"Five days ago, when you met the death knights at the border, Mortidal also just left the Mage Tower in the capital. Although it is not clear where he went, the spies have discovered that someone has been with him I have used the Temple of Journey in Riddle." Allen raised a stack of documents in his hand, "There is a detailed investigation report here, but now I can only make a long story short."
"The identities of those people?"
"One of them is from the Balmarine Thieves Guild. If not the famous Jack Weir, at least someone who can represent him."
"We have already grasped this information, not to mention that the Council of Canados Mages has always had great influence in Freeport, and it is only natural that they will have contact with thieves." Zefelis shook his head disapprovingly, no outsiders On the scene, the girl had a much more casual attitude towards her boss and fiancé, "Tell me about the other person."
"It's still a mystery," the Golden Lion smiled mysteriously, "but it has been found out that the other party has a very close connection with the Silver Wing Chamber of Commerce."
"Silver Wing...?" Bai Fengjiao frowned.
As a trade organization that has developed to a considerable scale throughout the continent, even in Lorentan, the potential influence of the Silver Wing Chamber of Commerce cannot be ignored by any ruler. In the face of powerful military force and perfect administration, merchants and the economy they control may not be terrible, but when gold coins and magic power are combined, I am afraid that no matter how confident the king is, he will feel like he is sitting on pins and needles. What's more, there is a poisonous dagger hidden in the darkness.
"Currently the central and northern parts of the continent are affected by the Silver Wings. If they are attacked, Liddell's economy will be crippled even if it doesn't collapse. What's more, for a country, trade organizations are indispensable. After the Silver Wings are expelled, other chambers of commerce will also be crippled. will join in, the situation has not changed in any way."
"You plan to execute Mortidal, Riddle's founding father just because of this vague threat?" Zefelis concluded, emphasizing the word "founding father" deliberately.
"Zefi, this is a battlefield, not just talking on paper. Even if the other party supports the orphanage project, don't forget that most of the time your opinions are completely opposite." The third prince's tone was like a cold sharp knife, " What's more, this is not only an action to wipe out political enemies, but also for the future of the empire. Otherwise, when Riddle unifies the mainland a hundred years later, maybe the poor king will be kicked down by this old immortal elf the next day. Are you just waiting to sit back and reap the rewards?"
"Maybe..." the girl replied softly, then turned her head and looked at the drizzle outside the window wordlessly.
Allen didn't speak anymore, he knew that now was the time for his fiancée to think. The golden lion waited quietly while gazing at the beautiful figure of the lover holding his chin to watch the rain. Finally, Baifeng's melodious voice finally broke the silence in the carriage.
"I understand, just do as you said. When will you act?" Zephyris turned his head, and the hunter's focus flashed in his eyes.
"Tomorrow morning." The golden lion replied with a smile, "The other party is the top mage, and the knight order alone is not enough, so we must cooperate with the friends of the mage council. Haven't you been in close contact with them?"
"Yes, I will do this right away." The girl nodded seriously, "But if Mortidal wants to escape, even the magic interference of a high-ranking mage..."
"The problem of transferring the phalanx has been solved. I have improved the super-large protective barrier relying on the technology of the Lordantan continent. The necessary magic circle has also been placed in the buildings around the mage tower. It will be activated at the same time tomorrow morning to completely isolate the formation. The magic flow inside and outside the world." The prince interrupted his fiancée's worry, and replied in a cold tone, "It is absolutely impossible for him to escape."
Motidal stood in front of the window, carefully detecting the powerful constraints from the outside world. The entire mage tower and its surrounding areas have been tightly surrounded by an invisible but unbreakable spherical force field. Not only can it not use the transfer phalanx to break through, but even the flying technique may completely fail the moment it comes into contact with the force field.
The magic circle technology from the Luvis Alliance... The elf mage speculated that the third prince of the Riddle Empire still had some tricks after all. The nostalgia for the past inevitably brought hesitation to his actions, but the descendants of his old friend had already attacked without any scruples, which somewhat made Mortidal feel sad. But now is not the time to lament—the enemy is coming here sooner than expected.
It seems that everything has to be settled by one's own hands. Thinking of this, Mortidal walked down the wide spiral staircase to the highest point of the mage tower, where he would personally end Riddle's open and secret struggle.
The elf mage came to the top of the tower, and the vision that was compressed by the narrow corridor suddenly became clear. What catches the eye is the capital of Riddle, which has not yet woken up from a deep sleep, and the gray sky above it. The rain has been falling silently, and everything is covered with a layer of icy veil. Clothes. The head of the mage council just waited quietly on the giant platform at the top of the tower, letting the rain wet his long hair and robe.
