Chapter 20

"Welcome, Sir Alfred," Elizabeth greeted with a gentle smile, stepping aside to allow him into the tower. Alfred gave his greetings to the Witch and entered the tower. As he walked past Elizabeth, a sweet and refreshing perfume wafted into his senses, causing his heart to race and his face to flush. He felt an undeniable attraction towards Elizabeth Ashcroft that made him nervous. He thought he would rather face any dragon in battle at that moment than confront his feelings for her.

Nevertheless, Alfred tried to compose himself and engage in conversation. "Lady Elizabeth, your presence brings a certain radiance to this tower," he complimented, his voice slightly trembling. Elizabeth's eyes sparkled as she thanked him, appreciating his kind words. She looked at Alfred with interest, like an owner looking at a puppy, trying to stifle a giggle that was emerging.

"Hello, Sir Alfred, what brings you here today? I thought the battle with the goblins was ongoing," Elizabeth asked. Alfred realized he had forgotten about his mission, turned red, and quickly regained control over his emotions.

"Lady Elizabeth, I am here as a representative of the knights to seek your advice and knowledge regarding the transformed goblin king. It seems that there is some unknown power beyond my knights and me," Alfred explained.

"I have heard the news, Sir Alfred, that the goblin king was killed twice, once by Knight Aella and another time by Knight Harold," Elizabeth said with a pause. "But both times, the dead goblin was revived. There were black tendrils that emerged from his body to repair the damage."

Alfred nods, his brow furrowed in concern. "Indeed, Lady Elizabeth, your sources of information have spoken the truth. Those black tendrils seem to possess an eerie magic, unlike anything we've encountered before. Our attempts to vanquish the goblin king have proven futile. We need a different approach." "Do you have any thoughts as to what these tendrils are and how can we fight it?"

Elizabeth glanced at Alfred with an intriguing gaze, her voice filled with fascination. "I have delved into the forbidden pages of an ancient tome long ago when I was still an apprentice," she replies, her words echoing through the brightly lit tower. "The cryptic text within, though partially deciphered, speaks of abominable beings akin to those your valiant knights have faced." She paused as if summoning the courage to proceed. "These undead monstrosities are but puppets, molded by their master's vile hand, bestowed with unholy powers to carry out their master's every command."

"The name of their master was not written in the ancient tome; I suspect it was to keep the name a secret," Elizabeth pauses. "But I have my theories. I guess that it must be one of the greater demons, a being of such immense power that it can bestow its essence upon any creature, granting them unholy abilities." Elizabeth's eyes gleamed with a mix of awe and fascination as if she had stumbled upon forbidden knowledge.

"Is there any information written in that ancient book on how to vanquish these undead creatures that have been empowered by the demon?" Alfred asked, his voice quivering with concern.

"There is nothing of that sort written, or if there were, I have not been able to decrypt it when I read it in my younger days. Anyway, the book was lost when my master passed away. I was hoping she would leave the tome to me," Elizabeth said, disappointment etched on her face as she mentioned the ancient book's loss. Elizabeth's master was a grandmaster wizard that almost blew all the kingdoms apart. His death was a mystery too."

"The tendrils are formed from the essence of demonic power. Once given that essence, the power source will create a core inside its host body. From there, the demonic power will take on a physical form, usually in the shape of tendrils. This was also written in the book. However, because the goblin king managed to revive himself even after his head was severed, there must be some sort of equivalent exchange," Elizabeth continued, her gaze shifting towards Alfred. As her words hung in the air, a chilling darkness seemed to settle over her.

"To bring back the undead, there must always be a price to pay. Nothing in this world comes for free; it is the unyielding law of our existence," she muttered, her voice laced with an unsettling tone. "I wonder does the goblin king knows that there is a price to pay".

"What would be the price?" Alfred asked out of curiosity. Elizabeth laughed and replied, "Well, normally it is the creature's soul, but in this case, I would imagine it would be something extra, like being enslaved for generations to come."

