"Boss Zorath the Silent, I'm just a measly level 10 mage. There's no need to embarrass me like this." Kael gave a wry smile. Though Zorath the Silent's grave and exaggerated tone had already given him a rough idea of the man's intentions, he still found it somewhat odd.
Kael wasn't wrong. Compared to the behemoth that was the Sacred Council, a mere level 10 mage like him—while considered a powerhouse on the continent—was still far from enough to stand against such an entity.
Zorath the Silent shook his head with a chuckle. "I'm not exaggerating in the slightest. This time, the Holy Temple and our Sacred Council have agreed to a 'Three-Battle Pact'!"
"Three-Battle Pact?"
"That's right, the Three-Battle Pact." Zorath the Silent explained, "A month ago, the Grand Speaker and the Holy Temple's Pope established a covenant. Victory will be determined through three battles. The first is a duel between the younger generation of the Holy Temple and the Sacred Council—each side will send their strongest young warriors to determine the ultimate victor. So far, the Holy Temple's 'Saint' Einar has defeated three of our champions in a row. None of our younger generation can stand against him. Brother Kael, I'm afraid it's all up to you now!"
Now Kael understood. The Sacred Council and the Holy Temple had agreed to settle their conflict through three battles, the first of which was a tournament-style duel between their younger elites. Unfortunately, the Sacred Council's pride had been thoroughly trampled—no one had been able to defeat Einar.
Zorath the Silent sighed. "We have to admit, that Einar is a once-in-a-generation genius. He's only twenty-five this year, yet his strength has already reached the peak of level 10, having fused with the first element—Light. His power is unmatched among the younger generation on the continent. Our Sacred Council has almost no one who can oppose him."
Peak level 10, fused with the Light element!
Kael's heart tightened. Einar was indeed formidable, living up to his reputation.
Followers of the Holy Temple all practiced Light Magic, so the first element they fused with was naturally Light. And the Light element was far more powerful than the four basic elements—Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth—granting overwhelming advantages in battle.
This was going to be a tough fight…
Even Kael didn't have full confidence in defeating Einar.
"Most importantly, the three young warriors who previously fought Einar were completely outmatched—their defeats were so crushing that it made our Sacred Council look like we don't even have anyone capable of competing with the Holy Temple's younger generation. Right now, we're standing on the edge of a storm. If we can't even find a single person who can put up a fight against Einar, the Sacred Council's reputation will be utterly ruined!"
Kael nodded in understanding. It was true—the Sacred Council was, after all, hailed as the strongest faction in the Human Alliance. If they couldn't even produce someone capable of facing Einar, the humiliation would be unbearable.
"Kael, what's your current strength?" Zorath the Silent asked. He wasn't entirely sure of Kael's exact level.
"Peak level 10, having just fused with the Fire element."
Zorath the Silent's eyes widened in shock before he clapped his hands in delight, bursting into laughter. "Peak level 10?! That's more than enough to fight Einar—you might even have a chance at winning!"
Deep down, Zorath the Silent had already speculated about Kael's strength, but he never expected him to have reached such heights. Compared to Einar, Kael was the real prodigy. From the time Zorath the Silent first met Kael until now, less than a year had passed, yet Kael's power had grown to such a terrifying degree.
A cold sweat formed in Zorath the Silent's heart. He had never witnessed such a monstrous rate of advancement before. Even the legendary Star Sage Orlandocouldn't have progressed this quickly—at the very least, Orlando hadn't gone from a clueless boy who knew nothing of magic to a level 10 mage in just one year!
"Kael, the situation at Moonmist Lake is tense right now. I came here to ask you to accompany me there and help resolve the crisis!" Zorath the Silent extended the invitation.
Kael, however, merely smiled faintly, his expression unreadable. "Boss Zorath the Silent, it's not that I'm unwilling to go to Moonmist Lake… but at the moment, I truly can't leave."
Zorath the Silent blinked in surprise. "Can't leave? That can't be. When I arrived in Rafey City, I was shocked—in such a short time, the place has been completely transformed under your rule. Everything is running smoothly. How could you possibly be tied down?"
Kael deliberately let a trace of hesitation show on his face. "Actually, something major has recently happened in the Rafey territory as well."
"What?"
"Unfortunately, Boss Zorath the Silent, just before you arrived, I captured two level 10 assassins sent by the Shadow Wing Mages to kill me," Kael said calmly.
