While Lionel was teaching and giving lectures about his fighting style and magic methods, danger lurked in the deep forest behind the academy.
"Sir, we are almost at the academy," a masked figure said, speaking telepathically to his men.
They dashed and ran, moving so fast like ninjas or assassins, as they were called here.
The academy was busy, and even the guards didn't notice anything suspicious in the forest. Then suddenly, one guard got knocked out. Every guard was taken down one by one.
"Everyone! Scatter around and find the princess!" the leader said telepathically.
"Yes, sir!" they replied.
They roamed and jumped around, searching every classroom.
Lionel felt a presence at the window while he was demonstrating a magic arrow. Since today's lecture was about marksmanship, he performed it and shot through the window.
"Professor! Why did you do that? Now the window is damaged!" Princess Arwen, Seraphina's sister, said.
They didn't know that it hit a target. Then they heard someone getting hurt.
"AHHH!" one of the men screamed.
"Hey! What happened?" the leader asked telepathically, worried about what had happened.
The students looked confused.
"What was that?" one student asked.
"Professor hit a strange man," they said, looking down the window. "Yeah, maybe it's an assassin targeting someone!"
Then the man went silent, and suddenly another masked figure appeared. "There you are, princess!" the assassin said, pointing at Princess Arwen, the third princess of Elarion.
They were targeting her because she was one of the people who could use divine magic. Maybe the one who ordered this was the corrupt church.
In this world, there were also corrupt churches that tried to take people with divine abilities but kept failing.
Lionel jumped out of the window. "Who are you?" Lionel asked. "And what is your purpose here?"
"We are taking the princess!"
"What do you mean by that?" Lionel asked.
"It doesn't matter. We take her!"
"I don't think so."
Lionel attacked with his magic arrow. "Everyone, watch me!" he shouted to his students.
He suddenly shot a barrage of arrows, and the assassin screamed in pain. "AHHH! PLEASE! STOP!" the assassin begged.
"What do you mean, stop?" Lionel knelt down.
"I'll tell you everything I can! Please! Just spare me!" the assassin cried.
"Oh, really? Tell me then."
"We are taking the third princess because she can use divine power. Do you know that?"
"Of course I know! I'm her mentor—her private mentor too."
"You know that?"
"Yes, like I said! Why are you guys trying to take her?"
The assassin hesitated, then finally responded.
"We are using her to summon that angel who descended!" the assassin replied, obsessed with that angel.
He didn't know that the angel they thought had descended was actually Lionel. They all thought an angel descended because of that beam of light, but the fact was that Lionel was evolving into a stronger angel.
"Yeah? Do you guys think that will actually work?" Lionel asked.
"Yes! That's what happened fifty years ago!" the assassin replied.
Then their leader appeared and shot a small poisoned knife at Lionel, but it suddenly stopped mid-air.
System:You've used wind magic too much! A new skill was discovered! It's called Force!
"Let's try it!" Lionel suddenly raised his hand, and the small knife followed, floating mid-air.
"What is that immense power—"
He went silent.
Lionel didn't know he shot it so powerfully that the leader's entire stomach disappeared, forming a hole. The leader fell down with blood everywhere because of the poison.
That was easy!
"Everyone! Our lecture about marksmanship ends today! Prepare for the practical test tomorrow! I am selecting powerful individuals as representatives for the following tournament!"
"Okay, everyone! You all can go home now!"
"Yes, sir!" everyone replied and left.
"Professor Lionel!" Arwen suddenly approached him. "Thank you!" Arwen said, flustered. "Thank you for saving me!" She bowed down.
"It's fine. It's not that big of a deal." Lionel patted her head.
"Thank you, Professor!"
Tomorrow was Arwen's birthday. She was turning fifteen and would have her ceremony to get her suitable class.
For anyone to get a class, they needed to perform a ceremony. The result would be revealed by the priest performing the blessing ceremony. The god himself handed out the classes. There was also a rare chance that someone could choose their own class, but it was very rare.
I need to prepare her a gift. I want to give her a weapon, but I don't know what her class is yet, Lionel thought. Then he remembered something. "Oh! I know now! What if I give her my feathers!"
