How come this arcanist is invincible?

Chapter 247 The Six-Power Treaty

The capital of Nord.

This is the northernmost administrative capital of the six kingdoms.

It used its tall city gates and towering walls to keep out the frost giants and other monsters further north.

It stands opposite the war-torn city to the south, forming a defensive barrier between the north and south of the Kingdom of Nord.

However, due to the extreme cold, the population here is far smaller than in the south.

The entire city has a population of less than 300,000.

At this very moment, deep within the castle of this royal capital, the flickering candlelight of oil lamps on the wall sills casts an illuminating glow on the stone walls.

The Nord Queen, clad in armor, is walking down a spiral staircase.

She was followed by a line of guards marching in perfect unison.

They were dressed in heavy plate armor and carried swords and shields, which clashed together with a crisp "clinking" sound.

She walked into the spacious hall of the castle's main building.

A man dressed in black, with the Night's Watch badge pinned to his left breast, was already waiting silently.

This is the chief judge of the Night's Watch in the city of war.

Upon seeing the Queen approach, he immediately knelt on one knee, placed his right hand on the emblem, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty."

"My Lord Judge, I hope your Night's Watch brings good news."

The Queen's voice was cold.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

The presiding judge slowly shook his head, his voice low and deep: "The message sent back by our ambassador to Sussas is true."

"The Demon Cult did indeed hand over the Stigmata Ritual to all six nations simultaneously, and they also tampered with the ritual in a sinister manner."

"Even if we only use condemned prisoners and slaves for the ritual, most of what we summon are only the lowest-level demons."

However, this is not absolute; uncontrollable second-order individuals may occasionally emerge from within.

Moreover, ordinary demons evolve rapidly as they continuously devour flesh and souls, eventually escaping our control completely.

"In other words, even if we exhaust all our national resources to build a demon army, they will eventually turn against us and devour us."

"7

"Those who have undergone the stigmata ritual but have not yet completed the final step of taking the potion to transform into demons."

Their hearts had long been seduced by the whispers of the abyss, harboring an instinctive craving for flesh and blood.

Queen Nord's expression instantly turned serious, and a chill appeared in her eyes: "If a hound can't be tamed, we can just let it die and then get another one."

But an ungrateful demon will only treat its master as its first meal.

Therefore, this was a deadly conspiracy against all countries from the very beginning.

The presiding judge lowered his head deeply and remained silent.

Such a matter concerning the survival of six states was not something a third-rank judge could comment on.

The Queen paused for a moment, then looked at him and asked, "My chief judge, what kind of person is this new regent of Sussas?"

The presiding judge looked up: "Based on the reports from his former team members and my personal experience of interacting with him."

He was a man who hated evil and showed no mercy.

"Hating evil as if it were an enemy?"

The Queen raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Yes. He was once bewitched by a demonic cult and personally killed his entire clan."

After regaining his senses, he massacred the demon's stronghold before fleeing, leaving no one alive.

Later, in the city of war, he also dismantled an underground cult that sold civilian corpses, earning him the nickname "Blade of Vengeance" among the locals.

.

"So it was him."

A very subtle expression appeared on Queen Nord's face.

She stood up gently and paced back and forth in the empty hall, the fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes furrowing tightly.

Finally, she stopped and looked at the presiding judge, saying in a deep voice, "The regent of Sussas is willing to provide us with five hundred specially made iron powder arrows and one hundred repeating crossbows."

I command you to immediately distribute these weapons to all the Night's Watchmen on the front lines.

I know you've been monitoring the secret strongholds of several demonic cults in the country.

"Use those bastards to test the power of these weapons."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

The judge abruptly lowered his head, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips: "I will send those demons back to the abyss."

Meanwhile, in the free city-state, Lambert's territory.

The Free City is a nation entirely dominated by commerce, where territories and cities of all sizes are controlled and managed by powerful and massive merchant guilds.

These chambers of commerce replaced the original municipal councils and lords, taking on all administrative functions.

But precisely because of this, the management here is extremely chaotic, and the laws are practically ignored.

