Chapter 133: The Wind Rises


    That night, inside the Falling Leaf Earl''s estate.


    "I''m furious! This is outrageous!!"


    Liao Silis, the Earl of Falling Leaf in the Monte Empire, was in a rage in his study.


    A finely crafted crystal goblet, engraved with ancient floral patterns and worth three hundred gold coins, was hurled to the ground by him, shattering into pieces with a loud crash.


    His pale, aristocratic face, usually handsome, was now twisted with anger.


    Old butler Barbar, his expression grim, gestured for the servants to clean up the shards of the goblet.


    "My lord, there''s no need to be angry over a reckless youth."


    Hearing Barbar''s words, Liao Silis became even more furious. He overturned his desk with a roar, his voice thundering through the room.


    "That brat must know that Antonia is my lover! How dare he lay a hand on my woman!"


    Barbar paced back and forth in the study, his aged hands occasionally rubbing together.


    "My lord, I don''t think this matter is as simple as it seems. That young man is a mage from the Kabu Empire here to compete. Logically, being in a foreign land, he shouldn''t be so reckless. Yet, at the palace banquet, he openly mingled with Lady Antonia and even claimed she was his woman. Could there be some misunderstanding?"


    "What misunderstanding could there be! My woman is my woman! Don''t think that just because he''s a third-tier fire mage, he can be so arrogant!"


    Deep down, Liao Silis was also somewhat apprehensive.


    The incident dated back to the palace banquet two nights ago.


    Liao Silis was notorious in Fila City for his indulgence in wine and women. His women were absolutely off-limits to anyone.


    Antonia was a beautiful woman with blue eyes whom he had recently met. The two had hit it off immediately and quickly fallen in love.


    Unexpectedly, at the palace banquet, a third-tier fire mage from the Kabu Empire, Ansley, had suddenly appeared and, in front of many people, declared that Antonia was his woman.


    Enraged, Liao Silis had slapped Antonia in front of everyone and taken her back to his estate, where she was now imprisoned in a private dungeon.


    The fire mage, Ansley, saw the slap Liao Silis had given Antonia as a direct insult to himself.


    Mages, especially those who had reached the level of a mage, valued their dignity above all else. Over this incident, Ansley had sworn to make Liao Silis pay.


    "My lord, don''t you think that Ansley fellow is a bit strange? And Antonia, her origins are unclear. I fear there may be some deception at play here."


    Barbar, always meticulous in his thinking, saw that this matter was not as simple as it appeared on the surface. Even he, a seasoned schemer, felt a sense of unease. He was known for his cunning and expertise in manipulation.


    Liao Silis, on the other hand, was a complete hedonist, a fool with a simple mind. The day after angering Ansley, he had paraded Antonia in a prison cart past Ansley''s residence, clearly intending to provoke him.


    This foolish act had only further enraged Ansley.


    "I can''t swallow this insult!"


    Liao Silis was so angry that his beard seemed to bristle.


    Barbar felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. The issue wasn''t whether Liao Silis could swallow his pride; it was whether Ansley could. Mages valued their dignity above all else, and they were notoriously protective of their own. This situation had escalated beyond control.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Barbar thought this but dared not say it aloud. Serving a foolish earl left him feeling disheartened.


    Barbar sighed, carefully considering his words, trying to find a way to calm the Earl. He had already decided that tomorrow he would personally go to the palace. This matter could only be resolved by Queen Vivian herself. It not only concerned the friendship between the two nations but also directly affected the relationship between the Earl of Falling Leaf and the Mage Guild.


    But at that moment, his eyes widened in horror as he looked out the window.


    "What is it?"


    Liao Silis turned in confusion to look out the window.


    Outside the crystal glass window, the sky had turned a fiery red. A massive fireball was rapidly approaching.


    "This!" Liao Silis''s eyes widened in terror. Before he could even rise to flee, the enormous fireball crashed through the window.


    Boom!!


    The entire study was blown into the sky.


    Liao Silis and Barbar didn''t even have a chance to cry out before they were reduced to ashes.


    In the sky, a young man riding a flying beast looked down at the Earl''s estate with a frosty expression.


    With a wave of his hands, several large fireballs rained down on various buildings within the estate.


    In an instant, deafening explosions filled the air, flames shot into the sky, and thick black smoke rose in massive columns.


    "Liao Silis, you scoundrel! You''ll pay for what you''ve done!"