Angel feathers were holy items. Whoever possessed them would receive a buff of +500 in every stat. Only three people had possessed that kind of holy item: the hero, and the King of Elarion, who received it after the hero died.
"Yeah, that will be a good idea!"
After planning, Lionel went to the castle where he stayed temporarily, went to his room, and let out his wings.
Then he plucked one of his feathers.
"This will be a good gift."
The feather was glowing, looking very divine, beautiful, and relaxing.
Tomorrow would be the ceremony. Lionel was thinking about what weapon he would give her.
System:The god gave you a production and crafting skill!
What? Why?
System:The god likes that girl and wants you to create a staff—a divine-level staff.
System:Production and Crafting skill level increased to Divine level.
God:You can use your feather as a material!
What? I can now create anything I want!
God:Yes, you can! You can even make any building using your production skills in an instant. It will be useful if you obtain land.
Creating the Divine Staff
"Craft!"
System:To create the divine staff, you require 1 feather and 1 divine metal. You currently possess production skills at the divine level. You can use them to make the metal.
Divine metal could be obtained either by praying or by someone who possessed divine production skills. The last human who possessed the divine skill was fifty years ago. They called him the best blacksmith on the continent.
"Production! Create Divine Metal!" Lionel shouted.
Then a powerful light covered his hand, and suddenly a large amount of light exploded that could be seen through the windows.
"So this is divine metal?" It looked like normal metal, but it wouldn't break. "Appraisal!"
Item: Divine Metal
Buff: +500 All Stats
"It also has a buff! Let's create the staff!" Lionel combined his feather and the divine metal he created. "Craft! Staff!"
A powerful surge of light appeared, and the metal formed into a staff. A few minutes later, it was finally done.
"Wow! This looks amazing!"
The Divine Staff wasn't long and wasn't short either. At the end of it, a floating angel feather was sealed inside.
Lionel tried to get the feather out, but it couldn't be removed. That was good so nobody could steal it.
"Let's try using it!"
Lionel went to the balcony and pointed it at the air. "Light Beam!" A powerful light beam suddenly fired and hit a nearby hill. The range was very far.
"A monster!" the knights shouted. They assumed it was a monster, and Lionel laughed and shrugged it off.
He wrapped the staff and prepared for tomorrow.
He fell asleep.
The day had finally come. The blessing ceremony for Arwen was starting later. Lionel wore another white elegant suit.
"This will be good! I'm ready now!" Lionel said, checking himself in the mirror.
Lionel left the room and stumbled upon Seraphina.
"Lionel! You're going? And what is that you're carrying? A gift?" Seraphina asked.
"Yes, it's a gift for Arwen—a very special gift!"
"Really? I'm jealous!"
"What?"
"Never mind. Let's go ride the carriage together."
Seraphina held his hand and ran outside the castle gate. The carriage was prepared, and they went inside.
"I'm excited!" Seraphina said.
"Me too. I wonder what class she will obtain?" Of course, Lionel already knew because the god had ordered him to make a divine staff.
"Yeah, maybe a mage!"
A few minutes later, they finally arrived at the large church. They got down from the carriage.
"Now entering: Lionel, the Sword Master! And the Second Princess Seraphina!" The sound of trumpets played to honor them.
Other nobles envied Seraphina because she was walking arm-in-arm with Lionel.
"What is that Lionel is carrying? I feel powerful energy within that thing," the Queen of Thalvarin asked.
Queen Myrwen Thalvarin was one of the powerful wind users and one of the magic masters of the Left Tower.
"Lionel is so handsome!" the daughters of other nobles screamed.
"Mom, Lionel is really handsome, just like the rumors said!" Princess Sylvena van Thalvarin said.
"Yes, he is, my beautiful daughter. And he's strong too. Maybe you could attract his attention during the banquet after the ceremony," the Queen of Thalvarin replied.
"Mom, I think that's impossible. He already has Seraphina!"
"Don't worry, my daughter. They're not together yet. Even if they are, you could be his second wife."
The ceremony finally started.
"Princess Arwen van Elarion, the Third Princess of Elarion, your blessing ceremony will begin!"
To be continued...