ebookslot Chapter 157 Layton's Crazy Promise!!!
Chapter 157 Layton's Crazy Promise!!!
Chapter 157 Layton's Crazy Promise!!!
As Sean and Thawne carefully considered every detail of how to lead Srian into a predicament in the shadowy chamber...
A faint, enigmatic smile suddenly appeared on Sean's pale face. He tilted his head slightly, as if listening to an invisible message from afar.
"It seems that this prince is more self-aware and eager than we expected."
"Who?" Sorey, who was engrossed in tactical simulations, looked up with a hint of confusion and asked.
"Layton Arthur".
Sean's voice carried a hint of amusement.
"He has reached the outer area of the Silent Forest. Judging from his direction of travel and his resolute posture, his goal is very clear: he is here to see Lord Hick."
Deep within the dark canyon, in Hick's experimental hall.
After listening to Sean's detailed report, Hick unconsciously tapped his fingers on the smooth obsidian tabletop, his face so gloomy it seemed as if water could drip from it.
He truly hadn't expected that the woman named Sirian would be so relentless and ruthless, destroying his important stronghold in Kus City and his priceless resources in one fell swoop!
"This is the initial response plan that Sorey and I came up with after discussing it. Sir, what do you think—is it feasible?"
Sean carefully observed Hick's ambiguous expression and tentatively asked.
"Layton, huh—"
Hick repeated the name in a low voice, his fingers still tapping the table.
Fragments of memories belonging to the body's former owner, concerning this man, then surfaced.
Without a doubt, during Hick's early apprenticeship, Layton Arthur was a rare "good guy".
He took good care of his predecessor, who was naive and timid when he first arrived in the Silent Forest.
Even in the matter of being the mentor's assistant, he had contributed his efforts and spoken up for his predecessor.
However, as Hick's soul took over and he rose rapidly, displaying amazing talent and ruthless methods, Layton, having exhausted his own potential, was unable to break through the barrier of becoming a formal wizard and could only return to his homeland, the Duchy of Arthur, in despair.
Now, this former "good guy" senior brother is clearly desperate and has to come to him, who is now in a high position of power, to beg for help from the black wizard, which is bound to come at a high price.
To have someone who has long lost his potential as a wizard, and whose duchy seems to have no special value to him, request the help of a dark wizard —
"Let him in." Hick stopped knocking, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Yes, sir!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Sean swayed slightly but did not leave. Instead, he stood quietly to the side, like a sculpture blending into the background, waiting.
Beyond the iconic, twisted, and tangled black forest of the Silent Forest.
Layton Arthur pulled on the reins, and his horse snorted uneasily.
He looked up at the forest before him, a place both familiar and strange, filled with ominous and powerful energy fluctuations, his face filled with complex emotions.
Once upon a time, he firmly believed that he was a chosen one, and stepped into this place with the dream of becoming a powerful wizard.
However, harsh reality shattered everything.
After ten years of diligent study in the Silent Forest, even with the full support of the duchy, he ultimately only remained at the level of a third-level wizard apprentice. The insurmountable barrier to becoming a full-fledged wizard remained uncrossed despite his best efforts.
In the end, he could only leave with endless regret and resentment, returning to his homeland to inherit his responsibilities as a prince.
He thought he would never return to this place that had shattered his dreams, but fate played a cruel trick on him.
His country, the Duchy of Arthur, is facing a crisis of national extinction!
He had to come back, to seek that almost impossible glimmer of hope!
Upon his return, the only person he could think of who might possess sufficient power and with whom he had a past relationship was Heath, whom he had once taken care of but who was now of vastly different status and renowned for his prestige!
"Layton, welcome back to the Silent Forest."
A calm, even voice suddenly broke Layton's heavy thoughts.
"Who are you----"
Layton looked warily at the white figure that had suddenly appeared ahead, his body tensing up instinctively.
"Hehe, it's Sean. What's wrong? Haven't seen him for years? Don't you recognize your old friend?"
Sean forced a slightly stiff smile.
Lei Ding examined it carefully and finally, through the excessively pale skin and cold demeanor, he could vaguely discern the outline of that silent boy from back then.
"Sean! You've changed so much!"
He paused, suppressing his surprise and uncertainty. In the Silent Forest, he had seen many strange transformations of the body, and at this moment he had no time to delve into the details. He asked urgently.
"Sean! Do you know where I can see Lord Hick? I have something extremely urgent that I must see him!"
"Of course I know."
Sean nodded slightly, stepped aside to make way, and gestured towards the deep forest behind him.
"That's why I've come. Please follow me, Layton."
"So—you've traveled thousands of miles to ask me to intervene on your behalf and that of your duchy?"
After listening to Layton's desperate and earnest account, Hick spoke calmly, his voice echoing in the hall, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
"Yes, Lord Hick!"
Without hesitation, Layton knelt down, lowering himself to the lowest position, and spoke earnestly, even with a sob in his voice.
