章 16: Lumen And the Firstborn
Three months later
Lucas POV:
'The river is so beautiful,' I thought as I observed the construction of the second city of the kingdom, situated south of Falcon's Reach, merely a three-hour walk away or conveniently reachable by the new carts we created for transporting resources to the city.
This new city occupied an incredible spot, situated alongside a river for fishing and trade. It boasted three gold mines in proximity and fertile lands for farming. The construction was progressing at an astonishing speed. Since my encounter with dissidents, I had chosen to hold weekly audiences to address any complaints or demands from my people.
'The beauty of nature will never cease to amaze me in this world,' I reflected as I looked around, enjoying the sounds of nature. The trees near the city were peculiar; I could see veins full of mana tracing through them. They were harder to cut down, but the wood harvested from them was perfect for constructing boats, possessing incredible water-resistant properties.
However, this specific type of wood wasn't suitable for constructing houses, so we had to transport large quantities of wood and stones from Falcon's Reach. I assigned a significant number of soldiers to guard the roads, establishing three outposts spaced approximately one hour apart. These outposts were designed to safeguard the future trade route between the two cities and deter bandit activities.
Naturally, once the [Sun Riders] were unlocked, I planned to deploy them to patrol the roads daily, ensuring the safety of the trade routes.
I enlisted George to oversee the construction and management of the new city, recognizing his expertise was more crucial there than in Falcon's Reach, where there was no ongoing war.
As newcomers started populating the villages near Falcon's Reach, the council wisely decreed that these villages should not be more than one hour away from the capital. This precaution was taken to mitigate the risk associated with having villages too distant, especially when there weren't enough guards to protect them simultaneously.
The production of golems had reached such a large scale that I had to halt the efforts of my pupils. They had constructed so many harvester golems that I feared the stockpile of resources might overwhelm the warehouses of Falcon's Reach.
I found myself facing a literal mountain of gold and silver coins, awaiting a dragon to hoard them. Initially concerned that the monthly salary I provided might become a long-term financial burden, I soon realized that money was not the issue; the real problem was finding ways to spend it.
With each new soldier summoned, a diverse array of skilled individuals emerged—wood and stone carvers, architects, and many others—further enriching the talents within the kingdom and boosting the production of sellable goods, both for us and our allies.
As I watched the beautiful sunset while observing the construction of the new city's town hall, I smiled. The kingdom was rapidly taking shape. More cities would soon be created, leading to an increase in troops and, subsequently, more cities as the population continued to grow.
However, my progress in Light Lore hit a bottleneck. I found myself unable to advance further. What I desired was the ability to transform objects into a state resembling light, enabling them to travel at an incredible speed through portals. But this proved to be such a difficult act that I started to doubt the possibilities of such drastic changes.
I could transform my own body into a beam of light without any issues, allowing me to move at incredible speeds. However, attempting to do the same with inanimate objects or things lacking my knowledge of the Light Lore proved impossible, at least for the time being.
Then seeing this, two weeks ago, I started to create my own spells in the Lore of Light. These proved to be far more simple than my previous experiment. I had training ready for the future light mages in the magic academy. I found that trying to create objects made of Light was a difficult task to do but allowed your control over this particular lore of magic to be far more profound the more you trained it.
Of course, with my comprehension prior to the start of the training, I could already create swords, spears and shields without any problem, now I just needed to add beautifully weaved patterns on the weapons to even more augment my mastery of the lore of light.
I began formulating future courses for the Mage's Academy, intending to cover Light, Earth, and Air magic. Each pupil would choose an affinity based on their individual predisposition. As of now, I was aware that individuals in my kingdom could have a maximum of one affinity. Occasionally, individuals with two attributes might emerge, but Aurelia and Jeanne informed me that such cases were rare, akin to finding a diamond in the mud.
I, however, stood as an anomaly, an abhorrent one at that. I possessed the ability to wield all the known lores of magic accessible to humans. Despite this, I decided against teaching the Prime Lore, recognizing its potential dangers. Prime Lore was the most versatile but also the most perilous, especially in the hands of an inexperienced practitioner. Tearing holes in space or manipulating time could lead to disastrous consequences if mishandled by a novice.
I would take on the role of the sole teacher for Air magic. Sister Elanna and Magus Hebern, on the other hand, would be responsible for instructing the lore of Light and Earth, respectively.
