Chapter Seventeen: Miss Klepper

Vladkov’s soft anti-magic armor was placed on the table in front of Mihayovich and Komer. It came from the treasure chamber of Damansky Fortress. Although it was impossible to determine how old the armor was, its excellent anti-magic properties and lightweight design made it highly desirable to Vladkov. He was reluctant to take it off even when Komer asked him to.

Mihayovich was not a professional blacksmith, but his long experience in creating magic puppets gave him knowledge of various materials. This armor was made by mixing a southern mineral called Tianluo Clay with bismuth iron. Tianluo Clay is a non-metallic mineral with excellent ductility and flexibility. When mixed with bismuth iron during forging, it not only greatly improved the toughness of the iron, enhancing the armor’s protective capabilities, but also infused the armor with the earthy properties of Tianluo Clay, granting it considerable resistance to water-based magic.

Turning this armor into what Komer described as “illusory puppet armor” indeed posed a challenge for Mihayovich. Even creating a new magic puppet would be much easier than crafting an intelligent puppet from this existing armor.

“Lord, please share your thoughts. My mind is completely blank right now. I truly admire your talent in puppet magic. Perhaps your advice might help me see the way forward,” said Mihayovich with a wry smile, spreading his hands.

“Well, Mr. Mihayovich, don’t overcomplicate things. Maybe the problem isn’t as difficult as we think. My idea is simple: install passive, reactive puppet devices in specific locations on this armor to bypass the numerous restrictions and rules set by the Spartans in gladiatorial battles. For example, we could place a magic puppet inside the armor’s visor. If the visor is attacked and triggers a certain magic mechanism, the puppet inside will automatically activate and launch an attack—preferably in a physical form, such as with a crossbow arrow.”

Komer knew that this ad-hoc approach would indeed be challenging for Mihayovich, but to counter Aristotle’s disciples, he had to think thoroughly and provide Vladkov and Sorenborg with as many advantages as possible. Any method not prohibited by the gladiatorial rules could be used.

Gladiatorial battles prohibit the use of magic and magical artifacts alone, but they do not forbid the use of attack weapons and defensive gear with inherent magical properties. Komer intended to exploit this loophole to increase his chances of winning.

Nodding in understanding, Mihajic finally grasped Komer’s plan—he wanted to cheat by taking advantage of the rules. Under normal combat conditions, it would be far simpler to create a true magical puppet rather than spending effort setting up a puppet device on armor, as both would serve the same purpose, with the time of activation under one’s own control, making it much more convenient and effective.

“But my lord, time is too tight now. It will be very difficult to make any modifications to this armor. I understand what you mean, but relying on such tricks to turn the tide seems unlikely to work,” Mihajic sighed. For a master of puppet magic, having to resort to cheating on armor would be a huge embarrassment if discovered.

“Of course, this is just one method. I’ll also use other ways to help Vladkov and Sorenberg improve their strength. Even if we can’t completely defeat the Spartans, we must effectively shake their confidence. All I need is that effect; I’m not expecting this method to instantly make the Spartans sober up,” Komer laughed.

The only help Komer could offer Sorenberg and Vladkov was magical power. Although gladiatorial rules prohibited the use of magic during battles, they did not explicitly forbid using auxiliary magic before the fight. Komer planned to bestow blessings and magical enhancement spells on Vladkov and Sorenberg before battle to temporarily boost their strength and reaction speed.

This was a rather subtle and complex mixture of mental magic and white magic. It required significant preparation time and took some time to take effect, but its duration could last over an hour. It not only maximized an individual’s potential but also enhanced the sensitivity of their nerve endings, improving reaction speed.

Komer had studied this magic for a long time. In fact, there were many spells that could stimulate human potential in a short time, but most had drawbacks, especially causing significant harm to the recipient afterward, resembling a short-sighted approach. Komer had always hoped to find alternative ways to compensate for this.

