Spellbound

Chapter 4 The Plan for The Future

"You!" Ivan was speechless.

"Guards! Arrest this crazy b***h! How can she act as she pleases when the Council of Elders is holding a trial?" When Karl noticed this, he began to yell and call out to the guards around him.

A shadow appeared by his side as soon as he finished. Karl was sent flying backward after receiving a ferocious kick. Along the way, he smashed a few tables. A foot was pinned on his chest before he could get up.

Ivan threatened, "Don't you dare hurt my son, Lisa!"

Lisa replied, "Try me!"

Bam!

With that ferocious stomp, Karl coughed out a mouthful of blood.

Lisa chastised Ivan as she met his murderous gaze, "What? You have the right to hurt my nephew while yours is safe?"

She was extremely bold! Every single person in the room was flabbergasted. Linden could not stop grinning. As always, his aunt was protective of him and his sister.

"That's enough!"

Finally, one of the elders in the middle stood up. He was the supreme leader and most powerful of the elders. The rest followed suit as he stood up.

"My Lord!" Everyone in the room bowed to him.

This point alone was enough to show that this elder, who had been resting his eyes since the start of the trial and had never spoken a word, wielded a great deal of power in the family.

"The matter concerning the theft of dragon blood is of great importance and must be thoroughly investigated," the man, who was the Grand Elder, declared.

"The council debated and accused Linden of stealing today, but there was insufficient evidence to convict him. Karl, on the other hand, is a major suspect of the crime. Given the case, Karl would be considered for re-examination and trial. Meanwhile, he'll be imprisoned in the dungeon and forbidden from leaving the family. Linden, on the other hand, is found not guilty and he is free to go now!"

"Thank you, My Lord!" Lisa shouted.

"Linden was the one who successfully defended himself. You don't have to thank me." the Grand Elder said with a wave of his hand.

He stood up and left the hall, but not before casting a meaningful glance at Ivan. It gave Ivan the impression that something bad was about to happen to him. His complexion was ghastly pale, and he looked quite ugly.

With that, the trial ended.

Not only had Linden performed a wonderful defense for himself, he also successfully made Karl a major suspect and had him thrown into the dungeon. Many people saw him in a new light after this incident.

"You're freaking cool just now, Brother!"

Lilyana dashed over, crying, and threw herself into Linden's arms.

She was not an i***t. When she learned that Karl had framed Linden for stealing the dragon's blood, she knew what would happen once Karl succeeded in pinning this on Linden.

"Don't cry, silly girl! Your brother is fine, isn't he?"

Linden stroked her hair.

"Lily, I haven't seen you in a long time. You still cry so much!" Lisa teased.

"Aunt!"

Hearing Lisa's voice, Lilyana turned around and threw herself into Lisa's arms. Her aunt had raised her and her brother since they were children. They regarded Lisa as their biological mother, and they were very close to each other.

"Look at you two! You're both incredibly thin! Let's go! I'll take you two to eat something delicious."

"I'm starving, Aunt! You have no idea. No one brought us food in the dungeon. I want to eat steak, fried chicken, and grilled fish…"

"Okay! You can eat whatever you want."

The three of them talked and laughed as they walked away.

"Father!"

Karl dragged his badly injured body over to Ivan, clenching his teeth. "Are you going to let them walk away just like that?" he asked bitterly.

Ivan also gritted his teeth. A murderous light flashed across his eyes, he whispered in a low voice, "Don't worry! They won't be so proud of themselves for much longer. Not only them, but the entire Crest family... is about to perish!"

"Master Karl, please come with us."

Bahram rushed over with some guards at this point.

"We have received the elders' orders," he said. "Master Karl, you are suspected of being involved in the theft of family property. While awaiting further investigation, you will be held in custody in the dungeon."

"Father!"

Karl looked panicked.

"Bahram, don't forget our deal." Ivan reminded him.

"Relax, Lord Ivan! I got this." Bahram responded.

Ivan nodded. "Very well!"