However, the only challenge I faced was my mana capacity. The sole means of increasing it was through leveling up, yet I lacked any apparent method to do so. There was no ongoing war to boost my experience points, and I had no intention of initiating a conflict. Even with 90% of my population being seasoned warriors, I refused to risk them in a futile war.
I employed my magic, which I named [Light Body], to transform into a beam of light and swiftly return to Falcon's Reach. The journey that would have taken around three hours was condensed into a mere thirty seconds, a remarkable feat that seemed like a dream come true.
My new workshop was located beneath the castle. I constructed a network of tunnels for conducting secret experiments on different lores of magic and, most importantly, to shield my people in case my experiments went awry.
I had a profound love for magic—it was the most exhilarating aspect I had encountered since arriving in this universe. However, something troubled me. Magic in the Warcraft universe had undesirable effects, such as drawing the attention of cosmic alignments. In that universe, Arcane magic attracted the Titans, Fel drew demons, and Light should have attracted the Naaru. Yet, despite my kingdom extensively using light magic, I hadn't witnessed any signs of these entities. The Naaru were one of the races that I truly didn't want to encounter yet.
It was indeed strange. Perhaps the Light magic I wielded wasn't composed of the same essence as that of the Naaru. Regardless, I took precautions and created secure protocols for all matters related to mind control or pollution. I was well aware that corruption by any cosmic power posed one of the most significant threats in this universe.
While I didn't have any indication that powers like Death or Life could corrupt, I understood that the other four—Light, Chaos, Order, and Void—were highly corruptive for the minds of individuals, some more than others but this was still a pollution that could alter how the person thinks and I promised back at my crowning that I would give free reign to everyone for their life.
As I stepped onto the balcony of my castle, I gazed down at the massive columns of golems diligently loading carts and transports for the new city. My eyes then shifted to the rest of the city, where bustling streets were filled with people going about their daily lives. Some carried bread or other ingredients they had purchased from the marketplace, while Praetorian guards ensured order, preventing theft or violence. The court, which I established four months ago to judge criminals, had only dealt with one case since its inception. This individual had attempted to attack a lone woman in the street, but a Radiant Glory named Nasah apprehended him before he could harm her.
He was sentenced to serve one year in prison and undergo reeducation at a special school I established within the mountainside of Falcon's Reach. The school was located inside the prison, guarded by members of the Praetorian guard, Sisters, and one Vestal, ensuring that no one escaped without completing their sentences. I firmly believed that everyone should be held accountable for their actions, and there are no innocent murderers nor thieves.
Then I quickly entered my workshop by passing a dozen Praetorians that were patrolling the halls of the castle. I recruited some servants, of course the pay was extremely good as I knew that it was some hard work to do, cleaning this huecastle and these halls can be daunting to a lot of people.
My workshop had evolved from the humble one in the mountain to a beautifully crafted cave adorned with elemental crystals and gold. The atmosphere was rich with mana, so much so that one of my pupils, entering without protection, was practically drowned in the thick mana of the cave. I shuddered to think of the potential damage to a regular human.
I delved back into experimenting with the Lore of Light, focusing on creating both offensive and defensive spells since I lacked experience in combat. During my discussions with Malarion, he confessed that he had started 'dating' Lianna a month ago—lucky bastard. Yet, I decided to push aside thoughts of pursuing love for now. "No," I shook my head, dispersing such musings. "I need to complete the development of my kingdom and fief. After that, I can settle down with a lovely woman and start a family."
I knew that, sooner or later, I would have to bear the responsibility of having children to continue my lineage. House Aldaric, after all, still had only one member. Even George might find a woman before me if things continued this way. But was I truly ready to shoulder the responsibility of creating an heir for my throne?
'I can't concentrate anymore,' I thought, frustrated, as I left my workshop. This lack of focus had become more frequent over the past month, and I hated it. Heading directly to my office, I immersed myself in writing and reading reports about what was happening in my kingdom.
The reports were unanimous in their positivity. My pupils had resupplied the peasants and the dark elves with staves that facilitated the rapid growth of fields. However, what I wanted to explore— the mysterious door found in the first Earth Crystal mine—was still impenetrable. Each time a golem approached it, the golem discharged its own mana, rendering the door impossible to open.
But I was resolute, this thing was given by the Seventh Dragon, I will open it today. I called for some Praetorian and Sisters to follow me toward the Earth Crystal mine.
