I became a god through archaeology in the Wizarding World.

Inside the audience hall of the Goldenrod Palace, the air was filled with the scent of ambergris mixed with the aroma of old wood.

A huge crystal chandelier hung down, casting its light onto the dark red carpet, but it could not dispel the shadows that had accumulated in the corners of the hall.

Rhodes stood in the center of the hall, dressed in a brand-new black velvet suit.

He stood upright, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, his gaze calmly fixed on the golden throne in front of him, which symbolized the highest power in the kingdom.

On the throne, Edward VII did not wear his usual military uniform, but instead donned an elaborate coronation dress.

The heavy crown weighed down on his thinning gray hair, making him look even older, but a certain unsettling glint shone in his deep-set eyes.

On either side of the hall stood several high-ranking officials of the kingdom and members of the court's mage corps.

Their expressions varied; some were scrutinizing, some were envious, but most were filled with curiosity about this savior of the plague.

In the shadow of the throne, Sieg stood like a statue.

His left arm was still wrapped in thick bandages, but the demon-slaying short sword in his right hand was still in a ready-to-draw position.

"Rod Griffin."

The high-pitched voice of a court attendant echoed through the hall, breaking the deathly silence.

"Step forward to receive your appointment."

Rod stepped forward, each step landing on the intricate patterns of the carpet.

He walked down the steps of the throne, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head.

King Edward slowly stood up, holding a gold badge inlaid with rubies in his hand.

He walked down the steps and came to Rod.

"You displayed extraordinary courage and wisdom during the Necropolis." The king's voice was hoarse and deep, echoing in the empty hall: "The Silence Potion saved countless lives of your people. Your loyalty will be remembered by the kingdom."

The king reached out and pinned the badge to Rhodes's chest.

Just as the metal pin of the badge pierced through the dress and touched Rhodes' chest skin, the "Species Encyclopedia" in Rhodes' mind flickered very slightly.

This wasn't the shock of discovering a new species, but rather the instinctive response of the [Ancient Siren] genes to magical fluctuations.

Rhodes's spiritual intuition instantly detected something unusual.

Inside this seemingly ordinary badge of honor is an extremely sophisticated miniature magic array.

That wasn't a defensive magic circle, nor was it an amplification magic circle; it was a positioning beacon that continuously sent out fluctuations at a specific frequency.

This frequency was extremely subtle; if Rhodes hadn't fused with the Siren's Heart and undergone a qualitative change in his mental power, he would have been completely unable to detect it.

This is a shackle.

As long as he wears it, wherever Rhode goes, he will leave a clear dot of light on the Royal Mage Corps' monitoring map.

Rhodes' facial muscles didn't twitch at all; he even raised his head, his face showing just the right amount of gratitude and fear.

"It is my honor, Your Majesty."

King Edward looked into Rhodes' eyes, as if trying to read something from them.

A few seconds later, he patted Rhodes on the shoulder, but instead of immediately backing away, he bent down slightly as if he were adjusting his badge.

The distance between the two closed to only half a meter.

At this distance, the others in the hall could not hear their conversation.

"I've given you honor, and I've given you status." The king's voice suddenly turned cold, as if he were a different person. "But I haven't seen what I want yet."

Rhodes remained kneeling, slightly raising his head, and replied in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Your Majesty, the core physical connection has been repaired, but rewriting the biometric key will take time. It's a massive system, and forcibly breaking it through brute force would cause a chain reaction of explosions throughout the entire underground pipe network."

"time?"

The king's fingers tightened on Rhodes' shoulder, his nails almost digging into his flesh.

"I've given you enough time. Mortimer is dead, the Necropolis has collapsed, and your obstacles have been cleared. Rhodes, don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You want to make that legion your private property."

The king's other hand unconsciously rubbed the pocket watch engraved with anti-magic runes at his waist.

Rhodes could sense that it contained a kind of rule-based power that could instantly suppress the spellcaster.

"I have no such ambition, Your Majesty," Rode said calmly, without a trace of panic. "I am merely a scholar. That legion needs more than just activation; it needs maintenance and command. Without me, they are just a pile of stones. What you need is a fighting army, not a bunch of bombs that could go out of control at any moment."

The king stared intently at Rhodes.

