It didn’t take long for the group to reach the center of the settlement.
This was Michael’s second time here and also the place where he had his first interaction with Mage Lian.
Not only was the central section of the settlement better maintained, but it also housed several important establishments—like the one standing right in front of Michael.
The Town Mayor’s Manor.
Among all the buildings in town, it was one of the largest and most luxurious.
When he first laid eyes on it, Michael hadn’t expected that its owner would end up serving him this very night.
Truly, some things just happen.Looking at the group of injured knights, who had left strong but returned confused, the Mayor of Blackstone Town didn’t hesitate to mobilize all available staff to attend to the kingdom’s knights.
Serving Mage Lian was a given—an honor, even. Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire
However, what conflicted the Mayor was Michael.
He had never seen this man before, nor did he know anything about him.
But seeing how the Grand Mage treated him as an equal, and how the knights who had ventured into the forest looked at him with awe, it didn’t take much reasoning for the Town Mayor to realize that this was an extremely important figure.
What he didn’t know—and would have never guessed—was that while Michael was indeed highly regarded by Mage Lian, it wasn’t because he was the son of some noble family.
It was because he was just as strong as some of the most powerful individuals in the kingdom.
Of course, the Mayor couldn’t be blamed for reaching his conclusion.
Even Mage Lian still believed Michael came from a noble lineage, as his current strength wouldn’t make sense without strong backing.
Unfortunately, this was Mage Lian’s first encounter with an Awakener.
Had he met Michael’s peers, those who were capable and had awakened two years earlier, he would have been even more shocked.
Since there were no mages capable of healing magic, but a few health potions were available, the injured knights could only roughly bandage themselves, stabilizing their condition and removing themselves from immediate crisis.
However, to fully recover, they would need to return to the capital.
After this, only a few would continue serving as knights, making the casualties even more significant for the kingdom.
Though there were other knight teams like this one, cultivating these 50 strong men wasn’t cheap.
Aside from this—
“We might need to report this to the Great Knights and Mages of the kingdom, Grand Mage Lian.”
After settling into the town manor, Michael, who had expected to be placed in a separate room or somewhere else, was unexpectedly led to the office of the town mayor, where they were discussing the recent issue.
Mage Lian and Michael were offered seats, while the Mayor stood by Mage Lian’s side as they all listened to the words of the Knight Captain, who had recovered slightly thanks to his amazing natural recovery rate.
When the Knight Captain spoke, he was a little anxious, careful not to say anything that might displease Grand Mage Lian.
After all, despite their different supernatural professions, the other party was still his superior, and if he wanted to ruin his life, it would be as easy as cleaning one’s tooth.
Saying they needed someone stronger could easily offend him, which made the Knight Captain feel even more nervous.
Fortunately for him, Mage Lian wasn’t that petty.
“You’re right. We’ll need at least that level of power. This monster isn’t just special—it’s extremely powerful. I wouldn’t dare say I could take it on myself,” Mage Lian stated with a serious expression.
To be honest, this was just him saving face.
Though he was recognized as a Grand Mage with god-like abilities in the eyes of mortals, only Mage Lian and his peers knew the true extent of his power.
He was strong, but within his rank, he was still just at the beginning.
Even so, his power was still rare, and few could compare to him.
However, had it not been for the young man beside him, though Mage Lian was confident he could have survived, he didn’t dare say things would have ended as perfectly as they had—thanks to the young man’s assistance.
Thinking of this, Mage Lian turned to look at the youth seated beside him, who had a contemplative expression on his face.
‘If this man truly joins the Duke of Evermoon competition, he will either win easily, or if there are people capable of stopping him, the entire kingdom—and even beyond—should prepare for the year of their lives.’
Mage Lian couldn’t help but think back to the wolf the youth had summoned.
He had no doubt that creature was at least as powerful as him.
No—it was far more powerful than him.
If Michael were to hear Mage Lian’s thoughts, he wouldn’t be surprised.
Though Lucky wasn’t yet a Rank 2 existence like Mage Lian, as an extraordinary-ranked creature, it was just as strong as one.
If Mage Lian could match Lucky’s undead prowess at his level, it only meant the other party was special in his own right.
With his vast experience, Mage Lian could tell that the energy radiating from both Michael and Lucky felt a lot like necromancy.
Yet, despite living for over a century, he had never seen a necromancer summon their undead from nowhere.
They always carried them everywhere.
However, he was aware of special undead existences that had nothing to do with necromancers.
Having one as a summon was the most plausible explanation he could deduce from what he had seen.
In any case, whether the youth had ties to necromancy or not, one thing was certain—he was undoubtedly strong.
“Is there anything Sir Mic would like to input?”
Immediately, all eyes turned to Michael at Mage Lian’s words.
Among them, the one most curious about Michael was the town mayor.
As someone who had secured his position through connections, he prided himself on knowing of every noble, even those he had never met and likely never would.
But this ‘Sir Mic’—who was he, to be treated on the same level as Mage Lian?
It wasn’t the only Type mayor who was interested in Michael’s ‘identity’.
In fact all the knights Michael had saved were interested in this mysterious youth identity.
Unfortunately they were warriors of the kingdom so they were even more doomed to not know Michael’s identity.
In fact anyone was doomed already the moment they thought Michael had an identity. Michael raised an eyebrow in surprise.
He hadn’t expected to be included in the conversation. In fact, he was surprised they even allowed him to listen in the first place. Though he had been the one to rescue them, given the nature of the situation, it wouldn’t have been odd if they had excluded him entirely.
But they hadn’t.
Though confused, Michael was naturally pleased. This gave him a chance to familiarize himself with the people of this world and integrate better.
What concerned him, however, was the identity they seemed to be assigning him. From his observations, it was a fitting one—but also one that could turn against him later.
And for some reason, Michael had a strong suspicion that it would.
Still, since he had already stepped onto this path, there was no turning back. In any case, he had told them from the beginning that he was no exalted figure, yet they refused to believe him. That wasn’t his fault, was it?
“Thank you for considering me,” Michael said, his tone even. “But this is an important matter best left to those in charge.”
Mage Lian gave a short nod in response. He had expected this answer and wasn’t surprised.
Not that he would have been if Michael had chosen to speak, either. Given his role in the incident, it wasn’t unreasonable to offer him a voice in the discussion.
Of course, listening was one thing—whether they acted on his words was entirely up to them, the true subjects of the kingdom.
Seeing that no one else was going to speak, Mage Lian took control of the conversation once more.
“Regardless of what happens next, we need to reach the capital soon. Leaving that monster unchecked could result in many casualties. At the very least, a town this close is in grave danger.”
At those words, Michael glanced at the mayor and saw the man swallow nervously.
Mage Lian wasn’t finished.
“Fortunately, we now have more knowledge of that creature’s power. The loss of Lionheart’s brave soldiers was not in vain.”
As he spoke Mage Lian turned to look at the knight captain who seemed like he was on the verge of tears.
*******
A/N: Happy Valentine’s day! I’m sorry for the one chapter updates lately. I should have uploaded more today but…I’m really trying my best. However I want to thank you all for all the patience you have given to me and this book. I’ll try my best to not disappoint.