Dirty and dilapidated slums occupy the vast majority of the city's area, while a few wealthy people live in luxurious private estates surrounded by high walls.

But at this very moment, a bloody battle is unfolding in a luxurious manor.

More than a dozen mercenaries from the Free City-State, dressed in various colored leather armor and bearing scars on their faces, silently scaled the manor's perimeter.

wall.

Then he kicked open the heavy oak door with a sudden thud.

Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger of his crossbow at the guards who rushed over after hearing the commotion.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—"

"6

More than ten crossbows fired simultaneously, and more than twenty poisoned arrows rained down on them.

The guards had no time to react and collapsed with screams.

The vastly different firepower resulted in heavy losses for the guard team in an instant, while only two or three of the mercenaries were grazed by stray arrows.

Just then, a middle-aged fat man with a large belly, wearing a silk nightgown, rushed down from the second floor in a panic.

Even from a distance, you could smell the nauseating stench emanating from him.

"He's the target! Don't let him get away!"

A tall mercenary roared and drew his two-handed sword from his back, slashing fiercely at the fat man.

But just as the sword was about to strike his opponent, the fat man's expression changed, and a hand covered in bluish-black scales suddenly gripped the sharp blade tightly.

The mercenary's face showed an expression of disbelief and astonishment.

The next moment, he felt a chill in his chest.

The fat man's other hand pierced through his chest and pulled out a still-beating heart.

His skin melted and flowed like wax, revealing hideous scales and bone spurs beneath, instantly transforming him into a monstrous demon.

He bit off the mercenary's neck, and warm blood splattered all over the ground.

"Pathetic humans! I will tear you all to pieces, and let you die in endless pain and torment!"

The demon's face revealed a crazed malice, and two rows of white fangs protruded from its mouth.

Those weren't teeth that humans should have; they were more like the sharp teeth of wild animals.

But the next moment, the mercenary captain's cold voice rang out from the other side: "Everyone, stand back! Use the special weapons issued from above!"

"Special weapons?"

The fat demon's expression changed slightly. He ignored the corpses on the ground and suddenly pounced on the mercenary group on the other side.

But just as he took off, two special arrows gleaming with black powder shot precisely into his chest.

"laugh""

A spark flashed at the tip of the arrow.

Immediately afterwards, a blinding white light suddenly exploded, accompanied by the sizzling sound of iron powder burning violently.

The fat demon didn't even have time to let out a complete scream.

I felt a deep, bone-chilling pain, as if my whole body had been thrown into a scalding furnace.

"You—you broke our promise!!"

He let out a final roar amidst the blazing white light, but his voice was quickly swallowed by the flames.

A few seconds later, a huge, charred corpse crashed heavily to the ground.

The air was filled with the pungent smell of burning flesh.

The mercenaries exchanged glances and breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, someone, enduring the nauseating stench, used a pitchfork to hoist the charred corpse onto the cart.

They pushed all the way to a secret warehouse on the outskirts of the Free City.

Inside the warehouse, dozens of charred corpses were neatly piled up.

Outside the warehouse, a middle-aged man dressed in a luxurious silk robe stood with his hands behind his back.

As another cart full of corpses was pushed in, he merely frowned slightly, enduring the stench in the air without changing his expression.

The mercenary captain strode forward and bowed respectfully, saying, "President Lambert, the effect of this batch of iron powder arrows is even better than we expected."

With the opponent completely unprepared, at least two and at most five arrows are enough to kill a second-tier demon.

Lambert stroked his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face.

According to the Sacred Mark Ritual, cultivating a stable second-tier demon requires sacrificing hundreds of offerings and also risks summoning out-of-control demons.

But now, a few iron powder arrows are all it takes to easily kill a second-tier demon.

Therefore, the plan to build a demon army has become completely meaningless.

He pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Continue the cleanup according to the targets on the list."

All the corpses were gathered here—and finally transported to Sussas by a fleet of ships.

Remember, the more corpses you have, the greater your reward will be.

The mercenary captain's face immediately lit up with excitement.

But Lambert's tone shifted abruptly, turning icy: "And also, absolutely no civilians shall be killed to impersonate them."

