Manor

The knights drew their longswords and took up defensive positions; the sharp, shrill shrieks of the goblins sounded piercingly harsh in the woods.

Even the trained horses grew restless, their iron-shod hooves pawing the ground incessantly as they snorted in agitation.

Borne frowned, having caught the nauseating stench from quite a distance away.

A hobgoblin let out a roar, spewing a string of language Borne could not understand, which only served to drive the surrounding goblins into a greater frenzy.

Borne did not understand the words, but judging by the hobgoblin's hideous expression, he guessed it was nothing pleasant.

While goblins were intelligent enough to learn the Common tongue, Borne figured no one would ever be willing to teach them.

Perhaps the goblins had a civilization of their own, but the ones before him—clad in rags, wielding sticks, and with even the hobgoblin carrying nothing but a broken blade—were clearly just a wild tribe.

The Count glanced at Borne and gave a subtle nod; calmness and composure were the basic requirements for a spellcaster, and the demands for an arcanist were clearly even higher.

Compared to the longswords in the knights' hands, the sticks or wooden spears held by the goblins were utterly laughable, yet their numerical advantage gave them immense courage, especially with the tall hobgoblin standing at the rear, brandishing a massive, unidentified bone club.

The hobgoblin roared at the carriage train while brandishing its bone club, sweeping it with such force that a tree as thick as a man's thigh was snapped in two.

The sheer, shocking destructive power made the horses restless, and the knight commander could not help but frown.

Borne was secretly astonished; this immense strength far exceeded that of an average professional.

As more and more goblins emerged from the surroundings, the knights circled the carriage containing the Count and Borne, while the hobgoblin continued to roar at the convoy.

"These goblins aren't lacking in intelligence; they actually know how to demand surrender!" Borne felt no fear, but rather a sense of excitement. Having been in this world for so long, this was the first time he had seen an alien creature.

Creatures that only appeared in novels and movies in his past life were now standing right before his eyes... it was truly thrilling!

The Count watched the front with an expressionless face, though he was actually observing Borne's reaction. A recruit's first battle was crucial, especially for a spellcaster; many died in their first skirmish, and some were left with trauma, eventually becoming nothing more than pure research scholars—spellcasters incapable of combat.

Borne had already mastered mana and could be considered half a professional. Letting him experience the atmosphere of a battlefield in advance was, given his age, something the Count found quite satisfactory. (Do not find this absurd; Spartan education was far more extreme.)

As the number of goblins increased, the occasional one that tried to sneak an attack was cut down by the knights. The death of their companions only stimulated the goblins' ferocity. The hobgoblin seemed to lose patience and began to walk toward the convoy with heavy, massive strides.

Goblins were not only foul-smelling, but their blood also seemed to carry a nauseating stench. Borne's face darkened, and he covered his mouth, feeling his stomach churn.

As the hobgoblin closed in rapidly, the Count finally took action, raising his hand slightly and tapping his finger gently into the void!

A brilliant magical radiance rippled outward, centered on the carriage.

Every single goblin froze in place, locked exactly where they stood!

Had this been before, Borne would have felt nothing, but after receiving "Enlightenment" and gaining mana, he could now sense the mana that permeated the world everywhere!

And the mana fluctuations occasionally radiating from his grandfather, Count Ioulaum, were truly staggering—like a massive mana furnace—so shocking that Borne's jaw nearly hit the floor. He could hardly believe this was the amount of mana a single "person" could possess.

Borne felt terrible; this was the difference between a "gram" of mana and a "ton" of mana...

If Borne's current mana capacity was a mere lighter, then Count Ioulaum was a rocket thruster!

And this was only a high-level mage; how terrifying must a legendary one be!

Or even the gods, who stood even higher!

This was the first time he had seen the Count act since he gained mana. In Borne's perception, there was no tremor in the Weave at all; it was as if the act were perfectly natural. All the goblins were frozen in place. Though he hadn't learned any spells yet, he had heard the Count explain the names and effects of quite a few.

"[Hold Monster] or [Dominate Person]?"

Borne exclaimed in wonder.

Although their bodies were frozen, their facial muscles were not controlled. The goblins, who had been fierce and menacing a moment ago, all changed expressions, revealing looks of terror.

The hobgoblin, which had been full of murderous intent, now lacked all its previous momentum. The bone club had slipped from its hand, and its massive body was trembling violently, whether from fear or a loss of control.

The Count's eyes flickered, and he snapped his fingers lightly.

The surrounding small goblins uncontrollably lunged at the hobgoblin, tearing and biting. Amidst miserable screams, the hobgoblin slowly lost its life. The subsequent goblins then raised their own weapons, though this time, their targets were their own companions.

A horrific mutual slaughter began, lasting until the very last goblin killed another, only to draw a dagger and plunge it into its own chest.

When the final goblin died, silence descended upon the surroundings. Even the chirping of insects and birds in the forest vanished, leaving behind only hundreds of goblin corpses and the pungent scent of blood!

The Count glanced at the pale-faced Borne and said indifferently.

"Let's go."

As the Count's voice rang out, the members of the convoy finally snapped out of their daze. The coachman swallowed hard and, with trembling hands, guided the horses to continue toward their destination.

After the encounter with the goblins, the convoy faced no further incidents; they didn't even encounter a single wild beast in the forest.

The rest of the journey was rather somber, with everyone performing their duties in silence. Once they cleared the woods and reached the main road, the convoy's speed increased significantly.

