Chapter 265: The Empire's Holy Sword
However, Leggett added with a hint of mockery, "It's a pity that Kurtz didn't leave behind any statues, otherwise I would have torn them all down, so that this progenitor of human magic could also taste the bitterness of being trampled on by later generations-"
"Your Majesty!" Friedrich suddenly spoke, his voice still steady, but with an unprecedented icy force, instantly interrupting Leggett's speech. "Watch your words."
Leggett was taken aback and looked at his teacher with some surprise. The teacher rarely spoke to him in this tone.
Friedrich slowly raised his head, his dark eyes beneath the hood staring directly at him.
He spoke word by word. "Tearing down the statue of King Norn might only provoke the anger of the Eldian people, which is still within the acceptable range of the costs of conquest. But if you publicly show disrespect for the god-slayer Kurtz, or even attempt to desecrate him—"
His voice was deliberately lowered, yet it sounded even heavier. "That's almost equivalent to standing on the opposite side of all human magicians in the world. At that time, we may face not only the resistance of the Kingdom of El, but also unimaginable hostility and obstacles from the entire human community of magic users."
Friedrich paused, letting his words settle. "Even the elves might be involved; Your Majesty, please reconsider. Kurtz the Godslayer also had a good relationship with the elves, after all. One of his close companions, Serie, was an elf."
He leaned forward slightly, his aged face emerging further from the shadow. "Moreover, given the long lifespans of elves, not all the elves who witnessed the god-slayer Kurtz back then have died out yet. If His Majesty were actually to commit such a blasphemous act, you would truly become the enemy of the entire continent, and even I myself would be unable to protect you."
Moreover, Friedrich subconsciously did not want to do anything blasphemous to that god-slayer.
Leggett was taken aback by the rare seriousness and warning in Friedrich's eyes. He fell silent for a few seconds, his arrogance slightly subsiding.
Then he forced a somewhat stiff smile. "Teacher, you are too kind. I was just joking. Please rest assured."
He shifted his posture on the throne, seeming to settle back into composure. "I naturally understand that Kurtz holds a near-divine position in the hearts of magicians, and I would not do anything foolish that would incur the wrath of the masses. I was joking about what I just said."
Leggett tapped his fingers deliberately on the armrest of the throne, bringing the focus back to the current predicament. "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Teacher, the problem now is with that Serie. As long as she's in the Land of El, Fidel will have a steady stream of high-quality mages. Are we just going to watch the gap narrow?"
"Let's coexist peacefully, Leggett." Friedrich's voice carried the weight of experience. "You know that the Kingdom of El's transcendent status will not affect your plan to unify the continent."
"Peaceful coexistence…" Leggett said these words with apparent resentment. He turned away slightly, his jaw tightening.
Friedrich paused for a moment, seemingly weighing his options. He remained still, overseeing his student.
However, Leggett suddenly chuckled, as if the gloom from before had vanished entirely. His face once again showed that confident and ruthless air of having everything under control. He turned back to face his teacher directly.
"However, teacher, actually, regarding how to solve the problem of Serie," Leggett leaned forward slightly, his voice lower and carrying a dangerous undertone, "I already have a solution."
Inside the palace hall, as Emperor Leggett's nonchalant words fell, Friedrich could no longer maintain his composure. He raised his head completely, his hood slipping down to reveal his aged face. A deep shock flashed in his dark eyes as he looked at the emperor, his entire posture stiffening with questioning intent.
"Leggett, what exactly is this method you're talking about?" He was so surprised that he even addressed the other person by his given name, dropping all formality.
Leggett was not angry about it. The mage before him was not only his teacher since childhood, but also his staunch supporter and the person he trusted most in this country. A few rude remarks are not worth making him angry.
In recent years, the whereabouts of a large amount of treasures in the imperial treasury, as well as those extremely rare magical ores, have become a mystery, Friedrich thought to himself.
Of course, he had encountered guards carrying items out of the palace several times, but when he asked, he was told that it was the empire's top secret, and only His Majesty the Emperor knew the full picture of the plan. Even he did not know.
Although Friedrich could have used his magic to track the whereabouts of these treasures and ores secretly, he pretended not to know, considering that doing so might displease His Majesty the Emperor.
For some reason, he now vaguely sensed that the method Leggett mentioned was related to this matter.
He paused slightly, his gaze falling on Leggett as if it were a tangible object, as if trying to see through the magnificent imperial robes to discern the true scheme in his heart.
"What exactly are you secretly plotting?"
Meeting his teacher's probing gaze, the emperor showed no displeasure at being questioned. Instead, he revealed an even more smug and mysterious smile. He stood, stepping down from the throne with deliberate grace.
He didn't answer directly, but waved his hand gently, as if to dispel the anxiety in the atmosphere. "Teacher, there's no need to worry. It just so happens that the item was recently completed."
He gestured toward the rear of the palace. "Today, I invite you to accompany me to see the most powerful weapon I have prepared for the Empire."
As he spoke, he took the lead and walked towards a secluded side hall. Friedrich followed in silence, his steps measured, his ominous premonition growing stronger with each corridor they passed.
After passing through several corridors guarded by tight magical barriers and elite guards, they came to a door made of some dark metal. Leggett reached out, his fingertips brimming with magic, and pressed them onto a complex magic circle on the door.
Before long, the door slid open to both sides, revealing a brightly lit, spacious room inside. The chamber was sealed, isolated, a space meant only for secrets.
At the emperor's command, four attendants carefully carried over a long, rectangular metal box. The box was made entirely of an unknown golden metal and inlaid with gorgeous gems.
Judging from its appearance alone, it seemed to be the decoration style that dwarves preferred. The attendants moved with utmost care, as if handling something infinitely precious.
The attendants placed the box gently on a stone platform in the center of the secret chamber, then bowed deeply and stepped aside, awaiting further orders from their emperor.
"Open it," Leggett commanded, his voice tinged with barely suppressed excitement. He stood above the platform, gazing down at the box with possessive pride.
A servant stepped forward and placed his hands on the mechanisms on both sides of the box. With a soft sound, the lid slowly opened with deliberate ceremony.
In an instant-
An indescribably sharp sword light suddenly shot out from the box! The entire secret chamber seemed to be instantly flooded with the sunlight of a thousand stars, making it impossible to open one's eyes. Fortunately, the light was only momentary and quickly faded away.
At the same time, a powerful energy surge swept out like a tsunami, making even a powerful mage like Friedrich feel breathless. He instinctively took a half step back, his internal magic power automatically circulating to form a defensive stance.
After the light had subsided entirely, the true appearance of the box's contents was revealed.
It was a long sword.
The sword was long and slender, with a white-gold luster that seemed to flow with starlight. Its design was simple yet carried a strange, compelling feel. An unknown gem that emitted blazing light was inlaid at the end of the hilt, and the guard was wrapped with dragon-scale-like leather. The whole sword looked incredibly gorgeous.
It lay quietly in the box, constantly radiating its awe-inspiring majesty and powerful strength. Friedrich felt the weight of its presence pressing against him...ancient, formidable, and wholly unlike anything forged by mortal hands in this age.
His face had gone ashen.
[End of Chapter]
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