult to value.

Although Celine reported that the repair and recharging of the mage tower alone would cost billions of dollars.

But overall, they still made a fortune.

Especially those 12 magical machines, the "Scroll Printing Machines"...

It can be described as a high-level technological achievement.

In the wizarding world, it is a truly top-tier treasure.

Even the Arcane Empire itself has great value.

This is something that money can't buy.

"With these things, I can also continuously create a lot of spell scrolls and have a very strong legion-level spellcasting ability!"

At least, arming a few small legions should not be a problem.

The only pity was that we couldn't get our hands on the machine to make wands.

Logically speaking, magic wands should also be mass-produced through industrial methods.

At least a low-level wand will do.

Just then, Roy suddenly had the idea of ​​making one himself.

It's like a lithography machine or something similar.

It's very simple, anyone with hands can do it.

Once you have a clear direction, theoretically, it shouldn't be difficult to make one by hand.

I am an alchemist who has mastered the [Alchemy Godhood]!

However, now is not the time.

You need to thoroughly understand the magical knowledge and industrial thinking behind the "printing press," and also systematically study theories such as engineering cybernetics.

Furthermore, they incorporated their own knowledge of witchcraft into its magical transformation.

Just then, Celine temporarily interrupted Roy's ongoing inventory.

"The Seven Towers Alliance has replied. The Red Wizard Akhenin wishes to communicate with you."

"Okay, connected."

Roy gave the order.

As soon as he finished speaking, a huge light screen appeared in front of him, and a holographic projection showed Aknin's phantom.

This made the old wizard feel as if he were actually there, descending before Roy.

"Great Wizard, congratulations!"

He looked around and saw a modern metal room, which he knew was the command center inside the mage tower.

He couldn't help but sigh with a touch of emotion.

The Wizarding World has had successful captures of mage towers.

But it is indeed very, very rare.

Of course, wizards have their own methods, and they each have their own ways of creating various mansions and small worlds.

There are plenty of alternative routes.

What's truly enviable is that this thing is readily available; it can be repaired and used immediately.

The Mage Tower itself is worth hundreds of billions!

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

The golden dragon incarnation said with a smile.

"That's right, your application has been approved. The Alliance has approved everything concerning the Talman Empire."

The only problem is that one can only hold the title of Honorary Wizard once.

We don't want to release too much information...

It's worth noting that even Aug received his title based on military merit after the Battle of Ellen Starfield.

Offering oneself to the Nehebul World, while equivalent to a military merit, can only be exchanged for one, not multiple.

"Ok."

Roy lowered his gaze slightly.

It seems we'll have to compensate them elsewhere.

Actually, there's another way, which should also work: using the merit from killing a high-level wizard...

But Roy wouldn't easily spend it here; he wanted to save it up and exchange it for some secret techniques or rare resources.

"By the way, about magical technology, and knowledge of industrialization..."

Does the alliance have any reserves?

"Of course there is. After so many years of war, there must have been some accumulation."

However, I advise you not to invest too much enthusiasm in this; our sorcery system and the arcane magic industry are completely different.

"I'm just looking."

Roy gave a vague answer.

After saying all that, Akhenin told him more about things like sending more reinforcements, sealing off the surrounding star systems, and keeping a close eye on legendary mages.

Everything went as Roy wished, giving him as many years as possible to fully digest these gains.

After ending the call, Roy thought for a moment, then sent someone to fetch Mosie and tell him about the alliance's decision.

(End of this chapter)