Legend of the Arch Magus: Valor
Author: Michael Sisa
Date: 2019-11-06T08:00:00+00:00
Description: *Professionally proofread and edited (for audible) VOLUME 3 OF LEGEND OF THE ARCH MAGUS An Arch Magus dies, only to find himself in the body of a young man in a medieval Kingdom. He finds out that he is the second son of a Duke, exiled to a desolated town by his own family. Shackled by the notorious reputation of his new shell, he tries his best to develop his domain, implementing new policies and innovations, leading his subjects to prosperity. In this world where magic is undeveloped, he shall once again pave a new path. **

Prologue

[Lion City – Commoners District]

Austen, a young man with auburn hair, knocked on the door before him. The door creaked ajar, and an old man appeared. Austen smiled.

“Good morning, Sir,” said Austen, presenting a neatly folded coat. “Here are the clothes you’ve ordered.”

The old man opened the door further. He stared at the still smiling Austen, then at the clothes the young man held in his hands. He frowned.

“You’re late.”

As though he had practiced it a thousand times before, Austen immediately bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Sir! I’ve ran into a bit of trouble along the way. Again, sorry!”

Now that he had taken a careful look at the young man, he noticed that Austen’s clothes were tattered, with dirt and mud here and there. His left cheek was swollen, and his lower lip was busted. Surprisingly, however, the coat he presented was in perfect condition.

The old man realized that the young chap must have been telling the truth. He turned to the dark skies above. The rain stopped only a few minutes ago – yet the coat was dry, as though not a single rain drop fell on it.

The old man sighed, “How much was it again?”

“Three silvers, sir.”

The old man pulled out some coins from his pouch then handed it to the young man.

Austen handed the coat over then quickly counted the coins. He realized that there was an excess of twenty coppers in there.

“Sir, the amount—”

“—They’re yours,” said the old man. “Keep it.” He stared again at the young man’s clothes. “They’re selling cheap tunics, around fifteen coppers near the slaughterhouse. Use the money to buy yourself one.”

Austen’s eyes glimmered. He breathed in a gust of air then loudly said, “Thank you, Sir!”

Those words reminded the old man of a military salute, and a small grin formed on his face.

Austen was humming after he delivered the product to the customer. He was an errand boy, a young man with quick legs.

Although the old man told him to buy himself a new tunic, Austen did not have such thoughts in the slightest. What he needed right now was food that is enough to feed his five siblings. As the eldest child, he has been the family’s supporting pillar ever since their parents died.

He was about to go back to the tailoring shop to deliver the payment from the old man when he suddenly came to a stop.

“Damn it,” he mumbled. With his keen eyes, he spotted the same thugs who were chasing after him several hours ago. They were huddled in a corner on the street, their burly bodies tall and menacing.

Austen was about to stealthily go back and find another route towards the tailoring shop when one of the thugs noticed him. The man quickly then told his comrades, and soon, everyone was staring at Austen’s direction.

“Crap.”

Austen took several steps back before turning around and running away. Behind him, he could hear the thugs shouting at him.

“Stupid little shit! Stop! Come back here!”

Austen knew of no one who actually stopped after hearing those lines. On the contrary, it propelled him forward even faster, his eyes quickly swiveling left and right as he tried finding a way out.

When he first encountered the thugs several days ago, they were bullying him into paying a ‘protection fee’ for entering their ‘territory’, for which he obviously refused to do. Who knew such as small dispute would lead to this? Had Austen known better, he would have just handed those fifty coppers in exchange of a month’s worth of tranquil.

“God damn it!” he cursed under huffing breaths. The area where he worked was within the thug territory. He knew that his life would only become increasingly harder from now on.

Over there.

He decided to run into an alley. This place was a maze, but it would eventually lead him to his safety.

Or so he thought.

At the end of the alley, several men were waiting for his arrival. The moment Austen got out, he was struck by a wooden pole at the head, and a kick came flying right at his stomach.

Like hyenas, the thugs surrounded him at all sides as he remained sprawled on the muddy ground.

Austen coughed several times. Although his head throbbed, he still gingerly tried to stand up.

“Hello, little pup?” One of the thugs smiled, showing a rotting set of teeth. “Enjoyed the chase, didn’t you?”

Enjoyed, my ass.

Austen wanted to retort, but he was afraid that it would aggravate these guys’ fury even further.

“If you just paid the protection fee, this wouldn’t happen.”

Another thug quipped, “A little dumb, aren’t we?”

As though it was the most hilarious joke they’ve ever heard, the guys around Austen laughed boisterously.

“Hey boss, look.” One of the thugs pointed at the tattered pouch on Austen’s waist. A small hole revealed the silver coins Austen earned, which made the thugs grin from ear to ear.

“We’ll be having beer tonight,” said the boss. “My treat.”

The thugs whistled as they looked at Austen with eyes full of greed.

Without warning, a kick came flying at Austen. It struck him right at the stomach, making him kneel down upon impact. He vomited on the ground.

I can’t let them take the money. If the boss finds out, I’ll be fired.

It was hard to find a job nowadays. He could not afford to leave it out of his grasp. He had several siblings to feed, after all.

Austen’s thoughts came at him one after another, just like the punches and kicks flying at him. The thugs were evidently enjoying this, chuckling at every hit.

Still, Austen did not let go of the pouch on his waist. He gnashed his teeth as he did his best not to fall unconscious. He knew that the moment he gives in to the pain, he loses his money, and everything would be over.

Forget the beatings. His family would die from hunger.

“Fuck? What the hell’s wrong with this bastard?”

The thugs who saw the fierce glare of Austen were momentarily taken aback. Despite the beatings, his eyes continued to blaze with life. Even with hit after hit, the young man refused to give away the pouch.

As they continued beating Austen, the thugs suddenly felt chills crawling down their spines. They’ve heard of this saying before: a cornered rat will bite a cat. If glares could kill, they would all be dead by now.

“Hey, what are you doing over there?”

They heard a shout from the end of the alley. Upon looking, they saw three men wearing leather armors, with swords dangling on their waists.

“The soldiers?” said the boss of the thugs. “Damn it. Let’s scram.”

They looked at Austen one more time before they ran away from sight.

The soldiers hurriedly went towards Austen. They froze the moment they saw his battered body.

“Are you… alright?” The soldiers helped him stand up. “What happened here?”

Austen merely shook his head. The patrol in Lion City was corrupted. At least, that was the way it was for commoners. Nothing would change even if he reported those guys to these soldiers. Instead, he would just become a priority target for the thugs.

“It’s nothing,” he choked the words out. “I need to get going. Thank you.”

As expected, the soldiers did not pry into the matter any further. They simply watched as Austin disappeared from their sight.

***

After delivering the money to the tailor shop’s owner, Austen immediately went towards the Market District to buy food for his siblings. His aching body could wait. His priority right now was to feed his starving family. It’s been two days since they last ate, after all.

Currently, he had sixty coppers with him. It was a pitiable amount, considering the fact that he had five more mouths to feed. The second oldest child also used to work as an errand boy, but after falling ill, the task of procuring food for the family all fell on Austen's shoulder.

To make matters worse, the Black Famine has struck the Kingdom. The City of Mavas, which provided the supply of wheat for Lion City, was devastated by the swarm. As expected, the prices of food sky-rocketed.

The price. Please, let these sixty coppers be enough to feed my siblings even just for tonight.

Austen’s heart thumped as he approached the cheapest stall around.

“Ah, Austen.” The vendor was familiar with the young man and his circumstances. He has gotten used to seeing the young man’s body in tatters. “Wheat or bread?”

Austen took out the coppers from his pouch. He resisted the urge to collapse to the ground. The pain enclosing his entire body was excruciating.

“Wheat.”

The vendor understood. He took the copper coins then gave Austen a small bag filled to the brim with wheat. Upon seeing this, Austen’s eyes grew wide to the point of popping out.

For a moment, he thought that the vendor took pity of his plight and decided to add more wheat in the bag than usual.

“That face. You haven’t heard of it yet, eh?” said the vendor.

Austin didn’t reply. He was still busy gawking at the wheat-filled bag.

“It happened five days ago,” said the vendor. “The Merchants Guild has secured a steady supply of wheat and poultry for the City.”

Austen’s body trembled. To a pauper like him, this was great news.

“Blackstone Town, was it?” said the vendor. “It seems like that place was untouched by the swarm. And this is the interesting part” – the vendor lowered his voice, as though the next words he was going to say was something that could absolutely not be leaked out – “they say that the farmlands there have enough wheat for harvest to feed a small portion of the entire Kingdom.”

Austen gasped. He almost shouted and praised the Gods for the existences of Blackstone Town.

The vendor smiled, “Here. Take it.” He pushed the small bag towards Austen, and the young man immediately grabbed it.

“Ah, by the way.” The vendor scrutinized Austin from head to foot. “You’re still working for that tailor shop?”

Austen bobbed his head.

The vendor took out a piece of parchment from his bag. “Look at this.”

Austen could not read, so he merely stared at the words written on the parchment. The vendor was aware of this, so he said, “It says here that Blackstone Town is hiring additional hands. Farmers, miners, masons, even the military. Minimum payment’s six silvers. For the military, it’s eleven silvers.”

Austen was stunned speechless. He immediately understood what the vendor was trying to say. The tailoring shop was paying him around two silvers a month. It was not enough to feed five more mouths.

“You’re still young, so this might be the perfect opportunity for you,” said the vendor. “I’ve heard that a lot of people are planning on migrating to Blackstone Town. Oh, and there’s also the rumor that their Lord personally crushed a Legion of beastmen several months ago. But I doubt that’s true. Still, the Merchants Guild vouched for the authenticity of this recruitment, so the salary’s probably real.”

Six silvers. Those two words sounded so tempting that Austen stood frozen for a moment.

And what if he got accepted in the military? He would be handsomely rewarded with eleven silvers each month – a dream he wouldn’t be able to achieve in this rotten city.

Furthermore, he had become the target of those thugs several days ago. The more he contemplated, the more it became apparent which choice he should take.

“I’ll go,” Austen finally said.

The vendor smiled, “I guess I’m losing a loyal customer, eh? Here. Take this.”

Austen stared at the coin placed on top of the counter.

“That’s a silver coin,” said Austen. “Why?”

“A whim, I guess?” said the vendor. “Besides, your father was a friend of mine. Just think of it as a parting gift from this mister who couldn’t leave Lion City.”

Austen’s body trembled. He willed the tears back from forming. He mumbled, “T-Thank you.”

The vendor was still smiling. “The Merchants Guild regularly comes to Blackstone Town. I think the next caravan is in a couple of hours. Austen, use that silver coin to start a new life in that place. Take the other kids with you. You are still young. I’m sure you’ll manage to get by somehow.”

Austen was unable to contain his tears any longer. He bowed his head to hide it. “Thank you. Thank you very much!”

He decided to come to Blackstone Town.

Chapter One

Lark had just finished his daily mana training when he received news that the Mason wished to see him. Wiping the sweat off his brows, he half-emptied the flask on the table and went down to the mansion’s hall. Silver Claw, the man in-charge of all the construction works in town, was already waiting for him there.

The man immediately went straight to the point upon seeing Lark.

“Young Master,” said the Mason. “The Training Hall’s been finished.”

Lark whistled, “That’s fast. I thought it’ll take a week more?”

The Mason grinned, “That’s what I thought too. But you see, we’ve been receiving a lot of immigrants lately from Lion City. The population of this town’s growing and it’s becoming easier to find laborers for these tasks.”

Lark was aware of this. Being an exporter of wheat in a time when the Black Famine had just struck the Kingdom surely made an impact. The rumors of how he drove back a Legion of Beastmen was quickly spreading in the Main Land. Although majority of people did not believe it, it was still enough to spread Lark’s name far and wide. Those who seek new possibilities and opportunities grabbed this chance to start anew in Blackstone Town. Each week, every time the merchants arrived, the population of the town would increase by the dozens.

The recently finished Training Hall was near the southern border, just fifteen minutes away from the Poultry Farm. When Lark and the Mason arrived, there were still several laborers inside. Some were carrying unused wood, while some carried saws and hammers.

Lark looked around the Training Hall. It somehow reminded him of the temples located in the suburbs of the Magic Empire. The floor was paved and several stone pillars surrounded the arena at the center. These pillars served not as supporting structures, but instead as mediums for the magic arrays spread all throughout the entire hall. Above, the sun seeped through the large gaping hole of the wooden roof directly above the arena.

Following Lark’s design, the Mason ordered his men to carve these peculiar symbols on the pillars before filling the grooves with gold and ormatane dust. On top of the stone pillars were kalrane stones, each of them positioned strategically to absorb light during the day and emit it during the night, making the Hall functional at any time.

Lark moved around and inspected the magic formations engraved inside the pillars. After some time, he nodded and said, “There’s hardly any defects. This should be good enough for now.”

Although it was not perfect, it was enough to serve its purpose. Lark planned to use this Training Hall to boost the overall might of his army.

“Summon Anandra and the Blackstone Soldiers,” said Lark. “Tell Gaston to bring all the humanoids here too, while you’re at it.”

“You heard the Young Master,” said the Mason to one of his men. “Go.”

After several minutes, around a hundred men entered the Training Hall. Most of them looked around in curiosity, their eyes specifically glued to the symbols engraved on the stone pillars.

“The Blackstone Soldiers greet the Young Master,” said Anandra. He immediately made his salute upon eye contact. Behind him, the other soldiers followed suit.

Lark nodded in approval of this. He looked at the open door of the Training Hall and saw Gaston and the humanoids as they arrived.

“Just in time,” said Lark. “Perfect.”

After gathering everyone, Lark led them towards the arena.

“Anandra,” said Lark.

“Young Master?” said the man with the golden hair.

“How’s the training of the soldiers?”

“Most of them have gotten used to the basics of the spear. I can confidently say that they wouldn’t lose easily even against the soldiers from Lion City.”

This was good news. Lark did not expect everyone to become masters of the spear in just a few months, but at the very least, he wanted them to grasp the basic movements of the spear. He wanted them to master the basics of thrust, pull, and cut.

Aside from training the basic movements, the Blackstone Soldiers also never neglected stamina training. Just like when they first started, everyone was still required to run a set amount of distance while carrying a spear.

“Listen,” said Lark. Everyone’s eyes fell on him. “I’m sure you’ve all realized this by now after battling with the beastmen.” He paused. “The battlefield is far different from your everyday training. The basic movements we are trying to engrave into your bodies can help you only until a certain extent.”

The Blackstone Soldiers stiffened. Although two months had passed since the invasion of the beastmen, everything was still vivid in their minds. None of them could refute the Young Master’s statement. Indeed, during a real life-or-death battle, there are no set rules. The basics of the spear could help them only until a certain extent.

“What everyone needs right now is experience,” said Lark. “And for that, I created this Training Hall.”

Lark pointed at Captain Qarat, the second-in-command of the soldiers of Blackstone Town.

“This Hall is built with the purpose of increasing the regenerative capacities of those inside. We could even convert it into an infirmary during times of war. Captain, use that short sword on your waist and cut your arm in this place.”

Everyone was puzzled. Even Captain Qarat hesitated.

“It’s fine.” Lark’s voice was imposing. “Do it.”

A bit hesitant, Captain Qarat pulled out the short sword and made a deep cut on his arm. He flinched. Blood profusely dripped down the ground.

“Now, focus,” said Lark. “Will the wounds to close on its own. Imaging that this entire Hall is going to heed your instructions.”

Despite its peculiarities, Qarat followed Lark’s words. He closed his eyes and concentrated with all his might. To everyone’s surprise, the symbols on the pillars glowed, and particles of light started forming next to Qarat’s wound. After several seconds, the wound closed on its own.

Qarat heard the gasps of surprise from his fellow soldiers. Upon opening his eyes, he was stunned speechless upon realizing that the wound was gone.

Lark raised five fingers. “Five times. Judging by the amount of mana in your body, you can probably do it again for five more times. Of course, bigger wounds will consume a lot more mana, while the smaller ones will use less.”

Qarat opened and closed his mouth, trying to find his voice. When he eventually did, he asked, “I… I used Healing Magic?”

His voice was almost a whisper, but everyone heard it.

Lark nodded. “That’s right. The same is applicable to anyone else inside this Hall. The pillars surrounding you will serve as mediums and will help you cast the lowest grade of healing magic. The only limitation is the amount of mana within your bodies.”

The words that came out of the Young Master’s mouth was absurd, since healing magic was one of the most coveted spells. Even the weakest Healers would easily find a job in the Capital.

“Silver Claw, the wooden spears?” said Lark.

“They’re in the storage room of this Training Hall,” said the Mason.

“Bring them over here.”

“As you wish.”

The Mason and his men started handing out wooden spears to all of the soldiers.

Lark cleared his throat. “When you train inside this arena, all wounds inflicted on you will be healed as long as you have enough mana. Grab this chance to hone yourselves.”

Lark tossed a wooden spear to one of the humanoids Gaston brought. Upon seeing this, several soldiers realized what the Young Master was implying.

“These guys will be your sparring partners.” Lark pointed at the humanoid creatures. “Despite their appearance, they’re far stronger than your average beastman.”

One of the soldiers gulped. He voiced his concerns out loud. “Although they’ll be using wooden spears… wouldn’t we die if we get a direct hit?”

If what the Young Master said was true – that these guys were stronger than a beastman – then taking a direct hit even from a wooden spear could be fatal.

“It’s fine.” Lark smiled. “I’ve ordered these guys to use only a fraction of their strengths for now. Basically, they’ll be matching the strength of their opponents. The difficulty will increase only once you guys get used to these mock battles.”

Everyone realized the effectiveness of this training regimen. Even if they were pummeled to the ground, they would not suffer casualties as long as they were inside this arena and as long as they have enough mana. This way, they would gain battle experience from fighting stronger opponents without the risk of being injured or killed in training.

“There are nine sparring partners available.” Lark referred to the humanoid creatures. “Qarat, pick nine soldiers.”

Qarat saluted. Soon, nine soldiers entered the arena. They gripped their wooden spears tight, their eyes vigilantly gazing at the unmoving humanoids at the center of the arena. Looking intently at the humanoids, the soldiers realized how long their opponents’ arms were, and how much of a huge advantage it would be for them.

“H-Hey, isn’t this… unfair?” One of the soldiers spat.

But before another one of them could complain, Lark sent out the signal to start.

“Begin!” said Lark.

On cue, the humanoids started locking on to their targets. With their long arms, the reach of their spears almost doubled. The startled soldiers tried blocking their attacks, but each of the humanoids’ strikes carried great weight, making their arms numb from impact.

Soon, the difference between the two groups became evident. In less than two minutes, the spears of the soldiers were sent flying. They were struck by their opponents at the abdomen, sending them flying then rolling on the ground.

One of the soldiers vomited blood. Seeing this, the rest of the soldiers spectating the fight shivered.

Were they supposed to fight those things to gain battle experience?

“Y-Young Master?” said one of the soldiers.

“Hmm?” Lark quizzically looked at the pallid man.

“You told us that those things are going to use only a fraction of their strength?” The soldier’s voice trailed off. In their eyes, it did not seem to be the case.

“That’s right,” said Lark, as though it was the most obvious thing. “If those guys used even half their strength, everyone in that arena would have been dead by now.”

After all, each of them was made from the fragmented essence of a Calamity Class Monster.

After hearing the Young Master’s statement, the Blackstone Soldiers began fearing for their lives. Even if this arena permitted them to use healing magic, a single mistake by those humanoids may cost them their lives. They were also not immune to the excruciating pain of having their flesh and bones torn to shreds after every spar.

Lark was aware of the thoughts running through everyone’s minds – it was fairly obvious upon seeing their faces.

“You may think this is torture, but believe me,” said Lark. “You’ll thank me for this after a few years. This is a lot better than dying like a dog in the battlefield.”

Several soldiers groaned. Lark chuckled. His eyes swiveled towards the Arena. The defeated soldiers were still sprawled on the ground.

“Hey! Did you forget?” shouted Lark. “Use Healing Magic!”

It was only now that the defeated soldiers remembered that this special area permitted them to use healing spells of the lowest rank. They concentrated with all their might, determined to heal their broken bones and torn flesh.

Like before, the symbols on the pillars glowed and particles of light gathered on their wounds. After some time, the pain disappeared. The soldiers started standing up one by one.

“Since you’ve healed yourselves, let’s start with the next round.” Like a demon, Lark ordered the humanoids to prepare for another round of battle. “We’ll continue this until you run out of mana.”

Everyone who heard this shivered. They did not know that the Young Master was a demon when it came to training the soldiers. Running around the mansion’s hall three hundred times was better than this.

“Experience is the best teacher, right?” Lark devilishly grinned. “We’ll drill into your bodies what a real battlefield is like.”

After a short pause, Lark said, “Second round. Begin!”

Chapter Two

[Lion City]

Austen decided to grab the opportunity to start anew. Without even tending to his wounds, he immediately went back to their self-made shack in the slums and started packing their bags. As per usual, the place stank, and numerous flies and mosquitoes were buzzing about.

“Brother, why are you packing our things?” asked the second oldest child in the family, a boy in his early teenage years. He was currently bedridden after suffering an injury while running an errand in the city. With his injuries left untreated, what started as a simple wound became a crippling illness. Austen tried seeking for help from herbalists before, but none of them wished to work for free.

“We’re leaving the city,” said Austen as he continued to fit as much items in the bag with his slender arms.

“We’re leaving the city?” asked the third oldest child, tilting her head in confusion.

Austen nodded. “That’s right. We’re going to this wonderful place called Blackstone Town. Your brother will find a job there. We’ll no longer suffer from hunger. I’ll make sure of it.”

Austen did not even know what awaited them in that place. All he knows is that his siblings needed his reassurance. All of them were born in this city, and the prospect of leaving for a new town in the middle of the wilderness may trigger fear and anxiety. He silently prayed to the Gods to guide him on this path.

“When are we leaving? Tomorrow?” said the second child.

“Tonight,” corrected Austen. “We’re leaving now.”

He was finally done packing what little they have inside the bag. After making sure that his silver coin was still inside his pouch, he deeply breathed in then said, “Listen. The Merchants Guild received an urgent order from Blackstone Town, and their caravan is leaving an hour or two from now. We’re coming with them to the town. I’ve already talked with the merchants.”

Initially, the fee the merchants charged for the six of them was exorbitant. But Austen managed to lower the price from two silvers to eighty coppers after he promised to take care of the horses and the carts during their travel. Although they would have nothing but twenty coppers to their name after when they reach the town, Austen decided to risk it.

“Diane,” said Austen. “You and Kirk will carry the bag. George can’t move, so I’ll carry him on my back.”

The two older kids nodded. Austen passed them the bag, and they helped each other in lifting it up.

“Belle, you’ll be responsible for Ian. Make sure to hold each other’s hands,” said Austen. He paused and locked eyes with everyone. “Do you guys still remember what dad used to remind us all the time?”

The kids replied in unison, “Cherish the family! No one gets left behind!”

A smile formed on Austen’s lips. “Good! Let’s go!”

Thankfully, no one objected to Austen’s decision to leave the city. The family of six moved out of the slums and traveled to the place where the caravan was.

When they arrived, Austen was surprised to see three familiar faces – three other slum residents – also waiting for the caravan to move out. Although they had never spoken with each other, Austen was sure that they were part of the group who sold rags for a living.

So they’re taking their chances too, huh?

The fee to board the caravan was an exorbitant amount for paupers like them. One needed great resolve to gamble upon this chance.

Austen nodded at the trio upon meeting their gazes.

After the merchants were done loading the goods, the caravan started moving out. The carts rattled and squeaked as it moved through muddy roads, grassy plains, and thick forests.

The journey took them two days. Finally, they reached the outskirt of Blackstone Town.

“Woah!” A voice of surprise escaped George’s lips. “So that’s Blackstone Town?”

The eyes of the other kids glimmered as they stared at the town from the distance. Austen, on the other hand, remained silent. He squinted his eyes. He had not expected to see a stone wall encasing the entire town. Although it was smaller than Lion City’s, it seemed well-constructed, with battlements on top.

Instead of a town, this place gave off the vibe of a small city. A young sprout that would bloom after the passage of time.

There’s a moat and a bridge too?

The initial image Austen had was shattered in an instant. Even the army from Lion City would have a hard time besieging this town.

His heart beat faster. What kind of fate awaits him here?

He clenched his fists.

A new start. Please, oh Gods. Please help me find a job.

The caravan crossed the bridge and entered the gate. They were immediately greeted by a large, paved main road. But that was not what surprised Austen the most.

What are those?!

His jaws dropped upon seeing a town illuminated by glowing gemstones during the night. Each gemstone was placed on top of wooden pillars several meters tall, giving ample light to its surroundings. Several locals would momentarily stop and stare at the caravan, before moving on with their everyday lives. Judging by their nonchalant expressions, these gemstones illuminating the night had been here for quite some time now.

“Brother! Look!”

“It’s so beautiful!”

Just like him, his siblings were mesmerized by this sight. It was indeed breathtaking.

“We’re here,” said the coachman.

After the carts halted, all passengers stepped outside. They found themselves in front of a mansion. Several men and women were already waiting for the merchants to arrive.

“The ingots?” A butler approached the leader of the merchants.

“On the second cart. We’ve also procured several more loi plants like you’ve asked.”

The butler nodded in approval. He turned to the servants. “Move them to the underground chamber.”

Like worker ants, the merchants and servants worked together to move the crates from the carts.

The butler approached Austen and the rest of his group.

“You guys are?” said the old man.

Austen stepped forward. “We’re from Lion City, Sir. We we’re told that you’re hiring people. Miners, Farmers, Laborers. Anything’s fine, but if it’s possible, I wish to enter the military, sir.”

“So more have come, huh?” mumbled the old man. He cleared his throat. “I’m Gaston, butler of the Lord of Blackstone Town.”

As expected, this old man was someone important.

“Due to the influx of immigrants lately, we’ve changed the way we screen soldiers,” said the butler.

Was it a good thing? Austen wanted to ask, but his lips remained shut tight.

The old man was psychic. “Is it a good thing? Well, it depends on your perseverance, you see. For now, you can rest in the cabin over there.” He pointed at a well-made cabin outside the mansion. “We’ll call for you tomorrow morning for the assessment.”

They’re allowed to use that one? It was an excessively kind treatment to immigrants. For a moment, Austen was stunned.

“There’s still something I need to do, so please excuse this old man,” said the butler.

Before Austen and the rest of his group could utter a statement, the old man turned around and disappeared from sight.

***

Morning came.

Sleeping inside the cabin brought wonders. It washed off the fatigue within Austen’s body. He had never felt so refreshed before.

Someday… I’ll own a house like this someday.

They were told that they could live in this cabin temporarily. Once they land themselves a job, they could rent one of the recently finished houses in the eastern district. Buying it was possible too, if they had enough money.

Three loud knocks came at the door. Upon opening, he saw a man clad in leather armor with a short sword on his waist.

“Sir Gaston told me that there are guys here who wish to join the military?” said the man.

Austen and the three men from the slums looked at each other.

“Ah, yes,” said Austen. “That’ll be us four, sir.”

The man scrutinized the four of them. “The four of you look famished.” He scratched his cheeks then coughed. “But that shouldn’t matter. You’ll be well-fed once you’re in the military, after all.”

Austen heard that the pay for a soldier in Blackstone Town was eleven silvers. An amount enough to feed him and his siblings, with more than enough to spare for other necessities.

“Under the orders of Captain Qarat, I’m here to guide the four of you to the eastern border. To the training grounds,” said the man.

“Training grounds?” repeated Austen.

The man nodded. “That’s right. Haven’t you heard? You’re required to participate in the soldiers’ training for a week before you’ll be accepted in the military. That’s the standard procedure nowadays. Quit halfway and you’re out.”

So, this was the ‘different’ assessment method the butler was talking about.

Participate in the training, huh?

At first, Austen was afraid that the entrance test would be something incredibly difficult, like deciphering something written on a piece of parchment. He did not know how to read nor write. If the exam was similar to that, then he would have no choice but to settle for a low-paying job.

With the soldier leading the way, Austen and his group arrived at the eastern border.

On a large clearing, around a hundred soldiers gathered. They wore the same leather armor, all of them holding a spear.

“Captain, these are the new recruits,” said the man.

Qarat stared at Austen and the three guys beside him. “Give them the spears. We’ll start stamina training in a few minutes.”

“Yes, Sir!”

The man grabbed several spare spears and handed it to each of them. It was surprisingly heavier than it looked.

“Stand at the back,” ordered Captain Qarat.

“Yes!” Austen and the other guys enthusiastically responded.

Soon, the stamina training began.

It consisted entirely of running around the town while holding a spear. To an errand boy like Austen, this was easy. Especially since he had prior experience of carrying far heavier objects while running around Lion City. The other three, on the other hand, were out of breaths and were close to collapsing on the ground.

I can do this.

Austen was filled with resolve. He needed this job. Once he was accepted in the military, he would no longer worry about feeding his family.

After running around the town thrice, they rested for half an hour before proceeding to the next phase of training: practicing the basic movements of the spear.

Stab. Pull. Repeat.

The skin on his palms started to tear off as time went by. Still, Austen did not stop. If it was only this much, he surely could endure.

“Stop!” shouted Captain Qarat.

The entire army halted at once. Austen sighed in relief. How many hours had it been? He was not sure. His entire hand felt numb.

“Eh, where are they?” he said.

He noticed that two of the three guys from the slum were gone.

The remaining one, a guy with pointed chin, wryly smiled. “Gone. They left a few minutes after we started with the spear training. They said they’ll try farming instead.”

To think that two out of four had already given up after just a couple of hours, the screening for the soldiers was indeed effective in weeding out those undetermined to become one.

Well, Austen could not blame them. If not for the stamina he has honed from several years of running errands for other people, he would have already collapsed just from the first part of the training alone.

After practicing the basic movements of the spear, a kid called Anthony came over and began handing out food to the soldiers. Austen was fascinated upon learning that it was actually that kid’s job. He even heard that it paid quite well, too.

Austen decided to ask some of his siblings to apply for the same position later on, if there were any vacancies.

After the meal, the soldiers moved towards the southern district. They entered a structure resembling a temple: the Training Hall, designed to provide battle experience to the soldiers. According to his fellow soldiers, this was built just recently.

“We’re supposed to… fight those things?” Austen rubbed his eyes in disbelief upon seeing the monsters standing at the center of the arena. They all held wooden spears, their grotesque bodies made entirely of iron.

Judging by the reactions of the other soldiers, this was not the first time they had seen those monsters. Austen had no choice but to stiffen the muscles on his legs to prevent them from running for the way out.

Those things looked grotesque and scary, but they should be harmless. It was the only feasible explanation, Austen thought.

For the sake of the newcomers, Captain Qarat explained how to use the Training Hall. With a metallic spear in hand, he went inside the arena and started sparring with one of the metallic monsters.

The fight went on for several minutes. Eventually, the spear of the Captain went flying. The metallic monster kicked him right at the abdomen, making him fly and roll through the ground several times. Austen’s eyes widened when he saw the Captain spit out blood after standing up.

What the hell.

This was not a spar.

This was a bloody slaughter.

If they kept fighting those things, they would all die.

But as though refuting what was on Austen’s mind, the stone pillars surrounding the arena glowed. Particles of light starting forming on the Captain’s body, and after a few seconds, the scratches and bruises on his skin dissipated.

Captain Qarat went down the arena. “This place is special. As you have noticed, just now, I used healing magic.” He stared straight into Austen’s eyes. “You can use it too, as long as you are inside this arena. It’s surprisingly easy, believe me.”

Austen was stunned.

Use magic? He never heard of something so convenient before. There would be an uproar if such an innovation was revealed to the Kingdom.

He looked at the other man from the slums. He, too, was gawking at what transpired. He gripped his metallic spear tight. It seemed that despite the shock, he was slowly coming to accept the things happening before his very eyes.

“Can I try it?” the man from the slums said.

Captain Qarat chuckled. “Of course.” He pointed at Austen. “You too. Go up there and try to fight them. Don’t worry, they won’t kill you.”

After the Captain vaguely explained to them how to use healing magic in this special area, the two of them – the newbies under probation – stepped inside the arena. As though the metallic monsters understood, two of them stepped forward and faced the humans.

Outside the arena, Captain Qarat shouted, “Ah, just so you know. There’s only one person who have won against them. And that’s Commander Anandra. So don’t worry about beating those things! Just think of them as sparring partners!”

Captain Qarat clapped his hands once. “Begin!”

That was the signal. The metallic monsters charged towards the new recruits. Their wooden spears split through the air and struck the bodies of the two humans.

Austen gnashed his teeth. Not even ten seconds had passed since the battle started and he was already sent flying by his opponent. He had the urge to vomit the food he ate just an hour ago.

Healing Magic! This special area enables us to use healing magic, right?!

With these thoughts, he focused all his mind into healing his wounds. Strangely enough, the entire hall seemed to have understood his intentions. The symbols on the stone pillars glowed and the wounds on his body started to heal on their own.

Austen gripped his spear tight. Now that he had been fully healed, he planned on getting revenge on the metallic bastard. He did not have to win. He just wanted to land even a single hit.

“This damn monster!” growled Austen.

With crude movements, Austen stabbed at the metallic monster with the spear. The creature easily evaded it and retaliated with a slash from above. Austen jumped to the side and rolled twice on the ground, but before he could even get back on his feet, he was once again struck by a spear to the stomach.

Austen vomited blood. His vision blurred.

Heal. Damn it. Heal!

The stone pillars responded to his will. After sucking a portion of his mana, his body regenerated. He dashed towards the metallic monster and once again attempted to land a single blow on its body. He stabbed, sliced, and pulled the spear.

Like an adult playing with a toddler, the metallic monster flicked away Austen’s spear, before sending a kick to his stomach. The pain lasted only for a second as Austen was starting to get used to using healing magic by now. The moment he was hit, he immediately cast the healing magic.

His sparring partner must have not expected Austen to heal himself immediately, since it simply stood there, its eyes emotionlessly gazing at him. Austen used this opening. He grabbed the shaft of his spear and like a javelin, threw it at his opponent. The metallic monster evaded by sidestepping and the spear struck nothing but the ground.

“Tsk. Damn it,” growled Austen.

The metallic creature dashed towards Austen and stabbed him thrice on his chest. Austen felt several of his ribs creak and break. His vision started blackening and he found it hard to breathe.

Heal!

Once again, he made use of this special area. Like the undead, Austen got back on his feet, grabbed the spear stabbed on the ground, and charged at the metallic monster once again.

Again. And again. And again.

Austen kept healing his body as soon as he was injured by his opponent. For some reason, his primal instinct wished to land even just a single blow to this metallic monster.

“H-Hey! That’s enough!”

Captain Qarat shouted.

But Austen healed himself and charged at his opponent once again.

“STOP!”

Only after Qarat grabbed his hands and personally stopped him from recklessly charging again did Austen stop.

Looking around, Austen realized that everyone’s eyes were glued to him. Some were even looking at him as though he was some monster.

“That’s enough,” said Captain Qarat.

Austen loosened his grip of the spear. He looked at the metallic monster. Like before, the creature’s gaze was empty, as though it did not consider Austen as an opponent at all.

“How many times did you use healing magic?” Captain Qarat looked conflicted.

Austen tried counting but failed.

Captain Qarat frowned. “I’ve lost count, but it’s definitely more than twelve times.”

Wasn’t it supposed to be like that? This was the purpose of this special area, right? Austen was about to ask what’s wrong when the Captain opened his mouth.

“Twelve times,” repeated the Captain. “An average soldier is capable of using healing magic for only two to three times.”

The Captain stared at him. “You… What are you?”

Chapter Three

Lark received news about the irregular. The soldier capable of using healing magic more than a dozen times. His interest piqued; he summoned the man into his room in the mansion.

“Young Master,” said a servant. “They’re here.”

“Come in.”

Lark put down the document he was reading. Two men came into the room. One of them was Captain Qarat, a brown-skinned man wearing leather armor. The other one reminded Lark of a walking twig. He was tall but thin, and the tunic he was wearing had several holes in it. Judging by his sunken cheeks, cracked lips, and protruding eyes, this man had not eaten anything decent for the past several weeks.

“Is he the one?” Lark went straight to the point.

Captain Qarat made a salute. “Yes, Young Lord.”

Under the scrutinizing gaze of Lark, the thin man shrank his shoulders. He tried to imitate the salute of the Captain but failed. “I… I’m Austen, Sir! It’s a pleasure to meet the Young Master!”

Despite stuttering, Austen managed to dish out a decent greeting. He tried his best to avoid the gaze of the Young Master. For some reason, the man’s pair of blue eyes felt eerie. It was looking at him as though he was some fine specimen.

There was a momentary silence.

Did he greet the noble the wrong way? For a moment, Austen was worried.

“Interesting,” Lark finally said, a smile forming on his lips. “Have you ever used magic before this?”

There was no need to think. Austen immediately shook his head. “No, Sir.”

“Then it’s probably inherent,” said Lark. “I heard you have several siblings? I want to meet them after this.”

Austen swallowed.

Why did the Young Master wish to see his brothers and sisters? Austen heard that all nobles had their own quirks and peculiarities. The worst possibilities started coming to his mind. He shivered at these thoughts.

The fear within Austen’s eyes were apparent. Lark reassured the aspiring soldier, “Don’t worry. I won’t harm the kids. I’ll just be… confirming a few things.”

Lark stood up and approached Austen. “Do not move.”

Lark touched Austen’s forehead, and immediately, something turbulent erupted within Austen’s chest. It was as though a plug within his chest had been removed, and a raging river suddenly flowed through. Austen felt queasy. He almost vomited on the carpeted ground.