Upon our arrival, I was taken aback. Although I knew we had mined a substantial amount of Earth Crystal, the state of the mine left me in awe. The once-normal-sized cave had transformed into an open-air quarry, delving deep into the Earth. I focused my attention on the door—the only part of the cave left untouched. It wasn't just a door; it resembled a strange cube.
"Stay here," I instructed my group. Channeling the mana from the light crystal of my staff, I created an enormous light spear and launched it at the cube. However, upon impact, the spear exploded into a thousand shards of light, all of which were instantly absorbed by the cube.
Narrowing my eyes, I contemplated this strange occurrence. Opting for a different approach, I channeled my own mana, utilizing the Prime Lore of Magic to compress the space around the cube and crush it. Yet, as the spatial fissure touched the cube, it was as if someone had rewritten reality—the fissure disappeared, allowing space to reform itself.
"Does this thing enhance normalcy?" I was shocked. It seemed to confirm a theory I had—that this cube didn't dissipate magic; instead, it forced it to reform back into its normal state.
In an instant, dozens of my swords of light materialized all around the cube, only to disappear into different shards of light, much like the spear before them.
"You little..." I thought, furrowing my brows. A titanic fist made of light descended on the cube, the cube appearing minuscule in comparison. However, the fist didn't have the chance to touch it; the closer it got, the more it dissolved into light.
"So, nothing is working," I concluded, staring at the cube. Glancing at the Praetorians armed with pickaxes, I motioned for them to go and try to mine the cube. To my great surprise, the cube's walls were easily mined, as an iron pickaxe tore down one part of the wall.
"What?" I thought, smiling wryly. "It was that easy?" Then, I erupted in laughter. In a magical world, it seemed that a mundane solution was what worked.
"Your Majesty!" I heard one of the mining Praetorians cry out from inside. "There are artifacts contained here!"
"Bring them out!" I replied to the Praetorian. Soon enough, they emerged, holding three artifacts.
"Is this what I think it is?" I wondered, looking with widened eyes at one of the [Fragments of The Moon Disc], a four-part artifact that allowed you to find a [Tear of Asha], the greatest artifact of Ashan.
Then I observed the other two artifacts, [Tarot Deck] and [Mysterious Golden Egg].
[Fragment of the Moon Disc]
[Summon Phoenix x1]
[Tarot Deck]
[Destiny +2]
[Mysterious Golden Egg]
[A Mysterious Golden Egg]
I was puzzled about the egg. In the game, it was a dead item, but perhaps I could find a use for it. Glancing back at the cube, I sensed it losing all its power in a second, the strange material transforming itself back into stone.
"Everyone, we're going back to the city!" I cried out as I saw that the material had lost all its properties.
"So, this was an artifact cache," I thought as I left the cave with the group and promptly returned to the city, looking back at the golems that resumed their work.
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Five months later, at the Hospital of the Light.
"WAAAAAAAA!!!" The cries of a baby echoed through the hospital chamber. The infant was cradled in the arms of a young man with pale blond hair and blue eyes, who gazed at the newborn as if holding a treasure of Elrath himself.
"Your Majesty, the mother is well," said one of the sisters, observing the man with the baby.
"You did a good job, Sister Emma," replied the young man, casting a fond look at the crying baby. "I shall give you back to your family." He gently returned the baby, who held onto one of his fingers with tiny, delicate hands.
"Your Majesty, you honor us with your presence," said the young man with red hair, the first father of the Falcon's Kingdom, looking at his daughter that he was holding with the same care as Lucas did just a moment before.
"Your daughter is the firstborn of our Kingdom, of course I would be here to see to her health," the young man replied to Alkath as he put his right hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you, your Majesty," replied Alkath with tears in his eyes. However, in an instant, Lucas looked outside and promptly back at the baby in Alkath's arms with a glint in his eyes, as if he saw something enter the child, puzzling Alkath.
"Your daughter will have a great destiny, Alkath. Raise her well," the king finished as he disappeared in a beam of light.
"I will your Majesty" said Alkath as he saw the king disappear
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Alkath's POV:
I entered back into the room where my love gave birth just one hour ago with little Irina in hand. As I entered, I saw the tired look on the face of Veronica, the mother of my child. She looked hopefully at me, and I didn't need to know what she wanted. I gently gave Irina to her.
