Advent of the Archmage - Chapter 150

Chapter 150: The Flaming Hand (Part 4)

 

The Morani Castle was located at the highest point in Puffer County. As long as one was standing in an open space with an unobstructed view, they could see the castle clearly.

It was five o’clock in the afternoon. Three Dark Elves carefully disguised as humans were traveling on horses along Hamilton Bridge. As they lifted their heads, they got a clear view of the castle.

The three of them were powerful and had excellent vision. Not only did they get a clear view of the castle, they also saw a turquoise carriage traveling up the hill towards the castle.

“Look, it’s a carriage from the East Cove Higher Magic Academy. The person inside must be Link,” Hedel spoke. They rushed here the moment they heard that Link was returning back home. The sight of a carriage bearing the academy’s crest confirmed their suspicion.

“Quick, we’ll go catch him now!” Norisa gripped his sword tightly.

“There is no hurry,” Magician Parsons said as he looked at the distant carriage and castle. “This is his family castle where his loved ones reside. We have to deliver the greatest pain to him to avenge the princess. We will wait till its dusk before we sneak into the castle and kill his family members right in front of his eyes. Then, we will burn down his family castle and destroy everything he ever owned!”

“Fantastic!” Hedel smacked his lips in satisfaction. The Dark Elves were blessed children of the night. As an Assassin, he was thus the reaper when dusk fell.

Link’s carriage moved towards the castle at a steady pace. While the Morani family was not well-known, the respective heads of the family had been lords for the past 300 years. There was a lot of thought put into the construction of the castle over all these years.

The perimeter of the castle was surrounded by a 15-foot-deep trench. As it was situated on higher ground, there was no water in the trench. Instead, the trench was deliberately filled with wooden spikes. The castle walls were made of a hardy material called Star Stone to defend against external attacks. The wall with the suspension bridge was further reinforced with magic runes. Link could tell in one look that those were anti-magic runes and sturdy runes. After entering the castle gate, one would be greeted by a plaza filled with weapons such as crossbows, catapults and other instrumentals in castle defense. The plaza was surrounded by another layer of tall walls and lead to the second castle gate.

If an enemy were to break through the first layer of defense, they would be trapped within the plaza and greeted by a deadly rain of arrows. There would be no escape.

As Link continued to observe the castle, he felt that the castle was simply a war fortress. If it was stocked with an adequate supply of food and some combat masters, it could probably serve as a defensive foothold for at least one and a half years.

At this moment, the carriage had arrived at the inner castle’s courtyard. There was a small garden in the courtyard decorated with neatly trimmed greenery. This slightly dispelled the dark and humid atmosphere present in the castle. The main castle gate lay behind the courtyard. Link saw three people standing in front of the main gate, awaiting his arrival.

There were two women and one man. The two women were dressed in tattered and thin clothes, causing them to shiver in the cold winter. They constantly rubbed their hands against each other and stamped their feet to keep their bodies warm. As Link got closer, their facial features evoked Link’s memory and he finally recognized them.

The women with the distressed and worried expression were Lilith, the mother of the true Link Morani. The disheveled lady beside her was his elder sister Molly, and the last person with a head of white hair was the housekeeper of the Morani family, Trevor.

Mother is in the castle? This is unexpected. Link thought. As for his eldest brother, it was normal for him to not appear due to his revolting temperament. Similarly, his second brother was a Kingdom Knight and was on duty at the Silver Fortress in the North. It was thus natural that he would not be around as well.

The carriage stopped right in front of the main gate. Link opened the door and alighted with grace.

Link did not want to be looked down upon by his family members. He wore his turquoise magic robe bearing the crest of the East Cove Higher Magic Academy and had two rings on his hand. One of them was an intricately designed ring bearing the defensive spell, Edelweiss. The second one was a ring given by the King that would affirm his status as a Duke. The Wand of Constellations he deliberately held in his hand also constantly emitted a mysterious and glorious glow.

This was extremely effective. Lilith’s eyes lit up the moment she saw her son in this manner. She immediately felt relieved, the signs of distress previously shown on her face dissipated. His sister Molly had also regained some spirit, covering her mouth in shock. They probably did not expect their incompetent brother would grow this much. The contempt on Trevor’s face had also greatly lessened, changing into that of respect and awe. He bowed and said, “Third young master.”

“Is this really you, Link?” Molly doubted her own eyes. The Morani family had always placed emphasis on physical strength and walked the path of the knight. Link, who was frail and weak from young was thus despised.

However, the young man standing in front of them was lean and confident. He was dressed in a glorious robe and had the demeanor of an extremely powerful Magician. This was the exact opposite of the impression she had of her brother.

“It’s me,” Link smiled. Even though he did not hold special feelings towards these two women, memories of the true Link Morani were still present inside him. He couldn’t help but feel some sort of intimacy.

He walked forward and hugged his sister and mother respectively. When he embraced his mother, Link found the poor woman trembling. He then looked at her and saw tears flowing down her cheek as she stared hard at him. She murmured, “That’s good, my son has finally grown up. He looks promising.”

Link felt a twinge of pain in his heart. He let out a small sigh before recollecting himself. He turned towards the coachman and handed him five gold coins. “Al, please take a rest. You will have to stay in the castle these few days. Sorry for the trouble.”

The moment the coachman saw the gold coins, his eyes lit up. Five gold coins were the equivalent of six months of his earnings. He was elated and spoke with excitement, “Thank you, sir.”

Housekeeper Trevor gasped at the sight, he gave the coachman five gold coins as a trip?

The entire Morani family merely had an annual income of 700 gold coins. With this income, they had to further split it amongst the 300 over people in the castle. The most generous reward the Duke offered in the past year was five silver coins. To think that Link could offer ten times that amount off the mark; it exceeded his expectations in every way.

The winter breeze was making the cold unbearable. Link could not watch as his mother and sister turned pale in the howling wind. He said, “Mother, sister, let’s go in.”

“Alright, alright.” Lilith’s only focus was on her son. She would follow whatever Link said.

As for Molly, she was similarly shocked by Link’s lavish action. Her allowance for the entire year was merely six gold coins. She still remembered her struggle when she wanted to purchase a skirt that had cost one gold coin. It took her half a month to come to a decision. She clearly did not expect her brother to tip a coachman an amount that was almost equivalent to her yearly allowance. How extravagant!

She followed closely behind Link with a stunned expression, her eyes staring at her brother the whole time.

On the way, Link told the housekeeper, “I want to see my father, bring me there.”

Trevor instinctively said, “The Duke is currently weak…no visitors are allowed.”

That was far from the truth. While the Duke was indeed physically weak, it was Hamilton’s eldest son, also the person next in line for the position of Duke, Wharton Morani’s instruction that the third young master was not allowed to visit the seriously ill Duke.

The reason was simple. He was afraid some of the inheritance would go to Link.

In the past, Trevor would say these things with ease. However, before he could even complete his sentence this time, his speech was interrupted by Link’s cold stare. There was not the slightest bit of emotion in those eyes. He immediately felt pressurized the moment their gaze met.

He panicked and sweat broke out on his forehead. He subconsciously muttered, “Third young master, this is your brother’s order.”

Link sneered. He knew exactly what Wharton was planning. The Morani family’s inheritance was sparse to begin with. If Wharton had to split this inheritance with him, Wharton’s portion would definitely become smaller. However, Link had no interest in such an insignificant inheritance.

He calmly spoke, “I request to see my father, and not my brother. Lead the way!”

“Yes…” Trevor found himself completely subservient to this young man and agreed immediately. The moment he spoke, he was horrified. Since when did the third master become so powerful. This is weird.

Now that he had agreed, there was no reason to delay the process. Trevor led the way with a pained expression.

When they reached the staircase, a figure appeared on the second floor. A voice came in that direction, “My dear brother, you have finally returned. I missed you so much.”

Link looked up and saw a burly young man walked down the stairs.

The man was in his early thirties. He had shoulder-length brown curls and neatly trimmed stubble. He was well-built and wore a brand new black robe with a high-quality fur vest. His shoes were made of exquisite deer leather, and the accessories he wore were double the amount of the total his mother and sister wore altogether.

The sight of this person struck fear into the hearts of his mother and sister. They immediately bowed their heads like a deer shivering in the face of a lion.

This was the eldest brother of the true Link Morani, the successor to the throne, Wharton Morani.

He slowly walked down the stairs and observed Link with great interest. His smile grew wider by the minute and said, “My dear brother, it seems like you have learned your magic well. Look at your beautiful wand, let me have a look at it.”

He then proceeded to grab the wand from Link without asking for his permission. This was an old habit. His third brother would never refuse his requests.

However, that was Link from the past.

This pampered bastard meant nothing to him now.

Link’s mana surged into the wand, causing it to glow in a blinding light. Under the illumination of this light, Link looked at his arrogant brother and said, “This is not something you should be touching, Wharton.”

A Magician’s wand is like a Warrior’s sword. It should never be in the possession of another person, not even for a moment.

Wharton’s expression immediately changed. His face darkened and with his hands still stretched, the brilliance of a strong Battle Aura enveloped his body. He advanced forward, “Why is that so? Have my little brother lost all respect after learning some magic?”

He specialised in the Morani’s family Ice Battle Aura and was already a Level-4 Warrior. He was confident that he would be considered a formidable foe even if his strength was compared across the Kingdom. On the other hand, his brother had only studied magic for less than a year.

How strong could a person get after merely a year of practice? The blinding light is probably just something flashy.

He then made an extremely unwise decision.

The next moment, a brilliant light enveloped Link’s body and a Level-4 Edelweiss spell was instantly released. Link controlled the energy field carefully and made sure not to injure his mother, sister and the housekeeper. However, on Wharton’s side, he deliberately enhanced the strength of the forcefield.

Boom! Wharton was caught unguarded and his whole body was knocked back.

“You little punk! How dare you attack me!” Wharton was enraged. He had been holding the reins in the Morani family for a few years. Even his father dared not go against his will, much less his third brother who had always been meek and frail. To think that he could retaliate!

The anger inside him was overflowing. He charged forward following an explosion of his Battle Aura. He had to teach this disobedient brother a lesson!

Chapter 151: The Flaming Hand (Part 5)

 

At the Morani Castle.

Wharton was so enraged that he’d lost all his reasoning capabilities. All he wanted to do now was to attack Link somehow.

Link was quite surprised at the degree of his brother’s wrath. He’d always known that Wharton had a bad temper and that he was always the boss in the castle where his words were the law. But he didn’t expect Wharton to descend to such a tyrannical point. This was no longer just haughtiness and arrogance – it was madness!

Link felt he must teach Wharton a lesson in place of their father, in case one day he might step on the wrong toes and cause irreversible damage to the family.

It was true that Wharton was a Level-4 Warrior, but he wasn’t holding any weapons at the moment, and neither was he wearing his armor. Link, on the other hand, had a whole arsenal of spells at his beck and call to choose from – Glass Orb, Whistle, or even Flame Blast – either one of these would’ve killed Wharton in less than a second.

But of course he couldn’t, and wouldn’t, do that. After considering it for a while Link decided to use the latest spell he’d learned – the modified version of the Flaming Hand, Vulcan’s Hand. This spell would completely overpower his bastard of a brother and immobilize him without hurting him.

But then, just as Link had come to his decision, a figure appeared out of nowhere and was lunging towards Link and Wharton. The figure’s body was shrouded in Battle Aura of exactly the same color as Wharton’s, only even more intense.

It turned out that the figure wasn’t aiming at Link, though. Instead, the mysterious figure went straight for Wharton.

Wharton was caught unaware himself and didn’t have the time to defend himself from the assailant. He was forced to step backwards for five or six steps, after which the assailant pinned him down against the wall behind him.

Wharton did not expect it to be shocked, and then he was knocked back by the figure. He took five or six steps back and was finally hit by the figure on the wall.

It was then that Link could finally make out who this figure was. He was over six feet tall with a body as sturdy as a bear and a rough and craggy appearance that seemed to be about 25 years old. He was Link’s second brother, Clyde Morani.

“This is the first time we three brothers are reunited back at home,” he said angrily, staring straight into Wharton’s eyes, “yet this is how you, the eldest brother, welcome us?”

“You bastard, let me go!” By now Wharton had calmed down slightly. He continued to struggle but Clyde had eased his grip on him. Soon enough Clyde let his brother go and took a few steps away from him.

Now that Wharton was free from Clyde’s grasp, he suppressed the burning rage inside him with all his might and shot daggers at him with his stare. Then he straightened his clothes and turned back to Link.

“So you think you can play me like a puppet now that you’ve learned a few tricks in the magic academy, huh?” sneered Wharton. “Don’t you forget that I’m the master of this castle and no one is allowed to disobey or disrespect me. If you’ve got a problem with that then you’re welcome to bugger off!”

Then Wharton turned around and strutted out of the hall without waiting for Link’s reply.

Link frowned deeply as he massaged his eyebrows. In this brief interaction with his eldest brother he could clearly see that Wharton was pompous and arrogant, impulsive and impatient, and worst of all, ignorant and unwilling to compromise his needs for anyone else. In short, he was just like those typical spoiled sons of noblemen.

Meanwhile, Link’s second brother Clyde apparently couldn’t stand Wharton as well as he spat on the spot where Wharton had stood.

“Sooner or later the family will fall in his hands!” shouted Clyde.

He was a knight of the kingdom who was stationed in the White Silver Fortress which was a hundred miles north of the Black Iron Fortress, and the second largest fortress in the kingdom.

He had heard that his father had fallen seriously ill, so he asked for special permission by the captain to come home in time for the Winter Veil Festival. He’d also got wind of the rumors about his little brother on his way back that he had shown exceptional progress in his magic skills and was about to come home as well. So, Clyde was very much looking forward to seeing everyone back together for the first time in a long while.

Although he hadn’t liked Link much in the past, it was only because he despised his little brother’s weakness and passivity. He would never bully Link himself. Now that he was a knight of the kingdom and had been stationed away from home for a long time, he had started to value the unity and strength of the family even more than he had ever done.

