Ang set down his wineglass and leaned forward slightly, his tone calm yet carrying a faint, imperceptible pressure. "My lord Count, you should have received the news from several days ago about Black Mages appearing in the Milaginbi Mountains, shouldn't you?"
Steven Brill frowned slightly, surprise showing on his face. "Black Mages? This is the first I've heard of it. Which incident are you referring to, Your Excellency?"
Ang paused briefly, a grave look flashing through his eyes. "The information is quite clear. Reliable sources reported that Black Mages appeared deep within the mountains. They attacked several small territories and lone adventurers, plundered magical beast materials, forcibly entered villages and towns, and sacrificed multiple civilians—it is no longer merely a desecration of magic. This is outright rebellion."
Steven Brill's brow twitched, suspicion in his voice. "I wouldn't find it strange if Black Mages performed sacrifices, but robbery... that doesn't sound like their style. People like them usually either hide very deeply or target ritual materials and sources of knowledge directly. Robbing things?"
Ang looked at him, a faint, mocking smile curling at the corner of his lips. "You underestimate them too much, my lord Count. The Black Magic Society is no longer the bandit-like organization it once was. They are consolidating, gathering strength, and secretly plotting to overthrow the Empire's rule over the Archipelago Plane."
Those words exploded beside Steven Brill's ears like thunder.
He immediately sat upright and stared at Ang's face. "Are you sure you didn't hear wrong? Overthrow the Empire? What ability could they possibly have? This..."
"I have more information." Ang's tone remained steady, but every word struck like a hammer. "They are joining forces with the lizardmen and preparing an unprecedented large-scale assault. Not only that, there are rumors that they have contacted a legendary