Warhammer Divine Throne-Chapter 769 - 340, As If a Lifetime Ago
PS: Thank you to the readers "Captain of the Fruit Knife Squad", "DIER", and "Love Mountain Bear" for their generous rewards. I am very grateful.
PS2: Thanks to my long-time good friend "ning1203" for his support and (beat) encouragement. Without him, this book wouldn't exist. You might have guessed, today is his birthday. Happy Birthday to him!
During the refreshing autumn season, both inside and outside the territory, there was an air of tranquility and peace. At the Dawn Wizard Tower, the witch apprentices were receiving guidance from Supreme Grandmaster Tygris of the Safurios White Tower Mage Council of the High Elves. After a simple assessment of the magical levels of these witch apprentices, the Supreme Grandmaster commenced targeted instruction.
Upon agreeing to Laine's request, he immediately devised completely different teaching strategies for Veronica and Teresa.
Given Veronica's fast casting speed and focus on large-area destructive casting, Tygris greatly expanded her knowledge of spells, allowing her to first memorize the majority of the Flame Element and Light Element spells. He then provided live demonstrations, exposing the Jialan Witch, who lacked opportunities to learn the most powerful spells due to her impoverished background, to many extremely powerful spells.
As a result, Veronica learned her first Great Curse Technique—Meteor Fire Rain, a spell capable of summoning a fiery meteor swarm covering about 500 square meters, annihilating all creatures within.
Veronica's second learned Great Curse Technique was called the Shield of Arrow and Shell, which could summon a defensive barrier about five meters high and fifteen meters wide. Within this area, all ranged attacks, including artillery, would be completely blocked by this shield.
The two-week course led to a remarkable advancement in Veronica's magical abilities, with the knowledge she gained from Tygris enough to take years to fully absorb.
Next was Teresa. After evaluation, Tygris discovered that Teresa had a very solid foundation in spells. Having been well-taught by Aurora from a young age, she was able to use all Ice Element and Mind Element spells, even if she wasn't particularly adept; she only needed sufficient magic power to cast them.
The issue for Teresa was that she often knew the 'what' of spells without understanding the 'why'. Limited by her identity as a warlock, some magic she was destined not to comprehend or learn. She could only use spells inherent in her bloodline or those that resonated with it.
Therefore, Tygris did not have Teresa attempt to learn new spells but instead focused on strengthening her casting abilities and mana control, moving beyond instinctual casting to mastering enhancement and control over her current spells.
Simply put, Tygris aimed to teach Teresa how to control mana, knowing when to conserve it for casting and when to unleash it.
Under Tygris's guidance, the female sorcerer's casting abilities also achieved a qualitative breakthrough.
Another lesson concluded today, and Tygris expressionlessly leaned on his Magic Staff as he departed. The two Jialan Witches sat inside the Dawn Magic Tower classroom, looking at each other, both smiling bitterly.
Today, Veronica wore a skirt with shimmering burgundy floral embroidery and a slit, with her long, slender legs wrapped in black stockings as usual, and black pointed high heels. The sweet and charming Jialan Witch lay dejectedly on the desk after Tygris left: "I feel like my ten-plus years of magic learning were for nothing. I dare say I could study magic for another two hundred years and not match even a finger of Lord Tygris."
Today, Teresa wore an elegant black dress with lace trim and elegant ink marks, unlike Veronica; she did not wear stockings, her feet clad in black lace-up high heels. Unlike a witch, the female sorcerer usually disliked wearing stockings. Hearing Veronica's complaint, Teresa's expression was stiff: "If it weren't for Lord Tygris pointing it out, I wouldn't have known I was using a hundred units of mana to cast a fifteen-unit spell. I always thought that was the way to cast it, but Lord Tygris pointed out eight errors in my casting after just one look."
"..." The room was silent. Clearly, Tygris's teaching had imparted a heavy blow to them, making them feel like all their magic learning was in vain, as if it were all wrong.
They also realized how much influence Laine must have wielded to invite Supreme Grandmaster Tygris to teach them, and both witches had been frantically learning magical knowledge from Tygris to enrich themselves.
Laine was already a human hero of the Holy Sanctuary Tier, and if they remained stagnant, it might not be long before they became unnecessary. After all, with Laine now connected with Tygris, if the High Elves were to send an Elf Mage as a consultant to Laine, then they truly would have no purpose!
"Mentor~" At this time, a formal witch in a red robe, Catherine, appeared at the door, timidly saying, "There is important news."
"Important news?" Veronica sat up from the table: "What important news?"
"Umm... His Excellency White Wolf Prince-Elector Boris Todbringer and Grand Master (Grand Commander) Axel Griss of the White Wolf Knight Order have arrived," Catherine said softly, knowing her mentor's mood hadn't been great lately.