The moment Lark removed his hand, the turbulent sensation vanished in an instant.

“What a lucky find,” mumbled Lark. He stared at Austen, his eyes glimmering with curiosity.

“Captain Qarat,” said Lark.

The Captain had been standing there quietly for some time now. “Young Master?”

“Remove this man from the military,” said Lark.

Austen flinched. He looked at Lark, then at Captain Qarat, then back at Lark.

There was a moment of hesitation, but Qarat eventually replied, “Understood.”

Like Gaston, the Captain had come to realize the greatness of the Young Master. The recent war with the beastmen have solidified this belief even further. He had come to learn not to question the Young Master’s orders.

“W-Wait!” Austen was flustered. “What do you mean, Young Master? I haven’t failed the assessment test yet! I haven’t given up yet!”

Lark gazed at him with eyes filled with understanding. “That’s not it. Ah, what was your name again?”

“Austen, Young Master.”

Lark smiled. “Austen,” he repeated. “Listen, you’ll be wasting your talent if you join the military.”

Austen shot a quizzical gaze. He could not understand what the Young Master was trying to convey.

“What do you mean, Sir?”

“You have innate talent in magic,” said Lark. “Well, to be precise, it’s not really talent… it’s more of potential.”

Austen was becoming more puzzled as time went by.

When Lark tried making contact with the flowing mana of Austen, he had come to learn of a couple of things. First, this man had never used magic before coming to this town. The impurities of his mana proved that. Second, this man had an incredibly large mana pool that surpassed even that of Lark’s. By the size of mana pool alone, this man should be able to cast one to two Grand Scale Magic on his own.

Lark did not know how the man came to possess such massive reserves, but back in the Magic Empire, there had been cases of people being born with larger than normal mana pool. He was probably among them.

Even if this man did not have a talent in casting magic, him learning even a simple fireball spell would boost Blackstone Town’s military might. After all, even such a simple spell would be lethal when backed by massive reserves of mana.

As such, it would be a waste for him to stay in the military without any proper guidance on using magic.

“Fifty silvers a month,” said Lark. “Plus your own house in the eastern border. How does that sound?”

Austen’s jaw slacked. What was happening? Was the young master trying to offer him a better job?

“Ah, sorry.” Lark realized that he had not explained enough. “Leave the military and become my apprentice instead. Fifty silvers a month is the starting salary. Of course, there’s room for a raise later on. How does that sound?”

Become the apprentice of the Young Master? The butler of this town held so much authority, how much more if one was a direct apprentice of the Lord? Not only that – the offered monthly salary was four times as those of the military.

Austen swallowed dry spit. He bobbed his head thrice. “If… If you’re alright with me! Then, yes, Young Master!”

“If you’re alright with me?” imitated Lark. He chuckled. “What a wonderful find, and he doesn’t seem conceited, which is a plus.”

Lark fumbled in his pockets and took out ten silvers. He handed it to Austen. “Here.”

Austen stared at the coins in his hand. “This is…”

“Pocket money,” said Lark. He frowned as he scrutinized Austen’s body. “You’re too thin. Gain some weight. Buy yourself some food and clothes. You can’t train with such an emaciated body.”

The so-called ‘pocket money’ was a massive amount. Austen could not believe he was receiving it just like that.

“Chantless magic is too advanced for a beginner,” said Lark. “We’ll start with the basics. Runes and hexagram formation. If we have time, or if you’ll learn fast enough, we’ll proceed with voice incantations.”

Lark tapped him on the shoulder. He grinned. “For now, go back home and rest. We’ll start the basic training tomorrow morning.”

***

[Golden Wheat City]

Lord Chase and all of his officials busily moved in preparation of the King’s arrival. Just a few hours ago, they received news that the King was coming here to personally inspect the state of Golden Wheat City, the Kingdom’s main source of wheat.

The streets where the convoy will pass through was swept clean, and soldiers lined up to form a barricade. Even off-duty soldiers were deployed to secure the protection of His Majesty.

Of course, this puzzled the citizens. Such tight security meant that the person coming was of a very high status. Was it one of the Dukes? Numerous rumors began spreading among the citizens.

Soon, the anticipated guests arrived. The entire convoy was heavily guarded by cavalries and knights.

When they saw the insignia of the Royal Family, everyone was stunned upon realizing that the King had personally come to inspect the city. The window of the cart slid open, and an old man started waving at the commoners.

It was a familiar face – the same face engraved on copper coins the residents use in their everyday lives.

“I-It’s the King!”

“The King has personally visited us!”

“Long live His Majesty!”

“Long live His Majesty!”

The curious murmurs from before quickly escalated into shouts of glee. Everyone was thrilled upon knowing that the King took the trouble of coming here despite the distance. After all, it would take at least a week by cart to arrive here from the Capital.

The soldiers, briefed beforehand that someone very important was going to come, successfully suppressed the eager crowd. The officials of Golden Wheat City were glad that the procession went perfectly well despite being notified only a few hours ago of the King’s arrival.

When the King arrived at the Lord’s Castle, dozens of officials were already waiting there.

“Greetings to Your Majesty,” the officials said in unison.

Most of the officials in this city were of common birth. To a majority of them, this was the first time they’ll be meeting someone from the Royal Family – and not just anyone! They were meeting the King himself! They could not help but stiffen from nervousness.

Lord Chase bowed his head. “Your Majesty, thank you for visiting Golden Wheat City. We’ve prepared a feast upon hearing of your arrival. This way, if you please.”

King Alvis had heard of Lord Chase’s feats before. A commoner who climbed the ranks of hierarchy and eventually became the Lord of a city. The same Lord who transformed the vast forests surrounding the city into wheat fields. The Lord who did not discriminate between commoners and nobles. The Lord who hired officials based on their abilities.

Truthfully speaking, if possible, he would have loved to include Lord Chase among the candidates for the throne. But that single decision would spark civil war in this Kingdom, and thus, the King decided to settle with just the children of the three Dukes.

“A feast, huh?” The King shook his head. “There’s no need for that. I’m only staying here for a short moment. I merely want to see with my own eyes the state of Golden Wheat City.”

It was understandable, since this city produced almost half of all the wheats in the Kingdom.

Lord Chase looked conflicted. If possible, he wanted the King to take a short rest. Eventually, he conceded, “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

“Bring the Knights. We’ll escort His Majesty,” Lord Chase said to the officials.

“Yes, my Lord!”

With over a dozen knights guarding the King, they went out of the City and inspected the fields. The King smiled refreshingly upon seeing the farmers working tirelessly.

“I’m glad this territory is untouched by the swarm,” said the King. “Those farmers worked very hard just for this moment, for the harvest season to arrive.”

Now, the farmers were reaping what they sow. Tons of wheats were being harvested each day in these fields.

Lord Chase nodded. He also liked this tranquility. The simple joy brought forth by peace.

“I have to thank His Majesty for that,” said Lord Chase. “If not for His Majesty, the swarm would have destroyed all the fields in Golden Wheat City.”

If they had been late even for just a day, all of these fields would have been dead by now. Whenever Lord Chase thought of that, shivers would crawl down his spine. Had the swarm consumed the fields, his people would have been on the brink of hunger by now.

“The swarm, huh?” said the King. He looked up and saw the clouds covering the sun. “There’s actually no need to thank this old man. After all, I merely copied the technique used by the Lord of Blackstone Town.”

Lord Chase’s eyes grew wide. Seeing this, the King nodded, “That’s right. It was not me nor the Ministry of Research who came up with the method to deal with the Black Famine.”

The King chuckled. “Living this long surely has its merits. Who would have known that the second son of Duke Drakus is so capable?”

Lord Chase immediately linked the pieces of the puzzle together. “Your Majesty… You mean to say that the method of killing the Black Famine came from… that person?”

King Alvis smiled. “Correct.”

Lord Chase’s eyes grew even wider.

The second son of Duke Drakus was quite famous. Lord Chase heard that that person was the devil incarnate – a vindictive noble who treated commoners like dirt. Last time he heard, that damnable kid was thrown away by his father to some remote village or town.

Out of all people, Lord Chase never expected that the method to kill the swarm came from him.

“Chase,” said the King. “In theory, if I were to give you five thousand soldiers to battle against a ten to fifteen thousand strong beastmen army, are you confident in winning?”

The question of the King caught Lord Chase off-guard.

“No, sir,” Chase shook his head. “Even if we have the same number of soldiers, victory’s still uncertain.”

“I thought so,” the King mumbled. He once again looked at the distance, his eyes radiating wisdom.

“You see, there’re actually two reasons why I came here,” said the King. “First is to see with my own eyes the status of Golden Wheat City. This is the lifeline of our Kingdom, after all.”

Chase silently listened.

“And second, I want to temporarily escape from all the politics in the Capital,” said the King. “I’m too old. I want to take a breather once in a while.”

Lord Chase smiled at this. He had not expected the King to confess that he was actually temporarily running away from his responsibilities as the King. Well, King Alvis was human too. He needed to take a break every now and then.

“You can stay here for as long as you like,” said Lord Chase. He resisted the urge to chuckle. “I’ll give word to the Capital that you’re inspecting the farmlands.”

“Hahaha!” The King heartily laughed. “If only you’re not of common birth, I would have made an exemption and thrown you into the competition for the throne!”

Lord Chase did not take offense at this. He knew the repercussions if they broke the tradition of the Kingdom – that only males of noble birth were allowed to sit on the throne. Sparking a civil war right now would give the Empire and the Mullgray Islands a chance to swallow the Kingdom.

“I’m honored, but I would have to respectfully decline,” said Lord Chase. “I do not have any intentions of leaving Golden Wheat City. My people need me here, Your Majesty.”

The King already knew this, and it was not such a bad thing that a competent official was staying as the Lord of this very important region.

“Ah, by the way,” said King Alvis. “I’m turning sixty-five soon.”

The King’s eyes glimmered. Was it excitement? Lord Chase was not sure.

“Two months from now, on my sixty-fifth birthday, I plan on holding a grand celebration at the Capital. And Chase… I plan on inviting all twenty-eight candidates for the throne.”

Kalavinka, Lark, and Lui. These three candidates has piqued the King’s interest lately.

King Alvis chuckled mischievously. “It’ll be an interesting feast, don’t you agree?”

Chapter Four

The next day, Lark personally visited Austen’s abode: a recently finished stone house in the eastern border. It was still dawn when Lark knocked on the wooden door. The door creaked open after several seconds, and a child, probably nine or ten of age, peeked at the gap.

“Who are you?” she said, her eyes still puffy from sleep.

“Is Austen there?” Lark smiled. “I’m here to pick him up.”

From inside the house, Lark heard a familiar voice. “Diana, who is it?”

The girl called Diana looked at the direction of the voice, then at Lark, then back. She hesitated for a moment before shouting, “Brother! Someone’s here to pick you up!”

“Pick me up?” Austen’s voice was filled with uncertainty.

After he looked at the gap through the door, he momentarily froze. “Y-Young Master?!”

“Eh?” Diane was bewildered. She heard last night that the Young Master personally offered her brother the chance to become his apprentice – with an absurdly high salary of fifty silvers a month plus a free house.

The two siblings never expected the Young Master to personally visit them.

Lark gazed at Diane. Unfortunately, unlike her brother, the traces of mana within her was miniscule, same as those of ordinary people.

“Can I come in?” said Lark.

This brought Austen back to reality. “Ah, of course! Please!”

When Lark entered, he was immediately greeted by the curious gazes of several kids. He noticed that one of them was lying at the far back, his body filled with numerous injuries. Upon seeing him, Lark’s eyes momentarily glimmered. From that kid, Lark could feel decent traces of mana.

The other kids are ordinary, but this one… he might also have the potential.

“Ah, please have a seat!” said Austen.

Austen busily moved about and prepared a cup of tea.

“No need to be so stiff.” Lark waved a hand. “How long has it been since he’s like this?”

Austen followed the line of sight of the Young Master and looked at the second oldest child, George, lying on the ground. He frowned. “Half a year? It’s been quite some time since he lost the ability to move his limbs.”

George’s body was hastily wrapped in bandages, traces of blood and pus leaking out here and there. Lark was sure that such treatment would only aggravate the kid’s condition. It was no wonder he was unable to recover from his sickness.

Lark crouched and stared at George’s eyes. Surprisingly, the kid did not avert his gaze. Lark chuckled. Those were the eyes of someone blazing with ambition.

“George, is it?” said Lark.

The dark-skinned kid wrapped in bandages nodded his head.

“This will be a bit uncomfortable, the same method I used to assess your brother.” Lark touched George’s forehead. “Bear with it for a while.”

On cue, a turbulent sensation flowed through George’s entire body. It was as though a river suddenly gushed out and flooded everything. If he was not disabled, he would have squirmed around in agony.

Lark pulled out his hand and the sensation vanished in an instant. He looked at Austen. The tall young man had been worriedly looking at them since the assessment started.

“It seems that your brother also has the same potential,” said Lark. “Crude gemstones that need to be refined and polished. Truly, what a find.”

Lark breathed in. “First, the wounds.”

He touched the chest of George, and a magic circle formed underneath the kid’s body. Numerous symbols span around, emitting an azure hue.

“Hey kid,” said Lark. “I’m also taking you under my wing after this. The payment will be the same as your brother’s. How about it?”

George was still stunned speechless when he suddenly found himself surrounded by a magic circle. Although he did not fully understand what the Young Master was trying to convey, he simply bobbed his head.

Lark grinned. “Good.”

He channeled mana into the magic formation and George’s body started to regenerate on its own. The wounds closed and the bruises dissipated.

Unable to feel pain any longer, George started to move his limbs. His eyes widened to the point of popping out upon seeing them move according to his will.

“Magic’s really convenient, isn’t it?” Lark winked. “Can you stand?”

George gulped down. He slowly stood up, his body quivering upon realizing that he had been fully healed.

“Is there anyone among you who can read or write?” asked Lark, just in case.

As expected, there was none.

“Melody’s time is limited, so I’ll be taking only George and Austen with me for now,” said Lark. “As for the rest of you, you can come to the Mansion if you wish to seek a job.”

The smaller kids nodded.

“As for you two,” Lark pointed at Austen and George. “We’ll proceed at a snail’s pace if you’re unable to read nor write. We’ll fix that.”

“Then… the Young Master’s teaching us?” said George.

“Magic, yes,” said Lark. “But for how to read and write, it’ll be Melody’s task.”

The two of them did not have an idea of who Melody was, but she seemed capable since the Young Master was confident of her skills. Excitement surged through their bodies.

Austen froze. He remembered their financial situation.

“But we don’t have money to pay for—,” said Austen.

“—It’s free,” interjected Lark. “Don’t worry about it and just focus on your studies. And since it’ll be considered part of your training, you’ll still be paid fifty silvers each once the month ends.”

It was a mouth-watering offer. The two could not believe their luck.

“You have a week to learn how to read and write. Even just the basics will be fine. You’ll need to be able to at least read the runes and symbols during hexagram formation and magic incantations.”

Austen and George looked at each other. There was no need to ponder over this offer any further.

“Thank you.” Austen was the first to bow his head. Seeing this, all of his siblings followed suit and also bowed their heads. “We’ll do your best not to disappoint you, Sir.”

Lark liked the humility shown by these kids. He also heard from Captain Qarat that Austen did not give up until the end when he fought against the humanoids made from the soul of the basilisk. Humility. Perseverance. There was also the fact that Austen went to this town to grab the opportunity to provide a better life for his family.

“Young Master?” George hesitated for a moment. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead,” said Lark.

“After we learn to read and write… once we start learning magic from you… is it possible for me to do that too?” George’s voice trailed off.

“Do what?” said Lark.

“Healing magic.” George stared straight into Lark’s eyes.

Those fierce eyes reminded Lark of Leanne, his very first disciple back in his previous life. He could not help but smile. “Of course.”

George clenched his fists.

“But the path will not be easy,” said Lark. “There’s also the chance that you won’t learn a single spell even after a long time passed. It depends on talent, luck, and of course, perseverance.”

Austen and George nodded. “We’ll do our best.”

“Good,” said Lark. “Let’s go to the Mansion. I’ll introduced you to The Scholar.”

***

Upon arriving at the Mansion, Lark was immediately greeted by a panic-stricken Gaston. The old man immediately ran towards Lark the moment he saw him, his face filled with beads of sweat.

“What happened?” Lark frowned.

The old man huffed. “Y-Young Master! Someone’s here to see you!

Who could it be? Who was important enough to cause Gaston to act like this? This butler was usually stoic, his every movement an embodiment of calmness. But now, he was quivering as though he saw something really frightening.

Was it the beastmen?

No, impossible. Lark made sure to periodically check the surrounding regions using the vision crystal. There should be no beastmen army nearby.

Then, was it someone from the Marcus Family? For a moment, Lark pondered on how he should react upon meeting him. He knew very little about the original owner of this body, after all.

As Lark was pondering on who the visitor was, the old man said, “T-The Sword Saint! One of the two Sword Saints of the Kingdom has come!”

“Alexander,” the name of the visitor escaped Lark’s lips. That man was so famous that even Lark, who had been here in this era for less than a year, knew him.

The two kids behind Lark looked at each other. Even Austen and George could not believe that a Sword Saint had come to visit the Young Master.

“You,” Lark said to a servant nearby. “Guide these two to where Melody is. She should know what to do with them.”

“Yes, Young Master,” the servant bowed. “This way please.”

With the servant leading the way, Austen and George climbed the stairs leading to the second floor, eventually disappearing from sight.

“So, what did the Sword Saint come here for?” Lark had an idea why, but he wanted to ask just to be sure.

“He said something about a letter he received several months ago.” Gaston was clearly puzzled. “He told me that he’s here to meet its owner.”

As expected, the Sword Saint came here because of that.

“I see,” said Lark. “Lead the way.”

A bit nervous, the butler led the Young Master towards where the Sword Saint was. Along the way, Gaston tried to warn Lark, “Sir, Sword Saint Alexander never abides by the rules of the Kingdom. Please do your best not to get on his bad side.”

“What do you mean?” said Lark.

Gaston hesitated. “He has killed several nobles before. Two years ago, he killed Baron Fosler after witnessing him beat several farmers to death. But since he’s a monster, the Kingdom never tried to arrest him. There’s also the fact that he always participates during large scale wars with the neighboring countries despite being retired. That’s why the Kingdom can’t touch him.”

“Killed several nobles, huh?” said Lark. “Interesting.”

They finally arrived at the room.

“I’ll be fine on my own,” said Lark. “I’ll call you if something comes up.”

Gaston frowned before bowing his head. “Please take care. I’ll be waiting here just in case.”

“Relax.” Lark tapped the old man’s shoulder. “There’s no need to be too stiff.”

Lark knocked on the door, twisted the knob, and entered the room. While closing the door, he stared at the old man sitting on the wooden couch.

As expected of a Sword Saint, the old man’s presence could be hardly felt at all. It was as though he was not there.

The Sword Saint gently placed the wooden tea cup on the table. With a raspy voice, he said, “I’ve got to give my thanks. I’ve been having a hard time trying to think of ways to drive away those beastmen.”

It seemed that Master Alexander was sure that the letter came from Lark.

Lark decided not to play around and pretend he was uninvolved in the matter. He sat down on the opposite couch. “What happened to the retreating beastmen?”

Although Lark had seen the clash between the retreating beastmen and Alexander’s army via the vision crystal, he pretended to be oblivious of the outcome. There was no need to reveal all his cards, after all.

“We’ve killed around half of them,” said Alexander. His sword rested on his shoulder. “They shouldn’t be coming back to invade the Kingdom anytime soon.”

Lark almost creased his brows. He was sure that they killed way more than half of the retreating beastmen army. When the clash ended, there was only around a thousand beastmen who managed to escape. Magic Poisoning played a major role, but the monstrous strength of this old man was pivotal.

“I’m glad then.” Lark proceeded with pleasantries. “Thank you. I’ve been worried that those guys will come and invade this town again.”

For the first time, the old man smiled. He chuckled. “You’re a cheeky one, aren’t you? Those eyes. You’re one shrewd fox. You know fully well that those guys aren’t going to come back.”

Lark was finding this old man hard to read. For now, he did not want to become his enemy. Lark cordially smiled. “Of course not. How would a mere Lord like me know?”

Alexander sighed, “I didn’t expect the kid I carried in my arms ten years ago to grow up like this. You’ve become very shrewd like your father. I can’t believe it.”

What? For a moment, Lark was stunned. He never expected such words to come out of the Sword Saint’s mouth.

“That’s right,” said Alexander. “You must have forgotten about it, but I took care of you when you were a child. You see, your mother and father were my former students when I was still teaching in the Magic Academy.”

It was a stunning revelation. He did not expect someone related to the original Lark to suddenly show up in front of him like this, even more so one of the two Sword Saints of the Kingdom. The Living Sword, The Mercenary Guild Master, Alexander.

“But let’s not talk about that. It’s been several years, after all. And it’s not like you still remember that time.” Alexander fumbled inside his coat and took out a folded parchment. “I’m here for a different matter.”

He slid the letter towards Lark. “Here. It’s supposed to be sent via a messenger from the city, but since I’m coming here anyway, I took it upon myself to deliver it.”

Lark unfolded the parchment and read the letter.

Lark’s eyes momentarily shook. “The King’s birthday?”

Alexander nodded. “As thanks for helping me drive away those beastmen, let me give you this crucial piece of information.”

Lark silently listened.

“The King invited all candidates for the throne – all twenty-eight of them,” said Alexander. “You’ve built some terrible reputation for yourself, kid. Most of them will be your enemies, and some may even target your life.”

And there were also those people the original Lark trampled on in the past. Lark was pretty sure that they would love to get back on him once given the chance.

“I see,” Lark slowly said. “This is useful information, indeed. Thank you.”

The letter did not indicate that the other candidates were coming as well. It was better that Lark knew this beforehand. Lark then remembered that time when he was targeted by the assassin sent by Duke Kelvin.

Master Alexander stood up. He fixed his robe. “The tea was delicious. It’s been a long time since I drank something as good as that.”

“You’re going back to Lion City?” said Lark.

Master Alexander shook his head. “No. Yolkshaire Fortress. The Empire started to move. War might break out any time in the Western Region.”

The Western Front was far from here. Even if a full-scale war erupted, it would not really affect Lark’s domain. But of course, if the Kingdom horribly loses and the Empire crosses over, it’ll be a different matter.

“I’ll be going then.” Master Alexander went towards the door. “This trip has been worthwhile. I’m glad to see that you’ve grown up a lot.”

From those words, Lark felt considerable warmth. He bowed his head. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you.” He looked at the letter on his hand. “As for the invitation… I’ll think about it.”

Master Alexander’s eyes shook for a brief moment. “You’re rejecting the invite?”

Lark lightly scratched his cheek. “There’s still a lot of things I need to do here, you see. And recently, I found crude gemstones I need to polish.”

“Crude gemstones, huh?” said the Sword Master. “Power is just a fleeting haze. A title. A name. But that haze will give you enough leeway and lift several burdens off your shoulders. Think about it. If possible, come to the King’s birthday.”

“I will keep that in mind, Sir.”

Master Alexander stared at Lark. The little kid he used to carry back then had really grown a lot. For a moment, he wondered whether the decision of his former student, Duke Drakus, was wrong. Maybe it was a mistake to exile this young man to this town, after all?

With those thoughts in mind, Master Alexander left Blackstone Town.

Chapter Five

For the past few days, Lark kept pondering about the King’s invite. He knew he needed to decide soon, since the journey towards the Capital would take at least several weeks by cart. If he dallied any longer, he would miss the chance to attend the crown’s invite.

He sighed. If he went to the Capital, he would be gone for more than a month. That was a lot of time, especially when considering the fact that he had just began developing the town. This place needed an overseer, someone to guide the people to the prosperous path.

“I can’t decide,” he sighed. He had grown attached to this town.

The brothers with monstrous mana pools had started to grasp the basics of reading and writing. Very soon, they’ll be eligible to learn hexagram formation and magic incantations. Lark could not wait to see if they have even an ounce of talent in magic.

Lark looked out the window of his room. It was almost dusk. Looking carefully, he could see the citizens walking on the streets, their bodies no longer skin and bones.

Those smiles after a tiring day at work.

The merry chatters of children as they played.

Lark had this urge to protect it all.

Was he just being possessive? Maybe. But the reason did not really matter. What mattered was what he wished for this town, for these people.

I should probably talk to them. It might help me arrive at an answer.

After some more pondering, this was the conclusion Lark arrived to.

Lark rummaged through his closet and took out the most ordinary clothes he could find. After donning them, he looked at the mirror on the wall of his room. The silver hair of those from the Marcus Family would stick out like a sore thumb once he went out of the Mansion.

An ordinary face should do.

Mana oozed out of Lark’s body. A magic rune appeared underneath his feet, which quickly broke into numerous particles of light. Soon, his face morphed into someone else’s – a man in his middle thirties with brown stubbles. His cheeks were sunken, giving him the appearance of someone who had not eaten anything for a couple of days. Although he looked emaciated, it was the typical face seen on the streets in any towns or cities. A perfectly ordinary face.

“Good.”

Lark was proud of the face he created himself. He took out a silver coin from his purse, jumped out of the window, and left the Mansion.

He casually strolled the streets, observing the residents walking past by.

Who would have known that several months ago, these people were dying of hunger and cold? That several months ago, this town reeked of dirt and death.

“Hey, it’s about time.”

“It’s that time of the day, huh?”

Lark was wondering why the locals suddenly stopped in their tracks when suddenly, the kalrane stones on top of the wooden posts lit up. Their azure hues immediately illuminated the night.

Lark witnessed his subjects gazing at the gemstones, their eyes filled with awe and pride. Even the children playing on the streets gawked at the glowing lights.

“It’s lit! Time to go back!”

“Hey, wait for me!”

“I promised to help big sis in the kitchen!”

The children of Blackstone Town – and even the adults – used these lights as the signal for the start of the night. The kids started going back home, while the adults started preparing dinner. Workers from the mines started entering the tavern nearby.

Investing a large amount of kalrane stones for the town was the right choice, after all.

Lark smiled. With a silver coin in his hand, he entered the tavern nearby.

Surprisingly, the tavern was almost full by the time Lark arrived. Boisterous laughter and chatters were heard as the smell of alcohol permeated the air. Although the owner of the tavern was filled with sweat as he served the customers, a satisfied smile was plastered on his face.

“Hey, did you hear about Arthus?”

“Of course! That damn bastard! I saw it! That guy found a large piece of Kalrane stone in the fifth area!”

“Speaking of the devil. Hey, over here! You earned three silvers today right? It’s your treat!”

Numerous gazes filled with envy followed the man who just entered the tavern. Lark found this cute. An amusing sight. Soon, laughter once again filled the area. In a way, this busy tavern was a reflection of the development of the town. It goes to show that his subjects had enough money to splurge and enjoy themselves every now and then.

Lark sat next to the counter. He slid a silver coin on the counter top. With a deep voice, he said, “Old man, a tombstone beer.”

The old man – the owner of the tavern – frowned. He looked at Lark with judging eyes. Lark looked like someone who barely ate for the past few days, after all. And now, he was here buying alcohol.

The tavern owner filled a tankard with tombstone beer, the cheapest beer in the house. He placed it in front of Lark with a loud thud. “Here you go, sir.”

“Business is going really well these days, eh?” Lark gulped down half of the beer in an instant.

“I haven’t seen you before.” The old man started wiping the mugs. “From Lion City?”

Lark nodded. “Trying my luck. I heard the salary of a soldier here’s good?”

“Eleven silvers. And that’s not including the free rent.”

Lark pretended to be surprised upon hearing this. “Wow. The Lord of this town must really be some rich bastard, huh? To be splurging so much money for the military,” he chuckled.

The tavern owner froze. The chatters around them slowly died down. It became eerily quiet and Lark could feel numerous gazes on him.

“You’re from Lion City, so you may not understand,” the tavern owner slowly said. “Just remember, lad. Not all rumors are true.”

“What do you mean?” Lark pretended to be oblivious of the gazes on him.

“You’ll realize the meaning of my words. Soon.”

After drinking in the tavern, Lark roamed the town for a while. Due to the gemstones illuminating the night, there were still a lot of people outside.

Lark saw Captain Qarat. Lark approached the brown-skinned man wearing leather armor. “Soldier.”

The Captain took a step back upon smelling the alcohol reeking from Lark’s mouth. “Sir?”

“Are there any affordable inns nearby?”

Captain Qarat pondered for a moment, his hands embracing the bag filled with bread on his chest. With his free hand, he pointed at a distant cabin. “That one is pretty cheap, but I won’t recommend it because of how bad the food is. But if you’re simply looking for a place to stay for the night, it should be good enough.”

Lark liked how polite the Captain was, despite his current drunkard appearance. It was the befitting attitude of a soldier tasked to protect the town.

“How much is it?” said Lark.

“Around fifteen coppers a night?” said Captain Qarat. “I’m not really sure.”

“For a shabby-looking inn, that’s damn expensive.” Lark clicked his tongue. “They might as well rob me clean while they’re at it, right?”

Captain Qarat frowned. Fifteen coppers was actually a fair price, but he chose to just shut his mouth. There was no need for unnecessary squabble, after all.

The Captain was about to leave when the drunkard started telling him a story.

“I’m from Lion City, you see. Ran away from home. I told them I’ll make some money in this town. Start over again.” The dark circles around Lark’s eyes made everything more believable. “I’m starting to wonder… Maybe I shouldn’t have come? Maybe I should have just stayed in the city and just stuck with my previous job.”

Captain Qarat looked at him with eyes filled with understanding. “You have kids in Lion City?”

Lark nodded. “Three of them.”

“I see.” Captain Qarat paused for a moment. “I’m not as wise as the Young Master but… Mister. We only regret the decisions we didn’t take. Right now, you have no way of knowing if your decision is right or wrong, and that’s perfectly fine.”

The Captain added, “Do not be too hard on yourself. Alcohol is not the answer. You’ll eventually realize if your decision is right. You can choose what to do by then. For now, focus on what’s in front of you, Mister.”

Lark did not expect such words to come out of the Captain’s mouth. He could still remember several months ago when the Captain first applied for the military. That young sprout has indeed grown splendidly.

“The Mansion gives out free wheat porridge in the morning. If you don’t have enough money, I suggest you take advantage of this. I heard that once harvest season ends, they’ll stop giving away the free porridge.”

The soldier lightly bowed his head. “I’ll be off then. Have a good night, Sir.”

Lark watched as the Captain turned into a corner and disappeared from sight.

“We only regret the decisions we didn’t take, huh? Cheeky brat.” Lark looked at the gemstones illuminating the night. It somehow reminded him of when he still lived in the Magic Empire. “These subjects of mine... it seems that they’ll do just fine even if I’m gone for a couple of months.”

After conversing with them, Lark finally came to a conclusion. They were no longer the feeble people from before.

“In the end, they’re all just useless worries.” Lark smiled. He was a bit more confident now in temporarily leaving the town in Gaston’s hands.

The next day, Lark summoned Gaston, Anandra, the Mason, and the other important figures of Blackstone Town. The two brothers – Austen and George – were also included.

Lark went straight to the point. “I’m being summoned by the crown. I’ll be gone for a few months.”

Gaston was the most flustered about this. The old man stuttered, “What, what do you mean, Young Master?”

Lark handed the old man the letter given to him by the Sword Master.

After reading through the letter, the old man’s hands trembled. He mumbled, “From the King… an invite from His Majesty!”

Everyone heard the butler.

“Silver Claw,” said Lark.

“Young Master.” The Mason stepped forward.

Lark handed a stack of papers to him. “Here are the plans for the development of the town. While I’m gone, I want you to coordinate with Gaston. We’ll try to provide you will all the necessary funds and people.”

The Mason started reading the blueprint. After flipping through the third page, he froze. He squinted for a moment then stared at Lark.

The Young Master flashed a grin. “Just do it.”

The Mason sighed, “I understand.”

“Gaston.”

The butler broke out of his trance, “Young Master!”

“About the middle-grade potions we’re supposed to deliver each month,” said Lark. “You know what to do while I’m gone, right?”

The butler nodded his head. “Yes, Young Lord.”

“Good.” Lark was satisfied with the answers of his men. “Anandra, Austen, George. The three of you will come with me.”

Anandra seemed to have expected this, as he simply bowed his head in response. The other two, on the other hand, looked at each other, their eyes filled with surprise.

Seeing this, Lark said, “You want to learn magic, right? I can’t teach you if I’m at the Capital.”

After stating the obvious, Lark added, “You’ll still be paid the salaries we agreed upon. I heard from Melody that you’ve learned a little bit on how to read and write. That should be enough for now.”

The blonde woman who had been teaching the soldiers bobbed her head at Lark’s remark.

“We depart tomorrow,” Lark said to the trio. “Ready your luggage. We’ll leave at dawn.”

Anandra silently bowed his head, while the other two hesitatingly said yes.

“Young Master…” Gaston’s words trailed off. “The Duke… and your elder brother. There’s a great chance that they’ll also be there.”

“I know,” said Lark.

It would not be surprising if they would come into contact with each other in the Capital. After all, even he, the trash of his family, was invited by His Majesty. His elder brother, the pride of the Kingdom, would surely also be invited by the crown.

“Then, I think it would be best if I go with you?” suggested the old man.

“Rejected.” Lark immediately shot the idea down. “If the two of us leave at the same time, what will happen to this town?”

“But—”

“—Enough,” said Lark. “I’ll be fine. It’s not like they’ll be more fearsome than those beastmen, right?”

The butler remembered the time they clashed with the Third Legion. Indeed, compared to that, meeting with Lark’s old man and his older brother would seem trivial.

Lark placed his hand on the shoulder of Gaston. He gently smiled. “I’ll come back as soon as I can, so take care of this town for me while I’m gone.”

The old man started to become emotional. The Capital was far, so he would not see the Young Master for at least two months. He willed his tears back.

“U-Understood, Young Master! This butler shall do his best in managing the territory while the Young Master is away!”

“That’s the spirit!” Lark chuckled.

He was confident that this old man would manage the territory well. He started thinking about the summon of the crown.

Why did the King invite him now, of all times?

Chapter Six

News spread like wildfire. The citizens of Blackstone Town learned that Lark was leaving for the Capital. When Mikael heard this, he immediately made preparations to come with him. He left his work at the mines and applied as a coachman. Unfortunately, this was rejected by the butler. It seemed that the Young Master’s entourage had been decided already several days ago.

I cannot fail His Majesty.

Mikael decided to continue monitoring this candidate no matter what. If he was unable to come with them, then he just needed to follow their group from a safe distance. It will be hard, but the retired knight was resolute on doing at least this much.

The day of departure finally came. Lark’s entourage consisted of Austen, George, Anandra, four servants, and six guards. Lark knew that they had to keep up with appearances, that’s why he did not reject Gaston’s offer of renovating the carriages and bringing several servants and guards with him. The three carriages going to the Capital all had the symbol of the Marcus Family engraved on it: a golden rose and a silver shield.

After giving his instructions to the officials of Blackstone Town for one last time, their group moved out of the town. Mikael, riding a horse he rented using an extravagant amount from one of the visiting merchants, quickly followed from a safe distance.

Lark’s group stayed in Lion City for only a day. After getting out of the City, they passed by the Lake of the Full Moon. A large building, which somehow resembled a castle, was being built a good distance away from the Lake. Hundreds of soldiers armed to the teeth were garrisoned there.

“Is that a castle?” George asked his older brother, Austen. The two of them, along with Anandra, was inside the carriage of Lark.

“Obviously.” Austen stared out the window. He gazed at the soldiers stationed there. “But why are they building something like that here? In the wilderness?”

Lark did not bother to explain despite knowing the reason. He simply sat there, gazing at the scenery outside. He heard of the incident from Big Mona: the night when tens of thousands of monsters emerged from the lake and killed the soldiers nearby.

Even from this place, he could feel the absurdly large amount of mana from the center of the lake. The amount of mana was so humungous that Lark was unable to estimate how many monsters were residing in the lake.

Let’s just hope that the mana belongs to several monsters. Otherwise…

Lark looked at the castle being built. It would not protect them if by any godforsaken chance that mana actually belonged to a single entity. Even Lark was not confident on winning against such a monster. Well, there was also the option of running away..

Several days passed and they arrived at another city, a very small one that was around five times the size of Blackstone Town. This place looked mediocre compared to Lion City – one of the major cities of the Kingdom. Lark’s group stayed there for a night, restocked their rations, then resumed their journey to the Capital.

The journey thus far had been uneventful – until they arrived at a village next to a small river.

Lark actually had no intention of stopping by this place, but his curiosity was piqued when he saw the tower at the center of the village.

“We’re staying here for the night,” said Lark. “Stop the carts.”

The servants and the soldiers looked at him quizzically. There was still a couple of hours before dusk, after all. There was no need to camp in this village.

Lark, followed by his men, entered the village. The residents curiously went out of their houses to peek at Lark’s group.

“Welcome.” An old man holding a walking stick stepped forward. “What can I do for you, sirs?”

Since Lark was going to meet His Majesty at the Capital, his clothes were more gaudy than usual. There was no way for the residents of this village to mistake him for something other than a noble.

“A place to stay for the night.” Lark looked around. He saw several children flinch and scurry away upon making eye contact.

“The best inn in the village, of course.” The old man nodded his head. “If you would let this old man lead you there.”

With the old man taking the lead, they entered a rundown inn. There were cobwebs on the walls, the tables were filled with dust, and the owner sitting at the counter was passed out drunk.

