Chapter 98: Departure (1)

Forbidden spells, as the name implies, are [spells that are prohibited from use] due to their unparalleled destructive power, far surpassing that of other magics.
In terms of magical rank, forbidden spells belong to the deadly category of level six and above. Their development has a long history; since the first Sassanian king ordered the refinement of black magic four hundred years ago, forbidden spells, as the most powerful weapons of black magicians, have been continuously studied and enhanced, even given the names of ancient deities. All of this proves the terrifying power of these spells.
Black magic, purely speaking, does not refer to a specific type of magic but is a general term for all magics that utilize the negative energy of elements.
By negative energy, we mean the uncontrollable, violent aspects of elements—such as fire. Throughout human history, fire has been an indispensable part of human life, used for lighting, heating, and cooking. Yet fire is not gentle; if used improperly, it can cause immeasurable disasters. Countless lives have been lost to what seems like a gentle flame.
As the mainstream profession in the imperial magical community, black magicians have often been criticized and blamed. Apart from warfare, they seem almost useless elsewhere.
It is remembered that the earliest pioneers of elemental magic were green magicians, who advocated for harmony between humans and nature—a concept influenced to some extent by elven civilization. Early green magicians were mostly free-spirited bards. It may be hard to imagine, but even before magic was accepted by the general public, green magicians were already using their powers to build the nation.
Although they cannot be called the pioneers of human magical history, as the forerunners of imperial magic, they deserve recognition.
Later, black magicians, who were often criticized, replaced the green magicians. In the early days of the empire, black magicians were mostly used as weapons in warfare. They did not engage in production or construction; they only caused destruction, which led to them being labeled as destroyers of human civilization.
However, it must be said that black magicians developed on the shoulders of green magicians. Over hundreds of years, they replaced the green magicians and became the strongest pillar of the empire, serving as the most powerful weapons both domestically and internationally.
Unlike their predecessors, in today’s empire, black magicians not only cause destruction but also participate in various fields as builders. Yet their research on forbidden spells never stops.

Forbidden spells are magic that severely violates the [Domain of Gods]; perhaps a similar shadow can be seen in the names of the gods associated with them. No one would claim that forbidden spells can be a constructive force—they only bring destruction and ruin. In these times, dark magicians have voluntarily stepped away from the heart of wars. Hundreds of years of experience have taught them that destruction mostly leads to stagnation rather than progress. They deliberately weaken the magic left by their predecessors and pass it on to their successors, reminiscent of the early green magicians. Yet, dark magicians still find it hard to give up on forbidden spells, as they are their most powerful weapons. It can be said that forbidden spells have played an immeasurable role in enabling dark magicians to reach the pinnacle of the magical world. Apart from them, whether it’s the white magicians of Salonia or the necromancers lost to history, their research on forbidden spells is far inferior. Dark magicians sometimes claim to be [the beings closest to gods], but in reality, they are merely scholars pursuing ultimate power. [Black] does not signify evil but rather indicates that they possess forbidden power. [Lava Hell: Hephaestus’ Fury] This spell, named after a god, is undoubtedly a fire-based forbidden spell. But in truth, using such forbidden spells requires a series of complex incantations and gestures, and even magic circles and artifacts. To cast a forbidden spell with just a single incantation seems utterly beyond human capability… So… “Tch!” Glancing into the distance, Argus sighed irritably and shrugged, saying, “I thought that old guy was just angry out of embarrassment. Who would have thought…” Pul glanced at Argus mockingly and whispered, “You’ve been deceived!” “Yes, completely deceived…” Argus said, glancing at the small volcano that had previously been active but was now eerily silent. With a smirk, he said sincerely, “Truly worthy of being a wise archmage!” He paused briefly, then added in a tone tinged with regret and mystery, “But things aren’t that simple, esteemed Archmage!” “Is this really okay?” Pul asked hesitantly, glancing at Argus. “I remember our plan was to keep this archmage in Galleck to ensure the smooth execution of our plan…”

