Magic Was Dead Until I Returned

Chapter 003

"Earth Dragon Galli is a flightless fire dragon that lives on the ground. Its blood contains a terrifying amount of fire energy. Galli's blood must be stored in special containers after extraction. Otherwise, any blood leaks will start a fire on whatever it touches..."

"Our family purchased the dragon's blood and stored it in special bottles, but that was insufficient. The dragon blood's fiery properties would overflow, causing red skin, itching, chest tightness, profuse sweating, and other symptoms in those who came into close contact with it for a long time…"

Linden spoke eloquently on the subject. He used to be an Elemental Magic God and his knowledge of various magic materials had progressed to the point where it was as good as an encyclopedia. It was only natural that he was well-versed in magical materials such as dragon blood.

When Ivan heard this from his seat, his expression turned unsightly.

He wondered to himself, What is the matter with this kid today? He didn't cower in the face of his judgment but told stories about the attributes of Galli's blood, how to take it, and its efficacy. How could he have known all of this? Also, what exactly was he trying to say? Is it possible that… he was telling the truth?

Ivan had no idea what Linden was up to. But he knew that if Linden kept talking, things would start to change, so he cast a sidelong glance to signal an elder.

The elder got his message. He stood up and yelled angrily, "Linden, this is your trial! We're here to decide whether you stole the dragon's blood or not. We aren't here to listen to your lecture. If you don't have a testimony or defense to prove your innocence, I'll formally sentence you on behalf of the family. Your accusation of theft is…"

Before he could say the word 'conclusive', Linden spoke up from the side, "So... Karl is the real thief who stole the dragon's blood!"

"What!"

Everyone was caught off guard when the topic changed.

"Linden claims that it was Karl who stole the dragon's blood?"

Everyone had their eyes on Karl. They noticed something seriously wrong with him. There was a large patch of red skin on his neck, and he kept loosening his collar as if he was having trouble breathing.

"He has chest pains, erythema, and is constantly scratching his skin. These symptoms are identical to those described by Linden for someone who has been exposed to dragon blood for a long time. Are Linden's claims true? Is Karl the real thief?"

In the background, there was a lot of discussion. Linden's well-founded argument played a role.

"Bullshit!" Karl glared at Linden as he scratched his ever-itchy neck.

"Karl, I have some advice for you. I think you should see a physician as soon as possible. Your skin would be scarred otherwise. Apart from that, the masses have keen eyes. Why would you have itchy skin and erythema on your body, if you haven't been in contact with dragon blood?" Linden sneered.

"I didn't!" Karl panicked a little, "I didn't take the dragon's blood!"

"No one said you took the dragon's blood. If my guess is correct, you just stole it, and didn't take it," Linden said coldly.

"Your symptoms will go away once you drink the dragon's blood and your blood merges with the earth dragon's blood essence. However, you only experienced erythema and itching. These symptoms suggest that you have been exposed to dragon blood for a long time but did not consume it. All the elders are present here today. You might as well tell us the truth. Where is the dragon's blood?"

Linden used the spiritual magic "Soul Gaze" as he finished his sentence. His low voice was accompanied by a spiritual magic attack. Karl felt as if a tiger was staring him down. He felt weak and could not help but take a step back. He lost his footing and fell to the ground.

"Look! Karl is troubled by his guilt. Why is he so terrified of Linden's baseless claim? So, Linden is right. The one who stole dragon blood wasn't him, but Karl."

"What the hell! He stole the dragon's blood and framed Linden to take the blame for him. Is Lord Ivan part of this matter? It would be disastrous if Ivan were involved."

Many people started pointing fingers at Karl!

"Rubbish!"

Ivan was so frustrated by his son's failure that he was tempted to go up and give him a ferocious kick.

However, he was well aware that he needed to gain control of the situation as soon as possible. The situation would be bad for him if he allowed everyone to talk about it.

Ivan shouted thunderously, "Silence!"

Boom!

The shout was mixed with a fragment of the power of a Class 3 Warrior. It instantly suppressed the noise of the audience. Everyone was terrified. Ivan depended on his ability to secure a position on the council. Ivan turned to Linden, seeing that the conversation had come to a halt.

"Linden, stop deceiving the public! There is supporting evidence for the attributes and effectiveness of the earth dragon's blood essence with what you mentioned. You just made up that nonsense on the spot. Do you think you can escape your crime with clever words?

