Chapter 349: The Undercurrents Subside
"If there are no problems, let's make the arrangements tonight," Kurtz said first.
Leggett had decided to take matters into his own hands and swiftly capture the two dukes, along with the powerful figures in their mansions. Kurtz's task was to send troops to suppress the remaining enemy guards and seize their property.
"Lord Kurtz, if possible, please spare their lives," Leggett said after much hesitation.
"You should know that getting rid of those two grand dukes will benefit you in strengthening your own power," Kurtz said calmly.
There were only four dukes in the entire Kingdom of El. If Kurtz personally helped Leggett get rid of two of them, he could directly enable Leggett to reclaim a large amount of land and power.
"I know that, but please spare their lives for the sake of their ancestors," Leggett said with a wry smile. These two dukes had been of great help to him before he took office, so he had softened his heart.
"Okay," Kurtz agreed.
Perhaps, in Leggett's eyes, these two dukes were indeed veterans, and the weight of their family's history could crush many people.
But compared to himself, who had lived for a thousand years and witnessed the end of the mythical era, the so-called seniority of these two ducal families that had only been in power for a dozen generations was nothing but a bunch of fancy nonsense.
The next step was simply a cleanup.
Instead of mobilizing the magicians of the Magic Association, Kurtz came alone to the sky above the first Duke's mansion.
Inside the mansion, the old duke was discussing in hushed tones with several confidants how to further pressure the royal family, how to use public opinion to smear the Magic Association's arrogant actions, and how to find an opportunity to take action against Serie.
'If we can capture Serie, we can force Kurtz to hand over the magic of immortality,' they reasoned.
However, just as they were having a heated discussion, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them. It was Kurtz.
Kurtz's arrival silenced all the noise, and the Duke roared as he summoned a large number of guards. Because of Evan and his group's previous actions, he had arranged for a large number of guards and mages in the mansion as a precaution.
However, as soon as these people appeared, they were immediately crushed to the ground and unable to move by a gravity spell cast by Kurtz. Some of the powerful warriors managed to move their bodies by force using their physical abilities, but they were immediately restricted to their positions by magic that even froze space, unable to move even a finger.
Kurtz walked calmly to the Duke and looked at his face, which was contorted with shock, anger, and fear. He pointed a finger at the Duke's wrinkled forehead.
A magic circle activated, and a mental attack spell was directly applied to the Duke's mind.
The next moment, the anger in the Duke's eyes receded like the tide, leaving only the fear that came from his biological instincts. Kurtz's mental magic directly shattered his heart and completely extinguished his wildfire of desire for immortality.
When the gravity spell was lifted, the old duke slumped in his large chair, as if he had aged twenty years in an instant. His eyes were vacant, muttering to himself, completely devoid of any fighting spirit.
Kurtz turned away without a second glance.
His guards, however, remained confined to their positions, forced to wait for Leggett's soldiers to capture them.
Although Kurtz had acted quickly, he still alerted the second duke, who, upon realizing something was amiss, immediately activated the powerful barrier that his family had cultivated for hundreds of years. They also gathered all their elite guards and powerful hired mages, preparing to put up a last-ditch effort, and might even use this as leverage in negotiations.
Kurtz's approach was simpler.
He floated above the mansion, surrounded by countless magic arrays. Even from a great distance, the mages within the mansion could sense the aura of destruction contained within them.
As Kurtz completed his magic, a devastating beam of light slammed into the barrier. The powerful barrier, which was said to be able to withstand attacks from legendary mages, shattered into countless fragments in less than a second.
Staring at the terrifying figure in the sky that was comparable to a god, all the guards and mages were stunned and could not muster any thought of fighting back.
"Put down your weapons, or die!" Kurtz's icy voice, transmitted through magic, reached everyone's ears.
Clang!
It was unclear who started it, but the sound of weapons falling increased until everyone had laid down their weapons and knelt on the ground, unable to look directly at Kurtz in the air. Even the duke was no exception, kneeling on the ground and waiting for the soldiers to tie him up and escort him to the palace.
The next morning, the news spread like wildfire through the aristocratic circles, bringing not unity and hatred, but division and fear among the nobles.
The nobles, already riddled with contradictions, were divided into several groups. Some were eager to distance themselves, some secretly rejoiced at the downfall of their rivals, and others were terrified by Kurtz's unfathomable methods, no longer daring to entertain the slightest thought of taking action against him.
Two illustrious ducal families had collapsed overnight, their honors and status vanishing without a trace. Their titles were stripped, all their land and most of their property were reclaimed, and the core members were ordered to leave the capital within a specified period and go into exile in a remote frontier.
Kurtz had spared their lives, but the condition for survival was the loss of all worldly status and wealth. For these people who had once stood at the pinnacle of power, this was perhaps more agonizing than death.
As for the minor nobles who had relied on the two families and provided various forms of support, Kurtz did not let them go either. Together with Leggett, he carried out a purge under the pretext of capturing demon spies. Those who should be arrested were arrested, those who should be killed were killed, and those who should be demoted were demoted.
The undercurrents within the capital city targeting Kurtz and the Magic Association had temporarily subsided after these successive heavy blows.
Standing on the terrace of the association's headquarters tower, Kurtz looked down at the capital city. The night was as usual, as if the recent series of upheavals had never happened.
Serie appeared silently beside him. "Is this enough?" she asked softly. "As long as the temptation of immortality remains, new reckless individuals will always emerge. And next time, they might be even more elusive."
Kurtz didn't turn around. "Of course it's not enough. Desire is like weeds—it can't be burned out. As long as there are people who fear death and yearn for immortality, my existence, the existence of the Association, will always be their goal."
"So what's your solution? We can't just have a cleanup every time, can we? That would make you a target of everyone's hatred." Serie's tone was worried.
"Since they want it so much, then let's give it to them."
Serie's eyes widened slightly, somewhat puzzled by Kurtz's answer.
She was about to press for more information, but something happened within the association that required her attention, so she gave up on the idea of asking further questions.
[End of Chapter]