The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness - Chapter 205
130. Sword of the King
Those colossal beasts, each towering far above the city wall, were covered in rigid scales that glimmered with a cold, harsh light under the eerie blue moonlight, making it difficult for ordinary magic and weapons to penetrate.
The atmosphere on the city wall grew tense once more; compared to the earlier expendable cannon fodder, the giants that had now emerged were the real main force!
“However, I’m not really a main force here.”
Professor Plang said softly.
As his words fell, another laugh echoed.
“Truly worthy of being a top disciple of Mentor Meladomir, this joint magical matrix can be unleashed in such a short time with such power, I am truly impressed.”
An elderly man dressed in an ancient wizard’s robe appeared beside him, his broad wizard’s hat concealing a face full of sincere admiration.
The Tower of Origin.
Dodgy Slore.
Professor Plang nodded to him and then said, “I’m not a disciple of Meladomir; I was just guided by her when I was young. I’m far from being a top disciple.”
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“Is that so?”
Dodgy responded, but there was little disappointment in his tone. Instead, his gaze became even more fervent.
“Just having received guidance, yet achieving such accomplishments, it truly makes me curious. If it were a true disciple of Mentor Meladomir, how outstanding they must be! I would love to have an intimate discussion with them, exploring the ultimate path of magic together.”
“…”
Upon hearing this, Professor Plang’s cheeks twitched violently.
The ‘top disciple’ you speak of can only currently use a single illumination spell!
“However, now is not the time for long discussions. In the future, when I have the chance, I will definitely seek advice at St. Maria Academy.”
After leaving this statement, Dodgy suddenly soared into the air, reaching a higher altitude.
He took in the entire cruel and bloody battlefield beneath him.
“What a fitting… hunting ground.”
He murmured softly, waving his large sleeves, countless massive arrays materializing from thin air. Before the formations could activate, a breath entirely different from this place began to spread out.
He suddenly slapped his palm against his chest, a mouthful of essence blood gushing out, then automatically dividing and merging into those magical arrays.
Dodgy’s aura weakened, but his eyes grew increasingly excited.
“Children, come out.”
Dodgy spread his arms wide and shouted fervently.
“—It’s time to feast!”
Roar—
A deafening roar erupted.
Equally ferocious and gigantic monsters emerged from the space connected to the magical arrays, shaking the ground and mountains.
Flying dragons.
Mountain trolls.
Giants.
Flame Beast.
As one of the top summoners in this world, Dodge Slor’s summoned creatures from the Abyss are certainly not ordinary; each one, placed on the continent, could dominate a territory!
Thus, the slaughter among the monsters began!
……
……
“Looks like we still have the advantage?”
In the throne hall, many people remained unmoved.
The Archbishop of Canterbury watched the battle between the monsters with great interest, smiling as he spoke.
The combat between the monsters held no aesthetic appeal; for these massive creatures, ordinary magic had long since lost its effect. Therefore, the most useful tools were their claws and teeth against one another.
However, this was not a battle fought solely by Dodge; under the powerful fire support, the monsters he summoned quickly gained the upper hand, pushing the front lines back considerably.
“But…”
As he spoke, it was the Archbishop of Canterbury whose expression first turned serious.
He gazed into the depths of the black ocean.
A massive shadow swiftly rose to the surface.
That gigantic body made the entire ocean seem even deeper.
Outside of Belrand, there was no sea.
Thus, when the Silent Moon constructed this shadow city, there was no need to exert extra power to create a sea that did not exist.
There must be a reason for this action.
And at this moment, the reason revealed itself.
A long, high-pitched sound surged from the ocean, echoing through the sky.
That was…
The song of the whale!
A song powerful enough to shake the soul, the whale song!
The disaster-level monster, the Sea Demon Leviathan, which had long been hidden beneath the sea, finally launched her first attack.
No, this could hardly be called an attack.
This was merely the pressure she naturally exuded!
Canterbury frowned slightly, shaking his head to dispel the influence that tugged at his soul. But when he focused back on the battlefield, he found the situation had changed in an instant.
Under the terrifying pressure from the disaster-level monster, half of the creatures summoned by Dodge suddenly turned against him!
How could Teacher Mela say he was embarrassing? Releasing too many monsters at once, he had overlooked the fact that such a vast number would weaken the connection between the summons and himself!
The situation underwent a complete reversal; under the unexpected betrayal of those monsters, the first line of defense, the iron barrier, was actually torn open with several gaps.
The tide of enemies surged in, charging towards the second line of defense formed by the elite of the Royal Knights, adventurers, elite mercenaries, and those nobles.
If it weren’t for Professor Plank and several powerful guardians of the city wall acting together to shield the majority, there would likely have been catastrophic casualties by now.
“Alas.”
More than one light sigh emanated from the round table.
Several figures rose into the air, radiant crowns ascending, joining forces to confront the terrifying monster of the sea, dubbed the “Calamity.”
An unprecedented fierce battle commenced, dazzling light illuminating this shadowy city as if it were daylight.
The Archbishop of Canterbury leaned back in his chair, still unmoved.
But he had already made his move; the holy light spread like a gentle breeze, and anyone illuminated by the sacred glow would see their wounds heal significantly, while the fears in their hearts would be gently erased without them noticing.
This move proved immensely effective. Under the cover of the holy light, those pampered nobles in the second line of defense did not scatter and flee; instead, they pulled out rare items that even he would be surprised by, pushing back the enemy’s attacks time and again.
