Volume 3: Demon Hunter

Chapter 27: Aftermath

The magical fluctuations caused by Donald casting spells in the slums, along with the noise from his summoned creatures’ attacks, could be heard throughout most of the civilian areas.

The first to react were the mages from the Mage Guild. Mages at the Bronze rank had a mental detection range of at least a hundred steps, and with dedicated detection spells, they could easily cover most of Stone City.

Moreover, no one else could compare to those mages in terms of their profound mental abilities and sensitivity to magical fluctuations.

A battle had broken out in Stone City, and one of the combatants was a mage. Several high-ranking mages led by Messehl immediately used flight spells to rush to the scene.

By the time the master and the Bronze mages arrived, the battle was already over.

“Mage Donald, were you attacked? Who dares to do such a thing?” one of the Bronze mages said angrily.

Donald spread his hands and said, “I’m fine, masters. The assassin has been dealt with. I originally left two alive, but sadly, I couldn’t get anything out of them!”

Before those words even faded, the other severely injured assassin also fell silent.

Messehl comforted him, “It’s okay if you couldn’t get anything out of them. These were probably death knights. Usually, we can only investigate through other clues!”

Messehl was very worried about the safety of his apprentice. But as the top mage in the North County, he quickly regained his composure. He said to the mages behind him, “I’ll take little Donald back to the guild for a check-up. You stay here to protect the scene and see if you can find any clues. If anyone foolish enough to cause trouble here shows up, deal with them as you see fit—there’s no need to spare anyone!”

The Bronze mages immediately assured Messehl that they knew what to do.

Those who knew Messehl well understood that he was truly furious this time. His first two apprentices had died in the power struggles of the kingdom, so he despised such conflicts between factions the most.

Donald was his proudest and most beloved apprentice, with a talent that came once in a century. If he were to die prematurely in this small Stone City before he could realize his ambitions, Messehl would definitely expose the mastermind behind it and punish them alongside his apprentice.

Messehl, carrying Donald, did not use flight spells again. Even for a peak Bronze mage like him, casting two fifth-level spells in a row was exhausting. It was better not to waste too much magic unless necessary.

By the time the city guards arrived at the scene, they found only a few bronze mages guarding it—the perpetrator had long since left. The usually aloof mages examined the area carefully, paying attention to every detail and preventing anyone from approaching. This put the city guard captain, who had been ordered by the city lord, in a difficult position. The enraged mages wouldn’t care about the city lord’s orders, let alone those of a mere city guard captain. In fact, the captain even suspected that the city lord might be involved in the matter—otherwise, how would he have been informed so quickly and ordered to arrive at the scene while also handling the assassin’s traces discreetly? However, knowing full well that this was a complex situation beyond his control as a low-ranking city guard captain, he wisely remained silent. That day, the mage guild issued a notice to all nobles and factions in North County, seeking those responsible for the assassination of its official mages. Such an open assassination of mages in broad daylight hadn’t occurred in decades. This time, the mages, who usually stayed in laboratories or meditating and rarely appeared in public, were taking matters seriously, drawing in many hidden factions. After thorough searches, although the main culprits were not found, two foreign intelligence organizations from Giant Stone City were eradicated, directly or indirectly disrupting many factions’ plans in North County. As a result, underground factions in the Giant Stone City area halted their activities and hid to avoid the mages’ wrath. Still in that underground secret facility, the young leader in black looked at his kneeling subordinates and asked, “So, you defeated them head-on after the ambush?” “Yes, leader. Their strength far surpassed that of black iron mages, and they summoned bronze-tier magical beasts that killed Black Crow and his two companions at first sight. If it weren’t for my quick reaction, even if we had fled underground, we would likely have been caught by another flying monster!” “Hmm! Good. You may go.” After that subordinate left, a tall figure in black behind him spoke up, “Leader, they failed. Should we send more men?” “What? To avenge them? Those sent this time are the most loyal of the old men from the secret team. Whether the assassination succeeds or not, these people cannot be kept. It’s better they’re dead now—no need for us to deal with them separately!”

