Advent of the Archmage

Link woke up early the next day. He had agreed to craft the black-dressed woman an accessory imbued with the Flame Blast spell. As he did not want to delay this request indefinitely, he decided to start drafting the blueprint for this accessory while he was still energetic from a good nights' rest.

Ah, the black-dressed woman…Link forgot to ask for her name yesterday. After all, he was slightly nervous throughout the whole encounter.

As this accessory needed to be enchanted with a Level-4 Flame Blast spell, a bracelet would be the best choice. Rings and necklaces were often constrained by the lack of space for the carving of magic runes, making it extremely difficult to enchant high-level spells.

The accessory had a complex structure. To ensure accuracy and minimal mistakes, Link meticulously drafted the blueprint, writing down every detail instead of simply imagining it in his mind. The perfectionist side of him then slowly took over.

He was extremely particular about every magic equipment that he crafted. Not only must the details be aesthetically pleasing, the spell enchanted in the accessory must also be done to perfection, meaning it should not merely be an ordinary Flame Blast spell. He had to take into consideration its effectiveness in real combat and then modify it accordingly.

He made sure each magic equipment that he created was unique in its own way.

After some consideration, Link decided to strengthen the Flame Blast spell with a Supreme Magical Skill he had just learned.

Link had to give his all in crafting this bracelet despite it being a complimentary gift. If he had done a perfunctory job, he would have this urge to modify it even after giving it away. Link felt uncomfortable just thinking about it.

I seem to be in the final stages of my Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Link sighed.

It was 7 o'clock in the morning by the time Link was done with the blueprint. He then kept his writing materials and started washing up.

Ten minutes later, Link met up with Herrera, Eliard and Rylai at the hall.

The Blue Hermit Inn was even more crowded in the morning. Magicians were streaming in and out. Herrera had quite the reputation amongst Magicians. As many of them passed by Herrera, they would greet her with respect.

Link, Eliard and Rylai were all young Magicians. They were thus merely seen as Magician's Apprentices Herrera brought along and did not receive much attention.

After breakfast, Herrera said, "The fair will be held at Jade Street and it is just five minutes away. Let's walk over." Herrera was a veteran—she had taken part in this yearly affair at least ten times. Link and the rest naturally took her advice and followed behind her all the way to Jade Street.

The area around Jade Street was also extremely crowded due to the Magician's Fair. Most of the vendors outside were ordinary vendors or farmers who had hoped to ride on the popularity of the fair to earn some extra income. Most of the items sold by these vendors were low-quality magic materials such as silver star flowers and magic iron ore. They were simply walking around to immerse themselves in the bustling atmosphere of the fair. However, it was different for Rylai.

Rylai would often help out in the alchemy lab back in Herrera's Mage Tower. Her job included cleansing magical herbs and brewing herbal potions. Eliard would then give her some commission as the finance manager of the Mage Tower. Just this month, her work had earned her five gold coins. This job had also developed her interest in alchemy and she would conduct her own experiments every now and then.

However, she could not afford the materials sold in the Mage Tower. Her aim for this Magician's Fair was to purchase some cheap materials for her experiments.

She hopped around the different stalls and was clearly in a state of bliss. With her innocent face and three powerful Magicians as escorts, the vendors naturally offered reasonable prices. All of them looked at Rylai with interest and joy, giving her ample time to purchase what she wanted.

It wasn't long before Rylai spent all her savings. Link offered to help her carry her spoils as she skipped forward with a satisfied expression, brimming with confidence about her experiments.

This was an extremely carefree memory for Rylai. Many years later when she already owned her own Mage Tower, she would still smile at the thought of her teenage days.

They reached Jade Street after a relaxing time shopping with Rylai.

Herrera suggested that they split up to search for what they wanted while Rylai accompanied her. Eliard and Link agreed without hesitation. It would be a waste of time if they traveled together since they were not planning to purchase the same materials.

Link passed all the magic equipment he had crafted for sale to Herrera. Herrera then gave him 6000 gold coins as his earnings in advance. With a bag full of gold coins, he started browsing through the stalls in the Magician's Fair.

Similarly, Eliard handed over 100 magic scrolls to Herrera and had over 700 gold coins to spend. This was more than sufficient to purchase low to mid-level magic materials.

Link bought a kilogram of silver from a Level-1 Magician. Just as he was about to purchase wood to craft the body of his staff, he saw a figure at the corner of his eye. Somehow, he found this person vaguely familiar.

