Chapter 207: The Sword of Kings
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 207: The Sword of Kings
The colossal behemoths were each far taller than the city walls. Their bodies were covered in rigid scale armor that shimmered with a cold, piercing glint under the ethereal blue moonlight—armor that ordinary magic and weapons could hardly hope to penetrate.
The atmosphere atop the walls grew tense once more. Compared to the previous waves of cannon fodder used to exhaust their resources, the behemoths now making their ascent were the true main force!
"But on our side... I'm not exactly the 'main force' either," Professor Prang said softly.
As his voice trailed off, a chuckle rang out from nearby.
"As expected of a top disciple of Grand Magister Mela Domir. To be able to cast such a powerful combined magic matrix instantaneously in such a short time... I am truly impressed."
An old man dressed in ancient, weathered mage robes appeared at his side. Beneath his wide-brimmed wizard’s hat, his face was full of sincere admiration.
From the Tower of Origins: Dodge Sloer.
Professor Prang gave him a curt nod. "I am not Mela Domir’s disciple. I merely received some guidance from her in my youth. I am far from being a 'top disciple.'"
"Is that so?"
Dodge didn't seem disappointed. On the contrary, his eyes grew even more fervent.
"To achieve such heights with mere guidance... it makes me wonder just how exceptional Mela Domir’s true disciple must be. I truly wish to sit down with them and discuss the ultimate peaks of the magical path."
"..."
Professor Prang’s cheek twitched violently.
That "top disciple" you’re talking about can still only cast a single Illumination Spell!
"However, now is not the time for long talks. When we have the leisure later, I shall certainly visit Saint Maria Academy to pay my respects."
Leaving those words behind, Dodge’s figure suddenly shot into the air, ascending to a higher altitude. He took in the entire cruel, bloody battlefield in a single glance.
"What a fitting... hunting ground," he whispered.
With a wide sweep of his sleeves, countless massive magic formations constructed themselves out of thin air. Even before the arrays were activated, an aura completely alien to this place began to permeate the air.
He suddenly struck his own chest, coughing up a mouthful of essence blood. The blood automatically split into equal parts, sinking into the formations.
Dodge’s aura withered instantly, but his eyes grew increasingly ecstatic.
"My children, come forth!" Dodge spread his arms and shouted with fanatical zeal. "—It’s feeding time!"
ROAR—!
Deafening roars erupted. Equally hideous and massive monsters stepped out from the spaces connected by the formations, making the very earth and mountains tremble.
Wyverns.
Hill giants.
Colossi.
Flame beasts.
As one of the world’s top practitioners of the Summoning School, the monsters Dodge Sloer summoned from the Abyssal Sea were no ordinary creatures. Each one, if placed anywhere else on the continent, would be a hegemon capable of ruling an entire region!
And so, the slaughter between monsters and monsters began!
*
"It seems we still hold the advantage?"
In the Throne Hall, many people had yet to move. Archbishop Canterbury watched the carnage between the monsters with interest, a thin smile on his face.
The battle between the beasts was devoid of any aesthetic grace. For creatures of such immense size, ordinary magic had long since lost its effectiveness; thus, the most useful tools were their own claws and teeth.
However, Dodge wasn't fighting alone. With powerful fire support from the walls, the monsters he summoned quickly gained the upper hand, pushing the front line back a considerable distance.
"But..."
As he spoke, Archbishop Canterbury was the first to turn solemn. He gazed into the depths of the black ocean.
A massive shadow was rapidly rising toward the surface. Its gargantuan body seemed to make the entire ocean appear even deeper.
There was no sea outside Belland. Therefore, when the Silent Moon constructed this Shadow City, there should have been no need to expend extra power to build a non-existent ocean.
Unless the Divine One had a reason.
And now, that reason manifested.
A long, haunting cry rose from the depths of the sea, echoing through the sky.
That was... a whale song!
A whale song capable of shaking the very soul!
The Calamity-level monster that had been hiding beneath the waves, Leviathan the Sea Demon, had finally launched her first attack.
No, it wasn't even an attack. It was merely the natural pressure she radiated!
Canterbury frowned slightly, shaking his head to dispel the soul-deep influence. But when he looked back at the battlefield, he found the situation had transformed in an instant.
Under the terrifying pressure of a Calamity-level monster, half of the creatures Dodge had summoned turned traitor on the spot!
There was a reason Teacher Mela called him a disgrace. In his haste to release so many monsters at once, he had overlooked the fact that such sheer numbers would make his connection with the summons incredibly fragile!
The situation underwent a cataclysmic reversal. Under the sudden betrayal of those monsters, the first line of defense—the Steel Bastion—was torn open in several places.
A tide of enemies flooded through, charging toward the second line of defense composed of the Imperial Royal Knight Legion elites, adventurers, elite mercenaries, and the nobility.
Had Professor Prang and several other powerhouses guarding the walls not acted together to shield the majority, the casualties would have been catastrophic.
"Sigh."
More than one sigh echoed around the round table.
Several figures took to the sky, their Brilliant Crowns rising as they joined forces to face the terrifying "Calamity" from the sea.
An unprecedented battle began, the dazzling light illuminating the Shadow City as if it were broad daylight.
Archbishop Canterbury leaned back in his chair, still unmoving. But he had already acted; a holy radiance spread out like a gentle breeze. Anyone touched by the Holy Light found their wounds largely healed and the fear in their hearts quietly brushed away.
