Chapter 98: One Purpose

The message echoed out that even some of the guards heard it.

The expressions of some of the guards and the Champions all changed.

"What?!" A tall mage shouted.

"Lies!" A Champion Spearman also cried.

The Champions of each respective kingdom to where Esmeralda and Gradier belonged to all shouted.

"I see now that this is a ploy! Of course! Why else would my viscount team die without any reason in an unknown part of this mountain! Esmeralda was supposed to go up to the cave, yet her dead body was found at one of the furthest outposts! They were led there and ambushed by the Steele family! You are the Necromancer worshipers! Along with that Querk Stonefist!"

"Of course! That explains it! Viscount Gradier doesn't have any reason to go there! Yet there he was!"

"Fools! They were supposed to go up with Querk! The fact that they together proved that they were all in it together! What plans do your three kingdoms have?" Ordeus shouted.

"A well-planned lie! Querk had his mission and chose to ambush two viscounts! The Steele brothers were already vampires and had an increase in strength! So naturally, our two viscounts fell at their hands!"

"Are you saying that my sons are liars?!" Mezal asked quietly, but the fierce glint in his eyes challenged the Spearmaster and the Mage.

"What right does a mere Baron have to speak before me?! I would kill you for your accusation!" The Champion Spearman roared.

"Ordeus, I will not take this accusation lightly! If your baron does not pay with his blood, I won't be satisfied!"

"This is why I gave all those warnings before playing the message! Mezal was very careful not to report it casually and did so because he knew that your kingdoms would act like this! What if Branze and Aron, the two Barons that could fight a Viscount as seen in the tournaments, managed to best Gradier and Esmeralda with only Querk left alive!"

"Don't tie my Viscounts with the traitorous actions of that Querk! He is the traitor, and Esmeralda was merely caught on route! Perhaps it was even Querk who killed them!"

"Lorem Ipsum does not worship necromancers! How many times will I say this! I've already proven that Querk had been turned forcibly! He was already dead when he came and attacked the fortress!" The Berserker argued.

"How can the dead talk?!" The Paladin challenged.

"I don't know! Perhaps someone was there near him who was shouting the words he said! We never saw him open his mouth with that strange mask he wore!"

Several Champions laughed at the insane excuse that the Berserker had.

Mezal was quiet. He knew that was how Kyros did it.

"We will deal with you later! But, for now, I turn to this stupid baron who dare accuses my Viscounts of crime!"

"I will not allow my sons to be treated as liars! I will showcase their honor even at my death!" Mezal bravely walked closer to the Spearmaster.

"Ha! Then do it! Attack me you-"

Suddenly, Mezal dashed off with an immense speed that he created sonic booms as he ran. He held Trinity and smashed it on the spear master.

BOOM!

The earth trembled, and the champions were stunned at the power that Mezal displayed.

The Spearmaster was caught off guard. But Mezal's speed gave him no chance to defend. If it had been any other level 30 warrior, the Champion Spearmaster could have evaded it.

The Spearmaster flew more than twenty meters and crashed on the walls of the fort.

"Level... 40?!" The Champion Mage to which Esmeralda belonged too was stunned.

Everyone was surprised. They treated this lowly baron like dirt. But he had the power to hurt him.

Everyone expected the Spearmaster to jump back, but his body laid bloody and weakened.

"All my life, I have hidden this secret! I am the remaining survivor of the Olander clan! But now, Fate has turned her cruel fangs on to me and has left me with little hope of finding my sons. I came here and followed protocol, but now you drag me into your politics! I have lost everything now and even lost all the more! My wealth, my servants, my weapons! Yet I gritted my teeth and stayed alive for the sake of my sons and because I have yet to report more pressing information for all human kingdoms! But now, I will not tell you but tell only my lord! As for you lot, you can grit your teeth when the calamities come! I know who attacked this city! I know the full story of the vampires! I know of a surprising secret that will make you regret you ever accused me!" Mezal roared.

The power of a Force Paladin surged mightily.

"Paladin?!" The beautiful mage riding a vacuum cleaner was amazed.

"No. It has no Holy power. It is a new class altogether. We all called his Knight class a Pseudo-Paladin. But this is now a force that can challenge a real Paladin." The Paladin assessed.

"That's right! I am a Force Paladin!" Mezal declared as he stabbed his trinity on the ground.

On their way here, Mezal had been reading the teachings of what a real Paladin is. Years of research together with his son Branze made them close to breaking the secrets. When Kyros found the book used by Paladins to train, he sent it to the temple. Branze and Aron studied it and pushed the limits of this divergent class to a new level. With his two sons' insights and Mezal's lifelong experience, he managed to properly wield power in a way that was even superior to Aron's form.

The group of Champions was silent and shocked at this development. So this meant that Katarax had another Champion or Earl!