"Oh, what does that have to do with me? His Excellency Boris and His Excellency Axel have arrived; Laine will naturally handle the reception." Veronica said offhandedly.
"But, Lord Laine's foster parents, Mr. and Mrs. Norman, have also arrived. They're currently guests in the castle, and Lord Laine asked me to come get you and Councillor Trovik," Catherine continued.
"I'm coming right away!" Veronica jolted up as if electrified, the sound of her high heels clacking as she dashed towards the door and vanished swiftly.
"??? Adoptive parents?" Teresa hadn't caught on yet; after a brief moment of thought, she understood what was happening and quickly stood up, "Laine's adoptive parents have arrived?! Wait for me!"
Teresa also ran out, following with quick steps.
......
Ten minutes later, Count's castle, second-floor reception room.
The reception room was filled with laughter and warmth. Laine's eyes were slightly red as he tried hard to keep them open, holding his adoptive father's hand, "Father, it's been so long, really so long."
Boris Prince-Elector laughed heartily, stroking his brown beard, somewhat pleased as he spoke to Laine, "Baron Theodricson of the Nord Kingdom preparing to attend your wedding hasn't planned to depart so early, and since Lord Norman was reporting duties nearby in White Wolf City, I brought him along."
"Thank you so much, thank you so much," Laine couldn't stop nodding. He was very happy and quite touched.
"Norman Knight is preparing to retire; he has already passed on the lordship of Autene to your cousin, and from now on, he will live out his days in White Wolf City, devoting himself as an instructor serving our lord, White Wolf Yurik," Grand Master Axel Griss of the White Wolf Knight Order said with a smile.
The Grand Master of the White Wolf Knight Order was bald but had a long white beard, his presence like a giant beast from the Black Forest in deep winter, emanating formidable pressure. He was tall, over one meter ninety, with shining amber eyes like those of a large husky.
The Grand Master of the White Wolf Knight Order was approaching a hundred years of age. He had met Laine before but never imagined that the young White Wolf Knight who set out from Nord at the initial Legendary Tier was now a Holy Sanctuary powerhouse.
Each time, Axel felt sorry for Laine's change of faith to such a degree. A powerhouse like him should have fought alongside the White Wolf Knights in Yurik's name, but since Yurik had passed down an oracle permitting this, the White Wolf Knights could say no more.
Everyone turned their gaze to "bald" Norman, possibly wondering why they hadn't come across such a remarkable son themselves.
Norman was a lean, old man with a red nose whose baldness was significant, yet he was full of spirit, his small eyes filled with pride as he looked at his adoptive son, repeatedly demurring aloud but clearly showing his smugness. He patted Laine's solid shoulder, inquiring about trivial family matters, which Laine patiently answered one by one.
Laine felt as if he had returned to his childhood.
On cold nights in Nord, Norman often liked to take his adopted son, donned in armor and a wolf-skin cloak, with a wolf-skin hat, into the forest for hunting. Laine remembered being small, clad in a warm sheepskin jacket and high boots, leaving deep and shallow footprints behind Norman, accompanying his adoptive father on hunts. His adoptive father carefully taught him hunting skills and how to earn Yurik's favor in hunting. A wolf dog always followed them, and Laine remembered the big dog was named Ah Huang, a name he had given.
Whenever Laine recalled these memories, a smile would involuntarily appear on his lips, as his childhood was quite happy.
However, time is always so cruel. The then middle-aged White Wolf Knight is now frail and elderly, with mostly white hair and a once straight posture that has begun to stoop. Time has unnoticeably taken everything from Norman; now, Norman is no longer fit for the battlefield, and the once expertly wielded warhammer has grown increasingly burdensome in his hands. Aware of this, the White Wolf Knight started to slowly retire from the scene, passing the lordship to Laine's cousin (his adoptive mother's nephew), moving to White Wolf City to retire. Now he can still be an instructor, and in a few years, he will fully retire.
"Father... I..." Laine's eyes reddened, not knowing what to say, "How have you been... all this time?"
"I, I'm doing great! You don't need to worry about me. In Nord, I hear about your deeds, your feats every day. Today, you defeated this one; tomorrow, you slew that one. Even Red Eye Egil of the Skalings fell by your hand. Truly worthy of being my son!" Norman kept patting Laine's shoulder, "I thought my life would just be like this, yet you turned out to be so amazing. I am proud of you, truly. Now, I've come to attend your wedding."
"Thank you~" Laine could only nod, myriad words stuck in his heart, feeling as if he'd arrived in another world.
Then, the door was pushed open, and a voice filled with surprise entered the reception room.
"Uncle Norman! Aunt Sally!"
