Golden Mage - Chapter 20
Volume 1, Episode 20
Once, the Golem Workshop was filled with various metals and countless mana stones. But now, it was empty. The only things present in the Golem Workshop were a desk with blueprints placed upon it and a massive silhouette standing next to it.
As El approached, the dark silhouette gradually became visible. It emitted a faint glow, making its blurry form discernible.
Gradually, the figure became clearer as El stood closer.
It was a fully armored knight standing at about 3 meters tall, adorned in full plate mail.
The delicately crafted helmet gave it a lively appearance, while the metal exuded a sturdy sensation. A long cloak hung from its back.
The figure standing before El was a perfectly equipped knight golem.
As El stared at it, his mouth opened in surprise.
“Awaken, Golden Knight.”
In response to El’s words, the 3-meter-tall knight, the Golden Knight, showed signs of life.
Bzrrt! Shoo!
A red gleam burst through the slit in the Golden Knight’s faceplate.
Then, it started moving towards El.
Surprisingly, despite being a golem, the Golden Knight’s movements were far from the typical sluggishness of golems. It moved as naturally as a human! To achieve this, El had to layer hundreds of magic runes on its joints.
The Golden Knight kneeled smoothly before El, a gesture of respect to its master.
In a short but respectful manner, the Golden Knight addressed El.
“Greetings, my lord.”
Since the Golden Knight wasn’t designed to have an outstanding ego, it kept its words brief.
But El couldn’t help but smile satisfactorily.
Then, addressing the Golden Knight, he said, “You have awakened, Golden Knight. Soon, there will be a task for you. Until then, stay in the other dimension.”
The Golden Knight nodded deeply in response. Its intelligence might not be high, but its loyalty was remarkable.
“My lord. Acknowledged. Waiting. Other dimension.”
Bzah!
A bright golden light burst from the Golden Knight’s body, and a rift in space opened next to it.
El gazed at the space where the Golden Knight had disappeared. Whenever he called, the Golden Knight would appear with valorous determination.
“If anything goes wrong… I’ll get to see your strength.”
The Golden Knight, embodying all the purified magic knowledge that El knew, a sight to behold.
El just hoped he wouldn’t have to witness that power in the wrong circumstances.
Exiting the Golem Workshop, El informed Serena and Kaina that he was heading to Earl Ainheart. In response, the two women’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Eh? Is that true?”
“Yes, it is.”
“So, what will happen to us then?”
El’s words made Serena look at him with worried eyes.
Their status was practically no different from being slaves. Although there were no slave registers, they had nothing to indicate their status as commoners either. Without any means of proving their identity, they were no different from slaves.
Of course, there was a way to register them as mercenaries. However, mercenaries were just that—mercenaries. Their status was no better than commoners.
Following Serena, Kaina also looked at El with trembling eyes.
Their reactions were only natural. If El and Cilfir became Earl Ainheart, they would no longer have any use for them.
Having experienced being abandoned once before, the two women looked at El with uneasy eyes, fearing they would be abandoned again.
El embraced both of them, and they tearfully called him “Master.”
El gently caressed the bodies of the two women as he spoke reassuringly, “Don’t worry, I have no intention of abandoning you. We are one family, aren’t we?”
His kind smile and words brought comfort to Serena and Kaina, and they hugged him tightly.
“Master!”
“Master!”
When El released them from his embrace, tear streaks adorned their faces.
Their beauty was so captivating that El had to suppress the emotions surging within him.
He stood up and turned away awkwardly.
“Cough! We’ll be leaving as soon as possible, so please get ready, okay?”
“Yes.”
In response to El’s words, the two women wiped away their tears and replied.
Their radiant beauty made El feel even more awkward.
An odd feeling spread through his chest.
“Welcome, Lord El.”
Devel greeted El with a respectful bow.
He was in the top 100 among the upper echelon of the continent. Although he had become a powerful figure with the sale of the magic stones, Devel couldn’t make a single move against El.
If El were to stop the sale of the magic stones, Devel’s power would crumble. That’s how reliant he was on the magic stones.
Of course, Devel had sworn loyalty to El for other reasons as well.
His trust in his own judgment.
El smiled at Devel.
“Long time no see, Devel.”
El could feel at ease with Devel, who remained steadfast in his loyalty.
On this visit, El had a purpose other than announcing his departure and making a request.
“I have one request.”
Devel’s eyes sparkled.
El’s young master was giving him his first-ever order.
“Speak, Lord El.”
“As the head, the information network of the Upper Rank must be outstanding, right?”
Devel nodded. The power of a merchant might manifest in money, but sometimes information could be even more potent.
“We have considerable information capabilities ourselves, and we are affiliated with various information guilds throughout the continent. We can obtain almost any information you seek.”
El’s smile brightened.
“That’s fortunate. I was wondering if you could gather information for me.”
“Ainheart Earl…”
The detailed information would be available in three days, he was told. Therefore, El only received a brief overview of Ainheart Earl from Devel.
Ainheart Earl.
A noble family with a prestigious history of 700 years, it was counted among the top 100 families within the entire Blairde Empire. Over the past 700 years, they had produced three 8th-class archmages, and the earl’s power itself was said to surpass that of most magic towers.
To accumulate the magical knowledge brought together by the three 8th-class mages would be an impressive feat, and the family had hundreds of mages within its ranks.
Moreover, they had the ability to recruit thousands of mages if they decided to exert their influence.
El also learned of an intriguing fact while listening to the information.
It was about the canceled engagement of the Crown Prince.
Earl Ainheart’s beloved daughter, Lady Aine, left her body behind, controlled by another mage, and returned to the family.
For her to give up her position as the Crown Prince’s wife and return with a ruined body, Earl Ainheart chose to forgive her, displaying a magnanimous heart.
The Crown Prince also forgave her, and the noble families praised both the Crown Prince and Earl Ainheart for their actions. In a noble society that strictly adheres to rules, forgiving a woman who had given her love to another man could have resulted in execution.
Earl Ainheart’s actions appeared politically ruthless, but at the same time, he had cleverly used them for his advantage, capitalizing on the fact that his family member reached the 6th-class mage level.
El’s expression turned cold as he listened. Not only the events he heard from Devel, but also the implications about Earl Ainheart’s actions struck him.
“A cold-blooded politician, huh? Willing to do anything for his family…”
El did not want to go to Ainheart Earl.