Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Hardly had Gordon finished his remark when Lucien performed ‘Simulacrum’ and suddenly split into two halves. Then, another two shadows emerged from the two Luciens. Four Luciens surrounded him, far away from each other. That was Lucien’s real self and ‘simulation’ both casting ‘Mirror Shadow’.
It was truly difficult to fight a sorcerer. Not having any item to cast magic or divine powers, Gordon could only grit his teeth and attack with the intuitions of a knight. Also, a radiant knight of his level had plenty of methods and area attacks.
But before he lunged out, he suddenly heard Lucien talking in a low voice:
“I need reinforcement.”
As he talked, his monocle glimmered.
Reinforcement?
Gordon’s heart was heavy. Were there other archmages or senior-rank sorcerers around? He was suspicious that Lucien was only bluffing, but he was in Rentato, and Allyn was nearby. This place had the highest density of sorcerers in the entire world. The Congress of Magic couldn’t be short of hands in their operation.
Recalling Grand Cardinal Sard who was confronting the pope, Gordon suddenly lost his fighting will. He subtly changed the direction of his attack and flew sideways.
The moment he flew out, the colors around him faded away, leaving only the lifeless black and grey. He was frozen in midair like a bug inside amber.
It was ‘Time Stop’, a ninth-circle magic!
Morris appeared from the midair. Since things were going rather well, and there was even a splendid scene of ‘God’s Arrival against God’s Arrival’ – which could be appreciated as a classic opera since he was not part of it after all – Morris was in a rather good. He smiled at Lucien and asked, “How did you know that I was around?”
“The pope and Sard were high in the sky, so I figured that the members of the royal family of Holm were probably around.” Lucien certainly wouldn’t confess that he was just bluffing Gordon.
Although Lucien had no doubt that Morris and other senior-rank sorcerers would come to help him in thirty seconds after he called for reinforcement, he did not think that they could come immediately. However, if Gordon could be scared away, thirty seconds of his time could be saved. If Gordon was not scared away, he still had the strength of the seventh circle after being suppressed, and he could still last half a minute with his left hand.
Even though Gordon reached level-nine gold knight because of ‘Angel Arrival’ and ‘Paradise on Earth’, Lucien believed that his magic could help him resist for at least one minute. It was needless to say that he had ‘Orb of Ultimate Destruction’, a ninth-circle scroll, and two tubes of ‘solidified helium’ that could perform Snow Goddess’ Whip.
He did not expect that Morris would come so fast. It seemed that his primary target was the control pivot of the divine barrier, too.
Seeing that light was blooming inside Gordon’s body and weakening the effect of ‘Time Stop’, Morris spoke to Lucien, “You will go to the control pivot. Let me take care of him. He’s a member of the royal family of Holm after all. It will be more acceptable if he dies in my hands.”
Without any hesitation, four Luciens rushed at the control pivot, appreciating the thoroughness of the plan. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been as easy for him to supress Gordon.
Of course, Lucien also knew that Sard couldn’t have arranged for Gordon to defend the control pivot. Instead, Gordon should be a candidate to be the new king after he killed Natasha. It should’ve been Kritonia, ‘Heart of Time’, who appeared here!
However, now that Sard was confronting the pope, how ‘loyal’ was Kritonia to him? Not to mention that Winston, ‘Night Walker’, would stop him.
In a palace not far away, Winston stood next to the window and seemed relaxed. He spoke to Kritonia, “Sard is confronting the pope. Even though he has God’s Arrival as his trump card, the best outcome for him is to die together with the enemy. Your Excellency Kritonia, are you going to attack me?” Since Kritonia was the legendary hero who contributed to the establishment of the Kingdom of Holm, Winston, who only became a legend in recent hundred years, was quite respectful.
“Even if you want to change sides and clear your suspicion as a heretic by contributions, you should wait and see how capable His Holiness is after exhausting himself to perform God’s Arrival.”
It was about the same as what Kritonia said to Winston earlier. He looked outside in silence, watching Lucien crack the defense outside of the control pivot. The modification in this place involved the legendary knights who defended it. Fearing that it might alarm Sard, Lucien did not work on it, but thankfully, Natasha gave him the structure of the entire divine power circle. It would only take him less than one minute to finish the work.
In the next moment, Kritonia sighed and turned around, walking into the room.
Smiling, Winston looked at Lucien again, thinking if he should give him a hand to save each other time.
Suddenly, he found everything around him slowed down, as if he had fallen into a swamp.
A sword slashed by, but it did not hit Winston, who emerged from the darkness nearby, like the shadow of the night.
“Mr. Kritonia, you…” Looking at Kritonia, Winston hesitated. Thankfully, he kept his usual wariness.
Kritonia sighed. “There’s no turning back after certain things are started.”
