Agreement
Leylin’s progress slowed once he became a rank 17 arcanist. He performed experiments on negative energy and other planes everyday within his wizard tower, and occasionally taught some apprentices. He led a leisurely life.
As he possessed crucial techniques and strength, he was not in the least bit anxious. And just as he expected, others could no longer hold themselves back.
“Lord Baron… Were you really the one to create these three spells? Detect Demon, Detect Domain, and Sense Devil?”
Xena did not seem to be in the best mental state. There were dark bags under her beautiful eyes, and it was apparent that she hadn’t had a good rest in a long time. For her, this was something unthinkable.
“Yes!” Leylin answered with a smile, and he then saw Xena’s eyes that were full of shock and astonishment that she could not hide.
“The many gods will definitely notice your contributions to the World of Gods!” After obtaining an affirmation, Xena immediately guaranteed.
This was because Leylin’s invention was far too astounding.
Even if the paladins had spells like Detect Evil, its categories and scope were far too narrow. After personal testing, Xena found that the spell models that Leylin provided far exceeded the detection methods from before, whether in terms of accuracy or scope.
The effect it would have on the operation of dealing with demons and devils was obvious.
Xena’s eyes were now full of fervor as she watched Leylin. If she could offer up these techniques to her goddess’ church, she might even have the confidence to compete the next ‘Holy Coin’ church election!
“I’ve always had zero tolerance for evil organisations!” Leylin’s experiment showed how ‘righteous’ he was, but he was snorting away inside.
He himself was half an Archdevil, so making a few techniques to detect devils was far too easy. Having met a high-ranked person from their faction, being betrayed and sold out was just the devils and demons being down on their luck.
With this, Leylin could also show his resolution in his faction.
Of course, as the person who created these detection techniques, Leylin had long since come up with their respective defences and counter spells. Of course, he had given all those to his own devil underlings.
‘It’s wonderful to use another’s strength to eliminate your enemies…’ Leylin assessed to himself, ‘If these spells grow widespread, then all the devils and demons hiding in the mainland will face heavy losses. It’ll be a chance for my worshippers of gluttony…’
Thankfully, Xena had no idea of what Leylin was thinking, or else she’d definitely attack him.
“But I can only sell the spell scrolls and alchemic items related to this to you. The basic spell model has to be kept a secret. At the moment, I will only be selling them to you three and your churches,” Leylin’s next words caused Xena’s expression to change.
“After all… my Faulen Family is merely a small power that’s unable to go against the devil and demon forces of the whole continent. You wouldn’t wish for our Faulen Family to be massacred by violent devils and demons, would you?” Leylin watched Xena, looking helpless. While this Gold Bishop’s expression changed, she still had no choice but to acknowledge this.
Even Xena had no confidence to say that the church of wealth would definitely protect the Faulen Family, because this was impossible.
Those devils and demons definitely did not care for the Goddess of Wealth.
“Mm, alright. You will also need to swear that you will never leak news that I am the seller!” Leylin spoke seriously. While dealing blows to devils and demons was good, he did not want to invite trouble. This was why it was necessary to take all these steps as well.
Most importantly, there was a limit to the spell scrolls and alchemic items that he was selling, so that the effect could be regulated. With the ability of Magi and arcanists to seal things, Leylin was confident that he could press this advantage for over a century. Even a legendary wizard would not be able to decrypt his spell models.
In addition, with his ‘pitiful’ speed, there was a limit to the spell scrolls he could make. Part of the time was also needed to be spent on research. Hence, the actual damage to the demons was rather slight.
Based on his speculations, being able to wipe them out of the Dambrath Kingdom within a decade was something very amazing.
This would prevent certain powerful demons and devils from being driven to action in their desperation. With such a long period of time, they would have the time to come up with plans and deal with it.
By selling this stuff, he could also rope in the three churches. He’d already considered the possibility of them joining hands to pressure him. Firstly, the three of them were in the lawful good faction, and would never use sinister methods. With their three gods controlling each other, he would also have the chance to benefit from them all.