"What secret do you have, Mezal?" While Ordeus was delighted at Mezal's revelation, he was very careful with his words. This is because the Olander clans sin were so many.

"The secrets I have are enough to repay for the sins of my clan."

"Oh? Then tell me. Use your Force Transmission. With the two of us communicating, these Champions may sense it but won't have the power to breakthrough."

"Your grace. You misunderstand. While I wield power to challenge a level 40 warrior, I am not level 40."

"What?! Then this power... Is a level 30?!" Not only Ordeus but the few around them were stunned.

Secretly, several Champions gave Mezal a strange glare.

Mezal was sensitive to it and knew that it was as Kyros predicted. So while he argued at Kyros not to reveal his true lineage, Kyros predicted what would happen. And the trap was also set.

"How arrogant! The Olander's survivor dares to show himself before me? Your secret can repay for your sins?! Only your death is enough." Upon realizing that Mezal was only level 30, some of the Champions took courage. The deep hatred between their kingdom and the mighty and cruel Olander clan would give this champion a lot of rewards. 

"That Trinity sword ought to have belonged to my kingdom!" The Champion Barbarian accused.

"Ha Ha Ha. Then shall we fight? I am going to die anyway. This power came at such a great cost. I wanted to have the strength to protect my sons and hoped to see them off in a safe place when I'm gone. That was the one purpose I stilled in myself!" Mezal roared.

"But this one purpose is gone? Why not go all out? Why not leave a glorious mark for everyone to remember that the Steele family weren't weak!" Mezal wielded his sword and assumed the famous Stance of the Trinity.

"Without that one purpose, I am left in hopeless circumstances! Even now, their Life Compass showed no signs of detecting them! I better abandon such foolish pursuits and kill those who killed my family. Whether they are cruel or wicked is none of my concern. You spilled the blood of my clan." Mezal laughed as his powers began to increase.

One of Kyros's most dangerous abilities was a powerful Force eruption that brought their bodies to the maximum limit. It had so much power that it was fully unleashing it would kill him. It was the power that his family mastered and used in the future which became their deaths.

And the inventor of this technique was none other than Mezal. He had learned this technique from his studies on the teachings that his shaman father-in-law gave about Force energy.

It was the power to erupt the body and create a powerful 

"[Death Stance]!"

"This power!" The Barbarian was so horrified that he took a few steps backs.

"He's crazy! He'll kill himself!" The beautiful mage riding the vacuum cleaner shouted.

"Mezal! Stop! I'll help you find your sons! Do not waste your life now! They could still be alive!" Ordeus commanded.

"Mezal. It's a waste for a Paladin like you to fall." The Paladin also stepped forward.

"There will be a day of reckoning. But make sure that your sons are alive first!" The Paladin urged.

Mezal was silent. He was so close to unleashing the Force in his body.

But in reality, he was sneering. These were the secrets he never revealed in Kyros's previous life. Kyros later learned that it must have been because his grandfather feared Fate. But now, Kyros assured Mezal that it would be safe as long as they continue to play the victim card and make a false pretense of such great desperation.

In the eyes of those Champions who despise the Olander clan, they see a dying man with an unknown ailment and no sons or possessions.

To the eyes of the other groups, they saw Mazel as a rich treasure trove.

Champion Paladin Drake Vestitude marveled at the skill known as [Death Stance]. And he desired it. This was an incredible weapon that can be used to teach non-paladins in his kingdom to now waste their deaths but use it as a means to cut down great enemies.

Champion Swordsman Watt Ordeus placed the great value at Mazel. A Force Paladin that was just as powerful as actual Paladins would be of great use to the kingdom.

Revealing these secrets would have painted a target behind his back. But Mezal's desperation made the other Champions cower in fear. Mezal attacked a Champion without worry and even wanted to use a secret and deadly technique to force his power up to kill another.

Mezal finally fell on his knees. While he didn't fully activate the skill, the backlash of the Force that he allowed to erupt within him greatly weakened and exhausted him.

While this would have been the perfect opportunity for Fate to kill Mezal, Kyros assured him that it would attack. 

Champion Watt Ordeus and Champion Drake Vestitude stood in front of him. Surprisingly, the Champion Grand Mystic, Casty Hollow also stood to the front.

"Champion Barbarian. Count this as our actions that we saved your life. If this man were to attack, you'd have died and suffered much worse than that Champion Spearmaster. He has shown great courage and might be telling the truth. I vote for all Champions to give ear to his tale. If he has the answers of who stole this kingdom, we ought to listen." Drake Vestitude warned.

"The message that Branze also sent was that those family, the Toro, the Stonefist, and the Conquistar clans were Necromancer worshipers. He didn't say kingdom. All kingdoms have their bad families, right? Isn't he doing your kingdom a favor? The more you reject the suggestion of investigating these families, the more you act suspiciously." Watt Ordeus spoke.