And the Gods answered his prayer.
Their group was close to reaching Prey River when a group of magicians suddenly appeared and blocked their path.
“It’s been a while, old man,” said a red-haired man with a crescent-shaped scar running across his eye.
Nickolai ordered all of his disciples and the mercenaries to halt in their tracks. He warily said, “What are the Master of the Tower and his magicians doing here, in the middle of wilderness?”
There were a little over two hundred magicians blocking the road. It was a third of the total number of magicians in the tower. Furthermore, three Elders from the tower were at the head of this small force.
“And what is a royal court magician doing here,” Alecto retorted, his eyes swiveled from Nickolai, to his disciples, to the mercenaries at the rear, then back, “on the road leading to Blackstone Town?”
“That’s none of your business, Alecto,” Nickolai growled. “I’ll let this one slide. Step out of the way, you damn bastard.”
Alecto was clearly amused upon hearing those words. It was a well-known fact that the Master of the Tower and the Thunder Lord once dueled to the death, several years ago. Unfortunately, the outcome was a draw. Everyone gathered here knew that the two monster magicians hated each other to the core.
“Look at this!” Alecto opened his arms wide as he laughed mockingly. “The great Thunder Lord! The kingdom’s so-called strongest magician is running away with his tail between his legs!”
“You!” A spear of lightning appeared in Nickolai’s hand. It crackled dangerously and scorched the ground it touched. “Do you really think I’m running away because I’m afraid of you! I let you live before, and now you dare think—”
“Let me live?” Alecto chuckled. “Didn’t you almost die back then?”
Alecto grinned broadly. He taunted, “Hey, old man, if you don’t want to die an excruciating death—scram.”
Nickolai finally lost it.
A hundred lightning arrows almost instantaneously appeared in the sky, and without warning, shot toward the tower’s magicians. It was a spell capable of slaughtering a small army in an instant.
One of the Elders standing behind Alecto moved and intercepted the arrows with a barrier spell. The other two, on the other hand, retaliated. Two ten-meter earth serpents shot out of the ground and slithered toward Nickolai and his men.
Videl dismounted, moved in front of his master, and summoned a spear of lightning. Without fear or hesitation, he shot toward the earth serpents. He swung his lightning spear, shattering the earth serpents with a single strike each.
Although Videl did not like pointless fights, he could not just sit still when these magicians were attacking his master. His pride as the Thunder Lord’s number one disciple wouldn’t let him let these small fries fight his master, no matter what.
Everything happened in an instant. The exchange of blows happened in mere seconds. The mercenaries watching shuddered. Maybe they shouldn’t have agreed to accompany the Thunder Lord on this mission.
Who would have known that the tower—the organization even the Empire was wary of—would appear here and block their path?
They would probably die if they were swept in the fight between these two monstrous magicians.
“Why are you doing this?” said Nickolai. His lightning spear continued to crackle dangerously in his hand.
Alecto shrugged. “I don’t know. But I’m sure of one thing, old man. Right now, I’m really itching to kill you.”
Nickolai trembled in rage, but he tried to restrain himself regardless. For some strange reason, the Elders of the tower had become a lot stronger. The way they cast their barrier and offensive spells felt a lot different than before.
Nickolai realized that they would suffer great casualties if they clashed with the tower.
Alecto glanced at the east, in the direction of Blackstone Town. Although he hated that Marcus brat, he couldn’t let Nickolai attack him. His precious little sister was currently staying in that town. He couldn’t let this madman reach that place, no matter what.
And he’d promised her too, that if by chance they got a whiff of Nickolai’s whereabouts, that he would do his best to stop the royal court magician from reaching Blackstone Town.
Alecto raised his right hand. A colossal ball of fire the size of ten carriages combined appeared in the sky. It loomed threateningly toward Nickolai.
After Chryselle had imparted to them the perfected magic circle created by Lark, the magicians of the tower had become a lot stronger. Although Alecto’s previous bout with the Thunder Lord had ended in a draw, currently, he was confident of winning against these enemies.
“Turn back. Leave this place,” said Alecto. “If you don’t want to become enemies with the tower.”
VOLUME 7: CHAPTER 18
It was early in the morning.
Chryselle was at the Central Market, buying ingredients for a meal she’d decided to prepare for her master, when she heard news regarding her older brother. The merchants, vendors, and even the passersby were excitedly chattering about an event that had transpired near Blackstone Town, a day ago.
“Hey, did you hear? The magicians of the tower and the Thunder Lord clashed yesterday, near the Prey River!”
“I know! My husband was there when it happened! Lord Nickolai and the Master of the Tower fought to their deaths! You should have seen the traces of their battle!”
“Ah, your husband enlisted in the military.”
“That’s right. He’s been stationed in the nearby garrison. When they heard the magic explosions, the soldiers went to check the commotion. And you wouldn’t believe it! Hundreds of magicians from the tower fought against the mercenaries and the disciples of the Thunder Lord!”
“That must have been terrifying—”
“It was. My husband told me he was frozen in fear watching the battle.”
“I’d probably abandon my post and run away. Two of the strongest magicians of this kingdom fighting each other? Didn’t they try to kill each other before, too?”
