Chapter 10: The Elite Magic Ring
As everyone turned their gaze in that direction, Komer inwardly groaned in frustration. He hadn’t expected there to be magicians at such a banquet. That Mr. Mondel was likely the most famous high-level magician in the Galle region, as well as a close friend of Duke Zelin. It was said he was on the verge of reaching the rank of Archmage. With his own limited knowledge, if his huge lie were exposed on the spot, he might indeed have to face the sword of Sir Sart.
Two men in gray stood in a corner of the hall, engrossed in their conversation. No one disturbed them, and it was clear they didn’t want to be disturbed either. Although the guests passing by them looked at them with a mixture of awe and envy, the two men didn’t even bother to glance around. The events unfolding in the hall seemed utterly uninteresting to them. It wasn’t until Sir Sart’s words drew everyone’s attention that the two middle-aged men in gray frowned and raised their eyes.
“Mr. Mondel, um, and Mr. Lebray, everyone is very curious about the gift Baron Komer gave Princess Vero. But we don’t know the origin or purpose of Baron Komer’s magic ring. Baron Komer said it’s an antique with a great history. I was wondering if either of you could figure out its origin?”
When mentioning Mr. Lebray, Sir Sart paused. He wasn’t familiar with this friend of Mondel’s. In his eyes, Mr. Lebray was nothing but a swindler who lived off others’ generosity. He had been in Gutenberg for almost half a year without ever showing any magic, only staying in his room fiddling with things—no one knew what he was up to. Yet Mr. Mondel treated him with great respect, which left the other magicians serving Duke Zelin and the members of the Nirvana Knights Order utterly puzzled. If not for Mondel’s high prestige, the knights might have already gone to see what amazing skills this magician, who hadn’t shown anything remarkable in half a year, actually possessed.
A middle-aged man in neat gray robes frowned, his square face showing little smile. Yet the gaze beneath his thick brows made everyone feel his authority and pressure. His hands were tucked in his sleeves, as if he were an ordinary, devout monk. The other man in gray robes beside him, however, was quite different. His robe’s cuffs were torn, and his chest was covered in oily stains, giving him the appearance of a servant who had just run out of the kitchen. With a sharp mouth, hollow cheeks, and half-closed eyes, most people would have thought him a beggar asking for alms, never guessing that he was a magician.
The nobles naturally made way for him. Almost everyone felt an inexplicable sense of awe and fear toward magicians. After all, the ability to control weather, turn stones into gold, and travel vast distances were things ordinary people could never imagine. The idea that one could manipulate all things in the world and even communicate with other realms was, to ordinary people, part of legendary tales. But for these magicians, it was merely routine. This alone was enough to inspire boundless respect in everyone.
From this, Komer could see the ambitions of Duke Zelin. Not everyone could afford to hire a magician. To satisfy a magician’s needs, aside from providing them with ample wealth and status, it was even more difficult to meet their various demands at any time. Magicians were still human, often with peculiar quirks, especially those with special abilities. Things like women, money, honor, status, and faith were easy for a lord to obtain, but magical materials, artifacts, laboratories, and other things related to magic were not something every lord could provide. And these were precisely the factors magicians valued most. Many things couldn’t be bought with money alone, though having a strong economic foundation certainly made it easier. In short, to hire a magician to serve you, you must first have an extremely strong economic base.
The Duke of Zelin before him had followed the kingdom’s example by establishing a group of mages. According to Palermo, there were already twelve mages serving the Duke of Zelin, and he continued to actively recruit mages across the continent. He also had over twenty magic users and a large number of magic apprentices. As far as Komer knew, the Grand Duke Philip in his own Homer region had only half as many mages and magic users as this man. With such a large group of mages, plus a high-level mage on the verge of reaching the rank of Archmage—none other than the Mage Mondel before him—it was no wonder the kingdom’s central authorities felt wary. Just in terms of the number of mages, these two groups already accounted for more than half of the kingdom’s court mage corps. Perhaps that’s why Duke Tez had said those meaningful words before leaving.
The arrival of the two immediately made Komer nervous. Besides fearing his lies would be exposed, he also had to carefully control his magical energy to prevent another incident like the one that happened at the Versailles Tavern last time. Mages from the Church of Light were particularly sensitive to dark magic, and their detection abilities far surpassed those of other mages. Komer didn’t want such an incident to happen again.