The reason was simple. If the bond within your family wasn’t strong or if none of your family members was a prominent figure, you could be easily manipulated by another more powerful family and be robbed of all you had.

The appearance of a prominent figure within a family depended entirely on luck, which was very hard to alter. The unity among the family members, though, could be worked upon. This was the reason why Clyde highly valued the importance of love and harmony in maintaining the strength and position of the family.

And yet, the first thing he saw after rushing back home was the sight of his elder brother in all his arrogance bullying his little brother in front of the rest of the family. This angered him very much and triggered him to act out in the way he did.

Now that Wharton had left, Clyde then calmed himself down for a while and turned to his little brother.

“Not bad, kid,” he remarked.

Clyde had been out in the world for many years, so his mind had been broadened unlike Wharton who had remained here all his life. Clyde could easily see from that little trick his little brother had used on Wharton that Link’s spellcasting was impressively swift. He even had a decent control of the spell that he cast. To have achieved this much within a year was really not bad at all.

However, in Clyde’s view, Link’s magic aura was still very dim, so his level mustn’t be all that high at present. He’d managed to fend off Wharton probably because the latter had been caught off guard. Still, it was more than enough for now. They finally had a Magician within the Morani family, and this pleased Clyde very much.

Link, on the other hand, had known Clyde to be a frivolous man who loved to chase after women. He remembered how he would flirt and try to court every beautiful lady he met. But apart from that there was no serious flaw in him at all. He’d ignored Link in the past but had never done anything to make his life miserable the way Wharton had been, so Link had no hard feelings for Clyde at all. He saw Clyde smiling at him so his expressions softened as well and finally ceased the Edelweiss shield.

“It’s just a little trick I learned,” he told Clyde with a smile. He then turned to his mother and patted her hand gently. She was pale and shaken by what had just happened.

“It’s alright, Mother,” Link reassured her, “Wharton was just confused for a moment.”

“I heard Trevor say that father’s body is getting weaker,” said Link. “Is he ill? What happened?” He hadn’t received any news from home lately and had no idea at all what was going on within the household.

“Father fell off a horse two weeks ago,” said Clyde, his face now turned grave and glum. “He was relatively fine when it happened, but his injuries worsened the next day. The priest had visited him several times now but there still wasn’t much improvement in his conditions. I hear his body was too weak to withstand a strong healing divine spell.”

The basis of divine spells was to stimulate the body’s own potential to repair and heal itself. The priest would only say someone could no longer withstand a healing spell when that person was nearing their limit and could no longer be saved.

Link was understandably shocked at this revelation. He hadn’t expected to come back at such a crucial time. He’d assumed that Wharton was preventing himself from seeing the Viscount because he didn’t want Link to develop a close relationship with their father. But now it seemed that he might just be worried about the old man’s health and didn’t want Link to disturb him. Now it’s no wonder why Wharton’s temper had been so explosive.

“Let’s go see him,” said Link.

Clyde nodded, and the two brothers then made for the old Viscount’s room together.

Their father’s room was on the second floor of the castle just a few steps away from where they were. Just as they were approaching the door, Link saw the priest walking out of the room followed by the castle’s servant, though they didn’t seem to notice the two brothers approaching yet.

“The Lord of Light has summoned the Viscount,” said the priest to the servant, “he might stay alive for another week but no longer. You must all be prepared for what might happen soon.”

Clyde had heard the priest’s every word loud and clear. He quickly rushed up to him in long strides.

“Is there no way to save him at all?” he asked with a pleading voice.

The priest was initially shocked at Link and Clyde’s presence. He then looked around and realized that they were all members of the Viscount’s family, so he shook his head gently in reply, with an expression on his face that signified helplessness.

“The Viscount is already unconscious and his Life Aura is now almost extinguished,” he said. “I’m afraid I am powerless against the will of the Lord of Light.”

The priest then gave a slight bow and left.

Clyde let out a long sigh and they all stood there silently. The two brothers then entered the Viscount’s room. Link saw his white-haired father lying almost lifelessly like a sheet of paper on the king-sized, carved oak bed. His breathing was irregular and very slow, and his face was ashen and pale. He didn’t look much different from a corpse.

Link knew at a glance that the priest had overstated his father’s condition. By the looks of it, the Viscount wouldn’t last much longer than three days, and there was no longer any hope that he would ever rise from his coma. Wharton shouldn’t have bothered preventing him from seeing his father as it would’ve made no difference at all.

The two brothers stayed in their father’s room for a while without uttering a single word. They still stayed silent as they walked out of the room. Link didn’t exactly feel sad, but he did feel the depressive air that was clouding the atmosphere.

They then passed the time wordlessly for a while. Then the clock chimed six in the evening – it was now dinnertime in the Morani castle.

Although Link’s eldest brother wasn’t exactly keen on celebrating his return to the castle, he still ordered the servants to serve up quite a lavish meal for everyone.

There were only five people in the dining hall – the three Morani brothers, Molly and Link’s mother Lilith. Wharton sat at the head of the dining table while Clyde was sitting on his right. Link took a seat in the middle of the table’s length. He then turned to his mother and sister and was shocked to find that they were standing aside timidly with uncertainty, looking at Wharton as if afraid of his disapproval.

“What are you standing there for?” Wharton barked. “Sit down!”

Only then did Lilith and Molly dare to take their seats. Link frowned at this sight as it made him suspect that Molly and his mother weren’t even allowed to sit at the same table with Wharton when he wasn’t home. It was only his speculation, though, so Link decided not to say anything about it for now.

A few minutes later, Wharton broke the silence of the dining hall.

“Molly,” he began, taking his time with each word, “Father’s health is deteriorating as we speak, we mustn’t delay the engagement any longer. It is what he had decided on before he collapsed into unconsciousness.”

Molly was slowly cutting up the venison steak on her plate when she shuddered suddenly at the mention of the engagement. Her face instantly turned white as a sheet and she was so upset that not a sound escaped from her lips.

Lilith seemed like she had something to say but she stopped herself before she opened her mouth. The doleful crease between her eyebrows was even deeper now.

“Wharton,” said Link after putting down the knife in his hand, no longer able to hold in his thought, “what engagement are you talking about? Why don’t I know anything about this?”

Wharton harrumphed and continued to chew the piece of meat in his mouth slowly, making no haste to answer Link’s questions.

“It is father’s decision,” he said finally. “The man asking for Molly’s hand is the eldest son, Baron Arrow from Delta County. It is father’s last wish.”

“No!” Molly shrieked suddenly, finally finding her voice. “It is not father’s wish! You’ve coaxed him into it!” Her eyes were just as deep and dark as Link’s and they were now brimming with tears, making them look just like pools of ink.

She then turned to Link and looked straight into his eyes.

“That Delta County Baron’s eldest son is a madman!” she told him. “He suffered a serious injury from a horse-riding accident and ever since then he’s been torturing women for pleasure. He’s had three wives and they all died because of his barbarous treatment! I will never marry a man like that!”

Molly had been observing her brother ever since he arrived. She found that there was something different about him now that made her trust him even more than she ever did when he was just her baby brother. He seemed much more like a leader and a reliable man. She might just be grasping at straws, but she felt that only Link could save her from this cruel fate.

The crease between Link’s brows deepened as he listened to his sister, though he made no replies and just sat there brooding. Wharton, on the other hand, couldn’t take it much longer.

“Shut up!” he yelled as he slammed a fist onto the table.

Molly stopped speaking immediately and bit her lips so hard they started to bleed, though she dared not defy her brother’s command. He was still the most powerful man in the castle after all.

Wharton sniggered derisively, then he turned to Link.

“My dear brother,” he said, “Baron Arrow is so kind to welcome our sister into his household without a dowry. Not only that, he even offered us a thousand gold coins in return. His son may have misbehaved from time to time but I’m sure he’s no madman. Molly will be fine as long as she is careful. Anyway, this is what father wanted.”

Link paid no heed to Wharton’s words. He looked over to his mother and sister and saw how one was sorrowful and the other tearful. Link put down the fork in his hand and wiped his mouth with the napkin beside his plate. He knew what he should do now.

“I disapprove of the arrangement,” said Link.

Wharton was visibly seething with anger, his eyes bulged out as if they were about to explode out of his head.

“Come on, let’s not quarrel,” Clyde interrupted. “We’ll talk about it after the meal. Let’s enjoy the food for now, alright?”

Wharton snorted at Clyde’s remarks. He still resented his brother for the opportunity he had to go off into the world and become a chivalrous knight while he was stuck in this castle.

“My dear brother,” he began, “you mustn’t forget that your armor and weapons had cost the family 1500 gold coins. That’s three years’ worth of our income! Think of how much our family had to sacrifice for you, we’ve even gone into debts with –”

“Alright, that’s enough!” Clyde slammed his knife and fork onto the table and stomped out of the dining hall. He had no plan to stay there and suffer through another one of Wharton’s dreadful lectures.

Wharton burst out in laughter like a child who’d just won a fight. Now it’s time to deal with the other younger brother.

“The decision is final,” he told Link. “What you think of it means nothing whatsoever.”

“I think you’ve got it wrong, brother,” said Link with a laugh. “I wasn’t telling you what I think, I will act on it too. I will bring my mother and Molly back with me.”

“Don’t be silly!” Wharton retorted disdainfully. “How do you plan to take care of them? You’re just a Magician’s Apprentice who’s only been learning magic for a year. I doubt if you could even take care of yourself! What…what is that?”

“You obviously haven’t noticed this ring on my finger, have you?” said Link, smiling as he raised his hand to show Wharton the Baron seal from the king. “King Leon has given me this ring as proof that I am now a Baron with my own estate. Now that father will soon be gone, I will bring my mother and Molly back to my estate with me and take care of them myself.”

Link’s words hit Wharton like a ton of bricks as he sat there dumbstruck and unable to make any reply. Meanwhile, Link’s mother and Molly’s eyes shone with jubilant surprise.

Just then, they were interrupted by Clyde’s urgent scream from the outside of the castle.

“We’re under attack!”

Chapter 152: The Flaming Hand (Part 6)

 

The Morani family’s castle.

Clyde was in a state of depression when he came out of the dining hall.

While it looked glamorous being a Kingdom Knight, a knight with a noble background had to pay for his own armor. In order to preserve the reputation of the Morani family, the old Duke spent a huge amount on his set of magic armor.

When he started using this set of armor, Clyde indeed received stares of admiration. However, as his military achievements had not been outstanding these five years, he did not receive many rewards for his actions, and was thus still wearing his old armor.

The magic formation on his armor had lost its effects a long time ago. Furthermore, the armor also looked dilapidated from all the repairs and wars it had been through these years. Clyde looked nothing like a Knight of noble descent wearing it.

But he still had to wear it, making him a target for ridicule.

His years of experience on the battlefield had allowed him to ignore these condescending stares and voices. Putting those aside, he had been looking forward to returning home, hoping that his family would make him feel better. Little did he expect that his family was also in shambles.

His elder brother was only concerned about his inheritance and position, his younger brother had become defiant after learning magic, his sister was not sensible and his father was on his deathbed. These series of unfortunate events weighed on Clyde’s heart like a heavy stone. He wished to find something that he could release his rage onto.

He continued moving forward past the courtyard to the outer plaza and then climbed the castle wall. It was snowing, causing the air to be cool and refreshing. Looking out from the highest point of the city walls, a panoramic view of Puffer County could be seen.

Clyde took a deep breath and immediately felt better.

At that moment, he saw two horses riding towards the castle in the distant. Who would visit at this hour? As he thought to himself, the two figures quickly arrived at the suspension bridge.

“Open the door, we are special envoys from King Leon. We are here to find Magician Link.” A voice rang from below the suspension bridge.

The castle guards looked at Clyde, waiting for his approval.

While Clyde had his doubts, they were merely two individuals. Furthermore, they were acquainted with Link and claimed to be King Leon’s envoys. There should be no harm in letting them in. If they were lying, the over 200 soldiers in the castle would be enough to give them a memorable lesson.

“Open the door,” Clyde ordered.

With the clicking and clacking sounds of the wheels, the suspension bridge was slowly lowered. The two figures waited patiently for the bridge to be completely lowered before making their way in.

The clatter of the horses’ hooves became more prominent as they traveled on the bridge into the castle. Everything looked fine.

Quickly, the two figures reached the gear hinges of the suspension bridge.

At that moment, everything changed.

A wooden stick suddenly appeared in the hands of one of the figures. As he pointed it at the hinge, the gears around it shattered. The suspension bridge now could not be closed!

This was a Magician. He destroyed the bridge with his spells!

Clyde was horrified and immediately unsheathed his sword, yelling, “Infiltration!”

His years of fighting experience had told him that Magicians were the hardest to deal with in battle. One must never lose focus when fighting against them. In order to secure a victory, one should either plan a sneak attack or wait till he exhausted all his energy. Now that the sneak attack was impossible, they had to go with the latter.

He immediately ordered, “Shoot your arrows! Kill them!”

The enemy was at the plaza, surrounded by the tall castle walls. There were no lesser than 50 soldiers on the castle walls raining arrows down on them. This would surely deal some damage to the enemy.

However, the moment Clyde gave his command, one of the figures was suddenly enveloped in a blue light. This light was peculiar. It started as a soft hue enveloping the Magician before spiraling outwards in a radius of 15 feet. At the 15 feet mark, the light stabilized and many mysterious patterns could be seen flowing in the light dome. These patterns were similar to thorns but were more exquisite and abstruse.

When this light appeared, the two figures accelerated and went across the 90 feet plaza in a second. In the blink of an eye, they reached the gate leading to the courtyard.

The speed was so fast that they managed to dodge all the arrows fired by the soldiers. The inner gate leading to the courtyard was also left wide open as they had no time to close it.

Clyde’s eyes widened at this sight and had a look of disbelief. “It’s the Blue Thorn Battle Aura!”

The Ice Blue Thorn Battle Aura was a Legendary style that originated from the book, Battle Tactics of the Blue Thorn. It was a secret trade of the Silver Moon Dark Elves, specifically the Norigan Familia.

