For the vast majority of ordinary people, sorcerers exist only in word-of-mouth stories, synonymous with evil and horror, the children of the devil that only the most valiant, noble, and powerful clergy can purify. But the great nobles can easily lift the mystery of the wizard and see its weak side. Especially like Barcelius, a top royal family with a long history and flourishing branches, with nearly a million registered citizens, has always had vassal wizards serving it for thousands of years, and has long formed a set of secret systems to control wizards, and the ancestors of many vassal nobles are even Barcelius's family wizards.

Usein's claim to the "prisoners" that he could form a royal wizarding group is by no means a joke. Because the wizarding group of the Iron Mountain royal family has been passed down to the present day, it has a history of more than 2,000 years, but the scale is smaller, and there have been several generations in the middle.

In today's human kingdom, Barcelius is probably second only to the church in terms of understanding of wizards.

Wizards have a myriad of abilities, but they can be stripped of their talent for witchcraft, and they are only mortal in the flesh, with a single supernatural strength, slow movements, and complex and changeable emotions. Even if the family's carefully cultivated arcane warriors can kill most wizards, only those who have been rigorously trained since childhood can combine their extraordinary strength with martial arts, will, and experience to form a certain combat power. For example, there is a wizard in the Barcelius family who can generate a bubble on the surface of an object, helping himself and others gain the ability to move freely underwater. The sorcery itself was not lethal, but after he was trained, he learned to use bubbles to wrap the fire oil in a simulated fireball. When fighting, he is surrounded by several round fireballs that can track his target and cause a raging fire, while he himself can walk peacefully in the scorching heat.

Will, mind, experience, and means are always more important than mere witchcraft power, but in this regard, knights who are physically and mentally united have a great advantage. They are often able to kill the arsonist before they are hit by a fireball, and then get out of the way.

The Barcelius family divides the wizard's talent into spiritual and miscellaneous, with psychic sorcery being more deadly than miscellaneous sorcery, but gold-level life is 100% exempt from psychic sorcery, unless the wizard's mental strength reaches the level of legendary.

This is obviously impossible.

The Church claims that the Lord of Light has changed the laws of the world, severing the connection between wizards and the Elemental Sea, limiting their sorcery level to below the Golden Tier.

The Church's claims are hard to tell, but there is a basic logic in them. If the wizards' supernatural powers had not been weakened to the extreme, they would not have fallen into the harvest of nobles and clergy, and the Shadow Priest would not have had to pray for the support of the worldly lords at all.

Orokthea didn't know how many means the Shadow Priest had, and she was as sure as Usen that no amount of tricks the Shadow Wizard could play could threaten the safety of the Golden Eye, just as a shallow stream could not drown a mammoth beast, the gap between the two sides was too great.

Ruling out the possibility that the Shadow Priest had murdered the Earl of Goldeneye, Oroxia pondered for a moment before commenting, "'Prisoner' gives me the impression of being pedantic...... He was desperate to gain the lord's approval of the Shadow Priest, but he was firmly on the side of the church. It can be seen that he is a fanatical believer who grew up in the El Sect country, and has always been in captivity, and has some understanding of the outside world, but it is not deep enough. ”

Usein nodded, and said, "I can't tell if an undead is true through elemental perception. However, I agree with you that the Shadow Priests are too naïve, and they don't understand what a true nobility is. ”

Barcelius despises the power of modern wizards, but values their value.

The Council of Shadows secretly contacted the Barcelius family to train bloodthirsty warriors for them, and Usein and Oroxia intuitively realized that there was still room for more extensive applications of wizards' magic. Of course, they wanted to thoroughly grasp the research results of the shadow wizards on potions, and one of the very important prerequisites was to discover more young wizards, no matter how ridiculous their witchcraft talents, as long as they had magical powers, they could continue to infuse bloodthirsty potions and help the Barcelius royal family form a powerful bloodthirsty army.

The prisoner claimed that the young wizards were only temporarily working for Barcelius, and that they would eventually return to the Church. This has already touched the huge interests of the Barcelius family.

During this secret meeting, the Shadow Priest did not mention their detailed plans to get rid of the Trigovar family, and only asked Baselius to support the Shadow Priest at the end. It is normal for the prisoner to have reservations about Barcelius. However, Usein and Oroxia are not optimistic about the Shadow Priest, believing that their chances of success are slim to none.