This move had a massive impact. Under the shroud of Holy Light, the pampered nobles of the second line did not break and flee. Instead, they pulled out rare artifacts that even surprised the Archbishop, repelling the enemy's advance time and again.
"A fine move, Your Majesty," Archbishop Canterbury remarked, seeing the situation stabilize and the advantage begin to return.
"Oh?"
Audrich III, whose eyelids hadn't even flickered when Leviathan appeared, finally opened his eyes. "What does the Archbishop mean by that?"
"Uniting all factions to resist the Evil God, while dragging those nobles you’ve long found distasteful to serve as a human wall... After this is over, as long as the Evil God’s goal isn't met, your prestige will likely reach unprecedented heights. Those nobles who aren't of one mind with you will be so weakened they’ll never be an obstacle again."
"Does the Archbishop find this undesirable?"
"From the Church’s perspective, we are naturally reluctant to see an Empire emerge on the continent that we cannot interfere with. However..." Archbishop Canterbury said with a smile, "for us, this isn't necessarily a bad thing."
"...Heh."
Audrich III didn't confirm or deny it, offering only a contemptuous smirk. He suddenly rose from his throne and walked toward the wall that had been cleared away, overlooking the battlefield for the first time.
"Hathaway."
"Present."
"What are the calculations?"
"Something is wrong..." Hathaway and a group of subordinates were scribbling frantically, her forehead beaded with sweat. "I feel like the Silent Moon’s actions this time are... anomalous."
"Why?"
"Because no matter how I run the simulations, I can't find a path to victory for the Silent Moon!" Hathaway said with some agitation. "It’s true that if one wants to fully manifest a Divine Kingdom, Belland, with its massive population, is the best choice. But—this is Belland, after all."
As the capital of the Leopold Empire and the most prosperous city on the continent, branches or headquarters of every major power were stationed here. You could throw a stone on the street and hit a dozen Crowned experts.
This place was not so easily conquered.
Furthermore, even if this Shadow City were breached, Mela Domir was still sitting at Saint Maria Academy. Though she couldn't leave the academy, the last attack proved that unless the Evil God physically manifested its true body here, they could do nothing to her.
She was like a nail driven into the earth. As long as she remained, it was impossible for the Silent Moon to truly convert Belland into its Divine Kingdom!
"In other words, this is likely a feint... to hide the Divine One's true purpose?"
"Exactly. But we can't rule out the possibility that the Silent Moon has truly gone mad. It is an Evil God, after all; their behavior is difficult to fathom," Hathaway added, pushing up her gold-rimmed glasses.
"Is that so?"
Audrich III tapped the hilt of his sword, deep in thought. Seemingly reaching a conclusion, he suddenly turned back to the drowsy old man sitting on the stone chair.
"Can I trust you?" Audrich III asked.
The old man opened his clouded eyes and met Audrich’s gaze. After a long silence, he replied, "Of course, Your Majesty. You can always trust me."
"Then the lives of the millions in Belland are in your hands," Audrich said flatly.
"Your Majesty overstates it." The old man lowered his head slightly, his eyes downcast, his expression unreadable. "I will simply do my duty. Nothing more."
"Then go."
"Yes."
The old man’s figure gradually faded. Only then did everyone realize he had been a mere afterimage.
"So real it fooled even me. Truly worthy of the title 'Sword Bearer,'" Archbishop Canterbury marveled.
"Archbishop."
After the old man left, Audrich III spoke softly.
"Your Majesty, how may I help you?"
"You were wrong about one thing earlier."
"Oh?"
"I actually had no intention of weakening those nobles. I had them come simply because they are Leopolds, a part of Belland. Therefore, they must contribute to this country and this city. And so must you."
Audrich III suddenly stepped forward, treading onto thin air. At that moment, a terrifying pressure erupted from the body of this man who had been dozing on his throne—a body that wasn't particularly large, yet now felt immense.
"What?"
Archbishop Canterbury’s heart seized. He looked at Audrich III in horror.
Above the Emperor’s head, a Brilliant Crown rose, engraved with supreme mandates. It was far more majestic than any physical crown set with jewels.
"How is this possible? The Royal Curse... how could you have broken through it..." the Archbishop blurted out in disbelief.
"I don't care whether those nobles are of one mind with me or not, because in my eyes, they are nothing more than a pack of clowns."
Audrich III ignored the Archbishop’s insolence, taking step after step forward. He casually tore off his cumbersome ceremonial robes, letting them be swept away by the high-altitude winds.
He reached out and gripped the sword at his waist.
In that instant, the entire world fell silent. Not a single sound remained.
Save for—the hum of a sword!
At this moment, the ultimate authority converged. When that sword was drawn, even Archbishop Canterbury felt an instinctive urge to kneel.
The Sword of Kings.
The sacred relic of authority passed down through the Leopold royal bloodline. As long as one was recognized by it, even someone without the strength to truss a chicken could burst forth with power exceeding an ordinary Crowned expert.
And for the first time since its creation, it was being wielded by a true Crown Bearer.
Audrich swung the sword in a single slash.
The black ocean was instantly split in two.
He didn't even look at the Calamity that had been forced out of the water—the monster that required several Crowned experts just to suppress. His gaze was fixed solely on the ethereal blue moon, now fully revealed by the parting of the sea.
"Silent Moon," Audrich said softly, yet his voice rolled like thunder, deafening to the ears.
"As the price for violating my domain, leave this projection behind."