This Battle Aura was extremely powerful and would surround the user with a halo of thorns. This halo had two functions: one was to greatly increase the speed of the user and his comrades, while the other was to repel the enemy’s attacks.

Warriors who mastered this battling style would be able to face five other Warriors of a similar level without getting defeated. The more allies the user had, the stronger the battle aura would be. If there was a Knight in the Calvary team who had this Battle Aura, the combat strength of the entire troop would increase exponentially!

That was the reason why Battle Tactics of the Blue Thorn was termed as one of the ten Legendary Battle Aura books of the Firuman Continent.

It was rumored that there were several versions of this Battle Aura. However, they all shared a similarity which was that this Battle Aura itself was extremely selective. This was true even for the most basic version. If the soldier was not talented enough, forcing the Battle Aura on him would not only be ineffective, but also damaging in some cases. It was said that even the eldest daughter of the Norigan Familia did not make the cut to learn this Battle Aura.

The person in front of him was exactly the unique talent that managed to master this art.

Clyde felt a chill down his spine the moment he recognized this Battle Aura. “These two people are definitely Dark Elves. But why would such powerful Dark Elves appear in Puffer County?”

He had a premonition that the Morani Family would not be able to escape their impending doom.

The moment this thought surfaced in his mind, hysterical screams echoed through the castle. Clyde spun his head and saw a shadow moving at an unimaginable speed through the mist. When he swept past a soldier, the soldier would either grab his neck or heart with a pained expression before collapsing. Despite the lack of light, Clyde could still clearly see warm blood gushing out of the wounds.

“It’s an Assassin!” It was too late to stop the two figures that charged through the plaza. He hollered and rushed towards the direction of the Assassin.

His entire family would be killed if he continued to stay out of the fight!

He unleashed his Battle Aura and reached the Assassin within three charges.

At this moment, he saw a black aura enveloping the Assassin, whose hands were already stained red from the countless lives he took. When Clyde reached his side, he had just removed a dagger from a soldier’s heart. The blood spurted a distance of three feet and some of them even splattered onto his face. He licked the blood off his face with a bloodthirsty gaze.

“Go to hell!” Clyde growled and swung his sword.

There was no collision. The Assassin was extremely nimble and managed to dodge his attack with ease. He then charged forward, aiming his dagger at Clyde’s heart.

Clyde immediately retracted his sword to defend himself.

The collision still did not occur. The Assassin spun the dagger in the middle of the attack and Clyde felt a blow to the back of his head. He instantly felt dizzy and lost all strength, staggering forward for a few steps before collapsing onto the ground.

A raspy voice sounded behind him, “You will die, but not now.”

In order to exact revenge for the princess, he would kill the Magician’s family members right in front of him!

Clyde was horrified. He felt extremely weak, so much so that he couldn’t even move his fingers. This should be due to the effect of his opponent’s Battle Aura, which destroyed his bodily functions.

He could only lay helplessly on the ground as he watched the Assassin massacre the soldiers. He even saw the two figures who charged through the plaza.

They had already reached the castle courtyard, where more screams of terror could be heard. They were merciless and extremely efficient, evident from the frequency of the screams.

Clyde was trembling when he thought, they are here to find third brother. But how did brother provoke the Silver Moon Familia? To think that he attracted such powerful enemies. Will this be the end of the Morani Family?

…

The Dining Hall

Link and Wharton immediately stood up upon hearing the warning siren.

Wharton shouted, “Bring me my sword!”

He was a Level-4 Warrior, a powerful foe by normal standards. If anyone was insolent enough to attack his castle, they would have to bear the brunt of his sword.

The servant immediately brought him his sword. It was an intricately designed sword decorated with rubies as large as pigeon’s eggs.

Wharton heroically rushed out of the castle the moment he got the sword.

Link felt strange. The terrifying amount of screams suggested that the enemy was strong. Link then turned around and ordered Housekeeper Trevor, “Bring mother and sister to the wine cellar.”

Trevor hastily replied, “Yes.”

Lilith threw a worried glance at her son and said, “What about you?”

“There is an infiltration. Naturally, I will have to deal with them. Don’t worry mother, they are not strong enough to defeat me.”

“But you have only studied magic for a year.” Molly was still pretty knowledgeable. According to normal standards, one year was barely enough to lay the foundation for the practice of magic.

“Stop babbling! Quick! Move!” Link’s face sank.

As the two women were fairly soft-spoken and meek, they immediately gave in to Link’s pressure and followed obediently behind the housekeeper to the cellar.

However, they barely walked a few steps before a scream sounded at the entrance of the dining hall. Following which, a figure flew into the room. This unexpected event caused the two women to scream subconsciously.

Link stared at the figure and was surprised to find out that it was Wharton.

The elegant robe he had worn was now tattered. He suffered many injuries on his arms and legs and was drenched in blood. Every single attack seemed to accurately sever his arteries, causing huge amounts of blood to gush out from the wounds. He could only helplessly lay on the ground and moan in pain.

Link frowned and materialized his staff before heading out of the dining hall.

Two figures appeared at the front door. More accurately, it was the two Dark Elves. One of them was a Warrior, while the other was a Magician. The Warrior’s sword was stained with blood. It seemed like Wharton’s injuries were caused solely by him.

“Leave! They are extremely strong!” Wharton shouted. He seemed to still have a conscience in times of emergency.

Link pretended that he did not hear Wharton. Sensing no eagerness to attack from his opponent, Link maintained his sitting position and placed his Wand of Constellations on the table. He then spoke coldly, “Two distinguished guests, would it be possible that I move my family to a safer place?”

The Dark Elves were definitely here for the incident of the Silver Moon’s Three Musketeers. This battle would not end until one side was completely eliminated. From the tactics they used to torment Wharton, it could be seen that they harbored intense hatred towards Link and had great confidence in their abilities.

Since he was their target, the opponent probably would make him their first priority. It hence did not matter if his family were to be moved to a safer position until he was defeated.

Sure enough, the Dark Elf Warrior nodded, “It is possible. However, they cannot leave this hall. We have to let them view the glorious sight of your demise.”

Link still maintained a calm expression and waved his hands at the shivering servants behind him, “Help the master up and bandage his wounds.”

The servants immediately did as they were told.

At this moment, another Dark Elf appeared at the dining hall entrance. This Dark Elf was an Assassin and carried a person in his hands. It was his second brother Clyde.

Link then pointed at him and said, “Let him view the battle from the sidelines.”

The Assassin looked at his comrades with a puzzled expression. Parsons then said, “Throw this person to the corner. Let him use his full strength.”

Their aim was to defeat Link even when he was giving his all. Only then would he suffer true despair.

Hedel nodded and threw Clyde more than 60 feet away with just a slight fling of his hand, all the way to the inner wall of the inner hall.

Free of all constraints, Link could finally battle with ease.

Chapter 153: Where Do You Think You’re Going?

 

Although he was ready to make his move, Link still had to choose his timing carefully.

He wore a faint smile on his face as he sat calmly at the table, looking nothing like a man preparing for a battle to the death. Once Clyde’s wounds were properly dressed by the servants, Link reached out his hand and tapped it gently on the table. He then turned to address the Dark Elves.

“Gentlemen,” said Link, speaking slowly and clearly, “may I ask for the name of the person you are avenging? Is it Felidia? Ainos? Or is it the swordswoman Alina?”

The three Dark Elves were visibly agitated at the mention of the last name. The Warrior Norisa immediately stepped forward with his sword glowing in an icy-blue light, and the Blue Thorn Battle Aura was now activated as well.

“Listen closely, you bastard,” he said, “we are avenging the death of Lady Alina!”

“Ah, so you’re Prince Norigan’s errand boys,” replied Link. “Well then, prepare to die!”

Right at that moment, Link launched his attacks! Three Whistles suddenly appeared and headed straight for the three Dark Elves. Link had been quietly constructing Whistle’s spell structure while he struck up a conversation with the Dark Elves to buy some time. He didn’t just cast one Whistle in this brief window of time though, but three, each on for each of the Dark Elves!

As for the wand that remained untouched on the table – well, who said that Magicians must hold the wand in their hand to use it? Link was controlling it easily with just his Mana without the need to physically touch it at all.

The three Whistles hissed through the air with a piercing, high-pitch noise. Their speed was unimaginably fast, so fast that they reached a few feet away from the three Dark Elves within a tenth of a second.

Link had cast the modified version of Whistle that he and Eliard had been discussing and finally came up with. The power of the new version of Whistle was at least three times that of the original one.

The three Dark Elves could not have foreseen such a sudden attack. They were all caught off-guard and had no time think of a way to counterattack. All they managed to do was unleash a defensive shield.

Although Ainos’ Blue Thorn Battle Aura was able to deflect attacks to some degree, it was most effective in close combat and not long-distance attacks like Link’s spells, so he instinctively raised his sword to block the oncoming Whistle.

The Magician Parson, on the other hand, immediately cast a Level-4 shield spell around his body to protect himself.

Only the Assassin Hedel thought he would be smart enough to avert the attack from Link. He used Flash to step aside, hoping to dodge away from Link’s Whistle.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The three Whistles exploded almost simultaneously and they were followed by a scream of pain. Who was the one screaming? It was no other than the only Dark Elf who was confident in his own skills to evade Link’s attacks – Hedel.

Yes, Hedel was a Level-5 Assassin and his speed was indeed unimaginably fast. Still, he wasn’t fast enough compared to Link’s reaction speed.

Link had initially aimed each Whistle at each of the Dark Elves when he cast the spells, and all three of them had sensed Link’s murderous intent so they each made the moves to protect themselves. But just as the Dark Elves were making their moves, Link had changed the trajectories of all three Whistles at the very last moment – he aimed all of them at the one with the weakest defense, Hedel.

Link remembered a well-known war strategy in his previous life that you must always do the exact opposite of what your opponent expected you to do in order to win a war or a battle. He used that principle just now to completely catch the Dark Elves unaware.

Link couldn’t possibly be this dexterous with other spells for now, but he’d been using Whistle for long enough that his depth of understanding of the spell was unfathomable.

Link hadn’t directed the three Whistles to follow Hedel. Instead, he had directed them towards the direction that he predicted the Assassin to run to and detonated it there!

For a moment the whole place was lit up by the flames of the explosions and metal fragments scattered about all around Hedel’s body. The Assassin was wearing a thin anti-magic leather armor that protected him from most of the force of the impact. Yet, they did nothing to protect him from the countless metal fragments that resulted from the blasts.

Thousands of metal fragments pierced through Hedel’s armor and skin. His body was now covered with gaping wounds while his face was pockmarked with bloody gashes. Not only was blood spewing out of his body everywhere, both of his eyes were now nothing more than two bleeding holes.

As expected, though, the Level-5 Assassin possessed a strong survival instinct. Although his wounds were grave, Hedel still managed to cling on to life and escaped death. He’d even remained on his feet even though both of his eyes were now blinded. Link would no longer be facing any threats from him now, and he was finally able to breathe a little easier as one dangerous opponent out of three had been practically eliminated.

Just then, the Magician Parson and the Warrior Norisa began their counterattacks.

Although they were stunned for a moment by Link’s unexpected attacks, they had no time to help Hedel. Once they realized that Link had played a trick on them, they went straight into attacking mode and charged towards Link.

Norisa used the Battle Skill, Charge to rush up towards Link. He didn’t have a shield with him, but he was wearing a light chain mail and had the protection of the Blue Thorn Aura. At that moment, he was like a war chariot that barged through everything in his path – the table, the chairs and the wooden planks on the floor were all left in pieces in his trail.

He was only about seventy feet away from Link – with his speed, even with the furniture in the hall in his way, Norisa could reach him within half a second.

Meanwhile, Parson took a step back to get himself behind the Warrior Norisa. He then began to construct a spell structure. With Norisa’s help, he would have just enough time to cast a powerful spell, so he chose the Level-3 spell, Ice Spear!

He was most familiar with this spell, so he could cast it at the lightning speed of 0.4 seconds. He’d also modified it with Supreme Magical Skill so its power was increased to Level-4, making it the best choice for a battle with such an unpredictable opponent.

In the face of the Dark Elves’ counterattack, Link did two things.

First of all, he activated the Edelweiss shield with his magic ring. This Level-4 defensive spell was not the most necessary step, but Link activated it nonetheless just in case. Although it might not be able to completely block the Dark Elves’ attacks, the force field might slow them down and reduce their power if they managed to break through the shield, which would give him extra time to react.

Secondly, he activated the Level-5 spell engraved in the Glyph of Soul – the Vulcan’s Hand!

It was Link’s first time using the Glyph of Soul in a real battle. It felt wonderful. The moment his intention to cast the spell emerged in his mind he felt momentarily stunned and the complicated spell structure of the Flaming Hand that had been modified with Supreme Magical Skill appeared immediately at the tip of his wand.

The Level-5 Domingo Crystal was right at the end of Link’s wand and it was filled with fire elements inside it. Once the Vulcan’s Hand’s spell structure appeared near it the fire element inside the crystal flowed rapidly to fill the spell structure, and in no time at all, the formidable Level-5 spell was completed. It took Link no more than 0.1 second – even less time than a blink of an eye!

By then, Norisa had only reached 30 feet away from Link when he saw a giant hand appear right in front of his eyes. It was glowing faintly in white and its size was ridiculously huge. Each finger of the hand was even bigger than his thigh and was encircled by rings of red, hot flame.

As the giant hand appeared, it rushed towards Norisa with an astonishing force and an even more frightening speed despite its size. Even before it could reach him, Norisa could already feel the roiling heat that came from the hand and it made his knees wobble in fear.

What kind of monstrous spell is this? Norisa’s face was now as pale as a ghost and there was but one thought in his mind – run!

But no matter how fast he was, he could never outrun the Vulcan’s Hand, which was made up almost entirely of fire elementals. The fire element has no weight therefore it had no inertia, and so could accelerate from the stationary state to the speed of a storm in no time at all. It was also able to change directions swiftly as Link willed it without a hitch. The Vulcan’s Hand might be colossal in size, but it was still surprisingly agile and quick.

