Morning Tea Time

When the old mage returned to his room, he still couldn't suppress the fear in his heart. With trembling hands, he made the correct hand gestures and silently chanted incantations to activate the defensive spells in the room. Only after completely placing himself under the protection of powerful magic did he feel a little calmer. However, even so, the old mage still couldn't completely get rid of the anxiety in his heart. He opened the window and looked at the lights in the castle, his eyes revealing deep fear and worry.

As a powerful mage, he had protected his country for over 120 years, thus gaining access to intelligence even the king was unaware of. He frowned again, recalling everything that had happened in the arena, but he couldn't make any useful judgments. As a seasoned mage, he naturally understood that Noah had indeed gone all out at that time. Even he himself would have needed time to dispel the magical defenses surrounding Noah, but against that young mage, Noah's proud defenses were like a leaf in a storm, utterly useless. This terrifying and ferocious magical power surpassed all the methods the old mage knew, even the evil, desecrated demonic arts could not reach such a level. At that time, in the old mage's eyes, Li Lin seemed to be one with magic; he was magic, and magic was him. No spellcaster could gain even the slightest advantage against him.

Arcane Mage...

This title, even more terrifying than the demons of the Abyss, sent a shiver down the old mage's spine. In the entire multiverse, there are many things whose names and titles cannot be mentioned casually, even a hint of them can bring disaster and calamity. Arcane Mage are one of them; they have become the nightmare of almost every spellcaster. After the fall of the Magic Empire, the strength of the remaining mages has reached its lowest point. Even though they desperately try to dig deep, attempting to preserve and reuse the power left behind by the ancient Arcane Mage, the results are still minimal.

Although mages are now considered powerful and possess considerable magical destructive force, compared to before, it's like a firefly trying to compete with the moon—they're simply not on the same level. Moreover, to ensure his victory, Li Lin used magical rune tattoos. Nothing could better signify his identity. Of course, illusions can produce a similar effect, but they could never contain the terrifying power of manipulating magical energy.

Arcane Mage are most famous for their Magic Tattoo, not for their niche entertainment, nor for their half-finished spells used by ordinary mages. Their Arcane Mage contain the condensation of all magical power in the world; they materialize this mystical energy into powerful runes and engrave them deeply into their souls. No one but Arcane Mage can achieve such a feat.

If that man really is Arcane Mage, then what is he doing in Kudel?

The old mage dared not think about this question. In all the years since the founding of the Kingdom of Kudel, no one was unaware of the glorious history of that ancestor. He and four other heroes destroyed the evil Magic Empire. Regardless of the subjective good or evil of this story, the fact that one of the protagonists of the story was here was itself a sign of great unease.

Does he intend to destroy the country? To destroy the entire royal family?

The old mage's face was grave, but he couldn't think of any solution. Li Lin's performance in the arena had completely shattered his confidence. The old mage simply didn't have the confidence to deal with this powerful and terrifying threat. Besides, even if he spoke up, what difference would it make? A thousand years ago, during the destruction of the Magic Empire, nearly nine figures of soldiers were lost just to kill Arcane Mage. Countless families lost husbands, fathers, and sons. And this was only the loss from attacking Arcane Mage, not from fighting the entire Magic Empire. It was precisely because of this that even now, a thousand years later, the population of the Five-Nation Alliance hadn't fully recovered; compared to their vast lands, it was ridiculously small. Furthermore, in the past, the Arcane Mage had no way out to protect his empire, so he could strike at the enemy no matter what. But now it was different. With this Arcane Mage's strength, if he wanted to run, probably no one could stop him—no, perhaps even mobilizing the entire nation's army wouldn't be able to harm him in the slightest.

Of course, the old mage could use magic to send this message to the Mages' Association, but he immediately dismissed the idea. Even though he was a mage who had studied magic for a hundred years, he was nothing more than a pawn in front of these Arcane Mages had been famous throughout the continent a thousand years ago. Acting rashly would only backfire, and casting spells presumptuously might only cause the opposite of what he intended.

The old monk stood up, then sat down again. Finally, he sighed, shook his head, and closed his eyes.

When Li Lin woke up, it was already dawn.

Angela, completely naked, curled up in his arms, her small hands tightly wrapped around his neck. It had to be said, this gesture seemed rather odd coming from the teenage Angela. In her original form, her petite body could easily fit comfortably in Li Lin's embrace. But even curled up, Angela's slender, elongated body couldn't achieve the same effect. However, she didn't seem to care, and happily drifted off to sleep.

"Waaah..."

Li Lin shook his head, finally managing to shake off the hangover-like pain. Last night, Angela in her girl form had given him so many surprises; they had tried almost every position. Then she fell into a deep sleep. This was very rare for him, and it seemed Li Lin himself had a special fondness for Angela in this form. After all, this form was more normal, and watching the strong, charming, and seductive Angela moan beneath him was indeed extremely satisfying for a man's desire to conquer.