Only a legendary, with decisive power in the prime material plane, would be a sufficient foundation to protect the interests and safety of his organisation.
“... I understand… After this, I’ll contact the other two churches.” Xena gave Leylin a look, having thought of many things in that instance, “Our church of wealth is very much in favour of the Faulen Family expanding in the outer seas!”
“Thank you very much! Oh, I’ve already prepared the specific spell scrolls. The price is ten thousand gold kronas, so please come and get it anytime!” Leylin smiled winningly like an unscrupulous businessman. The church of wealth had money after all, and who was he to say no to that? They were more than capable of paying for this.
……
After the exchange of benefits and agreement, the Faulen Family’s inclination of unifying the outer seas was unstoppable. They’d already subdued other, smaller nobles, so they met no opposition on that front. The rest were like Marquis Tim of the Gold Thornblossoms, too afraid to oppose this.
After seeing the three churches standing by the Faulen Family, he was already scared shitless. Tim knew how ruthless Leylin was. He had dared massacred the Baltic archipelago, and after gaining support from the churches he was fearless. If Tim had the courage to fight back, he would end up in an even worse state than the old Marquis. He was a smart man, and obviously made the right choice.
In that moment, the outer seas belonged to the Faulen Family’s to do as they wished. Only the ships that had the family’s flags could move around in the outer seas uninhibited.
Recently, there were even rumours that Tim and his band of nobles were planning to petition to the Dambrath King to consider the Faulen Family’s expansion and ‘outstanding contributions’, in hopes to raise Leylin’s feudal rank and give him more land.
With all the troubles on the surface dealt with, Leylin focused his attentions on what was going on in the shadows.
“There are actually only two forces in the dark world of the Dambrath outer seas. One is the evil force with the pirates in power, but with the annihilation of the Barbarians, they now pose no threat. The other is the native islands with their faith in evil gods…”
Using a conjured water mirror, Leylin was now deep in a frank conversation with his cousin Isabel.
She had already completely taken over Pirates’ Cove and turned it into the Scarlet Tigers’ base. It could be said that the fall of Pirates’ Cove meant that the outer seas’ pirate world had been unified. There would no longer be any forces on the sea that could match the Scarlet Tigers.
“Also… The native tribes’ belief in the evil gods is something very troublesome. They are rather ignorant, greedy, and savage, and believe in natural spirits. They rely on beings with great might to shelter them, and become a huge threat to passing ships…”
As the noble child of a merchant of the seas, Leylin had long since gotten a deep understanding of these native tribes. Even if the Dambrath Kingdom had entered an age of discovery in the seas and gone through generations of migration, there were still few ‘civilised people’ in the outer seas than natives.
It was said that further into the deep seas, there was a large continent where an empire built by the natives existed!
Hence, in order to completely unify the outer seas, he could not let go of these natives’ tribes, especially since they had natural spirits that had formed after hundreds or even a thousand years worth of offerings.
These primitive totems had, with years of faith from the natives, obtained immense strength. Possessing divinity or even igniting divine flames was nothing special from them.
“I hope you can head the elimination of the native tribes in the outer seas, in the regions that we know of.” Leylin spoke to Isabel through the communicator.
He now somewhat had a group of underlings with reasonable strength, and there were some things he did not have to do himself. In that sense, he’d turned from a pawn into the player.
In order to truly leap out of the chessboard, he’d at least need legendary strength. To take part in the games of the gods, he would need to be a member!
“Make records of all the natural spirits and totems with legendary strength and above, and also the native tribes that believe in the Goddess of the Ocean. Let them off temporarily.” Leylin had consistently been taking advantage of the weaker ones and afraid to go head on with the powerful. Nothing changed here.
“I understand!” As a senior pirate, Isabel knew full well the terror that the Ocean Goddess could inflict. There were many amongst her own men that followed her. Once she was provoked in the ocean, then one would only be engulfed by boundless storms.
Isabel could even imagine that once she ordered those pirates to attack the Ocean Goddess’ church or altar, those pieces of trash would collapse in their fear.