Chapter 1232: Never Underestimate The Gordons’ Clan.

Although George’s actions made it clear he had delivered on his word, the words that followed next from the Royal Knights leader sent an icy chill down his spine.

“The Gordons’ clan has colluded with a foreign kingdom, leaking intelligence regarding the Northern Kingdom and plotting rebellion while refusing to submit to the royal city,” proclaimed the leader positioned at the front.

Clad in gleaming golden armor, his facial features remain hidden behind his helmet and with his hands clasped behind his back, he continued to deliver the decree:

“Following our investigation, you have been found guilty. Men, we shall execute them all, leave no member of the Gordons’ clan alive.”

“Dammit!” Hearing the sentence, the grand elder’s face darkened immediately. However, he quickly composed himself, realizing that arguing would be entirely futile.

By now he could tell that the knight order had not come to demand their submission, it is probably just a side mission of theirs; while their sole objective from the start was to annihilate the Gordons’ clan mages.

As he started to think and realised it also explains why they had bypassed Estonia City’s space nexus using other cities’ own instead, it was because they were planning a surprise ambush and using the Estonia city’s own would alert the Gordons clan of their arrival.

Even their fabricated charges were blatantly absurd, yet they clearly did not care, as the accusations merely served as a righteous pretext for them to strike down the Gordons’ clan.

He could tell that the only reason they had hesitated to strike earlier was because the Patriarch , his brother, had yet to submit the city.

Unsure of what the Gordons’ Patriarch was truly capable of with the lord seal before his surrender, they waited in pretense like they wanted the submission while there had already been secretly measures put in place to ensure George could not break free once he surrendered the city’s source energy.

“We tried doing things your way, it didn’t work,” George said, placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder and gently shifting him aside. “Now, I think it’s time we try mine.”

He then turned toward the empty air, adding,

“Now, now, there’s no need to hide anymore. Step out, since you’ve already shown your true colors, you don’t need to keep up the act.”

The royal knight leader’s eyes flickered with sudden unease, he had been completely confident in the stealth techniques of his mage order, which had been successfully used to ambush countless mages.

Yet here, the seemingly minor Patriarch of an ordinary mid-tier clan had been able to see right through it, then a creeping realization washed over him that the warnings he had received might not have been exaggerated after all.

That was how another ten high-rank mages, ranging from low to high Tier 7, materialized before the Gordons’ clan patriarch and grand elder.

Faced with such a lineup from the royal knight, even the grand elder who had sought an amicable resolution, realized this force had not come to demand their surrender to the Northern Royal Clan at all, but was intent on their complete annihilation.

Yet, George’s attention had already shifted elsewhere, scanning the surrounding space intensely.

After five seconds of waiting, even the grand elder had begun to doubt that anyone else was still hidden. Just then, a spatial rift tore open, revealing five additional mages led by Ivan, the Fridall clan’s sixth elder.

Though they were all clad in black cloaks, with the insignia of the Dark Guild prominently displayed on their attire.

“Despite your old age, you remain as sharp as ever,” Ivan remarked.

“You rotten bastard. If not for the former city lord’s interference and pure luck, I would have killed you long ago. Tell me—is this your true body, or just another clone?” the Gordons’ Patriarch spat, while the Fridall clan’s sixth elder remained entirely unfazed by the insult.

“It seems you still judge me by my past strength,” Ivan replied calmly.

“You should know I am no longer that weak mage for hire you and the Blaze clan drove into hiding. Empowered by this realm’s power, I can at last claim my revenge—and I’m starting with you and your clan, you can blame yourselves for being the weakest target.”

“Also don’t take it too personally; it’s merely business, the Royal Clan guaranteed me lordship over this city if I joined in the battle against you, who would have imagined I’d be granted such a prize simply for eliminating someone I despise?” After pausing for a while Ivan began exposing the secret pact made with the realm’s rulers:

Upon hearing this revelation, George immediately shifted his gaze toward the commander of the Royal Knight mage squad.

“So this is what the royal clan has degenerated to, allying with common criminals to eradicate a clan that has guarded its frontiers for generations,” George remarked.

The Tier 8 royal knight merely snorted in response, as if the royal house owed no explanations for its actions.

“Very well,” George continued, shifting his hands behind his back with an air of complete nonchalance.

“Before things get out of hand, I have just one question: why has the royal clan decided to move against us in this manner?”

“That is simple enough, you will have to direct that question to your grandson.” replied the leader of the royal knight mages.

“Ah, Alec! Hahaha!” George chuckled.

“Time and again, the royal clan has attempted to keep my family under control. But it appears Alec has advanced far beyond your reach, leaving you to vent your frustration on us old men. I regret to inform you that you won’t succeed.” With that, George turned his head toward his brother as the Gordons’ grand elder let out a soft sigh.

“Elders and enforcers of the Gordons’ clan, you are called to rise—we are at war!” The grand elder’s voice, which has been amplified was carried far and wide by his mana, echoing across the area.

Hearing his rallying cry, Ivan—the Fridall clan’s sixth elder—and the leader of the royal magic group merely scoffed at what they viewed as a futile, last-ditch attempt.

Having thoroughly researched the Gordons prior to their assault, they were confident in their intelligence.

Though Public records claims that the clan possessed only about four high-rank mages, led by a Patriarch at the peak of Tier 7 realm while his combat prowess rivaled that of a Tier 8 mage.

However, the attackers suspected the true count of the clan’s high rank mages is closer to six or seven; otherwise, the clan could not have defeated the previous city lord’s forces.

It was precisely to overcome this hidden strength that twenty high-rank mages had been deployed, supplemented by an additional pact struck with the dark guild to guarantee they send out reinforcements too.

The reason why they didn’t just send 25 high rank mages themselves is because they were avoiding deploying too many high-rank mages to this region, as they still feared it would leave their own territory exposed to attack.

With numerous ancient clans still refusing to submit, they remained vigilant to prevent being blindsided from multiple fronts if an attack occurred.

Even so, the royal knights were confident that the force they had assembled would easily raze the Gordons’ clan to the ground. After all, such a lineup was more than sufficient to eliminate most high-rank clans, excluding only those top-tier clans hovering just on the precipice of becoming ancient clans.

Yet, as the grand elder’s speech concluded, a sudden surge of powerful auras erupted, as high-rank mages shot upward, taking to the skies in rapid succession.

Curiously, the first thirteen figures to appear all shared an aura identical to that of the Gordons’ Patriarch, confirming they were all members of the same lineage.

At that sight, the royal knight commander’s eyes widened in disbelief, he was stunned to realize that a clan that is officially classified as mid-rank had been secretly harboring the strength of a true high-rank clan’s power all along.

All the while, he had been disgruntled that a criminal organization had been brought into the battle too, since he firmly believed that his group alone was more than enough to finish the job.

Now, however, he found himself grateful for whoever had possessed the foresight to deploy such an overwhelming force, since they wanted to ensure not a single clan member would escape, as that is what was still giving them a huge advantage.

Yet, just as they thought the matter was settled, two high-rank auras burst forth from the south, another two from the north, and two more from the west.

Meanwhile, the sun was rising in the east behind the Gordons’ clan house. Bathed in the dawn light, the Gordons’ Patriarch and the grand elder strode slowly toward the thirteen high-rank mages, exuding an undeniable aura of nobility and regal power.

"It seems we have ourselves a standoff, it brings to mind a saying often repeated: never underestimate the Gordons’ clan." the Patriarch said, locking eyes with the royal mage leader.

On the side watching the scene unfold, Ivan’s expression darkened into a deep frown.