Chapter 264: Who’s Being Used?

Gideon had expected Cassian to offer a humble explanation and promise not to mistreat the beautiful female Angels under his command. That would give him a way to end the matter gracefully.

He could then show his generosity by letting it go.

The Crown Champions were tense. Mount Celestia was powerful, and now its commander was publicly calling Cassian to account. They cursed Malcolm while waiting anxiously for the answer.

Cassian’s reply was calm.

[Cassian Vale: Explain what? Are you an idiot?]

[Cassian Vale: You’re Mount Celestia’s commander, and a few words are enough to lead you around by the nose? Can’t you see they’re using you to do their dirty work?]

The Homeworld Lords went silent for a moment. Then their Channels erupted.

That was how to answer him!

Beside Cassian, the Council’s groveling looked even more disgusting. Even many Lords from Western Beacon and the Black Banner could not help admiring him.

Some of the female Lords were particularly enthusiastic.

[That’s a real man. Much better than the cowards in Western Beacon who only know how to scheme.]

[If I give up my Black Banner nationality and join the Crown, could I become Cassian’s girlfriend?]

[Keep dreaming. Alexei of Divine Province is my older brother. I’ll have him introduce me to Cassian after the Legion Contest!]

The men reading those messages looked decidedly unhappy.

Gideon had never imagined someone would call him brainless in front of everyone.

[Gideon: You... How dare you be so rude!]

[Cassian Vale: Anyone who knows me knows I act as I please. I don’t give a damn about their "greater good." Malcolm knew that, yet he still sent you to provoke me. What did he expect, except for me to insult you? Do I really need to spell it out?]

Cassian had once talked Faerie Dragons into joining him. He was hardly going to lose an argument to these people.

He did not fear Mount Celestia, but he had no intention of letting Malcolm’s scheme succeed either. He might as well lay the whole thing bare.

Malcolm felt a chill.

[Malcolm: Lord Gideon, that isn’t what I meant! I was only reporting—]

[Gideon: Shut up!]

Gideon had finally understood. Cassian’s response had also made it clear that pressing him would only earn more insults.

Malcolm was a much easier target.

[Gideon: You had better give me a convincing explanation.]

Malcolm’s face went ashen. He already had Mount Celestia’s support. Why had he insisted on creating more trouble?

He had done this to himself.

Azrak and Vespera fell silent. Zareth, however, offered his admiration openly.

[Zareth: A fitting answer from the First Champion. You have spirit, Lord Cassian. I like it.]

A few sentences had exposed Malcolm’s scheme and turned it back on him. The First Legion’s leaders were delighted.

"That’s our boss," Rowan said admiringly. "Next to that, all my clever talk is just a few cheap tricks."

"That was impressive." Darian, who enjoyed being the center of attention himself, looked almost envious. "I’m strong too. Why don’t I sound that commanding? What am I missing?"

Lana shook her head in wonder.

"No wonder Lord Cassian rose through all that opposition to lead Divine Province. That confidence alone puts him above most people."

Cassian only smiled.

He had looked at the situation and chosen the best response. The Golden Statuette made it easy to play the part convincingly.

Of course, although Malcolm had managed to offend everyone, Cassian knew he had thoroughly offended Gideon too.

The interruption soon passed. Mount Celestia’s attack on the Winged Folk began.

It did not last long.

For all their threats, the Winged Folk could not bring themselves to fight to the death. After holding back the Angel army for an hour, their Lords withdrew from the contest one after another.

Their commander left one final message.

[Winged Folk Commander: Our Five Elements Temple was twenty percent complete.]

That gave Mount Celestia’s rivals a way to estimate what Gideon had gained. Even in defeat, the commander wanted to cause him some trouble.

Gideon chose to appear generous. He posted an image of his own Temple.

[Gideon: No need to guess. Here is Mount Celestia’s World Wonder.]

The responses came immediately.

[Fifty-eight percent!]

[The farther you progress, the harder each increase becomes. Mount Celestia has already passed fifty percent!]

[I thought you were at roughly forty. I’d never have guessed without that picture.]

[You kept that well hidden, Lord Gideon.]

The Logician commander joined in.

[Logician Commander: Your defenses are just as impressive as your offense. Several of our scouts had barely passed through a Spatial Vortex when a powerful Angel killed them. Those were Legendary troops. That Angel must have been at least Legendary Five-Star.]

Gideon paused.

Mount Celestia did have several Angel units of that strength. He had not sent any of them to guard the vortices, though.

Perhaps one of his Lords’ troops had happened to pass by and dealt with the scouts.

He did not investigate. The praise was satisfying enough. At last, he had recovered some of the dignity Cassian had cost him.

[Gideon: Mount Celestia has never cared for empty fame. If those Winged Folk clowns hadn’t made such a fuss, I wouldn’t have bothered showing our progress.]

[Gideon: Unlike certain Legions, whose tongues are far more impressive than their strength.]

The target was obvious. Cassian saw the message and ignored it.

With Mount Celestia leading the way, wars broke out between Legions across Fivefold Heaven. The Crown Champions remained on high alert, expecting an attack at any moment.

Yet midnight came without an alien army appearing.

[Five Elements Temple completion has reached 90%. The ninth monster siege will begin in ten minutes. Prepare your defenses.]

Relief mingled with disbelief.

"We’ve been incredibly lucky. All those changes to the vortices, and we haven’t encountered a single powerful Legion."

"Our Temple is more than ten thousand meters high. You can see it from fifty kilometers away. It practically announces where we are."

"The Realm is looking after us!"

"I just hope this reduced version of the Temple doesn’t count for too little when the final scores are calculated."

None of them knew how tense Cassian had become when he read the Logician commander’s message.

So the Legendary troops Brigid had killed in an instant really had been Boson Warriors.

If the Logicians had discovered the Homeworld’s Temple, a bitter battle would have followed.

They were a technological race renowned throughout the Worlds, second only to the Divines in overall strength. Individually, their warriors could surpass even Angels and Demons.

The First Legion’s peaceful day had been Cassian’s doing.

Whenever the Spatial Vortices changed, Seven immediately located them. Liora then used Teleport to deliver his troops to the new positions. For those assignments, Cassian used his Legendary Nine-Star Dawnwings.

Gideon was making Mount Celestia’s strength known to everyone. If the Legions on the other side mistook Cassian’s guards for Mount Celestia’s Angels, so much the better.

The ninth monster siege was a hard fight, but the First Legion held.

Once all the newly gathered Elemental Pearls had been submitted, the Five Elements Temple reached ninety-two percent completion.

A pale glow was appearing along the horizon. Cassian frowned.

"Nine hours until settlement. At this rate, finishing the Temple will be difficult."

Unless he went on the offensive, destroyed other races’ Temples, and took their resources.

His ambition had grown with their progress. At first, he had wanted a place in the top hundred. Then the top ten. Once he learned that Mount Celestia was only at fifty-eight percent, he had set his sights on first place.

Now his own World Wonder was ninety-two percent complete.

This opportunity would come only once in his life. Leaving the Temple unfinished would be a shame.

He had never heard of a race completing its World Wonder during the Legion Contest. Would there be an additional reward?

He wanted to find out.

Just then, Gideon’s laughter rang through the Champions Channel.

[Gideon: I’ve found a Human Five Elements Temple! The Homeworld and I really are destined to meet.]

[Gideon: Judging by its height, it’s more than twenty percent complete. The First Homeworld Legion has barely a thousand people. They couldn’t have built anything like this.]

[Gideon: Where are you, Malcolm? The time has come to offer your loyalty to my Lord!]