part0021

Lark had just finished looking through the documents for the morning when the door to his office opened, and a red-haired woman entered the room. She closed the door, and upon locking eyes with Lark, bowed her head.

“I hope you’ve been well,” said Chryselle. “I’m back, Master.”

She’d been gone for several months. Lark smiled. “Welcome back.”

Seeing Lark’s warm smile, Chryselle unconsciously tucked her hair behind her ear. For some reason, she felt at ease whenever she was with him.

Chryselle walked toward Lark and said, “I brought a present for you, Master.”

“A present?” Lark beamed. He playfully added, “George and Austen will grumble when they hear that only I received one.”

Chryselle handed him an item wrapped in an expensive-looking cloth.

“I brought gifts for them too, don’t worry.” Chryselle chuckled. “Please open it. I’m sure you’ll like it.”

Lark unwrapped the present, revealing an old painting of a beautiful, brown-skinned woman in her early thirties. Although she was wearing nothing but a simple white ceremonial dress, she looked dazzling, as though a celestial being had descended on the mortal realm. Unfortunately, a small portion of her drawn face, along with her right hand and legs, had faded over time.

“I heard from the residents on my way here,” said Chryselle, “that you’re the one who created that colossal wall and the barrier currently enclosing the town.”

There was a pause. Lark’s gaze moved from the painting to Chryselle.

“Master, isn’t about time you tell me?” said Chryselle. Her heart pounded in anticipation as she uttered her next words, “You’re that magician. The legendary Evander Alaester, right?”

To Chryselle’s surprise, Lark readily replied, “I am.”

Lark leaned on his chair and raised the painting, allowing the rays of the morning sun to touch it. He nonchalantly added, “Gaston, Austen, George, Anandra. Even Big Mona already knows.”

Before coming, Chryselle had prepared several contingency plans in the event that Lark refused to reveal his identity to her. She was even prepared to swear an oath of death just to gain her master’s trust. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect that her master would admit it this easily. Furthermore, according to him, the rest of the disciples were already aware of his true identity.

“They already knew?” Chryselle frowned. She felt left out, for some reason. She mumbled dejectedly, “And here I was, thinking I was the first to discover master’s secret.”

“Well… you did uncover it first,” praised Lark. “And I would have also told you the truth, had you not disappeared a couple of months ago.”

Lark’s revelation regarding his identity now felt underwhelming. Even the way he nonchalantly confirmed her speculations made it sound as though he no longer had any intention of hiding it.

Lark continued staring at the painting. Although half of it had already faded away, it still looked incredibly beautiful—nostalgic even. “Strange. The woman in this painting. She’s… oddly familiar.”

“That painting was stored in the treasure room of the tower,” explained Chryselle. “And of course, it’ll be familiar.” She smiled and softly added, “It’s a painting of one of your disciples. A painting of Leanne, the Deity of the Desert.”

Lark’s eyes slowly grew wide. His hands holding the painting lightly shook.

“I hope you like it, Master Evander.”

Chryselle’s soft voice slowly faded away from Lark’s mind as he stared at the painting in his hand. Time seemed to have slowed down.

So, this was why this woman felt so familiar. That crimson hair, that sun-kissed skin. Although she looked a lot older than how he remembered her, she was without a doubt that little girl—Leanne. The youngest of all his disciples.

“Thank you,” whispered Lark. This was definitely one of the best gifts he’d received not only in this life, but also in his past life.

Chryselle fondly gazed at Lark. “You’re welcome, Master Evander.”

Lark’s eyes were moist, still glued to the painting in his hands. This was the first time Chyrselle had seen Lark this sentimental. It seemed that taking that painting from the treasure room in the tower was indeed worth it, despite the protests of the other Elders.

I’ll send a message to my brother later to thank him for letting me have it, thought Chryselle.

According to the other Elders, the painting was extremely valuable. There had even been offers to buy it for forty thousand gold coins, a few decades ago. Had the current master of the tower not threatened the other Elders, it would have been impossible for Chryselle to obtain this item. She was really lucky to have such a doting brother.

For several minutes, Lark sat there silently, admiring the painting of his disciple. A myriad of emotions—nostalgia, longing, sadness, fulfillment—swept through Lark.

