Black Hearted Mage

Chapter 380 The battle to destroy the country

The Roland Empire's two armies swept southward like a black torrent, their sights set squarely on the heart of the Saint Roland Church. This elite division advanced with astonishing speed, their iron hooves stirring up dust wherever they trod. In just two days and one night, they had completely encircled the Holy City, severing all of Saint Roland Church's routes of retreat.

Although the logistics troops arrived half a day later than the main force, this minor delay had no impact on the overall situation, and the entire military operation continued to operate as smoothly as a precision machine.

In the newly constructed military camp, a figure in black leather armor stood out. It was Carlos, the highest-ranking officer of the Empire's Eagle Eye. He wore his signature black mask, and he marched steadily among the busy soldiers. At the camp gate, Caesars had been waiting for a long time. Upon seeing Carlos, he eagerly stepped forward to greet him.

"Lord Carlos, have you brought all the alchemical bombs?" Caesars' voice was filled with anxiety. As a rule, these special weapons would be handed directly to him, eliminating the tedious military supply handover process.

Carlos's low voice came from under the mask: "Caesars, of course I brought the alchemical bombs, but the quantity may not satisfy you. There are only more than 200 in total." This number is obviously far lower than expected.

Upon hearing this, Caesars smiled meaningfully. "Don't worry. I still have a large stockpile of Golden-Eyed Black Devil Serpent venom, enough to bring tens of thousands of people to an agonizing end." He spoke with a casual tone, as if discussing the weather. After all, he was about to leave Roland Continent for the Demon Realm. These items, considered treasures here, would be nothing more than a pile of useless scrap in another world.

Kaisas touched his space ring, which contained various alchemical bombs—weapons for conquering Seal City. He also had several bottles of giant snake venom. Just one drop of that dangerous red liquid was enough to kill a fire lizard in three breaths.

When the spy chief handed the alchemical bomb to Caesars, he specifically instructed him on the type of bomb. He was now hurrying toward the Holy City's eastern coastline, where Hawkeye's two thousand elite assassins had already laid a tight net. Everyone knew that if the cowardly leaders of the Saint Laurent Church were defeated, they would undoubtedly choose the vast eastern sea as their escape route.

"Bread, start the fire and cook. Just fry some sausages!" Caesars squatted down, took out a piece of bacon and shook it in front of the fat dog. "That guy Depero said that the salty bacon made by the chef of the Temple is the best delicacy. Let's sneak in this afternoon and empty their storage room!"

The fat dog opened its bloody mouth wide upon hearing this, nodding its huge head like pounding garlic, its saliva almost dripping onto the ground. It swiftly pulled out a giant frying pan and some firewood, and with a "puff" sound, a cluster of sparks shot out of its mouth, instantly igniting the firewood.

You know, it's practically impossible for ordinary people to sneak into the Temple. Even those within the Church of Saint Laurent must submit an application seven days in advance and, after undergoing multiple rounds of scrutiny and obtaining permission, be allowed to even set foot inside. Caesars sneered as he unfolded the yellowed map of the Holy City, his finger slowly moving across the buildings in the eastern district, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

The temple stands majestically in the center of the holy city. This magnificent building complex made of pure white marble is the core of the Church of St. Laurent and the home of successive popes.

Caesars narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the distant dome, gleaming golden in the sunlight. His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the magical blade at his waist. Ever since he personally slew the old pope who had fallen into necromancer mode, he wondered if those charlatans had elected a new pope. But it didn't matter; they weren't here to pay their respects today.

"Bread, we'll fly in directly later. Our target is the tallest white palace." Caesars patted the fat demon dog beside him, a sneer on his face. "There's no way to avoid this fight today. Don't be lazy for Master Caesars."

Upon hearing his master's plan, the fat dog named Bread spun around in excitement. His massive body, comparable to a bull's, trembled with excitement, and he barked, his toothy mouth wide open, uttering an unpleasant cry: "Ah! Anyone who dares to stand in my way will be bitten to death!" Sticky saliva dripped from his fangs, corroding small pits into the stone slab.