“Ah!” Nodding, Argus shrugged indifferently and said, “But since he got away, there’s nothing we can do…”
“Is there really nothing we can do?” Pule stared deeply at Argus and said in a very serious tone, “I hope you’re not lying to us, Argus…”
“Oh, of course I wouldn’t lie to you, my dear companion!”
Looking at the smiling Argus, Pule clearly noticed that he had said “you,” while his own question had used “we”…
Thinking of this, Pule sighed softly and said, “Don’t put me in a difficult position, Argus!”
Argus was momentarily stunned, then laughed self-mockingly. Glancing at the sky, he said ambiguously, “I won’t…”
At that moment, persuaded by Dia, Thos had returned to Allicok. Of course, accompanying him was that vampire who aspired to become a bard—a descendant of the infamous Count Vlad: Ulrich Vlad.
As for Thos, he was truly an annoying guy. Along the way, whenever they encountered something new, Ulrich’s expression was no different from that of a child seeing a fun toy. It was hard to imagine such a person could be a terrifying vampire!
Allicok…
Glancing at its sturdy, impenetrable walls, Thos turned to Ulrich, who was standing dumbfounded not far behind, and snapped, “Hey, how much longer are you going to stand there?!”
“Ah,” Ulrich finally came back to his senses, his eyes filled with surprise and longing as he murmured, “It’s amazing! Is this really Allicok? It’s wonderful… This city is amazing…”
“Giggle,” Dia, standing beside Thos, smiled slightly, tilted her head, and said lightly, “Allicok is the most famous fortress in the northeast region of the empire—Ulrich, haven’t you seen cities like this before?”
“Of course—no!” Ulrich shook his head, gazing at the cityscape, and murmured, “I’ve never seen such buildings before. Even the grandest castles in my memory… Wardrob can’t compare at all…” As he spoke, it seemed he thought of something and asked curiously, “Empire? What’s an empire?”
“It’s the country we live in!” Dia explained with a smile.
“Oh, if they can build such an amazing city, this country must be extremely powerful!” Ulrich couldn’t stop marveling.

“Of course,” Dia said softly with a smile, “the empire unified this place four or five hundred years ago…”
“Unified?” Ulrich widened his eyes in surprise. “Were those powerful lords all defeated?”
“Ulrich, you’re talking about hundreds of years ago. Those lords were all defeated by the great Saxon king back then…”
“Wow, to be able to defeat those powerful lords, the Saxon king must have been an incredibly great person…”
Listening to Ulrich constantly praising the city and the famous Saxon kings from history, Thos felt a hint of irritation and said irritably, “Yes, so just stay here and keep praising that great man—Dia, let’s go. Ignore this guy!”
“Giggle!” Dia smiled slightly.
“Amazing…” Still marveling at the grandeur of the city, Ulrich suddenly noticed that Thos and Dia had walked away and hurried after them, calling out, “Wait for me, Thos, Dia…”
A few days earlier, Ulrich had become close to Thos and Dia. To be honest, as a notorious vampire, he had an unusually good temper. Aside from a bit of inexplicable childlike behavior, he was just like an ordinary nobleman—nothing like a vampire at all.
“Wow, what’s this?” After taking a few steps, Ulrich’s attention was drawn again to the handicrafts on the roadside stalls.
“That guy…” Glancing at Ulrich, who was standing beside a roadside stall with wide eyes, Thos felt annoyed and frowned. “We really shouldn’t have let him follow!”
“It’s okay,” Dia said gently, holding Thos’s hand and smiling. “Isn’t it great? Ulrich isn’t the vampire we imagined. He has no ill intentions toward us, right?”
“No ill intentions…” It would be strange if such a guy had any malice! Thos shook his head speechlessly. Suddenly, he noticed the wanted poster stuck on the wall and frowned upon closer inspection.
“Argus…” Dia obviously noticed the boy’s gaze and instinctively looked at the wanted poster, covering her mouth in shock. “Good heavens, Argus actually tried to assassinate Scott’s grandfather?” She then glanced at the boy with a worried expression.
“That guy wants to destroy this country. I’m not surprised by anything he might do…”

