CHAPTER 276: CHAPTER 266: WEST DISTRICT, INSIDE THE STONE TOWER

The snow was getting heavier.

In the Flame Realm, rain was rare, and snow even rarer.

In the eastern Warm Fire City and the southern Retirement Land, there was rain throughout the year, considered the best environments, but neither had snow. The Scholars’ Fortress to the west was akin to the Inner Sea Desert, almost rainless all year round, and snow was a legendary phenomenon to its people.

Only the Royal Court in the north was an exception.

Every time a large Fire Element cloud approached the Royal Court and was crushed by the "Anti-Air Array," a cloud would drift out from the snowy mountains in the north and snow upon the Royal Court and its surroundings.

This phenomenon seemed to have existed since ancient times. Many skilled or knowledgeable people have tried to unravel its cause, but to this day no one knows why it happens.

Snow fell upon a stone building shaped like a tall tower on the western side, leaning towards the direction of the Magic Guild of the Royal Court.

Inside the tower, the Dragon Lady gazed at the snowy curtain outside the window, a smile on her wrinkled face: "The last time I saw snow at the Royal Court was such a long time ago..."

There were sighs in her eyes, memories, but not the anger and frustration from being suppressed by Catherine outside the Royal Court not long ago.

In fact, since entering the Royal Court, the Dragon Lady had stayed inside this stone tower and went nowhere else.

It wasn’t that she didn’t notice Catherine suddenly vomiting blood, collapsing, and fainting outside the Royal Court; on the contrary, both the Dragon Lady and the Flame Turtle noticed Catherine’s state.

But neither acted rashly.

Instead, they kept remarkably composed, without any intention of striking while she was down.

Too cautious? No.

At the Dragon Lady’s level, she stood nearly at the top of the power pyramid in the Flame Realm.

One thing that most regular Tier Nine professionals did not understand was that the combat power gap between an ordinary Tier Nine, Catherine’s quasi-War God Level like Catherine, and someone like Peter with an actual War God Level, was vastly different.

Strictly speaking, from the quasi-War God Level onwards, it was not entirely Tier Nine.

Instead, it was a transitional phase between Tier Nine and the higher "Realm of Magic."

Once you touched the door of the Realm of Magic, you were on a different plane than ordinary Tier Nines.

Thus, even if Catherine fell injured, the Dragon Lady still dared not, and did not wish to act recklessly.

Of course, this could be said the other way around: "As soon as the War God Level king returns, even if the king is still injured, and not fully recovered, they can still suppress the not-yet-War God Level Catherine, then instantly reverse the current Commerce Association’s advantage and Guild’s disadvantage!" The Dragon Lady clearly understood this.

Because she understood this clearly in her mind, she could remain so calm, so composed, so patient!

Otherwise, most Earth Fire Mages specializing in the "Hellfire Series" had worse tempers than average, and the Dragon Lady was not always so patient.

The only person in this world who trained the "Hellfire Series" to the same depth as the Dragon Lady, yet was not affected by moods or temper, in her impression, was the first Grand Mage of the Magic Guild, Holigar, who was defeated by Peter and was now captured and imprisoned in the "Crimson Battle Lance."

"Holigar captured, Humboldt dead, among the Guild’s Tier Nine Grand Mage group, I am now the leader."

The Dragon Lady silently watched the thickening snow curtain outside the window, thinking in her heart, under no circumstance could she mess up the Royal Court negotiations this time.

Her gaze turned to the Flame Turtle, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground in the middle of the room, the Dragon Lady spoke calmly, "I can feel that the king should be coming out soon. We must first get Yorkshire back and then negotiate after the king comes out."

"Naturally." The Flame Turtle nodded, "Once the king comes out, even if Catherine wants to forcefully hold onto Yorkshire, it won’t be possible."

Pausing for a moment, the Flame Turtle looked somewhat curiously at the Dragon Lady: "Negotiate after getting Yorkshire back? With the king out, do we still need to talk?"

The implication was that once the king came out, our current disadvantage would be instantly reversed, and whether we continue negotiating would depend on our side’s mood!

While speaking, the Flame Turtle’s hands remained pressed on the room’s floor.

Black substance flowed from his palm, infusing the stone tower where he, the Dragon Lady, and Capella were situated.

As the Magic Guild’s strongest defensive Flame Warrior, the Flame Turtle had naturally also trained the "New Version of the Dragon Transformation Combat Technique."

And these black substances were actually his "Dragon Transformation Weapon"!

His weapon was a set of heavy armor, not the more common axe, hammer, or the "Axe Spear" used by the Female Assassin and Capella for a Flame Warrior.

Soon after entering the Royal Court with the Dragon Lady, the Flame Turtle immediately deployed his armor, but not on himself; instead, he placed it around this stone tower.

He and the Dragon Lady shared the same thought: just patiently wait for the king to come.

Before the king comes, it was best to remain discreet!

And after the City Guard of the "Shield of Flowing Fire," Shield Knight Jimmy was killed by that Female Assassin, who else in this world could be more steady and discreet than he, the Flame Turtle?

Of course, being good at being discreet doesn’t always mean they truly want to be discreet.

As the Dragon Lady’s professional partner, the Flame Turtle somewhat specialized in absolute defense to complement the Dragon Lady’s extreme offensive style. He wasn’t as naturally patient or willing to be patient. Otherwise, outside the Royal Court earlier, he wouldn’t have been less decisive than the Dragon Lady.

At this moment, a somber murderous intent flashed in the Flame Turtle’s eyes: "Yorkshire was captured, and we’re forced to stay here, not daring to go anywhere - this is a great humiliation! After the king comes out, shouldn’t we more appropriately settle scores with those Commerce Association guys? Just go negotiate with them?"

The Dragon Lady shrugged and nodded: "What else then?"

She looked at the Flame Turtle, her smile widening, paired with her wrinkles, it looked like a blooming chrysanthemum: "Negotiation battles have always had the potential to end with ’accidental casualties’ due to intense fighting.

Without negotiation battles, how could we justifiably kill Charlie, Barbara, and... that little brat Andrew? This Royal Court is our home ground!"

Only then did the Flame Turtle understand, nodding and smiling without further questions.

The Dragon Lady then turned to Capella, who was also sitting by the window, gazing vacantly at the snowy landscape outside: "Did you contact the kid Tiago as I instructed? Although getting Yorkshire back is a sure thing once the king comes out, just in case, it might be better to call Tiago over from the Inner Sea Desert." The Tiago she referred to was the current Guild’s Second Saint Son, Tiago, currently lurking in Wildfire Territory, "That way, in case Yorkshire can’t fight due to injuries after he comes back, Capella, you and Tiago can pair up to fight the two-on-two round in the three rounds of negotiation battles."

At this, the Dragon Lady’s gaze, expression, and tone became very serious: "Their two-on-two fighters should be Barbara and that Andrew. This time I want to ensure - one hundred percent ensure - to kill this troublesome little brat named Andrew. We can’t fail a third time!"