    Fireballs continued to fall from the sky, and chaos erupted within the estate. Servants fled in panic, only to be blown to pieces by the incoming fireballs.


    "What''s happening? What''s going on?"


    The elegant Countess, holding up the hem of her long dress, rushed out of her room with her young son in tow.


    A massive fireball exploded in the courtyard opposite the Countess, sending a hail of stone fragments and flames in all directions, engulfing her and her son in a sea of fire.


    "There he is!!"


    The captain of the estate guards stood on the roof, directing archers to aim at Ansley in the sky. With a roar, a dozen arrows infused with combat aura shot toward Ansley.


    Ansley, riding his flying beast, deftly dodged the arrows. He had lost all reason.


    "Die! Die!! Everyone must die!!"


    A patrol of soldiers passing by on a distant street witnessed the apocalyptic scene. The once lively Falling Leaf Earl''s estate, bustling with guests every night, was now a sea of flames.


    "Who''s there!"


    The patrol captain shouted in terror, only to be answered by another massive fireball.


    The entire patrol was blown into the sky.


    "Die! Die!"


    Ansley''s eyes were bloodshot. He paid no heed to the depletion of his magical energy, only focused on unleashing his fury. Fireballs rained down like a storm.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Boom...


    The entire Falling Leaf Earl''s estate, including its servants, over a thousand people, was reduced to ashes overnight.


    Robert, the captain of the guards, watched the horrific scene with a face full of grief and rage. His potential was pushed to the limit by his extreme emotions.


    "I''ll fight you to the death!!"


    Robert, wielding a spear, leaped high into the air toward Ansley.


    By now, Ansley had exhausted his magical energy and couldn''t even summon a protective fire shield.


    "Hahaha, hahaha!" Ansley laughed maniacally, burning his life force to fuel his magic.


    "Let''s die together!"


    With a final, crazed shout, Ansley''s body exploded mid-air.


    The flames engulfed Robert and his spear, crashing into the ruined estate and leveling it completely.


    Boom!!!!!


    An earth-shattering explosion echoed through the skies of Fila City.


    "What''s happening?"


    Queen Vivian had just retired for the night when she heard the tremendous explosion. Her bed shook slightly from the impact.


    A maid, who had been standing by, hurried over with a luxurious fur cloak, but Vivian pushed her aside.


    Barefoot, Queen Vivian ran out into the courtyard and saw the distant sky ablaze with fire.


    The self-destruction of a third-tier fire mage had turned half the sky a fiery red.


    "Something''s happened..." Queen Vivian frowned, a sense of foreboding in her heart.


    Experts from all over, gathered in Fila City, took to the streets and rooftops, gazing at the distant sky.


    On a rooftop three streets away from the Falling Leaf Earl''s estate, two figures clad in black stood watching.


    "Haha, the plan is proceeding smoothly."


    The other figure, a woman by her voice, chuckled softly. "This time, let''s see how Fila City handles its relationship with the Mage Guild."


    The man in black nodded slowly. "Antonia, you''ve done well. I''ll put in a good word for you with the master. However, I suspect the Mage Guild won''t be so quick to sever ties with the Monte Empire. These are critical times, and even the loss of a third-tier fire mage might not be enough. It seems we need to add more fuel to the fire."


    The woman in black giggled, exchanged a glance with the man, and then vanished into the night with a few leaps.


    "Summon Elder Mai Lun at once!"


    Queen Vivian paced restlessly in her study.


    Moments later, Mai Lun entered with large strides.


    "Elder Mai Lun, according to reports, it seems a third-tier mage from the Kabu Empire, Ansley, had a dispute with the Earl of Falling Leaf over a woman named Antonia. From the looks of it, Ansley sought revenge and has likely reduced the Falling Leaf estate to rubble, even self-destructing in the process."


    Mai Lun''s expression was grave. "This is a serious problem. A third-tier mage self-destructing in our city, and over a dispute with one of our earls. I must go to the Mage Guild immediately."


    "Please do, Elder Mai Lun."


    Mai Lun nodded and left the room.


    On the spire of the magic academy, Han Ming and Kuro sat side by side, gazing at the fiery sky in the distance.


    Han Ming''s brow was tightly furrowed. "I have a feeling... something terrible has happened."


    Kuro rested her chin on her hand and whispered, "The wind is rising."