"Yes, Linden, we never teach the children about dragon blood in our family. Where did you learn so much about dragon blood as a member of the family? You want to turn Karl's testimony against you with empty words, but your arguments haven't been convincing so far. Do you believe the council is a bunch of slackers?"

The elder who had previously sided with Ivan stepped forward and angrily pointed at Linden.

The atmosphere in the hall became tense again. Though Linden's argument was well-founded, two elders stood up to refute him. This situation left those who were watching the trial a little perplexed. It was difficult for them to make heads or tails of the circumstances.

Should they trust Linden or the elders?

"Linden's defense is true!" A female voice abruptly came through, just as everyone thought today's trial would end in a deadlock.

Everyone turned to face the source of the sound and saw a valiant woman marching majestically into the hall.

This woman had a commanding presence. When she walked, those who were watching the trial were astounded by her air. One by one, they gave way to her. She stopped before Linden, under the watchful eyes of everyone.

"You did well!"

The woman cast a glance at Linden.

"Aunt, why are you here?"

Linden looked at the woman, blushing slightly.

According to his memories, there was not a trace of his mother in his childhood. The image of his aunt bathing him surfaced. She had played the role of his mother when he was younger. She accompanied the siblings through their childhood until she left the family three years ago.

"I've been here for a long time."

Aunt Lisa pulled Linden into her arms.

He was slightly embarrassed as her big breasts pressed against his body. Her aunt had not changed in the least; she was still as bold and unrestrained as ever.

"Boy, you've grown taller!" She smiled as she looked at Linden.

It was true that she had arrived earlier. However, she did not intervene because she was troubled by the situation. She did not know how to deal with it to save Linden. She had not expected Linden to use his knowledge of dragon blood to salvage the situation and counter Ivan. It came as a pleasant surprise for her!

"Aunt, I can't breathe! You're about to suffocate me!"

Linden squirmed a little as Lisa clutched him tightly.

Her strength was on par with Ivan's, since she was also a Class 3 Warrior. She might be a lady, but the strength of her arms was powerful enough to break a large tree. Linden was certain that if she continued to exert so much force on him, he would suffer a bone fracture.

"You did well! You can leave the rest to me now!"

She let go of her nephew after hearing him plead for mercy.

She then turned her gaze to Lilyana and said hello to her before switching her attention to the council. The look in her eyes suddenly turned icy.

"I can prove that what Linden said is true. Everyone should be aware that I deal and trade with magical ingredients. No one knows Earth Dragon blood essence better than I do. It is recorded in this book. It is obvious at a glance that Karl is the one who came into contact with dragon blood."

With her right hand, Lisa swiped the bracelet on her left wrist. It glistened with a turquoise glow and a book with a giant dragon on the cover appeared. She tossed it onto the elders' table.

"A magic bracelet!"

Everyone became envious when they saw Lisa take a book out from the bracelet.

They could tell it was a magical relic with storage space. Only a sorcerer could create such a relic, and it was priceless. Having an object like that was something to be envied.

"Lisa!"

Ivan looked displeased after he saw Lisa from the elder's seats.

She was Linden's aunt and also happened to be the Crest family's strongest female warrior!

"Why would she return out of the blue?"

Ivan's complexion turned ghastly pale. He had previously fought with this female warrior.

She possessed exceptional abilities as well as incredible strength. More importantly, she was a fierce protector of the children.

But didn't she leave the family for a business trip three years ago? Why would she return so quickly? Does it have something to do with Linden?

Ivan glared at Lisa and gritted his teeth. He knew that it would be difficult to pin the theft on Linden today.

"Linden's word is most likely true if you support such a claim. There is nothing to argue about. If that's the case, the accusation against Linden is a misunderstanding. Today's trial will end here." Ivan coughed dryly, thinking that taking the initiative to step back could be seen as a sign of respect for Lisa.

"We are done here?" Lisa sneered.

"I only left the family for three years," she snarled at the elders.

"Now the family appoints people from the branch family as elders and gives them the power to point fingers? Who do you think you are, Ivan? You get to decide to have a trial and end it as you please?"

"You're insulting an elder now, Lisa! Do you have any idea what the punishment would be for that?"

Ivan was enraged.

Being born into a branch family was his sore spot. It was true that he did not come from a prestigious background, and he was not a direct descendant of the Crest family. It would have been difficult for him to get to this point without the help of Wilkin.

"What is it? You want to punish me because you couldn't punish my nephew?" Lisa was not afraid of Ivan. She walked up to him and looked straight into his eyes. She uttered, word for word, "Who do you think you are?!"