The old man scratched his cheeks in embarrassment. He faked a cough then shook the shoulder of the drunkard. When the man showed no signs of waking up, the old man started slapping his face.

“Oww!” The owner groaned, “What the hell’s your problem, old man?!”

“Stupid son!” The old man clicked his tongue. “We finally have customers, idiot!”

That statement broke the drunkard from stupor. He immediately stood up straight, coughed twice, and said, “Ah, dear customers! Welcome! Ninety coppers a night per person. If with dinner, it’ll be a silver and twenty coppers each!”

A total rip off. Lark and everyone else knew this.

Seeing their expressions, the drunkard played his trump card. “We’re the only inn in this village, honorable sirs.”

“Young Master,” said one of the guards. “We still have a few hours before dusk. If we speed up a little, maybe we can reach the plains next to the hills. Camping there is a lot better than staying in this place.”

The others agreed with this. They were infuriated that the villagers were outright scamming them.

On the contrary, Lark remained calm. He did not come here for the inn or the village anyway. He came here for that: the thing standing at the center of this village.

“We’re staying here for the night.” Lark placed several silver coins on the countertop. “Prepare the dinner. Immediately.”

The owner of the inn gulped after seeing the silver coins. He immediately scooped it up, as though afraid the noble would take it back. “Of course! Right away!” His breath still reeked of alcohol.

After dinner, Lark donned his cloak and stealthily moved out of the inn. It was late in the evening and everything was pitch black in this village, unlike in Blackstone Town where kalrane stones illuminated the night. All of the villagers here were already inside their houses.

Lark walked towards the center of the village, towards the towering structure he saw from the outside.

As I thought.

The towering structure made entirely of stone had numerous symbols engraved on its body. It reminded Lark of the healing pillars he created in the Arena.

Lark tried touching it, but a force blocked his fingers. A barrier was protecting this tower.

Who made this tower? Why was this inside the village? There were a lot of questions he wanted to ask.

And though answering one of his questions, a ball of lightning formed on top of the tower, before shooting towards the direction of the forest. Lark heard a faint yelp afterwards.

Lark amplified his body with mana and ran towards the direction of the sound. He skidded to a halt and stared at a scorched corpse.

It was a familiar monster. Despite its scorched body, Lark was sure of it.

“A goblin.”

Lark heard rustling sounds, and soon, three goblins came out. They shrieked upon seeing their dead comrade. Their eyes murderously glared at Lark.

Lark was about to pull out his short sword when three streaks of light flew by and struck the goblins. It all happened in an instant. Three scorched bodies fell down limp and lifeless on the ground.

Lark looked at the dead bodies, then at the tower at the center of the village.

This was an incredibly advanced form of defensive magic. Something Lark was unable to create in Blackstone Town due to the lack of materials.

When the morning came, Lark asked the inn owner about the tower at the center of the village.

“The Wizzert Tower!” The drunkard was really proud. “That tower protects us from the monsters of the forest, you see. It could kill even a dire wolf in a single hit.”

Austen, George, and Anandra silently listened to the conversation. They did not expect the tower at the center of the village to hold such power.

“Wizzert Tower,” repeated Lark. He did not expect a tower which resembled those used in the Magic Empire to be in a small village like this one.

“It’s been five years, huh?” The inn owner reminisced, “Five years ago, the Wizzert City expanded its domain. It offered protection to the villages and towns near its perimeter in exchange of taxes. Although we’re required to give a large portion of our hunt and harvest to the City, it’s nothing compared to the safety offered to us by the Tower.”

The inn owner added a useless story, “I used to be a guard in this village, you see. But after the Tower was built here, monsters no longer were a threat. That’s why I used what little money I have left to establish this inn.”

You’re going to have to close the inn soon, at this rate. Lark controlled the urge to tell him this outright.

Demanding an exorbitant amount for a night was bad business sense on his part. Other visitors would definitely rather camp outside than pay such ridiculous amount. Lark and his group were an exemption, since Lark wanted to look at the tower up close.

While the inn owner was busy telling his life’s story, Lark looked at the map of the Kingdom in his hand. They were supposed to pass through the City of Norfolk on their way to the Capital instead of Wizzert City, but after hearing of the origin of this tower, Lark decided to take the latter route. It would take them an additional half a day by taking this detour, but Lark wanted to see this so-called City of Magic no matter what.

In a way, paying this exorbitant amount for the inn was worth the while. Lark had come to learn a few things about the tower at the center of this village. One thing was for sure – whoever created it was no simple magician.

Lark decided to pass by the City of Magicians.

***

At the same time, Mikael attentively watched over Lark and his group from a distance. He camped outside, away from the range of the tower.

“Another one?” he sighed. From the shrubberies, a goblin leapt towards him, shrieking, its hands holding a wooden club.

Mikael sidestepped and swiftly cut the head of the goblin. Its shrieking sound died in an instant.

The retired knight swung his sword in the air, removing the blood clinging to it, before sheathing it back into the scabbard. Around him, several dead bodies of goblins were scattered on the ground.

“I guess I have to sleep on the trees again, huh?”

It was the best place to monitor Lark’s group and at the same time, it conferred a certain degree of protection from the monsters on the ground.

If only the forests of the Kingdom were as peaceful as the Endless Forest, he would not be struggling this much.

Mikael climbed the highest tree nearby and sat on a thick branch. He grabbed a meat jerky from his bag and opened his water flask. After eating his ration, he amplified his eyes with mana.

Lark and his men were currently outside the inn, preparing for their departure for the next city.

While monitoring the candidate, Mikael froze.

Did he…

It was for a short moment, but it felt like Mikael and the throne candidate locked eyes with each other.

Mikael shook his head.

Impossible.

He was currently far away enough that it would be impossible to detect his presence.

After that brief eye contact, the candidate continued with his conversation with his men like usual. It seemed that it was a mere coincidence, after all.

“They’re moving out, huh?”

After seeing Lark and his men boarding the carriages, Mikael jumped down the tree and untethered his horse.

Chapter Seven

[Wizzert City]

Chryselle, her red hair covered by her cloak, sighed as she stared at the monument at the Central Plaza. A stone tablet left behind by the magicians who established Wizzert City – the stone tablet containing the puzzle left unsolved for centuries.

Her father, grandfather, and the previous house heads of the Malvar Family – none of them were able to decipher this puzzle. None were able to figure out the meaning behind the symbols of the incomplete magic formation.

She read words written at the bottom of the stone tablet.

The true flow of mana will be revealed to the one who uncovers this truth.

A simple yet mysterious line.

According to the scholars who analyzed these texts, the creator of the tablet was pertaining to the origin of all spells. The magic formation without flaws. The most fundamental hexagram formation.

According to theories, the magic formations used in this age was crude, with several flaws yet to be revealed by magicians. They said that if people were able to solve this puzzle, it would lead to a new age of magic. An age where people would be able to cast spells with the least amount of mana possible. An age where common people would be able to cast even the most complex of spells.

“So, this is where you are.”

Chryselle did not need to turn around to know the owner of the voice.

“Staring at the puzzle again, huh?”

The voice was warm, as though it wanted nothing but the best for this young woman.

“Brother, I’m leaving for the Capital soon.” Chryselle’s crimson eyes shook for a moment. “I want to see it before I leave. For one last time.”

Chryselle, despite her young age, was among the Elders of Wizzert City – the City of Magic. Several days ago, she received a letter from His Majesty: an invitation for the sixty-fifth birthday of King Alvis.

Her brother, the current Master of the City, ruffled Chryselle’s hair. “Look at this kid! Didn’t I tell you that there’s no need for you to go? You can just ignore that old man! It’s not as if the Royal Family can touch us, right?”

Chryselle did not like this arrogance. “Brother, there will be repercussions if you ignore the summons of the Crown.”

His brother, who was also wearing a hood to cover his face, chuckled, “Repercussions? Like what?”

He wrapped his arm around Chryselle’s shoulder. “Listen, my cute little sister. We have more than enough power to annihilate all the Royal Knights of the Capital. Those so-called Royal Court Magicians? They’re nothing but sprouts, students originating from this land. They can’t touch us.”

It was true. Chryselle knew this more than anyone.

“That’s why my genius little sister does not really need to answer the summons if she doesn’t want to.”

Chryselle held back a scowl after hearing the word ‘genius.’

To her, just the title alone felt disgusting. After all, it was a title granted to her by the Elders after her discovery of the towers. The towers capable of using mana from the surroundings and convert it into offensive magic.

Contrary to what people knew, Chryselle was not the one who invented those things. She was simply lucky enough to find an ancient blueprint from a lost era.

She was not a genius. For her, she was nothing but a liar, a fraud.

“I will come to the Capital,” she said resolutely. “It’s not like you, the Master of the City, can go, right?”

Her brother smiled wryly. There was no way for him to leave for the Capital and answer the summons of the Crown right now. That was why Chryselle was insistent of going in his stead.

He sighed. “Fine. Take several guards and servants with you. I’m pretty sure that old coot will again try to persuade you. He’s pretty damn insistent on having the towers installed around the Capital. Be sure to reject him, understood?”

His brother was probably the only person in this Kingdom who would dare call the King an old coot. Attaining the position of Master made him this arrogant.

“Of course,” she said. “His Majesty wishes to use the towers to defend against the Empire. We can’t do that. Magic is not a tool for slaughter and war.”

The Master of Wizzert City simply smiled at that naïve statement. Somehow, Chryselle was his source of sanity in this godforsaken world. His piece of tranquility in this politically-driven world.

“That’s right,” he grinned. “Magic is not a tool for war.”

***

Lark looked at the direction of the forest for a moment. He only noticed it now, but someone had been tailing their group from a safe distance.

Who was he? Why was he following their group?

It seemed that even Anandra failed to notice him, as he just silently stood there like a guard.

The guy following us… he’s skilled.

It would take a considerable amount of skill to tail their group from afar. Lark motioned for Anandra to come closer. He whispered, “Someone’s following us. Be on your guard.”

The man with golden hair flinched. His eyes quickly swiveled left and right as he tried to find the person following them.

“He’s currently watching us from the forest, probably on top of the trees.” Lark opened the door to the carriage and began to step inside. “We’ll pass through a plain before reaching Wizzert City. It’ll be easy to see him by then.”

Anandra nodded his head. That guy would have no choice but to reveal himself in such an open field.

“I understand. Once I see him—”

“—Do nothing,” said Lark.

“Excuse me?”

“I said do nothing,” said Lark. “For now.”

Lark had an odd feeling about this guy following them from afar. Was he an assassin? That did not seem to be the case, although the chance of it being true was not nil.

For now, he chose to trust his instinct: to wait things out and see.

Lark entered the first carriage. “What are you two doing? Get. On. The. Carriage.”

Each emphasized word made Austen and George flinch and jump. The two of them were currently holding a piece of parchment each. On the ground next to them was a half-completed drawing of a magic formation. It resembled the doodles of kids playing on a sandy beach.

After Anandra, Austen and George entered the Carriage, their group started to move west, towards the direction of Wizzert City.

“How’s it?” Lark looked at the brothers holding the parchments. “Have you gotten the hang of drawing the magic formations?”

The brothers looked at each other. They sheepishly smiled.

“A little bit?” said Austen. Drawing the most basic magic formation was actually harder than they thought.

Several days ago, Lark handed each of them a copy of the most basic magic formation. It was neatly drawn on a white parchment, and he tasked the two to remember each symbol written inside the magic circle. Every time they made camp, the brothers would draw on the ground and attempt to imitate the basic magic formation taught to them by Lark.

It would have been an easy feat, but there was an ironclad rule which made everything several times harder than it should be: they should never lift off the drawing stick from the ground until they finished drawing the entire thing.

According to Lark, this was a principle they had to adhere to no matter what, since on actual practice, the flow of mana should not be interrupted when casting magic formations. Otherwise, mana would dissipate and even the most basic spells would break.

“This is just the start. What you’re being taught right now is simply the basics.” Lark looked out of the window. He could no longer see the village. “The basis of all spells, of all magic. The most basic magic formation.”

The magic formation Lark handed to the brothers was the magic formation perfected by the mages of the Magic Empire, the most basic magic formation without a single flaw. Although it was more complex than its predecessor, once mastered, it would pave the path towards all the other elements.

“We’ll only proceed with voice incantations once the two of you have mastered drawing that thing. Hopefully, within three years, the two of you will be capable of using chantless magic.”

“Chantless magic,” mumbled George. He looked at Lark with a complicated expression. Although he was no magician, he has heard a few times before about how hard it was for a magician to perform spells without a chant. This noble, however, who was probably almost the same age as him, was capable of performing such feat easily.

Austen must have been thinking the same thing too, since George could see the expression of his older brother.

“We understand,” Austen bowed his head. “We’ll do our best to learn, Sir.”

Lark smiled, “Good. That’s the spirit.”

Lark locked eyes with Anandra. The man with a golden hair lightly nodded his head. He was wordlessly saying that he finally also noticed the presence of the one following their group.

Is he a spy? An assassin?

Lark wondered. He remembered the time when one of Duke Kelvin’s men tried killing him in Lion City. For now, the best course of action was to wait and observe. He planned on getting as much information as possible from this guy once given the chance.

There’s no need to rush things.

After a day, their group finally arrived at Wizzert City, The City of Magic.

Unlike the other cities, the gate of Wizzert was flooded with people trying to enter the city. A long queue consisting of merchants, immigrants, and other people have assembled by the gate by the time Lark’s group arrived.

After waiting in line for a few hours, they were finally granted entry into the city.

The first thing that greeted them was a barrier blocking the city gate. It was translucent, giving the appearance of a sturdy glass.

“Is that also magic?” George curiously spat out.

Lark did not reply. Instead, he pondered of how advanced this city was compared to the other cities of the Kingdom they passed through so far. Even Lion City – one of the Major Cities of the Kingdom – was incomparable to this one.

A magic explosion will easily tear a hole through this barrier, but it’s strong enough to temporarily repel invaders in case the gate is destroyed.

This was the assessment Lark made after briefly touching the barrier. After the soldier guarding the entrance notified the ones inside the city about Lark’s pass, the barrier temporarily dissipated and Lark and his group passed through. This process was probably the reason why it took so long to enter the City despite the lax requirements.

After they found an inn, Lark handed out a few silvers to his disciples Austen, George, and Anandra. “I’ll be looking around the city for a while. Be sure to be back here at the inn by dusk.”

“These are?” Austen and George stared at the coins in their hands. Anandra, on the other hand, simply pocketed the coins and listened to Lark.

“Pocket money,” said Lark. “It’ll be a waste to stay cooped up inside this so-called City of Magic. Go and look around. Just be sure to be back for dinner at night.”

Austen and George looked at each other. Their eyes glimmered. They had never experienced such luxurious lifestyle before. Although a few silvers were nothing to nobles like Lark, it was a large amount for former paupers like them.

“We’ll be back for sure!”

Like kids given candies, the two enthusiastically responded, their heads bobbing several times.

Lark chuckled.

“Can I come with you?” The man with golden hair stood ramrod straight. For a moment, his image overlapped with the chief butler’s.

Lark looked at Anandra. Unlike the two kids, this one can keep up with his speed. “You don’t want to look around?”

“I’m pretty sure that I’ll find more interesting things if I’m with you, My Lord.”

Lark noticed that he was becoming clingy as time went by. He was not sure if this was a good thing.

After some thoughts, Lark said, “Rejected. I’ll be looking around on my own.”

Anandra remained stoic. There was no change in his expression even after that. “I understand. Have a safe trip, Young Master.”

He’s starting to resemble Gaston as time goes by.

Lark wryly smiled.

***

After Lark went out to look around the city, Austen and George mumbled to each other on what they would do with the pocket money given to them. They were supposed to spend it on food and clothes, but they felt bad after thinking about their siblings in Blackstone Town. These silver coins were enough to buy some bags of wheat and chicken meat for the whole family. Splurging would surely leave a bad aftertaste in their mouths.

“Anandra,” Austen turned to the oldest disciple. “The Young Master left. What do you plan to do?”

Anandra tapped his stomach, creating a soft thud sound. Austen and George realized that he was wearing the weights created by Lark.

“Training,” said Anandra. “Unlike you guys, I’m not talented in magic. That’s why I need to put in extra effort.”

The brothers almost retorted that what he said was utter bullshit. After all, they had seen Anandra train with the humanoids before. This man with golden hair was undoubtedly the strongest person next to the Young Master.

Although right now he was incapable of casting magic, he had already come to grasp the basics of body strengthening by using the mana in his body. At this stage, he was already capable of crushing boulders with a single blow of his fist.

If he was lacking, then how much more would they be?

“I’ll look around the city.” Anandra was unaware of the thoughts of his fellow disciples. “Remember what the Young Master said. Be sure to be back by dinner.”

After Anandra disappeared amidst the crowd, Austen and George looked at each other.

“Now I feel guilty slacking off,” smirked Austen.

“What are you talking about? The Young Master himself told us to look around the city and enjoy ourselves.” George tossed a coin into the air and caught it. “Let’s go!”

The two looked around the city, gawking at unfamiliar things every now and then.

“Hey, look!” whispered George.

Austen looked at the direction George was pointing at. It was a street filled with stalls selling magic items. The two excitedly entered and looked at the items for sale.

“Fifteen gold coins?” Austen shook his head. “Only nobles can afford those. What’s the point of selling these things in the middle of the street?”

The cheapest magic item for sale was worth a staggering amount of fifteen gold coins. The most expensive ones even reached up to a hundred gold coins. Glowing lamps, scroll of fire, defense magic-imbued leather armor, ice dagger, etc. All sorts of magic items imaginable filled this particular street.

The brothers saw someone casually buy the ice dagger for sixty gold coins. Their jaws almost dropped to the ground after seeing that transaction.

“I guess… As expected of the City of Magic? Even those living here aren’t normal.”

Austen nodded at his younger brother’s statement.

After looking around some more, they left and arrived at the Central Plaza. There was a large fountain there, with numerous stalls selling food lined up next to each other.

Austen and George’s stomach grumbled. They had been walking around for a few hours now, after all.

As expected of a major city, even the price of skewered meat was high. They bought a stick for each of them, grabbed some drinks, then sat on the benches next to the fountain.

They noticed that the person sitting next to them – someone wearing a hood – had been staring at a particular stone tablet for quite some time now.

“Bro, she’s been staring at that thing for—” said George.

“—Shh! Quiet!” Austen swallowed the last bit of his skewered meat. “It’s none of our bus—”

Austen halted. His eyes widened for a moment. Now that he had taken a careful look, the symbols engraved on the stone tablet was really familiar.

He took out the parchment out of his sling bag, unfolded it, then compared the magic formation drawn by the Young Master with the symbol engraved on the stone tablet.

“George,” he whispered. “Look. Isn’t it the same?”

George looked at the parchment, at the stone tablet, then back. “Almost.” He pointed at some parts of the magic formation. “These symbols aren’t on that stone tablet. And this crescent here is missing.”

The two magic formations were oddly similar, but there were subtle differences. George quickly noticed this.

While the two were discussing these things, the hooded figure next to them looked at the parchment Austen was holding.

“E-Excuse me?” A female voice spoke.

The brothers looked at the source. It was from the hooded figure.

“C-Can I look at that?”

The way she stuttered bothered the two of them. They could feel desperation within those words.

Austen quickly folded the parchment and placed it inside his bag. He remembered that the Young Master strictly told them not to share this magic formation with anyone, no matter what.

He grabbed George’s hand, and after a quick glance, said to the hooded figure, “Sorry.”

“George, let’s go.”

George understood his brother’s intentions. He quickly stood up. When the two of them were a good distance away from the bench, they heard a shout.

“Wait!”

Amidst the crowd, they saw the hooded figure briskly walking towards them.

“We’re not supposed to share this magic formation with anyone,” said Austen.

George nodded, “Let’s run.”

The brothers tried to get away from the hooded figure, but surprisingly, no matter how hard they tried, they could not shake off their pursuer.

“Over here,” Austen huffed. They turned to an alleyway. He placed his index finger to his mouth. “That creepy person shouldn’t find us here.”

But he was wrong.

The hooded figure suddenly appeared right in front of them, like some sort of a ghost.

“Finally caught you.”

Her voice was soothing to the ears, but her sudden appearance made Austen and George shriek.

She took off her hood, revealing a woman with blood red hair and crimson eyes. Austen and George fell into stupor for a moment. They had never seen anyone so beautiful in their entire life.

“Please,” she said. “Can I look at that?”

Austen and George looked at each other.

What should they do? The Young Master strictly told them not to show the magic formation with anyone, no matter what.

“It’ll be really quick,” she said. “Also, I’ll pay you. How about it?”

She took out a pouch and opened it, revealing several gold and silver coins inside. “This is all I have. If this isn’t enough, I’ll be sure to give you more afterwards.”

Austen’s pupil shook. He remembered the time when he still worked for two silvers a month in Lion City. The amount inside the pouch easily exceeded ten gold coins. He was sure of it.

Silence befell them. Even George started hesitating.

Moments passed. Austen shouted, “I-I’m sorry! This is something entrusted to us… and we can’t allow anybody to have their hands on it, no matter what!”

He sounded desperate. George also bowed his head.

The woman sighed upon seeing this. They were just kids, and judging by their reactions, they were not the ones who drew that magic formation.

She hesitated for a while.

Should she forcefully take the item away? From these naïve-looking kids?

Her face turned sour after she came to a conclusion.

“I will not hurt you,” she threw the pouch filled with gold coins towards George. The kid grabbed it in reflex. “I’ll just take a peek. Sorry.”

The air turned chilly. Ice formed beneath the woman’s feet, quickly spreading towards the brothers. They tried to run, but they soon found their feet encased by ice.

“What are you doing?!”

“Let us go!”

The brothers were horrified. They tried to yank their feet away, but the ice did not budge even a single bit. Ice shot from the ground and grabbed their hands, shackling it.

The woman opened Austen’s sling bag and took out the parchment containing the magic circle.

“Damn it! That’s not yours! We told you that you’re not allowed to look at it!” Austen roared.

George’s arms formed veins as he struggled to set himself free.

“This is…” She forgot to breathe for a moment. She intently stared at the drawn magic circle. Her heart started thumping loudly.

The magic formation drawn in the parchment greatly resembled the one drawn on the stone tablet, but there were subtle differences. She imagined using this magic circle and she was stunned by what she found out.

It was without any flaws.

The perfect basic magic formation.

With just this alone, magic would prosper even further.

Her pupils shaking, she stared at the parchment, then at the brothers shackled by the ice.

“Who, who drew this?” Her hands trembled as she held the parchment. She finally held the answer to the puzzle unsolved for centuries.

George and Austen did not answer. Instead, they tried to pull their hands and feet out of the ice. After finally coming to the conclusion that it would be futile, George and Austen looked at each other.

“Do it,” whispered Austen.

George, who was directly in front of the woman, understood his brother’s intentions. With his entire might, he threw his head forward and bit the parchment, successfully snatching it away from the woman’s hands.

Caught off-guard, the woman was too late to react. By the time she realized what happened, George was already chewing the parchment in his mouth.

Her eyes widened to the point of popping out.

That paper held the answer to the centuries-old puzzle!

“S-Spit it out!”

Her composure lost, she grabbed George by the neck as she tried to make him spit the parchment out. But contrary to her expectations, George chewed it more before eventually swallowing it whole.

The woman lost strength in her legs upon seeing this. She fell down butt-first on the ground. Although her mind was telling her that it would still be possible to retrieve the magic formation as long as she meets the person who drew it, a part of her wailed at this loss.

Tears started forming at the corner of her eyes. Her mana became erratic and the ice shackling the brothers broke into numerous pieces.

The brothers were finally freed of the spell. They shook their arms and legs to remove the pieces of ice still clinging to it.

Austen bit his lips upon seeing the crestfallen woman sitting on the ground. He did not feel pity for her, only hatred. She forcefully made them give her the magic formation, after all.

“You forgot this.” George tossed the pouch filled with gold coins to her. It made loud clanking sounds upon touching the ground.

Honestly, they were tempted by those coins, but the mere thought of betraying the Young Master’s trust solidified their resolve.

“And stop crying,” added Austen. “It’s not like you lost anything. That paper. It’s ours to begin with, damn thief.”

The two were about to scurry away and leave behind the crying woman when a deep voice, which almost sounded like a growl, resounded in the alley.

“You dare call my cute little sister a damn thief?”

A hooded figure appeared, blocking the path of George and Austen.

The hooded figure looked at the woman crying while sitting on the ground. His entire body trembled.

“You damn little shits—”

His voice trailed off. He glared at the brothers.

“—I’ll kill you.”

Without warning, an invisible force struck Austen and sent him flying then rolling on the ground.

Chapter Eight

Chryselle was momentarily stunned when one of the brothers was suddenly sent flying. His body rolled on the ground several times before halting to a stop, leaving behind trails of blood.

A soft groan escaped Austen’s lips. He coughed several times before vomiting blood.

“No!” George’s cry echoed in the alley. He tried to run towards Austen when a fist suddenly struck his abdomen, making him kneel on the ground in pain.

“You’ll be next. Wait your turn.”

The hooded figure slowly walked towards Austen. Chryselle broke out of her stupor. She quickly got up and ran to stop the man from hurting anyone any further.

“Brother! What are you doing?! Stop!”

Chryselle yanked at his clothes, pulling down the hood in the process. A red-haired man with stubbles and a crescent scar running through his left eye stared at her. He was Alecto, the Master of the City of Magic.

“The same for you,” said Alecto, his voice comparably softer when speaking to his sister. “Stay put. Do not move.”

Chryselle tried to cast her magic to stop her brother, but to her horror, she found herself unable to channel her mana. She looked at her feet and saw a small magic circle glowing underneath. During that short exchange, Alecto had already sealed her magic with the highest-grade talisman, an item that would normally cost several gold coins in the market. Even speaking had become impossible now without Alecto’s permission.

Despite the pain, George stood up and ran towards Austen. Alecto smirked as he looked at this amusing sight.

“Hey, are you alright?” George was horrified when he saw Austen’s broken arm.

“Don’t ask the obvious,” groaned Austen. “We need to get out of here. That guy… he’s seriously trying to kill us.”

A short chuckle escaped Alecto’s lips. “Kill you? I may look like this, but I’m a compassionate man, kids. I will let you live. Don’t worry.”

He snapped his fingers and George’s left hand twisted in unimaginable ways, making horrible crackling sounds.

“Ah, Ahhhhh!”

George screamed at the top of his lungs as tears flowed down his eyes. He fell on his knees as his entire body trembled from excruciating pain.

“G-George!”

Alecto’s eyes were cold. Austen tried to stand up to help his brother, but an invisible force struck him at the face, sending a tooth flying out. Blood dripped down his nose as he finally lost consciousness, his entire body sprawled on the ground.

“Ah, damn it. I should have hit him on the stomach instead.” Alecto smacked his lips in disappointment. He did not expect Austen to lose consciousness this easily. He held back a lot, after all.

“You’ll have to entertain me I guess.”

Alecto was about to cast another spell when a hand grabbed his shoulder, and upon turning to look, someone slapped his cheek.

“Chryselle.”

Her eyes were red from crying.

“I told you to stop!” she shouted, her voice almost pleading. “Please! Just stop!”

Alecto saw the torn talisman on the ground. As expected of one of the elders of Wizzert City. A normal magician would have taken at least an hour to unshackle himself from that spell.

Seeing the pitiful face of his sister, Alecto decided that he had done enough. He was feeling good today too, so he decided to stop. These two brats were lucky that he was feeling magnanimous today. On normal occasions, he would have killed them without hesitation.

He was the Master of the City of Magic. Even the King was unable to touch him. Even if he killed these two on broad daylight, who would be there to stop him?

“Fine.” Alecto pulled out a handkerchief and wipe the tears on his sister’s face. He looked up. It was already dark. “It’s time for dinner. Let’s go back. You still have to meet with the other Elders after this.”

Chryselle sobbed. She looked at the pitiful states of the brothers. One was unconscious on the ground, while the other one was squirming from excruciating pain, his arm twisted in a different direction.

She did not want things to become like this.

She only wanted to see the magic formation drawn on the parchment.

“I will call for a healer,” she said to them. “I’m sorry.”

She bowed her head. She did not know healing magic, and she was not carrying any potions with her. She decided to go back and ask for help from her fellow magicians.

The two magicians from Wizzert City left the alley and disappeared from sight.

Unbeknownst to her, after that, Alecto stopped the healers and other magicians from coming to help the two. They were left there in the alley, their bodies battered and unable to move.

***

The night passed but Austen and George did not come back to the inn. The next day, worried that they somehow got lost inside this large city – or maybe got themselves into trouble – Lark ordered his men to look for the two.

Several hours passed and Lark heard the news. One of the servants found the two in the temple, recuperating after passing out in an alley. Lark, along with Anandra, immediately went towards that place.

Upon seeing the state of Austen and George’s bodies, Lark’s pupils shook. They looked as though they had been hit by a speeding carriage. Their bodies were currently wrapped in bandages as they laid on the bed. The scent of medicinal incense filled the entire room.

“What happened?” said Lark.

The priest shook his head. “It seems they got into a fight with the magicians of the City.”

Lark’s face turned grim. Anandra, who stood next to Lark, had the same grim expression.

There was no way it would be a fight. It would be nothing but a one-sided slaughter. After all, these two had yet to properly learn magic from him. There was no way they could put up a fight against a magician from this city.

Seeing this, the elderly priest sighed. His eyes were filled with understanding as he looked at Lark. “I understand that you’re angry seeing them like this, but young man – don’t do it. It will lead to nothing but an endless loop of violence.”

“Did they tell you what exactly happened? Who did it to them?”

The priest shook his head. “They did not tell me the specific story. All they told me was they were trying run away from somebody when a magician assaulted them. That kid over there—” he pointed at George, “—he was severely injured himself, but he kept begging us to prioritize the treatment of his brother first.”

Lark was sure that Austen would have done the same for George.

These two brothers are really…

“Priest.”

The priest stared at Lark, wordlessly urging him to continue.

“Thank you for taking care of them,” said Lark. He bowed ninety degrees. “Thank you for taking care of these two. I will make sure to compensate you for this. I promise.”

Just by Lark’s clothes alone, it was apparent that he was from a wealthy family, a noble. He did not expect someone with such status to bow his head for the sake of his men.

“The Church of the Water God is open to everyone. If you are really grateful, pray.” The priest gently smiled. “I am sure that the God Nareus will be delighted to have a devout believer.”

“I will do that.”

Lark did not believe in Gods, but if his benefactor – this priest who saved his disciples – wanted him to pray to repay this kindness, then he would do so.

“Ah dear me.” The priest stared at the incense. “It has run out, eh? I will take a couple more of them. The two of you can sit over there while you watch over the patients.”

The priest opened the door. “Please excuse me.”

After the elderly priest left, Lark approached Austen and George’s beds. The priests of the Water God treated the two, but their injuries were so severe that it hardly made a difference.

“You’re going to heal them?” Anandra remembered the time when Lark healed him. His wounds back then were definitely more grave than this since it was inflicted by the basilisk. He could still remember the warm sensation back then when Lark’s mana enveloped his entire body.

Lark nodded. He pressed a hand on Austen’s chest. A magic circle started forming underneath the patient’s bed. Anandra stood next to the door to prevent the priest from entering while the treatment was going on.

After healing the major wounds on Austen’s body, Lark went to George’s bed and started healing him. The twisted arm was reverted to its previous state.

George groaned. He started to open his eyes.

“How are you feeling?”

The first thing George saw was the worried face of the young man in front of him.

“Young Master?” George blinked several times. He looked around. Stone walls. The scent of medicinal incense. “Where am I?”

He remembered what happened last night. George immediately sat up then groaned when pain assaulted him.

“I healed the major wounds,” said Lark. “But it will still take some time before your body’s fully healed.”

He pushed George back into the bed. With serious eyes, he asked, “What happened last night?”

George averted his gaze.

Lark looked at him with eyes filled with understanding. “George, I cannot help you if you won’t tell me what happened.”

Like a father trying to comfort a child, Lark patiently waited for George to tell him the full story. Eventually, George conceded.

After hearing the story straight from George’s mouth, Lark’s eyes were filled with murderous intent for a moment, but he quickly hid it.

“A magician from the Tower of Magic,” mumbled Lark. “Red hair, with a crescent scar across his eye.”

He remembered the description given by George. Red hair was not rare, but it was not common either. And when coupled with the characteristic scar, it should be possible to find the perpetrator.

Lark patted George’s head. He looked at Austen still sleeping on the bed. “The two of you did well.”

These two were in this state because they did their best to protect the secret. The magic formation written in the parchment was nothing but common knowledge in the Magic Empire. Even if these two screwed up and it fell into the enemies’ hands, Lark had no intention of blaming them. Their lives were far more important than that.

But the mere fact that they fought for their promise with their lives on the line tugged at his heart. An indescribable warmth filled Lark.

“Anandra, you stay here and watch over these two.”

Anandra nodded his head. “As you wish, Young Master.”

“Young Master.” George started to turn pale. “Y-You’re not going to fight that guy, right?”

He remembered how brutal that magician was. Furthermore, he used peculiar magic unseen by the naked eyes. Although the Young Master was strong, George had this feeling that that guy was stronger.

“I won’t,” Lark lied. “So, don’t worry and get some rest, recuperate. I will be back later. I promise.”

The priest finally came back with the incense. He froze the moment he stepped into the room. One of the gravely injured patients had woken up.

“I will be back later.” Lark tapped the priest’s shoulder. Upon turning his back on George, his eyes turned predatory. “Please take care of them for me.”

The priest momentarily felt his hair stand on their edges. “Of course. That’s the will of the Water God.”

“Thank you.”

After leaving the temple, Lark went back into his room in the inn. He took out the mana stones obtained from the basilisks.

He had been trying to postpone his consumption of these stones to reduce the rebound as much as possible. But now, the time to use them had finally come.

My current body should be able to handle the effects by now.

The rebound, even if present, should be minimal now. This was the result of him not neglecting training his physical body even for a moment.

“A magician from the Magic Tower, huh?”

He planned on staying in this city for only a day, but he had changed his plans. He decided to get back at that bastard who made Austen and George like that.

Chapter Nine

Forcefully expanding his mana pool using the high-grade mana stone took several hours. By the time Lark was done, it was already midnight. Lark looked at himself in the mirror. His naked body was flushed and filled with sweat, with steam rising here and there. He could feel his muscles screaming, his heart pounding loudly.

Thankfully, his trained body was now capable of handling the rebound from forcefully expanding his mana pool. If it were half a year ago, he would have died in an instant.

Lark breathed in and out. He stabilized the erratic flow of mana inside his body, condensing them into a single point. He clenched his fists. Right now, his mana pool was almost comparable to that of Austen’s. It should be possible to cast a Grand Scale Magic or two.

Lark donned a black cloak and a black mask. He jumped through the open window of the inn and disappeared into the night.

As he was heading to the Tower of Magic, Lark felt a presence following him. It was the same person who followed their group from Blackstone Town.

How long are you going to follow us?

A bit annoyed, Lark cast concealment magic on his body. He blended perfectly into the night. The one pursuing him stopped in its tracks. Right now, it was still carefully maintaining its distance.

Now, let’s see who you are.

Lark’s pursuer started moving again, towards the place where Lark’s presence first disappeared. Still under concealment magic, Lark soon saw him.

A man in his middle fifties. His black hair had occasional strands of white, his muscular jaw filled with scars. Underneath his worn-out cloak, Lark could make out his well-toned body. He looked like a serf, but the aura he was forcefully trying to suppress was that of a strong fighter. Someone who had taken numerous lives before.

Was he an assassin? A spy? Lark had yet to find out.

Lark patiently waited in the dark, his body completely concealed by his magic. The man looked around, frowning. He was probably surprised that he lost Lark completely.

Who are you?

Lark firmed his foot on the ground, and in the blink of an eye, shot himself towards the man. He pulled his sword out of the scabbard and slashed at the man. To his surprise, the man twisted his body to the side at the last moment, then leapt backwards.

Lark almost whistled. There were no unnecessary movements from the man. Although he was taken by surprise, he managed to evade the attack by intuition alone. It went to show the massive experience the man had in the battlefield.

“Who are you?” said Lark. He was currently wearing a cloak and a mask, but this person was still following him.

“Just a random passerby,” the man shrugged.

“Stop the crap.” Lark’s blade reflected the moonlight. Thankfully, there were no passersby in this particular street right now. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll make you spit it out.”

The man took out a short sword inside his cloak. Despite being suddenly cornered like this, he remained calm and stoic.

Silence befell the two. They simply stared at each other, gauging even the subtlest movements of their opponent. A cold breeze blew, and as though it was the signal, their blades clashed, creating sparks with each strike.

He’s skilled.

It took several more exchanges before Lark realized that the man was on par with him in terms of swordsmanship. He was a lot weaker than Sword Saint Alexander, but his skills with the sword was good enough to keep Lark at bay.

“A knight?” said Lark.

He noticed that the man flinched. It was probably spot on.

Sparks flew as the two exchanged strikes with each other. A bit annoyed, Lark finally decided to channel mana into his sword, sharpening its blade several folds. He planned on destroying his opponent’s weapon in a single instance and end the fight.

But to his surprise, mana also enveloped the man’s sword. This made it possible for him to parry Lark’s attack.

Lark frowned. If pure swordsmanship wouldn’t work, then he had no choice but to resort to magic.

Three magic circles formed around them – one on the ground and two in the sky. The man’s eyes widened upon realizing that Lark was casting magic while fending off his attacks. It was a seemingly impossible feat, especially considering the fact that what he used was chantless magic.

