Getting on Track

After creating the disturbance at the Mages' Association, Li Lin left without a word. He understood the predicament the Mages' Association would face. Each mage tower had paladins responsible for guarding the mages, and his declaration would, unsurprisingly, be heard by those paladins. This would force the Mages' Association to make a choice—to resist or to perish.

Li Lin understood the association president's intentions, but in his view, these mages were not yet qualified to negotiate with him. Only after they made their own choices and paid the price would they be entitled to stand before him and make their demands. Until then, these guys, as Li Lin said, would not admit that they were mages.

The news from Angela was all good. Having finally witnessed the Ghoul army firsthand through magic, Li Lin was finally relieved. Clearly, these Ghoul possessed immense strength, incredible speed, a brutal will, and absolute loyalty. Their only enemies were sunlight and divine power, which, while still a problem, weren't a major one. Meanwhile, Angela and Anna were waging a massive massacre around Casablanca City, weakening the population while bolstering their army. In just a few days, they had amassed a Ghoul legion of nearly 20,000—a truly remarkable achievement.

However, Li Lin and Angela unexpectedly disagreed on the issue of the legion's name.

Why is it called the Scourge Legion?

Li Lin's lips twitched slightly as he tried his best to keep his expression from becoming too exaggerated.

"Angela, I always feel like calling me that makes me feel like I'm some kind of armor stand. Can't we change my name?"

"I think this name is quite nice."

Angela clearly didn't care about this.

"And Master, don't you think this is quite apt? I've always longed to lead such an immortal army to conquer the world."

"We're not conquering the world right now... never mind."

After careful consideration, Li Lin finally decided to give up getting entangled with Angela on such an insignificant issue, since Frostmourne wasn't among the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys anyway.

"Remember, you must act quickly, but never leave any clues for others. A single, decisive strike is the most lethal. If the secret is revealed before the main character even takes the stage, then the play becomes utterly boring. You should understand this better than I do. Knowing when to stop is also crucial, and... you haven't directly clashed with the Temple, have you?"

"Of course, Master, those weak insects are not worth my attention."

"Very good."

Li Lin nodded, satisfied with the answer.

"Then, everything is in your hands, Anna, Angela."

Watching the little guy's figure disappear in the illusion, Li Lin sighed. Just then, a glass of cool and refreshing drink appeared in front of him.

"Master, you have been working for thirteen hours straight."

Suoxiate, handing over the drink, reminded him with her ever-present smile.

"I believe that physical management is also very important."

"During this period, we can't get much rest."

Li Lin shook his head as he reviewed the materials in his hand.

"Besides, isn't Nia working too?"

"She is a weapon, and you are a human."

Clearly, Suoxiate had no intention of giving up.

"We, the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys created to bear your pressure and responsibilities. Therefore, you can entrust everything to us without having to work so hard. Please forgive my rudeness, but your current body is much weaker than your previous one. Pushing yourself too hard will not do you any good. Moreover, you cannot handle your work well in this state."

"Perhaps you're right."

Even without Suoxiate saying anything, Li Lin could feel his body getting tired. This body was really inconvenient; even though his mental strength could still support it, his physical body was already struggling. This troubled Li Lin greatly. Before, in the Land of Elves, he had devoted all his energy to how to re-establish the alliance with the elves, and thus had completely forgotten to ask the Elf Queen for some more Eternal Spring Water.

But even if we find the spring, where will we find a dragon to kill?

Thinking of this, Li Lin could only shake his head helplessly, putting the matter out of his mind. He then picked up the glass in his hand and drank the beverage. The cool, comfortable feeling immediately spread down Li Lin's throat, and his originally tired body suddenly relaxed a lot under this comfortable stimulation.

Your cooking skills are still as good as ever.

Setting down his cup, Li Lin smiled and spoke to Suoxiate. He had to admit that although the maid before him possessed little combat ability, she was an indispensable member of the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys. At least in the past, she had been responsible for Li Lin's daily needs. As a weapon born with the mission of service, Suoxiate knew Li Lin's preferences and habits very well. With her by his side, Li Lin never worried about forgetting anything or being dissatisfied. Suoxiate always silently did everything she was supposed to do, always quietly following Li Lin, acting on his behalf. She and Nia were like sisters, one inside and out. Nia handled the public work, while Suoxiate, like a backstage staff member, went unnoticed but indispensable.

"All of this is so that you can get better rest, Master. I think you should go and rest."

