Wizard: Starting from the Skill Tree

The winner gains ownership of the disputed item, and the loser must not raise any objections.

The duel can be a fight to the death or just until a result is achieved, as agreed upon by both parties in advance.

He closed the booklet and looked at Dali.

"Is the ownership of Stonehammer City going to be decided in this way too?"

Dali nodded and said, "The Four Gods Sect has already made a statement; they are determined to claim the preaching rights in Stonehammer City. If the Light Sect wants to participate, they should send someone to Stonehammer City for a fight during next month’s festival." She paused, "The bishops’ intention is to give up. They say Stonehammer City is too far, not worth it."

"Knight Henry says, retreating without a fight is a knight’s disgrace, and he is willing to represent the Light Sect in battle."

Just as Duke was about to speak, footsteps sounded outside the door.

The door was pushed open, and an elderly man walked in.

His hair and beard were white, his face slender and lean, dressed in a white bishop’s robe, the hem adorned with golden sun patterns.

The bishop’s steps were unhurried but stable, like each step was carefully considered.

His eyes were light grey, his gaze calm, showing no emotions.

"Bishop Ambrose." Dali stood up and slightly bowed.

Ambrose waved his hand, indicating she need not stand on ceremony.

His gaze fell on Duke, paused for a moment, then he nodded slightly.

"Child of Light, it’s been a long time." His voice was low but clear, carrying a calmness that comes after enduring many trials.

Duke stood up and slightly bowed, "Bishop Ambrose."

Ambrose walked to the desk and sat down on the chair that Dali vacated.

He looked at Duke, silent for a few breaths, then spoke, "I just heard Dali talking to you about Stonehammer City."

Duke nodded.

"My opinion is to give up." Ambrose’s tone was indifferent, like he was stating something inconsequential, "Stonehammer City is too far, not worth risking for. On the Four Gods Sect’s side, they will definitely send their top experts. On our side, apart from Knight Henry, no one else can fight. Though Knight Henry is brave, he is merely a Level 2 Knight, facing the top experts from the Four Gods Sect, the odds are against him."

"More importantly, we are short on manpower and cannot afford any losses."

Knight Henry is already one of the most outstanding young members within the Light Sect over the years; Ambrose and the others are unwilling to let Knight Henry fight.

If Knight Henry were to encounter any mishap then, it would be another great loss for the Light Sect.

At this moment, footsteps sounded again from outside the door.

This time, the footsteps were heavier, like someone wearing iron boots stepping on stone slabs.

The door was pushed open, and a tall figure walked in.

He wore heavy silver-white armor, his faceplate lifted, revealing a chiselled face, it was indeed Knight Henry.

Knight Henry’s eyes were dark brown, burning with combat fervor, like two flames that never extinguish.

At his waist hung a longsword, its sheath engraved with the emblem of the Light Sect, and the sword hilt wrapped in black leather straps, soaked with sweat, shining with a dark luster.

He stood at the doorway, his gaze sweeping over the three people in the room, first looking at Duke.

Knight Henry slightly bowed, his right hand placed over his chest, "Child of Light, sir, it’s been years, your presence has become even more daunting."

Then he looked at Ambrose, "Bishop, sir, I still wish not to abandon Stonehammer City."

Henry stepped forward, his armor clashing with metallic sounds.

"Stonehammer City has tens of thousands of people, comprises minerals, forests, and resources. If we give up, the Four Gods Sect will establish a foothold there. By then, using Stonehammer City as a springboard, they can threaten Azure Vault City to the north and cut our development path to the east." His voice grew louder, "This isn’t just about a city, it’s about the future survival space of the entire Light Sect!"

Ambrose watched him, his gaze still calm.

"Henry, do you know who the Four Gods Sect will send to fight?"

Henry hesitated, "No matter who they send, I will not lose."

"Not lose?" Ambrose’s tone remained indifferent, but his light grey eyes had gained a hint of resignation. "The Four Gods Sect has a Great Mage. Though they seldom act, with interests as significant as Stonehammer City, they might break the norm."

Henry’s expression changed momentarily, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "Even if it’s the Great Mage, I won’t back down."

Ambrose shook his head, saying no more.

The room’s atmosphere became heavy.

Duke stood up.

The gaze of all three fell on him simultaneously.

Duke looked at Ambrose.

"Stonehammer City cannot be abandoned." His tone was indifferent, but every word was clear and forceful, "Bishop Ambrose, I understand your concerns. The Four Gods Sect is indeed strong, and the Great Mage is indeed formidable. But if we retreat each time, there will come a day when we’ve retreated to a dead end. By then, even if we want to fight, we won’t have the qualifications to contest."

"I will handle the contention over Stonehammer City. The Light Sect does not need to send anyone to fight, nor do they need to bear any risk. I only need you to provide a name, tell the Four Gods Sect, that I am the Light Sect’s Child of Light."

Ambrose fell silent, not looking at Duke but at the gradually whitening skyline outside the window, as if contemplating something.

Henry stood by the door, his fingers slightly pale gripping the sword hilt, his lips moved a few times, but he did not speak.

"No." Ambrose finally spoke, his voice low but firm.

Ambrose turned; those light grey eyes gazed at Duke, showing something Duke had never seen in them before.

"You are the Child of Light." His voice remained calm, but every word dropped heavily to the ground like weights, "The future of the sect does not lie in Stonehammer City, but with you. We cannot expose you to the eyes of the Four Gods Sect and the Shadow Council."

Henry took a step forward, his armor emitting a metallic clashing sound.

"Lord Duke, Bishop Ambrose is correct." His voice was deep, carrying a repressed urgency, "You do not know how much the Four Gods Sect values the title of Child of Light. Should you reveal your identity in Stonehammer City, they will go to any length to deal with you. The Shadow Council, too, wishes to extinguish you before you mature."

"I’ve now grown beyond fear of them." Duke’s tone was indifferent, as if narrating something trivial.

Ambrose and Henry were simultaneously stunned.

Duke stood up, walked to the window.

Standing beside Dali, he gazed toward the distant white skyline.

"The Four Gods Sect has a Great Mage, old and declining, going into decline." He looked at the far distance outside the window, "The Shadow Council also has one, similarly decrepit, similarly reluctant to act frivolously. They fear death, fear that their heads will be claimed in their final hours. Thus, they won’t act personally, only sending subordinates to test the waters. Mage, Magic Master, no matter how many come, I will kill."

"Even if a Great Mage comes, I am confident in facing them."

Ambrose’s brows furrowed tightly, filled with gravity in those light grey eyes.

"Duke, you don’t understand those old guys. Though they are elderly, even at thirty percent strength, they’re not to be opposed by a Level 2 Magic Master."

Duke looked at him, not immediately refuting.

He returned to the desk, didn’t sit, only stood there, his gaze sweeping over the three in the room.

"Bishop Ambrose, may I ask you a question?"

Ambrose blinked slightly. "Go ahead."

"How many followers does the Light Sect currently have?" Duke’s tone was indifferent, as though he’s asking about an inconsequential number.

Ambrose fell silent for a moment.

"Registered, about a hundred fifty thousand."

"A hundred fifty thousand." Duke repeated this number, "What about ten years ago?"

Ambrose didn’t reply.

Duke answered for him, "Ten years ago, it was a hundred twenty thousand. Twenty years ago, it was merely seventy or eighty thousand. The number of followers in the Light Sect hasn’t grown significantly for decades. What you are guarding isn’t a territory, it’s a grave. Without new blood, it’s a slow death."

This data appears as though there’s growth over time, but it’s quite slow when compared across the years.

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