Chapter 152: Framing

"Aiboke, congratulations on successfully advancing to Arcanist!" "Aipusi, thank you." Although there was a smile on Aiboke's face, his eyes revealed sorrow. Looking at his excited old friend, Aiboke wanted to speak several times, but didn't know how to start.

Immersed in joy, Aipusi was completely unaware of this and was planning how to announce this good news to the outside world!

"Aiboke, I plan to hold a grand celebration in the territory to celebrate your successful advancement to Arcanist. It will also show those who covet us that the arcane heritage of the Savile Territory has never been severed!"

"You decide that, but don't be too high-profile. What is there to boast about for an Arcanist in his forties like me!"

"Aiboke, can I take that as you mocking me?" Aipusi feigned anger and put on a stern face.

"No, absolutely not." Aiboke hurriedly begged for mercy and changed the subject, "Aipusi, while we were away, the territory ran into trouble."

"What trouble? Do those people dare to attack us?"

"No, Aipusi, perhaps it's more serious than that. During my advancement earlier, I felt Saier Town Mayor repeatedly mentioning my name, and many others did as well."

Hearing this, Aipusi's expression changed instantly. Being disconnected from the outside world for so long was indeed improper. "Let's get out of here quickly; let the Magic Net here recover on its own."

"Alright."

After the two left, the elements and energy that had been suppressed by Aiboke in the Spell Laboratory immediately went wild, and manifestations of various elements and energies appeared accordingly.

Howling winds, splashing water, falling stones, and even thunder and lightning, mixed with ice, fire, and dust, turned the Spell Laboratory into a mess.

Town Hall, Town Mayor's office.

The sky had gradually darkened. Town Mayor Sain and the territory's military Supervisor Keyaan were arguing. Keyaan disagreed with continuing the search, arguing that it was almost night, and searching would cause chaos and might instead give others an opportunity.

But Sain believed that even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance regarding the Demon Summoning, they should not lower their guard. They had to find the remaining corpses and the Summoning Prop as soon as possible.

Just as the two were arguing incessantly, Lord Aipusi and Aiboke suddenly appeared in Sain's office, making the already tense pair even more nervous, thinking the mastermind behind the scenes had come for them.

Keyaan even subconsciously drew the one-handed sword at his waist, but after seeing clearly that it was the Lord and Aiboke, he quickly sheathed it again.

"Lord!"

"My Lord, you've come at just the right time!" Sain hurriedly explained the crisis the territory was facing and his argument with Keyaan, hoping Lord Aipusi could make a decision as soon as possible.

But to his surprise, the more Lord Aipusi listened, the uglier his expression became. "Enough, no need to say more. I already understand. Keyaan, go tell the soldiers to stop searching and return to the Military Camp immediately to await orders."

"Yes." Keyaan acknowledged and turned to leave.

Aipusi then asked, "Where are the corpses and the wooden Statue found during the search now?"

"They are all stored in the Mage Tower, under Leonard's responsibility," Sain replied.

"Alright, let this matter end here. No one is allowed to mention it again in the future."

"But Aipusi, what about the Demon Summoning?" Sain dared not refuse the Lord's order, but he was still very worried about the safety of the territory.

Upon hearing this, Aipusi became even angrier and said to Aiboke, "You explain it to Sain."

After saying this, he sat in the chair behind Sain's desk and began to flip through the documents on the desk.

Aiboke also sighed and explained: "Sain, this matter shouldn't have been kept from you, but at the time we were facing the Orc War, and everyone had many things to deal with, so we didn't tell you."

"What exactly is going on? You kept Niya's matter from me last time, and now this again, I—"

"Brother Sain, this is all my fault. I forgot to mention it. Don't blame Aipusi; he had to prepare to raid the Orcs and guard against Archmage Olong at the same time, so it was hard for him to take care of everything."

Aiboke's sincere words eased Sain's emotions. Although he had grown up almost alongside Aiboke and the Lord, the Lord was the Lord, and the Mage was the Mage.

"Tell me, what happened this time? Why is Aipusi so angry?"

"This matter goes back to the first Lord. That Merchant named Feierbosi—his ancestors came to pioneer the territory with the first Lord and helped the first Lord a lot. Even the construction of the Mage Tower had the help of the Liyadun Chamber of Commerce."

Aiboke first explained Feierbosi's background, then said, "However, it was only last year that we suddenly learned Feierbosi had long since defected to the Princess and was on a secret mission."

"Which Princess?" Sain asked hurriedly, realizing the problem might be quite serious.

"Who else could it be? Of course, the one from the Netheril family!" The Empire has many Princesses; as long as the family history can be traced back to the establishment of the Seven Cities Council, any Great Arcanist's daughter can be called a Princess.

But only the one from the Netheril family is a Great Arcanist, and generally speaking, the title of Princess refers specifically to her.

Hiss—

Sain gasped. Not to mention that the territory had no Great Arcanist, even if it did, could it compare to that Princess? Sain felt the pressure come suddenly and felt it was too heavy.

"There's more!" Aiboke sighed again. "The kind of Statue you found earlier is actually the Princess's statue. Do you still say it might be related to Demon Summoning?"

"No, absolutely unrelated!" Sain said immediately, but then his face turned bitter. "Then what should we do now?"

"What else can we do? We can only let this matter calm down first! After some time, people will forget about it. But there is also Feierbosi's death; I only hope the Princess will not pursue it." Aiboke was very worried.

And thinking of the scene he had foreseen during his advancement, Aiboke was even more worried! He had thought that after the territory resolved the Orc Tide, it would usher in great development, but he didn't expect to suddenly have a feeling that the end was coming.

"Aipusi, I think we shouldn't hold the celebration."

"No, hold it as usual, and be even more high-profile," Lord Aipusi said firmly. "I will make a trip to Seventon to find Lord Olong."

"Find him?" Aiboke didn't understand why this suddenly involved Archmage Olong.

"Yes, remember what Lord Olong said before he left after the raid on Wolf God Mountain? He is also one of the Princess's people, and he specifically told me to remember to find him when I go to Seventon! What do you think that means?"

"He wants to win you over?"

"That must be it. Since that's the case, I will grant his wish. As long as I still have utility, I will be needed and won't be discarded. Perhaps after relying on the Princess, the territory will develop even faster!"

Although he said so, Aipusi's eyes still revealed a trace of bitterness and unwillingness. How important independent development was for the territory could be seen from the fact that the first Lord gave up a mature territory in the core area of the Empire and chose to come to this wilderness to pioneer.

And now he had to walk the old path of many territories in the Empire. Choosing to join the Seven Towers Group might bring help, but it was also a shackle, and he might even be implicated.

Last time, Archmage Olong visited the Savile Territory; perhaps the territory had already been labeled with the Princess's mark, and this time it might be the result of being implicated.

The comment section contains maps of the Savile Territory and parts of Netheril.

Thank you all for your support!

(End of chapter)