174 Partnership.
"And of course, you will have my cooperation with future matters that might be difficult for you to deal alone..." Ozul hit the nail while it was hot.
That was the most important reason for proposing this deal. The other matters only concerned the organization as a whole. Getting help from an individual at Rank-9 was better than having a whole Empire backing you.
A whole army consisting of their leaders at Rank-8 could not change the outcome of a battle between two Rank-9 Mages. That's why only the individuals at this level mattered in battles to them.
The Rank-10 Mages were too aloof to ever interfere in their matters, while the help from anyone weak did not matter.
"Of course, that is only when I find it reasonable," Ozul added.
"Yes, of course! But what do you want in return?" the man asked.
It was a wonder to Ozul how this person even thought of proposing a partnership with him with a little to no idea of what benefits he could give him.
"In return, I would like financial support."
Before the Rank-9 Mage could say anything, he added, "Not money. I need resources which only an organization of this caliber can provide. For example, those formations."
Although Ozul had just told Irvin to create the organization, he knew that it required unbelievable funds to set it up on such a large scale.
They could probably get the money, but getting those resources was a matter of how many connections one had.
Irvin could probably gather such things over time, but it would greatly speed up the process if Ozul brought them directly from a reliable source.
That was the first condition of his partnership with the Order of the Dusk. It was like an investment from their group to Ozul's organization.
"Very well, that can be done..." the man replied positively. If his assassin agency could not even provide something like this, it would be really embarrassing.
"The next would be... anything you know about the Church of Light. And I mean anything you can dig about them." Ozul said this part with a serious tone.
Without a doubt, a Rank-9 individual in the Neutral Lands should know more about the Church's inner workings. That was his main reason for coming to talk with him.
He could not sit back and watch them do whatever they wanted to with his arms anymore. He never showed it, but one could never be comfortable knowing that their limbs were being experimented on day and night.
For him to retrieve his arm back, he would at least need to find their strength first. Blindly rushing in and attacking everything in sight was what mindless Beasts do, not someone conscious.
"Oh? As Mark told me, you are new to the Neutral Lands, surprisingly. And you might not know, but many organizations here have secret allies. Though they all like to keep a separate front, most of them have formed partnerships," the Rank-9 Mage explained.
"So, it is quite bold of you to assume that I don't have a partnership with the Church..."
Instantly, the temperature dropped again. Ozul's gaze sharpened. He was indeed not aware of the secret allying part, but it was a mistake on his part if this person in front of him had really been associated with the Church.
"Don't worry, my friend. As you ask for specifically their inner workings, I assume that you don't like them. Well, you can say that my Order of the Dusk does not get along with them either." The man instantly dispelled the heavy atmosphere with his words.
Ozul also noticed how he called him a friend.
'It seems that his dislike might not be limited to only dislike,' Ozul thought. In any case, it was only good for him that his ally also had similar enemies.
"Very well, I can explain to you about them in detail. Anything else?" The man asked.
"The last would be for me to be able to use your and your guild's services if I ever require. Of course, only if you find it reasonable," Ozul stated the last condition.
"That's it? Well then; it's a deal!" the man stood up with a smirk. No matter how much he thought, he was on the receiving end. So, he was more than happy to seal the deal.
He would be able to use his information-gathering agency for any information. At the same time, he only needed to provide some start-up materials, and the rest of his request also brought no inconvenience to him.
The offer could not be more favorable for him. He just did not understand why this young-looking fellow would offer something like this.
"If you agree, then start telling me about whatever you know about the Church." Ozul got straight to the point.
Unlike what anyone thought, Ozul had offered this person to be allowed to get information from his organization in the future only because he did not care.
He had created it in the first place only to search for clues about himself once it grows to a level where it had its eyes all over the Mainland. Other than that, he did not care who else received the benefits.
It was all meaningless to him if he could not learn anything about himself. So it was an excellent way to use it in exchange for reliable information on the Church, which was beneficial to him.
The Rank-9 Mage went towards the transparent wall and looked outside. He could only see trees as far as his sight allowed him to see.
"The Church's inner workings are not really complex. There are thousands of Priests. They are usually Rank-5 to Initial Staged Rank-7 Mages. Above them are the almost hundred High Priests. For the ones farthest from the Neutral City, they are only in the upper stages of Rank-7. But a few outside the City and every High Priest in the City is a Rank-8 Mage."
This piece of information left Ozul pondering. These numbers were not by any means low. With only High Priests and below, the Church was stronger than every Kingdom on the Mainland!
"Above High Priests are Bishops. Well, there are only around 5 known Bishops. As for their strength, they are all at the peak of Rank-8," the man specifically emphasized the word 'known'.
Ozul knew what it meant; the Church purposely only showed 5 individuals of peak Rank-8, but there were definitely more according to this person.
The man was still looking outside as he continued, "As for above the Bishops, there is only one Archbishop, a Rank-9 Mage."
