Golden Mage - Chapter 61

Volume 3 Episode 1

Chapter 1: Towards Verdys

The silvery hair scattered on the wide bed reflected light, causing a dizzying sparkle. The face of a beautiful woman lying on the bed was revealed. Her once healthy, deep pink lips had turned blue, and her once white and radiant face was now pale.

It had been two months since Serena lost her mana and collapsed. El reached out his hand while gazing at Serena lying motionless on the bed.

Swipe.

He gently stroked her face, which lacked any hint of color as if fine powder might spill off. Then, he felt the warmth of her body and heard her steady breathing. There didn’t seem to be any visible problems with Serena. The only reason she couldn’t get up was that her mana had vanished, and the divine power was gradually filling her place.

It was an internal phenomenon, happening without any external disturbances. El couldn’t fully understand it, but the impact was immense, preventing Serena from waking up.

“Almost all the mana has been depleted…”

El closed his eyes as he expanded his mana scan. Serena, who had reached 4th Class Master, had an amount of mana that far exceeded that of an ordinary knight.

Her immense mana resonance, amplified by the power of El’s Full-Depth Breathing technique, possessed a strength that surpassed even that of a peer-level mage.

However, with the sudden disappearance of mana, the dense divine power began to fill her entire body.

Although El attempted to block the dense mana with the power of his divine breath, it was impossible to completely stop the divine power.

Most of her mana had already been displaced by the divine power. It was evident that soon her entire body would be filled with divine power.

“A mana hole… It’ll take quite some time in this place.”

El had some idea of what was happening to Serena.

The chosen one of the Saintess.

When the gods announced the arrival of the Saintess to the continent, the chosen woman would lose all her mana, and her body would be filled with divine power.

Although she already possessed an ample amount of mana, divine power was not a force that could be blocked. However, the condensed mana gathered by the Full-Depth Breathing technique was different from others. It seemed like it would take a considerable amount of time for the divine power to occupy this place.

El’s hand, which had been stroking Serena’s face, moved towards her head. Her silvery hair now seemed to carry a faint trace of divine power. El stood up and looked down at Serena as he spoke.

“The sect will come soon. However, I can’t hand you over to them. Becoming a Saintess would mean a life similar to the dark days you had when you were young… Besides, this is also my selfish desire. I can’t imagine a life without you anymore, so I can’t give you away. You are mine, only mine…”

After saying that, El left the room.

Or perhaps it was an illusion.

At that moment, Serena’s eyebrows, reflected in the light, trembled slightly.

“Sigh… Maybe I should go out and change my mood…”

Seeing Serena’s expression, El felt a bit melancholic. Although Sylphy seemed to have gained some insights from her successive breakthroughs, she had been absorbed in magic practice for nine months straight. Kaina, too, had been relentlessly practicing her sword skills after grasping some clue.

“I haven’t even caught a glimpse of 8th Class. Well, I know that enlightenment comes unexpectedly… I can’t be impatient about it.”

El understood that enlightenment came unexpectedly. However, it didn’t mean he neglected his training; he just wasn’t as anxious as others. He knew that being impatient would only push enlightenment further away.

That’s why El made sure to get enough rest every day. As a result, he had perfectly mastered 7th Class. The right balance of rest and training allowed him to progress at a terrifying speed, which surprised others.

Escaping from the Tower of Magi, El smiled contentedly as he admired the transformed town.

“It looks amazing. This town has become a splendid city fitting for a Golden Tower.”

Once called “Death Valley of Trulle,” the place where the Golden Tower stood was now called “Golden Bellira.” Rather than being just a town, Golden Bellira resembled more of a city. Though it couldn’t be considered a large city in terms of population, the money El had invested and the residents’ efforts to collect Troll blood for construction had turned the village into a city, surpassing the size of most major cities.

No external population influx had occurred, but due to the plentiful money earned from Troll’s blood, all the residents were living a comfortable life. People who had always been on edge, unable to relax due to Troll attacks, now wore smiles on their faces and lived contentedly.

With such ample money, there was no need for them to covet other people’s belongings. Thanks to that, the villagers happily left their doors wide open at night without any worries.

All of this had been made possible by El. How could they not be overjoyed?

“I can’t help but feel proud seeing such a change. Haha.”

Bright and cheerful as he watched people going about their actions, El felt his melancholy mood dissipate. He then redirected his steps towards the Tower of Magi.

A few minutes later, El arrived at the entrance of the tower.

“Huh? What’s this?”

As El was about to enter the tower, he saw about ten individuals standing at the entrance. They were the leaders of the guards from each of the twelve villages.

Each one of them was an expert in their own right.

El had been curious about their abilities, unsure if they would truly be loyal. That’s why they hesitated to join him, but now they revealed themselves at the Tower of Magi.

El approached them quietly. He wasn’t a knight, but the vast amount of mana accumulated within him far surpassed that of a Sword Master, allowing him to approach swiftly and discreetly.

“What brings you to me?” El asked, catching them off guard.

“…!”

At El’s sudden question, they all flinched and stepped back. But when they saw El’s face, their expressions softened.

“It’s you, my lord. You startled us,” Myder, who had been on high alert, heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of El. Smiling, El raised an eyebrow as if he didn’t quite understand.

“Anyway, what brings all of you here?”

El had a rough idea of why they sought him out. After all, in his previous life, he had been known as a master of psychological warfare. How could he not perceive their hidden intentions?

But in order to establish a psychological advantage, one had to further wear down the opponent’s spirit. And in the current situation, such an effect would be even greater.

Mos, the leader of the knights and a viscount, shouted out, “Please accept us into your service!”

El responded with a subtle smile. This was exactly what he had expected. However, he feigned a slightly puzzled expression.

“What do you mean? You want to be part of my service?”

If the other party didn’t realize his intentions, it would further wear them down. And in the current situation, such an effect would be even greater.

Mos lifted his head and spoke out to El, “We honestly doubted your intentions, my lord. After taking over this place, we wondered if you were planning something against us. But that was our foolish thinking. You allowed us to live like humans without asking for anything in return, bestowing upon us a grace we can never repay. Thanks to you, families who were constantly threatened by trolls can now live with smiles on their faces. So, we’ve made up our minds. We dedicate our humble lives to serving you, my lord. This is not just my own desire, it is the desire of us all. Please accept us.”

These were sincere words coming straight from their hearts. However, El wore a slightly uncertain expression.

“Hmm!”

As he said that, he scanned the faces of each individual.

Their faces were filled with determination, a will to get his approval. Not seeking something for themselves, but genuine faces filled with trust in him.

“Good.”

Silently, El smiled inwardly.

This is what he wanted. People who weren’t just his subordinates, but individuals with firm determination and belief in someone they could trust.

And now, those who had previously been wary of him, now came forward, expressing their desire to be his subordinates and trust him completely. He was pleased. It felt right.

Having worn down their spirits enough, El pretended to contemplate for a moment before nodding his head.

“Very well. In fact, I also feel that I need your strength, so I gladly accept your pledge.”

“Thank you!”

All twelve of them shouted at once in response to El’s approval. Seeing their enthusiastic faces, El nodded and spoke again.

“From now on, you shall be known as Magic Knights. The mightiest knights who can take on several knights of the same level! That will be what you become.”

El had anticipated that they would come to him eventually. And he had already envisioned how to organize them.

“….”

Upon hearing El’s words, their eyes filled with anticipation, and El smiled as he looked at them.

Thus, the birth of the Magic Knights, who would later be known as invincible and the object of all knights’ admiration, or the Fantasy Knights, was set in motion.