Chapter 34

"Mr. Ogro, your appearance on the dueling field with the Flash Step was truly impressive. However, this does not mean you can interfere with the duel at will," Gorden said with a cold smile, glancing to the side.

Ogro had intruded into the arena, and Dorn had already brought the duel witnesses and the Platinum Priests who maintained order over.

"The duel is over, and you have already won, haven't you?" Ogro said, his tone carrying the characteristic lilt of an elf. "You have already proven your honor through a sacred duel. Helin is the loser, and he must bear the consequences of his slander. However, as his teacher, I do not wish to see him pay with his life."

As Ogro spoke, he chanted a spell, and a small metal box suddenly appeared from the void, landing at Gorden's feet. "This box contains some trinkets. I hope you will accept them as an apology."

Gorden opened the box, glanced inside, and thought to himself, "No wonder he's a 9th-level mage; he is indeed generous."

He calmly put the metal box into his dimensional bag and nodded. "Helin's life is yours."

"Thank you for your mercy."

Just as Gorden and Ogro were talking, Helin, who was lying on the ground, suddenly woke up.

The humiliation and anger of his defeat twisted his mind further. The noisy crowd around him seemed like poisonous laughter, constantly eroding his remaining sanity.

"Damn it! I haven't lost; I will kill Gorden!"

Losing his mind, Helin struggled to pull out a crossbow from his robe, aimed at Gorden, and pulled the trigger.

Gorden was talking to Ogro, and his view was mostly blocked. It wasn't until the audience gasped that he noticed an arrow flying toward him.

At that moment, the statue of the Platinum Dragon Bahamut suddenly emitted a golden light.

The light, like a living thing, first knocked the flying arrow to the ground, then transformed into a chain of restraint, binding Helin.

"Lord Bahamut has shown his power!"

The first to react were the Platinum Temple priests, who immediately knelt before the statue and prayed devoutly. Other followers of Bahamut also joined in the prayers. Even those who worshiped other deities bowed to the dragon god statue in respect.

After that, almost everyone directed their anger at Helin.

"Despicable! To ambush the victor after the duel!"

"Lord Bahamut has already punished him!"

"It seems that the rumors about Gorden's magic shop selling inferior potions were indeed false."

"Of course, Helin, a man more despicable than a fiend, cannot be trusted with a single word."

The murmurs of the crowd reached Gorden's ears. The victory in the duel, combined with the unexpected display of Bahamut's divine power, had completely destroyed Helin. His reputation was in ruins, and the rumors against Gorden were debunked.

Ogro looked at his student, shook his head, and wore a face full of disappointment. "Helin, from the day you became my student, I taught you to be honest and to have a sense of honor. But you have completely thrown these things away. From now on, I have no relation to you."

Gorden knew that Helin was finished. He not only lost the duel and his reputation but also lost his teacher. This former 3rd-level mage and city elite was now in a bottomless pit, likely never to recover.

However, the blows to Helin were not over yet.

The Platinum Temple priests, accompanied by four Temple Guardians, surrounded the severely injured Helin.

"Magus Helin, how do you explain your attack on Magus Gorden after the duel?" The priest cast a spell to heal Helin's severe injuries, stabilizing his condition, and then asked sternly.

Ferelden, with the Platinum Church as the state religion, revered the just and fair priests of Bahamut, who had law enforcement powers in many places, including Azurewater City.

Helin, facing the questioning, opened his mouth, his face ashen like spoiled milk, but he could not utter a word.

"Violating the rules of the duel will result in the loss of citizenship and ten years of hard labor," the priest's words pushed Helin further into despair.

Changing his tone, the priest continued, "However, as a mage, you have special privileges. If you gain Mr. Gorden's forgiveness, you can be exempt from punishment."

Losing citizenship meant he could not join any professional guild, find any legal job, and without a special pardon, he could not even enter the city. Ten years of hard labor would be a nightmare for a mage, likely preventing him from advancing in magic.

Helin gritted his teeth, struggled to stand, and bowed deeply to Gorden. With a hoarse voice, he said, "I sincerely apologize for all my hostile actions in the past. Please forgive me for the evil thoughts that arose from my twisted and despicable nature."

Gorden could even hear the sound of Helin's teeth grinding, imagining how difficult it was for him to say these words and how short of breath he was.

He felt an immense sense of satisfaction.

