Chapter 304: The Elegy of Night Watch
Translator: Kris_Liu Editor: Vermillion
In an ordinary-looking house in Purple Lily, Aalto.
Leaning against an old wardrobe, Clown took out a tube of potion from his robe and drank it with his left hand—the one that he was left with.
Clown had lost part of his right body, so right now he was even having a hard time breathing, and the only thing that was supporting his life was the strong willpower of a grand knight. After arriving at the secret hiding place, Clown was totally exhausted, and he was not even able to take a few more steps to go down into the secret chamber.
The divine potion helped Clown"s guts and flesh to start growing, but as soon as the newly-grown flesh touched the cut, it shrank and withered, as if an invisible wall was preventing it from growing further.
Clown could feel that he was losing life force very fast. He wondered if he was going to die there. It was his first time seeing how powerful and terrifying the top Blessing could be.
At this time, he heard footsteps from the other side of the door. Clown opened his eyes with great effort. He knew it was the night watchers.
When the door opened, Clown was a bit surprised to see Juliana, as well as Lend and Minsk, who were not carrying the mission this time.
Seeing his partners, hope started rising in Clown"s chest. He tried his very best to talk to them, "Not me… Professor… did it."
Clown thought that he was being very careful, but he still ended up in Professor"s trap. But what tortured him the most was that he still had no idea what was Professor"s purpose!
Why?! Why did Professor do all of these?!
The miserable situation made Juliana"s eyes turn red with tears, "I know… I know… Professor did all of these. You"d never kill Lucien Evans right in front of the princess. I"m here… Let me cure you!"
Although Clown did something about catching Lucien Evans right in front of Natasha, what happened right now made the words he said rather ironic.
When Lend heard what Juliana said, although his face always looked very serious, he frowned his eyebrows. He knew that very unlikely Juliana"s divine power would work, but he was also praying for a miracle.
As a battle priest, Juliana was used to using divine power to cure people. However, neither her own power nor the divine items worked. The cut absorbed all the divine light like an endless pit.
"Captain Lend…" Juliana almost burst into tears. Lend was close to senior level, and if there was nothing that Lend could do here, Clown was going to die very soon.
Lend took a deep breath to calm himself down. Then, he lifted his long sword and his body was covered with a layer of peaceful light. The light thus extended the sword, together with the black mist from his black gloves.
Lend shouted and then hacked toward the horrible cut on Clown"s right side, as if he was trying to chop off the endless pit connected to the cut.
His Elimination Blessing could make any supernatural power that did not belong to the real G.o.d become invalid!
Air was stirred from the hacking, but nothing changed.
Lend did not want to give up. He tried again and caused a strong wind blow, but Clown"s flesh still could not grow any further.
"It"s okay… Unless you"re… a radiant knight, you can"t…" The craziness and fury in Clown"s eyes had disappeared. Right now his black eyes behind the ridiculous-looking mask looked rather calm.
"No…" Juliana cried.
She had followed Clown for more than seven years and was saved by Clown many times. When facing evil, the captain was always the team"s strongest support. Although many night watchers described Clown as crazy and crooked, she completely trusted him.
So far, they had encountered Professor twice, but the whole team was already almost gone.
Clown murmured in an obsessive way, "Not me… Professor… did it."
"I know… Captain, I know…" Juliana hurriedly nodded. "I told the leaders of the Inquisition that we needed to hurry, but they spent too much time on discussing what Professor"s true purpose was and if this was Professor"s trick to lure us away from the base, or we could have caught him!"
Facing the great pressure from the n.o.bles, the Church became hesitant.
Lend was not in the team chasing after Professor. He met Juliana when looking for Clown after hearing what happened.
Lend told Clown the latest information, and his voice was cold, "Morning Star"s dead. Professor killed him. "The end of the betrayer"… Professor left the words."
Right now, if he could catch Professor, Lend would tear him into pieces.
