Chapter 263 (2): Goddess’s Messenger x Ocean of Mist

“Sir Alan, have you given my proposal thought?”

“Not much. Although you claimed to be a messenger sent by the Goddess of Darkness, why should I believe you and betray my country when you have no proof?” Alan said without turning around.

“I told you that you wouldn’t be betraying your country but making a choice about your future,” the black-robed figure said slowly. “Twilight Despair is in the hands of the fake knight, while you are the true Darkness Knight. You have the right and the obligation to retrieve it.”

“Just because I’ve mastered the faith magic of Darkness, I’m the Darkness Knight?” Alan let out a low laugh.

When the black-robed man claiming to be the Goddess of Darkness’s messenger first sought him out and told him that, Alan had admittedly wavered. Anyone would feel their heart race when being told that they were the chosen knight.

However, the joy came suddenly and without preceding signs. Once Alan calmed himself, he tamped down his desire and said that he needed time to consider the proposal.

The black-robed man had given him too little information, never mentioning who the false knight was. Alan felt like his intelligence was being underestimated. He couldn’t resist the temptation of becoming the Darkness Knight because the prospect was too attractive, but he also knew the danger the Darkness Knight’s prowess posed. He would not nod and agree to the proposal unless he had the full story.

“Alan, you’re already a legendary mage. If you want to take one step further, you must choose between the faiths.” The black-robed figure spoke at a deliberate pace. “Those arrogant legendary mages set foot into the Gate of Truth with the false belief that they were different, that they would fare better. You saw what happened to them. They lost themselves and became one with the void.”

“Now, the goddess has opened a door for you. Why are you hesitating? Haven’t you been waiting for this chance?”

“Because I’ll die!”

“You are the chosen one. You won’t die here.”

“Then, pray tell, who is the false knight, what is their identity, what social status do they enjoy in Windsor?” Alan turned around, staring at the robed figure with black eyes.

“I cannot tell you much before you agree to the deal, Alan. I can only tell you that Twilight Despair is seized by others—there is more than one false Darkness Knight. We have to recover Twilight Despair’s power one by one.”

“And? That’s it?”

Alan shook his head with a scoff. He had spoken enough today, more than he usually spoke in a couple of weeks. If the self-proclaimed goddess’s messenger didn’t have anything else to tell him, the conversation should end here. He wouldn’t walk the messenger out.

“Fine, I’ll give you more information. One of the false knights also comes from a Tulip Family,” said the robed figure. “I’m only the goddess’s messenger, in charge of relaying her oracle and leading the true knight to his rightful post. I cannot take Twilight Despair for you. You may defeat one of them first and acquire part of the Darkness Knight’s power.”

“Even a false Darkness Knight is a Darkness Knight. Are you sure I can defeat them?” Alan said with a frown.

“That doesn’t change the fact that you’re chosen. Since the goddess has chosen you, all is predetermined. You may face obstacles, but it’s only the goddess’s trial for you. You will win in the end.”

“Do you have any more nonsense for me? If not, I need time to consider.”

“I hope you’ll give me a response as soon as possible...”

The robed figure took a step back and disappeared in the darkness.

Seeing them come and go as they wanted, Alan felt a deep resignation. The underground bastion was the work of numerous legendary mages. It wasn’t accessible to just anyone, and even he, a Vice Minister, needed to gather all keys to enter safely.

“Goddess’s messenger...”

“The Darkness Knight is an attractive lure, but can I really do it?”

Alan debated with himself. Perhaps he could do it, but the false knight’s power gave him pause. It was best to find help. Multiple faces flashed through his mind, and he crossed them off one by one. They were all fence-sitters who didn’t know loyalty; not a single one of them was worth trusting.

Soon, a face surfaced—it belonged to his longtime friend, Celeste, a legendary mage of the Ministry of Magic.

Alan measured their friendship for a moment before shaking his head. “I heard that he went undercover at the Church of Heavenly Father but defected, becoming the church’s spy within the Ministry of Magic instead. He even led the Princess astray and displeased the Queen.”

“If I work with him, Twilight Despair is most likely going to end up taken by the church...”

He knew legendary mages who followed faith all too well. Their philosophy could be summarized in one line: take the side of whoever the victor would be.

That was the root cause of Celeste’s fickle loyalty; it was why he could shed blood for the royal family one moment and risk his life for the church the next moment.