"Alkath, my love, did the king say anything?" she asked me with a tired voice. I kissed her forehead before responding, looking at Irina's sleeping face.
"He said that our child has a great destiny ahead of her. I don't know what that means, but he said to really raise her well," I replied as I sat down on one of the wooden chairs arranged in the room.
"The king is truly a complicated man," sighed my wife as she gently caressed Irina's chubby cheek.
"Don't say that, Veronica. He is the one who gave us our home, and because of him, we could encounter each other and give birth to Irina," I replied gently to my wife. The king, for me, was a model to follow—a man dedicated to his people, a gentle person, albeit a strange one. I remembered the emperors in Ashan who were the absolute inverse of him. They were ruthless with us, the people, didn't heed any of our warnings about famine, and just like that, an enormous part of the population of my city was killed due to starvation.
"Alkath, he is still young. What if, just like Emperor Etionos, he turns into a tyrant in the later part of his life ?" she started a bit aggressively. "Will you still follow him? Will you still listen?"
"I-I don't know, Vero," I began as I looked dead in her eyes. "But for now, I will follow him, even if some of his decisions are strange to me. They are welcomed ones."
"Are you talking about not giving any power over us, the peasants , to the nobles?" said Veronica as she looked at Irina.
"Yes," I replied honestly to her. This decision that the king made was strange. Why would the nobles or the church not have the right to command us? It was quite alien to us. But the fact that the school was free and for everyone was incredible. I was just a blacksmith, and Veronica was a seamstress. Never in our lives would we have enough money to pay for school in Ashan, but here, it's free!
The only person with the authority to enforce decisions is the king, not the dukes. Speaking of dukes, the Stag Duchy was created, with the capital of the Duchy being the city of Flumen, situated near the Shalassa's Grace affluent. This city, created in a mere three months, experienced unprecedented growth under the administration of Duke Thaum and his wife, Duchess Maria. The development of fishing and commercial boats became one of the most lucrative sectors in the kingdom.
I heard that the Wolf Duke, George, achieved a similar state as His Majesty one month prior when he fought against a horde of beasts, slaughtering them all without suffering a single loss in his armed forces. The Stag Duchy emerged as more of a commercial powerhouse than the Wolf Duchy, which was primarily tasked with securing the roads and the overall safety of the kingdom.
Thaum's appointment was a pleasant surprise, as he proved to be the most compassionate toward us—the common people, without any decision-making power. He served as our voice to the king in his council. The second in command was Jeanne, the Archbishop, leading us in prayer each new day for Elrath.
I heard about tensions between the merchant guild and the Stag Duke. As the sole controller of maritime trade, the Stag Duke had the authority to effectively block any suspicious contraband and address issues arising from the Shalassa's Grace.
Veronica and I considered relocating to Flumen, as it was more of a bustling trading city with a vibrant atmosphere than the capital. Falcon's Reach remained and would always be the theological center of our kingdom, housing the two most important figures—the king and the archbishop.
The king bestowed the authority to create minor nobles upon the Dukes, but not without his approval. Numerous tales circulated about the tests devised by the king to assess one's eligibility for nobility. These stories ranged from the king delving into one's mind to tasks such as overseeing the administration of a village for a month to demonstrate worthiness.
I heard from various accounts that if a noble proved inadequate at their role, they would lose their title, passing it down to the next in line—subjected to the same tests once again.
Additionally, rumors circulated that the capital of the Wolf Duchy was under construction in a mountainous region about five hours north of Falcon's Reach, where natural resources were abundant.
The Falcon Royal House held sway over every part of the kingdom, as the capital was their fief. The majority of food production originated from Falcon's Reach, and nearly all knowledge was housed in the Royal Library—a massive building erected just two months ago.
"If His Majesty says that Irina has a great destiny, then perhaps we should stay here," I proposed to Veronica as I stood up from the chair.
Veronica appeared to be in a trance before she spoke, her eyes seemingly glowing golden. "No, we should go toward Lumen. Irina will be good with water," she replied to me, looking at me with a somewhat robotic expression.
'Huh?' I thought, seeming to see her eyes glow golden. However, when I blinked, the glow disappeared. 'Was I hallucinating?'
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Next chapter, little POV of another resident of the kingdom to see if everything is so golden and beautiful.
See you soon :)
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