The Experimental Log Of The Crazy Lich

by Stayrr

This is the story of a crazy lich who possesses an internal game system and brings catastrophe to the entire world. “Let’s look at the daily quests today… it’s the damned choose one-of-two-options-type again. Destroy a town with a population of 30,000 people or above; reward: 10,000 evil points. Steal lollipops from 3 children; reward: 1 evil point. If neither of the quests is com

4. 78

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Chapter 78: The Treader

"Warriors strengthen their physical body to change the world, while Mages use their will and imagination to affect the world. Don't use the dumb methods of Warriors to understand magic, otherwise, you will be stuck at the level of an apprentice for your entire life, or as a magic-sword-carrying-dumbass-Warrior."

Harloys wasn't wrong. I went down the wrong path in the past. It was only because I was troubled by the Holy Knight career's lack of large AOE and long range attacks, and thus, without any thoughts about my actual circumstances, I blindly chose to study Ice Magic.

Demand determines the supply. Back then, I also didn't really find the need to dig up the potential of Ice Magic.

Alright, just like Harloys said, even if my talent for Magic is just sub-par and my sense for the Elements is so insensitive to the point of imbecilic, but by using the System to forcefully pull me up, I still rose through the ranks.

However, without having a bottleneck to be stuck at, I lost the period of accumulation when one is stuck in a bottleneck, as well as the experience and understanding that one will gain when breaking through via one's own understanding.

This is just like a Science and Technology faculty nerd using his own rational thinking to analyze a literary work. Perhaps, he is able to analyze why the work is attractive to others as well as its good points, and that everything he says may be logical. However, if you were to ask him to write his own literature piece, only the backbones of the essay will appear.

That is because he lacks the emotions and dedication for the work. He is unable to pull in the bits and pieces of the good parts to create a truly good story. In the end, it can only serve as a simple and concise news report script.

Based on Harloys's description, learning magic is quite similar to creating art. They both involve using one's will to picture one's little world and affect reality through it.

Then, it is necessary for there to be one's understanding and one's personal views to be inside it.

It may seem that this thought process has nothing to do with one's power level, but it is of utmost importance. They determine a Mage's own road. On the other hand, losing these sentimental understandings, one's path will just become more and more narrow.

I am the most obvious example. I treated the literature works that require sentimentality (Elemental Magic) as Math (Martial Arts that require routine training and accumulation) to learn and in the end, I can only follow the main content and copy the footsteps of the predecessors, learning standard Magic and turning my own Ice Magic into an Ice Bomb Tower.

Charge mana and blast it; this became my utmost understanding of Ice Magic. As a Mage who managed to create a Forbidden Spell, this is too big of a waste.

However, what is fortunate is that hard work is never wasted, even if one is working in the wrong direction.

Even if I didn't do research on magic with sentimentality, but my time and effort spent on studying it rationally aren't wasted. The Fate Points that I spent brought me rewards. Although I didn't realize it rationally, the sentimental part somewhere deep in my soul had gained a certain level of understanding. Un, it may sound confusing so let's just put it as 'although the mouth says no, the body is honest'.

The crystallization of understanding and one's experience, the once in a lifetime Soul Imprint.

【Soul Imprint: Mark of Justice (Destroyed), The Crown of Undead (Destroyed), The Ice Treader (Destroyed), Son of Light (Destroyed)】

On the System board, the four destroyed Soul Imprints are arranged in a row. 'Increase effectiveness of spells by 1%', 'Increase the effect of Necromancy by 1%'. These Soul Imprints offer this kind of insignificant additional buffs that can only be used to reminisce on their existence.

Of course, unless I were to have suicidal thoughts and burn my soul once again, they would probably stay like this forever.

In my second life, 【The Ice Treader】 is my Soul Imprint but apparently, I seem to not have lived up to its true meaning.

Treader, it refers to a person who treads, a person who measures the world through their steps. Through the perspective of an adventurer, they gaze at the scenery, feel and understand nature and experience life.

The Ice Treader. Actually, it's just an adventurer of snow mountains, obsessed with the culture of the Northern Countries.

