Advent of the Archmage

Before Gretel could sit down after returning to her residence, Link arrived with a Transmission.

“Duke, what’s wrong?” Gretel didn’t understand. She suspected that Link regretted his decision.

Pettalong and Wardaas were there too. They also looked at Link.

Link chuckled and said, “Your Majesty, I think it’s about time to undo the seal on my dragon form.” U.p.dated. by

Gretel laughed awkwardly. She’d been both disappointed and furious at Link at the Island of Secrets. In anger, she’d sealed Link’s dragon form. Thinking back, she didn’t have to do that. It had just been a clash of opinions. She didn’t have to be so extreme.

Since Link agreed to continue being the dragon duke, the seal should be undone.

Holding the bracelet gently, Gretel fed her power into it to activate it and undo Link’s seal… Wait, there was a problem. Something was wrong with the bracelet.

Gretel looked down at her own bracelet. According to past experience, it should glow with crystal-red light after adding her power. Then, she could seal or unseal any dragon’s form at will.

This was the authority that belonged only to the dragon ruler.

But it was different now. She fed her power into the bracelet, but it was completely unresponsive. It didn’t turn from silvery black to crystal-red. It was still silvery black, like a plain metal ring.

Seeing this, Pettalong opened his mouth to speak but stopped. He knew the reason.

Gretel understood quickly as well. She shook her head and smiled wryly. “Duke, I’m afraid I won’t be able to unseal it for you.”

With that, she took the bracelet off and gave it to Link. “It already recognizes your identity as the dragon king. It doesn’t belong to me anymore.”

It was strange. When the bracelet approached Link, it flashed with silvery black light again. It was identical to the color of Link’s dragon form. When it was three feet from Link’s body, it didn’t need Gretel to hold onto it anymore. It hovered automatically and floated towards Link.

Link furrowed his brows. He didn’t expect this would happen. He didn’t wish it either. The bracelet floated over, but he didn’t reach out to accept it.

Gretel continued, “Duke, you are the dragon king chosen by the ancestors. No one except you is qualified to wear this bracelet—not even me. I am no longer the ruler.”

“But…” This was beyond Link’s expectations.

Pettalong walked up. “Duke, don’t hesitate,” he urged. “The dragons need a strong leader. The bracelet will only choose its next owner.”

“But Your Majesty, you’re the one with pure royal dragon blood.” Link didn’t want this position. It didn’t match his future plan.

Wardaas had unhappy because Link had only joined the dragon race halfway through. Link was strong, but he wasn’t that legitimate. But seeing the bracelet’s situation, he had nothing else to say.

The bracelet wasn’t that powerful, but to the dragons, it represented ultimate authority. If it chose a ruler and another dragon wanted to become king or queen, they had to challenge the chosen and win.

But who was Link? He was a Level-13 Legendary Magician and was known throughout the Firuman Realm. It was like suicide challenging him.

In that case, Wardaas didn’t have any objections. Seeing that Link was still hesitant, he thought that Link was worried about Gretel. So he said, “Duke, I actually have a good solution.”

“Enlighten me.”

“Her Majesty has always been looking for a qualified duke,” Wardaas said discreetly. “Since she has stepped down from the throne, why don’t you two marry? This way, the royal bloodline will not die—”

Before he finished, Gretel’s porcelain skin turned red. Link’s brows furrowed. Why was this elder talking about this again?

Before Link replied, a voice said, “Shut up!”

Link was familiar with this voice. It was Celine. He turned around and saw a dark shadow rush over with extreme speed. A few jumps later, she was inside the hall of the queen’s residence.

She strode to Link’s side and slapped the bracelet floating towards Link. It fell to the ground with a crisp clang. She glared angrily at Wardaas. “Old man, mind your business. You want to get into our personal matters?”

Wardaas was so angry his whiskers shook, but he didn’t speak. He naturally knew about Celine. He could only shrug and keep silent.

The blush on Gretel’s face subsided, and her eyes darkened. Right, there’s still Celine.

She waved at Wardass. “Wardaas, you can go now.”

He was feeling awkward. Now, he bowed to Link and Gretel and scurried away.

Celine looked angrily at Gretel and pointed at Pettalong. “Make him leave too! I have something to say. Just the three of us!”

Gretel didn’t know what Celine was planning, but she still nodded at Pettalong. The elder also retreated.

Only three remained in the hall.

Celine cast a Soundless Barrier around them and looked at Link. “Eliard told me about what happened, and I heard of some things too. Link, I just have one question. Do you still have feelings for her? Tell me the truth. Don’t lie!”

At this question, Gretel also looked at Link, waiting for his answer.

