My older sister is a villainous rich girl

At that moment, he thought about how to promote the magic wand and get more people to use it.

Production is currently very limited and can only be provided to those with greater influence, such as highly respected professors at Qingxi Academy and high-ranking mages who have passed the strength rating in their own magic towers.

They will always be teaching batch after batch of students, some of whom are exceptionally talented and don't need a magic wand as a safety net, while others will inevitably have ordinary talent and a strong need for one. As long as people use it, it will continue to reveal its potential, and as the manufacturing technology continues to improve, it will eventually become highly sought after by everyone.

After all, some people are nominally magicians, but may never be able to unleash any decent magic in their entire lives. Once magic wands become commonplace, this ordinary long stick may become as essential to them as a crutch is to a lame person. Because of the pyramid structure of magicians, such people are by no means few.

Whoever can arm them, and whoever wants to use them to influence decisions at any level, will be a force to be reckoned with.

With Klee making no attempt to hide her praise for Wayne, Duke Elliot quickly took notice of Wayne's ongoing experiments, and Wayne crafted a magic wand for him as a keepsake. Examining the adamantite-forged wand before him, Elliot remained silent for a long time.

"A truly terrifying creation."

Chapter 749 Eliot's Frankness

"For the future of all mankind, this is just the beginning of yet another new era," Wayne said noncommittally.

While advancements in the craftsmanship of cold weapons could lead to the downfall of powerful families and dynasties, they could never compare to the transformative impact of firearms on the world. For instance, a mere seven-year-old child could easily shoot and kill a knight who had trained for ten years in full plate armor.

And today's magicians may not be much different from the knights who were eliminated in the last world.

The breeding of bloodline talents requires years of learning and a huge investment to cultivate a qualified mage. This efficiency is just too low.

Elliott gave him a complicated look.

“Perhaps I really am getting old,” Elliott sighed. “I used to dream of changing the world, but now that I’m witnessing something that could change the world, my first reaction is fear.”

He put the magic wand back into the box.

Now only Wayne and he were in the study. As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat oppressive. It was as if dark clouds had covered the entire sky but had not yet brought rain, so everything was frozen in the heavy, sticky air.

"Now that you've been to the southwest, do you know anything more about the former Duchy of Milstein and Grand Duke Laird?" he asked.

Wayne's heart skipped a beat.

“To be honest, I had hoped to stay in the Southwest for a while longer, as I felt there were some details I hadn’t yet figured out, but His Majesty the King quickly summoned me back to the capital.” Wayne tried to appear as if he didn’t know much. “However, I could sense that the people of the Southwest Province still had affection and fondness for Grand Duke Laird, even though he was an evil dark mage.”

“If Archduke Laird’s prestige wasn’t high enough, the rebel forces wouldn’t have been able to be completely eradicated for so many years.” Elliott was silent for a moment before saying, “In fact, Archduke Laird once had a crazy idea, an idea that the Church would never allow.”

He gently patted the armrest next to the seat, as if he was thinking about how to organize his words to make it easier for Wayne to understand.

Wayne looked puzzled.

"He hopes that ordinary people without talent can also awaken their magical aptitude through acquired means, and that commoners can also become magicians. The church considers this a desecration of divine grace. In particular, the acquired means he found is dark magic." Elliot didn't deliberately keep people in suspense; with the information Wayne had, he could already guess most of these things.

"—You remind me of him."

Upon hearing this, Wayne felt as if his breath had stopped for a second.

"Although your plan is much gentler than his and more easily accepted by the world, because low-level mages already possess talent and control some social resources, they also have a desire to pursue power, and you have shown them a path to become stronger. Therefore, many of them will firmly support you, unlike dark mages who are condemned as the embodiment of evil and enemies of the world once their identities are revealed."

"But you still have to be careful, because change is not easy to achieve. It always comes with bloodshed and conflict before a new balance can be reached amidst the contradictions."

"This is both an opportunity and a huge challenge," Elliott said.

“I will be careful.” Wayne understood what he meant. “So I am willing to cooperate with the church and the royal family, so that they can get a share of the profits, while they will also have to act as pawns for my plans.”

Eliot nodded in agreement: "Therefore, it is very important to choose appropriate representatives of interests in the royal family and the church."

"Richard and Tasia, how are they?" When it comes to grasping the situation, he could hardly compare to Elliot, a veteran who had been in the core of the kingdom for decades. Wayne didn't mind humbly listening to his elder's advice.