But he had almost no acquaintances in the capital.

Link felt something was amiss and pulled his hood over his face before he followed quietly behind. As there were Magicians and magic equipment everywhere in the fair, the magic fluctuations in the air were completely indiscernible. It was impossible to distinguish the identity of the figure unless Link recognized their facial features.

The figure did not seem to notice Link. They would stop every so often to purchase some magic materials before moving forward. As Link got closer, he could discern the features more clearly. This person had brown curly hair and nearly flawless skin. From the side, he looked simply like a handsome human. However, Link was even more puzzled. He had definitely seen this person somewhere!

Who exactly is he? Link tried matching this image with the Magicians he knew in his mind.

Link had not been in contact with many Magicians. Furthermore, most of the Magicians he knew were from the East Cove Higher Magic Academy. If he truly was from the academy, Link would have recognized him straight away.

Wait...that's the Dark Elf! His height, posture and the way his arms flailed around when he bargained. It was exactly the same as the Dark Elf named Felidia. As Link observed, he found more tell-tale signs.

His skin color was not natural. It seemed to be covered with a layer of cosmetic product. From the side, his pupils seemed brown. However, Link knew that a Magician could craft color-changing crystal lenses easily!

It was unusual for a Dark Elf to appear in the capital of the Norton Kingdom. There was no need to take such a big risk if he only wanted to purchase magic materials. There must be an ulterior motive.

Link carefully trailed behind Felidia. They walked through half a street to the central area of Jade Street. Just in front of them was the central plaza where both the human density and quality of the magic materials sold was the highest. Link even saw a vendor selling silver dragon heart blood.

The silver dragon was an extremely powerful magical creature. Its blood was usually used to create high-quality ink for the production of mid to high-level magic scrolls.

There were even people from other races mixed into the crowd. Link saw a dwarf selling a magic pistol and an earth spirit selling magic goggles. However, the one that attracted his attention the most was the group of high elves.

High Elves, a glorious race whose hometown, Dawn Island, lay across the ocean from the Norton Kingdom. They were characterized by their crystal clear purple irises, golden hair, defined facial features, slender stature and most important—exceptional magic talent. Almost every High Elf would develop some sort of magic potential. The queen of the High Elves was also a Level-9 Magician who was only one step away from the revered title of Legendary.

There were in total 15 high elves, each of them wearing exquisite and sky blue magic armor. Amongst them, there were three Magicians while the 11 of them were the famous Magic Warriors indigenous to the Dawn Island. Both the Magicians and Magic Warriors were at least Level-4 in strength, making them an extremely powerful entourage.

Beside these High Elves were a team of Warriors from the Norton Kingdom. There were around 20 of them clad in gold shining armor. They were members of the Royal Forest Guards and each of them was at least Level-3 in strength.

And in the middle of this troupe was a High Elf teenager, the reason for all these protective measures.

He was only about 18 years old, his eyes glowing with a slight lavender hue, much like a flawless amethyst. His hair was a light golden color with a glossy shine, reflecting tiny golden rays under the warm bright sun. His features were almost perfect, so much so that even the handsome Eliard paled in comparison. It was not merely an issue of facial features, but one of temperament and demeanor.

"A High Elf noble!" Link gasped. Pure Amethyst eyes coupled with flawless looks were the characteristics of a High Elf noble.

At that moment, Link also saw Felidia quickening his pace and disappearing into an alley.

The appearance of both a High Elf noble and a Dark Elf Magician raised an ominous feeling in Link's heart. A dangerous premonition sounded repeatedly in his mind.

He was just about to catch up to Felidia when he felt a pat on his shoulders. He spun around and saw the black-dressed woman he talked to last night.

"Hey it's you again! What a coincidence!" Eleanor smiled.

Link did not have the time to chat, he urgently said, "I have something I need to attend to…"

Before he could complete his sentence, he felt a slight elemental fluctuation among the indiscernible magic aura on Jade Street. This magic fluctuation was extremely well concealed. If not for Link's keen perception, he would not have been able to tell. Link's facial expression immediately turned serious.

This feeling… it's the Flame Blast spell! And it is deliberately concealed as well! This is Jade Street!

Link looked around the street. This spell was too well-hidden and no one noticed this slight fluctuation amongst the heat and festive mood of the fair. Link felt a shudder down his spine. If this spell were to explode in the middle of this crowd, the number of casualties would be unthinkable.

However, the magic was about to be released. He didn't have the time to issue a warning!