Brian brought Charlie to the ancient castle's outer gate.
"I am Brian, by order of the Grand Duke, to send young master Charlie to William Castle. Open the gate!" Brian shouted three times before some movement was heard from inside.
A small window on the wrought-iron gate opened, and a pair of malicious eyes peered out. Then, a lazy voice spoke: "Oh, it's you, Mr. Brian. We received Lord Griffin's order earlier today - the castle gates are on high alert for war preparations, and no one is allowed to enter after dark, due to the recent unrest in the Elwin Forest. This is a strict order, and I have no choice. I hope you understand."
Brian sensed something was amiss and replied, "Orders are dead, but people are alive. We're just two people and a carriage - it'll only take a moment to let us in. I'll respond to Lord Griffin if he asks."
The man lazily responded, "No can do! The lord has given strict orders, and if I open the gate and anything happens, I'll be held responsible."
This was a blatant affront!
Brian's voice rose several decibels in anger: "Marc, standing out here is the young master Charlie, the Grand Duke's only son. If anything happens to him, can you bear the consequences?!"
The response was a light chuckle: "Mr. Brian, you don't need to scare me. I'm just a lowly gatekeeper, I know nothing. I only answer to Lord Griffin. If you want to come in, bring the lord's order first, then we can talk. Don't make things difficult for me!"
Brian took a deep breath to suppress his fury and said, "Could you please inform Lord Griffin that me and young master Charlie are waiting at the gate?"
"Oh, I'm afraid... that won't work! It's already late, the lord has retired for the night. We'll talk about it tomorrow!"
"Tomorrow?!" Brian was on the verge of an outburst: "You dare to leave us stranded outside overnight? How dare you treat us this way..."
Faced with Brian's rage, the eyes in the window wavered slightly, but he still did not back down, as greater fear seemed to control him.
Charlie raised a hand to stop him: "Uncle Brian, no need to say more. He's just a pitiful wretch!"
Under the starry night sky, Charlie and Brian were left shivering in the cold outside the gate.
This was an obvious show of force - Griffin was asserting his control over William Castle and making it clear he had little faith in Charlie's future.
Of course, there was another possibility - he might have been bought off by some members of the Parvell family, trying every means to suppress Charlie, crush his spirit, and turn him into a useless waste forever.
Brian angrily muttered, "Arrogant! Frivolous! Presumptuous! Hmph! This Griffin has taken the castle as his own backyard! I think power has gone to his head and he's forgotten his own name!"
In the moonlight, Charlie's gaze was captivating as he calmly said, "Uncle Brian, no need to get worked up over this kind of person. One day, I will make him grovel and tremble at my feet!"
Brian silently nodded.
...
The forest air was heavy with moisture, and a thin mist had formed at some point. The damp, cold air seeped into the carriage, chilling them to the bone.
They had not eaten dinner yet, and the hunger and cold were excruciating. Huddled in the carriage under a thin blanket, they still felt unbearably cold.
Brian joked bitterly, "If only I was a fire mage."
Charlie questioned, "Is fire magic difficult? As a novice mage, can't you even use the most basic fire spells?"
Brian shook his head, "Nature belongs to life, while fire belongs to destruction. The two are fundamentally opposed, it's a basic rule of the world.
My constitution aligns with nature, and I've cultivated natural magic. My mana pool has a natural elemental affinity, which is inherently weak against fire. Not only would I be easily overpowered by fire mages, I can't even use fire spells myself, or I might face terrible consequences."
Charlie smiled, "Then let me try. Don't you have a magic wand that stores some mana? We can use that."
"Oh, you're right! I didn't think of that. By the way, I'm curious how you learned the 'Rapid Casting' technique?"
Charlie chuckled, "Probably because my tongue is more agile. Reciting the syllables together seems to have achieved that effect unintentionally."
Brian pondered briefly, but couldn't grasp the knack, so he gave up. He didn't have that natural talent, nor was he particularly interested.
Next, Brian recited the basic spell 'Flame Hand', an entry-level fire spell every fire mage apprentice learns. It only costs one basic mana unit, making the hand burn, quite impressive in appearance but not very powerful. It has only six basic syllables, much simpler than the two arcane spells Charlie knew.
Without needing Brian to repeat it, Charlie took the magic wand in hand, and the spell instantly sprang forth. Their gaze fell on Charlie's right hand.
The mana drawn from the wand was transformed into pure, refined fire energy under the spell's influence, gathering on Charlie's right hand. Under the control of his mental focus, the fire elements morphed into various shapes.
"Is this how it's done?" Charlie played with the fire elements as if handling fine sand, making them rise and fall with ease.
The fire elements were a completely new experience for Charlie, and he was thoroughly enjoying it, unaware of Brian's dumbfounded expression.
After a long pause, Brian exclaimed, "Such strong mental focus!"
"What's so special about it?" Charlie asked.
