Chapter 86: Long Live the Emperor (5)

The first thing I saw was the knight's armor. Even at a glance, the material was extraordinary, but I recognized that armor.

Mithril.

That knight was the hero who invaded the dungeon. He had murdered Lady Succubus. His attendant wore mithril armor just like that.

Wearing armor like that... to her...

Clatter!

Gith-Za-Rai interrupted my thoughts. "Why are you staring like that? Got a problem?"

I asked, "What do you mean?"

"Do you have a grudge against him? Do you know him? Why are you glaring like that?"

"Of course not."

I didn't know him, nor did I have a reason to hold a grudge. It was just that an unpleasant memory resurfaced. In any case, it was not a sword but armor entirely made of mithril. Its value surpassed rarity. The armor was something money alone couldn’t buy—something akin to a quasi-artifact.

Gith-Za-Rai gestured toward the knight. "Isn't that armor beautiful?"

The knight's armor was certainly a masterpiece. It covered him completely, including his helmet, and was a masterpiece. Runes and engravings densely filled its surface. Each drawing undoubtedly served as a powerful anti-magic symbol.

Gith-Za-Rai asked, "You want it?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

"I'll give it to you if we take it."

"Take it?"

Gith-Za-Rai nodded. "Yeah. It's better than what you're wearing now, right?"

"..."

"I'll dress you in it. Wear something nice for once."

Before I could feel offended, tension coursed through my entire body.

Is this woman really planning to do something insane here?

Rustle.

Gith-Za-Rai took a step forward. She emerged from the shadow of the dense bushes.

Rustle.

The sound of her steps on the grass echoed in my skull, and the world slowed down. Gith-Za-Rai was now walking toward her death. She was slowly approaching the procession of Elton Clemens, the emperor of the Empire and instigator of the Nine-Year War.

"..."

I stared blankly at her back as she kept walking.

One necromancer trudged toward two wizards and dozens of imperial guards. Certain defeat, certain death. It was an absurd act. Not even a single skeleton followed her. The one skeleton she brought along stood frozen, staring blankly at her back.

Whoosh.

The late summer sunlight faded, replaced by the early autumn wind. It blew whimsically as if beckoning something to scatter. Grass blades fluttered. Unbloomed autumn flower seeds scattered. Small leaves tore off, releasing earthy scents.

But the necromancer's hair didn't move. Her coiled, wavy hair was made of white bone. At some moment, when she seemed to pass through an invisible barrier—

"

Hiiing!

"

Dozens of gazes simultaneously turned to her. The horses stopped, startled. Knights gripped their spears tighter. She exuded no aura and kept walking. It felt like unreality was stepping into reality.

It's blocked... huh?

Gith-Za-Rai simply stood in the middle of the avenue. That alone halted the procession. The knights at the front hesitated and pulled their reins. It was unnecessary; the horses had already stopped instinctively.

Her unique appearance and charisma had brought them to a halt. Had it been me, I would've been skewered by spears immediately.

The lone knight in Mithril armor issued a cold command, "An unfinished lich? Sir Roxius, Sir Osman, remove it."

His dry tone was as cold as a winter wind. Slightly high-pitched. His helmet visor remained down.

Is he the captain?

"At your command."

Two nearby knights raised their massive spears. Unlike the others, these two wielded particularly long spears. They were heavy, with the first fifty centimeters of the shaft covered in iron.

A charge lance.

Clop. Clop.

The two knights advanced. The tips of their lances began to tremble as if alive. A faint aura shimmered on the sharp blades.

That's...

Suddenly, a conversation I had during a tournament came to mind.

***

A man, armed with a shield and curved sword, crushed opponents efficiently. He had fought well. He was my opponent just before I faced Christina.

I had asked him, "How do I compare to the Empire's Four Swordmasters?"

The man had completely dropped his stance and exploded into laughter. Then he replied, "Why are you spouting nonsense?"

"Nonsense?"

"Are you crazy? At the level where they wield energy, all this becomes meaningless. You can slice steel like tofu just by channeling mana through the blade..."

