Chapter 28: Delia
Delia was chatting and laughing with His Majesty Joan at the front, her words full of wit, and the Emperor would occasionally let out hearty laughter.
His Majesty Joan, Delia, Master Rourles, Kenyon, Ranko, and others walked at the very front, while the palace attendants, maids, and a large number of powerful knights followed closely behind. Most of the nobles lagged in the rear, trailing at a distance.
“What a beautiful woman,” said a group of young nobles from the imperial capital, gathered together. These young aristocratic men held extremely high status in the capital, including princes and sons of major families. They had never known want since childhood, and especially when they banded together, no one in the capital dared to provoke them. The speaker was Marquis Kifer, son of Prince Yulin.
“She seems to be called Delia,” said a young noble beside him, who was none other than the Eighth Prince of the Empire, Scott. “So beautiful, so elegant—hard to find even in the capital.”
Marquis Kifer, Prince Scott, and a crowd of other idle nobles from the capital freely appraised her from a distance.
Indeed, Delia possessed a charm that captivated them. Every gesture carried the aura of an ancient noble family, and as a seventh-level magician, even her walk was ethereal and graceful. Add to that her lovely face and her flowing, soft golden hair that shone like the sun.
Scott sighed, “Delia, born into the Ryan family, once a student at Ernst Academy, and now a disciple of Master Rourles, the wind-element Saint-level Archmage. In the imperial capital of the Yulan Empire, she’s one of the top noble ladies, pursued by countless aristocratic youths.”
Marquis Kifer’s eyes lit up as he gazed at Delia’s distant silhouette. “If I could win her over, I’d give up all other women willingly.”
“Such determination, cousin Kifer?” Scott glanced at Kifer with a smile.
“Of course!” Marquis Kifer affirmed.
His Majesty Joan was extremely protective of his family. His only full brother, Prince Yulin, was doted on immensely, to the point where Joan granted him control over one of the seven major provinces, the ‘Southeastern Province.’ By extension, Marquis Kifer also enjoyed His Majesty’s favor. His status in the capital was exceptionally high, and that group of idle nobles followed him and Scott as their leaders.
“Since you’re so determined, cousin, I won’t lag behind,” Scott said with a confident smile. “Cousin Kifer, let’s see which of us brothers can win Miss Delia’s heart.”
“Deal,” Kifer nodded, a sly grin spreading across his face. “If we succeed, it’ll bring great honor to us men of the O’Brien Empire. After all, those Yulan Empire nobles have been chasing her without success.”
…
“I imagine Miss Delia and Master Rourles must be tired from the journey. How about this: I’ll have someone arrange for you to rest first. Then, in the evening, you can attend the reception banquet I’m hosting in your honor. What do you think?” His Majesty Joan stopped at Fushi Road and said to Delia.
All the mansions on Fushi Road were built by the royal family. The emperor either granted them to nobles or used them to host guests. These residences couldn’t be bought with money alone.
“We’ll follow Your Majesty’s arrangements,” Delia said with a smile.
At that moment, Scott and Marquis Kifer hurried over from behind. They knew that His Majesty Joan was about to part ways with Miss Delia, so they seized the opportunity. Given their status, the guards naturally wouldn’t stop them.
“Miss Delia, Master Rourles probably isn’t familiar with the capital. I’ll arrange a guide for you,” His Majesty Joan said with a smile.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Delia replied gratefully.
“Father.” “Your Majesty.” Scott and Marquis Kifer’s eyes lit up, and they immediately spoke up without hesitation.
His Majesty Joan turned around and saw it was his son and nephew.
“Scott, Kifer, what is it?” His Majesty was in a good mood today.
Marquis Kifer respectfully said first, “Your Majesty, since you’re arranging a guide, Scott and I know the capital like the back of our hands. We think we’d make excellent guides and ensure Miss Delia is satisfied.”
His Majesty Joan glanced at Kifer and Scott, easily discerning their intentions. Still, he thought Delia was quite impressive, and if his nephew or son could win her over, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.
“I should ask Miss Delia what she thinks,” His Majesty Joan said, turning to Delia. “Miss Delia, what do you say?”
Delia looked at Scott and Marquis Kifer. The two immediately straightened their backs, putting on friendly, gentlemanly expressions. A flicker of amusement passed through Delia’s eyes.
“Then I’ll trouble you both,” Delia said with a slight bow.
“No trouble at all, no trouble at all,” Scott and Marquis Kifer quickly replied.
Master Rourles, standing beside Delia, had a faint smile on his lips. He knew his disciple well. Back in the Yulan Empire’s capital, countless people had pursued Delia, and with her skills, she could easily toy with them all.
“Special Envoy, this is where you’ll be staying during your time in the capital,” a palace attendant said, pointing to a mansion ahead.
Marquis Kifer immediately added, “Miss Delia, Fushi Road is one of the most famous streets in the O’Brien Empire’s capital. Several Saint-level experts live here. For example, our empire’s genius Sword Saint, Olivia, and his brother also reside on Fushi Road. And the even more talented Master Linley and his brother live here too.”
Kifer continued speaking as they entered the mansion.
“That’s right. These two geniuses are probably unmatched across the entire Yulan Continent,” Scott chimed in, not wanting to be outdone.
