This party from the Imperial Capital included imposing knights and well-equipped soldiers, but the most eye-catching figure was a middle-aged man riding a black demonic steed.
He was a slender Servant Demon with an ordinary appearance. Yet even the two potion masters beside him dared not slight this man, who was merely a potion-maker. He was Sandru, the most outstanding potion-making prodigy the Fallen Angel Empire had seen in three hundred years!
The party was welcomed at the city gates by Princess Shea, who had personally led the reception. Though they showed considerable courtesy and respect to the eldest princess of the Crown Prince's faction, many still couldn't help sneering at the shabby, desolate buildings along the way to the palace. Their supposed superiority as people from a big city was plain to see.
Once they entered the palace and took their seats, Shea said, "You've come a long way, and must be tired. Why don't you rest for a day before we discuss the challenge?"
Sandru rose. "Your Highness, I came here specifically to challenge Master Aldas. I request that we begin now. Please understand how eager I am to become a master."
Masters Zola and Kamp exchanged smiles. They had intended to catch their hosts off guard. They had given only two days' notice, as required by the Potion-Makers' Alliance's rules; otherwise, they wouldn't have given them even one extra day. Why would they give the other side a chance to delay now?
"There's nothing to rest for in a poor place like this." The contemptuous voice came from one of the visitors: a young knight in full silver armor who had accompanied the party.
Shea recognized him as Shelter, a rising star in the military. His father was one of the empire's three generals who had been among the first to side with Heiyao. She frowned slightly and pretended not to hear. Across from her, Athena couldn't hold back. She stood and shouted, "Shelter, you coward! How dare you show such disrespect to Her Highness the Eldest Princess? Draw your sword and let me see if you've improved since I beat you!"
Shelter had lost to Athena at a youth fencing tournament a few years earlier. Having his past defeat brought up in front of everyone enraged him, and he was about to attack when Master Kamp stopped him. Starting trouble now would play right into Shea's hands. It was more important to get back to the matter at hand.
Master Zola was also a Dark Elf. He spoke up, "Where is Master Aldas? Masters are required to accept challenges under the Potion-Makers' Alliance's rules. There's no need to discuss it. Why don't we go straight to his laboratory?"
Shea didn't panic when Master Zola got right to the point. She only looked a little troubled as she replied, "The truth is, Master Aldas was testing a powerful new potion three days ago when an accident occurred. He was gravely injured and can't move, so I suggested we discuss the matter first."
"Oh?" Master Zola sneered. "Why did Master Aldas have an accident just as we happened to arrive? Could it be that he's feigning injury to avoid the challenge because he fears Sandru's reputation?"
Shea's expression remained unchanged. "Master Aldas's accident happened three days ago, before we knew Sandru would challenge him. Your journey from the Imperial Capital must have taken at least a month. Why did we only receive the Potion-Makers' Alliance's magical message two days before you arrived?"
Her question hit the mark, clearing Aldas of suspicion while hinting at a plot. Master Zola was at a loss for words. Then Master Kamp, a Servant Demon, spoke. "Princess Shea, you misunderstand. We were originally invited by Lord Zhuo Qie of the Chiyou Territory to visit Chiyou City. Sandru decided on a whim to come challenge Master Aldas in the Darkmoon Territory first, which is why the magical message was sent in such haste. If the Eldest Princess doesn't believe me, you can ask Lord Zhuo Qie's eldest son, Joseph. If I remember correctly, he's the financial officer of Darkmoon City."
The Chiyou Territory bordered the Darkmoon Territory. Lord Zhuo Qie of Chiyou, a trusted subordinate of Prince Heiyao, was the Imperial Capital's "eyes" on Darkmoon. Since most of the Darkmoon Territory's resources and financial support came from Chiyou, Shea had no choice but to make use of Joseph, who had come to "pledge his allegiance." Joseph was publicly a member of Darkmoon City. If he testified to this, it would be even harder to refute.
Besides, Sandru's challenge followed the proper procedure. There was no point arguing over when they had sent notice.
"No need. Why wouldn't I believe Master Kamp?" Shea nodded calmly. "I've already sent Kagulon to ask the injured Master Aldas whether he himself wants to postpone the challenge."
Kamp and Zola exchanged a glance and quickly discussed the matter. They could only put things off for so long. If the other side wanted to postpone the challenge, Sandru would stay in Darkmoon City until Aldas was "recovered" enough to face him. They wouldn't leave until Aldas was driven out.
Before long, a report from Kagulon, the palace guard captain, shocked the visitors from the Imperial Capital, Sandru included: the gravely injured Master Aldas didn't want to postpone the challenge. He had agreed to face Sandru publicly in the center of the arena in Darkmoon City!
Sandru had assumed his opponent would try to stall, and hadn't expected him to accept the challenge outright. But confident in his own skill, he said proudly, "It's remarkable that Master Aldas would face me despite his injuries. To show my respect, I'll head to the arena now and begin the challenge."
