"A Red Spider birthmark?"
Linley's eyes flashed with killing intent.
Over the past six months, Linley had slaughtered more than ten thousand Rank 8 Magical Beasts in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
The killing intent radiating from him frightened Hogg, who staggered back two steps.
"Linley, you...?"
Hogg's voice brought Linley back to his senses. Linley quickly shook his head. "Father, I'm fine."
Then Linley helped Hogg sit down. "Father, you've worked hard all these years."
"It wasn't hard." Hogg smiled and shook his head. "My greatest hope used to be to raise you and Wharton to adulthood. After that, I could go avenge myself in peace. But I never imagined I'd one day become a Dragonblood Warrior too."
As he spoke, Hogg grew visibly excited and grabbed Linley's arm. "Promise me you won't go looking for revenge until you reach Saint-level strength. All right?"
Hogg's words left Linley stunned.
This was so different from the Hogg he'd known before.
"If you can't bring back the Warblade Slaughter, I'll never forgive you!"
His father's words from the last time he'd left home seemed to still ring in his ears.
Now Hogg had suddenly become so kind and gentle that Linley found himself at a loss.
"Don't worry, Father!" Linley nodded. "I won't throw my life away. And with our current strength, we shouldn't be in much danger."
"That's true." Hogg nodded, seeming to let out a long breath. "I've kept your mother's death from you and Wharton all these years. Now that I've finally told you, I feel a little better."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hogg looked rather dejected again.
Linley was just about to comfort his father when a servant knocked on the door. "Sir, Young Master Yale asked me to bring you your formalwear."
"Come in!"
Linley rose and went to the door. Seven or eight servants waited outside, each holding a set of formalwear.
The servants entered one by one and laid out the clothes for Linley and Hogg to see.
"I'll take this one." Hogg stepped forward and looked them over. "Linley, you can wear this set."
Linley nodded without objection. "Whatever you say, Father."
"Uncle Hogg, Linley!" Just as they finished picking out their formalwear, Yale arrived. "My father's invited you to dinner. Come on, come on! We got some Rank 7 Magical Beast meat delivered today."
Yale was clearly excited, while Linley and Hogg remained calm.
Linley was calm because he'd already eaten Rank 8 Magical Beast meat and even Saint-level dragon meat in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Rank 7 Magical Beast meat wasn't anything special to him.
As for Hogg, he was simply using tremendous self-control to suppress his astonishment.
The Baruch Clan had been in decline for over a thousand years. Hogg was currently nothing more than a minor country baron.
Rank 7 Magical Beast meat came from beasts stronger than Hogg had been just one day earlier.
He'd naturally never eaten any before.
Time passed slowly, and before long, night had fallen.
A luxurious carriage stopped outside the Royal Palace of the Fenlai Kingdom.
Linley, Yale, Hogg, and Munro stepped down from the carriage, dressed in formalwear.
"Mr. Munro, Mr. Hogg, welcome." Patterson was waiting by the palace gates. "Young Linley, young Yale, good to see you!"
"Duke Patterson!"
The four returned his greeting, then headed into the Royal Palace together.
The palace was bustling with people coming and going. They were the most powerful figures in all of Fenlai City.
Along with Duke Patterson, the kingdom's three great marquesses and numerous earls were present.
Even viscounts and barons weren't qualified to enter.
"Linley, Yale, good to see you!"
Prince Kale greeted them with a glass of wine in hand.
Of King Clayde's children, this prince had the best chance of inheriting the throne.
He was quite strong himself. Though he'd only just turned twenty, he was already a Rank 6 Warrior.
He probably wouldn't become a Rank 9 Warrior like the Golden Lion Clayde in his lifetime, but he had a good chance of becoming a Rank 8 Warrior.
"His Majesty has arrived!"
The servant's loud announcement silenced the noisy banquet hall in an instant.
The next moment, a middle-aged man with long golden hair walked in.
Beside him was another middle-aged man dressed in red robes.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. Greetings, Cardinal Gilmer."
The many nobles in the hall bowed in greeting.
"That's Clayde, the Golden Lion. The man beside him is Gilmer, one of the Radiant Church's red-robed cardinals," Yale quietly explained to Linley. "Every red-robed cardinal of the Radiant Church is a Ninth-rank Mage."
Yale's words made Linley take another look at the two men.
However, Linley was already stronger than either of them, so he didn't think there was anything special about them.
"Please, there's no need for formalities." Clayde smiled. "I've called this banquet to announce some good news. Baron Hogg."
Clayde spoke, and Hogg, who had been standing with Munro, stepped forward in confusion. "Your Majesty."
"Baron Hogg has made great contributions to the kingdom as one of its nobles." Clayde came over to Hogg as he spoke. "I hereby announce that Baron Hogg is promoted to Earl of the kingdom. I also grant him my estate on Greenleaf Road."
Hogg hadn't expected his title to rise so suddenly, but he still thanked the king. "Thank you for your generous reward, Your Majesty."
"Please, there's no need for formalities." Clayde took Hogg by the arm. "Everyone, please enjoy yourselves. Earl Hogg, allow me to introduce Mr. Gilmer, a red-robed cardinal of the Holy See."
"Greetings, Cardinal Gilmer."
Hogg bowed slightly. Gilmer smiled. "You have a fine son. Would you introduce me to him?"
At Gilmer's words, Hogg waved to Linley, who was standing nearby.
When Linley came over, Hogg introduced them. "Linley, this is Cardinal Gilmer. This is my son, Linley Baruch."
Linley bowed slightly in greeting. "Greetings, Your Eminence."
Gilmer said nothing, studying Linley from head to toe.
After a while, Gilmer finally spoke. "What rank of mage are you?"
"Fourth-rank Mage." Linley remained calm. "I broke through about five months ago. I shouldn't be far from becoming a Fifth-rank Mage."
Linley's words astonished the people around them.
They'd thought Linley was merely a genius.
But an eight-year-old Fourth-rank Mage?
Could the word "genius" alone really describe him?
"Not bad."
Gilmer, however, remained calm. Linley's spiritual force was already very high. Training simply meant refining mana, which would raise his strength, so reaching the fourth rank wasn't surprising.
"What element does your teacher specialize in? Perhaps we know each other?"
What Gilmer was even more curious about was the identity of Linley's teacher.
"My teacher is an Earth Element mage," Linley replied. "But he doesn't allow me to reveal his name in public. I hope you'll understand."
"I understand." Gilmer nodded slightly. "I heard your teacher is already preparing to break through to Saint-level?"
"That's right." Linley gave the answer he'd prepared long ago. "After taking me as his student half a year ago, my teacher began preparing for the breakthrough. He said it would take him at most ten years to succeed."
Linley's words made Gilmer's expression change slightly.
It wasn't strange for a Ninth-rank Mage to say he was going into seclusion to break through to Saint-level.
But when a Ninth-rank Mage named a precise timeframe for his breakthrough, it could only mean one thing.
That mage was probably just one step away from Saint-level and could break through at any moment.
The Radiant Church didn't care much about Ninth-rank Mages.
But it couldn't afford to ignore a Saint-level Mage entirely.
As for Linley lying?
Even though Linley was already a Fourth-rank Mage, he was still only an eight-year-old child.
Gilmer didn't think Linley would lie.
"Linley, you're very impressive." Gilmer's smile grew sincere. "You're a student at the Ernst Magic Institute and already on good terms with the Church. You're welcome to visit the Church sometime—or bring your teacher along."
Before you continue