“I’m actually quite interested in that young mage. He was able to overturn the perfect assassination plan devised by the Dark Guild. I heard he’s only just been promoted to Black Iron Mage. Even for a rare summoner, his strength is astonishing!”
“What about explaining this to Lord Viscount?”
The young leader replied nonchalantly, “Explain what? Since he assigned such a task to us, it means he no longer regards us as his confidants. Send a message saying that the situation is too tense right now, and it’s impossible to communicate with the manor for a while. The old man probably wants us to hide to avoid being caught by the mages and forced to reveal secrets!”
“Anyway, our real elite are hiding in the south outside Giant Stone City. This place is just an empty shell. Even if the old man tries to betray us, we can abandon this stronghold and escape in time!”
While the entire North County was in turmoil due to a mage’s assassination, Donald, as the party involved, had been ordered by his teacher Messele to stay at the academy for three days.
During these three days, aside from practicing spells and reading in the library, Messele would arrange lessons for him in his spare time. As a result, Donald made great progress in alchemy and could now prepare several simple potions following recipes.
Of course, this was also thanks to the practical experience from his chemistry classes in his past life; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easy for him. After all, he had been studying alchemy for less than a month, and this field demands a solid foundation above all.
However, after three days of leisure at the academy, Donald began to feel restless. Although he had sent Clinton to the manor with a message, hearing about his assassination must have worried the butler greatly!
So, after Clinton returned with George Bush, Donald asked his teacher for permission to leave and return to the manor.
After all, the manor was new, and there were many matters that required his decision-making.
With three fully armed guards who were not part of the kingdom’s elite—each possessing at least mid-Black Iron strength—and considering Donald’s own strength, even enemies with average Bronze strength might not be able to harm him, Messele was fairly confident about his apprentice’s safety.
Moreover, the academy’s drastic actions were meant to intimidate any hostile forces. Given the influence of the mages in the entire North County, it was unlikely any faction would be foolish enough to target Donald again.

So the old mage nodded and allowed him to go. Donald, who had been confined there for several days, left immediately to head to the civilian district to continue his unfinished tasks.
…
The Williams family was considered wealthy in that part of the civilian district. When people mentioned William, the mage servant, the locals would show envy. Being able to work at the mysterious mage guild and interact with those powerful mages was a position highly envied and sought after even among the rich.
Moreover, the mages were not stingy; their monthly salary was enough for William to support his family. Coupled with occasional tips, he could afford to send his two sons to study under a swordsman master.
Although neither he nor his first two sons had the talent to become mages, which frustrated William’s childhood dream, he was content with his current life. Since meeting that genius mage, he had placed his hopes on his youngest son, hoping he could become a true mage, even if only as a formal apprentice.
Yet all these hopes shattered a few days ago when he was fired for no reason.
Since waking up in the morning, William had been in a low mood and silent. His wife tried to comfort him briefly but saw no improvement, so she went out to work.
She also had a part-time job at a merchant’s house in the wealthy district, helping the family’s women take care of their clothes, adjusting sizes, and doing some sewing to support the household. Although their skills were not as good as those of professional tailors, it was a compromise for small merchant families that couldn’t afford real tailors.
After his wife left, his youngest son, under five years old, played alone in the yard while William sat gloomily in front of the door, deep in thought. He was torn.
“Should I go or not? Maybe that lord has already forgotten about me!”
He had shared some information about the guild with that noble mage, earning a verbal promise that he could seek help from that lord, who now held a status higher than ordinary nobles, if he encountered any difficulties.
But such a casual promise from a high-ranking figure might be forgotten soon, let alone remember a mere servant like him. William feared that seeking help might even prevent him from seeing that lord again. Yet if he continued like this, his family would struggle to make ends meet. Thus, he was caught in a dilemma.
As William struggled with whether to go or not, a voice came from outside the door.
“Excuse me, is Mr. William at home?”

William raised his head and looked outside, only to see four people in splendid attire standing at the door. The one who spoke politely at the front was a tall man resembling a noble guard, while the noble youth behind him, surrounded by two servants, was none other than the talented mage nobleman he had been thinking about these days! William could hardly believe that a noble lord, and a great mage at that, would come to visit his humble home. However, his years of experience as a servant allowed him to react quickly. He rushed forward to open the wooden door and bowed, saying, “It is an honor for William to see you again, Lord Mage!” Donald smiled and said, “Well, William, aren’t you going to invite me in?” Surprised and slightly ashamed, William replied, “This place is too simple. How could I let you, Lord Mage, dirty your clothes?” Donald chuckled, saying he didn’t mind, and stepped through the door into William’s courtyard first, with his servant Clinton following closely behind. Although the courtyard was small, it was very tidy, with little clutter—evidence that William’s family was hardworking and liked cleanliness. This pleased Donald, who had come with a purpose. Seeing that this important person didn’t disdain his humble home, William politely invited him in to sit and talk.