“Although I haven’t found a way to advance into the third rank, I should still be able to resist you for a fairly long time. Are you sure you don’t want to wait?” Winston believed that the situation outside would be beyond control even if Kritonia could defeat himself, so he tried the last persuasion.
Unless it was absolutely necessary, he was unwilling to fight ‘Heart of Time’ who was much stronger than himself.
Kritonia shook his head. “You and I are both knights. We understand each other’s determination well. I know that hope is slim, but I have to try to seize it instead of waiting for an outcome. Even if I die, I will die on a battlefield!”
An intense battle began between them, and both of them were pulled into ‘Paradise on Earth’.
Because the battle of legendary knights required more space, they soon broke the defense of divine powers and fought in midair.
……
Wearing the silver armor and the gold crown, Natasha stabbed the Sword of Truth on the dais before her and glanced around the hall, before she announced solemnly and loudly:
“A war has broken out between the Church and the Congress of Magic. It’s time to make a decision.”
“Are we going to follow the Church to eradicate the evils, or are we going to help the Congress of Magic to banish the radical believers and return the faith to the Lord?”
“If we choose the former, the Congress of Magic will probably escape into the ocean after suffering certain losses. By then, we will be the frontline that confronts the Congress of Magic. I believe that the Church will have to count on us. Together with the northern heretics, a new balance will be reached.”
“If we choose the latter, the Congress of Magic will also have to depend on us and the neutral believers to resist the Church. There will also be a new balance. We don’t need to worry about the assassinations of night watchers anymore. Peace will be restored.”
“The key to victory is in our hands. What’s your decision?”
Natasha halted, and all the nobles understood what the queen meant. The terrible battle outside also reminded them that everything was real.
Also, they knew that, whichever side they chose, their interests would be ensured as long as the side won. So, all they needed to do was not to stand on the losing side.
At this moment, Duke Rex stood and said in a low voice, “Your Majesty, we are all the subjects of the Lord, and our faith is unquestionable. If a new balance is going to be restored and our interests can be ensured either way, why do we not choose the Church, and why do we have to hang around with the evil sorcerers?”
More than half of the conservative nodded. It was exactly what was on their mind. Even many of the liberals would abandon the sorcerers without any hesitation in emergencies, although they could cooperate with the sorcerers to make money.
The hall immediately fell quiet. Duke James clenched his fists and stood up, “Objection! If we follow the Church, will you not be scared of the assassinations from the radical night watchers? Will they tolerate alchemical workshops, telephones, magic crystal maps or radios? Do you want to live as the bumpkins you used to be?”
Although Natasha didn’t talk to him before, Duke James’ cooperation with the Congress of Magic was too deep for him to get away with it. Also, he knew the queen’s real tendency. Therefore, he made a decision rather quickly.
Natasha nodded in satisfaction. It was as expected of the hardcore liberal, who was thought to be trustworthy by both the Congress of Magic and Lucien.
After Duke James’ announcement, many liberals expressed their stance. However, they also cleverly implied that they would respect and accept the final decision.
To save time, Natasha pressed his right hand and ended the argument:
“Let me say a few words.”
……
Yourcenar, ‘Song of Dusk’, stood inside the Parliament of Nobles and listened to the ‘livestream’ of the meeting in Holm with the king and the nobles. He listened to Natasha’s introduction and analyzed the two choices.
“If this is all, we still can’t be convinced, and we have to keep observing.” Yourcenar spoke to other nobles.
Any noble with a regular head could’ve come up with the two new balances. For the nobles who were already used to balance, the most important thing was to stand on the victors’ side.
A noble nearby nodded and said, “I find clerics more trustworthy than sorcerers. Those sorcerers of ancient heritage have left too horrible an impression on me. I won’t choose them unless there are irresistible returns.
In Brianne, Colette, and the north coastline, the Hammer of the Void, the Knight of Disasters, the Burning Lady and the Life Reaper expressed similar opinions.
The Hammer of the Void and the Knight of Disasters, on the other hand, were also observing the situation outside. Brook had finished Beaver and returned to the magic tower of the Moonsong League with Holt, going back to Allyn via the Portal to Alternate Realm deployed earlier.
They were important leverage that could affect the situation!
“Cannot localize Allyn…” Brook frowned. Through prophetic magic, he understood that Allyn was enshrouded by some kind of barrier and therefore decided to return to the suburb of Rentato through Space Jump.
Because Brianne and Holm were not far away from each other, and it would take Brook only several minutes if he were to fly in full speed, Space Jump would only take less than twenty seconds.
……
Above the remains of the Radiance Church, Fernando, who was suppressed, and Hathaway and Douglas, who were suppressing the enemy, communicated. It was time! They had to seize the opportunity before the pope returned!