"So, he is in charge?" Ozul asked. He would be the only obstacle in front of him.
"Yes. A very shrewd man, I tell you. Although he would preach everywhere about how he is a devotee to the God of Light, there is not a person I know more manipulative than that bastard. He has the masses dance on his palm like it is a child's play!" The man started to curse this Archbishop.
"Enough about him. You might also know that every member of the Church of Light only uses the Light Element. That also makes them a force to be reckoned with. But that is not all..." the man paused.
"What?" Ozul urged.
"There is a Rank-10 Mage backing them," the man said in a heavy tone.
Ozul squinted his eyes at the mention of a Rank-10 Mage. It meant that the person stood at the very peak of this world!
Changing entire terrains using their Spells was not a problem for individuals at that level.
Although Ozul could likely hold his ground against a Rank-9, a Rank-10 would instantly crush him. He was very much aware of that.
'This certainly changes many things...' Ozul thought with a sigh.
"Although everyone knows that a Rank-10 individual almost never interferes in our mortal affairs, no one can ignore their threat. What if they suddenly have a mood swing and decides to step up for their respective faction?" the man started complaining.
"If only a Rank-10 wasn't involved, I would have burned the whole Church down to ashes already!"
Ozul looked at his clenched fist and realized that there must be a history of bad blood between them.
*Sigh...*
Ozul sighed before asking, "What about their allies? You said that almost every organization had allies in the Neutral City?"
"Hm? Yes. For the Church, the obvious one is the Silverbird Kingdom." the man said while glancing at Ozul.
Ozul nodded his head. He could already figure out that much from the interactions between the two sides.
"As for the rest, I am only aware of two; both of them are renowned sects. The first is the Harmonious Whirlwind Sect, and the other is the Twilight Lotus Sect." the man explained.
"Hmm?" Ozul tilted his head. He was new to the sects.
"Well, all you need to know is that both of these sects are also each led by a Rank-9. Overall, the Church has 4 Rank-9 Mages on their side." the man concluded.
"Hey, tell me, why are you against the Church?" the Rank-9 Mage suddenly turned around to ask.
"... They have something that belongs to me. I simply want it back. I simply don't care about what happens to them in the process," Ozul replied in a cold voice.
It made the Rank-9 Mage curious about what this thing was, but he did not question further.
"But we only have two Rank-9..." Ozul muttered with disappointment. He wouldn't have to care about such a thing if only he was stronger.
"Haha, who said we are the only two? Well, as you are also that bastard's enemy and my partner now, it doesn't hurt to tell you..." the man suddenly laughed mysteriously.
That was the most important reason for proposing this deal. The other matters only concerned the organization as a whole. Getting help from an individual at Rank-9 was better than having a whole Empire backing you.
A whole army consisting of their leaders at Rank-8 could not change the outcome of a battle between two Rank-9 Mages. That's why only the individuals at this level mattered in battles to them.
The Rank-10 Mages were too aloof to ever interfere in their matters, while the help from anyone weak did not matter.
"Of course, that is only when I find it reasonable," Ozul added.
"Yes, of course! But what do you want in return?" the man asked.
It was a wonder to Ozul how this person even thought of proposing a partnership with him with a little to no idea of what benefits he could give him.
"In return, I would like financial support."
Before the Rank-9 Mage could say anything, he added, "Not money. I need resources which only an organization of this caliber can provide. For example, those formations."
Although Ozul had just told Irvin to create the organization, he knew that it required unbelievable funds to set it up on such a large scale.
They could probably get the money, but getting those resources was a matter of how many connections one had.
Irvin could probably gather such things over time, but it would greatly speed up the process if Ozul brought them directly from a reliable source.
That was the first condition of his partnership with the Order of the Dusk. It was like an investment from their group to Ozul's organization.
"Very well, that can be done..." the man replied positively. If his assassin agency could not even provide something like this, it would be really embarrassing.
"The next would be... anything you know about the Church of Light. And I mean anything you can dig about them." Ozul said this part with a serious tone.
Without a doubt, a Rank-9 individual in the Neutral Lands should know more about the Church's inner workings. That was his main reason for coming to talk with him.
He could not sit back and watch them do whatever they wanted to with his arms anymore. He never showed it, but one could never be comfortable knowing that their limbs were being experimented on day and night.
For him to retrieve his arm back, he would at least need to find their strength first. Blindly rushing in and attacking everything in sight was what mindless Beasts do, not someone conscious.
"Oh? As Mark told me, you are new to the Neutral Lands, surprisingly. And you might not know, but many organizations here have secret allies. Though they all like to keep a separate front, most of them have formed partnerships," the Rank-9 Mage explained.
"So, it is quite bold of you to assume that I don't have a partnership with the Church..."
Instantly, the temperature dropped again. Ozul's gaze sharpened. He was indeed not aware of the secret allying part, but it was a mistake on his part if this person in front of him had really been associated with the Church.
