Golden Mage Chapter 81

Chapter 3, Episode 21

Suddenly, as El forbade him, Duke Diard lowered his War Hammer and asked, “What does that mean?”

El explained his thoughts, saying, “I don’t think there will be anything left even if we continue fighting. To be honest, I thought the Golden Knight could overpower you, Your Grace. But now, it seems unlikely that the Golden Knight, even with the relics, can defeat you. However, it’s not like you can easily subdue the Golden Knight, who keeps causing chaos.”

“Hmm!” Duke Diard fell into deep thought upon hearing El’s words.

In truth, he himself didn’t have confidence in facing the Golden Knight head-on. He could win with the relic in a direct confrontation. However, if he avoided a direct battle and let the chaos continue, it would undoubtedly become an endless fight.

El pointed to the Silver Cross Knights lying on one side and said, “Instead, I’ll let them go. Well, they don’t seem to have any serious injuries, so they should be able to return on their own.”

Looking in the direction El indicated, Duke Diard saw about 50 Holy Knights and three Paladins staring at this place with blank expressions.

After experiencing fatigue due to the Dark Fog and regaining their senses, they witnessed a scene that seemed like gods fighting.

The clash of Aura and Divine Power colored the air with blue and white, and the collision of Battle Gears produced intense sparks.

Moreover, when Duke Diard took out one of the Three Sacred Relics, the Divine Hammer, everyone was awestruck. All three Sacred Relics were legendary artifacts containing divine blessings.

And the overwhelming power they displayed!

Witnessing the Golden Knight’s relentless attacks, all the Holy Knights were astounded.

Amused that they were all witnessing his battle, Duke Diard burst into laughter, “Hahahaha!”

It was not a big secret that he possessed the relics. He had simply kept it a secret because he thought having the relics might cause various inconveniences. That’s why he had not revealed it to the public, focusing solely on the Golden Knight.

But now, that secret was out. While dealing with the Golden Knight, he had neglected to pay attention to the Holy Knights, and that was a mistake.

El pointed to the captured Holy Knights and said, “They resisted a bit when they came here, so they are injured. If you take them with you and provide treatment, they should recover just fine.”

Upon hearing that, Duke Diard immediately signaled to Count Corone, who had been watching with admiration, “Take care of them all.”

“Yes, Your Grace! I will tend to all our comrades!” As Corone rose from his seat, he went to help the fallen Holy Knights, each with a companion.

Seeing the Holy Knights being taken care of, Duke Diard turned to El. The curiosity that had been lingering in his mind surfaced, and he asked, “Are Bolek and the Glorious Order here as well?”

El shrugged. “Well, that’s something I’ll teach you next time.”

“Hmm!”

Duke Diard was about to say more, but if Bolek and the Glorious Order were here, then the one holding the sheathed sword must be none other than El himself. Seeing that Corone had tended to all the Holy Knights, Duke Diard looked at El and said, “Come again next time. Then I will definitely bring the Saintess with me.”

El remained undaunted. “That will make it even harder to take them. I’m sure of it.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

With that, Duke Diard turned and left the valley. The Silver Cross Knights also left the valley, each carrying a fallen comrade.

Watching them disappear into the distance, El muttered, “I need a weapon that can counter the relics. I must complete it.”

El’s gaze turned towards the Golden Sword.

Chapter 7, The Collaboration of the Five Great Sects and the Will of the Holy Kingdom

“As Duke Diard said, they won’t simply back down,” El murmured as he looked down at the landscape from the top of the Mastaba.

The figures of the Holy Kingdom would not easily withdraw. Although they had retreated this time because their comrades were subdued, they would be hard to deal with in the future, knowing about the existence of the Dark Fog.

More than anything, Duke Diard was not affected by the Dark Fog. His War Hammer had the power to split the Dark Fog in one strike.

However, it wouldn’t be easy to break through immediately. By allowing them to retreat, El had bought some time. He planned to use the time wisely.

