193 The Lightning Rod Betrayal
Felicia moved like a phantom, her sword whipping through the air as she cut off their retreat.
From above—
Hugo let loose a volley of knives and arrows, striking down three n instantly.
"What—?!"
Godfrey's expression twisted in horror as he realized—
They were surrounded.
William casually stretched his shoulders, stepping forward with a lazy smile.
"Now then—"
His golden eyes glead in the moonlight.
"Shall we begin?"
Colin swallowed hard.
The air was still thick with the scent of scorched flesh, and the charred remnants of Godfrey's n smoldered in the snow.
He had seen countless deaths in his life.
But few had been as instant and absolute as this.
The mont he activated the spell, he had been certain—absolutely certain—that his so-called 'allies' were far beyond the blast radius.
And yet—
Their ashes were now staining his boots.
William watched him in silence, golden eyes flickering with cold amusent.
"You look like you've seen a ghost, Colin."
Colin flinched, his thoughts racing.
This man...
No, this boy—
He had known everything from the start.
Godfrey had walked into a trap.
And so had he.
"You knew it would happen, didn't you?" he blurted.
"I knew you would try sothing," William replied casually, kicking at the burnt remains of Godfrey's sword.
"But I didn't expect you to betray your employer before even finishing the job. That was... surprising."
Colin's lips trembled, but he quickly forced himself to smile.
"Well, as you said, my lord... I chose the winning side."
William's smirk widened.
"Did you?"
Colin's heart skipped a beat.
William gestured with two fingers—and instantly, Felicia pressed her blade against Colin's throat.
"Tell , Colin." William's voice was smooth, almost amused.
"Why should I let a man who so easily betrayed his forr master breathe a second longer?"
"B-Because—!"
The blade pressed deeper, drawing a thin line of blood.
Colin froze, his breath shallow.
He wasn't naive.
He knew exactly the kind of man standing before him.
William wasn't so righteous hero who would spare him out of honor.
This was a man who played the long ga.
A man who killed with ease and efficiency.
And right now, Colin was no longer necessary.
"I have sothing valuable." Colin blurted out.
William raised a brow.
"Do you?"
"I—"
Colin swallowed his pride. There was no other way.
"I know the inner workings of the Calix family. Their assets. Their hidden vaults. Even their remaining military reserves."
William tapped his fingers together, considering.
Colin pressed on, his voice steadier now.
"And... I know their last contingency plan."
That got a reaction.
William's eyes narrowed.
"Go on."
Colin licked his lips, gathering his thoughts.
"The Calix family has one last move left. A final gamble."
"A gamble?"
"Yes. A desperate, reckless one—but a gamble nonetheless."
Felicia's sword did not move.
But William leaned forward, intrigued.
"Tell ."
Colin took a deep breath, steadying himself.
"They don't plan to fight you head-on, my lord."
"Then what do they plan?"
Colin's smile returned, his usual confidence seeping back in.
"Calix doesn't want to defeat you on the battlefield, Lord William."
His next words hung in the freezing air like a death sentence.
"They want to erase your very existence."
William's smile disappeared.
"You understand now, don't you? You never did any favors. You're nothing more than an uninvited guest who betrayed at your own convenience."
William's voice was cold, his words cutting through the air like a blade. Colin nodded, acknowledging the accusation without protest.
The magic he had just used was sothing he had painstakingly prepared over a long period—an ability that could only be unleashed once. If it had failed, he would have been defenseless, unable to resist what ca next. But with the protective scrolls William had at his disposal, Colin's betrayal had ultimately changed nothing. The outco of the battle would have remained the sa.
"I understand," Colin said calmly. "Then, as nothing more than a wandering outsider, may I at least offer a final request to Your Grace?"
"Speak."
"Take in."
"...?"
William blinked. The words were so out of place that, for a mont, he wasn't sure he had heard correctly.
Take him in? Out of nowhere, this man who had just betrayed his forr allies was now asking to serve under him?
"You're not seriously saying you want to enlist under , are you?"
"I am. I want to work for you, Your Grace."
William scoffed, a short, incredulous laugh escaping his lips before he could stop himself. It wasn't even a conscious reaction—just sheer disbelief spilling out.
"Do you even know who I serve?" he asked.
"You are loyal to the Imperial Family."
"And the Imperial Family executes mages on sight," William pointed out. "Why in the world would I take the risk of harboring you and branding myself a traitor? More importantly—"
His finger casually pointed toward the spot where lightning had struck just monts ago. The bodies, charred beyond recognition, still smoldered on the ground.
"With those n dead, I now have to prove my innocence. And the best way to do that would be to turn you in."
If it had been Calix in his position, he might have been able to spin the story differently. He could have feigned ignorance, claid that the n had simply been struck down by the heavens. But William had already aligned himself with the Imperial Family, and the mont the court mages examined the battlefield, any fabricated excuse would crumble under scrutiny.
"So tell ," William continued, his voice sharp and demanding, "why should I throw away every advantage I have just to keep you around? What possible reason could you have for thinking I'd agree to this?"
Logic dictated that no sane mage would approach William.
Everything he had done up until now had been in unwavering service to the Emperor. His every action scread loyalty to the throne. If a mage had even a shred of sense, they would flee at the re sight of him, not willingly step into his shadow.
Colin exhaled, his gaze steady despite the weight of suspicion pressing down on him.
"Because of a prophecy."
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