The Witch's Curse
The Retreats

"How do we defeat the Golems?" hiss Paladin tried to think. His hands and body remained agile moving splitting the enemy's body. However, the same way would not work if you had to fight the stone monsters.

"Teacher!! Hang on!!" Exclaimed Paladin while still paddling his sword forming a sturdy defense. Not long after, a white tinge appeared on the hill, not far from where they were fighting. The spray then spreads out to form a bluish-colored ring, just like when an atomic bomb is dropped.

PUUUFFFSHHH

BLAAAR!

Surprisingly, the bluish-white ring only exploded and destroyed the black magic user.

"Aaaakkk! Siaaall!!" Witch Maxi rampaging hit by ring explosion. Its body was sturdy high and emitted a reddish-black smoke of up to 200 meters. Venn, who was next to him, fainted. His head hit the body of the Golem that was marching towards them from the forest. Jejadian wolves and swamp crocodiles burned unnoticed. The birds of hell who from earlier greedy looking for human flesh, run away exposed to the raging fireballs that hit them. This fireball is different from the Witch Maxi fireball, its scale is more powerful and can distinguish targets. Only black magic users can be killed by his attacks.

"That's Mr. Supreme Counselor!" exclaim the holy knight who was inside the magic shield.

"Everything! Get inside the magic shield!" the orders of the Supreme Advisory Lord on the remaining knight troops. Out of the ten thousand knights of the several alliance platoons, there were now only about 300 people left. They flocked into the magic shield because the enemy had been killed, but the Golems were only destroyed for a moment, some time later, they would soon come to life and reunite. The stone monster only cracked for a moment, however, it would live again if it hooked up its limbs, and so on.

"Teacher! Gather together!" Paladin's orders in the other direction. The troops on the northern side of the capital were also immediately closing ranks to be able to enter the magic shield. Once it felt safe and all the troops were already in the shield, the Great Adviser Lord who was monitoring from the top of the hill, then highlighted the shield with golden lightning.

BZZZZZZTTTT

THE PUFF!

The remaining 300 royal troops disappeared in the blink of an eye. The Supreme Adviser vanished with them.

"Bad! They're teleporting!" rutuk Great Witch Maxi was upset. However, on the other hand, he was also relieved as his army also had to be reproduced. The ferocious monsters had died, remaining Golems as well as his useless assistants.

"Wait around! I will soon destroy this continent!" smile cracks. Witch Maxi then summoned a black cloud to escort her to Cordovan Palace. The palace was deserted by its owner. The workers and knights had also been evacuated in awareness of the danger of enemy occupation that might occur. The ruler will not let his people be in danger. Witch Maxi made a black magic shield around the palace complex. Three royal palaces were being taken over by him, including the Red Palace, courtesy of Queen Cordovan.

"I'll take mine back" he hissed as he flew across the path that led him to the courtyard of the Red Palace.

Two glass doors of the palace opened to welcome his arrival, though without any servants preparing there. A quiet and gripping atmosphere poured out from behind the body of Witch Maxi, so that the walls of the palace froze and reflected reddish lights like him. In the end, Witch Maxi arrives in the middle of the inner garden of the palace, courtesy of the late Queen Jelliza.

"Oh, you're still here apparently," Maxi's pointy, sharp-edged Witch's hands, like eagle claws, circled around the mouth of the cold bokor. A reddish reflection of light gushed from inside Bokor and shone a dazzling light.

"Ha.. Ha... Ha.... Today is debt repayment day, isn't it?" his hisses to himself. Queen Cordovan finally gave up her heart. Bokor Mas is a silent witness to the life transactions that have been done by His Majesty the previous King.

'return the Queen, then, I will grant your request,'

King Cordovan said 50 years ago. Venn also agreed and made a soul-generating potion in the display of the red moon worship that had just risen in space. Queen Jelliza managed to rise from the dead, and Venn asked for the queen's heart in return. The king was angry and stabbed Venn's heart in exchange for his insolent speech. Instead of dying, Venn even resurrected the curse. Cordovan's winter, which could have ended with the birth of the crown prince, grew longer and more endless as a result of the king's renunciation of the promise.

Witch Maxi fails to rise, Venn is dying but not dead. The red moon filled his mana affinity so he was fine. However, a common grudge against the king's descendants, leads Venn and the Witch Maxi to a vengeance today. The execution of the failed continental conquest plan a thousand years ago will also be carried out today, although it is 50 years later than expected.

"Based on fucking humans!! You guys really make me angry!" Witch Maxi stared intently at Bokor Mas while recalling his past and the failure of his plans. This time, he swore, failure would no longer exist in his dictionary.

