Lakeside Town

Luo Ning had already accumulated 220 points of Energy Essence. The reason he had not used them to raise Macken's strength was that he wanted to wait until a Light Attribute Mage appeared so he could upgrade him directly.

Advancing a mage from Beginner to Intermediate Rank required 150 points of Energy Essence, 50 more than a knight's advancement at the corresponding stage.

As the Energy Essence was invested, Elrond's Attribute Panel changed—

Elrond Fao: Intermediate Light Mage (0/300)+

In the span of a few breaths, Elrond had traversed a path that other mages might not walk in years.

"My lord, I..." He was too shocked for words.

Luo Ning waved a hand. "This is my Special Ability. Remember to keep it secret for me. Aside from Macken, do not reveal any information to anyone else."

Elrond slowly recovered from his shock. "May the light be with you, my lord. I will remember your gift and teachings!"

This guy had only spoken a few sentences before saying "May the light be with you" twice already. He had quite the air of a charlatan.

"Alright, Elrond. Have you mastered any other magic?"

"Yes!" Elrond answered with certainty. "After becoming an Intermediate Mage, I found the Healing Spell in my mind."

Luo Ning beamed at those words.

Now this matched the image of a Light Attribute Mage in his mind.

"How effective is the Healing Spell?" he asked.

"Ordinary wounds from blades can be healed. More serious injuries may require several castings."

Elrond said, "However, if the injury is too severe and reaches the bones or internal organs, the Healing Spell's effectiveness will be greatly reduced."

Luo Ning nodded slowly. It could not cure every ailment, but being able to heal ordinary blade wounds was already very good.

To see the Healing Spell's effect for himself, Luo Ning picked up a sword and lightly cut his little finger. Bright red blood immediately flowed out. It really hurt.

"My lord, what are you doing?" Elrond asked in alarm.

"Come on, try healing it with the Healing Spell!"

Only then did Elrond understand that Luo Ning was testing the spell's effects.

"My lord, you could have cut my finger instead!"

Regretting that he had not understood his master's intentions sooner, he hurriedly held his palm over the bleeding finger.

Soon, a ray of light fell upon the wound.

Luo Ning felt the wound grow warm and itchy, then watched it heal at a visible speed.

From bleeding to scabbing, then returning completely to normal, it took no more than five seconds!

"Not bad!"

Having seen it with his own eyes, Luo Ning was even more satisfied with the Healing Spell's effects.

He believed that with Elrond around, if the territory guards were injured in battle, they would not be crippled or even die due to poor medical conditions.

In Luo Ning's eyes, Elrond was like a field medic.

The only regret was that Elrond had not mastered any offensive magic.

The Invigorate Spell, Flash Spell, and Healing Spell were all support-oriented. Luo Ning was somewhat worried about Elrond's safety on the battlefield.

After another round of conversation, Luo Ning had gained a fairly comprehensive understanding of Elrond.

He stepped outside the tent and sent the male servant away by asking Chahar to fetch some hot water. Then he brought Elrond before Macken.

"Macken, this is your new friend, Elrond Fao. Take him and familiarize him with the current situation, then arrange tonight's camp."

"Remember, do not reveal to the outside world that Elrond is a mage for now. Just say he is my friend."

"Yes, my lord!"

As Macken accepted the order, he looked Elrond up and down, then gave a Knight's Salute. "Macken Saliton. Pleased to meet you!"

"May the light be with you, warrior!"

Luo Ning gave a dry laugh, then turned and returned to his tent to rest.

There were no beast attacks that night, and it passed safely.

Early the next morning, after breakfast, Luo Ning did not have the guards train. Instead, they set off at full speed, escorting the Green Siblings to Lakeside Town.

Lakeside Town was on the road to Mountain Forest Town and close to Pasture City, so Luo Ning was not really taking a detour.

And so, another day and a half passed before Luo Ning and the others finally entered Green Territory.

They had set out on the fourth, and it was now noon on the ninth. It had taken five days to get here, so their speed could not be called fast.

"Brother Luo Ning, follow this road for another ten or so li, and we'll reach Lakeside Castle."

Over the past day or so, although Marina had not again suggested entering his tent, she still sat with Luo Ning whenever she had the chance.

