Chapter 524 -The Unwilling Mystery Protector
Duke Arsena, as the most influential figure in the Northern Myst Empire, held the pivotal decision-making power at this moment. Both the Mystery Protector and Natasha were eagerly awaiting Arsena's final verdict.
After a prolonged silence, Duke Arsena finally voiced his thoughts, "We can't afford to remain enemies with John and the Naga tribe any longer. Just as Queen Naga mentioned, Storm City is the real danger ahead. Although I would like nothing more than to eliminate Ocean Sage, it's not currently feasible. Let's prioritize the safety of Storm City for now. Once it's secure, we can devise a plan to deal with Ocean Sage."
Natasha didn't object; she nodded in agreement. The Mystery Protector, although filled with reluctance, had no other choice but to concur with Duke Arsena's decision.
And so, all three formidable figures from the Northern Myst Empire returned to Storm City. Duke Arsena remained in his palace to attend to various matters concerning Storm City.
Natasha returned to the barracks to continue training the soldiers she had brought from the Northern Myst Empire. Meanwhile, the Mystery Protector was alone, pacing back and forth on the top floor of the Great Library in Storm City.
He was deeply dissatisfied with the current situation, feeling that he had missed the best opportunity to eliminate John. After some contemplation, he turned to the apprentice magus standing beside him.
"I've suddenly remembered that I have very important matters to attend to elsewhere," the Mystery Protector said. "I'll be leaving for a day or two. During this time, if anyone asks about my whereabouts, tell them I've returned to the capital of the empire."
The apprentice magus nodded in understanding, and with that, the Mystery Protector used teleportation to leave. His destination this time was Iceburg Castle.
Although Iceburg Castle had previously been under attack by Mystery creatures due to the Darklord's influence, it had since been restored to its normal state. The most powerful magus in Iceburg Castle, also one of the Legend Magi, was the Snow Queen, who resided in the magus tower in the outer district of Iceburg Castle.
The Mystery Protector's purpose in coming to Iceburg Castle was to meet with Queen, hoping to discuss whether both sides should cooperate further.
"It's a bit unexpected for you to come to Iceburg Castle this time. Has the crisis in Storm City been successfully resolved? Or does Arsena believe you can't provide any help to him?" Ice Queen was curious about the Mystery Protector's unexpected visit. In her view, the Mystery Protector should be quite busy at the moment.
Since the Mystery Protector and Ice Queen were well-acquainted, he didn't need to provide much explanation. "I've come here to seek cooperation with you. What are your thoughts on John?"
When the Mystery Protector mentioned John's name, Ice Queen finally turned her head. She was indeed very familiar with John's name. Previously, when Iceburg Castle was under attack by Mystery creatures, John had provided significant assistance. However, Ice Queen had not been at Iceburg Castle at the time; she was elsewhere. This had left her feeling guilty since she believed that had she been present, she could have ensured the safety of Iceburg Castle.
"He is indeed a very powerful adventurer, and I must express my gratitude to him as well for the assistance he provided to Iceburg Castle during that time. However, from your tone, I can sense a strong animosity towards him. I don't understand why this situation has arisen. Do you believe he poses a threat to us? Or do you think that all adventurers are untrustworthy? I've mentioned before that these adventurers possess tremendous strength. Besides their current power, they have even greater potential. We must harness the potential of these adventurers to successfully repel attacks from hostile factions. If we insist on opposing these adventurers, what happens if they align themselves with the enemy factions?" Ice Queen spoke at length, addressing the significant differences in their attitudes towards adventurers. She felt it was essential to clarify her position to the Mystery Protector.
The Mystery Protector appeared accustomed to Ice Queen's persuasion, so he nodded without immediate opposition and redirected the conversation.
"John is not only a remarkably powerful adventurer but also someone who successfully eliminated a projection of the Mystery Saint in Karen Port. Can you achieve such a feat? At least, I cannot! He is currently on our side temporarily, but if he truly aligns himself with the enemy factions, we won't be able to withstand his attacks. That's why I believe we must take precautions in advance. Without any precautions, we may encounter unexpected betrayals. You should know what I'm talking about because we've experienced betrayals before," the Mystery Protector explained.
His words momentarily silenced Ice Queen, who chose not to argue further. Instead, she asked directly, "How do you want me to assist you? Do you want me to cooperate with you and eliminate John once? I'm well aware that adventurers can be resurrected. Since they can be revived, we can demonstrate our strength by defeating an adventurer once. After that, we can offer them corresponding quests to win them over."
Ice Queen's response made the Mystery Protector feel that his plan had succeeded. He had believed from the beginning that this plan was the most reasonable course of action.
"You're absolutely right, and I believe your plan can indeed succeed. Let's prepare according to this plan. I will seek an opportunity to engage in direct combat with him. When the time comes, you only need to provide assistance, and I might not even need to go all out," the Mystery Protector expressed his enthusiasm, though Ice Queen's expression remained calm. In fact, her demeanor seemed even more solemn than before.
"Now that you've asked me about my thoughts on John, I would like to know your opinion on Darklord. You must be quite familiar with an adventurer like Darklord," Ice Queen remarked.
When Ice Queen mentioned Darklord, the Mystery Protector felt the need to tread cautiously. He had collaborated with Darklord previously and was well aware of the connection between Darklord and the Mystery power.
"I don't know much about Darklord as a person. I've only had dealings with him, providing him with some quests that he successfully completed. Why do you mention Darklord? Do you believe he has significant potential as well? If you think he has great potential and wish to nurture him, I can also provide assistance," the Mystery Protector replied, trying to sound cooperative.
Ice Queen shook her head, saying, "He was the mastermind behind the previous attack on Iceburg Castle. How could I possibly consider him to have great potential? I'm very eager to locate him and eliminate him. If you ever come across any leads on Darklord, please inform me in advance. After all, I've agreed to provide you with assistance, and you should also agree to assist me."
The Mystery Protector had no objections, knowing full well that the attack on Iceburg Castle had shocked all members of the Order Faction. While he had foreseen such a situation himself, he had never expected Darklord to dare to launch a direct attack on the main city of the Order Faction.
"No problem at all. I'll keep an eye out for any traces of Darklord. After all, he once placed Iceburg Castle in significant danger, and he must pay the price for that," the Mystery Protector assured.
With Ice Queen's approval, she returned her focus to her own tasks. The Mystery Protector had achieved his objective for this visit and saw no need to linger any longer.
He promptly made his way to Karen Port because he had long suspected that even after the elimination of the Mystery Saint's projection, traces of Mystery power might still exist in Karen Port. He hoped to further confirm whether the Mystery faction had any plans to launch an attack on Storm City in the near future and, if so, when they might initiate such an attack. These mysteries remained unsolved.
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