When Amberxiu saw Allen Watson, the once proud paladin, he was sitting despondently on the ground.
His longsword lay beside him, its blade riddled with cracks and chips, clearly the result of an exceptionally brutal battle.
Allen's face was battered and swollen, his once handsome features now barely recognizable. Yet, it was the psychological trauma that seemed to weigh far more heavily on him than his physical injuries. His eyes had lost their light, as though he had aged a decade in a matter of moments.
Standing beside him, the headless knight leisurely polished his nails.
Amberxiu, surprised, asked, "What did you do to him?"
The headless knight shook his head, a hint of disdain in his voice. "Just gave him a little lesson. The paladins of today are nothing like they were back in the day. To think he would dare go out alone for training at this level... The Empire of Ryan has fallen far."
Amberxiu, curious, asked, "Sounds like a personal grudge?"
The headless knight replied, "His father is the Chief Arbiter of the Empire of Ryan. He's just unlucky."
"Do you have a feud with James Watson as well?"
Amberxiu was a bit taken aback. The headless knight didn't seem like someone who had ever been the target of racial prejudice from such an old man, much less a scholar who had been rejected for his work.
"James Watson? Who's that? I'm talking about Moody. He's the one who issued the warrant for my arrest."
Amberxiu: ...
The headless knight certainly held a grudge—Moody, an ancient Chief Arbiter, and yet he was still blaming Allen for it. Talk about bad luck for the paladin.
"Is it really fun to bully a child?" Amberxiu asked.
Before the headless knight could explain, Allen spoke up. "Not really. Sir Gareth maintained equal strength and speed, yet I was still powerless to resist."
Amberxiu offered some words of comfort. "That's normal. You have no idea how long he's lived. His martial prowess far surpasses that of any mortal. It's not surprising at all."
"Mortals..." Allen bitterly smiled.
He had undergone rigorous training as a paladin of the Empire of Ryan since childhood, his swordsmanship one of the finest among the younger generation. Even the Emperor had personally awarded him titles, calling him a pillar of the Empire's future.
But faced with this disheveled middle-aged man, Allen tasted the bitter sting of his first humiliating defeat.
It was a crushing defeat—this man didn't even need a sword. He had only extended a finger and, with his nail, brought Allen to his knees.
The swordplay he had once prided himself on was now no more than child's play in comparison. With a mere flick of his arm, the opponent's nail had already pierced his throat, eyes, and heart. After years of honing his craft, he discovered flaws he had never even noticed.
To make matters worse, the man had deliberately toyed with him, knocking him to the ground each time. Allen's nose had already been broken, and his front teeth were loose. The injuries weren't severe, but the psychological blow was devastating.
This was a total and utter defeat, without a single excuse to offer.
Now, hearing Amberxiu's comments, Allen felt further humiliation.
In the eyes of true strength, he was still just a mortal.
After confirming that Allen wasn't severely injured, Amberxiu lost interest in him and dragged the headless knight out of the cell.
Amberxiu shared the seven shards of prophecy he had gathered with the headless knight, hoping to gain some insight.
Though the headless knight wasn't a scholar, he had lived far longer than Amberxiu and surely had seen more of the world, perhaps able to decipher something Amberxiu missed.
To his disappointment, the headless knight couldn't discern what lay in the sewers. Instead, he focused intently on the destroyed bar.
"Diga, old buddy, do you really think this prophecy will come true? Can it be changed?" he asked eagerly.
"Worried about your orc sister?" Amberxiu teased with a smile.
"Ona is innocent," the headless knight said, his voice full of responsibility.
Amberxiu fell silent for two seconds before replying, "Your wife will be even angrier if she hears you say that."
But seeing the headless knight's anxious expression, Amberxiu decided to offer some advice.
"As for whether the prophecy can be changed, I can't say for sure. I'm also a coward who doesn't dare face fate. But you can approach the future differently. The prophecy only says the bar will be destroyed, but it doesn't show the orc owner's body. So, whether she survives remains uncertain."
"Alchemy City will be devastated in the near future, so you'd better persuade her to leave. People can rebuild after their bar is destroyed, can't they?"
The headless knight's face lit up with joy.
"You really do have a solution, old buddy! I'll go tell her, convince her to leave Alchemy City."
Just as the headless knight was about to find his orc sister, Amberxiu stopped him.
"Wait a minute, give this message to the bar owner for me. If she wants to sell the bar, I'll buy it, but the price has to be discounted."
The headless knight looked at him, puzzled. "Didn't you say the bar is doomed to be destroyed? Why buy it, wouldn't that be a surefire loss?"
Amberxiu retorted, "What else is there? Do you have money? If not, how do you expect your orc sister to survive after giving up the bar? You think she doesn't need food and drink like the undead? If I take the bar, she'll have the funds to start over somewhere else."
The headless knight was deeply moved and hugged Amberxiu tightly. "Good brother, I'll never forget this favor. Don't worry, no matter who takes off your head, I, Gareth, will be the first to avenge you!"
"Couldn't you protect me before my head is taken off?"
"You said it yourself, everything you see in the prophecy will come true."
Amberxiu: ...
This remark made Amberxiu's soul flare with irritation. Truly, prophecies—especially the ones about misfortune—were the most frustrating thing in the world.
After the headless knight left, Amberxiu began preparing for the arrival of the important member from the Alchemist Council.
It didn't take long before a massive airship landed in front of Amberxiu's castle.
A middle-aged man with a serious expression stepped off the airship. He wore a gold-and-crimson robe, which appeared to be the same style as the administrative officer Amberxiu had met earlier, but with much more elaborate embroidery.
Amberxiu shifted to his human appearance and greeted him with a smile.
"Ah, my dear Flynn, long time no see. The last time we met must have been over a decade ago."
Gustavo Flynn, the sixth seat of the Alchemist Council, a legendary-tier alchemist, had written enough books to fill Amberxiu's library. He was a truly influential figure.
It seemed the Alchemy City was taking Allen Watson's case very seriously by sending him.
When Flynn saw Amberxiu, his expression didn't change in the slightest. He got straight to the point. "I know you well, old friend. Just name your price. This paladin is quite useful to us."
Amberxiu grinned. "You're my favorite in the Council. I love how direct you are. Twenty million gold coins, and I'll hand him over to you."
End of Chapter