“Richard is a good fit, because his relationship with His Majesty the King has deteriorated, and he desperately needs a strong supporter. As his friend, you can bring him enough influence to affect His Majesty the King’s decisions, so he will naturally rely on you. As for Lady Cherry and the Third Prince, although it seems that His Majesty the King favors them and neglects Prince Richard, the future crown, even if it no longer belongs to the Maysfield family, will not be placed on the head of that Prince Cassian.”

Eliot made a statement that was extremely disrespectful to the authority of the monarchy, but did not further explain why his conclusion was so decisive.

"As for Tasia Louis," he paused, "her power in the Vatican is still too weak. Perhaps in ten or twenty years, she will be able to make her voice heard, but for now, she can only exist as a nominal spiritual symbol. Any faction in the Vatican's Cardinal Council could easily ruin your plans if they wanted to interfere."

“You need a more powerful collaborator, and the relationship with the Holy See is very important to you…” He paused here, as if realizing that he had inadvertently revealed some concern for Wayne’s current situation, and subconsciously wanted to cover it up.

But he quickly gave up trying to hide it, because Wayne had been watching him intently and had noticed his unusual hesitation.

"If you have any concerns, please feel free to speak up. Even if you want to scold me for only taking Chris out to play all day and not caring about the development of the family, I won't be angry." Wayne deliberately made a joke to ease the increasingly tense atmosphere.

Wayne had a vague premonition that Elliott's strange rambling and rambling behavior today might be because he wanted to be honest with him about his background, but he just didn't know how to bring it up.

Elliott chuckled softly, his gaze towards Wayne softening slightly.

“We’ve lived together for so long, you’re like my own son to me,” he said. “Of course, you’re no more important than Chris.”

If you want to create an emotional effect, you don't need to emphasize the second half of the sentence.

Wayne was both amused and exasperated.

He understood all of this, but couldn't help but secretly complain that Elliott's buff stacking technique was a bit clumsy.

Do you still remember things from your childhood?

"I don't remember very clearly."

"..." Elliot hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "Actually, I didn't go to Perdonis by chance. From the beginning, my purpose in going there was to find you."

Wayne's expression faltered slightly, but he quickly relaxed. "Actually, I've had my doubts too. You've been too good to me, sometimes to the point that it makes me uneasy. However, I'm very grateful for your and Mother's love and help, and that will never change, no matter what your initial reasons were for adopting me."

Chapter 750 The Truth

“You’re very sensible, you’ve been sensible since you were little, so being your father hasn’t taken too much effort on me over the years.” Elliott loosened his dark green bow tie, looking slightly uncomfortable.

“There are some things I haven’t told you before. On the one hand, I didn’t know how to explain them in a way that would make you understand me. On the other hand, I also had some wishful thinking that as long as the past was well hidden, no one would dig it up. But the reality is the opposite of my wishful thinking. So I think that at this point, I should be honest with you and make things clear, so that you won’t be caught off guard if you suddenly find out the truth from someone else one day, or even be taken advantage of by someone with ulterior motives.”

"It's alright, please go ahead," Wayne said, indicating that he was mentally prepared.

“You… are actually a descendant of the Laird family. The Grand Duke Laird who died in the Battle of Fog Moon was your grandfather, and the dark mage Norman Laird who caused a ruckus in the capital a few years ago was your biological father.”

After uttering these words that had been brewing in his mind for a long time, Elliott seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief. He looked at Wayne with concern, as if he thought Wayne would be unable to bear such a blow and lose control of his emotions.

But the surprise on Wayne's face lasted only a brief moment, followed by silence.

Seeing that his attitude was relatively calm, Elliott continued, "Long ago, before the Papacy recognized Archduke Laird as a dark mage and publicly ordered his extermination, my father actually respected him very much. Although he led the War of Mist Moon as a military marshal due to various reasons in Lornes at the time, he always believed in his heart that it was not a glorious victory."

"So after he learned of Archduke Laird's suicide, he secretly collected his remains," Elliott said. "And because of your background, I specifically told you the location beforehand. Did you stop by to pay your respects when you were in the southwest?"

"……Have."

Not only that, he also secretly had his remains moved to a border area not far from the town of Perdonis, where they were reburied on a hillside covered with sunflowers, reuniting him with his long-lost wife. This was the promise he made to that "curse" at the Palace of Radiant Light.

Elliott was not surprised by his answer.

