At the east gate of E-Rantel, as dawn still reluctantly broke, the atmosphere was tense. Guards, armed with what looked like simple wooden-handled spears, lined up nervously, forming a barrier to a carriage attempting to enter the city. Their caution was not without reason.
The carriage was utterly unusual.
Its immense weight was drawn not by ordinary horses, but by eight-legged steeds of Magical Beast lineage, radiating an unmistakable aura of power. On either side of the opulent vehicle, fully armored warriors rode majestic military horses, strictly guarding every inch of the carriage. Most importantly, the emblem clearly displayed on the carriage was a double griffin pattern—the symbol of the Baharuth Empire, the sworn enemy of the Re-Estize Kingdom!
"Why are people from the Empire coming to E-Rantel?" Confusion gripped the guards, yet fear dominated even more.
The luxurious carriage before them clearly didn't belong to an ordinary noble. This meant the person inside held an extraordinary status in the Empire, and their arrival in the Kingdom must be for a highly important mission. The relationship between the Empire and the Kingdom had always been poor, with the annual declaration of war being their usual form of "diplomacy." Whatever the reason, it certainly wasn't a good sign for an Imperial official to appear in the Kingdom amidst such a volatile atmosphere.
The Empire's request for entry had already been submitted to higher authorities. Their duty was to hold the carriage until their superiors arrived, preventing any unnecessary conflict that could spark a diplomatic incident, or worse.
Soon after, the rapid sound of horse hooves shattered the silence of the road behind them. The gate guard captain turned, his breath held. His expression shifted from tense to relieved, even slightly joyful, as he recognized the rider of the warhorse. He immediately stepped forward to greet him.
"Warrior-Captain Gazef Stronoff!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with profound respect.
"Alright, thank you for your hard work." Gazef, displaying his incredible horsemanship, brought his steed to a halt precisely in front of the city gate. After a brief exchange with the guard captain, he calmly walked towards the Imperial carriage.
Gazef's keen eyes swept over the entire carriage and its retinue, pausing briefly on a female warrior. Two years ago, he had personally killed two of the Four Imperial Knights during the war between the Kingdom and the Empire. The armor this woman wore was an exact match for the armor of the two Knights he had faced then.
So, is this woman one of the new Four Imperial Knights? The thought flashed briefly through Gazef's mind, but he immediately averted his gaze from the female warrior and focused on the opulent carriage. Compared to the Four Imperial Knights, he was far more interested in the man seated inside.
"Stop!"
The Imperial Guards stationed near the carriage immediately noticed Gazef's approach. Their swords were drawn in an instant, shouting a firm warning. They didn't care that the city guard soldiers weren't obstructing Gazef. The Warrior-Captain of the Re-Estize Kingdom was no Imperial general, so they felt no need to show this man any respect.
"It's alright, let him come."
"Yes!"
A calm yet authoritative old man's voice sounded from within the carriage. Upon hearing the command, the Imperial guards immediately sheathed their swords and no longer obstructed Gazef.
Gazef stepped closer to the side of the carriage. Two guards promptly opened the door, and the old man sitting inside appeared before him. His hair was white, yet his eyes gleamed with sharp intelligence.
"I had only heard of your deeds before, but have never had the chance to meet you in person. Hello, Lord Fluder Paradyne." Gazef bowed politely to the old man, a sincere gesture of respect.
It wouldn't do to be disrespectful, Gazef thought to himself. The old man before him was the strongest magic caster in the Baharuth Empire, renowned as the Chief Imperial Court Wizard. Although he might not be as terrifying as "that person"—a vague thought of Kael—Gazef knew his chances of winning against Fluder would be slim in a magical duel. Not to mention the extremely high noble status the old man held. The slightest misstep could invite an invasion by the Baharuth Empire's army.
"Are you Gazef Stronoff? My, your appearance is quite impressive indeed." Fluder stroked his long beard, his eyes scrutinizing Gazef from head to toe before offering that assessment. Of course, this was merely a polite comment, a formality between two important figures.
