Secret Imprint
“The secret imprint?”
Leylin nodded his head and stopped in his motions.
This so-called technique for the secret imprint was a tool that official Magi use for communication.
Every newly advanced official Magus would be able to design a special sign to represent themselves. In future, they could leave their secret imprint behind for communication.
As for some Magi, they would even brand it on their family members or slaves to represent the authority given.
Leylin had crafted an imprint for himself. It was an inverted triangle enclosed in a circle. On the triangle was a black serpent that snaked to the top
As for the leader’s chest, an image of blue dodo bird’s head was flashing with light.
It seemed that initiating the communication to the head required a tremendous amount of spiritual force and magic power. Just a few minutes later, the leader’s face at once became deathly pale.
Fortunately, right before the leader was unable to endure any longer, the blue light shone brightly and a blue dodo bird flew out from his chest, and perched on his shoulder.
“Sulley, is there something you want to see me about?”
The dodo bird seemed not to have noticed Leylin and immediately questioned the leader.
“He... Head, it’s like this...” That leader hurriedly whispered to the dodo bird and briefly updated him on the happenings.
The secret imprint had its limitations and could only project the voices without images. Moreover, without the aid of the communications tower, once the distance was too great, even the voices could not be sent across.
“Hello, young expert!” The dodo bird greeted Leylin.
“It’s an honour to meet the head of the Yale family, Sam Yale!” Leylin opened his mouth, his voice gruff and hoarse. It was obviously altered with the help the A.I. Chip.
“According to those family members that were dumb enough to offend you, I apologise on their behalf...” The blue dodo bird already flew back into the leader’s chest, turning into a tattoo that seemed to be alive.
“They actually dared to offend me, an official Magus. Hence, they must pay the price!” Murderous intent was contained in Leylin’s voice.
“They?” The dodo bird paused, before speaking again, “I can act on their behalf and compensate you...”
“Compensation? Leylin hooted with laughter. “Are you mocking me?”
“Not good, run!” The leader did not think that Leylin did not give the head any face in the slightest, as he hurriedly retreated.
“After offending me you still want to leave?”
Leylin’s eyes turned bloodshot and several red fireballs were cast, turning the three who could not dodge in time into a pile of ashes.
The might of acolytes, in front of official Magi, were as brittle as paper.
As for the secret imprint which was a communication device, naturally it was unable to transmit any attacks.
By abusing the limitations of the secret imprint, Leylin chose to kill them.
Anyway, his voice was concealed by the alteration of the A.I. Chip, so Sam would never be able to find him.
Keeping these acolytes alive, instead, would easily bring him trouble.
Moreover, he did not wish to remain in the Inlan Dukedom. Once he leaves the place, the other party would not be able to do anything about it either.
Walking towards the grandparent and grandchild pair, the little girl was still unconscious, having several tears on her face.
“Lord...Lord Magus!”
A shocked expression filled the old geezer’s face. Obviously, he never thought that this person who rode the same horse carriage was actually an official Magus.
Leylin squatted down and examined the old geezer’s wounds
The injury was serious. A commoner would definitely die from this wound. Even if this old geezer was a level 2 acolyte, he could survive for an additional 10 hours maximum.
Of course, Leylin could cure the old geezer but he would lose some of his precious herbs and medicines in the process. Moreover, the old geezer didn’t have a Warlock’s bloodline so Leylin was very hesitant to treat him.
However, what has to be done has to be done.
“Drink this! It will make you feel better!” Leylin handed a vial of vitality potion to the old geezer. After which, he headed over to wake the little girl up.
“Grandpa Miles!” As soon as she woke up, the little girl shouted, and threw herself at Miles and began to weep in sorrow.
After drinking the potion, the old geezer’s face revealed a flash of life. Momentarily, his spirits were up as well. This potion was merely a stimulant. It was much cheaper than the actual cure, so Leylin was willing to expend such a cheap potion.
“Good child!”
Mile stretched out his wrinkled and quivering hands to gently stroke the child’s head.
“This... This Lord Magus, could you send her to the Great Canyon Margaret, to where Marian is....”
The old geezer begged Leylin earnestly.
“I can!” Leylin pondered in silence for a moment before nodding his head to agree.
“Many thanks! You will forever be the friend of the Langster family!”
The old geezer grabbed the little girl’s hands and instructed, “From today onwards, listen to this Lord Leylin. Remember, you must obey every word, do you understand?”
As if expending all of his energy remaining, blackish red blood flowed from the old man’s lips the moment he finished talking.
“I...I understand...” The little girl sobbed silently.
The old geezer smiled, gratified at seeing the girl agree, before closing his eyes for eternity.
“Grandpa Miles! Grandpa Miles!”