Sensing that things were becoming dangerous, the man channeled a large portion of his mana into his sword and struck at Lark. Lark temporarily felt his hands going numb from impact, his feet skidding on the ground.

Lark’s spells were almost complete when the man suddenly took out a scroll from his cloak and quickly tore it open.

“You really can’t trust rumors,” said the man. “I mean no harm. Forgive me for this insolence of mine.”

The torn scroll turned into blinding particles of light. Lark momentarily closed his eyes, his senses expanded to its utmost limit to parry any incoming attacks.

By the time the particles of blinding light dissipated, the man could no longer be found. Although Lark could still feel the man’s presence, it was getting fainter by each passing moment.

“He ran away,” mumbled Lark. He wiped a bead of sweat on his forehead.

Were all knights as strong as that one? Lark wanted to find out.

That man was skilled. It would have been a stalemate if they fought with just swordsmanship alone. Unfortunately, he escaped, and Lark had no way of finding out the truth of the matter.

He remembered the words uttered by the man before he escaped.

You really can’t trust rumors. I mean no harm. Forgive this insolence of mine.

Those words felt genuine, since during their fight, Lark did not feel an ounce of killing intent from that man.

Then, a spy.

This was his current conclusion. A knight sent out to observe him. But for what? As far as Lark knew, he was a trash disowned by his own family. A vindictive moron thrown away to a faraway town.

Was it from his father, the Duke? From a rival family? Or maybe…

From the King.

He was among the candidates after all.

There were so many questions, but he held no answer.

Lark sighed. He unsheathed his sword and looked up into the sky. The two moons were full tonight.

It’s a good warm up, I guess.

After stretching his neck for a bit, Lark made his way towards the center of the city – towards the Tower of Magic.

Standing on top of a nearby building, Lark stared at the entrance below. Two men wearing blue robes were standing guard by the entrance, and at the back of their robes was the insignia of a silver wing - the symbol of the Tower.

Unlike the desolated street where Lark and the unknown man fought, this place was bustling with life. Numerous passersby filled the streets. Carriages were also seen every now and then.

Lark patiently waited for an opportunity to gather information regarding his prey. Eventually, a magician from the Tower left the building, his hand holding a bag. He was probably going to the Residential District.

When the man reached a dark and quiet street, Lark filled his fist with mana and stealthily struck the man’s abdomen. His body lifted off the ground for a moment, vomitus flew out of his mouth, and his eyes rolled to the back. That single strike made him lose consciousness on the spot.

Lark caught the falling body and dragged it away into an alley. Several cats ran angrily meowed before scurrying away after seeing Lark.

Lark place the body on the ground, and using magic, poured cold water on his face. The man twitched then coughed. He shook his head, sprinkling water around. His chest rose and fell in quick successions.

“Awake?” Lark looked down at him.

The man quickly sat up, his eyes filled with fear. “W-Who are you?”

Lark’s black get-up probably instilled great fear within him. The man trembled upon realizing that they were currently alone in this alley.

“Answer my question and I’ll let you go.” Lark’s face was concealed by a mask.

There was a pause. The man gulped down.

“A man with red hair, red eyes. A crescent scar runs across his eye.” Lark’s voice was ice cold. “Tell me where I can find him.”

The man’s pupils shook. Despite his wobbling legs, he slowly sat up. He breathed, “The Master of the Tower. The Grand Magician, Alecto. Why are you looking for him?”

Lark raised his brows. He had not expected to get an answer this easily. What surprised him the most was that the person he was looking for was actually a bigshot in this city. He was such a revered magician that he was even given the title ‘Grand Magician.’

It was one of the several titles granted to his oldest disciple, Pollux. The magician who managed to live for almost a thousand years after Lark died.

Being given the title of Grand Magician meant that his target was of considerable strength. Lark thought it was a good thing that he consumed the mana stones of the basilisks back in the inn.

“Master of the Tower.” Lark was in a monologue. “It makes everything easy then.”

Without warning, Lark punched the man at the abdomen, immediately making him lose consciousness. The man plopped on the ground, unmoving.

Lark left the alley and looked up. Even from here, the Tower of Magic stool tall, its tip seemed to be touching the clouds.

He heard before while wandering around the city that the Master of the Tower loved high places. It was the reason why he insisted on building his castle so high. At this time of the night, there was a really high chance that Lark would meet him at the top.

But it was not like there was a real need for him to go up just to meet the bastard. That tower would surely be filled with countless traps. If he forced his way to the top, he would be exhausted before even reaching the bastard.

Lark decided to use the easier way to lure him out.

Lark boldly walked towards the entrance of the Tower. As expected, the guards stopped him at the entrance. Lark’s mask gave him a suspicious appearance.

“Stop.” One of the guards blocked his path. The other one stood behind his back. “State your purpose. Only those recognized by the Tower can ente—”

Before the guards could even finish their statements, their faces were struck towards the ground, making loud thud sounds.

“Scream. Make sure he comes out.” The eyes behind the mask were filled with murderous intent.

Lark formed a dagger using wind magic. It shot towards the shoulder of one of the men on the ground. The man screamed the moment the wind dagger pierced his flesh.

“AAAAAHHH!”

His scream made all the passersby halt in their tracks. They stared at the unfolded scenario for a moment, digesting everything in their sight. After several more seconds, a woman screamed, and this was followed by several others.

“A fight!”

“Murderer!”

“Someone’s trying to fight against the Tower’s magicians!”

Panic swept through the crowd. Several people ran away, while some daredevils stood by and watched. Numerous lamps were lit as the sleeping residents woke up from the screams.

Soon, numerous magicians wearing blue robes stormed out of the Tower’s entrance. They became enraged upon seeing their comrades sprawled bleeding on the ground.

They were about to charge head-on and beat the masked intruder to a pulp, but their leader stopped them in their tracks. He spread out his right hand, signaling everyone to hold their ground.

“Who are you?” said the leader of the group. Unfortunately, he was not the one Lark was looking for. “Why did you attack my men?”

Lark did not bother with pleasantries. Lightning shot out of his index finger and struck the leader right at the chest. Caught off-guard, the leader fell down on his knees, his vision turning black. Before he lost consciousness, he mumbled, “Chantless magic?”

The other magicians realized it too. This man shot that lightning spell in the blink of an eye. It was definitely chantless magic. It went to show that their opponent was no ordinary magician. After all, only their elite magicians were capable of that.

Another lightning spell shot out of Lark’s fingertips and struck a magician. Like their leader, he fell down limp on the ground.

Everyone broke out of their stupor. They immediately started chanting magic, while those adept in close range combat charged towards Lark.

“God of fire, strike down my enemy. Become their bane!”

“Will of the wind, cull those before me!”

“Guardian of valleys! Protect your master!”

Fire balls, wind blades, and a guardian golem were summoned in quick successions. By the time they had finished their incantations, Lark had already struck down two close combat magicians. He evaded a slash from the one on his left and retaliated with a kick at the abdomen then at the face. Shards of ice formed around Lark and shot towards the close combat magicians. The scent of blood permeated the air as the citizens who remained to watch shouted in horror.

Lark channeled mana through his sword and slashed at the fireball coming towards his direction. It was split in half and struck the ground behind Lark. Several blades of wind flew towards him from the back. Lark bended his body and nimbly evaded each strike.

A shadow loomed over him. Looking up, Lark saw a large fist made of stone shooting towards his face. Lark amplified his entire body with mana and caught the fist of the golem with his left hand. He clenched his other hand, and with the entire weight of his body punched the golem at the chest, sending rocks flying around upon impact. He quickly followed through with another punch at the face, blowing away half of the golem’s head. The stone monster fell on its knees and stopped moving.

Lark did not give time for his enemies to cast another spell. His body blurred as it shot towards them. His mana-amplified fists struck their bodies. Every time Lark moved, a magician from the Tower fell unconscious to the ground. This horrifying scene continued until only one magician was left.

“Hiieeek!” A shout, which reminded Lark of a pig being slaughtered, escaped the magician’s lips. He fell down on his butt as fluids came out between his thighs. His entire body was quivering as his pupils shook.

The eyes looking at him behind the mask was cold. It was the eyes of someone who had taken numerous lives before.

Lark summoned a dagger made of wind magic. He grabbed it and threw it towards the man’s thigh. Blood spurted out and the man’s agonized shout reverberated.

Keep shouting.

Lark patiently waited for more magicians to come out of the Tower.

Finally.

The magician he was looking for finally came out of the Tower. A man, probably in his late thirties, with red hair and red eyes. A characteristic crescent scar ran across his eye. Behind him were numerous magicians clad also in blue robes. By sight alone, the number of magicians who came out of the Tower’s entrance easily surpassed a hundred.

Purple robes?

There were six people wearing purple robes among the magicians, and Lark’s target was among them.

Alecto, the Master of the Tower of Magic, looked at the unconscious magicians sprawled on the ground. There were scorch marks here and there. A broken stone golem was kneeling at a corner.

“Such a mess.” One of the magicians wearing purple robe clicked his tongue.

Alecto frowned. He glared at Lark. “Who are you?”

Those red eyes were looking at Lark as though he was some insect who did not know his place. The condescending air was so strong that there was no need for any more words.

Lark did not reply. He gauged the strengths of the magicians gathered here. As expected, those wearing purple robes were the strongest. Especially this bastard called Alecto.

“This bastard dares to—” One of the magicians was infuriated when Lark simply ignored Alecto’s question.

Alecto raised his hand. “Enough.”

Alecto frowned. Peculiarly, he could not feel any mana from this magician. It was as though he was a commoner, someone who never used magic before in his life.

This meant only one thing: this man’s degree of control over mana was so outstanding that even he, the Master of the Tower, was unable to feel it.

This man was dangerous. This was the conclusion Alecto came to.

“Why did you attack our magicians?” Alecto temporarily suppressed his desire to tear the masked intruder into shreds.

Moments passed. A small grin formed on the intruder’s lips. He said, “I’m here to return a favor.”

Alecto and the other magicians were puzzled.

Lark pointed at Alecto. “You’re the ruler of this city, right? How about this? Why don’t the two of us have a one-on-one fight?”

“I have the advantage in number,” Alecto smirked. “As strong as I am, I don’t see merit in doing a one-on-one fight.”

Lark chuckled. Although Alecto looked stupid, it seemed that he was not one to fall in such provocation.

“You don’t understand.” Mana started oozing out of Lark’s body. The magicians behind Alecto shuddered upon witnessing this. The amount was colossal, definitely comparable to the Elders of the Magic Tower. “I proposed this to prevent the collapse of this city. It’ll be hard to govern Wizzert if all your magicians become crippled, wouldn’t it?”

A fifty-meter large magic circle manifested itself underneath Lark’s feet. The ground started to rumble as the magic circle continuously sucked mana from Lark’s body. The radius of the magic circle was so absurdly large that the daredevils who chose to watch started fleeing to a safer distance.

“Leo. Marcris.”

Two purple-robed men stepped forward upon the mention of their names.

Alecto glared at Lark. “Show him his place.”

Blue mana started to cover the bodies of the two men. They unsheathed their swords and shot towards Lark, their bodies reappearing right before their target in the blink of an eye. Without hesitation, they aimed at Lark’s neck, their killing intent oozing out violently.

But before their blades could even reach Lark, their bodies were suddenly pull down towards the ground. They tried standing up, but as though they had been glued to the earth, they could not get up.

“It’s too late,” said Lark. All of the magicians gathered here were inside his magic circle.

The moment this magic circle was activated, Lark became the ruler of this small domain.

The Grand Scale Magic – Domain of Earth and the Forest.

Despite its dull name, it was a highly coveted spell capable of turning the tides of war. Back in the Magic Empire, Lark used this spell to single-handedly defend a fortress from thousands of trolls. Everyone who entered this magic circle would have their weight amplified hundredfold, eventually crushing them with their own weight alone.

Under Lark’s will, all of the magicians fell down on their knees, their bodies filled with sweat as they tried their best not to fall down the ground. Everyone’s bodies felt so heavy, as though they weighed a ton. Some of the weaker magicians started vomiting blood from the pressure produced by the pull of the earth.

Even Alecto was not spared from this phenomenon. After some time, he also fell down his knees, his body quivering as he tried resisting the gravity magic.

“Damn coward,” Alecto gritted his teeth. He could not even cast his chantless magic, since doing so would give Lark the opening to thoroughly crush him with the spell.

“Coward?” chuckled Lark. He found the statement amusing. “I’m actually benevolent enough. I even gave you the option of fighting me alone.”

Alecto snarled. “This damn cheap trick isn’t enough to stop me!”

Alecto channeled a large amount of mana into his body, strengthening it. And as though the gravity magic was a lie, Alecto started standing up. He smirked as he glared at Lark.

“Kneel.”

And the gravity magic intensified. Even with his body strengthening magic, Alecto fell down on his knees. He could feel the insides of his body being crushed by the sheer pressure of gravity magic.

What was happening? How was it possible for a single individual to perform Grand Scale Magic? This was the first time Alecto witnessed gravity magic being used like this. He previously thought it was a useless spell used only by support magicians when carrying the cargo.

“Like I’ve said before, I’m here to return a favor.” Lark pointed a finger at Alecto’s left arm, and using wind magic, started to twist it into unimaginable directions. Alecto gritted his teeth as excruciating pain filled his entire body. He did his best not to shout and scream.

That’s for George’s arm.

Lark’s eyes were predatory.

Now, for Austen’s…

Lark walked towards Alecto and yanked his hair up, then slammed his face towards the ground, creating a loud thud sound. Lark pulled his head up again, revealing Alecto’s broken nose and busted lips. Lark liked the sight of this. With tremendous force, he slammed the head of Alecto once again towards the ground, then again, and again, until he looked like bean paste. The smug face from before was already gone.

“He’s out?” Lark smiled wryly. The damn bastard had lost consciousness.

Lark let go of Alecto’s head, making his entire body fall down the ground. The rest of the magicians were in no better state. They were sprawled on the ground, their faces kissing the earth as their bodies refused to move.

I’m running out of mana.

Lark decided to finish this soon. He amplified his spell further until everyone finally lost their abilities to fight. By the time the spell ended, more than half of the magicians had lost consciousness, while the remaining ones could not even move a muscle from the pain.

Lark looked around. There were still spectators around, although they had fled to a safe distance.

Time to go back.

Lark concealed himself and leapt into the air, vanishing from sight.

That night, the news of a masked intruder defeating the entire Tower spread like wildfire.

Chapter Ten

When morning came, almost everyone in Wizzert City came to know what transpired last night. The news of how a single man defeated the magicians of the Tower became the topic of everyone.

Just like any other gossip, the story became exaggeratedly distorted. Some said that the intruder was a giant towering three meters, with an iron club in his hand which he used to beat all the magicians into a pulp. Some said that it was actually an explosion from one of the Tower’s experiments which injured the magicians. But the most popular version of the story was that it was an intruder wearing a black get up, his entire face covered by a mask. Just looking into his eyes was enough to make all the magicians of the Tower fall down their knees and collapse.

“But my brother said it was actually a woman!” a kid gave his own version of the story.

“No way! It was a man! My father was there when it happened!” another kid argued.

Mikael’s lips twitched upon hearing these. He knew the truth of the story. There was no doubt about it. The clothes worn by the intruder, his physical appearance, and the time when he appeared at the Tower. All evidences pointed to one man.

Lark Marcus.

Mikael had not expected Lark to come charging at the magicians of the Tower after their fight. That feat was nothing short of suicide, and Mikael doubts that no other person was sane enough to do it.

But he pulled through.

Mikael did not know the reason why Lark attacked the magicians of the Tower, but the fact that he actually defeated them remained.

He knew that Lark was strong, but not this strong. After all, Alecto and the Elders of the Tower present that time were as strong as the Royal Court Magicians of this Kingdom. Those six purple-robed magicians were the elites of the elites, the strongest of all magicians residing in this city. But still, they were defeated by a single intruder. It was akin to Lark defeating half of the Royal Court Magicians all by himself.

“No wonder he easily noticed me.”

Mikael smiled wryly. After he was discovered by Lark last night, Mikael doubled the distance between him and the target. It was a necessary precaution to give him enough time to escape once spotted by Lark.

Mikael did not want to fight that monster again. Even now, his hand was still a bit numb after deflecting Lark’s attacks last night. Had he not escaped using the light scroll, he would have been surely beaten to a pulp by now. The memories of how Lark had cast several magic at once while fending off his attacks were still playing vividly in Mikael’s mind.

Honestly, it did not make sense that someone so young was so adept at both swordsmanship and magic. Mikael wondered how Duke Drakus failed to recognize that his second son was such a genius – a monster in human flesh. Had he known that his son was a prodigy, would he still have thrown his son to that town?

***

After beating the crap out of the magicians of the Tower, Lark immediately went out of the City along with his entourage. As expected, crippling the Tower made the security lax despite the incident last night. They managed to get past the security in the gates and continued their journey towards the Capital.

“Young Master…” Austen’s voice was almost a mumble.

Lark stared at the open window of the carriage. The grasses outside swayed from the wind as their group moved through the plains. “What?”

Austen opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, but did not manage to say the words out. George sighed at his brother. He said to Lark, “You did it, right? The masked intruder at the Tower. It’s you.”

The sudden accusation of George made Lark look towards his direction. “Don’t be stupid. Why would I do something as dangerous as that?”

Hearing Lark’s calm and nonchalant voice made George and Austen doubt themselves. When they heard the news this morning, they could not help but think it was the Young Master’s doing. But now, after hearing the Young Master’s reply, they were no longer sure of who the intruder was.

“How’s your wounds?” Lark changed the topic.

George moved the previously crippled arm. “It still hurts a bit whenever I move it, but it’ll probably be fully healed after a week.”

Lark looked at Austen. The older of the two brothers said, “I’m perfectly fine. My body no longer hurts and all the wounds are gone.”

“Is that so?” Lark was satisfied with their answers. “By the way, if you still haven’t learned how to write the magic formations by the time we’ve returned to Blackstone Town, I’ll cut your pay in half. You’re fully healed, right? Then stop slacking off and start studying.”

The brothers stiffened. They had never heard something so scary in their life. Cut their salaries in half? It was tantamount to losing at least twenty-five silvers a month for each of them!

“O-Of course!”

“We’re studying! Right away!”

As though all of the monsters in the forest they passed through had become docile, they did not encounter any troubles in their trip from Wizzert towards the Capital. After almost a week, they finally arrived at Behemoth City, the Capital of the Kingdom.

“How do I say this,” mumbled George. From the carriage, he looked at the walls encompassing the entire city. “It’s huge but—”

“—Underwhelming,” completed Austen.

George nodded. “We’ve just been through the City of Magic, so maybe that’s why.”

From afar, the walls of the city stretched endlessly, with no end in sight. Unlike the City of Magic, there was no air of grandeur and magnificence in this city. It was simply colossal, that’s all.

This was also the sentiment of Lark. He had expected more, since Behemoth City was the Kingdom’s Capital. But aside from its size, it looked ordinary from the outside.

Their group passed through the gate and went into an inn in the Middle District. Looking at the date, it seemed that they still have two days before the King’s birthday. It was just enough time to look around and prepare for the event.

Lark donned a plain-looking cloak. He asked everyone, “I’m going to look around the city.” Noticing that his guards were about to speak, he added, “I’m going alone. That is final.”

After Lark left the inn, he wandered the busy streets of the Capital. Despite its large size, the Middle District felt cramped due to the amount of people traversing the streets. Numerous stalls were lined up here and there. Numerous taverns and inns filled this particular area of the Capital.

A familiar scent wafted in the air. Lark looked around and saw the source of the smell.

“Hey, what do you call these?” he asked the vendor.

“Bulbar boar meat.” The vendor cast a glance at Lark before flipping the grilled meat in front of him. “Thirty coppers each.”

Lark smiled. The name of this particular food had not been changed even after a thousand years. It was the meat of a boar commonly found in the forest of Magic Empire. Despite its bland taste, it had a very long storage life, making it an ideal food for travelers.

“Give me one of those,” said Lark. He pointed at another piece of meat. “And that one is?”

“Bihorned rabbit. Twenty-eight coppers.”

Lark took out a silver coin and handed it to the vendor. “That one as well.”

After receiving his change, Lark continued his tour of the City. Along the way, a hooded man bumped into him. The man mumbled, “Watch it, damn it,” then continued walking.

But before he could get away, Lark grabbed the man’s wrist. The man angrily growled, “What do you want?!”

Lark simply smiled. “That’s mine, mister.” Without warning, he fumbled inside the man’s garb and grabbed a leather pouch.

“H-Hey! What are you doing? That’s mine!”

Lark lightly tossed the pouch into the air and nimbly caught it, creating loud clanking sounds. He noticed a group of patrols near an intersection. The man must have also noticed them, judging by the way he suddenly stiffened.

“This is yours?” Lark tilted his head. “I’m pretty sure this is mine though?”

“Damn bastard!” The man clenched his fists. “Are you telling me that I stole it from you, huh? Is that it?!”

This small form of intimidation did not work the slightest. Lark said, “Then why don’t we make those soldiers over there be the judge, mister?”

A bead of sweat flowed down the man’s forehead. He stammered, “F-Fine!” Quickly, the man disappeared amidst the crowd.

Lark strapped the pouch into his leather belt. That person was quite a skilled pickpocket. If it was another person, the victim would have not even noticed that his pouch was gone by now. Since he had just arrived in the Capital, Lark decided to let the pickpocket go for now. It was none of his business, after all.

He finally finished eating the boar meat he bought. Still a bit hungry, he took out the rabbit meat and began biting on it. As he was walking through the streets, he arrived at the Red Light District. Numerous women wearing thick makeup stood outside the brothels, enticing men to enter the establishment.

Naturally, these women started targeting him as well. Lark simply ignored them.

“Hey, Lark!”

A loud voice rang out. Lark halted in his tracks when someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder.

“Lark! It’s you, right?!”

Lark turned around and was greeted by a bald man a head taller than him. He had numerous tattoos on his hands and neck, giving him the appearance of a typical hooligan.

He looks young. Why is he bald?

A weird, senseless question popped in Lark’s head.

“I was right! It’s you!”

Every time the man spoke, the smell of alcohol and tobacco assaulted Lark’s nose. The man’s entire face was flushed.

Silence befell the two. Caught off-guard, Lark did not know how to respond to this man who obviously knew the previous owner of his current body.

The man burped then pointed at his face. “It’s me! Jepsy! Remember? Come on, man! It’s hardly been a year! How could you forget your best buddy!”

Even the man’s name was stupid. Lark almost sighed. He had not expected to run into someone who knew the real Lark this soon.

“Jepsy, of course I remember.” Lark smiled and wrapped a hand around his supposedly best buddy.

Jepsy frowned, “You feel… different.”

“Must be the alcohol,” said Lark.

Jepsy nodded, “Right. Must be the alcohol.”

Jepsy saw two men walking out of the brothel. His eyes widened in glee. He waved his hands passionately. “Omie! Renz! Over here! Look who’s here!”

The two men, whose faces were also flushed, were momentarily stunned upon seeing Lark. They grinned at each other and jogged towards Lark.

“Lark! You damn little shit!” said Omie, a plump young man with various ornaments wrapped around his neck and wrists.

“Hey, I heard you were forced to become Lord of that small town! You should have told us you’re coming to the Capital!” added Renz, the smallest of the trio.

Like Jepsy, the two also reeked of alcohol. Renz’s neck, in particular, had numerous kiss marks.

“I can’t believe the Four Masters of Lukas have been reunited!” Jepsy heartily laughed. “We should drink! Let’s drink! And women!”

“Of course, women!”

“Another round, eh? Not bad!”

Swept by the mood, Lark was forced to enter a nearby tavern. Unsure of what to say, he decided to keep his silence for now. Less talk, less mistakes.

“So, you were also invited by His Majesty for his birthday, eh?” said Jepsy.

Lark was surprised at this statement. After all, according to the Sword Saint, this was highly classified information.

Seeing Lark’s surprised expression, Jepsy grinned. “What? You think I’ll be kept in the dark in these things? I may be the third son of a Viscount, but I’m still a noble, pal.”

“I see. So, it’s for the crown, huh? And here I thought Lark paid us a visit,” Omie smirked, then chugged down a bottle of alcohol. After emptying it, he burped then wiped his lips with his wrist.

Renz lit a tobacco. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s just be glad that Lark’s here with us. Honestly, I thought you died. We haven’t heard from you for several months.”

The other two nodded.

“I’m still very much alive,” Lark chuckled, doing his best to blend in with this weird atmosphere. He took a bottle of alcohol and half-emptied it. The trio smiled upon seeing this. They probably felt glad to see Lark being his usual self once again. “So, tell me more about what you know about the crown’s invite.”

Renz blew out a puff of smoke. Jepsy crossed his legs, leaned his body on the couch, then said, “They’re going to conduct a small test after the King’s Birthday.”

“A small test?” Lark was curious.

“That’s all I know,” Jepsy shrugged. “My family paid a large sum just to obtain that information, you know? It’s not easy to get anything from the Royals these days.”

“I know what the test is about.”

Everyone’s attention turned to Omie. He grinned. “I don’t know what exactly the test is, but I’m pretty sure it’s a test to assess the candidates to the throne.”

“Assess the candidate, huh?” Renz blew out another puff of smoke. He was staring at Lark. “Well, it’s not like it’ll matter. You’re not the type to be interested in such things, after all.”

Jepsy chuckled. “Hahaha! That’s right! As long as we have alcohol and women, we’re all good!” He shouted, “Hey, where’re the women?!”

One of the staffs of the tavern bowed his head, “Apologies! They’re being prepared, sir!”

Jepsy threw a bottle to the ground, breaking it into several shards. “Hurry up, you damn incompetent piece of shit! Do you have an idea how much I pay every month in this tavern?!”

The staff bowed repeatedly, before scurrying away in fright.

Lark frowned at this. “Alcohol’s enough for now. I’m not in any mood for a woman right now.”

The three froze. They looked at Lark with wonder. They began whispering with each other, casting glances at Lark every now and then.

“Hey, seriously?”

“Lark, the womanizer… rejecting women?”

“Must be the town. The Duke’s really harsh, eh? Throwing him away to a place like that.”

The whispers continued for a while. Unable to bear it any longer, Lark made a firmer remark, “I’m not in the mood for women. Do you understand?”

His sharp gaze made the three concede. Jepsy shouted again at the tavern staff, telling him that they no longer want the company of some women.

The ‘reunion’ continued until midnight. By the time Lark left the tavern, he had come to learn many things about the original owner of his body.

It seemed that the original Lark was a far bigger bastard than he originally thought. Women, alcohol, drugs. He did it all. Jepsy even mentioned a time when the original Lark coerced a commoner to come to his room late at night. It was no wonder that his father, the Duke, threw him away to that town.

He also came to learn more about the members of their group, The Four Masters of Lukas.

Although the name of the group sounded stupid, it was actually comprised of rich nobles who practiced a hedonistic lifestyle. It also seemed that Lark was their leader, with each of them having some kind of influence on the underground organizations of the Capital. It was the same reason why they were able to get their hands on several forbidden drugs.

Jepsy was the third son of Viscount Lakian, the Chamberlain of the King. Omie was the second son of Baron Morivar, and Renz was the fourth son of Viscount Amarozo. Lark, who had the highest status among them, easily solidified his position as their leader.

Friendship easily formed among the four of them, stemming from the mutual vices and hedonistic lifestyles they each led. All four men had no fear. Peculiarly, what Lark felt from them were admiration. The trio probably respected how Lark did anything he wanted without thinking of the repercussions.

It’s been a tiring day.

Lark sighed. He reeked of alcohol and smoke. He looked towards the direction of the King’s Castle. It was a lot smaller when compared to the Wizzert Tower, but it was still the tallest building in the entire Capital.

Two more days.

The King’s birthday was nearing. After learning that there would a test for the candidates, Lark grew curious.

What could it be?

I’ll find out soon. No use pondering about it.

He went back to the inn and fell asleep immediately.

Chapter Eleven

Today was the King’s birthday. Nobles from various backgrounds have started entering the Capital to answer the crown’s invite. Security was increased tenfold, and thousands of soldiers were stationed all throughout the city to ensure the safety and order of the Capital.

Duke Kelvin arrived at the King’s Castle, his stubby body moving with pride and purpose. Behind him were his twenty sons – all of whom were candidates for the throne.

Just by numbers alone, it was apparent who held the advantage in the competition. After all, out of the twenty-eight candidates, twenty belonged to the House Kelvin. Just a week ago, one of his sons, Kalavinka, led their navy to victory against a Mullgray Pirate fleet.

The seemingly invincible pirate fleer suffered a crushing defeat!

Duke Kelvin looked at one of his younger sons walking behind him. Sometimes, he couldn’t help but wonder how a timid-looking boy could come up with such cunning naval tactics. Even the fire that could burn in water was invented by this son of his.

Kalavinka held no talent with the sword, but his abilities in naval warfare more than made up for it. The second youngest son of Duke Kelvin easily solidified his position within the family after these consecutive victories against the Mullgray Pirates.

While the Duke was lost in his thoughts, their family finally arrived at the Capital.

“Duke Kelvin, Head of the House Kelvin, has arrived!” the Master of Ceremonies announced.

The door opened and Duke Kelvin stepped inside the Grand Hall, his sons immediately following suit. The nobles inside stopped what they were doing and looked at his direction. Just the Duke’s entourage alone gave the impression of a formidable force.

“Sir Lancaster of the House Kelvin has arrived!”

“Sir Zaask of the House Kelvin has arrived!”

“Sir Amphus of the House Kelvin has arrived!”

Although arduous, the Master of Ceremonies announced the arrival of his sons one by one. After all, every single one of these nobles was a candidate for the throne.

Duke Kelvin scanned his surroundings. There were around twenty or so nobles gathered inside the Grand Hall. Barons, Viscounts, Counts, Marquis. All of the men gathered here were of great prestige, each of them ruling over a significant territory. He also saw the despicable Duke Drakus and Duke Youchester speaking with each other. His brows twitched at this sight.

What were those two up to? It was rare for them to interact with each other even in previous gatherings.

“Sir Kalavinka of the House Kelvin has arrived!”

The nobles stared at the timid-looking boy upon the utterance of the name. Most of them had not expected that this child, who had half of his face covered by his black hair, was the so-called genius of naval warfare.

They had heard of his feats before. They knew that he had never suffered a single defeat even against the Mullgray Pirates.

The nobles who belonged to Duke Kelvin’s faction immediately went to greet him.

“Duke Kelvin,” Viscount Alma shook hands with the Duke. “I heard of your victory a week ago against the Mullgrays. Even the Empire had a hard time dealing with those barbarians, but it seemed that you managed to obtain a crushing victory against them!”

The Viscount was obviously trying to gain favor, but Duke Kelvin did not mind. Everything he stated was true, after all. The fat Duke bobbed his head, his lips twitching as he tried his best not to laugh out loud.

As expected, everyone has already heard of the news of their victory!

“We’ve been developing our navy these past few years in anticipation of such battles,” the Duke lied. Their navy was not developed at all. Those victories were solely due to Kalavinka’s skills in naval warfare. “Those damn barbarians are obviously not a match with our navy.”

A gasp of admiration escaped the lips of the nobles surrounding the Duke. Even the Empire who bullied the neighboring countries was unable to do anything against those pirates. Those barbarians knew the waters like the palm of their hands, and despite the advance weapons of the Empire, they were unable to drive the pirates back.

“I heard about the blackfire,” said Viscount Alma. “The fire that could burn even in water.” He looked at the timid-looking boy. “It’s Young Master Kalavinka who invented it, right?”

Kalavinka stiffened when he found himself the center of everyone’s attention. He brushed his hair to the side, covering both of his eyes. He slowly moved behind his father.

Before, the Duke would have reprimanded Kalavinka for such actions. But now that he had become the rising star of the House Kelvin, he had become tolerant of this kid. He simply chuckled.

“That’s right,” the Duke answered, his chest puffed out with pride. “We no longer have to fear those barbarians! You should have seen how their ships sank after being burned to crisp and dust!”

Like hyenas, the nobles belonging to the Duke’s faction sucked up to him. The praises uttered by these guys elated the Duke’s mood.

Then he saw Duke Drakus and Duke Youchester.

Damn it. They’re still talking to each other?

Duke Kelvin had a grave foreboding. He did not like how those two Dukes conversed. Since when did they become this friendly with each other?

Duke Kelvin grabbed a cup of wine and approached the two. He smiled broadly, emphasizing his plump cheeks.

“Duke Drakus, Duke Youchester,” Duke Kelvin greeted the dukes. “It’s rare seeing the two of you. I heard that the Empire started moving at the Western Front?”

The two Dukes looked at each other and stopped their conversation.

“You mean the Yorkshaire Mountains?” Duke Drakus did not conceal his displeased expression. He obviously disliked how Duke Kelvin suddenly interrupted their conversation.

“Yorkshaire Mountain. Indeed,” Duke Kelvin nodded. “That’s right. I heard that the Marcus Army lost almost a hundred soldiers after the short skirmish a week ago.”

Did Duke Kelvin come to pick a fight with him? Duke Drakus did not like those condescending eyes staring at him, not one bit.

“It was a reconnaissance mission,” Duke Drakus explained. “The sacrifice of those soldiers did not go in vain. We gained crucial information regarding the movement of the Empire.”

Duke Kelvin sipped his wine. “Of course, of course. Reconnaissance mission. Splendid.” He chuckled.

Duke Drakus had the urge to kick the fat man in front of him. The sugarcoated words the man spoke sure reeked of mockery.

“Sir Paztro of House Youchester has arrived!”

Duke Youchester, who remained silent until now, looked at the direction of the door. A pale-looking young man had just arrived.

“It seems that my son has arrived,” said Duke Youchester. “Excuse me.”

Without uttering another word, Duke Youchester left the other two Dukes behind. He went to his son and led him to the center of the Grand Hall.

“What were the two of you talking about?” said Duke Kelvin. “It’s been so long since I last saw Youchester speak so lively with someone.”

Duke Drakus did not reply. He picked up a goblet on the table and started drinking. Duke Kelvin clicked his tongue. Now that Youchester was gone, it was no longer fun picking on this old man. He left and went back to where the nobles of his faction gathered.

A man with long silver hair walked towards Duke Drakus.

“Father.”

It was his oldest son, Lui Marcus. He was the only person here who carried a sword on his waist. It was common knowledge that he always carried his beloved weapon wherever he went, no matter what.

“Do you think he’ll come?”

Duke Drakus frowned at this question. “It doesn’t matter if he comes or not. We’ve already talked about this, Lui. Do you remember your oath? Your promise?”

Lui frowned and sighed, “I remember, Father.”

Duke Drakus’ss mood turned sour. For some reason, the wine did not taste as good anymore. He hoped that son of his wouldn’t come. That boy was not human – he was a demon clad in human flesh. If he came here, there would be nothing but mayhem.

He prayed to the Gods that this gathering would come to pass without a hitch, that his damned son of wouldn’t come.

But the heavens willed otherwise.

“Sir Lark of House Marcus has arrived!”

The buzzes inside the Grand Hall came to a stop. All of the nobles looked at the direction of the door, particularly at the young man with short silver hair. He wore a simple yet elegant dress with golden embroidering. His eyes were clear, as though the large crowd did not faze him at all. His back was straight as he strode into the Grand Hall.

“He’s here!” Lui Marcus could not conceal the excitement in his voice. “He’s grown taller, Father!”

Like a doting brother, Lui looked at Lark with warmth in his eyes.

Duke Drakus gnashed his teeth.

Why did the bastard come to this place? To embarrass their family? He wanted to cuss and kick the boy out, but there were so many eyes watching.

Lark looked at their direction, and to Duke Drakus’s horror, the kid smiled at them!

“Remember your oath,” said the Duke, his voice firm. “You are not allowed to speak with your brother.”

Lui clenched his fists, “Yes, Father.”

Almost a year ago, the Duke planned on throwing Lark away to another Kingdom, never to be seen again. But Lui begged his father to reconsider. Instead, they made a deal: in exchange of just exiling Lark to a faraway town, Lui cannot speak with nor contact his brother ever again.

To Duke Drakus’s relief, Lark started eating instead of coming towards them. The other nobles were obviously wary of the kid, since no one even bothered greeting him.

***

When Lark arrived inside the Grand Hall, he had already expected the harsh treatment from his fellow nobles due to his bad reputation, but he had not expected things to be this severe. No one bothered to speak with him at all, the nobles even avoided his gaze. It was as though he did not exist at all.

He saw two nobles with the characteristic silver hair of the Marcus Family. Judging by the way the other nobles interacted with those two, they were probably his father and his brother.

His father glared at him, while his older brother looked at him with warmth.

With Lark’s vast experience borne from his previous life, he felt that the Duke did not want to associate with him at all. Thus, Lark decided to simply eat and drink, to wait things out and to observe what would happen in this gathering.

I’ve seen what they look like. That’s enough.

Lark had no intention of making things hard for his father. If given the chance, he could just speak with them later, away from the eyes of these nobles.

“So, you’re Lark Marcus.” A man in his middle forties approached Lark. “I’ve been wanting to meet you.”

Lark stared at the man before him. He could not feel any malice within those eyes. Lark’s intuition was telling him that those words were genuine.

“Ah, apologies.” The man scratched his cheeks. His skin was dark, as though it had been constantly exposed to the scorching sun. “I forgot to introduce myself. I am Chase, the Lord of Golden Wheat City. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Young Master Lark.”

Lord Chase offered his hand and Lark shook it.

Lark had heard of Golden Wheat City several times before. It was the city that produced half of the wheat in the entire Kingdom – the second richest city next to the Capital.

