Mage's Challenge

After Allen transmigrated to the Saint Cassis Continent, he never left Outpost County, spending most of his time holed up in the Old Castle contemplating life.

He learned about the outside world mostly through the memories of the original owner and books within the Old Castle.

In his eyes, the cavalrymen not far away, who had already suffered heavy casualties and were engulfed in flames, were utterly amateurish.

Not only were they amateurish, but the sneak attackers hiding in the shadows were also very amateurish.

A look of disdain on his face revealed Allen's contempt for these unfortunate souls, suffocating and surrounded by flames.

Yorkshire noticed Allen's expression and asked respectfully, "Lord Allen, how did you know the Grand Duke secretly dispatched an elite guard team to protect you?"

"Huh?" Allen asked, bewildered. "I read it in the books and novels in the Old Castle. What's wrong?"

"N-nothing!" Yorkshire said, speechless.

Are the protagonists in novels the same as you? Aren't they all exceptionally talented individuals who just need time to grow, and haven't yet fully spread their wings, hence the need for protection?

And you? Why are they protecting you? To let you live a little longer, so you'll have plenty of time to return to the Royal City and torment the Grand Duke in various ways?

"Who is that guy in black in the General Affairs Hall?" the old butler asked, walking over silently, his brow furrowed.

"Oh, I think his name is Hels. He's a Water Magus," Yorkshire replied. "Do you know him?"

The old butler didn't answer him but said to Allen, "End this farce as soon as possible. The trouble extends beyond what's in front of us."

Allen nodded. He noticed Hels in the General Affairs Hall raising his magic staff, muttering something unknown.

Being highly sensitive to magical elements, he felt the water elements in the space become extremely unstable, constantly gathering in the distance.

Allen looked at Hels with a complex expression.

After finishing his incantation, Hels pointed his magic staff directly at the wall of fire. The gathered water elements transformed into a giant wave tens of meters high, extinguishing the raging flames.

However, only a handful of knights had miraculously survived. The rest had already turned into mummified corpses, their hands clutched around their throats, faces contorted in agony, clearly in extreme pain before death.

Even the few knights who had escaped looked dazed and struggled to breathe, coughing their lungs out.

"Fire Magic is so overbearing!" Allen muttered to himself.

The old butler chuckled twice and said, "Overbearing Fire Magic? My young master, you haven't even witnessed Blood Magic or Spirit Magic yet."

"More powerful than Fire Magic?"

Old Laixi nodded heavily.

"What's the point of being powerful if I can't use it?" Allen pouted.

"Do you want to learn?" Old Laixi looked at Allen with a half-smile.

"It's not a question of whether I want to learn or not. The problem is, no one is teaching me, and I can't even summon spells."

"Putting that aside, if I were to teach you, would you be willing to learn?"

Allen asked excitedly, feigning enthusiasm, "Really? Didn't Dina say you're just a half-baked Water Mage? You know Spirit Magic and Blood Magic?"

Seeing Allen's excited demeanor, the old butler adopted a masterly air and calmly said, "What does Nana know? If I didn't know, why would I boast that I could teach you?"

"That's great, haha!" Allen slapped Yorkshire's thigh heavily.

Yorkshire glared at him. If you're happy, be happy, but why are you slapping my thigh?

"Good!" The old butler was also very happy. Allen was the most talented apprentice he had ever seen. Although he couldn't cast spells, his incredibly high elemental affinity was something others dreamed of. The path of magic was ever-changing; who said spells could only be summoned through incantations?

Finally having someone to inherit his legacy, Old Laixi smiled, looking at Allen with the satisfaction of a father-in-law viewing his son-in-law. He said kindly, "Then, after we return tonight, I'll teach you your introductory spells."

Allen asked, completely confused, "Ah? Why?"

Old Laixi was dumbfounded and muttered, "Don't you want to learn?"

"No, who said I want to learn?"

"Then why did you ask me if I knew them?"

"Oh, I just wanted to know your background," Allen said, patting the old butler's shoulder sympathetically. "Since you know them all, why should I bother learning? You can handle things from now on."

Old Laixi rolled his eyes. He felt that young people nowadays were becoming increasingly cunning.

"I didn't hear anything," Yorkshire said, seeing the displeased expression on Old Laixi's face, quickly explaining, "What are you guys talking about? I don't understand."

Yorkshire wasn't stupid. No matter how little experience he had, he knew this old man was extraordinary. Moreover, Blood Magic and Spirit Magic were disdained by orthodox mages, and the Holy See would hunt down and kill anyone who practiced them without mercy.

