Befriend Distant States and Attack Nearby Ones

Clearly, the "live broadcast" of the Casablanca massacre had ignited the mages' passion. They were no longer content to simply huddle in the Ringwraith City, engaging in repair and crafting work. In fact, many of these men had no work at all. While they could have focused their energy on research, revenge was now clearly more important to these mages than research.

Although Li Lin still hoped they could focus on domestic affairs, the situation reported by Nia was a problem he had to consider.

"I knew they would propose this bill; it was just a matter of time."

Li Lin frowned and looked at Nia; clearly, he didn't think highly of the matter.

"Who told you to give that kind of speech, Li Lin? You know, once these mages get excited, they're not so easy to handle."

Nia responded to Li Lin's complaints without changing her expression.

After that, these mages were no longer satisfied with just sitting and watching the live stream. They were eager to participate, not just by doing preparatory work in the rear, but also by doing things that would allow them to directly experience the fruits of victory.

Their proposed solution was also very practical—they hoped to use necromancy to merge their souls into the bodies of others. In this way, as long as the soul and body could be perfectly integrated, they would be reborn as ordinary humans. This would allow them to freely enter and exit the barrier and do whatever they wanted.

In fact, Li Lin had already considered this plan before even waking up the Ringwraith City. However, he had always put it out of his mind, pretending to have completely forgotten about it. After all, these mages, currently in their soul form, had lifespans that were practically infinite, and within the barrier's range, even the most severe injuries could be healed without causing any problems. But once they possessed human bodies, things would be different. Not only had the mages of this era not received systematic magical education from the Magic Empire, but the flow of magical power within their bodies was also different from these mages. The fact that these bodies were simply insufficient to withstand the mages' soul power was enough to give Li Lin a headache. Even Li Lin himself encountered a similar situation during his journey to Earth. Despite being proficient in necromancy and having made considerable preparations before his transmigration, he still faced significant problems when possessing this body. For a time, he was unable to use magic. If it weren't for the Magic Tattoo system—directly inscribed on his soul—to guide his Magic Power, Li Lin would be nothing more than a simple Earthling, let alone having regained any strength. Furthermore, the souls of these mages were no stronger than Li Lin's; even with complete protection, they would undoubtedly lose a significant portion of their power upon rebirth.

Furthermore, reborn mages can no longer instantly recover from any damage as before. Rebirth is essentially a perfect fusion of body and soul, a union of two entities. While possessing a true physical body grants these mages greater convenience, death upon rebirth means true and complete annihilation. The remaining forces of the Magic Empire are already limited, and Li Lin is unwilling to waste his already scarce resources on such pointless matters. The souls of these remaining mages from the Magic Empire era represent the last treasure trove of knowledge, and even the slightest loss would be painful. He needs to at least allow them to train two or three generations of mages sufficient to support the Magic Empire before considering such matters. Therefore, Li Lin has never proactively brought up these issues.

"However, it wouldn't be a good thing for you to refuse outright in the current atmosphere."

Nia's words weren't entirely without merit. The mages' emotions were running high, and if Li Lin were to use an excuse to reject their patriotic fervor, it would be a major disappointment for these mages who rarely displayed such sentiments. Li Lin needed to respond quickly, because many of these mages were exceptionally capable. While their knowledge might not match Li Lin's or Nia's, they possessed unique technical skills. If Li Lin's excuse wasn't convincing enough, things would become quite troublesome.

These mages are the type who either remain silent until they make a stunning move. Since they are confident in getting Nia to submit this proposal, it means they have likely already found some means or method...

Thinking of this, Li Lin stopped tapping the table and looked up.

"Nia, I need to raise the emergency level in the Barrier of Undeath. From now on, all abnormal movements of souls within the barrier must be completely stopped. Also, inform the sisters to keep a close eye on the students in the academy; I don't want any unnecessary problems to arise. Finally... I hope you can help me talk to those people and tell them that I will try to meet their demands to some extent, but I also hope they can consider the current state of the Empire."

"I understand, Li Lin."

Nia naturally understood the meaning behind Li Lin's words. She nodded slightly, then raised her staff and gently tapped it on the ground.