Soon enough, the Warrior Norisa was caught within the grasp of the giant fiery hand!

The Vulcan’s hand was so colossal in size that the Warrior now looked just like a tiny mouse. He was now completely engulfed by the flames and one couldn’t see a trace of him from the outside.

At the same time, all Norisa could see now was a red sea of flame all around him. He found that he couldn’t move at all because the fiery hand was exerting an enormous pressure on him. What was even scarier was the rapid speed at which it was closing in one him.

“The bastard is going to roast me to death!” Norisa then concentrated all of his force and energy to activate the Blue Thorn Battle Aura in a single explosion and the aura around him suddenly burst into a brightness that was three times its normal intensity.

Bang!

It turned out that Norisa wasn’t too shabby at all. With that explosive burst of his Battle Aura, he managed to smash and disperse the fire elements in the Level-5 Vulcan’s Hand!

Yet it didn’t come without a cost to the Warrior. His clothes were now burnt to tatters, and the anti-magic chain mail armor was now glowing red and almost destroyed. His hair was now completely consumed by fire and his whole body was blackened by smoke.

By then, not only was he no longer able to charge on, it had taken all of his energy just to stay conscious and aware under such scorching temperatures. No matter how strong he was, he would need at least a few seconds to regain his composure and make an attack.

At this point, the Magician Parson finally completed the Ice Spear. Spiraling spears of ice then shot out from the tip of his wand and headed towards Link.

The Ice Spears were about seven-feet-long and as thick as an egg. It spiraled rapidly as it flew towards Link at a terrifying speed. If Link was hit by the spear, even the Level-4 Edelweiss shield would not completely protect him from its impact, and that would give the Dark Elves an opening to follow up with another attack.

Still, Link had his own way to deal with this.

Once again, he triggered the Glyph of Soul and was momentarily stunned, then the intricate structure of the Vulcan’s Hand appeared at the tip of his wand. There the fire elements scattered by Norisa recently was then gathered and took the form of a new giant fiery hand.

The Ice Spear was only halfway in its trajectory when the new Vulcan’s Hand was fully formed, and they both slammed into each other in an explosive clash of elements.

The Vulcan’s Hand was initially glowing dimly, but once it came in contact with the Ice Spear it burst out in a brilliant light. The Ice Spear then instantaneously became a mist of vapor.

What else would you expect when a mere Level-3 ice spell hit a Level-5 fire spell?

With the Ice Spear vaporized, the fingers of the Vulcan’s Hand curled up like a cow’s tongue and promptly swallowed the Warrior Norisa who disappeared into its palm.

Then, without any hesitation at all, Link immediately raised the temperature of the Vulcan’s Hand, especially in its palm area. The giant fiery hand than brightened so much that everyone in the hall was almost blinded.

This meant that the temperature of the Vulcan’s Hand had been raised to a blistering degree!

This time, there was no way that Norisa could ever escape the Vulcan’s Hand’s grasp. In fact, the spell had re-emerged so quickly – within 0.2 seconds – that he hadn’t even had time to recover from the previous attack yet.

Then, an inhuman scream could be heard coming from the inside of the Vulcan’s Hand. It was a ghastly scream, but it was brief and abruptly ended.

Needless to say, it was the sound of Norisa getting burned to death.

Right now, out of the three Dark Elves, one was dead, and one had been incapacitated. The Magician was the only one left standing now. All this had happened within three seconds – the time for the average person to breathe in and out!

Another second passed, and the Vulcan’s Hand in the great hall opened up its palm again, from which a charred body that looked like a big lump of coal came tumbling out. As the corpse hit the floor, it crumbled into countless smaller pieces – the powerful Level-5 Warrior was now nothing more than clumps of coal and ashes.

Wharton gulped at the horrifying scene before him. He now realized that his brother had been merciful to him when he attacked Link earlier in the day.

Meanwhile, Clyde’s eyes were as wide as saucers as he stared at his little brother who hadn’t moved an inch from his position at the dining table as if the dinner hadn’t even been interrupted at all. He couldn’t imagine how powerful his brother had become now.

Just minutes before, Clyde had been thoroughly defeated by that Assassin within a few seconds, and the Assassin didn’t even seem to have exerted much effort either. He was after all a henchman of the Norigan Familia who possessed the Blue Thorn Aura, yet Link managed to defeat him without touching him at all – not to mention the fact that he hadn’t even stood up from his chair!

What kind of power was this? How did Link get so mighty in such a short period? These questions kept running through Clyde’s mind and he really couldn’t come up with any explanations for them.

Not only was he shocked and awed by the human Magician’s power, he was also quaking in his boots. The Vulcan’s Hand had now completely broken Parson’s fighting spirit. It was a spell of at least Level-5, and yet the human Magician had cast it instantaneously! It was simply beyond Parson’s imagination, and he’d never faced such a menacing assault before!

How could he possibly defeat an opponent of this level?

“Retreat!” shouted Parson to the Assassin Hedel. He then waited for no one and bolted straight out of the great hall of the castle. He wasn’t afraid of death, but he must remain alive, so he could bring the news of what just happened back to the Black Forest.

Although Hedel was completely blinded and his body was bruised all over, he knew that Norisa had been killed by the sound he heard. He was aware that Parson was making a run for it, so he instinctively wanted to flee himself. He staggered and stumbled and tried to run out of the hall. But he only managed a few steps before he fell down and face-planted on the floor.

He tried to get back on his feet but before he could even try, another Whistle exploded right next to his thigh, breaking the bones immediately. An excruciating pain spread through his body. All Hedel could do now was hug his thigh and screech in pain. He was no longer the master of darkness that he used to be.

Meanwhile, Parson had reached outside the hall. He was now out of Link’s line of sight, although his confidence was now completely shattered and all he could think of was to escape as far away from the human Magician as he possibly could.

He went to the furthest corner and began casting a flying spell – the Level-3 Ashen Hawk. He would not stay here and suffer the same fate as Norisa or Hedel, instead he would escape the terrifying human Magician by flying into the sky!

Two seconds later, the spell was finally completed. A gray billowing cloud of smoke then formed into a giant bird. Parson quickly climbed up and the bird swiftly took off into the sky. Parson finally breathed a sigh of relief as he thought that he was out of the human Magician’s range now, but this relief hadn’t lasted for more than a second when he saw that the Magician had walked out of the great hall.

The Ashen Hawk had flown no more than thirty feet then.

“Where do you think you’re going?” shouted Link.

He pointed his wand at the sky, after which the Vulcan’s Hand immediately followed in its direction. In no time at all the giant fiery hand grabbed the Ashen Hawk into its palm and pulled the bird along with the Magician down to the ground.

Did you think that I’d just let you fly away from my grasp, Parson? Not a chance!

Chapter 154: Powerful and Wealthy

 

The harrowing battle lasted merely four seconds and ended with Link’s complete triumph.

The Dark Elf Magician was not dead or even injured. The Flaming Hand spell was carefully controlled such that it only destroyed his spell, but dealt no harm to his body.

However, Parsons had lost all energy to resist. He cowered within the giant palm of flames, revealing only his head. He closed his eyes awaiting his final judgement.

On the ground, Assassin Hedel held his broken leg in pain. His voice had become hoarse from his screaming. He had also become extremely weak due to the loss of blood. He whimpered helplessly while he lay on the bed of cold snow.

Link thought for a moment and came up with a solution to deal with the two Dark Elves.

They must die. However, it was not time yet. He needed to get some information out of them before he would end their lives.

He snapped his fingers lightly and released a Glass Orb spell towards Hedel. The glass orb positioned itself right beside Hedel’s ears before exploding. The shockwaves from the explosion entered Hedel’s brain without any obstruction, causing him to faint almost immediately.

Link then ordered a servant, “Remove all his clothes and equipment. Shave his hair and bandage his wounds. Don’t let him die just yet.”

Link did not shave his head merely to insult him. It was due to the Assassin’s common habit of storing their triumph card in the most unexpected areas, including their hair. This was what made Assassins dangerous even if they were nursing a broken leg.

The servants all looked at each other in fear. They were merely ordinary people who had not seen a Dark Elf in their lives. Furthermore, they just witnessed this Assassin take the life of countless soldiers and servants in the castle. None of them had the courage to approach the injured Assassin.

“I’ll do it!” Clyde spoke. He was a Warrior and knew exactly what Link was thinking.

He stepped forward and removed Hedel’s body armor. He then picked up Hedel’s dagger from the ground and skillfully shaved his head with a few clean strokes. After making sure that there were no hidden weapons, he then began to bandage his wounds.

A Level-5 Assassin who was well versed in Battle Aura possessed a strong vitality. After the initial treatment of his wounds, his breathing stabilized and he was out of danger.

Clyde then used a rope to bound Hedel tightly, making sure that he could not even budge before looking at Link. He asked, “Brother, what should we do next?”

His brother had shown outstanding battle prowess. If a family simply wanted to survive, unity was all they needed, However, if they wanted to make their name known throughout the continent, a powerful individual would be required.

Link was such a person!

In the military, the strong were naturally given respect and power. Since Link had shown his overwhelming strength, Clyde’s attitude was completely different from before and he was not uncomfortable in showing it.

Link was no longer a “defiant kid just after learning a few magic spells”. In his heart, Link was now a genius, a calm and terrifying Magician that could bring prosperity to the Morani Family.

He would definitely follow him to the ends of the earth.

Link thought for a moment and threw a low-level recovery potion to Clyde. “There are still many tiny metal fragments in the Assassin’s body. Even though his condition has stabilized, it is only a temporary measure. Feed him the potion.”

Link had considered the benefits before taking this action. By leaving the Dark Elves alive, he would be able to obtain valuable information about the Pralync Kingdom. By keeping both of them alive, he could even validate their statements through comparison.

“No problem.” Clyde obediently opened Hedel’s mouth and fed him the recovery potion.

Link then turned his attention to the Magician now that Hedel’s issue was settled.

The Magician had completely given up. He simply stayed helplessly in the Flaming Hand and had a pained and fearful expression on his face.

Link immediately cast a Mana Lock spell on him.

This was a spell he learned from Herrera. It needed the complete cooperation of the target for it to be successful. It was an extremely strong spell and it was impossible to rely on one’s own willpower to break free of the restrictions. This was at least true for the Magicians he had seen up till now.

Link was not completely sure that the spell would succeed. He took a chance seeing that Parsons was currently dejected and filled with disbelief and fear. When Parsons realized that something was amiss, the shackles were already locked in place.

A Magician who lost his magic powers was nothing more than an ordinary human.

Link then released his Flaming Hand and Parsons fell onto the ground with a blank expression on his face. Link knew that he would offer no more resistance.

Link then stepped forward and released The Magician’s Hand, using it to remove the magic equipment from Parsons body piece by piece, starting from the staff to the defensive magic ring, the dimensional bracelet and the crystal headwear, leaving nothing behind.

When this was done, Parsons presented no threat even to the most defenseless of humans.

“Second brother, bring the two prisoners to the dungeon and lock them up. Remember to lock them up separately, do not allow them to interact with one another,” Link ordered.

“No problem.” Clyde obeyed and carried each prisoner in one hand before swiftly transporting them to the underground dungeon.

Only Wharton, Lilith, Molly, Trevor and a few trembling servants were left in the courtyard.

Wharton stared at Link with complicated feelings. He kept silent the whole time.

Link ignored him and turned his attention to the servant, “What are all of you doing! Bring the injured master to his room. Also, Trevor, summon the priest from the county.

“Yes.”

“Yes, third young master.”

“Will do.”

After a flurry of obedient replies, the servants hastily went to do what they were told, as though they were instantly unlocked from their previous shackles.

As for Wharton, his mouth opened a few times, clearly feeling the need to speak to Link. However, despite the many attempts, he was unable to let out an audible sound. He did not manage to say what he wanted to in the end.

Link’s transformation was too drastic. He was no longer the little brother he could bully, but an unfathomable powerful Magician. Thinking on his previous attempt to suppress him, Wharton couldn’t help but feel ridiculous. He must have looked like a clown.

At the same time, he was overcome with embarrassment and rage. He did not know how to face Link.

After he was brought back to his room, only Lilith and Molly were left.

Their feelings were much simpler and direct. After the initial shock, only joy and relief remained in their hearts. In Lilith’s eyes, no matter how powerful Link became, he was still her son.

She witnessed the entire battle and saw a confident and powerful Link dominating the battlefield. It reminded her slightly of the old Duke when he was younger. No, in fact, her son exceeded the old Duke in every way.

She was incredibly proud.

Lilith smiled as Link walked towards her. Tears of joy flowed down from her eyes. Her son had finally become strong enough to protect her after all these years. She no longer had to suffer in this cold and cruel household.

Molly felt both joy and respect at the same time. She lowered her head and averted Link’s gaze the entire time. She felt that the gaze was incredibly oppressive. When Link stared at her, she instinctively bowed before realizing that Link was simply her younger brother.

“Brother…” She could not continue her sentence.

Link concealed his magic presence seeing the slight expression of fear on their faces. His expression was then restored back to the gentle and inviting smile he had previously.

He spoke softly, “The castle is slightly messy, I will have to let the servants clean it up. Mother, sister, please go rest in your rooms.”

“Oh, alright.” The two woman then headed back to their rooms.

There were only a few servants left and around twenty soldiers who were lucky enough to survive the massacre. At this moment, Clyde had also returned.

Link then said, “Clyde, the castle needs to restore its daily operations as soon as possible. The losses have to be calculated as well.”

Clyde patted his chest and said, “I will take care of it!”

He then took the remaining soldiers away while Link followed closely behind.

The three Dark Elves were indeed powerful. They merely took a total of five minutes from their initial attack to when they reached the dining hall.

In this time, they killed a total of 180 people, less than 10 of whom were servants while the rest were soldiers. There was even a Level-3 Family Knight among the casualties.

This efficiency was astonishing.

When the bodies were finally accounted for, the plaza was almost filled with dead bodies. There were close to no injured personnel, all of them were killed in a single blow.

The mood was heavy.

