Chapter 761: Duel and Wager
Arthur led the two toward the gardens made available for the knights. The ceremony was supposed to be held on this balcony, surrounded by countless lush bushes mottled with flowers. The two acted as if they were examining the place filled with knights as they walked through the gardens.
“You are a man of many faces,” said Babo as the two entered some gardens, walking through them. “Elnardo will make sure no one is listening, so the two of us can talk.”
“As you wish, commander,” bowed the blonde knight before departing, leaving the two standing while admiring the scenery.
Silence descended between the two. Arthur needed to think of a way to convince this woman to help him against the emperor, but he had used his bargaining card already. It was one thing when she owed him a favor but another when he had to ask her for one.
“How is Little Yin?” asked Arthur before anything else. The woman was silent before she smiled at him and shook her head. “Is it too obvious?”
“There is no need to b.u.t.ter me up, kiddo,” the old woman said while sipping her wine. “Because you are here, I know far too well that the circ.u.mstances are dire. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have risked exposing yourself to me.”
“I mean it,” said Arthur with a sigh. “I wanted to revisit her after I’m done with the capital, but the situation has been hectic.”
“I heard as much,” said Commander Barbora while staring at the pedestal in the center of the balcony. It was lined with gold and emerald, radiating a holy aura accompanied by a sweet fragrance. “Your request is regarding the execution, right?”
“As insightful as ever, Commander,” affirmed Arthur. “The emperor is being too cruel regarding Lyle Mantra for no obvious reason. Does it make sense?”
“It does, on many levels,” answered Babo with a smile. “The emperor doubts his trust in the Mantra Family, who has sworn their loyalty to The First Light. Moreover, the recent events behind Lyle’s ascension raised whether it has been staged.”
“A man doesn’t sacrifice his family for a promotion,” disputed Arthur, but the woman shook her head.
“It doesn’t matter, child. The emperor wants to confirm whether Lyle Mantra can be trusted or not. This test ensures that he puts his money where his mouth is.”
“Then…”
“This execution can have two outcomes: the forger is dead, and Lyle is trusted, or the forger lives and Lyle loses the emperor’s trust. However, whether the forger will be executed anyway is still debatable.”
“Are you saying this is merely a test, without real intention to execute the forger?” asked Arthur. Babo was silent as she watched the servants arrange the seating and the broadcast.
“A few years ago, the emperor and Grandmaster Ravin had a falling out. Although the empire had nothing with it, the runes grandmaster died after a few months from a sickness that ate away his soul.”
“What was the reason for their falling out?”
“The emperor wanted full access behind the arrays to create a different system, which strengthened certain individuals through stealing the excess life force of the citizens. Although it would not harm the public, it would stagger their growth and evolution.”
“Sounds like a true villain,” muttered Arthur as he remembered the real power behind the G.o.d of Destruction. It fits with Barbora’s story but didn’t make sense to the events today.
“That was Grandmaster Ravin’s answer, and the emperor didn’t like it. Thus, he outcasted the grandmaster and stripped him of his wealth until he gave the secret to controlling the arrays. Then, after his death, Grandmaster Ravin sent a message to the emperor that his son was the only one who knew how to control the array.”
“And that’s what made him capable of forging the medals,” frowned Arthur. “However, why would a parent implicate his son in such a manner?”
“The only reason the emperor kept them alive was their knowledge about this secret, which he tried to convince them to give. The Ravin Family can disable the arrays, and chaos would ensue, so he never dared to harm them.”
“Are you saying that the emperor is bluffing?”
“It is either that or that he found another way for that purpose,” said Barbora with a sigh. “I cannot help here, outlander. Although I have no interest in serving the current emperor, I still have my knights to take care of them.”
“I need no more than a chance to stop this,” said Arthur with a frown. “Is there anything we can do to save the forger while proceeding with the execution?”
Commander Barbora was silent, an unknown light lurking within her eyes. Then, she turned toward Arthur with a smile. “Answer a question of mine first, and I will tell you how to do that. Are you Arthur Silvera?”
Arthur was silent in response and stared at the woman, judging whether she could be trusted with his ident.i.ty. After all, he saw her sitting among the other City Commanders of Ilios. Finally, however, he had no choice but to nod.
“I figured as much, ever since I heard the stories that Little Yin couldn’t shut up about,” said Babo with a sigh. “This day has finally come, and I’m ready to fulfill my promise.”
“A promise?”
“I promised the previous emperor that I would serve this land when the time comes,” smiled Barbora. “The plan is simple: kill the forger.”
“What?” frowned Arthur, thinking she was messing with him after he answered her question.
“The emperor is h.e.l.lbent on the forger because of the value he presents. As long as Grayson Ravin dies, then no one can chase after him, and Lyle Mantra becomes a Knights Commander of the Copper District.”
“As I said, we want that without the forger dying,” interrupted Arthur, but the woman had a cunning smile. “…you have a method to fake that, don’t you?”
“I am the longest-acting commander of Ilios, and I can back it up,” said Barbora as she raised her hand. A light twinkled above it, and Arthur was surprised to see her use mana. “This balcony is where the emperor holds his broadcasts, so we can use mana here.”
“This is…” muttered Arthur as he stared at the blue lights hovering over her hands. “Spiritual energy!”
“As befitting of the most wanted man, you carry quite the knowledge,” said Barbora before she closed her hand. “I can transfer souls between bodies. We can pull this off as long as you have a good corpse.”
***
Arthur returned to the grand hall to find Lyle and the princess still bickering. Although it looked like a fight, the only engaging side was the princess, shoving her finger in the man’s face.
“As I said, fight me now! Let me see how much you have grown!” she demanded, but Lyle was staring down as if to avoid disrespecting her. However, when Arthur approached the two, Lyle turned toward him.
“Mission accomplished!” said Arthur as he gave a thumbs up, and the princess looked at him with confusion. “I meant the restroom,” he followed after, and the woman burst out laughing.
“What kind of missions are you a.s.signing to your men?” said the laughing princess before standing. “Forget it. I will take you after the execution. At that time, you cannot run from me.”
Arthur and Lyle watched her leave before the two stared at each other. Then, a string of characters appeared on Arthur’s shield, created from light. Lyle read them as fast as he could before standing up and walking after the princess.
“Your Highness,” called out Lyle to the woman, who turned around with confusion. “How about we have the duel now? I have some matters to attend to after this.”
“What’s up with the sudden change of mind?” asked the princess while folding her arms. “Are you itching for a beating?”
“It is the opposite,” smiled Lyle as he walked toward her. “There is something I want, so this duel will include a wager.”
“There is nothing that I want, though,” she said with dissatisfaction, eyeing him from top to bottom. “You are not the man to collect swords, are you?”
“Sadly, I am not,” said Lyle. “However, there is no need to consider what you gain because I will win. You can take this as a learning opportunity,” he provoked.
“You b.a.s.t.a.r.d are indeed itching for a beating,” she said while cracking her knuckles. “However, if I win, I want the Mantra Sword that your family possesses.”
“My grandfather is the only person who knows where it is,” Lyle hesitantly said before turning toward Arthur. “How about it, Ishmael?”
“I will provide a worthy sword for her highness if she wins,” said Arthur with a bow. “It will be a light sword, befitting her capabilities.”
“That’s more like it,” smiled the princess before walking around. “Let’s go, Lyle! Let us have this duel!”
Arthur watched the two leave, making the first step of their plan a success. His message to Lyle was simple, and the man didn’t hesitate to follow it: duel the princess so we can meet the forger.