The vast snow lands without boundaries. The horizon seems as though an unreachable destination. The beauty of life when it is fast asleep. The roar of the heavens during an avalanche. The world under the ice river that can't be frozen. The white wolf pack who howls towards the sky. The giant monsters and hidden snow leopards in the snow mountain. The seedlings that appear from beneath the snow. Life and nature vying and coexisting in harmony.

Even Gods have to be humble in the face of the true power of nature. The replacement of life is a rule of nature that hasn't changed for millenniums. In order to survive the cruel winter period, everyone has to work and cooperate together. The winter wolves who gather in packs to hunt understand, the true countryman of the North also understands.

When Harloys mentions her own understanding of the nature of her Ice Magic, my memories of the culture of the Northern Countries seems to repeat itself in my mind again and again as though a zoetrope.

"So, the truth is that no matter whether it is back then or now, I have always missed home."

Deep in the night, thunder starts to roar outside. I solemnly place my hand out of the window. What fell on the center of my palm aren't the snowflakes that I was so familiar with but rather, the summer rain that brings a trace of warmth in it.

What can an adventurer who lost his way and misses his home do? Of course, it is to return home. But, it is a pity that even though the memory of the snow still remains, the flag that stands proudly on top of the land isn't the same one as it once was. The Country of Snow, which seemed to have not changed at all, is no longer the country I belong to.

"I don't feel like going home. At least not now."

Then, since I have no home to return to, I shall temporarily have the most beautiful scenery of my homeland turn into the scene of my dreams. Perhaps, one day, there will be a chance that my world of dreams can transform into reality.

【The Infallible Diffindor】

One's soul is always much more honest than one's mouth. In the three Soul Imprints that form the Soul World, The Ice Treader forms the winter scenery of my homeland. Displaying its true powers, it turns into an unresting adventurer of the snow, depicting the natural frost and the beauty of ice in my homeland.

"Heh, I really am a failed master, to think I would be ignorant of my Soul Imprint's true powers. Is it because of its great powers that my senses are blinded? But it isn't too late for me to understand now. So, let it snow."

In the short moment after this silent voice, the rainwater outside the window turns into snow.

It's a midnight snow that is limited to only this house. The neighbors might not even realize it, but it created quite a stir among the temporary residents living within.

I seem to finally understand the path of my Ice Magic. It isn't the path of a cannon station that I thought I was adept in. Rather, it is using mana as a pen to turn the most beautiful and dangerous ice plains in my memories into reality.

"Heh, you seem to get it now, huh?"

Harloys jumps happily onto the window ledge and turns back into the form of a small cat before disappearing into the snow.

As for me, I close the window. My understanding is still in its primary stage. The night is still too early for me to be able to convert it into an actual fighting power.

At this moment, in the depths of my soul, that 【The Ice Treader（Destroyed）：Increase effectiveness of Ice Magic by 1%】's insignia of an adventurer in the winter night is suddenly undergoing a change. At this moment, it is 【The Ice Treader（Damaged）：Increase effectiveness of Ice Magic by 3%】.

"Looks like I am really over-reliant on the System. My soul is still here and a physical body that nurtures the soul is also present. Naturally, the Soul Imprints which are crystallizations of the Soul can be recovered. Hehe, let's take it slowly. A Legend with four Soul Imprints. It really makes one look forward to it."Very quickly, following the recovery of my Soul Imprint, my abilities in Ice Magic soared. It didn't take long before I was able to grasp the ultimate Forbidden Spell, Ice Aeon, once again. Then, using the Forbidden Spell as a threat, I forced the Auland Capital to acknowledge the East Mist Communal Country's independence.

Alright, it is impossible for everything above to happen.

Life isn't a dream. It is impossible to move a thousand miles in a day just because of a single epiphany. That is a story written in novels. In reality, one must slowly take one step after another.

Even if I have understood the nature of my Ice Magic and that I have a plan for the future, but the problems I had before still persist. That is…

"As expected, my talent in Elemental Magic is crap."

The same Book of Magic and the same person. Even if he were to comprehend some logic, but it will still be the same loggerhead, so it is still hard to comprehend it.

Thus, after reading it for half a night, I can only shut it helplessly. Turning to the screen, I activated an old solution — Cheating through the System.