He then lowered his sword and forfeited the match.

"I'm done. I don't fight lunatics. And... what's the point of fighting here, anyway?"

In the end, he left the arena. Even the audience's jeers didn't faze him.

***

"So that's aura..."

Seeing it for the second time after encountering it in the scouting squad, I finally understood aura, the power to exponentially amplify cutting and destructive force.

But there was one thing that puzzled me. The knights and heroes in blue armor were likely stronger than the ones before me. Yet their weapons didn't show such power.

Is it because someone like me isn't worth using such an ability on?

Clop. Clop.

The two knights gradually urged their horses forward. They aimed their lances at a steep angle toward Gith-Za-Rai. Their goal was to impale her with their lances, which exceeded three meters in length. The knights seemed specialized in this type of execution. Their stances and movements were highly practiced.

There was a calmness that often preceded explosive action. Blocking the emperor's procession, no punishment other than death awaited her.

Just as they were about to charge, a thunderous voice boomed from behind.

"Stop!"

It wasn't just loud; the air itself seemed to vibrate. The knights turned around simultaneously.

Clop.

Even the knight in mithril armor, presumably the captain, turned his horse. His gaze fell on a bearded wizard.

"What is the meaning of this?"

The authority and power behind the shout couldn't be ignored. The procession halted entirely, awaiting the wizard's words.

The bearded wizard, staring intently at Gith-Za-Rai in the avenue, shouted nervously, "I know that person. One of the three strongest protectors of Embermere. Do not attack rashly!"

Clop! Clop!

The wizard rode forward quickly. He neither spurred nor whipped his horse. It was as if the horse ran of its own will. Although his riding posture was clumsy, the horse matched its movements perfectly to the wizard.

In the early autumn breeze, the necromancer's robe fluttered. As the wizard from Azure approached her, he asked, "What business do you have here?"

The necromancer replied, "

Oh

, assassinating the emperor."

"Assassination

,

you say?"

The bearded wizard looked dumbfounded, staring at the necromancer silently. Then he turned his head, glancing back. His eyes scanned the over one hundred imperial guards and the wizards dispatched alongside them.

Turning back to the necromancer, he asked, "You're speaking nonsense. Define assassination."

Gith-Za-Rai chuckled as if the question was obvious. "If there are no witnesses, it's an assassination, isn't it?"

The wizard frowned deeply. "What did you just say?"

The sharp-eared knights also heard the word

assassination

.

"Form up for second strike. Third unit, guard the carriage," the captain ordered coldly.

The formation of knights around the emperor's carriage shifted.

Clop. Clop.

Five knights wielding two-meter-long poleaxes spurred their horses forward. It was a formation designed to strike, slash, and pierce after a missed lance charge. Calmly honed killing intent pressed toward the lone necromancer who had walked down the avenue.

I instinctively glanced around. Perhaps reinforcements, her army, might arrive from somewhere. But the forest was silent. The mountain road was quiet. There were no reinforcements, not even distant ones.

"Wait."

The approaching guards were halted by the wizard's raised hand.

"I'll handle this alone."

The knights wore reluctant expressions. This was someone who had declared their intent to assassinate the emperor. Naturally, the guards should deal with it. However, defying the wizard from Azure was no simple matter—especially when he claimed he would handle it himself.

"...Understood. Everyone, stand down."

The two knights with lances and the others with poleaxes retreated. The rest of the guards, who had been preparing for the third and fourth strikes, released their tension slightly but bit their lips in frustration.

The wizard addressed the necromancer again, "A necromancer without an army. Quite bold. I've heard you're a peculiar being, but do you really think you can face true magic?"

The bearded old man lightly raised his staff. About a meter long, the staff was capped with a meticulously crafted amber gemstone. Bright yellow energy was heavily compressed within the electrically charged gem, creating friction with the surrounding air.

The necromancer smirked. "Doesn't seem to work so well, does it?"

"You're no different," the wizard retorted.

