Wizard: I Have a World of the Dead

"Finally got it!"

Lin Qi breathed a long sigh of relief.

Since returning from the harvest festival, he has basically been fighting in this dungeon, working tirelessly from morning till night, from autumn to deep winter, and he is really exhausted.

It's fortunate that I can return to Lorunt to recuperate at any time, otherwise this dark and secluded environment alone would be enough to make me depressed.

Now that we've gained control of the dungeon, we don't need to do the remaining exploration tasks ourselves anymore; we can just assign our skeleton servants to do it.

The dungeon is quite large, and Lynch has only explored less than one-seventh of it so far.

There are also a large amount of magical materials, rare ores, magical knowledge, and weapons and equipment, which are scattered in the remaining six areas of the dungeon.

Each area contains a boss, all of whom are Mordred's creations of modified creatures.

Of course, the biggest boss in the dungeon is not these modified creatures, but Mordred himself, who resides in the deepest part of the dungeon.

Inside an underground palace he built specifically to escape the catastrophic undead attack that was destroying the world.

However, that was a wizard-level existence, and Lin Qi would never attempt to fight that BOSS until he had the strength to contend with wizard power.

The world of the dead has a hierarchy suppression system; an apprentice's power is no match for a wizard, making it impossible to fight them.

In general, these are matters for the undead servants; just leave them to them.

And he himself...

The focus should be on conquering the Krabul Pass and attacking the Ruins, a crucial event that will usher in a new chapter.

"We need to make a proper plan..."

Lin Qi touched his chin and began to analyze the situation seriously.

......

Wallenberg.

The winter sun peeked through the gaps in the clouds, casting a thin layer of sunlight on the stone-paved corridors of the castle, making the smooth stone surfaces worn smooth by footsteps gleam slightly.

A series of light footsteps came from the end of the corridor, making a "tap tap tap" sound, like a string of beans scattered on the ground.

A little boy, about five or six years old, rushed out from around the corner. His blond hair shone brightly in the sunlight, and his cheeks were red from the cold. He ran very fast.

"Lance, wait for me—"

A little girl of about the same age chased after them, her dark brown hair tied into two small braids, the ends of which bounced on her shoulders.

"Elsa, hurry!" the little boy shouted without turning his head, his voice filled with an undeniable urgency. "The people of the Riverlands are almost here!"

Lin Qi was coming down the stairs, holding onto the railing with one hand and adjusting his cuffs with the other.

He saw the two small figures dart past in the corridor and frowned slightly: "You two, slow down."

Soft footsteps sounded behind her, and Margaret came down the stairs, carrying a dark gray cashmere cloak.

She walked behind Lynch, stood on tiptoe, unfolded her cloak, and gently draped it over his shoulders.

"Kids are kids," she said, walking around to face him, bending down to tie the tie at her collar, a gentle smile on her lips. "Being lively and active is in their nature."

Lynch sighed, "I thought Lance was mischievous enough, but I didn't expect the girls from the Wienhart family to be like this too."

Lance is the grandson of the old butler Cliff and a descendant of the Warren family.

The little girl, Elsa, was named Vinhart and was the granddaughter of Count Vinhart.

Her mother was a daughter of Earl Vinnhardt, and her father was a knight of the Vinnhardt family, who owned the fiefs of Riverside and Leathercap.

and,

They have all passed away.

And this little girl, Elsa, is the first in line to inherit both fiefs.

That's right!

This was the bargaining chip Earl Vinhart used to exchange Windridge Pass with Lynch; she would marry a member of the Warren family after she came of age.

Riverside Town and Leather Hat Town are both large towns with populations exceeding a thousand. The price offered by Earl Vinhart was not small, and the Warren family was quite satisfied with it.

Margaret tied the ribbon, then reached out to smooth the wrinkles on his shoulder. She took a half step back, looked him up and down to make sure everything was in place, before withdrawing her hand and naturally taking his arm.

"Let's go," she said, her voice tinged with impatience. "Father should be arriving soon."

The wedding will be held at the end of this month, and many nobles from the Southern Territory will attend. According to etiquette, the people from the Riverlands should come to assist earlier.

Lynch and Margaret walked out of the house side by side.

The castle gates were wide open, and a welcoming procession had already lined up in the open space in front of them.

The servants, dressed in brand-new uniforms, lined up on both sides, with the butler Cliff standing at the front, holding a silver tray with two goblets and a slender-necked wine bottle on it.