After an unknown amount of time, five figures finally appeared on the other side of the platform. Through the icy rain, Mortidal could easily distinguish the identities of the enemies—the third prince Allente and his lieutenant Zephyris, members of the Mage Council Knud, Dagon, and Kanel.
The three members of the council are all well-known high-level mages on the Canados continent. Together with the golden lion with outstanding sword skills and the elusive white phoenix, the elves knew that the next battle would be extremely difficult. If he launched an attack immediately, he might be able to gain the initiative, but after hesitating for a second, Mortidal gave up the plan to directly condense the magic power, and only added multiple defensive barriers to himself.
He was not reconciled to seeing Riddle go back to the road of expanding empire from the ideal country he longed for.
"Motidal, I think you should know why I came here." The golden lion stood still ten meters away, and spoke first. It has become the most powerful force on the continent of Canados, but for an excellent king, what needs to be paid more attention to is the changes within the empire. It is a pity that it is time to rectify for the future. What do you think? "
"Two hundred years ago, your ancestors and I established Riddle together, and we spared our lives to protect this country, so that there will be a land in the world where everyone can live in peace." The elf did not answer the other party, but said bitterly. The voice slowly narrated, "But why now it has become a monster that spreads war everywhere? I don't understand."
"It's really empty preaching. They live so long but don't understand the cruelty of reality. Elves are really a ridiculous race." Alent sneered, "But if you really don't understand, let me tell you, because the only law in the world is the law of the jungle ~! Even the most powerful gods must strive to increase their strength from the moment they are born, because they know that once they become weak, they will be swallowed by those who come after them. Isn’t this the case for a country?”
"If you can only take the law of the jungle as your principle of action, you will never make progress~!" Motidal raised his head and replied with a half-smile, his tone gradually became colder, "Tell me, your hands can not only destroy the enemy Besides, has anything ever been created?"
"Expansion itself is the result of progress, and strength itself is the product of creation." The royal family of the empire retorted disdainfully, and with a backhand, the sharp two-handed sword was already lying between the two of them, "For the sake of the Riddle Empire, I must completely eradicate the You are such a conservative who hinders progress~!"
"It seems that there is no room left." The elf, who had experienced many vicissitudes, sighed, and then took a step back.
With a one-on-five... Dagon, who is good at magic interference and dissociation, must be solved first, and Mortidal has set a goal for himself. The magic power in the air roared in an instant, and the three top mages who were silent behind the golden lion also began to whisper incantations at the same time. But at the moment when the atmosphere on both sides reached its peak and was about to explode, a figure in white unexpectedly broke the glass-like check and balance.
"It's not one-on-five, but two-on-four." Bai Feng said lightly, walking towards the elf mage defenselessly.
"Zefi~!? What's the matter with you? Come back soon~!" Alan Te now shouted in a tone of surprise and anxiety. The prince believed that the elf mage must have used some kind of mind control, and across from him, the bewildered Mortidar also reflexively gathered a high temperature enough to melt steel at his fingertips.
But then, that pleasant voice completely extinguished the flame in the elf's hand.
"The teacher asked me to assist you, 'Archmage'." The girl walked up to her former enemy, raised her head to look at the tall elf, and looked at him seriously, "Please call me 'Nightingale'."
At the moment when the title was called out, Mortidal's expression changed from confusion to surprise, and finally he suddenly realized the enlightenment.
Nightingale... Is she that person's student
"The content of the mission is to remove all obstacles, completely control the Riddle Empire, and use its power to block the enemy. But before that, I still have some personal affairs to be resolved, please wait a moment." Zephyris As he spoke, he turned around gracefully, with a beautiful and dazzling arc in his hand.
What Xianxian held in her hand was not the weapon that the third prince remembered as a gift, but a long sword as soft as flowing water, slender and sharp.
Jingwang sword "Dawn".
Under the baptism of cold rain, a faint brilliance overflowed from the sword, burning the eyes and soul of the golden lion.
"...Why?" Allen asked in a hoarse voice, and then he couldn't speak anymore. The struggle for power, throne, and blood was forgotten, and now he had only Zephyris in sight. Deep nostalgia floated in those pupils, the pain of being betrayed and uncontrollable sadness.
"Because what you love is only the perfect phantom called Baifeng, but not the real me. The golden lion is very proud, so it will never leave its eyes on the dying sick child on the side of the road, but unfortunately, I just happen to be That kind of existence." Nightingale's voice was gentle and sweet, but it was like the sharpest blade cutting Alan Te's heart, "Of all the passers-by, only Teacher is willing to stop for me and protect me from the wind and rain. He He gave me everything, so when I got the name Zephyris, I decided to serve my teacher for the rest of my life."
