Published at 26th of June 2021 2:00 pm

Chapter 123: Rebuilding and Strengthening the City (3)

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

They were finally at the final stages of rebuilding the city. It was all thanks to the foreign workmen, the army, the knights, Ian, and the magic of the Ivory Tower.

“Master, where should I put these?” A workman asked.

“You can set those down at the forge over there.” Ian replied.

“What should I do about these seedlings?” asked another.

“Please leave all of them on the porch of the carpenter’s shop.”

“Is that all I need to do?”

“Yes, someone else will be responsible for them.”

The construction work for expanding the property was coming to a completion. Most of the extended property included a workshop and a personal room for each of the eight artisans. Two of the artisans had not arrived yet, and the engineer, Siram, had claimed he would use his own workshop, but Ian couldn’t exclude them from the list of artisans who would be living on the property.

“Then… What about these books?” someone asked.

“Take that to the office -“ Ian started to reply automatically, but paused when he saw who had asked the question.

“Mother…” Ian said, “what are you doing out here?”

“Look over there.” Vanessa said, pointing in the direction of the princess, who was busy carrying things into their new office.

“Even her Highness is working hard!” she exclaimed.

“She’s a lot stronger than you think. She’s a mage, remember?”

“I know, but…” Vanessa paused and hoisted the box she was holding. She didn’t seem to want to quit working in the slightest.

“It’s going to be our office. We should work on it ourselves.”

“You should still take it easy, Mother.” Ian murmured, as if deciding he couldn’t change her mind. He decided to cast a few helpful spells on her that would improve her muscle strength.

“Huh?” Ian muttered when the spell didn’t work. Precisely speaking, someone had already cast the spells on his mother, and these were spells that were lower than 4 Class.

‘What’s going on?’ Ian wondered. He looked around and noticed Princess Haileyy staggering under the weight of the things she was carrying. Ian was certain it was she who had cast the strengthening spells on his mother.

‘Looks like she took matters in her own hands.’ Ian thought with a smile and looked around.

What simply used to be his private property was now too big for his own private use and was like a manor. During the recent months, Ian had planned three goals. There were other minor details, but they boiled down to the three.

‘And this will all be fulfilled once the manor is complete.’ Ian thought to himself. ‘First, I will strengthen the borders of the city and the kingdom, keeping it safe from disasters.’

Building defenses around the kingdom was the priority. Ian was mostly to blame for the recent accident. But that didn’t mean he should live alone in the mountains as an outcast. If he were living on his own, it wouldn’t have mattered. In his present life, however, he had a family and his own people to take care of.

The city and the kingdom were home to his family and the people, some of which was lost due to his existence. Therefore, it was crucial that he strengthened the defenses from disasters.

‘If I get help from the artisans…’

It would take a lot for him to get enough power to be able to defend disasters like the recent one or at least hold the defenses together as long as possible.

‘There are so many improvements that can be made.’

Some major improvements could be made on the weapons used by the Big Three of the kingdom’s army that referred to the Ivory Tower, the Knights, and the Kingdom’s military. That was not all. They not only had a variety of architecture and castle walls, but also the Moving Statues of Cleven.

‘It would have been better if it was possible to mass produce the Boom Sticks.’

There was a reason Ian had asked Siram the engineer whether it would be possible to have a mass production of the Boom Sticks, especially since it would have been helpful.

‘Oh well,’ Ian thought. ‘There’s nothing I can do about it.’

He could still make improvements based on what he had planned. At this rate, the kingdom wouldn’t simply be undergoing a huge improvement - it would be a revolution.

‘I should make changes to the systems in the Ivory Tower while I’m at it.’

He had already revealed the new Mana Respiratory System at the Ivory Tower.

But he couldn’t get his hopes up by simply relying on the Respiratory System. He also had to make improvements on several other issues. He had specially planned out the disposure and modifications of the 5 -year dispatch system and revisions of the curriculum taught in the Academy.

‘All of these are issues that need to be changed by the Ivory Tower Council today.’

