Chapter 74 – In the Valley of Ice

After the three of them had settled in, Lin Wei and Duan Yu walked out of the small building one after the other, stepping onto the deep gray path.

“In the evening, I received a response from my father,” Lin Wei suddenly said.

“About Gregory?”

“Exactly,” Lin Wei let out a soft sigh. “I have to wait.”

He recalled the scene when the flying magical beast returned with the letter in the evening.

The Lord Duke opened the letter in his study, his expression grave as he skimmed through it, then read it carefully again.

“Lin Wei, my son,” the Lord Duke murmured to himself, “You’re still too soft-hearted! Even if His Majesty the Emperor discovers my actions—he might not be able to do much to Tidis!”

After saying this, the Lord Duke frowned again, and after a long pause, he added, “However, being extra cautious might not be a bad thing. Our family has already grown too powerful…”

The Lord Duke reluctantly agreed with his approach but also informed Lin Wei of another matter of great importance.

The elderly emperor, whose health had been declining, was now seriously ill!

Whether it was the continuous rain that triggered his old ailments or the disappearance of his eldest son that weighed heavily on the old man’s heart… in any case, the emperor was now gravely ill, and many of the Empire’s affairs had to be handed over to his second son, Bolan.

After her marriage, the Empress had not given birth for many years. It wasn’t until both she and the emperor reached middle age that they suddenly had two sons within three years, followed by a princess. The emperor’s joy could be imagined.

The old emperor was a barely competent ruler of the Empire. He had not achieved much, and his love for luxury—building grand palaces and collecting treasures—had drained the treasury, much to the frustration of the Minister of Finance. However, under his rule, the Empire continued to prosper slowly but steadily. He was a wise old man but not a heartless emperor—at the very least, he deeply loved his two children.

In his previous life, the old emperor had died of illness, but this time it had come three years earlier, and the conditions of his illness were strikingly similar.

Back then, the old emperor’s illness had worsened due to his deep disappointment at his two sons tearing each other apart in their ruthless struggle for the throne. This time, it was likely due to his anxiety over the probable death of his eldest son.

In any case, this situation was extremely favorable for the Tidis family. On one hand, Bolan had taken over power, and most of the forces in the Imperial Capital were leaning toward his side. On the other hand, the old emperor, in his illness, had lost his former sharpness, giving the family an opportunity to take certain measures to prevent him from uncovering the true source of the “rampant piracy” news from the Siren Sea.

If the old emperor pulled through this crisis, Gregory could still be sent to the Imperial Capital alive. Unfortunately, by then, Bolan would have already consolidated his position, and Gregory’s influence would be gone. If the emperor didn’t recover, to avoid unnecessary trouble, Gregory’s life would have to be left on Siren Island.

“If Gregory’s brother becomes the emperor, perhaps the Imperial Capital won’t be so hostile to the Magic World, and I might even be able to regain my status as the family heir,” Lin Wei said with a smile.

He didn’t say it out loud, but in the future, the emperor of the continent—a commoner—would be placed on the throne by the Tidis family, and the future leader of the Magic World was now bound to him and would continue to be so… He could practically do as he pleased across the entire continent!

This thought made Lin Wei very happy. He now felt that entering the Magic Academy had been an extremely correct decision, and meeting Duan Yu was a great stroke of luck.

“Do you still wish to inherit the family?” Duan Yu’s brows furrowed slightly, seeming somewhat displeased.

“Even if I don’t inherit, I need to have a say in the family,” Lin Wei replied.

It was an open secret that his younger brother was mediocre and entirely unsuited to inherit the family. Even though the family’s foundation was solid, Eddy would not command the absolute loyalty of the Empire’s major legions like the Lord Duke did—this was the Tidis family’s greatest asset, and it couldn’t be lost in this generation.

Lin Wei had no intention of spending this lifetime in the Imperial Capital, but he still needed to have control over the family.

The Empire and the Magic Association had once signed a contract, and the third clause stated: Those with magical talent would automatically forfeit their status as citizens of the Empire and enter the Magic Academy to study, with no exceptions.