"As for you, to me, it's just a springboard in political struggle, a prey under the law of the jungle. Engagement is nothing more than..."
"This is not true, you must be joking~!" Allen interrupted the other party hoarsely, "I don't believe it~! Come back quickly, Zefei~!"
"Raise your sword, Allen, the third prince of the Riddle Empire. Please put aside all confusion and fight with all your strength, otherwise you will surely die." Nightingale shook her head and replied indifferently, "Because in the previous sparring, The strength I have used is not even a tenth of it."
... Is it less than one whole thing? Although Zephyris' tone was calm and clear, to the person whose name was called, the voice soaked in cold rain was stronger than the most violent poison. The golden lion lowered his head with a wry smile, and when he looked up again, his eyes were completely covered by the haze of complete despair.
It turned out that Bai Feng never existed, and everything was just a disguise for the cruel Nightingale.
"You three are not allowed to make a move." Ellent said in a trembling voice, and then finally raised his two-handed sword in a stabbing gesture, "Zefelis belongs to me, so I will finish everything~!"
The next moment, accompanied by a painful roar, Allen rushed desperately to the girl he once loved deeply.
As the third prince of the empire, the Golden Lion is a well-known swordsman. Coupled with the power of the two-handed epee, there are only a handful of people in the entire Riddle Empire who can withstand his attacks. But now, no matter how the huge weapon with the cold light in his hand stabbed and slashed, the gust of wind it blew could not even touch the shadow of Nightingale.
Zephyris dodged all the opponent's attacks, and her sword hand was always behind her back gracefully. She didn't mean to hand the move at all—and there was no need for that—in the eyes of the girl, the prince's movements and the stationary stake There is not much difference.
"It's not even a whole thing, is it~!?" Allen shouted with a distorted face, and Nightingale's erratic dodge made him feel humiliated. His eyes instantly ignited a fire, time and time again all the old feelings that bound him were broken, and the golden lion swung the sword with all its strength like crazy. Anger, sorrow, and pain poured out in attacks, and each slash was a question that the betrayer could hardly answer.
This scene was so similar to the sparring in the training room before, but the cold air was filled with a sense of desolation. The opponent was no longer the Bai Feng who would pout and show his temper after losing the competition, but the Nightingale with ice-like eyes who could easily see through all his tricks.
The dazzling sword in front of him will definitely not stop for the golden lion, right? No, it was danced for someone else from the beginning~! Jealousy set off a monstrous wave in Alent's soul, when his eyes suddenly saw the elf mage behind the girl.
It's all because of you~!
There was a vicious smile on the corner of the golden lion's mouth, and in the next moment, his two-handed sword suddenly changed its trajectory, and slashed at Mortidal with overwhelming force.
Surprise flashed across Zefelice's eyes, and then she finally used the King Jing Sword in her hand—this was Nightingale's first real attack. The girl gracefully rotated her body in a movement that was difficult to detect with the naked eye, and all the huge inertia driven by it was added to the slender morning light, and the arc that cut the air hit the big sword from the front.
The moment the metal collided, countless scorching sparks splashed, and then Zephyris's beautiful face and the two sharp swords across it were reflected in the golden lion's pupils. Nightingale blocked the opponent's full-strength slash with just one hand. No matter how hard Alente gritted his teeth and pushed forward, Chen Xi still did not tremble in the slightest, just like the hardest and thickest mountain rock.
There was a power in those slender wrists that the prince would never understand.
"Very good, are you willing to block the sword for him?" Ellent whispered in a trembling voice, and then the voice suddenly turned into a violent roar, "Then block it again~!"
Accompanied by the roar, the two-handed sword slashed down with great force, but this time it missed. In the blink of an eye, Zefelis, who was already unavoidable, leaped onto the two-handed sword, and before the opponent had time to react, the flash of morning light had already slashed across Ellen's throat. In the next moment, out of the thousands of icy rain lines, a stream of hot blood shot out, raising a red mist high above.
"After all... the weak eat the strong..." Ellent murmured what he often said, and then laughed. It was a terrible self-mockery on the verge of death. Before he died, he finally understood one thing: Those who hope to use force to realize their ideals will one day be smashed to pieces by stronger force~!
Zefelis ignored the last words of the third prince at all. When she was sure that the other party could not escape death, she had already turned her attention to the three high-ranking mages—the duel was over, but the battle had just begun.
