Inside Margarita's private office, the afternoon meeting was still ongoing. Snow howled outside the windows, and Veronica could only guess that it was around 4 p.m. based on the dwarf grandfather clock in the room.
Margarita, seemingly taking advantage of the rare opportunity, had been discussing various topics openly with her direct disciple. As the conversation began to wind down, the Speaker finally made a concluding statement. "Is everything packed and ready?"
"Yes, almost," Veronica nodded. The Garon witch had already made preparations. Her followers were nearly packed, and she would soon leave with a retinue of about ten Garon council members and over 200 witch apprentices. They would journey to Bretonnia, where three new wizard towers were planned near the Tower of Dawn. Veronica had already arranged with Ryan for the construction sites to be prepared in the Oracular Mountains, a location far enough from heavily populated areas but close enough to the ducal castle. Ryan had approved, and the construction teams had already begun laying the foundations.
"Then make haste. It's best if you can take full control of the situation before that mother and daughter pair can act," Margarita remarked casually. "Aurora is a woman who clings to power. It's taken her years to make up her mind to leave the council, and she'll likely need some time to move out. Use this window to secure your position—decide who you need to ally with in Bretonnia, which relationships to nurture, and what authority to request from Ryan. I can't help you anymore, but I do have a gift for you."
"A gift?" Veronica couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. She knew the vast wealth of knowledge and magical experience her mentor possessed, so anything Margarita called a "gift" had to be something extraordinary.
"This scroll contains the casting technique for the Grand Light Spell—Solar Burst," Margarita said, handing over a thick scroll. "This spell sends out eight rays of light from the caster, attacking all enemies around you while avoiding friendly fire. Its power is based on the purity of your magic and control ability. It can also significantly weaken enemies' magical resistance and special defenses after casting. It deals double damage to undead and extra damage to Chaos but has less effect on races like elves or lizardmen, who are not afraid of light. Practice it well."
"Thank you so much." Veronica quickly accepted the scroll, knowing this was an invaluable treasure.
"And this…" Margarita hesitated but then handed over a second scroll, just as thick, about thirty centimeters in diameter and one meter long. "This contains the Forbidden Grand Fire Spell—Doomsday Judgment, a spell sealed by both the ancient Elven Empire and the Wizard Empire. This devastating spell summons hundreds of meteors to rain down on an entire battlefield."
"So, this is the legendary ultimate fire spell?"
"Yes, it is the most powerful known fire spell in existence. Promise me, Veronica, only use this if you are left with no other choice."
"I will," Veronica responded, barely able to contain her excitement as she took the scroll from Margarita's hands.
"That's everything I can give you. From now on, you're on your own—just like I was." Margarita nodded and gestured for Veronica to leave. "Go."
"Goodbye, Mentor. May Volan's light always guide you," Veronica whispered.
"Volan?" Margarita finally let out a sarcastic smile. "We all know that guy was better at wielding a greatsword with both hands than he ever was at using his staff."
Veronica couldn't help but laugh as she nodded in agreement, then turned and left the room. She knew that her mentor would soon turn her attention back to raising funds for her next magical experiment.
As she exited the central tower, Veronica allowed herself to reflect. She shook her head, thinking, Most of my mentor's points are right, but she still mixes in her personal feelings.
Simply put, Margarita and the Savior Emperor Ludwig had no romantic relationship—only mutual benefit. During the Great Holy War, Margarita had met Ludwig in Talabheim, by which time he had already united half the Old World's forces. The cities of Nuln and Altdorf had gathered an army of over 100,000 Empire troops in his name. The Sorceress Assembly had promptly abandoned the Talabecland Emperor and thrown all their support behind Ludwig, providing everything from army supplies to magical aid and even sending Margarita herself as Ludwig's courtier to ease his loneliness at night.
At the time, Margarita was in her sixties or seventies, using light magic to keep herself youthful. She was known as "The Flower of Garon" within the Sorceress Assembly and was one of the most famous beauties in the Old World.
The Assembly believed they would gain post-war positions such as royal magical advisors or the title of Royal Archmage. However, Ludwig had instead chosen to ally with the High Elves and their Archmage Teclis (who was not yet the Supreme Archmage) to establish the Imperial College of Magic. In Veronica's mind, that decision didn't even require thought—of course Teclis was more reliable than a bunch of witches.