No emotion showed on Princess Shea's cold face. "In that case, please wait a moment. I'll send someone to make the arrangements at the arena right away."
The Darkmoon Arena was one of the largest buildings in the city. Four hundred years earlier, it had been quite famous. The Beelzebub Royal Family, long thought to have vanished, had appeared in Darkmoon City and taken control of the Darkmoon Territory, intent on swallowing up the Chiyou Territory and threatening the Imperial Capital. When Emperor White Night heard the news, he came at once and fought the Beelzebub royal in this very arena. He dealt the enemy a grievous wound, and the royal vanished without a trace.
In keeping with its long history, the arena's furnishings were dilapidated. With Kagulon and the other guards working frantically, it was quickly cleaned. A platform was erected, and rows of chairs were arranged for the honored guests. The common folk were not granted such fine treatment, but their enthusiasm was undimmed. The arena, usually quiet, was soon packed.
Though everyone was rather afraid of Master Aldas, who often made people scream, deep down they still hoped he would defeat the outsiders and bring glory to Darkmoon.
Amid everyone's eager attention, Sandru's attendants skillfully laid out a series of tools and ingredients. On the other side, Master Aldas was carried into the arena on a stretcher, followed by his new apprentice, Chen Rui. Their arrival stirred a commotion among the spectators.
A human? Chen Rui's appearance made Sandru frown. After Shea introduced him, Sandru looked unimpressed. When Zola and Kamp heard that Aldas had taken a human captive as his apprentice, they were both openly scornful.
This was Chen Rui's first time facing such a huge crowd. Looking at the countless strangely featured demon faces around him, he composed himself, bowed toward the honored guests' seats, and said loudly, "I'm Chen Rui, Master Aldas's new apprentice. Master Aldas was injured in an accident during an experiment and can't move for the time being, so he'll direct me as I take the challenge in his place. Does Lord Sandru agree?"
A master directing an apprentice through a challenge? And a newly accepted apprentice, at that! This was unprecedented in the history of master challenges. Though Aldas had a reason for not being able to move, Sandru still felt clearly insulted. Did Aldas know he was going to lose and decide to humiliate his opponent once before leaving?
"I agree." Sandru stared at Aldas in the distance, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes. "I demand a fight to the death. Let's see if Master Aldas has the courage to let that human apprentice take his place."
A fight to the death! Zola and Kamp looked surprised. In a fight to the death, potion-makers tested their concoctions on each other directly, rather than using stand-ins. Whoever died first from the poison was declared the loser. Usually, only parties with a deep grudge against each other chose this rule. Even if Aldas sent his apprentice to fight, the apprentice's death would mean that Aldas himself would also be punished with death.
The two master potion-makers, Zola and Kamp, had absolute confidence in Sandru's abilities. Though surprised, they quickly regained their composure.
Sure enough, Aldas across the way fell into deep thought, as if considering something. The human apprentice looked afraid and went to whisper to Aldas, seemingly unwilling to accept the challenge. The Dark Elf looked furious. His finger trembled as he tried to point at the human, but he could only raise it a little before it fell limply. His injuries seemed genuine.
The crowd was too noisy for even those with sharp hearing to make out what the two were whispering.
Joseph watched, his brow furrowing. According to the information from his inside source, Aldas hadn't been injured three days ago. In fact, he'd been in his laboratory the entire past two days. Could he have been trying to prepare some difficult potions to deal with Sandru and accidentally injured himself?
In the end, Aldas decided to let his apprentice Chen Rui take his place in the fight to the death. It seemed the Dark Elf master intended to repay the Eldest Princess's kindness by staking everything—even his own life.
After the guards explained the rules of the fight to the spectators, who knew little about potion-making, the people of Darkmoon City erupted in an uproar. It sounded even more thrilling now. They didn't understand potions, but everyone understood life and death!
Sandru gave a cruel smile. He thought the outcome was beyond doubt. Even if Aldas himself entered the arena, Sandru's newly developed poison would leave him dead. The weak human didn't stand a chance.
Princess Shea announced the start of the match. The surrounding noise fell silent, and every eye turned toward the poor human. Some had already begun betting on how long it would take the poison to kill him. One second? Or two?
Sandru swiftly began preparing his potion. His skillful, precise movements left even the two judges, Masters Zola and Kamp, feeling inadequate. The genius potion-maker truly lived up to his reputation.
In just two minutes, he had finished a bottle of potion. Meanwhile, Apprentice Chen Rui was still clumsily following Aldas's gestures, without even finishing sorting the ingredients.
According to the rules, if one side finished their potion first, the other had to stop and prepare an antidote within the allotted time to counter the poison. A fight to the death tested not only the strength of the potions, but also the potion-makers' skill and intelligence. If they worked too quickly, the potion might be too weak; if they took too long, they would lose the initiative.
Sandru signaled to the judges to let the other side test his potion. Chen Rui looked extremely nervous. He first closed his eyes and said a prayer, then tremblingly took the bottle of dark green potion. No one knew what he was praying for: Progress! Progress!
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