Mages United

To be frank, Li Lin is a very controlling person.

In his view, while it was impossible to control every single detail, he needed to keep the main trajectory in his grasp. At the very least, the overall situation should progress and develop as he had controlled. This habit extended to magic, giving rise to a minor quirk: Li Lin easily set certain special dates on a fixed schedule.

Although Suoxiate, Yi Aier, and Beika were born over a century apart, they were all created by Li Lin on the same day, at the same time, in the same month. Among the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys, the three maids share the same birthday, while Kalin, Anna, and Miu'erkasi share a different birthday on the same day, in the same month. The only difference is Nia; as the leader of the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys, Li Lin didn't consider creating other weapons when he initially created her, so for Li Lin, that day was also special.

Although Li Lin initially only regarded them as his weapons, as the Weapon Spirit grew, he gradually came to see them as his subordinates and children. Therefore, celebrating their birthdays was also Li Lin's duty. Moreover, this was their first birthday since he returned to this world and reassembled the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys, so he naturally couldn't ignore it.

However, it's true that even weapons manufactured on the same day, in the same month, at the same time can have such drastic changes in their characteristics.

Looking at the three maids with different expressions in front of him, Li Lin's thoughts swirled in his mind, but he ultimately didn't voice them.

After hearing Li Lin's words, Beika finally stopped refusing, reached out and took the gift from the fat merchant, and put it on her little finger.

It must be said that although Old Pikachu had never met these three maids, he had a remarkably accurate grasp of their characteristics and preferences. Suoxiate, wearing a crystal pendant, seemed unchanged from her usual self; only upon closer inspection would one notice that the pendant appeared to be an integral part of the head maid's body, so harmoniously integrated, without any protrusion. Yi Aier's bracelet on her left hand looked cheerful and bright, a perfect match for her lively and energetic personality. As for Beika ... this plump merchant clearly understood the principle that gifts should make the recipient feel comfortable; although the small ring was rather inconspicuous, it suited Beika's consistently understated style.

The three maids didn't object to their gifts, so Li Lin readily took out his wallet. The fat merchant didn't refuse; instead, he happily accepted the money and saw the four of them out of the shop. When the fat merchant returned, he was clearly very excited, his eyes narrowed into slits. Just moments before, Li Lin had specifically instructed him to manage the various shops and merchants that were about to move into Ringwraith City —a very desirable position for the fat merchant.

"Lord Pikachu."

Seeing that he was in such a good mood, the servants beside him curiously came forward and asked their questions with some doubt.

Why did you do that?

"Huh? What do you mean?"

The portly merchant was clearly in a good mood. He walked back behind the counter with a smile, glancing at his servant.

"Since the Arcane Mage is choosing a gift, you could have simply not accepted the money. Those pieces of jewelry aren't expensive; it would have been much better to do him a favor..."

"Idiot."

However, before the servant could finish speaking, the fat merchant interrupted him, reaching out and giving the man a hard knock on the head.

"I've told you hundreds of times, you need to use your brain when doing business. What were you looking at all that time? You were as stupid as a pig. The Arcane Mage dares to buy books and other items from me, do you think he cares about the money? Besides, don't you even think about it? Those ladies were given gifts personally by the Arcane Mage. What kind of status do they have? I don't even know those three ladies. What right do I have to be so generous with other people's money and give them gifts for free? Are you trying to make me show off in front of the Arcane Mage or something? The Arcane Mage wants to pay for it, and you're stopping him from doing so. So, is this gift from me or from the Arcane Mage? You're utterly stupid."

As he spoke, the fat merchant narrowed his eyes again, looked at the puzzled young servant in front of him, and sighed.

"Learn more. Sometimes, a businessman can only live a peaceful life by doing his job well and not thinking about so many other things."

After leaving the "Hundred Thousand Thunders" shop, the group finally headed towards their original destination—the residence of the three old mages on the top floor.

"Master, what exactly are we going to do?"

Perhaps because she had received a gift, Yi Aier was in an exceptionally good mood. She skipped and hopped along behind Li Lin, asking questions with curiosity.

I'm not sure either.

When asked by Yi Aier, Li Lin simply shrugged.

"I only learned from Nia that they have something very important to discuss with me, and it would be best if they could contact me in person. I don't know what it is, but it seems serious enough to require a direct conversation with me. However, since I'm already here, I might as well go and see them."

Buying a birthday present was actually the main reason for this trip.

Although the city is now under lockdown and the City of a Thousand Towers is no longer as heavily guarded as before, Li Lin stopped when he reached the floating disc leading to the top floor. He frowned slightly and stared at the dozen or so carriages parked in the square. They didn't look particularly luxurious or high-class. However, what caught Li Lin's attention was the insignia on them—although these carriages were of different shapes, they all bore the insignia of the Magic Association on their sides.

