Lord: I can see loyalty.

Chapter 262 Knight Magic Items

The training ground in Jinma City.

As dawn broke through the clouds and the thin mist had not yet dissipated, the training ground was already bustling with activity.

The militiamen of the southern border were training in formation, their spears like a forest and their shields like a wall, their captains' shouts rising and falling.

Some people were practicing swordsmanship, while others were running around the training ground. Sweat and dust mingled together, and the air was filled with a unique atmosphere that belonged to the military camp.

Upon seeing Vio approaching, the militiamen immediately stopped what they were doing and shouted loudly.

"My Lord Earl!"

Their voices were unified, filled with heartfelt respect. They knew that it was this young count who had led them all the way from the southern border to here, from bandits to pirates in the west, from the allied knights of the north to the Golden Saddle Horse family.

Moreover, he was almost always at the forefront of every battle.

"Get up," Vio waved his hand. "Continue training."

The militiamen stood up and continued their drills, but their eyes kept glancing at the young figure.

They whispered among themselves, some with eyes full of admiration, others with faces radiating pride.

Someone whispered, "The Earl is at the training ground again, even more diligent than us."

"That's right, otherwise how could we possibly defeat those great knights?"

Vio ignored the discussions and simply walked across the training ground towards the military camp in the south of the city.

Valentine's magic camp is temporarily stationed there, and it is also where he studies magical items. Since taking over Golden Horse City, Valentine has been immersed in it. It is said that he has found many good things in the Golden Horse family's treasury and is busy studying them.

At the camp entrance, two militiamen saw Vio and quickly saluted.

"Your Excellency, Lord Valentine is inside." Vio nodded, lifted the tent flap, and went inside.

The tent was filled with all sorts of magical items and books, some seized from the Golden Saddle Horse family, some brought by Valentine himself, and others collected from various small and medium-sized families in the North.

Several boxes of magic ore were piled in the corner, and several bottles of potions of different colors were placed on the table. The air was filled with a mixture of magic...

The smell of herbs and metals.

Valentine was sitting at the table, holding a dark purple magic ore in his hand, his old eyes gleaming, muttering incantations.

His staff leaned against the table, the magic crystal at its tip gleaming faintly in the candlelight.

"Uncle," Vio began.

-

Valentine looked up, saw Vio, grinned, revealing a few missing old teeth.

"Vio? You've come at the right time. Take a look at this." He held up the magic ore in his hand, turning it over in the candlelight. "Found in the Golden Saddle family's treasury. Its purity is much higher than the ore in our Southern Territory. With this stuff, I can make even better magical artifacts."

Vio walked over and sat down opposite him. "Uncle, I'll get straight to the point: I need to improve my magical abilities."

Valentine put down the magic ore, his smile fading slightly as he looked intently at Vio.

"What, you want to learn magic?"

"You don't necessarily have to learn it." Vio's voice was calm. "My magical talent is obviously not as good as many people, or even magic apprentices—but I have the basics. At least, I can deploy a magic shield to block the red dragon's breath."

"There are more mages in the North than we are now, Uncle Valentine. You can't hold them off alone. I need someone who can confront their magical attacks head-on on the battlefield."

Valentine paused for a moment, stroking his beard, a thoughtful look flashing in his old eyes.

He stood up and paced around the tent, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. Occasionally, he would flip through the books on the table, or pick up a bottle of medicine, smell it, and then put it down.

"It's too late to learn magic now," he finally said. "Even if you learn it now, it will take at least several years before you can use it."

But using magical items is much faster.

He turned to look at Vio. "Do you still remember your Demon Feather Sword and Demon Feather Shield?"

Vio nodded.

"That's a magical weapon made from magic ore, but it has a relatively low magical attribute. Its main function is to attack and defend using your strength."

Valentine walked back to the table, took a piece of parchment from the drawer, spread it on the table, picked up a quill pen, and began to draw quickly.

"This time, I'm going to make you a purely magical item—well, let's call it the [Knight's Magic Gloves]."

"Gloves?" Vio's brow twitched slightly.

Valentine did not answer, but simply began drawing blueprints.

His pen scratched across the parchment, the lines flowing smoothly, quickly outlining the shape of a glove.

The gloves are similar in style to ordinary knight's gauntlets, but more exquisite. There are several complex runes on the gauntlets, several small magic crystals are inlaid on the knuckles, and there is a larger magic crystal in the palm, which is dark purple and has intricate patterns engraved on the edges.

"This isn't your average gauntlet." Valentine put down his quill and pointed to the blueprints. "If all goes well, it can charge up and unleash magic."