Kaisas was amused by this bandit-like declaration and gave his familiar a thumbs-up without hesitation. He looked up at the gray clouds in the distant sky, his black cloak rustling in the wind; it looked like it was about to rain.

"Bread, the sky is helping us. It should rain in the afternoon!"

The sizzling sausages sizzled on the iron plate, their golden skin crackling with enticing cracks, and the rich aroma of meat filled the air. Yet, the normally gluttonous fat dog only took a few perfunctory licks today, not even finishing a third of his usual portion. His moist eyes kept glancing toward the Holy City, as if the glistening salty smoked meat there exuded a savory aroma that made him salivate.

"Let's go, it's time to collect the debt."

Kaesus wiped the grease from his hands, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather. Thick clouds slowly swallowed the last rays of sunlight, tinting the sky a leaden gray. He expertly cast several protective spells on himself and then chanted a spell over the fat dog, the size of a calf—first a levitation spell to make its thousand-pound bulk seem as light as a feather, then a feather fall spell to ensure a safe landing. After all, carrying such a large creature over a long distance requires even an experienced mage to carefully manage his magicka expenditure.

As the final halo of invisibility enveloped him, Caesars took a deep breath and hefted the massive dog onto his shoulders. He bent his legs slightly and shot up like an arrow, his black robe rustling in the wind. The duration of his invisibility spell was ticking away. He had to break through the clouds before it expired, so he could recast it above and remain hidden. The cold mist lashed his face, and Caesars narrowed his eyes, accelerating his ascent.

Kaesus's figure pierced the thick clouds like a shadow. His slender fingers traced the air rapidly, and an ancient spell flowed from his lips. With the last syllable, his form became transparent again, leaving only a subtle wave of magic in the air. He adjusted his posture, his cloak fluttering in the wind, and swooped down toward the towering white building below.

The bushes in the temple's back garden swayed slightly. The magical glow of invisibility faded as Caesars dragged the chubby dog ​​into a dense rose bush. Pink and white petals rained down, and the fat dog, "Bread," whimpered in dissatisfaction, but his master quickly covered his mouth. Caesars pulled a roll of yellowed parchment from his pocket. Depero's mark was right where he was.

"The old man has a good memory," Caesars muttered, his fingertips gently tracing over two cryptic symbols marked on the map. It was here that Depero had witnessed the Pope's secret deeds. Along the seemingly peaceful cobblestone path in the garden, two secret passages led to different places—one deep into the temple, the other to an unknown distance. Depero's notes were scribbled beside it: "The other end? Who knows!"

"Bread, stay still!" Caesars restrained the restless fat dog, who was drooling over the butterflies in the flowers. He closed his eyes, and dozens of magical tentacles, shimmering with a faint blue light, spread out from his palms, burrowing into the soft soil like living creatures. The tentacles moved in the darkness, probing every inch of the ground for abnormalities. Suddenly, a faint magical resonance reached the third tentacle on the left.

"Right here!" Caesars lowered his voice, pointing to a seemingly ordinary patch of grass. Bread immediately perked up, his stubby, powerful front paws rapidly digging up the earth, splashing mud everywhere. Caesars crouched forward, his boots making almost no sound on the soft earth. About five steps from the rose bush, he knelt on one knee, his palm resting on a slightly raised patch of grass.

"Looks like I'll just have to force it." He sighed, drawing the magic blade from his waist. The tip of the blade glowed with a dangerous dark purple light, and he aimed it at the slightly trembling ground beneath his feet.

"Ding--"

The crisp sound of metal clashing was particularly piercing in the silent garden. It was as if Caesar's dagger had pierced something indestructible, causing his wrist to go numb. His heart tightened, and he quickly held down the fat dog that was still digging the soil.

"Stop! Stop digging into the bread!"

Breaking open the secret passage entrance by force was the worst option. If it triggered a magic trap, not only would we not be able to sneak into the temple, but the entire back garden would be alarmed. The fat dog grunted reluctantly, but still stopped his claws and turned to look at his master.

Kaisas pointed to the spot where the tip of the knife had just hit something hard and whispered, "Dig here, gently!"

