As for how to take advantage of the authorities…
Honestly, it was quite simple.
Let them discover the Golden Legion.
Then allow them to "properly" transport it out.
And after that?
Once it was taken out, the authorities would inevitably pour all their efforts into researching it.
Soon, they would realize that this legion was no ordinary artifact.
It was a Sealed Artifact.
And not just any Sealed Artifact, but one derived from Sequence 2.
That kind of discovery would be enough to send the entire Empire into celebration.
But after the excitement faded…
they would discover something frustrating.
No matter what they tried, they couldn't activate it.
And they certainly couldn't go ask the elves.
That would trigger a serious diplomatic incident.
So this incredible treasure would become nothing more than an untouchable display piece.
Who could tolerate that?
And at that moment…
it would be Mozo's time to shine.
Based on the memories recorded in the Nameless Book, Mozo was ninety percent confident that he could slip into the Empire's official ranks.
He would become a researcher assigned to the Golden Legion.
A comfortable position.
All he needed to do was occasionally provide vague or partial "insights" to satisfy expectations.
On top of that, he could legitimately stay near the Golden Legion "for research purposes."
With official protection to boot.
From a poor university student to a government-backed specialist overnight.
If he wanted, he could even use the excuse of research to have the Empire prepare advancement potions for him.
The more he thought about it, the more Mozo felt like a genius.
The only unfortunate thing was that he might just fleece the Empire dry.
But that didn't matter.
After all, the wealth he had once left behind for the Empire far exceeded what he was about to take.
With that thought, he felt completely justified.
As for the exact execution…
that was something to worry about later.
For now, it was time to leave.
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Mozo once again recited the ancient covenant.
In the next moment, he was sent back to the surface.
Returning to the sewer where everything had begun, Mozo glanced around to make sure no one was nearby.
Then he walked toward the exit in a good mood.
But before he could reach the manhole, a strong scent of blood hit his nose.
His expression sharpened instantly.
He pressed himself against the wall and cautiously observed his surroundings.
Ahead of him lay a pool of dried blood.
Following it upward, he saw the body of an Imperial soldier collapsed near the manhole, his face frozen in terror.
Mozo's pupils shrank.
Something went wrong?
A third-party faction got involved?
After carefully observing for a while and confirming the soldier had been dead for some time, Mozo tossed a rat forward, deliberately creating noise.
He waited.
No one appeared.
Only then did he cautiously climb out.
What greeted him were seven or eight corpses.
Soldiers.
But what shocked him most was their condition.
From the way they had fallen, it looked like they had killed each other in a chaotic firefight.
Immediately, Mozo thought of the "World" and the "Hanged Man" inside the ruins.
They had also appeared to have killed each other.
At the time, he thought it was due to a dispute over treasure.
But now it seemed…
someone else had already been watching this place back then.
What were they planning?
Local rogue Beyonders?
No… unlikely.
They wouldn't dare attack Imperial troops.
And more importantly…
these soldiers had been dead for a while.
Gunfire must have been involved.
Yet no one else had noticed?
Had something happened elsewhere as well?
Or had someone used supernatural means to conceal this area?
And who could it be?
Countless possibilities flashed through Mozo's mind.
Too many to narrow down.
Above the underground hall, within the sewer system.
Someone had carved out a massive circular chamber.
Inside, a group of black-robed figures stood, their faces obscured.
After a while, two more figures entered.
They nodded to the leader.
"The soldiers have been dealt with and the scene has been covered up. But… do we really not need to handle the bodies?"
The leader shook his head.
"As long as they don't get in our way later, it's fine. As for the corpses… heh, they'll have their use when we leave."
After speaking, the leader turned toward another black-robed figure who stood slightly apart.
In front of that figure was a human-sized object wrapped in cloth.
Leaning against the wall nearby was an unconscious girl.
If Mozo had been here, he would have recognized her immediately.
One of the three great beauties of the Flower Faculty.
Windsor.
And also one of the highest-ranking nobles in the entire university.
The leader approached the lone figure respectfully and lowered his head.
"Honored Master Craftsman Daedalus. I believe it is time to fulfill your agreement with His Majesty the Emperor."
At those words, the figure removed their hood.
Revealing long, elegant ears
and a delicate, androgynous face.
"You need not urge me. Your Emperor saved my daughter. And these people have indeed defiled my King's treasury."
"I will honor the original agreement."
With that, the Elven Divine Craftsman pulled away the cloth covering the object.
It revealed a statue.
An elf wearing a crown, holding a sword planted before them.
The statue of the Sun King.
Seeing this, the black-robed leader frowned in disbelief.
"This is it? A statue? After all the effort we went through to transport this 'secret weapon,' it's just a statue?"
Before he could finish
the Elven craftsman seized him by the throat and lifted him off the ground.
The surrounding black-robed figures instinctively moved, but the leader raised a hand to stop them.
"Please forgive me, honored Master Craftsman. I meant no disrespect to your King. But as your ally, I require a reasonable explanation."
The elf snorted coldly and threw him aside.
Then, with great care, he took out a silver crown from his robes.
Holding it reverently, he said,
"This is a replica of my King's crown. The culmination of my life's work."
"It can only be used once. It cannot command the great legion."
"But it is more than enough…"
"To send these desecrators to hell."
With that, the Elven Divine Craftsman removed the crown from the statue.
And solemnly placed the silver crown upon it.