The Sword and The Shadow

There were two people talking, one dressed in an elegant, golden robe. He was tall and had short, blonde hair and even looked a little handsome. However, the proud look on his face garnered instinctive hate from others. He wasn't only a genius magus who entered the high order at the young age of twenty plus, he was also the first prince of the Hocke empire, Geoffrey.

The other was a middle-aged man with a superficial, bright look in his eyes. The gaze he looked at Geoffrey with made it seem like he couldn't wait to lick his shoes. He was Yumir, a former court magus. He had tried to introduce Annelotte to Geoffrey as his magus assistant during the banquet after the tournament long ago. Even though she had refused the offer, Geoffrey appreciated Yumir's ability to read between the lines and took him into his inner circle.

The two of them felt like they found each other, master and servant, and had been up to quite a number of low-level antics over the years. As Leguna would put it himself, those two spread their bad reputation together wherever they went.

And now, they came together to the battlefield as well. Perhaps due to their high status and identity as magi, Geoffrey didn't feel the need to bring other servants along. But while they numbered only two, they were undoubtedly the strongest faction there in terms of power and status.

While Geoffrey's progress might seem lackluster in comparison to Annelotte's or Saron's, he was still a 16th-stratum magus. Even a child knew that a fighter couldn't rival a magus at the same stratum.

Not to mention, there was still Yumir to deal with. It was as if he had cast his magic studies away in favor of the art of ass-kissing, but Yumir was still a mid-order magus who had a decent chance in the tournament. Back then, he was not much weaker than Kurdak, but he had since stayed at the mid-order without breaking through.

The appearance of the two made Kurdak and Agnas's expressions darken.

"Good to see you, Mister Kurdak," Geoffrey said with a sadistic look, but a polite tone. It was something the court etiquette teachers had taught him. No matter who he faced, proper nobles would always make sure to speak elegantly and politely.

Kurdak glared at Geoffrey for a good moment before he spoke. "Is Your Highness here to capture me?"

"You can say so."

"Who the f*ck are you? You wanna capture him? Have you asked the sword in my hand?" It just occurred to Londo that those two weren't allies.

"Which village is this bumpkin from? You're facing the first imperial prince, His Highness Geoffrey! Show some respect!" Yumir barked like a dog trying to defend his master.

The moment he spoke, Geoffrey's fake smile stiffened. But he soon regulated his feelings. He waited for his loyal dog to announce his identity first before saying, "Yumir…"

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"What is the crime for a commoner insulting a noble?"

"According to imperial regulations, the noble can deal with the commoner as he pleases, ranging from releasing him or killing him."

"Then help me kill him! I don't like bumbling idiots like him barking in front of me. We really need to raise the standard of imperial citizens," Geoffrey said.

"Understood, Sir!" Yumir nodded and took his staff out.

"A mid-order magus dares act so arrogantly before me?" Londo wasn't the kind to yield before the battle even started. He took two steps forward.

"Londo! Come back!" Kurdak knew that this was different from the battle with Agnas. If they really started fighting, Londo was almost certain to be in mortal danger.

But Londo misunderstood, thinking that Kurdak was trying to get him to not take the lives of those two skinny monkeys. "Don't worry, Leader! Londo knows what to do!"

He then no longer hesitated and charged at Yumir.

Yumir saw a wild stampeding bull charging at him and felt his legs soften. But he knew that he couldn't afford to fail at a time like this, so he grit his teeth and sent out a magic missile to interrupt Londo's charge.

However, it seemed he had underestimated Londo's physical capabilities. He had wanted to use the magic missile to force Londo to avoid, but the huge man ignored the light blue ball and continued his charge. The ball was dissipated by the surge of impetus the moment it contacted his skin.

So, even though the magic missile slowed him down by a bit, it didn't do much to stop him. Right before Londo reached his front, the mid-order magus managed to use a stoneskin spell. But thanks to Kurdak calling out to him, Londo had never been going for the kill from the start. He dropped his two-handed sword and raised his leg that was almost as thick as Innilis's waist to stomp into Yumir's chest.

The magical glow of stoneskin on his skin dampened considerably. The high-order Londo seemed not to be underestimated.

He pressed his charge and stretched his left hand out to grab Yumir on the leg from mid-air and flung him away.

Yumir, with stoneskin's protection, smashed through a three and haggardly rolled on the ground. When he looked back up, Londo's sword was already put to his neck.

"You dare act so arrogantly before me with your abilities?" Londo said with contempt.

That was all within Kurdak's predictions. Londo was a high-order warrior with tons of battle experience whereas Yumir was a mid-order magus who made it to top eight in the tournament but hadn't seen real battle by Geoffrey's side. How could he match Londo in a death battle?

"Your Highness…" Yumir didn't think he'd be defeated that quickly. He begged for help when he felt the cold steel of the blade against his neck.

"Useless trash!" Geoffrey didn't care about Yumir's survival at all and decided to join in the fight.

"Haha! The stupid prince wants to fight me? You think I'm afraid of you?" Londo kicked Yumir unconscious and walked towards Geoffrey with his sword.

"That's enough! Come back!" Kurdak hurriedly grabbed Londo.

"What? Leader, will they let you go now?" Londo asked.

"No," Kurdak said with much frustration.

"Then it won't do! I came here to help you, Leader! So you must get away! Will that prince or something let you go if I defeat him?"

"Shut up!" Kurdak scolded. Londo's constant provocation of Geoffrey would only cause him to be killed.

However, he didn't listen to his orders this time. He pushed Kurdak away and whispered, "Leader, run. I will hold him back."

Kurdak was stunned when he heard that. He had only just understood that Londo knew he wasn't Geoffrey's match from the start and was only playing the fool to enrage the prince. His aim was to get Geoffrey's attention on him so that Kurdak would have a chance of escape.

"You…"

Before Kurdak could say anything else, Londo began his ramblings again. "Hahahaha! Prince Little! Come, Londo will fight you! Your subordinates are weak, so you must be too! Hahaha!"

Geoffrey's smile grew colder and colder. He turned to Agnas and said, "Watch Kurdak, or you'll have to consider how you should protect your family next."

Agnas's face paled. He had no choice but to obey.

"Leader! Run!" Londo called out again before charging in with his sword.

"Don't think I'm the same as that piece of trash!" Geoffrey cried as a sudden glow of magic enveloped him.

If Annelotte had been there to see it, she'd have looked at him with contempt. The only difference between him and Yumir was his fully enchanted equipment. The first prince was truly shameless!

Thanks to his awesome gear, he instantly gained enough defensive capabilities to fight a high-order warrior. He dictated a spell and sent a fireball Londo's way before he arrived.

The fireball was filled with power that even someone of Londo's constitution couldn't take head-on. He hurriedly ducked and was shocked to see an emerald beam of light come for him.

It was the disintegration spell!