Damn, I Have to Marry the Strongest Antagonist at the Start? - Chapter 200

Chapter 200: Chapter200-Leslie vs Grandmaster-tier Mage
“Who exactly are you?”

“Why did you attack Duke Charles?”

Outside the Duke Charles’ manor in the imperial capital, Leslie, clad in an extravagant golden robe and crowned, stared at the figure in a black cloak opposite her, her expression stern as she questioned him.

The black-cloaked figure slowly raised his head, revealing a face covered in eerie black tattoos, exuding a terrifying aura of decay.

As this aura swept through the area, the cobblestones on the street, the high walls on either side, and even the corpses he had killed, rapidly decayed, emitting a foul stench.

Even Leslie’s gaze upon him felt like it had crossed ancient time, becoming distorted and blurred.

In the face of Leslie’s questioning, the figure, who was Taylor, the Grandmaster-tier Archbishop of one of the top sects in Pyrothrone Kingdom—Sect of the Scorched Silence—did not respond to her. Instead, he looked at the young queen before him with some surprise.

Not long ago, he had broken into House Ravenwood, intending to take Duke Charles and bring him to Pyrothrone Kingdom to force Owen to come forward.

According to his information, Owen was an orphan with few people he cared about.

Duke Charles, as his future father-in-law and benefactor, was someone Owen would undoubtedly be concerned about.

But what Taylor didn’t expect was that as soon as he entered House Ravenwood, ready to capture Duke Charles, he was stopped by this young queen.

Initially, Taylor hadn’t taken Leslie seriously. However, Leslie had unexpectedly blocked his attack!

It must be noted that Taylor’s level had now reached Grandmaster-tier Lv2!

At such a level, he was practically an emperor in the Azure Kingdom.

As far as he knew, Owen had already killed the last master-tier mage in Azure Kingdom, leaving the empire without any master-tier mages.

Yet Leslie, who was only at diamond-tier Lv5, somehow gave him a faint sense of danger!

What’s more, this person actually had the audacity to question him!

His dark eyes scrutinized Leslie, and he said coldly, “So, you’re Leslie, the queen of the Azure Kingdom? I originally planned to capture Duke Charles first and then come for you. But since you’ve delivered yourself to me, you and Duke Charles can come with me now.”

As Taylor spoke, his voice seemed to carry an undeniable authority, making it impossible for others to resist.

Leslie’s brow furrowed slightly. From the moment Taylor appeared in the capital, she had sensed something was wrong. The pressure from a Grandmaster-tier mage was nearly suffocating.

However, since she didn’t know this powerful figure’s identity or intentions, she had refrained from acting rashly.

But to her surprise, this mysterious mage had directly targeted Duke Charles!

Although Duke Charles wasn’t her biological father, he had raised her and treated her well, so she couldn’t tolerate this mysterious figure’s actions.

And now, he was after her!

Moreover, from the looks of it, he seemed to know a lot about her and House Ravenwood, speaking with clear hostility and even murderous intent.

Yet Leslie couldn’t recall ever offending such a powerful figure.

“You must be from Pyrothrone Kingdom of Middle Earth, correct?” Leslie said after a moment of silence, her voice calm but with firm certainty.

“Owen killed several geniuses from Middle Earth, including Kaldan, the crown prince of Pyrothrone Kingdom. Among those forces, your Pyrothrone Kingdom is the most ruthless and vengeful, always seeking retribution for the smallest slight. Since Duke Charles and I are the closest to Owen, you must have suffered a loss trying to deal with him and changed your strategy.”

Seeing the snowflakes swirling in Leslie’s eyes and her accurate deduction of his origin and purpose, Taylor’s surprise grew even stronger, and he couldn’t help but praise her:

“Such a small kingdom like Azure produced two prodigies like you and Owen, truly remarkable. But so what if you’ve figured it out? The outcome is already decided. Cooperate with Pyrothrone Kingdom, and I might spare your life!”

As he spoke, his grandmaster-tier aura descended like a collapsing sky and trembling earth, pressing down on Leslie.

The oppressive force of a Grandmaster-tier mage was so immense that it could crush mountains. Even master-tier mages could only bow under such pressure.

Let alone Leslie, who was merely a diamond-tier mage—there was a gap as vast as the distance between an ant and a giant.

Such a mage could obliterate vast areas with just a thought.

Meanwhile, spies from other kingdoms had already taken notice of the anomaly at House Ravenwood, for the grandmaster-tier mage’s aura was like a towering iron pillar, covering the entire capital.

Everyone in the capital was under his pressure, stopping their activities and staring in horror in his direction.

“There’s been conflict and battles in the capital recently, even attacks by master-tier mages, but this…”

“This aura is far stronger than any master-tier mage we’ve encountered! Could it be a late-stage master-tier mage?”

“No, even a late-stage master-tier mage couldn’t cause such chaos without using their domain. This must be a grandmaster-tier mage!”

“A grandmaster-tier mage?!”

At this realization, many people trembled.

For them, seeing a master-tier mage was already rare enough, an almost legendary figure.

But a grandmaster-tier mage, one tier higher, was something they had only ever heard of in rumors.

Now, they were witnessing such a figure for the first time—and perhaps the last.

The terror in their hearts grew.

A master-tier mage could already destroy a city, but a grandmaster-tier mage?

They were a hundred times more terrifying.

Leslie would surely be no match for him!

Under the terrified gazes of many, Taylor’s grandmaster-tier pressure pushed Leslie’s feet deeper into the ground.

But just then, her snow-white skin began to emit a layer of ice crystals, like indestructible diamonds, pushing back against the overwhelming pressure.

“Kneel!”

Seeing Leslie attempting to resist, Taylor sneered.

His tattoo-covered hand pressed down harder, and the pressure increased, this time with a corrosive aura.

The air sizzled as it was corroded.

The ice crystals that had just formed on Leslie’s body quickly became riddled with holes, emitting black smoke.

And this was only the beginning.

The corrosive pressure continued to descend, threatening to destroy Leslie’s clothes, flesh, and even her magic.

But just as the pressure mounted, Leslie’s limbs suddenly elongated, and her body became covered in dense white fur like silver needles.

The oppressive aura pressing on her was instantly dispelled. Leslie, who had been driven into the ground, sprang up like a coiled spring, and a spear materialized, shooting toward Taylor’s forehead at a sharp angle.

This was Leslie’s first true confrontation with a grandmaster-tier mage, and she knew the gap between them was vast.

So, she chose to take the initiative, attacking to defend. Only by doing so could she find a slim chance of survival in this desperate situation!

Her sudden assault was lightning-fast.

The spear’s brilliant gleam tore through Taylor’s protective magic, striking directly at his forehead.

However, just as the spear was about to pierce through, the black tattoos on Taylor’s face began to writhe as if alive.

A layer of obsidian-like scales appeared, deflecting the spear with a powerful shockwave.

The spear recoiled, and Leslie, still gripping it, was sent flying backward, her hands bloodied from the force.

“You’ve got some skill. That was a swift and sharp attack. A typical master-tier mage could have been caught off guard and injured. But the difference between us is too great.”

Taylor shook his head as Leslie flew back. He could see her potential, but it didn’t matter.

She was still within his grasp.

As he finished speaking, a black magic pattern flew from the tattoos on his body, forming an indestructible black rope.

Ignoring the distance, it bound Leslie’s mutated form tightly.