"All right."

Although Suoxiate still wore a smile, Li Lin understood from her third insistence on her opinion that her mind was made up. If he didn't take a break, Suoxiate would probably go on strike—in this respect, she was quite like air, inconspicuous yet absolutely indispensable. Li Lin was certain of it. If Suoxiate went on strike, then whether he could even manage to tidy up the mountain of documents on his desk would be a problem.

"Then, I'm going to take a nap... If Nia or Angela needs to see me, wake me up immediately."

"Yes, Master."

Suoxiate silently stepped aside, and Li Lin could only helplessly stand up, intending to go to the bedroom to rest for a while. Just as he was about to open the door, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded. Then, a petite figure burst through the door with a "bang" and rushed in. Fortunately, Li Lin was prepared. He stood still, and the magical runes around his body naturally activated. Instantly, the super-fast moving figure stopped abruptly, obediently standing only a few centimeters away from Li Lin.

"What's wrong, Yi Aier?"

Seeing the two golden ponytails swaying from side to side, Li Lin knew who it was without even needing to confirm.

"Master! We did it! We did it!!"

At this moment, Yi Aier seemed completely unaware of what she was doing. She excitedly raised her head, waved her little fist, and said to Li Lin.

"It worked?"

Hearing what Yi Aier said, Li Lin's heart stirred.

You mean...?

"All twelve satellites of the Virgin Goddess's Jewelry have been successfully activated, Master!"

"Real!?"

Hearing this, Li Lin's face lit up with joy, and his previously exhausted body now felt completely refreshed. The twelve satellites, the Jewel of the Virgin Goddess, were the core of Li Lin's plan to restore his kingdom. Although Li Lin had replaced most of the mechanical principles with magic early in the plan, the two were still fundamentally different. On Earth, satellites float in outer orbits according to their planned paths. However, in this world, astronomy hadn't advanced enough to study the world beyond the atmosphere. Coupled with the limitations of magic, these massive and heavy satellites could only float above the clouds, relying on Levitate. Even though it was theoretically feasible, Li Lin's cautious nature Arcane Mage meant Li Lin wouldn't be completely at ease until he saw the results. Therefore, the news brought by Yi Aier was naturally good news for Li Lin.

"Take me to see it right away."

Led by Yi Aier, Li Lin quickly arrived at the laboratory where satellites were being built. There, twelve enormous cylindrical objects, shimmering with magical light, floated quietly in the air. Six long crystal plates extending from their bodies reflected beautiful light under the illumination. Upon seeing Li Lin's arrival, the mages became even more excited. After all, this was the first time they had ever heard of or built such an object, and the satisfaction and joy they felt upon their success were something outsiders could not understand.

The twelve satellites were manufactured entirely according to Li Lin's design. They were all made of magically conductive metal with excellent magical transmission properties. On their massive cylindrical bodies, six rectangular crystal plates extended outwards, etched with complex spatial magic arrays. These crystal plates were not used to provide energy like the solar panels on Earth's satellites, but rather to provide spatial channels and launch capabilities for missiles. Currently, all twelve satellites were activated, and surging magical power emanated from their bodies, interconnecting to form a vast, invisible network—this was the core power.

The twelve satellites were perfectly positioned to monitor the twelve territories of the Magic Empire, even though they were currently occupied by the enemy...

"We will take back these lands."

Li Lin reached out, sensing the magical network of the satellite constellation before him. Magical runes appeared and disappeared in his hand. Then, he opened his eyes and nodded in satisfaction. The magical power flowed smoothly, without the slightest flaw or fluctuation.

"Very well, so what are we waiting for?"

A tremendous roar resounded, like the booming of thunder.

Twelve golden beams shot out from the Ringwraith City, like shooting stars streaking across the tranquil night sky, disappearing after leaving long trails in their wake.

"Number One has reached the designated location!"

"Number Two has reached the designated location!"

Soon, the information flowing back through the magical network appeared before everyone. Different colors gradually emerged in the previously empty air, symbols of the satellites arriving at their designated areas and commencing operations. Like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle being pieced together, Li Lin silently gazed at these regions. These were once the territories of the Magic Empire, and he had poured countless efforts into them. But now, they no longer belonged to the empire; the flags flying above them were no longer those of the Magic Empire, and the people living on their lands were no longer its subjects.

We're back.

As he watched the fragmented maps gradually become complete and increasingly familiar, Li Lin clenched his fists.