Why was such a prominent figure – the Lord of a Major City – talking to him like this?

“It’s also my pleasure, Lord Chase.” Lark decided to proceed with the pleasantries. “It’s an honor to meet the Lord of Golden Wheat City. My small town used to import wheat before when we were struck by the Black Famine.”

“You’re more polite than the rumors,” Lord Chase smiled. “And there’s no need to address me so respectfully. I was born a commoner, after all.”

Lark paused, “Born a commoner? So what?”

Lord Chase was taken aback by this statement. He chuckled. “Hahaha! That’s right! In administrating a city, your background doesn’t matter. What matters is your governing skill, the way you treat your subjects. Status and nobility are insignificant.”

Lord Chase was starting to like this young man. The other nobles treated him poorly back when he first attained the position of Lord several years ago. Although they did not show it explicitly, he could feel and see it in their eyes: they disliked the idea of a commoner becoming the Lord of a city.

But the eyes of this young man told the truth. He meant what he said.

A group of nobles approached Lark and Lord Chase.

“Lord Chase,” the noble at their lead reached out his hand. “We meet again.”

Lord Chase shook the man’s hand. “Count Sith. It’s a surprise seeing you here.”

“His Majesty personally invited me. This old man wouldn’t dare refuse the crown’s invite.” Count Sith’s eyes moved from Lord Chase, then to Lark. “And this young man is?”

Since the Count had just arrived, he did not know the identity of Lark.

One of the nobles behind Count Sith whispered, “Sir, it’s that guy. Lark Marcus.”

Count Sith’s eyes momentarily grew wide. His smile almost slipped down his face. He coughed twice then resumed his smiling façade. “Ah, Lark Marcus, is it?” He reached out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet the second son of Duke Drakus.”

After shaking hands, Count Sith avoided Lark’s gaze all throughout his conversation with Lord Chase. It was apparent that he did not like to be associated with the trash of the House Marcus. That young man was disowned by his own family. What benefit would Count Sith gain in making acquaintance with him?

After Count Sith left, several more nobles came to greet Lord Chase. And just like before, they immediately ignored Lark the moment they learned of his identity.

After everyone had finally left them, Lord Chase smiled at Lark. He gazed at the young man as though he was looking at his own son. “Don’t mind them. They’ll soon realize how stupid they are.”

“What do you mean, Sir?” Lark was puzzled.

Lord Chase chuckled, “You’ll know what I’m talking about. Soon.”

“Ah, by the way,” Lord Chase paused for a moment. “Are you acquainted with the Tower?”

“The Tower?”

“The Magic Tower,” said Lord Chase. He looked at a certain part of the Grand Hall. Following Lord Chase’s gaze, Lark met the eyes of a red-haired woman wearing a purple cloak. The insignia of a wing embroidered on her cloak was familiar – it was the crest of the Tower of Magic. The same organization Lark crushed back in Wizzert City.

The red-haired woman was breathtakingly beautiful, but she glared at Lark for some reason.

Purple cloak. She’s probably an Elder from the Tower.

Lark surmised that the woman must have felt the familiar aura of Lark. But since they were currently inside the King’s castle, she had no choice but to stay put.

“Never heard of them,” Lark lied.

Lord Chase had a quizzical look on his face. “Is that so?”

The two of them ignored the woman glaring at Lark’s direction.

Soon, Viscount Lakian entered the Grand Hall. Seeing him, everyone turned quiet at once. He tapped his wooden staff on the marbled floor. “The embodiment of God Neruz. The heart of the Sun. His Majesty, King Alvis Lukas VI has arrived. Everyone – show your respect.”

The nobles all lowered their heads as an old man with ashen hair entered the Grand Hall.

King Alvis wore simple clothes and a golden crown. He held a scepter in his right hand. He sat on a seat higher than everyone else’s.

“We greet His Majesty!” the nobles said in unison.

The King nodded his head and thanked everyone for coming to celebrate his sixty-fifth birthday.

With the arrival of the King, the celebration officially began. Minstrels started singing and playing music while women wearing feather-filled outfits danced. Chatters filled the Grand Hall as the nobles tried making connections with the influential figures gathered in this place.

Lord Chase continued chatting with Lark. Despite the mundane topics, the Lord of Golden Wheat City obviously enjoyed speaking with the young man.

The hour quickly passed. The King stood up from his seat. He grasped a gemstone in his hand and spoke to it. His voice, amplified with magic, was then heard all throughout the Grand Hall.

“I have invited all of you here for two reasons,” said the King. Everyone attentively listened. The minstrels stopped playing. “First is to celebrate this old man’s birthday. I’m just glad I’m still alive to see this day. Who knows, maybe this old man would not wake up tomorrow?”

The King chuckled at his own morbid joke. The nobles awkwardly laughed.

“Second is to give recognition to the people who had contributed greatly to the Kingdom.”

Hearing this, Duke Kelvin broadly grinned. The nobles around them instinctively glanced at his son, Kalavinka.

The Grand Chamberlain tapped his wooden staff on the ground. On cue, several people entered the Grand Hall, carrying exquisite-looking chests with them.

“We will now proceed with the awarding ceremony,” the King announced through the magic stone. Murmurs and buzzes filled the air. Everyone did not expect this event, so they were excited. “We have prepared three rewards. First, for Lui Marcus.”

“Lui Marcus!” repeated the Grand Chamberlain.

Lui walked towards the pedestal. The two royal guards standing beside the King stepped forward, about to stop Lui from coming any closer. Their gazes were focused on the sword hanging on his waist.

“It’s fin,” King Alvis waived his hand. “That man never leaves his weapon behind.”

Although reluctant, the royal guards stepped back. Several steps away from the King, Lui knelt down.

“For successfully blocking the invasion of the Empire at the Yorkshaire Mountain Range, and for successfully completing the reconnaissance mission on the Fourteenth Brigade,” The King’s voice reverberated all throughout the Hall. “I award you with three thousand gold coins, a medal of valor, and the position of Supreme Commander of the Yorkshaire Army.”

The entire hall buzzed with life. Duke Drakus smiled smugly at this sight. As expected of his son! The nobles belonging to their faction cheered.

“But your Majesty,” Lui looked up. “Isn’t that position—”

“—You mean the Sword Saint?” said the King. “Yes, it’s supposed to be his. But he adamantly insisted that you take that position instead. He told me that an old man like him have no plans on leading an army as large as that. He’ll accompany you in battle as an advisor instead.”

Duke Kelvin sneered. This meant that had the Sword Saint not given up on that position, it would have not been granted to Lui. That damn son of Duke Drakus was simply lucky.

“Are you going to reject this offer too?” the King wryly smiled.

Lui shook his head. “No, Your Majesty. I am honored to lead the Yorkshaire Army.”

Cheers erupted.

The nobles belonging in Duke Drakus’s faction were elated. Lui was already the commander of the Western Front, but now, he was also given the authority to command the Yorkshaire Army – an army consisting of veteran soldiers who battled against monsters on a daily basis.

After Lui received his rewards, the King called the second awardee of the day.

“Kalavinka Kelvin,” the King called out.

There was no response. Confused, the Grand Chamberlain said in a raised voice, “Kalavinka Kelvin!”

Soon, a thin, timid-looking boy in his early teens stepped forward. Half of his face was covered by his black hair, his steps wobbly and unsteady.

Seeing this, Duke Kelvin clicked his tongue. “Don’t embarrass our family! The King is waiting! Go!”

Ushered by his father’s words, Kalavinka slowly approached the King. He imitated Lui and knelt down on one knee.

“Y-Your Majesty.” Kalavinka’s voice was trembling.

The King remembered the time he first met this boy a few years ago. He was still the same as he was back then: a boy who could not even look another person in the eye.

For a moment, King Alvis wondered how such a kid managed to defeat the invincible Mullgray Pirates.

“For your consecutive victories against the Mullgray Pirates that threatened our seas, and for reclaiming back the Aurora Island that we have lost to those barbarians a decade ago,” said the King. “I award you with three thousand gold coins, a medal of valor, and the official title of Admiral of the Kingdom!”

The timid-looking boy shook. His father, on the other hand, squeaked in glee. The nobles supporting the House of Kelvin cheered.

“The official title of an Admiral grants you the authority to summon the naval fleet of the other port cities of the Kingdom. Use them as you see fit. I will leave them under your command.”

It was such a great position for a boy his age. Unsure of what to do and say, Kalavinka swallowed dry spit and mumbled, “I… T-Thank you… Y-Your M-Majesty.”

Honestly, Kalavinka wanted to reject the offer, but he was afraid of facing the wrath of his father. This was too much responsibility for a boy like him to bear. He wanted to stand up, flee the place, and go back to his room in their estate.

But in the end, Kalavinka was unable to utter another word.

After the cheers from the nobles subsided, the King cleared his throat and said, “And for the last award, Lark Marcus.”

The entire Hall turned dead silent. Lark almost dropped the goblet he was holding upon hearing his name. He had not expected to be included among the list.

“I told you. Those idiots will shut their mouths soon,” Lord Chase grinned at him. For some reason, he seemed to have expected this development.

“Lark Marcus. Come forward!” said the Grand Chamberlain.

Under the scrutinizing gazes of the nobles present, Lark walked towards the King. He saw at the corner of his eyes the pallid face of his father and the gaping jaw of his brother.

Lark knelt down on one knee.

“For successfully driving away the Third Legion of the United Grakas Alliance,” said the King. His words reverberated amidst the eerie silence. “For successfully taking the head of Commander Azura and General Urkawi of the Beastmen Army.”

There was a long pause.

“And for coming up with the method of destroying the Black Famine, the pests that had been infesting this Kingdom for several years now.”

By now, the eyes of the nobles were open wide, to the point of popping out.

“I award you with four thousand gold coins, a medal of valor, and the position of Royal Advisor of the Kingdom.”

Those who heard the last line were stunned.

Royal Advisor? How absurd!

That position was usually held by old men who were well past their sixties. Such position needed vast experience, wisdom, and knowledge accumulated over the decades. Such a young man holding the position was unheard of before.

Lark looked at the King.

King Alvis smiled at him, “Do you accept?”

To the spectators’ surprise, Lark did not immediately give his reply. “I rule over a small town far from here. Your Majesty, will I need to stay here in the Capital?”

The King seemed to have expected this question. He readily answered, “That’s right. We’ll have a hard time communicating with you otherwise.”

Lark pondered for a few seconds. He bowed his head. “Forgive my insolence, Your Majesty. But I humbly decline.”

The entire Grand Hall went into uproar. The nobles whispered and chatted with each other. They looked at Lark as though he was some madman.

The position of a Royal Advisor was as prominent as a Commander of the Kingdom. He would have the power to influence the direction of the Kingdom. Still, the young man rejected the offer because he did not want to leave his small town!

Duke Drakus almost laughed out loud. “As expected of the Trash. He can’t even distinguish between the good and the bad, huh?”

Kalavinka, who stood next to his father, thought otherwise. He had heard of the rumors of the United Grakas Alliance’s attempt to invade the Southern Region before, but he had not expected it to be true. Even more so having the so-called trash of the Duke’s family as the one who repelled the invasion.

According to the rumors, this young man used only a thousand soldiers to defeat a ten thousand strong enemy. A commander as capable as that would surely have his reasons for rejecting the King’s offer.

The same thought ran through King Alvis’s mind.

He furrowed his brows, “May I know the reason why?”

Lark gave a simple reply, “Your Majesty, I do not wish to leave Blackstone Town.”

The topography of that region held so much potential. If one looked at the map, the town could be expanded further. It could become even larger than the major cities of this Kingdom. After all, the Endless Forest alone was larger than the entire Kingdom of Lukas.

Another reason was Lark’s attachment to his subjects in Blackstone Town. Some may tell him that such emotions should be thrown away, discarded, but his experience back in his previous life made him realize that such emotions were the most precious. He would not forsake those people for the mere position of a Royal Advisor.

“I… See,” the King sighed. “This is an awarding ceremony. I shall not coerce you any further.”

After Lark went back to where Lord Chase was, the King leaned on his chair. He was disappointed of the outcome of this assembly.

He heard from Mikael before how Lark developed that small town. How he defeated the Beastmen, and how he destroyed the Black Famine. Despite his young age, the King firmly believed that Lark would be a splendid Royal Advisor, probably even better than those old men who constantly nagged at him, the King.

After the awarding ceremony, several nobles started approaching Lark. Even the Count who disregarded him before started acting cordially. Lark politely greeted them, but did not pursue conversations any further.

After the hyena-like nobles left, Lord Chase chuckled. “How does it feel like? To suddenly become the star?”

“Unpleasant,” Lark smiled wryly.

Lord Chase grinned, “You’ll get used to it.”

The celebration continued until midnight. The next morning, upon waking up at the inn, a messenger from the King appeared at Lark’s doorstep.

The King was summoning him to the Throne Room, along with the other throne candidates.

Chapter Twelve

By noon, all twenty-eight candidates for the throne were already gathered inside the throne room. The knights in charge of observing them were also there, their faces covered by silver masks. Judging by the reactions of the candidates, only a couple of them realized the identity of these masked knights.

Lark took a peek at one of the knights standing like a statue near the throne. The suppressed mana leaking out of his body was definitely from that person. He was the knight tasked to observe Lark Marcus.

The King arrived. Following behind him were the three Royal Advisors, General Carlos, and a priestess from the Temple of the Water God.

“I gathered all of you here to discuss strategies concerning the Empire.” The King went straight to the point. “Priestess Thea.”

The female priestess stepped forward. After bowing to the King, she turned to the candidates. “The things we are going to discuss here are of utmost confidentiality. All of those who wish to participate are required to make the vow of silence – a vow to Nereus, the God of Water.”

“This vow can mean your life and death,” added the King. “Those who do not wish to participate can leave this room now.”

Several candidates flinched at this statement. Most of them knew what would happen if they broke the vow. Kalavinka, in particular, had the urge to leave the room and go back to their estate. He could not see why he should concern himself with matters concerning the Empire. At the end, however, he decided to stay in fear of facing the wrath of his father. After all, those who leave this place would be dubbed as cowards by their peers. A disgrace to the family.

“Those who break the vow of silence will suffer a pain so excruciating that you’ll wish to be dead instead,” the priestess said with a straight face. “No one is leaving, so I take it that all of you wish to proceed? Perfect.”

She took out a bronze basin and filled it with flask water. She then made a small cut on her index finger using a dagger and let the blood drip into the basin.

“Please put a drop of your blood into the basin.”

The first to step forward was Lui Marcus. He took the dagger from the priestess and cut his finger. Large drops of blood fell into the basin. Judging by his movements and reaction, this was not the first time he has participated in such things.

“It’s nice seeing you again, Lui.” The priestess smiled amicably. “How’s the Vice Commander?”

Lui smiled back, “Alive and kicking. The wounds from before has fully healed.”

The priestess chuckled, “And here I was, hoping he died.”

Lui smiled wryly, “They’ll need more than stabbing his heart to do that.”

Lark had not expected such words to come out of the priestess’ mouth. She looked so innocent and pure, as though she had never even hurt a fly before, more so kill someone.

After Lui, several other candidates followed suit.

Kalavinka took quite some time before he finally managed to cut his finger. Lark, on the other hand, simply pressed his finger into the tip of the blade. The priestess from the Temple stared at him quietly as he dropped his blood into the basin.

After everyone was done, the priestess chanted her magic. The blood inside the basin rose into the air and formed a hexagram, eventually forming a magic circle filled with runes and symbols.

“Repeat after me,” said the priestess.

“I vow to God Nereus,” she said. Everyone immediately repeated her words.

“That I will not divulge anything I learn or hear in this place, in any shape and form, through whatever means. I vow to keep my silence. Breaking this oath shall lead to suffering worse than death.”

During this time, Lark and the other candidates started feeling a pricking sensation in their chests, as though someone was carving on their skins with a sharp knife.

The moment the magic circle dissipated, the pricking sensation also vanished.

“It will not leave a scar on your bodies,” the priestess smiled. “So do not worry.”

It was faint, but Lark could feel a string of magic power connecting him towards the priestess. Other people might not know this, but the moment the priestess was killed, this vow would lose its effect. After all, the curse of the Water God would lose its only channel. This was the flaw in the vow of silence.

In his opinion, the vow of death was a more potent restricting spell in such occasions. That spell did not require a medium once cast, and the curse would latch into the host’s meridians themselves. With the vow of death, even if the priestess was killed, the spell would not lose its effect.

Well, this works to my advantage anyway.

Lark decided to keep his mouth shut.

The King cleared his throat. “Now that everyone is bound by the vow of silence, we can go straight to the topic. The map.”

One of the knights took out a large map and unfolded it on the ground. The map was colossal enough to fit four carriages inside. The candidates gathered around it.

The King stood up from his throne and went towards the unfolded map. Using his scepter, he pointed at a large mountain.

“This here is the Yorkshaire Mountain Range. For centuries, it served as a natural barrier between the Kingdom and the Empire. But several months ago, the Empire discovered a passageway circumventing the area.”

Everyone attentively listened. Lark noticed Lui looking at him. When their eyes met, Lui smiled before looking away.

The King traced the mountain range using the tip of his scepter. “This here is the passage I’m talking about.”

Lark noticed that the passageway completely rendered the mountain range useless. The exit of the passageway was almost next to the Yorkshaire City.

The King originally planned on dealing with this invasion of the Empire by seeking the help of the Dwarven Kingdom, but due to the Black Famine destroying several farmlands, they were unable to provide thirty thousand barrels of the high-grade wine they demanded. Negotiations broke down, and King Alvis had no choice but to rely on his own military to repel the Empire’s might.

“The Yorkshaire Army excels in the jungle,” said Lui Marcus. As the commander of the Western Front, he was more knowledgeable than the other candidates gathered here. “But they have just lost that advantage. After discovering the passageway, the Empire immediately made the Yorkshaire Plains their battleground.”

The King nodded. “Fighting on flat land, the Yorkshaire Army becomes your average army.”

Looking at the map, it was apparent that the Yorkshaire Army had no choice but to confront the Empire at the outskirts of the city. They had no choice but to fight on the plains instead of their natural territory in the jungle.

“I’ve already consulted with the ministers and military officials regarding this, but until now, they are unable to come up with a concrete plan on dealing with the Empire,” said the King. “This is why I’m using this chance – this time when all the candidates are in the Capital – to formulate a plan.”

In short, the King was using this chance to assess each candidate’s capabilities in leading the Empire to victory. He was hoping that one of them would be able to come up with a solution for this deadlock.

“I will give everyone three days to come up with a plan,” said the King. “General Carlos will brief everyone of the plan we’ve formulated so far.”

A man with numerous scars and wrinkles on his face started explaining the best plan they have formulated after several weeks of discussions. He pointed at the Yorkshaire City.

“Stationed here right now is the Marcus Army and the Yorkshaire Army,” the General’s voice was raspy. “And over here is where the Empire’s army is camped.”

There were three stone pieces on the map at the Empire’s camp, which represented three different armies. The General explained, “For this war, the Empire sent three of its fifteen brigades – the sixth, fourteenth, and fifteenth brigade. Some of you may be aware of this, but the lower the number, the stronger the brigade. Thus, in this battle, the sixth brigade held the strongest power. Each of the soldiers belonging to that army is on par with the veteran Yorkshaire soldiers.”

Behind the three stone pieces, three smaller stones stood, which represented the supply line of the Empire.

“Our current plan is to hit these three here using a detachment of elite soldiers from the Yorkshaire Army. With their supply lines cut off, it will become a battle of attrition. It will take less than a week for an army of such scale to start starving once their rations are lost. They will have no choice but to retreat by then.”

“And when that time comes…”

The general took the stone representing the Marcus Army and moved it closer to the Empire’s camp. At the same time, he moved the stone representing the Yorkshaire Army to circumvent the camp and strike at their back.

“We will hit them with our entire might.”

A pincer attack.

Although it looked simple at first glance, this tactic held a lot of variables into account. The most noteworthy of them all was the ability of the Yorkshaire Army to go undetected and to launch an attack at the supply line of the Empire.

Although the Yorkshaire Army excelled in mountainous terrains and the jungle, Lark doubted that things would go as smoothly as planned.

The Empire couldn’t be so stupid as to leave the supply lines unguarded.

Lui Marcus had the same thought. He pointed out the flaws, “The three supply lines are separated from each other. Once one of them is attacked by our forces, the other two will become more guarded. There is also the risk of having the attack force wiped out with just a single mistake. Therefore, for this plan to succeed, we need to strike at the three supply lines at the same time.”

It was true. After all, the infiltrating Yorkshaire Army would have to retreat if the enemy discovers them.

“I’ve seen the strength of the Yorkshaire Army, and as its new Commander, I can confidently say that it’s one of the strongest armies in the Kingdom,” said Lui. “General, how confident are you that the Yorkshaire Army is capable of pulling this through?”

The General raised three fingers. “Thirty percent. I believe that the Yorkshaire Army has a thirty percent chance of completing this mission, and that’s after considering all possible variables.”

“I see,” Lui’s voice trailed off. It was not a bad number, considering the fact that the supply lines of the Empire were well-protected by the terrain.

“My territory is near Yorkshaire City,” said Lancaster, the oldest son of Duke Kelvin. Unlike his plump father, his entire body was muscular. “I can mobilize a three thousand strong army to aid the Kingdom in this war.”

It was an offer he normally wouldn’t have made under normal circumstances. But now that they were before His Majesty, Lancaster wanted to prove his worth by contributing to their victory.

“The three brigades sent by the Empire amount to around twenty thousand soldiers,” said one of the Royal Advisors. “The combined forces of the Marcus Army and the Yorkshaire Army amount to around twelve thousand soldiers. We’ll greatly benefit from the additional forces offered by Sir Lancaster.”

Lancaster smirked, “I’ll personally lead the Army. It will take us around a week to arrive at Yorkshaire City.”

Seeing that the House of Kelvin and the House of Marcus were already making contributions, the candidates belonging to the House Youchester immediately offered their assistance.

“Our Duchy is located far from the Yorkshaire City, thus it will take several weeks even if we mobilize the army,” said Paztro, a pale-looking man belonging to the House of Youchester. “But we are willing to provide the necessary rations during the war by coordinating with the Merchants Guild.”

The King and General Carlos momentarily locked eyes with each other. It seemed that gathering the candidates together to discuss the war was the right choice. They were having a hard time providing rations to the armies stationed in Yorkshaire due to the Black Famine, but that problem was solved for now. Although the House Youchester had the weakest military among the three Dukes, it had the most fertile territory. Its treasury could definitely feed the soldiers for several weeks, at least until the war was over.

They were also able to solicit the aid of the soldiers from the Kelvin Duchy. This gathering was definitely a win-win situation.

The meeting continued until the night. Several tactics were suggested here and there, most of them thrown out of the window immediately after.

All throughout the meeting, Lark simply remained silent. Several candidates condescendingly gazed at him, thinking that it was natural for the trash of Marcus Family to know nothing about war.

It was already late in the evening and the first day of the meeting was coming to a close. The King, who expected a lot from Lark after hearing about his exploits, finally asked him.

“Lark Marcus,” said the King. “You’ve been silent until now. I believe that someone as capable as yourself, someone who drove away the Third Legion of the United Grakas Alliance, has something to say regarding this matter.”

Everyone’s eyes stared at the silver-haired young man. Lui looked at him with eyes filled with understanding. Those eyes seemed to say, ‘It’s alright. Don’t worry if you can’t answer the King.’

Lark slowly said, “Before that, I have two questions, Your Majesty.”

The Royal Advisors of the King was infuriated upon hearing this. It was outright rude. Instead of replying to the King, this brat was the one questioning him. They were about to rebuke him when King Alvis wordlessly told them to stay put.

“Go ahead,” said the King.

“First, is it true that you will not coerce me to stay in the Capital after this?” said Lark. “Is this correct, Your Majesty?”

The King raised a brow. It was a peculiar question. “Of course. I already told you this before when you rejected the position of Royal Advisor. I will not coerce you to stay in the Capital.”

“Thank you,” Lark bowed his head. “Then for the second question. Does the Empire have a wyvern unit?”

“A wyvern unit?” one of the Royal Advisors repeated.

“Wyvern unit or anything similar,” said Lark. “Basically, a unit capable of battling in the sky.”

The King, unable to answer this question, looked at General Carlos.

General Carlos nodded at the King. He answered Lark instead. “I believe you are referring to the Witches of Aravark. A special unit of magicians capable of flying in the sky.”

The other candidates were surprised upon hearing this. After all, they did not know before that there was such a force in the Empire.

“Witches of Aravark,” mumbled Lark. “Then, do you think these magicians will participate in this war?”

General Carlos pondered for a moment. “I don’t think so. This is classified information – I believe that the Witches of Aravark reside in the City of Atarus, a city far from the frontlines. It will take them at least a month to arrive at Yorkshaire by cart.”

Lark remained expressionless even after hearing this. “I see. That’s perfect then.” He then turned to the King, “Your Majesty, if the reason the Empire is attacking the Kingdom is to expand their territory, then there is a simple solution to this.”

Lancaster Kelvin snorted at this statement. This brat was being so arrogant right now. If there really was a simple solution to this, then this war would have ended already the moment it began.

“A simple solution,” the King’s curiosity was piqued. “Young man, tell me.”

Lark went to the map and pointed at a city beyond the Yorkshaire Mountain Range. It was a city in the Empire’s territory.

“This is the nearest city of the Empire.” Lark tapped at the city on the map using a wooden stick. He then traced it towards the supply lines of the three brigades. “Therefore, it is safe to assume that this city is the one supplying the enemies’ rations.”

“That is obvious,” Lancaster spat. “Do we look like idiots to you?”

Lark stared at Lancaster. The King furrowed his brows and said, “Lancaster.”

Lancaster glared at Lark, before bowing at the King. “Apologies, Your Majesty.”

Lark paused momentarily before he continued. “Based on this map, it will take a week for the army to cross over the Yorkshaire Mountain Range by foot. Therefore, this is the same time it will take for the three brigades to respond to an attack at this city of the Empire.”

There were no other cities near that particular city, and the nearest army was the one battling with the Kingdom.

“Then, are you suggesting that we launch a direct attack at this city of the Empire?” said General Carlos.

Lark nodded, “That is right.”

Laughter echoed in the throne room. Lancaster arrogantly glared at Lark as he chuckled, “Brat, if that was so easy, we would have done it long ago! Launch a direct attack to the city? As if things are that simple!”

Lark ignored Lancaster. He looked at the King eye to eye, “Your Majesty, have you ever heard of an air strike?”

The King’s eyes glimmered for a moment. He seemed to have understood what Lark was trying to say. “An air strike. Then, are you saying that it’s possible? For our army to launch an offensive from the sky?”

“Yes,” said Lark. “This is a project that would require an astronomical amount of funds, thus it’s impossible for the Lord of a small town such as I to pull through. But with the power of a sovereign, it should be possible.”

Lark pulled out two pieces of parchment from his pocket. “These are the blueprints I drew during our discussion today. The first one is the blueprint for the balloon, a simple vehicle that could fly in the sky. And the second one is the blueprint for a mana bomb.”

“A mana bomb?!” said General Carlos. Just the name alone sounded dangerous.

The King looked at the blueprint, and unable to fully understand it, handed it to the General and the Royal Advisors.

“This…” The hands of one of the Royal Advisors shook. “It will be very expensive Your Majesty, but if this really works…”

The General and the Royal Advisors understood the implications of this weapon. If they successfully launch this air attack, the three brigades invading the Kingdom would have no choice but to fall back. If the Kingdom successfully destroys this city, it would leave a gaping hole big enough for the Kingdom to launch a frontal attack.

“Young Man,” General Carlos’ face was grim. “This is a dangerous weapon. How did you come up with this one?”

Lark did not answer.

The balloon which could fly in the sky, combined with the mana bombs, could destroy any city in its path. After all, no one could fight them in the sky. Unless, of course, the so-called Witches of Aravark came out.

“If the reason behind this war is a Holy Crusade, then just this alone wouldn’t be enough to stop this war,” said Lark. “But if the reason is simply just to expand the territory of the Empire, this should suffice. The Empire will have no choice but to halt their attacks once one of their cities is directly attacked.”

Lark gazed at the King, “You will need to be on equal footing in order to establish a truce, an agreement. Your Majesty, I suggest you use this chance to end the war with the Empire.”

Even a few years of peace agreement would greatly alleviate the burden on the Kingdom. The King knew this more than anyone.

“This air strike will kill several thousands of innocent people – men, women, children, and the elderly – none of them will be spared from this wrath.” Lark remained stoic even as he said these words. “I will leave the decision in Your Majesty’s hands.”

Chapter Thirteen

Two weeks have passed since the King’s birthday.

[Yorkshaire Mountain Range]

“Reporting!”

A soldier entered the tent of Amubal, the commander of the sixth brigade of the Empire.

“A three thousand strong reinforcement arrived just now! It’s currently clashing against the left wing of the fourteenth brigade, sir!”

“The flag?”

“We believe it’s from the House Kelvin, sir.”

Amubal frowned. One of the Dukes finally sent their army, huh?

Before attacking this city, he gathered the necessary information about his enemy. He was sure that Duke Kelvin and Duke Drakus were enemies. He had not expected them to come to the aid of each other this soon.

He looked at the opened map on his table. Numerous wooden pieces were placed on top of it, representing the various armies in this war.

Amubal fell silent. He quickly analyzed the battlefield based on the reports of his men.

“Tell the fifteenth brigade to send their central army forward,” he pointed at a place in the map. “Near this border.”

The place he pointed at was near the eastern gate of Yorkshaire City.

“And send the Black Order to deal with those newly arrived bastards,” he smirked. “Make sure they suffer enough casualties on the first day of the clash.”

He planned on showing those bastards the might of the Empire. The might of the nation capable of toppling the surrounding Kingdoms at the same time.

Amubal looked at the map once again. A smile slowly formed on his scar-ridden face. “Leorith.”

His adjutant immediately saluted, “General!”

“Gather the soldiers. We are moving out.”

“Yes, Sir!”

A thousand soldiers moved out the moment the General called out. Each of them was mounted on horses, their armors glimmering underneath the sun. Peculiarly, the place they were headed to was not Yorkshaire City. They made a roundabout and headed towards the foot of the mountain.

Soon, a small village came into their sight.

“Burn everything down. Kill anyone who resists but make sure to capture the children alive.”

Leorith roared and issued out the General’s command. The entire army, moving as one, started the massacre of the villagers. Houses started burning down, and corpses littered the ground.

But the villagers seemed to have known of the arrival of the army beforehand, since the women and the children were nowhere to be found.

The army searched every nook and cranny, but were unable to find them.

“Spit it out. Where are the others?!” a soldier interrogated the captured villagers.

“I… I don’t know, Sir! I s-swear!”

The soldier looked at adjutant Leorith. The man nodded at him in return.

“Listen, if you’re not going to talk,” the soldier pulled out his sword. “I’ll just move on to the next person. I’m sure one of you will be willing to negotiate.”

The villager trembled. He recognized the crest on the armor of these soldiers. These monsters were definitely from the Empire.

“I r-really have no ide—”

Before the villager could even finish his words, the soldier’s sword swung down and cut his neck, his head rolling to the ground. Seeing this, the other captured villagers were mortified.

The soldier moved to the villager beside the corpse. “Next. I’ll only ask once. Tell me where the women and children are.”

“I don’t know! Damn fucker! Just kill me already!”

Blood spurted out as the next villager was stabbed in the chest.

One after another, the villagers were executed. Surprisingly, none of them opened their mouth to speak. The method the soldiers used served to stoke the fire in the villagers’ hearts instead. They knew that the soldiers from the Empire were going to kill them either way. They decided to keep their mouths shut until their dying breaths, protecting the others.

The execution went on. When the eleventh person was about to be beheaded, a small voice was heard.

“Stop! Please don’t kill my father!”

The soldier executing the villagers grinned upon seeing the owner of the voice. It was a child, probably six or seven. Tears flowed down the child’s eyes as his entire body quivered.

A woman quickly appeared behind the child and covered his mouth.

But it was too late. The soldiers of the Empire had already seen them.

The father of the child turned pallid. He shouted, “Run away! Run!”

“The other villagers must be hiding over there,” said Leorith. “Capture the children alive.”

The soldiers unsheathed their weapons and ran towards the place where the child emerged. Soon, they found the place where the women and children were hiding. It was an abandoned well with a small passage inside.

Following their orders, the soldiers captured the children alive.

“Sir, that woman over there,” a soldier pointed at a woman tied next to the children. “Can I have her?”

Leorith looked at Amubal. The General nodded once.

Leorith said, “Do as you wish, but do not touch the children.”

The soldiers, upon hearing this, licked their lips. They untied the captured women and began stripping their clothes off.

“You damn monsters!”

“Don’t touch my wife, you scum!”

“Let my mother go!”

The soldiers feasted on the women of the village. Screams filled with anguish, along with the soldiers’ laughter, reverberated.

Leorith frowned, “Sir, is this alright?”

Amubal looked unperturbed despite the sight. “It’s fine. We’ve been fighting against the damn soldiers of the Kingdom for several weeks now. The soldiers need an outlet every now and then.”

“We’ll be leaving in fifteen minutes. Finish it up,” said the General. “We’re moving to the next village.”

The captured children were thrown into the carts, while the remaining men and women of the village were slaughtered.

Following the map made by the scouts of the sixth brigade, Amubal led his army towards the next village. By the end of the day, they have burned down three villages and have captured several dozens of children.

The next day, the General gathered all of the officials, including those belonging to the fourteenth and fifteenth brigade. The tactics he discussed with them were inhumane, and those who heard it could not help but shudder.

As expected of General Amubal, the so-called man-eater. The sixth brigade ranked very high among the armies of the Empire because of him. His tactics, although brutal, were always effective.

Following Amubal’s plan, the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixth brigade all moved out at the same time. A massive sea of soldiers surrounded Yorkshaire City.

Amubal, mounted on his horse, moved towards the forefront. He gripped the magic stone on his hand, and said with an ear-shattering roar, “Everyone in Yorkshaire City! Listen!”

The soldiers on top of the city walls looked at the army outside. It was the first time all three brigades combined to launch an attack like this. Inside the city, numerous shouts and orders flew out. All the available soldiers were being mobilized as they prepared for the upcoming clash.

“Hey, what’s that?”

The soldiers on top of the walls stared at the large bonfire in front of the Empire’s army. From it, thick, black smoke swirled up into the sky.

General Amubal’s voice reverberated once again with the help of the magic stone. “The Emperor is a benevolent man! He will spare everyone who submits to him! I, Amubal, swear in the name of the Empire that we will spare the lives of all citizens of Yorkshaire if you open the gates and surrender to us!”

Veins popped out of the foreheads of the Kingdom soldiers who heard this. It was a preposterous offer. Who would surrender to these barbarians? These monsters came all the way here just to expand their already large territory.

“Is he crazy? Does he really think we’ll surrender that easily?”

“Damn bastards! They killed my brother! I’ll make them pay when the time comes!”

The Kingdom soldiers saw several children being moved towards the front of the army. Each of them were tied with ropes, their mouths gagged.

The officer in-charge of guarding the top of the walls turned grim. He had received the news several hours ago. The news of several villages being burned down to the ground. There was no doubt that it was the work of the Empire.

He stared at the children tied by ropes. They were probably the villagers the Empire’s soldiers captured.

And General Amubal’s next words proved him right.

“We will give the officials of the city an hour to decide whether to surrender or not! If we do not receive a positive response by that time, we will execute these children one by one, and their blood will be on your hands.”

Those words stirred the soldiers of the Kingdom. There were several dozens of children held hostage by the Empire. Everyone was filled with rage by this underhanded trick of their enemies. They wanted to open the gates, rush out, and crush the damn bastards, but just by looking at the sea of soldiers outside the walls, they knew they wouldn’t stand a chance. If they opened the gates now, it would only be a matter of time before the enemies manage to swarm in.

They could probably survive a siege, but they could not see a way for them to save the children. The hostages were next to the massive army, after all.

Inside the city, the officers of the army and the City Lord held an emergency meeting. Lui Marcus, Sword Saint Alexander, Lord Argus, and Lancaster Kelvin discussed possible ways to save the children.

But an hour was not enough for them to come up with a concrete plan. Even the Sword Saint would be unable to win against the massive army outside.

An hour quickly passed, and true to his words, General Amubal started the execution.

“We have given the city enough time to decide!” Amubal said with a straight face, his voice echoing through the magic stone. “But it seems that the officials of Yorkshaire have chosen to forsake the lives of these children!”

A soldier dragged out one of the children. He removed the gag and the child started screaming out.

“Save me! Please, save me!”

Even from the distance, the soldiers could hear the shouts. They could not clearly see the face of the child from afar, but everyone was sure that he was probably pallid, snot-filled, and panic-stricken right now.

“Every half an hour, we will kill one of these children!” said Amubal. “Remember this! It was your decision that took away their lives!”

With those words as the cue, the soldier threw the child into the bonfire. The child screamed as his entire body was engulfed by flames. His skin melted and his hair turned to crisp and dust. After a few seconds, the screams died out and only the smell of burnt flesh remained.

The soldiers of the city trembled in rage. Some of them had the urge to charge right at the enemies and cut the damnable Amubal’s head.

The commanding officers of Yorkshaire were on top of the walls as they watched everything that transpired.

Lord Argus, the Lord of the City, quivered, his hands curled into fists. He said through gnashed teeth, “Commander Lui. You said that those bastards would retreat soon. Isn’t that right?”