"Don't worry, my friend. As you ask for specifically their inner workings, I assume that you don't like them. Well, you can say that my Order of the Dusk does not get along with them either." The man instantly dispelled the heavy atmosphere with his words.
Ozul also noticed how he called him a friend.
'It seems that his dislike might not be limited to only dislike,' Ozul thought. In any case, it was only good for him that his ally also had similar enemies.
"Very well, I can explain to you about them in detail. Anything else?" The man asked.
"The last would be for me to be able to use your and your guild's services if I ever require. Of course, only if you find it reasonable," Ozul stated the last condition.
"That's it? Well then; it's a deal!" the man stood up with a smirk. No matter how much he thought, he was on the receiving end. So, he was more than happy to seal the deal.
He would be able to use his information-gathering agency for any information. At the same time, he only needed to provide some start-up materials, and the rest of his request also brought no inconvenience to him.
The offer could not be more favorable for him. He just did not understand why this young-looking fellow would offer something like this.
"If you agree, then start telling me about whatever you know about the Church." Ozul got straight to the point.
Unlike what anyone thought, Ozul had offered this person to be allowed to get information from his organization in the future only because he did not care.
He had created it in the first place only to search for clues about himself once it grows to a level where it had its eyes all over the Mainland. Other than that, he did not care who else received the benefits.
It was all meaningless to him if he could not learn anything about himself. So it was an excellent way to use it in exchange for reliable information on the Church, which was beneficial to him.
The Rank-9 Mage went towards the transparent wall and looked outside. He could only see trees as far as his sight allowed him to see.
"The Church's inner workings are not really complex. There are thousands of Priests. They are usually Rank-5 to Initial Staged Rank-7 Mages. Above them are the almost hundred High Priests. For the ones farthest from the Neutral City, they are only in the upper stages of Rank-7. But a few outside the City and every High Priest in the City is a Rank-8 Mage."
This piece of information left Ozul pondering. These numbers were not by any means low. With only High Priests and below, the Church was stronger than every Kingdom on the Mainland!
"Above High Priests are Bishops. Well, there are only around 5 known Bishops. As for their strength, they are all at the peak of Rank-8," the man specifically emphasized the word 'known'.
Ozul knew what it meant; the Church purposely only showed 5 individuals of peak Rank-8, but there were definitely more according to this person.
The man was still looking outside as he continued, "As for above the Bishops, there is only one Archbishop, a Rank-9 Mage."
"So, he is in charge?" Ozul asked. He would be the only obstacle in front of him.
"Yes. A very shrewd man, I tell you. Although he would preach everywhere about how he is a devotee to the God of Light, there is not a person I know more manipulative than that bastard. He has the masses dance on his palm like it is a child's play!" The man started to curse this Archbishop.
"Enough about him. You might also know that every member of the Church of Light only uses the Light Element. That also makes them a force to be reckoned with. But that is not all..." the man paused.
"What?" Ozul urged.
"There is a Rank-10 Mage backing them," the man said in a heavy tone.
Ozul squinted his eyes at the mention of a Rank-10 Mage. It meant that the person stood at the very peak of this world!
Changing entire terrains using their Spells was not a problem for individuals at that level.
Although Ozul could likely hold his ground against a Rank-9, a Rank-10 would instantly crush him. He was very much aware of that.
'This certainly changes many things...' Ozul thought with a sigh.
"Although everyone knows that a Rank-10 individual almost never interferes in our mortal affairs, no one can ignore their threat. What if they suddenly have a mood swing and decides to step up for their respective faction?" the man started complaining.
"If only a Rank-10 wasn't involved, I would have burned the whole Church down to ashes already!"
Ozul looked at his clenched fist and realized that there must be a history of bad blood between them.
*Sigh...*
Ozul sighed before asking, "What about their allies? You said that almost every organization had allies in the Neutral City?"
"Hm? Yes. For the Church, the obvious one is the Silverbird Kingdom." the man said while glancing at Ozul.
Ozul nodded his head. He could already figure out that much from the interactions between the two sides.
"As for the rest, I am only aware of two; both of them are renowned sects. The first is the Harmonious Whirlwind Sect, and the other is the Twilight Lotus Sect." the man explained.
"Hmm?" Ozul tilted his head. He was new to the sects.
"Well, all you need to know is that both of these sects are also each led by a Rank-9. Overall, the Church has 4 Rank-9 Mages on their side." the man concluded.
"Hey, tell me, why are you against the Church?" the Rank-9 Mage suddenly turned around to ask.
"... They have something that belongs to me. I simply want it back. I simply don't care about what happens to them in the process," Ozul replied in a cold voice.
It made the Rank-9 Mage curious about what this thing was, but he did not question further.
"But we only have two Rank-9..." Ozul muttered with disappointment. He wouldn't have to care about such a thing if only he was stronger.
"Haha, who said we are the only two? Well, as you are also that bastard's enemy and my partner now, it doesn't hurt to tell you..." the man suddenly laughed mysteriously.
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