Ronin had accumulated 220 points of Energy Essence. He hadn't used them to improve Macken's strength because he was waiting for a Light Attribute Mage to appear so he could upgrade him directly.
Advancing a Mage from Basic Level to Intermediate required 150 points of Energy Essence, fifty more than it took to upgrade a Knight at the equivalent stage.
As these points of Energy Essence were invested, Elron's Attribute Panel changed—
[Elron Faao]: Intermediate Mage of Light (0/300) +
In the span of a single breath, Elron had traversed a path that other Mages might not complete in years.
"My lord, I..." He was too shocked to speak.
Ronin waved his hand. "This is a special ability of mine. You must keep it secret. Don't reveal anything to anyone besides Macken."
Elron slowly recovered from his shock. "May the light be with you, my lord. I will never forget your gift and your teachings!"
'This guy has only said a few sentences, and he's already said "May the light be with you" twice. He sounds a bit like a zealot.'
"Alright, Elron, have you learned any other magic?"
"Yes!" Elron said with certainty. "After I became an Intermediate Mage, knowledge of the Healing Skill appeared in my mind."
Hearing this, Ronin broke into a wide grin.
'A Healing Skill. Now *this* is what I expect from a Light Attribute Mage.'
"How effective is the Healing Skill?" he asked.
"It can heal ordinary sword wounds, but more serious ones might require casting it multiple times."
Elron continued, "However, if the injury is too severe, affecting bones and internal organs, the Healing Skill's effect is greatly diminished."
Ronin nodded slowly. 'It might not be a cure-all, but being able to treat ordinary sword wounds is still quite impressive.'
To see the Healing Skill's effect for himself, Ronin picked up his sword and made a small cut on his little finger. Bright red blood immediately welled up. He had to admit, it was surprisingly painful.
"My lord, what are you doing?" Elron asked in alarm.
"Come on, try using the Healing Skill on it!"
Elron finally understood. Ronin was testing the effects of the Healing Skill.
"My lord, you could have just cut my finger!"
Regretting that he hadn't understood his lord's intention sooner, he quickly placed his palm over the bleeding finger.
A moment later, a brilliant light settled upon the wound.
Ronin felt a warm, itching sensation at the wound, then watched as it healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
From bleeding to scabbing over to being as good as new, the entire process took no more than five seconds!
"Impressive!"
Now that he had seen it with his own eyes, Ronin was even more satisfied with the Healing Skill's effects.
He believed that with Elron around, if the Guards of his territory were injured in battle, they wouldn't have to be crippled or even die due to a lack of proper medical treatment.
In Ronin's eyes, Elron was like a combat medic.
The only downside was that Elron hadn't mastered any offensive spells.
Vitality Skill, Flash Skill, and Healing Skill were all supportive in nature. Ronin was a little concerned for Elron's safety on the battlefield.
After talking a while longer, Ronin felt he had a much better understanding of Elron.
He stepped outside the tent and sent his manservant, Chahar, away on the pretext of fetching some hot water. Then, he led Elron over to Macken.
"Macken, this is a new companion, Elron Faao. Brief him on our current situation, and then make arrangements for tonight's camp."
"And remember, for the time being, don't reveal to anyone that Elron is a Mage. Just say he's a friend of mine."
"Yes, my lord!"
As Macken acknowledged the order, he looked the newcomer up and down before giving a Knight's salute. "Macken Saliton. A pleasure to meet you!"
"May the light be with you, warrior!"
Ronin chuckled, then turned and went back into his tent to rest.
The night passed peacefully, without any attacks from wild beasts.
Early the next morning, after breakfast, Ronin had the Guards skip their training. Instead, they set off at full speed to escort the Green siblings to Lake Town.
Lake Town was on the way to Mountain Forest Town and near Pasture City, so it wasn't much of a detour for Ronin.
And so, after another day and a half, Ronin and his party finally entered Green Territory.
They had departed on the fourth, and it was now noon on the ninth. It had taken them five days to get here, a pace that could hardly be called fast.
"Brother Ronin, Lake Castle is just a few more miles down this road."
Over the past day and a half, although Marina hadn't suggested entering his tent again, she still sat with Ronin whenever she had a free moment.