"That's gone too far."

Li Lin shook his head again, then softly chanted a spell to clear his mind before getting out of bed and getting dressed. Angela, however, was still fast asleep, clearly looking somewhat tired. While Vampire Species theoretically don't experience physical fatigue, their minds are equally susceptible to influence. Not to mention Angela, whose sensitivity is always a level above others, she needed time to process such mental stimulation.

Li Lin looked at Angela's relaxed and playful sleeping face, reached out and pinched her nose, then turned and left the room.

Good morning, Li Lin.

"Oh, sir."

Good morning, Master.

When Li Lin entered the outer guest room, the people who were already waiting there greeted him. Fina was brewing black tea, while Mina stood at the door like a loyal guard. Nia was still engrossed in her book, while Kalin lazily occupied half of the sofa, leaning against Nia.

"Morning."

Li Lin and the others nodded, then casually sat down on the sofa nearby.

"Aren't you asleep yet, Kalin?"

Looking at the elf who was practically the epitome of laziness, Li Lin asked curiously. After all, besides taking care of the two sisters who had lost too much blood, this elf shouldn't have had anything to do. How could it be so sleepy?

"Because some people were really too loud last night."

Kalin twitched her long, thin ears.

"You're keeping me awake... Your Excellency, next time you should consider our feelings, shouldn't you?"

Generally speaking, such a thing would be impossible. After all, for various reasons, the rooms in the palace are designed with privacy and soundproofing in mind, especially places like guest rooms and bedrooms. But Kalin is an elf, and her hearing is naturally far superior to that of humans.

"If that's what you think, you can ask Nia to cast a silencing barrier for you next time."

Faced with Kalin's teasing, Li Lin raised an eyebrow and easily retaliated. Kalin, in response to Li Lin's words, shrugged helplessly, then ungracefully let her hand hang down to the ground. She leaned on Nia's shoulder without any regard for her image, displaying a complaining expression.

"How heartless, Your Excellency. We, the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys, have been your weapons through countless battles for hundreds of years, yet we are now inferior to a little girl lying in your arms. How disappointing! Is this what it means? Is physical connection the only true bond? Nia, why don't we give it a try? After all, Your Excellency created us in the form of women; who knows, he might have originally intended to eat us after we were made. How about it? It would be a good form of relaxation during battle, wouldn't it? In any case, given our fate, we're unlikely to meet any good men, so let him have his way."

"That's not how you say it, Kalin."

Nia continued flipping through the book in her hands, but perhaps because of the sunlight, her face was slightly flushed.

"How many times have I told you not to speak so tactlessly? It's a matter of manners."

"What politeness? I'm just stating the facts."

Faced with Nia's accusations, Karin frowned in displeasure.

"Am I wrong? Even if we're weapons, we're still women. Listening to others moaning all day long, what, Nia? Don't tell me you've never had any feelings for him. You're the one who's spent the most time with him among us, and he never hid from you during those times. You must have seen it many times, so what did you think? How did you feel?"

"... Since you put it that way, then first recognize the true nature of your weapon."

Nia slammed the book shut, seemingly unwilling to continue the conversation. Just then, Fina brought Li Lin a cup of fragrant tea. Li Lin took the teacup and curiously observed Fina. In his memory, the two sisters had been almost completely drained yesterday because of Angela. Even though they were Vampire Species, undead creatures without the ability to regenerate blood shouldn't have recovered so quickly. But Fina looked radiant and showed no signs of discomfort.

You all seem to be much better.

He took a sip of the hot tea in his cup and then said casually.

What happened?

"Huh? This..."

Faced with Li Lin's question, Fina couldn't help but show a slightly embarrassed expression, while Mina had been standing at the door with a serious expression, also blushed slightly. Before they could answer, Kalin, bored, spoke up first.

"Oh, that? Yesterday, those two looked really hungry, and then they grabbed a little maid and ate her. Vampire Species are really strange undead creatures. That lady just glared at her, and the little maid, who was a bit uneasy, was as if she had been bewitched and let them do whatever they wanted. It's actually quite interesting. I wish I had that ability."

"Is everything alright?"

Li Lin frowned slightly. After all, this kind of thing should have been guided by him or Angela. Although the process of them drinking blood didn't require instruction, the cleanup afterwards was not something they could do. Mina and Fina had only been Vampire Species for a short time and hadn't yet learned Angela's powerful subconscious hypnosis ability. If they slipped up in this situation, it would be very bad.

"Don't worry, Nia used a memory-altering spell on that little guy, there won't be any problems."

That's good.

Hearing that Nia had taken action, Li Lin felt much more at ease. He took another sip of tea and was about to think about his next plan when a knock on the door suddenly sounded.