The Golem Mage

739: Preparing 1.

739: Preparing 1.

Alec walked back to his residence, fully absorbing the weight of what he was about to undertake, being placed in charge of all the Gordons clan’s mid- and low-rank mages.

While the elders worried about how he would manage to coordinate six different battlefields effectively, Alec was more focused on the sheer number of mages that would be under his command, he couldn’t help but think about the immense experience points he stood to gain from all those that would be fighting under his command as they repelled the invaders from the Second Dimension.

However, his excitement quickly turned to concern as he realized he had no real synergy with the clan mages.

This was precisely why he insisted on meeting them before the battle; he planned to begin drilling them immediately so they could seamlessly follow his orders when the time came.

His train of thought, though, was abruptly interrupted when he entered his quarters and found it crowded beyond belief.

Since he and his grandfather had been busy training in the mountains, Alec hadn’t had time to arrange proper accommodations for Endrick and Sophia, who had temporarily taken up residence at his place.

To make matters worse, his friends, along with the newly allied clansmen, had all decided to turn his house into an impromptu inn, given its size.

The moment Alec entered, battered and bruised with black eyes, Arthur burst into laughter, pointing at him and mocking his state, too exhausted to deal with him, Alec simply summoned Legion and Oni, who quickly gave Arthur a taste of his own medicine, leaving him with matching black eyes.

Arthur’s predicament soon made him the new laughingstock of the group.

When Alec informed the group of his new role leading the clan’s mages in the upcoming war, the mood turned serious.

As none of them had ever heard of a mage leading more than one tiered battlefield, let alone six, while they were initially skeptical, their trust in Alec’s capabilities reassured them that if Alec was confident enough to take on such a monumental task, then he would be ready for any challenges that came his way.

With that resolved, Alec’s friends pledged to support his mission, determined to help him succeed.

Alec also explained how he had introduced his two new friends to the clan and arranged for them to stay in a vacant house nearby.

With his smaller issues settled, Alec prepared for the next day, when he would meet with the mages under his command and begin his preparations.

–

Meanwhile, at the Gordons clan’s inner gates, the Lanzt clan patriarch had just arrived and was waiting as one of the guards went to confirm whether he should be allowed inside, it didn’t take long before the mage returned to escort him in.

“What a pleasure!

It’s been so long since we last met.

How is your father doing?” the Gordons clan Grand Elder greeted warmly, gesturing to a chair for the Lanzt patriarch to take a seat.

“My father is doing well, and he sends his regards, but we both know that’s not why I’m here, in fact, I wasn’t sure I’d even be allowed entry, considering your clan has practically shut itself off from the rest of the world.

You do realize there are all kinds of rumours about your clan circulating, don’t you?” The Lanzt patriarch ended his statement with a pointed question, which drew only a faint smile from the Grand Elder.

“Good or bad, people have always talked about us.

It shows one thing: we are the center of attention.

We are not like those other clans obsessed with their reputation or fame.

Personally, I prefer us to be seen as the shadow of this city,” the Grand Elder replied calmly.

“But we can’t help it, our actions speak louder than these rumours, that’s why, after the upcoming Blood Moon battle, no one will dare to open their mouths to slander us or spread baseless stories.

Let them make noise now; it’s wasted energy to silence them.

They’ll do it themselves later—out of fear,” the Grand Elder said with a slight smile, indirectly suggesting that instilling fear through strength was far superior to engaging in fruitless arguments to clear the Gordons clan’s name.

To the Grand Elder, addressing such trivial matters would be a tedious waste of time.

“If that’s all about rumours, let’s return to the main reason you’re here, the only reason I allowed you into the Gordons clan’s inner region is because your clan is an ally who has fought alongside us countless times, even though I know you’ve never truly liked our patriarch,” the Grand Elder continued, his tone direct.

“Well, I’m here precisely because we’re allies,” the Lanzt clan patriarch replied.

“As for my feelings about your patriarch, I think I’ve moved past that.

I’ve heard your clan will be participating in the upcoming war, and I’ve come to propose that we ally once again for this next battle.”

The moment he finished speaking, the Grand Elder burst into laughter.

The sudden reaction caught the Lanzt patriarch off guard, making him question what he might have said to provoke such amusement.

“First of all, I recall you still have a month of downtime.

So, why is someone like you, who despises fighting so eager to head into battle early?

And more so, why are you trying to link up with us so soon?” The Grand Elder’s perplexed expression conveyed that he was deliberately making things difficult for the Lanzt patriarch, leaving the latter momentarily speechless.

“Simple,” the Lanzt clan patriarch began.

“The city lord came to our clan the other day, requesting that we fight ahead of our assigned time, he also promised higher merit rewards and an extra month of downtime as compensation.” Despite this explanation, the Grand Elder’s scrutinizing gaze made it clear he wasn’t fully convinced that was all it took for the Lanzt clan to fight in the upcoming Blood moon war.

Sighing, the Lanzt patriarch continued,

“Let’s just say I’m tempted by the reward, and considering our history of working together, I believe it’s safer to fight now with trusted allies like your clan than to be paired with inexperienced new clans that would only endanger us.” Finally, he admitted what the Grand Elder had been waiting to hear, and that was the fact that the Lanzt clan wanted to rely on the Gordons clan for their safety.

But the Grand Elder’s next words left him more confused than reassured.

“Hmm, I understand what you’re saying,” the Grand Elder said, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

“But on a serious note, I don’t think it would be in your best interest for your clan to join us in the next Blood Moon battle, that’s one.

Secondly, it’s not my decision to make, whether your clan can join us or not is entirely up to the young heir, Alec.”

The mention of Alec made the Lanzt clan patriarch’s face twist with disbelief, as an image of a much younger version of Alec popped up in his mind.

“That brat?

You’re telling me I need to get permission from that brat in order for your clan to ally with mine, You underestimate me that much?” he snapped, his pride visibly wounded.

“If you had asked me to appeal to you or the patriarch, I could understand.

But asking me to lower myself before the younger generation is a slap in the face.”

The Grand Elder let out a knowing, almost amused laugh, tapping his walking cane on the ground three times.

“You misunderstand me, Alec is in charge of the Gordons clan mages for that battle, in fact, the elders have all stepped back entirely from any matter that concerns the managing of the mage teams for the upcoming war, so, if anyone wants to interfere with the order Alec has established, they must seek his permission first.

Isn’t that fair?”

While the explanation made sense, it still unsettled the Lanzt patriarch.

Yet, he dared not show any malice or overt disrespect toward the Grand Elder of the Gordons clan, knowing full well the weight of his authority.

Because aside from the fact that the Gordons clan was significantly stronger than his own clan, the Grand Elder before him was a Tier 7 Mage, someone who could easily kill him if he deemed it necessary.

“I’ve heard what you have to say,” the Lanzt patriarch finally said, his tone firm but respectful.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot see myself discussing such plans with a member of the younger generation.

I’ll take my leave now.” With that, he stood and cupped his hands forward in a gesture of respect toward the Grand Elder.

The Grand Elder gave a faint nod, a subtle smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“I understand.

Safe travels.

Until we meet again.”