Ailia knew the man before her was telling the truth.
To him, this was indeed a transaction.
After a long mont, the tension finally left Ailia’s body.
She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the hatred and conflict within them had been replaced by a cold rationality.
"Fine, I agree. But we must sign a Magic Contract, swearing upon our souls."
"Acceptable."
Raylo didn’t hesitate for a second.
Soon, a contract ford of Magic Power materialized between the two of them.
An ancient Spell echoed through the study, finally transforming into two silver rings of light that branded themselves onto the backs of Raylo’s and Ailia’s hands before fading from sight.
"What do you want to see?" she asked.
"Mist."
Raylo said only a single word.
Ailia said nothing more. She extended a slender finger and traced a line through the air.
The moisture in the air gathered in her palm at a visible rate. Wisps and tendrils converged, quickly forming a dense, white mist.
The ball of mist shifted and changed continuously in her palm.
First, it transford into a lifelike bird that circled and danced silently through the study. Then, the mist abruptly dispersed into a thin veil, making the room’s light hazy. Raylo felt as if his senses were being blocked by an invisible barrier.
Finally, Ailia clenched her five fingers into a fist.
The thin mist instantly contracted, condensing into a sharp Ice Cone that hovered in mid-air, radiating a bone-chilling cold.
"The form of wind, the substance of water," Ailia said softly.
"It can be cover, a cage, or a blade. This is the essence of Silver Mist Magic."
Raylo nodded.
Seeing it with his own eyes was far more shocking than any written description.
"The legacy of the Silver Mist Secret Scripture is more subtle than I imagined. Its upper limit shouldn’t be just the realm of a Tier Four Great Mage," Raylo voiced his doubt.
"The Silver Mist Ancestor created the legacy of the Silver Mist Secret Scripture a century ago. However, due to old age, he passed away abruptly just as he had developed the system to the level of a Tier Four Great Mage."
"The Ancestor left a will, hoping his descendants would strive to improve themselves and develop the Silver Mist Secret Scripture to an even higher realm."
"But the family’s talent has withered. In the last hundred years, not a single Mage as astonishingly brilliant as our ancestor has appeared."
Having dealt with the most critical issue of the Magic inheritance, Raylo had the two brothers, Dennis and Brian, brought before him.
Unlike the wary Ailia, Dennis imdiately broke into a sycophantic smile the mont he saw Raylo.
He had an ordinary face and a slightly plump build, looking more like a wealthy rchant than a noble Knight.
"Respected Lord Raylo," Dennis bowed low.
"My mother cos from a rchant family in the Golden Lion Kingdom. They are willing to pay a considerable ransom for my freedom."
"Oh?" Raylo raised an eyebrow.
"Your family is very wealthy?"
"Yes, my Lord, extrely wealthy," Dennis nodded hastily.
"Just na your price, and they absolutely will not haggle."
"Very good."
Raylo liked dealing with smart people.
"Go write the letter. I will have my treasurer inform you of the amount. I expect to see your ransom within half a month."
Overjoyed, Dennis thanked him profusely before being led away.
Raylo’s gaze shifted to the last person: Brian, the eldest son of the Donne Family.
He was more powerfully built than Kevin and had more of a Knight’s bearing than Dennis.
"Lord Raylo."
Brian knelt on one knee, his posture extrely deferential.
"I, Brian Donne, am willing to lead the remaining Knights of my family and offer you our eternal loyalty."
In Brian’s mind, pledging loyalty now would not only save his life but also allow him to preserve so of his strength for a future coback.
However, Raylo just watched him quietly, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
"Your loyalty is worthless."
The expression on Brian’s face froze.
"I don’t need a forr heir who might stab in the back at any mont."
Raylo’s voice was soft, but it struck Brian’s heart like a heavy hamr.
"And I certainly don’t need a group of Knights who still long for their old master."
He waved his hand.
"Throw him in the dungeon. When we leave, hand him over to Kevin to be dealt with."
Brian’s face turned ashen as he was dragged away by the Personal Guards.
That evening, over two hundred disard Knight prisoners were assembled on the training grounds of Silver Mist Castle.
They looked anxious, uncertain of the fate that awaited them.
Raylo stood on a high platform, with Personal Guard Captain Ed beside him.
"My Lord, we’ve finished screening them," Ed reported in a low voice.
"About one hundred and two of them are die-hard loyalists of the Donne Family. Most are house-born Knights or from collateral family branches. They’ll be difficult to win over."
"Leave them for Kevin," Raylo made his decision.
"Yes, sir."
"And the rest?"
"The remaining one hundred and fifteen are mostly Free Knights and rcenaries who joined them later. Their loyalty is not high, and they’ll be more willing to accept a new Lord," Ed said.
"Sa as before. These Knights will serve Black Stone Territory as Sin Soldiers. Those who distinguish themselves through ritorious service will earn the right to pledge loyalty to and join Black Stone Territory."
As night deepened, the study in Silver Mist Castle remained brightly lit.
When Raylo returned to the study, Lillian was sitting in an armchair by the fireplace.
Moonlight was yawning lazily, its tail swishing intermittently. Coal Ball was nowhere to be seen, having probably slipped into its own spatial dinsion to sort through its spoils of war.
Raylo placed the *Silver Mist Secret Scripture* on the table in front of Lillian.
"Take a look at this."
Lillian’s gaze was imdiately drawn to it.
She didn’t open it right away. Instead, she reached out with slender fingers to gently stroke the cover, a faint glow of the Fire Elent flashing at her fingertips before vanishing.
She could feel that the book contained a Magic System completely different from her own—one that was calm, restrained, and unpredictable.
"The Silver Mist family’s Magic legacy?" Lillian looked up, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Raylo nodded.
Saying no more, Lillian carefully opened the book.
She read with intense focus, her brow occasionally smoothing out, then furrowing again.
For a ti, the only sounds in the study were the RUSTLE of parchnt pages turning and the CRACKLE of firewood in the hearth.
After an unknown amount of ti, Lillian closed the book and let out a long sigh.
Her expression was complex, a mixture of amazent and a hint of regret.
"This is truly a work of genius," she praised sincerely.
"To be able to create such versatile forms of Magic, that Silver Mist Ancestor was truly a remarkable individual."
"Do you think it’s suitable for you?" Raylo asked.
Lillian shook her head.
"It’s not. My Power cos from the Heart of the Fire Elent. It gives a connection to Fla far beyond that of an ordinary person, but it’s also like a shackle, locking firmly onto this path."
She opened her palm, and a lively cluster of golden Fla danced upon it, illuminating her face with a radiant beauty.
"My Magic Power is too scorching and wild; it’s incompatible with the calm, subtle nature of Silver Mist Magic. Forcing myself to learn it would be counterproductive and might even trigger a conflict in my Magic Power."
She looked at Raylo, her gaze clear and resolute.
"This path may be wondrous, but there’s no need for to abandon my foundation for sothing new. My own Fla will burn a path to the heavens."
Seeing the confident look on his sister’s face, Raylo smiled in gratification.
He knew that Lillian had found the path most suited for her and would walk it without wavering.
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