Chapter 7: My Adjutant

Everything went very smoothly.

In fact, even Julian hadn’t expected Ophariel’s magical power to be so vast. The abundant magic not only completely shaped her form, but even recreated all the clothes she wore in her memory. This powerful ability to create out of thin air was something Julian had only seen in a few grand archmages. He never thought Ophariel would possess such talent.

However, Julian didn’t say anything more. Instead, he gazed admiringly at Ophariel before him.

At this moment, the girl was slumped in the chair, panting incessantly. Her slender, beautiful legs were tightly pressed together, her hands clasped to her chest. Her high bosom rose and fell constantly, displaying an alluring charm. Her delicate, beautiful face revealed a faint blush. Even on the girl’s skin, white as jade, an enticing pink hue had appeared. Those captivating sapphire blue eyes had now completely lost focus, staring blankly at the ceiling above. Just this scene alone was enough to make Julian feel it was worth the price.

If someone unaware saw this, who knows what they might imagine – in fact, even those in the know would probably think along similar lines.

“What am I…”

Breathing lightly, Ophariel finally recovered from that intoxicating feeling. She twitched her small, cute nose, breathing in the clear air, looking at the firelight before her. Warm air enveloped the girl’s body, making her feel as if she were in a comfortable inn. Moreover, Ophariel clearly felt that in her chest, there was a hot object slowly pulsing, emitting an unparalleled life force.

“How does it feel to become human again?” Julian’s voice awakened Ophariel from her semi-conscious state. She hurriedly sat up, not forgetting to tidy her clothes and hair. Although the body’s sensations were not as convenient as when she was a soul, for Ophariel, this was already the most satisfying state. She no longer wanted to endure the lonely, frightening, cold feeling of the soul form. A real body was what she desired most.

“Very good, Mr. Julian,” Ophariel’s expression was somewhat shy. No wonder, although she had almost instinctively followed Julian’s orders just now, the girl herself was well aware of what kind of expression she had shown. Although it wasn’t intentional, Ophariel was after all just a young girl. Even though she possessed rich knowledge and a strong will, she was still just a girl.

“What you now possess is a human form, but not a true human body,” Julian said, placing a cup of red tea in front of Ophariel. The girl immediately picked up the teacup as if handling a precious treasure. She gently stroked the edge, feeling the heat inside, then took a small sip of the hot tea – for a girl who hadn’t touched anything for thirty years, this seemed like the most delicious tea. However, she didn’t indulge in the enjoyment. Ophariel keenly sensed the meaning in Julian’s words. She raised her head, waiting for Julian to continue his explanation.

“I think you’ve also noticed that you’re not truly human, at least not now…” As he spoke, Julian pointed towards her chest, and Ophariel once again instinctively crossed her arms in front of her chest. Fortunately, Julian didn’t have any intention of “direct entry” this time. Ophariel herself was also very clear that the warm pulsing in her chest was definitely not the feeling from a heart.

“I shaped a condensed core for your soul, and using this core as the center, I wove this human-like body using your vast magical power. From the surface, this body is no different from a human’s, with temperature and heartbeat. However, it won’t grow like an ordinary human body, but will change according to your will.”
While looking at Ophariel, Julian explained to her.

“Of course, this body can still digest food, but in fact, you don’t need to digest food. You only need to learn to meditate, ensuring your magic power doesn’t dissipate, then your body won’t have any problems. However, if your magic power becomes weak, then your body will collapse… If it comes to that point, you will revert back to a soul form.”

“But I’m not a mage,” Ophariel quickly grasped the key point in Julian’s words.

“I don’t know how to meditate…”

“I can’t teach you either,” Julian shrugged.

“I said before, I’m a knight, not a mage. I don’t understand much about those strange things of mages. So, I can’t give you any advice on this aspect. But what I can say is that you don’t know magic spells, which also limits your means of consuming magic power. And with your current vast and astonishing shadow magic power, I think as long as you don’t cast spells, maintaining it for ten or so years shouldn’t be a problem.”

Hearing this, Ophariel didn’t say anything more, but from her constantly moving eyes, it was obvious that this former princess was definitely going to seek out mages to discuss and research this issue.
“Now, let’s get to the main point of our deal, Miss Ophariel.”

Hearing these words, Ophariel immediately sat up straight. She looked at Julian quietly and seriously, putting down the teacup she had been playing with.

“I understand your meaning, Mr. Julian. You have given me a new body, allowing me to enjoy the happiness of living in this world again. In exchange and as repayment, I will serve you. I swear by my name and honor that I will follow you forever, until I… completely disappear.”

Originally, Ophariel wanted to say “until I die,” but in the end, she hurriedly changed her words. After all, strictly speaking, she was already dead.

“Very good,” Julian smiled smugly, and this time, Ophariel finally saw a hint of a smile of a successful scheme on his face.

“Then, next, I will explain to you the situation we are currently facing.”

Julian’s narration was very objective and detailed. He started from his body’s background, all the way to the current difficulties faced by this territory, all of which were analyzed by him. In fact, this information had been organized in Julian’s mind before he discovered Ophariel, just waiting for how to solve these problems.

After listening to Julian’s narration, Ophariel widened her eyes in surprise. She stared blankly at Julian, and it took her a long time to barely come to her senses.

“Mr. Julian, if I understand correctly, you mean that what we now possess is only this castle and a small town with a monthly tax revenue of only one hundred gold coins? Moreover, this territory is still a noble fief? And you have no manpower around you?”

“Now I have you… and that group of Wraith Warriors, and I think in a few days, perhaps we can recruit some people from the small town.”

“But that’s absolutely not enough,” Ophariel obviously saw the seriousness of the problem.

“Mr. Julian, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but from my point of view, if you want to make something of this castle as a center, the difficulty is very great!”

“The more difficult it is, the greater the sense of achievement in conquering it,” faced with Ophariel’s words, Julian spread his hands, revealing a confident smile.

“I think the princess has never dealt with such a difficult problem before, right? You’re not thinking of giving up, are you?”

“Please don’t joke like that, Mr. Julian,” Ophariel raised her slender, beautiful eyebrows, showing a confident expression.

“Compared to dealing with the nobles in the capital, this kind of difficulty is just a small matter for me.”

“Very good,” Julian stood up and extended his right hand to Ophariel.

“Then, from today on, you are my adjutant. How about it, are you satisfied with my arrangement?”

“Please rest assured and leave it to me,” Ophariel reached out and grasped the large, warm hand of the young man before her.

“I won’t let you down, Mr. Julian.”