158: Chapter 158 Helena's Extraordinary Qualities! Clues to the Magician's Legacy!

The main hall of Black Mountain Castle.

After Rowan arrived in Black Mountain City, this place became the military command center.

A massive map was marked with troop deployments, supply stockpiles, and patrol routes.

Rowan knew his own limitations regarding specific military matters.

His level in this area was likely not even as good as Adeline and Charlotte, who were trained students from the military academy.

Therefore, he chose to let the professionals do the work.

Adeline and Charlotte had already been assigned to the staff team brought by Vanessa, where they followed experienced military advisors to learn how to handle real military affairs.

From piecing together enemy situations by analyzing fragmented information reported by scouts, to assisting in calculating the consumption curves of supplies under different defense plans...

The two women were growing rapidly in a real combat environment.

As for himself, his main energy was still focused on stepping in at critical moments to stabilize the battle situation.

When he was free, he would have private conversations with the equally idle Vanessa.

This Purple Thorn Viscount from the Bryce Family not only possessed both beauty and capability, but the various secret information about the Empire she held was also extremely useful to Rowan, who still had shallow foundations.

In the exclusive compartment, the two sat opposite each other.

Outside the window, the endless wind and snow of Black Mountain City raged, and the clamor from the direction of the city walls could be heard faintly.

Their topic of conversation did not touch upon the current battle.

Vanessa leaned lazily against her chair, chatting about the origins of the Western Front war and the power struggles behind the major ducal families.

She would also occasionally analyze the subtle balance between the powerful princes within the Empire and the factions of The Senate.

Sometimes she would mention intelligence clues that only circulated within noble circles, regarding rare minerals, ancient ruins, and even the yields of special supernatural creatures.

Her voice was soft, but the information density was immense; much of it was information Rowan had never heard before.

Most of the time, Rowan just listened quietly, occasionally asking a question or two, quietly guiding the conversation toward areas that interested him.

His gaze inadvertently swept over a corner of the long table outside the compartment.

Helena was verifying the distribution plan for newly arrived supplies with a military advisor.

The young girl was wearing a simple dark gray wool dress, her long hair tied into a neat bun.

She frowned slightly, her fingertips moving quickly across the list, occasionally asking questions in a low voice. Her profile appeared calm and focused in the halo of the flickering fireplace.

Rowan's heart stirred.

Through close observation over these past days, combined with the system's rating, he had basically determined that the supernatural trait within Helena was not of the Knight path, but rather a fluctuation that faintly resonated with external elements.

This fluctuation was somewhat similar to his perception of Sylvia in his memories.

Thus, he withdrew his gaze, picked up his teacup as if casually, took a sip, and asked Vanessa softly:

"Vanessa, do you know what viable paths exist within the Empire if one wants to obtain a relatively complete and reliable Mage's inheritance?"

Upon hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Vanessa's eyes. She seemed thoughtful but did not ask further, replying directly:

"Rowan, for you to suddenly ask about this... is quite interesting."

"However, the Mage path is different from the Knight path; it has much stricter requirements for talent and knowledge, and the inheritance is relatively closed off."

She pondered for a moment and continued:

"The simplest and most orthodox path is, naturally, to enter one of the Empire's top magic universities."

"Such as the Saint Helen Higher Magic University in the Imperial Capital, the Visino Tower Academy in the Eastern Territory, or the Academy of Stars and Jurisprudence in the Southern Territory."

"Behind these institutions, there is more or less the shadow of great nobles or legendary mages, capable of providing a complete educational system from apprentice to high-tier."

"This is also the most common channel for the Empire's major noble families to cultivate mages among their members or to recruit talented commoners."

At this point, Vanessa changed the subject, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness:

"However, the entrance threshold is extremely high; it requires strict aptitude testing, and the tuition and material costs are astronomical, not to mention the vast amount of time required."

"Unless one is a core direct descendant of a great family or possesses extremely high talent among commoners, it is difficult to bear. Furthermore, after graduation, one is often deeply tied to the academy's background."

Rowan listened quietly, noncommittal.

Send Helena to study at a magic university?

Not to mention the long time and the too many variables.

Just the idea of letting her leave his control to pursue studies was absolutely impossible.

Thus, he said: "Are there any other ways?"