"20 skill points, I am really reluctant."

Skill points are good things. They can allow me to learn a technique or magic directly. Also, it can also allow magic to be upped by 1-circle. For example, 1 skill point can turn a 1-circle Ice Arrow into a 2-circle Ice Vector, increasing the attack power and other factors significantly.

I, who have only reached the second rank, Bronze-rank, the highest-tier magic I can control now is 3-circle (The relationship between magic circles and rank is [First rank - 1-circle] [Second rank - 2-circle, 3-circle] [Third rank - 4-circle, 5-circle] and etc). If I were to throw a dozen skill points into it at one go…

Alright, that would be a great waste. Let's not mention the fact that to upgrade higher-circle magic would require more skill points; the higher the circle, the greater the chance of failure when casting the spell. It is actually quite easy to die from your mana rebound. However, throwing too many points on 1-circle magic without much potential is an extreme waste of resources.

My Fate Points aren't sufficient to pull me to the next rank. Currently, I am still a LV21 Order Knight/Chaos Witch King. By right, going by the usual 2 level – 1 skill point calculation, I should only have 10 points. However, while it expends four times the effort to raise my level, this double job gives me twice the amount of skill points as a reward.

Previously, I didn't use it at all. This is due to the fact that as an Order Knight, I have the confidence to learn and use any ability and skill of the Holy Light and Law without using any skill points. As for Necromancy, this isn't the time for me to use it now. Thus, I saved all of my skill points so as to forcefully break through my bottleneck when I am at a higher-rank.

But right now, I probably would require fighting power soon. I can already vaguely see my future path. Since my Chaos and Order powers have to develop equally, then my weak points would require me to devote a greater amount of time and effort to pull them to equal standards. Given my horrible talent in Elemental Magic, there's probably no way I can save my skill points.

If there must be a difference to be said between using skill points and through one's own effort, then it would be that through understanding the concepts, one would be more clear on one's future path, allowing them to consciously choose the direction where they want to develop towards rather than choosing randomly as one pleases.

Looking at the ton of Ice Magic on the skill tree, a large portion of them are powerful cannon-style magic. But, they're not what I require now.

Very quickly, I found the one I was looking for.

"I can already use the 1-circle Ice Magic, Cold Armor. Now, with two other magic spells, I should be able to achieve my objective."

【1-circle Cold Armor (Iron): Form a thin Ice Armor around the spellcaster's body, slightly increasing one's defense. If the spellcaster were to be successfully hit by an enemy, the enemy's speed will be reduced by 0.1 seconds by the chill.】

【2-circle Ice Breath (Bronze): Sustains a conical Ice Breath that deals 1 to 3 frost damage and creates a chill effect, reducing the target's speed. The maximum range is two meters and the maximum duration is six seconds.】

【3-circle Ring of Ice (Bronze): Create a Ring of Ice around the spellcaster which explodes outwards. The Ring will only fly for a maximum of fifteen meters and all those touched by the ring will be slowed by a chill effect.】

The attack power of these three magic spells is almost zero. However, they're the rarer type of Ice Magic that reduces speed. If my guesses are accurate, they probably belong to the same class and form the stepping stone to higher grounds.

"First, the Cold Armor which covers my body."

The Ice Armor, which is almost invisible to the eye, probably can't really defend me from attacks. However, it surrounds me in the Ice Element and it's one of the few magic spells which directly creates cold air that reduces speed. It is the same cold air that results in the effect of reducing the speed of the attacker as well.

At this time, under the drive of my mana, a surge of cold air is created from the Cold Armor.

"Next, the Ice Breath."

The breath of ice turns into an icy fog and the cold air is refined and evolves. A layer of thin ice creeps on everything that the cold air touches.

"Last but not least, the Ring of Ice."

Upon the end of my incantation, the accumulating cold air bursts out. This room is immediately wrecked. Regardless of whether it is the furniture or the ceiling, a layer of ice forms on everything in the room.

A magic chain creates a powerful effect of 111》3, but I still knit my brows in displeasure.

If I only wanted such an effect, then it would have sufficed to simply invest points in a higher-tier magic. I didn't throw in 2 entire skill points just for this.

