Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

Alex settled into the inn, taking the largest room available, a suite comparable to a presidential suite in the real world. It was spacious, fully furnished, and brightly lit with mage-enchanted stones, keeping it illuminated even at night.

She had no intention of applying for a voucher. Glory City wouldn't dare question an Honorary Mage like her.

Alex planned to stay for a few days, observe the city, and see if there were any other factions of interest.

Of course, her top priority was to find out the location of Tomb City.

However, such information wasn't readily available to just anyone.

Alex found herself at an impasse. She wished Glory City had something akin to an underground black market.

[Night retreats, dawn arrives.]

Early the next morning, Alex decided to visit the Mage Guild's branch in the royal city and inquire about the situation with other mages. It was foolish not to utilize her status; it was the most efficient way.

The Mage Guild's branch was located within the royal palace, serving both as a liaison and a protector of the royal family.

The bustling and magnificent palace at the center was the residence of the Starfallen Empire's royal family. Heavily guarded, it commanded respect and a wide berth from ordinary citizens. A broad road led straight to the palace gates, opening into a vast plaza.

Alex strolled towards the palace gates. A mage visiting the royal palace wasn't unusual and didn't attract much attention.

Just then, a carriage escorted by guards approached the palace gates from behind.

However, as the carriage drew alongside Alex, it abruptly stopped. A surprised voice called out from within.

"Honorary Mage?!"

"Miss Alyssa?"

A familiar figure emerged from the carriage, practically leaping out to greet Alex.

"Robert?"

Alex was taken aback. Wasn't he in charge of teleportation affairs in Hurricane City? What was he doing in City of Glory?

"Miss Alyssa, it's an honor to see you here!"

Robert recognized Alex's voice instantly. Besides, Honorary Mages were rare, and Alex was the only one who frequented the Hurricane City branch.

"What are you doing here?" Alex asked, not particularly averse to this mage who always seemed eager to befriend her. He was at least polite and knew his boundaries.

"Miss Alyssa, you might not know this, but this is my home. I had to practically beg the President to transfer me back here."

Robert explained with a smile.

"You're a member of the royal family?"

Alex was surprised. She had only realized the true value of the gold coins he had gifted her after using them. No wonder he was so generous.

But then a strange thought crossed her mind. It seemed the Mage Guild treated everyone equally, not even giving special treatment to royalty like Robert.

"That's just what the commoners call us. My family simply contributes what we can to the rule of the human race."

Robert said modestly. He knew Alex was the one with a truly impressive background.

Besides, most mages in the guild were renowned figures among humans. True commoner mages were rare.

"Miss Alyssa, are you heading to the branch? Allow me to show you the way."

Robert offered, knowing Alex must be unfamiliar with the palace layout.

"Thank you," Alex replied politely.

Robert led Alex towards the palace, the carriage and guards following behind.

His presence smoothed the way, the guards readily stepping aside for the prince's friend.

The palace beyond the high walls was opulent, with troops patrolling its sprawling grounds.

Alex had assumed the Mage Guild's branch would be located in a less prominent area, but Robert led her straight towards the grandest palace at the center.

Seemingly sensing her confusion, or perhaps wanting to avoid misunderstanding, Robert explained, "Miss Alyssa, the branch is located within the royal palace itself. We live alongside the royal family, responsible for their protection, and enjoy high authority and honor."

"Then why didn't you stay here?" Alex asked curiously. She had been making conversation along the way, both to avoid awkward silence and to glean any useful information.

"Although I'm a member of the royal family, as a mage, I can protect myself. As for authority, my father has been grooming me as his heir ever since I became a mage."

Robert wanted to strengthen the royal family, but the branch here had limited opportunities. Only larger mage branch cities could offer him more significant growth.

He had returned because his progress had plateaued, and his mentor had advised him to relax and seek new opportunities.

He hadn't found any breakthroughs yet, but his mindset had indeed relaxed since returning to Glory City.

They arrived at the branch, where only five mages were present. Despite the small number, all of them, except Robert, were King level.

Alex was surprised by the branch's unexpected strength.

In her experience, the total number of King level mages in a branch rarely exceeded ten. To have five stationed here demonstrated the guild's emphasis on the Starfallen Empire.

The mages here had relatively light duties and were very welcoming to Alex.

Being new here, Alex didn't immediately reveal her purpose, politely exchanging pleasantries instead. Robert, despite being only Monarch level, acted more like the host.

He proposed a celebratory banquet that evening, ostensibly to commemorate his return. As a prince, his invitation carried weight, and no one declined.

After some small talk, Robert seemed to sense Alex's discomfort with the atmosphere and excused themselves, offering to show her around the palace.

"Miss Alyssa, you don't seem to enjoy talking to strangers."