Upon hearing this, Vanessa looked at Rowan's calm expression, thought for a moment, and said:

"If you don't want to go the academic route, then... you can only seek unofficial channels."

"Within the Empire, apart from the Imperial Capital, there is another stronghold where mages gather, where all kinds of inheritances and knowledge circulate in the shadows—that is the Free Merchant Alliance of the Eastern Territory—"

"Weixino City!"

A complex look flashed in her eyes when thinking of that legendary city:

"The situation there is unique; it gathers spellcaster groups, secret schools, alchemist associations, and outlaws chasing knowledge and power from all over the continent, and even from other races."

"Many pieces of knowledge that are considered taboo or monopolized in other parts of the Empire can be obtained there, as long as you can pay the price or complete certain tasks."

"There are even rumors that some incomplete inheritances from lost ancient schools occasionally appear at underground auctions or in the hands of black market intelligence dealers in Weixino City."

"However," Vanessa's tone carried a clear warning:

"The waters there are deeper than the entire Northern Territory. Even the Royal Family and The Senate combined can only barely collect taxes; they cannot fully control it."

"Moreover, there, mundane gold and silver coins have limited value."

"The real hard currency is Magic Crystals, high-quality Magic Crystals, as well as certain specific, precious supernatural materials, ancient documents..."

She added some scattered information about the major powers, famous black markets, and taboos and traps to watch out for in Weixino City.

This intelligence obviously came from the Bryce Family's special channels, far more detailed and secretive than what circulated publicly.

After listening, Rowan was silent for a moment, his fingers gently rubbing the rim of his teacup.

Magic universities were unrealistic, and Weixino City carried huge risks and was impossible for him to go to at this stage.

The matter of finding a suitable Mage's inheritance for Helena would have to be considered long-term; perhaps... he would have to wait until his own power and strength advanced further, and he possessed more chips and channels.

As for the Latour Family, he knew they would never let their family inheritance leak out. He couldn't even entertain that thought.

Thus, he temporarily suppressed the thought of searching for a Mage's inheritance and pulled his thoughts back to the battle at hand.

Over the past few days, he had occasionally stepped in according to the advisors' suggestions, which had indeed stabilized the defensive line and even reversed the battlefield situation to a certain extent.

But at the same time, he also sensed some unusual signs.

The frequency of the beast horde's attacks had decreased. It seemed like caution after being deterred by him, but upon closer inspection, there was always a deliberate feeling of holding back.

The intelligent magical beast hidden behind the beast tide had not retreated or attacked in anger due to his interference.

Instead, like the most patient hunter, it was quietly adjusting its strategy in the darkness, seemingly waiting for the moment he exposed a fatal flaw.

"It's almost time..." Rowan whispered in his heart.

He could feel that the anticipated head-on collision was not far off.

The opponent was gathering strength, and perhaps in the next wave or the one after, they would reveal their true intent.

However, more interesting than that cunning lord-level magical beast outside the city was what was inside the city.

His [Vampire Prince] sense had accidentally caught a trace of an extremely faint vampire aura!

Carrying a bloody and savage undertone.

It was similar to what he had perceived in Gino City back then.

It was just a bit weaker.

But it had also reached the Great Knight level!

In other words, a Great Knight-level Blood Barbarian was lurking inside Black Mountain City?!

What did it want to do?

Who was masking its tracks?

This discovery made Rowan think of many things.

Connecting it to the similar situation in Gino City, he roughly had some guesses.

It must be the remnants of Duke Witton's forces in Gino County causing trouble.

"Viscount Willis... could it be you?"

"It seems you are very unconvinced about losing the vote?!"

Rowan smiled silently in his heart.

If that was truly the case, then this sudden siege battle would become quite interesting.

Even the return of the Lance Family was within some people's expectations.

The pressure increased suddenly, but Rowan remained calm. Instead of fear, a burning eagerness rose in his heart.

The [Vampire Prince] trait just happened to need sufficiently powerful blood to verify its abilities and efficacy.

Smelting the supernatural blood of a Great Knight... especially a supplement belonging to the same Vampire path... he wondered how much it could enhance his [Vampire Prince] trait?

Last time at the church, he could only forcibly suppress the craving of the blood core within the furnace.

This time, things would be different.

The corners of Rowan's mouth curled into an imperceptible arc of anticipation.

...