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Chapter 219: All-out War (3)

The quickest way to end the civil war will be by assassinating Duke Cornwall.

Just like how the center of the royal party was Prince Elsid, the center of the noble faction was Duke Cornwall. He was also the person in charge of negotiations with Lairon and the one with a relationship with Fergana.

In other words, everything would end if Duke Cornwall died. There was no other noble who had the influence to unite the noble faction either. The problem was whether it would be possible to assassinate Cornwall.

“It’s hard. I have too many skills,” Theo clicked his tongue.

There were around a hundred knights and thirty magicians of the 4th Circle in the vicinity of the elderly man who seemed to be the duke. Additionally, the man in the silver armor was probably a paladin. In order to deal with this situation, he needed a magic spell like Abraxas. However, the sheer amount of magic power being generated would give the game away immediately.

Above all, he didn’t have a good grasp on the paladin’s abilities. He had already discovered through Hugin that the paladin’s name was Ruben. He also had a long sword at his waist and an impressive shield on his back. Theo took note of both, since it was difficult for someone to find suitable weapons after reaching master level. Only legendary grade weapons could bear the destructive power of a master class.

They would hit without being damaged...

And cut without being cut back.

As such, it was far more useful for masters to move quickly and flexibly, rather than wear thick armor and wield a shield. Low-rated aura shields had long ceased to exist in Andras.

Maybe this is the difference between a paladin and a sword master?

The difference between the two jobs, a sword master who only used Aura Ability and the paladin who used divine power, might be larger than he had thought. Theo didn’t know if his guess was correct and continued watching Ruben.

It was the first time he had seen a paladin, and the paladin’s presence was different from the fierceness of aura and the grandeur of magic. Was this the power of faith? The paladin seemed to be reachable yet unreachable, like he was both close and distant. In a sense, this might be the essence of a god.

Theo felt a yearning from Dmitra and Aiolos inside of him.

“Hmm, the paladin...” Theo muttered, but he was quickly interrupted by a voice.

- A paladin, what is this?!?

Gluttony woke up and exclaimed.

- It isn’t possible for a new divinity to be born after the collapse of the Pantheon, so how does a paladin still exist?

Theo blinked. “Pantheon? What is that?”

- The cradle of the gods. It is a fixed temple for gods who became too close to humans. I heard that it was destroyed at the end of the Age of Mythology…?

The frustrated Gluttony spoke incoherent words to Theo.

The existence of a paladin was unexpected in many ways, but Theo could feel a connection to Gluttony’s consciousness. However, that unstable connection didn’t last long, and the reason soon became known.

- ... What... User, are you saying that half-trash over there is a paladin?

If Ruben ever heard Gluttony, he would be furious at the insult.

Theo’s lip twitched in amusement. “Half-trash?”

- No, it is my mistake. I said too much.

Gluttony relaxed and picked his words carefully.

- That half-man is trash. If he saw a real paladin, he would commit suicide from shame.

“Wait, then that man called Ruben is a fake?”

- Of course. A true paladin is an agent of the gods, a superhuman who is a demigod.

This time, it was Theo who stopped breathing. The first example of a demigod he could think of was Paracelsus, who had been a grandmaster during the Age of Mythology. Demigods were transcendents who could smash a mountain with one blow, tear the sky apart, and turn the sky upside down. If Gluttony was right, then every paladin in this era were imposters. If Lairon Kingdon truly possessed so many transcendents, they would’ve unified the continent already.

As Theo thought about it, he realized.

No, the paladin’s authenticity doesn’t matter right now.

He already knew a paladin could exert the power of a master, regardless of whether they were genuine or fake. Right now, Theo needed to think about how he could tilt this battlefield in favor of the royal faction.

“Should I wait for the battle to begin before ambushing from behind?”

It wasn’t a bad tactic. A 7th Circle magician alone had the power to eradicate an army. Needless to say, an army was unfamiliar with fighting a master magician. However, Theo shook his head and rejected the idea. Alfred Bellontes’ experience in warfare was urging him otherwise.

“They’re far too numerous for me alone. It’s hard to attack from within the estate, and the duke will probably be surrounded even in the rear... It won’t work.”

Additionally, his senses were warning him that there was another danger besides the paladin. Theo didn’t realize the reason yet, but his instincts were prickling. He went through the standard process of elimination as he tried to come up with a plan to defeat as many people as possible and mitigate as much damage as possible...

At that moment...

“... Eh?” Movement caught his eye. A familiar person jumped down from the walls of Atron Estate just as a paladin walked forward from Duke Cornwall’s side.

“A one-on-one confrontation in this situation?”

Baek Jongmyung and Ruben, a sword master and paladin... The masters of the two camps met exactly at the midpoint. At first he couldn’t understand the situation, but Theo soon realized the thoughts of the two commanders.

‘The prince is short on power, so he doesn’t want to waste his troops. Meanwhile, the duke doesn’t want to waste time.’

If the paladin won, Duke Cornwall wouldn’t have to fight anymore, and he would win the war. Moreover, there was a difference in the number of masters. Even if the paladin lost, Duke Cornwall had Marquis Fergana, so he would still be even with Prince Elsid.

“This might be a good chance for me.”

