Chapter 75: Chapter 64: The Cheater and the Rich Lady

At the very back of the Magic Book were the rights, obligations, and precautions for the Flesh Sect that the Witch had mentioned.

First were the rights. Besides a monthly allotment of magic stones, an Official Wizard could choose one Tier One Witchcraft to learn from the Flesh Sect for free each year, and could apply for free guidance from a High-level Wizard once a month.

Next were the obligations. Members of the Flesh Sect were required to complete one new Magic research project each year, undertake one research assignment issued by the Sect each year, select and carry out one Sect mission each year, and, finally, perform one trading ceremony per year with the God of Flesh, to whom the Flesh Sect was contracted.

Lastly were the precautions, which were much simpler: no infighting; help other Sect members when able; and if you encounter a Wizard from the Mechanical Sect, fight to the death!

All in all, the benefits were quite good. The so-called obligations could even be considered part of the rights, because for two of the four obligations—the research assignments—the Sect provided foundational materials and corresponding research funds. The Sect missions weren’t unpaid either; completing them would earn you magic stones.

As for the final trading ceremony, it sounded a bit strange, but the God of Flesh was actually a bona fide True God—the kind of Deity that provided ascension rituals for Legendary Mages. This meant that Wizards of the Flesh Sect would receive far more ritualistic enhancements than other Wizards. It was a massive boon, wasn’t it?

The only thing that could truly be called an obligation was, conversely, one of the precautions: the required hostility toward Wizards from the Mechanical Sect. This was an emerging Sect that believed in the doctrine of "from flesh, weakness; through steel, ascension."

Like the Flesh Sect, they were keen on body modification. The difference was, they transformed their bodies with mechanical prosthetics!

Absolutely savage!

The two sides had an ideological conflict.

But this was acceptable. If one enjoyed the benefits, one had to accept the consequences that came with them.

After reading through the general overview, Isaac tucked the Magic Book away, then walked out of the Tower of Truth and headed for the Royal Mage Tower.

The benefits and missions of the Flesh Sect had to be claimed at the headquarters. And just like the Mad Witch Association’s exchange meet, the Flesh Sect’s headquarters was located in a separate dimension, accessible only through a teleportation ritual.

He could deal with that later. The merit points from Solomon Fortress had been issued, so he could go exchange them for goods first.

Arriving at the Royal Mage Tower, Isaac showed his credentials and was given a Magic Book. It listed the items he could exchange for and the number of merit points he held—two thousand.

An even two thousand, no more, no less.

This was because Isaac wasn’t actually part of the Empire’s system. He wasn’t a soldier, nor was he a Wizard registered with the Empire Wizard Association. Although he was a Baron, he was actually subordinate to Solomon. If the Empire and Solomon were to give him conflicting orders, he would only need to obey Solomon.

It was the so-called "my vassal’s vassal is not my vassal."

Under these circumstances, the fact that he received any merit points at all was a sign of the Empire’s magnanimity. Naturally, they wouldn’t be calculated in the same way as for others.

Otherwise, two thousand points of military merit would have been enough to exchange for a true baronial fief or to raise his own title to Viscount.

But Isaac himself didn’t care about any of that. He was only concerned with what benefits he could exchange for~

After a quick look, Isaac locked onto his targets—Witchcraft: Spatial Operation and Witchcraft: Material Shield.

These two Witchcrafts could effectively shore up his current weaknesses and enhance his self-preservation abilities. Besides, Magic related to Space was rare, and most could only be initially studied at the Grand Wizard stage. Only a more primitive lineage like Witchcraft would allow an Official Wizard to grasp it ahead of time.

Of course, this wasn’t to say that ancient Witchcraft was more advanced than modern Magic.

It was like that famous quote—"So, Gou Dan, what is the price?"

While this primitive Witchcraft allowed a Wizard to grasp the power of Space prematurely, the price was steep side effects. There was even a risk of death during the learning process!

Modern Space Magic, on the other hand, could only be learned at the Grand Wizard stage, but its advantage was safety. Never mind learning it diligently step-by-step; even if you were a bit more aggressive and something went wrong, the worst that could happen was some mental shock. At most, you’d be fine after a month or two of rest.

But perhaps because they were quite dangerous, the two Witchcrafts together only cost 1,862 merit points. He still had a bit left over, so after casually picking out some Magic Materials to use up the remaining points and reach two thousand, Isaac handed the Magic Book to the Tower Spirit. He then sat on the sofa, leisurely sipping milk while waiting for the Tower Spirit to bring his items.

"Eh? Isaac? What are you doing here?"

Isaac was in the middle of drinking his milk when suddenly, Princess Philo came down the stairs from the side, looking at him in surprise.

"Eldest Princess? I’m here to exchange my merit points for supplies. And you?" Isaac looked at Philo curiously. ’Doesn’t she have her own Mage Tower? She couldn’t be here to corner me, right?’

"I’ve told you many times, just call me Philo." Philo walked over and sat down opposite Isaac. With a flick of her fair hand, a golden Token appeared. "What a coincidence. I’m here to exchange for something too."

"Hm? The Emperor’s Decree?" Isaac’s pupils contracted slightly. It wasn’t just because he felt a fatal threat from the Token, but because this Token was the very thing he had just read about in the manual!

——

Emperor’s Decree: Can summon the power of the Emperor of Terra. Within the Empire’s borders, it can kill any High-level Life form or below in a single strike! (If a transaction with an Outer God fails, the Emperor can repel the Outer God and nullify all costs. The Emperor’s Decree will be reclaimed after use.)

——

"You’re going to make a deal with an Outer God?"

"Mhm, I’ve saved up enough merit points recently. I thought I’d take a gamble before the Divine Lamp Grand Trial. If it succeeds, our chances of victory will be much greater." As she spoke, Philo smiled and shook the Token in her hand.

Isaac’s mouth twitched slightly. ’Well, now I know why Philo, an Imperial Princess, would choose to become a Mad Witch. Turns out she’s not afraid of failure...’

’She’s one of those damn trust fund kids!’

’H-TUI!’

Isaac despised people like her from the bottom of his heart!

’All they know is how to rely on the glory of their parents, not like him. He can only rely on himself!’

"Since we’ve run into each other, want to come and watch?"

"Is that appropriate?" Isaac was slightly taken aback. ’The ritual of making a deal with an Outer God is a Mad Witch’s signature skill. Is this something that can be casually revealed?’

"It’s fine. We’re teammates, after all. We should have a little more trust in each other," Philo said sweetly, tilting her head.

"Thank you for your trust!" Isaac nodded, a grateful expression on his face.

In reality, however, he was sneering inwardly. ’She makes it sound so nice, but isn’t it just because others can’t learn it? What skill is there to it? Isn’t it just that she has a good father, so she can’t fail?’

At the same time, Isaac’s wariness toward Philo grew. The woman was being far too friendly.