Link also felt apologetic at the sight of this scene. He was the reason the three Dark Elves made their way to the Morani castle. He had indirectly taken the lives of these soldiers. He sighed before speaking, “They were all loyal Warriors. Their souls have reached the heavens. In order to ease their worrying hearts, I have decided to compensate their families for their deaths.”

The soldiers who were lucky to be alive listened intently. Clyde, on the other hand, had a worried look on his face. This was a huge number of casualties. If they compensated the families at the standard rate of eight gold coins per soldier, that would add up to 1400 gold coins. Their family did not have this amount of wealth.

He wanted to remind Link about their economic predicament but was unable to in front of the surviving soldiers. He could only stare at Link anxiously.

Link saw Clyde’s uncomfortable movements but ignored them completely. He faced the soldiers and continued, “Every dead soldier will receive 20 gold coins in compensation while every servant will receive 15 gold coins. For all those surviving servants and soldiers, you will be rewarded with ten gold coins each.”

This caused a commotion within the 20 surviving soldiers, clearly excited over the news. However, some of the veteran soldiers had a look of suspicion on their faces. They clearly did not believe that the Morani Family would have this much money.

Clyde could no longer contain himself. After all, it was better to stop this atrocity now than to lose their reputation because they could not come up with enough money for the compensation. He pulled Link over and whispered, “Third brother, our family does not have this much money… this is…”

Before he could continue, Link used action to contradict his words.

A crisp sound of metal colliding against one another echoed through the plaza. Under the illumination of the surrounding light from the torches, a blanket of shimmering circular objects covered the snow ground.

They were gold coins, a huge amount of them!

Link had asked for 6000 gold coins in advance from Herrera previously. However, before he could spend this money, an accident happened. He thus had over 5000 gold coins left in his dimensional pendant. This was merely 4000 gold coins, not even his entire fortune.

Link then rebutted, “Brother, I guess this would be enough?”

Of course!

In fact, everyone in the plaza was staring at the golden phenomenon on the snow-covered ground. Two of the Warriors who were not completely dead suddenly seemed to be filled with energy, coughing and desperately signaling to their surviving comrades that they were still alive. Link cast an Elemental Healing spell on each of the soldiers who escaped from the clutches of death at the sight of this golden wonder.

All the suspicion in their hearts dissipated completely at the sight of these gold coins.

“Brother, use these to settle the compensation issues. As for the rest of the money, use them to repair the castle.

“Yes, no problem!” Clyde no longer knew what to say. He had this sudden realization that all his worries were nothing in front of his younger brother.

To the surviving soldiers, they would be loyal to anyone who gave them enough compensation. Furthermore, it would be for the best if their master was both generous and powerful at the same time. They could not let this great opportunity slip past them.

A Warrior started chanting the first name of the Morani family. Soon, the entire plaza was chanting in excitement, “Morani! Morani! Morani!”

Clyde looked at the excited faces around him and his heart burned with a newfound passion.

When he returned to the Silver Fortress, he would confidently announce, “I am from the Morani Family, the brother of Link, the great Magician!”

Chapter 155: Torture? There’s No Need for That

 

Link’s actions had given Clyde great confidence. Although Clyde’s career in the army hadn’t been quite so successful, he was still a proud and upright man and a member of the Morani noble family.

The first thing Clyde did with the 4000 gold coins from Link was to give each of the soldiers 10 gold coins. None of the soldiers had ever touched such a large amount of money. They were both happy and anxious because they were worried that they might misplace the gold coins. In the end, some of them even resorted to hiding the gold coins in the crotch of their pants to make sure that no one would ever steal them!

Now with all the soldiers satisfied, Clyde could then lead and control them with ease. They didn’t take long at all before order was completely restored in the castle. The traces of blood had all been washed away, and to prevent the spreading of plagues, the names of the fallen soldiers were recorded and then their bodies were cremated.

By midnight, even the damaged drawbridge was fully repaired. The gates of the castle were then closed. Had it not been for the fact that there were significantly fewer people in the castle now, no one would’ve noticed any signs that they had been attacked and that fierce battles had occurred there just hours ago.

But these were trivial matters, and naturally Link took no part in any of it. When everyone else was busy restoring order to the castle outside, Link was in the castle’s dungeon, and facing him right now was the Dark Elf Magician.

Link wanted the two Dark Elves to speak. In this situation, the most commonly used method was torture – but Link had no interest in using such a barbaric and not to mention bothersome method. No, there was no need for that. There was a much easier way, albeit a more cunning way, to make the Dark Elves spill out everything they knew.

The Magician had just been completely defeated, so he was now at his most vulnerable state when his mental strength and will were at their weakest. It wouldn’t stay that way for long, however, as Magicians’ minds were notoriously robust. Link knew that if the Magician was to be left alone through the night, his will and determination would’ve recovered by tomorrow morning. That was why he must interrogate him now.

In the dark, damp dungeon, Link sat on a chair while the Magician Parson sat against the wall ten feet away.

Link said nothing at first, he only stared into Parson’s eyes – those deep red eyes of a Dark Elf which had gone dull because of confinement. After more than ten seconds Parson finally couldn’t stand Link’s stare any longer, so he looked away.

“Is the Death Hand preparing to attack the East Cove Magic Academy?” asked Link suddenly. He used a very gentle tone and showed no trace of hostility, and it sounded just as if he was chatting with a friend. Link had even used the Elvish language to speak with the Dark Elf Magician with an accent that sounded quite authentic as well.

“It’s… uh… it’s nonsense!” Parson responded. He stopped himself and denied Link’s claims just in time, but then it was too late as his initial reaction had proven that what Link had suspected was true.

Link had now gotten what he wanted.

“Don’t think that I know nothing about your plot to attack the East Cove Magic Academy,” he said with a cold smile on his face. “You’ve even got a plan called Black Moon Conspiracy, and Felidia was involved in it, isn’t that correct?”

“You’re wrong! There’s no such thing!” Parson was in doubt now. His eyes darted around the cell uncertainly even while his lips were vehemently denying Link’s words.

In truth, Parson was only a retainer of the Norigan Familia, so he hadn’t much information about the Death Hand or their activities. At this point, though, much of the Pralync Kingdom’s secret information had been leaked to him indirectly. He didn’t pay that close an attention to all of them, but he’d gleaned more than enough from casual conversations with his comrades.

That was how he knew that the Death Hand was focusing their efforts on the East Cove Magic Academy, because that is where more than 70% of Norton Kingdom’s best Magicians came from. Once they destroyed the academy and eliminated their Magicians, the army of the Norton Kingdom would be considerably weakened by at least four times by the absence of the Magicians’ aid!

And this operation, called the Black Moon Conspiracy, had involved the Magician Felidia. According to rumors, the operation had been going on for quite a while and everything had gone smoothly, with only one last step left.

But how did this human Magician find out about this secret operation? He couldn’t come up with any ideas for the moment, in fact he was suspecting that there might be a mole or a spy within the highest officials of the kingdom’s government.

“You’ve come so far to avenge Alina’s death,” continued Link, “so I’m guessing you must’ve heard of the mysterious master Magician friend of mine, isn’t that right?”

“Of course I have,” answered Parson. He felt there was no longer any need to keep any secrets from the human Magician, as he might just kill him and have that mysterious Magician friend of his to obtain his memory from his soul anyway.

“Yes, she had the ability to use the Soul Searching spell,” said Link with a cunning smile, as if he could hear Parson’s thoughts. “It is such an evil spell, don’t you think? I don’t really like those kinds of dark magic spells, but she still is a friend of mine, after all. If I asked her to come and help me with the promise of some rewards, I’m sure she would gladly comply.”

“…”

Parson began to panic. He had just witnessed Link’s awesome power in the battle against him, so his mental strength was still fragile. Link only had to play a little trick on him and he would bend to Link’s will.

Parson kept gulping and said nothing for more than ten seconds.

“Promise me,” he said finally, “that after telling you what you want to know you’ll give me a quick and painless death.”

“No problem at all,” said Link. “How about a cup of Green Hylia Wine?”

“It’s a deal, then,” said Parson with a nod. “I must tell you, though, that I’m just the Norigan Familia’s retainer, not a member of the Death Hand. I may know some things they were up to, but don’t expect any details from me.”

“Is the Assassin the family’s retainer as well?” Link asked.

“Yes, he is,” answered Parson, not bothering to keep any more secrets. “The Warrior was one too.”

“Understood,” said Link as he patiently listened to Parson. “You may continue.”

Parson let out a long sigh before he continued to speak.

“There was indeed a plan called the Black Moon Conspiracy,” he finally said. “Its target was the East Cove Magic Academy, although I have no idea how they were going to implement the plan. All I know is that once the plan was successful the academy would be reduced to ashes.”

“Anything else?” asked Link, just as calm as he had ever been. No one could ever guess what was in his mind at that moment.

“Yes, you!” said Parson. “The Death Hand had put a high price on your head. They’ve announced it to the public that whoever could bring your head to them they would be rewarded with ten thousand gold coins! Not only that, but the Magicians of the Silver Moon Council and Prince Norigan had also contributed to the rewards as well. Now anyone who could bring your head back to Pralync would receive a tailor-made magic gear of epic quality along with the title of a hereditary duke that came with fifty acres of fertile land!”

“Who would’ve thought that this ugly head of mine would be worth so much?” Link said while rubbing his neck.

“Ha! You won’t walk this earth for much longer than I will,” sneered Parson. “Soon enough I will see you in hell. And don’t ever expect yourself to enter the gates of heaven after you’re dead, because the moment they cut off your head the servants of the Lady of Darkness will drag you straight down to hell!”

Link remained unmoved by these words. He was aware that powerful men had enemies, and as the saying went, only those who hadn’t stood up for anything made no enemies. Now that he had attracted such hatred from the Dark Elves, it must mean that they had finally acknowledged his power.

He should be proud of that, not afraid.

“Is there anything else?” Link asked again.

“No!” replied Parson, who then turned silent and would say nothing more.

Neither did Link have any more questions to ask Parson. He got all the information he needed for now. As for the Black Moon Conspiracy, he guessed it might have more or less the same objectives as the incident in the game. When it all came down to it, the only person who had the ability to reduce the East Cove Magic Academy was the demon who was captured and chained by Bryant – Tarviss.

The only question he had now was how the Dark Elves were going to release Tarviss without the Occultic Runes. Then, just as he was considering the matter, a notification popped up.

Mission Activated: Investigation

Mission Details: Find out the details of the Black Moon Conspiracy.

Mission Rewards: 80 Omni Points.

Naturally, Link accepted the mission. Parson was now no longer of any use to him. He then used the Magician’s Hand to float a cup of Green Hylia Wine towards Parson’s direction.

Parson took the cup of wine into his hands without any hesitation. He then defiantly stared at Link so intently that it seemed he wanted to engrave the image of the Magician who had defeated him onto his soul before he died. Then, Parson swallowed the wine in one gulp. Seconds later, a peculiar smile emerged on his lips, then his body was bent over and he fell down to the ground with a heavy thud.

Parson was dead.

Link ordered the prison guard to clear away the dead body. He then headed towards Hedel’s cell.

Hedel was now awake, but his wounds were too grave that he was writhing on the floor. Link swept his gaze all around the cell after stepping into the cell, wearing a merciless smile on his face while he was at it, although his body remained motionless.

“I’ve just killed Parson,” said Link.

“I didn’t expect you to keep him as a pet,” replied Hedel sneeringly.

“He told me many things before he died,” Link continued, ignoring Hedel’s jeers. “I find what he told me about the Black Moon Conspiracy especially interesting. He said that you were preparing to release the demon Tarviss so he would destroy the East Cove Magic Academy.”

Link’s ruse had once again brought results as Hedel’s eyes were widened suddenly and he stared blankly at Link with a puzzled look.

“But Parson wasn’t a member of the Death Hand,” Hedel said in a surprised tone. “How would he know anything about the Black Moon Conspiracy?”

As a notoriously powerful Assassin, Hedel must’ve been involved with the Death Hand before. Plus, he was a high-profile professional Assassin, so he would have slightly more access to secret information within the organization compared to Parson. He wasn’t a part of the members who would implement the plan himself, so he didn’t have the deepest knowledge of the details of the Black Moon Conspiracy. He knew, of course, that the demon Tarviss would be released, but as for the method of the release, Hedel had absolutely no clue.

The response Link got from the Assassin confirmed Link’s speculation of the connection between the Black Moon Conspiracy and Tarviss. He decided to play one last trick on Hedel.

“I was just kidding,” Link said. “Parson isn’t dead. He’d actually just sworn his loyalty to me!” He then broke out into a mischievous laughter.

“That’s impossible!” shouted Hedel. “You’re speaking nonsense! You’re just lying to me, aren’t you?” Yet somehow Hedel believed that Link truly knew what he was talking about. But the Black Moon Conspiracy was a top-secret operation, how could this human Magician ever find out about it?

Link burst out in laughter again. It was just as he expected. This Assassin was just another Norigan Familia retainer, so he wouldn’t know much more than Parson did. Link was satisfied with the information about Tarviss that he managed to winkle out, and he knew that there wouldn’t be much more to tease out from Hedel. Thus there was no point in keeping Hedel alive now, so he promptly unleashed a Whistle and blew the Assassin’s head clean off his neck.

It appeared that the Black Moon Conspiracy was now the most urgent matter that must be dealt with immediately. Although there was still some time before the set date of April 15, no one could predict what might happen before the time came, not to mention how clueless they were of the methods the Dark Elves would employ to release Tarviss. Link realized that he must inform Herrera of this matter as soon as possible.

After careful consideration, Link decided that he must rush back to the East Cove Magic Academy first thing the next day.

Chapter 156: Link’s Worldview

 

Link was planning to leave the next morning. However, an unexpected incident interrupted his plan.

The old Viscount breathed his last at 4 o’clock in the morning. After all, this physical body was still a true Morani. He could not simply leave when such an incident happened.

As it was not safe to send messages through the mail, he would have to notify the academy of the Black Moon Conspiracy at a later date. Fortunately, this plan would only be put into action on April 15th. There should still be enough time after he was done with the funeral.