"My father felt an unspeakable guilt about the War of the Mist Moon, not out of fear of war, but because it went against his own principles. He always believed that wars should be waged with the intention of protecting more ordinary people, and should end with the goal of bringing peace and tranquility to more people." He recalled the old duke's teachings with a hint of nostalgia. "But the War of the Mist Moon, in terms of both its causes and its consequences, had nothing to do with the interests and development of the ordinary people of the Duchy of Milistan. On the contrary, it brought profound chaos and exploitation to the southwest region in the decades that followed."

“His ideas influenced me too, so at that time I always felt it was my responsibility to try to make some changes, so I was secretly gathering relevant information.” He looked at Wayne, “Then one day, I received news about you.”

Under Elliott's gaze, Wayne remained silent.

“Come with me to a place, and I’ll explain everything to you in detail when we get there.” He stood up, took the coat hanging on the rack next to him, and put on the dark woolen hood. “It’s a bit far.”

After Wayne followed him on horseback and left through the north gate of the capital, they rode at high speed for most of the day before turning onto a small road. They didn't see another person for a long time, and only then did he realize how far Elliott meant by "a bit far".

The two set off early in the morning, and now it's already afternoon.

"Leave the horses here." Finally, after reaching an extremely desolate mountain area, Elliott led him to tie the horses in a dense woodland.

“I bought these mountains myself, but on the paper, they’re registered under the name of a wealthy businessman.” After dismounting, Elliott brushed the dust off his boots. “It’s very desolate here, and almost no one goes this way, so I sometimes handle confidential matters here.”

Wayne didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Fortunately, Elliott wasn't trying to elicit any reaction from him. "There's a magic circle here, mainly for early warning. And then, from this side—"

As he explained, he walked to a giant tree that looked to be over a hundred years old, put his hand into the dark hollow inside the tree, and seemed to activate some mechanism. Wayne heard a strange "click" sound from not far away.

"This is a purely mechanical structure, but there is a basement underneath, and several layers of seals inside."

In the middle of a triangle formed by several large trees, Elliott moved a boulder aside, revealing an entrance leading deep into the earth, with steps leading downwards, from which a faint, dim light emanated.

“Telling you this now might seem sudden, or even a little hard to accept.” He stepped forward, walking ahead of Wayne, lighting the magic lamps along the way. “The Laird family has both past glories and indelible sins, especially what Norman Laird did. It’s normal to feel conflicted about these things, but I hope you can stay true to yourself, because your birth doesn’t determine who you are; what matters most is who you want to become.”

“Actually, I understand, but… I’m a little lost,” Wayne said in a low voice, his voice echoing through the empty underground passage.

After passing through another activated magic circle, we arrived at a place that looked like a conference room.

The room was simply furnished with a square table and a few sofas and chairs, and a huge map depicting the entire Kingdom of Lornes and the surrounding area hung on one wall.

Elliott sat down, gesturing for Wayne to relax and not be nervous.

“And then there’s something even more important, which is why I had to bring you here.” He clapped his hands, and several mages in blue robes came out from the other end of the conference room.

"These are our family's squire mages. They usually stay here to keep this place running."

Wayne glanced at them a few times. These people were of different ages, but all had very serious expressions. He also saw familiar faces; they had accompanied him as guards on his journey to the southwest.

Generally speaking, magicians are extremely arrogant, especially the more powerful they are. Even if they don't come from privileged backgrounds, it's not difficult for them to obtain a noble status through their own abilities. Therefore, they are often very independent, and ordinary nobles can only recruit them by offering high salaries.

But the squire mages are like a different kind of retainer. From the time they are still ignorant children until they are trained to become qualified mages, all expenses are borne by the Winchester family in exchange for their unconditional loyalty for a certain period of time.

Chapter 751 Don't Choose Depravity

After letting Wayne meet with the squire mages, Elliott waved for them to leave.

“I wouldn’t have let them come to this place if they weren’t magicians I trusted. But people I trust might not be trustworthy to you, so you should remember what they look like and try to get in touch with and win them over. If a traitor really does betray us, you should at least have a general idea of ​​what’s going on.”

Wayne nodded.

“I’ve sent them to stand guard outside. What I’m about to tell you must be firmly etched in your mind, and you must never reveal it to a third person. Not even Chris. Don’t tell her until she discovers the truth herself. The more people who know, the less safe it is.” Elliott placed his hands on the table, his voice so deep it seemed to come from another dimension.

He didn't continue until he heard Wayne agree with his own ears.

"After the fall of the Duchy of Milstein, the posthumous son Norman Laird became obsessed with revenge, and he used some kind of evil ritual to allow dark magic to be inherited in his blood and awaken automatically."