The little girl cried in sorrow.
Leylin stood by a side and waited for a dozen minutes. When the girl stopped sobbing, he then asked, “We had better bury your Grandpa Miles! Also, what is your name?”
“Ivy! Sir!” The little girl’s voice was hoarse, yet it brimmed with respect.
Although Ivy was not an acolyte, but she, who grew up in a Magus family from childhood, naturally knew what being a Magus entailed.
An hour later, Leylin brought the little girl Ivy and looked at a newly constructed gravestone, making their final tribute in silence.
After the old geezer’s disclosure and the little girl’s own narration, Leylin finally understood the Langster family’s backing.
This Langster family was very small. Rumours have it that they held the inheritance to an incomplete meditation technique.
However, the thinning of the Warlock bloodline and the lack of an official Magus has made the family a lowly rated one in the Magus World.
Two hundred years ago, the incomplete meditation technique was lost in an unfortunate accident.
The limitations of Warlocks were in their bloodline, as they could only cultivate in meditation techniques suitable for themselves. Normal mind runes constructions of acolytes had no use for them.
Therefore, it was unavoidable that this family, which had produced no Magus, had deteriorated over the years.
If not for the few generations of heads standing their ground and accepting a few orphans to undergo acolyte training, it was very likely that they did not even have an acolyte in the family now.
As for Miles, he was one of these orphan acolytes, tasked as a housekeeper of the Langster family.
Just a month ago, the Yale family who was coveting the Langster family, declared war on it.
Apart from Ivy, all of the family members were killed in that war. As for Miles, he fought his way out to bring Ivy away, preparing to seek asylum with a friend of Ivy’s parents in the Great Canyon Margaret.
Hence, Ivy who was in Leylin’s hands was the final bloodline of the Langster family.
Of course, after knowing this news, there was an indescribable feeling stemming within Leylin’s heart.
However, after seeing the Langster family who had Warlock origins deteriorate into such a state, he felt like a fox grieving [1] when the rabbit dies.
Of course, he would not let these emotions fuel his desire for revenge to the Langster family. However, if the despicable leader of the Yale family happened to be in his way, that would be a different story.
“Let’s go!” Leylin grabbed Ivy’s little hand and set out towards his new destination
He prepared to bring the little girl to the Great Canyon Margaret. It wasn’t that he suddenly had a change of heart, but he was planning something else.
First of all, some experiments required Ivy to coordinate with him of her own accord in order to achieve the best results.
After that, the Great Canyon Margaret was one of the areas that Leylin had to go, so it was not troublesome. Furthermore, if Leylin discovered that Ivy had some other uses along the way, he would not hand Ivy over to Marian, for sure.
Leylin did not eliminate any possibilities of doing good within his means to increase his reputation. However, it had to be under the conditions that it would not come across his personal benefits in any way.
Even if someone were to beat him to death, Leylin would not commit such a foolish thing like altruism.
However, if he could accomplish some things effortlessly and obtain a positive reputation, he would be very willing to do it.
From Leylin’s perspective, reputation was also a form of resource, a type of benefit.
However, in the hearts of different people, the gravity that people had towards fame versus their personal benefits were different. And in their eyes, the importance of fame was ranked low on their list.
“One more point, I have some interest in your family’s bloodline. I require you to coordinate with me on some experiments, do you understand?”
As the sky turned darker, an emerald green field of view appeared in Leylin’s eyes. It allowed him to see even better than daytime.
When he spoke, Leylin felt Ivy’s hands quiver noticeably,
“As you wish! Lord! “
Ivy replied a good while later with a shaky voice.
“I adore intelligent and obedient children!” Ivy’s obedience and maturity left Leylin pleasantly surprised as he originally thought he had to spend some effort to handle her.,
He gently stroked Ivy on the head and carried her in his arms.
“Mas... Master...” Ivy gently called out in a voice as small as the buzz of a mosquito.
“If you cannot see the road clearly in this dark night, I can help!”
Feeling the trembling of the little body in his bosom, Leylin smiled and patted Ivy on the back. With an increase in his pace, the pair quickly disappeared into the darkness.
“This kind of vision... is it that of a serpent?”
Leylin’s vision was affected by an emerald green tint.
Even though it was dark at night, Leylin could see everything.
Somewhere tens of meters away, there was a dog-like creature with red heat emitting from its body.
It somewhat resembled heat imaging.
“Turns out that the so-called path of Warlocks is to continuously tap into the origin of the bloodline and the process of remodeling of one’s body...
Leylin was somewhat enlightened “Looks like I have to spend more time on my transfiguration...”
[1] [TL Note: (兔死狐悲) If the rabbit dies, the fox grieves. It means to have sympathy with a like-minded person in distress.]