“Your Majesty has quite the skill.” Observing the situation gradually stabilizing, even regaining the upper hand, the Archbishop of Canterbury suddenly remarked.
“Oh?”
King Aldrich III, who hadn’t even blinked when Leviathan appeared, finally opened his eyes. “What do you mean, Archbishop?”
“Uniting various forces to resist the evil god, while dragging those nobles you have long disdained to serve as human walls—after this matter, as long as the evil god’s objectives are not achieved, your might will likely reach unprecedented heights.
Those nobles who do not share your sentiments will be so weakened that they will no longer be your obstacles.”
“Does the Archbishop not wish for this?”
“From the church’s standpoint, it is certainly undesirable to see an empire arise on the continent that we cannot intervene in.
However…”
The Archbishop of Canterbury said with a smile:
“For us, this might not be a bad thing after all.”
“…Heh.”
King Aldrich III did not respond but merely sneered in disdain.
Suddenly, he rose from the throne, hands clasped behind his back, and walked towards the wall that had already been dismantled, for the first time carefully surveying the battlefield at that moment.
“Hathaway.”
“Here.”
“How is the calculation?”
“Something feels off…”
Hathaway, surrounded by a group of subordinates scribbling notes, was already sweating profusely.
“I just have a feeling that the actions of the Silent Moon this time are somewhat unusual.”
“Why?”
“Because no matter how I calculate, I cannot deduce any chance of victory for the Silent Moon!”
Heathervy spoke with some excitement:
“Indeed, if we want to fully evolve the Divine Kingdom, the populous Belrand is the best choice, but—
this is ultimately Belrand.”
As the capital of the Leopold Empire, the most prosperous city on the continent, various factions have their branches or headquarters stationed here; with a casual wave on the street, one could summon a dozen crown bearers.
This place is not so easily breached.
Moreover, even if this shadow city were to be conquered, at St. Maria Academy, there is still that Meladomir holding the fort.
Though she cannot leave the academy, the last attack has already proven that unless the evil god truly sends its physical form here, it would be impossible to deal with her.
Like a nail, as long as she remains, the Silent Moon can never truly transform Belrand into its Divine Kingdom!
“So, this is very likely a feint to conceal its true intentions… a false attack?”
“Exactly, but we cannot rule out the possibility that the Silent Moon has truly gone mad; after all, it is an evil god, and its actions are difficult to predict,” Heathervy adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses and added.
“Is that so?”
King Aldrich III lightly tapped the hilt of his sword, deep in thought, as if he had come to a realization. He suddenly turned to look at the drowsy old man on the stone chair.
“Can I trust you?” King Aldrich III asked.
The old man opened his murky eyes and met Aldrich’s gaze.
After a long pause, he replied:
“Of course, Your Majesty, you can always trust me.”
“Then the lives of millions in Belrand are in your hands,” Aldrich said calmly.
“Your Majesty is being too heavy-handed.”
The old man slightly bowed his head, his eyes downcast, making it hard to discern his expression. “I will only fulfill my duties, nothing more.”
“Then you may go.”
“Yes.”
The old man’s figure gradually faded, and at that moment, everyone realized he was merely an afterimage.
“To deceive the senses, even I did not notice; truly worthy of the Swordbearer,” the Archbishop of Canterbury marveled.
“Archbishop.”
After the old man left, King Aldrich III called softly.
“Your Majesty, what is your instruction?”
“There was one thing you said earlier that was incorrect.”
“Oh?”
“In fact, I have no intention of weakening those nobles; I brought them here simply because they are Leopold, a part of Belrand, and thus must contribute to this country, this city. You are the same.”
King Aldrich III suddenly stepped forward, one foot, stepping into the air.
At this moment, a terrifying sense of oppression suddenly erupted from the man who had been dozing on the throne, his not-so-tall figure radiating an overwhelming presence.
“What?”
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s heart contracted sharply as he looked in terror at Aldrich III.
Above this emperor’s head, the resplendent crown was engraved with the highest decree, far more imposing than the jeweled crown itself.
“How is this possible? The royal curse, how could you possibly break through…”
The Archbishop blurted out in disbelief.
“I don’t care whether those nobles are on my side or not, because in my eyes, they are just a bunch of clowns.”
Aldrich III paid no mind to the Archbishop’s disrespectful words, stepping forward one step at a time.
He casually tore away the cumbersome ceremonial robe that obstructed him, letting it be swept away by the high winds.
He reached for and gripped the sword at his waist.
At this moment, the entire world fell silent, not a sound to be heard.
Only— the sound of the sword!
At this moment, immense might gathered here; when that sword was drawn, even the Archbishop of Canterbury couldn’t help but feel the urge to kneel in reverence.
The Sword of Kings.
The authoritative sacred relic passed down through the generations of the Leopold royal family.
As long as it acknowledged you, even a person without the strength to crush a chicken could unleash power surpassing that of an ordinary crowned one.
And from the moment of its birth, it was now, for the first time, wielded by a true crowned one.
Aldrich swung the sword, slicing down.
The black ocean was instantly split in two.
And he didn’t even glance at the calamity forced to the surface, which required several crowned ones to suppress; his gaze was solely fixed on the deep blue moon, finally revealed as the sea parted.
“O Silent Moon,”
Aldrich murmured, his voice resonating like rolling thunder, deafening.
“As the price for invading my territory, I shall leave your projection here.”