Like a father worrying about his daughter, Lark wondered if Leanne lived a happy and fulfilling life. Did she marry? Did she have children? How long did she live and how did she die? There were a lot of questions left unanswered.

“You said that you took this from the treasure room of the tower,” Lark finally said after several minutes of silence. “Do you know where the magicians of Wizzert obtained this item?”

Chryselle nodded. “Yes, Master. According to my brother, it was sold by a Mullgray pirate to a merchant from the Empire, several decades ago. The merchant—Agustus Vont—migrated to this kingdom and brought that painting with him.”

“Agustus Vont,” said Lark.

“Yes, he’s my maternal great grandfather. The founder of the merchants guild in the capital.”

“I see,” said Lark.

Over time, Lark was starting to realize how powerful Chryselle’s family truly was. Her paternal grandfather was the chairman of the Magic Academy and the current leader of the Grand Order. Her brother was the current Master of the Tower, while her maternal great grandfather was the founder of the merchants guild in the capital. Her lineage was more than enough to shame most noble houses.

“The Mullgray pirate who sold this painting to your great grandfather,” said Lark. “Did he say where he obtained this painting?”

Chryselle shook her head. “Apologies, Master Evander. Even my brother doesn’t know the details. That painting was just among the innumerable items the pirates sold my great grandfather. Do you remember the magic towers in Wizzert? The blueprint for those relics were among those items. I was simply lucky to be one of the magicians to first learn how to decipher the blueprint.” She self-mockingly added, “Although it’s embarrassing that despite obtaining the blueprint, I was unable to perfect the relic.”

Lark remembered that Chryselle was the youngest magician to have been bestowed the title of an Elder. And she’d achieved this feat by helping create the magic towers currently found in Wizzert.

So, that was the origin of those items.

“Master!” A shout was heard outside the room. It was quickly followed by footsteps. “We heard that Chryselle has returned!”

The door was opened with a loud bang. George and Austen barged into the office, their eyes scanning the room excitedly. Upon seeing Chryselle standing in front of Lark’s desk, George shouted, “I told you I saw her on the way here!”

“Does that matter?” said Austen. “She’s finally back!”

The brothers ran toward Chryselle, and from their glee, began performing a weird dance.

George clasped Chryselle’s hand and said, “You should have told us you were coming back! Why did you visit Master first?”

“That’s right! You should have told us first!” added Austen. “Master is boooring! He won’t appreciate you coming to see him first!”

George nodded several times in agreement.

Chryselle chuckled. “I brought gifts for the two of you.” She handed the brothers two small boxes. “I’m sure you’ll like them.”

The brothers gawked at the small box on their hands. It was rare for former paupers like them to receive presents. They opened the boxes, revealing the rings inside.

“It’s a ring containing an extremely strong antidote capable of neutralizing almost all poisons,” said Chryselle. She didn’t tell them that it was one of the treasures stored in the tower. Rings worth ten thousand gold coins each. Unsurprisingly, Alecto was more than happy to give these treasures to her before she left the City of Magic.

“Awesome!” George tried it on. As his fingers were too small, he ended up wearing it on his thumb.

“It looks expensive,” said Austen. “Is it really alright for us to have these?”

“I got them for free,” said Chryselle. “There’s no need for you to worry.”

Austen raised his hand and stared at the ring on his finger. It glimmered whenever touched by light. Since Chryselle said that she got them for free, then they probably weren’t that expensive. He no longer felt uneasy receiving the gift.

“I really like it!” said Austen.

“I love it!” said George.

The brothers said their thanks and started doing the weird dance once again. Lark and Chryselle locked eyes with each other and laughed.

By this time, Princess Esmeralda and Anandra had finally arrived. It seemed that unlike the brothers, the two hadn’t rushed on their way.

The princess ran to Chryselle’s embrace the moment she saw her, while Anandra simply stood next to Lark, wearing his usual, stoic face.

“Here,” Chryselle handed the princess a book. “Master, George, and Austen already received theirs. This one is for you, Esmeralda. You wanted to learn magic, right? It’s the latest edition of the book currently used in the Magic Academy. The mana exercises inside should be helpful in increasing your perception of mana.”

Princess Esmeralda gratefully accepted the book. She hugged it tight. “Thank you! I’ll be sure to read this book!”

