Golden Mage - Chapter 73
Volume 3, Episode 13
El greeted Cilfir, and she smiled in response.
“Why are you so worried about this? From now on, this is where we’ll live, so it’s only natural to put in this much effort.”
Although Cilfir’s expression seemed slightly embarrassed, she was clearly filled with joy that the task was completed. She, too, had some understanding of the power of the boundary El had planned.
In addition to its protective properties, the boundary possessed various abilities. Now that they had successfully established the main pillar, all that remained were some finer adjustments.
El’s eyes calmed down, and he became lost in thoughts of the approaching Holy Knights.
“Now that the biggest task is done, the rest should be relatively simple. Thankfully, we still have some time.”
Devell diligently acted as El’s eyes and ears, and thanks to him, El could perceive that the Holy Knights dispatched from the Gaia Kingdom were marching repeatedly, approaching the Tollian Kingdom.
“Hurry. If we don’t prepare in advance, we might regret it later…”
As El rose from his seat to attend to the boundary, he noticed Kaina rushing in from the direction of the martial training ground. Her worried expression brought an inexplicable sense of anxiety to El.
As Kaina approached, catching her breath, she opened her mouth calmly.
“Master, there’s a magical letter from the palace.”
“The palace, huh…”
El mumbled softly, shifting his gaze to Cilfir.
“Mother, please go inside and rest first.”
Cilfir nodded in agreement.
“Sure.”
“Then…”
El’s figure blurred. He activated Blink. Both Cilfir and Kaina watched with anxious eyes as he disappeared. The magical letter was a communication tool El created for emergencies, allowing contact to be made even at a distance.
“I hope it’s nothing too serious…”
Cilfir murmured, and Kaina standing beside her also had a worried expression.
El felt no need to read the magical letter. At this moment, there was only one reason why they would need him urgently.
“Serena…!”
Having instantly arrived in his office using Blink, El synchronized the communication channel with the one from the palace and immediately initiated the communication.
Crackling! Buzzing!
After an unpleasant reception sound, the communication channels aligned. El shouted the activation command for the communication device.
“Communication on!”
Ring!
As the blue communication sphere gradually became transparent, the image of King Redoff appeared before him. El bowed his head respectfully.
“It’s been a while, Your Majesty.”
To which King Redoff returned the greeting.
“It has indeed been a while, Tower Master.”
After the royal council concluded, it had been several months since they last met, making their exchange of pleasantries customary. They then delved into the main conversation. El was the first to inquire.
“I believe Your Majesty has something to discuss. I was confident that you would have something to say, so I received the magical letter without checking it.”
King Redoff’s expression stiffened considerably, and he spoke with a trembling voice.
“Then, is it true what they say…?”
El nodded solemnly. He knew the king wouldn’t address them as “they.” It meant that the matter with Serena was indeed confirmed.
“…Yes.”
With that, King Redoff massaged his temples with a troubled look.
“Why… Why are you with the girl who is supposed to become the Saint…?”
El had no choice but to reply with those words. He couldn’t reveal the truth about Serena. For the king’s standpoint, El was supposed to have her with him in the kingdom.
By being with Serena, El was inevitably set to clash with the Gaia Kingdom. When facing their mighty forces armed with unwavering faith, it would be like swallowing the most bitter of pills.
El’s expression also stiffened. He spoke with a firm voice.
“She is the woman I love. That’s why I can’t hand her over to them.”
“But she belongs to the Gaia Kingdom. It’s a formidable country armed with unwavering faith, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers marching, even rivaling our empire. Even if you are a 7th-class mage, it’s still impossible.”
Those words weighed heavily on El’s heart.
The Gaia Kingdom!
Devoted only to their gods, wielding unyielding faith, they were formidable adversaries to deal with.
But he couldn’t give up. Didn’t he make up his mind at some point? To protect his family… he swore to protect them no matter what. No matter how strong the Gaia Kingdom was, he would protect them.
A strong resolve emerged in El’s eyes, and he opened his mouth to respond.
“I won’t give up. A man who can’t protect even one thing that is his cannot be called a man. Your Majesty, please… preserve neutrality. That’s all I ask.”
“Umph!”
Perhaps sensing El’s unwavering determination, King Redoff remained silent, holding back his words.
A while later, as if making a decision, King Redoff nodded hesitantly and spoke.
“Is that all I need to do?”
“Yes.”
“Very well. I can do that much for you.”
El bowed deeply in response.
“Thank you sincerely.”
That was enough for El. Currently, the best King Redoff could do was to maintain neutrality. That way, El wouldn’t collide with the Tollian Kingdom and could focus all his efforts on the Gaia Kingdom.
“I don’t know if this will help, but…”
King Redoff began explaining about the Gaia Kingdom. El listened and nodded in understanding.
When the explanation was over, El bowed again.
“Thank you.”
“I hope for your safety. After all, you are an important member of our kingdom.”
Not as El, but as the Tower Master, he was worried about him. Nonetheless, El was grateful for that concern. It was such a joy to know that someone cared about him.
Click!
The communication was cut off. El turned around and looked down at Golden Valley below. He clenched his fists tightly and reaffirmed his determination.
El, he had finally made up his mind.
“This kingdom will cooperate with the Gaia Kingdom as much as possible, but our support will be limited to finding the Saint.”
“……!”
Barrek looked at the expression on King Redoff’s face and had a puzzled look. King Redoff explained further.
“So, this means our kingdom will only assist in finding the Saint, and that’s it.”
Then Barrek understood and asked cautiously.
“So you mean, in case of any unforeseen circumstances, we cannot provide support?”
King Redoff nodded, and with a concerned tone, he replied, “Exactly. Currently, our kingdom is balanced among three factions, and if even one of them is disrupted, it’ll become precarious. I made this decision after much contemplation yesterday and won’t listen to any other suggestions.”
It was a fairly convincing statement. Barrek had heard the same from the Gaia Kingdom when he came to the Tollian Kingdom. Although he felt uneasy, he nodded. Support alone would be enough for him.
“I understand. I should have provided more support…”
“No, not at all. I’m thankful for your active support.”
Barrek firmly shook his head. He had no intention of reprimanding Lady Lavere for her proactive support; rather, he was genuinely grateful for it.
In the midst of their conversation, Barrek suddenly glanced around.
‘Hmm?’