“Therefore, there must be latent dark magic within you. As soon as Norman Laird dies, the ‘seed’ within you will automatically awaken, transforming you into a new dark magician.” Elliot sighed helplessly. “I haven’t found a suitable solution to this matter yet. I didn’t know he had made such an arrangement before I met Norman Laird.”

It's hard to say whether Elliott regretted taking on this hot potato at all. If there had been no other way, he probably wouldn't have told me any of the inside story until he had silently resolved the whole matter.

"How could that be?" Wayne asked knowingly. "Didn't you have someone from the church examine me? I also meet with Tasia often, and I've even been to the Vatican. If I really had dark magic in my body, it should have been detected long ago."

"Yes, theoretically that should be the case. But dark magic is inherently good at concealment, so it might be even harder to detect when someone is lying in wait. Norman Laird is adamant, and I don't dare to gamble on it, since this matter will directly affect your life. Once you really become a dark magician, the kingdom will definitely not have a place for you anymore."

"So what are your thoughts on my future if I really become a Dark Mage?"

Elliot stared at him for a moment. “If that day ever comes, I will give you a sum of money to arrange a fleet of ships to take you out to sea. Then you will leave Lornes and never come back, unless one day you have the power to make your own rules and have the church and the royal family recognize your legitimate status.”

He seems to have genuinely considered this issue and has already prepared a contingency plan.

“Lornes’ overseas forces are weak. You can choose to settle in those chaotic overseas islands first. With your abilities, you will definitely be able to make a name for yourself, provided that you can escape the pursuit of the Papal Inquisition.”

In the dim and gloomy underground conference room, the magic lamp emitted a faint green glow. In the excessive silence, one could almost hear the faint sound of water flowing from the depths of the passage on the other side.

There were some things he didn't say aloud, but Wayne understood what he meant.

When that time comes, the Wincher family will have no choice but to sever ties with him, and naturally, he and Chris will also...

“Of course, this is only the worst-case scenario. We haven’t reached that point yet, so we still have time to prepare.” Elliott stood up and walked to the map hanging to the side. “I didn’t ask you in detail whether you had any contingency plans in the southwest region, since you only stayed there for a short time. However, I hope you did, so I specifically asked the king to grant you a fiefdom as a reward.”

He ran his finger across the map, pointing to the territory that originally belonged to Viscount Freud. "This location happens to be the gateway connecting the heart of the Southwest Province to Lornes. Now that the King has granted you this land, you can legitimately recruit subordinates. However, don't choose those who are prominent; instead, support those who are less conspicuous, because once your situation is exposed, this fief will be taken back."

Elliott, without reservation, used the map to explain in detail how to build a reliable army from scratch, and how to use the vast depth of the southwestern border mountains to maneuver—practically teaching him how to conduct guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines. It seemed this was one of the essential "preparations" he had mentioned.

Wayne couldn't help but think to himself, "Does this mean that after I just wiped out one rebel army, I'm going to start another one?"

"We'll stay here tonight. If Chris or anyone else asks tomorrow, just say I took you out hunting."

Although Elliott's series of remarks today were indeed very important and should indeed be kept quiet in front of others, Wayne still felt that there might be something else he hadn't finished saying.

However, he did not interrupt Elliott's rhythm, but simply sat there quietly and attentively listening.

As time passed and Wayne estimated that it must be late at night outside, Elliott finally got to the point.

“This place we are in now is not just a secret outpost, it’s a prison.”

Wayne paused for a moment, then quickly realized what was going on. "You mean..."

"That Norman Laird is locked up down there now."

Finally, they'd gotten to this point. Elliott was a little embarrassed, but he didn't feel there was anything wrong with what he'd done. "I can't kill him, but I can't let him go either."

"..." Wayne glanced at him speechlessly, thinking to himself, "Since you've already thought it through, why did you bring me here? Do you want me to visit you in prison and then stage a grand family reunion on the spot?"

“Although I didn’t really want to bring you along, since we can’t keep the secret any longer, we might as well be more efficient.” He said solemnly, “Wayne, I won’t give up on you. At worst, we’ll just have to lie low overseas for a while and look for other opportunities. We’ve made a lot of detailed plans, so you need to understand that you don’t only have the path that Norman Laird described.”

"Believe me, the solution he offers is a million times worse than the one I suggest."

Is that why I deliberately built up the story for so long before getting to the point...? Was I afraid that I would feel hopeless about life and give up on myself, so I would devote myself to the villainous work of a dark mage?

Wayne was filled with mixed emotions.