The Magic Queen of Another World

Chapter 9

Emma alighted from the carriage first, and then, grasping the somewhat anxious Ao's hand, I descended as well, my mind in a whirl about the consequences of our unsanctioned outing. I stole a glance at Ao beside me, a boy deemed the 'Devil's Child.' Good heavens, was today cursed?

"Oh! My darling Lisa, are you hurt?" Before I could lament further, a gust of wind swept by, and I found myself cradled in someone's embrace.

"Father." I pinched my thigh, conjuring tears instantly, well aware of my father's deep affection for me, a vulnerability I could exploit with a pitiful facade.

"Lisa, what's wrong? Don't cry. Who has wronged my treasure?" His face was etched with anger, but softened the moment he looked at me.

"Father, Lisa let Emma take me to the market for fun. Please don't blame anyone else; if you must, blame Lisa. I'm not hurt." I managed to squeeze out a few more tears for sympathy.

As expected, my father's expression turned tender at the sight. "As long as Lisa is unharmed, all else is trivial." He examined me warily, "However, Lisa, why are there bloodstains on you?"

I blinked, "Father, I've saved someone. The blood on me is not my own but his." I pointed to Ao, who had been standing silently behind me.

My father regarded him with surprise, his brow furrowing. Seeing my imploring gaze, he let out an almost inaudible sigh, "Very well, as long as Lisa is fine." He surveyed the area, noticed Emma, and instructed her to take me to bathe. I cast a concerned look at Ao, to which my father patted my head, "Don't worry, Lisa, I'll ensure he too gets a good bath."

I nodded, proceeding inside with Emma, and called out over my shoulder, "Ao, remember to come back after washing."

The last thing I heard was Ao's affirmative, "Yes," and my father's command, "Follow me."

I allowed Emma to assist with my bath, confident that my father wouldn't let Ao leave. Although whether he stays or goes is his choice, I'll let it be. After dressing in the pink ruffled dress my mother had prepared, I gazed heavenward, speechless. Despite my physical age of twelve, I felt too old for such childlike attire. It seems I must wait a long time to truly grow up.

"Miss," a cold voice called, and I turned to see a figure that made the world blur around him, yet he remained in sharp focus. What a vision he was, with a slightly slender build, golden short hair, an exquisitely beautiful face, and heterochromatic eyes that rendered him stunningly radiant.

Wow! A beautiful young man! I stared, for the first time in years, encountering such a handsome mixed-race individual. "Ao, is that you?" I asked, taken aback by his unique eyes, hardly recognizing him as the boy I'd saved, who could be called a child of the sun.

"Yes, Miss," Ao replied slowly, "I shall be Miss's personal guard henceforth."

"Guard?" I shook my head, "Ao, being my friend is enough."

"I am already Miss's guard." He stood behind me, silent once more.

I sighed, certain my father had insisted on this, but knowing Ao's temperament, he wouldn't refuse. Yet, making him a guard seemed a waste. I understood why the slave trader, despite fearing Ao as the 'Devil's Child,' wanted to sell him; it was his exquisite looks that made even fear profitable. I could only say, the mixed bloodline was truly a blessing, and those eyes were incredibly beautiful. However, without the strength to protect oneself, beauty could be a curse.

"Ao, how is your health?" I asked, concerned, looking at his delicate frame for a fourteen-year-old boy, clearly too frail from too much suffering.

"Thank you for your concern, Miss. Ao is well now," he said coldly, but his words softened.

I smiled at him, seeing him as a child with a protective shell against harm. His attitude towards me was decent, and perhaps we could be friends. Having no friends in childhood is a sorrowful thing; I hoped he too could find happiness.

"Come, Ao, let's eat," I said, pulling his hand and running outside without waiting for his response, leaving behind suppressed laughter. My goal now was to cultivate Ao into a charming and handsome young man, for he was meant to be a dazzling presence like the child of the sun, not the cold demeanor he now held.

Since Ao became my guard, though many still feared him, at least no one in the Duke's mansion harbored hostility towards him. According to me, the 'Devil's Child' was merely a natural assumption and fear of the unusual. After the last incident, my father instructed me to inform him if I wished to go out, not to sneak off with Emma again. Although I could still go out, I had to be accompanied by many attendants. To avoid drawing attention and not wanting to be followed, I seldom went out.

Daily, I continued to learn magic from Teacher Ambler; now I could cast intermediate spells, though not with great proficiency. Ao didn't follow me around all day; my father said if Ao was to be a guard, he must have the ability to protect me, or else he shouldn't stay. Now it was my father, Raymont, personally teaching Ao's martial skills.

Emma had told me that my father's martial skills were renowned across the continent, having reached the rank of Master Warrior. The division of martial skills is similar to magic, mainly divided into: Warrior Apprentice—Initiate Warrior—Intermediate Warrior—Advanced Warrior—Master Warrior—Golden Master Warrior. It's clear my father is no ordinary Duke; his abilities show that. Although, in front of me, he's... always so energetic.

Father said Ao has a high talent for martial skills, coupled with good comprehension and a keen interest, and with his own efforts, he might surpass my father in a few years. Since I'm also interested in martial skills, I curiously learn when my father teaches Ao. Although I'm not highly talented in martial skills, with my flexible body from years of yoga practice, I can use softness to overcome the hard, thus my father mainly guides me in technique, to win with skill. Although not as fast a learner as Ao, I've reached the level of Intermediate Warrior, making me a cultivator of both magic and martial arts.

Teacher Ambler said that there are no more than twenty people on the continent who cultivate both magic and martial arts, as it is very difficult, and the levels of magic and martial skills are hard to improve. As we all know, for mages, close combat is weak, and the destructive power of martial skills is not as great as that of magic.

However, cultivating both can solve the problems of close combat and destructive power, but it is difficult to practice, and ordinary people's physiques cannot withstand the dual pressures of magic and martial skills. It can be said that I am not an ordinary person and am a rare individual who can apply both magic and martial arts together. I can only say that my current body is perfect.

However, I always feel that I have learned too little, and with such limited knowledge, I have little ability to protect others. Therefore, I asked my father to hire another teacher for me, Teacher Kahn, who is a specialist in teaching me alchemy. Alchemy is different from magic; it can be said to be a profession that will never go out of style. Alchemy can create weapons, equipment, decorative items, magic scrolls, and many other items. The use of alchemy is very broad, and it can be said that the equipment on the bodies of people who learn martial skills and magic is all made by alchemy.

Teacher Kahn is also a very famous alchemist on the continent. The equipment he creates can reach the level of golden equipment. The so-called equipment level is: Bronze Level—Silver Level—Golden Level—Sacred Artifact—Divine Artifact. Although there are many alchemists, their abilities are relatively low, and they can only create silver-level equipment at most. Teacher Kahn basically creates golden-level equipment, and it is said that he has also created sacred artifacts, which he created using many rare materials and energy. He seems to have never shown them to others.

It can be said that he has hidden the two treasures well, and others can't see them even if they want to. With Kahn as my teacher, I now have an additional task of learning alchemy. The teacher said that if you learn alchemy well, you don't have to worry about running out of money, so for this reason, my enthusiasm for learning alchemy has increased a lot.