“But,” Dia said softly, glancing at Thors, “aren’t you worried about Scott, Thors? You are, aren’t you?”
“Dia…”
“Okay, I understand,” Dia said with a slight smile, her tone somewhat peculiar. “We came to Allicok just to find a carriage to go back and say hello to old friends… But this might make us seem dishonest, Thors!”
Thors gave Dia, who was smiling, a speechless look and snapped, “All our luggage is here. All I have is a silver coin given to me by Argus. Using just one silver coin to return to Riox? That’s completely unrealistic!”
“Yes!” Dia smiled gently.
Just then, Ulric rushed over eagerly, extending his hand with anticipation. “Do you have ten copper coins? Just ten would be enough!”
Before Thors could speak, Dia asked curiously, “What do you need the money for?”
“That one,” Ulric said, turning back to point at the small stall by the road. “I’ve never seen such exquisite crafts before. They’re absolutely amazing…”
“Could you please stop a bit?” Even with the magic array on his left hand, it seemed unable to suppress Thors’ anger.
Dia gently patted Thors’ hand and apologized, “I’m sorry, Ulric. We don’t have any luggage with us, so we can’t buy that craft for you. The only silver coin Thors has is temporarily kept by his friend, so it can’t be used…”
“I see…” Ulric sighed regretfully, gazing longingly at the stall.
“How about this? We’ll come back here after we retrieve our luggage, okay?”
Upon hearing this, Ulric perked up immediately, bowed respectfully, and said, “Thank you so much, kind lady…”
“This guy!” Thors glanced at Ulric irritably. He had thought the man was at least in his twenties, but in reality, he was even less mature than Scott and Allen, often acting more like an inexperienced child. Clearly, Thors regretted agreeing to Dia’s suggestion and taking in a homeless, problematic vampire.
Amidst Ulric’s occasional exclamations of surprise and praise, the group finally arrived at the count’s castle in the inner city. Allen, Lavia, and the others, informed by the guards, quickly ran out of the castle.

Sure enough, as Lisa and Lailira had expected, Ravia was clearly very happy to see Thors, but for various reasons, she suppressed that happiness deep in her heart, putting on an indifferent expression and saying sarcastically, “You still remembered to come back? I thought you’d left already!”
Originally, this problem could have been easily solved with just a few words of apology at that moment, but the issue was…
Glancing at Ravia, Thors walked straight into the castle, saying in a lazy tone, “I’m just here to get my luggage!”
“You…” Ravia was stunned.
What kind of attitude is that from this jerk?
He’s just coming to get his own luggage?
Is this how this bastard repays those who worried about him?
But since Dia was nearby, Ravia had to suppress her anger.
“Alright, alright,” Lisa stepped in to defuse the situation, seeing Ravia struggling to control her anger. She said awkwardly, “Whatever, as long as Thors is back is fine…” She then glanced at Allen beside her and added hurriedly, “Right, Allen?”
“Ah!” Allen nodded slowly, looking deeply at Thors before stepping forward and patting his shoulder, saying casually, “Welcome back, buddy!”
Facing one of his closest friends from before, Thors didn’t know what to say for a moment and could only nod.
“Who’s this…” Clearly, Lisa noticed Ulrich, who was looking around Thors and Dia with a surprised expression.
“It’s truly spectacular…” Ulrich was muttering to himself. When Lisa asked, he bowed slightly and said respectfully, “My apologies—hello, beautiful lady. My name is Ulrich Vlad. If I’ve caused any trouble… I’m extremely sorry!”
“Huh?” Lisa tilted her head in surprise at Ulrich and murmured, “Vlad? Is your last name Vlad? I seem to have heard that surname somewhere… Ah! Count Vlad…” She stared at Ulrich in shock.
Ulrich smiled slightly and bowed, saying, “The Count Vlad you mentioned is indeed my father…”
“Huh?!” Lisa looked stunned and instinctively stepped back two steps.
Glancing at Thors and Dia, seeing that they didn’t seem surprised, Allen shrugged and waved his hand, saying, “Alright, let’s go inside and talk—a lot has happened recently!” With that, he led everyone to his room.

