Golden Mage - Chapter 64

Volume 3, Episode 4

While doing so, El led Rowelin to the inn where they had stayed before in Verdiss. It was a luxurious inn with excellent facilities, mainly used by nobles.

Having each booked a single room, El and Rowelin took some comfortable rest for the upcoming Kingdom Central Conference.

“…What’s this?”

El, who was quietly meditating in his room, noticed a commotion happening downstairs and furrowed his eyebrows slightly.

Closing his eyes again and focusing his mind, he felt a quite familiar aura.

Indeed, one of the people engaged in the commotion was none other than Rowelin herself.

And the person bickering with Rowelin was someone who seemed far less competent than her, but the people accompanying him didn’t seem to be taken lightly.

El opened his eyes quietly. Since Rowelin was in a verbal dispute, he was curious about the matter.

Besides, he had brought her here, so he felt the need to support her.

“I should find out what’s going on.”

El got up from his seat and headed downstairs to the dining hall.

As he descended, he saw Rowelin entering the hall. She was facing a nobleman in his mid-20s, with five knights who seemed to be intermediate and advanced sword experts guarding him.

El called out to Rowelin.

“Wait, Countess! What’s going on?”

Rowelin looked at El with an embarrassed expression.

“The tower… El-nim…”

Since the tower’s existence hadn’t been publicized, she couldn’t casually refer to it as “the tower.” Instead, she used El’s name. The nobleman in his mid-20s, Lark, noticed El’s attention being directed to him.

With typical arrogance and arrogance characteristic of nobles, Lark spoke to Rowelin.

“El-nim? What’s this? You don’t seem to have trained in swordsmanship or magic… Oh! Are you proficient in magic? Ha! Looks like you’re around Class 3… Countess! Could it be that you rejected me all this time because of that magician?”

The young man introduced himself.

He was Lark, the second son of Viscount Terrandel. In order to absorb Rowelin, he had been persistently proposing to her, trying to swallow the resources of the Ruvias Count, whom Rowelin belonged to.

“…That’s not it.”

Rowelin looked at Lark, uncertain about how to respond to his rash words.

Understandably so. El was the Tower Master. It was a privilege reserved for at least Class 7 mages, granting him the treatment of a marquis in any kingdom, or a count in the Empire. Not even Viscount Terrandel, Lark’s father, could treat El disrespectfully.

But this was not about Viscount Terrandel or Lark being remarkable; it was about Lark being considerably less skilled than Rowelin, even though he was the son of a viscount.

Rowelin had reached the highest level of Sword Expert. Though Lark was quite competent, he couldn’t withstand her gaze head-on.

El subtly glanced at Rowelin, and she was clearly taken aback by Lark’s behavior.

And this behavior of Lark, a mere viscount’s son, was even more unacceptable considering Rowelin’s status as a marquis of the kingdom. The difference between a noble with a title and the family of a mere noble with a title was significant, according to the laws of the continent. Rowelin’s shoulders straightened.

El replied to Rowelin’s gaze with a playful wink. It was evident that he didn’t care about Lark.

Indeed, it was like a boar trying to butt heads with a dragon; there was no worth in reacting to such a character.

El responded to Lark.

“I’m a mage residing around Viscount Ruvias. I owe Viscount Ruvias a favor this time.”

Rowelin’s confidence was restored. This was enough for her to take on a duke or a marquis without feeling threatened.

Rowelin asked Lark calmly, “What brings the nobleman’s mage to me?”

Then Lark, without hesitation, continued to provoke her with an aristocratic perspective.

“Does it matter? Should I have asked about your true identity? Even if you’re a mage, you’re not of a higher rank than me, right?”

Lark’s words were valid from a noble’s perspective. No matter how talented a mage was, they couldn’t surpass a noble like himself in terms of status.

To him, a mage was on the same level as a knight, a being that protected the nobility and handled trivial matters.

To which Lark felt quite satisfied with his own speech. It seemed like he had spoken quite well.

‘This should make her apologize, right?’

However, what Lark saw in Rowelin’s eyes was entirely different.

Instead of cowering in embarrassment, she glared at him with a fierce look.

Rowelin’s gaze was that of an expert Sword Master. It was good enough to face Lark’s intense stare without backing down.

In a split second, Lark’s face changed. He withdrew when he felt overwhelmed by Rowelin’s gaze, and the knights guarding him quickly stepped forward, showing a guarded expression.

Even though the knights stepped forward, Rowelin still had an intense look in her eyes. The fierce glint had disappeared as she faced El.

Apologizing in a cautious tone, she said, “I apologize for being rude. I should be more mindful.”

El, looking at Lark, who was still visibly intimidated, couldn’t help but let out a faint smile.

“Apologies aren’t necessary. I knew what kind of person he was from the start. Does he really think he can challenge me?”

Although it was a deliberately provocative remark, Rowelin didn’t hold back.

To her, Lark, who had no real power other than being a viscount’s son, was not worth considering.

Truth be told, no matter how impressive Viscount Terrandel might be, Lark was not impressive.

Furthermore, she, as a countess, was different from a mere viscount’s son.

El glanced at Lark, who was still overwhelmed by Rowelin’s presence, and remarked with a sly smile.

“I guess it’s better if we go in now. I might start to adopt the noble spirit.”

Although he was clearly trying to provoke, Rowelin didn’t hold back.

She nodded, “Yes, that’s probably a good idea. I need to take a bath as well. I feel like I’ve been soaked in noble spirit.”

“Haha! I’m glad to hear you say that. Well then, I’ll go back to my room. Rest well.”

As El turned to leave, Rowelin also walked away. Lark was nowhere to be seen.

“Go ahead.”

While watching El and Rowelin disappear from sight, Lark glared at them with anger boiling in his eyes.

“Dammit! How dare they humiliate me like this! And that magician…”

Lark’s frustration erupted like a volcano.

“I’ll make sure you won’t get away with insulting me like this. Even if I have to attach my agenda to the Kingdom Central Conference, I won’t let you go unscathed!”