Chapter 42 14. Malekith's Right Hand
In the Hell's Disaster Family's training ground, Bainie deftly took off his noble robe with one hand and took a Druzy halberd from the weapon rack next to him.
The two martial arts masters took their starting stances. Kesley was very afraid of Bainie, even though he was missing an arm.
Bainie attacked directly, swinging his halberd with one hand at an extremely fast speed. After Kesley dodged sideways, he made a wide-open chopped attack. Bainie used the halberd to touch the blade of the curved executioner knife, directly resolving the attack.
After several rounds, the game was still difficult to decide.
Kesley didn't gain any advantage.
Newker half-penetrated his face from the side of the study window, watching the fight below and asking, "Byrne Bloodbane? If I remember correctly, he's the Master of the Twelve Towers? I saw him last year."
It's no joke that a big family that can stand for 5,000 in the Duruchi society. There are secret rooms and secret passages connected in the meeting room. If necessary, they can use the cup-breaking signal to directly kill the axemen. It's just that Daquus doesn't know it.
Steward Dia bowed his head and said respectfully, "Yes, young master. The family guard in the secret door of the conference room said that he was sent by Edrezer to teach Young Master Darkus martial arts."
Newkel whispered in confusion, "Molayg Heg's Chosen One? He actually allowed a Tower Master who worships Edrezer to come and teach him martial arts? Why didn't he send a Slaughter Sister? Have I lived too long? When did these gods become so reliable?"
Then, Newkel turned to Butler Dia and said, "Go, arrange for Nagarond to investigate his condition and his arm."
Edrezer, the Lord of Blades, is a war god among the elven pantheons, belonging to the Thessarai pantheon, the gods of the underworld. He is obsessed with the art of war, but his status is low. Few, save for the legendary Sisters of Slaughter and the Black Guard, worship him within Duruchi society, and they despise his unwillingness to fight in pursuit of glory.
However, once Edrezer decides to fight, he will show no mercy. In his death arena, any tactics are permitted, including the Ashina sword method, and he constantly redefines the boundaries of this arena in the mortal world, and until death, he may not know that he has already entered it.
He is the patron saint of duelists, revered by elves who seek glory in battle. He is revered by the tree-dwelling Everguard, who often participate in tournament trials at the behest of their lords. To fight in the Arena of Blades is the highest honor every Everguard desires. For it is not only a mortal continuation of Eldrezer's Death Arena, but also a means of sacrificing one's life for the cause.
In short, it's quite contradictory.
The two martial arts masters in the training ground fought for a few more rounds, and Daxus clearly felt that Kesley was already in decline.
After another two rounds, the tip of Baine's Druzy halberd stopped in front of Kesler's throat, and Kesler was still holding the scimitar executioner knife ready to chop it down.
The winner is decided!
Bainie then sheathed his halberd, resting it on the ground, and bowed to Kesley. Kesley also sheathed his scimitar, bowed his head, and said, "Brilliant!"
Darkus looked at Kesley in surprise and thought, "I thought he was mute, but he can actually talk. He's a talking Druzy Family Law Enforcement Champion, which is quite strange. It doesn't make me feel very reassured."
Bainie put the Druchi halberd back into the weapon rack and turned to look at Daquus. His meaning was obvious.
Dacus' scalp felt numb.
"Newcomers enter the tower, welcome ceremony!"
Before he had even walked half a round, Dacus curled up on the ground.
As mentioned previously, the Black Guard of Naggarond, known as Malekith's Old Guard, are composed of the sons of nobles. Their camp is divided into twenty towers, each of which competes against the others through warfare and torture. Malekith encourages this competition, holding a tournament at the start of each year's Bloody Season to determine which tower will gain dominance over the others for the following year.
Each tower is led by a Tower Master, a group of veteran Black Guard warriors highly skilled in the arts of death and combat. These Duruchi have remained loyal to Malekith after completing their two-hundred-year service. These powerful warriors lead their forces with iron discipline, and any lack of discipline—or any show of mercy that brings dishonor upon the tower—is unacceptable. These twenty Tower Masters are renowned for their martial prowess within Duruchi society. Their loyalty and prowess earn them the title of Black Dragon, becoming Lords of Destruction.
Few Black Guards can survive two hundred years and retire. Even if they do, they will choose to continue to be loyal to Malekith until death or disability, because these Black Guards have no choice, and any uncontrollable tendencies are strangled by Koran Blackhand.
When discussing Malekith's right-hand man, Corran Blackhand, one must first mention Newker's father, Alandrian. He was Malekith's lieutenant, friend, and companion during his early years in the Old World, deeply trusted by Malekith. It was he who taught Malekith Dwarven, and it was he who dealt with two other elves with ties to the Dwarves, ensuring Malekith's control over diplomacy. All of Malekith's early misdeeds were influenced by him, and some were even orchestrated and persuaded by him, until Alandrian's death at Tar Anlek.
This is one of the reasons why Malekith tolerated the Hell's Disaster Family to become a powerful vassal. Newker also served as an adjutant beside Malekith in his early years. Of course, these were all things that happened five thousand years ago.
"You are the true Phoenix King, Lord Malekith. You are the son of Aenarion, heir to the Phoenix King. By right, by merit, by birth, I pledge my life to see this ancient wrong reversed, your rightful place restored. As an elf, I can think of no higher calling."
These were the oaths Corran Blackhand swore to Malekith when he ascended to the throne as Captain of the Black Guard. He rose to power five hundred years ago, his wisdom sharp, his combat skills infinitely sharper. He had become Tower Master within his first decade of service, and recently, he had cast the previous Captain from the Black Tower's east wall, ascending to the position of Captain of the entire Black Guard, responsible for commanding all of them. He possessed that rarest of all things in this land of betrayal: a loyal soul!
He is a warrior completely loyal to Malekith. He became Malekith's most trusted lieutenant after Alandrian and his son. Such a precious trait is rarely found in the land of Naggaroth!
This chapter is not boring, but very important, revealing two very important foreshadowings.