"Our Duchy of Arthur is truly on the verge of collapse! Nar's army could break through our last line of defense at any moment! I'm willing to pay any price! I beg you, for the sake of our past relationship, to save my country this once!"
Hick's gaze swept indifferently over Layton, who was kneeling on the ground. His voice was cold and direct, tearing away all pretense of warmth: "Layton, you should know very well. Based on that meager past relationship, I can let you live in the Silent Forest from now on."
But what do I care about your country, its survival? And, if I may be so bold, you yourself, and everything you represent, are far less valuable than you can be to pay the price for getting me involved.
Hick's words were like ice picks, piercing Layton's already cold heart, draining the last trace of color from his face and filling his eyes with utter despair.
A deathly silence fell over the hall; the air was so thick it was suffocating.
Even Sean, who was listening in, felt that perhaps he should say something to ease the tension or give Layton a hint so that the deal could continue.
However, in the midst of this awkward silence, Layton, with his head bowed, suddenly spoke.
The voice was hoarse and low, yet it carried a chilling madness and resolve: "Lord Hick—you—must need a great many, different kinds of—experimental subjects, right?"
Upon hearing this abrupt question, Hick paused slightly as he tapped his fingers on the table, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"What do you mean?" he asked, his tone tinged with inquiry.
Layton suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot and filled with a ferocious glint. Gone was the gentleness and timidity of the past; only a desperate, even manic, ruthless light remained.
He spoke almost word by word, his voice unusually clear and terrifying in the empty hall: "As long as you agree to help us win this battle and save the Duchy of Arthur, then from this day forward, all the people of the Duchy of Arthur—regardless of age, gender, wealth, or status—will be yours!"
"They are your most loyal servants, and also your inexhaustible experimental subjects! The entire duchy is your largest living material repository!"
Hick remained silent.
Even Sean, who was usually expressionless, showed a rare look of astonishment at this moment.
They never imagined that Layton—the prince who was once known for his gentleness and even some weakness—would propose such crazy and outrageous terms!
He actually wants to sacrifice all of his country's people, hundreds of thousands, even millions of them, as bargaining chips and commodities!
Both white wizards and black wizards do indeed have a need for test subjects.
Even the most unscrupulous and evil dark wizards usually only kidnap some vagrants and residents of outlying villages in secret, at most harming a small town.
In this way, a complete principality with a long history and hundreds of thousands or even millions of people is presented as an "experiment" in a holistic and systematic manner.
This kind of madness, this complete abandonment of humanity and moral bottom line, even made Hick feel a real shock at this moment.
This has long surpassed a simple transaction; it is about sacrificing the soul, dignity, and future of the entire nation, turning it into a massive, desperate breeding ground!
The air in the hall seemed to have frozen into ice, so heavy that it was hard to breathe.
The only sounds were Layton's heavy breathing, a result of extreme excitement and despair, and the rhythmic yet unsettling tapping of Hick's fingertips on the table.
Hick's deep, unfathomable gaze fell on Layton, who was kneeling on the ground, his body trembling slightly with excitement.
It was as if they wanted to penetrate his skin and see whether the depths of his soul were filled with utter despair or concealed an even deeper and more terrifying ambition.
After a long silence, Hick's emotionless voice finally broke through the suffocating stillness, like a cold judgment: "Layton—do you know what you're proposing? Everyone? Without exception? Including those subjects who swore allegiance to you? Including your council of nobles? Even—including the members of the royal family who share your blood?"
His voice was soft, yet carried immense weight; every word struck Layton's heart like a hammer blow.
Layton abruptly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, devoid of any hesitation, filled only with a desperate, all-or-nothing resolve.
With a near-manic resolve: "I understand! I understand perfectly, Lord Hick!"
His voice trembled violently with excitement, yet it was exceptionally clear and piercing.
"If the kingdom is destroyed, they will also become slaves of the Nar people! Their fate will be even more miserable than death!"
Rather than die meaningless deaths or live in humiliation, it is better to cherish their fate, their flesh and blood.
Their souls are all entrusted to you, sir!
At least—their sacrifice will ensure the immortality of Arthur's name! It will bring hope for revenge! It will give them the chance to ultimately destroy Nar!
This—this is me, Layton Arthur, the only, and final, move I, as a member of the Arthurian dynasty, can make to save this country!
He was almost screaming, as if he were using all his strength to persuade Hick on the throne, and at the same time, to persuade his bleeding past self.
"and----"
Layton's voice suddenly lowered, taking on a seductive quality.
"A stable, well-functioning duchy that is completely under your control is far more valuable than scattered, unidentified experimental subjects, isn't it?"
Here you can conduct long-term, systematic, and unprecedented observations and experiments!
You can obtain perfect samples from various age groups, physical conditions, and social backgrounds.
You could even transform the entire Duchy of Arthur, from beginning to end, inside and out, into a vast, unprecedented living laboratory that belongs solely to you!
Sean, listening from the side, couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
This Layton—he's completely insane!
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