Kaelen walked slowly, his calculating gaze exuding a presence so trustworthy that anyone who interacted with him would think he was a great man. His age barely reached forty-five years, which is normal when considering his power.
Upon appearing in Banne Village, he walked directly to the house of the girl he had come to recruit, and long before entering, he could see a blond-haired man who was an elf. The elf had noticed him earlier and approached first. "Good afternoon, are you looking for someone?"
"You must be Sylphyette's father. If you'll permit me, I would like to have a very important conversation, both for you and for the future of your daughter." Kaelen said, placing his hand over his chest. "By the way, my name is Kaelen, and I am a mage from the Ars Mage Tower."
"I'm Laws, Sylphy's father." Laws shook hands with the mage who seemed to come from a powerful background. After Sylphy's friend left, she seemed very sad, and she was hiding something that had happened before Paul's son left. Now that this mage had introduced himself, Laws knew it was about that.
"May I have a closer conversation with you and your wife?" Kaelen looked at the man in front of him and was as polite as possible.
"Of course, you may come in." Laws had no reason to refuse, but he certainly had his doubts that he wanted to clarify in this conversation. "Darling, we have a visitor."
"I'm coming!" A woman's voice could be heard from the back of this small house.
Kaelen smiled as he waited, sitting on a sofa, observing the living conditions of this family. At least they seemed humble, something every man living in the rural areas of the kingdom aspires to be. He couldn't deny that this kind of life was one he once dreamed of himself, but certainly now that dream had been overshadowed by a greater one since he met Gilgamesh.
"Who is he, Laws?" A human woman walked over and took a seat beside her husband.
Laws reassured his wife and said, "He's a mage, dear. His name is Kaelen, and he says he wants to talk about something involving Sylphy."
"Oh..." Sylphy's mother nodded and regarded the mage in front of her with some vigilance.
"You don't have to worry. My lord happened to see your daughter and discovered that she has great potential for magic. You, as experienced parents, must know that there is something that stands out above all jobs, and that is magic, something similar to it is swordsmanship, but certainly this group is more common."
Kaelen extended his hand and said, "I come with no ill intentions. I am one of the representatives of the Mage Tower of the Asura Kingdom, and currently, I reside in Ars, the capital of the kingdom. My intention is to take your daughter so she can access the true mysteries of magic, be endowed with various knowledge, and her life undergo a significant change. Of course, you can accompany her at all times."
Laws clenched his fists and asked, "I can't deny that your proposal is tempting, but why her?"
Kaelen smiled and said, "It's no mystery; she has a natural talent for magic, and her mana reserves are even higher than those of an adult human. Living in this rural village is not the end of her life, and I'm sure you can see the same. Sooner or later, she will leave this house in search of more knowledge. What is there to fear if the door that is now opening to her is the safest?"
"That... Then, who recommended my daughter?" Laws' wife asked with some curiosity.
"My lord is Gilgamesh, the prince of the Asura Kingdom and the future king of this realm." Kaelen opened both hands as if presenting a divine being.
"Laws, that's absurd... You know how nobles can be. This may seem tempting, but it could also be a trap..." Sylphy's mother stopped when she realized she had said too much.
"Please forgive my wife; she tends to be very protective, and both of us become quite sensitive when it comes to our daughter's safety." Laws placed a hand on his wife's shoulder to calm her.
"But you haven't done anything to make her happy." Kaelen's attitude changed completely when these people judged his lord, who had only good intentions.
"What did you say?"
"Come on, you know what I mean. This godforsaken village has caused your daughter a lot of harm with its absurd comments fueled by their damned ignorance. What have you done about it?" Kaelen looked at Laws and said, "They won't be missed if you decide to come with us. Besides, I want you to be very clear about something—I'm not here to lick anyone's boots or kneel."
"That's not it; you're mistaken, Mr. Kaelen," Laws said sincerely. "Of course, I'm willing to give my daughter a better future. If what you say is true, then we are willing to accompany you."
"Laws, we should consult this with our daughter first."
"This time, no, a decision is made this way, and since she has a chance to shine, we are no one to prevent that." Laws said decisively.
Kaelen smiled and said, "You have made a good decision; I'm sure both of you will lead your daughter to a new future..."
By the time Kaelen's words ended, his perception sensed something approaching, so knowing that only the three of them were in the room, he raised his staff and struck it against the ground, creating one huge rune after another.
"Don't move!"
Boom!
When Kaelen's words ended, an explosion swept through the entire wooden house they were in, destroying everything in its path from the foundations. Due to the shield he conjured earlier, fortunately, they remained unharmed.
"Who dares to attack me?" Kaelen was furious and without speaking, materialized several ice shards emitting a frigid aura.
"It seems there's a powerful mage annoyed that disrupted my plans. If you leave now and leave these people behind, you won't die." An extremely faint voice sounded in the distance, deep within a forest.
"They are now under the protection of Gilgamesh. If you dare to go against his words, you will die a cruel death at our hands." Kaelen said with a severe tone.
"Your lord is just a broken star. Are you sure he will win the impending war?" That same voice asked as a corrupt magic attack approached Kaelen's direction.
At that moment, just as he was about to cast another spell, a suffocating battle aura burst forth, and a green-colored sword attack crushed the dark energy attack.
"Who is attacking us?" Falken, who was hundreds of meters away, appeared in front of the shattered house, with a dozen figures behind him, their swords drawn.
"An unknown enemy, located right at the entrance of the forest to our right... It seems to be near a cliff, moving into an open space." Kaelen said as he used magic to sharpen his hearing.
"Tch, the enemy beat us to it..." Falken frowned as he thought. Turning around, he told the other knights, "Half of you go and find Sylphy; the rest come with me."
"Yes, sir!"
"Are you talking about those kinds of enemies?!" Kaelen couldn't believe it.
"It seems they also have some potential to cause trouble for our lord, completely defying the precautions taken when considering our enemy." Without saying another word, Falken disappeared from the scene, but not before saying, "Take care of Sylphy's parents; they might be important for the future."
"Don't worry; I'll step in once they are safe," Kaelen nodded as he turned to look at Sylphy's parents with a kind smile.