Li Lin had a vague idea of why the three old masters had come to him for help.

Sure enough, when Li Lin arrived at the top floor, he not only saw the three administrators of the City of a Thousand Towers, but also some mages he had never met before.

"Respected Arcane Mage."

Upon seeing Li Lin appear, the leading old monk hurriedly stood up and bowed deeply to him.

"Please forgive our intrusion, but we can no longer endure and wait."

Who are they?

Li Lin didn't directly respond to the old mage's words, but instead turned his gaze to the three administrators of the City of a Thousand Towers. It's important to understand that the relationship between the City of a Thousand Towers and the Magic Empire is currently kept completely secret and cannot be known to anyone. These mages, judging from their appearance, seem to come from all over the world and don't appear to be members of the City of a Thousand Towers. Why would they know about the relationship between the two, and even come seeking his help? This is the answer Li Lin needs.

Sensing the dissatisfaction in Li Lin's tone, the three old masters hesitated for a moment. However, they ultimately explained the current situation.

It turns out that these mages didn't learn about the relationship between the City of a Thousand Towers and the Magic Empire on their own; rather, it was these three old mages who leaked it.

Or rather, "leaked" isn't quite right either.

After Li Lin's rampage at the Magic Association, forcing the mages to rise up against the Temple, he never bothered with matters there again. After all, there were many more important things, and Li Lin had absolutely no liking for these mages who were working for the Five-Nation Alliance. To him, the apprentices who had been imprisoned in the Magic-Banning Prison were perhaps more appealing. Therefore, Li Lin basically intended to let these mages fend for themselves.

But these mages were different. Although they were forced to defect, the Arcane Mage still hadn't contacted them after so much time, which was becoming unbearable for those mages who had been struggling to stay afloat. Although the Temple had redeployed most of its forces with the invasion of the Magic Empire into the Federation, reducing the pressure on many mage towers, mages were still just mages; they couldn't do anything more than that. With the long winter over and the Magic Empire's series of victories, many mages had begun to reconsider. Some mages were determined to follow the Magic Empire to the end, while others had decided against it. Many had witnessed and remembered the Magic Empire's bloody massacres through magic, and they feared they would suffer the same fate, so they no longer intended to stay with the Magic Empire.

After receiving complaints from their friends, these three old monks, after much deliberation, finally decided to reveal information to some of them, hoping they could make the right choice.

Of course, these three old mages were well aware of Li Lin's aversion to the Five-Nation Alliance. Therefore, this time they invited mostly mixed-race mages from the border autonomous regions of the barbarian tribes—places that nominally belonged to the Five-Nation Alliance but were in reality no different from the Wildlands —instead of seeking out mages living in the central areas. The old mages also knew very well that, given Li Lin's resolute attitude, even if those mages from the Five-Nation Alliance wanted to surrender, they would probably be killed by him without mercy.

I see.

After listening to the explanations of the three old mages, Li Lin looked at the mages who had gathered together. This time, he saw that many of them had distinct alien features. Although they were not human-beast hybrids like those in the City of a Thousand Towers, he could still tell a lot from their skin color and facial features.

"So... I suppose you already had a proposal before I arrived."

Under the expectant gazes of the assembled mages, Li Lin pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Yes, Your Excellency Arcane Mage."

The leading old mage bowed again. Although Li Lin looked very young, those gathered here were all old mages who had practiced magic for a very long time. They could naturally feel the terrifying power emanating from the mage in front of them, a power that was enough to suffocate people.

Arcane Mage, indeed living up to his reputation.

"We gather here for no other reason than that, as mages who have been oppressed by the world for far too long, we humbly beg for your protection and permission to join the Magic Empire. For this, we are willing to pay any price."

"Any cost?"

Hearing this, Li Lin smiled slightly.

"Are the magic towers you're in located in the border regions of the Five-Nation Alliance?"

"Yes, Your Excellency Arcane Mage."

The old monk seemed somewhat reluctant to speak about this matter.

This is understandable. Although the Magic Association has been suppressed for centuries, everyone has their own ambitions, and the Magic Association naturally didn't want to be suppressed by the Temple forever. Therefore, two hundred years ago, they planned to send some people to the border regions to develop magical arts, attempting to use the strength of those border barbarians to counter the central group formed by the Five-Nation Alliance. However, the Magic Association later discovered that those barbarians themselves didn't have much talent to become mages, and the effort and money required to train them exceeded the Magic Association's capacity. In addition, the Temple had already become suspicious of the Magic Association's actions. So, in the end, the Magic Association abandoned this promising plan, letting the Magic Association in those border regions perish on their own. In their view, without the support of the Central Magic Association, these border barbarians wouldn't last long and would die out on their own, so there was no need to care.