Although the princess had decided to develop her skills with the sword, she still held deep desires to learn magic. Since Lark refused to teach her any spells, this book would be incredibly helpful to her.

“And this one’s for you.” Chryselle handed Anandra a bottle of wine. “I know you don’t drink, but the former Elder of your village— he loves alcohol, right?”

A rare smile formed on Anandra’s face. He could not wait to give this bottle of wine to Gahelpa Village’s Elder. “I’m sure the Elder will like it. Thank you. And… welcome back.”

The last part of Anandra’s statement was almost a whisper.

Lark gently wrapped the painting with a cloth then stood up. “Since Chryselle has finally returned, I’ll ask the servants to prepare a feast for us tonight.”

The brothers squeaked in delight.

“A feast!” said Austen.

“Master, may we bring our siblings along?” said George excitedly.

Lark chuckled. “Of course.”

The brothers pumped their fists in celebration.

A luxurious feast was held in the mansion that day. Various officials of Blackstone Town, merchants, and the other key figures in the territory attended the banquet.

Everyone was in a festive mood, and it continued on until the next day.

After combing Boris County for any information regarding Lark, Nickolai became certain that the second son of Duke Drakus had indeed gone inside the Forbidden Region.

Several people, including the guards, the server at the inn, and the armor merchant, testified that they’d seen someone with short silver hair in the city that day.

“That thieving brat!”

Nickolai gnashed his teeth. He was certain of what he’d seen that day.

The seven-headed monster.

The colossal golden statue.

And the masked figure sitting on top of the monster’s head.

All evidence was pointing to Lark as the culprit responsible for the disappearance of the statue of the legendary Evander Alaester.

He’s not going to steal the treasure?

Nickolai cursed Lark.

After making adequate preparations, Nickolai, his disciples, and almost a hundred hired mercenaries, made their way toward Blackstone Town. They had just passed through Lion City when one of his disciples finally voiced his thoughts.

“Master, is it really alright for us… to do this?” the disciple said carefully. He was one of the three disciples Lark had confronted back then. He could still vividly remember that encounter. Although he was spared by Lark, he was not certain if that noble would be as merciful next time.

“What? Are you afraid of that brat? He’s already been thrown away by his father to that town,” said Nickolai. “There’s no reason for us to fear the Marcus House.”

The disciple looked at the other two disciples who’d encountered Lark back then. Judging by their expressions, they too seemed reluctant to join the master on this mission.

“That’s not it…” The disciple shook his head. “Master, you saw it too, didn’t you? That masked figure. Even if it’s really Lark Marcus… he’s managed to tame that seven-headed monster. We should probably tread carefully, Master.”

“I’m sure he stumbled upon an artifact in the treasure room in the Forbidden Region,” Nickolai said without any hint of doubt. “Do any of you really believe a human is capable of taming that monster?”

Nickolai smirked. He deemed that as long as he took the artifact from Lark, that seven-headed monster would no longer be a threat to his life. Better yet, the moment that monster submitted itself to him, he could usurp the throne and rule over the kingdom.

No, that was too short-sighted.

If he became the master of that monster, even ruling over the Empire—the entire continent—would no longer be a dream.

The Thunder Lord’s disciples thought that their master’s judgment had become clouded with greed. Even they thought that it wouldn’t be wise to confront Lark Marcus like this.

Forget the House Marcus and the seven-headed monster. Currently, people were starting to hail Lark Marcus as the kingdom’s hero. This was especially true after his victory against the Empire, after helping sever the royal family’s curse, and saving Lion City from the monster horde. It would be foolish to carelessly threaten him.

Even when they passed through Lion City, several hours ago, they frequently heard the residents talking favorably of Lark Marcus and Blackstone Town. It seemed that saving thousands of lives from that monster horde had had a great impact. Even the commander of the soldiers in Lion City saw the second son of Duke Drakus in a favorable light.

“Master,” said Videl, Nickolai’s strongest disciple.

“Speak,” said Nickolai.

“Forgive my impertinence,” said Videl. “But I believe the words of the young ones have some merit. If we carelessly attack the Lord of Blackstone Town with this army, I’m afraid the royal family will—”

“They’ll what?” interjected Nickolai. “Only Farsight is capable of fighting me on equal grounds. What can the royal family do against me, a royal court magician?”