He saw no fear in the young man's eyes, only absolute rationality and a calm acceptance of being sold at a higher price.

That look disgusted him, but it also gave him a sense of relief.

People with desires are easier to control.

"Three days."

The king released his grip, straightened his back, and resumed his dignified demeanor.

"I'll give you three more days. In three days, I want to see the first granite golem emerge from the basement, stand before me, and pledge its allegiance. Otherwise..."

The king pointed to the badge on Rhodes' chest.

"This badge can be worn, and it can also be torn off along with the flesh."

After saying this, the king turned and walked back to his throne, waving his hand.

"Step down, Royal Honorary Scholar."

Rhodes stood up, bowed again, and then, under the complex gazes of the nobles and mages, turned and walked toward the gate.

As I stepped out of the palace gates, the sky outside was rather overcast.

Thick, dark clouds hung over the capital, and a faint smell of disinfectant still lingered in the air.

Rhodes took a deep breath and reached out to touch the cold badge on his chest.

Location beacon.

The king's patience had reached its limit.

Three days—this is not only an ultimatum, but a countdown to death.

If he fails to relinquish control within three days, this badge will become a target for the Royal Mage Order to focus their attacks.

Rhodes descended the long steps of the palace and arrived at the square where the carriages were parked.

As is customary, as a Royal Honor Scholar, the court would arrange a special carriage to take him back to the academy.

A black four-wheeled carriage was parked by the roadside. There were no insignia on the carriage, and the two black horses pulling it looked exceptionally spirited.

Rhodes walked up to the carriage and paused slightly.

His gaze fell on the coachman.

That wasn't the palace attendant who had brought him before.

Sitting in the driver's seat was a man wearing a gray linen robe and a wide-brimmed hat.

He kept his head down, his hat brim obscuring most of his face, and his hands, gloved, held the reins with an extremely standard posture, exuding a rigid and meticulous air.

Rhodes's [Danger Sense] did not issue an alarm, but the siren's heart within him resonated faintly.

The coachman had faint fluctuations of light element around him.

This fluctuation was extremely pure, even carrying a hint of heat, completely different from the cold and viscous feeling of the necromancy system.

In the royal capital, there is only one power that possesses this pure light elemental aura.

Lightforged family.

Rod didn't make a sound. He opened the car door and climbed into the car.

"Return to the academy," Rhodes ordered calmly.

"Yes, Your Excellency Rhodes."

The driver's voice was somewhat aged, but full of energy.

The carriage started slowly, its wheels rolling rhythmically over the stone pavement.

Inside the carriage, Rod leaned against the cushions, his fingers gently tapping his knees.

The carriage did not follow the usual route.

When the carriage reached an intersection, it did not turn left onto the avenue leading to the college, but instead went straight ahead towards the aristocratic residential area of ​​the upper city.

Rod did not speak up to stop him, nor did he attempt to jump out of the car.

He simply watched the street scene receding outside the window, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

The king's reprimand had barely ended when another force eagerly entered the fray.

Lightforged family.

This ancient family, which had maintained a subtle silence throughout the Necropolis but reaped a great deal of prestige through the church at the last moment, finally made its move against him.

About twenty minutes later, the carriage entered a huge manor.

On the gate of the manor, there is a sun emblem that radiates golden light.

The carriage stopped in front of the main building.

The carriage door was opened, and the driver stood outside, taking off his wide-brimmed hat to reveal a wrinkled but energetic face.

He bowed slightly to Rod, his movements impeccably elegant.

"Lord Rhodes, I'm sorry to invite you in this way."

The old man wore a golden sun brooch on his chest.

"The patriarch has been waiting in the study for quite some time. He wishes to discuss with you in person some minor issues you overlooked in the Necropolis, and... your assistance to the Lightforged family on that list."

Rod looked at the butler, a playful smile playing on his lips.

It seems the Lightforged family doesn't believe his story from the palace.

They knew Mortimer had something, and they guessed that Rhodes had something too.

Moreover, they knew more about necromancers' methods than the king did, and they knew better how to make a deal with a greedy wizard.

"Since you're here, let's meet them."

Rhodes stepped down from the carriage and adjusted the badge with the locator beacon on his chest.

"lead the way."