865 A Lesson
The voice was distant and unpredictable, making it impossible to locate Sharp. In the hotel, Fernando and the other sorcerers who had been alarmed by the collision just now flashed and disappeared.
“Find a way to escape. We’ll meet in Lake Ramrouge!” The moment Douglas appeared in a corner, Fernando’s telepathic bond already stretched over carefully and quickly and informed him of the rendezvous after they split up.
It was not because he was scared of “Blue Grace” Sharp. Now that Douglas, a ninth-circle archmage, was here, he believed that it was possible for them to kill the enemy if they joined their hands. After all, Douglas knew “Time Stop” and was an excellent archmage, and he was capable of many senior-rank unusual spells himself, which could weaken and limit the enemy.
However, they were in Rentato, which was watched over by many experts. Any great noise would have caught attention. If either of the two persons in the Nekso Palace or the Radiance Church came, they wouldn’t make it out alive at all. The “Sword of Truth” Williamson Hoffenberg had gone to the frontline in Aalto at the behest of the Church, and it was Kritonia, the “Heart of Time”, who was guarding the Nekso Palace. It was a name that caused the legendary sorcerers to tremble!
Ever since he distinguished himself, he had followed Williamson Hoffenberg as a young, strong, and vigorous man, killing powerful sorcerers, elves, vampires, demons, and devils one after another and paving a path to legendary with their bodies and blood. Later, he even killed Osseris, a legendary sorcerer known as “Master of Shadows”, and the Faceless, a dark legendary knight. He rose to level two of legendary on their skulls, intimidating all his enemies!
One of the battles happened no more than ten years after he became a legendary knight. In a regular operation, he happened upon Osseris, the Master of Shadows and the Sylvanas Magic Empire’s governor in Holm.
He was a powerful sorcerer who had lived at least four thousand years. He was so close to level three of legendary but never made the breakthrough. As a result, he was forced to leave Antiffler and replace Viken, the King of Calamities, as the governor of Holm. Later, he was ambushed by Hoffenberg, the Sword of Truth and a saint in the War of Dawn. He was heavily wounded and went missing.
Therefore, the Sylvanas Magic Empire’s territory on this side of the Storm Strait lost the leadership. The few lesser legendary sorcerers did not obey each other. Separated and attacked by the Church and the noble knights, they were killed one after another and contributed to the glory of the Sword of Truth, making him one of the nine level-three legendary knights.
However, after Holm fell apart and the new-generation noble knights grew up, Osseris was back to life and ran into Kritonia.
The aftermath of the battle destroyed most eyewitnesses. According to the few survivors, after the Heart of Time destroyed the phylactery of the Master of Shadows, he announced proudly, “You are too old. Both your soul and your magic are rotten…”
It also answered the confusion of some sorcerers. Generally speaking, sorcerers could suppress knights of the same level. It had never been known that a legendary knight could kill a legendary sorcerer that was above their level in a duel. At first, the sorcerers suspected that it was because the Master of Shadows hadn’t completely recovered from the fatal wounds. Right now, they had an even more convincing reason.
Yes. Osseris was simply too old. He was close to the limits of his life. Even his soul had started to decay. Of course, the intensity of his spiritual power had plummeted!
Although it made the sorcerers feel better, they were forced to take the problem seriously, which was that not only was the Master of Shadows old, but even the Magic Empire seemed antiquated and decayed.
During the hundreds of years of war, many young grand cardinals and legendary knights had been born. Many of them were as excellent as “Heart of Time”, such as Rudolf, the Ruling Angel, and the few grand cardinals before they became the pope. In the Magic Empire, a few new legendary sorcerers had appeared. The air of aging and decaying could be clearly sensed.
As a matter of fact, the speed of advancement was the same as before the War of Dawn. However, nobody cared about the slow advancement during peacetime since legendary sorcerers lived long enough. Right now, many people compared the situation to the sunset, which would inevitably disappear and sink into the darkness despite its lingering splendor at present.
Many old sorcerers even sighed. “The old will eventually be replaced by the young. That is the destiny that cannot be reversed. In front of the young and vigorous Saint Truth and nobles, the sorcerers and the Magic Empires are like rotten bodies that will collapse under the first poke.”
For some reason, the thoughts flashed in Douglas’ heart quickly, making him feel unusually sad. Then, he controlled his feelings and planned to jump away from Sharp’s aim with the shadow and help other sorcerers to escape.
