Chapter 986: Chapter 55: Subduing the Bone Dragon_2
Approaching the entrance of the City Lord’s Mansion, Kary halted his steps and addressed the gatekeeper, "Please inform your superiors that Chairman Kary of the Mage Guild requests an audience with the esteemed City Lord."
The gatekeeper, having been frightened by the sight of so many magicians, hastily agreed and rushed back into the mansion to relay the message. In a moment, the mansion gates flung open, and a middle-aged man in his fifties, surrounded by guards, came out to greet them. This man exuded an air of integrity and, despite his age, showed no sign of decrepitude. His piercing eyes betrayed extraordinary shrewdness, and his simple white robe could not conceal his tall figure. It was Aldos, the Lord of the City of Light. He held a high position within the Empire of Huasheng, especially within the military, second only to the chief commander Feng Wen. Known for his bravery and always being at the forefront of his troops, he was dearly loved by his soldiers. All military forces in the Province of Light were under his command, reporting directly to the top echelons of The Empire. Moreover, he was the biological brother of the current Empress, a Hereditary Marquis; otherwise, The Empire would not have entrusted him with guarding such an important region as the Province of Light.
"Chairman Kary, what brings you here?" Aldos greeted him with a hearty laugh. The relationship between the Mage Guild and the Empire of Huasheng was much better than with other countries, and The Empire of Huasheng was the only one to possess an army of magicians. Therefore, even someone with substantial authority like Aldos showed utmost respect upon meeting the Chairman of the Mage Guild. Besides, the two had been friends for many years.
Kary sighed and said, "Lord City Lord, let us discuss inside; there is a matter of great importance I need to report to you."
Aldos appeared momentarily stunned, noting Kary’s grave expression. Realizing that something of utmost importance must have occurred, he quickly said, "Chairman, please come inside." With guards and magicians escorting them, they entered the City Lord’s mansion. Aldos dismissed everyone except Kary and led him into his private chamber. Kary instructed the magicians who had accompanied him to stay outside, and soon, only he and Aldos were left in the chamber. Aldos spoke in a deep voice, "Brother Kary, what happened to necessitate your personal visit?"
Worry flickered in Kary’s eyes as he said, "The situation is extremely grave. Just recently, more than twenty individuals broke into our Mage Guild, attempting to kill our magicians and they used Forbidden Dark Magic. Among them were five Dark Magicians, with at least one of them being of a Magus’s level. The rest were Assassins with not inconsiderable martial skills."
Aldos lost color at the news, for the City of Light had always been safe. Such an incident, especially in the Mage Guild, meant he bore an unshakable responsibility as the City Lord. He hurriedly asked, "Brother Kary, what are the casualties at the Guild? I haven’t received any reports about this incident!"
Kary sighed, "Fortunately, there happened to be a disciple claiming to be from the Tian Gang Sword Sect in the Guild at the time. His martial arts skills were extremely strong, and despite being heavily injured, he managed to fend off the attackers, buying us time. However, those people dared to summon demons using Forbidden Magic, clearly intent on wiping out the Mage Guild. Such malice must stem from a significant motive. They have already escaped."
Aldos pondered for a moment, then stepped out of the chamber and ordered his Close Guard to issue a command: the City of Light was to go under martial law immediately, and the military was dispatched to search for traces of the enemy.
After issuing the orders, Aldos returned to the chamber and said, "My men have started the search. Brother Kary, who do you think would have the audacity to attack the Mage Guild?"
Kary snorted coldly, "No need for me to spell it out, I believe you can guess."
Aldos inhaled sharply and muttered, "Are you suggesting it was the people of the Empire of Sunset?"
Kary nodded, his voice heavy with implication, "The Mage Guild has always been affiliated with the Empire of Huasheng, posing a significant threat to the Empire of Sunset. The combined number of magicians from the other three nations doesn’t match that of The Empire. Moreover, those magicians are essentially under the Guild’s control. If Huasheng were to wage war against Sunset, with the assistance of magicians, it’s unlikely the Empire of Sunset would have a favorable outcome!"
Aldos paced back and forth in the chamber. After a long moment, he stopped, his eyes flashing coldly, "In other words, the Empire of Sunset is harboring ambitions to invade our territory."
Kary said, "Although there’s no conclusive evidence to prove Sunset’s intention, we cannot afford to let our guard down. Given the cunning nature of the Empire of Sunset, it is not impossible. Only they would have the means to assemble so many Dark Magicians to ambush our Mage Guild. Aldos, you must be vigilant! The Province of Light borders the Dark Province of the Empire of Sunset. Should war break out, this region would be the first in the line of fire. I won’t say more; our Guild is in turmoil, and I must return to handle the situation. I hope you can send some troops to protect us. I will immediately issue an order as Chairman, to gather all the scattered magicians within The Empire as swiftly as possible, to be ready for any eventuality."
Aldos nodded, "Alright, I won’t keep you any longer. I will report this matter to the Emperor as soon as possible, and we shall await His Majesty’s decision. By the way, Brother Kary, I would like to meet the Tian Gang Sword Sect expert who saved you all when I have the chance."
