CHAPTER 726: 568 THE CONQUERED CITY LORD’S MANSION

Sinyale, the City Lord’s mansion.

This is a building complex located in the center of the city.

Describing it as a mansion is something of an understatement; in truth, it should be referred to as a cluster of mansions.

Just like Loki Familia’s base, Twilight Manor, in Maze City Orario—where towers were raised on a limited stretch of land to form their headquarters—the City Lord’s mansion was an assembly of many mansions sprawling across an expansive piece of land, resulting in the establishment of the City Lord’s mansion.

Beyond serving as the City Lord’s residence, the complex also housed the headquarters of several administrative agencies.

The headquarters of the knight division, inclusive of the Oasis Knights and other ordinary knights, was located here.

The employed magicians and the magic department specializing in the research and development of various magical tools were situated here.

Here lay the intelligence department, whose eyes spread throughout the city and who could employ various investigative magics.

And then there were the finance department, managing the economy, the estate department overseeing land and agriculture, the personnel department handling population and welfare, among other official institutions—all convened at the mansion, making it Sinyale’s true center of administration, the single most important place in the entire city.

As one would expect, a place of such significance was naturally heavily guarded.

The knights stationed within the City Lord’s Mansion were either posted at various positions or patrolled different areas, maintaining an outwardly relaxed but internally strict state of alert, with a level of vigilance that, even when compared with the Meipros family in Besare, was by no means inferior.

Such an important urban stronghold had never before been breached by invaders.

No, to be precise, no one had ever openly attacked or infiltrated this place.

If it were merely a matter of assassins or killers sneaking in, that had occurred several times before, and the targets were often the members of various departments within the City Lord’s Mansion, not the City Lord themself.

To assassinate a Sword Saint in Sinyale was, indeed, an undertaking that had never been achieved by anyone.

Yet, today, not only had invaders appeared, but they had brazenly attacked the City Lord.

"Boom!!!"

When a huge explosion at the main gate of the City Lord’s mansion occurred, the surging flames transformed into a rolling wave of heat, blowing the gates wide open, a voice echoed across the skies above the entire City Lord’s mansion.

"Where is the City Lord of Sinyale? Come out!"

It was a voice both calm and plain.

Although calm and plain, and seemingly not at all loud, when this voice sounded, everyone in the entirety of the City Lord’s Mansion heard it, and it was deafening.

The owner of the voice had evidently used magic to amplify their voice successfully throughout the entire City Lord’s Mansion, causing so much vibration that it pained the eardrums of countless people.

In that moment, whether still on duty or having already laid down to rest, everyone was jolted awake by the thunderous voice, their faces filled with disbelief.

There was no helping it.

"An invader?"

"An invader coming for the City Lord?"

"...It must be a joke, right?"

Some disbelieved, others exchanged looks of confusion, but as they came to their senses, they also united in their anger.

Had someone dared to approach them in this manner?

Unforgivable!

...

Meanwhile, in the most secluded mansion within the City Lord’s complex, a man lying in bed suddenly opened his eyes.

The man had a fierce countenance, and although his body was neither robust nor frail—of average build—and appeared to be around 50 years old with plenty of wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, his short hair was not yet white. Though he could not be considered in the prime of youth, nor yet old, and though discussion of youth was no longer relevant, one could still say he was full of vigor.

This vigorous, ferocious-looking man was none other than Sgranot Bayard, the City Lord of Sinyale.

When the ear-splitting voice echoed throughout the City Lord’s Mansion and reached his ears, Sgranot slowly got out of bed, his gaze turning toward the mansion’s main gates.

Although he hadn’t felt any presence or powerful aura, years of battle instincts and experience told him that the troublemaker had appeared in that direction.

"Courageous indeed," Sgranot Bayard muttered slowly.

"So many years have passed, and this is the first time someone has dared to directly attack my City Lord’s Mansion through the front gate."

Based merely on this act, Sgranot had made a decision.

No matter who the opponent was, he would provide them with an honorable death.

Thus, Sgranot stood up, walked to a corner of the room, and opened a cabinet.

Inside, a weapon that shimmered with an unusual luster lay quietly.

...

"Boom!!!"

At the entrance of the City Lord’s Mansion, a second violent explosion occurred.

However, this explosion was not caused by the invading voice from before but instead by the people of the City Lord’s Mansion.