Since the Shadow Priest has lost, why doesn't Barcelius swallow those little wizards and the Potions Inheritance? Since he has decided to take possession of this power, he simply betrays the Shadow Priest and takes the handle of the Trigovar family, lest the Church trouble Barcelius again for the Potions Inheritance.

The prisoner's so-called helping Barcelius recover the Iron Mountain Empire is a big joke at all.

The size of the family domain is related to the number of knights and nobles, and the number of knights is related to the level of bloodline. The Knights of Radiance led the Sassan Empire to regain their homeland, and with the silver blood of the Frederick family, they could control at most one kingdom territory, and the golden blood of the Barcelius family could control one empire one hundred percent. That is why Testil improved relations with Barcelius through the channel of Patriarch Friedus. The secular lords of the six Paladin families together can only control the territory of one empire, and the Iron Mountain Empire of Barcelius will inevitably revive with the expansion of the territory.

Together, Sasang and Iron Mountain will form two mutually supportive northern empires, and perhaps they will also be allies by marriage.

Usein and Oroxia had a clear development strategy, working closely with the Knights of Radiance militarily to eliminate the orc invaders and take the territory of the Sidon Khanate, and politically supporting the Southern Empire against the theocracy of the Church, ensuring the independence of the Iron Mountain Empire and freeing itself from the Paladins.

As for the Sassan Empire, let the Frederick family and the Knights of Radiance run it.

Only when there is equality of strength can there be a basis for cooperation, and the shadow priest jumped out and said that "the political enemies of political enemies are allies"? He was afraid that he had read too much of the script written by the bard, and thought that he understood the politics of the great aristocracy, which was simply naïve!

Of course, Barcelius wouldn't be in a hurry to betray the Shadow Priests, and if they did have a chance to become a branch of the church, Barcelius wouldn't mind giving them a shout. In the final analysis, the battle between the Shadow Priest and the Inquisition is an internal matter of the Church, and Barcelius only needs to sit and watch the play, but the Shadow Priest does not want Barcelius to spit out the benefits of swallowing.

Instead of handing over those little wizards, Usein will dig up more wealth from the Shadow Priest, such as the secret method of cultivating the Shadow Warrior.

"I will tell Luke that the Shadow Priest must first create a Shadow Warrior for us to create a chance for the 'Prisoner' to meet with His Highness Randall alone. Said the Duke of Barcelius.

"As it should be. Oroxia nodded, changed her words, and asked, "This centaur invasion is full of suspicions, and there are many coincidences...... You say, could this be the Shadow Priest?"

Usein's blue eyes turned amber, and after a moment, he said in a deep voice, "I've thought about it, but I don't believe that the Shadow Priest has this ability...... The Great Prophecy is pretty much the same. But if the Shadow Priests possess supernatural powers similar to the Great Prophecy, why do they need the support of the secular lords, who broke free from the control of the Inquisition and became an independent institution of the Church more than three hundred years ago during the Holy City Rebellion. ”

"You also think that the Shadow Priest was involved in the Holy City turmoil more than three hundred years ago?" Orokshia asked with an eyebrow raised and a smile.

The Duke nodded and said, "I checked the information in the family collection, and there are indications that the Shadow Priest was involved in the Holy City Rebellion, and the Neowest family was also accused by the Inquisition because of the wizarding incident. However, the pope of that generation died two years later, and the new pope succeeded him, and no one pursued the matter of Neowest raising wizards. Immediately afterward, Trigovar was stripped from the Knights of Radiance by Terstir to lead the Inquisition and guard the Holy Mountain of Light. Ostensibly, they were tasked with spying on the Guardians of Light and the new Pope, but privately, Trigovar feared that he had carried out a purge of the Shadow Priests. ”

"The pope of that generation used the Great Prophecy Technique but failed to successfully counterattack, and was finally devoured by the Prophecy Technique, which shows that the Great Prophecy Technique is not omnipotent. Usein smiled and said, "The 'prisoners' need to go through us to get in touch with His Highness Del, which is enough to show that they are weak and powerless. ”