“My previous life… what was I known as? Wasn’t I an invincible pro-gamer who thoroughly and surely defeated opponents, even to the point of being called an evil spirit?”

Whatever the situation, El always calculated ahead and considered all possible outcomes before taking action.

El’s decision to release the captured Holy Knights wasn’t simply to appease Duke Diard. When he successfully captured half of the Silver Cross Knights with the Dark Fog, he had already planned to use them as his first wildcard.

If, by any chance, the Golden Knight couldn’t overpower Duke Diard, he intended to use them to buy time.

That aspect of El’s arrangements had succeeded beautifully. Duke Diard’s skills might rank in the lower tiers among the Ten Grandmasters, but his Divine Hammer, one of the Three Sacred Relics, contained a tremendous power that could eradicate divine beings.

Thanks to that, El had no choice but to make use of the hidden card. As a result, the Holy Knights had been released and he had bought about a month of precious time.

“Now that I’ve informed Devell about it, the results will be revealed. I have one month left. During that time, I must complete the Rune Blade.”

At that moment, unexpected events were shaking the continent, particularly in the sacred places, the temples.

One of the Five Empires, the Desert Empire Daezek, maintained the greatest influence in a place known as the Reynard Goddess Sect. Due to half of the country being a desert and the frequent wars to claim the oases, it was one of the places with the highest demand for potions on the continent.

Not long ago, the Reynard Temple received an enormous supply of Troll’s Blood. Naturally, the Troll’s Blood was moved to the Reynard Temple in Daezek’s desert, and the priests processed it into potions to sell to mercenaries. The supply reached about 100,000 potions, and the value of potions was incredibly high.

Despite the possibility of decreasing in value, the potions were considered “lives in reserve,” and their prices did not drop. On the contrary, there were signs of value increases due to hoarding.

As a result, the Reynard Temple gained an enormous profit. Each time they sold 100,000 potions, the profit amounted to 400,000 gold, adding up quickly.

Due to the regular supply of 100,000 potions, the Reynard Temple’s Vice Chancellor, Burek, gained significant support within the sect.

For the priests, faith was of utmost importance, but money was just as crucial as it was for them.

After regularly supplying Troll’s Blood, Burek found himself in a predicament. The person above him, the Dark Elf Devell, suddenly informed him that the supply of Troll’s Blood had become difficult. The Troll’s Blood had already become an essential asset in the Reynard Temple; it could not be taken away.

But suddenly, there were difficulties in supplying it?

The anxious Burek wanted to meet Devell immediately. However, Devell excused himself as being busy, and he would only be able to visit Burek’s temple after about a month.

After waiting for about a month with anxiety, Burek finally went to the temple where Devell was located.

Seeing Devell in the reception room, Burek immediately began speaking, “Friend Devell, why has the supply of Troll’s Blood become difficult?”

Unlike Burek, who was worn out, Devell was relaxed. Sipping the tea offered by the temple, he spoke softly, “Oh, don’t get too excited, Vice Chancellor. First, calm down and take a seat.”

“Ahem, yes!”

Only then did Burek realize his mistake and cleared his throat before sitting down.

Then he asked Devell, “Now, please tell me, why has the supply of Troll’s Blood become difficult?”

Devell cleared his throat as if hesitating for a moment. “Well… this is a very confidential matter…”

Seeing Devell backing away, Burek spoke earnestly, “Heh! Devell, aren’t we already in the same boat? Sharing concerns makes them lighter, and sharing joys doubles them. It seems like you have a worrying problem, and I’m willing to listen. If you have troubles, let’s figure them out together.”

After a brief moment of contemplation, Devell nodded. “Alright, I’ll tell you. However, my story is of utmost importance. It must be kept strictly confidential. If this secret leaks out, we may never be able to supply Troll’s Blood to the Reynard Temple again.”

With a slightly threatening tone, Devell’s words made Burek gulp nervously, but he nodded, “Understood. I will ensure that the secret is kept.”

“Then I will tell you.”