I became a god through archaeology in the Wizarding World.

The rain showed no signs of abating; in fact, it intensified as the night deepened.

On the central avenue leading to the main gate of the palace, two rows of royal guards in silver armor stood ready for battle.

The halberds in their hands gleamed coldly under the gas streetlights, but the hands of these elite soldiers holding their weapons trembled slightly.

Before them stood ten enormous black figures, lined up in a row, moving slowly forward.

They made no attempt to conceal themselves; their heavy obsidian feet pounded the puddle, producing a uniform, booming sound.

Each guard's chest gleamed with a dark red light, a sign that its magic core was operating at full power.

Rainwater fell on their scorching surfaces, instantly evaporating into white mist that swirled around the giants' knees.

Rod walked at the very front of the group.

He was wearing a black double-breasted trench coat and a half-high silk hat. He wasn't carrying a cane, but rather a silver-white briefcase.

An invisible barrier kept the rain half a meter away from his body, making him look dry and clean, a stark contrast to the disheveled guards around him.

The head of the palace guards stood on the steps, his face pale.

He stared at the ten war machines, enough to destroy the city walls, and his throat went dry.

"Mr. Rhodes..." The head guard's voice trembled slightly, "His Majesty... His Majesty only summoned you."

Rhodes stopped in his tracks.

The ten obsidian guards behind them also stopped at the same time, their movements as synchronized as if they were one person.

"I know," Rhodes replied calmly, his gaze passing over the captain of the guard's shoulder to the brightly lit palace gates. "They're not going in; they're just waiting for me here."

The captain of the guard glanced at the expressionless stone faces, then at Rhodes, and finally stepped aside to make way.

"please."

Rod stepped onto the stairs.

Walking through the long corridor, the palace paintings and exquisite sculptures on both sides appear particularly pale at this moment.

Rhodes could sense that dozens of gazes were locked onto him from the shadows, two of which possessed extremely powerful auras and were likely experts at the third ring level.

But he didn't care.

Pushing open the heavy oak door, Rhodes entered the king's council chamber.

The space here is very open, with a thick red carpet on the floor and portraits of kings from past dynasties hanging on the surrounding walls.

The enormous crystal chandelier cast a bright yellow light, illuminating the entire hall in every detail.

The king sat upright in his high-backed chair, not in his usual languid posture.

Beside him stood the chief court mage, who had been hiding in the shadows, and Sig, fully armed.

The king's eye twitched slightly when he saw Rhodes walk in alone.

"Rhodes," the king's voice echoed in the empty hall, "I've heard about the port. You did a good job, very well."

"That's for the safety of the kingdom." Rhodes removed his top hat, bowed slightly, and gave a standard gentleman's bow, but did not kneel.

The king's gaze passed over Rhodes and looked towards the gate.

"But I heard you brought some... friends with you?" The king tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest. "Ten units? If I remember correctly, the excavation report of the underground ruins didn't mention that we already had finished products of this scale, and that their power was somewhat beyond expectations."

"Reports are always delayed, Your Majesty," Rhodes straightened up, his expression calm. "Moreover, to ensure the safe arrival of these precious assets, I had to deploy additional security forces. After all, the Church's eyes are everywhere."

"Security forces?" The king sneered, leaning forward. "Rhodes, are you guarding against the Church, or against me?"

The air in the hall froze instantly.

Sieg's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, and the air around the court mage began to distort, with faint arcs of electricity flickering around him.

Rhodes did not avoid the king's gaze; he even took a step forward.

"Your Majesty, I believe we need to redefine our relationship."

"Oh?" The king narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

"I am your subject, that is beyond question," Rode said calmly, "but I am not merely an alchemist, or a merchant responsible for making money. I possess the power to change the course of this war."

He raised his hand and pointed outside the door.

"Those ten guards were just the first batch."

Rhodes' voice wasn't loud, but every word was clearly audible to everyone present.

"At this very moment, all the ancient weapons underground have been activated. All defense systems are on standby."

The king's pupils contracted sharply.

"Standby?" the king repeated the word.

"Yes, standby." Rhodes took out a pocket watch from his pocket, glanced at the time, and said, "The control center there is connected to my mental imprint. If I don't issue a safe command within an hour, or if my vital signs disappear, the underground defense mechanism will automatically activate."

Rhodes closed his pocket watch with a crisp click.

"At that time, all the completed constructs, including the Titan-class siege golem that is not yet fully finished, will attack all targets on the ground indiscriminately."

The hall was deathly silent.