Link kept quiet. He was asking himself this question too. What exactly was the relationship between him and Gretel? Pure friends? Or something else?

All their interactions flashed past his eyes—the Dragon Valley, Sea of Void, Island of Secrets, and finally, the extreme north. Especially there, he’d asked himself when faced with Halino’s threat. At that time, he knew he didn’t see Gretel as only friends.

In the past, he’d repressed himself because of Celine so he wouldn’t cross the boundary. But now that Celine asked, he couldn’t lie.

“I…”

“Okay, I know the answer.” Celine’s eyes were misty. Unshed tears rolled inside. Her face was pale, and she bit her lip.

Link couldn’t stand it. He grabbed her hands and said, “Okay, let’s go back. I won’t care about the dragon king or dragon race. Let’s go back.”

Unexpectedly, Celine sighed. “Now, I finally understand the pain that my ancestor, Soul Dominator Rosso, had felt.”

“What?” Link looked at Celine. He discovered that the purple flames in her eyes were even more obvious. They kept flickering, and she seemed to be able to see into his soul and the entire world.

“Link,” Celine murmured. “I knew this day would come long ago. I’d dreamed of it before. I had also dreamed of the terrifying future…and the scroll you hid.”

As she spoke, she picked up the glowing dragon king bracelet and put it onto Link’s wrist. “I didn’t tell you, but I know that you know what the future will be like. But I know more than you. I also know that to change the future, you must become the leader of the dragons. That is only the first step.”

She walked to Gretel and took her hand. “You will be his good wife, but I can’t. The talent given by the ancestors isn’t a blessing. It’s a curse. A lonely curse.”

Holding Gretel’s hand, she placed it into Link’s hand. Celine’s tears had flowed out, dripping down. “Link, I know you want to keep me here now, but it’s no use. I must travel far! I want to find a quiet place and practice the magic left by my ancestors… Dummy, this isn’t a farewell. Someday in the future, when you need me, I will come back.”

Link was heartbroken. “You can’t study in Ferde?” he asked, not understanding.

“No. I have the talent of prophecy, but the realm helps me. My talent is too weak, and I must strengthen it. I will walk down the cultivation path of my ancestors. I wanted to do it later, but now is a good time.”

Celine looked to Gretel. “Your Majesty, take care of him for me.”

Link didn’t think this would happen. He’d just wanted to unseal his dragon form and go to the Sea of Void to look at the mysterious gear. When he came to see Gretel, he’d been happy. How did things turn out like this?

He knew that Celine was about to leave, but he didn’t know what to say. He understood Celine too well. Since she already said it, it meant that she’d thought it over countless times. It was also the result of a prophecy. No matter what he could say, it would be useless. But he didn’t want her to leave.

The longing and anxiety reddened Link’s eyes. In a panic, he lost his mind and blurted, “I’ll go with you. I won’t care about anything. Firuman is so troublesome. We can find a peaceful realm. There are so many realms in the Sea of Void. There’s got to be somewhere quiet, right?”

“Dummy!” Crying and laughing at the same time, white light glowed around Celine. She was using the powerful transmission magic equipment that Link made for her.

Her last words came from the white light. “Link, you have to keep living well. Ferde has to keep doing well. Wait for me!”

With that, the white light faded.

Something went missing from Link’s heart. Footsteps sounded beside him—Gretel. “Duke,” she said. “She’ll come back.”

“I know, I know. Your Majesty, I’ll go back now. My mind needs a few days to rest.” Link hurried away. He didn’t use the Transmission spell. His heart was in a mess; he didn’t dare.

Stumbling, he returned to his Mage Tower. After he entered his room, he didn’t come back out. He didn’t care about anything or see anyone.

This went on for seven days.

Seven days later, his bedroom door opened.

Link walked out. In the hall, the first person he saw was Red Dragon Queen Gretel. Then he saw Eliard, Evelina, Vance, many of Ferde’s core Magicians, and then the Red Dragon Elders.

He had recovered his calmness. He would strengthen Ferde and use all his might to face the incoming dark era!

Someday, Celine would come back. He wanted to give her a bright future!

Everywhere he went, people bowed.

“Your Majesty.” Gretel had already changed the way she addressed him. She could sense that Link had undone the seal, admitting his status as the Black Dragon King.

“Lord.” That was Eliard’s group.

“Our king!” That was the elders.

Roar. The young dragons in the sky roared brightly.

In the Year 1061 of the Light Ages, the third month of harvest, Ferde Lord, Legendary Magician, the Chosen One of the God of Light, Link Morani was recognized by the dragon king bracelet, becoming the 57th dragon king of the dragon race. He would be known as the Dragon King of Light.