*

"Grand Counselor, are we back at the temple?" The paladin who had just set foot outside the magic shield, looked puzzled.

"Yes, we have to withdraw the troops and devise a new strategy to fight the Golems" he said, holding his head. A second later, the Great Advisor Master fainted on the spot.

"Master?! Oi! Call healer!" The paladin who had managed to capture the Great Advisor Lord immediately led him to the prayer room.

"Sir Valv, report the temple situation,"

"Temple is safe, sir. However, the condition is crowded,"

"Yes, I saw a lot of people being evacuated here, is that right? They're the capital people?"

"Yes, Mr. Paladin. They're from the capital, also the Gonovan Dukedom, and the palace people,"

"They are just victims, sir. They had nothing to do with the rebellion" Sir Valv straightened out the misunderstanding. Paladin looked to be frowning him.

"They were taken by Lady Connelly and a man named Shahrazan, apparently a stranger," Sir Valv continued later.

"Lady Connelly's? Take me to see him,"

They meet Connelly and Shahrazan to listen to the situation outside the temple. Unexpectedly, not only the capital city is ravaged but also other regions.

"Greetings, Lady Mi" Paladin greeted Connelly, who was resting in a special room for pilgrims. He was tired after walking through the forest to get to the holy temple.

"Greetings, holy knight. What's your name?"

"I'm Sir Bright, a Paladin-the supreme commander of the holy knights," Paladin explained.

"Oh, forgive me, Mr. Paladin for not recognizing you. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"If you don't mind, can you summarize the situation outside the temple? I just got back from the battlefield,"

Connelly looked surprised. He later apologized for his brother's actions and vowed that the rebellion was beyond the wishes of Gonovan's predecessors. Gonovan territory that is like a brother to the capital because of its location next to each other, certainly does not want to be the ruler of Cordovan.

Paladin tried to believe it because he also did not have the right to crack down on the rebellion. Let the King judge whether Lady Connelly is telling the truth or not. Connelly later recounted the chaotic situation outside the temple. Initially, Connelly intended to evacuate the Gonovans to the capital, but apparently, the situation there was more chaotic. He was then invited by the Grand Counselor to take refuge in the Holy Temple with survivors from the capital and the palace people. They did not teleport like the royal troops because the situation was not urgent. The Grand Counselor also saved his energy in order to provide assistance if at any time needed by the royal forces.

"Thank God then, because you'll all be safe here" Paladin said confidently. The sacred temple is protected by a magic fence that does not consume mana knights. Its existence is natural, because it is in the land of blessing that there is only one in Cordovan. Being inside the temple gate, that is, a black magic creature would not be able to penetrate through its shield. However, of course it does not apply if the one who penetrates it is human. They must be fought with human strength as well, the knights.

"I heard the Golems have risen?"

"Yes, mi lady,"

"I'm really grateful to be here with the people. The hilly structure of the Gonovan lands, must have been the birthplace of the Golems made of rock and volcanic hot lava," Connelly shuddered in horror at their condition if it was too late to save the goods for a second. The casualties would certainly be doubled since the Golems could not be defeated by ordinary knights.

"Calm down, miss. You're safe here" said Paladin, calming Connelly, who was visibly shaking.

"You okay?" ask a man who just arrived from the kitchen to get a pot of water. The man gave Connelly a drink and told her to sit down to get in better position.

"Yes, I'm fine, just surprised," he said.

"You are?" ask Paladin.

"Ah, sorry. I'm Shahrazan. I am a member of Kingdom X. And this is my partner, Azzam,"

"alright. I am Paladin, the commander here. Please rest back. We will also rest. Then, we'll excuse you," Paladin said.

*

"Is that a foreign man with Lady Connelly?" paladin asked Sir Valv when he was far enough away from the pilgrim's room.

"Yes, right, sir. What's up?"

"They look suspicious, keep an eye out," Paladin orders the commander of the 1st platoon guarding the sacred temple.

"Ready!"

*

Meanwhile, in Pollock Village, where Duke Elliot and Sir Ken search for a healer, apparently has been deserted without a single citizen left. Residents have been displaced to seek shelter in order to survive the chaos.

Duke Elliot who had lost a lot of blood, in the end, breathed his last without anyone's help. Sir Ken finally lost his master. After burying the Duke, he searched for the presence of Gonovan troops in the capital, but he did not find them. Sir Ken eventually ventures out to find Gonovan's remaining Dukedom successor, Lady Connelly, to make a knight oath to him and also inform him of the deceased Duke.

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(Connected)

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