Golden Mage - Chapter 79
Volume 3, Episode 19
With those words, Duke Diard cautiously approached the mist, and the knights and ministers followed behind.
The mist was pitch dark. Even Duke Diard, who had reached the Grand Master level, couldn’t properly sense the direction due to its darkness, so he proceeded straight ahead with his eyes wide open.
“Huh?”
For a moment, Duke Diard felt something strange. He couldn’t sense the presence of those following behind him. Only then did he realize that his senses were significantly restricted within the mist.
“Oh, how foolish!”
Duke Diard scolded himself and drew his War Hammer from his waist. Pouring an enormous amount of divine power into it, he swung it towards the mist.
Zzoooosh!
The brilliant white divine power split the mist into two. Its power was so immense that one would doubt if divine power was indeed a weak force, as it appeared when seen.
“What is this?”
Amidst the cracked mist, a highly developed cityscape revealed itself. A city within Troll Belly? As Duke Diard was contemplating this mystery, he heard a young man’s voice behind him.
“Tsk! Can’t be helped.”
As the dense mist gradually lifted, the surroundings became visible. Suddenly, Duke Diard saw a scene that made his expression twist. There stood knights clad in white armor. Their numbers seemed to exceed fifty; they were the elite Eunsimja Knights he had sent in before.
“No way?”
Duke Diard quickly turned his gaze backward.
There, he saw over fifty pale-faced knights. Though they showed signs of fatigue, they seemed fine. Just as Duke Diard was about to sigh with relief, a voice whispered in his ear.
“What a pity. If you had been a little slower to notice, you could have captured the Eunsimja Knights, the strongest knights of the Empire, and three ministers. Truly a Grand Master, I suppose…”
Duke Diard’s head turned quickly. And there, he saw a golden-haired mage dressed in a golden robe.
The golden-haired mage, El, greeted Duke Diard.
“….”
Duke Diard remained silent, staring at El. El looked younger than expected for a Grand Master, making it difficult for Duke Diard to ascertain the truth of El’s words.
After a while, Duke Diard finally spoke.
“Did you create them?”
His gaze was directed at the fallen knights who had disappeared after entering the mist. Following his line of sight, El looked at the fallen knights and nodded.
“Yes, I did. Since they didn’t come to me with pure intentions… Is there something wrong?”
“….”
Duke Diard couldn’t say anything in response to El’s words.
Of course, he understood that neither he nor the knights came here with pure intentions. Their goal was to find the Saintess, which was far from a pure motive.
But!
Weren’t they planning to eliminate anyone who might be escorting the Saintess? As devoted worshippers, Duke Diard admitted that El’s words made sense.
“You are right. Our intentions are not pure; we came here to escort the Saintess. So, tell me, is she in your care?”
“….”
This time, El didn’t respond. After looking at Duke Diard for a while, he finally spoke.
“Whether she is chosen as the Saintess or not, it doesn’t matter to me. The only thing that matters is that she is the woman I love.”
El’s words seemed to acknowledge that he was escorting the Saintess. Duke Diard’s expression sharpened.
“That’s right. But she has been chosen as the Saintess by the Goddess. As mere humans, we cannot oppose the will of the divine.”
“What is the Goddess’s will, and what are mere humans? Whether she was chosen by the Goddess or not, what matters to me is that she is the woman I love.”
El’s words were both an acknowledgment of escorting the Saintess and a declaration of his firm beliefs and devotion to Serena. Even Duke Diard, his adversary, couldn’t help but be impressed by his determination.
How could he not be impressed! To say he would break even the Emperor’s will if it came to protecting his woman. What an admirable and unyielding belief!
However, Duke Diard was only impressed by El’s attitude, not persuaded by his thoughts.
Duke Diard raised his War Hammer.
“If our beliefs differ, then so be it. I’ll have to take it by force.”
Swwwoooosh!
Enormous divine power emanated from Duke Diard’s entire body. He was none other than one of the Ten Grand Masters, a being that surpassed human limits.
“Indeed… a Grand Master!”
El sensed the intimidating aura emanating from Duke Diard and once again acknowledged that Duke Diard was a Grand Master. The energy Duke Diard emitted was entirely different from what he had felt from Grand Master Clyan, whom he had encountered in the Bliaad Empire. While Clyan’s energy seemed capable of penetrating everything, Duke Diard’s energy felt like it could crush everything. His aura was so suffocating that even El felt overwhelmed.
Swish.
Golden Knight appeared right before Duke Diard and intercepted his energy effortlessly, counterattacking at the same time.
“Objective: Annihilation.”
As Golden Knight spoke, a fearsome aura filled the air, and the Radiant Blade was created with a dazzling glow. Quuaaack!
The golden arrow shot towards Duke Diard with tremendous force.
‘What is this?!’
As Duke Diard, engaged in a fierce power struggle with Golden Knight, saw the golden arrow flying toward him, he was taken aback. A mere spell was making him step back like this?
Surprised, Duke Diard smiled. His smile was filled with determination.
“This is amusing. Even if I can’t use that Golem again, it doesn’t matter, does it?”
El didn’t back down either.
“You should worry about your life, my lord.”
“That can wait until after the contest is over.”
With that, divine power gushed from Duke Diard’s War Hammer. Simultaneously, El stepped back, giving the order to Golden Knight.
“Tana, exterminate the enemy!”
Golden Knight emitted a blue radiance.
“Target: Extermination.”
At the same time, the Radiant Blade released an overwhelming aura, creating a brilliant arc of light. Quuaaack!