These barbarian mages are the survivors who barely made it after that. Although they didn't fully receive the Magic Association's formal training (although Li Lin considered the Magic Association's teaching to be equally unorthodox), they gained the power to become high-level mages through patience and perseverance. Moreover, because these border mages had been abandoned by the Magic Association, they had already formed a de facto external alliance. The three half-blood mages from City of a Thousand Towers became acquainted with these mages through this, and seeing them in trouble, they naturally couldn't bear to keep all the benefits for themselves.

"Are you willing to pay any price?"

Li Lin asked again, and this time, the mages seemed to realize that things were not so simple, but they still nodded in unison.

"So..."

Thinking of this, Li Lin revealed a cold smile.

"I can agree to your demands, and I can even allow you to join the Magic Empire, but before that, I need you to demonstrate your sincerity."

"Of course, Your Arcane Mage."

Upon hearing Li Lin's words, the mages hurriedly nodded, except for the three old mages who stared at Li Lin with solemn expressions, seemingly lost in thought.

"Whatever you ask us to do, as long as it's within our capabilities, we will do our best."

"Very good."

Hearing this, Li Lin nodded, and then he made his request.

"Since you are all mages from barbarian regions, you should be well aware that the Five-Nation Alliance has dispatched numerous soldiers and imperial personnel to your lands in order to maintain their territory."

This is to be expected; any country would do the same thing after acquiring land.

"I only have one request."

Li Lin looked relaxed, as if he were casually chatting about the weather.

"If you wish to join the Magic Empire and gain my recognition, then first you must slaughter everyone in the Five-Nation Alliance on your land, including soldiers and civilians—all must die. Afterward, I demand that you take control of the entire barbarian region and explicitly declare independence."

"..."

Upon hearing this suggestion, the monks stared in astonishment, exchanging bewildered glances, unsure how to respond.

I think you should all understand that as well.

Despite the awkward atmosphere, Li Lin did not change his stance.

"The Five-Nation Alliance once destroyed our Magic Empire. I will not allow anyone with the Five-Nation Alliance blood to continue living on this land, whether man, woman, old, or child. Kill them all, two of them... This is my bottom line. I will not tolerate the shamelessness of the enemies who destroyed my country, who were not even worth our slaves. If you can do this, then I will agree to let you join the Magic Empire."

"But we didn't..."

"If the enemy doesn't have any mages, then eliminating them wouldn't be difficult for you high-level mages, right?"

As Li Lin spoke, his gaze drifted toward the back of the mages.

"Furthermore, my empire has no need for the lackeys and spies of the Five-Nation Alliance!!"

Just as the rain began to fall on Li Lin, a wave of energy suddenly came from behind the group of mages. The mages, who were completely unprepared, were scattered by this terrifying wave of Magic Power energy. And in the midst of it, a white, luminous figure transformed into lightning and rushed towards Li Lin.

"Evil Arcane Mage, die!!"

With a shout, increasingly powerful energy gathered at the white figure's fingertips, erupting with a loud roar. Faced with this sudden situation, the other mages could only subconsciously cast protective spells on themselves. When they regained their footing and looked up again, the white figure had already rushed in front of Li Lin.

A tremendous amount of energy was poised to be released at his fingertips—but it did not flow out.

Beika had somehow appeared in front of Li Lin, extending a small hand to block his advance and simultaneously suppress his power.

Polymorph?

Li Lin smiled coldly as he gazed at the man before him, who bore the pure blood of the Five-Nation Alliance.

"To actually use Polymorph in front of me, it seems the mages of the Five-Nation Alliance are incredibly foolish."

"Evil Arcane Mage... We, the Five-Nation Alliance, will not yield to your feet!"

The mage, whose face had turned ashen from feeling his power being sealed, gritted his teeth and endured the backlash of the energy.

"We will prevail! Evil will be banished!! The Magic Association will never allow itself to be manipulated by evil beings like you!!"

"So noisy!"

Upon hearing this, Yi Aier shouted and took half a step forward. The magical light gathered in her hands grew even brighter, and then, accompanied by her master's angry roar, it radiated out.

Pure, flawless energy instantly engulfed the man's figure. When the sun-like flash disappeared, the attacker was nowhere to be seen before the mages, not even a trace of him remained. Then, they heard Li Lin's icy voice.

"Then I think you should learn to make your own choices."