I am the Archmage

Chapter 10 Present

Livia gave me a look that clearly said, “You’re finished.” I gave a wry smile, recalled Chirpy Bird to stand behind me, and amplified my voice with magic to address the entire city:

“Listen up, everyone! I am a disciple of the Grand Sage Linka, and under his orders, I have brought the Fire Phoenix to save the princess. My earlier actions were unintentional, and I deeply apologize.”

My voice echoed throughout Aircenk, reaching everyone in the city. Those who were injured felt as if they had been doused in cold water on a freezing day—utterly dejected. Fighting among themselves for nothing, they couldn’t help but wonder what their injuries were even for.

A short while later, the three of us were summoned to the palace. Fortunately, as the palace was located far from the restaurant, it hadn’t sustained much damage. Otherwise, Linka would definitely have beaten me to a pulp.

The palace guards and attendants all looked at us with a mix of fear and trepidation, murmuring terms like “Destroyer,” and “Walking Disaster.” Clearly, my reputation had hit rock bottom.

How tragic.

On the way to the throne room, Parker and I formally introduced ourselves to each other. I learned that after studying magic with Eulis for three years, he decided that being a knight offered a brighter future than being a mage. So, he kicked Eulis to the curb and went to train under another master.

Parker was now the leader of the Storm Knights of the Rain Dukedom, known as the Earth Knight, and famed across the Holy Magic Continent. He had come to Aircenk accompanying Princess Fiona of the Rain Dukedom to visit Princess Olina. Finding himself idle in the palace, he had wandered off to the restaurant, inadvertently triggering what would later be known as “Aircenk’s Darkest Day,” earning himself a place in history.

When we entered the throne room, we saw a tall, robust, and commanding middle-aged man standing with his hands behind his back. Behind him were…

Wow. Two stunningly beautiful women stood behind him, their beauty rivaling Livia’s. I couldn’t help but stare at the two women, each with her unique charm.

The love of beauty is universal, and my reaction, I believe, would be fully understood and supported by my fellow men.

As I stood there entranced, a sudden sharp pain shot through my waist—Livia had twisted me hard.

Seeing her jealous glare, I panicked and quickly straightened up, giving the middle-aged man a formal mage’s salute. “Apprentice Mage Wu Lai,” I introduced myself. “Under the orders of Teacher Linka, I greet Your Majesty.”

King Walter gave me a peculiar look and said, “So, you are the ‘Destroyer’ who wrecked half of Aircenk and left more than half of my Royal Knights and Mages injured?”

Oh no. Here comes the reckoning.

Feigning ignorance, I replied, “Your Majesty, Destroyer? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The king pulled a letter from his robes and said, “This is a letter sent by the Grand Sage via a magical beast. Nana, read it aloud.”

He handed the letter to the taller of the two women behind him. She appeared to be about 17 or 18 years old, her stunningly beautiful face exuding an aura of unapproachable pride. A faint scar on her forehead, a hallmark of the Blood Curse of the Wraith, marked her as Princess Olina.

Princess Olina opened the letter and read aloud in a clear and melodious voice:

“Your Majesty, I have sent my student Wu Lai to deliver Phoenix blood to lift the curse on the princess. My student is as his name suggests—Wu Lai (shameless), stubborn to a fault. However, his resilience far exceeds mine. Please assign him a position to keep him in check. Regards, Linka.”

When she finished, Princess Olina couldn’t help but smile faintly, while Parker burst into hearty laughter.

Livia chuckled, “Stubborn and shameless, huh? That’s quite the accurate description of you, Wu Lai.”

Damn that old man Linka. If I’d known this would happen, I would have hit him with Cataclysmic Thunderstrike and fed him to Chirpy Bird.

King Walter stopped laughing and darkened his expression. “Wu Lai, do you know how much it will cost to rebuild the parts of Aircenk you destroyed? Do you realize what will happen if other nations learn that more than half of my Royal Knights and Mages are injured?”

I was doomed. Knowing I was at fault, I could only nod in acknowledgment.

The king continued, “Since you came to save the princess and the destruction was unintentional, I will not pursue the matter further. However, you must represent our nation in the upcoming ‘Interracial Magic Combat Tournament’ a month from now and retrieve the championship prize—the Heart Crystal—as compensation.”

What could I say? With my magical power, winning this tournament would be a piece of cake. I agreed.

Little did I know, this was all part of a trap set by Eulis and Linka, those two sly foxes, and it would lead to endless trouble and heavy responsibilities in the future.

So frustrating.

The two beauties, apart from Princess Olina, included the gentle and serene Princess Fiona of the Rain Dukedom, who was Olina’s cousin. According to Parker, both were among the top ten most beautiful women on the Holy Magic Continent.

Only then did I realize that Livia, as the famed Phantom Swordswoman, was also one of the top ten beauties. No wonder she was so dazzlingly gorgeous.

Thinking about how such an extraordinary beauty had fallen for me, I couldn’t help but feel a little smug. A sense of manly pride welled up within me.

Summoning Chirpy Bird, I carefully drew some of its blood and gave it to Princess Olina. As soon as she drank it, her body glowed with a radiant red light, and sweat poured down her face. When the light faded, the scar on her forehead had disappeared.

The Blood Curse of the Wraith had finally been lifted.