…

Hartington Fort was part of the Crest family's territory. Although this region was not particularly prosperous, it had grown to become one of the most important cities in the Mabel Province, thanks to the efforts of many generations of the Crest family.

At this time, in a private room of a tavern in Hartington Fort.

"My Lord! This dragon blood is presented by Ivan and Karl, the father and son. Please have a look at it."

An old servant handed over a bottle that contained scarlet blood with both hands. A dragon pattern was printed on it. If one looked closely, one would notice that this bottle was identical to the empty bottle that Karl displayed on the council today.

"It's the blood of the Earth Dragon, Galli!"

Harlow Debussy took the bottle of dragon blood. He put it under his nose and sniffed it lightly. A hint of excitement that flashed through his eyes. He opened the bottle cap and drank it all down.

Immediately, there was the sound of cracking bones in the room. Harlow's height increased by dozens of inches in a matter of seconds. Immediately after, a flame erupted from his body. He spread out both his hands. There was a flame that danced in his palms.

"Is this the power of dragon blood? Go and tell Ivan that he did a good job," Harlow said, looking at the old servant in front of him. "I will honor my deal, after I take down the Crest family. I'm a man of my words…"

"Yes, my Lord."

…

At the Crests residence.

Linden had a full meal and patted his stomach contentedly. "Aunt, how long are you going to stay with us this time?"

He had not seen his aunt in a long time, and he felt happy to see her.

"I won't be here for long," Lisa said with a shake of her head. "This time, I'm mostly returning because of your father. I was debating whether or not to inform you of the news, but after seeing your presentation to the council just now, I believe you have matured. As a big boy, it's time to take responsibility for our household's affairs."

Lisa took out a badge from the spatial bracelet and handed it to Linden. She explained, "This badge has something to do with your father's disappearance. That's all I'm aware of. You'll have to look into the rest on your own."

"The Raven Claws!"

He took the badge and glanced at it.

After that, he frowned. He recognized this badge because he had dealt with this guild in his previous life. It was a guild dedicated to the destruction of sorcerers.

In his previous life, he had the impression that this guild was good for nothing. However, the Raven Claws was not the same as before. Although sorcerers were nearly extinct, this guild has survived for over 1,300 years. He could tell that the Raven Claws were no longer as simple as they were a millennia ago.

"It's just that, as a warrior, how could my father be associated with the Raven Claws?" Linden could not figure it out, but he thought of something. He asked, "Does my father's disappearance have something to do with my mother?"

"Linden! There are some things you should stay away from for the time being," Lisa suddenly warned solemnly. "Promise me! Don't attempt to locate your mother until you are powerful enough!"

Only a hazy memory of Linden's mother remained in his mind. She had left him when he was very young.

"Fine!"

Linden had no choice but to put the badge away.

At night, Linden took out the badge once more as the cold wind blew. He rubbed it between his fingers. He was given a second chance at life, and his greatest desire in this life was to protect his family.

Now that he had inherited the body and memory of the original owner, whether it was the disappearance of his father or his mother, both of which his aunt and his father never talked about, he needed to be strong to own that affection.

What's more… Ivan and Karl won't sit still… I need to get stronger as soon as possible...

Even though I was one of the Eight Elemental Magic Gods in a previous life, I always regretted that my body was too weak to withstand massive amounts of magic power. So, in this life, I must not only practice magic but also train my body well to lay a solid foundation.

Also, my greatest strength is magic. Practicing magic will require a heavy investment. I'll need a steady and considerable income to support my later magic practice and material purchases.

Both magic and combat were skills he had to master. And he needed to be wealthy! Linden had set this as his personal goal.

But how was he going to make it happen?

Cultivating his physical body was not a matter that could be achieved in a matter of days. He must be patient and persistent to achieve his goal. Besides that, making money was equally important. Only by amassing wealth would he be able to purchase herbs and magical ingredients to improve the physical and magical strength of his body.

Linden was not particularly worried about his financial situation. A sorcerer was a very costly profession, but it was also a very profitable one. It was not that difficult for Linden to make money through magic.

While he was thinking about it, he decided to get started. He took advantage of the dark of the night and left Crest Manor.