The Magic Necklace

The Ioulaum House had flourished over the years. Even around its rural castle, two or three thousand people lived in the surrounding area.

A small river to the east of the castle separated the village from the forest.

The locals all called it the Agate River.

West of the river lay a flat plain stretching more than thirty kilometers in every direction. It all belonged to the Ioulaum House. With fertile soil and a pleasant climate, the land produced enough grain each year to feed its people and still sell some to Seventon, helping cover the castle's expenses.

After all, the estate was close to the royal city, so it couldn't be too large. Even so, it was one of the richest estates in the region.

Count Ioulaum had played a part in securing this estate.

Forty years ago, humans were still learning magic from the Elves of Eaerlann. Their architecture and culture both leaned heavily toward the Elven style!

Many of the castle's reliefs and decorations had a distinctly Elven style.

That all changed when seven Netherese people discovered one hundred scrolls in the ruins of Aryvandaar, deep in the Forest of Far Horn!

The scrolls were golden all over and recorded an entirely new magical art.

This was one of the most significant moments in Netheril's history!

In later years, people called the seven humans the "Discoverers." At the time, however, they had no idea how important their find was.

As the Discoverers explored the ruins, they came upon an ancient structure. It seemed to have once been inhabited by a race that could walk along the walls as easily as on the ground. The chairs and furniture they used suggested that these creatures had more than two legs—perhaps many times more!

The Discoverers searched every inch of the crumbling structure, hoping to find something valuable to sell. But when they came across the golden scrolls, they realized their discovery was worth far more than any money they could get for them. So they brought the scrolls back to Netheril for spellcasters to study.

The one hundred golden scrolls were actually divided into two sets of fifty. One set looked much older and more faded, and contained instructions for crafting magic items!

In later years, these golden scrolls came to be known as the Nether Scrolls!

A few years later, Netherese spellcasters discovered that the magical runes and techniques recorded in the scrolls were better suited to humans and gave them access to far greater magical power.

By then, humans were no longer satisfied with the magic the Elves had "given" them. They wanted to master this wondrous power for themselves, and soon abandoned the magic the Elves had taught them!

A few years later, the spellcasters who mastered the new magic acquired an entirely new title!

Arcanists!

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

A peculiar crescent-moon emblem was emblazoned on its side!

The welcoming party outside the castle stood solemnly. Flowers and banners lined both sides of the road, and the knights and guards had donned their gleaming armor early. They stood in formation and raised their halberds at a forty-five-degree angle as the carriage passed.

Viscount Gordon stood at the castle gate with the knight commander. The coachman skillfully drove the carriage through the middle of the welcoming party. It stopped at the gate.

A hand gripped the doorframe, and the person inside stepped out. Borne, who stood behind the others, finally saw his grandfather for the first time.

He was a middle-aged man with slightly graying hair, and his features bore a six-part resemblance to Viscount Gordon's. Dressed in noble finery, he had a well-proportioned, upright build, and a green stone floated above his head.

He was nothing like the disheveled, bearded old Mage with a staff shaped like a tree root that Borne had imagined.

He couldn't help feeling a little disappointed...

Borne hadn't expected the Count to notice even the brief moment when his attention wandered.

"Father, the banquet is ready."

Viscount Gordon stepped forward and said.

"Good."

The Count nodded and led the way into the castle.

They sat down to eat. The Count's arrival made the atmosphere far more solemn than usual.

Borne had been hungry all morning and was already light-headed. Before long, he couldn't hold back and grabbed the food with his hands, stuffing roast meat into his mouth.

Viscount Gordon watched him wolf down the food and covered his face. Borne had completely forgotten his usual table manners.

He stole a glance at the Count, who was eating quietly with an elegant, almost artistic grace. The Count didn't seem to mind Borne's table manners.

Viscount Gordon silently breathed a sigh of relief.

The Count put a lot of pressure on him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left the bustling royal city to live out in the countryside.

When Borne was about seventy percent full, he unconsciously began using his Breathing Technique to digest his food. Then his fork abruptly stopped in his hand, and cold sweat instantly broke out across his palms and back...

Borne's pupils shrank. A look of horror flashed across his face, but he quickly forced his facial muscles into a smile. When he lifted his head, he met Count Ioulaum's eyes!

The usually stern Count managed a rare smile and gave him a nod before returning to his elegant meal.

Viscount Gordon watched with delight, thinking, We're in the clear!

After the banquet, Borne felt dazed. He didn't come back to himself until he returned to his room.

"What happened?"