Knight Gael stood a little distance away, wearing his worn plate armor, with a broadsword hanging at his waist, his back ramrod straight, his white hair gleaming silver in the winter sun.

Several trainee knights stood behind him, their young faces showing curiosity and anticipation.

A convoy was slowly approaching on the road in the distance.

Leading the procession was a dark brown carriage, its carriage adorned with the coat of arms of the Riverland Hollenfield family—a trout leaping out of the water.

Several carts followed behind the carriage, each carrying a large wooden crate with its edges covered in sheet metal. The crates bounced along the stone road, making dull thuds.

That was part of the dowry.

Lin Qi raised an eyebrow, looking slightly surprised. The agreed-upon dowry shouldn't be that much, right?

The carriage stopped in front of the castle gate, and the coachman jumped down and opened the ornate carriage door.

Baron Barack stepped out of the carriage. He was wearing a long, dark brown tuxedo with mink trim on the collar and cuffs, and a silver belt around his waist.

Then a young girl got off the train.

She looked about the same age as Margaret, and her face was somewhat similar to Margaret's, except that her hair was blonde and her brows were much more haughty than Margaret's.

She leaned half her body out from behind Barak, then stepped onto the footboard and jumped down, holding onto the servant's hand.

Then he raised his chin slightly, his gaze sweeping over the castle with a condescending scrutiny.

Margaret, arm in arm with Lynch, stood on the steps. When she watched the girl step out of the carriage, her smile faltered for a moment, and her brows furrowed slightly.

There was a hint of confusion, and also a faint sense of unease.

Lynch was unaware. His attention was on Baron Barack.

He released Margaret's hand, stepped down the stairs, and went to meet her. Margaret followed behind, her pace slower than before.

"Uncle Barak," Lynch bowed slightly, a polite smile on his lips, "you must have had a long journey."

Barak's smile was even wider than during the harvest festival.

He reached out and patted Lynch on the shoulder, the pressure neither too light nor too heavy, his tone as warm as if he were talking to an old friend he hadn't seen in years: "Lynch, you're getting more and more energetic."

Margaret stepped forward and bowed to Barak: "Father."

Her voice was calm and her manners impeccable.

Barak merely glanced at her indifferently and nodded slightly.

Margaret's heart skipped a beat, and the unease in her eyes deepened.

Barack stepped aside to let the blonde girl behind him move forward, his tone becoming enthusiastic, as if introducing something worth showing off: "Lynch, this is my daughter, Victoria."

He paused, as if emphasizing something, and added, "Her mother is the eldest daughter of Viscount Russell of Ash Valley, and also my wife."

Viscount Russell. The powerful lord of Embervale, whose territory is several times larger than Wallenberg.

Victoria slightly bent her knees, performing a standard aristocratic curtsy, her movements elegant and composed, her skirt spreading out and then gathering at her feet.

She looked up, her gaze falling on Lin Qi's face, and the smile on her lips deepened.

"Your Excellency," she said in a sweet, coquettish voice, "everyone's been talking about your story lately."

Her gaze lingered on Lin Qi's face for a long time, exceeding normal social etiquette: "I'm finally meeting you today. You really are even more handsome than the rumors say...

Lynch smiled politely and said, "Thank you for the compliment."

Victoria's smile deepened.

She took a step forward, closing the distance between herself and Lynch. "I've heard that Wallenberg is one of the oldest castles in the South. Could you show me around?"

Lin Qi took it as a normal request from a customer and nodded: "Happy to serve."

He turned to the side and gestured for people to enter towards the castle gate.

Victoria lifted her skirt and walked briskly through the castle gates.

Lin Qi followed behind her, his steps unhurried, as if attending a perfectly ordinary reception.

Margaret lifted her skirt, ready to follow.

"Margaret!"

Just then, Barak's voice came from behind him, not loud, but with an unquestionable, fatherly tone.

Margaret stopped in her tracks.

She turned around and looked back: "Father...?"

Barak's smile had vanished, replaced by a serious, somewhat scrutinizing expression.

His hands were folded in front of him, his fingers tapping lightly on the back of his hands, his gaze fixed on Margaret's face as if he were looking at a piece of merchandise that needed to be re-evaluated.

"Wait a minute," he said, his voice lacking the warmth he had shown when speaking to Lin Qi, replaced by a calm, businesslike tone: "I have something to say to you."

Margaret stood on the steps, the winter sun shining behind her, casting a long shadow on the stone pavement in front of the castle gate.

She gently clenched her fingers on the hem of her skirt, her knuckles turning slightly white.