Published: July 8, 2025
"Eh? Did we defeat it?"
Marie murmured with a surprised expression.
That voice seemed to trigger something.
"Wow!"
The soldiers of the Imperial Army, who had been casting spells from behind to provide support, erupted in cheers.
However, two individuals remained tense.
Those two were the commanders.
Oscar and Fiona.
"Master."
"Yeah, unfortunately, that wasn't the real one."
Fiona and Oscar exchanged brief words.
Their conversation reached Marie, who was approaching them.
"Not the real one?"
"Exactly... it's a bit different from a fake."
"It must be a clone. It's similar to what the Royal Knight Order is fighting over there."
Marie questioned, Fiona answered, and Oscar gestured with his chin towards Zoltan, who was battling Zack.
"There's a Zoltan over there too?"
Recognizing this, Marie frowned.
Even after Oscar had paid such a price and used all his strength to defeat it, it was just a clone?
"As expected of the grand duke of vampires. It seems even fighting the real one isn't easy."
Oscar said that and shook his head slightly.
What the Imperial Army, who had defeated one of Zoltan's clones, witnessed was a clash between another clone of Zoltan and the Royal Army.
"I never thought they would be defeated over there."
Zoltan muttered while crossing swords with Zack.
"Do you have the luxury to think of anything else?"
"Ah, I do, Zack. The clone over there... my clone was strong. It should have been, but it got defeated. That man who wields fire attribute magic, I thought the same when we fought in the Western Nations; he is very intriguing."
"You...!"
Zack swung his sword with a frustrated expression.
"That clone over there was created based on one of my arms. If you consider that the clone that was instantly defeated by your old mage was born from a single hair, you can understand the difference, right? It should have been quite strong..."
"As expected of the blazing flame mage."
"Oh? That fire attribute mage has such a title?"
"Yes. The strongest in the Central Nations... no, once the strongest mage in the Central Nations. There's no way he's weak."
"Hmm. But Zack, you corrected yourself just now. You said 'once' the strongest. That means there is another mage stronger than that man now."
Zoltan noticed that Zack had intentionally rephrased.
"Yes, there is. Four years ago, a mage fought a duel against the blazing flame mage head-on and proudly defeated him."
"Interesting! Is that defeated mage a human? Or a different species?"
"Probably a human. A real abomination, but... likely a human."
"A human defeated that fire attribute mage? Incredible, and it was a mage too? That mage also uses swords quite well and doesn't hesitate in close combat. Yet, a mage defeated him in a duel?"
"...I was toyed with in a mock battle where I only used a sword."
Zack replied honestly, slightly grimacing.
He would never forget.
On the ship coming to the Western Nations, he had challenged a mock battle and lost.
At that time, he didn't think there was such a gap, but the more he thought about it afterward, the more he realized the difficult difference to overcome between the two.
"Zack... your sword is not bad at all. Keep on the path of the sword from now on."
"Why am I being comforted by a vampire?!"
Zoltan shook his head slightly as he spoke, while Zack seethed with anger.
"A mage who also uses a sword. Moreover, a sword that toys with Zack? How interesting, very interesting. Once this is over, I might visit the Central Nations. Or rather, I could just throw everything away and go to the Central Nations right now."
Zoltan began to speak of ominous things.
Naturally, Zack would be troubled if that happened.
Zoltan's "going to the Central Nations" wouldn't simply mean visiting leisurely.
Many people there could die, and cities and nations could be destroyed.
Rather, he must be kept here at all costs.
"The mage in question... is a water attribute mage, but he is... that person is not in the Central Nations."
"What? Where is he? Where is he? If you don't tell me, Zack, I'll... in a gruesome way..."
"He's right here."