Lui Marcus remained calm despite the abhorrent sight. “That’s right. So please endure, Lord Argus.”

A half-hour passed, and another child was thrown into the bonfire. The child’s screams echoed. Each of her words as she burned to her death pierced the heart of the Kingdom’s soldiers. They could not even shoot arrows since the Empire kept a safe distance.

This same sight continued until the next day. By now, more than a dozen children had been burned to their deaths.

And to the Kingdom soldiers’ horror, a small army came and delivered a fresh batch of captives. They were probably from the remaining villages at the foot of the mountain. With the amount of children they captured, they could continue the execution for several days.

The news of the Empire’s brutality quickly spread inside the city. Even the soldiers started to feel anxiety and fear as time went by. The foolish ones even started suggesting that they open the gates and surrender the city to the Empire. Maybe that way, they would get to keep their lives.

Fear was contagious. And this simple feat bore seeds of fear within the hearts of the soldiers. Every half hour, screams would echo as a child burned to death.

On the third day of execution, a different scenario occurred.

The Empire was about to throw another child into the fire when shadows were cast from the sky. Looking up, they saw numerous round things flying above. Those with very good eyes noticed that there were people inside.

“Balloons?” General Amubal frowned. He ordered his men to unsheathe their weapons – to get ready for a fight — just in case.

The dozens of balloons showed no signs of stopping.

“Archers,” said Amubal. “Shoot them down.”

The archers nocked their arrows and tried shooting those things above, but the wind and the distance made the balloons impossible to hit.

“Magicians.”

Amubal decided to use the magicians.

But before the magicians could even prepare their magic to shoot the balloons down, the sound of drums echoed from inside the city. The horn was blown and the northern gate started to open. Soldiers poured out of the city in droves.

Seeing this, Amubal broadly grinned. The foolish soldiers of the Kingdom had finally decided to confront them.

“The army is ready to move at any time, General,” said Leorith.

Amubal heartily laughed, “Those bastards are nothing without the protection of the mountain! And they actually dared to fight us on flat land! The Kingdom’s soldiers are truly a bunch of morons!”

The soldiers around the General snickered.

“Everyone! Ready to—”

His words were cut when a deafening boom suddenly resounded around them, making the earth tremble and the horses neigh. Amubal looked to see the origin of the sound and was stunned to see several of his soldiers dead, their bodies scorched from the attack.

“Above us!” one of the soldiers shouted.

Amubal looked up and saw the balloons up above. The sudden opening of the gate and pouring out of the Kingdom’s soldiers made him momentarily forget about those peculiar things. But to think that those were the source of the explosion? Amubal’s hair stood on their edges as he realized their predicament.

With his decades of experience in the battlefield, he immediately issued out a command. “Scatter! Everyone, scatter!”

The soldiers were confused by the sudden order. They would have reacted quickly had the General shouted ‘Shields up!’ or ‘Cavalry, charge!’, but the current order was so vague that the soldiers were rooted to their spot.

Another mana bomb was dropped from the balloons and struck the army. Hundreds of soldiers were sent flying by the explosion, some of them scorched, while some had their armors pierced by the shrapnel produced by the impact, killing them on the spot.

Still, the trained soldiers of the Empire did not move without their orders.

Seeing his unmoving soldiers, Amubal quickly stormed his mind for a way out. He roared, “Spiral Spear Formation! All soldiers! Now!”

With his voice echoing through the magic stone, everyone quickly assumed the Spiral Spear Formation. It was the formation with the closest semblance to the order to scatter. With this, the soldiers have considerable distance with each other, which would greatly mitigate the casualties from the mana bombs.

After the soldiers assumed the Spiral Spear Formation, Amubal immediately ordered the magicians to cast protective spells for the army. Casting a barrier to protect everyone was an impossible feat, so Amubal decided to destroy the bombs instead.

Numerous balls of fire hovered in the air, ready to intercept the bombs the moment they were dropped by the balloons.

But to their surprise, the balloons gained altitude, until they were nothing but a pebble in the sky. The balls of fire were ready to intercept the bombs, but no bombs came down.

At the same time, the Kingdom’s soldiers started to charge towards them – each of them armed to the teeth. Since the Spiral Spear Formation was meant to deal with surrounded opponents, they proved weak against a frontal assault from a sea of enemies. The soldiers outside the Spiral Spear Formation immediately became prey to the Kingdom’s soldiers.

Amubal gnashed his teeth upon seeing his men being slaughtered one after another.

“Pike Shield Formation! Now!”

The soldiers of the Empire desperately fought back. Despite being caught off-guard, they still managed to create numerous Pike Shield Formations amidst the melee. In this formation, seven soldiers teamed up. Four were tasked to shield the center of the formation while the three inside struck the enemies with their spears. It was a good defensive ability that could block even the charge of the cavalry.

Amubal and the other officers of the Empire joined the fray. They began slaughtering the soldiers of the Kingdom left and right.

With their advantage in number, the Empire slowly pushed back the Kingdom. The Yorkshaire Army were unable to fight to their utmost potential on flat land.

“Kill the damn dogs of the Kingdom!” roared Amubal.

As expected of the so-called man-eater, he quickly slaughtered every enemy he saw, their limbs and heads flying off one after another. He chuckled as his blade pierced the flesh of his preys.

The sound of a horn echoed again from inside the city. On cue, the soldiers of the Kingdom immediately fell back. The Empire was flustered by this sudden move, since judging by the soldiers’ movements, it looked like the Kingdom’s soldiers had been briefed of this plan beforehand.

Amubal’s instinct screamed at him. He looked above and his pupils trembled from what he saw.

Numerous mana bombs were raining down from the sky!

“Magicians!” he snarled.

The magicians noticed what was happening. Their balls of fire shot up and intercepted the mana bombs. Deafening booms echoed in the sky as numerous explosions broke out.

But the magicians were unable to intercept all of the bombs. Several of them fell towards the Empire’s soldiers, immediately killing hundreds of them on the spot.

“Spiral Spear Formation!”

Amubal ordered the soldiers to scatter once again as the mana bombs incessantly fell down the sky.

The sound of drums again rumbled within the city walls. To Amubal’s horror, the Kingdom’s soldiers who retreated just a while ago started charging at them once again.

Just like before, the soldiers stationed outside the Spiral Spear Formation fell prey to the Kingdom’s soldiers. The Empire performed the Pike Shield Formation again to hold back the Kingdom, but the sudden attack from the sky created large gaps among their ranks. The Empire’s defense wasn’t as impregnable as before, and the Kingdom started gaining the upper hand.

The balloons remained high in the sky and there was no way for the Empire to shoot them down.

Seething with rage, Amubal finally issued the order to retreat. The Empire divided the retreating army into small platoons despite the risk of being killed by the chasing soldiers from the Kingdom. Amubal deemed those mana bombs to be more dangerous than the enemy soldiers right now. If they moved as one, their casualties would shoot up.

***

Seeing the retreating soldiers of the Empire, Lui Marcus issued out the commands.

“Pretend to chase, but do not engage.”

Hearing these words, a soldier waved a blue flag several times. Those standing at the top of the city walls saw this and they started hitting the gong several times. It was the signal for the start of the second operation.

Although they would have loved to slaughter those retreating bastards, their priority right now was to end this war.

The balloons moved towards the northeast, towards the direction of Magara City. It was the city of the Empire nearest to Yorkshaire Mountain, the city of the Empire closest to the frontline.

The balloons reached the city in just two days. The soldiers guarding the city did not even notice the balloons approaching, since they resembled nothing but small pebbles in the sky.

The moment the balloons were directly above the city, the remaining mana bombs rained down. The entire city quaked as numerous explosions caused deafening booms. Smoke continuously swirled up in the sky as flames started spreading out, burning the city to the ground. Soldiers, merchants, slaves, ordinary citizens – every single person in Magara was caught in the explosions.

Cries of anguish and cries for help were heard as burning bodies littered the ground.

Two days after this attack, the Kingdom sent a message to the Empire, threatening them to withdraw their soldiers from the Yorkshaire Mountain Range, or they would attack the other cities of the Empire.

However, contrary to their expectations, the Emperor still did not yield from the Kingdom’s threat.

The Empire declared an all-out war against the Kingdom.

Chapter Fourteen

While the Kingdom and the Empire were having a clash at Yorkshaire Mountain Range…

[Lion City]

“Come back here, you damn thief!”

Hans huffed as he ran through the street and alleyways. Chasing him was the man he robbed this morning. The man was livid with rage, but he could not catch Hans no matter what he did. He shouted and cussed as he ran after Hans, but to no avail. After a few more minutes, Hans finally lost his tail.

“Chase me all you want but you wouldn’t catch me, sucker.” Hans spat on the ground. Using his fingers, he combed his black hair backwards. Looking around, it seemed that he had ran so far that he reached the area near the western gate of the city. He saw several soldiers standing guard near the city’s entrance.

“Let’s see our loot for the day, shall we?”

He opened the small leather bag he snatched from his victim. Upon seeing its contents, he scowled. The books aside, the only items of worth were three silvers and a small bronze locket. The man was holding onto the bag as though it was a precious item, which was why Hans made it his target for today. Who would have known that it was filled with nothing but crap?

“Well, these books… I’m sure the old lady in the black alley can buy it for a price.”

He consoled himself with this thought. He grabbed the three silver coins and put them inside his pouch. As he was taking out the books to better inspect them, he heard shouts coming from beyond the walls. The guards standing near the entrance began to move, their expressions grim and pallid.

What’s happening?

Hans looked at them, puzzled.

The shouts outside the wall intensified. Soon, the bell on the watchtower rang. Numerous soldiers started coming from the streets, eventually gathering right before the gate.

“Hey, move! Go back to the Residential District! It’s dangerous here!” One of the soldiers noticed Hans and told him to get away from this place.

“They’re coming! Get ready!”

A soldier on top of the watchtower shouted to the guys below.

The soldiers gathered before the gate and lifted their spears up, their gazes fixed on the closed gate, as though waiting for it to suddenly burst open.

Hans shivered when he heard the roars outside. Shouts came on top of the walls.

“U-Up! T-They’re climbing the walls!”

Hans did not know who shouted those words. He immediately looked up on reflex and was horrified by what he saw. On top of the walls, numerous monsters stood. They charged at the soldiers on the battlements, tearing their limbs apart before throwing them towards the ground below.

Hans’ instinct screamed at him to flee, to get away from here as far as possible, that there was no way for the soldiers to win against those things, but the primal fear evoked by those monsters rooted him to the ground.

One after another, the soldiers on top of the walls were killed and thrown towards the ground. Blood splattered as numerous thud sounds were heard. After taking care of the soldiers on top of the walls, the monsters looked down below.

The soldiers standing before the gate shivered. They knew they were next.

The colossal gate proved useless right now. Who would have known that those monsters were capable of climbing the walls?

“H-Hey, t-those monsters!” one of the soldiers shouted. “They’re from the Lake! I’m sure of it! They’re from that damn Lake!”

Hans immediately understood what the soldier meant. There was only one Lake with monsters coming out of it.

The Lake of the Full Moon.

Hans looked up. It was still middle of the noon. Why did those monsters suddenly show up? It was not even night, more so a full moon!

And what was the garrison in the Lake doing? Hans was pretty sure that the City Lord built a fortress there several months ago to fend off the monsters.

Don’t tell me, the fortress…

Still shuddering uncontrollably, Hans gritted his teeth. He wanted to curse this stupid body of his for being frozen with fear like this.

Move. Damn it. Move!

As he cursed inside his mind, his frozen limbs started moving one by one. He slowly stepped back, his eyes still locked on the monsters on top of the walls.

“Shit.”

The monsters started crawling down the walls!

Now that he had taken a careful look at them, Hans realized how ugly the monsters were. If a gorilla and a frog had a child, this would be it. They had muscular but hairless arms, their bellies bloated, their eyes large and protruding. Whenever they roared, their long tongues would stick out.

Monstrous strengths aside, their numbers posed a serious problem. There were almost a hundred of them, probably more.

Upon reaching the ground, the monsters immediately pounced at the soldiers. Their spears proved useless against those muscular bodies. Some soldiers managed to pierce the monsters’ eyes, but they were immediately swatted away like flies.

Hans knew it was only a matter of time before the soldiers were annihilated. He glanced at them for one last time, took a deep breath, then ran for his life.

As he ran through the streets, he could still hear the shouts and roars behind him. The bell of the watchtower stopped ringing, the soldiers guarding it probably dead already.

Along the way, Hans noticed the panic-stricken residents of the city. The news regarding the monster horde must have reached them by now, but the sheer shock made them unable to properly react.

Not wanting to see more people die, Hans shouted, “Monsters! Monsters are coming this way! Everyone, run away!”

Everyone who heard this turned even paler.

And as though Hans’ words were the cue, an ominous roar trembled through the city. Hans heard numerous heavy footsteps coming their way.

Shit. Shit. Shit!

He ran like a madman, disregarding the people he passed by along the way. He had done his part. Whether they would believe him or not, whether they would run or not, it would be entirely up to them.

“Ah! Help me!”

“Monsters!”

“Run away!”

The monsters have finally reached this far. Hans knew he had to keep on running. Otherwise, those monsters would also reach him.

But where should he go? If the Lion City was overrun by monsters, where would he take refuge?

That person…

Hans skidded to a halt upon seeing a familiar figure. Behind the man were several dozens of soldiers.

“Ah.” Hans’ lips parted. He remembered who the man was. He was Daltos, the Fire Golem. One of the Commanders of the soldiers of Lion City, the so-called impregnable fortress.

Looking at the Commander, Hans felt a sense of calm. If it’s this man, then maybe they could drive those monsters back.

“Is Lord Valcres safe?” said Commander Daltos.

“Yes, Commander,” said one of the soldiers. “He’s currently in the underground chamber of the castle.”

Commander Daltos nodded, “Good.” He furrowed his brows and unsheathed his sword. “They’re coming. Get ready.”

The soldiers unsheathed their weapons and formed a blockade with the commander at the center.

A roar was heard and tens of monsters appeared across the street. They ripped apart the bodies of the citizens in their way. Some had their limbs pulled off, while some had their heads smashed into the ground. It was a gruesome sight, but the commander and his soldiers stood their ground.

Then the soldiers and the monsters clashed.

Commander Daltos immediately activated his magic. His entire body was soon covered with flames, giving him the appearance of a three-meter fire golem. With his every punch, a monster was sent flying out. With the commander at the center of the formation, the soldiers slowly pushed back the monster horde.

It was an exhilarating sight. Hans unconsciously clenched his fist as he cheered for the commander and the soldiers. The sight of those ugly creatures being blown away made Hans’s heart pound in excitement.

As expected of the Commander! The protector of Lion City!

The number of monsters continued to increase, but so did the number of soldiers. More and more soldiers came as reinforcement. There were numerous casualties on the City’s side, but it was apparent that the monsters were the ones being pushed back.

The monsters tried pummeling Commander Daltos to the ground, but the flames covering the Commander’s body protected him from all attacks. Definitely, the nicknames Fire Golem, Impregnable Fortress, and Protector of Lion City weren’t there for nothing.

“The Mercenaries are here!”

The daredevils, who chose to remain and watch while hiding, cheered. Although the Mercenary Guild Master – Sword Saint Alexander – was not here, his officers were all skilled.

The Assistant Guild Master easily cleaved the monsters in half using his axe, while the other officers held back several monsters at the same time.

The monster invasion continued from noon until dusk. With the combined forces of the soldiers and the mercenaries, the damages from the monsters were mitigated, and the horde was pushed back.

Evening came and the monsters retreated. The aftermath of the battle left several hundreds of dead bodies lying on the ground. It was only after the monsters had been cleared before Lord Valcres appeared to calm the citizens.

Hans went back to his home in the Commoners District. After pickpocketing for several years, he had finally saved enough money to buy this small house half a year ago. It only had one bed and a living area, but to Hans, this abode was more than enough.

He jumped into his bed without even bothering to change his clothes. Although his entire body was trembling with fatigue, he did not fall asleep easily. The mere thought that those monsters could come again while he was asleep ate away at his peace of mind. He anxiously stared at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to come.

What if they invaded again tonight?

Hans shuddered at this thought.

“Damn it.”

This city was no longer safe. He was sure of it.

The soldiers and the mercenaries may have defeated the horde for now, but what about tomorrow or the next day? The next full moon? With each invasion, the number of soldiers defending the city would lessen, until the time comes when they would no longer be enough to defend the city.

“Should I try my luck at the Capital?”

It was far, but he heard the Capital was the safest city in the Kingdom. He could sell this house and start over there from scratch.

Hans shook his head.

“No, it’s too far.”

There was also the option of leaving for the nearby cities. But if the monsters of the Lake could come this far, those cities wouldn’t be safe either. He would rather migrate to a city faraway from this place, like the Capital.

Hans heard several loud knocks on his door.

“Hey! You’ll destroy my door if you keep knocking like that!” Hans snarled.

He jumped from his bed and briskly walked towards the door. He pulled it open.

“What are you doing in this time of the nig—” Hans cut his words upon seeing the man behind the door. He momentarily stopped breathing. “Vice Leader. It’s you.”

Behind the Vice Leader, a muscular man wearing leather armor, was several others.

“I’ll get straight to the point,” he said. “We’re leaving the City. I’m personally visiting our members to urge them to come with us.”

Hans opened the door fully. The man before him was the vice leader of one of the three underground organizations in Lion City.

Hans was thinking about leaving the city too. It was no longer safe here.

“To where?”

The Vice Leader immediately replied, “Blackstone Town.”

Hans furrowed his brows. That place was in the middle of the wilderness. He could not understand why several hundred people would choose to go there instead of the major cities in the Kingdom.

The Vice Leader seemed to have read Hans’s mind. “It’s the best place for a fresh start. I heard that the members of the slum managed to find jobs there in just a couple of days. It should be possible for us too.”

“But… Will it be safe?” Hans was troubled about the safety of that town from those monsters.

“Probably,” the Vice Leader gave a half-assed reply. “I’m sure you’ve heard about the Third Legion’s invasion.”

It was the rumor about how the Lord of Blackstone Town drove away ten thousand beastmen with just a small army.

“Even if not all of the rumors are true, there should be some basis for it,” said the Vice Leader. “The Leader and I are not coercing anyone. We will move out tomorrow afternoon, a day before the Full Moon. Think about it overnight.”

The Vice Leader tapped Hans’s shoulder. “If the Lord of Blackstone Town agrees to accept us, all of us plan on having a fresh start. I heard that they are hiring soldiers and farmers. I’m pretty sure most of us can fill the slot.”

After filling Hans in with more of the details, the Vice Leader and his group left and went on to the next house. It was an arduous task, but the officers probably did not want anyone to be left out.

Hans slumped on his bed again. He sighed.

He was planning on migrating to a major city, but after meeting the Vice Leader, he was starting to change his mind.

“Blackstone Town, huh?”

That night, Hans stayed up all night, unable to fully decide.

Chapter Fifteen

Lark immediately left the Capital after the King's birthday. He did not speak with his older brother, and the only worthwhile conversation he had was with the Lord of Golden Wheat City. Duke Drakus, his father, did not even bother to summon him for some father and son reunion.

After this encounter, Lark was sure of one thing: although he had blood relatives, there was no one he could really call his family. Well, maybe Gaston and the rest of his men could fit the bill.

Just like before, the knight tasked to monitor him followed their group from a safe distance. Lark no longer bothered to confront him after confirming that he was simply here to assess him as one of the candidates.

His trip to the Capital had been worthwhile. He learned a lot about the previous owner of his current body, about his relationship with his blood relatives, the nobles, and even the King.

The Empire must have given its reply by now.

Since news travelled at a snail's pace in this Kingdom, Lark had yet to learn about the Empire's declaration of war. He was unaware that instead of instilling fear in the Empire, the mana bombs created more upheaval instead.

Lark and his group were currently camped at a forest half a day by cart from Lion City.

"Teacher! I've done it!"

Austen shrieked uncharacteristically as he made a fist in the air. Lark looked at magic circle drawn on the ground. Austen managed to draw this circle without lifting the stick up. Shadows moved as Austen danced next to the campfire. George looked at his brother with envy, his lips curled down as he gripped his drawing stick tight.

"I can do it too," mumbled George.

"Austen, good job."

Lark seldom gave out praises to his disciples, which is why hearing it this time around made Austen's eye glimmer in delight. He could no longer suppress his lips from forming a very broad grin.

"Austen can proceed with the next phase of training, voice incantations. As for you George, continue practicing drawing the magic formation."

"Yes, teacher!"

Austen started calling Lark teacher. "I will do my best!"

George nodded his head heavily. He groaned, "Yes, Young Master."

Austen patted George's shoulder. He chuckled, "It's fine! We're brothers! You can definitely do it too!"

Those words held some mockery within, and George could not help but smirk. He mumbled, "Right."

"Austen, you will still need to continue practicing drawing the magic circle on the ground. Practice until everything becomes mere reflex. Practice until you finish drawing the formation in a heartbeat. Understood?"

Austen nodded vigorously.

"Now, let’s proceed with voice incantations."

Lark placed a hand on Austen's back. "Do not resist my mana. Close your eyes. Now, imagine drawing the magic circle within your mind."

Austen did as what Lark said. He closed his eyes as Lark guided his mana forward. He had not expected mana to appear like this. It felt tangible, as though he could grasp it and pull it out of his body. It was nothing ethereal like the rumors.

"Don't lose focus! Draw the magic circle!" said Lark.

Austen swallowed hard. He propelled his mana forward and began to draw the magic circle like he did on the ground.

"Amazing."

Upon hearing George's remark, Austen opened his eyes. He was stunned by what he saw.

A magic circle spanning 1 meter in diameter was underneath his feet!

The runes and symbols were exactly the same as the one he drew on the ground. But now, instead of dirt and mud, everything was glasslike. The entire magic formation was glowing with an azure hue, as though it was the crystallization of moonlight. After a few more seconds, the magic formation lost its glow. It formed cracks and shattered into numerous minute pieces before disappearing from sight.

"You lost focus. You've almost completed the spell," Lark frowned.

Austen was still stunned by what he saw. Lark's words hardly registered on his mind.

"Since it's your first time, I guided your mana forward. But on your next attempts, you should be able to do this on your own without my help."

Austen and Lark locked eyes with each other. Lark suppressed a sigh upon seeing those eyes. Those were the eyes of someone in euphoria after casting their first spell. A normal occurrence when a non-magician was able to perform his first magic.

"That magic formation is the basis of all spells. After its formation, altering the symbols on the second and third layer will make the difference between the five basic elements. As for the sub-elements, we'll discuss those once you've mastered the basics."

Lark frowned, "Hey, are you listening to me?"

Austen snapped out of his stupor. "Y-Yes! Of course!"

Lark sighed, "Repeat what I’ve just told you."

Austen was unable to reply.

Lark patiently repeated the words he said a while ago. His previous experience of nurturing disciples played a role during this moment.

"You have a monstrous amount of mana in your body anyway, so there's really no need for rest. Start over."

Austen closed his eyes and repeated everything that transpired a few minutes ago. To his dismay, performing the magic alone was dozens of times harder than before. The previously tangible flow of mana now felt like a raging river with numerous forks. He could no longer contain even a portion of it. He could not even properly direct it to form the first layer of the magic circle.

After a few minutes, Austen opened his eyes and huffed. He realized that his entire body was soaked in sweat, his chest rising and falling in quick successions.

It felt so easy before when his teacher was guiding him. But now, forming even just the first layer seemed impossible. This was a hundred times harder than drawing the magic circle on the ground.

Lark was sitting next to the campfire, his back turned to Austen. Without bothering to look around, Lark said with a commanding tone, "Did I tell you to stop? Start again."

Austen breathed in. He closed his eyes and started drawing the magic circle again. Meanwhile, George was still trying to draw the magic circle on the ground without lifting his stick up. He enviously looked at his brother, not knowing the struggles Austen was going through within.

"Young Master," Anandra approached Lark. "I've caught us our dinner for tonight. A wild boar and two rabbits."

Lark tossed a stick onto the campfire, making sparks fly up. "That's a lot. Thank you."

He looked at Anandra and saw several weights on the man's waist, hands, and legs. On his hand was a small boar and two rabbits tied together.

Lark chuckled, "You hunted while wearing those?"

"Yes."

Knowing Anandra, Lark was sure that he did not amplify his body’s strength during the hunt. This man did everything using brute strength alone, as expected of Gahelpa Village's top warrior.

Out of all his disciples, Anandra was the one who was progressing the most. He easily learned the body strengthening magic Lark taught him, and right now, he was halfway to learning middle-tier body strengthening magic.

Body strengthening magic was a spell which amplified the strength and senses of its user's body. Therefore, a stronger body would be able to create a stronger spell. Even if Lark and Anandra used the same level of the spell, a greater effect would be evident on Anandra.

The current Anandra could no longer be blocked by a simple mana shield by Lark if he went all out, unlike the first time they sparred.

“We’ll have boar meat for tonight,” decided Lark. He shouted, “George! Austen! Stop for a moment and come over here!”

Austen and George flinched at the sudden holler. They immediately went towards Lark.

“Young Master?”

Lark pointed at the dead boar on the ground. “Skin and dismember that one. Just consider this as part of your training. You should at least know how to survive in the wild.”

George and Austen looked at each other. Although they would rather continue training than do this mundane task, they wordlessly complied.

Lark patiently taught them how to drain the blood, skin the body, and separate the flesh from the bones. He also tasked the duo with grilling the meat on the campfire.

When the boar meat was finally cooked, Lark noticed several presences nearby. Anandra noticed it too, as he grabbed the hilt of his sword on reflex. The brothers, on the other hand, were oblivious of the fact that they were currently surrounded. Austen and George wiped the drool off their mouths as they gawked at the boar meat.

“Monsters are appearing quite frequently,” said Lark.

Anandra nodded.

Austen and George shot a quizzical look at Lark. But when they heard rustling sounds, they realized what the Young Master was trying to say. They quickly stood up and looked around them, only to be greeted by numerous monsters resembling gorillas, or frogs — they were not sure.

“You two, stay there. Don’t move.” Lark stood up and dusted his clothes off. He crunched his neck twice. “These guys are a lot stronger than goblins. They’ll be perfect opponents to test out your strength, don’t you agree?”

Anandra grinned and started removing the weights from his body. “Definitely.”

A large gorilla-frog monster appeared behind the group of monsters. Judging by his physique and demeanor, he was probably the boss of this group. He was gazing at Lark and his group as though they were nothing but prey, a delicious meal waiting for them inside the forest.

Lark did not like those eyes.

“Austen, George,” said Lark. “I’ll slow everything down. Watch carefully how a magic circle is formed.”

Instead of voiceless incantations, Lark decided to chant his magic for Austen and George’s sake.

“The magic formation I’ve imparted to the two of you is the basis of all spells. Basically, it’s molded mana capable of tearing away the natural laws of this world. The reason why we are able to use magic.”

The boss monster roared and the monsters surrounding them started charging at their group.

“Blazing wind,” chanted Lark. “Be still and become my shield.”

Lark purposefully slowed down the speed of creating his magic circle. Austen and George followed the flow of mana as it formed the exact magic formation taught to them by their teacher. After a split second, the second layer of the magic circle spun and distorted. The symbols inside that layer shifted places with each other. After everything was in place, the magic formation shattered and turned into numerous particles of light, before dissipating.

“Wind barrier!”

A barrier made of translucent wind surrounded Lark and his disciples.

“Barrier magic is among the basic spells you should prioritize learning. Although it wouldn’t be able to block magic of a higher tier, it’s very effective when battling against savages. Just like those fools over there.” Lark pointed at the monsters pounding at the wind barrier. They tried breaking the shield with all their might, but to no avail.

Lark continued with his lessons. “The secret to maintaining a strong barrier is to circulate it. Make it spin around continuously.”

His disciples shot quizzical gazes at him. Lark explained further. “Think of a wooden barrel. If you stab it with a knife, you’ll be making a hole, right? But by spinning it halfway, you’ll be able to prevent the damaged part from becoming target to the next strike. And using this opportunity, you repair the barrel.”

The analogy was simple, but it was perfect. Austen, George, and even Anandra easily understood it.

“Even the strongest barriers would crumble if attacked several times at the same point. That’s why experienced magicians would spin the mana around to prevent this. Never make the mistake of making the barrier stagnant. You will never be able to maintain your barrier no matter how large your mana pools are.”

Austen and George were unaware that this technique was not something used even by the Tower’s magicians. With just this concept alone, their barrier would become stronger than usual.

“Anandra.”

“Young Master.”

“Test your strength against those monsters. Show me.”

Anandra unsheathed his sword. “Understood.”

Lark created a hole in the barrier large enough for Anandra to pass through. While inside the safety of Lark’s barrier, Austen and George attentively watched their senior disciple fight.

The moment Anandra stepped out of the barrier, the monsters immediately pounced at him. Anandra didn’t even flinch. With quick movements, he evaded the monsters’ attacks and retaliated with several strikes. The forest was soon filled with cries from the beasts.

Surprisingly, the boss monster did not pounce at Anandra even after the human killed over a dozen of his kin. It simply observed everything that transpired. Unlike the other monsters, this one was certainly intelligent.

The one-sided massacre continued. After a few more minutes, the boss monster turned around and disappeared through the shadow of the trees. Anandra tried to run after it, but the surviving monsters immediately blocked his path.

Anandra furrowed his brows. He was about to push himself past the monsters blocking his path to chase after the boss when Lark said, “It’s fine. Don’t give chase. There are definitely several more monsters hidden nearby.”

If Anandra gave chase, he would eventually find himself surrounded by more monsters. This was probably the intent of the boss as it made its escape.

Lark dispelled the barrier. He looked beyond the sea of trees. It was definitely not his imagination. This forest had become more dangerous than when they passed through here before.

After camping for the night, they immediately went towards Lion City.

But to their surprise, numerous soldiers filled the walls. The gates were closed, and entry to the city had become difficult. A long queue was seen at the entrance.

What happened to this city while they were away?

Chapter Sixteen

Big Mona hardly slept for these past few days. The series of monster attacks gave him and the Merchants Guild a devastating blow. Half of the headquarters of the Merchants Guild was destroyed, and to make things worse, the monsters managed to enter the basement where several treasured items were kept. Just those treasures alone were worth several tens of thousands of gold coins.

“Ah, God damn it!” snarled Big Mona. “What are the masons doing? It’s been a week already but they haven’t finished repairing the entire building?! And you! I told you to bring more iron ingots for the construction of the basement door! Where are the damn ingots!”

Spit flew everywhere as his voice reverberated inside the Merchants Guild. Numerous workers moved about, some carried wooden planks, hammers, hemp ropes, and iron frames. Under the constant holler of Big Mona, the workers hastened their pace.

After their headquarters was almost entirely destroyed by the monsters, Big Mona ordered his men to fortify the Guild’s defenses. He also went out of his way to hire mercenaries to guard them. A thick iron door leading to the basement was also erected in the hopes of it being enough to deter the monsters from destroying the precious items stored away underground the Merchants Guild.

“It’s that damn Valcres’s fault,” he blamed the City Lord. “What a waste of money! I shouldn’t have invested in the construction of that damn fortress!”

It seemed that the fortress built next to the Lake of the Full Moon was easily breached by the monsters. Without anyone to stop them, the monsters attacked Lion City.

Valcres used to be a competent Lord back in the days, but now, he was becoming more and more of an incompetent leader. A useless scoundrel who couldn’t properly manage his land.

“Sir, there’s someone who wishes to meet you,” his secretary reluctantly told him. The temper of his boss had been terrible these past few days. Last night, he was kicked at the stomach for merely disrupting the merchant’s meal.

Big Mona furrowed his brows. On his hands were the documents related to the reconstruction of the Merchants Guild. “Who is it?”

“I-It’s a young man called Lark, Sir.”

Big Mona paused for a moment. He had not expected the noble to be back this soon. What happened at the Capital?

“Lark, huh?” he mumbled. He placed the documents down on the table. “Lead him to the guest room on the second floor.”

All of his encounters with that noble had been profitable. Big Mona’s merchant’s intuition was telling him that it would benefit him greatly to meet the noble again this time.

After delegating the remaining tasks to his men, he went towards the room where Lark was waiting. Upon opening the door, he saw a familiar young man was sitting on the couch, his right hand holding a tea cup.

“It’s been a while.” Lark smiled and put down the tea cup. “I heard the news. The monsters reached even this place, huh?”

Big Mona sat on the couch, grabbed some biscuits and stuffed them into his mouth. Crumbs flew about as he said, “We’re not some small guild that’ll easily crumble because of mere monsters.” He scrutinized Lark from head to toe. “I didn’t expect you to be back this soon. How’s the Capital?”

“Uneventful,” said Lark. “More than that, let’s get straight to the point.”

Lark placed a wooden box on top of the table. “I’m here to make a deal with you.”

Big Mona stared at the box, then at Lark. He listened attentively.

“I’ll help you defend this city against those monsters.” Lark opened the box, revealing a metallic item resembling a miniature tower. “But in exchange, I want a few things.”

It took Big Mona quite some time before he processed the things Lark said to him. “Are you telling me that that thing can drive those damn monsters away?”

Lark tapped his finger twice against the table. “Yes and No.”

Big Mona furrowed his brows.

“This is simply a prototype. A design. The real thing is several times bigger than this.” Lark placed a small kalrane stone – fully charged by the sun – at the center of the metallic tower. “mana stones are ideal, but kalrane stones should be enough.”

Although he was no magician, Big Mona saw the item suck away the energy from the kalrane stone. It glowed, and the rod at its tip started crackling with lightning.

Big Mona’s eyes widened upon seeing this. He had seen something similar before at the City of Magic. The Wizzert tower. A device capable of harnessing mana and converting it into offensive magic.

Seeing Big Mona’s reaction, it was apparent that there was no need to explain everything to him.

Lark grinned, “It’s a mere prototype, but a complete device should be capable of detecting and striking monsters a kilometer away from here.”

In the Magic Empire, such towers did not need kalrane stones to operate. For profit’s sake, however, Lark purposely made this item dependent on kalrane stones for energy. This way, the bigwigs of Lion City would have no choice but to buy more kalrane stones from Blackstone Town.

Big Mona stared at the device. “How strong is it?”

Lark touched the device with his fingertips. “You don’t mind me destroying a portion of this room, right?”

Big Mona nodded, “Do it.”

Crackling sounds were heard and a bolt of lightning shot from the device and struck the wall. A hole the size of a human’s head was instantly created, its edges charred black.

“Kalrane stones can be recharged by exposing them to the sun,” said Lark. “Five stones should be enough to make one of these devices functional.”

Big Mona understood the significance of this statement. If they managed to build several dozens of these towers and installed them all throughout the walls, it would effectively block the monsters. If the devices ran out of energy, they could simply remove the kalrane stones, recharge them, then replace them with new ones.

If the prototype was this strong, then there was no need to question the strength of the real one.

“Is it true that it could detect the monsters from a kilometer away?”

Lark nodded, “That’s right.”

Big Mona fell into deep thought. This device was a lot similar to the towers protecting the City of Magic. But unlike this one, those towers from Wizzert were off-limits to other cities. Those damnable magicians from the Tower of Magic monopolized everything related to the tower.

Big Mona leaned on the couch. “We’ll be needing a lot of kalrane stones to drive back those monsters.”

“Just buy them then,” grinned Lark. “My Blackstone Town will willingly sell them to you at a fair price.”

The merchant knew he had no choice in this either way.

Big Mona wryly smiled, “You damn shrewd fox.”

He knew he would lose a lot more if he skimped on the defenses of this city. If only Lord Valcres was more competent, he —the Head of the Merchant Guild—wouldn’t be suffering like this. Once again, he cursed at the Lord of Lion City in his thoughts.

“What you said before..,” said Big Mona. “You said you want a few things in exchange for this.”

“Glad you remember,” said Lark. “But first, let’s make things clear. This is a loan.”

“A loan,” repeated Big Mona.

“That’s right. A loan.” Lark held out two fingers. “Twenty towers. I will build twenty towers for this city. All materials will be shouldered by me. But in exchange, you are required to pay me fifteen gold coins every month for every tower the city uses.”

After receiving four thousand gold coins, Lark had enough money to create cheap imitations of the magic towers used in the Magic Empire. Of course, the towers were not self-sustaining, unlike their predecessors. Otherwise, Lark wouldn’t profit from selling kalrane stones.

Selling them to Lion City would enable him to earn a large amount of money in an instant, but Lark deemed that lending them to the city would net him more income in the long run. Big Mona was aware of this scheme as he quickly asked Lark of how much the towers would cost if the City bought them instead.

“They’re not for sale,” Lark shot the question down quickly.

Big Mona was obviously unhappy with this trade. He snorted but conceded regardless.

“What are your conditions for lending us these things then?” Big Mona crossed his arms.

“First, you are not allowed to purchase kalranes for the towers from other cities.”

Big Mona creased his brows. “You’re telling us to buy the kalrane stones from Blackstone Town alone?”

“Exactly,” Lark smiled, as though he was being benevolent in this exchange.

“You’re being too greedy, aren’t you?”

“Thank you,” chuckled Lark. “I seldom hear that.”

Big Mona sighed, “But what if Blackstone Town is unable to provide us with enough kalranes for the towers?”

“Then this part of the deal is void. You’ll be allowed to buy the deficits from the other cities.”

It sounded like a fair deal. Big Mona conceded, “Fine. Is that all?”

“Of course not,” said Lark. “Second, I want full monopoly of all monster corpses.”

This statement took Big Mona by surprise. Although those monsters were strong, none of them held mana stones. Furthermore, their hides lose its strength once the monster was dead. Making decent items out of the corpses was out of the question.

