Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

The clattering wings tore through the sky, accompanied by a low rumble of thunder, as they hovered above the castle.

As dusk bathed the earth in an orange hue, the patrolling guards were the first to look up, and then their spears clattered to the ground.

"A monster...a monster!"

"My God! Is it a dragon?"

"Be on guard! Be on guard!!!"

Chaos erupted in the castle. The bells rang hastily, and the guards swarmed the walls like startled ants. Archers drew their bows, but their hands trembled.

The servants screamed and hid in all directions.

Latour rushed to the top of the city wall, with Vincent close behind, both of them looking extremely serious.

An extraordinary pressure permeated the air, pressing down on everyone's chest like a mountain, making it difficult to breathe.

The elite soldiers on the city wall were so weak that their legs were spinning, and they didn't even have the strength to lift their shields.

Even the great knight Latour felt his heart being gripped by an invisible hand.

This level of power far exceeded his comprehension.

"Father, it...it's falling!" Vincent's voice trembled.

A huge black shadow blocked out the setting sun, its wings whipped up a gale that made the flags flutter and scattered stones and dust everywhere.

The quack slowly descended, eventually hovering in front of the castle's main building, level with the city wall.

At that moment, everyone could see the human figure on its back.

A deep blue wizard's robe, eyes so calm they were almost indifferent, and that face...

Latour's pupils suddenly contracted.

Ignoring everything, Enoya pushed aside the maid blocking her way and squeezed to the edge of the crenellation.

She only glanced at it before freezing in place.

Tears welled up without warning...

"I... En?" Her voice was very soft, as if afraid of shattering a dream.

The city wall was deathly silent.

Fear, doubt, disbelief... all eyes were fixed on that figure.

Ian's gaze swept across the city wall, lingering on the faces of his parents and brother, and he nodded slightly.

Then, he stepped off Gaga's back.

With nothing beneath his feet, he walked steadily toward the city wall, as if stepping on invisible steps.

A first-level wizard, walking on air.

This sight completely shattered the understanding of ordinary people.

The sounds of kneeling rose and fell; the guards dropped their weapons, prostrated themselves on the ground, and dared not even lift their heads.

This is not something they can comprehend or contend with.

Ian landed a few steps in front of his father.

Latour opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbed a few times, but no sound came out.

He looked at his son, his eyes filled with ecstasy, shock, and unfamiliarity, which finally intertwined into a complex sense of awe.

He instinctively wanted to step forward, but his steps faltered, and his fingers twitched helplessly.

In the end, this count, known for his iron fist, bowed his head slightly in front of his son, his posture becoming somewhat restrained.

"Son... Ian." He changed his form of address with difficulty.

Ian sighed inwardly. His father's restraint made him feel the invisible chasm more than any attack.

Power brings status, but it also brings distance.

Only Ainoa remained unchanged.

She completely ignored everything around her; all she saw was her child.

She rushed over, grabbed Ian's arm, and looked him up and down, tears streaming down her face.

"You've lost weight... Did you suffer out there? Did you get hurt? It's good to be back, it's good to be back..."

She chattered on and on, touching his cheek with her fingers as carefully as if afraid of breaking something.

That care was genuine and without any impurities.

Ian let his mother look him over, his cold expression softening: "Mother, I'm fine, I'm alright."

He turned to his father, his voice regaining its calmness: "Father, come inside and talk."

Latour seemed to wake from a dream and quickly stepped aside: "...Okay, okay, please come in."

The castle hall was brightly lit, but the atmosphere remained stagnant.

All the servants retreated to a distance, remaining silent. Only Latour, Enoya, Vincent, and Ian were present.

Ian sat in the main seat, while Gaga shrank in size and squatted on the back of the chair next to him, its heterochromatic eyes curiously examining the mortal castle.

"...That's how it is."

After Latour sat down, he explained the family's predicament as concisely as possible.

The pressure from the Marquess of Holden, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and today the butler's threatening visit.

His narration was restrained, without much embellishment, but the pressure between the lines, and the already drafted humiliating contract, were enough to explain everything.

Vincent added some details, his fists clenched white.

After listening, Ian tapped his finger lightly on the back of the chair.

"Caw." It cawed, and the feathers on its wings stood up slightly.

The temperature in the hall seemed to drop several degrees instantly.

Latour and Vincent shuddered, feeling a chilling killing intent sweep across their skin, making their hair stand on end.

"The Marquis of Holden, White River City, Treasurer, Royal Capital."

And then there were the high knights who actually carried out the work, and... those wandering wizard apprentices who had participated in the mining area dispute and might still be lingering nearby.

Ian's voice was emotionless. "Do you know the location?"

"Understood!" Vincent replied immediately.

Take out the map that you have prepared in advance and mark several locations on it precisely.

Ian glanced at it and memorized it.

"You guys wait at home, I'll be right back."

He stood up.

"Ian!" Enoya grabbed his hand, her eyes filled with worry.

"You...you must be careful."

Ian squeezed his mother's hand in return: "Don't worry, it'll be soon."

He went out onto the terrace outside the hall. A squawking bird flew over.

Its body swelled in the night wind, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a colossal creature with a wingspan exceeding fifteen meters.

Ian leaped onto its back.

"Let's go to Baihe City first."

"Gah!"

The giant, jet-black bird let out a long, tearing cry, flapped its wings, and soared into the sky.

In the blink of an eye, it turned into a tiny dot on the horizon and disappeared into the night.

Inside the castle, Latour, supporting his wife, gazed in the direction where their son had disappeared, remaining silent for a long time.

He knew that after tonight, the world of the Marcus family would be completely changed.

And what became of those jackals...?

Baihe City, Marquis Mansion.

Lord Holden was in the banquet hall, entertaining several of his trusted knights.

Fine wine and delicious food, lively conversation—these were all about how to "take over" Blackrock Canyon and distribute the profits.

"Five more days, just five more days. If that stubborn old man Marcus doesn't know what's good for him, then we'll..."

The Marquis raised his glass, but before he could finish speaking...

boom!

Suddenly, a huge hole burst open in the magnificent ceiling of the banquet hall, and wood chips, gravel, and fragments of crystal chandeliers rained down like a storm.

A strong wind rushed in, extinguishing all the candles and the fire in the fireplace.

The hall was filled with screams and chaos.

Amidst the smoke and dust, a deep blue figure slowly descended, hovering in mid-air. Perched on his shoulder was a raven with heterochromatic eyes and a cold gaze.

Moonlight shone through the hole, falling on Ian's expressionless face.

"Who is Holden?" His voice wasn't loud, but it drowned out all the noise.

The marquis, shielded by his guards, was both shocked and furious: "Who are you?! How dare you..."

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