Whether due to a thick skin or some other reason, Borne quickly adjusted his emotions and closed his eyes to meditate, using the meditation technique he had just learned to try and communicate with the magic elements in the air!

He even discovered that whenever his grandfather meditated, his own condensation of mana would be faster, and his mana growth would accelerate, if he meditated alongside him!

"This is an elemental field!"

"A field?"

"Yes. You should be able to feel it. High-level professionals are already distinct from normal living beings. It is not just the strength of their life force, but an evolution of their very life form!"

Borne took a deep breath. Although he had guessed as much before, hearing it confirmed by a high-level spellcaster was still incredibly shocking!

"Because of the difference in life levels, individuals influence one another. High-level life forms exert influence over lower-level ones, and this is true even across different species. For example, Dragonkin; most Dragonkin are not descendants of true dragons, but merely mutated beasts affected by radiation."

"Radiation? Mutation?"

Borne understood this.

"From the moment of their birth, dragons possess the highest level of life essence; with sufficient food, they can even ascend directly to the legendary rank. Elves, dwarves, and other intelligent races, however, must constantly hone their skills and elevate their tiers to sublimate their life essence."

As his grandfather explained, Borne gradually understood the significance of tiers to a professional!

Every spellcaster's time is incredibly precious, especially when one is being personally tutored by a High Arcanist who has lived for over a hundred years—even a prince would not receive such treatment!

Villages and magnificent castles began to appear on both sides of the highway, and the caravan was joined by many traveling merchants and wanderers heading toward the royal capital.

Seeing Seventon from afar, Borne felt his heart surge with emotion. Do not underestimate Netheril for having a history of only four hundred years; in the coming millennia, this place would be the center of the world!

What was a tiny fishing village four centuries ago had now become a rich and glorious royal capital.

Located on the peninsula mountain, Seventon was now a massive metropolis with a population of hundreds of thousands. The city was built according to the shape of the peninsula; the terrain was highest at the northwest peak, where spectacular building complexes could be seen encircling the mountain from afar, extending southward in a terraced fashion with orderly and well-arranged houses.

One could see a section of city wall guarding the perimeter at regular intervals, and from a distance, it was clear how the entire city had been expanding outward as time deposited its layers!

The buildings grew more majestic and ornate the closer they were to the top of the peninsula mountain, and next to a palace-like structure stood a massive white tower.

"That is the mage tower of Archmage Giles, also known as the Concinio Tower, and it is the only mage tower in the Kingdom of Netheril!"

His grandfather pointed toward the front and spoke to Borne.

Borne nodded to show he understood; he could feel the burning flame within his grandfather's heart.

Generally, a mage tower could be constructed by a high-level mage, but only the tower of a true legendary spellcaster would be recognized as such, for only then could it possess truly complete functions!

Outside the city lay the vast and boundless Standing Stone Plains; the yellowing wheat fields and the scene of the sea meeting the sky behind the city formed a breathtaking masterpiece.

And it was only when Borne reached the gates of Seventon that he realized just how large this place was!

Even the city walls appeared unimaginably massive, constructed from large blocks of bluestone fitted together. Looking from the gate, Borne could barely see the end of them, and the marks of history left on the walls showed that this city had endured many wars.

Many travelers, merchant caravans, and wanderers were queuing at the massive gate to enter or exit. The emblem of the Ioulaum family carried significant weight even in the royal capital; sharp-eyed city guards spotted the mark on the carriage and the Count sitting inside from afar, immediately organizing men to clear a path so the caravan could enter directly.

As the last carriage passed through, the knight at the rear tossed a pouch to the guards, the crisp sound drawing glances from many onlookers.

The guard caught it and immediately tucked it into his tunic, his smile growing even brighter, and he did not forget to wave as the entire caravan entered the city.

Borne observed all of this.

There were no cliché plots like in novels; those with poor judgment would have been killed off long ago, and those capable of serving as city guards here were all incredibly shrewd individuals.

"It seems the family's influence in the royal capital is quite significant!"

One could see the leopard through the tube; the family's status in the royal capital was far from ordinary!

The caravan drove along the main road toward the peninsula mountain. Borne already knew that the closer one was to the summit, the more prestigious the status and the more illustrious the family background.

Many merchants stepped out of their shops along the road, removing their hats and bowing their heads. Borne saw the Ioulaum family crest on the signs behind them.

"It seems the family is not only high in status but also very wealthy. Then again, as a High Arcanist, Grandfather would never be short on money."

Even though he was accustomed to the scenery of big cities in his past life, he had to admit the prosperity of Seventon. At the same time, he admired his cheap father for being able to abandon this place and take his mother to that godforsaken backwater.

When Borne stood before the Ioulaum family manor, he was still deeply shocked; the centuries-old noble castles of Europe from his past life were simply pathetic in comparison...

This was not just a place to live; it was a paradise of art!

White pillars stood towering and majestic, with jade carvings swirling into snow-white patterns, and the ebony doors and windows were all exquisitely crafted. Nestled among the trees, the manor appeared even more profound and magnificent, every detail displaying the wisdom of the craftsmen and the pinnacle of art. In front of the house was a circular fountain. Even in a season when flowers were not in full bloom, the entire manor felt as if it were immersed in a poetic and picturesque landscape!

Over thirty beautiful maids stood on both sides of the entrance to welcome them, and in an instant, Borne felt he had achieved a level of success he never dared to imagine in his past life!

Borne thought this was great...