Videl looked at the younger disciples behind him then bit his lip. It seemed that the master had been thoroughly consumed by his greed and would no longer change his mind. Videl silently prayed to the Gods for divine intervention. He vehemently prayed that the small army would fail to reach Blackstone Town.

And the Gods answered his prayer.

Their group was close to reaching Prey River when a group of magicians suddenly appeared and blocked their path.

“It’s been a while, old man,” said a red-haired man with a crescent-shaped scar running across his eye.

Nickolai ordered all of his disciples and the mercenaries to halt in their tracks. He warily said, “What are the Master of the Tower and his magicians doing here, in the middle of wilderness?”

There were a little over two hundred magicians blocking the road. It was a third of the total number of magicians in the tower. Furthermore, three Elders from the tower were at the head of this small force.

“And what is a royal court magician doing here,” Alecto retorted, his eyes swiveled from Nickolai, to his disciples, to the mercenaries at the rear, then back, “on the road leading to Blackstone Town?”

“That’s none of your business, Alecto,” Nickolai growled. “I’ll let this one slide. Step out of the way, you damn bastard.”

Alecto was clearly amused upon hearing those words. It was a well-known fact that the Master of the Tower and the Thunder Lord once dueled to the death, several years ago. Unfortunately, the outcome was a draw. Everyone gathered here knew that the two monster magicians hated each other to the core.

“Look at this!” Alecto opened his arms wide as he laughed mockingly. “The great Thunder Lord! The kingdom’s so-called strongest magician is running away with his tail between his legs!”

“You!” A spear of lightning appeared in Nickolai’s hand. It crackled dangerously and scorched the ground it touched. “Do you really think I’m running away because I’m afraid of you! I let you live before, and now you dare think—”

“Let me live?” Alecto chuckled. “Didn’t you almost die back then?”

Alecto grinned broadly. He taunted, “Hey, old man, if you don’t want to die an excruciating death—scram.”

Nickolai finally lost it.

A hundred lightning arrows almost instantaneously appeared in the sky, and without warning, shot toward the tower’s magicians. It was a spell capable of slaughtering a small army in an instant.

One of the Elders standing behind Alecto moved and intercepted the arrows with a barrier spell. The other two, on the other hand, retaliated. Two ten-meter earth serpents shot out of the ground and slithered toward Nickolai and his men.

Videl dismounted, moved in front of his master, and summoned a spear of lightning. Without fear or hesitation, he shot toward the earth serpents. He swung his lightning spear, shattering the earth serpents with a single strike each.

Although Videl did not like pointless fights, he could not just sit still when these magicians were attacking his master. His pride as the Thunder Lord’s number one disciple wouldn’t let him let these small fries fight his master, no matter what.

Everything happened in an instant. The exchange of blows happened in mere seconds. The mercenaries watching shuddered. Maybe they shouldn’t have agreed to accompany the Thunder Lord on this mission.

Who would have known that the tower—the organization even the Empire was wary of—would appear here and block their path?

They would probably die if they were swept in the fight between these two monstrous magicians.

“Why are you doing this?” said Nickolai. His lightning spear continued to crackle dangerously in his hand.

Alecto shrugged. “I don’t know. But I’m sure of one thing, old man. Right now, I’m really itching to kill you.”

Nickolai trembled in rage, but he tried to restrain himself regardless. For some strange reason, the Elders of the tower had become a lot stronger. The way they cast their barrier and offensive spells felt a lot different than before.

Nickolai realized that they would suffer great casualties if they clashed with the tower.

Alecto glanced at the east, in the direction of Blackstone Town. Although he hated that Marcus brat, he couldn’t let Nickolai attack him. His precious little sister was currently staying in that town. He couldn’t let this madman reach that place, no matter what.

And he’d promised her too, that if by chance they got a whiff of Nickolai’s whereabouts, that he would do his best to stop the royal court magician from reaching Blackstone Town.

Alecto raised his right hand. A colossal ball of fire the size of ten carriages combined appeared in the sky. It loomed threateningly toward Nickolai.

After Chryselle had imparted to them the perfected magic circle created by Lark, the magicians of the tower had become a lot stronger. Although Alecto’s previous bout with the Thunder Lord had ended in a draw, currently, he was confident of winning against these enemies.

“Turn back. Leave this place,” said Alecto. “If you don’t want to become enemies with the tower.”