Eist, after hearing Lann's explanation, reflected and said: "Then I will immediately send the clan soldiers to help you… by helping others. In the meantime, I will go find the druids to open a portal that will take me back to the castle and thus find the magical items you need. We will not tell Bran anything about this, I do not want his spirits to fluctuate too much. I just hope that Svanrige can hold on…"
Lann nodded.
Just as Eist was preparing to leave in a hurry, a voice rose from behind him.
"I'm already aware of all this, brother… and you too, Lann."
That was King Bran's voice.
The druid who was guarding Svanrige also left the room with Bran, looking at Lann curiously.
"You must be Lann. Mousesack has told me about you. He said you possess many amazing abilities, though he chose to keep your secrets. I have done everything in my power for Svanrige. His injuries are too severe." The druid spoke frankly. "If you have any way to help him, do so. Do you need to channel the power of nature? At the center of the Druid Circle is an oak tree that connects to the magic of the entire island. Perhaps that can help you."
However, Bran raised his hand to interrupt the druid and instead pulled an ancient necklace from around his neck.
"This is to save my son. It makes no sense for others to pay the necessary price." He then turned to Eist with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, brother, this necklace…"
But before he could finish, Eist interrupted him: "The safety of Svanrige is the most important thing." Eist then took the necklace and handed it to Lann, explaining: "This is the emblem of the Jarl of the Tuirseach clan, a treasure passed down from our ancestors. It is supposed to be a powerful object, but we have never known how to activate it. I hope that now it can save Svanrige. Which could be considered our ancestors protecting us."
Lann took the necklace Eist handed her. It was crafted from a combination of braided vines and metal, etched with ancient, intricately designed runes.
However, it seemed that the passage of time had left its mark. The runes now looked like simple rough engravings on stone. If it weren't for Eist's explanation, no one would have thought that this necklace once contained magical powers.
In fact, it was no more than a symbol of authority for the Jarl of the Tuirseach clan, without any special functionality.
Fortunately, Lann's system gave a prompt in time.
[Source of magic detected.]
Under the expectant gazes of Eist and Bran, Lann nodded confidently. "It will do. This is enough."
Then he grabbed the necklace and activated the system.
A warm flow emanated from the necklace and entered Lann's body.
[Ability Point +1]
[Ability Point +1]
[Ability Point +1]
[Ability Point +1]
This item, which had survived who knows how many years, granted no less than four ability points!
It was incredible that it possessed such an amount of magic, and yet the runes engraved on its surface could no longer be activated. It was impossible to imagine the power it must have had when it was first created.
After absorbing the power in the necklace, Lann did not hesitate to use one of the ability points to unlock the follower panel. Under everyone's watchful eyes, he placed his hand on Svanrige's forehead.
The follower contract did not have any spectacular visual effects. Therefore, every change in Svanrige was clearly visible to everyone.
First, a blush filled his pale face. Then his body began to regain vitality. His steady breathing shook his chest, his heartbeat resonated loudly, and even his skin, which had looked withered from lack of nourishment, regained a vibrant smoothness.
At that moment, Svanrige looked like a sleeping warrior, ready to rise at any moment and return to battle.
Bran reached out his hand, but seemed unable to touch his son, as if he were made of porcelain. Fortunately, Svanrige's eyelids began to flutter, and he finally opened his eyes.
"Father...?" Svanrige looked around in confusion. "How is Mother? Has the chaos calmed down? Was it... the master druid who saved me?"
...
[Follower: Svanrige an Tuirseach
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Level: 1
Talent: Iron Fist
Experience: 0/1000
Health: 10/220
Mana: None
Item Bar: None
Skill Bar: Archipelago Bloodline, Calm Mind, Advanced Etiquette, Intermediate General Knowledge, Intermediate Navigation, Intermediate Swordsmanship, Intermediate Archery, Intermediate Riding
Quest: None]
[Shared Follower Talent: Iron Fist]
[Iron Fist: When the owner of this talent becomes a leader of a faction, the interference of decision-making decreases by 40%, and the execution of decision-making increases by 20%]
...
Looking at King Bran who was excitedly hugging his son, and Svanrige who was so excited that he was overwhelmed, Lann took a step back and gave this space to the father and son.
Then he began to look carefully at Svanrige's system panel.
From an emotional perspective, spending an ability point to save Svanrige was something Lann would do without hesitation. From a practical standpoint, he was worth it, too.
According to Lann's memories of his past life, Svanrige would be an iron leader and one of the few exceptional monarchs of his era. Although he had not yet shown his mettle, his potential was undeniable.
While it now seems clear that Eist will inherit the throne of Skellige, it would be beneficial for Svanrige to succeed him at a later date. Of course, this requires debate.
Even if he doesn't inherit the throne, Svanrige could take over the leadership of the Tuirseach clan, which would also be a great help to Lann. After all, he would be the first leader-level follower in Lann's follower system. If he could use his influence like Lann did in Cintra to complete system quests and with the effect of the Follower panel, then he could share the rewards obtained with Lann…
The idea was already exciting for Lann just by imagining it.
Meanwhile, the druid stared in disbelief at Svanrige, who had come back to life.
The druid turned to Lann. "I see that Mousesack's praise falls short. Although your power has obvious limitations, what you have achieved is a revolution for the entire system of healing magic."
Lann preferred not to respond to this comment, instead he bowed in respect. "Thank you for your comments, but how should I address you?"
"Fritjof, an old man that Mousesack is used to constantly telling praises about you." The druid replied humorously.
The two then left the hut, continuing to talk. Fritjof called to his apprentices to make room for the occupants of the house, allowing father and son to enjoy a moment alone.
And just then a druid came running up.
"Fritjof, I've been looking for you everywhere." Gremist greeted and then noticed Lann's presence. "Ah, you're here too!"
Lann responded with a slight nod.
Gremist continued: "Lann, to uncover the identity of the traitor druid, we need the help of someone with enough experience and seniority."
"Fritjof is precisely that person. He is so old that he has interacted with almost all the druids in the Skellige Druid Circle for years."
"Your way of introducing me almost makes me feel offended." Fritjof shook his head, clearly accustomed to his companion's eccentricities. "Luckily, now that Svanrige is healed, I have a moment to listen to you. What exactly do you need my help with?"
However, upon hearing this, Gremist exclaimed: "What do you mean, he's cured? That's impossible! Did you discover any new herbs or magic? We must exchange knowledge!"
Before Lann could react, Gremist caught him. "Little lion, give me back my notes first, I'll make you a new copy later. Fritjof, these are the most recent notes on my research. Tell me how you cured the little one from the Tuirseach clan!"
Fritjof shook his head again and waved his hand to calm Gremist down. "I didn't heal Svanrige... Hey, wait, don't barge in like that! The kid is with his father now!" Fritjof grabbed the reckless druid and reminded him to calm down. "Tell me why you came to see me first. Although you are normally a reckless person, you came to see me when you knew I was busy, it must be an important matter."
Gremist continued to look towards the cabin, obviously wanting to find out how Svanrige was cured since he had seen the terrible condition he was in and considered at that moment that it was very important.
However, at Fritjof's insistence, Gremist calmed down before patting himself on the head.
"This is also related to Lann. He just returned from the Vildkaarls' base camp with Eist and brought us news: there was a traitor among us. He joined the Svalblod cult and had kidnapped three apprentices who we believed had had accidents when they went out to perform tasks abroad. Fortunately, this time they were rescued by Lann. You are one of the ones who has had the most contact with all the druids, I think you should know the identity of the traitor..."
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