If you want to support, you can at: https://www.patreon.com/finlegost

There you can find 18 chapters in advance. Thanks to my patrons and to those who comment on the chapters. It means a lot to me and motivates me to continue this hobby of mine.

And, of course, thanks to everyone who reads this novel.

*************************************

*Omniscient POV*

A few minutes before Emir murdered Leonardo.

"A duel between a swordsman and an archer? Your kingdom's men really don't know their limits," Samael said, shaking his head.

Anyone with three fingers in front would not accept such an unfair duel. But if the Golden Archer did so, it only means that the worries he had earlier were unjustified, and to keep trying to deduce his identity is a waste of time.

"Hahaha"

Samael Entrial: "????"

'-Did little Dorian have a screw loose?'

Contrary to his expectations, Dorian started laughing as if the death of a talented archer wasn't a very big deal.

'- If the Golden Archer dies, then the Saint will demand explanations. And I'll gladly step out of my position to appease her wrath!' Dorian thought cheerfully.

That's where his happiness comes from. As long as they give him a lifetime pension worthy of a former admiral general, then it will all have been worth it!

They both fought again, using all kinds of strategies and skills to damage the other as much as possible, but one thing to emphasize is that... they realized that their strengths are evenly matched. To assassinate the other is practically impossible.

Because of this, they did not use all their magics due to the loss of mana that these entail, and they were also able to realize the constant changes in the war. Of course, there is also the unusual duel between an archer and a swordsman...

In itself, such a duel had an eye-catching title, so they ended up paying attention to it. Without putting aside their battle, from time to time they watched to find out the outcome.

"I gave you the chance, and you turned it down. Now bring your dog head here so I can kill you,''

Hearing this, both magic knights had different reactions.

'- Impossible.'

'-Did he manage to turn the tables in his favor? As I thought, he is not an ordinary one. If he is allowed to grow up, then he will have a great future ahead of him. That archer must die! But the problem is...' Samael looked at Dorian with concern, as he would surely block his way.

'- Ah... There goes my pension... I was so close...' Dorian looked up at the sky without noticing Samael's gaze.

Samael Entrial: "..."

'- Why does little Dorian look more worried than I do?'

Clearly the unusual duel was about to end, so they decided to pause momentarily to see the end.

When Leonardo fell to the ground, Samael couldn't just stand still anymore. He must do something about it! No matter what sacrifice he must make!

"Field of Mana," Said Samael.

The next second, the mana surrounds him, forming a dome. The celestial aura inside it seems to have life as it moves as if carried by the wind. This magic has only one purpose: to lower the requirements when using magic skills!

Concentrating on his sword, he gathered mana at an unimaginable speed. The sword was surrounded by layers and layers of mana. Such an amount was equivalent to 30% of his total mana, and if he used it completely in a single attack, any magic would see its power multiplied by a factor of 3!

"ANTI-SPACE!" Shouted Samael.

*Fwoosh*

The magic traveled with great speed towards Dorian Aranis. The latter looked at Samael in amazement for a moment. His expression changed for the worse, but then... A luminous stone lit up above his head.

"Anti-Space!" Dorian attacked with the same magic.

When both magics impacted, one of them was instantly destroyed while the other remained untouched.

"Cof!!!"

As soon as this happened, Dorian Aranis coughed up a mouthful of blood and looked up at Samael.

"My old wounds opened up! And at the worst possible moment!" Dorian seemed unable to keep his own body upright.

Samael Entrial: "????"

The next second, Dorian removes a large shield from his storage ring and confronts the magic solely with that shield in hand.

*Boom*

"AAAAHHH!!!" Dorian screamed pitifully, indicating that he was in great pain.

Samael Entrial: "..."

The collision between the magic and the shield generated an explosion that sent him flying dozens of meters away; any Hollywood producer would envy such special effects.

After rolling on the ground, Dorian barely gets up and wipes the blood from his mouth.

"I won't be able to continue fighting if this keeps up. I must heal!"

With great difficulty, he removes an HP potion from his storage ring and pours the liquid over his damaged body. Just by looking at him, it was possible to tell that it would take him a few minutes to perform this task.

A time when he wouldn't be able to block Samael Entrial's magic if he chose to attack.

Samael Entrial: "..."

'- Did I worry for nothing?'

Samael would be a fool if he couldn't see the hidden meaning in Dorian's actions.

'- I don't know what grudges there are between the two of you. But I will not let this opportunity pass!'

Again, he began to gather the mana in his sword, and when three layers surrounded it, he swung it in a horizontal line.