The girl in white stepped forward on the edge of the big sword, and stepped on the shoulder of the golden lion in just a few steps. Using this as a springboard, she leaped into the air suddenly and lightly, and the long sword in her hand drew a bright line in the rain, and slashed straight at the nearest high-level mage—Dagon who was good at magical interference.
Looking up at Zephy who was flying down like a bird, the highest member of the Mages Council just snorted. Although the time required to chant the incantation makes the mage almost useless in close combat, but in the nick of time, a well-prepared high-level mage will be more threatening than a warrior.
Dagon didn't chant the mantra, he just made a simple gesture. In the next moment, the ordered magic power that had been stored long ago spewed out from the mage's hands, and the high-heat flames turned into a huge fire bird, pounced on the target in the air.
The top-level fire magic "Scorching Feather" not only has an extremely fast tracking speed, but also has unimaginable power. The only choice for Zefelis is to land on the ground as soon as possible and dodge. If she really intends to fight head-on, Dagon believes that even if Mortidal uses a multi-layered magic defense wall, she will not be able to save her.
But Nightingale had no intention of dodging at all, and the King Jing Sword drew a shining semicircle in the gap, splitting the big scarlet bird in half at once. The torrent of flames that collapsed and disintegrated turned into two scorching balls of light, which exploded violently behind the falling female swordsman, tearing a gap in the cloudy sky, and awakening the sleeping city in the roar.
"What~!?" Dagon yelled in disbelief, his eyes full of fear.
The next moment, Chen Xi cut through the triple defensive barrier set by the high-ranking mage without hesitation, and made a straight cut on the robed body. Blood spurted out from it, once again staining the icy rain red.
The counterattack from the other side arrived just as the first mage was down. Kanel cast nearly a hundred magic missiles in a row, weaving them into a huge net, completely blocking all the way of Zephyris. Nightingale briefly glanced at the overwhelming attack, and then took an unexpectedly simple way to counteract it—she kicked Dagon's body with a sudden kick.
The poor mage was immediately smashed into a sieve, but the magic net was also smashed by the human shield to open a gap. Zefelis broke out from the bloody rain mixed with pieces of meat expressionlessly, and then swung his left hand smoothly. In the next moment, a cold light suddenly shot out from Nightingale's slender fingers, pierced through the rain curtain like lightning, and hit the place less than five inches away from Kanel's eyebrows.
A second later, the sharp roar of the air being torn apart and the crisp sound of the magic wall breaking finally reached the other party's ears.
This dart, which weighs no more than a penny, actually penetrated the two barriers set up by the high-ranking mage, and was finally stopped at the last moment. Although there was not a single scar on his body, the sharp edge falling from his eyes was enough to make Kanel break out in a cold sweat, and the spell he was chanting was also thrown out of the sky.
There is only one enchantment left... If that terrifying woman throws another one, it will all be over~! Thinking of this, the mage who finally came back to his senses hurriedly rebuilt the protective film—for him who can manipulate magic power at will, this is very simple, and it can be done immediately with only two gestures.
But Nightingale moved faster.
Kanel only had time to turn his wrist, and the second cold light shot along the same trajectory. The dart smoothly penetrated the two walls in front of the target—the newly erected one and the original remaining one—and then shot between Kanel's eyebrows and out the back of his head. This time, not only red blood was splashed out of the body, but also gray brains.
"There is the last one left." Zefelice raised his head and looked into the air.
The last high-ranking spellcaster, Knud, the vice president of the Mage Council, is hovering right above the tower platform at this moment. The death of the two colleagues bought him time to distance himself and cast his magic, but even so, Knud couldn't be sure of his chances of surviving.
How did this happen? It would be great if the tower wasn't surrounded by barriers, at least I can escape~! The hunter who became the prey gritted his teeth.
The mage stared intently at the two formidable foes, knowing that he had no choice. His vision was full of turbid light, and his breathing was short and heavy.
The girl who had just dealt with the three of them didn't say a word, but just shook her wrist. Another dart was shot up against the rain, but it failed to hit the target—a huge translucent disk suddenly appeared under Knud's feet, blocking Nightingale's attack motionlessly.
Completely different from just now, this mirror-like barrier is one of the highest-level spells in the defense system, "Mirror Return". It can reverse the material attack, including the force and inertia contained in it, by 180 degrees, and then hit it back, which is simply a nightmare for fighters and shooters.
The dart that can be stopped did not obey the spell's reversal, but stopped in mid-air trembling.
Apparently, the makers of the darts had counterspells applied specifically for this situation. Two diametrically opposite forces pressed the tiny weapon at the same time, and the metal could not withstand this terrible torsion, making a low sound in pain and twisting and deforming quickly, and was eventually annihilated into powder.
