The Legendary Mage (Alavin)
Chapter 58

"This is Lord Marak of Lord Viperbane," announced one of Marak's guards haughtily.

"Ha," Marak laughed, nodding, expecting Celesse to be impressed or at least look at him differently upon hearing of his status. But he was disappointed; Celesse showed no interest whatsoever. "We are not receiving guests today. Please leave," Celesse insisted for the third time.

Tyral cautioned, "Lord Marak is a distinguished guest of the Cobalt Strike order, and as a Golden Protégé, Lady Celesse represents the image of our order. Shouldn't you be a bit more polite?"

"No harm done; it's our first meeting, and we're still getting to know each other." Marak was uncharacteristically magnanimous. His smile was unwavering as he glanced at Alavin, who was bending over with arched eyebrows, looking back at him.

Alavin adjusted his breath, slowly rose to his feet, and met Marak's gaze.

Marak purposely asked, "And who might this be? Is it customary to appear before guests without proper attire? How does Lady Celesse come to associate with such a boorish individual?"

"I'll say it one last time, please leave. You're not welcome here." Celesse outright invoked her Combat Magic, a semi-transparent energy ripple pulsating silently around her.

This was the mark of an Advanced Mage, an energy shield!

At Novice Mage Stage I, there would be a single transparent ripple, with Stage II producing two layers, and so forth, up to Stage IX with nine layers.

Marak ignored her, and asked Alavin again, "Am I speaking to deaf ears?"

Tyral chuckled to himself. "Ha, just as I expected." Marak, with his haughty nobility, meeting a beauty like Celesse, and Alavin, the tough-as-nails individual, was sure to stir up trouble.

Alavin laughed in irritation. "It's my own house; why should it bother you whether I dress or not? If it offends you, feel free to leave. Did I ask you to stay?"

"How dare you!" Marak's guards shouted in unison, incensed that someone would dare talk back to their lord.

Tyral stepped back with a snicker, "Fight, let them fight, and may it be fierce."

Marak sneered, "Interesting. Lady Celesse, is he your hound? He barks quite fiercely on your behalf."

Alavin cocked his head, a mischievous smile on his face. "To hear a man's words as a dog's barking, have you, Lord Marak, ever questioned your own lineage?" The swords of Lord Viperbane's guards rang as they were drawn, pointing at Alavin.

Celesse's tone was icy as she stepped in front of Alavin to confront Marak, "Lord Marak, I must insist on respect. I ask you one last time, leave this place!"

Marak acted as though he hadn't heard her and didn't take Alavin seriously, continuing with a smile. "I have traveled far to visit, mainly to see you, Lady Celesse. Might I have the honor of inviting you to enjoy the exquisite landscapes of Cobalt Strike?"

Tyral, ever the instigator, egged on, "Servant Alavin, step aside! Do not disturb Lord Marak and Lady Celesse."

Marak gestured to his men. "Come, assist Lady Celesse in handling her pet."

"At once!" The guards acknowledged in unison, but as they stepped forward, the iron gate behind them suddenly swung open, and a chilling cold air swept into the courtyard. "Who dares to be so presumptuous in Cobalt Strike?"

Marak turned with a cold frown, prepared to rebuke, but the sight that met his eyes left him dumbstruck.

A stunning woman entered the courtyard. Her presence diffused a frigid chill, pure and ethereal as a lily rising from the water, untouched by earthly grime. Her delicate features were veiled in white, yet even through the gossamer fabric, her transcendent beauty shone through, refined and otherworldly.

Her long hair cascaded over her snow-white gown, soft and lustrous, shimmering with an almost translucent black. The woman carried herself with a dignity and grace that was aloof yet not lacking in elegance Where Celesse had stood peerless before, now two beauties vied in splendor, casting all else into shadow.

Marak was stunned, and his guards, too, were secretly taken aback, their vigor waning.

If Celesse's beauty was as a tulip in the garden, the woman before them was akin to a rose on a mountain peak, each with their own charm, utterly captivating. "Mariela?" Tyral was incredulous at the sight, wondering if he had mistaken the person.

The Elite Protégé of Botanic Haven, Mariela? How had she come to this place?

Celesse, Mariela, Liyana, these three were all stunningly beautiful and shrouded in mystery, rarely seen. Among them, Celesse and Mariela were most often compared, not only for their beguiling looks and aura but also because their talents and standings were equally matched. Although Mariela was not a Golden Protégé, her status as a Protégé of Botanic Haven, and as the sole Elite Protégé taken in by a Botanic Haven Elder in recent years, did not fall short of Celesse's.

Not just Tyral was surprised; Alavin and Celesse were too - why had she come here?