"Is this still insufficient? Hm, I guess it is insufficient. Then, only this magic remains."

I opened the skill tree once again and find that large AOE freezing magic.

【6-circle Snowstorm (Gold-rank): Create a small-scale storm and using the fallen snow, create a large AOE frost damage and slow effect.】

"6-circle magic, even if I were to invest points here, I wouldn't be able to use it for quite a long time. 3 skill points, don't let me waste them without reaping any rewards."

At the moment when I cast Snowstorm, the Cold Armor suddenly dissipates and all of the cold air in the room seems to return back to me. Then, when it is released once again, it has already been refined into an even higher-quality, deadly-cold air.

"Ding! Congratulations, you have learned the combination skill 'Frozen Air'. This skill is an emulation of the extreme cold of the natural world. No life is immune to its effect — Kid, you made a good choice this time, you seem to have finally figured out how to use me. Make good use of your resources, treasure your skill points."

【Frozen Air: A kind of deadly cold air that is without sound or presence. It can be enchanted onto one's physical body and weapon, as well as paired together with Ice Magic as an attack. Those who are touched by the Frozen Air will have all movements slowed by 1% and suffer 1 point of frost damage per second. This debuff can be stacked. If the target's movement speed is reduced by more than 20%, a frozen effect will be inflicted. Many negative statuses will be inflicted, such as the freezing of one's thought. If the target's movement speed is reduced by more than 50%, then there is a chance that the target might die at any moment due to massive loss of heat.】

【Usage Requirement: Soul Imprint of The Ice Treader. If the user were to reach Gold-rank and gain the ability to control the magic Snowstorm, Frozen Air will be automatically evolved to the next stage.】

As expected, my guess wasn't off. Under the effects of my Soul Imprint, the accumulation of my experiences allowed quantity to create a change in quality.

Just by thinking about it, one will know how treacherous and deadly this soundless and presence-less Frozen Air is. It is able to be stacked as long as we are crossing blows and by the time they realize that the frost is plaguing them, it will already be too late. Just like the pests in the farm who die due to a steep and sudden fall in temperature, they can only watch helplessly as strength leaves them.

Furthermore, this is only the beginning. This kind of Frozen Air that emulates the harshness of the natural world will become my stepping stone to higher heights. In the end, I would be able to create the absolute winter that belongs solely to me.

"As expected, only by undergoing the frigid winter can one feel the warmth of spring again. Only after abandoning my incomplete physical body and start anew can I progress to greater heights. Perhaps, under the accumulation of experiences in my four Soul Imprints through four lives, this time, I would be able to step onto the pinnacle of this world."

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Chapter 79: The Flower of Law

"Those who are passing by, don't pass on this opportunity! You won't lose anything in two minutes. You won't get cheated in just two minutes. As long as you give us two minutes, we guarantee you an entirely new choice in life! This brother over here, the Holy Light is watching over you."

"Everything is possible. The Smiling Sisters sincerely welcome your arrival. The Mother Earth is coaxing (protecting) you!"

TL:This is another homophone. 忽悠 (Hu you - Coaxing) and 护佑 (Hu you - protecting/ watching over).

"Whatever you want, we will sell it cheap. Whatever you buy, we will give you a discount. Don't miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity. We are clearing out all our stocks, making a loss just to sell these! You can try it before buying it. We guarantee its quality. We will pay you tenfold if there is an imitation inside! Beyana's golden reputation, definitely trustworthy!"

"Dang dang dang, War Gods are good, War Gods are fantastic. It is said that as long as you believe in the War God in our family, then those who are sick will be cured, those who are healthy will become stronger. Regardless of whether you are having a cold, fever or tuberculosis, as long as you believe in the War God, we guarantee that you will make a full recovery. Ten years ago at the neighboring village, old Han suddenly became severely ill at 93 years old. After joining our War God Church, not only did he come back from his grave, but he is now so spirited and physically strong that just two days ago, he left a dozen little rascals lying on the floor, moaning in pain."