Oroxia bowed slightly, and said lightly: "The priest used the Holy Warrior Crystal to temporarily obtain the divine skills and combat power of high-level holy warriors, and this divine skill has been around since ancient times. The shadow warrior described by 'The Prisoner' seems to be in the same vein as it. If the Shadow Wizards were able to create Shadow Warriors from Paladin Crystals, it would prove that they were indeed fanatics of the El Cult. Then, we can trust that they have no ill will towards the human kingdom in order to reveal the whereabouts of His Highness Randall to the Shadow Priest. ”

Usein touched his chin and teased with a smile, "Orokxia, you care about Cousin Victor very much." ”

Orokxia giggled, her voice charming, "I'd love to get close to Cousin Victor, but unfortunately, he already has Sylvia...... I'm not going to be bored. Anyway, I'm also the heir of His Majesty Verrotica, and it's a shame that my courtship to the Sun Elves was rejected. ”

Usein shook his head, frowned and sighed, "It's a pity...... Cousin Victor will definitely be able to hold the power of the Gambis Empire for more than a hundred years, and both the North and the South Empires need to leave a way out in each other's territories. If we marry the Kingdom of Gombis, it will cause a strong backlash from the Knights of Radiance and the Kingdom of Dodor...... Can we only bet on Neowest, which is supported by the Knights of Radiance?"

The Sidon Centaurs invaded on a large scale, and the Barcelius family's desire to seek a safe haven in the southern continent became more urgent, but in the current situation, Barcelius and Gombis were not suitable to be in the same trench with a clear banner. If Barcelius openly swapped heirs with Augustus or York in accordance with the tradition of marriage alliances, it would be tantamount to betraying the northern lords. After all, it was a matter of position that the Southern Extension Lord and the Northern Extension Lord were competing in terms of divine power.

However, Barcelius could not ignore the political influence brought by the South Continent channel. If the Radiant Knights opened up the relationship with the Neowest family, the Sarsan royal family would naturally have a considerable right to speak, while Barcelius and the other Sarsan lords would be on the same starting line, and they would be held by the Radiant Knights in disguise.

In short, what the Frederick family has, Barcelius also has, Frederick hooks up with Neowest, and Barcelius has to secretly communicate with Cambis.

This time, Victor and Roland led the reinforcements of Cambis into the eastern defense line of Sassan, which was a good opportunity for Barcelius. However, Friedes was staring at both sides, trying to create contradictions and sow discord between them, with the aim of introducing Barcelius into the overall strategy developed by the Knights of Radiance.

Usein thinks about it, and it seems that there is only lovers' diplomacy, which is not a high-profile communication channel. However, the level of both sides was too high, and it was impossible for the high-ranking female knights of the Barcelius family to submit to external forces like the purple-eyed noblewomen of the Eleano family. They would not go to Gambis to serve the Earl of Goldeneye, and if they were of equal status, they would have no offspring, and they would not be able to live together, and there would be no partnership.

Orokshia snorted suddenly, and said, "We seem to have underestimated the 'prisoner'...... Although he didn't know what an aristocrat was, he still had some political vision. ”

Duke Baselius pondered for a moment and understood what the guardian of the family meant.

Based on Lake Fes in the territory of the Rand Empire, the Church is trying to establish the El Church as the geopolitical core of the human kingdom. The Sassan Empire expanded eastward, advancing north of the Great Stone Fortress to join the pioneers of the Neville Kingdom. Then, with the Neville Kingdom as the central corridor, the Northern Empire went south into the shores of Lake Fes under the territory of the Rand Empire, and crossed the river by boat to reach the Southern Continent. In the same way, the Southern Empire can also enter the Northern Wilderness Frontier through the central corridor of the Neville Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Neville and the Rant Empire are next to the El Cult, and they are the central corridor of the human kingdom, which can establish the position of the geographical core of the El. The supplies of the North and South Kingdoms will be very convenient to gather in the El Sect Country. If it weren't for the Radiant Code, which explicitly forbade the clergy to rule directly over the secular realm, the Cardinals, the Knights of Radiance, and the Presbyterian Order would have been more than happy to build a port on the shores of Lake Fes in El Are. Because the port of Al belonged only to His Majesty King Nahtigarh, the Church indirectly expanded the secular influence of the papal line in the port of Eyre.