Borne was in turmoil, his back soaked with sweat. He'd not only let his thoughts wander all over the place, but had forgotten his table manners completely!

Years of caution had fallen away, and he'd let down his guard.

Then he remembered meeting the Count's eyes as he stepped out of the carriage.

"It was then!"

"It must have been some kind of spell, like Mind Fog or Hypnotism. Damn! As expected of a Netherese Arcanist! I shouldn't have let my guard down."

Thankfully, Borne had been cautious enough to reveal only a little of his true nature. He couldn't let anyone discover that he was a transmigrator. These Arcanists were absolutely ruthless. Borne suspected that if he exposed his identity, they'd cut up his soul for study at the very least. They might even follow the link through his soul and pinpoint his past life's Earth!

What he hadn't expected was that his Breathing Technique could break the Count's spell. It seemed the technique and the Monk path really were connected!

In D&D, Monks were masters of unarmed combat. "Ki" not only strengthened their physical attributes, but also had an anti-magic effect. They could go without equipment and still beat most adventurers of the same level to tears!

Physical attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution

They were one of the few classes that could beat a legendary hero before reaching legendary level and make them cry out for mercy. They were that damn overpowered.

Night was about to fall, and the evening clouds blazed like fire on the horizon.

The castle study.

Borne met Count Ioulaum again. Viscount Gordon stood to one side, his expression troubled. The Count still looked angry, so clearly the two hadn't had a very pleasant conversation before Borne arrived.

Borne obediently bowed.

"Grandfather."

At the sight of Borne, the Count's mood improved considerably, and his brow relaxed. He walked over, studied Borne carefully, and even rubbed his head.

Borne hated it when people touched his head. He might look like a child, but in his heart he considered himself an adult—a grown man! The Count was technically his grandfather, but as a high-level Arcanist, he didn't look old at all. Standing beside Viscount Gordon, he seemed like a mature middle-aged man.

The Count seemed to notice his displeasure. Then he burst out laughing and picked Borne up.

Borne stared blankly.

Ever since he'd learned to walk, no one had dared pick him up. Anyone who tried would get a beating.

But after comparing their strength, Borne decided to go along with it...

The man was over a hundred years old. Wasn't it perfectly normal for him to pick up his grandson? Borne could just humor the old man.

"Little Borne, here. This is your birthday present."

The Count produced a necklace.

It held a yellow gemstone. Borne had keen eyesight and could see light swirling inside it.

A magic accessory!

Viscount Gordon looked surprised too. It must have been worth a lot.

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

"Hahaha, you can't have this one yet. You're still too young, Borne. Once you become an Arcanist, I'll give it to you."

"What's an Arcanist?" Borne tilted his head and asked, puzzled.

"An Arcanist represents wisdom. They see through the workings of the world and pursue the truth. They're the most powerful people of all," the Count said.

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

The question slipped out of Borne's mouth before he could stop himself. He was stunned, and Viscount Gordon was just as shocked.

The Count paused. His gaze seemed to pierce the walls, and a brilliant light shone deep in his eyes. Then he replied softly, "They will be."

Borne realized he'd said something inappropriate and hurriedly changed the subject. Their brief conversation had confirmed that the Count hadn't noticed anything unusual about him.

The weight finally lifted from his chest.

Then his inner actor took over!

Borne started acting silly and cute, hoping to wheedle a few more good things out of his cheap grandfather. Laughter rang through the study from time to time.

Before long, the old butler, Walker, knocked and came in.

"My lord, the reception is ready, and the guests have all arrived. We can begin."

"Mm." The Count nodded.

The afternoon banquet had been held to welcome the Count. The evening reception was for Borne's birthday.

Noble society revolved around all kinds of banquets and dinners. The local country nobles had heard the Count was visiting and had all come to celebrate Borne's birthday. The Count was vice president of Giles Academy, and they all wanted to make a good impression on him.

Borne sneered inwardly. Where had they been in previous years?

The whole reception revolved around the Count and Viscount Gordon. Borne had thought Mages were all hard to approach, but Count Ioulaum turned out to be surprisingly easy to talk to. Everyone had gone over to curry favor with him.

Borne hated these kinds of gatherings. After making an appearance, he sneaked back to his room.

He took out the magic necklace. His keen spiritual sense could feel a powerful force within it.

"Is it a defensive spell?"

He didn't know whether it was a permanent enchantment or a one-use spell.

Borne wasn't a spellcaster yet, so he couldn't tell what kind of magic had been placed on the necklace!

Still, getting a magic item was a pleasant surprise.

"Guess you can't have your cake and eat it too. Might as well throw my dignity out the window..."