Wizards: Starting with Fairy Crests

025: What can you give me?

Lin Qi raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the panicked count and his guards, then over the pursuing soldiers coming from behind, his face expressionless.

He simply raised his left hand casually and waved it behind him, indicating that they could hide behind him.

Count Thornflower felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He hurriedly led his men to rein in their horses and stop behind Lynch, panting heavily with shock.

The pursuers swarmed in quickly, forming a semi-circle around the campfire, the torchlight illuminating their fierce or hesitant faces.

The leader was a burly man with a scar on his face. He suspiciously sized up the overly composed young man by the campfire, pointed his curved knife at him, and shouted gruffly, "Where did you come from, kid? I advise you to mind your own business if you don't want to die!"

The count and his guards were on tenterhooks.

Although it was speculated that Lin Qi was a master, and might even possess the strength of a knight, with so many opponents, no one knew whether they could turn the tide.

Despite the scarred, muscular man's threat, Lin Qi's expression remained unchanged, but his hands began to move.

He raised his right hand and casually snapped his fingers in the air.

"Snapped!"

A sliver of pale blue light flashed from his shoulder, quickly outlining the small, ethereal silhouette of a forest fairy.

"Witch..." The scarred, burly man's pupils suddenly contracted, and his expression changed drastically.

However, before he could even utter a word, the words caught in his throat and he never had the chance to say them again.

The fairy spread her arms, and a dense and sharp rain of ice crystals appeared out of thin air, shimmering with a deadly cold light in the reflection of the campfire. In the next instant, it shot towards the bandit leader and the few people closest to him!

"Puff puff puff puff—!"

The muffled thuds of ice crystals piercing flesh echoed one after another. The bandit leader didn't even have time to scream before several ice crystals pierced his head and chest, freezing the look of shock on his face forever. His burly body crashed to the ground.

The people around him also collapsed instantly, like harvested wheat.

Dead silence.

Immediately following was an explosion of screams filled with unparalleled terror:

"A...wizard!"

"It's a wizard! Run!!"

"Run! Run for your lives!!"

The dozens of thugs who had been so aggressive just moments before were now as if they had seen a ghost; their faces drained of color, leaving only boundless fear.

They dropped their weapons, knocked over their companions, and fled frantically into the darkness they had come from, wishing they had two more legs. In the blink of an eye, they scattered like birds and beasts, leaving behind only a few rapidly cooling corpses and a mess on the ground.

The night wind filled the fields again, causing the campfire to flicker.

The fairy phantom on Lynch's shoulder vanished silently. As if he had done something insignificant, he turned his head and calmly looked at Earl Thornflower, who was trembling all over, had collapsed to his knees with a thud, and was unable to utter a word.

"Now," Lynch's voice was particularly clear in the suddenly quiet night, "let's talk about what you can give me."

......

A few days later, in the Kingdom of Talis, in the city of Armor Rock.

As a major city in the western border of the Kingdom of Talis, one of the kingdoms on the southern coast, Armor Rock City is quite large with a population of 200,000. Its bustling streets and sturdy stone walls highlight its important status, and the city is ruled by the Thornflower family.

At this moment, in the heart of the city, an unusual silence pervaded a magnificent manor. All the original servants and gardeners had vanished without a trace.

Earl of Thorns, Celtic, led Lynch through a beautifully manicured but deserted courtyard and into the elegantly decorated main hall.

He bowed slightly, his posture so respectful it was almost restrained.

"Your Excellency," the Earl said in a low voice, as if afraid of disturbing something, "all personnel in the manor have been temporarily evacuated. It is quite quiet here. If you do not mind, please stay here to rest. All expenses will be borne by my Thorn Flower family."

This is the world of wizards, where wizards hold a transcendent status, almost like gods in the eyes of ordinary humans.

Celt paused, then gestured to an elderly butler behind him who was carrying a heavy cloth bag and kept his head down, avoiding Lynch's gaze. The butler immediately stepped forward and carefully placed the bag on a low table inlaid with pearls, making a dull metallic clanging sound.

"Here are five hundred royal gold coins. Please accept them for any eventuality," he explained, carefully choosing his words. "As for servants... reliable servants or slaves can be purchased at the city market at any time. You may choose whomever suits your taste."

It is said that wizards dislike others eavesdropping on their secrets, so after handing the manor over to Lynch, Celt immediately dismissed all the people inside to avoid causing Lynch any misunderstanding.

"Until you find a suitable replacement," he said, pointing to the old butler, "this is my butler, Martin. He's reliable enough; let him stay here and be at your service. If you need anything, big or small, just let him know."

Lynch's gaze calmly fell on Martin, the butler who stood at his sides with his hands at his sides, displaying utmost humility. He nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

Upon receiving this simple response, the count seemed relieved, but his awe remained, replaced by a more cautious tone as he added, "There is one more thing I need to inform you of. The situation within the kingdom has been somewhat turbulent lately."

"To ensure absolute peace and tranquility here and prevent any unauthorized individuals from disturbing you, I will increase the number of reliable personnel and strengthen patrols in this area."

Not long ago, the old king of the Kingdom of Talis passed away. The succession was unclear due to various reasons, which led to several princes and their families starting a power game. As a result, the entire kingdom was plunged into war, with nobles of all ranks fighting each other and engaging in all sorts of conspiracies and intrigues.

The Celts' previous chase in the wilderness was also related to this. A planned dinner party was inexplicably leaked, and they were attacked by an unknown group. Luckily, they ran fast and ran into Lynch, otherwise they would have been killed outside.

"Hmm," Lin Qi responded again indifferently.

Seeing that Lynch had no further instructions, Celt wisely took a half step back and bowed deeply: "Then, if there are no other instructions, I will not disturb your rest any longer, sir."

After speaking, he maintained a respectful posture and slowly retreated towards the door. Only when he reached the threshold did he turn around and quietly leave with several equally tense guards. His steps were light and swift, as if he were afraid that the heavy sound of his footsteps would be an offense.

The hall fell completely silent, leaving only Lynch and the old butler Martin, who stood like a statue, even his breathing was deliberately soft.

Wizards don't have a good reputation in the human world. After all, their methods are hardly righteous, so most people equate wizards with terror.

"The manor is now in your hands."

Lynch gave the old butler Martin a brief instruction before walking into a cleaned-up, empty room.

Cultivate, become powerful.

This is the path he must continue to pursue!