The mages of Sussas have plenty of ways to tell whether a corpse has been transformed by a demon.

If I find out you dare to play any tricks, hmph, you should know the consequences.

"Understood! I would never dare to break the rules!"

The mercenary immediately lowered his head, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Lambert nodded and waved for him to leave.

He gazed in the direction of the warehouse.

He thought of the young regent in Sussas and the newly enthroned Queen of Sussas, and his brows furrowed slightly involuntarily.

The Royal Court of Susas.

After experiencing a brutal war.

With the full participation of numerous monks and the continuous transfer of supplies from chambers of commerce across the country, the devastated royal court has begun to gradually recover.

Although some scorch marks and sword marks can still be seen on the walls, the outer courtyard area has been completely renovated.

The curfew, which had lasted for half a month, was finally lifted, and ordinary people took to the streets again.

Shops along the street opened one after another, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares rose and fell.

Outside, soldiers still patrolled the streets, but the royal court had regained its former vitality.

In the Speaker's Chamber of the Noble Council, Kane and Logan Susas were standing in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window.

As regent, Kane also served as the speaker of the Council of Nobles.

Two fully armed royal guards stood at the entrance to the office.

Kane sat behind his large oak desk, looking at the mountain of documents piled up on it.

Logan Susas sat next to him, the two of them sitting close together in the same large chair.

Logan turned his head to look at his serious profile and said softly, "The replies from the five countries have all been sent."

They have all begun to purge members of demonic cults in their respective countries who participated in the Stigmata Ritual.

They all agreed to sign the Six-Nation Treaty, stipulating that no country may establish a demon legion without authorization.

Kane nodded, his pen still moving: "Just as I expected."

But he only breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this news.

He used Theodore's living example to show all countries the terrible consequences of the stigmata ritual getting out of control.

No ruler wants to personally cultivate an army that will devour him.

In addition, he also established a platform for a joint campaign by six countries.

Under the righteous cause of "fighting the abyss," any nation that dares to privately form a demon legion will become the common enemy of the other five nations.

There's no longer any need to worry about other countries forming demon legions first.

This gave countries the motivation to thoroughly eradicate their own demonic cults.

"Kane," Logan said with a hint of worry in his voice.

"If we hand over the finished iron powder arrows to the other five countries, will we be raising a tiger that will turn against us in the future?"

Kane put down his pen, turned to look at her, and shook his head: "Between nations, it's all about exchanging interests."

To gain their cooperation, you always have to pay a price.

Moreover, the core manufacturing process of the Iron Powder Arrow, as well as the mage system required for large-scale production, has always been firmly controlled by Susas.

"Even if we take a step back and assume that some country dares to use iron powder arrows against us, we can retaliate with ten or a hundred times their number."

Faced with overwhelming numerical superiority, they gain no advantage whatsoever.

"Moreover, the military workshops are already developing a new generation of weapons."

Before long, the Iron Powder Arrow won't be our only trump card.

As the two were talking, there was a soft knock on the door.

Logan and Kane exchanged a glance, then immediately stood up from their chairs and stood apart.

"Please come in."

The newly appointed lady-in-waiting, Ella Finafine, gently pushed open the door and saw the two standing ramrod straight.

A fleeting, almost imperceptible, strange glint crossed her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.

She bowed slightly and said respectfully, "Your Excellency Regent, Lady Logan, the routine meeting of the Council of Nobles is about to begin."

Kane and Logan exchanged a glance, the latter nodded, and turned to follow Ella Finafine to the conference room.

Kane remained in the Speaker's office.

Although he was the speaker of the council, as regent, he had far too many matters to handle.

Therefore, in routine meetings, Logan only needs to listen in and grasp the general direction.

Ella Finafine served as his secretary, helping him record the agenda of meetings.

She has now been completely exonerated and is no longer burdened with the crime of assassinating the royal family. All the confiscated property has also been returned to her.

However, she did not return to Twin Harbor, but chose to stay at the Royal Court.

Kane, of course, didn't care about that.

He sat back down at his desk and continued dealing with the mountain of official business.