Fortunately, her sprained foot had not fully healed. Otherwise, Luo Ning might not have had any personal space at all.

"The scenery in Lakeside Town is quite nice." He praised it casually.

Since entering Green Territory, there had been more streams and ponds on both sides of the road. Luo Ning had even seen people fishing in the water.

Green waters and lush mountains—it rather felt like returning to his hometown on Earth.

But as the caravan passed through Lakeside Town, the sanitation problems still stood out.

This time, however, Luo Ning was no longer surprised, nor would he ask foolish questions about why they did not improve sanitation.

Lakeside Castle was not located on the lake. Like Wushan Castle, it stood on a hill several li away from the urban area.

Although the castle walls, wooden stakes outside the walls, trenches, and other defensive works were not as grand or sturdy as those of Wushan Castle, everything was in place.

Before the group entered the castle's perimeter, a squad of cavalry galloped over and blocked their path.

"Stop!" the tall knight shouted, his warning clear.

But when he saw the Wushan Family crest on the carriage, his tone softened somewhat.

"May I ask which lord of the Wushan Family has come to Lakeside Town?"

When nobles visited, servants would generally deliver a Visiting Card beforehand.

It was rare for someone to appear outside another noble's castle without a Visiting Card while bringing soldiers and a caravan.

"Uncle, it's us!" Marina poked her head out of the carriage.

"Miss Marina? Young Master Malik is here too!"

The knight froze for a moment, then immediately rode over. "Why are you here?"

Cain, who had lost his horse, stumbled forward from behind. He said through tears:

"Lord Andrea, our Knight Squad was ambushed, and Captain Noel was unfortunately killed! If not for Lord Luo Ning's rescue, the young master and young miss likely would not have survived!"

Sir Andrea's expression changed drastically. How could something like this have happened so suddenly?

To ensure their safety on the road, he had already arranged for a Knight Squad to bring Malik and Marina back, yet he had not expected them to nearly be wiped out.

"How are the young master and young miss? Were they injured?" Andrea hurriedly asked.

Malik stepped out of the carriage. His arm was still wrapped in bandages, though his injury was much better than before.

"We suffered some minor injuries, but they are not serious. We should be fine after another two days of recovery."

Malik raised a hand toward Luo Ning and introduced him. "This is Baron Luo Ning of Mountain Forest Town, a blood relative of the Wushan Family. This time, we were fortunate to survive thanks to him."

Only then did Andrea emerge from his worry and carefully examined Luo Ning.

In truth, the events involving the Wushan Family and the Hyde Family had already reached the territories of every vassal over the past few days. Some people had secretly mocked Wiggins and Luo Ning.

When Andrea heard the news, he had mocked them as well.

But that had been in private. Publicly, he would still show Luo Ning respect and would not easily make trouble over appearances.

What's more, Luo Ning had now saved the Green Family's bloodline—his nephew and niece.

Sir Andrea gave Luo Ning a formal Knight's Salute. "Andrea greets you. Please forgive my earlier loss of composure. I truly did not expect the young master and young miss to be assassinated."

As he spoke, he bowed deeply again. "Thank you for your rescue!"

"Greetings, Sir Andrea."

Luo Ning returned the smile. "The Green Family is a vassal of the Wushan Family, and Wushan blood flows through my veins. It was only right that I help Malik and Marina."

He paused, then asked, "I heard from Cain that Baron German was injured in this battle. How is he doing now?"

Andrea replied, "Thank you for your concern. Lord German's injuries have nearly healed."

Both Malik and Marina were anxious. They had only heard that he had been injured in the chest and confined to bed, without knowing how serious it was. Hearing their uncle say that he was nearly recovered, their worried hearts finally eased.

Marina said, "Lord Luo Ning, Uncle, let's return to the castle first."

"Yes, miss!"

Andrea signaled for his subordinates to return to the castle and report ahead, then turned his horse aside to clear the way for Luo Ning's group.

Luo Ning searched his memories for information on Baron German Green.

This man seemed to possess Bronze Rank strength, which was considered fairly formidable among barons.

I saved his son and daughter. What should he offer in return?