If you think that this is the calling of the merchants of some big market, then you are sorely mistaken. This is the big field in front of the Laince City Lord Residence. It is also the part of the city that's crowded with the greatest amount of people, as well as its most bustling location. As for those who are prancing about, striking their gongs and playing with their drums, they are the respected Priests of true Gods.

"Hey hey, this big brother here, are you interested in the Goddess of Wealth Church? If you join now, we will even give you two complimentary shampoos."

"Pu, shampoo? The Smiling Sisters over there are giving out cooking oil, you are really lacking in sincerity."

"…Wait, let me consult the archbishop. We should still have stocks of cooking oil remaining. I'm sorry, seems like we ran out of cooking oil. Will toilet paper and shampoo do? Right, I also have a two-month voucher to eat freely at Saint Restaurant."

"Deal, but can you wait for a moment? I just joined the War God Church. I have to stay for three months before they allow me to leave the church."

"Fine, but you must join before the end of the year. You can leave right after the start of the year. And you must finish the year-end mission."

"Tsk, you want me to complete the year-end mission despite offering so little? I think I will join the Goddess of Wealth Church, after all."

Alright, now that he feels that he has been shortchanged, that fellow turns around and leaves. However, looking at the dozen bags of little gifts he is carrying in both hands, exactly how many times has he joined and left these several organizations?

Normally, these respected old gentlemen would be waiting in their churches for others to knock on their doors, to impart the teachings and cultivate faith in their true God. Instead, they are now acting like the merchants that they previously looked down on, trying to rope in passersby on the field, and giving out complimentary gifts all around to advertise.

The reason? Simple, a powerful opponent has arrived in this city. Rapidly, she has already built up unbelievable prestige. A large bunch of worshippers from other churches is switching their faith. The year-end mission that they were just about to finish, immediately became an impossible mission.

Wild Elf Judgementor Krose!

Upon speaking this name, the respected priests around this area would grind their teeth in anger. She has totally ignored the underlying rules that everyone had traditionally agreed upon. Without any advertisement pamphlets or complimentary gifts and just by standing on the field and showing a faint smile, countless young men would take the initiative to approach and ask for more information. In fact, just to bring a smile on the face of this beauty, some even directly switched their faith.

Thus, in just half a month, a number of believers in the God of Law shot up at a rapid pace. In this world, where true Gods exist, worshippers are the origin of power for true Gods, the very basic building blocks of the Churches of true Gods. Recruiting worshippers is the year-end mission that all priests must complete.

Without any increases in the total population of the city, given that the Church of Law is rapidly growing stronger, it is a natural outcome that other churches are suffering losses. Facing dwindling numbers of worshippers, the other churches are panicking.

And now, there are already pitiful young Priestesses dressed scantily, giving out advertisement flyers and gifts to passersby while repenting. However, the situation is immediately reversed the moment Krose smiles slightly.

Now that the circumstances have developed to such a point, even the well-respected retired old Priests are walking the streets, carrying a bunch of paper bags containing gifts and starting their life as a salesperson.

Of course, using just 'beauty' isn't enough. The crux is that the teachings that the God of Law advocates is very attractive. First, there is no need to pray in the God's name, so there is no need for a regional church. Thus, it doesn't need anyone to serve the God nor are donations required.

Due to reincarnation and the existence of true Gods, it is true that those who die without any faith would fall into the River Styx. This is also the slogan used by the Order Gods to spread their faith. Thus, as citizens of the Order Faction, humans will tend to choose a true God of Order to worship. However, Churches also have to eat and donating a tenth of one's fortunes to the Church is already an unspoken rule agreed by most churches.

But now, there is someone who isn't playing by the rules. He directly shouts that there won't be a Church and donations won't be enforced on the believers. In the end, it created a snowball effect.

The first to change their faith is the merchants. This is just like two countries trying to get a merchant to build their factory in their territory. One of them has a tax rate of 10% while the other isn't collecting any taxes. Under the prerequisite that the other conditions aren't that different, as long as their heads are still functioning properly, they would choose the latter.

Of course, the other Churches are hesitating on whether they should lower the donation amount expected of their worshippers. However, this isn't something a district Church can decide upon. Also, if they decide to play the price war, the other party doesn't even have a Church, a true zero-cost organization, how can they compete with that?