Soon, an almost imperceptible force permeated the entire barrier surrounding Ringwraith City, altering its very nature.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"For the Five-Nation Alliance, this is fine for now. I think this way they'll understand what they should really be treating... Until then, we don't need to take any action. The elves and Dark Elf still need time to prepare, and I'm also worried about the God of Justice's actions. Although, according to principle, gods won't actively intervene in the Prime Material Plane unless absolutely necessary, we shouldn't push them too hard. It's good for them to be on edge for a while. And I can use this time to negotiate with the dragons."

"... And the dragon race, is that right?"

Hearing this, Nia frowned slightly.

"Li Lin, there aren't enough resources in Ringwraith City to negotiate with the dragons right now."

"There's no need to worry about that; we can advance the payment first and then pay you later."

"Overdraft?"

Nia tilted her head curiously, not quite understanding the meaning of the word.

"Moreover, although dragons are typically greedy and don't value their lives, they still have their ancestors... I don't believe they would dare to ask for exorbitant prices like before under the current circumstances. Otherwise, it would be too late once Bahamut and the Chromatic Dragon God are dragged away by the God of Justice to serve as watchdogs."

"So, this is where they're going to start?"

Hearing Li Lin's words, Nia couldn't help but smile slightly. Although dragons are indeed inherently greedy, they haven't reached the point of abandoning their ancestors for money. Once they know that their gods are threatened, these dragons will lower their demands. Those dragons with kind natures are easy to persuade, but red, black, and white dragons—powerful and inherently evil and brutal—are not so easy to deal with. And precisely in war, the power of these dragons is what Li Lin needs most. He doesn't expect both sides to abandon their prejudices and cooperate, but... Li Lin still needs to ensure that everything remains under his control.

"However, this time, I need someone with enough power to accompany me. It's a pity that if Miu'erkasi were here, she would be the best choice. Now I have to settle for second best... I'll take Yi Aier with me."

"Yi Aier... Li Lin, I'd like to ask, what are your plans regarding Miss Angela?"

"... Do you think she'll obediently stay here and wait for me to come back?"

It's quite clear that the answer to this question is fairly definite.

"Well, this trip won't be easy."

Although she said those words, Nia seemed quite happy.

Are you sure you can handle this?

The combination of a delusional maid and a sharp-tongued Lori is a problem that Li Lin will find daunting from any perspective.

"But we can't take Anna and Kalin with us, those two would only make things worse. I don't want the dragons watching our infighting. So..."

At this point, Li Lin suddenly stretched out a hand and gestured to the side, as if he wanted to grasp something.

"Suoxiate?"

"Please allow me to accompany you, Master."

As the cool, sweet drink was handed to Li Lin, the smiling maid gave her response.

"I do get a little jealous every time you take Nia with you. After all, I'm your head maid, and it's my duty to be by your side at all times as a maid."

"Nia, how is the magic ship being repaired?"

Li Lin didn't say much. After all, Suoxiate and Nia were his closest allies, one providing practical assistance and the other offering meticulous care in his daily life. Although this was the reason Li Lin created them, he still paid close attention to maintaining a balance in his relationship with them, ensuring neither was neglected. Nia had been with him for a while, and it was time for a change of scenery. Moreover, Nia herself didn't care much about internal conflicts within the team, and she never interfered unless in a particularly urgent situation. Suoxiate, on the other hand, had absolute authority over the other Ring Spirit Envoy in this regard; as long as she intervened, any disputes could be easily resolved. What intrigued Li Lin even more was that Angela seemed somewhat afraid of the head maid, always appearing unusually docile in her presence. Li Lin did this to see what kind of chemistry would develop between the two.

"Progress is very slow."

Things didn't go smoothly.

"Although many of the people we still have are from that master's circle, restoring most of the magical components of the magic ship is extremely slow. After all, that Arcane Mage used different techniques than us, and it will probably take some time to completely restore the entire magic ship."

"This is really troublesome."

Upon hearing this report, Li Lin frowned.

What is the current situation?

"The power system is complete, but... there are still some technical issues to resolve."

"As long as the propulsion system is resolved... I can't very well travel by carriage to the dragons' territory for negotiations; that's not proper etiquette for the Magic Empire. Even though it's a thousand years later, we can't afford to be looked down upon... Besides, for those who can sleep for a hundred years at a time, a thousand years isn't that long. Moreover, given the current situation, we don't need to temporarily increase any magical armaments. With Angela and Yi Aier there, the ship won't suffer any damage. As for the technical issues... we can observe them together and see if there's anything that needs to be addressed. The Five-Nation Alliance isn't peaceful right now; I think after this attack, they'll definitely increase their checks and restrictions. I don't want to be bothered by these trivial matters; it's much more convenient to leave from the sky."