Visible in front of the ruined gates, numerous knights and magicians clad in long robes arrived in response to the sound, initiating their attack on the assailant.

The first to act were the magicians, each dressed in a long robe of a magician.

They were protected by a host of knights, chanting spells and releasing magic.

As they were all casting attack magic, the spells aimed at the gates were primarily transformation magic, summoning roaring flames, thunder and lightning strikes, along with whipping cold winds and violent storms; an immense and widespread display that was truly awe-inspiring.

Among the four major systems of magic, transformation magic is widely recognized for having the most attack spells and the largest number of suitable practitioners.

Now, the magicians who had come here to repel the invaders were mostly of the type with exceptional combat ability; thus, it was natural that most of these magicians were users of transformation magic. Their every move caused tremors at the gate’s location, and explosions occurred frequently.

Regrettably, this mighty concentrated barrage failed to halt the steps of the attackers.

The assailant walked out of the flames as if nothing had happened, bathed in thunder, storms, and frost, with his cloak fluttering, yet unharmed.

Upon a closer look, one could see a faint light cloaking the assailant’s body.

That was, without a doubt, defense magic.

"Such strong defense magic!

"It could actually block an attack of that magnitude?

"Quick! Find a way to break his defense magic!"

The magicians from the city lord’s mansion changed their expressions, retreating while shouting.

In response, some magicians began chanting anew, preparing to release different magic.

They were users of interference magic, proficient in such spells.

In the interference magic system, there are various spells specifically designed to counteract other systems and types of magic.

These magicians were ready to use these spells to interfere with the attacker’s defense magic and dispel it.

But as they completed their chants and released their magic, the assailant also activated other spells.

"Holy Rite·Reflector."

As the invader chanted, spectacular Magic Power surged from him, instantly summoning multiple magic mirrors.

The magic mirrors revolved around the assailant like pleasing shields, protecting him behind their reflective surfaces.

"Hum!"

The magic launched by the city lord’s mansion’s magicians couldn’t take effect on the assailant; it was absorbed by the revolving magic mirrors.

Then, the absorbed magic was reflected back, landing on those who had cast it, affecting many with interference magic. Their spells, mid-chant, suddenly dispersed, causing chaos in their Magic Power and making the magicians cry out in alarm.

Holy Rite·Reflector could absorb another’s magic and reflect it back, an Ultimate Counterattack Technique to absorb and reflect all magic for its user.

With its appearance, essentially all the magicians in the city lord’s mansion became useless, unless someone among them had far superior magic mastery or Magic Power compared to that of the spell’s user; otherwise, none of their magic could threaten the comer, and it would instead harm the casters.

"Hum!"

The surfaces of the magic mirrors rippled like water, absorbing all incoming attack spells and reflecting them back.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" ...

Now, grand explosions began to occur among the city lord’s mansion’s own people, blasting countless magicians and even the knights protecting them into the air.

For a while, the entire city lord’s mansion seemed to turn into a purgatory, with constant screams and groans, and explosions continued, making the ground pocked and scorching it black.

And the instigator of it all still walked through this purgatory unhindered, strolling across the battlefield wreathed in gunfire, calm and composed.

"Bastard!"

A fully armored Oasis Knight, adorned with both the True Knight Medal and Green Forest Medal, roared furiously.

"Tell the magic department to stop! No more using magic!"

"Knights of the knight department, cover me! Block him!"

"All Oasis Knights... charge with me!"

Under this rage-filled command, all knights let out a collective roar and charged towards the slowly approaching invader.

Especially the Oasis Knights, each wrapped in surging Magic Power, their presence formidable, like gusts of wind, turning into arrows shot from the bow, they launched themselves at the invader.

In response, the visitor didn’t even stop his steps.

"Holy Rite·Aurora."

While all magicians were incapable of using magic, he nonchalantly activated his spell, causing rays of aurora to form behind him.

The next second, the auroras became meteors, like a meteor shower or like countless beams of light fired simultaneously, shooting towards the charging knights.

"Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom—!"

Once again, a series of relentless explosions hit, blasting the ground, dust, and charging knights into the air, one after the other, screaming as they fell.

The youth surrounded by the revolving magic mirrors continued to walk forward like this, continually activating magic, creating auroras, and launching all-around bombardment, causing the entire city lord’s mansion to shake incessantly.

"Stop!"

Finally, an angry shout emerged.