Tonight was the council, and there were two issues that had to be addressed. One was regarding the systems of the Ivory Tower. And the other? The trial of Haileyy Greenriver, who was an unlicensed mage. It was an issue they had decided to postpone after the whole fiasco was over. The fact that Princess Hailey was a mage would be discussed at the Ivory Tower Council today.

‘Is she not worried at all, or is she just keeping a straight face?’

As the princess returned to carry more things into the office, their eyes met. Although it was for a split second, Ian could sense her feelings.

‘She’s nervous.’ He realized.

Ian couldn’t blame her. As a princess, this would be the first time she would be standing in trial. Not only would the trial be a new experience, everything else that was happening now would be new to her. Of course, she would be worried. It was impossible for even the most strong-minded person not to be swayed in this kind of situation. Princess Haileyy seemed hesitant once she had met eyes with Ian, but immediately went off to the Page family’s office, carrying another pile of belongings. It seemed impossible for Ian to get a chance to talk with her.

‘Looks like she needs some time to think.’ Ian thought, shrugging. He broke away his glance from the princess and looked up at the sky.

The day was still clear and bright. He had some time until the council meeting. It was enough time for him to finish his duties.

‘I should get some work done in advance.’ Ian thought and entered his house to get his second plan in action. He had been working on this plan every night, but decided to work on some of it now, since he wouldn’t have time later on due to the council meeting. His second plan was to ‘research’ the power of dragon languages, or rather, learn the language completely. Wouldn’t that help Ian to keep his promise with the artisans and make himself stronger?

“Amazing…” Ian murmured to himself as he was sitting in his study, a book open in his hands.

He had realized something over the past few days. He had a deeper understanding of the dragon language, which was what the book was about.

“I didn’t even take time to study it…” Ian murmured.

He had grown in knowledge of the dragon language once when he had met Fran Page, the greatest mage of all time, and once again when he met Fran Page as the Golden Dragon. The most recent was after he had defeated the Bone Dragon. He increasingly became more fluent in reading, writing and speaking the language.

“Hm…” Ian said thoughtfully.

Thanks to his skills, he was able to read at least 60% of the book’s content and he was capable of reading and writing fluently. Compared to the knowledge and language skills he had in his previous life, the improvement was incomparable.

‘Although… I still have problems with my mana.’ He thought. The problem wasn’t the amount of the mana, the problem was the quality of the mana.

‘I didn’t think it would require a higher level than 8th class.’

Ian currently owned mana of 8th class.

Thanks to Dennis, the jeweler, he had gained his old physical powers back, but Ian lacked the mana heart. It wasn’t enough for him to use the language powers to his pleasure.

‘I have to be higher than 8th class.’ Ian thought. It was a level he hadn’t even considered before, but he had no choice but to reach for that goal.

‘I haven’t met my limits yet.’ Ian thought. 8th class couldn’t be the limit for humans. After all, the greatest mage of all time had existed before.

‘The bastard was a lot stronger than me. He just couldn’t overcome the limitations of a human and used a dragon’s body to become stronger. That means the 8th class isn’t the end for me.’

The first mage had reached the full powers of a dragon with only his human body. That proved nothing was impossible. It was too early for him to give up. Ian could surpass him with his own powers since he wasn’t a normal human being either. Whether it was the dragon or the first mage, they excelled more than Ian only in experience. At least, that’s what he thought.

‘But how did I turn back time with my powers?’ Ian thought, starting to grow suspicious. The Ian of his previous life was 8th class as his present self, but he had turned time back 30 years with only a simple spell. How was he able to control such powers?

‘Was it because it was a one-time spell?’ Ian wondered.

The language, more specifically, the Golden Dragon’s language, was now gone from the written records.

‘… Maybe it was all part of that bastard’s scheme.’ Ian thought.

Then, he suddenly remembered what the Bone Dragon had said. Something he had been trying to hard to forget. What he had pretended not to remember was echoing in his mind.

But Ian wasn’t certain. The situation then and now hadn’t changed, so there was no way for him to find out.

“Dang it.”

His answer to the Dragon’s question whether he was sure Fran Page had nothing to do with the decisions he had made his whole life hadn’t changed. Ian wasn’t sure back then, and he still wasn’t sure now.