"I see…" Clown"s anger started burning again, and he said with great effort, "The Church"s corrupted… and too timid. If it was like before… there would be no way… for Professor… to toy with us like… like a cat playing with mice… twice!"
"Lots of them in the Church have lost their faith." Minsk was so furious that his body was covered with a thick layer of flames, "They bend their knees in front of the n.o.bles and the darkness!"
Clown started to get hyper, and he talked in a more fluent way out of his unusual mood, "Although I killed many innocent people when I first awakened my Blessing and lost my mind, after being touched by… by the dervish"s words, I"ve devoted my heart and soul to the G.o.d of Truth! For no second… did I ever forget my oath! I live in darkness… to fight against darkness! I don"t care how other people see me… ruthless… or crazy, I do not regret it. I did all of these to drive away darkness!"
Clown gasped hard. He had used up all his strength. His breathing started getting very weak and short. Looking at Lend, Juliana, and Minsk, Clown said, "Don"t forget… our oath. Don"t let off… Professor…"
"We won"t..." answered Juliana with tears but in a determined way.
Lend crossed in front of his chest and started making the vow of the Night Watch in front of Clown,
"Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall keep watch over the darkness and abandon my all. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the opposite of darkness, the mortal enemy against evil. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that pierces the darkness. I pledge my life and honor to G.o.d to be the keeper of the light, for this night and all the nights to come."
Juliana and Minsk repeated with tears, "…I pledge my life and honor to G.o.d to be the keeper of the light, for this night and all the nights to come."
Clown reached out his left hand with great difficulty. With the hand shaking, he crossed in front of his chest, "… I pledge… my life and honor… to… to G.o.d… to be … the keeper… of the light… for this night… and all… all the nights to… come."
Clown"s voice became lower and lower. His eyes slowly closed, and he could not see clearly anymore.
At this time, with his blurry consciousness, Clown heard footsteps!
Lend was the first to turn around and was shocked, "Lord Amelton!"
The female red-robed cardinal was wearing a unique-shaped biretta. She had long, black hair, and her beautiful face and eyes looked full of mercy.
"Lord Amelton!" Minsk and Juliana were also shocked to see the top leader of the Inquisition—Vila Amelton.
Was she there to catch Clown?
Would she also punish them?
However, Amelton quickly walked toward Clown and checked him using divine power. After a while, she said, "I"m here late. Clown"s soul has been cut off by the Sword of Truth."
As she was saying, the white light in her hand slowly closed the horrible cut, but Clown"s flesh never grew back again. His life force had been exhausted.
"Lord Amelton?" Lend noticed the different tone from the cardinal. It seemed that she was not here to take Clown.
Amelton looked at them and said seriously, "The n.o.bles have forgotten what the Lord"s given them. The Church is being timid and they have lost the glory. I believe that you all know what I am talking about."
Although feeling exactly the same way, Lend and the rest of the night watchers still didn"t dare to show direct agreement in front of the highest leader of the Inquisition.
Amelton turned to Clown, "You"re the most loyal guard of the Lord. On behalf of the rest of us who are discontented with the situation, I show my great respect to you. No matter if it"s on the ground, or in Mountain Paradise, we"re always with you. The Lord"s glory will be with you. You shall never be alone."
Clown could not speak, but his heart was full of ecstasy.
"Lord Amelton, you"re one of those who is discontented with the situation?" Lend asked very cautiously.
Amelton stood up and looked at them with mercy, "Yes, will you join us?"
Thinking of what happened and what was going on right now, and thinking of the glory they once had, Lend, Juliana, and Minsk crossed in front of their chest, "Only truth lives forever. We guard the Lord"s glory with our life."
Clown"s consciousness went completely faint as if he had fallen into a dream from which he could never awaken. He knew that death had arrived.
The last second before Clown"s consciousness was gone, in his dream, he saw a silver-haired man wearing a red s.h.i.+rt and black coat. Holding a gla.s.s of wine in his hand, the man had a mysterious smile on his face.
"He"s trying…"