As the air between the two masters started to crackle, Theo moved from his spot. He needed to change his position in order to implement his plan.

After all, how could he let the father of his fellow disciple die?

***

Baek Jongmyung, now Marquis Atron, looked a little bit different from before. He had all kinds of artifacts on his body, as well as a chest piece of a mithril-like material. Baek Jongmyung didn’t like it, but he knew it wasn’t his place to fight unarmed.

So, Baek Jongmyung pulled out his sword with a slight sigh.

“I don’t like competing in a place like this... but I will duel according to the will of my master.” Baek Jongmyung greeted his opponent first, “It is nice to meet you, foreign religious guardian. In my hometown, there were people like you who defended the doctrines of God.”

“What?” Ruben uttered.

It had been spoken without any malice, but the innocent greeting had provoked the Lairon master’s fanaticism. They didn’t admit the existence of any god other than Lairon. People who didn’t serve the will of Lairon would be judged. It was blasphemy that a heretic from the East, a land of savages not recorded in the temple, would dare refer to God.

Ruben’s expression hardened. “A heretic from the land of barbarians... You dare to speak of God with that filthy mouth? An infidel dares speak such rubbish to me, Ruben? I will tear you into a thousand pieces!”

Woong woong woong woong!

Power rushed out his body like steam in his fury. The white power was different from aura or magic. It was the power of a god that had long since vanished from the material world. It grew into a beautiful golden haze that dyed Ruben’s silver armor, sword, and shield.

“First, I will cut off that tongue!” Ruben’s eyes grew bloodshot.

“... Um, he’s gone insane.” Baek Jongmyung clicked his tongue. He didn’t know what he’d said that’d derailed the conversation, but Ruben didn’t look like he was in a normal state. This was close to the demonic state of madness which sometimes appeared in Eastern martial arts.

Kakiing.?

Baek Jongmyung drew his soft sword.

“Atone with your life, heretic!” At the same time, Ruben sprang forward.

Hwaaak!

A shockwave exploded, sending dirt flying behind him. Theo didn’t recognize the principle, but Ruben had accelerated to a godlike speed with a single step. He was faster than a flying arrow, leaving golden afterimages in his wake like a comet. His charge contained enough destructive power to smash a gate!

However, Baek Jongmyung calmly raised his sword to point at Ruben, as if responding to a frontal match. He closed his eyes and muttered, “Pierce the Moon Style.”

A silver colored aura gathered like moonlight on one point and then...

Chaaeng!

A metallic sound rang out.

“Ugh?”

“Cough.”

The two grunted at almost the same time. Ruben, who had performed the mysterious acceleration, also received a corresponding shock from Baek Jongmyung’s sword. It was probably a coincidence, but the two incidents coincided.

They weren’t able to break through?

Ruben was someone who could destroy the fortified walls of a fortress with a single charge, while Baek Jongmyung was someone who killed his enemies with a single blow. Both of them were shocked that their killing blows had been blocked.

Baek Jongmyung had fought against several masters in his hometown, so he recovered from the shock first.

‘If he blocked my first blow, how about this?’

He summoned a rain of sword energies. As soon as the sword blurred, a silver showdown between the two masters began.

Pipipipiping!

Thirty six horizontal and vertical landed with the accuracy of threading a needle. It was more powerful than what he had used while competing with Theo in the past. Once he activated his Aura Ability, this barrage was close to invincible.

It was faster and sharper than before. The terrifying sword technique contained the essence of the Baek Family. It seemed like Ruben would be turned into a beehive in short order. However, instead of a triumphant smile, Baek Jongmyung’s expression was dark.

... Why?

Despite attacking relentlessly, he was the one being pushed back. Ruben was stepping forward one step at a time while facing the shower of death, while Baek Jongmyung had to step back. Due to the nature of his soft sword, he had to keep a certain distance with Ruben.

Kaaang!

Once again, Baek Jongmyung’s stab was blocked by Ruben’s golden shield. It was a blow which contained the power of a master, yet it couldn’t pierce through the metal. Baek Jongmyung’s eyebrows twitched as he was forced to go on the defense.

That shield is a problem!?

Baek Jongmyung was able to tell with one glance that all of Ruben’s equipment was unusual. The equipment must be part of Ruben’s body. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be able to defend against his Aura Ability.

"...!"

It might be a coincidence or a trap… but the shield which defended Ruben’s entire body momentarily slipped outward by a few centimeters. The gap was only a few fingers wide and couldn’t really be called a gap, but it was good prey for Baek Jongmyung.

Baek Jongmyung was troubled for a moment. He wondered if he should take advantage of this gap, and if it would cause him to win or lose.

I can do it.

He felt an instinctive anxiety and confidence that he had accumulated over the decades. In the end, the latter won. Baek Jongmyung breathed in and gathered the momentum for a deadly blow.

Piii-ik.?

The sound pierced through the air. A single strand of silver struck the gap between Ruben’s golden shield and longsword at a speed not even visible to a master’s eyes. It was a blow Baek Jongmyung had trained for half a century.

His timing was perfect. Baek Jongmyung thought reflexively about his victory for a moment. But half a beat later, Ruben’s sword shone gold.

Flash!