The gentle aura surrounding him made Komer realize immediately that Mage Mondel must practice light-based magic, and it was highly likely he was a mage from the Church of Light. After the battle with Malon, Komer realized that his magical skills were still like those of a child just learning to walk in the world of magic. Although he had powerful magic crystal shards as a backing, it still took a long time to master the magic contained within them. Moreover, magical skills weren’t solely dependent on strong magic power; they also relied heavily on a mage’s ability to cast spells, as well as knowledge of magic, spells, and magical artifacts—all of which were essential. Mastering these required countless hours of practice and experience. To reach the level of these two mages, Komer didn’t know how much further he still had to go.
If Mage Mondel could still allow Komer to sense some movements, then the shabby man standing beside him emitted not the slightest trace of magical aura at all, aside from the normal aura of an ordinary person. Yet Komer knew that it was precisely such people who were often the most unpredictable. During the time he had traveled with his master, the master had specifically warned Komer that great magi or archmages often appeared as unremarkable ordinary people, their magical auras controlled by their daily breathing and actions to the point where they could manipulate them at will. Unless it was necessary, one could never detect their presence. As for those who constantly displayed strong magical auras and acted like archmages, they were mostly amateurs, especially those who were merely magic users.
Mage Mondel wore a strange and cautious expression, clearly attracted by the seemingly ordinary ring in Komer’s hand. The imposing presence along the way made the nobles gathered around instinctively step aside to clear a space. The other shabby man, called Mr. Lebray, had his eyes shining brightly, fixed intently on the ring in Komer’s hand. His earlier expression of contempt and impatience had vanished completely, his messy shoulder-length hair seemed to stand on end, and his lips trembled slightly.
“Friend, look at this ring…?” Taking a deep breath, Mondel wore a peculiar expression as he turned his gaze to Komer’s face. It was hard to describe exactly what he felt—regret, confusion, or something else—but his expression was indescribable. As for his friend, the one who usually didn’t care much about others, he stared intently, seemingly deep in thought, and failed to answer his friend’s question for a moment.
Perhaps blinded by jealousy and hatred, the young knight didn’t even notice the shock and surprise in Mage Mondel’s voice. “Mr. Mondel, Baron Komer says this is a unique magical ring with a glorious and legendary history. Please take a look—how can such a crude and simple ring be considered unique? And someone even dares to claim it has a glorious history. I wonder if Baron Komer thinks no one in the Galle region exists, or if he intends to deceive our respected Princess Vero with such a shoddy item?”
“You worthless brat, shut your stupid mouth! Stop bringing shame to your knights by not even recognizing such a rare treasure in the world. It’s fine not to know its value, but to keep spouting nonsense anyway? You’re practically ruining the reputation of the Nirvana Knight Order!” A stream of vulgar curses poured out of the disheveled magician. His face was red with anger as he almost thrust his finger at Sir Sart, shouting furiously, “You’re ruining the image of knights! How could someone like you, a good-for-nothing, be among the nobles of Galle? How did you even get into the knight order?!”
“Friend, could it really be…?” Mondel perked up, his face filled with ecstasy as he stared intently at the disheveled magician.
“Of course! My judgment, Rebrí’s judgment, can never be wrong. This is one of the seven sacred rings carried by the Goddess of Nature—the Essence! Sir Baron, could you let me take a closer look at the ring?” With disdain for Sir Sart, the disheveled magician looked hopeful, making Komer realize that giving this unknown ring as a birthday gift might have been a huge mistake.
“Uh? Well, of course. Mr. Rebrí knows this ring?” By this point, Komer was in agony, but he had no choice but to go through with it. After all, he had no idea what this so-called Essence Ring was. He had planned to fabricate some glorious history for it, but it seemed someone else would do the boasting for him.
Taking the blue ring from Komer’s hand, a surge of magic silently flowed into it. Suddenly, a bright blue light emanated from the center of Rebrí’s palm, making even dozens of crystal chandeliers pale in comparison. The blue glow filled the entire hall, causing everyone’s eyes to shrink from the intense light. Gasps of surprise filled the room. As he retracted the magic, all the light vanished instantly, as if absorbed back into the ring, leaving it once again as an ordinary ring in his palm.