“I’m just glad my husband came back alive after witnessing that battle. I heard that the Prey River was destroyed after their fight. Really, those monsters.”
“Even though that river had almost dried-up… what a waste.”
“I’m just glad the lord built that water system a year ago. Even without the Prey River, we no longer have to fear the drought.”
“So, who won the battle? I heard it was a draw, too, this time around.”
“Stupid, do you think my husband would have returned alive if the Thunder Lord had won that fight?”
“Ah…”
“Lord Nickolai would have killed all of the spectating soldiers. That madman. I still wonder why that lunatic is still part of the royal court magicians.”
“Shhh! Lower your voice! What if someone hears you?”
“So what? Look, the Thunder Lord lost the fight. Even the mercenaries he hired ran away after witnessing the might of the tower’s magicians. Strongest magician of the kingdom? Hah! I suppose that title is gone now!”
After eavesdropping the conversation between the two women, Chryselle momentarily stood there, frozen and bewildered by what she’d heard.
Her brother must have anticipated this happening. He’d even told her that given the chance, he would do his best to stop Nickolai from reaching Blackstone Town.
He really kept his promise.
Chryselle smiled. Although she knew that hatred toward the Thunder Lord must have played a big part in Alecto’s decision, she was still grateful for what her brother did, no matter what. Not everyone had the courage to boldly stop the so-called strongest magician of the kingdom in his tracks.
And he won.
Chryselle felt indescribable warmth surging inside of her. She felt proud that her brother had won against one of the strongest royal court magicians of the kingdom.
“Young miss, are you not going to buy anything?” said
the stall vendor.
Chryselle broke out of her trance. “Ah, yes. I would like two of these please. And that over there—” she pointed at meat hanging from a hook. “Four large slabs please.”
“White boar meat?” said the stall vendor. “Alright.”
The stall vendor looked extremely pleased for some reason. He glanced at Chryselle every now and then, smiling upon looking at her face.
“Making white boar stew, young miss?” The vendor skillfully cut the meat and placed it inside a bag made of weaved leaves.
“Hopefully… yes,” Chryselle said in a soft voice.
The vendor smiled and chuckled. “Hopefully? Sounds like it’s for your beau, eh? Or is it for your husband? Lucky man.”
Chryselle’s face flushed. She shook her head. “N-No. It’s not like that—”
“Of course, of course,” the vendor said mischievously. “Here you go, young miss. I added a small pouch of umami salt in there.”
“Umami salt? It’s really expensive, sir. At least let me pay for—”
“No, no. It’s fine. The pouch is almost empty. Only a pinch or two is inside, but it should be enough for a stew. Take it.”
Chryselle took the bag filled with meat, vegetables, and spices. She lightly bowed her head, her crimson hair covering a portion of her face. “Thank you, sir. I’ll be sure to come to this stall again.”
The vendor grinned at the merchants in the other stalls. His eyes saying: ‘Hear that? The pretty miss is my regular now! Blame your rotten luck, bastards!’
A chuckle escaped the vendor’s lips. He said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, “Of course, please come again! Just add the umami salt and I’m sure your lover will like it!”
Chryselle didn’t utter a reply to that statement. She left the market, her ears flushed red from embarrassment.
***
After buying ingredients at the Central Market, Chryselle went to her home in the Eastern District. After receiving a hefty sum of ‘pocket money’ from the Master of the Tower, she bought one of the newly built residences. A simple, one-story stone house.
The moment Chryselle reached her house, she noticed a familiar woman, half her face shrouded by her hood, standing in front of the door.
“Esmeralda?” said Chryselle. She hadn’t expected to meet her here, this early in the morning.
The princess looked in the direction of the voice. Upon seeing Chryselle, she beamed. “So that’s why no one is answering!”
The princess ran to Chryselle and locked her left arm with hers. “I heard you bought a house. I came to visit!” She showed her a small bag filled with sweets. “It’s from that popular stall near the newly built temple. I’m sure it’ll taste better if the two of us eat it together.”
Like an elder sister, Chryselle patted the princess’s head using her free hand. She said in a gentle voice, “How thoughtful of you. Come. Let’s go inside.”
The princess smiled blissfully after receiving a pat on her head. She remembered the times when her elder sisters weren’t yet married. They, too, indulged her wishes.
After entering the stone house, the princess removed her cloak and hung it on the wall. Chryselle noticed the sword on the princess’ waist.
“A sword?” said Chryselle.
“I’ve been recently honing my skills with the blade,” said Princess Esmeralda.
“I’m surprised that Sir Parzival allowed you to wield that.” Chryselle started preparing food in the kitchen.
“Well… I was reprimanded by the knights when they found out a few days ago that I’ve been secretly going to the Training Hall.”
Princess Esmeralda kicked off her shoes and sat on the bed. “But it’s fine now. After that golden-haired man talked with Parzival, the knights finally gave their consent and allowed me to use the Training Hall.”
Golden-haired man? There was only one person who fit that description in this town. Chryselle said, “Anandra?”
