1100 Pursuit and Traps Part 2 (1/2)

Sul was armed with a slender sword that was covered with magic patterns, which was a new weapon that Saleen crafted for him. Sul used a crystal to polish the edge. Most magic weapons were incapable of being polished, yet Sul had his own ways of maintaining his weapon.

However, in the sub-mainland plane, crystals capable of polishing magic equipment were simply too expensive, and his family was unable to afford to let him splurge like that.

The mystical energies in the crystal were squeezed out by golden sword aura, seeping into the edge of the blade. No sound was made when the crystal scraped against the edge.

Don held the God-hunting Spear in his hand. Seeing Sul eyeing him, he asked, ”are you feeling frustrated, thinking that you're a follower and yet a weapon like this is given to me?”

Sul chuckled. ”I'm not a beggar. My liege wouldn't just give me any junk he found, unless he deemed it a weapon fit for me. I learned how to use a sword, but what did you learn to use? Your tongue?”

Sul's words were sharp. He did not envy Don for possessing the spear. While his sword was inferior to the spear in terms of materials used, all of the sword's attributes were very fitting for the sword techniques and sword aura he employed.

If he were to be jealous of anything, it was the fact that Jola had Tears. Jola crafted using rules it he came to comprehend. While Sul's slender sword was sharp, it was devoid of any rules he had come to comprehend.

”I'm not a beggar either. I'm just thinking of killing a few more before I end up dead.” Don's voice was coarse, like broken metal.

”That will do fine. After you're dead, your soul will still be of good use to our lord. Maybe that will be the only time we will get to fight alongside each other.”

Don frowned. ”What have I done to irk you?”

Sul's crystal scraped against the edge and this time, a light ting was heard.

”All those around our lord worked as a team, having each other's backs. You took Isabella away and you never apologized for it.”

”Why should I apologize? It is all just a trade between me and His Highness Saleen. It's just that this trade will be a long one, lasting for a thousand years. Sul, you're golden grand swordmaster, but I am a level nine knight. If you're going to talk to me like that, I'd say let's just duke it out.”

Sul sheathed the sword slowly into the scabbard at his hip and smirked. ”Duke it out? I'm telling you the people around His Highness work as a team. If you're really going to fight me, regardless if you end up winning or losing, you'll have to fight all the others one by one, and you can't even defend against one strike from Sika. And now, you have the guts to challenge me. I wonder if I should consider you brave or stupid.”

A tinge of anger welled up inside Don. That strike from Sika left me a huge impression on him. Sul was poking where it hurt, wounding his pride. Sika's age was apparently very young.

It was an incredible insult for someone like him, who was more than a hundred years old, to be defeated by a warrior like Sika.

”There is no need for you to get angry. You're lucky to tag along with him. You really think that death would be the end? I heard that the souls of all those who betray the Lord of Glory are to be thrown into purgatory after death. And I'm telling you this: betray him, and you won't even get to enter purgatory.”

Don faced the young grand swordmaster and said slowly, ”do you really think I'm no match for Sika? If I hadn't been locked up in that place for so long, I wouldn't...”

”Sika wasn't out to kill you. If she had wanted you dead, you wouldn't have lasted three seconds,” Sul finished and stopped paying Don any heed. He lay down and observed the snuffed out fire, gazing at the glimmering red light on the pile of ashes.

They were bits of fire element. If the enemy were to pass that point, not only would they need to kill both him and Don, but they would also have to face the magic trap.

Don pondered Sul's words. The group around Saleen worked as a team covering each other's backs, while he was just an outsider.

He had nothing against apologizing to Isabella as he had no hatred for the little mage. Or rather, he actually took a liking to her. Isabella's eyes resembled his daughter's, very much so.

But would there be any meaning to doing all that? I can apologize and Isabella still won't feel any better. Would I need to be a part of that team? Ridiculous.

What he wanted was to see the monster that was the Holy See crumble and fall. He would kill any that was left of them.

Warmth, comradeship. He had no need for any of them.

His brothers were long dead, all of them perished while clearing out infidels for the Holy See. If he were to have such emotions again, he would be even more tethered to the world they were in.

Don held the spear in his hands and veins were bulging, but his breathing gradually eased.

Sul's words were unable to incite him, all but the part where Sika was brought up. He seemed to still have a bit of pride left as a powerful one.

At the end of the long, winding river valley, beneath the slopes more than a dozen miles away, a group of gold-armored warriors struggled at pulling their horses, taking a detour through the woods. The great head inquisitor was still on his horse, while the 12 adjudicators followed behind.

They arrived at the end of the river valley.

Level four warhorses were capable of scaling mountains but were unable to do it with the ease demonstrated by the Nightmares. The adjudicators dismounted and looked for signs of their prey in the valley.

Saleen did not cover his tracks there and had instead let the Nightmares step on the ground deliberately, leaving burn marks.

”Sir! They were spirit creatures!” The voice of the adjudicator was a little too loud, and the great head inquisitor frowned.