'It was a good thing her ankle still hadn't fully healed. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have any personal space at all.'
"The scenery around Lake Town is quite nice," he remarked casually.
Ever since they entered Green Territory, streams and ponds had become more common along the roadside. Ronin even saw people fishing.
The green water and lush mountains almost made him feel like he was back home on Earth.
However, as their convoy passed through Lake Town, the sanitation issues were still quite prominent.
This time, however, Ronin was no longer surprised, nor would he ask a foolish question like why they didn't deal with the filth.
Lake Castle was not actually on a lake. Like Wushan Castle, it was situated on a hill a few li away from the town.
Although the castle's defensive works—its walls, outer wooden stakes, and trenches—were not as grand or sturdy as those of Wushan Castle, all the necessary elements were in place.
The party had yet to reach the castle grounds when a squad of cavalry galloped out to block their path.
"Halt!" a tall Knight shouted, his tone heavy with warning.
However, when he saw the crest of the Wushan Clan on the carriage, his tone softened somewhat.
"May I ask which lord from the Wushan Family has come to Lake Town?"
When a noble paid a visit, a servant was typically sent ahead with a formal announcement.
It was rare to appear outside another noble's castle with an armed convoy and no prior announcement.
"Uncle, it's us!" Marina peeked out from the carriage.
"Lady Marina? And Young Master Malik is here as well!"
The Knight was stunned for a moment, then immediately rode over. "What are you two doing here?"
Kane, now without a horse, stumbled from the rear of the column, sobbing as he spoke.
"Sir Andrea, our Knight Squad was ambushed! Captain Noel was killed in the fight! If Lord Ronin hadn't saved them, the Young Lord and Lady likely wouldn't have survived!"
Knight Andrea's expression changed drastically. 'How could something like this suddenly happen?'
He had arranged for the Knight Squad to escort Malik and his sister back precisely to ensure their safety, yet he never imagined they would be nearly wiped out.
"How are the Young Lord and Lady? Are they injured?" Andrea asked urgently.
Malik stepped out of the carriage. His arm was still wrapped in bandages, but his injury looked much better than before.
"We sustained some minor injuries, but they're not serious. Another two days of rest and we should be fine."
Malik gestured toward Ronin and said, "This is Baron Ronin of Mountain Forest Town, a descendant of the Wushan Clan. We were lucky to survive, and it's all thanks to him."
Only then did Andrea pull himself out of his worried state. He gave Ronin a long, serious look.
In fact, news of what had happened between the Wushan Clan and the Hyde Clan had already spread to the territories of their various Vassals. Some had been secretly mocking both Wiggin and Ronin.
Andrea himself had scoffed when he first heard the news.
But that was in private. In public, he would still show Ronin the proper respect; he wouldn't create a public scene over a matter of pride.
Besides, Ronin had just saved the heirs of the Green Clan—his own nephew and niece.
Knight Andrea gave Ronin a formal Knight's salute. "Sir Andrea, at your service. My apologies for my behavior just now. I truly never imagined the Young Lord and Lady would be ambushed."
With that, he bowed deeply. "Thank you for rescuing them!"
"And greetings to you, Sir Andrea."
Ronin returned the smile. "The Green Clan is a Vassal of the Wushan Clan, and the blood of the Wushan Family flows in my veins. It was only right that I help Malik and Marina."
He paused for a moment before asking, "Kane told me that Baron German was injured in the recent battle. How is he faring now?"
Andrea replied, "Thank you for your concern. Lord German's injuries are mostly healed."
Malik and Marina had been anxious. They had only heard that their father had been wounded in the chest and was bedridden, but they didn't know how severe it was. Hearing their uncle say he was nearly recovered, they both breathed a sigh of relief.
Marina said, "Lord Ronin, Uncle, let's head back to the castle."
"Of course, my lady!"
Andrea signaled one of his men to ride ahead to the castle and announce their arrival, then moved his horse aside to let Ronin's party pass.
Ronin searched his memory for information about Baron German Green.
The man was apparently at the Bronze Level, which was considered quite strong for a Baron.
'I saved his son and daughter... I wonder what he'll offer as a reward?'