“Yes, him.” The princess imitated Anandra’s stern-looking face and his firmly shut lips. “The grumpy old man! He told my knights that I’m quite exceptional with the sword. I guess his words carried greater weight than my own.”
The princess said the last part unhappily. Parzival and the other knights were already aware of her talent with the sword. But it was only after hearing it from Anandra’s mouth that they finally allowed her to practice at the Training Hall.
Chryselle chuckled. “Anandra’s about the same age as me, Esmeralda.”
“Eh? But George and Austen said that although he looks young, Anandra is actually a middle-aged man! Forty, was it?”
“I’m pretty sure he’s way younger than that,” said Chryselle in a voice filled with understanding.
Esmeralda sighed. She was tricked by the brothers again. She stood up and walked to the kitchen. She noticed how skillful Chryselle was with the knife. Her hands moved swiftly, as though she’d cooked this particular dish hundreds of times before.
“You’re quite skilled!” exclaimed the princess.
“It’s for Master Lark,” Chryselle said happily. “Although the weather’s scorching hot, I heard before that he really likes this dish.”
The princess noticed Chryselle’s gleeful expression upon her mention of Lark’s name. Chryselle had changed, the princess was certain. For some reason, after she returned to Blackstone Town, she’d started looking at the lord in a different way.
How should she describe it? It felt as though Chryselle’s eyes were glimmering whenever she talked about the Lord of Blackstone Town. Was it admiration for his strength? She was not sure.
“I wish I knew how to cook,” the princess said in regret. “I could have helped you.”
“Visiting me this early in the morning is already more than enough.” Chryselle took a sip of the broth. “Have you read the book I gave you?”
“I read several pages yesterday,” said the princess. “The first two magic exercises were easy, but the third one…” Her voice trailed off.
“So you’re stuck at the third one?” said Chryselle. The two of them moved toward the bed and sat as they waited for the white boar meat to become tender.
“That’s right.” The princess nodded.
“I see.” Chryselle opened her hand and a thumb-sized orb of light shot out and hovered several inches above her palm. “The third exercise in the book is an insurmountable wall for most non-magicians. It’s meant to hone your mana shaping skills, just like this one.”
The thumb-sized orb of light slowly elongated then spun around, forming a thin, spiraling thread. The princess knew how hard it was to achieve this feat. When she did it back then, she could not even alter the orb of light as she pleased.
“You’re amazing,” whispered the princess.
The orb of light in Chryselle’s palm vanished. “You should be able to do it too. Here, let me guide you.”
Chryselle placed her hand on the princess’ back and slowly guided her mana into her hand.
Unlike when she did it alone, the princess easily manipulated the mana with Chryselle’s guidance. The orb of light in her palm slowly started assuming the same spiraling shape. The two of them repeated this several more times, until the princess started grasping the basics of the mana shaping process.
“Master Lark did this with George and Austen, when they’d just started,” said Chryselle. “I heard from the brothers that the master guided them the first time they mastered the magic formation for the first-tier spells.
“The ability to give shape to mana and will it to flow in the caster’s desired direction is one of the most fundamental things in magic. Without it, magic formations would cease to exist. Out of the seven basic mana exercises in the book, the third one is the most important. Remember this, Esmeralda.”
The princess nodded. She opened her hand and repeated the third exercise taught in the book. Although she was still unable to create the same spiraling shape as Chryselle, she could see the thumb-sized orb of light
wriggling, as through trying to assume a certain shape.
It was an exhilarating feeling. Although Lark refused to teach her, she was finally grasping the basics of magic.
VOLUME 7: CHAPTER 19
[Port Kalavinka—A naval base named after the hero of the navy]
His black hair hiding more than half his face, Kalavinka sauntered happily around his room. It was rare for him to get a chance like this. Hours of uninterrupted peace without his elder brother, Zaask, monitoring him.
“Just three more days and I can finally leave this naval base!” Kalavinka shuddered with excitement.
For some strange reason, it had been more than a week since any Mullgray Pirates were sighted near this territory. Had they gathered all of their forces to launch an all-out attack on Everfrost? Or maybe the Empire had finally decided to begin their counterattack on those savages, keeping the pirates too preoccupied to bother attacking the ports of the kingdom?
“Well, the reason doesn’t matter,” mumbled Kalavinka.
His request for a month-long vacation had been finally granted! And by his eldest brother, Lancaster Kelvin, no less! For Kalavinka, who’d been cooped up on this damned naval base for years, this was truly god sent.
Although he’d been hailed as the kingdom’s hero in naval warfare, Kalavinka believed that he was not suitable to lead all of these men. He was simply blessed with the ability to read the ebbs and flow of the tides, the movements of the creatures underneath the water, the pressure in the air, the shapes of the floating clouds. He knew that if these were taken away from him, he was nothing but an ordinary boy incapable of even wielding a spear.
Demon of the sea? Genius of the navy? Kalavinka believed that all of these titles were wasted on someone as incompetent as him.
Kalavinka looked out of his window, his eyes staring at the vast expanse stretching out to the horizon. The sea was eerily quiet today. Even the blue-spotted gulls, which inhabited the area, were nowhere to be found.
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