The fat dog shook its chubby body, kicked its short legs, and dug in the dirt again. Its sharp claws flew through the mud, and soon the scraping sound turned into a harsh metallic scraping, even sending out a few tiny sparks. Caesars' pupils shrank, and he immediately grabbed the fat dog by the scruff of the neck and dragged it back.

"That's enough! If you keep digging, your claws will become worn out!"

He leaned down and quickly pushed aside the remaining loose soil, revealing a three-foot square plate of dark silver metal—magic steel, a specially forged, high-grade material, strong enough to withstand most physical damage. Even more troubling, the metal plate was inlaid with fine lines of magic copper. These lines, shimmering dark red, intertwined to form an extremely complex magic array, the mere sight of which was dizzying.

Kaisas narrowed his eyes, gently stroking the lines with his fingertips, feeling the magical fluctuations flowing through them. Soon, he came to a conclusion -

"A magic array that requires light attributes to drive it... Tsk, how insidious."

This array required pure light to activate, but Caesars excelled in dark magic and the arcane. Forcibly breaking it would only trigger an alarm and possibly even backfire. He gritted his teeth, his mind racing—he had to find a way to bypass this damned mechanism!

"Bread, dig down from the side and make a big hole, bypassing those magic steels engraved with magic patterns!"

Caesars lowered his voice and gave the command, his eyes fixed on the metal plate that glowed with a faint blue light. He knew that if those ancient magical patterns were destroyed, it would likely trigger a fatal mechanism.

“Hmph!”

The fat dog shook its muddy ears and kicked out with its hind legs, its sharp claws digging into the soft earth like a shovel. It pawed rapidly around the edge of the magic steel, sending a fountain of moist, broken earth splattering behind it. Some of the dirt even hit Caesars's robes. He quickly stepped back, watching the fat dog's astonishing work efficiency. He couldn't help but speculate: This guy must have the blood of a mole. The way he plowed the earth was comparable to that of a professional miner.

As the fat dog tirelessly dug, the once elegant rose garden quickly became a shambles. The carefully pruned shrubs fell here and there, and the rich black soil piled up into a small hill. Suddenly, with a dull rumble, the ground where the fat dog stood suddenly collapsed. Its rotund body tumbled down like a ball of fur, kicking up a cloud of dust.

When the dust settled, Caesars cautiously peered over. Below him lay a passageway paved with ancient bluestone. The fat dog lay sprawled in the middle of it. It quickly rolled over, tilting its muddy head back, its mouth wide open as it hummed with satisfaction, its short tail slapping the ground cheerfully, urging Caesars to descend and explore.

The air in the secret passage was thick and murky, mingled with the scent of age-old dust, as if no one had set foot there in millennia. Caesars covered his mouth and nose, squinting his eyes as he adjusted to the darkness. The secret passage led straight to the towering white building in the distance—the temple.

The fat dog eagerly trotted deeper into the secret passage. Its crimson eyes flickered eerily in the darkness, like two moving lanterns, illuminating Caesar's path. Caesar reached out and ran his hand over the passage's walls. They felt cool and smooth—the finest hard white marble, the same material used in the distant temple. The delicate seams and slightly worn carvings on the walls silently betrayed their shared era.

The history of the Holy City surfaced in Caesar's mind. Over three thousand years ago, the Church of Saint Laurent, through a bloodless coup, forced the then royal family to sign the Treaty of the Holy Oracle. This not only secured full ownership of the Holy City, but also the right to tax its followers. This marked a turning point in the shifting balance of power between the Church and the royal family.

At this thought, a sneer curled across Caesar's lips. The relationship between the Saint Laurent Church and the Saint Laurent Empire was like the shadow and light within this secret passage: mutually dependent yet mutually devouring. The Church constantly plotted to weaken imperial power, elevating faith above royal authority; while the Saint Laurent Empire never gave up its ambition to suppress the Church, attempting to bring divine authority back under imperial control. This delicate balance had persisted for over three thousand years, like this ancient secret passage connecting these two centers of power: a bridge of communication but also a potential source of danger.