Golden Mage - Chapter 43

Volume 2, Episode 13

“Seems like I can’t waste any time. Alright, the orders from the Master are clear. First, there’s a report that we’ve succeeded in luring out the Tollian King. We’ll open the Warp Gate, so we have to deal with the Tollian King.”

At the same time, the gaze of Karosman turned towards Duke Truel.

Duke Truel nodded, taking his gaze.

He wanted to wrap up the meeting quickly, so it was necessary for him to step forward for a smooth conclusion.

With a shrug, Duke Truel spoke, nonchalantly mentioning, “It doesn’t seem like a difficult task. Alright, I’ll support with three Sword Masters and fifty Sword Experts. That should be enough, right?”

Duke Truel’s manner of casually mentioning three Sword Masters and fifty Sword Experts was quite surprising. After all, Sword Masters were precious talents, not even reaching two hundred in the Empire. In most western kingdoms, having just ten Sword Masters was considered a luxury.

However, the individuals seated in the meeting room acted as if it were a matter of course.

Exactly what kind of influence did each of them possess to regard such forces so lightly?

Karosman, who calculated the forces to take Tollian King into custody, nodded his head. “That should be enough. The next matter is about the appearance of a Knight Golem in the Blirad Empire.”

“What? A Knight Golem?”

At Karosman’s words, an old man clad in a blue robe rose hurriedly, his gentle face showing an unexpected sense of urgency.

His name was Lyzen, a Tower Lord of the Blue Tower and an 8th Class Master, possessing the most exceptional Golem crafting techniques on the continent.

He stood up and stared at Karosman with an intent gaze, urging him to continue with impatience.

“Karosman! What do you mean? A Knight Golem has appeared? There’s no one else on the continent who can create a Knight Golem except me! What is the meaning of this?”

“Calm down, Lyzen! I’ll explain. There was a big commotion in Earl Einhardt’s territory in the Blirad Empire. They say a 7th Class magician and a Knight Golem have appeared there. The status of the Knight Golem seen there is…”

“The status is?”

As Lyzen pressed for an answer, Karosman looked at him intently and forcefully spoke.

“A non-piloted Golem! The non-pilot is at least a Grand Master!”

“Ugh…”

Lyzen groaned, and the others seated in the meeting room had similar reactions.

Everyone maintained silence, and Karosman spoke again.

“We can’t know everything since we didn’t witness it ourselves. However, it’s said that the non-piloted Knight Golem engaged in a battle on par with the Grand Master, Earl Clyan. Considering that, the Knight Golem must have a non-pilot status comparable to at least a Grand Master. Lyzen, what level can the Golems you make reach?”

After a moment of contemplation, Lyzen replied, “The Knight Golems piloted by knights must blend Orichalcon, the vanishing metal, with the Knight Golem’s mana core for them to move. Since Orichalcon has disappeared, I can only create non-piloted Knight Golems. However, even that takes at least a month to produce one.”

Karosman said, “Even if there is a Grand Master level Knight Golem, it shouldn’t be a big problem. It would take at least a few years to produce that level of Knight Golem. However, the Master said that leaving this matter without further investigation is somewhat dangerous. So, he asked to gather information about the Knight Golem. You can take charge of that task, right?”

“Understood.”

Lyzen readily nodded. He had intended to investigate independently without any special requests from Karosman.

He felt both competitive and jealous that someone else had managed to successfully restore a Knight Golem after a lifetime of effort.

“The Master conveyed these two points. Truel will handle it, but if you kill the Tollian King, the guy named Maxwell will ascend the throne under our command. Also, after using the Knight Golems to sweep Monster Land, use the military strength of the Tollian Kingdom to subjugate neighboring countries. It’s not a difficult task, but Master advised Truel to be cautious.”

“Three Sword Masters and fifty Sword Experts should be enough. Why not add more manpower?”

In response to those words, Karosman shook his head. There was no need to use an Ogre-killing sword to deal with Orcs.

“No, what I meant was to ensure that your subordinates don’t become complacent. Well, it’s your subordinates, so they should know what to do on their own.”

“There won’t be any problem.”

“Expectations are in order. Now that we’ve conveyed both matters, let’s conclude the meeting.”

After Karosman had delivered the two tasks that would be executed today, he vanished in a white vortex. The other three men disappeared in the same manner. Then, they tore up the scrolls they held in their arms, and they, too, vanished in a white vortex.

From an unseen location, a sharp blade was aimed at El.

King Redov, who embarked on a secret operation, was riding a horse, moving away from the palace.

Beside him, Duke Lyrus, known as the top-tier Sword Master, had taken position, and twenty guard knights were providing thorough protection.

“Hmm, what should I do…”

Since leaving the palace, King Redov had been deeply immersed in contemplation.

How could he put an end to the escalating struggle for the throne?

Although the Tollian Kingdom wasn’t as powerful as other kingdoms with noble influence, the King didn’t possess enough power to suppress all the nobles.

All the noble power had concentrated on the two princes, leaving King Redov in a frustrating position.

He knew that the princes secretly engaged in activities. How could King Redov not know? Prince Maxwell’s character was unrefined. Acting as if everything belonged to him and treating people recklessly was not behavior suited for a prince.

Prince Cran was similar to Prince Maxwell. He simply hid his cunning and cruelty behind a facade.

Both princes were not fit to be kings. However, they had great ambition compared to their abilities. Besides, their external support was powerful enough that the throne dispute might have been unavoidable.

In that sense, Prince Udimyon possessed true kingly qualities. Not only did he have noble lineage, but he also possessed a tenderhearted personality and an inclusive nature, knowing how to lead people.

Because of such qualities, King Redov wanted to appoint Prince Udimyon as the crown prince. If Prince Maxwell or Prince Cran had possessed the qualities of a true king, he would have appointed one of them as the crown prince long ago.

With a sigh, King Redov said to Duke Lyrus, “I think I need a drink after this. No, why is that?”

When he glanced at Duke Lyrus, the Duke had a deeply stoic expression.

“You must remain vigilant.”

Duke Lyrus raised his hand quietly.

Upon that signal, the knights immediately assumed an alert stance, ready to draw their swords at any moment.

As all the knights adopted defensive positions, Duke Lyrus looked at King Redov and spoke firmly, “Your Majesty, it seems like those who bear ill will towards you are surrounding us right now.”

“What…?”

Surprised by Duke Lyrus’ words, King Redov’s eyebrows twitched. It seemed like they had been deliberately waited for in this place.

It couldn’t be avoided. In that case, it would be better to face it with courage. Confidence had a great impact on morale.

King Redov straightened his chest and gathered strength throughout his body as he spoke confidently, “Yes, I am Duke Lyrus.”

“Then the one beside you must be King Redov, undoubtedly.”

At the question of the knight at the forefront, King Redov’s eyebrows twitched. It confirmed that they were aware of their identities and had approached them deliberately.

“Disrespectful and unimportant, we don’t care about any of it. All we need to do is…”

“What is your purpose?”

The question popped out of King Redov’s mouth in response to the knight’s indifferent tone.

“Your assassination!”