Along the way, Lisa kept staring at Ulrich with a strange look. Once they reached the room, she couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “Um… is Count Vlad really your father? That’s…”
“Hundreds of years ago, right?” Ulrich smiled politely and said, “It seems my father’s reputation isn’t very good. I’m sorry if I scared you…”
“But… how can a person live that long?”
“Because I’m a vampire…”
“A vampire?” Lisa covered her mouth and stepped back two steps. Even Allen, Lavia, and Lelira looked at Ulrich warily, as vampires weren’t known to be kind in the events they had experienced.
“Don’t pay attention to this guy!” Thos, sitting on the sofa, said indifferently. “Rather than that, is my luggage still in my original room?”
“Of course,” Allen nodded, then looked at Ulrich strangely and said, “Dude, aren’t you going to explain anything? This vampire friend of yours? I don’t want to… but vampires haven’t left us a very good impression…”
Seeing that Thos had no intention of explaining, Dia took the initiative to briefly explain Ulrich’s situation. It was clear she had a fairly good impression of him—after all, aside from being a vampire, Ulrich’s gentlemanly demeanor made it hard for anyone to feel hostile toward him.
“I see…” After hearing Dia’s explanation, Lisa finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, a argument suddenly came from outside the room. It seemed to be Scott’s voice.
Seeming to notice Thos’s puzzled look, Allen shrugged helplessly and said, “Actually, if you hadn’t come back, we were planning to go look for you and leave this place… To be honest, this journey hasn’t been very interesting…”
Hearing Allen’s nonsensical words, Thos was confused and frowned, asking, “Who is that person?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lelira let out a soft sigh and said, “It’s Scott’s father… You must have heard about it too, right? Scott’s grandfather, that count, was assassinated when we were on our way to Alton…”
“Oh my God!” Dia said in disbelief. “Then…”

Seeming to read Dia’s thoughts, Lisa shook her head and whispered, “Since the count died, Scott has been in a low mood… He wants to seek revenge on the archer who killed his grandfather, but his father forbids him from leaving the castle at all… These past few days, they’ve argued several times a day. As Allen said, we originally planned to leave today or tomorrow—after what happened, it doesn’t feel right to stay here any longer…”
“Is that so!” Thors frowned, recalling the portrait of the wanted man. “Was it Argus who assassinated the count?”
“Not exactly,” Allen shook his head and explained softly. “But it’s related to Argus. The dean and Father Andrew also came to Galleck a couple of days ago. According to them, it was one of Argus’s men, a demon named Lelarkin, who killed the count!”
“A demon?” Dia looked at Allen curiously. “What’s a demon?”
“I’m not sure either,” Allen shrugged and shook his head. “According to the dean, they’re probably similar to spirits… But the fact that they, as spiritual beings, can harm humans is incredible…”
Just then, the door was pushed open, and Scott entered, his face still showing anger. He froze upon seeing Thors and Dia, forced a smile, and greeted them, “I’m glad to see you’re safe, Thors!”
“Ah!” Thors nodded in response. Dia beside him pointed outside the room and asked curiously, “Your father?”
“Mm!” Scott replied reluctantly, with clear disgust. “Though I hate to admit it, that guy is indeed my biological father…” He then looked up at Ulrich and asked doubtfully, “Who is this…”
Dia briefly explained Ulrich’s situation to Scott. It was clear Scott wasn’t paying attention; he didn’t show any surprise and merely nodded perfunctorily. Perhaps he just wanted to change the subject.
“Mr. Ulrich Vlad, nice to meet you!” With a forced smile, Scott turned to Allen and said, “Mr. Black mentioned that you’re planning to leave?”
“Well… yes!” Allen nodded with a wry smile.
“Yes, it’s better to leave,” Scott said with a self-mocking smile. “After all this has happened, I’m sorry to keep you here. I’m apologetic, Allen, Thors…”

