A Testament Of The Dark Magician

Roland emphatically dropped the cutlery in his hand, causing all the people around him to look his way. He cleared his throat loudly before conjuring harsh coughs to help mask the initial shock.

A short while later, his performance deterred all prying eyes away from him. However, he still noticed the Mature-looking woman stealing glances off his plate. Once Roland was confident, the coast was clear. The first mode to address was Omega's ability to detect harmful agents around him. Roland carried a few questions about that. Was it because he touched the meat? Or was Omega able to detect things just by being in a certain proximity? And just what other helpful things could this AI do. 

Roland was completely devoid of the real sense of danger all around him for a short while. 

'Omega, what can you share about the harmful agent detected?' 

Omega responded half a second later with a full breakdown of the matter. 

{Unknown Agent; Highly toxic component derived from various unknown natural growing mushrooms one can find across the northern plane. The system isn't advanced enough yet for a full breakdown and analysis. Based on a scan of Omega's database. Unknown agent shares similarities with Carbon Monoxide and hints of cyanide} 

Roland's bottom lip quivered as he listened in silence. Someone had tried to kill him? The thought wasn't so much a surprise, but the swiftness with which it almost happened shocked him. And between the mature woman fawning over him with plastic smiles and the cold youths hiding their ill intent. Each and every one of these people was as good as guilty to him. The more he pondered the assassination attempt, the more annoyed he was getting. And by the end, a single question sat on his mind. 

'What in the world did Roland do to make these people so angry.' 

Apart from that almost fatal mishap, the rest of the awkward dinner went smoothly. Roland managed to complete the dish unscathed; of course, anything Omega flagged as dangerous was expertly scraped to one side of the plate or secretly brushed against the floor. He spent his time patiently and silently cutting the tiny vegetables before popping them into his mouth one by one.

His face beamed with delight as Omega's mechanical voice played soothingly into his mind. It reassured him that there wasn't a drop of poison in anything he consumed. 

Meanwhile, the table spoke in quick intervals. Roland kept his ears open, of course, and learned a few interesting things about the life of his new family. The lord of this castle, whom he had yet to meet, was currently in dispute over some kind of brokered agreement between himself and the vassal lands. Skirmishes had unsurprisingly led to a war. 

Roland didn't actually care about the politics of this place in truth, it very much sounded like quarrels old lords of medieval times would be fussing themselves over. And Roland would much rather find out anything that may help him piece together how or why he's reincarnated into this strange world. 

Surprisingly, the most intriguing thing he learned was about his absent cousins—Peak Iron body Prodigies, who were on the verge of breaking through to the Early Bronze body rank. Lotten and Govan Cloud.

With Omega's help, Roland learned that the stages of body refinement were divided into Stone, Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Roland was able to gather an in-depth breakdown of what elements factor into those ranks. 

 Strength, Speed, Vitality, Intelligence and Wisdom. 

Roland had to catch himself from bombarding Omega to commit to more tasks for him.

Lady Herone swiftly offered him her support and love if he chose to obey and commit himself to her. That sentence alone gave Roland more than one reason to avoid bumping into her after this dinner had concluded. But her actions did draw a curious thought in his ever-twirling mind of schemes and plots. She said and displayed a lot of emotions to suggest she really wanted his commitment or trust. Despite the coldness layered with her words, there was a subtle sorrow in her voice. 

Roland found it hard to picture someone playing the role so well right after attempting to kill him. He smoothed his chin, wondering if there was a chance he was mistaken about the killer. Nevertheless, dinner concluded, and Roland bid them all farewell, having left the hall as soon as possible. Lady Herone invited him to visit her semi-attached estate beside the castle, where she and her kids spend their days. Roland politely refused before lightly slamming the door behind him. 

He patted his chest down, heaving a sigh of relief. A shadow seemed to appear right before his sunken helm. Raising his chin, Roland stared with mixed thoughts into the glassed eye holes affixed against the elegant purple mask. The fellow they called the Willow towered over him the same way a spear towers over its wielder when stood upright. 

Roland creased a boyish smile before gently straightening his posture upright. "Young lord...How was it?" The smoky, low voice asked him. 

Roland placed his hands against his hips and stretched his sore back from side to side. Those chairs were awful to sit against for so long. The real assassination attempt was the poor choice of dinner environment, cutlery, and guests. He cocked one eye open at the shadowy sentinel, eyeing the one-piece combat suit that framed his body in actual living darkness, moulded in the flesh.

Roland couldn't help but wonder just how strong this aloof guardian might be. 

'Maybe once Omega grows up, I'll find my answer.' 

"Young Lord?" 

"Huh? Oh, nothing, I mean, yes, my friend, it went swimmingly well. Now then, enough about that. Is there anything scheduled for me for the rest of the day?" 

"No young lord." 

"No summons or angry maids? Vile accusations or people I might owe money to?" 

"N-no-not that I'm aware of, young lord?" 

A smile of satisfaction creased against Roland's brown face. His two brows lifted upon him, recalling something. "You see how you're sworn to serve me, protect me and all that other boring stuff. Well, I do have a request for you?" 