Brian gave an embarrassed smile, "Young master, my experience is limited. Don't ask me, but at least I've never seen a master's apprentice display such talent. You're an exceptional case!"
"Exceptional? Really?" Charlie questioned.
Brian affirmed, "Yes, young master, you are very special. Perhaps only great mages can truly recognize your gifts!"
Brian had originally only hoped to use the burning Flame Hand to dispel the chill in the carriage, but unexpectedly discovered that Charlie could manipulate the fire much more precisely.
Charlie smiled and proceeded to evenly distribute the fire elements throughout the carriage, continuously casting "Variant Flame Hand" spells. The carriage gradually became dry and warm, the cold shut out beyond the windows.
Magic can change one's life - this was a vivid example.
"Much better now!" Charlie stretched and lay down.
Brian praised, "Young master, you have many tricks up your sleeve!"
...
The next morning, a series of knocks woke the two. When they emerged from the carriage, they saw a portly middle-aged man surrounded by a retinue of servants, standing in front of the carriage.
The man had a large, shiny black mole on his cheek, and his arrogant expression revealed his status - he must be Griffin Vino, the castellan of William Castle.
Griffin, with his hands clasped behind his back, lifted his chin slightly and eyed Charlie condescendingly: "Young master Charlie, welcome to William Castle. I'm truly sorry about last night's incident. That foolish underling was indeed too stupid to be flexible. I hope you've not been too inconvenienced.
However, it also demonstrates the strict rules we have in this castle. A large castle must have discipline, as the lord himself told me when he entrusted the castle to me. I've always kept this in mind and put it into practice. I'm sure the young master, with your understanding, can appreciate my dilemma."
Although it was an apology, there was not a trace of remorse in his tone. Griffin's eyes gleamed with a mocking light, as if he was watching a little mouse scurrying about before him.
This was his sophisticated skill - no matter what, he would first absolve himself of any responsibility. If Charlie were to make a fuss, the blame would likely fall on him in his current position and reputation.
To Griffin's surprise, Charlie did not get angry.
Charlie calmly said, "Alright, I have no special privileges now. The castellan doesn't need to personally come and apologize. If there's nothing else, let me go back and rest. This damned wooden board has bruised my bones."
With that, Charlie stretched lazily and gave Griffin a smile.
In that smile, Griffin read many things, and a bead of sweat trickled down his back, feeling an irritating sense of unease. Hmph! This little brat is trying to play mind games with me! When I'm scheming against others, you weren't even born in your mother's womb!
Hmph!
Griffin snorted and turned to leave without further ado.
Brian drove the carriage into the castle, and Charlie walked alongside him instead of getting in the vehicle.
Brian gave a thumbs up and praised, "The young master has really grown up."
Charlie just smiled.
"Young master, you stayed here for a while when you were one year old. Do you have any memories of the castle? Nothing has changed since the master left."
Charlie shook his head.
"Come, let me show you the place where your mother used to live."
Brian led the way with the carriage.
William Castle covers an area of nearly 30,000 square meters, including the indoor space. The current staff is far from enough to maintain the daily upkeep of the entire ancient castle. Moreover, Grand Duke Thomas was not fond of this castle and had some conflicts with his father-in-law, so rather than letting it go to waste, he rented it out for another purpose.
It seems the reason was not for the money, as the Grand Duke was not short on funds, but to gain the friendship of Rowan, who, although just a great mage, was taught by a powerful archmage with high prestige in the Millennium Empire's magical world. The relationship was built layer by layer.
After Rowan rented William Castle, he did not undertake major renovations, only simple improvements to the lawns and forests, building plant gardens and magical beast enclosures, and constructing a magic tower. Relying on the magic tower, he established a comprehensive magical prohibition, encircling the rented land. Clear magical patterns could be seen at the boundaries, serving as clear markers, as Brian explained to Charlie while walking.
Charlie's mother's private courtyard was called the "Yolan Garden". Yolan flowers were her favorite plants. When she lived here, every August, the yolans would bloom, the pale blue and white colors dancing in the wind, their faint fragrance permeating the garden, creating an dreamlike atmosphere.
This habit was carried on, and Brian devoted a great deal of effort to maintaining these plants every year. And since yolans prefer shade, the entire courtyard, located in the sunniest part of the castle, was always shrouded in a gentle shadow.
The Yolan Garden covers an area of over 3,000 square meters, including a bedroom with a private balcony, an outdoor garden with an artificial pool, and a huge study. Currently, only the bedroom and garden are being maintained, the rest covered in cloth, accumulated with dust over the years, exuding a strong musty odor.
Brian brought Charlie to a guest room in the manor, saying, "Young master, you must be exhausted. Rest well here. As long as you're in this manor, no one can bully you. Griffin's hand can't reach in here, he knows that well."
"Okay, you rest too." Charlie remembered this humiliating night - it was one of Griffin's sins, which he would settle accounts for in the future.