Chapter 264: The Legendary Sacred Warrior
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Two carriages sped along the road. Due the differences in the strength of the horse teams, the two carriages were at least twenty feet apart. The four druids were all in the second carriage, and one had taken over driving the carriage himself.
The carriage in the back was, in fact, empty. All the important people were gathered in the first carriage. This was Slanbrea’s idea. The attack did not affect him. If necromancers tried to attack with magic, the second carriage would be their first choice. Both carriages were going at a high speed, and if the first carriage was attacked, the second carriage would arrive fast and support the first. If the second was attacked, the first carriage would be left alone. The druids in the second carriage were meant to be bait. They were willing volunteers, a testament to their fervent belief in their religion and trust in Bruzuryano. It was very easy for them to tell where it was safer and where it was more dangerous.
Luckily, the carriage was large enough to fit half a dozen people without feeling crowded. Slanbrea looked tired, perhaps due to the curse, but he was still smiling. "Bruzuryano," he said quietly, "you are in charge."
"Don’t worry," Bruzuryano promised. "You won’t die before I do."
"Really?" Slanbrea chuckled. "Our friendship moves me."
"Shut it. I don’t want to see William by myself. If you want someone to explain what happened, you’ve got to do it yourself."
Bruzuryano made this decision not only because they were friends. Two religions becoming allies was a decision made after a long time of careful thinking. An alliance between religions was much stronger than an alliance between nations. Religious figures were representatives of gods and the personification of glory and holiness. No one would lash out against another unless the situation permitted no other alternative. It would be a bad influence on the followers of the religion if religious alliances shifted the way alliances between nations do.
Two sides would actively try to maintain a friendly relationship, and anyone who tried to disrupt the peace would be punished by both religions. This was why Bruzuryano was taking this so seriously. He’d rather die than face Pope William and explain why one of his most important cardinals was killed.
Friendships were important, but interests were much more so. Outside of specially charted districts, both religions had the right to built temples and churches and the right to oppress smaller religions. Where there were interests there were conflicts, but most were resolved or buried. Bruzuryano and Slanbrea were both representatives active in their respective religions, and that made their relationship even more complicated. They had their fair share of conflicts. They were not quite friends, but they trusted each other enough that they were not enemies, either.
Anfey sat quietly and observed Bruzuryano and Slanbrea. They were all nervous about the battle, but Anfey tried not let his emotions show.
Bruzuryano glanced at the others in the carriage and must have sensed the tension. He turned to Slanbrea and asked, "Can you still use forbidden spells?"
"If someone can stall for me," Slanbrea said, "I can still use a few."
"Great," Bruzuryano said with a grin. He sat back and let out a sigh of relief. He did not believe that Slanbrea could still use even one forbidden spell, let alone a few. But he knew that Slanbrea did not want to add to the pressure, and he did not expose his lie.
Bruzuryano knew that the people who can survive impossible situations were the people who would never give up. He wanted the young people to become ones who would never give up, and if their lies helped them, so be it.
Niya’s frown disappeared first. She glanced at Slanbrea, her eyes filled with admiration. She was not a mage, but she knew enough about it from her father. She knew very well what it meant for a mage to use a forbidden spell. Black Eleven and Apa smiled as well. The three types of mages were like the child’s game of rock-paper-scissors. Elemental mages tended to be more powerful than light mages, because elemental magic could cause much more damage than light magic. When elemental mages encountered necromancers, however, their hands were tied. Necromancers’ magic tended to be instantaneous and had explosive results. They could also summon other creatures like skeletons, zombies, and death knights to aid them in a fight. This number advantage easily placed necromancers in an advantage over elemental mages. Light mages were necromancers’ natural enemies. Unless there was too great a difference in power, a necromancer would never be able to defeat a light mage. Even a simple healing spell could be deadly to a necromancer.
If Slanbrea could still use magic, they were sure to win.
Suzanna kept calm and played with her sword. As a swordsmaster, the only person she trusted was herself. She was her own master. Swordsmasters did not only practice their skills with the sword, but also their courage.
Suddenly, a hoarse voice boomed in the carriage, "Dear cardinal, how’s the Fang of Curse?" The voice giggled ominously.
Slanbrea frowned and coughed violently. "Annunciata," he replied, "you’ve sunk lower than I expected! Don’t forget who I am. The pope will avenge me." Slanbrea grinned and winked at Niya, Christian, Suzanna, and Anfey, who were all shocked by his words.
"Really?" Annunciata asked, laughing. "Too bad you won’t see that."
Anfey smiled. He already heard doubt in Annunciata’s voice. If Slanbrea was trying to prove that he was alright, she might have already attacked. Instead, he showed his weakness by telling her that someone else would avenge him, and easily made her suspicious.
A loud explosion ripped through the air, and the second carriage was blown apart. The carriage’s splinters flew through the air, and the horses were bloody messes on the ground. None of the horses was dead, however. Instead, they were writhing on the ground. Their eyes slowly turned to light red.
The four druids all transformed instantly and none of them were injured in the explosion. Three druids turned into large bears, and one into a wolf. Their thick armor prevented the explosion from harming them.
"Did a body explode? Where did they get the body?" Christian asked under his breath. Body explosions were powerful but very limited. The body must be fresh in order to trigger the explosion.
"There must be a village nearby," Bruzuryano said quietly. "They must have killed everyone there." He frowned, then jumped out of the carriage and bellowed. The horses took a sharp turn and ran off of the path and began dashing towards a meadow nearby.
Anfey tapped on his leg, then followed Bruzuryano out. Suzanna was about to follow him when he turned and said, "Stay. You need to protect Niya and Slanbrea."
Others might have believed Slanbrea, but Anfey was skeptical. He knew Slanbrea must have enough strength to deal a final blow, and he needed Suzanna to stall as long as possible.
Suzanna frowned. She was used to being at the front of the attack, and Anfey’s instruction shocked her. She looked up at him, but he had already turned away from her.
"Be careful," she whispered after a few moments. Anfey’s strange arrangement made her uncomfortable.
Anfey did not reply. He raised his hand and summoned a dozen wind blades that slowly gathered into a spear. He kept summoning elements and compressing those elements until the spear was a deep blue.
"Impressive," Bruzuryano said. He knew that Anfey was a twin-discipliner, but he was still amazed by his ability to control the elements.
"Thanks," Anfey said. "This is Indigo dragon crescent blade, a weapon that belongs to the legendary sacred warrior, Guang Yu."
Bruzuryano lifted an eyebrow. "Strange name," he said. "I’ve heard of Gold, Black, Red, and Green dragon, but not Indigo."
"It is one of the legendary dragons," Anfey said.
"Did your teacher tell you that?" Bruzuryano asked, smiling. He knew that Anfey once had a very powerful teacher who might have entered the sacred state. It came as no surprise to Bruzuryano that Anfey’s teacher had told him about things normal people did not know about.