Golden Mage - Chapter 21
Volume 1, Episode 21
El, who already had a 7th-class master before him, thought it was natural. While Cilfir’s proposed environment would undoubtedly be good, El had already reached the level Cilfir aspired to. However, El couldn’t betray his mother, who made such a decision for him. He couldn’t reveal his true abilities because becoming a 7th-class mage at the age of seventeen was something that couldn’t be easily explained. So El decided to follow Cilfir’s decision. Although it meant killing the person he loved, he was certain that Cilfir was an Ainheart noble.
But…
“We should make our relationship clear. Will Earl Ainheart genuinely treat us like family, or will he use us as per the information? It’s best to make sure. And if he intends to harm me and my mother….”
A stern energy emanated from El’s eyes.
It was an unimaginable aura for a seventeen-year-old boy.
He continued in a cold tone that seemed to exude a bloodthirsty air, “Then we’ll have to pay the price.”
El headed towards the Matab.
“What? You created a Knight Golem?”
Bryon was astonished and stood up from his seat, forgetting his composure.
His surprise was only natural.
The Knight Golem!
The legendary magical weapon that heralded the end of the mage era.
Shaped like a knight’s armor, a typical Knight Golem exhibited the strength of five times that of its rider.
The fact that El had successfully restored the Knight Golem was hard for Bryon to believe.
“I did create it. It took five years, to be precise. The actual period for creating the pure golem was just one year.”
With a calm expression contrasting with Bryon’s astonishment, El replied.
“Humph! Really?”
After he had calmed down, Bryon sat back down. Then, in a composed tone, he asked, “Well, if you’ve made the Knight Golem, you haven’t forgotten the promise we made, have you?”
“Forget about it? How could I?”
A faint smile graced El’s lips. He and Bryon had made a promise.
El handed over the Knight Golem blueprint, and in return, Bryon promised to teach him how to make it.
Of course, El intended to fulfill his part of the deal.
He would provide the method, but whether or not Bryon would actually put it into practice was entirely up to him.
“This is the complete blueprint for the Knight Golem.”
El took out a stack of documents and handed them to Bryon.
“Oh! This is…”
Taking the Knight Golem blueprint, Bryon exclaimed in admiration.
Then he started perusing the documents.
The blueprint was full of complicated formulas, making it difficult to understand at a glance. Bryon’s meticulous study of the blueprint brought a subtle smile to El’s face.
‘The method for restoring the Knight Golem has been provided as promised. However, I didn’t promise to allow it to fully display its power. Even if Bryon produces Knight Golems until the day he dies, they won’t match up to my Golden Knight.’
Downgrade.
Given the current situation where he had little influence or power, this was the best approach for El.
Of course, he hadn’t lied to Bryon, so there was no fault in what he did.
El was proud of his straightforwardness.
Finished with the business, El looked at Bryon and said, “My family will leave this place soon.”
Bryon looked surprised at his words.
“What do you mean? You’re leaving?”
“There’s something we need to take care of. If we leave now, it’ll probably be difficult for us to come back.”
El’s words allowed Bryon to grasp the situation somewhat. Considering that he was nearing the age of eighty, Bryon understood that his life wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.
“Well, it seems to be a matter at home, I suppose?”
“You could say that.”
El nodded in agreement with Bryon’s accurate deduction.
He then stood up and continued, “I’ll bid farewell to Grandmaster Tapju. I want to keep it brief.”
El’s words made Bryon smile warmly.
He nodded as if agreeing.
“Hehe! This kid seems to understand the way of the world quite well. Well, go on. With your talent, you’ll make a name for yourself on the continent sooner or later. Since I’ve been watching your growth as a genius since you were a child, it’s time to let you go.”
El let out a surprised laugh.
“Anyone who sees this would probably think I’m Grandmaster Tapju’s disciple.”
“More like a spiritual disciple, hehe!”
Seeing that Bryon was considerate enough not to make their parting awkward, El smiled.
He then bowed slightly toward Bryon.
“I’ll visit again someday.”
“Do so.”
With that, El bid farewell to Bryon and descended to the lower level of the Matab.
Before him stood someone blocking his path.
It was Gedrick, the son of Grandmaster Tapju and the one who had pushed El to reveal his true strength.
“Hey, El.”
Gedrick called out to El with a burning gaze. El stopped and looked at him.
At that moment, Gedrick’s eyes glowed with a blue light.
It was a magical domination that a high-class mage used against a lower-class mage when trying to overpower them with their gaze.
Zap!
Their gazes intertwined in the air for a moment.
Gedrick was the first to groan in pain. It was a natural consequence.
“Groan!”
Gedrick staggered back, unable to withstand El’s gaze.
The fact that a 4th-class expert like him was overwhelmed by someone like El, who was just a downgraded 7th-class mage, was a clear indication of his considerable ability.
El smiled as he watched Gedrick’s stunned expression. Strangely, he didn’t like Baelrock, but he didn’t dislike Gedrick’s effort to surpass him.
Gedrick, still dazed, clenched his fists.
“Just wait. Next time, I’ll definitely surpass you.”
“Heh! Does this settle all the connections?”
As El left Banjark, he murmured to himself.
Indeed, he had settled all the connections in Banjark. But in the end, it was only Bryon and Gedrick, not many.
Now, all that remained was to leave for the Blairde Empire.
They could use the warp gate to get there in an instant, but it was still quite a distant place.
El found himself gazing at the darkening sky.
He looked up at the bright stars shining in the black sky and mumbled.
“With all the preparations made, it will probably take some time. During that time, I must reach the 7th-class master level. And…”
El’s gaze shifted to the moon, which emitted a faint golden glow. In it, he could see Cilfir’s smiling face.
He wished for his mother’s happiness and gradually disappeared into the darkness.
Chapter 8: Encounter with the Past
Earl Ainheart was one of the top noble families, even among the prestigious families in the Blairde Empire. Countless mages in the empire were directly or indirectly connected to the Ainheart family, and they also had political relationships with numerous nobles. The family itself acted as a tower and a guardian for the Matab, with hundreds of mages always on standby.
It was only natural that the current Ainheart Earl, who looked to be in his sixties, and the one sitting before him, a man in his mid-forties, were engaged in an extraordinary conversation as the current ruler and the heir to the position.
They were talking about something when the topic suddenly shifted due to Glaiton, the eldest son of the Ainheart Earl and known as a 7th-class expert. The conversation continued as Glaiton brought up some information.
“Father, the investigation into the magic stone you mentioned is complete.”
The expression on the Ainheart Earl’s face became sour.
“Magic stone? Wasn’t that something you were supposed to investigate several years ago? Why are you reporting it now?”
The Earl’s voice showed his displeasure.
It was because a significant amount of money had been spent on finding the developer of the magic stone.
Although they had requested information from various information guilds, all they received were negative responses. This was why the Earl was feeling irritated.
Seeing his father’s mood, Glaiton continued his report.