Alfred gazed at the witch, uncertain of what else to inquire. If there were no means to halt the goblin king's recovery, his knights would continue to sustain injuries until their bodies succumbed to exhaustion. "Lady Elizabeth, what course of action can we take? If the goblin king can be killed, then there may still be hope for our kingdom."

With a sly grin, Lady Elizabeth responded, "I never said that the goblin king cannot be killed, Sir Alfred. However, it will not be an easy task. He possesses dark magic that shields him from ordinary weapons and conventional attacks. His body is capable of self-repair, thanks to the dark magic coursing through his veins. To counter his demonic essence, you will need a high priest to join you in battle and cast powerful anti-demon spells."

Alfred's heart raced as he contemplated Lady Elizabeth's words. He knew that the witch was no ordinary black mage; her mastery of both black and white magic was unparalleled. There were already speculations that her white magic surpassed even the high priest himself. The man closest to the gods having his power challenged by a witch created a deep rift between Yosnad and Sanctavia. King Borosik had ignored the envoys sent by the high priest, refusing to meet the witch, further making worst the misunderstanding.

"Are you joining us in battle, Lady Elizabeth?" Alfred asked, his voice filled with both surprise and anticipation. He had heard countless stories about the Witch tearing through legendary monsters with her powerful magic, but he had never witnessed her actual battles. If Lady Elizabeth were to join their ranks, the chances of failing to kill the goblin king would be rendered non-existent.

The witch glanced at Alfred, an amused glimmer in her eyes. "You have misunderstood," she said, her voice laced with an eerie calmness. "I will not be going into battles. That is the duty of you and your knights—to defend our castle and save damsels."

Alfred's heart sank slightly, but he maintained his composure, eager to understand the witch's intentions. "But how can we succeed without your formidable magic? Your spells could turn the tide in our favor."

A sweet smile curled on Lady Elizabeth's lips as she slowly approached Alfred, her presence exuding an unnerving. "Fear not, Sir Alfred," she whispered, her voice carrying an eerie echo. "I will bestow upon you two spells that shall aid you in your mission." Her finger traced a swift sign in the air, and the space near her hand split open, revealing a void. The Witch extended her arm into the hole and retrieved two scrolls. She handed them over to Alfred, her eyes sparkled with joy. This is a chance to test these two spells, she had not had the opportunity to conduct actual tests around the castle as the damage would be terrifying.

"These are two spells I have crafted and safeguarded within these parchments, intended for dire circumstances such as this," the Witch spoke, her voice laced with caution. "The first spell will unleash a cataclysmic earthquake, spanning a radius of two hundred meters. Ensure that your men have evacuated completely before casting it."

"The second spell," Elizabeth spoke with confidence, "This is a very powerful spell, you will use it on the goblin when there is an opening. Although it may be an undead abomination, this spell will halt all time and space around the target, be it dead or alive, for a mere five seconds. And within this fleeting window, you must obliterate the wretched creature. It is a spell of temporal distortion, an experimental incantation I have harnessed through my experiences."

This was not what Alfred had anticipated. He had expected a solution steeped in white magic, a cleansing of the demonic essence within the goblin. But now, his mind spun with questions and apprehension. How did Elizabeth possess such forbidden knowledge? What had she encountered in the depths of her sorcery?

Alfred took both scrolls and keep them in his own spatial space, like how the witch stored her items. Alfred then gave a bow to the Witch, "Thank you lady Elizabeth, for the 2 spells that you have given to me. I will make sure to use it at the right moment to kill the goblin, it seems I have taken up too much of your time. I will make a move now".

"Come back later Sir Alfred and tell me how the battle went." Elizabeth gave a sweet smile to Alfred and send him off. Alfred left the tower feeling tired, there was much shocking information given by the witch and the most shocking was the experimental spell on time and space. He will need to quickly go to the frontline to link up with his knight and General Lance and give them the new information.