“You go first! Don’t mind them!” Old Green suddenly floated in midair and blocked the falling water drops.
His frozen and lifeless left eye became deep, as if a bottomless hole that could absorb all lives was hidden inside.
Douglas knew exactly what Old Green meant. The other sorcerers who hadn’t even reached the senior rank could be sacrificed, but if he, a ninth-circle archmage, was killed, there would be no hope for the renaissance of the Magic Empire. However, he still hesitated for a moment. He also sensed that the previous battle did not catch the attention of the church nearby.
In midair, Sharp’s voice came in like the sound of running water. “I’ve blocked the area before I attacked. Nobody will sense anything. There’s something I would like to say to you.”
Then, he suddenly appeared in the lobby of the hotel. He walked into the bar and poured himself a glass of hard liquor.
Douglas did not attack. Old Green, Fernando, and he looked at each other as they covered the other people who were leaving. They were filled with intense surprise as well as vague hope.
Sharp had voluntarily revealed the matter and kept it a secret from the Church. Was he planning to cooperate with the Union? Had his operation been approved by the Sword of Truth who was far away in Aalto?
“Remember to pay for the liquor and the house damages.” Old Green fell down, resuming the previous stun and depression.
Fernando stepped into the hall and said to Sharp, who was drinking with his eyes closed, “What would you like to talk about?”
Sharp chuckled. “I want to kill someone, but it’s inconvenient for me to do it in person. I’m told that sorcerers accept such contracts.”
“Who is it?” Douglas pressed his hands, hinting Fernando not to be rash.
His calmness and easiness made Fernando swallow his mockery about Sharp’s cowardice and listen to his reply.
Sharp had another mouthful of his drink and smiled again. “Alfonsol. The person I want dead is Alfonsol.”
Alfonsol?
There were plenty of people with such a name, but most of them lived in the countries near the Holy City. In Rentato, few people carried such a name, and only one of them was a nuisance for Sharp to attack!
“Alfonsol, the red robe?” Old Green’s frozen eyes emitted deep and dark brilliance.
Fernando was also quite surprised. The deputy captain of the Sword of Truth’s Knights, as well as the gold knight, was asking the “evil” sorcerers to assassinate a level-nine red robe? That was too weird!
“Yes. He is an extreme worshipper of the Lord. He believes that all the powers go to the Lord, and that nobles are also lambs. So, we haven’t gotten along very well.” Sharp looked at the three of them with a vague smile.
“Alfonsol is a level-nine cleric, the main assistant to ‘Graceful Angel’ Francois, and a real giant of the Inquisition of the Holm parish…” Douglas had collected enough intelligence about Rentato recently. “Graceful Angel” Francois was one of the two saint cardinals who was left by the Saint Truth to defend the territory on this side of the Storm Strait. He was an expert whose name could be prefixed with “Saint”!
Old Green lowered his eyes. “Alfonsol barely leaves Rentato. Who can assassinate him under Francois’ protection? Unless they do not want to survive…”
The previous attack on the Inquisition had raised too much turmoil. Kritonia had taken over the investigation in person. If they allured Alfonsol to leave Rentato by exposing their tracks, “Heart of Time” would possibly come! He wasn’t any easier to deal with than “Graceful Angel” was. Kritonia was known as the legendary knight who was closest to level three!
Even a man as proud and impatient as Fernando dared not accept the contract outrightly. The mission might not be accomplishable even if the whole Union was devoted to it.
“Haha.” Sharp raised his head and laughed aloud, as if he were very delighted. Then, he lowered his head and looked at Douglas and Fernando without the slightest smile in his eyes. “Why? Are you scared?”
He rose and looked down at them. “Your strategy is not bad to attract the nobles to resist the Church. However, you’ve forgotten one thing. This is a game that only experts can play!
“If you cannot kill a level-nine red robe, are you even qualified to play the game of balance? How many legendary sorcerers do you have? How capable are you to resist the Church?
“If you do not have the capabilities, however many things you do, as long as the legendary sorcerers of Aalto are defeated and the Church is spared, your doom will still be inevitable. No nobles will dare to work with you at all.”
He sniffed. “Keep away from Hathaway. If Green weren’t hanging around with you, I would have…”
Pausing for a moment, he walked to the door with his hands behind his back. “Don’t meddle in the battle of giants if you are just a group of rats!”
Fernando blushed. A terrible storm seemed to be rising in his eyes. If Douglas hadn’t been suppressing him in secret, he would’ve burst out long ago.