If one day the Lord Duke was no longer around, the family elders would not listen to him. They would rightfully argue—how could someone who no longer even held the status of an Imperial citizen have the right to meddle in family affairs?

Although the contract was clear, since Bolan had no particular aversion to the Magic World and the future leader of the Magic World was on his side… amending the contract would be a piece of cake.

“It’s not a specific position that requires me to stay in the Empire all the time,” Lin Wei explained. “I just need to hold the title of Duke, meet with the elders—most family matters are handled by them—and periodically inspect the military. The legion commanders are loyal to my father, and my father has introduced me to them before. These people recognize me, so it won’t take much time, and His Majesty the Emperor would be pleased to see the head of the Tidis family uninvolved in politics—it would put him at ease… Most of my time will still be spent in the Magic World.”

The mage reluctantly accepted this explanation, but he also recalled Lin Wei’s previous attitude toward the Imperial Capital: “You once said you hated the Imperial Capital.”

“True, but…” Lin Wei smiled, his eyes curving with a meaningful look. “If you come back to the Duke’s Residence with me—I won’t feel that hatred anymore!”

Duan Yu met his gaze, slightly puzzled—this expression made Lin Wei want to pounce on him.

Suppressing the urge, Lin Wei turned away with a smile and didn’t say anything more. The two of them continued walking together.

Lin Wei knew that from Duan Yu’s perspective, this statement might seem nonsensical—this guy was a complete blank slate when it came to emotions. He couldn’t expect him to understand it now.

But there was plenty of time—the Young Duke felt a strange sense of anticipation at the thought.

The path wasn’t long, and they soon arrived at their room.

“We didn’t feel the elemental turbulence was that strong, so we decided to go deeper… But even though the weather seemed normal, a blizzard suddenly started, and we lost our way.”

Winston was still in the hall, with Daniel sitting beside him. The green-robed alchemist, no longer his usual playful self, looked unusually serious. “And then?”

Winston leaned heavily back in his chair. “We didn’t know where we were. The blizzard grew worse, and the magical beasts around us became more numerous. They were running around like mad, and we couldn’t kill them fast enough. We just kept defending ourselves, but we managed to stay alive… Then, we encountered a monster.”

He exhaled deeply and closed his eyes tightly, as if afraid to recall the scene. “I felt that presence—it was far stronger than any top-tier magical beast, many times stronger. All the sea beasts around Siren Island combined wouldn’t have made us feel that way.”

“I didn’t see what it looked like clearly. Through the blizzard, I only saw a massive shadow, blue—like the coldest ice. I couldn’t even confirm if it was a living creature.” Winston paused, then continued, “It moved toward us, its shadow covering everyone. My blood felt like it had frozen, and then there was a sudden surge in elemental turbulence. No magic barrier could withstand it.”

“Only I escaped,” he said with a bitter smile. “Because I’m a somewhat decent water mage, surviving in the Valley of Ice is easier for me than for the others. But… I couldn’t bring them out with me.”

Winston’s eyes turned red as he covered his face with his hands, his voice filled with pain. “In the end, I was selfish. I abandoned them. At that moment, my mind was filled with nothing but the thought of escape… The Goddess of Light will never forgive me. I should have died in the valley with them.”

Daniel patted his shoulder. “You did nothing wrong… At least you left me a peer.”

These words, which would have been light and jokey in another context, now opened the floodgates of sorrow. Winston let out a mournful cry and embraced Daniel tightly.

“I’ve never seen any records of something like this,” Daniel murmured, shaking his head. “Not even forbidden spells can cause elemental turbulence.”

“It’s true. I remember it clearly,” Winston’s tone calmed slightly, but there was also a hint of gritted teeth. “We already know so little about the Valley of Elements. Elemental turbulence that can kill even the strongest mages—who knows what kind of terrifying things could emerge in such a strange environment!”

Daniel lowered his eyes and remained silent in response to this statement.