Chapter 643: The Ambush and the Counter-ambush
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Wh-Where is Her Majesty? I’ve come from Regina with an urgent matter to report to Her Majesty!"
Benjamin nervously ran toward the outer encirclement as a few of the soldiers halted him. He then took heavy puffs while carrying such a distressed message.
The soldiers themselves were also rather astonished.
"And you’re only here now? Quick! Her Majesty has been awaiting you for long now."
The Queen didn’t seem to be aware of the conditions in Regina, and the spy She sent out had yet to return. This coincided with Benjamin’s disguise plan. Benjamin immediately snickered to himself. If he could get close to the Queen, there wouldn’t be anything to worry about.
There were only a few hundred mages from Icor. Even if these were the ever talented old monsters, the moment the "Descending of Water" struck, they wouldn’t be able to protect the Queen from Benjamin’s surprise attack.
Under the guidance of the soldier, Benjamin quickly entered the encirclement and approached the academy gates. He lifted his head and watched the attacking mages from afar. He couldn’t help but raise his brows.
These mages... were using almost only advanced-level magic!
Previously, the distance was quite far so he didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary. Now that he was nearer to the scene of the battle, he could feel the raw strength of these advanced level magic attacking power. A violent storm, a sea of flames... The elements around this area were basically at a state of chaos. The mages were in a no man’s land for almost three hundred meters. They had also specifically summoned shields to protect themselves from the aftermath of the vast, advanced-level magic.
However, a tsunami of magic blasted toward the front gates of the academy was blocked by the barrier summoned by the "defense" rune, resulting in no physical damage to the academy at all.
Benjamin was profusely in amazement.
The scenery within the academy was covered with the aftermath of these magic. Hence, he didn’t know how did the old geezers do it.
"Her Majesty the Queen is inside. Quickly, enter now."
It wasn’t long when the soldier pressed on after he brought Benjamin over to the entrance of a temporarily set up tent. Benjamin returned to his sense and quickly nodded.
He immediately entered the tent.
The light in the tent was slightly dimmed. There weren’t many of them in there. Apart from the queen who bent over her desk working, a few mages were guarding at the side. It was desolate and dreary.
Benjamin just entered when the Queen raised her head to speak. She didn’t sound too happy.
"Why are you only here now? How’s the situation like in Regina?"
Benjamin thought about it before kneeling on one knee and reporting, "Your Majesty, Regina is in a turmoil! That mage has total control over the palace, and so the officials are bowing down before him. Moreover... Moreover, he had all the mages in the ball to drink some magic potion, saying it was some cure. When I left, the mages had all fainted. There is no one that could go up against him!"
Listening to it halfway, the Queen slammed the desk with rage, before slumping into silence after listening to the entirety of the report, much like an erupting volcano.
Benjamin immediately continued, "And... And, he has completely sealed off Regina. I could only get out because that mage wanted me out. He wanted me to hand you this, saying it’s... it’s..."
"It’s what?" The queen slammed the desk angrily.
"He said... Once you’re done reading this, you’ll be hiding under the table, scared out of your pants."
The Queen laughed instead of showing rage. Her laugh was screechy. She took a deep breath, "What could be a worse piece of news? What are you hesitating for? Give it to me!"
"Yes..."
Benjamin stood up and fiddled around in his pocket with one hand while walking slowly toward the Queen.
Right at this moment, the two bodyguard mages besides the Queen was staring at Benjamin with a high alertness. They did not let down their guard. However, once the Queen was within a ten-meter radius from Benjamin, a brief incantation left his lips and, when blue ripples spread out, the bodyguard mages were too late to make a move.
"Crap! Assassin!"
The water elemental domain was initiated and a large water bubble suddenly emerged, enclosing the Queen within. It brought her to Benjamin’s side. The Queen was screaming at the top of her lungs while her guards raged. In a blink of an eye, the soldiers outside the tent were startled and immediately charged in.
The dimly lifted tent was suddenly packed.
Some of them headed toward Benjamin to save the queen. However, the gas wall formed by the water vapor retracted them back. These common mortals were unable to close in on him within ten meters.
Therefore, they could only form an encirclement and glared at Benjamin nervously. At the same time, more and more mages were amassing here as well.
"Your Majesty. Long time no see, are you happy with this surprise?"
Benjamin was surrounded by endless people, yet he showed no fear. He didn’t even look out, instead, he turned around and looked at the queen trapped in the water bubble.
However, the moment he turned, he suddenly felt something was amiss.
Hold on a minute...
"Careful! This is only a substitute, she is not the real Queen!" The System warned in his head, confirming Benjamin’s itching suspicions.
In reality, the "Queen" in the water bubble stared coldly at Benjamin. She suddenly let out a smile.
"We already it is you. You’re tricked."
At that moment, she suddenly loosened her outer robe, revealing a firepower densely packed all over her. Enough to leave one’s hair standing. There was a fuse on the explosives, sizzling with a spark.
This struck a nerve in Benjamin.
He didn’t have time to think whatsoever. He tightened the fist of his right hand to swap the water bubble to a water ball in order to extinguish the spark before it led to an explosion.
However...
Boom!
A thunderous noise was heard and the entire picture freeze-framed on the substitute’s smiling face. next, the entire world trembled as all of them threw themselves to the ground, subconsciously shutting their eyes.
Dust and sand curtained the skies and covered the light. The brilliance of magic disappeared... Such a startling disturbance that even the attack at the gates took a halt. The group of invading mages rushed towards the tent.
"Is it a success? Is that fellow dead yet? What about Her Majesty? Is Her Majesty alright?"
After a brief moment, the soldiers who were plunged to the ground at the outer encirclement stood up and patted the dust off them.
"Did we succeed?"
Within the heavily guarded soldiers, the real Queen walked out. She took a deep breath and stared at the huge pit caused by the explosion with much joy.
However, Benjamin’s voice once again pierced through the smoky rubble.
"Nope."
It was like a demon’s voice from the depths of hell. It was a complete silence within a few hundred-meter radius.
The Queen’s face darkened.
Violent winds then followed, blowing away the rubble from the explosion. With the sound of boots rubbing against the ground, Benjamin took steady steps and his figure re-emerged into everyone’s eyes.
Different from the disheveled soldiers, Benjamin was spotless. It was as though the earlier explosion was but a hallucination.
Standing in the deep pit, he faced the dumbfounded gazes of many. He raised his chin and looked at the Queen, with such indifferent eyes that were almost frivolous.
All of them subconsciously took a step back.
"Ho-How could this be..."
At that moment, they coincidently gasped together. The voices, coming together, became the clearest cacophony within the entire crowd.