We will eventually reclaim our territory, and no one can stop our progress.

No one will do.

Looking at the now completely intact territory of the Magic Empire, Li Lin's lips curled into a sinister smile.

That same night, in the Holy Autonomous Territory.

"My Lord Bishop! My Lord Bishop!!"

The urgent knocking interrupted the bishop's sleep. He opened his eyes with displeasure, struggling to regain control of his body. Although bishops usually got quite annoyed by such sudden disturbances in the middle of the night, the urgent sounds outside were clearly unusual. In the bishop's memory, even the death of the archbishop had never brought such a panic.

What happened?

After quickly putting on his coat, the bishop calmly walked to the door and opened it. Seeing the door finally open, the paladin waiting outside looked slightly more relieved.

"Your Excellency, I am so sorry to disturb you so late at night... but, but something terrible has happened!"

"What serious incident has occurred?"

Seeing the paladin's terrified and uneasy face, the bishop frowned in displeasure. Even if something serious had happened, couldn't you, as a paladin, be a little more calm and composed?

Catherine is alive!

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, the head educator raised an eyebrow; the result was both unexpected and expected.

Where is she now?

"Catherine is currently in the palace of Dideyasi, but... but..."

"But what?! Tell me!"

Seeing the paladin's face turn bright red, the bishop realized that things might be in trouble.

"But Princess Catherine filed a complaint with the Temple, accusing the paladin who had escorted her to the Holy Autonomous Territory of... raping her...!!"

"What did you say?!"

At this moment, the bishop's expression also changed drastically. He grabbed the paladin's shoulder, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at him.

"She really said that?!"

"Yes... Your Excellency, and this is an official document... from the royal family of Dideyasi... that has been sent to us formally..."

As he spoke, the paladin, trembling, finally managed to pull a royal letter from his robes and slowly handed it over. The bishop hurriedly snatched it, quickly opened the envelope, and carefully examined every word. Soon, even the bishop's not-so-strong body began to tremble slightly. Clearly, this was not a dream, and the Dideyasi royal family was obviously quite angry. This letter showed that if the Temple couldn't give them a satisfactory explanation, the existing relationship between the two sides could collapse instantly. At that point, his position as bishop of the Holy Autonomous Territory...

"Who found Catherine?! What exactly happened?! How is this possible?! There's absolutely no way such an absurd thing could happen!!"

"I heard, I heard that the Kingdom's garrison found Catherine on the edge of the Black Forest. It seems that Catherine was fleeing at that time... Your Excellency, what exactly is going on...?"

Don't let those nonsensical words disturb your mind!

Seeing the paladin's fearful and uneasy expression, the bishop felt a surge of unease. If this was the case, it was no wonder a paladin would react this way, and clearly, this was not an isolated incident. Within the Holy Autonomous Territory, there were many supporters of that saintess, and now, the saintess had actually been violated by a paladin on her way to the Holy Autonomous Territory?!

The bishop himself was all too aware of the consequences once this news spread. Moreover, most of the residents of the Kingdom of Dideyasi had chosen to worship the God of Justice because of this Holy Princess. And who knew how they would react when they learned of this?

What's the situation now?

However, right now, the bishop is most concerned about his subordinates.

"Your Excellency, to be honest... this is very bad. Many of our brothers are unable to accept this news; they even..."

At this point, the paladin fell silent, clearly not entirely convinced himself. Given Catherine's influence within this Holy Autonomous Territory, one could imagine the fury, shock, and disbelief the paladins would feel upon learning this news.

"Damn it, how could this happen?! How could such a thing possibly occur?!"

The bishop clenched the letter in his hand in anger. He couldn't believe it, he absolutely couldn't believe it. The paladins he had sent were his most loyal subordinates, and among them was the guardian knight commander who was in love with Catherine. How could such a thing have happened?! Moreover, even if something had happened, with Catherine's intelligence, she should have understood that such a thing, once it came out, would not be good for the kingdom or the Temple! Why would she say such a thing? Something was wrong, something was definitely not right! He had to find out the truth immediately, otherwise, if the Central College of Bishops reported this to the archbishop, he would be completely finished! Although he was a clergyman, the bishop also knew very well that once the Temple determined that it would cause harm, it would abandon him without hesitation! By then, it would be too late to say anything!!

Prepare the carriage immediately!

With this in mind, the bishop solemnly issued the order.

"I will personally go to Dideyasi to find out the truth!"