Chapter 4: The Marvelous Means of Wizards
Chapter 4: The Marvelous Means of Wizards
For the fifth time, Su Nan failed to create the potion, using up the last of the young dragon's blood.
But he wasn't worried.
He didn't need to show physical proof; he himself was the best evidence.
After a good night's sleep, Su Nan found Kei in the council hall the next day.
Kei had just returned from a patrol, still wearing his armor, looking weary and travel-stained.
He was seated with a group of knights and commanders, discussing how to deal with the Black-Scaled Lizards' raids.
"Every year, the Black-Scaled Lizards invade during the Frostfall month to steal food for the winter. It's about that time again."
"A scout spotted their tracks about ten kilometers north of the city yesterday."
"These damned bandits never change their ways!"
"My lord, give me a hundred men, and I'll take out those bandits!"
Kei frowned.
Blackstone was a small city, with a total of only about five hundred soldiers.
More than half of them were militia, who had only received basic training and had never seen real combat.
They might be able to defend the city, but they would likely scatter if sent out to fight the Black-Scaled Lizards.
The true fighting force consisted of only about two hundred and fifty soldiers.
This was barely enough to protect Blackstone and the surrounding villages.
Thinking about this, Kei felt a headache coming on.
Besides Owen, the Black-Scaled Lizards were another threat he had to deal with.
If not handled properly, Blackstone would face a difficult winter.
Just as he was feeling overwhelmed, Kei noticed Su Nan entering the hall. He raised his hand to silence his subordinates and looked at Su Nan.
"Is there something you need?"
Su Nan said, "I succeeded."
Kei was taken aback for a moment before he understood what Su Nan meant. He asked skeptically, "You found a way to enhance the army's strength?"
The others also realized what was happening and turned their gaze toward Su Nan, their eyes filled with obvious doubt.
Could he have found a solution in just one day?
That sounded highly unlikely.
Ignoring their skeptical looks, Su Nan walked straight to a long table, grabbed the edge with one hand, and lifted it with a single, powerful motion.
The heavy table, which must have weighed at least two to three hundred pounds, rose off the ground and hovered steadily about twenty centimeters in the air, not even wobbling.
The room was filled with stunned silence, and everyone's eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
It was well known that Su Nan was in poor health, unable to even lift a sword.
Yet now, he was effortlessly lifting a solid wood table, looking completely at ease.
His strength must have rivaled that of a squire!
Kei, snapping out of his shock, stood up abruptly, his face beaming with surprise.
"What's going on?"
Su Nan set the table down, smiled, and explained, "I've created a potion that enhances physical strength. I took one myself, and now my strength is roughly equivalent to that of a squire. The weaker the user's constitution, the stronger the effect of the potion. It also works on knights, though the effect diminishes with repeated use. We need more data to analyze it further."
As Su Nan spoke, Kei's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
If they had enough of this potion, they could mass-produce squires, and possibly even full knights.
If an ordinary person could become a squire after taking the potion, then a squire could very well become a full knight.
Kei's excitement was palpable.
Kei's face flushed with excitement.
Ordinary people had no idea just how difficult it was to train a knight these days. A commoner would start training at the age of twelve, spending four to five years building their physical strength to the point where they could begin practicing breathing techniques and become a squire. A squire would then spend another four to five years mastering these techniques to become an apprentice knight. After that, it would take another seven to eight years of rigorous training to form a life seed and become a full-fledged knight. In total, it took an average of seventeen to eighteen years to train a knight, and that was assuming they had the necessary talent. Those with less aptitude might never become knights at all.
Moreover, the human and material resources required for training were enormous. Even powerful nobles with their own territories could rarely afford to train many knights. For example, at its peak, the Gleaming Fiefdom never had more than a hundred knights.
This made it clear just how precious a potion that could produce knights in a short time would be!
Kei took several deep breaths to calm his excitement, then fixed his gaze on Su Nan, asking solemnly, "What do you need from me?"
Su Nan replied earnestly, "To produce this potion, I need a large amount of Black-Scaled Lizard blood."
"No problem!" Kei agreed without hesitation. "I'll lead the troops out of the city to hunt Black-Scaled Lizards tomorrow!"
After a moment, he walked over to Su Nan and patted his shoulder with a look of relief.
"I never thought the legendary wizard's methods were real."
"I was wrong to doubt you. I apologize!"
Su Nan smiled lightly. "We're family, no need to dwell on it."
Kei's smile grew wider, and he nodded vigorously. "You're right. With our combined efforts, we'll reclaim the Gleaming Fiefdom and avenge our father."
Su Nan nodded seriously, though his heart remained calm. The goal of becoming a wizard left him with no interest in power and domination. He only wanted to practice in peace, seek immortality, and live to see the elemental awakening and the golden age of wizards a thousand years from now.
However, he knew he had to maintain a certain image in front of his brother. After all, a lord's resources would make it much easier to gather the materials he needed for his wizardry.
So Su Nan's goals were clear: to boost the fiefdom's strength, turning it into a logistical base for his resource collection, while also focusing on his own training to advance to the rank of a full wizard as soon as possible.
On the other side, the commanders had also recovered from their shock and exchanged glances.
None of them had ever imagined that the legendary wizard's methods were real. The ability to turn a commoner into an apprentice knight in just a day was nothing short of miraculous and terrifying!
For a moment, everyone looked at Su Nan with a mix of awe and reverence.
And then came the intense excitement.
With such a powerful potion, the fiefdom had a real chance to grow and thrive! When Kei issued the order to hunt Black-Scaled Lizards the next day, the commanders responded with evident enthusiasm.
They had never been more eager to face those dreaded bandits! The Black-Scaled Lizards, once their most hated enemies, now seemed like walking potions of strength.
That was the capital they needed to grow stronger!
(End of Chapter)
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