Chapter 268: The Mage Killer
"This is...!?"
Friedrich could no longer maintain his composure and exclaimed aloud.
With his experience and strength, he could clearly feel the terrifying power contained within this sword, far surpassing any ordinary magical weapon. He could even faintly sense a trace of something akin to the laws of the world within it.
This was definitely not something that could be forged in a mortal workshop!
The Emperor watched his teacher's shocked expression, the pride and satisfaction on his face growing even more intense.
He walked to the stone pedestal, staring almost obsessively at the Holy Sword in the box, like admiring a perfect work of art.
"How does it feel, Teacher?" he asked loudly, his voice echoing in the chamber. "This is the Imperial Holy Sword that I, exerting the strength of the Empire for several years, commissioned those arrogant dwarf masters to forge for me!"
He reached out, seemingly wanting to touch the blade, but restrained himself and pulled back just before his fingertips made contact.
"Legate, exactly how much did you pay them?"
Friedrich dared not imagine.
To make the dwarves forge such a Holy Sword, what kind of remuneration did Legate have to offer to get them to agree?
"A trivial price," Legate sneered, as if speaking of something insignificant. "Countless treasures? Mountains of rare ores? Those are trifles!"
"What truly pained me was permanently ceding two of the largest rare mineral mines within the Empire's territory to those ugly dwarves!"
He gritted his teeth at the end, but then his tone shifted, becoming excited again. "But judging from the results, they kept their word!"
"Not only did they use top-tier materials accumulated by the dwarven race for over a thousand years, they even brought out several fossil-level masters who had long since retired from worldly affairs. They even incorporated leftover materials from the forging of the Divine Right Sword, Org!"
"In the end... they finally forged for me this legendary Holy Sword, absolutely in no way inferior to Ersten's Light of Ersten!"
He introduced it proudly to Friedrich, showing off his most prized possession.
"Look, Teacher. The main body of the blade uses Eternal Ore as a base, infused with massive amounts of Star Silver and Mythril."
"These two materials are already hard to find in this world, and their refining methods are a secret not passed down by dwarves."
"The gem in the center of the guard is no ordinary object. It is a complete, high-concentration mana crystal. The energy contained within is enough to support the casting of a teleportation spell."
"More importantly," a fanatical light flashed in Legate's eyes, "during the forging process, they not only utilized the refining techniques of one of the greatest kings in dwarven history, Somme, to remove the last trace of impurities..."
"But they also referenced the manuscript notes left by Master Dural, who forged The Light of Ersten, giving it the function to bear mana."
"It can be said," Legate's voice was decisive, full of unquestionable confidence, "that this sword has reached the limit imaginable by the forging techniques of the current world!"
"It is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as those legendary Holy Swords. Even the dwarves will not be able to replicate a second masterpiece of this caliber for another thousand years."
"It is my strongest reliance for achieving the hegemony of unification in the future!"
Friedrich listened to the Emperor's narration, looking at the Holy Sword radiating awe-inspiring power. A storm was raging in his heart.
He hadn't expected the Emperor's secret plan to be so earth-shattering.
To forge a Holy Sword belonging solely to himself!
The scale and ambition of this far exceeded his imagination.
Carefully sensing the aura of the Holy Sword, he had to admit to himself that this was indeed a divine artifact possessing terrifying power.
No mage could resist the energy level it contained, nor that law-like power capable of severing all defenses.
After a long silence, Friedrich asked the most crucial question. "Your Majesty, although the Holy Sword is strong, it ultimately requires someone to wield it. To whom do you intend to entrust such an artifact?"
This was the core issue.
A Holy Sword with no one to drive it, no matter how strong, was just a magnificent decoration. Just like The Light of Ersten, forever shelved high up.
Emperor Legate seemed to have anticipated this question from his teacher. A smile of total control appeared on his face.
"Rest assured, Teacher. I already have a candidate in mind. However..." He changed the subject, pulling a scroll from his robe and handing it to Friedrich.
"Just as a Holy Sword requires tempering through fire and hammer, the existence capable of mastering this sword also requires the strictest selection."
"The hundred people on this list are candidates possessing special talents, carefully screened by me from countless elites within the Empire."
Friedrich took the scroll and unrolled it.
It was densely packed with a hundred names, along with their brief information and talent characteristics.
With just a cursory glance, Friedrich felt alarmed. Every single person on this list mastered magic.
Paired with the trace of law-power within the Holy Sword capable of severing everything, His Majesty's intention was blatantly obvious.
He wanted to cultivate an existence specifically designed to counter mages.
A Mage Killer!
Legate watched his teacher's expression and continued, his tone turning incredibly cold. "These people are not only gifted, but more importantly, every single one of them has a weakness firmly grasped in the Empire's hands."
"Whether it is their closest kin or the love of their life. I do not worry about their loyalty."
"Of course, I still need a contingency plan to prevent any possibility of betrayal. That is where I will need Teacher's help."
"And once they are equipped with the Holy Sword," a bloodthirsty light flashed in Legate's eyes, "relying on the sword's ability to tear through all magical shields and destroy the vast majority of magical items, combined with their own strength..."
"They will become the Empire's sharpest blade, capable of killing any existence blocking the Empire's path forward."
Legate looked north, in the direction of the Kingdom of Ersten, as if he could already see the figure of Serie.
"Even that Elven Saint, Serie—even if she employs the highest-ranking magic shields—will not be able to withstand the attack of the Holy Sword."
Friedrich listened to the Emperor's cold words, looking at the names on the list one by one, and said nothing.
He was silent for a moment before asking one final question.
"Your Majesty, there are one hundred people on the list. But there is only one Holy Sword."
Hearing this, Emperor Legate showed no sign of difficulty. Instead, a cold smile bordering on indifference surfaced on his face.
"Therefore, they still need to undergo a final round of selection." His voice was understated, yet it carried a meaning that chilled the bone. "These one hundred candidates will be thrown into a specific battlefield. No rules, no allies, only slaughter. The one who walks out alive at the end will be the true master of the Holy Sword."
"Only the strongest is worthy of wielding the Holy Sword. To go and pluck the head of that Elven Saint for me."
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