‘I don’t know.’ Ian thought to himself.

That itself was the reason Ian had come up with three plans. And the last plan was to find the greatest mage of all time, who was also the Golden Dragon, and perhaps, his own father. The one who was the last piece to this puzzle and all his problems.

‘I have to find Fran Page.’ Ian thought determinedly.

It was difficult for Ian to remember him as his father. He had no memories of him, and he was a unique figure in Ian’s life. He wasn’t like any ordinary father, which, of course, made it impossible for Ian to treat him as one.

‘Not that there would be a way for me to treat him as a father.’ Ian thought.

Vanessa, Ian’s mother, had few memories of Fran Page. Specifically, she only remembered the Fran Page that was once her husband. She seemed to be completely clueless about what more there was to his identity.

‘I suppose we’ll see him someday.’ Ian thought.

There was no proof of that, but Ian was certain. After all, hadn’t they crossed paths twice already? Once as the first mage, and the other time as the Golden Dragon.

‘If I do meet him, what should I ask him?’

Was Ian supposed to ask him whether he was his father? Or what schemes he, Fran Page, was planning? Or what he wanted from Ian?

‘And if he does answer my questions, how am I supposed to respond?’

What if he had a plan that Ian would fall for? And what if, on the other hand, Ian wasn’t convinced with whatever the Dragon was planning? Was he supposed to help Fran Page with his schemes? Or should he be stopped? Or should he be left alone?

‘I just don’t know.’ Ian thought as all such doubts crossed his mind.

He shook his head and turned his attention back to the book. A few hours passed, and the sky grew dark outside. Someone knocked on the door, hard. Ian wondered how much time had passed. It was Emily, who had been working in the Page home for seven years and had risen to be head of the servants with the sudden increase of the workmen.

“Master. It’s time.”

She had come to remind him of the time Ian had told her beforehand. It was time to attend the council.

“Already…?”

Ian looked up and glanced out the dark window. It felt like time was going by quickly nowadays.

“Thank you,” Ian said. “You can go back to work now.”

Ian got up from his seat and looked over at the robes he had hung in his closet. One was the robe of Mitchell Greenriver, and the other was Bertholdo the Sewer’s masterpiece.

‘I should return that soon…’

Mitchell Greenriver’s robe actually belonged to the palace. It had been passed down for generations. Mitchell Greenriver’s last words had instructed that the robe may only be given to the royal mage, so the robe had simply been ‘lent’ to him.

“Hmmm.” Ian said thoughtfully.

After a long moment of silence, he took the robe of Mitchell Greenriver and after folding it neatly, placed it in his pouch. He suddenly had an idea.

“Let’s go.” He muttered to himself.

It was too late for him to walk, so he murmured a teleportation spell. A ray of white light swallowed Ian. His destination was the council of the Ivory Tower.

***

All the High-Class mage were already in their seats when Ian arrived at the Greenriver Ivory Tower, where the meeting would proceed. Ian wasn’t late at all. In fact, he was quite early. Despite his punctuality, he ended up being the last one present.

“Welcome, Master.”

Ronan, a middle-aged high-class mage said, being the first to spot Ian. He immediately stood from his seat to show his respect for Ian.

“Gr…greetings, Master of the Ivory Tower.”

The other mages were quick to follow suit and address their greetings as well. There was no special reason for them to arrive early. It was simply because Ian would be present, and Ian was usually early. And he had teleportation abilities.

“You are all here early. I thought I would be first.”

Ian’s family was used to having Ian around. And his relationship with the King Terry Greenriver was special. The eight artisans see Ian as someone more than what people see. However, the same Ian that the rest of the world saw was completely different to normal people.

“Appointments are meant to be kept.” A mage answered.

“And there were a lot of preparations to be made for the meeting, so…” Another mumbled.

“Oh, we simply wouldn’t make you wait, Master.” A third answered.

Ian was the object of their reverence and fear. In fact, Ian Page was more than that.

“Let’s proceed then, shall we?” Ian asked as if he was completely clueless. Ian sat in his seat. It was the first Ivory Tower Council of the Empire Year 509. And the meeting proceeded earlier than planned.

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