Big Mona could not see the merit in hoarding all the corpses.

“Full monopoly of the monster corpses,” Big Mona’s voice trailed off. “Could you tell me the reason why?”

Lark did not reply.

Momentary silence befell them. Big Mona sighed, “Alright. If it’s just corpses, I’m sure that stupid Valcres will be fine with that. It’s not like we have a use for those things after all.”

Lark was satisfied with the merchant’s answer. “And finally, the last one.” He paused, then added, “Iron ingots. Three thousand of them. I want you to sell them to me at the cheapest price.”

“W-Wait, three thousand ingots?”

Lark nodded, “Yes.” He raised a brow. “It shouldn’t be too hard with the help of the Merchants Guild.”

Normally this was true, but with the current state of the Merchants Guild, gathering such amount would be a hard task. A hundred or two iron ingots should be easy, but gathering three thousand would take quite some time. They would need to coordinate with the other cities.

“Here.” Lark placed several large pouches on the table. “A thousand gold coins for the ingots.”

Big Mona did not know how Lark got a hold of such money, but a thousand gold coins was definitely more than enough to buy what Lark wanted. Eventually, Big Mona took the pouches. He could not say no in front of money.

“When do you need them?”

“As soon as possible. I know that it’ll be hard to procure such amount in a short amount of time, so it’s fine if you deliver them by the hundreds to Blackstone Town.”

Lark planned to use this chance to create more soldiers for his town. According to the information he received, the Lake of the Full Moon was home to tens of thousands of monsters. After obtaining their corpses, Lark planned on extracting their souls and using them to create more soldiers – a hundred living armors to protect his domain.

If this succeeded, he would no longer have to worry even if another beastmen legion invaded the Kingdom again.

Lark licked his lips. He could not wait for the monsters to attack Lion City once again. He was determined to get those corpses no matter what.

Chapter Seventeen

With the full support of the Merchants Guild, Lark started gathering the materials needed to build magic towers for the city. All available Masons in Lion City were mobilized. Hundreds of workers gathered near the western gate, the place the monsters frequently targeted first.

“On my signal! One, two, three, pull!”

“Harder! It’s going to fall!”

“Put more strength to it! One, two, three, pull!”

Dozens of burly men pulled the hemp ropes tied to a stone obelisk. Using a pulley, the workers slowly lifted the obelisk off the ground, erecting it next to three others. The four obelisks erected surrounded a magic circle engraved on the ground. Inside the magic circle were several kalrane stones – the magic tower’s source of power.

After four days, they finally managed to finish one tower.

“Sir, are you sure this tower’s going to protect us?” one of the workers asked.

“Who knows?” the Head Mason shrugged. He looked up and stared at the tip of the obelisks. Aside from the weird golden symbols engraved on the obelisks’ bodies, it looked nothing but simple slabs of stone.

“Good work.” Lark approached the group. “The other towers?”

The Mason bowed. Lark had been given full authority over all the workers gathered here. Right now, Lark was their employer.

“Using this tower as the basis, my men started working on the other obelisks. We’ll be able to produce towers at a faster rate. Maybe three days at most, two days at the earliest.”

Currently, several teams were working on numerous obelisks at the same time. Their goal was to erect as much towers as possible at least three days before the next full moon comes. Based on their experience, three days before the next full moon, the monsters would come out of the lake and strike the city.

The Mason gazed at Lark. He had been expecting the noble to be condescending and arrogant, but reality gave a different picture. This noble, who was even younger than his son, treated the Mason and his men kindly.

“Three days, huh?” Lark stared at the first completed tower. It stood over ten meters tall, the same height as the walls of Lion City.

“Yes, three days,” the Mason nodded. “As you’ve instructed, we merely chiseled the symbols on the tower but didn’t touch it after that.”

The symbols on the obelisks needed a special engraving technique. They could copy the outer appearance of the tower itself, but without the proper technique, the runes and symbols wouldn’t work. That was why Lark told the team leaders of this project to leave the symbols for him to complete. The same went for the magic circle on the ground.

After inspecting the other sites where the towers were being constructed, Lark called out his disciples.

“George, how’s the progress of your training?”

George scratched his cheeks. “I’m still stuck at drawing the last layer of the magic circle.”

Lark held out a sigh from coming out. George clearly had no talent in this field. Still, it was not enough reason for Lark to give up on him. He knew that as long as George persevered, he would eventually grasp these things.

“Keep practicing,” said Lark. “Austen.”

“Sir!” Austen’s response was a lot more cheerful than his brother’s. He grinned, showing an incomplete set of teeth. “I’ve reached the middle layer of the magic circle! Give me two more weeks! No, maybe ten days! And I’ll be able to reach the inner layer!”

Lark nodded in approval upon hearing this.

“The reason I called all of you here is simple.” Lark took out two cotton shirts and tossed them to the brothers. “Starting today, the two of you – Austen and George – will train your physical bodies.”

Austen and George stared at the cotton shirts. They were soft, like those garments used by nobles.

“Physical body training in the morning, magic training in the evening. Wear those shirts and run around the City several times.”

Although it would be grueling, running a few times around the City should be feasible for the two brothers. They grew up in this city, and they knew the roads like the palm of their hands. But they soon realized they were wrong.

“Try them. Put them on.”

Austen and George did as they were instructed. To their surprise, the moment they wore the clothes over their tunics, they felt the fierce pull of gravity. The seemingly harmless clothes handed to them by Lark now felt as heavy as a plate armor.

The two quivered upon recalling what the Young Master had just told them. They were supposed to run around while wearing this?

“Anandra.”

“Young Lord.”

“Make sure these guys stick to the training schedule. Make sure they run around the entire City. Five times.”

“F-Five times?!” George screamed. “But, Young Master! Isn’t that too much—”

“—Six times.”

“—But, Sir!”

“—Seven.”

George and Austen shut their mouths. They were afraid that Lark would increase the number of laps. They looked at their senior disciple, Anandra. This monster could surely finish this task without any difficulties. He could probably finish twenty laps if he wanted to. But the same could not be said for George and Austen. They were afraid that after this physical training, they would collapse. Maybe, this was the reason why the Young Master moved the schedule of magic training to evening?

The brothers were silent right now, but Lark was sure they had several questions in their minds.

“I hope you don’t misunderstand,” said Lark. “Just because I’m training you to become magicians, it doesn’t mean you’re going to neglect training your physical body. You can think of your mana pool as a small lake, and your bodies as the tube where water passes. With such a massive mana pool, the tube will eventually form cracks and collapse after repeated use. We call this Magic Rupture. Although it is reversible, it takes a really long time before the body could heal itself, and during the healing process, you are not allowed to use even the most basic of magic.”

The analogy was really simple that all of them understood what Lark was trying to imply.

“Ah, also Magic Rupture is excruciating,” Lark nonchalantly added, as though his next words were trivial. “I experienced it before myself. The sensation of being cut a hundred times each day, for several weeks. Although Magic Rupture itself isn’t fatal, the pain one experiences could make one suicidal.”

Austen and George shivered upon hearing this. They heard from the Young Master that the two of them had unusually large mana pools. Therefore, it was easy to see that they would suffer from Magic Rupture more easily if their bodies were not trained properly.

Lark clapped his hands once. “Begin.”

Under the watch of Anandra, the brothers starting running around the City, repeatedly spitting out curses every now and then.

***

The days quickly passed by. Although Lark could have gone back to Blackstone Town for a day or two, he decided to stay in Lion City for now. He did not want to risk the slim chance that the City will be attacked while he was gone.

Today was the fateful day. It was three days before the next full moon, and judging by the pattern of previous attacks, the monsters would come today in hordes.

Thousands of soldiers moved about the city as the civilians shut themselves indoors. These days, it was not unusual to see doors barricaded by wooden planks, some even reinforced by iron bars. Those who lived near the walls took refuge in the middle part of the city, hoping that the fangs of the beasts would not reach them there.

“Shit, I can’t stop shaking.”

A trainee soldier who joined the military just three months ago quivered as he held his spear. The frequent monster attacks took the lives of hundreds of soldiers, resulting in the lack of personnel. Even greenhorns like him were mandated to stand at the front lines.

“Be sure to maintain your formations. Don’t let the heat of the battle consume you,” an officer reminded him.

The trainee gulped down. “Y-Yes, sir!”

When the sun rose directly above the City, the sound of gongs resounded throughout the entire area. Metals clanked as more soldiers gathered near the western gate. Beyond the walls, the soldiers could hear the familiar screeching and growling of monsters.

“T-They’re here! The monsters are here!” the soldier on top of the watchtower shouted.

“T-Two thousand! There’s over two thousand of them this time!”

Everyone turned grim upon hearing this. The largest horde before amounted to only a thousand. But now, the approaching monsters have doubled in number. Usually, three soldiers would have to go against one monster. Now it would need at least six, and the soldiers gathered at the gate were only a mere four thousand.

Commander Daltos gnashed his teeth. He roared, “Do not falter! Do not be afraid! Although the number of enemies are beyond what we expected, they cannot come here all at once! Focus on protecting the walls! Do not let them pass through! The monsters who manage to enter the city – slaughter them all!”

Hearing the speech of one of the strongest soldiers of the city, the soldiers gritted their teeth and steeled themselves. They roared.

“Kill the damn bastards!”

“Slaughter them all!”

“Kill them! Don’t let them inside the city!”

Shouts filled with vehement fury followed Commander Daltos’ speech. The previously quivering soldiers readied themselves for the incoming clash with the monsters.

And a surreal scenario transpired before their eyes.

Crackling sounds were heard as orbs of lightning manifested themselves on top of the towers erected near the western gate. The soldiers looked up, and to their surprise, five streaks of blue light shot towards the direction of the monster horde. Explosions were heard, followed by the cries of the monsters.

As though the towers were thirsting for the monsters’ blood, several orbs of lightning manifested themselves on top of the towers once again, before shooting out as rays of blue light. Explosions resounded and the cries from monsters intensified.

“Load the next batch of kalrane stones!”

A young man with silver hair shouted. The soldiers looked at the direction of this voice. Most of the soldiers recognized who this man was.

Lark Marcus, the Lord of Blackstone Town, the man rumored to have defeated the Third Legion of the United Grakas Alliance. These past few weeks, the man has spent most of his time supervising the creation of the towers. Although most of the soldiers and workers had no idea of the use of those towers, they diligently did their part in making it.

And now, they were witnessing with their own eyes the monstrous strength of these devices.

The workers immediately reloaded kalrane stones into the towers. After charging up, the towers shot out bolts of lightning once again, killing tens of monsters in the process. The soldiers standing on the watchtowers and those on the battlements were the ones who were directly witnessing the power of these devices. Every time a tower released a beam of light, two or three monsters were incinerated into ashes in an instant.

But despite this, the monsters were unfazed and continued their march. At the same time, new kalrane stones were reloaded into the towers and the slaughter continued at a constant pace.

Hundreds of monsters started climbing the walls. The soldiers on top of the battlements assumed their formations, ready to intercept the monsters and prevent them from entering the city. They stabbed the monsters the moment they stepped foot on the walls, pushing them off towards the ground. Several wooden devices that resembled a pendulum would swing, hit, and mow down several monsters, pushing them back down. This proved to be an effective tactic for a moment, but with the sheer number of monsters climbing at the same, several dozens of them managed to successfully climb up. Soon, melee broke out on top of the walls. Monsters roared and metals clanked. The scent of blood strongly permeated the air as the humans were slowly pushed back.

Seeing this, Lark issued out a different order. “Move the blocks inside! Now!”

The workers pushed the blocks of stones next to the towers, moving them inside, next to the magic circle. Clicking sounds were heard the moment the last blocks were moved into the center of the towers. The magic circle at the center started changing its color. From blue, it slowly assumed a green hue.

“Activate the towers!”

The workers did as they were commanded. Soon, several green orbs the size of a fist manifested themselves at the tip of the towers. After the command was activated, they shot towards the monsters on top of the battlements. The soldiers who had been struggling against the monsters were surprised at this sudden reinforcement.

“T-This is!” Big Mona, who had been watching the battlefield from afar using a scope, trembled in excitement. Lark had not told him about this particular quirk of the towers. He knew that the towers could release powerful beams of lightning from afar, but he was not aware that they could shoot out smaller, weaker orbs to strike out nearby foes.

Big Mona salivated upon realizing how amazing those devices were. Paying fifteen gold coins for each tower was definitely worth it.

Although the orbs could not kill the monsters in a single shot, the damage it inflicted was enough for the soldiers to finish them off. Furthermore, there were several dozens of orbs coming out of the tower after each charge. The ferocious beasts could not help but stagger and cower after being struck by the orbs from the towers. With several soldiers combining their strength, the monsters were slaughtered one after another.

When dusk came, over a thousand corpses of monsters were scattered on the ground. Thirty-six soldiers died in this wave – a surprisingly small amount considering the fact that the horde doubled in number than the previous siege.

The men responsible for building the obelisks – the Towers – stared at the innumerable dead bodies of monsters that filled the western area of the city. Heat surged within their chests. They had not expected that their hard work would pay off like this.

One of the Masons clenched his fists. “Men, starting tomorrow, we’ll work double time! We’ll grind our bones to dust if we have to! We’ll finish the remaining towers no matter what!”

“Yes, Sir!” all of his men enthusiastically responded.

If five towers brought such an impact in this wave, then how much more if all twenty of them were erected all throughout the entire city?

Chapter Eighteen

The next day, thousands of monster corpses were hauled and moved towards the warehouse of the Merchants Guild. Despite some protests, the officials of the city refused to burn the bodies. After all, as part of the deal, Lark now had full monopoly over the dead bodies.

Chryselle watched with dazed eyes as numerous men worked together to clear the walls and the roads of the monsters’ remains. She could still vividly remember it – that time when the monsters suddenly climbed over the walls and attacked the soldiers. Even in the library of Wizzert City, she had never read anything about these monsters – abominations resembling a gorilla and a frog.

As I thought… it must be him.

Wearing a hooded cloak, Chryselle looked at Lark from afar. Currently, the young man was giving out orders left and right.

Back in the Capital, Chryselle did not act rashly despite her speculations that Lark was the perpetrator behind the attack on Wizzert City. She simply observed him, since she did not have enough evidence to prove it.

But now, after following him and observing him for several weeks, she was sure. Lark Marcus was the one who defeated her brother and the rest of the magicians of Wizzert City – including her.

A bead of sweat started forming on Chryselle’s forehead as she recalled that dreadful night. That night when a single person boldly attacked the Tower of Wizzert.

Gravity Magic.

It was the spell used by Lark during that time. Before that fateful encounter, Chryselle and the magicians of Wizzert never knew that Gravity Magic could be used as an offensive spell. Some of their magicians were capable of using it, but they simply used it to move around goods and cargos.

But the spell used by Lark was on an entirely different realm. The spell was so strong that it forcefully crippled their magicians, rendering them unable to cast even a single spell and fight back. This was true even for her brother – the so-called strongest magician of Wizzert.

If her brother was not caught in that Grand Scale Magic, she wondered how the fight would have ended.

My brother wouldn’t lose…

Her brother was strong enough to fight two or three Royal Court Magicians at the same time. Surely, he wouldn’t lose so one-sidedly. But for some peculiar reason, Chryselle’s intuition was telling her otherwise. At the back of her mind, something was telling her that the results would have been the same no matter what.

No. Wait. This is not the reason I followed him here.

Chryselle shook her head. Her gaze landed on the two young men next to Lark. The two of them looked identical that it was easy to conclude that they were related by blood. Chryselle came here not to seek revenge, but to know the truth behind the magic circle.

When she first lost sight of the brothers at Wizzert, she thought that she would lose the chance to unravel the mystery forever. But after coming into the Capital and seeing Lark and sensing the familiar aura he gave off, she slowly put the pieces of the puzzle together. The reason why an unknown man suddenly attacked the magicians of Wizzert. How those two young men who did not even know any magic got hold of the perfected magic circle. It was not hard to come to a conclusion after personally experiencing all these things. Her speculations were solidified the moment she saw Lark together with the two brothers together in the Capital.

The brothers must have been serving a master. A master benevolent enough to pass to his disciples such precious magic circles.

And what would happen if the disciples of such a benevolent master were suddenly attacked without any reason?

Carnage. An immediate retaliation.

It was easy to see why Lark Marcus waged war with the magicians of Wizzert that night.

Those two are so lucky.

Chryselle bit her lips as a pang of jealousy rose within her. She could not help but be jealous of those two for finding such a master. Although Lark was absurdly strong, he was obviously someone reasonable. Just the incident at Wizzert proved this: although several hundreds of magicians were defeated, none of them ended up dead.

“You’ve been staring at the Young Master for quite some time now.”

A deep voice rang out behind her.

A bit startled, Chryselle reflexively pulled her hood in. She turned around and met the gaze of a handsome man with golden hair. He easily towered almost two meters, and a sword hanged by his waist.

Chryselle knew him. Without a doubt, he was one of Lark Marcus’ disciples.

“Ah, no.” Caught off-guard, Chryselle was unable to give a proper response. “I’m just waiting for someone.”

She walked past him and disappeared amidst the crowd.

Anandra furrowed his brows. He could tell that that she was no ordinary woman. What did she want from the Young Master?

“Oi, Senior!” Austen waved at him from afar.

Lately, the brothers started calling him names like Grandpa, Senior, Gramps. This was after they were forced to run around the city several times as training. Although he was not that old, Anandra simply let it slide. There was no harm done, after all. Like they said, rashness is the mark of youth, tolerance is those of adults.

Anandra approached them. After lightly bowing his head to Lark, he turned to the brothers.

“Gramps, look at this!” George opened his palm, revealing a silver coin. “I earned this in just a day! Isn’t it amazing?!”

Austen pointed at the pile of monster corpses to their left. “George and I helped carry those corpses to the warehouse. The rotting smell of monster flesh sticks to the body, so only a few are willing to do it.”

“If it’s Gramps, you could probably do the work of five or ten men, right?” George winked. “It’s just a simple task that requires brute force. Just remember to treat your juniors later once you’ve recei—”

“—Not interested,” Anandra shot the idea down. “Young Master, I’ve received a message. The Lord of Lion City wishes to see you. Alone.”

Lark’s curiosity was piqued by the last statement. He heard a lot of things about the Lord of this City. He already expected that the man would summon him to the castle. After all, there was no doubt of Lark’s contribution to this monster wave’s victory. What Lark did not expect was that the Lord would wish to meet him alone.

Basically, he’s telling me not to involve the Merchants Guild – Big Mona – in this meeting.

“The Lord of Lion City, huh?” Lark smiled. The incompetent Lord who always chooses to hide himself during war wanted to finally meet him.

“Hey kids,” he tossed two silvers to the brothers. “Stop moving the dead bodies to the warehouse. Let other people handle it.”

“Eh? But my silver coins!” George protested.

Lark tossed another silver coin to him. Austen quickly caught it. “It’s an order from your master. Go back to the inn and wash yourselves. You stink.”

“Anandra, go to the Merchants Guild and tell Big Mona that I’ll be meeting the Lord of this City. Also remind him to load more iron ingots to the caravan going to Blackstone Town. We’ll be going home after this.”

A hint of excitement was seen within Anandra’s eyes upon hearing the words ‘going home’. He must have missed his family so much. More than two months have passed since they left home, after all.

“Understood!”

After parting with his disciples, Lark headed to the Lord’s Castle located at the Inner District. As the Lord of the City requested, he came alone. After informing the guards of his identity, a butler immediately ushered him inside and led him to a large room meant for receiving distinguished guests. Inside the room was a large portrait of a dashing man wearing a full plate armor. The man’s lips were subtly curled into a smirk, his eyes beaming with uttermost confidence.

“I was an active knight back then.”

A voice was heard near the door. An overweight man with exquisite garb had just entered the room. After seeing Lark staring at the portrait on the wall, the man added, “But no one can resist the passage of time.” The man sat down on the couch next to Lark. He gently smiled, “Look at me now, a husk of my former self.”

An awkward silence filled the room. The man, after receiving no response from Lark, coughed several times. “Ah, I forgot my manners. I should have first introduced myself.”

The man stood up, placed his right hand on his chest, then lightly bowed his head, “Valcres, Lord of Lion City.”

Lark also stood up and imitated the polite gesture of the Lord of Lion City. “Lark Marcus. Lord of Blackstone Town. It’s my pleasure to be invited by the Lord of this City.”

Unlike Big Mona, Lark did not have much information regarding this man before him. The fat merchant kept telling him that Valcres was nothing but an incompetent ruler, a bastard who refused to leave his position of power, but Lark refused to believe everything the merchant said, as the two were obviously antagonistic of each other.

“There’s no need to be so stiff,” chuckled Valcres. “Please, let us sit down.”

Lark had expected him to be crude and overbearing, but the way the man spoke was reminiscent of prudence.

The two of them sat down and Valcres lifted the teapot and started pouring tea over Lark’s cup.

“Thank you.” Lark observed the man before him. Despite being overweight, the man exuded elegance.

Valcres sipped his tea. He smiled and placed the cup down. “I heard that you’ve become business partners with Big Mona.”

There was a small pause. “That man must have said a lot of bad things about me, but I hope you’ll hear me out at the very least.”

Valcres took a stack of parchments and placed them on top of the table, pushing them towards Lark’s direction.

“I know you’re a busy man, so let me get straight to the point. Look at these.”

Lark’s read the topmost sheet and his eyes lightly shook upon reading it.

“An all-out war with the Empire?”

Valcres nodded. “That’s right.”

Lark grabbed the stack of parchments and started reading them one by one.

After their city was attacked, the Empire declared an all-out war with the Kingdom of Lukas. Two of their main armies, led by General Alvaren and General Rizel, attacked the City of Yorkshaire, successfully conquering it in merely five days. The unprecedented appearance of the Magic Knight Unit of the Empire proved pivotal in the fall of Yorkshaire City.

Lark had not expected things to turn out this way. He thought that after experiencing the might of the mana bombs, the Empire would reconsider attacking the Kingdom. But on the contrary, this single move backfired. Instead of a peace treaty, the Empire declared an all-out war.

After Yorkshaire City was captured, Lui Marcus and Sword Master Alexander attacked the Empire’s soldiers with hopes of taking the fortress back, but sieging the fortress proved impossible with the Magic Knights protecting the entrances. Several smaller armies from the Empire came as reinforcement and Lui Marcus and the Sword Saint had no choice but to retreat with their men.

During their retreat, the remnants of the Yorkshaire Army were ambushed by the army of General Rizel. By estimate, only a fifth of the Yorkshaire Army survived the battle.

“Lui Marcus and the Sword Saint… lost?”

“That’s right. Your brother lost the war,” Valcres sighed. “That newspaper is something available only to the High Nobility. Even Barons will have a hard time getting their hands on that. But the result of war is inevitable. The news will soon spread far and wide. The so-called undefeated War God of the Western Front lost the battle. And now, the Empire is slowly invading the adjacent cities of Yorkshaire.”

Lark did not know how strong his older brother was, but for him to be called the God of War of the Western Front, his abilities must have been extraordinary.

Still, he found it hard to believe that the Sword Saint lost the battle. He had seen how that man fought the retreating beastmen before, using the vision crystal. The swordsmanship of Alexander was akin to being one with the sword.

“How many soldiers did the Empire bring this time?”

Last time, around twenty thousand soldiers tried to capture Yorkshaire City, but they failed.

“Fifty thousand soldiers, not including the soldiers from the smaller armies. By estimate, there’s probably sixty thousand of them occupying the Yorkshaire City and the Mountain Range right now. And it will only continue to increase even further.”

Lark understood what Valcres meant. Yorkshaire City was literally the stopper blocking the advance of the Empire. Now that it was captured, the Empire now had a free pass towards the Kingdom.

“Sixty thousand, huh.” Lark furrowed his brows. He could somehow understand how Lui Marcus and the Sword Saint lost. They were outnumbered by almost six times their number.

It seemed that the Empire was really serious about waging an all-out war with the Kingdom. The land of the Empire was vast, and bringing this much army to topple the Kingdom would mean that their defenses in the other areas would be thinned out.

“The reason I called you here – look at the fourth page of the article.”

Lark flipped at that page. His eyes momentarily widened upon reading it.

According to it, it seemed that a rumor with him at the center was starting to spread among the masses. Although the news regarding the defeat of Lui Marcus and the Sword Saint had not spread far and wide yet, the news about the Empire’s declaration of an all-out war was known to many. According to the rumor, the reason why the Empire became so enraged and declared this war was because of Lark Marcus. The young noble was the one who proposed to directly attack the nearest city of the Empire, and this, in turn, earned the ire of the Empire.

“It’s just rumors, and I don’t believe you’re influential enough to propose such an attack, but you better steel yourself. These rumors will soon spread through these lands. And once the people learned of the War God’s defeat, the people would have no choice but to resent you – the root of all these things.”

Lark placed the news article back on the table. He remained stoic despite these revelations. “They’re not baseless rumors. It’s true. I’m the one who proposed the attack.”

Valcres’ opened then closed his mouth. “W-What?”

“I was too naïve, huh? I can’t believe I gave the Empire the perfect reason to finally declare an all-out war with us.”

A grin started forming on Lark’s lips. He was not afraid. They could all come and attack him if they wanted. He had experienced far more dangerous things than this back in his previous life, after all. Waging war with a tribe of Dragons or waging war with the Empire? The two were basically just the same.

“So, you called me here to warn me?” The previously stoic expression of Lark was now replaced with a mischievous grin. Seeing this, Valcres could not help but calculate his next steps. He certainly did not expect Lark to react this way.

Valcres shook his head. “No. I’m here to tell you to stay.”

He grabbed the fourth page of the article and pointed at the left corner. “This thing written here. It’s a decree from the Royal Family. Nobles – Counts and those above in rank – are required to participate in the war. And by participate, they are required to send at least a thousand soldiers to aid the Kingdom in repelling the invaders.”

A thousand soldiers? Lark did not even have half the amount.

“Those that are unable to comply are required to personally come to the battlefield and oversee the army. That is the Royal Decree.”

It was a fair decree. As the rulers of their lands, it’s only natural for the nobles to come and fight for their territories once the time comes. With this decree, the Anti-Royal Faction and even the fence-sitters would have no choice but to participate. The only problem was with nobles like Lark who held a high status but without a proper army to back it up. Nobles like him would have no choice but to come to the front lines and personally oversee the Kingdom’s army.

“I haven’t even returned to Blackstone Town yet,” he smirked.

“Not necessarily,” Valcres grinned broadly. “I’ll lend you a thousand of this City’s soldiers. You wouldn’t have to go. But in exchange, you will stay here and build more towers for the City. How’s that sound to you?”

Valcres’ voice sounded more enthusiastic than usual, as though he struck a pot of gold.

Lark looked at Valcres and his still broadly smiling face.

He finally realized the goal of this man before him.

At first, he thought that the evaluation of Big Mona was wrong. That the Lord of Lion City was nothing like the rumors. But now, Lark realized that the merchant was actually speaking the truth.

This man maybe not be totally incompetent, but he was surely a coward.

He was probably still afraid of those monsters from the Lake.

If Lark left for the front lines, who would manage the towers? This was probably the thoughts running through the Lord’s mind right now.

Big Mona’s speaking the truth, huh?

Lark quickly hid his thoughts. He smiled, “That sounds like a tempting idea—”

Valcres nodded, “—That’s right! As long as we accomplish the have the amount of soldiers sent to the front lines, there’ll be no need for you to come! Of course, we’ll have to wai—”

“—But I humbly decline.” Lark stood up, placed his hand on his chest and bowed. “This visit has been worthwhile. But I have somewhere else I have to visit after this, please excuse me.”

Lark bent down and grabbed the news articles. “Ah, and can I have these?” he shamelessly asked.

Valcres stared at the parchments, then at Lark. “You can, I no longer need them. But can you tell me the reason first? I don’t see any merit in you to refusing my offer.”

Valcres sounded agitated, and was starting to overlap with the incompetent image Big Mona always bespoke of him.

Lark paused, looked up at the ceiling as though it held the answer, then smiled at Valcres. He shrugged, “It’s not enticing enough, I guess?”

Valcres gnashed his teeth at that answer. His smiling façade completely slid down his face.

“You do understand, right? That if you refuse this offer, you’ll be sent to the front lines.”

“I do. And it’s not like there’s a fixed time limit to this. You said that the news of the War God’s defeat hasn’t spread through the entire Kingdom yet. Then I should have a month or two at most before I’m forcefully summoned. My soldiers should be ready by then.”

Valcres scoffed, “Your soldiers will be ready by then?”

Lark simply smiled and did not retort.

A month or two should be enough to prepare those soldiers.

If the Empire has their Magic Knight Unit… Then what should I call them? The Iron Knight Unit?

A horrible naming sense. Lark decided to think about the name later.

It was true that Lark was the one who sparked this all-out war with the Empire. As such, he did not wish to simply sit back and watch from the sidelines. Once he had finished creating his soldiers, he decided to march towards the frontlines.

Chapter Nineteen

Lark and his men finally returned to Blackstone Town. Gaston immediately went out to greet them right at the town’s entrance, as though he had been waiting for them to come back every single day. For a moment, the old man’s teary face overlapped with those of a wife eagerly waiting for her husband to arrive.

“Young Master! I’m so glad you’re back!” The old man’s face was a mixture of relief and anticipation.

Lark went down the carriage and scanned his immediately surroundings. He tapped at the ground with his foot. “You’ve completed the roads?”

When they left for the Capital, this part of the town wasn’t paved yet. Tracing the road with his eyes, Lark noticed that it was no longer dirt and rubble. Even the unpaved areas were filled with cobblestones. With this, travelling through the town via cart would be much easier.

“Yes. Like you’ve ordered, we did not halt the progress of the infrastructures of the town. The Young Master may not see it here, but the Eastern District has become an entirely different place from before.”

Lark understood what the butler was trying to say. Since Lark repeatedly emphasized the importance of improving the new homes of the residents of Blackstone Town, the Eastern District was the area being developed the most right now. Most probably, it was starting to resemble the major cities in terms of infrastructure and design.

The butler adjusted his monocles. He peeked at Lark from top to foot, as though scanning the Young Master’s body for any visible injuries. “More importantly… Young Master, what are those?”

The butler pointed at the numerous carts lined up behind Lark. A peculiar stench was coming out of them.

Lark looked behind him. He noticed that the residents who stopped by to look at their entourage were crinkling their noses in disgust.

“Corpses.” Lark went to one of the carts and lifted the cover up, revealing a dangling hand of a gorilla-like monster. The residents who saw it screamed in fright, while some grimaced in disgust.

Gaston creased his brows, “Are all those… filled with dead bodies?”

Lark nodded, “Gaston, free up some space in the underground chamber. Store the bodies there. I suppose you’ve received the iron ingots from the city?”

Gaston remembered that several days ago, more than a hundred iron ingots were suddenly delivered to the Mansion. According to the merchants, they were materials personally brought by Lark. “Yes. They’re being stored at the basement. Should I ask the servants to move them somewhere?”

“There’s no need for that.”

After Lark arrived at the Mansion, he donned a simple cloak and left to check the town. While walking around, he noticed several new faces among the crowd. According to Gaston, a few hundred men and women migrated to Blackstone Town while Lark was gone. This was probably the result of the propaganda in Lion City – their posted advertisements about open jobs at Blackstone Town. Those who were seeking to have a fresh start, and those who were unsuccessful in settling down in Lion City, were naturally attracted by these proposals.

And there’s the monster invasion too.

The constant invasion of the monsters of the Lake in Lion City also played a huge role in the influx of residents in Blackstone Town. Without Lark noticing, the number of people living in Blackstone Town now exceeded one thousand. Luckily, due to the developments being made left and right, despite the influx of new residents, everyone easily settled in and found jobs.

Lark went to the Eastern District, and to his surprise, the place was bustling with life. In accordance to his design, they created a plaza at the center of the Eastern District, with the newly built houses surrounding it. Naturally, business-minded individuals set up stalls at the plaza. When Lark inspected the area, over a hundred people were gathered there, as though the place had become a market.

“We need more people to clear the Eastern part of the Endless Forest!”

“I need an assistant for my tailoring shop!”

The place also served as the perfect recruitment site for newly opened jobs.

Lark was about to go and inspect the Mines when he noticed a familiar face among the crowd. He had not expected that person to be there, shouting and recruiting for men.

“Six silvers and thirty coppers! Join our team! Free meals are provided!”

It was Silver Claw, the Mason in-charge of nearly all developments in this town. Lark had not expected a man as busy as him to be here, recruiting people of all things.

Lark pulled the hood over his head then stealthily approached him.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

Hearing the familiar voice, the Mason turned around and saw Lark staring at him.

Silver Claw scratched his stubbles and awkwardly laughed. “Ah, Y-Young Master. I didn’t know that you’re finally here!”

“Cut the crap. I’m asking you. What are you doing?”

He was the Mason of Blackstone Town. His time would definitely be better spent on more important things.

Silver Claw sighed, “I don’t know what happened, but the demand for kalrane stones shot to the roof this month. As a result, more people started joining the mining team. We’ve started losing men.”

Lark immediately understood what happened. Since the towers were powered up using the kalrane stones, it was only natural for the demand to shot through the roof. It was to the point that the supply could hardly keep up with the demand. Although the kalranes were rechargeable, more and more towers were currently being built in Lion City. Furthermore, each use consumed a lot of stones. The demand should continue to rise until the towers’ completion.

Unlike the other professions, the miners were compensated based on their output. Therefore, if one worked harder than the rest, or if they were lucky enough, it was possible to earn twice or thrice more than the usual pay. The sudden demand for kalranes resulted to more and more people joining the mining team. No wonder even Silver Claw himself started recruiting for more men.

“The demand for kalranes should return to normal in the next three months,” Lark quickly made an estimate. “More importantly, did you make it? That thing I tasked you to make before I left for the Capital?”

At this question, Silver Claw grinned, “Of course. It’s the Young Master’s request, after all. I’ll show it to you. Please follow me.”

Silver Claw led him to a newly-finished stone building in the Eastern District. A placard made of wood was placed at the entrance.

“Welcome to Blackstone Town’s library.” Silver Claw’s voice was filled with pride.

The two of them entered. But unlike its grand name, the ground floor was filled with nothing but empty bookshelves, chairs, and tables.

“It took us two months to build everything, including that thing on the third floor. I was doubtful at first, but after the product was finished, the results turned out amazing. Just like what the Young Master said.”

With Silver Claw leading the way, they passed through the second floor, which also consisted of empty bookshelves, chairs, and tables, with two large rooms next to the stairs. But on the third floor, two large metallic structures were displayed. One of them was composed of smaller metallic blocks with letters carved out on them.  The other one was made out of a large tube, with two flat metallic sheets below.

These two items were meant to mass produce books for Lark’s people to use. The former was meant for writing, while the latter was meant for mass producing paper. Although the quality would be hardly any different than those seen in the cities – maybe a bit worse – mass producing books would be possible.

“How’s the ink?” Lark noticed that the small blocks of letter had smudges of bluish ink on them.

“Better than expected.” Silver Claw tapped the machine twice. “This thing here is a beast. I tested it myself and the ink really sticks to the parchments and dries easily. And this thing’s pretty easy to use. If the Young Master could allocate more budget, we can make more of them.”

“How many papers can that thing make in a day? And how many books can it make?”

Silver Claw raised five fingers. “Five books at most. And there’s no problem with the number of papers it can produce.”

Basically, the second machine could produce as much papers as they wanted as long as they have enough materials. Luckily, the trees in the Endless Forest were good materials in making papers. The machines would do the menial task of grinding them into pulps, and after adding water, the metallic sheets would flatten them before they are dried. It would then be cut by the machine into finer pieces.

Silver Claw grabbed a sheet from the pile of brown papers next to the machine and handed it to Lark. “Like you’ve ordered, we’ve already made several stacks of them. The ones stored here should be enough to make several dozens of books.”

Lark inspected the paper handed to him. It looked nothing like those seen in the Magic Empire. This paper looked dirty, as though it was drenched in mud, but it was a lot cheaper than buying them from the city.

“Young Master, are you really going to hand out free books to everyone?” Silver Claw was doubtful. As a former resident of Lion City, he was aware of how expensive books were.

“Not everyone,” corrected Lark. “Only to those who know how to read and write. How could they read the books, otherwise?”

“Then…” Silver Claw realized the implications of this statement. “Only those in the military will receive them?”

“For now, yes. But I plan to fix that problem soon. It’s time we start the basic education of my subjects.”

Silver Claw pondered at this statement. Although people like him who already knew how to read and write and knew how important it was, not everyone thought alike. There would surely be people who would be averse to learning new things. Since they do not need literary skills in farming and building, not everyone would attend this so-called basic education, despite it being free.

Lark also thought the same. “Eighty coppers each month. Everyone who finished basic education – reading and writing – will receive a discount of eighty coppers each month on rent. They will also be prioritized in job recruitments. Also, promotions will be given only to those who’d finished the basic education course.”

Silver Claw’s eyes widened upon hearing this. It was simple, yet ingenious – as expected of the Young Master. . With just this, the residents would be enticed and would enter the basic education course on their own, without coercion. Eighty coppers may not look much, but it was a lot of money in this small town.

“You said you’ve made enough papers to make dozens of books, correct?”

Silver Claw nodded, “Yes.”

“Then let’s start.” Lark took out a book, around fifty pages long. “We’ll mass produce this one and hand it to everyone.”

Silver Claw read the title on the cover, “Principles of a Just Sovereign?”