“If I omit the part about Twilight Despair and ask him to kill someone for me by giving him a significant secret, I don’t think he’ll say no.”

Alan went over his plan. After drafting three speeches and making sure that he could convince Celeste, he decided to arrange a meeting with his old friend.

Not tonight—he still had work to do.

***

Study, Wayne’s residence.

“Oh, you’re leaving?”

Wayne looked at the knight’s armor in surprise, cocking his head as he considered it. “Where are you going? The Church of Sun’s base?”

Valkyrie shook her head. “The Church of Sun is only the first stop. I met the goddess’s messenger and received an oracle to recover the Sun Knight’s power...”

“Wait, I don’t get it. Please take the time to explain.” Wayne interrupted her. Goddess’s messenger? Was she talking about Snow, who had become an owl? If so, had Snow’s sentence come to an end?

“The seal on the Frozen Land is in danger of breaking. The Sun Knight needs to recover all of his power. I have to head to the Church of Sun and gather a team to cross the Ocean of Mist, recovering the Sun Knight’s missing power. Finally, it has to be delivered to the Frozen Land...”

Valkyrie relayed the oracle the messenger had delivered. “I didn’t meet the messenger in person, but I’ve once been led by them. I know that feeling.”

“So you haven’t even met the messenger?” Wayne couldn’t believe her. “You’ve lost your memory and can’t even remember your name... Remembering the feeling? That’s a bold claim for you to make.”

Valkyrie ignored his comment. The oracle had been made. She would lead the charge and wield her longsword for the goddess with the last bit of power she had retained.

“Where’s the Ocean of Mist?” Wayne asked.

“This is the entrance.” Valkyrie pointed at the precise location on the map in the study. It was the route one had to take to travel from Londan to Cambrook County—114 highway.

Wayne’s eyes twitched. He had had the honor of going missing on that particular highway. In the end, he passed the thick mist and safely returned to the Chosen Land. The Death Knight had been weak, helpless, and fearful of violence.

“Valkyrie, I’ll be honest with you. I went there once and was lucky to have made it out alive. Frankly, it’s not a place for humans to be. It’s dangerous.”

“You’ve been there?”

“Yeah.” Wayne made a face. “If I had put you in the trunk that night, perhaps you could’ve entered the place with me.”

Valkyrie inquired about his experience curiously. Wayne, with limited understanding, described what he had seen then: “The black mountains left a deep impression on me. To be honest with you... I’ll advise against entering that place. You’re no longer at the peak of your power, so you shouldn’t be risking yourself. What if you die there?”

“That’ll be a knight’s honor. I never run away from my destination!” Valkyrie said firmly. A knight did not fear sacrifice.

“Yeah, yeah...” Wayne rolled his eyes, reprimanding her. “Don’t be silly. Your end was on Dragonheart Island. You were dead, only given a second life by the ancient god. The ancient god was your destination.”

Unfazed, Valkyrie didn’t feel like arguing with him. She simply said, “You’ve learned the dragonslaying swordsmanship, Wayne. As your teacher, I no longer have anything to teach you. I’ll only be wasting my time by staying here. It’s time for me to seek my destination.”

I can be your destination!

Even if you don’t want that, you can still stay and help raise the children. They’ll need a knight teacher for their preschool education.

She was his first love on the twentieth of August. Although she was a dull stick in the mud, although she was nothing but a wisp of thoughts in a set of armor, Wayne still decided to help her. He clenched his jaw and said, “I’ll wear you. Let’s go together.”

“No, it’s too dangerous.” Valkyrie rejected the offer with a smile. “Wayne, you’re indirect with your justice, act like a bastard most of the time, treat girls irresponsibly, and look down on—”

“Wait, that’s way too long for the first part. Skip it and get to the ‘but’ part.”

“But...”

Valkyrie broke into a smile. The armor disintegrated and re-emerged on Wayne’s body. The blonde knight embraced him from behind and said, “You’re a good student. I’m glad to have met you before my disappearance.”

Oh boy, she’s saying her last words!

Wayne turned around and looked at his first love’s face from a short distance. “Teacher, without me, you’re only a set of armor without sufficient power. You need my strength.”

“Not this time. Vera can put me on.”

“Huh?!”

He stiffened. What did she mean? His first love was taking his first love to the battlefield, and had left him with her last word?