Lakeside Town

Chapter 24: Lakeside Town

Luo Ning had already accumulated 220 Energy Essences. The reason he hadn't used them to boost Macken's strength was precisely to wait for the Light Attribute Mage to emerge and upgrade him directly.

Raising a mage from Beginner to Intermediate required consuming 150 Energy Essences, fifty more than the corresponding stage for a knight.

As these Energy Essences were invested, Elrond's Attribute Panel changed—

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

In a breath, Elrond had traversed a path that other mages might not have walked in years.

"Milord, I... this is..." He was too shocked to speak.

Luo Ning waved a hand. "This is my Special Ability. Remember to keep it secret for me. Don't reveal any information to anyone except Macken."

Elrond slowly recovered from his shock. "May the Light be with you, Milord. Your gift and your teachings, I will hold them in my heart!"

This guy had already said "May the Light be with you" twice in just a few sentences. He had a bit of a holy-man vibe.

"Alright, Elrond. Do you have any other spells mastered?"

"Yes!" Elrond was certain. "After I became an Intermediate Mage, the Healing Spell appeared in my mind."

Hearing this, Luo Ning broke into a smile.

Having the Healing Spell—that fit his image of what a Light Attribute Mage should be.

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

"Ordinary sword and blade wounds can be healed. For more serious ones, it might take several casts."

Elrond said, "However, if the injury is too severe, reaching the bone or Internal Organs, the Healing Spell's effect is greatly reduced."

Luo Ning nodded slowly. Though it couldn't cure all ills, being able to heal ordinary cuts was already quite good.

To see the Healing Spell's effect firsthand, Luo Ning picked up his sword and made a small cut on his little finger. Bright red blood immediately flowed out. And honestly, it hurt quite a bit.

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

"Come, use the Healing Spell on it!"

Only then did Elrond understand—Luo Ning was testing the Healing Spell's effect.

"Milord, you could have just cut my finger instead!"

Regretting that he hadn't anticipated his Master's intent, he quickly placed his palm above the bleeding finger.

In an instant, a beam of light fell upon the wound.

Luo Ning Only Felt the wound grow warm and itchy, then watched as it healed at a visible speed.

From bleeding to scabbing, to being as good as new—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 effect.

He believed that with Elrond around, if the territory's guards were injured in battle, they wouldn't end up crippled or even dead due to poor medical conditions.

In Luo Ning's eyes, Elrond was like a Field Medic now.

The only regret was that Elrond hadn't mastered any attack-type spells.

Invigorate Spell, Flash Spell, Healing Spell—all were support-oriented. On the battlefield, Luo Ning was a bit worried about his safety.

After further conversation, Luo Ning felt he had a fairly comprehensive understanding of Elrond.

He stepped outside the tent, sent the Manservant away by asking Chahar to fetch him some hot water, then brought Elrond before Macken.

"Macken, this is your new friend, Elrond Fao. Take him to get familiar with the current situation, then arrange tonight's camping."

"Remember, for now, don't reveal to anyone that Elrond is a mage. Just say he's My Friend."

"Understood, Milord!"

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

"May the Light be with you, Warrior!"

Luo Ning chuckled and turned back to his tent to rest.

That night passed peacefully, with no beast attacks.

Early the Next Morning, after breakfast, Luo Ning didn't have the guards train. Instead, they set off at full speed to escort the Green Siblings to Lakeside Town.

Lakeside Town was on the road to Mountain Forest Town, close to Pasture City, so Luo Ning wasn't going out of his way.

Thus, after another day and a half, Luo Ning and his group finally entered Green Territory.

They had set out on the Fourth, and now it was Noon of the Ninth. It had taken them five days to get here—not exactly fast.

"Brother Luo Ning, follow this road for Over Ten Li, and we'll reach Lakeside Castle."

Over the past day, though Marina hadn't brought up the idea of entering the tent again, she still sat with Luo Ning whenever she had the chance.

Fortunately, her sprained ankle hadn't fully healed, or Luo Ning might not have had any personal space at all.

"Lakeside Town has nice scenery," he casually praised.

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

Green water, green hills—it felt quite like returning to his hometown on Earth.

However, as the convoy passed through Lakeside Town, the sanitation issues were still quite prominent.

But this time, Luo Ning was no longer surprised by it, nor would he ask such foolish questions as why they didn't manage the hygiene.

Lakeside Castle was not actually located on a lake; like Wushan Castle, it sat on a hill a few miles away from the town.

The castle's walls, outer wooden spikes, trenches, and other defensive works were not as grand or sturdy as Wushan Castle's, but they had everything needed.

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

"Halt!" the tall knight shouted, his tone heavy with warning.

But when he spotted the Wushan Family crest on the carriage, his tone softened slightly.

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

When nobles visited, servants usually delivered a visiting card in advance.

It was rare to see someone arrive without a card, leading a convoy of soldiers and carriages outside another noble's castle.

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

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

The knight was startled for a moment, then immediately rode over. "What are you doing here?"

Cain, having lost his horse, stumbled from the back to the front, weeping as he spoke:

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

Sir Andrea's expression shifted drastically. How could something like this happen so suddenly?

Considering the safety of the journey, he had already arranged for the Knight Squad to escort Malik and the others back, never expecting they'd nearly be wiped out.

"How are the young master and miss? Are they injured?" Andrea asked urgently.

Malik stepped out from the carriage, his arm still wrapped in bandages, though his condition was much better than before.

"We suffered some minor injuries, but they're light. A couple more days of recovery and we should be fine."

Malik raised his hand toward Luo Ning and introduced him: "This is a bloodline member of the Wushan Family, Baron Luo Ning of Mountain Forest Town. We owe our survival to him this time."

Only then did Andrea pull himself away from his anxious thoughts. He gave Luo Ning a serious look.

In truth, news of what had happened between the Wushan Family and the Hyde Family had already spread to the territories of all the vassals over the past few days. Some secretly mocked Wiggins and Luo Ning.

When Andrea had heard the news, he too had sneered.

But that was a private matter. In public, when he met Luo Ning, he would still show respect and wouldn't easily make an enemy over appearances.

Especially now that Luo Ning had saved the bloodline of the Green Family—his nephew and niece.

Sir Andrea gave Luo Ning a formal Knight's Salute. "Sir Andrea greets you. I apologize for my earlier rudeness; I truly never expected the young master and miss to be assassinated."

He then bowed deeply. "Thank you for your rescue!"

"Greetings to you, Sir Andrea."

Luo Ning replied with a smile. "The Green Family is a vassal of the Wushan Family, and since I carry the blood of the Wushan Family in my veins, it was only right for me to help Malik and the others."

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

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

Malik and Marina, brother and sister, had been anxious. They had only heard that their uncle had been wounded in the chest and was bedridden, but didn't know the specifics. Hearing that his injuries were almost better, their worried hearts eased.

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

"Yes, miss!"

Andrea signaled his men to return to the castle and announce their arrival, then turned his horse aside to clear the path for Luo Ning's convoy.

Luo Ning searched his memory for information about Baron German Green.

This man seemed to have strength at the Bronze Rank, which was fairly high among barons.

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