Mage Legend

"Is Lynch your friend, Priest?" the elf asked.

"Friend, not quite." Kuboert replied honestly, "But we know each other."

"If that's the case, please come with me." Three elves stood up and adjusted the weapons in their hands, "You helped us dispel those Undead Monsters, we can't just stand by and let you wander aimlessly in this forest. Put away your weapons, we will take you to see the Mage friend."

Thus, the busy Lynch, who was crafting Magic Scrolls, received news of Priest Kuboert's visit.

Since Kuboert was not someone familiar to the elves, he wasn't able to set foot on the Holy Mountain's territory, especially in such a sensitive time before the war, where the vigilance was even more stringent. Lynch had to come down from the mountain and meet him in the middle of the lake on a small boat.

The arrival of the Light God Priest did not bring any light, as Heather hadn't seen the sun for three days. The gloomy clouds constantly hung over the entire lake, casting a layer of dust over the originally beautiful scenery here.

This did not put Lynch in a good mood. Working through the night left him feeling exhausted, and the day when the three moons jointly dimmed was drawing nearer. The Mage believed that, on nights without moonlight, those Undead with Dark Vision would gain the greatest advantage in their attacks; while the elves, during that time, would find it very difficult to perform their precise archery skills. As long as there was a bit of moonlight, the elves would be the finest archers, but on that day, Heather would become very vulnerable.

Zilvra had left without any news. Lynch believed she should have enough ability to take care of herself, but a feeling of unease gradually crept into his heart. It was a kind of worry he rarely experienced, and this worry slowly morphed into anxiety and irritation. Many times, he couldn't control his pen grip, leaving undesired ink stains on the beautiful Magic Scrolls. Several times, the Mage picked up the Powerful Wand, wanting immediately to locate the Undead armies and then attack them with "terrifying and deadly" magic. But on the other hand, a voice within Lynch's heart reminded him, "That's not you, the you who should remain calm and rational."

Just before preparing to meet Kuboert, Lynch had such an emotional outburst. He gripped his hair fiercely, using the pain to calm himself down. Thankfully, no one noticed the scene: Soka had gone with Yilinrui to learn archery, and the elf guards in front of the mage's door had been dismissed by Lynch back to their original posts.

"Hello, Mr. Lynch, we meet again," Kuboert said, "I hope this meeting becomes a new beginning for us, linking our relationship with friendship rather than misunderstanding."

"Hello, Priest," Lynch said expressionless, his mind still contemplating his recent strange temper.

The elf piloting the boat tied the two small boats together, letting them dock on the calm lake water. There was no wind or waves here, and the boatmen didn't need to concentrate firmly on their course ahead.

"Mage, on my way here, I noticed the Elf kingdom seems to be encountering some troubles. Perhaps I could offer some assistance," Priest Kuboert said, "You know I left the Holy Pate's Temple to seek friendships in other lands. If you can introduce me to the king here, I would be very grateful."

"It's not a king living here, but an Empress," Lynch said, "Next time, I hope you understand the situation before speaking. Also, I'm not the master here, if you need an introducer, you should ask the elves here."

Despite Lynch's icy tone, Kuboert did not display any anger. He kept smiling kindly at the young mage in front of him.

Lynch shook his head, feeling his words had been a bit too harsh. He pointed behind him at the Holy Mountain, "There is Heather, the Elven Holy Land, and their Empress resides there. As long as you mind your words and do not offend that wise one, I will ask the elves for their opinion."

"Thank you very much, Mage," Kuboert said.

Lynch turned his head, his pilot was a member of the Moon Hand Guard sent by the Great Druid. The Mage knew these elite warriors of the Elf Clan were not there to protect him; they were certainly there to protect Princess Yilinrui. Furthermore, as the Imperial Guard of the Empress, the Moon Hand Guard also decided which outsiders could have an audience with the Empress and which could not.

"Caidi (the elf's name), this person is a Priest from Holy Pate," Lynch said in fluent Elf Language, "They have considerable experience in expelling the Undead."

The elf thought for a moment, glanced at the Mage, then at the Priest, and nodded.

"Thank you, elf friend," Kuboert said, "And of course, thank you, Mr. Lynch."

"You're welcome, Main Priest of Pate," Lynch said, "I assume, just a young Mage who came back from the dead isn't enough to bring you all the way to the Elf kingdom. Furthermore, given the current state of the Holy Pate, I doubt you'd come all this way for leisure. Mr. Kuboert, what is your purpose in coming here?"

"Yes, I admit I have another objective here," Kuboert said as he hurriedly sat down noticing the small boat starting to glide, "The bishop of Pate Temple gave me an honorable task, which is to welcome the new Light Saintess."

"Light Saintess? That is a strange title," Lynch said, "I've never heard of such a position in Pate. 'Light Saintess'... do you mean Soka?"

"Indeed, Mage, your analysis is very accurate," Kuboert said, "When I saw the Angel, I foresaw this day. During Holy Pate's most difficult moments, our great Light God has never abandoned us, his devout believers, always providing us with strength. Now, he's sent down another Angel to help us, guide us, and inspire us. Although this Angel did not directly appear in the Light God Pate's temple, this journey of seeking and trial is precisely the test bestowed by the Light God upon us."

Lynch smirked without comment on the rhetoric steeped in religious thought. If he told Kuboert now that Soka was secretly born by his Angel parents and placed in the mortal world temporarily to evade exposure, who knows what the Main Priest would feel.

"I appreciate you looking after the Saintess, Mage," Kuboert said, "The bishop will personally bestow the Angel with the title 'Light Saintess,' such an honor! I can already see the moment of glory arriving!"

If it really turned out that way, at least the Light God would know of Soka's existence. Even though Pate seems to be a kind and friendly god, in the Mage's eyes, all gods are merely entities with stronger powers — who knows what kind of thoughts would emerge from brains filled with Divine Power?

"No, that's not possible," Lynch said, "Before her parents return, Soka will be completely under my guardianship. The title of Light Saintess will not be placed upon her."

"Why?" Kuboert asked, "Are you still mad about my careless words or is there something else I did wrong?"

"I'm not as narrow as you imagine," Lynch said, "I've long since stopped being angry over 'life being less than death'; and what you want to do isn't wrong either..."

Lynch looked at Kuboert, his eyes piercing into his soul.

"It's just, it's not appropriate."