The veins on the back of Sieg's hand, which was gripping the sword, bulged, but he dared not move.

The arc of electricity in the court monk's eyes died down, and he stared at the young man in shock, seemingly assessing the truthfulness of his words.

The king stared intently at Rhodes, his chest heaving violently.

This is not just a threat, this is kidnapping.

Rhodes has hijacked the entire capital and the future of the royal family.

"You're insane!" the king said through gritted teeth. "Do you know what you're saying? This is treason!"

"No, Your Majesty, this is deterrence," Rhodes corrected. "Only by possessing the power to destroy the other side can we sit down for an equal dialogue. I do not wish to betray the kingdom; I have vast assets and interests here. I simply wish to ensure that while I serve the kingdom, I do not lose my life or what I deserve due to some accident."

Rod paused, then continued, "The Church and the Sirens are powerful, and the royal family cannot fight them with just a traditional army. You need me, Your Majesty. You need this tireless, fearless iron legion. And I need your support, a legitimate status, and... absolute autonomy."

The king remained silent.

He looked at the young man in front of him.

Not long ago, Rhodes was just a somewhat talented history teaching assistant, but now he has grown into a giant who can rival the monarchy.

Anger burned in the king's heart, but reason extinguished the flames like ice water.

Rod is right.

Without Rhodes, those ancient weapons underground would just be a pile of scrap metal.

Without Rhodes, the royal family would have had no choice but to sue for peace in the face of the Church and the Siren's relentless pressure.

Kill him?

The price was the destruction of the capital, and the royal family completely lost any hope of turning the tide.

Cooperation?

Although a great deal of power will be taken away, at least the throne can be preserved, and this power can even be used to overwhelm the church and those disobedient nobles.

This isn't even a multiple-choice question.

The king closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly opened them.

The anger on his face vanished, replaced by a deep weariness and helplessness, as well as a hint of deeply hidden calculation.

"What do you want?" the king asked.

"The title of Royal Chief Alchemist Advisor," Rhodes calmly stated his pre-prepared conditions. "I want the underground ancient weapon factory to be independent of the military, directly responsible to you and me. All matters concerning the production, allocation, and maintenance of the constructs will be handled entirely by me. The military can make requests, but has no authority to command."

"And one more thing," Rhodes held up a second finger, "I want a promise. Until the church's problems are resolved, the royal family must not cut my funding or interfere with my personnel appointments for any reason."

The chief mage couldn't help but exclaim, "This is tantamount to establishing an independent kingdom within the existing kingdom!"

"It's for efficiency," Rod said without even glancing at it. "In this day and age, efficiency is life."

The king remained silent for a long time.

The sound of rain outside the window seemed to become clearer.

Finally, the king slowly nodded.

I promise you.

The king's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"But I have one condition." The king stared into Rhodes' eyes. "This army must be used to fight the sirens and the church. If one day you turn your spear against the royal family..."

"As long as the royal family does not break the alliance, my sword will always be pointed outwards," Rhodes interrupted the king, making a promise.

The king waved his hand, signaling Sig to step down.

"Draft the decree." The king leaned back in his chair, seemingly aging several years in an instant. "Appoint Rhodes as a hereditary earl, granting him the title of Chief Alchemist Advisor to the Royal Family, and commanding the Special Technical Guard. Furthermore, allocate the industrial area in the west of the city to him as his private domain."

Rhodes bowed again, this time with even more precision and composure than before.

"Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty."

"Go," the king said wearily, closing his eyes. "Take your...guards and leave. Don't let them frighten my guests."

Rod put on his top hat, turned, and walked toward the door.

He paused when his hand touched the doorknob.

"Your Majesty, after tonight, the sirens and the Church will know the extent of our power. The nature of war has changed."

After saying that, Rod pushed open the door and walked into the rainy night.

Outside the door, the red light in the eyes of the ten obsidian guards flickered slightly, then they turned around and followed their master, their earth-shaking steps disappearing into the dark rain.

Inside the council chamber, the king opened his eyes, stared at the empty door, and remained silent for a long time.

"Your Majesty..." the chief mage called out in a low voice.

"No need to say more." The king stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the black figure gradually disappearing into the distance. "He is a double-edged sword, I know. But as long as my hand holding the sword is steady enough, he is the sharpest weapon in my hand."

The king pressed his palm against the cold glass, a ruthless glint in his eyes.

"Bring all the people we sent underground to see me. I need to know every detail of his underground factory. Also, contact the Hidden Hand. We need to train our own alchemists... We can't be controlled by others forever."