The geo-core strategy of the Church seized on the goods, population, and trade between the north and south of the human kingdom, and fundamentally weakened the influence of the Kingdom of Cambis and the Dukedom of Barcelius.

Suppose that the shadow pastors can gain a place within the church, and that they are close to Cambis and Barcelius, and that they support each other, which is in the fundamental interests of the three parties.

In other words, Pastor Shadow wants to speak for the two empires of the North and the South within the church, and he also needs the full support of the North and South empires.

Duke Usein furrowed his eyebrows and muttered almost to himself, "So, it's not that they can't contact Cousin Victor, but they deliberately have a secret meeting with Gangbis through our channels. A common secret allows the three of us to find a tacit understanding of cooperation. ”

"It's not three, it's four. Don't forget that the kingdom of Dordor also lacks the support of divine powers, and the Knights of Radiance and Frederick have always targeted them. The Shadow Priest became an independent branch of the Church, training Blood Guardians and Shadow Warriors in large numbers, and to a certain extent, could replace the Templars and help Iron Mountain, Gombis, and Dordor open up the situation. Orooksia calmly analyzed.

Usein's brow furrowed, and he asked to himself, "The 'prisoner' said that the Shadow Priest needs the supervision of the clergy...... The so-called regulation is to vote, and the shadow pastors are ready to serve the force of the church?"

"The Shadow Priest must be the political enemy of the Radiant Knights, is there a force within the church that can resist the pressure of the Radiant Knights and protect the Shadow Priest?"

"The Cardinals?Flides occupies a third of the seats in the Cardinals, and the two Patriarchs are reluctant to join forces against the Knights of Radiance, not to mention their bloody struggle for the position of Pope. ”

"The Elder Order of the Monastics, those old fellows used to have some prestige, and they forcibly pulled the Knights of Radiance from the position of Pope. Now, more than a hundred abbots quarrel all day long, even more quarreling than the noble house, pulling each other's hind legs, and nothing can be done. What can they do for us if they take refuge in the Abbey's Presbytery? I am afraid that the Blood Guardians and Shadow Warriors they have cultivated will end up in the pockets of the College of Cardinals and the Knights of Radiance, just like the priests trained by the Abbey. ”

"Hah, they won't be like the Guardians of Light, right?" Usein sneered and said, "If the Shadow Priest chooses to take refuge in Nachtigar, then all the clergy and secular lords will join forces to fight them, and in an instant, they will be wiped out. ”

Oroxia smiled faintly, "If the Shadow Priests are not stupid, they should take refuge in the Presbyterian Order, accept the leadership of the Inquisition, and indirectly owe allegiance to every Pope. The premise is that the referee Trigovar is brought down...... I'd love to see Trigovar unlucky, but we can't be part of the Shadow Priest's plans. They will only be qualified to cooperate with us if they bring down Trigovar. I think the Golden-Eyed Earl will also choose to sit on the sidelines and make the last bet. ”

Usein folded his arms, rubbed his chin, and said with a smile, "As it should be." Cousin Victor's side, we don't need to be reminded...... Just wait for the moment when the final water comes out. ”

"I'm going back, and I'll come back the day after tomorrow. Oroxia glanced at the Duke and said, "I have a few thoughts here...... First, the 'prisoner' was well-versed in theology, pedantic in speech, and should have lived in a monastery since childhood. Second, he did not understand the style of the great nobles, but his proposals for cooperation were quite politically discerning...... the words and deeds of the 'prisoner' were completely out of proportion to his political insights, and I deduced that he was not the real head of the Shadow Priest. There should be another figure behind the shadow priest, a figure unknown to the Inquisition......"

"They must be clergy, so they can hide from the eyes and ears of the Inquisition, they must not have a high status within the Church, so they want to support the Shadow Priests, and they are most likely hiding in the monastery, and have access to the current situation, but they do not know the way the great nobles behave...... They were not ascetics of the monastery, they were scholar-priests of the monastery. ”

"They, you mean...... Legacy?"

"Yes. Oroksia nodded, a confident smile on her lips.

"Mobilize our men within the Church to find them before the Earl of Golden-Eyed does. ”