Magic Necklace

After years of development, the Ioulaum House had grown to the point where even its rural castle was surrounded by a community of two or three thousand people.

To the east of the castle, a small river separated the village from the forest.

The locals called it the Agate River.

West of the river lay a flat plain spanning over thirty kilometers, all of which was the territory of the Ioulaum House. With fertile soil and a pleasant climate, the annual grain production was not only enough for self-sufficiency but also allowed for exports to Seventon, covering the castle's expenses.

Being close to the royal capital, the territory could not be too large, yet it remained one of the most prosperous lands in the region.

Count Ioulaum was the reason they had been able to secure this territory.

Forty years ago, humans were still learning magic from the elves of Eaerlann, and both architectural styles and cultural trends leaned heavily toward the elven race.

Many of the reliefs and ornaments in the castle still bore a strong elven aesthetic.

That changed when seven Netherese discovered 100 scrolls in the ruins of Aryvandaar, deep within the Forest of Far Horn.

The scrolls were entirely golden, inscribed with a brand-new form of magical technique.

It was one of the most significant moments in the history of Netheril.

That year, those seven humans were later dubbed the "Discoverers," though at the time, they did not realize the monumental significance of their find.

While the Discoverers were exploring the ruins, they came upon an ancient site. It seemed to have been occupied by a race that could walk on walls as if they were flat ground. The chairs and furniture they used suggested these creatures had more than two legs—likely many more.

The Discoverers scoured the dilapidated structure inside and out, looking for anything valuable to sell. But when they found the golden scrolls, they realized the value of their discovery far exceeded any money they could have traded them for. Thus, they brought the scrolls back to Netheril for spellcasters to study.

The 100 Nether Scrolls were actually divided into two sets of 50. One set looked much older and duller, containing records on the creation of magical items.

In later years, these Nether Scrolls would also be known as the "Nether Scrolls."

A few years later, the Netherese spellcasters discovered that the magical runes and techniques recorded on the scrolls were better suited for human use and possessed even greater magical power.

By then, humans were no longer satisfied with the magic "bestowed" upon them by the elves; they wished to master this miraculous power themselves, and so they quickly abandoned the magic taught by the elves.

Years later, the spellcasters who had mastered this new magic were given a brand-new title.

Arcanists!

A carriage slowly crossed the stone bridge over the Emerald River.

The carriage was emblazoned with a peculiar moon-shaped emblem.

The welcoming party outside the castle stood solemn. Flags and fresh flowers lined the road, and the knights and guards had donned their polished armor early, standing on both sides of the path, raising their halberds at a 45-degree angle as the carriage passed.

Viscount Gordon stood at the castle gate with the captain of the knights. The coachman skillfully drove through the center, bringing the carriage to a halt at the gate.

A hand gripped the carriage handle, and the passenger stepped out. Borne, standing behind, finally caught sight of this grandfather he had never met.

He was a middle-aged man with slightly graying hair, bearing a sixty-percent resemblance to Viscount Gordon. He wore noble attire, his figure was well-proportioned and upright, and a green stone floated above his head.

He looked nothing like the disheveled, bearded old mage holding a root-like staff that Borne had imagined.

He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Borne did not expect that his brief moment of distraction had been caught by the Count.

"Father, the banquet is prepared."

Viscount Gordon stepped forward and said.

"Good."

The Count nodded and led the way into the castle.

What followed was the meal. Due to the Count's arrival, the atmosphere was much more solemn than usual.

Borne had been hungry all morning and was already dizzy. Before long, he couldn't help himself; he reached out, grabbed the food, and stuffed the roasted meat into his mouth.

Watching him wolf down his food, Viscount Gordon couldn't help but cover his face; all his usual dining etiquette had vanished.

He snuck a glance and found the Count eating quietly, his posture elegant and his movements bordering on art. The Count did not seem to mind Borne's table manners.

He couldn't help but breathe a secret sigh of relief.

In truth, he felt immense pressure from the Count, which was why he had fled to the countryside rather than living in the bustling royal capital.

When Borne was about seventy percent full, he subconsciously began to use his breathing technique to digest the food. Suddenly, the fork in his hand paused, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his palms and back.

Borne's pupils constricted, and he couldn't help but show a look of shock. He immediately tried to control his facial muscles to maintain a smile, but as he looked up, he met the eyes of Count Ioulaum directly.

The stern Count offered a rare, faint smile and nodded at him before continuing his elegant meal.

Beside him, Viscount Gordon saw this and looked delighted, thinking to himself, It's in the bag!

After the banquet ended, Borne felt completely dazed, only regaining his senses once he returned to his room.

"What just happened?"

Borne's mind was in turmoil, like a raging sea. His back was soaked in sweat; he hadn't just been thinking about random things, he had completely forgotten his dining etiquette!

The caution he had cultivated over the years had been stripped away entirely.