At six in the morning, the mourning bells of Puffer County rang. The low and deep rumble of the bells echoed throughout the entire county. This sound proclaimed the death of the old Duke and at the same time, signified the automatic succession of a new Duke.

The same thing had happened in Puffer County for many years. However, this one was special. Other than the low rumbling of the bells, another news made its way into the county, one which involved the Duke’s youngest son, Link.

No one in Puffer County was actually concerned about the death of the old Duke. Death was but a natural process especially when one got old. Furthermore, the county had already seen the death of many Dukes, everyone was already numb to such events. On the other hand, everyone was talking about the ambush on the Morani castle last night.

It was the topic of everyone’s conversation.

“Did you hear? The Morani family was assaulted by enemies. In order to exact revenge, the enemy charged right into their castle and killed many people!” The person speaking had a look of excitement. After all, there was no one in his family who was affected by the massacre. It was thus simply an interesting story for him.

Someone next to him then joined in the conversation, “Of course! The youngest son of the Gillum Family was killed, but their family is now rich!”

“Rich? What do you mean? Can dead people become wealthy as well?” Another person asked curiously.

“Don’t you know? The young Duke compensated the family of every deceased soldier 20 gold coins. For example, the Yaeger Family had four sons, two of which were guards at the Morani castle. After they died in the massacre yesterday, the Yaeger Family received 40 gold coins! I heard that young master Link was the one who provided the gold coins.”

“Link? The youngest son of the Duke that doesn’t even dare to whisper on the streets?” This news was appalling.

“Yes, it’s him! He is now an extremely powerful Magician and has boundless wealth!”

It was all over the streets. No matter how the conversation strayed, it would eventually converge on how wealthy Link was.

There was no helping it. Puffer County was extremely poor. If even the Duke was poor, the people of the county would definitely suffer in poverty.

Many people in Puffer County had never seen gold coins in their lives. The news of a family getting a full 40 gold coins in compensation got everyone excited. Many even wished that one of their family members died in the massacre.

Human life was worth nothing when compared to wealth.

The news became more and more outrageous as it spread throughout the entire county. There were even multiple versions of the story as it got passed through word of mouth. One of them even mentioned, “Magician Link can move the mountains and oceans with his power. He can even turn stone into gold, thus allowing him to have boundless wealth.”

As for the death of the Duke, no one even bothered.

Link, who was originally unknown and weak, became famous overnight in Puffer County. In the castle, Link and his two brothers were busy planning the Duke’s funeral.

Link’s job was to provide the funds required for the funeral. After taking out 4000 gold coins previously, he still had around 1300 gold coins left. At the same time, Magician Parsons had 1600 gold coins stored in his dimensional bracelet. He then took 500 gold coins from his pool of gold coins to fund the funeral.

Link had resolved the Morani family’s biggest issue, which was the lack of money. He then left the superfluous preparations to Wharton and Clyde. His mother and sister also offered to help out in the process. Link was thus relieved of all his duties.

The World of Firuman was in chaos and human life was not worth more than a blade of grass. Even the funeral held for a noble was also very simple. The entire funeral would only take one and a half days to complete, including the one day where the people of Puffer County would pay their respects to the old Duke for his service.

As Link had nothing to do in this period, he stayed in the study room the old Duke used to reside in to continue his magic research.

He mainly studied the Scroll of Enlightenment that he had gotten not long ago. When he felt inspired, he would then take out his thesis to work on it. When he felt tired, he would continue his sketch of the magic bracelet.

The black-dressed woman…no, it’s Eleanor. Eleanor was of great help at Jade Street, he would have to repay the debt by making a beautiful and powerful bracelet for her. At the very least, the quality needed to be better than the Phoenix Bracelet that he had crafted previously.

If he got tired of all these three things, he would take out the white stone Prince Phillip had given him and observe the intricate patterns with interest and awe.

Even though Link did not know how to use the stone, the stone had a smooth and shiny exterior and was definitely an object of beauty. Link simply treated it like a toy.

The day quickly ended while he was busy doing these four things. In the evening, the servant came with a message that dinner was ready.

The people at the dining table were exactly the same as the previous day. Although Wharton was heavily injured, he was still a Level-4 Warrior and possessed strong vitality. Coupled with the healing powers of the priest, he could already move freely without any external aid.

Upon seeing Link, Wharton kept his arrogance in check and greeted him with a smile. His knees were also trembling, probably from last night’s injury, or perhaps something else?

Lilith and Molly had nothing to fear when they saw Wharton in this state. They were extremely relaxed during dinner, no longer carrying the look of fear and apprehension like last night.

Clyde took out 300 gold coins and pushed them towards Link, “These are the remaining gold coins. The compensation and repair works cost a total of 3700 gold coins.”

The 300 gold coins filled the money sack to the brim. Wharton stared jealously at the golden treasures while eating his favorite roasted geese. He was however, not focusing on the delicious flavor of his favorite food, but instead, thinking about keeping the gold coins for himself.

However, he was afraid to even move an inch as Link was present.

Link did not keep the money sack. He snapped his fingers and cast the Magician’s Hand, adding 200 more gold coins into the sack, making the total 500 gold coins. He then pushed the money sack back towards Clyde and said, “Brother, you should keep this money. You will need this when you go back to the Silver Fortress.”

Clyde was a person of good character and was competent. He was also a blood relative and was definitely trustworthy. Even though he did not accomplish much in the Silver Fortress these few years, it was probably due to his lack of wealth which restricted his actions.

Link had no reason not to support him.

The God of Light wanted him to save the world. These outrageous missions would ignite the burning passion of any online gamers. However, Link was now a calm Magician and could rationalize the situation clearly. In order to save the world, he had to be down-to-earth and let his actions speak for themselves.

One of the methods to do that was to improve his reputation, creating connections with everyone that he could, creating a strong alliance. This was his worldview ever since he stepped into the World of Firuman.

In fact, this was also the reason he chose to accept the Ferde Wilderness as his territory. If he could successfully turn the wasteland into a prosperous city, his reputation would increase exponentially. At the same time, talented individuals would also join his territory as word got out, allowing him to create an even stronger alliance.

Back to the main point.

Upon hearing Link’s offer, Clyde was elated and took the money sack back without hesitation, “Third brother is really generous! I will politely accept it then.”

It was true that he was running out of money. He had less than 10 gold coins left in his pocket. When he was out hunting or drinking with his friends in the Silver Fortress, he had to constantly watch his spending. These 500 gold coins were just what he needed.

This made Wharton extremely envious. He could no longer contain himself and asked, “Brother, I heard that you can turn stones into gold?”

“No.” Link knew exactly what Wharton was planning. He simply shook his head and replied curtly.

While Wharton was also his blood brother, his character was nowhere near Clyde’s. Wharton was extremely selfish and manipulative. Link could not hurt him as he was still a family member, but he could choose to stay as far away from him as possible.

His attitude came as a shock to Wharton.

Link ignored him and continued, “It is father’s funeral tomorrow. After the funeral, I will return to the academy immediately. Mother and sister, you two will accompany me.”

The two women were relieved and extremely happy to finally be released from Wharton’s demonic clutches. They immediately nodded in agreement.

Wharton did not expect Link to be leaving so soon. He still hadn’t received any benefits or money from his wealthy brother! He immediately said, “The Winter Festival is coming, why not leave after that?”

“No.” Link once again gave a short and curt reply. The rage inside Wharton was building up.

Link turned to Clyde and said, “Brother, my land is just at the Ferde Wilderness. It is not too far from here. You are always welcomed to visit.”

“The Ferde Wilderness? No problem at all, I will visit whenever I’m free. Please entertain me when the time comes,” Clyde laughed. Even though the Ferde Wilderness was pretty barren, Link was a comfortable person to speak with. Going to the Ferde Wilderness was definitely a better choice than to stay in this oppressive castle and face Wharton’s mood swings.

Wharton could not contain his rage anymore and sneered, “That is just a piece of barren land. I had higher expectations.”

Link looked at Wharton and spoke in a serious tone, “It is a barren land now, but in three years, everything will change.”

The mining of the anti-magic soil, changing the climate using magic and developing sea trade routes were just some of the plans he had for his land. In a few years, he would definitely see that the Ferde Wilderness become a land of miracles.

Link’s declaration seemed extremely impossible and arrogant. If this happened yesterday, Wharton would have ridiculed him and dismissed his ideas as preposterous. However, he was at a loss for words now. His third brother had abilities completely beyond his imagination. He had no idea what kind of miracles he could achieve next.

Even Clyde was worried at Link’s confidence, “Third brother, I have complete faith in your abilities. However, building an entire settlement from scratch requires a huge amount of gold coins. Is that even possible?”

Link nodded, “It will be.”

He already had everything planned. He would first make sure the Ferde Wilderness could stand on its own by constructing basic infrastructure. These were all essential investments and would take up to around 40000 gold coins. He would then start to mine the anti-magic soil and exploit their market value to boost the economy. When the economy of his territory began to take off, he could then fully focus on expanding it to a larger scale.

Therefore, first step, 40000 gold coins.

Time to earn some money when I get back to the academy, Link thought.

Chapter 157: His Fame Will Spread Throughout the Firuman Continent

 

Overall, the atmosphere during dinner in the Morani Castle on the second day of Link’s return was quite pleasant.

After the meal, Link went back to studying the Scroll of Enlightenment in the privacy of his room and even managed to use the materials he had brought with him from the academy to create a rechargeable defensive spell magic ring. This ring would allow the insertion of the same spell into the ring even after it had been used.

And so, the night passed with Link spending his time in solitude and hard at work.

By nine in the morning the next day, the funeral for the old Viscount went on as planned. His body was then put to rest under the ground around noon while the priest chanted holy readings. And thus, the whole matter was settled.

Soon, the carriage from the East Cove Magic Academy was ready as well. Luckily the coachman was a perceptive man who went into hiding the moment he felt there was something awry last night, and so he survived the Dark Elves’ attack unscathed.

Before they set out, Lilith and Molly went to their rooms to pack up their things while Wharton and Clyde stood in the courtyard to bid farewell to their brother. As they were waiting for Link’s mother and sister, Link handed the ring he created last night to Clyde as a parting gift.

“I’ve just made this defensive magic ring for you,” Link told his brother. “Wear it on your left forefinger. When you want to use the spell, just firmly press the surface of the ring with your thumb and you’ll be good to go.”

The ring was made with Mithril and it looked outwardly plain even though its inner workings were complex and intricate. Link had produced it with the utmost care to ensure that it was of the highest quality that he could manage, though he didn’t want to make it look too expensive to avoid attracting petty jealousies from the other knights which might cause his brother trouble.

Clyde beamed at the mention of a magic gear. He put on the ring and thought it felt just right – it was neither too tight nor too loose, while the ring itself was not too big and fancy that it might lure any unwanted looks.

“Try the spell,” said Link.

Clyde then went on to press his thumb on the surface of the ring and immediately a shroud of faint aura enveloped his body. It was the defensive spell that Link had added his own Supreme Magical Skill modifications – the Edelweiss.

Level-4 Edelweiss was a bit too complicated to be fixed into the ring, so Link was forced to use the Level-3 version of the spell. Once he was sure that Clyde knew how to release the spell properly, Link then waved his wand over the ring and recharged the ring with his Mana, while at the same time explaining the spell to his brother.

“This is a defensive magic ring,” he told Clyde, “and it will protect you from any attack that is Level-3 and below, whether it’s a magic spell or the blade of a sword. It can also decrease the power of Level-4 attacks to some degree. You can use the spell five times. After that, just find a Magician who accompanied the army and tell them to direct their Mana into it and it’ll be just as good as new.”

Clyde knew instantly from Link’s explanation that this ring could mean the difference between life and death for him in a battlefield. He was sure that the ring must be worth more than a thousand gold coins. Clyde was immensely grateful to his little brother, yet he just couldn’t find the right words to say. In the end he just stayed silent and vowed to himself that he must now work hard and become an outstanding knight in the army so he wouldn’t let his brother down!

Meanwhile, Wharton was watching his two brothers on the side. His eyes were green with envy for the ring on Clyde’s finger, but he knew that he mustn’t expect Link to show the same courtesy to him as he had treated him poorly in the past.

To his surprise though, Link suddenly walked up to him and handed him another Mithril ring that looked identical to Clyde’s.

“Regardless of what had happened in the past, you are still our eldest brother,” said Link. “This ring is just like the one I gave Clyde. Use your thumb to activate it. You can use it five times as well. I won’t bother to explain the rest.” Link had no intention of pleasing Wharton with the gift, he merely wanted to make sure that Wharton would have no cause of jealousy or displeasure, which might in the end bring trouble to Link in the future.

Wharton stood there motionless and unsure of how to respond. He wanted the ring more than anything else, yet he feared that Link might be playing some kind of a magic trick on him, so he hesitated to reach out his hand and take the ring.

“What are you waiting for? Just take it!” said Clyde, annoyed at Wharton’s distrust of his own flesh and blood.

Wharton finally came to his senses. He reached for the ring and clutched it in his hand tightly, afraid that Link might try to take it back.

Link had no time to entertain Wharton’s behavior so he turned his back from his brother the second he took the ring and walked away without saying another word.

Wharton noticed Link’s cold manners and suddenly felt embarrassed of his own narrow-mindedness.

“Have I really been that cruel to you in the past?” Wharton suddenly asked.

Just then, snowflakes started to fall from the sky. The bitingly cold, winter breeze whistled across the courtyard and the cold pierced through the skin like little blades of knives. Lilith and Molly were both ready now and had reached the entrance of the castle’s great hall with their luggage. As they came out, a gust of wind blew against them, causing both of them to shiver like leaves.

Link looked over and noticed that while the clothes his mother and Molly were wearing looked quite thick, they were made of cotton from the South which couldn’t protect them from the cold in the least.

Such clothes couldn’t be worth much more than five or six silver coins. Even merchant families with a little more affluence in the River Cove Town wore better clothes than that. Come to think of it, even the coachman’s livery was made of much better materials than his mother and sister’s clothes, yet they were the Viscount’s wife and daughter!