Hearing this, a complex expression flickered in Delia’s eyes, but she quickly regained her warm demeanor.
“That’s not necessarily true,” a deep voice rumbled from the large bear beside them.
Scott and Kifer glanced at the bear and forced a smile. During the welcome, they’d been told this bear was a Saint-level magical beast, the ‘Earth Bear.’ Saint-level beasts could change their size, and the Earth Bear’s normal form was over ten meters tall. One swipe of its paw could easily crush them.
“Delia’s brother is very impressive. He’s only twenty-seven this year and already an eighth-level magician. He’s also become a personal disciple of the High Priest,” the bear said, looking at Delia. “Isn’t that right, Delia?”
Delia nodded with a slight smile.
Twenty-seven years old and an eighth-level magician—that was a remarkable achievement. At this rate, reaching the ninth level before forty was highly likely. Reaching the ninth level before forty was enough to be called a peerless genius.
“Dixie is indeed the most talented magical genius I’ve ever seen,” Master Rourles added with a smile. As they spoke, the group entered the living room.
“A magical genius?” Scott raised his head. “Master Rourles, speaking of magical geniuses, I know that our empire’s Master Linley is also twenty-seven this year, yet he’s already a ninth-level Archmage. And his warrior abilities are at the Saint-level peak.”
“A twenty-seven-year-old ninth-level Archmage? Impossible!” Master Rourles absolutely refused to believe it. “In the history of the Yulan Continent, no one has reached the ninth level before thirty.”
“Scott, is this true?” Marquis Kifer asked doubtfully.
Scott affirmed with absolute certainty, “It’s true. My father told me himself. Everyone knows about Linley’s battle with Olivia and his warrior skills, but they overlook his magical abilities. He really is a ninth-level Archmage.”
Hearing this, Master Rourles found it hard to believe, but his reason told him it was likely true.
“Master Linley, a ninth-level Archmage…” Delia wasn’t too surprised. In her heart, Linley was a man full of miracles. A sixteen-year-old sculpture master, once hailed as the second-greatest magical genius in history. Now, becoming the greatest magical genius—why not?
“You all chat here. Delia, I’m going to rest. If you need me, just tell Pare,” Rourles said, giving instructions.
“Yes, teacher,” Delia replied humbly, while Scott and Kifer bowed beside her.
“I’m tired too, so I’ll rest now. Sorry,” Delia said, rising.
Scott and Kifer knew better than to press and nodded. Delia then left with her Thunderbolt Wind Eagle behind her. Ever since Master Rourles had tamed the Earth Bear, the Thunderbolt Wind Eagle had been tasked with protecting Delia, showing how much he cared for her.
…
“He’s on Fushi Road too. He might be very close to me right now.”
Delia stood by the window, silent.
Back then, in Wushan Town, that night, she had bid farewell to Linley and left the Sacred Alliance for her homeland. When she planned to return after the Yulan Festival, she learned of the Doomsday’s arrival. The entire Fenlai Kingdom had been reduced to ruins, a paradise for magical beasts.
According to information from her family, a few days before the Doomsday, a demon had appeared at the mansion of the magical genius ‘Linley,’ attempting to assassinate the King of Fenlai. It was presumed that Linley himself had died.
This news caused Delia to fall gravely ill. It took her a full year to fully recover.
Over the next nine years, she had no news of Linley at all. She even resolved to give up on love, focusing on managing family affairs and practicing magic. But she never expected… that just a while ago, rumors of the battle between Linley and Olivia had spread throughout the Yulan Empire.
This news reignited the hope in Delia’s heart, which she thought had died. She felt full of vitality and hope. After some brief maneuvering, this visit came about.
…
Originally, Delia planned to visit Linley the next day. But after just half an hour in her room—a half-hour that felt like half a year—especially knowing Linley was also on Fushi Road, she couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Little Wind, tell teacher I’m going to visit Linley,” Delia said to the Thunderbolt Wind Eagle beside her. After a while, Master Rourles arrived at the door.
Master Rourles had a doting smile on his face. “Delia, I knew you’d want to go find him soon.” He was fully aware of his disciple’s feelings.
A hint of shy red crept onto Delia’s face.
“Teacher!” Delia wrinkled her nose. “Don’t tease me. Let’s go.”
“Alright, alright,” Rourles laughed.
Delia and Master Rourles, followed by the Earth Bear and Thunderbolt Wind Eagle, walked to the front courtyard, only to find Kifer and Scott sitting there.
“Miss Delia?” Kifer and Scott’s eyes lit up, and they immediately stood. “Where are you going?”
Delia frowned slightly but still smiled. “I’m going to meet your so-called genius, Master Linley.”
“Ah, meeting Master Linley,” Marquis Kifer quickly said. “That’s only right. But it might be difficult now. In a little over two months, Master Linley is going to duel Lord Hedderson at Mount Tujiao.”
“What?” Delia was shocked, losing her composure for once.
“Oh, you just arrived and don’t know yet. A couple of days ago, Olivia dueled Lord Hedderson. Now Olivia is severely injured, and his life is uncertain. Lord Hedderson also challenged Master Linley, and Linley accepted,” Scott explained.