Zorath the Silent froze. "The Shadow Wing Mages? How did you get tangled up with them?"
Kael didn't answer. Instead, he retrieved a stack of correspondence between the Ghostfire Tower and the Renault Family from his spatial ring and handed it to Zorath the Silent.
Zorath the Silent took the letters, his brow furrowing as he skimmed through them. The deeper he read, the more his expression darkened, as if a storm were raging in his mind. By the time he finished, he let out a long, heavy exhale.
"The Renault Family actually colluded with the Ghostfire Tower?!" Shock flickered in Zorath the Silent's eyes. "The Ghostfire Tower has buried itself so deeply… No wonder they moved against you after you wiped out the Renaults."
Kael shrugged. "Exactly. Yesterday, two level 10 assassins from the Ghostfire Tower tried to kill me. If I hadn't been lucky enough to escape, you'd be looking at my corpse right now."
A cold glint flashed in Kael's eyes.
This was also his subtle way of setting a condition for Zorath the Silent: Want me to go to Moonmist Lake? Fine—but you'd better help me deal with the Ghostfire Tower's threat first.
Zorath the Silent understood immediately. His pulse quickened slightly, and a sharp gleam entered his gaze. "The Ghostfire Tower has some nerve! A minor Shadow Wing Mage faction dares to target someone under the Sacred Council's banner? Kael, don't worry. Since this involves the Shadow Wing Mages, I'll handle it personally!"
True to his reputation for loyalty, Zorath the Silent slammed the table and sneered. "You're one of our Dark Hall's own, Kael. If the Ghostfire Tower thinks they can touch my people, they've got a death wish. I brought ten Dark Hall overseers with me this time—they'll temporarily garrison Rafey City and lend you their strength!"
Kael's eyes brightened. Ten Dark Hall overseers? Given Zorath the Silent's confidence, their strength must be around level 10.
"Rest easy. With the overseers here, Rafey City will be secure. But regarding the Ghostfire Tower, Kael, you'll still need to go to Moonmist Lake yourself and present these letters to the Grand Speaker. This matter can't be taken lightly," Zorath the Silent added.
Kael nodded. He had expected as much—the collusion between the Ghostfire Tower and the Renault Family was no small affair. Even Zorath the Silent likely lacked the authority to decide on such a matter alone.
But the current situation was already favorable for him—what Kael wanted was the Sacred Council's stance.
With the Sacred Council backing him, the Ghostfire Tower would at least be forced to think twice, deterred from making any major moves in the short term.
Zorath the Silent grinned. "In that case, you'll accompany me on this trip. If you can defeat Einar, it'll count as a great service to the Sacred Council…"
Kael smiled and summoned Grace, Lone Wolf, and the other high-ranking officials of Rafey City to inform them of his impending journey to Moonmist Lake.
"In my absence, Grace will handle internal affairs, and Lone Wolf will oversee external matters. In emergencies, notify Master Ethan… Rafey City is in your hands!"
Everyone nodded in agreement. With the ten Dark Hall overseers from the Sacred Council and Ethan holding the fort, Kael could finally set his mind at ease.
He also made a point of speaking with Ethan personally, urging him to keep a close watch over Rafey City.
Only after all arrangements were made did Kael allow himself to relax slightly. This trip to Moonmist Lake was unavoidable.
The threat of the Ghostfire Tower loomed large. Even with a powerhouse like Ethan guarding Rafey City, Kael could still sense the terrifying fangs of the Ghostfire Tower bared against him.
To eliminate the Ghostfire Tower, Kael's own strength was insufficient—he needed the Sacred Council's intervention. Thus, leveraging the Council's current predicament, he had set his terms: If you want my help, the Sacred Council must aid me against the Ghostfire Tower!
And so, the ten Dark Hall overseers remained in Rafey City to help Kael fend off the Ghostfire Tower.
But if Kael wanted greater support from the Sacred Council, he would have to prove his worth—he had to win against Einar.
With the overseers stationed in Rafey City, Kael set off with Zorath the Silent toward Moonmist Lake at the continent's heart.
Kael brought only Little Kitten along. The feline bounded about excitedly, chattering nonstop with her trademark "This young lady" remarks, much to Zorath the Silent's astonishment.
And so, Kael embarked on the road to Moonmist Lake.
Deep down, a flicker of anticipation stirred within him. He had long heard of the Saint Einar's reputation but had never met him face-to-face. Now, he would finally get his wish.
Einar… Let's see just how strong you really are.