His eyes quickly scanned the contents of the document, and his pen flew across the paper.

There were numerous documents on the table that required his signature.

The invitation to trade from the free city-states, the plan for the incorporation, reorganization, and disbandment of the former ducal army, and the compensation for the fallen soldiers of the former royal court army.

The reorganization plan for the ten corps, and the approval documents for the new production lines in the military workshops —

Reports were processed quickly.

When he picked up the last report on the duchy, his brow furrowed deeply.

The report, written clearly in black ink, stated: "As of today, the number of missing civilians within the Duchy has exceeded two hundred thousand, and their whereabouts remain unknown—"

The missing persons are mainly concentrated in the major towns of the duchy, while no large-scale disappearances have been reported in the suburbs and towns.

But the local residents were gripped by extreme panic; every household kept their doors and windows tightly shut, and the streets were deserted after nightfall.

Kane's eyes flickered slightly, and his fingers tapped the table unconsciously.

Upon taking over the duchy, local officials immediately reported the missing persons to him.

However, he did not completely believe those people's claims, so he immediately dispatched the Royal Sheriff to the Duchy to conduct an independent investigation.

Unexpectedly, the conclusion reached was exactly the same as the report from the local officials.

"It's clear that the Demon Cult hasn't been completely defeated; they still have a backup plan."

Kane muttered to himself.

His mind began to race as he recalled all his memories of the demon cult from his past life.

In the original storyline, the Demon Cult began carrying out large-scale blood sacrifices after the collapse of the six kingdoms' regimes.

At that time, both humans and elves will become food for the demons.

Even the major demon lords in the abyss will descend to the material plane due to massive blood sacrifices, fighting each other for precious souls and flesh resources.

But that happened in the later stages of the war.

At this point in time, it's impossible for us to have the ability to summon the Demon Lord.

Moreover, the conditions for summoning a demon lord are extremely demanding, requiring an enormous amount of energy and a stable passage between the material plane and the abyss.

"Furthermore, the demon legion that the Duke had secretly built—along with these 200,000 missing people—vanished into thin air."

Kane's fingers paused on the table, lost in thought.

This is also why he has never personally gone to the duchy.

After all, launching an attack on the duchy was not realistic after a series of battles.

The reorganization and integration of the former Duke's army will take time, and the royal court's troops are already exhausted. Most of the national treasury's funds have been used for the reconstruction of the royal court.

If at this time the duchy really has some kind of trap.

Once he gets involved, the consequences will be very troublesome.

"It seems I have to go see someone."

Kane tapped the table, and soon another lady-in-waiting strode in.

"Prepare the car." Kane stood up, straightened his collar, and said, "I'm going to the mage academy."

The lady-in-waiting bowed respectfully and replied, "Yes."

Soon, a simply decorated but incredibly sturdy carriage slowly drove out of the Noble Council.

Before long, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the magic academy.

Upon seeing the badge on the carriage, the red-robed monks on duty immediately knelt down on one knee in respect.

Kane stepped down from the carriage, nodded to them, and said in a deep voice, "Take me to the deepest part of the dungeon."

Two red-robed mages immediately stood up and led the way.

They passed through layers of guards, walked up long, cold, and damp stone steps, and finally arrived at the deepest part of the underground of the mage academy.

This is the most heavily guarded dungeon in the entire Sussas, specifically used to imprison the most dangerous prisoners.

The air was thick with the smell of mildew and a faint odor of blood.

In the innermost solitary cell, a mage, his hands and feet firmly bound by specially made enchanted iron shackles, sat with his back to the cell door.

His hair was disheveled and stuck to his face, and his robes were tattered and stained, making him look disheveled.

But when he heard footsteps and slowly turned his head, his eyes remained sharp.

It was none other than Lucas, the former Duke's chief mage.

He looked at Kane standing outside the prison door, a mocking smile playing on his lips, and slowly said, "My dear Regent, you've finally come to see me."

Kane stood outside the cell door, his expression unchanged, looking at him calmly, his voice without a trace of emotion: "Mage Lucas, now you can tell me."

"What exactly did your duke make a deal with the demon cult?"