Chapter 107: The Clever Born

Regarding Viscount Gordon being trapped, Bowen could only say that the situation had completely exceeded his expectations, and he had also overestimated the lower limits of the noble class.

These near-centenarian old fellows were not as easy to deal with as the group from yesterday. The moment they arrived, they exchanged pleasantries with Viscount Gordon, bringing gifts and supplies.

Some even acted as matchmakers, gathering seriously to find a “mother” figure for Bowen.

Almost unanimously, they never mentioned the alchemy workshop, their enthusiasm resembling that of distant relatives dropping by to check on their younger kin.

Gordon knew full well what these old men were thinking, but he neither dared to scold nor drive them away. Their strength was such that even combined with the Knight Commander, it would not be enough to send them off.

Moreover, more and more people kept arriving, each bringing something—whether person or supplies. Gordon looked at the makeshift warehouse, already piled high, feeling both pleased and troubled. Receiving gifts for the first time had never felt so burdensome. Nearby, Layman’s eyes gleamed with delight.

Gordon glanced over to see the old men treating the place as their own territory, completely unreserved. Whenever they wanted something, they immediately began directing others. The merchants of the Layman Consortium had never encountered such grand nobles and were too intimidated to utter a word. Whatever the bigwigs said, that was the law; any requests were swiftly arranged.

Outside, the knights and guards of the great families, as well as the attendants responsible for security, surrounded the area in three layers inside and out. Even without a single order, items were immediately delivered inside.

As for noble etiquette? It meant nothing to them. They rolled up their sleeves, drank heartily, ate greedily, and chatted with bawdy humor. Normally, they had no time for such gatherings, but now they formed small clusters, brimming with enthusiasm as they swapped boasts and jokes.

The Layman Consortium members became mere attendants, tasked with serving wine and water. The construction work nearly ground to a halt. Viscount Gordon and Layman could only stand helplessly on the sidelines.

“This isn’t right—this is spatial teleportation!” The Knight Commander suddenly seemed to sense something, stepping forward to shield Gordon behind him, his gaze fixed tightly on the distance.

At the same time, many of the nobles present noticed the spatial fluctuations not far off.

The “Mana Storage Device” was installed at the heart of the alchemy workshop, now concealed by a storage room built over it.

Suddenly, a blue light curtain unfolded above the storage room, rapidly expanding.

The sudden change immediately caught everyone’s attention.

“Wow, quite the spectacle—direct teleportation!” Several high-ranking spellcasters among the princes and dukes instantly recognized the magical signature as spatial teleportation.

Yet the magical aura was unfamiliar, though the visitor was undoubtedly a formidable mage. The teleportation’s spatial distortion was immense, clearly a high-level teleportation spell.

As the light curtain continued to swell, many nobles’ expressions grew solemn.

“This is enormous—the spatial range is massive!”

“That’s a 7th circle teleportation!”

“Which esteemed archmage is this?”

When the blue curtain expanded to nearly two hundred meters in diameter, everyone was utterly stunned!

Fortunately, the curtain ceased expanding, and a semicircular white object emerged within it.

Ice?

How could it be a block of ice?

Under the astonished gazes, a colossal iceberg nearly 200 meters across slowly descended from the light curtain, resting atop the storage room.

Crack… crackle…

Boom!!!

The temporary storage room, built from stone and wood, held for only a second before collapsing utterly.

Dust billowed everywhere.

The light curtain began to vanish rapidly, but before it disappeared, a figure swiftly dropped down, standing beside the mana storage device.

“I… damn…” Bowen shouted, rushing forward to examine it. Luckily, the mana storage device remained intact, prompting a relieved sigh.

For the first time, Bowen truly appreciated his grandfather’s meticulous craftsmanship.

When creating the device’s core, the earl had used exceptionally hard materials, forging metals capable of withstanding direct hits from mid-level magic.

Moreover, dozens of protective runes were inscribed upon the device, ensuring its survival even under the impact of a small iceberg.

Bowen had rehearsed countless disaster scenarios in his mind, even the worst cases—but never this.

A 5th circle Arcane [Teleportation] spell, amplified by the mana network to a 7th circle level!

Not only that, the coverage area had grown two to three times larger. What surprised Bowen most was that even the “ground” itself had been teleported along.

Fortunately, it was an iceberg floating on the sea. Had it been a massive boulder from land, the consequences would have been entirely different!

Seeing the device unharmed, Bowen finally looked around.

Through the cracks in the ice, he noticed a circle of soldiers, archers, and cavalry surrounding the shattered ice.

The huge spatial fluctuations inside the alchemy workshop had drawn the attention of the knights and guards outside.

Though these old fellows were advanced in age, many were stronger than the so-called guards.

Still, their statuses differed. These venerable elders were ancestral figures of various families, always accompanied by escorts.

Upon sensing trouble inside, the guards had rushed in immediately.

The enormous iceberg startled them—teleporting such a massive ice block indicated the mage’s incredible power. Until the mage inside identified themselves or issued clear orders, the guards dared not act rashly. This explained what Bowen saw.

Peering through the gap, Bowen spotted his father, Viscount Gordon, and Layman nearby. Seeing a group of brightly dressed old men not far off, he instantly understood the situation.

He couldn’t help but smile wryly. “What a mess…”

But thinking quickly, Bowen decided it was best to slip away. After all, no one seemed to have noticed him.

Feeling clever, he immediately cast [Teleportation] again. Having learned from the first time the mana network’s amplification rules, he no longer dispersed his mental energy widely. This time, he cloaked only himself, allowing for rapid casting.

As the blue light appeared once more, the guards and knights outside tensed up, fearing they had angered the “mage lord” inside.

But with a swift “whoosh,” the light vanished, and the mage lord inside disappeared, leaving only a patch of frost-covered ice fragments.

The guards exchanged bewildered glances.

Noticing the spellcaster’s sudden departure, the nobles grew puzzled. Why leave so abruptly? Yet some seemed to grasp the meaning.

The Knight Commander turned, whispering uncertainly, “Was that… Master Bowen just now?”

Viscount Gordon’s expression was a complicated mix of laughter and tears, a swirl of emotions churning in his heart.

Layman’s face was stoic, but he was certain that was Bowen. The exclamation “I… damn” was unmistakably his—no one else would say that!

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