"Half-Moon Blade!"

The slash of mana traveled at such great speed in the direction of the Golden Archer that, at the very moment it left his sword, it was already impossible to stop it.

Or so it should be.

But, somehow, the Golden Archer became aware of the sneak attack and reacted at breakneck speed. One second, an arrow glowed dazzlingly in his hands, and the next, a tempane of ice appeared beneath his feet!

When the [Half-Moon Blade] magic impacted with this ice tempane, it only left a horizontal cut as a mark! It couldn't even advance in depth!

"What just happened?! Why did an ice tempane appear in the middle of the battlefield?! Was it the work of the Magic military division?" All the soldiers were surprised at the sudden change in the terrain.

"You're wrong; they had nothing to do with it."

"Then? What happened?"

"It was the Golden Archer! He sacrificed one of his magic arrows and summoned that tempane of ice under his feet!"

The commotion was not long in coming. Although the duel between a guild master and a talented archer was a special event, no one thought it would end with the archer performing magic on a grand scale! He was simply a gold-grade talent!

On the other hand, before the commotion over the ice tempane erupted.

Dorian Aranis' eyes widened as he saw that his performance was to no avail. Samael's attack was as expected. The unexpected thing was that the Golden Archer managed to avoid the inescapable attack. After all, it was an inescapable attack for a reason!!

He was about to think of his next action when he stopped abruptly upon hearing a certain whisper behind him.

"If you do that again, don't blame me for spreading your story with Anastasia" A man whispered near him.

Dorian Aranis: "!!!"

Dorian didn't dare look back. He already knew who that voice belonged to! And he also knew that if he didn't listen to it the right way, another of his black stories would find its way into the hands of his enemies!

So... he nodded without hesitation.

In fact, he did it twice in a hurry to prove that his sincerity was 100% real and not fake at all. Dorian could only relax completely when he felt a light tap on his shoulder, which he understood as a cease-fire and an acceptance from the other side.

Without a second thought, he throws five HP potions into the air, and the next instant, he cuts the vials swiftly with his sword. The liquid from all of them fell on his body, quickly healing the external wounds. In addition, to maximize the effect, he drinks another HP potion.

In less than 5 seconds, his body was back in shape.

He was about to rectify himself as Admiral General when a scream was heard from all corners of the battlefield.

"SACRIFICE YOURSELF!!!"

This scream was both heartbreaking and filled with hatred. The scream of someone betting everything on one hand!

Dorian Aranis: "!!!!"

Samael Entrial: "!!!!"

Both magic knights recognized the owner of this voice and looked surprised into the distance, but were even more surprised to realize that they could not see him completely. A strange aura prevented them from seeing the appearance of the Golden Archer!

'- That attack is targeting me. And what's more, my instincts warn of danger!'

Samael's instincts warned him that if he doesn't act quickly, that attack will cost him his life! He must dodge it at all costs!

'- What the...??' He looked back.

*Swish*

So light and soundless, and above all... So deadly.

"Cof!!!" Samael coughed up blood.

A surprise attack coming from his back caused a severe wound. The blood began to trickle down like a river from his left shoulder.

'- If I hadn't noticed in time, that dagger could have pierced my heart!'

But his tragedy does not end there.

Gritting his teeth, he swung his sword millimetrically, relying solely on his instinct and the mana floating in the air. With one hand on the hilt and one on the blade, he put all his trust in this feeling.

Which did not fail him.

The next second, he feels a huge impact on his sword, which causes him to lose his breath. Looking down, Samael sees how in the middle of the blade there is an arrow exuding an aura of sacrifice, an aura that was completely consumed in the seconds that followed.

He managed to block the arrow.... But a crack grew uncontrollably over the blade.

*Crack*

The next instant, half of the blade falls to the ground.

"You knew about me since that time I saved the boy, didn't you?" said the owner of the dagger, who mysteriously appeared behind Samael.

"I had my suspicions, though I didn't think I would see you under these circumstances... Cael."

Samael's words were spoken with such a casual tone that, if a third party had closed their eyes and only heard the phrase, they would have overlooked the dagger embedded in his body very close to his heart.

"Haa... The older I get, the more sentimental I'm becoming." Shaking his head, Commander Cael leaps away from Samael. The moment he touches the ground, his existence disappears as if he had never existed. "Don't worry, I won't attack you again. I'm old but not dumb. Plus, the pain in my shoulders is killing me... Oh, right. Your shoulder is literally killing you, isn't it? By your wound, I mean," Cael mockingly laughed.

'- If you're going to go away, get the fuck out of here!'