Erepor of Azure was confident of his victory. The area was heavily suppressing arcane energy. Because of this, he had continuously stored power in his staff. He was ready.

Before him stood the necromancer, empty-handed. No dagger, no mechanical devices, no magical conduits. There was no way he could lose to a necromancer without an army.

Whoosh!

Compressed energy shot forth, mixed with a flickering, bright yellow lightning.

She barely dodged it.

Gith-Za-Rai narrowly avoided the rapidly flying attack.

Bang!

The lightning struck the ground, sending dozens of electric tendrils spreading outward. A wide patch of grass turned to ash in an instant. The attack didn't stop there.

"Freeze."

Compressed air from the wizard's staff burst forth again, this time infused with a deep blue chill. Once again, the necromancer barely avoided it. The ground struck by the magic instantly froze, cracking into several pieces. Though she hadn't been hit directly, the necromancer didn't seem to have much leeway. The observing guards exuded confidence in the wizard's impending victory.

Clop. Clop.

Another wizard rode forward, offering support.

"Need help? Let me assist you."

Damn it.

It was two wizards now. It would be difficult to handle their combined assault.

Clatter!

I sprang to my feet.

"I won't be much help."

But running away wasn't an option either. Now I understood the feeling Rubia must have had when she picked up a rock to approach despite knowing it wouldn't help. One must take action even when they knew they were futile and meaningless.

Clatter! Clatter!

I ran toward Gith-Za-Rai. The distance wasn't far. I reached her quickly. All eyes turned toward me as I approached. The necromancer looked back at me, smiling as she squinted.

"I'm touched. You didn't run and actually came back?"

"How dare you avert your gaze...!"

The white-bearded wizard, still attacking, growled in annoyance.

Crack!

Icy cold spread across the ground where Gith-Za-Rai had been standing. The frost extended outward, encircling her as if to trap her. Having failed with direct attacks, the wizard froze the entire area, leaving no room to dodge.

The knights murmured in frustration. Freezing the ground would hinder the emperor's carriage from proceeding. Of course, the wizard from Azure cared nothing for such trivial matters. Yellow lightning began to gather on the long-bearded wizard's staff.

Simultaneously, electricity surged across the frozen ground.

Zzzzzzzzt!

"I, Erepor of Azure, shall make this your grave."

Gith-Za-Rai whistled.

Fwee!

Through her half-bone, half-flesh red lips, she let out a signal. Instinctively, I looked around, far and wide. But there was nothing—only countless hostile eyes facing us. Gith-Za-Rai confirmed her position. She was now four steps away from the tiny marker only she could see.

Gith-Za-Rai scoffed, "

Oh

, please. Talking about graves in front of a necromancer?"

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Gith-Za-Rai took steps and then slid her foot.

She raised her pure white skeletal hand and pointed forward. Weaponless and energyless, she merely outstretched a bony index finger.

Pointing two steps ahead of her, she said, "Collapse."

***

Rumble!

The ground began to cave in as if it were a dream. It wasn't a crack forming. It was as if the ground had been hollow all along, held up by something forceful beneath. The meticulously paved road, tightly fitted with smooth stones, collapsed below as if it had been an illusion. And it all happened just a few steps in front of the necromancer.

Over a hundred people fell all at once, unable to even let out proper screams. The gaping hole looked as though a meteor had struck. It was so absurd that no one could speak. I had never seen or heard of magic like this before. There was no incantation or detectable energy.

Gith-Za-Rai had merely commanded, "Collapse."

Standing beside her, I asked, "What... what is this?"

"I told you I had it prepared. Don't you remember?"

"How is this even—?"

"I dig underneath. My Skeletons hold up the weight. When needed, I make it collapse. That's it."

"That doesn't even make sense..."

"Embermere is a city of engineering. You wouldn't believe how many civil engineers are among my skeletons. Do you want to know something about this being weak ground? Ask them for the details."

The sight was too incredible to accept and beyond my comprehension. I stood dumbfounded, unable to find words. However, the truly astonishing part was the sight inside the pit.