Magus ignored the mocking tone coming from Owen. Instead, his instincts sharpened, and he stepped backward with alert precision. His reaction was more than enough to confirm that something was wrong.
Owen, however, responded very differently. His eyes bulged, his expression contorted, and panic swallowed any shred of dignity he might have possessed.
"Help! Guards! Someone's attacking us!" he shrieked, his voice cracking so sharply it echoed painfully across the hall.
The shout grated on everyone's nerves. Geller, who stood near the center of the chamber, frowned with visible irritation. His gaze slid toward Owen with open disappointment, as though he had finally discovered the man's true level of incompetence.
The enemy had already infiltrated the inner hall. The dead silence from the grounds outside made it painfully obvious that the guards stationed there were no longer alive. Anyone with the slightest awareness could deduce the situation instantly.
And yet Owen, heir to the Bellmont family and supposedly trained aristocracy, was screeching like a startled goose.
Only now did realization dawn on him. His voice abruptly cut off, his face drained of color, and cold sweat streamed down his temples. His trembling legs threatened to give way entirely.
Geller dismissed Owen's uselessness and turned to face Magus. He smiled in a manner that was polite on the surface but steeped in condescension.
"Magus Yaniesite," he said slowly, as though savoring the name. "I've heard much about you. They call you the rising wizard of the century—someone full of potential, someone the Marquis himself has acknowledged."
Magus gave him a flat look. He did not bow. He did not respond. His expression remained unreadable.
Geller continued, seemingly pleased with his own words.
"The Marquis appreciates talent. If you are willing to swear loyalty to the Gold Rock Marquisate, you will find that opportunities abound. A mere baroncy is nothing—the Marquis could raise you to the rank of Viscount if you earn enough merit."
Magus raised an eyebrow lazily. "And you are?"
The envoy drew himself up proudly. "Geller Connors. Special envoy of the Gold Rock Marquis, representative of his will."
Magus let out an unimpressed hum. "So, a mouthpiece of the Marquis."
The smile on Geller's lips froze. His face hardened instantly, the temperature of his expression dropping like a stone thrown into icy water.
"Young people," he said, voice cold and clipped, "should not think too highly of themselves. Becoming a wizard does not elevate you above the world. There are countless beings stronger than you."
"And?" Magus asked, tone still indifferent.
Geller's jaw clenched. His composure finally cracked.
"You really can't understand your own circumstances, can you? I originally assumed you had some talent worth nurturing. Clearly, I overestimated you."
He gestured sharply toward the man standing silently beside him.
"Since you refuse the Marquis' kindness, you won't be leaving this place alive. Lord Hodge—he's yours."
The cloaked figure stepped forward without hesitation. With one swift motion, he pulled off his cloak. Beneath it was a man in his early forties, his skin weathered from countless battles, and silver-hued scales shimmering faintly across parts of his arms and neck. The armor beneath the cloak gleamed like polished steel, and the sword at his waist radiated a palpable, fiery aura.
"So you are the wizard," Hodge said calmly, studying Magus with a warrior's curious gaze. "I've long heard rumors about your kind. Today, I finally get to measure one myself. Don't disappoint me."
Before Magus even had time to respond, Hodge moved.
His sword shot out, slicing through the air with such force that the atmosphere itself screamed. A blazing arc of red flame condensed into a blade-shaped wave and shot straight toward Magus like a comet.
Magus' expression sharpened.
Elemental Power, he realized instantly.
He summoned a transparent shield in front of him, an invisible barrier that intercepted the flaming strike with a thunderous crack.
The flame scattered in a storm of sparks.
Hodge showed neither frustration nor surprise. He surged forward, his movements impossibly fast for a normal human. Fire wrapped around his sword, and in the blink of an eye he was upon Magus again.
Magus met the next attack with a flash of lightning from his fingertips, not aiming to wound but to create distance. The bolt forced Hodge to momentarily recoil, giving Magus the opening he needed to retreat. He shifted his weight, propelled himself backward, and dashed out of the hall.