Back in Lion City, he had read a decent number of books in his youth. He was unfamiliar with this one, however.

“Who wrote it, Sir?”

“Evander Alaester. You know him?”

Silver Claw never heard of that name before. “No, Sir.”

Lark grinned, “Of course. It’s been a thousand and a half years, after all.”

Lark ignored the quizzical look on the Mason’s face. He removed his cloak and started placing papers into the machine.

“Let’s test them, shall we?” Lark licked his lips.

Under Lark’s guidance, the machine moved as though it had a life of its own. Despite the complexity of stamping letters on paper, the metal blocks moved non-stop. Had the Mason not known any better, he would have thought that Lark had been using this same machine for several years now.

“Amazing.”

Silver Claw’s mouth was half-opened. He had used the machine before to test it, but he did not expect that it could be used this way. The way the blocks moved and stamped letters was beyond his imagination. With this, as long as people got used to it, mass producing books would take only a matter of time.

After finishing a book, Lark wiped the bead of sweat on his forehead. His eyes were gleaming in satisfaction. This was the first step to his goal of educating his subjects.

“Evander Alaester,” he chuckled. “It’ll be a good pen name.”

Chapter Twenty

Meanwhile, at a city near the Western Front of the Kingdom.

Lancaster, the oldest son and current successor of House Kelvin gnashed his teeth as he listened to his subordinate’s report. He had not expected things to devolve like this. Just a few weeks ago, they were slaughtering the damnable dogs of the Empire. Now, not only have they lost Yorkshaire City, but it also seemed that the Imperial Army was currently marching towards his territory.

“General Rizel is personally leading them, my Lord,” his men finished their report.

Lancaster knew this already. After all, just five days ago, the nearby city of Anatacia was ravaged to the ground by that damn bastard.

His head started to throb as he ordered his men to leave the room. He chugged down the bottle of wine, tossing the bottle to the ground as he finished. He leaned on his chair and sighed.

“Damn it,” he growled. “God damn it.”

A few weeks ago, the Kingdom horribly lost the battle at the Western Front and more than half of the soldiers Lancaster sent to aid the Kingdom lost their lives. To make things worse, instead of heading straight towards the Capital, the Empire started capturing the nearby cities one by one.

Right now, the army personally led by General Rizel was heading southwest. It would only be a matter of time before they arrive at Lancaster’s territory.

Lancaster groaned. He felt like vomiting on the ground. He had never felt this pressured before in his entire life.

Most of his soldiers died in battle a few weeks ago. He could not see how he could possibly defend the City against the attack of the Empire with just a little more than a thousand soldiers under his command.

The King promised to scour up more soldiers and send reinforcements. Where were they? He had sent numerous messengers to the Capital, but for some reason, none of them returned. Even the messengers he sent to the Kelvin Duchy to request reinforcements did not return.

Were they killed by the Empire?

Lancaster shook his head.

It was not impossible, but the probability of it was low.

Based on the reports of the scouts, the Army led by General Rizel would take at least two more days before reaching this place. There was no way for them to kill all seven messengers at once.

As he was contemplating on the next steps he should make, a pallid soldier entered the room. His face looked like someone who had seen a ghost.

“M-My Lord! T-The army! The army is here!”

Lancaster shot up from his seat. His eyes widened to the point of popping. “Army? What army?! The reinforcement from the Capital finally arrived, huh?”

Just by looking at the terrified face of the man who made the report, it was apparent which army the man was pertaining too. But Lancaster tried to dismiss the thought with all his might. The army of General Rizel was supposed to arrive two days from now. There was no way they would suddenly appear here just like that.

Lancaster anxiously waited for the soldier’s response. His head throbbed as he fervently prayed to the Gods.

“T-The Rizel Army, Sir! The army led by General Rizel was seen near the entrance of Ante Valley!”

Lancaster held his breath. His entire body shook as he tried to process the words the soldier spat out. Surprise and astonishment slowly turned into fear, and fear slowly turned into anger.

He roared, “What do you mean by Ante Valley! That’s only two or three hours from this City! What are the scouts doing?! Why did they let the enemy come this close to our city without reporting?!”

The muscular son of Duke Kelvin grabbed his hair and ripped it out. He bit his lips hard and blood started flowing down. For a moment, his vision darkened with rage.

“M-My Lord? Are you alright?”

There was silence. The soldier swallowed dry spit.

Seconds seemed like eternity passed. Eventually, Lancaster gathered himself. He sighed and grabbed the suit of armor next to the wall and donned it.

“My Lord?” the soldier asked again.

“We’re moving out,” Lancaster finally decided.

He was afraid, terribly afraid of the Empire. After all, he only had a little more than a thousand soldiers at his disposal right now. If he idled here any longer, the Rizel Army would eventually reach the city and ravage it to the ground.

With great haste, Lancaster gathered his army. In just half an hour, all available forces started moving out.

A thousand and a half strong army.

Just this alone would not be enough to stop the Rizel Army, Lancaster knew this. But since his city was not enclosed in a wall, a siege was not an option. He had no choice but intercept the enemies near the end of Ante Valley.

He planned on using the geographical advantage to hold them off here, at least until reinforcements arrived.

“Damn dogs,” he mumbled. Their army was currently marching towards the valley. “Once the reinforcements from the Kingdom arrived, you’ll see. It’ll crush you damn bastards.”

Since they knew this land like the back of their palm, they managed to get to the end of Ante Valley at the shortest time. He immediately sent out several of his most nimble men to scout the area ahead. A few minutes passed and the scouts came back with their reports.

“The Imperial Army just entered through the Mouth of the Naga, My Lord,” reported one of the scouts. “By estimate, there’s a thousand of them. All are cavalry, sir.”

The Mouth of the Naga was a famous location in Ante. It was the narrowest path when passing through the valley.

“Only a thousand soldiers?” Lancaster Kelvin doubted the report.

He frowned, “Ranz.”

“My Lord,” the leader of the scouts saluted.

“Form five teams and scout the surrounding area, just to be sure. I don’t believe the Rizel army brought only a thousand soldiers with them. There’s a very high chance that this is a trap.”

Upon receiving their orders, the scouts immediately moved out. After some time, they came back. And to Lancaster’s astonishment, it was the same report as before.

“My Lord, there are no other armies nearby.”

Slowly, a smile formed on Lancaster’s face. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief after confirming the number of enemies. Since the one thousand strong army was composed entirely of cavalries, there was a high chance that they were just the vanguard, that the rest of the army would follow soon afterwards.

This was a once in a lifetime chance.

Even if this army was just the vanguard, successfully annihilating them would halt the advance of the Rizel Army. Lancaster was hoping that it would buy them enough time, at least until the reinforcements from the Capital arrived.

Against an enemy of the same number, Lancaster was confident of holding his ground. After all, he personally trained the soldiers of his territory. He was confident that they would not lose even against the dogs of the Empire.

“Ranz, activate the traps once they leave the Mouth of the Naga,” Lancaster issued out his command. “Elias Unit! Macaroth Unit! Intercept the enemies! Make sure to block their path of escape! Archers, on me!”

“Yes, Sir!”

“Yes, My Lord!”

Lancaster and his men moved out. The group led by Ranz spread out at the top of the valley, ready to push down several dozens of boulders towards the enemies below. As long as they moved towards the exit of the Mouth of the Naga, it would undoubtedly become their victory. The Imperial soldiers who would manage to survive the boulders would then be killed by the arrows. And just to be sure, the exit was also further blocked by the soldiers of Lancaster, leaving no way out.

The moment the enemies decided to enter this valley, they have thrown away their chances at victory.

How foolish.

Lancaster smirked. The cavalry below would soon reach the end of the Mouth of the Naga. With just a wave of his hand, boulders would rain down and crush the bastards to death.

Just a little bit more.

The army below did not even have the faintest idea that they were being surrounded in all directions by now. Just a little bit more and they would right below the traps.

And the imperial army suddenly stopped.

“What’s happening? Why did they suddenly stop?” mumbled one of Lancaster’s men.

Lancaster also had the same question in his mind. His intuition was telling him right now that something was not right. As he intently observed the enemies below, he noticed a middle-aged soldier issue out some kind of command. A few moments after that, the enemies roused their horses and like veterans, made their mounts turn and face the other way around. The sound of horses neighing reverberated in the valley.

To Lancaster’s utter surprise, the enemies slapped their horses and moved out of the valley at a tremendous speed incomparable to before.

What’s happening? Why were they retreating?

Lancaster found it regrettable that they were unable to thoroughly crush the bastards, but looking from another perspective, this sudden and unexplained retreat would work to his advantage. With this, they have bought themselves more time until the reinforcements from the Capital arrived.

“My Lord, should we give chase?” asked Ranz.

After a moment of hesitation, Lancaster shook his head. “Don’t chase. But just to be safe, send several men to scout the area. I don’t know why those bastards suddenly left the valley, but they might suddenly come back. Be ready to activate the traps at all times.”

Ranz saluted. “Understood!”

Several scouts moved out to spy on the retreating imperial army. After receiving reports that the enemies had indeed left the area, Lancaster decided to go back to the city, leaving several scouts behind to report just in case the enemies came back.

But to his horror, what awaited him was a city in rubbles. Numerous dead bodies littered the streets and several decapitated heads were displayed on the entrance. The words ‘Welcome Back’ were written with blood on a wooden placard.

An ominous fog filled the entire city.

Lancaster’s entire body quivered. He stared at the heads displayed at the city’s entrance. Those agonized faces before death. Those lifeless eyes. Without a doubt, those heads belonged to wives, daughters, and sons.

“What happened here?!” Lancaster growled, his voice reminiscent of an animal whimpering. “What happened to the city?!”

They have been gone for only a couple of hours but when they came back, the city was already in ruins.

Lancaster’s eyes darkened with rage. He wanted to find and tear whoever did this into shreds. His intuition was telling him that the Rizel Army was involved in this.

Damn bastard. I’ll kill him!

“Your orders, Sir?”

The officers of his army were trembling with rage. They, too, wanted to find the enemies and slaughter them.

“This fog is dangerous. We can’t just go in. Be careful of—”

“—Of what?” a voice interjected.

Lancaster and his men immediately pulled out their weapons upon hearing this.

Like a ghost, an old man started appearing from inside the fog. The old man was missing an arm and his left cheek had a large burn mark. Just these two characteristics alone were enough to reveal the identity of this person before them.

General Rizel. The Ghost of the Empire.

The fog currently enclosing the city was probably because of his magic.

“Rizel!” Lancaster’s growl was that of a wild animal. He gripped his sword tight. Every fiber of his being was itching to cut down the bastard.

General Rizel chuckled, “Alvaren was right. It’s indeed wiser to destroy the nearby cities first before attacking the Capital. Did you know? All the previous City Lords had the same expressions before they died.”

Slowly, General Rizel’s figure started blending with the fog. He smiled broadly, his eyes predatory. “They said that the Kelvin Duchy has the second strongest military, next only to the Marcus Army. But looking at you now… how disappointing.”

The last few words echoed, and General Rizel’s figure vanished entirely. Lancaster and his men warily looked around them in anticipation of an attack.

Lancaster’s eyes momentarily shook as he heard a familiar sound.

Arrows!

“Shields up!”

With his decades of experience in the battlefield, Lancaster managed to issue out the proper command at the most crucial time. The soldiers raised their shields and successfully blocked the valley of arrows that suddenly came out of the fog.

Lancaster skillfully parried the arrows that came his way using his sword. The fog enclosing the city was becoming denser with each passing moment. He knew that fighting in this place would mean death. Even his soldiers knew this too, but the mere fact that the enemies have occupied the entire city entrenched them to the ground, rendering them unable to retreat.

That cunning old man from the Empire purposefully made this city the battlefield to force Lancaster and his men to battle inside the thick fog. They could still retreat right now, but what would happen to the residents in the city?

They heard of the cruel acts of General Rizel before. Without a doubt, if Lancaster and his men fell back, the survivors in the city would be massacred down to the last man.

The fog crept towards them, enveloping several of his men. From inside the fog, arrows shot out.

“Fall back! Get out of the fog!” shouted Lancaster.

But despite his orders, most of those inside the fog did not manage to get out. The name ‘Ghost of the Empire’ was proving its notoriety here.

General Rizel belonged to the last generation. Some even said that he’s a relic of the past era. The battle tactic he was currently executing right now – The Fog of War – was well-discussed in military academies. Lancaster first heard of it back when he was still a student.

They said that once you’re inside the Fog of War, it’ll be impossible to get out. Even veterans of war would lose their lives. After all, it’ll be impossible to defend against thousands of enemies without one’s eyesight.

Even the supposedly impregnable Yorkshaire City fell in just a few days because of this cheap tactic.

“My Lord, we should probably retreat for now.” Ranz finally said to him.

The fog continued creeping into them, as though it had a life of its own. If they dallied here any longer, they would eventually fall prey to the enemy.

Lancaster gnashed his teeth, “Damn it.” He breathed in and shouted, “Retreat! All units on me! Retreat!”

The soldiers were a bit hesitant, since their families were inside the city, but they all understood that their Lord’s order was the correct course of action right now.

With Lancaster at the lead, the army retreated towards the Ante Valley. They planned on going northeast, towards the Forest of Aeowa, before heading straight to the Kelvin Duchy. The Duchy had at least fifteen thousand soldiers protecting its territory. Even General Rizel would hesitate before attacking that place.

“My Lord, the army of General Army is close to approaching this place,” said Ranz. “If we don’t hasten our pace—”

“—I know already!” spat Lancaster. With the threat of the Rizel army behind them, Lancaster and his men hastened their pace.

Soon, they reached the Mouth of the Naga. The place where the traps were placed.

“Ranz, the traps!”

“Yes, My Lord! The flag! Pull out the flag!”

A soldier next to Ranz pulled out a red flag. Seeing this, the soldiers they left behind before – those stationed next to the traps – started moving at once.

The sound of hooves was heard behind them. Lancaster looked at the rear and saw a cloud of dust approaching their direction. It seemed that the Rizel Army had finally caught up to them.

Normally, Lancaster would be pallid with fear by now. But since they were finally at the Mouth of the Naga, he did not feel fear.

Lancaster smirked.

What a perfect timing.

With a wave of his hand, those traps would rain down their enemies. Even Rizel would not come out unscathed after being assaulted by dozens of boulders at once.

“Keep going!” he said to his men.

They still needed to pretend to be fleeing, at least until the Rizel Army was within the range of those traps.

“My Lord, it’s been a pleasure serving you,” said Ranz, his lips crooked into a smile. “But this is where we part.”

Ranz slapped his horse and sped up. He took out a flag black flag and waved it several times.

Soon, the entire Mouth of the Naga rumbled. The ground shook and the horses neighed. Lancaster’s eyes widened upon seeing the traps activate all at once.

“W-What’s happening?!” Lancaster was baffled. “Why did the traps suddenly activate!?”

And then realization hit him. The reason why the scouts he sent out before did not come back. The reason why they failed to notice their enemies. The reason why the traps were activated now of all times, just when Lancaster’s army was directly below it.

“Ranz!” Lancaster roared. “You piece of shit! You damn dog of the Empire!”

Despite the rumbling sound from the falling boulders, Lancaster’s voice still managed to echo inside the valley.

Ranz, who had sped up ahead, glanced at Lancaster. Those smiling lips were clearly mocking his Lord. He was saying something, but the rumbling sound from the falling boulders drowned out everything.

And the boulders struck the retreating Lancaster Army.

Hundreds of soldiers were crushed to death at once, their armors flattened out and their bodies turned into paste. The boulders splintered upon impact and impaled those that managed to dodge the initial attack.

Even Lancaster did not manage to come out unscathed from the trap. His left shoulder was impaled by the splinters and the head of his horse was crushed by a flying rock.

Lancaster had no choice but to dismount and hide behind a small crevice until the rain of boulders stopped. By the time the clouds of dust cleared up, a gruesome sight revealed itself. Lancaster shuddered upon seeing the pools of blood flowing down the ground, the crushed bodies and dismembered limbs. There were around thirty or forty soldiers who managed to miraculously survive, but all of them were also wounded, and some were unable to even stand up.

Ranz and the rest of his men approached Lancaster. They all were looking at the survivors with eyes filled with mockery and disdain.

“Ranz, since when?” Lancaster gnashed his teeth. He wanted to stab the damn bastard, but with a wounded body, he knew he would not be a match for the leader of the scouts.

“I’ve been working for the Empire for more than a decade now,” said Ranz.

Lancaster was stunned upon hearing this. Ranz started working for the Kelvin Duchy seven years ago. And it was only four years ago when he started serving Lancaster.

Then, it meant that Ranz never truly ‘betrayed’ him. He had never been his soldier in the first place.

“Sometimes, I regret working for the Kelvin Duchy. Maybe it would have been better if I infiltrated the House Marcus instead. Who would have known that the successor of the House Kelvin is this incompetent? How disappointing.”

“Ranz!” Lancaster was about to draw his sword when a kick struck his wounded shoulder. He suppressed a scream of pain as his body rolled over the ground several times.

“My Lord!”

“Ranz! How could you do this to our Master!”

The surviving soldiers formed a barricade around Lancaster. They all took out their weapons despite their wounded bodies.

The Rizel Army chasing after them finally caught up.

Ranz bowed down upon seeing the General of the Empire.

“My Lord, it’s been a long time,” said Ranz.

The old man with a missing arm smile upon seeing Ranz. He looked at Lancaster who was struggling to get up, and the soldiers shielding him.

“Good work.” Rizel pulled out his sword and started approaching Lancaster and his men. “You’ll be assigned to a different Kingdom after this. Surely, you wouldn’t mind?”

Ranz closed his eyes. “Of course. This faithful servant shall follow the Lord’s command.”

Rizel’s figure blurred and moments after, several dozens of head flew into the air. More than half of the soldiers guarding Lancaster kneeled and fell down the ground, headless.

Lancaster shuddered. General Rizel was missing an arm, but he was still the monster described to them during his stay in the military academy. This so-called relic of the past era was a monster who could slaughter several hundred soldiers on his own.

And there’s General Alvaren.

Two monsters – General Alvaren and General Rizel – were sent by the Empire for this war. For a moment, Lancaster doubted if the Kingdom would survive this ordeal. The enemies were simply too strong this time.

To make matters worse, General Rizel was not only strong in combat – he was also a genius tactician.

Who would have known that Ranz, his most trusted subordinate, was actually a dog of the Empire? Lancaster was sure that the Empire had also planted spies on the other Ducal Houses, and maybe even within the Royal Family.

Shit. Damn it.

“Kill me!” growled Lancaster. “Damn bastard! Just kill me already!”

General Rizel looked at him with eyes filled with amusement. He chuckled, “Kill you?” His figure blurred once again and the remaining soldiers fell on the ground, headless. “Do I look that stupid to you?”

General Rizel stabbed Lancaster’s thigh with his sword. Blood spurted out and Lancaster groaned and fell down on one knee.

“You’re the successor to the House Kelvin. As long as we hold you captive, the Kelvin Army will not move out.”

Lancaster smirked. “Even if you kill me, my father can easily choose another successor of the family. My father wouldn’t hesitate to abandon me.”

“I know,” Rizel grinned. “But Duke Kelvin is a coward. He will surely grab this as the perfect excuse not to participate in the war.”

Lancaster stiffened. He knew his father very well. He was sure that his father would really use this as an excuse to preserve their forces.

“Tie him up,” said Rizel. Several soldiers immediately grabbed Lancaster and tied him up. “And send a message to the Capital. Tell them that we have taken Lancaster Kelvin captive.”

***

The news of Lancaster’s defeat quickly spread within the Capital and the nearby cities of the Kingdom. Upon receiving the news of his son’s capture, Duke Kelvin immediately made an excuse not to send out his forces for war.

King Alvis’ head throbbed at this sudden development. He had not expected that the capture of a single city – of a single individual – would cripple a large portion of their fighting prowess in an instant.

Most of the military might of the Kingdom came from the three Ducal Houses. And now that one of them was using this incident as an excuse not to participate, they have literally lost almost a third of their overall forces.

King Alvis could use the crown to force the other nobles to participate in the war, but it was a different matter for the Ducal Houses. Each of the three Dukes held power comparable to the Royal Family. If he antagonized one of them, now of all times, civil war might break out.

After some contemplation, King Alvis made up his mind. He donned a plain shirt, removed all his accessories, and put on a dirty-looking cloak. He went towards the slum area, accompanied only by two of his most trusted guards.

“Your Majesty, are you sure about this?” one of his guards whispered.

Although the three of them were wearing dirty-looking clothes, the residents were still intently staring at their direction. Despite their disguise, the regal movements of King Alvis were easily seen by a discerning eye.

“Stop asking questions and follow me,” the King whispered back. On his hand was a glass bead the size of an egg. Inside the glass bead was a pointer, which acted like a compass. No matter where they went, the pointer kept pointing to a certain direction.

King Alvis managed to make contact with the Dwarven Kingdom, thanks to this artifact. And now, he was using this in hopes of sending a message to the Dwarven King.

Thankfully, despite the constant stares, none of the residents of the slums bothered with them. The two guards the King brought with him smelled dangerous, deterring any malicious intent from befalling their group.

Their group finally stopped in front of a shabby-looking bungalow. The broken door was haphazardly patched up with planks, and the glass of the windows had several cracks.

After again checking the glass bead’s pointer, King Alvis was finally sure that this was the right place.

He sent a signal to the two guards and they nodded back. King Alvis knocked on the door.

There was no answer.

“Maybe, no one’s home?” the King mumbled.

For a moment, he was worried that their journey here was all for naught.

The King knocked again. No answer.

One of the guards grabbed the handle of the door and twisted it. To their surprise, the door creaked open. They stepped inside and dust flew about.

King Alvis coughed several times.

“Your Majesty—”

“—I’m fine,” King Alvis waved his hand. “More importantly—”

They all looked at the man sleeping on the bed. He was short, his height reaching only until the chest of King Alvis. He was snoring softly, mumbling incomprehensible words every now and then.

The guards stared at the man in bewilderment, while King Alvis slowly smiled.

Their journey was not in vain. The glass bead was right. There was indeed one – a point of contact.

After the negotiations with the Dwarven Kingdom broke down, the previous dwarven envoy left the Kingdom. Luckily, the glass bead pointed the King to another member of the Dwarven race.

“He’s drunk,” said one of the guards.

Next to the bed were several empty bottles of alcohol.

“Wake him up,” said the King.

The guards walked up to the man and shook him up. Eventually, the snoring stopped and the man opened his eyes. Upon seeing the guards, the man jumped up and shrieked.

“W-Who are you?!”

The man looked around for any available weapons at his arsenal before realizing that there was none. Eventually, he decided to settle for the bottle of wine on the ground. He waved the bottle threateningly, his eyes swiveling between the guards and the silent King.

The King stepped forward and signaled the guards to stand back. He pulled out the hood of his cloak and revealed his face.

Upon seeing him, the man was baffled. His grip on his weapon – the wine bottle – loosened. “T-The King?” His voice was almost a whisper. “What is the King doing here?”

The man could not comprehend what was happening. Why would such a powerful figure suddenly enter his abode? This pungent slum which reeked of the word ‘poverty.’

The King flashed his kindest smile. “Sorry for intruding. We knocked several times, but no one was answering.”

The man looked at the King, at the guards, then back. He was at a loss for words right now.

“You’re a member of the Dwarven Race, aren’t you?” the King went straight to the point.

Like a splash of cold water, this question removed the man from his stupor. He creased his brows after finally realizing what the King was here for.

“I heard that the negotiations between the Kingdom and the Dwarves broke down.” The dwarf sat on his bed and put the wine bottle down. “I’m a nobody. It’s impossible for me to contact the Dwarven Kingdom.”

Despite those words, the hope within the eyes of King Alvis did not vanish. This dwarf knew of the negotiations between King Alvis and the Dwarven Kingdom. Contrary to what he said just a while ago, there was no way he was just a nobody – only those within a considerable position would know about the negotiations several months ago.

“If it’s impossible for you to contact the Dwarven Kingdom… then maybe you know someone who can?”

The dwarf shook his head, his long brown beard moving along with it. “No. I don’t know anybody. Please! Get out!”

The guards glared at the dwarf but King Alvis wordlessly told them to stand still, to stand back.

“I see. It’s such a shame,” King Alvis sighed. “I guess I’ll have to find another dwarf to give this two-hundred-year-old wine.”

King Alvis skillfully showed a small bottle of wine behind his cloak, then quickly hid it. The dwarf, upon seeing the red liquid sloshing inside, swallowed hard.

“T-Two-hundred-year-old?!”

King Alvis inwardly smiled upon seeing the flustered face of the dwarf. He slightly bowed his head, “We apologize for the intrusion. We’ll be on our way then.”

King Alvis turned around and walked towards the door. The guards immediately followed suit.

There was no hint of hesitation within those footsteps. The dwarf knew that if he did not stop these guys from leaving, they would really leave this place.

The words ‘two-hundred-year-old wine’ kept resounding within the dwarf’s head. Even in the Dwarven Kingdom, such a precious bottle would be hard to find. Forget the cost. It was not something money could buy.

“W-Wait!” the dwarf croaked the words out. “Please wait!”

King Alvis halted. He prevented a smile from forming on his lips. With an unfazed, stoic face, he turned around and asked, “Yes?”

“I was not lying when I said that I have no means of contacting the Kingdom,” said the dwarf in quick successions. “But I know someone who can!”

The King gave out a practiced smile. “You know someone who can?”

The dwarf nodded. “Yes. But—” He pointed at right side of the King’s cloak where the bottle was hidden. “—In exchange.”

“—Of course,” the King nodded his head in understanding. “This bottle of wine. It will be yours.”

Epilogue

A week had passed since Lark returned to Blackstone Town. Today, Lark decided to proceed with the plan.

He went to the basement of the Mansion and pushed open the metallic door of the underground chamber. The doors creaked and a foul stench assaulted him the moment the door was opened. Lark snapped his fingers and five small orbs of fire manifested themselves around him. They shot towards the torches latched on the walls, making them blaze into life. Shadows moved as the flames momentarily flickered.

Lark crinkled his nose. The smell of rotting corpses filled the entire room. By now, almost all of the monster corpses from Lion City had been transferred here in this underground chamber – thousands of them – literally forming a small mountain of corpses. The vast underground chamber felt cramped and suffocating.

“I can’t work like this.”

Using silent magic, a translucent bubble made of water magic started encasing Lark’s head. It conveniently filtered out the horrible stench filling the entire room.

Lark breathed out a sigh of relief, “Ah, that’s better.”

He had not expected to miss the fresh air this soon after stepping inside the chamber. After crunching his neck, he grabbed the pouch sitting on the floor and poured down its contents while he walked. Slowly, the dusts poured from the pouch started forming a magic formation:

A large magic circle with smaller magic formations at the periphery.

Lark pointed his finger at the pile of corpses filling almost the entire of room. The mountain of corpses then quivered, and the dead bodies of monsters started floating one after another, each of them landing perfectly on the smaller magic circles.

Next, Lark used gravity magic to lift one of the few dozens of the suits of armor standing at the corner of the room and placed it at the center of the magic circle. It took Lark a week to create these suits of armor using all the available iron ingots.

Lark gazed at the sight before him. The suit of armor was inside the largest magic circle, while nine monster corpses surrounded it in all directions. A lot of time had passed since the monsters died. Hopefully, there would still be enough essence inside of them to extract.

With Lark acting as its source of mana, the magic circle started to glow an azure hue. Numerous runes and symbols sprang into life and spun around, buzzing and flying like fireflies. In stark contrast, a malevolent aura started oozing out of the monster corpses, eventually forming a black haze which tried to overshadow the glowing runes. An eerie cry, which reminded Lark of death throes, could be heard in the room.

The runes shattered like glass before disintegrating into particles of light. Along with it, the black haze also dissipated. The eerie cry vanished and silence returned to the room.

And then the sound of metals clanking resounded. From inside the darkness of the suit of armor’s visor, yellow light flickered. It was staring straight at Lark.

“If you acknowledge me as your master, kneel down.”

The suit of armor groaned, the light inside its helm blazed even fiercer than before. It stomped its feet forward, grunted, then knelt down.

Lark smiled at this. It was a success.

At first, he was a bit worried that the essence from the dead monsters have totally faded away after more than a week had passed, but it seemed that using several dead bodies at once more than made up for that.

Lark stared at the kneeling suit of armor. Unlike the bodies housing the essence of the male and female basilisks, the body of this one was similar to the ones knights normally used. Unless one probed really close, it would be hard to realize that it was nothing but a living suit of armor.

Although the bodies housing the essence of the basilisks were ideal for battle and for developing the territory, they looked grotesque, almost similar to monsters. Lark was sure that if he brought an army of such grotesque-looking monsters, no city in the Kingdom would allow him entry.

Unlike its predecessors – the so-called Guardians of Blackstone Town – this suit of armor was created using the essence of the gorilla-like monsters. Despite also being made of iron, the strength of this one was vastly different. It was, after all, created using the essence of monsters stronger than goblins.

“Stand over there,” Lark pointed at the walls.

The suit of armor stood up, walked towards the walls, and stood there like a stone statue.

“I’ll be stuck in this place until evening, huh?” Lark wryly smiled.

There were still mountains of corpses around him. Thankfully, his expanded mana pool would enable him to facilitate the ritual several times before finally running out of mana.

***

While Lark was locking himself inside the underground chamber every day, creating more soldiers, the library continued its production of books. Despite the complexity of the machines used to mass produce the books written by Lark himself, the workers soon started grasping how to operate them. Their speed of production noticeably increased as time went by.

By the second week since Lark’s return to Blackstone Town, thirty copies of ‘Principles of a Just Sovereign’ had already been printed out.

Since almost everyone who were literate in the town were soldiers, the copies naturally fell into their hands. Every day after training, they were mandated to come to the library, grab a copy of the book, and read it.

Qarat, the Captain of the soldiers, was coming home late every day because of this, but he did not mind it in the slightest. On the contrary, he felt privileged that such precious books were made available to mere commoners like them.

“Captain, what do you think of this? According to Evander Alaester, although the Sovereign holds the right to propel the Kingdom toward its chosen path, only its people is capable of paving the road forward. A nation is nothing without its people. Without the people, the crown is nothing but a husk made of gold and emeralds.”

Each of the soldiers reading the book were former illiterates. To them, this was the first time they had read something as profound as this. The statement of the author of this book was bold, as though he did not fear being prosecuted by the throne.

Was Evander Alaester a well-known figure? A popular author? This was the first book Captain Qarat had ever read, so he did not know.

“I’m… not sure,” the Captain’s voice trailed off.

Although the current King was not such a warmonger as compared to his predecessor, the throne still held absolute control over its people. Qarat could not understand the statement ‘only its people is capable of paving the road forward.’ Surely, the royals knew better than mere commoners like them, right?

As Qarat continued reading the book, he could not help but stop and stare at what was written every now and then. The book even touched upon the topic of slavery.

In the Kingdom of Lukas, owning a slave was not a crime. It was perfectly legal as long as the slave was brought from an authorized merchant. The treatment of slaves in this Kingdom was certainly a lot better than the other Kingdoms.

In the book, the author bluntly stated that slavery was detrimental to the development of a Kingdom. Although slaves would perfectly follow every command as if their lives were on the line, the growth of each individual is hindered by the shackles in the form of the relationship of a Master-Servant.

Evander stated that if the slaves were given freedom to pursue self-improvement, or if their masters impart with them resources for growth, these so-called insignificant lives would form the firm foundation of an Empire.

These statements from this author were thought-provoking. Every now and then, Qarat would hold his breath and reread them. For some reason, this book felt like it was written to overthrow the norm of this nation.

“Evander Alaester… this author doesn’t hold back, huh?”

Qarat agreed with the comment of his fellow soldier. This author was indeed fearless in expressing his opinions. But somehow, it’s what made it enjoyable to read.

He heard from the Young Master that more books written by Evander will be released soon. Unfortunately, it would take some time before their completion.

“Why is it so noisy over there?”

Qarat frowned. The soldiers at the table across him were starting to become noisy. Even the newly hired librarian was fed up and started standing up. The librarian said, “You’ve been briefed of the rules beforehand, right? Stop making noises in the library! Shut up!”

The buzzes around them immediately stopped. The soldiers looked at each other, their faces filled with shock – or was it amazement? Qarat was not so sure.

Eventually, the soldiers stood up. The moment they stepped outside the library, the started talking animatedly among themselves again. Seeing this, Qarat could not help but wonder what the fuss was all about. He closed his book, placed it on the shelf, and headed outside.

“Hey, some of you still haven’t read the book yet,” Qarat reminded them. “I saw the librarian jotting down your names. You’ll surely be reported to Lady Melody.”

Normally, just mentioning the name of The Scholar was enough to instill fear to this bunch. The Scholar was their teacher, after all, and she held a fair amount of authority in Blackstone Town.

But right now, the soldiers did not even care about that.

“Captain, look at this.”

One of his men spread open a newspaper. Judging by the crest at the rightmost corner, it was the official newspaper published by the Capital.

“The merchants came by this afternoon and they gave us this one.”

Qarat read the headlines.

The Fall of Yorkshaire City. The Empire Declared an All-Out War with the Kingdom.

Shivers crawled down Qarat’s spine. Even he, a commoner, knew the grave importance of Yorkshaire. It was a city well-known even among the masses.

That city was the only stopper blocking the path of the Empire towards the Kingdom. For decades, that fortress never fell to the enemies’ hands. The City was famous for being impregnable. How could it suddenly fall?

“I-It happened several days after the King’s birthday. C-Captain… They mentioned the Young Master’s name.”

“The newspaper?”

Qarat started reading the news article. Slowly, the curiosity within his face dissipated and was replaced by utter bafflement.

They were blaming him.

They were blaming the Young Master for this predicament.

According to the news, the Young Master visited the Capital upon receiving an invitation from the Crown. During the awarding ceremony, he was even dubbed by the King as the hero who saved the Kingdom. Apparently, it was the Young Master who invented the method to kill the Black Famine.

After receiving his rewards, the disowned son of Duke Drakus started suggesting plans to destroy the Empire. He drafted the plan of attacking the City of the Empire nearest Yorkshaire. Although most of the nobels were against it, the known womanizer from the House Marcus forcibly pushed with his ideas. Although it isn’t confirmed, some witnesses said that Lark Marcus used the awarding ceremony to coerce the King to listen to his demands.

Qarat knew that newspapers sometimes tend to be biased – it was written by humans, after all – but the way this article was dissing the Young Master was outright blatant. It was screaming with the words ‘He’s at fault! He’s at fault!’

Qarat finally read the part wherein all nobles were required to send a thousand soldiers to the front lines.

“A thousand soldiers,” mumbled Qarat.

There was no way they could achieve that. They had been diligent with their training, and they could confidently say that goblins were no longer their match, but their numbers did not even reach two hundred by this time.

“Are we going to be sent to the front lines?” asked one of the younger soldiers.

Qarat finally understood why everyone were so panic-stricken.

The Western Front was far from here, and even if the Capital fell, it would still take some time before the flames of war would reach this faraway town. With this order, however, the soldiers would be forcibly sent to the front lines.

“Against the Empire? They brought with them fifty to sixty thousand soldiers!” One of the soldiers was almost hysterical. “We’ll surely die if we go there!”

The fear within these guys were understandable. Not even a year had passed since they became soldiers. Although they have fought against the goblins and beastmen, it was not that easy to shake off the fear from former farmers like them. Even the undefeated War God lost the battle. Even the Sword Saint retreated. Without a doubt, their enemies this time was a lot stronger.

Silence befell them. Everyone looked at the Captain as though he held all the answers.

Eventually, Qarat sighed, “I’ll go.”

These two simple words surprised everyone.

Qarat looked at each one of them. “You guys have read the book, right? Evander said it himself. Sheathed swords are nothing but useless ornaments. If we do not fight when our Lord needs our strength, then are we still qualified to be his soldiers? Isn’t it our responsibility to raise our swords, fight, and shield the Lord from his enemies?”

Qarat looked up. The twin crimson moons were bright tonight.

“The beastmen invasion. I’ve always wondered. Why didn’t the Young Master flee to Lion City that time? Why did he choose to fight alongside us? He’s a High Noble. The second son of a Duke. Fleeing to safety should be easy for him. But instead, he stayed and protected this small town.”

The eyes of the soldiers listening to him quivered.

“I can’t believe there’ll come a time that I’ll be saying this… but,” Qarat paused and wryly smiled. “I’m really glad that the Young Master is the Lord of Blackstone Town.”

An indescribable heat started forming inside the soldiers’ chests. They started remembering the various reforms made by the Young Master. If they had not seen it with their own eyes, they would have not believed that a town could be developed so much in such a short period of time.

“I won’t force everyone to come, and I’ll personally speak to the Young Master to forgive those who wishes to stay in this town.” Qarat clenched his fists. His voice was filled with resolve. “But I’ll follow the Young Master to the battle at the front lines.”

END OF VOLUME 3

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

Thanks for reading my book. While writing volume 3, I wondered several times if I could actually finish the 3rd volume of the series, with hardly enough time to sleep due to my sched and all. I’m glad I made it.

A big shout out to Mr.Adams! Thank you for your support all this time!

Volume 4 will focus on the war between the Kingdom and the Empire, and if the time permits it, the mysteries of the Endless Forest and the Lake of Full Moon.

If you like my work, please leave a review on Amazon. My goal is 50 reviews. It will really help.

You can read the drafts of all chapters of the book on my patreon page. It also includes the unreleased volume 4 chapters.

You can find it here: www.patreon.com/crazyblackchili

Again, thanks for reading.

-M. Sisa