He held the ring in his hands, admiring it affectionately, wishing he could be the birthday celebrant today. The disheveled magician wore an expression of intense desire on his face. “Baron Komer, you’re truly generous! I thought you didn’t know the origin of this ring. So you do know its background yet still spare no expense for it. It seems everyone here has underestimated you. Your realm of the Caucasus must be incredibly wealthy to afford such generosity. Hehe, truly generous—someone is even willing to give away a sacred artifact passed down by the Goddess of Nature. I, Lebrí, have traveled across the Azure Continent yet never heard of or encountered such a thing. Kid, you’re something special! Even if you want to pursue Princess Vero, there’s no need to waste it like this!”
His rude words caused all the nobles present, including Duke Zelin, and the young knights to change expressions in anger. The furious Knight Sart said, “Mr. Lebrí, please speak more politely. Princess Vero is a noble lady—how could she value something of such unclear origin? Although you are Mr. Mondel’s friend, you can’t be this rude!”
“Rude?! Kid, I think you’re short-sighted. Do you know the power and value of this sacred ring? I can tell you without hesitation—it’s priceless. This is one of the seven sacred rings of the Goddess of Nature, a gem of wood magic. Legend has it that the Goddess of Nature carried these seven rings to the realm of chaos alongside the God of Darkness and the God of Light, working together to create the world we have today—the Azure Continent. This is a creation artifact, a treasure that magicians dream of possessing. Those skilled in wood magic can use it to master that magic to the highest level. Even those who don’t know magic can benefit from it, as it’s a natural treasure that absorbs natural energy, especially plant energy, and nourishes the body’s internal organs and muscles. While it may not grant immortality or youthfulness, ensuring eternal youth is certainly not an exaggeration! Don’t you think this is a rare and extraordinary treasure?” As he gently stroked the ring in his hand, the disheveled man examined it thoroughly, his desire evident, barely bothering to pay attention to the noisy young knights around him.
“My Lord Baron, since this ring is so precious and unusual, and Vero and you are merely acquaintances, I dare not accept such a gift. I truly appreciate your kindness, My Lord Baron.” A clear and pleasant voice interrupted the scruffy man’s monologue, causing a stir among the nobles present. It was astonishing that someone would refuse such a rare treasure; there had already been too many strange events at this banquet.
“What? Girl, do you know what you’re saying? You’re refusing this gift?!” The scruffy man’s mouth was so wide open it could almost hold an egg—he simply couldn’t believe his ears.
Komer, who regretted his decision deeply, almost blurted out his intention to take it back, but he quickly restrained himself. If such a ring really fell into his hands, it would likely bring him countless troubles. With his current magical abilities, he wouldn’t be able to utilize this strange artifact, and it might even cause him many problems. Especially after this banquet, news that he possessed one of the Seven Rings of the Nature Goddess would likely spread throughout the kingdom. He didn’t know how many troubles awaited him, so it was better to give away this source of trouble openly, thereby earning a reputation for generosity and avoiding future problems.
“Princess, please accept our gift. It’s just an item Komer stumbled upon in an antique shop in the capital. At the time, he didn’t realize its value. Later, he learned that this ring possesses wood magic and is an ancient artifact. He guessed that such a magical ring, having survived for so long, must have a long history. But Komer never imagined it to be a sacred object of the Nature Goddess. If even Princess Vero can’t bear it, Komer can’t think of any other girl in the continent who could. So, I beg you, Princess, to kindly accept it.” Komer spoke sincerely, his gaze fixed on the girl’s shy face. He took the ring back from the reluctant magician and presented it respectfully before her. Only then did the nobles around him, including Duke Zelin, quietly breathe a sigh of relief.
Seeing Komer’s sincerity, the silver-haired girl, somewhat hesitant, avoided his smiling gaze and searched among the crowd for her father. Only when she saw him nod slightly did she smile gratefully and signal the maid beside her to fetch the ring and put it on her finger. Immediate warm applause rose from the crowd, and Komer was drowned in words of praise. The nobles’ gazes toward Komer and his group also softened considerably—after all, those who insisted on giving the ring as a gift despite knowing its value were worthy of respect. At least his noble demeanor was recognized by many of the Galicians, while the poor Sir Sart had long been forgotten by everyone.