It was not until the appearance of Eve, a white magic priestess, that Komer finally began to put this idea into practice. Although Eve’s magic level was quite low due to a lack of magical power, she possessed a rich and comprehensive knowledge of white magic. Komer’s bold ideas and experiments also piqued her great interest. Their collaboration in this area progressed much faster than their emotional deadlock. Eventually, even Komer realized he preferred to discuss matters related to the white magic system with Eve rather than address the awkward emotional issues between them.

Now seemed to be the perfect opportunity for experimentation. This hybrid magic could protect the recipient from the damage caused by psychic magic’s exploitation of human potential, and it even had the advantage of expanding the recipient’s abilities. After the magic’s effect wore off, the recipient would only feel extremely tired, which could be fully compensated for with proper rest.

Just as Komer and his group were ready to humiliate the arrogant Spartans, the Spartans were also reflecting on their mistakes. The rise of the Piraeans made them realize they were not invincible. Especially that strange horse race not only claimed the lives of two of Sparta’s best jockeys but also shattered the undefeated dreams of many Spartans through this cruel and tragic defeat. The resulting unrest even affected Sparta’s reputation among other nations and cities in the southern regions, nearly leading to a state of emergency and forcing the use of the guard to quell the chaos. Such an incident happening in Sparta, a kingdom known for its order, stability, and prosperity, undoubtedly diminished many people’s perception of Sparta’s seemingly overwhelming strength.

“Miss Cleiper, we need Miss Helena’s help. If we Spartans cannot wash away this utter humiliation with a decisive victory, we will have to live under the mockery and gossip of everyone else for the next four years. My king has sent me to ask you to allow Miss Helena to defeat that despicable Piraean and completely rid us Spartans of this shadow hanging over us.”

Slupig’s words were highly emotional, and his handsome appearance gave him great popularity among women. Ninety-nine out of a hundred girls in Athens considered him their dream lover. Despite being surrounded by women, he managed to maintain his integrity. Despite interacting with many women, there were few rumors of infidelity about him, which only made the unmarried girls fall even more deeply in love with him.

The woman seated on a magnificent golden lotus throne was clad head to toe in a pure, luminous white silk robe. The silver diadem on her head emphasized her regal status even further, while her staff with a gleaming silver tip and the icy long sword beside it created a picture of elegant grace.

“Your Highness Slupig, I can understand your feelings as well as those of His Majesty the King. I was also present at yesterday’s battle. I wonder if you noticed that the enemy’s warhorse, though already a skeleton, still possessed great vitality. Do you understand what I mean?”

Kleiper wore a bewitching sweet smile. Her skin was fair, delicate, and flawless. It was impossible to guess her age from her face or figure—she could have been a teenage girl, yet her charming demeanor carried an air of seductiveness. If she were in her early twenties, she would seem even more graceful and noble. Yet no one would believe she was over thirty. Yet she had held the position of High Priestess of the Athena Temple for twenty years, and Helena, who had followed her since childhood, was now eighteen.

“You mean that Umma is a undead?” Slupig asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

“No, no, you’ve misunderstood. Mr. Umma is definitely a living being with signs of vitality. We can basically rule out the possibility that he is undead. From what I know, undead seem incapable of possessing such wisdom and magical power at the same time. But it’s very likely that he is a practitioner of undead magic. As for that warhorse, if I’m not mistaken, it must be a ghostly magic horse.” As the High Priestess of the Athena Temple, Kleiper’s knowledge far surpassed that of Slupig, who was solely focused on martial arts training.

“A ghostly magic horse? But that first warhorse also passed the inspection by our competition committee…” Slupig frowned, troubled. “Moreover, the competition rules don’t explicitly forbid dead warhorses from participating. Our ancestors didn’t consider such a possibility when establishing the rules.”

“Well, this is a troublesome situation. The people of Piraeus dare to field such a lineup, so they surely won’t worry about anyone objecting. They’ll argue that the rules don’t explicitly forbid it. As for us Spartans, if we had won in the early stages, it might have been easier to justify something. But now that we lost early, banning the people of Piraeus from competing under this pretext will surely lead to many rumors, which will be even more detrimental to us.” She let out a soft sigh, a look of helplessness on her face.