"Thank you for the compliment," Gazef said casually, yet still politely. Without further ado, he immediately inquired about the purpose of the visit. "Lord Paradyne, what is the purpose of your visit this time?"
Fluder didn't hide it and answered without hesitation. "I heard that a powerful God appeared in this city, and he has mastered high-tier magic, so I came here to seek his guidance."
The comment didn't surprise Gazef. The Chief Imperial Court Wizard was known as a man with an insatiable hunger for magical knowledge, a public secret among all nations.
"In that case, I am willing to introduce you to that person. What do you think?"
"Oh?" Fluder stared at Gazef in surprise. A small smile etched his lips. It was a good thing for him to have someone willing to lead the way. He had no reason to refuse. "Thank you very much."
"It's just a small matter. You're welcome," Gazef said with a smile.
He had deliberately offered this suggestion, certainly not because he wanted to please Fluder or seize an opportunity to move to the Empire for higher treatment. However, the other party held noble status in the Empire. If anything unpleasant happened during the meeting with him, the Kingdom could also suffer. After all, this was Re-Estize territory, and maintaining order was his priority.
Thereafter, Fluder's convoy, led by Gazef, moved towards the Church of Destiny's headquarters, and soon arrived at their destination. When the two guards at the gate saw Gazef and the conspicuous convoy, they were slightly confused, but said nothing. In recent days, Gazef had indeed often been seen picking up Enri and taking her to the central city square every morning, so they were no longer too surprised by the Warrior-Captain's presence around this headquarters.
Just as they thought Gazef would report and wait obediently at the door as usual, they heard an unexpected request, which Gazef uttered loudly and clearly:
"The Chief Imperial Court Wizard of the Baharuth Empire has come here to request an audience with His Excellency. Could you convey his message?"
"Finally, he's here."
Upon receiving the news that Fluder Paradyne would be visiting, Kael couldn't help but wear a faint smile. A smile that hinted at anticipation and intrigue. He immediately asked Enri to bring the Imperial wizard to the underground palace's conference room for the meeting. At the same time, Kael himself arrived in the conference room early, preparing himself.
He sat on his exclusive throne, its armrests artistically carved from bone. With a graceful motion, he removed a simple yet powerful magic ring from his left index finger and replaced it with another, more striking and formal gem-encrusted ring.
Tap, tap, tap!
Several regular footsteps echoed in the corridor outside the conference room, drawing closer. The silence within the room seemed to await their arrival.
A few seconds later, Enri entered the hall first, with confident yet respectful steps. Behind her, following with more cautious strides, was the white-bearded old man, Fluder Paradyne. The expression on his face upon entering the room was humble, even a little like a "dog-licker" in a fleeting glance. He looked like an eager scholar, yet also very keen to please.
However, when the old man followed Enri's instructions and his gaze fell upon Kael, who sat on the throne in the center of the hall—a throne that exuded an undeniable aura of majesty and power—his reaction made those around him gasp. Even Enri was slightly startled.
"Ohhhhh!!!"
As if he had downed several injections of magical stimulants, Fluder let out shrill exclamations, filled with pure madness. The expression on his face became utterly fanatic, his eyes wide to their limit, reflecting the light from the magic items that adorned Kael.
The next second, beads of warm sweat began to appear on his forehead, but he had no intention of wiping them away. His face was flushed crimson, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
With a loud thud, the old man fell to his knees on the ground, his knees hitting the cold marble floor with a dull sound. Tears streamed down his wrinkled cheeks, and he banged his forehead against the ground, repeatedly, crying out in a somewhat deranged voice, full of uncontrollable awe:
"You are the greatest God! An unexpectedly great man!"
"I used to believe in a minor god who mastered magical arts. If you weren't that god, my faith would have vanished without a trace! You are the true, magnificent God worthy of my belief!"
"I know this is incredibly rude! But I still kneel and beg you! I want to glimpse the abyss of magic! Please, teach me!"
Fluder's cries resonated throughout the throne room, filled with a desperate yet passionate plea, the pure obsession of a sorcerer who had finally found the pinnacle of knowledge.
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