“There’s no need to apologize, buddy!” Allen said softly, patting Scott’s shoulder. “None of us wanted this to happen… I’m sorry about your grandfather…”
“Mm!” Scott nodded silently, then took a deep breath and said in a forced light tone, “So when do you plan to leave?”
Glancing at Thors, Allen shrugged and said, “We originally planned to go look for him tomorrow if Thors didn’t return… Now that Thors is back… maybe this afternoon. What about you? When do you plan to return to Riox?”
Scott subconsciously pushed his glasses up and said with an odd expression, “I can’t return to Riox for now… That guy… he’s forbidden me from leaving here, so he’s stationed many soldiers outside the castle…”
“Your father must be blinded by anger—you must know what the dean said. That guy named Lelarkin is a legendary demon god; he’s not some easy opponent to defeat…”
“I know!” Scott said with a frown. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he looked at Allen apologetically and said, “I’m sorry, Allen… I know what you said, but…” He sighed deeply, shook his head, and said in a low voice, “But I can’t do it. I feel like I have to do something…” With another sigh, he forced a smile and said to everyone, “I’ll have Mr. Black prepare a carriage for you…” After saying that, he turned and left the room.
“Scott…” Lelira sighed quietly, looking at Scott’s retreating figure with pity.
During lunch, Scott didn’t show up, but Thors and Dia did meet the acting count mentioned by Allen—Scott’s father.
Unlike the old count, Scott’s father, Eion, wasn’t concerned about complicated etiquette. He was very easygoing and humorous; it was hard to imagine him as the son of that rigid and stubborn old count.
“Oh, you’re planning to leave this afternoon?” Duke Eion, Scott’s father, said with a smile after wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I’m truly sorry. You’ve come all this way to Galic, yet we haven’t provided proper hospitality, forcing you to leave with unpleasant memories… I’m very, very sorry!”
“Your Grace is too kind,” Lavia said politely, shaking her head. “It’s us who should feel sorry after all that’s happened…”

“Hehe,” Duke Yvonne smiled faintly before speaking seriously, “There are some things that, though none of us wish for them to happen, are still inevitable…” He paused, glanced at Thos, and asked the group, “Do you plan to return to Riox?”
“Mm!” Lisa nodded.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Your dean, Archmage Kaines, and Father Andrew from the Church left Galic a couple of days ago because of Agus. Otherwise, you could have gone back with them…”
“It’s okay. It was just the three of us when we came.”
“Hehe, you’re right,” Duke Yvonne said, glancing at the empty seat and shaking his head slightly with a smile. “My worthless son was taken care of by you all in the past. I’m very grateful… Oh, by the way, if needed, I can send a squad of soldiers to escort you back to Riox…”
“No need to bother, Your Duke. We can go back by ourselves…”
“I see. Then I won’t insist,” he said. As Duke Yvonne spoke, he saw the old butler Black enter and nodded. “Well, children, the carriage is ready. You can leave anytime after lunch… If you have the chance again, you’re most welcome to visit Galic!”
“Thank you very much, Your Duke…”
From beginning to end, Scott never showed up, perhaps because of Duke Yvonne—after all, their relationship had become extremely strained due to some past events.
Just as the children were getting ready to pack and leave Galic, the Empire’s first prince, the legendary brave and skilled Prince Theo, was setting off from Fort Lorn under the protection of a large army, heading to Sassen to inherit the throne.
And around this greatest gamble in the world, endless darkness loomed over the royal city of Sassen, as well as Heliriox…