Proofread by Thomas F
Ironblood Lord of Radiant Dreams Lv. 47
[Skill Gained: Beast's Strength]
Bulwark Officer Lv. 35
Wildheart Officer Lv. 37
Wildheart Officer Lv. 38
[Skill Gained: Relentless Advance ]
Equanimous General of Calm Heart Lv. 44
[Skill Gained: Steel Mind]
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"Take care of the city," I said to Hardt and his wife as I stopped at my carriage. "You can rest assured," he replied, knowing I was not talking about the city.
Earlier, the couple got to see what it was hidden all along in the mines. Now, they have to guard it.
Speaking of guarding, I turned to the man beside me.
"Call me immediately if you need anything," I said to Garzong. He is now the warden of the forge base, with complete authority over its security.
Only I and the Dominion's heir and heir of legacy could command him.
Well, two people, since the Dominion's heir is still a child. She won't have that authority until she becomes an adult.
"I will, my lord," he replied.
There are several reasons I chose him as the warden of the forge base. First, I trust him explicitly; he is my bodyguard. It allowed me to observe him.
The second is his strength. He is powerful, a Level 40+, and with a shamanic blessing, he is very hard to deal with.
The third and last is that I want to keep the base separate from the army. The army will have the golems, but that's all; they will not have any say in the forge base.
Some authority is given to Mage Aldridge. He will handle the administration, while Garzong handles security.
As for Azalia and Hardt, their access is lower than that of the two.
I trust them, but there should be a balance of power in all branches of the dominion. Trouble brews when one gets too strong.
I nodded at them and stepped into the carriage. A second later, it moved toward the gates of Panar.
I wanted to return to Greltheaven immediately after finishing with the forge base, but they know I am here and people are watching. So, I stayed and even attended a party before leaving.
I looked out the window, watching the city which had changed a lot since the first time I saw it.
Ina had done a wonderful job, and Hardt didn't disappoint. I would even say he gained the city at the right time. If he got there before, he might not have been able to fix it as well as Ina did.
He got his hands on it when it was mostly restored. Because of that, he could start working on its development immediately.
Soon, we reached the gate, and the carriage passed through it with the security.
…
Zela Taras
"Everybody is advancing fast," I said in a barely audible voice, looking out the window at the vast wasteland.
I was the second most powerful among the Stone Mercenaries. Now, both Stone and Jon can defeat me, and in my last spar with the siblings, we matched.
Well, it could be said that I nearly defeated Shaun. Stena was much harder because of her shiny new thing.
The only person I could easily defeat is Eli, but he too is rapidly getting stronger. It won't be long; one of the birds we bought from Archmage City grows big enough that he can ride it, making him even stronger.
Even my youngest team member is stronger than me. I used to defeat him in every battle.
I took a deep breath and calmed myself.
I know very well how much harder advancement for mages is than for warriors. I advanced fast here in Greltheaven; then I would have been fighting the war on the island if I had stayed.
For a mage, especially one like me with a scholar background, advancement requires more than just war.
Lord Silver has provided me with all the resources I need. Best tools, new spells, and knowledge. Like the book I am reading right now, written by a literal archmage.
Such knowledge is guarded and hoarded in towers. Here I have free access to it.
Still, I want more. So I could catch up to others.
The distance has slightly increased further today. I have seen the smile on Jon's face. He tried to hide it, but I know him too well. He advanced, and the advancement wasn't small.
He likely got a skill, along with a level. I couldn't help but feel envious of him.
"I am trying with the tower; you and the other mages only need to wait for a few more months," he said, and I looked at him apologetically.
I know very well how hard he is trying and the immense amount of money he is spending on it.
Still, I wished it were open now, or at least that I would have an artifact. It feels greedy, and I may be, and even fills me with shame, but I want an artifact.
A suitable one, especially.
I have seen how quickly the baroness's power is rising. That artifact is helping her. It's very suitable for her, making her strength rise faster.
She is now barely a hair's breadth away from becoming a Great Mage, the same level the mistress had been.
The same level I want to reach.
I didn't have such a dream when I entered the tower. I was merely a scholar. My job was to help apprentices with their studies, but the war forced me to and gave me dreams I never imagined.
I was lost in my thoughts when I received the message.
It came from Panar's Merchant Guild, but it truly came from Mayhurst. Though it's not for Lord Silver, he is responsible for it.
"My friends had asked me to thank you for the essence potions," I said to him. He turned to me from the book he was reading and smiled.
"It was all your work," he replied, turning back to the book.
I requested him, and it's not the first time. There is a quota of emotion essences he gives Mayhurst. It is divided into two parts, the first of which goes to the rulers.
The second one to the people directly. Mercenary companies, knightly orders, charitable organizations, and individuals.
Stone, me, and others are also helping our friends by requesting emotion essence potions and other resources for them.
It is the least we can do, for the guilt we feel.
There was no choice but to escape, or we would have died. Though we could have returned, nobody wanted to. This is our home now.
Nevertheless, the guilt of leaving remained.
Hugo is not staying. He will leave for the island within a year. He always planned to leave, but he stayed because he felt a responsibility toward the Dominion and Lady Carla.
A few weeks ago, he had said that even he couldn't defeat her. In a week or two, she would be even harder to defeat.
I pushed all the stray thoughts and focused on the book. It is about the relations between the elements. Written by the seventh Archmage of Archmage City.
She was a true Archmage, called the Four-Element Archmage.
The title may not seem inspiring compared to many grand titles of current and former archmages, but it is to us mages. This is a Mage, who masters all four elements to the archmage level.
That is a tremendous achievement that made her one of the greatest powerhouses of her era.
I practice water and light; these two have great symmetry between them. For offense, defense, and most importantly, healing.
I have gained some mastery over these elements, but it is in symmetry that I find myself lacking. It is why I want a tower. So I could see where I am lacking and fix that.
Once I did, I could become a Great Mage and reach the same level as my Mistress.
It won't be easy. I thought, shaking my head, but it's not impossible as I once thought it would be. If I work hard enough, I might be able to achieve it.
I was lost in my thoughts when my staff lit up. Seeing the signature, a smile appeared on my face, and my heart fluttered.
It's been three days since I've been here, and I miss him deeply.
'I miss you,' I heard as I took the call. 'A few more hours and I will be in the city,' I replied. He said nothing to that, but I could hear his breathing.
'It's unbearable without you,' he said. I could feel the longing in his voice, and it put a smile on my face as I felt the same.
I have never felt it this way about anyone, and never wanted to. I have seen the pain in Stone's eyes and the eyes of many people who lost their dearest and didn't want to experience it.
Still, I felt it from the first day, when he asked me to dinner.
I knew he liked me; his shy glances were so easy to see. I was not very interested, more than in the physical sense. The man is handsome.
The dinner changed everything. I still remember it as if it were yesterday.
'Are you still in the office?' I asked. We both work long hours, but since we started living together, we made a promise to come home early.
'Yes, there were a few meetings that ran late.' I wanted to snort at that. When I am not in the city, he always stays late. 'Don't worry, I am nearly finished and will be returning home soon.'
'You better,' I have seen how tired he sometimes comes home.
We talked for a few minutes before I cut the call and returned to my book.
I studied it for another hour before putting it in my bag and closing my eyes to sleep, when a message came. It's from the legacy.
It's the chief of security.