"You only need to inject a very small amount of magic power into the magic ore in your palm to activate the runes on it and release the preset magic. No incantation or complicated magic circle is needed. Just infuse magic power and you can use it."

"What kind of magic can you cast?" Vio asked.

Valentine laughed. "That depends on what you want to use. I've found quite a few good things in the Golden Saddle family's treasury these past few days, including blueprints for fire magic, lightning magic, and quite a few defensive ones. Whichever one you need, I'll install for you."

Vio was silent for a moment. "Can you do both?"

Valentine paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"You want them all?! You've got quite the appetite!" He shook his head. "But it's not impossible. We can install several magic circles, use better materials, and switch between them. It's just a bit more complicated to operate."

"I should be able to operate it," Vio said calmly.

Valentine looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded.

"Okay, I'll give it a try. Give me three days."

After saying that, he turned and stepped into the research room.

-

Three days later at the Jinma City training ground.

Valentine was already standing in the center of the training ground, leaning on his staff and holding a seemingly ordinary knight's glove in his hands.

The gloves are similar in style to ordinary knight's gauntlets, but more exquisite, with three intricate runes engraved on the gauntlets, each representing a different type of magic.

Several tiny magic crystals are visible embedded in the knuckles, but they are not easily noticeable unless you look closely.

In the palm of his hand was an even larger magic ore, dark purple in color, with intricate patterns engraved on its edges; this was the core of the magic.

If the magic power of this magic ore is exhausted, Vio will have to use the magic power within his own body.

There is also a small crack in the center, which is the activation point of the magic circle.

"Try them on," Valentine said, handing the gloves to Vio.

Vio took it and put it on his right hand.

The gloves were a bit heavier than regular gauntlets, but it was still within the acceptable range for a fourth-tier Grand Knight. He moved his fingers around; they were flexible and didn't affect his grip on the sword.

"You can even use this glove as a shield, as long as a small amount of magic is injected into the magic crystal in your palm."

Valentine's voice held a hint of anticipation, "See the magic runes above? That represents different kinds of magic."

Vio nodded, took a deep breath, and channeled his magic into his palm.

A rune on the glove lit up instantly, and the rune on the gauntlet flashed red. He raised his hand, aimed at the boulder half a person's height in the center of the training field, and released it suddenly.

boom-!

A fireball shot out from his palm, struck the boulder, and exploded instantly, sending debris flying and dust billowing everywhere.

The boulder was blasted into a crater half a meter in diameter, its edges charred and still smoking.

A hint of surprise flashed in Vio's eyes; this power was more than twice as strong as Valentine's ordinary fireball.

"We could try a different rune," Valentine suggested.

Vio infused his magic again, this time making the rune in the center of the gauntlet glow. He raised his hand and aimed it at another boulder.

Sizzle—!

A bolt of blue lightning shot from his palm, striking the boulder. The boulder shattered instantly, sending fragments flying and filling the air with the acrid smell of ozone.

Lightning was clearly more powerful than fireballs, and its area-of-effect attack was no less than that of fireballs. Vio's lips curled up slightly.

"Not bad power."

"Try again," Valentine said with a hint of smugness in his voice.

Vio continued to channel his magic into his palm, and the rune on his gauntlet began to glow once more.

next moment.

A semi-transparent purple magic shield appeared in front of him, similar to the magic shield of the Magic Feather Shield, but thicker and with a larger coverage area.

He raised the Demon Feather Sword with his other hand and slashed it at the magic shield.

The sword was deflected, but the magic shield remained unmoved.

"These are really good things." Vio put away the gloves and said, "Knight's magic gloves, huh—"

Vio put his gloves back on, moved his fingers, and felt the newfound power.

Several types of magic, including offensive and defensive magic, can be switched at any time.

Although the operation is complicated, his speed and reaction ability are sufficient to handle it.

With this glove, he had an extra trump card on the battlefield, and he wouldn't be so passive when facing the mages of the North.

It's like the Southern Territory suddenly gained a magician!

"Uncle, you've really gone to a lot of trouble." Vio looked at Valentine.

Valentine waved his hand. "What's the trouble? These old bones of mine can still move, so I'll move around more."

He paused for a moment. "Vio, what are you planning to do next?"

Vio gazed at the gray, hazy sky to the north.

"Next? Continue north and take over the Black Serpent's territory."

He turned around and walked towards the military camp.

Behind him, Valentine leaned on his staff, watching the departing figure, a hint of relief flashing in his old eyes.

The memory of the first time I met Vio came to mind.

Now, he has become a regional overlord, controlling two realms, commanding tens of thousands of soldiers and four great knights, and even daring to provoke the legendary red dragon.

The Southern Territory will not lose this war.