Obviously, this was another one of Wharton’s doing.

Link turned to Wharton with a frown. He really couldn’t be bothered to say anything more to him now. Forget it, he thought. Mother and Molly won’t be coming back to this oppressive castle again anyway. Once we reach River Cove Town, I’ll just buy them the nicest and thickest clothes I can find. It won’t cost me more than 100 gold coins.

Wharton felt Link’s sharp gaze and moved his lips as if to say something, yet the normally loquacious Wharton suddenly found himself tongue-tied and unable to find the right words to say. For the first time in his life, he felt so ashamed of himself that he wished he could burrow a hole in the ground and hide in it.

“Mother, Molly, let’s get in the carriage,” said Link. The East Cove Magic Academy’s carriage was equipped with a warming magic seal where it was comfortably warm as spring in there all year round.

The two ladies were still quivering from the cold as they rushed towards the carriage. The both gasped the moment they entered it and were immediately enchanted by the wonders of magic.

Link then waved goodbye at Clyde and followed his mother and sister into the carriage as well.

Once they were all settled inside, the coachman cracked his whip and the carriage slowly drove out of the Morani castle.

Clyde stood there in the castle courtyard watching the exquisite blue carriage slowly disappear out of sight. He then let out a long sigh and turned to his elder brother beside him.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, Wharton,” said Clyde, “but it’s obvious that sooner or later Link’s reputation and fame will spread across Firuman. The good name of our family will rise to glorious heights because of him. If all you wanted to do with your life is to stay cooped up in this measly castle, then just ignore what I’m going to say. But if you want to rise to a higher station in life and see more of the world, then it’s time to think of a way to patch things up with Link, dear brother!”

Clyde had seen in the past two days how exceptionally powerful his little brother really was. He’d seen so many young men touted as the next big thing or the young genius in the army, yet none of their skills could compare to his own little brother!

Once he’d said all he had to say to Wharton, Clyde walked quietly back to the great hall of the castle.

Meanwhile, his brother Wharton stood there with his mouth agape, unable to make any response. He rubbed his head gently while his other hand was holding the magic ring from Link. It was clearly a ring with a smooth surface, yet somehow, he could’ve sworn that it felt prickly in the palm of his hand, as if he was holding a sharp needle in his hand.

…

The carriage moved swiftly and in no time at all, they’d left the Morani castle far behind.

“Mother, Molly,” said Link, “the Ferde Wilderness is too desolate to inhabit right now, and I haven’t settled into the place yet. But I do have a cabin that acts as the headquarters for my troop of mercenaries in the Girvent Forest near River Cove Town. Would it be alright if both of you stay there while I make my estate more hospitable?”

The late Viscount and his eldest son had ruled over her life like tyrants for the past couple of decades now, and naturally not once did they ever ask for her opinion on any matter. She almost shed tears of happiness when she heard her own son asking for her opinion with such a gentle and respectful tone.

“Of course it is, dear,” said Lilith. She had just turned forty years old recently, yet her face was already covered in wrinkles and lines. It was a testament to the hard life that she had to endure ever since she married into the Morani family. But she had been intensely happy ever since Link returned to the castle two days ago. Finally, she could smile earnestly from the bottom of her heart, and it made her face bloom like a flower as she now looked much younger as well.

Link’s elder sister Molly nodded her head as well. She would turn 22 this year, yet she had never set foot outside the Morani castle before. Both her father and her eldest brother had treated her as if she was another one of their belongings to be traded as they saw fit and never shown a trace of respect for her as a human being. This kind of life had made her self-esteem very low and she grew up to be a shy and timid young woman.

But Link was radically different. Her little brother had spoken to her in a gentle tone, he was respectful to her. Even when Link was being harsh to her, it was all because he cared and was worried about her. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Link had given her a new lease on life.

Molly could never have foreseen how her 22nd year would turn out to be the most blissful year of her life so far.

Lilith had been the fairest maiden in Pufferfish County when she was young. That was the reason why the old Viscount had noticed her and asked for her hand. Unfortunately, Link had inherited none of her good looks, unlike Molly, who looked almost identical to her younger self. Molly had a head full of black curly hair, her eyes were onyx black, her skin was as smooth as butter and her figure was youthful and lithe. The warmth in the carriage and the happiness and relief she felt to have escaped from the clutches of her father and elder brother had now brought back the color to her face and made her look positively angelic.

Link sighed gently as he thought of his mother and sister’s fate. They were both normal people with no talents or abilities, and they’d suffered through so much bullying inflicted on them by his late father and Wharton. Link vowed that from now on he would provide them with a safe and happy life where they would be free of any worries.

He then promptly took out two silk pouches and filled them with 50 gold coins each, which he then gave to his mother and Molly.

“Both of you take these gold coins,” said Link. “Use it to pay the servants once we reach River Cove Town. Then I’ll buy you some new clothes, jewelry and the like later.”

Lilith accepted the gold coins without any questions. She knew that Link had given them more than they needed, but she could just save them for Link in case he needed them later.

For Molly, though, it was the first time she’d ever seen that amount of money and she was hesitant to accept it.

“But Link,” she said, “this is just too much! I don’t think we’d need this much to pay the servants. Besides, don’t you need them to build your new estate? Shouldn’t you save these gold coins for that instead?”

“Stop worrying so much and just take the money,” Link said to his sister. “I’ll find the way to build my estate, so you don’t have to worry about it. Right now, you must focus on adapting to your new life.”

“Alright, then,” replied Molly. She then took the money pouch from Link with a light and gladdened heart. She never knew how good it felt to be spoiled by a family member who cared for her happiness.

For the rest of the journey, Link didn’t even read or study his magic textbooks as he usually did. All he wanted to do was chat leisurely with his mother about what he’d encountered and experienced out in the world. Molly was listening to them quietly at first. Then she gradually loosened up and joined in the conversation occasionally. All in all, the three of them had a pleasant journey to the River Cove Town as everyone was finally relaxed and happy.

As Link was bringing his family back to River Cove Town, a carriage with a green leaf emblem was entering the East Cove Magic Academy. Inside was a middle-aged man with plain looks but magnificent clothes who was holding a Mithril necklace in his left hand and a magic bracelet in his right hand, both with an exquisite flying bird mark on them, signifying that it was made by Link. The man’s name was Warter. He was the owner of the prosperous Green Leaf Merchant Firm.

As he stepped into the academy, Warter was immediately confronted with the awesome sight of tall and pristine Mage Towers reaching up into the clouds. Yet there was only one thing in his mind.

This Magician Link has been creating piece after piece of magic gear that could even put the old masters to shame, thought Warter. If I could somehow persuade him to work with me, my fame and fortune would no doubt spread throughout the kingdom!

As a consummate merchant, the wonders of magic and spells meant nothing to him, and neither did he have any real respect for Magicians. There was only one aim in his mind, and that was to get all the money there was on the Firuman continent into his pockets.

Chapter 158: Monetary Incentive

 

When Link reached River Cove Town, the carriage stopped right in front of the base of the Flamingo Band of Mercenaries. Link was surprised to find Lucy already waiting for him at the entrance. It seemed like the mercenary band had once again extended their influence over River Cove Town. That was good news.

It had been a month and the base had undergone great changes. The yard was expanded to an area three times larger than before. The nameplate was also replaced by one made of pure copper, with a logo of the flamingo outlined by silver wires above it. The wooden fence had also received an upgrade to a wall made from boulders. There were now two gates before the main entrance of the mercenary base. The first layer was a wooden door entangled with vines and copper nails. The second layer was a steel fence. This not only improved the base defensive capabilities but was also aesthetically pleasing. The mercenaries walking in and out of the base were clad in a wolf leather armor and a premium steel sword. This equipment was almost on par with the military. They looked extremely high-spirited and walked with confident strides.

This was the mercenary base that he had envisioned. It seemed like it was not a wasted investment.

Link was extremely satisfied.

The moment he alighted from the carriage, Link smiled at Lucy and commended, “This is better than what I expected.”

“It is the result of spending a huge amount of money. We spent nearly 1000 gold coins on just 200 members.” Lucy was very satisfied with the results as well. She just felt that it was slightly extravagant.

Link laughed, “Gold coins are meant to be used. If we save them all, they will just be useless metal chips.”

Lucy bit her lips reluctantly. She knew that she could never persuade Link to save his money. She could only try to save as much as she could on her side in case of emergencies.

At the same time, Lilith and Molly also alighted the carriage. Link then introduced them, “This is my mother, Lilith and my sister, Molly. They will be staying with the mercenary band for a while.”

Lucy immediately greeted Lilith and Molly with respect the moment she knew they were Link’s close relatives. She then introduced herself, “Madame, Miss, I am a follower of my lord, Link. I am a Lucy, a swordswoman.”

Lucy was wearing a premium alligator skin armor and had a magic sword enveloped in a light white glow on her back. She exuded a valiant and elegant aura, one that was completely different from the sweaty and rude mercenaries that Lilith was used to. She couldn’t help but commend, “This is fantastic. This lady looks extremely suave.”

Lucy felt uncomfortable listening to this comment. Since she became a mercenary, she was described as a cold-blooded beauty, an ice rose and other elegant names fitting for a woman. This was the first time someone described her as suave. She kept her displeasure in as the comment came from Link’s mother.

Molly was slightly afraid as Lucy’s presence was way too intimidating. She felt like she was facing a giant, the oppressive aura charging straight towards her. Molly stood behind Link the entire time, stealing glances at this beautiful woman every now and then.

Molly was extremely envious of Lucy. Lucy was independent and strong and furthermore, she seemed to be her brother’s capable assistant.

My brother has really made it. He has so many followers. On the other hand, I accomplished nothing. Molly suddenly felt inferior. She blamed the life of fear and manipulation that she had in the castle.

Link led Molly and Lilith into the mercenary band. On the way, he carefully gave some instructions to Lucy. By the time they reached the hall, Link handed a huge bag of money to Lucy. There was a grand total of 1000 gold coins in the bag, dedicated to Molly’s and Lilith’s spending in the mercenary band.

Lucy received the money bag and gave Link the assurance he needed, “Rest assured, my lord. I will make no mistakes. Madame and Miss will be provided with only the best!”

Link had complete faith in Lucy’s competency. He then turned and assured his family members that he would visit them often.

After his family members settled in, Link’s face became serious as he talked about issues regarding his territory development.

“Lucy, the king has conferred me the title of a Baron. The Ferde Wilderness in the Southeast is now my territory. I am planning to invest resources into the development of this area. Before that, some preparations have to be done.”

Lucy was slightly startled before a look of excitement appeared on her face. Since Link had become an official noble, as his follower, she would have the chance to become an official female knight.

Knights were also considered nobles by normal standards. Lucy was born in a rural village and becoming a noble was something that only happened in her dreams. She was extremely relieved that she had chosen to follow Link.

Lucy was not concerned about how barren and remote the Ferde Wilderness was. No matter the state of the land, it was still a territory that belonged solely to Link. They simply needed to spend more effort into building and developing the land. Thinking back, they similarly built their mercenary band from scratch. Nothing was impossible as long as Link supported them!

She immediately asked, “My lord, what do you need me to do?”

“The initial stages will be pretty simple. Send a few capable people to map out the Ferde Wilderness terrain. I will also need them to indicate the presence of any criminals, bandits or forces that are in the area. My aim is to make sure that ordinary people will be safe even when they walk on the streets at night. They should not have to fear about the possibility of an attack.”

“Not a problem. The map will at most take a month,” Lucy assured. This was a task that mercenaries were most capable of.

Link nodded. “That would be great. After the map is completed, start to chase the bandits out of the area. You, Jacker, Gildern and the rest may have to increase the training intensity of the mercenary band.”

Lucy’s heart was racing. She had gotten the underlying message of this mission. Link was prepared to make the Flamingo Band of Mercenaries the guardians of the new territory. If they were successful, they would become an official mercenary band, and she would be it’s general!

With a pair of glimmering eyes, Lucy straightened her body and declared, “My lord, the Flamingo Band of Mercenary will be the sword in your hand! We will not disappoint you.”

Link nodded and said, “Alright. I have some urgent matters to attend to and have to leave for East Cove Higher Magic Academy immediately.”

He had settled all the matters he wanted to and bade his family goodbye before leaving the mercenary base. The three women naturally sent him off and watched as he boarded the carriage.

With a few kicks of the hooves, the carriage was headed towards the academy.

Lucy watched as the carriage moved further away till it was out of her field of vision. My lord is getting busier; he seems to be always in a hurry.

Her gaze then fell onto Lilith and Molly and she immediately felt better. Link had left his mother and sister in her care, suggesting that he had complete faith in her. Also, this might mean that Link would come back more often in the future.

Lucy then gently urged, “Madame, Miss, please follow me.”

…

East Cove Higher Magic Academy

Warter had already reached the entrance of Herrera’s Mage Tower. This was not his first time in the magic academy, however, it was his most nervous one yet.

Before he knocked, he couldn’t help but think, Will there be other merchants who have already approached him? What will I do if he refuses? What if he offers a ridiculous condition?

He was feeling uneasy.

He was usually calm and collected, but the success of this trip was way too important for him

Link’s enchanting skills were top notch, so much so that words could not capture the beauty of his products. He was a true enchanting master, especially when compared to the other enchanters who acquired fame through marketing techniques instead of real skill.

Furthermore, there was a sudden influx of high-quality magic equipment and intricate magic scrolls in the market. All of them had a special magic marking on them. Warter gathered important information from these traits.

This young Magician was at his peak and at the same time, he desperately needed money!

This meant there he would still be crafting a huge amount of magic equipment for sale. If Warter could strike a deal with Link, his Green Leaf Merchant Firm would definitely benefit, and make their name known outside of Hot Springs City. They might even expand their influence outside of the Norton Kingdom and become a threat to the merchants of the Southern Free Trade Alliance.

He was naturally nervous in the face of such a huge opportunity.

After three whole minutes of apprehension standing at the entrance, he took a deep breath and gently knocked on the tower door.

