Arthur Wallace's Deal
What astonished everyone was that Arthur refused the great nation's call to service and left the army to join the Wizard Guild. Within a year, he earned the rank of Wizard! Three years later, war broke out again, and by then, Arthur had already become a high-ranking Wizard!
Throughout history, no one had ever accomplished such a feat!
Someone once asked Arthur why he became a Wizard. The young noble replied, "My army needs Wizards for cooperative combat... Unfortunately, Wizards are so rare that I couldn't recruit any. So, I had to learn magic myself."
When war broke out again, Arthur's country was on the brink of disaster, with the capital besieged for three months. The king issued an order for all nobles to lead their private armies to the capital's defense... Arthur's private army was the last to arrive.
By then, both the enemy and the kingdom's forces were utterly exhausted.
Undoubtedly, Arthur's arrival came at the most critical moment.
In the final great battle, Arthur personally killed the enemy's commanding general, a renowned high knight! Additionally, Arthur demonstrated a forbidden-level spell, instantly killing the enemy nation's chief court Wizard!
The tide of war turned dramatically... Afterward, the war ended, and the severely weakened kingdom was nearly controlled by Arthur! At that point, the king had no choice but to grant Arthur the title of duke.
A year later... the king died under circumstances that historians still debate. Most believe the timing of the king's death was too coincidental, occurring just as Arthur's prestige peaked, and without leaving direct heirs, the kingdom's highest authority fell into a leadership vacuum. Although historical records don't explicitly state it, they subtly hint that this event was closely tied to the great founding emperor.
The ultimate beneficiary, without a doubt, was Arthur.
He married the old king's niece and elevated her to queen!
Three years later, the queen died, and Arthur officially ascended the throne as king!
In the following history.
Arthur Wallace was portrayed as an invincible commander. Leading his army to countless victories, conquering numerous nations, he unified the entire continent under the banner of the Wallace Empire within fifteen years! He single-handedly created the enduring Wallace Empire!
All this resembles the story from a standard legendary novel, doesn't it?
Freyr racked his brain, trying to recall everything he knew about the life of the founding emperor...
It was clear, according to Samael, that Arthur encountered this demonic servant after his first maritime adventure failed...
Then, Arthur suddenly rose like a meteor in the war-torn continent... right after that maritime adventure ended!
Clearly, the founding emperor must have gained something from his deal with this demonic servant!
Considering Arthur's near-miraculous life and his great achievements...
Now, with this demonic servant proposing a "deal" to Freyr...
Freyr suddenly felt his heart, which had been calm for over a decade, start to race!
"My dear little noble, your heart is pounding," Samael said with a timely smile.
Freyr took a deep breath. "Honorable Mr. Samael... my heart is pounding because I am being tempted by a demon!"
Samael's eerie smile deepened. He suddenly waved his hand, and Lilith and Naya simultaneously let out a soft groan and then collapsed, unconscious.
"Our deal will not be known to others," Samael said with a smile. "When they wake up, they will forget everything that happened here, even forgetting me."
The opportunity was right before him!
Freyr's breathing quickened. "A deal... Tell me, what can you offer me... and what do you want from me?"
Samael did not answer Freyr's question directly. Instead, he said slowly, "Don't you want to ask what I gave Arthur back then?"
"I think I can guess," Freyr replied thoughtfully.
What did Samael give Arthur?
Freyr first thought of Arthur's earth-shattering strength! His martial skills that rivaled those of a paladin and his powerful magic as a high-level Wizard!
These two abilities made Arthur a top-tier powerhouse on the continent! He could kill the strongest warriors of his enemies on the battlefield, defeat their Wizards, and successfully shape the image of an invincible commander, inspiring thousands of soldiers to follow him fanatically!
At the same time... Freyr suspected one more thing.
Historically, Arthur was known to have fought numerous battles without ever sustaining serious injuries! Even in his old age, he was free from illness and pain, passing away peacefully in his sleep one night.
His life was nearly perfect.
"Besides formidable martial skills and magic, did you also give him an almost immortal body?" Freyr probed.
"Not immortal, but a body without fatal weaknesses," Samael smiled. "When Arthur left here, I removed his heart. His body left this place, but his heart remained with me. This made it very difficult for him to be harmed! No matter how lethal the injury or poison, it couldn't harm his heart... because his heart stayed by my side."
Freyr's mouth and eyes twitched simultaneously!
His heart?
"You don't want my heart as well, do you?" Freyr looked at Samael with some malice. "Why would you keep it? To eat it? Fried or grilled?"
"Neither."