Heart of the Strong (Part 1)

Only after the seventh-rank Magical Beast, the Raptor, and the mysterious magus had left did Hogg finally relax.

“Uncle Hiri.” Hogg turned directly to the steward, Hiri. “Immediately arrange for some people to search the ashes for lumps of gold melted from Gold Coins. This mercenary party was no ordinary one, and they likely carried quite a bit of money. I hope it can make up for Wushan Town’s losses this time.”

Hogg looked around at the buildings that had all been reduced to ruins.

“Yes, my lord.” Hiri nodded.

“Hillman.” Hogg looked at Hillman beside him and smiled. “How do you feel?”

Hillman nodded as well. “I was worried and afraid. The moment I saw the seventh-rank Magical Beast, the Raptor, and that mysterious magus, I knew Wushan Town had no ability to resist them at all. A magus of such high standing as an eighth-rank magus could destroy our town on a whim, and probably no one would condemn him, much less punish him.”

Magi held an extremely exalted status.

Even an ordinary magus had a standing equal to that of a noble.

An eighth-rank magus did not even need to kneel before the king of a kingdom. He could speak to the king while standing. That showed just how honored an eighth-rank magus was.

“Exactly. So we should be thankful. At least none of Wushan Town’s residents died.” Hogg smiled.

“We should indeed be thankful.” Hillman nodded with a smile.

“Hillman, lead some people and help Uncle Hiri settle the housing of the commoners who lost their homes,” Hogg instructed.

“Yes, Lord Hogg.” Hillman accepted the order.

Hogg looked carefully behind him, then asked Hillman in puzzlement, “Eh? Where is Linley? He was just beside us.”

“I don’t know. I didn’t notice,” Hillman said, shaking his head.

“My lord, Young Master Linley has already gone back,” Hiri said from the side. “But when he left, he seemed absentminded. I do not know what he was thinking about.”

Hogg nodded thoughtfully.

******

At the Baruch Clan estate, there was no shortage of houses. At the height of the clan’s prosperity, hundreds of people had lived there. Now, far fewer remained, and even eight-year-old Linley occupied a house of his own.

Linley’s bedroom.

Linley was sitting cross-legged alone on his bed, frowning as he thought.

The terrifying scene of Dance of the Fire Serpents kept appearing in his mind. Seven fire serpents as thick as water vats and dozens of meters long rose into the air. Waves of fire swept across the sky, turning the area into a sea of flames. The mercenary party’s powerful warriors and magi had become ash in moments.

“Magi are so powerful.”

Linley’s heart stirred. “I have the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline, but its concentration is low. The Dragonblood Warrior bloodline also conflicts with other Battle Qi Manuals. That limits how far I can go on the path of a warrior. I wonder whether I could become a magus.”

Linley suddenly wanted to become a magus.

“That Raptor was terrifying too. If I had a Raptor as well...”

The image of the Raptor appeared in Linley’s mind again.

Its lightning-fast tail could casually smash boulders and destroy houses. Its massive body was like a huge battering ram on a battlefield. If it charged at speed, its size and hard scales would make it absolutely terrifying.

“Magical Beasts... I wonder how one could obtain a Magical Beast.” Linley also longed to have one.

For some reason, he could not sleep no matter how he tossed and turned. All he could think of were the enormous Raptor and the scene of the mysterious magus casting Dance of the Fire Serpents.

“Linley, what’s wrong?” A familiar voice sounded.

Linley sprang up and looked up. It was his father, Hogg, who was looking at him with an approving smile.

“Father.” Linley called out respectfully, then a question rose in his heart. “Father is smiling at me? And with that expression?”

Hogg was always strict with Linley and rarely smiled at him warmly. That expression surprised Linley even more.

“Not bad. Not bad at all.” Hogg looked at Linley with praise. “You truly are a son of our Dragonblood Warrior Clan. You possess a warrior’s finest quality. If the descendants of Dragonblood Warriors feared life and death and bloody fighting, that would be truly laughable.”

Linley immediately understood. His father was talking about how he had witnessed the Raptor bite Luca to pieces yet had not been frightened senseless.

Linley was surprised. “Father, you saw that?”

“The Raptor made such a commotion. How could I not have noticed? I came out the moment it arrived in Wushan Town. I was only in another direction, but I saw everything you did with Hillman clearly.” Hogg nodded.

Linley gave a sheepish smile.

At the time, after his initial terror, his blood had begun to boil. He had even felt an urge for bloody battle. Linley wondered whether it was because of his Dragonblood Warrior bloodline.

Hogg smiled. “Linley, did everything that happened today leave you so stunned that you even forgot to eat dinner?”

“Dinner?” Linley blinked.

“Growl...” At that moment, his stomach obligingly rumbled. Only then did Linley remember that he had gone to attend evening training. Before it could even begin, he had encountered the Raptor and the mysterious magus.

He should have eaten dinner after returning.

But his mind had been full of the soul-shaking Dance of the Fire Serpents and the Raptor.

“Father, I want to ask: can a descendant of our Dragonblood Warrior Clan become a magus?” Linley clutched the bedsheet tightly, his attention fixed on his father.

Hogg was startled, then understood. It seemed that his son wanted to become a magus.

“It is possible.” Hogg nodded.

Linley’s face brightened at once.

Hogg waved a hand, telling Linley to calm down. “Linley, there have been magi among the Dragonblood Warrior Clan throughout history, but only two in total. You should know that magi place great importance on aptitude. On average, only one person in ten thousand has a chance to become a magus. The odds are just one in ten thousand—far too slim. You should not place too much hope in it.”

But Linley shook his head.

“Father, even if there is only a sliver of hope, I will strive for it.” His expression was serious.

Hogg looked at the serious expression on his eight-year-old son’s face. Ordinarily, a child’s solemn expression would be amusing, but Hogg could not laugh at this moment.

After thinking for a while, Hogg said, “Linley, during the annual recruitment season, in late autumn, there is a test in the royal capital, Fenlai City, for admitting magic students. If you truly want to go, then give it a try this late autumn.”

“Late autumn? Isn’t that only half a year away?” Linley asked eagerly.