Magical Energy Weapon

"No. Even if you used to be a knight, you can't go with me. You should have heard the legends of the Frostlands. The Spruce Forest lies before the Abif Mountains. Even if I've broken through to Lower Rank Magic, I still can't guarantee our safety."

His expression was utterly serious. He had already made up his mind.

"So if I reach Lower Rank Magic, I can go with you?"

A glint of triumphant satisfaction flashed through Jeanne's eyes.

"Yes, of course."

Aurelian promised with a confident smile.

But he added inwardly, But that's impossible. How could Jeanne possibly possess Lower Rank Magic?

Come on, Jeanne was only sixteen, just like him.

The original owner had inherited King Otto's talent and possessed the Star-Forging Bloodline flowing through his body, yet had still forcibly broken through to Lower Rank Magic at the age of sixteen.

Because of that, he had even lost his life.

Aside from those powerful great noble families and a few freaks, who could reach Lower Rank Magic at sixteen?

Aurelian did not believe Jeanne came from a great noble family.

Otherwise, she would not have come to serve as a maid beside an illegitimate son like him.

Therefore, it was impossible for Jeanne to possess Lower Rank Magic!

A blazing white light illuminated the entire study.

Aurelian's confident smile froze, and four huge words seemed written across his face.

How was this possible?!

Jeanne's lovely, smug face appeared even more sacred beneath the white light.

But in Aurelian's eyes, everything went dark.

Still, he silently mourned for the original owner, who had died trying to break through to Lower Rank Magic.

"Sigh, fine. You can come with me tomorrow."

Aurelian pretended to agree reluctantly, but inwardly he was overjoyed. He had suddenly gained a Lower Rank Magic powerhouse, one whose talent was no worse than his own. This was an absolute windfall.

Still, Aurelian grew increasingly curious about Jeanne's origins.

With such astonishing talent, she was actually willing to be his maid. No matter how he looked at it, it was inconceivable.

No matter where she went, a genius like Jeanne would be sought after.

It was probably related to Otto.

Although Aurelian dearly wanted to know Jeanne's purpose, he knew now was not the time. He would have to wait until Jeanne told him herself; that would be the most appropriate moment.

Early the next morning, the cold wind had yet to die down.

Aurelian had already risen early and eaten the carefully prepared breakfast made by the castle chef.

Afterward, accompanied by Jeanne, he went to the room where he kept his weapons and armor.

When he opened the door, the room was brightly lit by candlelight.

Jeanne thoughtfully did not follow Aurelian inside. She merely stood outside the room, taking on the role of guard.

The first thing Aurelian saw was the silver armor tailored for him, decorated with blue patterns, along with a blue-and-white cloak hanging behind it.

The metal used to forge this armor had been infused with dragon blood, giving it powerful protection against magic. It was Otto's birthday gift to Aurelian.

Although he did not know what exactly was going on, Aurelian discovered that Otto's feelings toward the original owner, his illegitimate son, were extremely complicated.

If he hated him, then why acknowledge the original owner as his illegitimate son in front of all the nobles? Otto could have easily placed him with some minor noble family or even a farmer's household, as other nobles did. No one would have known, and he could have ignored him from then on.

If he liked him, why was he usually so cold and indifferent? He did not treat him as warmly as William and the others, and he had even granted him such a distant territory. The domain of any noble with real power in the kingdom was probably better than his.

Aurelian shook his head. Now was not the time to worry about Otto's attitude. He looked to the other side.

A longsword hung on the wall. Only its blue hilt, engraved with intricate runes, was visible, as the blade remained inside its scabbard.

A knight could not be without a sword. This sword was called "Innocent Starlight," a precious magical energy weapon. As long as Aurelian infused the blade with the magic within his body, he could release magic externally.

But with the common sense of another world, Aurelian preferred to call it a light cannon.

However, releasing magic externally consumed the magic within one's body extremely quickly. Even though Aurelian had now reached Lower Rank Magic, he could only fire it once.

Moreover, its power could not compare to that of Middle Rank Magic and above. That was determined by the intensity of one's magic.

"Before advancing to Saint Rank, magical energy weapons are still extremely important. They are enough to help a Lower Rank Magic knight defeat a Middle Rank or even Upper Rank Magic knight who has no magical energy weapon."

In this world, cultivating magic could not allow someone to completely transcend all things. It merely strengthened the various functions of the body, and it did not even increase one's lifespan by much.

Even a Saint Rank expert could not ultimately withstand overwhelming numbers. Even a dragon would collapse from exhaustion.

He put on the silver-white armor, fastened Innocent Starlight at his waist, and walked out of the room.

Over his clothes, he wore the silver armor patterned in blue. His legs were still clad in white trousers, while silver armor with a metallic sheen completely covered his feet and hands. The blue-and-white cloak behind him swayed as he walked.

Aurelian now gave off a sharper aura.

His features came from his unnamed mother. As was typical of Archmonds, he had black-red hair and wine-red eyes. His features were well-defined yet softened by an Eastern gentleness, making him appear refined and exceptionally handsome.

"Master, if anyone in this world truly deserves to be called a knight, I believe it is definitely you," Jeanne praised him seriously.

"Really? Thank you for the compliment. I think you are also the most beautiful maid in the world, Jeanne."

Hearing Aurelian praise her in return, the young maid remained expressionless. She had merely stated what was in her heart directly.

Still, Aurelian's current attire truly suited a knight.

The sky had fully brightened. At the castle training grounds, Master had already gathered all the knights of Winter City.

All twenty of them wore blue-and-white armor and stood neatly along both sides of the training grounds.

Though their numbers were small, these knights had all reached Body Integration in magic. Even within the Star Empire, they could be considered elite.

Winter City was remote and dangerous, so the knights brought here were naturally not weak.

Armored Aurelian and Jeanne arrived at the training grounds. Jeanne now carried an ornate silver cross-shaped longsword in her hand. Even though she still wore that maid outfit, she possessed a hint of heroic spirit.

Jeanne had brought it from her own room. It was also a magical energy weapon. Even with Innocent Starlight in hand, Aurelian could not help feeling envious.