"Aside from his mentor, Edwin also had a group of equally outstanding classmates, and the Renais family is one of Achini La's most prestigious noble houses...
Killing him was unwise!"
After explaining these details, the dark elf Planche attempted to analyze the situation for Roy.
"Spare me your nonsense."
Roy's gaze was icy.
Celine quietly transmitted her thoughts: "Actually, I think she has a point..."
Roy replied, "What point?
We can't afford to hesitate once we're already enemies.
Plenty of people have capsized in small ditches due to carelessness. Survival comes first—worry about anything else after the fight!"
However, Roy did take the time to investigate the so-called United Convention that Edwin had invoked before his death. He learned it was something Achini La had established.
Achini La, styling itself as the beacon of magical civilization, had spearheaded the creation of the "Spellcaster Protection United Convention" and the "Noble Lord Preferential Convention," claiming these as the foundational order for civilized warfare in the magical universe.
All factions within the lawful and neutral alignments had signed and joined.
Even Vizel civilization had joined the convention, ensuring that their valuable Spellcasters, if captured, would have a chance to survive.
This included, but was not limited to, retaining personal property and guaranteeing personal safety—essentially, preserving the dignity of high-status Spellcasters.
Unfortunate warriors, rogues, apprentice mages, and the like were not covered under these protections.
This was a practical consideration: if Edwin had advanced to the 4th Circle or higher, his value would have been immense.
Melee combatants or apprentice mages who failed to advance into adulthood were born to serve as stepping stones for such geniuses.
Their worth was deemed insufficient, making them expendable at any moment.
"So, as long as I demonstrate enough potential and strategic value, the alliance will protect me too!
A dead genius is no longer a genius...
Only the living have a future!"
Roy nodded, increasingly certain he had made the right choice.
...
A short while later, the group returned with pleasantly surprising results from their inventory.
The enemies had brought numerous magical scrolls and supplies for their assault on the quarry.
Items emitting white and green spiritual light were abundant.
Particularly noteworthy were the equipment worn by the two warriors and the robes and staves possessed by the apprentice mages—all military-grade Arcane resources that were usually hard to come by.
All these items combined helped offset some of their losses.
Of course, the lives of their fallen comrades, craftsmen, and apprentices could never be recovered.
Even killing Edwin to vent their anger wouldn't change that.
"I'm going to embed these bastards into Golems!
Spellcaster Statues...
I've only read about them in records—never made one myself!"
Roy's gaze darkened as he contemplated the bodies of the slain apprentice mages and Edwin.
Just then, a dark figure appeared in the sky.
Erlant arrived belatedly.
"What happened here? Has the battle already ended?"
He surveyed the ruined quarry with a look of astonishment.
"Senior Erlant?"
Roy's heart stirred—it seemed his reinforcements had finally arrived.
This actually came faster than expected, yet much slower than the progress of Edwin and his men's attack.
As expected, when it came to the critical moment, one could only rely on themselves.
"That's how it is. We were ambushed..."
Roy briefly skipped over the details about the Humanoid Angel and simply explained the sequence of events.
Upon learning that Roy had not only switched bodies mid-battle but also utilized his previous research on the Behemoth Bloodline to eliminate Edwin, Erlant was left speechless for a long time.
He truly hadn't expected his junior fellow disciple to be so ferocious.
"That was indeed a top student from the Luranze Magic Academy. Based on the intelligence we gathered, he had great potential to advance beyond the 4th Circle—equivalent to our second-tier Wizard...
Who would've thought he'd never get that chance!"
At this point, he paused again, inwardly astonished.
This junior fellow disciple was a bit outrageous!
He might even have an immeasurably bright future ahead, becoming one of those super-powerful figures whose mere influence could overshadow others?
Snapping out of his thoughts, Erlant hurriedly reminded, "We should report the situation here to the teacher immediately."
Roy nodded. "That's exactly what I was thinking."
...
A short while later, before the Communication Crystal.
Flosf listened patiently to the report, his expression equally perplexed.
After a long silence, he finally said, "I see. So from the very beginning, the attack on the capital was just a feint...
The quarry you were guarding was the real target."
Erlant anxiously interjected, "Teacher, do you think they'll let this go?
Shouldn't we deploy some reinforcements to secure this place properly?"
Even Roy couldn't help but glance at him.
Was this senior actually a decent guy?
Flosf said, "In that case, you'll remain in the Tata Mountains for now and assist in strengthening the defenses!"
"Ah?" Erlant was dumbfounded.
He had wanted to earn some goodwill, sure, but he hadn't planned on sticking around to face potential retaliation with Roy!
But with things already settled, he could only brace himself and reply, "Understood, Teacher!"
After a brief pause, Flosf turned to Roy. "I'll allocate a sum of war funds to you for defense purposes.
Additionally, I'll dispatch an 'Elite Golem Legion' of the Knight Guard to your location...
They number only about a hundred, but each possesses combat prowess comparable to a Grand Knight. There are also four Basic Template first-tier Golems and one Hero Template first-tier Golem..."
These resources would instantly make up for the loss of Bloodhoof Kairon.
Especially that Hero Template first-tier Golem—it was undoubtedly just as strong, if not stronger!
...
After the communication ended, Roy advised Erlant, "This place is far too chaotic. Senior, why not stay in Scarto City for the time being?
It's not far from here, and travel is convenient."
"That would be for the best."
Erlant had no desire to linger in this ruined place any longer, so he agreed.
Roy, however, excused himself by saying he still needed to handle matters here and stayed behind.
He still had to take stock of personnel and material losses and manage the aftermath.
It was only then that he realized Ottoli and Greet had died, and nearly half of the young apprentices had been killed or injured.
The casualties among Atedia's Guard were even more severe, reaching about seventy percent.
The miners and quarry workers hadn't been specifically targeted, but several had still been caught in the crossfire and suffered casualties.
The statues at various levels were heavily damaged, with most rendered completely useless.
Roy was most concerned about the first-tier Golem, Bloodhoof Kairon, as well as the premium Golems Marcel and Kassad—these still had restoration value.
Yet again, he could only swallow his pride and turn to his teacher for help, requesting reimbursement for the repair costs.
Fortunately, this time he had fought for official duties, so Flosf generously agreed to his request and prepared to allocate a batch of precious materials to him.
Combined with the seized supplies, it would be more than enough.