"... Of course, I understand what you mean. Then, I'll immediately inform them to prepare for the magic ship's departure. If you need anything else, please let me know right away."

After careful consideration and confirming that there were no major problems with the current magic ship, Nia agreed to Li Lin's request. Then, as if she had thought of something, she leaned close to Li Lin's ear and whispered a question.

"So, Li Lin, should I call them over now? Or... wait a bit?"

Nia's smile clearly betrayed her ill intentions.

Sure enough, this ominous premonition came true.

"You want me to go with her?"

"You want me to go with this willful woman?"

Angela and Yi Aier pointed at each other almost simultaneously, looking at Li Lin with disbelief and helplessness.

"Master, why must I go with this willful and annoying little girl?"

"What capriciousness? As a maid, you should serve her wholeheartedly no matter who she is. Besides, it should be your honor to serve me. How dare you have any complaints?"

Angela glared angrily at Yi Aier, complaining with a dissatisfied expression. As for Nia, she made an excuse to deal with the magic ship's problems and left first, deliberately avoiding this obvious battleground.

"Hmph, you're just a little girl. You're flat-chested and have no curves. All the women who slept with Master before were curvaceous. You're just a toy Master uses to play with like a doll. Frankly, you're nothing more than a familiar. How dare you speak to me like that? I am the Hymn of Destruction! The most destructive weapon among the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys!"

Faced with Angela's complaints, Yi Aier was no pushover either. She was arguably the most proud and arrogant of the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys, so how could she tolerate such treatment?

"What 'ultimate destruction'? To put it bluntly, you're nothing more than a lustful maniac who cums inside everywhere! Is there anything else in your head besides fantasies? Hmph, all you think about is how to get men to satisfy your pathetic and terrifying delusional desires. An unsatisfied old maid is truly shameful. Seeing you like this, I feel ashamed for you! I'm afraid even a thousand years from now, no one will want to board your dilapidated ship!"

"What did you say?! You little brat! If it weren't for Master's kindness, who do you think would want such an arrogant and conceited brat like you! You're not even pretty. I really don't know how Master could have been so kind as to take you in!"

"Hmph, besides my master, what other man do I find pleasing? As for you, do you think any man will do? Which of your mouths has been used before? Or are all three of you already secondhand goods?"

"You're the one who'll sleep with any man, you know so much about that kind of thing, who knows if you've slept with a lot of men before?"

"How utterly disrespectful! All males except my master are nothing but rutting stray dogs! How could I possibly deign to look upon such lowly creatures?!"

How would you know if you haven't tried?

"So you dare to say that to me because you've tried it?"

"You you you you you..."

Watching the two quickly resume their argument, Li Lin sighed helplessly, shrugged, and looked apologetically at Suoxiate beside him.

Angela has always been like that... She's not intentionally targeting you, so don't worry about her.

"I don't mind... Besides, I don't think Miss Angela dislikes us; she's just trying to get closer to us."

Suoxiate's expression remained unchanged, but she said something that surprised Li Lin.

"Oh?"

"If someone is truly disliked, there's no point in communicating with them at all. Just seeing them would be repulsive, and talking to them would be like swallowing a fly. Miss Angela is only trying to understand us and get closer to us... That child doesn't seem like a bad child, but sometimes she does the opposite of what she truly feels; she's not very honest. From a certain perspective, don't you think their relationship is quite harmonious?"

"That's not entirely unreasonable."

Looking at the two of them, Li Lin couldn't help but recall what Nia had said: Angela and Anna got along quite well when he wasn't around, but once they were facing him, they would become the kind of gentlemen who used both words and actions. Indeed, there was quite a bit of that kind of relationship. Although the little one always liked to say things that left people speechless, she wasn't just arrogant and conceited. At least in front of Nia, she was very well-behaved and respected his weapon.

However, considering that he hadn't had much interaction with Angela, Li Lin was able to grasp her inner thoughts so accurately. He began to understand why Angela would hide like a mouse from a cat after seeing Suoxiate.