Owen stared blankly. For a long moment he didn't even breathe.
"So… that was Elemental Power?" he muttered. His voice trembled, half in awe, half in disbelief. "Lord Hodge is… a Legendary Knight!"
Geller exhaled slowly, a smug smile returning to his face.
"Exactly. With Lord Hodge here, Magus doesn't stand a chance."
Owen snapped out of his stupor, and exhilaration replaced fear. Moments ago he had believed death was at his doorstep. Now, realizing he had a Legendary Knight on his side, he felt practically invincible.
A Legendary Knight—those were living war machines. A single one could rout entire elite battalions.
Hodge and Magus were already in the courtyard outside, their battle tearing apart the once-peaceful surroundings. Elegant pathways had become debris-strewn wastelands. Stone tiles cracked open, wooden structures shattered, and the air trembled with every collision of magical and physical force.
Hodge's sword burned with uncontrollable fire, every swing sending arcs of flame slicing across the courtyard. Magus was forced on the defensive. He dodged when he could, blocked with his shield when he couldn't, and sent occasional gusts of wind or bolts of lightning to counter.
Their clash created a symphony of flame, thunder, and shrieking wind.
Legendary Knights differed drastically from ordinary Great Knights. Once a knight ascended to the legendary rank, they broke free from the limitations of flesh. They could converse with the energy of nature and draw elemental power directly from the world.
This granted them both immense offensive strength and astonishing endurance.
Magus knew this better than anyone.
He was only a Second-level Wizard Apprentice—barely strong enough to stand between novice and expert by wizarding standards.
Yet Hodge had already begun to merge physical might and elemental force, becoming something akin to a hybrid magic-martial warrior.
Still, Magus' expression remained calm.
He observed Hodge closely. He analyzed the rhythm of his steps, the delay in his elemental output, and the strain hidden in the man's breathing. He was reading his opponent as though he had done this hundreds of times before—which wasn't far from the truth.
Geller shouted from the hall entrance, "Give it up, Magus! Tricks won't save you. Against a Legendary Knight, you're nothing!"
Magus didn't spare him a single glance.
When it came to Legendary Knights, Hodge was not even among the stronger ones. Magus had faced dozens of them in his previous life—many of them beings capable of manipulating space itself. Compared to those monsters, this knight was manageable.
Challenging, but not hopeless.
A faint smile tugged at Magus' lips the moment he sensed turbulence in the air to his left.
Hodge sensed it as well. He suddenly pivoted, swinging his sword toward seemingly empty space.
Steel clashed against something unseen. Sparks erupted in midair.
A low hiss followed.
Hodge immediately unleashed a wave of flames outward. The heat distorted the air, and for a brief second, the outline of a large four-legged creature shimmered into view.
It vanished again, as though it had merely been an illusion, and reappeared beside Magus with a soft growl.
Magus rested a hand on the creature's head. "Nicely done."
Hodge narrowed his eyes. He could not see the beast, but his perception told him exactly where it stood.
"A hidden creature capable of masking its form entirely," he said. "Just as our intelligence claimed."
His tone lowered. "But do not think such tricks will allow you to defeat a Legendary Knight."
At their level, sight was the least important sense. Aura, presence, energy fluctuations—those were far harder to hide. Unless something could suppress its very existence, a Legendary Knight could perceive its position easily enough.
Geller laughed loudly from behind.
"It's useless, Magus! You're outmatched. Lord Hodge is leagues above you!"
Magus lifted his hand slightly. His fingers curled, and a faint glow formed between them.
"People always say that," he murmured.
He rotated his wrist, and several rune-inscribed gems slid into his palm—each one shimmering with condensed power.
Magic stones, crafted for instant spell enhancement.
He sighed. "I suppose it's time to spend money again."
The battle had only just reached its true beginning.
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