At that moment, the memory of the Count meeting his gaze as he stepped out of the carriage flashed through his mind.

It was that moment!

"It must be a spell similar to Mind Fog or Hypnotism. Damn it! As expected of a Nether Arcanist! I really shouldn't have been so careless."

Fortunately, Borne had only revealed a bit of his true nature out of caution; his identity as a transmigrator must not be exposed. These Arcanists were exceptionally brutal. Borne suspected that if his identity were revealed, having his soul extracted and sliced up would be the least of his worries—they might even use the soul's connection to trace back and locate his past life on Earth!

However, what he hadn't expected was that his breathing technique had actually broken the Count's magical effect. It seemed there was indeed an inevitable connection between this breathing technique and the Monks!

In D&D settings, as masters of unarmed combat, Monks used 'Ki' not only to strengthen their physical attributes—Strength, Agility, and Constitution—but also to possess a 'spell-breaking' effect. They could basically bully most professionals of the same level into tears without wearing any equipment!

Physical Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution.

They were one of the few classes that could make a Legendary figure call them 'daddy' before reaching the Legendary realm themselves.

Night was about to fall, and the sunset on the horizon ignited the clouds like a burning fire.

In the castle study.

Borne saw Count Ioulaum again. Viscount Gordon stood to the side with a rather unpleasant expression, and the Count still wore lingering traces of anger; clearly, their communication before Borne arrived had not gone well.

Borne obediently bowed.

"Grandfather."

Upon seeing Borne, the Count's mood improved significantly, his brows smoothing out. He walked over to Borne, examined him carefully, and even ruffled his hair.

Borne hated it when others touched his hair. Although he wore the appearance of a child, he considered himself an adult on the inside—a grown man! Even though the Count was his grandfather in name, because he was a high-level Arcanist, he didn't look old at all, appearing as nothing more than a mature middle-aged man standing beside Viscount Gordon.

The Count seemed to notice his displeasure and burst into hearty laughter, picking Borne up directly.

Borne was dumbfounded.

Ever since he learned to walk, no one had dared to pick him up; anyone who tried would be met with a flurry of his punches and kicks.

However, after comparing their combat power, Borne chose to submit...

He was a man over a hundred years old; wasn't it normal for him to hold his grandson? He would just treat it as humoring the old man.

"Little Borne, this is for you. Consider it your birthday gift."

The Count produced a necklace.

The necklace featured a yellow gemstone, and Borne, having keen eyesight, could see brilliance flowing within it.

A magical accessory!

Viscount Gordon also revealed a look of surprise; it seemed the value was not low.

"Don't want it." Borne turned his head and pointed at the green stone on the Count's head. "I want that!"

"Hahaha, that one won't do yet. Borne is still small. When you become an Arcanist, Grandfather will give it to you."

"What is an Arcanist?" Borne tilted his head, asking with a look of confusion.

"An Arcanist is a symbol of wisdom, one who perceives all things in the world, pursues the truth, and is among the most powerful group of people," the Count said.

"The most powerful? More powerful than the gods?"

Borne asked this impulsively, freezing himself. Viscount Gordon, standing to the side, was also shocked.

The Count paused, his gaze seeming to pierce through the walls, a dazzling light appearing deep within his pupils, before he said softly, "They will be."

Realizing he had said something inappropriate, Borne quickly changed the subject. The brief interaction had confirmed that the Count had not discovered his abnormality.

The stone hanging in his chest finally dropped.

At this moment, the drama queen took the stage!

Borne began to play dumb and act cute, seeing if he could squeeze anything else out of this cheap grandfather. The study was filled with the Count's laughter from time to time.

Before long, the old butler, Walker, knocked and entered.

"My Lord, the evening party is prepared, and the guests have all arrived. We may begin."

"Mm." The Count nodded.

The afternoon banquet was to welcome the Count, while the evening party was the celebration for Borne's birthday.

Noble social life consisted of various banquets and dinners, though the names varied greatly. The local nobles in the surrounding area had heard of the Count's arrival and had all come voluntarily to celebrate Borne's birthday. Since the Count was the Vice Dean of Giles Academy, they all wanted to take the opportunity to get familiar with him.

Borne scoffed; he hadn't seen these people around in previous years.

The entire party basically revolved around the Count and Viscount Gordon. Thinking that mages were a group of people difficult to approach, they were surprised to find Count Ioulaum surprisingly easy to talk to, and they all rushed to curry favor.

Borne disliked such occasions, so after showing his face, he snuck back to his room.

He took out the magic necklace, his keen mental power sensing a powerful force within it.

"A defensive spell?"

He wondered if it was a permanent enchantment or a one-time spell.

Borne was not yet a spellcaster and could not discern what kind of magic had been cast on the necklace!

Still, obtaining a magical item was truly an unexpected joy.

"As expected, you can't have your cake and eat it too. I suppose I should just throw away my integrity..."