"Indeed. Meaningless chatter," Alex replied. She was here with a purpose and had no time to waste. Robert's sudden appearance was a stroke of luck.

He should have all the information she needed.

The two strolled through the palace gardens, Robert diligently explaining the various features of the palace without directly inquiring about Alex's purpose.

"Miss Alyssa, how was your trip to Yellowrock City?"

Robert was curious about the situation in other branches. As a Monarch level mage, he didn't have the authority to freely travel between continents within the guild.

"The situation in Yellowrock City is... not ideal. It's rather chaotic, unlike the stability here. I believe they'll be requesting aid from headquarters soon."

"What kind of situation could pose such a threat to them?"

Robert was surprised. He knew the strength of a Mage Guild branch. What kind of force could push them to such a point?

"That's actually why I'm returning to Hurricane City. Robert, have you heard of the Liberty Church?" Alex smoothly steered the conversation towards her objective.

"Liberty Church?" Robert pondered for a moment.

"They're a rather small, inconspicuous organization. They keep a low profile."

Of course, this was relative to the Mage Guild.

"Now that you mention it, I believe their headquarters is on the Eldoria continent!" Robert suddenly recalled seeing records of them in both Hurricane City and the royal archives.

So this was the reason for Alyssa's return to Hurricane City and her presence in City of Glory?

"That's right, their headquarters is in Tomb City. They might have some crucial information I need, but I don't know where Tomb City is located." Alex feigned a hint of helplessness.

"As it happens, I know its location. It's my pleasure to be of assistance in such a trivial matter."

Robert immediately offered his help. As the future heir, he was naturally familiar with the locations of cities within the Eldoria continent.

"If possible, I'd appreciate it if you could show me a map of the Eldoria continent. It would save me the trouble of requesting one from Hurricane City. Technically, I'm an Honorary Mage and not affiliated with any specific branch, which makes things a bit inconvenient."

Alex laid out her request, and Robert readily expressed his understanding.

As an Honorary Mage, she certainly had the authority. More importantly, this was an opportunity to gain her favor.

The royal family possessed maps of the Eldoria continent. It wasn't classified information, and it could earn him brownie points with Alex.

"Of course, it's my honor to assist you and the Mage Guild. Please wait a moment. I'll have someone fetch the map."

Robert summoned a subordinate and instructed them to retrieve the map from the palace.

"Thank you," Alex said with a grateful smile. Meeting Robert here was turning out to be quite fortunate.

"This Liberty Church sounds rather intriguing. I've never heard of them before, having spent most of my time in Thunder City. I didn't realize the Mage Guild tolerated their existence."

Alex casually probed for more information, explaining her lack of knowledge.

Even without her saying it, Robert assumed she was a descendant of some prominent figure in Thunder City. It was only natural for a sheltered genius like her to be unaware of such grassroots organizations.

"The Liberty Church has actually been around for a very long time, even longer than the Starfallen Empire. I'm not sure why they haven't expanded their influence. They're humans too, and the Mage Guild treats them no differently from ordinary citizens, as long as they don't pose a threat to humanity."

Robert chatted casually with Alex, sharing his knowledge of this historical organization.

"Besides the Liberty Church, are there any other interesting organizations?"

Seeing her keen interest, Robert racked his brain.

"Well, you could say our nations themselves are organizations: the Starfallen Empire, the Celestian Empire, the Southridge Republic, and so on.

As for interesting organizations, there are a few small, profit-driven ones. Their existence is rather peculiar."

He first mentioned the Bounty Hunter's Guild, its name self-explanatory. It was a small organization within the Starfallen Empire, its strongest member, the president, being only a Monarch.

Desperadoes seeking a second chance or members of other organizations looking to make a quick buck often frequented it.

Robert shared how he had once disguised himself and joined their ranks, earning a tidy sum. The guild sold the materials gathered from their missions to nobles within the empire, which funded their operations.

Another organization was the Worker's Union, formed by ordinary citizens. Their goal was mutual aid, seeking better treatment and benefits.

There were countless such small organizations within the Starfallen Empire, all insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

"So there are actually so many of these small organizations, but none as powerful as the Liberty Church."

Alex quickly understood. If they were too powerful, they would have threatened the Empire's rule. Besides, the Mage Guild wouldn't stand idly by and watch humans engage in internal strife.

Ultimately, the true rulers of humanity were the Mage Guild, who didn't concern themselves with internal human affairs. Their primary focus was on the major factions of other races.

"Indeed. Perhaps only the Mage Guild knows the true origins of the Liberty Church. As for those other organizations I mentioned, they're all relatively new and insignificant."

Robert still held a degree of respect for the Liberty Church, but he looked down upon the others.