In a way, Veronica considered herself Teclis's student and knew firsthand how powerful he was.
But for Margarita, Ludwig's decision felt like a betrayal. She understood why he chose Teclis but couldn't accept it. After several arguments, Margarita left the court and gathered her old colleagues to form the Garon Council.
From Margarita's perspective, everything was about interest. She saw Veronica's relationship with Ryan in purely transactional terms: Ryan valued Veronica for her magic and beauty, while Veronica valued Ryan's power and resources—a simple exchange of benefits.
But Veronica knew it wasn't that simple—not entirely, at least. She and Ryan shared a much closer bond. Even after becoming king, Ryan still spoiled her, and they had a special connection. Veronica often teased and even criticized Ryan in ways no one else in his court could. And Ryan—he enjoyed getting mischievous with her more and more these days.
All right then, time to get ready to return! Veronica hummed happily as she headed toward her temporary quarters.
Two days later, when Veronica and the witches who chose to follow her departed the Skydome Fortress, a nobleman stood in the shadows watching them. His sharp, chiseled features and ever-changing aura shifted between playfulness and mockery.
Good, Veronica was gone. A smile crept across the nobleman's face.
In order for his plan to succeed, he needed to wait until Veronica left. It wasn't that he didn't want to wipe out the entire Garon Council; it was because Veronica carried a terrifying purification aura. That foul woman had caused utter chaos the last time she entered Tzeentch's maze, and she had even managed to escape!
Though Tzeentch had kept the incident hidden, there was no doubt that someone who had glimpsed the nature of the Changer of Ways and the essence of the Warp possessed extraordinary magical resistance, making her immune to many Chaos spells. The nobleman knew he didn't have an easy way to deal with her. To make matters worse, she carried a purifying energy that could burn even Greater Daemons of Chaos. Everything had to wait until she was gone.
Now, Veronica was out of the picture. Tzeentch's chosen champion, Zazang Ek, knew he could proceed with his plan.
Yes, he was Tzeentch's chosen.
Like many Chaos champions, Zazang Ek had risen to prominence on the Kurgan steppes, using cunning and sorcery to announce the arrival of a great champion of Tzeentch. Soon, the Great Manipulator appeared to him in a dream, instructing him to lead his tribe in conquest. Zazang Ek crushed all who stood before him, until he encountered a Nurgle champion the size of a mountain. The two armies met in a brutal battle in the Chaos Wastes, with corpses piling up into mounds.
Eventually, Zazang Ek triumphed, slaying the Nurgle warlord on the blood-soaked hill. As he proclaimed his victory, the Raven God bestowed his blessing upon Zazang Ek, crowning him as Tzeentch's champion and commanding him to head south to destroy the mortal realms.
Now more cunning than ever, Zazang Ek concealed his mutated talons beneath gloves and spent years infiltrating the Garon Council. Through Elder Witch Kalayrona's thirst for magical knowledge, he successfully corrupted her, convincing her that the reason the Garon Council had never established a Wizarding Empire was that the witches had lost their ambition, becoming complacent. He also planted seeds of doubt in her, painting Speaker Margarita as overly cautious. Kalayrona became convinced that she needed to "cleanse" the council and return it to its original purpose of building a true Wizarding Empire.
Meanwhile, the Ice Queen Katarin was too preoccupied with internal strife in Kislev to attend the council meetings, leaving the Garon Council weakened.
It was a perfect opportunity.
Before executing his plan to destroy the Garon Council, however, Zazang Ek had two key targets. He pulled out a scroll from his robe, reviewing his objectives carefully.
The first target was Grandmaster Ernst, the Supreme Witch Hunter. Ernst was currently a guest at the Skydome Fortress, invited by Elder Kalayrona as her lover. Though Ernst was nearing the end of his life, his extensive experience with Chaos made it difficult to corrupt him. Zazang Ek had used many methods to weaken his mind, increasing his irritability and causing insomnia and nervous breakdowns. To ensure the council's collapse, Ernst had to be eliminated first.
The second target was a legendary alchemical witch named Dietlinde. Though not a combat witch, she was highly
skilled in crafting potions. If Zazang Ek's plan were to succeed, Dietlinde would need to be dealt with.
