Golden Mage - Chapter 44

Volume 2, Episode 14

Together with his two knight companions by his side, Blade rushed toward Duke Lyrus, the three knights’ swords emanating fiery energy.

This marked the beginning of a bloody battle as the fifty knights they brought along also unleashed their powers and charged forward, their swords bursting with raw energy. The clash began not far from the palace, and the air was filled with the scent of blood.

Facing three Sword Masters simultaneously, Duke Lyrus found himself pushed back continuously, while the fifty Sword Experts engaged in a fierce battle with the Royal Guards.

At that moment, one of the knights, who had initially drawn his sword to face the black knights, suddenly turned on his own comrades and attacked them.

Although the Sword Expert managed to narrowly dodge the attacking knight’s sword, he couldn’t avoid getting injured.

The wounded knight grabbed his bleeding arm and shouted at the one who attacked him, “What’s the meaning of this, Leaderbell?”

In response, Leaderbell, the knight who swung his sword, let out a sinister laugh. “Hehe! What meaning, you ask? We were enemies from the start; this is all there is to it.”

With his sword raised, Leaderbell charged forward, and the injured knight, despite his injuries, unleashed a counterattack, wielding his sword and releasing energy.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

In an instant, around twenty strikes were exchanged, and nearby Royal Guards rushed to help the wounded knight, causing Leaderbell to retreat, unable to gain the upper hand.

“Argh! I tried to eliminate at least one, but it seems I failed,” Leaderbell lamented.

He glanced at King Redolph and let out a mocking chuckle. “Just wait a bit longer, Your Highness. I’ll personally cut your throat.”

“How dare you… How dare you betray me,” King Redolph trembled, his body consumed by indignation at the betrayal.

Undeterred by the king’s emotions, Leaderbell shrugged and spoke as if it meant nothing, “Well, isn’t the world a continuous cycle of betrayals? After all, I never pledged loyalty to the Tolian Kingdom from the start.”

With that, he stepped back, and the black knights resumed their advance. The temporary lull in the battle ended, and the fierce combat resumed.

Leaderbell now fought alongside the black knights against the Royal Guards. Even though they were already at a disadvantage in numbers, Leaderbell’s betrayal left the Royal Guards unable to fight at their full strength, leading to their gradual retreat.

Amidst the chaos of battle, King Redolph found himself powerless. He lamented, “Ah… Is it that the gods have forsaken me…”

His cry echoed through the blood-soaked battlefield.

—

El and his party had arrived at the capital city of the Tolian Kingdom, Verdiss.

Having the information from the Magic Capture, Earl Ainheart did not pursue El. Thus, they easily arrived at the Tolian Kingdom through the warp gate.

“Hmm… How can I meet the Tolian King?” El pondered over how he could arrange a meeting with the king while they settled in an inn located in Verdiss.

The most straightforward method would be to go and meet the king directly. As a 7th Class Magician, if El declared his intention to construct a magic tower in the kingdom, the king would surely come out to welcome him warmly.

“But that’s not a good idea. Even if I didn’t commit any crimes, causing a commotion might attract unnecessary attention from Earl Ainheart or the Blyard Empire,” El thought, realizing that he should avoid drawing too much attention.

What El wanted was to meet the Tolian King quietly and discreetly. He desired the king’s approval for his plans and wanted to head straight to Troll Valley to build his magic tower.

To achieve this, he needed a method that wouldn’t be too conspicuous. However, he couldn’t think of a suitable approach.

—

Suddenly, El felt a powerful wave of energy in his senses.

“Whoa!”

He quickly cast a spell on himself and became invisible, his transparent figure blending into the surroundings.

Observing the scene before him, El tried to make sense of what was happening.

“It’s near the palace, so the individuals involved should be connected to it… A confrontation arising from a struggle for the throne?”

Although he considered this possibility, there was no conclusion yet.

The Tolian Kingdom officially had fifteen Sword Masters. However, only five of them were nobles who were mainly stationed at the borders to protect the territory. One Sword Master resided near Monster Land. The remaining nine were mainly nobles with titles, and there was no reason for them to engage in such a fight in this place.

El was back to square one, with no significant information.

“Well, I’ll find out if I go see it myself.”

The energy wave led him to believe that he was getting close.

El decided to hide and observe from a distance.

Meanwhile, El’s mother, Cilfir, entered his room. She called his name, “Eli!”

“I felt it too, Mother. That wave of energy just now…”

The installation of detection magic in Verdiss was a collaborative effort between El and Cilfir. Hence, they both sensed the wave of energy.

“….”

There was a moment of silence between them.

Breaking the silence, El raised his head and said to Cilfir, “I’ll go take a look.”

“But…”

Concern filled Cilfir’s face, and El gently smiled.

“Don’t worry. I’ll observe what’s happening and come back safely. I won’t take unnecessary risks.”

Cilfir had no choice but to accept. In her eyes, El was still a young child who needed to be taken care of. However, she had to admit that El possessed powers beyond her imagination as a 7th Class Magician. Moreover, he was cautious and reliable.

However, even with such thoughts, Cilfir couldn’t help but feel worried. To her, El would always be the child who needed protection. Nevertheless, she acknowledged the reality.

El assured her, “Trust me. I’ll be back soon. If anything dangerous happens, I won’t take it on myself.”

Finally, Cilfir agreed reluctantly. El smiled gently at her and kissed her on the cheek.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of myself. Now then…”

With that, El left the room. Cilfir looked at his retreating figure with mixed feelings of pride and anxiety.

—

“Whoosh!”

With a burst of wind, El activated Haste on himself and moved swiftly.

As he passed by buildings at incredible speed, El began to sort out what might have occurred.

“It’s probably related to someone near the palace… Could it be an escalating struggle for the throne?”

He considered the possibility, but he couldn’t draw any definitive conclusions.

The Tolian Kingdom had around fifteen 7th Class Magicians. However, most of them were nobles, focused on defending the borders and couldn’t be involved in such a conflict here.

El arrived at a hill and, from there, saw a wide open field.

“This is…”

The scene that unfolded before El left him almost speechless.

A fierce battle was taking place on the open field, with blood splattering everywhere. The bodies of more than ten black-armored knights lay scattered, while several white-armored knights, drenched in blood, fought tenaciously, gasping for breath.

One knight in particular, facing off against three black knights, was battling fiercely.

From the aura surrounding their swords, all of them seemed to be Sword Masters. They fought valiantly, but the white-armored knight was gradually being overwhelmed.

A little away from the intense battle, a middle-aged man looked around anxiously. He exuded a presence that couldn’t be concealed, one filled with majesty and nobility, and though he seemed uneasy, he displayed a resolute gaze.

El found the middle-aged man’s face strangely familiar, and soon, he remembered who it was.

“Tolian King!”