Seeing that her attack was completely defused, Nightingale pouted first, then turned her attention to the elf mage behind her.
"Can you send me up with the flying technique?"
"There's no need for that, leave it to me." Motidal shook his head, then smiled, "Although mages are always protected in the team, in the duel between magic power and magic power, we also have to shoulder the responsibility. It is my responsibility to protect my companions. At least give me this chance."
Zephyrus nodded.
The two waited quietly, and the voice of Knud chanting the mantra was transmitted along the rain line. The invisible but qualitative magic power in the air is gradually drawn to the center in this melody, as if an invisible hand is squeezing them. A ray of light first condensed in the mage's hands, and then the magical power poured in like a tide made this point swell into a dazzling light ball in an instant.
The most powerful magic in the rain is the thunder system. Since the enemy had no intention of attacking, the vice-chairman of the Mage Council decided to strike first and use his best high-level spell "Thunder Judgment" to completely end the lives of the two people under his feet.
In the next moment, the light in the mage's hand finally burst like a balloon. Accompanied by the deafening roar of thunder, countless streaks of dazzling lightning formed a majestic bright blue waterfall, pouring down from midair uncontrollably. Not only was the rain turned into a deadly ball of electricity, but even the air itself was boiled.
The "Thunder Judgment" exerted its full power, and this blow was enough to burn all the objects on the Riddle King's Square—including the stone slabs—to charcoal. However, the small platform under Knud's body remained motionless, and the surging lightning waterfall could not even submerge the top of the tower, because before that they were all completely dispelled into nothingness by a more powerful force.
Mortidal's raised right hand was like a lightning rod, absorbing all the lightning. The long blue thread containing huge energy was wrapped around his arm like a spider's silk, but before it spread to the shoulder, it was completely eliminated and returned to formless magic power, just like their form before they were formed by magic.
"Just knowing how to increase strength is not enough, Knud." The elf mage retracted his right hand and extinguished the last ray of lightning remaining in his palm. "Understanding the essence of power is what a mage should really pursue."
The other party laughed a few times palely.
"Let me tell you the essence of magic." Mortidal chanted the incantation, and his chanting just started, and the mirror barrier under Knud's feet shattered in response - the elf counteracted it with another mirror opponent's defense. Then, silver lightning shot out from the elf's fingers, rushing towards the target in mid-air.
Facing the attack from his immediate superior, Knud tried to make a final struggle. He quickly converted the three physical defense barriers in front of him into magic defense barriers. But at the moment when the lightning touched the wall, the rays of light suddenly condensed together and turned into a solid sharp arrow, which was nailed into the mage's throat without hindrance.
A stream of blood gushed out of Knud's mouth, and his hands tightly grabbed the shaft of the arrow, but he fell from mid-air without even making a wailing sound. The once-prominent vice-chairman of the Canados Mage Council fell to the top of the rock tower with a "slap", and became a sacrifice of ambition together with his colleagues whose blood had already cooled down.
"It's over." The elf glanced at the four corpses in front of him, sighed, and then turned to the girl next to him as if remembering something, "Do other people involved in this operation need to be cleared?"
"No need, they are all my subordinates." Zefelis smoothed his wet but pretty short hair with his fingers, "In fact, the super-large protective barrier is a technology I have obtained, and the purpose is to be able to use these high-level The mages have wiped out all of them, and I believe they will also play a role in the battle against the lich in the future."
"Have you already started planning?"
"Yes, because from the very beginning I have existed only for the teacher. It's just that Ellent's aggressiveness made the progress a little earlier." Nightingale replied flatly, and then glanced at the elf, "Originally, if there is no competitor like you , even if it is to gain merit quickly, there is no need to do it for the sake of the fiancée, it's just... "
"Just?" For this kind of unreasonable hostility, Mortidal could only return a wry smile.
"It's just that for human beings with a short lifespan, every second is precious. Just working hard is not enough, you must take a shortcut to catch up with the teacher's footsteps." The girl's eyes were full of melancholy rain and mist, and her voice was soft Going on, "Even if the teacher is surrounded by outstanding elites, I hope he can leave his eyes on me alone."
"Instead of fantasizing here, we might as well do more practical things." The elf patted his companion on the shoulder kindly, "Although sooner or later the power will be returned to the people on the stage, but at present we must completely control the entire empire, and use Riddle and The power of the Thieves Guild has blocked the actions of the death knights. The next aftermath cannot be taken lightly, and we will join the leader immediately after the end."
"En." The girl nodded vigorously.
"Hurry up, hurry up..." She murmured and looked at the hazy drizzle in front of her eyes, "I want to go back to the teacher's side quickly."