Wizard: I brought the wrong system...

Chapter 325 A Request

When the carriage arrived at Lan'er Village again, it was noon the next day.

Having not slept for two whole days and constantly on the move, coupled with intense emotional fluctuations, Yaro began to feel sleepy as soon as he had a short break.

He forced himself to stay awake, took some food from his spatial ring and ate it hastily, then transferred the white deer to the bleating deer cart.

"Don't worry, she's evolving. Take us to the dryad territory; the dryads should be able to help her."

The deer, being spiritually aware, after being reassured and instructed by Yaro, independently dragged the wooden cart and quickly disappeared into the jungle.

In the jungle, the elk know the routes better than the ibex, and they will give warnings even if something happens.

Yaro, clutching the large sword sheath, soon dozed off as the wooden cart swayed back and forth.

……

Knock knock knock!

"Please come in."

In the simple room, the old woman raised her head, adjusted her glasses to identify the visitor, and then calmly said:

"Oh, it's little Claire. What brings you here this time? Has another nobleman secretly escaped? Or has one of the city gates been breached?"

"My lord, Scarlo has high walls. Even with their numerous knights, they cannot breach them in a short time. If this drags on, they will eventually succumb to heavy casualties and will surely retreat."

The tall Baron Claire, clad in armor stained with the marks of swords and spears, still exuded the aura of war, yet his dark face remained respectful.

Countess Ilinda sighed softly and shook her head, saying, "There are some things you don't know, so... well, never mind. Tell me why you've come, and if there's nothing else, think about your escape route."

"An escape route..." Baron Claire hesitated for a moment, looked up at the calm old woman, and mustered her courage to say, "Lady Ilinda, I have received some news, well... it should be considered good news."

"Is it related to a way out?"

Countess Ilinda nodded. "Tell me about it."

"A great fire has broken out at Viscount Corey's manor, and the guards defending Perrin Castle have mysteriously disappeared. The Viscount's territory is in chaos. Could we..." Baron Claire glanced at the expressionless old woman and uttered the rest of her words, "...take it?"

"I probably know more about this than you do," said Countess Ilinda, pushing the letter on the table forward. "Take a look."

Claire glanced at the letter on the table, then looked up in surprise. "That wizard? Is he that strong?"

Knock knock!

Countess Ilinda tapped the table with her pale fingers. "The key is that he can fly! This is proof of a powerful wizard! Claire, you're a lucky little fellow."

"Good luck?" Baron Claire paused. "Lady Ilinda, don't you think... this is also good luck for you?"

A bitter smile appeared on Countess Ilinda's weathered face. "Little Claire, there are too many things... you don't know."

"No! Lady Ilinda, I know!" Baron Claire said solemnly, "I know that the Kingdom of Lanelli has not given us a single piece of support in the face of the invasion of the Saint Fernando Empire, not even a grain of food or a single soldier!"

"I know that, around the same time, strange events similar to those at Perrin Castle occurred in the border region surrounding the Earl's territory!"

"I know that other nobles in the kingdom have even deployed large numbers of soldiers to their borders, as if defending against an enemy nation!"

"I know that the San Fernando Empire only invaded our territory and did not invade the surrounding areas in the slightest!"

Baron Claire looked at the old woman without flinching. "Lady Ilinda, do you know what those earls and nobles talk about in private?"

"Hmm?" Countess Ilinda gave a soft hum, neither confirming nor denying.

Baron Claire repeated in a deep voice, "They said, 'The Earl's territory is a lump of bread kneaded up by the Kingdom of Lanelli, a gift offered to the suzerain state, and we are the rotten cheese inside that bread; all resistance is futile!'"

“Not too bad,” Countess Ilinda said, not denying it but adding, “We can’t be called rotten cheese, but we can be called cheese. Perhaps, these people are part of the gift.”

"Is this for real?" Baron Claire, who had remained unmoved even when facing multiple knights on numerous occasions, finally changed his expression.

"I only found out recently," Countess Ilinda's clear eyes flickered slightly, and a bitter smile of despair appeared on her weathered face. "She told me just before the royal wizard left."

"We...including all our people, will become the feast in this carnival!"

"This is just an appetizer. Later, a large number of wizards will make their move, and then..."

"Heh...hehe!"

Countess Ilinda gripped the letter on the table tightly, veins bulging on her pale arms.

Baron Claire took a step forward and said anxiously, "My lord! Then we must go!"

Claire used to look down on wizards, but now he no longer holds that arrogant view.

"Leave? I can't leave," Countess Ilinda looked up at Baron Claire. "I am their excuse for sending troops. I, and the Earldom, must perish together at this absurd banquet before it all ends... a temporary end."

Baron Claire's face darkened: "My lord..."

"Alright, I've lived long enough," Countess Ilinda interrupted, raising her hand. "I won't leave, and I won't succumb to the darkness."

"Little Claire, I hope you can complete the last task... or rather, request I gave you."

Faced with those resolute eyes, Baron Claire hesitated for a moment, then respectfully lowered his head. "My lord... please speak!"

"Leave here carrying the hopes of the Earl's territory."

……

"You mean, you don't know what the white deer will become?"

Yaro frowned deeply; he hadn't expected the first news he heard upon waking to be so terrible.

Several deer pulling the cart were anxiously calling out "yoyo" from the side.

The oak tree trembled slightly, its top rustling as if nodding. "Yes, I am very grateful that you brought my people here, but I really don't have a better way."

Yaro gently stroked the deer, then looked up and asked, puzzled, "Can't we suppress the blood bat's true blood by constantly infusing it with natural magic? As long as the white deer safely passes through its metamorphosis period, won't everything be fine afterward?"

"Powerful wizard, your insight is truly admirable."

The tree spirit's attitude was much better than before; it continued, "..."

(End of this chapter)