Everything had been planned out. Zazang Ek had spent months preparing.
He nodded to himself, then disappeared into the shadows. "The change... begins."
A few minutes later, Zazang Ek was gone, replaced by Helmut Kruger, a renowned Old World fashion designer, who emerged from the darkness.
...The Change Begins...
The next day, at the Skydome Fortress, inside Dietlinde's alchemical workshop and private quarters.
As usual, Garon Councilwoman Dietlinde's residence was filled with luxury. The furniture was made from one of the Old World's rarest woods, cherry wood, and her mansion, built from oak, spanned over 500 square meters, decorated with extravagant sculptures, tapestries, and rare artifacts.
If anyone remembered, this was the same Dietlinde that Ryan and Teresa had encountered nearly twenty years ago during their adventures in Nordland. Time had done little to diminish her beauty. She sat casually on a Baroque-style sofa, entertaining her guest, Teresa.
The two women were elegantly sipping Araby tea that Teresa had managed to obtain from Sulia, enjoying an afternoon tea session. The table was laden with pastries, and Dietlinde, a rare academic witch, had amassed immense wealth through alchemy and potion crafting. Today, she wore a gray, vintage silk gown and chatted with Teresa. "It's been a long time, Teresa. How are you faring in Bretonnia? I hear Ryan has been treating you and Lady Aurora quite well?"
"Ryan? He's been good, yes. He treats my mother and me very well, and we receive a generous allowance each year." Teresa, dressed in a violet woolen gown with black patterned stockings and knee-high suede boots, radiated a cold and elegant aura. Her soft black hair cascaded down her shoulders, glowing under the light. Recalling the past two weeks, she blushed slightly. Ryan had brought her back to the castle and made her his temporary secretary for two weeks, though in reality... Teresa's thoughts trailed off, and she blushed even more. "He's been very kind to me, as well."
"Kind? I can tell," Dietlinde teased, winking. "When we met in Middelheim, I could already sense that you two would end up together. And when you were hesitant about going to Bretonnia to find Ryan, I encouraged you, didn't I? Now you and Lady Aurora owe me your thanks!"
"That's true," Teresa admitted, feeling a bit shy. At the time, Dietlinde had urged her to be proactive, explaining that a man like Ryan would always attract women. If Teresa hesitated too long, she might lose her chance. Looking back, Teresa was grateful for her decision. Had she waited, she might have missed her opportunity, as Ryan's subsequent actions and words made it clear that if she hadn't pursued him, she would have been left behind.
Teresa had brought many gifts, which Dietlinde graciously accepted. Among them were two boxes of the Old World's most famous Wolford stockings. Dietlinde's eyes lit up. These stockings, co-founded by Queen Sulia and Lady Emilia, were now a luxury that every woman in the Old World coveted. Wearing them at a banquet was a status symbol. "Thank you, Teresa. You're so thoughtful."
Just then, a knock came at the door. A witch apprentice entered and announced, "Mistress, Master Kruger is here."
"I won't disturb you, Dietlinde. See you this evening," Teresa nodded. She knew Dietlinde had invited Helmut Kruger, the renowned Old World fashion designer, to create a new dress for her. Without thinking too much of it, Teresa excused herself, and Dietlinde signaled for her servants to leave, as she needed some privacy.
Ten minutes later, inside Dietlinde's dressing room, Master Kruger was measuring her for her new gown. "Please turn around, Lady Dietlinde. I need to measure your back."
"Of course." Dietlinde turned, gazing into the mirror. Casually, she asked, "Master Kruger, do you think this lace gown suits me better, or the knitted one?"
"Let me see," Kruger smiled. But from his sleeve, a dagger slid into his hand. It was a poisoned dagger, imbued with a potent venom that bore the mark of Tzeentch's all-seeing eye.
In the next moment, a large hand clamped over Dietlinde's mouth, and the dagger plunged into her chest from behind. The alchemical witch could only let out muffled gasps as the blade pierced her heart. She didn't even have time to struggle before she died, consumed by the overwhelming pain.
"You were the perfect target." Zazang Ek withdrew the dagger, blood spurting from the wound. Dietlinde collapsed onto the floor, her face frozen in disbelief, eyes wide open.
"Excellent. The plan to destroy Garon has begun!"
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