"I accept your verbal apology," Gorden said calmly, "but words alone cannot compensate for my losses."

"I understand." Despite his heart bleeding, Helin still trembled as he handed his dimensional bag to Gorden. "The password is 'miso-la-wuno.' I hope these things can appease your anger."

Gorden took the dimensional bag without hesitation, paying no attention to Helin's twitching lips and ashen face.

Mages generally kept their most valuable and expensive items in their dimensional bags. By taking the bag, Gorden had effectively taken most of Helin's possessions. He opened the bag, checked it, and suddenly raised an eyebrow, taking out a book.

*Dasong's Notes on Evocation Spells*.

Gorden caressed the textured leather cover, feeling a sense of recovery. He waved the book in front of Helin. "Now, do you know who the winner and who the loser is?"

"Loser... Loser... Loser..."

The three glaring words echoed in Helin's mind. He never thought that he, who once considered himself the winner and used the term "loser" to humiliate Gorden, would end up being the one to suffer. Helin spat out another mouthful of blood, overwhelmed by anger and frustration, and fainted on the ground.

"This..." The Platinum Priest looked troubled at the sight of Helin fainting again.

"I have reached an understanding with Magus Helin. You can take him to the temple for treatment. I believe this mage still has enough gold to pay for the divine spells," Gorden said, giving Helin a pitying look.

Even if the punishment was waived, it would not change the fact that Helin had completely failed.

Gorden ended the duel in complete victory. He and Dorn, Jack the Priest, and Duro, who had arrived late due to business, agreed to celebrate the victory. Gorden originally wanted to invite the Holy Warrior Reina, who had helped him greatly, but found that she had quietly left at some point.

The adventurers and citizens had witnessed a spectacular magical duel, which would provide them with plenty of conversation material to pass the long and boring winter nights by the warm fireplace.

The only one dissatisfied was probably Dengville Ritter.

When he saw Helin being defeated by Gorden's Storm of Flying Daggers, he ordered the driver to leave the Platinum Square.

The luxury carriage reserved for the eldest son of the Ritter family stopped at a secluded riverbank by the Azurewater River.

"Damn it! Damn it! That cursed Gorden Freeman, the guy who should be cursed by the gods, why did he win again this time?" Dengville drew his noble rapier and vented his anger on a poor willow tree.

The driver hid in the distance, silent, afraid of becoming the target of the young master's anger.

It seemed that both the father and son of the Ritter family had the habit of damaging items to vent their anger.

The leaves cut by the blade drifted in the wind, and Dengville, looking at the scattered leaves, was stunned for a moment before finally calming down.

"Helin has failed, lost his reputation, status, and wealth, and even been expelled by his teacher. He has become a pariah, unable to survive independently in Azurewater City. But he is still a 6th-level mage, and his hatred for Gorden will only burn more fiercely. If I offer him a helping hand at the right time, he might become a useful talent for the Ritter family, or rather, a cannon fodder. However, the Three Saints Baptist Church is about to launch a major operation, so I must be cautious to avoid any unforeseen complications."

Just as Dengville was about to leave, a bloodstained servant on horseback galloped over.

"What's going on?"

The servant dismounted, ran to Dengville, and said in a panic, "Young master, an important guest has arrived, and your father has ordered you to return immediately!"

"Who is the guest? And what happened to you?" Dengville frowned, the blood and smell on the servant's clothes making him feel nauseous.

The rider seemed to recall the most terrifying nightmare from the depths of his soul, shivering and stammering, "Y... Young master, the blood on me is the gardener Anderson's. When the guest entered the garden, Anderson was trimming a moon-green vine. He glanced at the guest, and... and Anderson's head was suddenly cut off! I... I... was right next to him, and I was instantly covered in Anderson's blood. I was so scared, my mind went blank. The guest ordered me to inform you, so I didn't even change my clothes and rushed over."

"Is the guest a beautiful red-haired woman with a mole on her chin?"

"Indeed, she is a red-haired beauty; otherwise, Anderson wouldn't have stared at her chest, leading to his misfortune... But I was too scared to notice if she had a mole on her chin."

Dengville nodded. "It seems there's no mistake. It's her, the sister of the necromancer Mendoza, the madwoman who worships the goddess of pain."

The arrival of this key member of the Three Saints Baptist Church made Dengville feel both fear and excitement. "Gorden, your time is up!"

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