It'll Cost You More

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

Standing aboard the balloon airship, Reilo's expression was grave.

Over a hundred giant birds had been sent out as mounts. Every knight riding one was at least a third-tier Earth Knight, among the most elite.

Reilo had thought the Immortal Fortress had already gone to great lengths to protect him.

It wasn't until they reached the agreed meeting point and saw the negotiating party sent by the War God Fortress that Reilo couldn't help frowning slightly.

Compared with how much the Xilan Duchy valued him, the Grand Duchy was utterly outmatched.

No wonder.

After the successful test of the Radiation Weapon, the Academic World of the Xilan Duchy, which had long lived under the shadow of the Grand Duchy's cataclysmic attacks, had demonized Reilo into a cruel and vicious devil bent on destroying the world. Even though they had since regained their reason, the regard they held for Reilo still far surpassed anything the Grand Duchy could match.

It was much the same as the Grand Duchy's attitude toward Xixi Li, the Bio-Exterminator.

The entire Sky Knight Order had been dispatched, more than three thousand men in all—a truly imposing force. Several large temporary protective magic arrays had also been prepared on the ground, as if they were ready to wage a full-scale war at any moment.

Whoosh.

Reilo descended from the balloon airship and looked toward the Xilan academician, the Sandstorm Controller.

He was a red-haired man in a black academic robe, younger than Reilo had expected, with sharply defined features. He looked back at Reilo.

Their eyes met.

"Master Reilo, the Sun Power, you look more mature than you did in the portraits."

The Sandstorm Controller spoke first.

Reilo replied, "Your bearing is also far more impressive than any portrait could convey."

They walked toward