He made sure the sound was light. He knew that all the Magician’s Apprentices were arrogant and did not like to be disturbed.

After a few seconds, the door opened. A beautiful and cheerful little girl stood behind the door and stared at him curiously. She asked, “You are…?”

Warter had seen many people in his life, but it was his first time seeing such an exquisite little girl. It took him a moment before he replied, “Warter. My name is Warter and I am in charge of a merchant firm. It is called the Green Leaf Merchant Firm and I am here to look for Magician Link.”

“Looking for my master?” The little girl was Rylai. She frowned slightly upon hearing Warter’s words and shook her head. “That is really unfortunate. My master is not in at the moment.”

“Ah…” Warter was disappointed. However, he still had not given up all hope, “Can you tell me where he went?”

The little girl was vigilant and replied immediately, “That is not possible.”

Her master had many enemies. That was why Auntie Moira repeatedly reminded her that she should never inform others about her master’s whereabouts, especially to outsiders.

Warter looked at the little girl’s determined expression and knew that he could no longer get any information from her. If he were in Hot Springs City, he might be able to exchange some information using gold coins. However, his wealth was nothing in the magic academy. All the Magicians here would merely look down on him and continue on with their daily tasks. He was already fortunate to be able to hold such a long conversation with this girl.

Warter’s heart sank. He thought that he had found a huge opportunity, but it did not work out in the end. He couldn’t help but sigh from the disappointment.

“Thank you.” Warter was prepared to wait at the entrance of the academy until Link returned. He would not let this be a wasted trip. To his surprise, he saw a black-haired young man walking towards him the moment he turned around.

At the same time, the voice of the little girl rang from behind, “Master, you are back so early this time! Didn’t you say it was going to take half a month?”

That person was none other than Link.

Chapter 159: Monetary Incentive (Part 2)

 

Warter’s ears pricked up the instant he heard Rylai uttering the word “tutor”. A friendly smile appeared on his face and he instantly bent his head forward and rushed up towards the figure the girl had just addressed as tutor.

“Sir,” he said reverently, “it is such an honor to meet you.”

Warter glanced at the man before him as he spoke. What he saw was a very young-looking man with black hair and black eyes whose looks were plain and unremarkable. Had it not been for the ink-blue Magician’s robe he was wearing and the wand in his hand, Warter was sure this young man could disappear on a busy street full of people. The only striking features on this young man were his eyes.

His eyes were exceptionally dark, yet they were so clear that they seemed to glow. At first sight, Warter thought they shone with the innocence of a child, but after getting a closer look, he realized that they were, in fact, as deep as and as dark as the night sky. They were so deep that one could never fathom the bottom of their depths no matter how long they stared at them.

Just then, Warter suddenly felt a certain kind of frightening pressure exerted by the eyes on him. He was taken aback by the mysterious power this young man exuded and was forced to look down to avoid those terrifying eyes.

I guess the rumors were right, he thought. Magicians do indeed have powerful souls that could shatter a weak-willed spirit with a glance.

As a merchant, Warter had, in his younger years, been a traveling salesman who’d journeyed all around the kingdom. He’d seen many things in his travels, so he realized how mistaken he had been in underestimating Link just because of his young age.

“Who are you?” asked Link, slightly puzzled at the presence of a stranger in the Mage Tower.

“Oh, forgive my manners. I’m Warter,” he said. “I own the Green Leaf Merchant Firm, and I’ve come to discuss matters of business with you.” As he spoke, Warter slid out the Mithril necklace in front of Link. He could guess by Link’s reaction that it was indeed his creation.

Link could see through Warter’s motives for coming here in a heartbeat. He must’ve been attracted by his own enchantment skills and wanted to use them to attract more gold coins into his pockets.

For what it’s worth, this man is shrewd, thought Link. But even though he was impressed with the man’s cunning, he would still need to prove his sincerity to Link before he would agree to cooperate with him. Besides, Link was in a rush to meet with his tutor on urgent business right now, so he had no time to entertain the merchant’s proposals just yet.

“Follow me,” said Link.

“Ah…yes, sir.” Warter saw that there was hope so he acted even more reverent now and followed closely behind Link into the Mage Tower.

Rylai kept talking to Link all along the way, telling him about the recent happenings in the academy, then asking him questions about magic. Link replied now and then with a smile constantly on his face. He listened intently to Rylai’s retelling of what occurred in the academy while he was gone. As for her questions, Link managed to answer them all in short and clear replies while Rylai listened to him with bright shining eyes, her face showing the utmost respect for her tutor.

Once they reached inside the Mage Tower, all the apprentices they walked past would immediately bow at Link no matter what they were doing at the time. On their faces Link saw a hint of respect and awe that hadn’t been there before. Link found this change curious, although he didn’t get to ask the question before Rylai offered the answer herself.

“Everyone heard of what happened in Jade Street, tutor,” she said. “You saved the High Elf prince’s life and even defeated three Dark Elves! All the Magicians in the academy were impressed with you – even Dean Anthony had lavished praise on you himself!”

Two days ago, the king had sent special envoys to the academy to deliver Link’s rewards and publicly announced his contributions to the kingdom, so the matter was public knowledge now. Naturally the Magicians in the academy could understand the significance of Link’s achievements even more than lay people as they were more rational and had more knowledge of what went on in magic battles.

Three Dark Elves – one was a Level-5 Warrior, one was a Level-4 Magician, and the other one was a Level-4 Assassin – made up the infamous Three Musketeers of the Silver Moon. They were the leaders of the younger generation of Dark Elves in the Black Forest and were feared all over for their formidable power. And yet, Link had single-handedly killed two of them and forced the remaining one to flee for her life – how could anyone possess such a mighty force?

The Magicians were proud people, especially among their peers. Regardless of their talents, they would always be driven to compete with each other. But this time though, Link’s achievements were just too exceptional that they knew there was no way they could ever compare. Magicians of the same age as Link were still competing to see whose magic scrolls were better and who could produce more of them. Meanwhile, Link Link had already reached the point where his talents had eclipsed that of the notorious Three Musketeers of the Silver Moon and were acknowledged by King Leon himself!

How could they not respect such an exceptional figure?

The Magicians outside Herrera’s Mage Tower were somewhat more reserved in their show of respect to Link. But everyone knew him well here inside the Mage Tower; they even took pride in the fact that a godlike powerful figure had emerged in their own Mage Tower, so they weren’t shy at all in showing him the utmost respect that even bordered on reverence.

This was just human nature, although, in Warter’s eyes the sight was quite a bit more astonishing. He grew ever more worried now about the future that might be in store if he ended up cooperating with such a prominent figure.

Has he achieved such a degree of fame and reputation already? Warter mused. What kind of ridiculous demands would he make of me?

Although Link was proud of the respect he earned from the Magician’s Apprentices in the academy, he was quiet and introverted in nature so there was not a trace of arrogance in his expressions. He even bowed slightly in return to all those who bowed at him along the way.

Warter immediately sighed in relief at this sight. He seems like a humble young man, he thought. He shouldn’t be too difficult to deal with if we do end up working with each other.

With those thoughts in his mind, Warter followed Link right up to the second floor of the Mage Tower. Once they reached the top of the stairs, Link turned around and addressed Warter with an apologetic tone of voice.

“Mr. Warter,” he said, “there is an urgent matter that I must report to my tutor without delay, so I must leave you for a moment. Would you mind waiting in the hall?”

“No, no problem at all!” Warter hurriedly shook his head in reply.

“Rylai, please take care of Mr. Warter while I’m gone,” said Link.

“Leave it to me, tutor,” replied Rylai. She then smilingly turned to Warter and said, “This way, mister. You should try a popular beverage here in this Mage Tower, it’s called ‘Living Bubbles’ and it’s amazing. I’m sure you’ll love it when you try it!”

“Um… yes, I’ll try it. Thank you,” replied Warter reluctantly. He didn’t have the heart to refuse the offer. He wasn’t sure if the young girl was right in guessing that he would like it by the sound of the name given to this drink.

Meanwhile, Link was already climbing up the stairs towards the top floor. He could hear the sound of the Elemental Pool being used as he passed it. Link knew that it must be Eliard inside working hard as always.

Once she reached the fourth floor, Link took out his wand and activated the runes on Herrera’s door. He was lucky this time as the door opened after a few seconds. Voices could be heard coming from the sitting room which got Link curious as he didn’t expect Herrera to have company. He quickened his footsteps slightly and rushed up into the sitting room.

The moment he made the turn around the wall between the door and Herrera’s sitting room, Link was met with the sight of two people there – well, to be exact, there were actually a human and a young female dwarf there. From the way she dressed, the dwarf seemed to be a Magician as well.

Link focused all his attention to sense both of their Mana energy. In seconds, he could see that his tutor, Herrera had reached the early stages of Level-6, while that dwarf was already at the pinnacle of Level-6 and would break through into Level-7 soon. This meant that she was even more powerful than Herrera!

Link was shocked by this knowledge. What was going on now? Was Firuman so full of young gifted Magicians that they could be found anywhere? This dwarf girl couldn’t be more than 18 or 19 years old! How could she possess such powerful Mana?

The two people in the room turned their heads towards Link immediately as they heard his footsteps.

“Speak of the devil,” said Herrera with a gentle smile on her face without a hint of surprise at all. “Here you are.”

The dwarf girl, on the other hand, showed great curiosity in her expression as she looked Link up and down. She was slightly more than three-feet-tall, just around the same height as an eight or nine-year-old human girl. She had a face that looked noble and dignified and her skin was as smooth as the surface of a vase. What stood out the most, though, was her light blue eyes that looked so bright and pure that they could even make someone think of gouging them out and treasure them like a pair of jewels.

“So that’s your favorite disciple, huh?” said the dwarven girl with a chuckle. “He looks so plain and ordinary.” Her voice was crisp and somewhat similar to a human child in its innocence, yet it was mixed with a more mature depth as well, giving it a quaint and unforgettable quality.

Herrera knew that she was just joking, so she made no response to her jibes and went on to introduce her to Link.

“Link, this is Elin,” she said, “the Lady Fortuna of the Yabba race.”

The Yabba race was the official name for the group of people humans commonly called dwarves, admittedly with a hint of ridicule and contempt. Lady Fortuna on the other hand…Link shuddered at the mention of these two words. Now it was no wonder that she was exuding such strong Mana.

Lady Fortuna of the Yabba race was a genius Magician born of the power of mystical destiny. Her most powerful talent was in the secret spell of prophecy, and because of this the Yabba people held her in very high regard.

In his previous life, Link encountered Lady Fortuna eight years after the release of the game. By then, the Yabba race was almost completely wiped off of the face of the earth by the Dark Elves and the Army of Darkness. Their Lady Fortuna was completely different from the innocent little girl in front of him. She had suffered through unspeakable torture by the Dark Side and had been so disfigured that she hid herself under a thick cloak.

“The glory of light is dead. Darkness has descended. All I see in the future is a world completely covered in pitch-black darkness.” Those were the words players would hear from Elin as they first chanced upon her, and she would utter them in a voice that was steeped in sorrow.

Link had once completed a series of tasks Elin had issued in the game which involved the searching and collecting of magic materials. Once all the materials were gathered Elin would reveal the very last prophecy in her life.

In her prophetic vision, the Lord of the Deep Nozama and his army had descended upon the Realm of Light and the human race was on the verge of annihilation. All the ten thousand Magicians in the High Elves Magic Legion were killed in battle. The entire Realm of Light had entered the apocalypse.

After seeing this final vision, it was as if Elin’s Mana was exhausted of its limits and her soul had reached a breaking point. She would then sacrifice the remnant of her soul to the player and give them an eternal blessing to always uphold the virtue of the God of Light.

“I give up, forgive me.”

Those were the last words Elin whispered before she collapsed and died. Her black cloak fell away and revealed a body so mutilated by torture that it was a miracle she hadn’t shattered to pieces long before.

This was one of the top ten most harrowing and heart-breaking missions in the game. Countless female players shed bitter tears for Elin’s tragic death and went on to swear with fire in their hearts that they would save the world.

Link himself had been deeply shaken by the incident. He could clearly recall how he vowed to himself that he would not rest until Nozama was defeated!

But that was another world in another life, things might turn out differently here after all. Link immediately shook his head to wake himself up from his brooding and bowed respectfully at Elin.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Madam,” said Link.

“No, no, no!” interjected Elin jokingly while shaking her head. “Don’t call me ‘Madam’! I’m only a 25-year-old little girl!” The Yabbas usually had a lifespan of up to 150 years old and they only reached adulthood at age 30, in which case Elin was in fact a girl and not yet an adult.

Link’s face almost turned crimson with embarrassment as he noticed the faux pas he’d just committed.

Herrera noticed how awkward things were getting, so she swooped in to the rescue.

“Stop it, Elin,” she said. “Didn’t you come all this way just to meet him?”

“Alright, Winnie, I’ll stop teasing your favorite disciple,” said Elin. (Winnie was the name Herrera’s closest friends called her by.)

“Winnie wrote in her letter to me saying she’d found the Lord of Light’s Chosen One,” said Elin, her playful expressions now all gone and replaced with a serious one. “I have to admit that I didn’t believe her at all. That is why I’ve come here – to meet the person who’d won such high praise from Winnie.”

By then, Link had managed to calm himself down. He walked slowly to a chair nearby and took a seat.

“But the God of Light works in mysterious ways,” Link said, smiling. “How would mortals like us ever manage to see through his schemes? I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I don’t know how to prove to you if I’m really the Chosen One.”

“Don’t worry,” said Elin, “I have my own method.” As she spoke, Elin took out a stack of cards that seemed to be of pristine quality. The cards even shone slightly with the aura of magic, giving it a mysterious air.

As Link stared at the cards a notification appeared on the interface.

Tarot Cards of the Soul

Quality: Epic

Effects: A tool of divination created with the power of Lady Fortuna’s soul. There are a total of 66 cards, and this tool has a strong prophetic power.

(Note: This is an item exclusive to Lady Fortuna.)

“I need a drop of your blood,” said Elin as she laid out the Tarot cards one-by-one on the table.