Allen shrugged indifferently. He walked past the corpses of the knights scattered everywhere and went straight to the entrance of the General Affairs Hall. He glanced at Hels, who had just acted, with an unreadable expression and shouted at the onlookers, "What are you still staring at? Causing trouble for your Lord? Hurry up and clean this up."

The crowd erupted in cheers. Like sharks smelling blood, their eyes gleamed as they rushed towards the scattered corpses.

They were picking rings, stripping clothes, emptying money bags, and leading horses. Happiness was written all over everyone's faces.

They felt that coming to watch the commotion today was not in vain. The gains from this short period were equivalent to half a month's hard work.

Sakre saw Old Laixi and quickly ran over to pay his respects, acting like a filial nephew.

The old butler gave him an annoyed look and chuckled twice while gazing at the rippling water patterns covering the General Affairs Hall.

"Heh heh, you must be Hels, right? So loyal, afraid of disturbing your master's nap?" Old Laixi said sarcastically. "I wonder what your master will think when he wakes up and sees this scene."

Hels then remembered that Xiulunte was still sleeping in his office. Because he had cast soundproofing Water Magic, he probably had no idea what had happened outside until now.

Seeing Hels completely bewildered, Sakre burst into laughter.

Hels ignored him, pointing at Allen and roaring, "How dare you attack the Legion Commander's guard! Don't think Xiulunte cares about Grand Duke Locke."

Allen rolled his eyes and said to Yorkshire beside him, "You need to be my witness. Those idiots didn't even introduce themselves just now, and besides, I didn't make the move. He ran into the stick himself."

Yorkshire nodded heavily. Hearing Allen say that, he almost believed it himself.

The old butler walked tremblingly to Hels and whispered, "Hels, Water Magus, from Maple Village on the border of the Duchy of Rothel. Nearly a hundred innocent villagers, because they unintentionally offended you, all lost their lives, correct?"

Hels snorted coldly and took two steps back, with several sentries protecting him.

"I am also a Water Mage. My name is Laixi Adolf," Old Laixi continued. "I challenge you to a mage's duel. How about it?"

"The recognized magic genius of Rothel thirty years ago?" Hels's eyes widened as he stared intently at Old Laixi.

Old Laixi smiled and shook his head.

"Where is your magic power? Why do I feel so little magic power fluctuation within your body?" Hels asked doubtfully. "Is the rumor true? Because you cultivated other main magic, you regressed from Magus to Intermediate Mage?"

Sakre hurriedly stood in front of his uncle and spoke to stop him.

Hels laughed wildly, with a smug look on his face. "Rothel's genius? I think he's an idiot. If you hadn't regressed, you might already be a famous Archmage on the continent by now?"

Old Laixi's expression remained unchanged, as calm as still water.

Hels looked at the old butler with pity, then shifted his gaze to Allen, sneering, "Stupid mage, stupid noble, hahaha, you two are quite a match."

"Do you accept?" Old Laixi asked again.

Hels felt a slight unease in his heart, but out of curiosity, he asked, "With your current self? What happens if you lose? What happens if you win?"

"If you lose, will you let me live? Of course, if you win, you know my identity, and I can revoke the Duchy of Rothel's wanted notice on you."

"Fine, I accept." Hels's face showed a cruel expression. "To personally finish off a mage who might have become an Archmage, of course, I accept, hahahahaha."

Sakre was about to intervene when Allen grabbed his shoulder.

"Get lost!" Sakre roared, his Battle Qi erupting.

Allen raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Hmph!" Just as Sakre was about to taunt Allen further, Dina walked over with a silly grin, her incredibly thick arms clamping around Sakre's neck.

Sakre felt his neck was clamped like in a vise, unable to release any of his Battle Qi. His feet kicked wildly, but upon contact with Dina, not only did all his Battle Qi dissipate, but his body felt as if it were trapped by an invisible shackle, completely unable to move.

Several lackeys looked shocked and were about to rush forward. Allen said with a grin, "Still haven't learned your lesson, huh? Do you forget how those idiots just died? My little brothers are all hidden around here. Don't worry, Dina won't hurt your master."

Old Laixi gently said to the lackeys, "Stand down!"

The knights then remembered the old man's identity, looking conflictedly at Sakre, who was like a chick in Dina's hands, with an expression of helplessness.

Sakre glared at them, knowing that these sycophantic lackeys were unreliable.