The Willow almost begrudgingly nodded. If Roland hadn't read a confession letter of all the crimes he had committed before his transmigration. He might've felt a little hurt by that reaction. 

"Ahem! Well, let's resume our training. Somehow, I truly understand just how urgent increasing my strength is." 

Roland saw the masked guardian flinch for the first time since their short introduction. A soft silence ensued between them. Roland was lightly startled, twisting his helm back towards the towering doors, where he was assured he heard the smashing of something thick like a tree. He tiptoed back towards the closed door. By his luck, the slammed door didn't settle and left a little opening between the two doors. 

Roland peered through without needing an invitation. Lady Herone was standing up, her fist smouldering with white smoke, and the end of the long table had been completely obliterated. Roland had seen enough and whizzed himself right back towards the Willow. He was in the midst of monsters and had no idea how to run or walk. He needed assistance quickly.

He arrived at this sleeping quarters. And prepared himself to begin his sparring with his death knight.

Roland was busy thinking and missed when a lonesome guard arrived by his door. After wrapping his knuckles against the firm door, he welcomed himself inside. He froze when he saw the death knight before loosening his collar and stammering his words.

Roland grew tired of watching this and demanded he speak clearly.

"Hey, what do you want? You're disturbing us?"

"Ah-w-well...Er--Th-the Patriarch has sent for you." He explained before swiftly taking his leave.

Roland was visibly stunned, forced to stop and stare at the open door.

'The Patriarch? What in the world does he want with me.'

 ****

Roland stood at the large redwood door framed with two large dragons holding a piece of the door each. The guards dressed in cruel black iron stepped aside, and the door nervily creaked open. Roland waited for the doors to part aside before he cautiously proceeded inside.

The moment he placed a single step forward. 

{Warning! Air pressure levels dropped drastically! Warning! Air pressure levels dropped drastically.} 

Roland rang his ears; Omega's shrill sound was too sudden and loud. But he took heed of the warning and narrowed his gaze as he entered the dimly lit room. This place was at least three times the size of his own chambers. Most alarmingly, he noticed no less than 7 imposing-looking figures partially hidden beneath the shadows in the corners. 

Directly ahead of him was a red and gold throne with a tall backrest shaped like two gothic reptilian wings. He noticed an old man dressed in black, caressing a wooden cane beneath his hand, standing beside the large throne. Their eyes met, and Roland felt an unusual depth of mystery encircled in those fountain blue irises. For a short moment, Roland remembered one of his generals back in his old world—a man with pale hair and a silver forked beard but with a regal presence that spoke volumes of his power. 

Roland was about to take another step inside when he was suddenly overcome with a terrible sense of anxiety. A hulking voice tremor across the frigid air and his gaze swiftly moved towards the centre of the room. 

There was an ominous figure seated against the large throne, his chin propped lazily with a closed fist against the throne's armrest. Compared to anyone else he had met thus far, this fellow was clearly a dragon amongst a world of ants. 

Beads of sweat dotted Roland's forehead, and he felt his entire body shivering every few seconds as he attempted to hold back the urge to run away. He bit his lower lip and cracked an ugly smile. He knew very well who this fellow likely was. 

'Heh, so this is the strength of the Patriarch. Shit, I can already feel the gap between his strength and mine is astronomical…so this is someone with a gold-ranked body.' 

Roland beheld the Patriarch closely. The old fellow was adorned in black and golden martial robes. From his build alone, he understood the fellow must be quite tall. 

A daring thought flew across Roland's mind. The idea may have stemmed from a survival instinct, being in the presence of a terrifying figurehead. Or perhaps his innate curiosity was dressed well in a veil of madness. Wherever it came from, Roland decided to run full throttle towards the danger. 

'Omega, a-analyse.' He spoke within.

The system complied, and a silvery light appeared against Roland's eyes. A warm heat surged across his face as he shifted his narrow gaze towards the Patriarch once more. Only this time, however, in the blink of an eye, a terrible pain assaulted him between his brows. Without even commanding, Omega's ability switched off. 

Roland staggered backwards as his vision blurred. His legs buckled before he could even fight the effects, and he quickly found his hands pressed against the ground. 

Droplets of sweat fell and touched the space between his fingers. 

'Omega-wh-what-what the hell was that?' he asked the system internally in a daze of panic. Omega's mono voice began filtering into his mind. A sudden quake cracked against the air and stifled through him. 

A heralding voice erupted, cutting his thoughts short. 

"You've grown…taller. Get up. Let me see your face properly." 

Roland placed his trembling hand against his chest and found his centre again. A few deep breaths later, he managed to carry his body back to his feet again. He wiped the sweat lathered against his forehead and narrowed his eyes admonishingly against the shroud against the throne. 

"Oh-ho? You have the eyes of a tiger, even though you're no more threatening than a cub only just weaned."

The patriarch's voice carried a hint of mockery, but with the coolness in which he spoke those words. Roland assumed he meant every word as plainly as he said it.