25 Chapter 24: Revelation (6)

Juda did not harbor much in the way of expectation when he had first agreed to give Sophia leniency, rather, he did it to avoid confrontation. The both of them were First-Tier Knights and mankind's foremost units to combat the denizens of the Black Fog. 

To lose even one was a loss difficult to measure as it took talent to reach the peak. 

A single First Tier Knight could rival the strength of hundreds of lower tiers, and significantly fewer as the tiers increased. Nevertheless, a single First Tier Knight would still require at least a dozen Second-Tier Knights and a retinue of Third-Tier Knights as support to subdue. 

It would have been easier if the intent was to kill, but there were no enemies here between the Capital Knights and Royal Guard, and Noble Everbright- just grudging differences in opinion. 

Of course, this culminated in a bitter skepticism when Juda first laid eyes on the young man Sophia presented as the solution to Blight. 

From first glance, the man looked too young. If not for his height and build, Juda would question whether Sophia was putting her hopes on a child who knew no better. 

However, Juda had no choice but to admit that the child's bearings did not suit the etiquette of a border resident. A Noble? But which family? 

Vultures were eyeing Everbright's weakened position, and if the young man were from any of them, Sophia would never have been so accommodating or dare Juda say eager. It was like the dark clouds and gloomy tundra surrounding Sophia and reflected in her sword had abated back to the serenity she had carried in her heydays. 

…all this because of a boy? 

Was this all a ruse to throw him off?

Juda held his thoughts to himself and crossed his arms. 

He'd been invited to wait by Duke Everbright's bedside while Sophia had left to bring in the young man. 

The other retinue of Knights Juda had brought along were told to stay at another accommodation, as their standing was not enough to intrude in the Duke's bedchamber. 

Speaking of the Duke, Juda had no choice but to knit his brow in frustration. 

The Duke's complexion was pale, but not yet ghastly. And the spread of the black tendrils of the Blighted surrounding the Darkstar were still retracted rather than branching. 

How could this possibly be in a terminal condition?

Juda's expression twisted, a frown marring his face as he grimaced. 

It was clearly still in the early stage to mid stages. 

The healers had obviously misreported the Duke's condition. The Blight wasn't yet at a terminal stage!

Which meant the urgency of the march Juda had set, and the resources the capital had invested to fund the task were for nothing. 

Politically, Juda could only attribute that the healers had been bribed to weaken Everbright's position further, but as it was now, Juda felt it would be okay to give Sophia her time. 

Securing the Duke was no longer as urgent given the condition Juda could see. More importantly, he would have to file a personal complaint to the healer's society who dispatched corrupt healers in a position where they were sworn by oath to do their utmost for their fellow man. 

When Sophia brought the young man into the room, Judas subtly expressed his disapproval when the two made eye contact. 

Neither Knight spoke to the other, as no words said would prove each other right or wrong. All First-Tier Knights came with their own unique personality traits, whether it was cold Sophia and her stubbornness, or devote Juda the loyal, it was all the same. 

Juda knew he could not convince Sophia once her mind was set on something, so he had no choice but to oblige and wait for her desperate attempt to keep Duke Everbright to fail before saying anything. 

At least, that was what Juda was thinking at the start. 

When white light began to emit from the young man's palms, Juda's thoughts momentarily ground to a halt. 

He didn't know how to describe it. If one could visualize their happiest memory and bath it in radiant light, that would be it. Something warm and inviting that naturally lifted fatigue and unease as if it had never existed. 

Juda did not know how long he spent in a period of reminiscence, but it hardly mattered when his honed senses as a First-Tier Knight sensed the changes on Duke Everbright's body. 

Juda wasn't the only one. 

Sophia withheld the impulse to channel her mana into Noah again. Despite increasing the potency of Noah's healing, the strain wasn't something Noah could handle at his current level. She feared that if she pushed him too far again, he'd refuse to do the treatment, and this was before considering Leah and John's response.

Gripping onto her forearms, Sophia pursed her lips and stood in place. 

The light spread awash over Duke Everbright, the tendrils of the Blight recoiling and gradually receding back into the mark of the Dark Star bit by bit. 

In contrast, sweat built up over Noah's brow until he creased his forehead and soon reached his limit. 

The light stopped, and the Duke's Blighted condition had regressed further. A few more treatments, and a full cure was entirely conceivable. Moreover, it wasn't just Blight that the light was curing. Rather, the Duke's pale complexion was growing flush, and his feebleness was reverting to a prior state of health. 

Given Noah's young age, and that gemstones naturally grew in power as they matured, Juda found his mouth drying at the implication made more complicated at Sophia's next admission.  

"He can also absorb mana like the Lamberts." Sophia murmured. "The healing becomes more potent and doesn't differentiate. My old injuries have healed Juda. You won't find me favoring my left side in battle anymore." 

Juda stared stiffly at Sophia, the question blatant in his eyes. 

Sophia could only nod before an exhausted Noah did something out of Sophia's expectations. 

Noah moved to stand in front of Judas, facial features rife with mental exhaustion but filled with resolve. 

He asked a single question. 

"Shall we make a wager?"