The leader of the Holy Country of Azimute was not pleased to hear about a duel involving the church and a merchant. The event was anything but beneficial for the church, since it would tarnish its image. Even so, they sent one of their paladins. If it was about winning, the best course was to display the full extent of the church's strength. On top of that, they imposed many demands on Vans and the champion he chose.
The Pope was angry at the bishop who had started the conflict, but at the same time, he had to maintain his composure and demonstrate all the power at his disposal.
He ordered some cardinals to watch the duel and transmit it to him through magic.
Vans also made some demands. The first was an apology from the Pope himself, acknowledging that he had lost control over members of the clergy. In addition, he wanted several sacred artifacts, and he sent a list of the items he desired. The Pope agreed, since he did not expect the paladin to lose.
Frans Valentine, the strongest paladin, was personally chosen by the Pope. Everyone thought it was excessive. The clergy did not want the church to appear villainous, but at the same time, they understood what the Pope intended. It was not just about demonstrating power, it was about showing that no one goes unpunished when they interfere with the church or the Holy Country.
Many people were in the arena. The King was there, and Duke Carmine had secured a VIP spot for himself and the rest of Victor's group. On the other side stood the members of the church, this time Duke Ambrose was not present.
Victor stood in the middle of the arena, holding an old staff. He did not use staffs, but he had decided to buy one. He went to a shop and chose the simplest one, something that inspired no confidence at all. The seller thought he was strange, since he looked wealthy and still chose the cheapest option, one that not even people with little money would be foolish enough to pick. At least not those who understood staffs.
After some time, the paladin was announced. He looked at the staff and laughed. Victor put the staff away and said,
"It would be a waste for me to use this against someone so weak."
That was the reason he wanted the staff. His father would not even allow him to touch one, since he believed it would only make him weaker. Relying on an item that enhances magic was something his father despised, which is why Victor did not use wands or staffs. His mother did not like magic, so she trained him with the sword. His father also wanted to train him, so he knew both fields, but he only specialized in the sword. He could be considered a magical swordsman, but he never mixed magic with swordsmanship. He preferred to keep the two separate, and only once had he decided to use both together, and he did not like what happened at all.
"That is what the weak say, you just want an excuse for when you lose," the paladin said, laughing.
"The paladin is going to die," Niko said.
"I agree, he irritated Victor," Vesta said.
"What do you mean?" the Duke asked.
"Victor made that joke, but the man responded by talking about excuses for losing. That was exactly what Victor wanted him to say, but at the same time, it irritates him when someone says it. In other words, it is paradoxical. Still, that man is weak, his strength does not compare to Victor's," Lysandra said.
"That is a paladin, they go through very rigorous training," Carmine said.
"When Victor was two years old, his father used water magic to drown him. He wanted Victor to be able to defend himself against it. His mother was already cutting his arm before he could even speak. The training he received is something no paladin could endure," Vans thought. He avoided commenting on the true nature of Victor's training.
"A paladin's training is light compared to what Victor went through, that is all I can say," Eris said.
Carmine fell into thought, but soon shifted his attention back to the fight. The battle had just begun. Victor was laughing inwardly. The paladin cut off his right arm with incredible ease, but that was exactly what Victor had expected, as he attacked from behind. Victor did not use magic or anything else, he simply drove his right hand through the back and tore out the paladin's heart. The body in front of him was a clone created with earth magic. Victor had used it as a distraction. Everything happened so fast that no one understood what had occurred.
The judge declared Victor the winner.
Victor knelt down and placed the paladin's heart on top of the body. He knew the church would use magic to resurrect the man, so he did not care.
The King merely laughed in silence, Carmine was terrified. The two church members showed no reaction, they could not understand how that boy had managed to defeat the strongest paladin. Victor spoke loudly,
"I was lucky to face such a weak man, but at the same time, I am glad they did not send someone strong to kill me," he provoked. The hatred he felt for the church was so great that he would spare no effort in making the institution look foolish.
The Pope was watching. He was furious and, at the same time, afraid. He could not understand how the paladin had lost to someone using nothing but his own fist. But the explanation was simple. Victor was wearing a glove and clothes made by the artisans of the Tower. That outfit was made of mythril. It was not simple clothing, but rather a very strong armor that became even stronger when infused with magic. Victor was using a form of protection the paladin could hardly overcome, which made it easier to break through the paladin's thick armor and tear out his heart.
The Pope ordered some assassins to deal with Victor at some point. Sending them immediately would be a declaration that the church had committed something vile and dangerous. The Pope truly was that, but he preferred to present himself as a kind man who loved everyone. That was the greatest lie.
Carmine still could not believe what he had seen, but he was happy. He also hated the church and had always resented the King's agreement with the clergy. The current King had not made that agreement, it had been his grandfather.
Victor explained to Carmine how he had done it. Barrier magic could make anyone invisible, and creating clones was easy. So the victory had been simple and dull.
The church members sent a notice that they would fulfill the payment agreed upon in the duel.
The member of the clergy who had created the duel was secretly killed. His head was cut off to prevent him from causing trouble again. In place of the bishop, a cardinal was sent, and the excuse given was simply that the bishop had been reassigned to another city.