Also, the God of Law Wumianzhe is a true God in the Order Faction, both in name and status. The female Judgementor over there can even provide a job change for the basic jobs.

Right, basic jobs, such as Mages, Priests and Holy Knights, those kinds of basic jobs. With the help of the God Equipment Scattered Page, within half a month, there are almost a hundred Justice Knights and more than ten Judgementors (Judgementors require quite a high intelligence as a prerequisite for the job conversion) in this city.

After Wumianzhe Ascended as a true God, Justice Knights and Judgementors which should have been a job advancement class became a basic job. This doesn't mean that the Law Faction is getting weak but rather, it means that the entire Law Faction is becoming significantly stronger as a whole.

One has to first convert to a Holy Knight or Warrior job before they can convert to a Justice Knight after reaching the Gold-rank. This has determined that the number of Justice Knights would be severely limited. Also, how can talent groomed by other people be as trustworthy as the people that we groomed from scratch?

In the past, the number of true Gods who could provide basic jobs wasn't many. The most famous of them all were the Holy Knights and Priests of Holy Light, from the Church of Holy Light. Now that Justice Knights and Judgementors have become a basic job as well, this means that the potential of the Law Faction is boundless.

Thus, in just two weeks, the God of Law has become the hottest topic of this entire city. Krose has also become a famous figure known by everyone.

Of course, there are flaws under this layer of perfection. For example, this beautiful Priestess (Judgementor is an equivalent to Priests), after spreading the teachings will tend to ask 'Are there any unique treasures that can turn one into a male' and her forced smile after receiving a negative reply makes one's heart break. People have started to suspect if the true God of Law Wumianzhe is especially fond of cute boys, thus forcing this beautiful Priestess to search all around for the means.

"The God of Law Wumianzhe loves cute boys the most." This kind of rumor actually started spreading about.

"Little boys, your head, I'm a heterosexual!"

Truth be told, after hearing these rumors, I furiously crushed the teacup in my hands.

Even if I am used to falling into misfortune, even while doing nothing due to that pathetic Luck of mine, but if I were to become the Guardian God of cute boys and gays, I might as well commit suicide.

The primary reason for Krose to head to the Surface is to look for these means is to dispel the curse or to find treasures that can change her sex once again. It is just that if one thinks that she set forth just for such a casual reason, one would be underestimating her sense of responsibility as an Enforcer.

She applied for the mission to spread the faith before leaving the Underground World. After her application, it is said that just within an afternoon, Xueti received hundreds of applications to further the faith as well. Of course, if so many people were to leave all of a sudden, there would definitely be drastic negative impacts on the Supreme Court.

Xueti didn't approve them. However, hidden behind the seemingly loyal and honest face is a black-hearted cow. He didn't have any good intentions. He declared that there were only two slots and requested for them to decide among themselves.

Alright, those incurable old bachelors fought even after the sky turned dark. It is said that out of the three hundred who joined the private group fight, there are less than ten who could still attend work on the second day. It was that intense.

The final victors were a Gold-pinnacle Law Incantationer and a Gold-pinnacle Justice Knight, and naturally, they became Krose's 'Flower Guardians' (Companions for the journey). I found it incomprehensible. As a Legend-rank Judgementor, would Krose still need the protection of you two?

Yes, Wild Elf Krose converted from a Great Druid into a top-tier Judgementor. Although her personality is still too soft, at 700 years old, her fighting prowess was never low.

As one who values responsibility, despite being plagued with her private issues, she prioritized her job of spreading the teachings and placed the search for treasures to dispel her curse as her secondary objective. I am really thankful to her loyalty towards her duties. But, can you stop asking if the other party has some unique item to turn one into a male after spreading the teachings? It makes it seem as though looking for an item to change sex is the more important issue at hand.

"You are actually smiling on the inside huh, ex-Lord Wumianzhe."

Alright, this stupid cat has actually seen through it. Even though I keep complaining, I am actually quite happy.

After all, the God Power Regulation System that I sacrificed so much to exchange for didn't go to waste. The Law faith is also being propagated at a rapid speed. Of course, not setting up Churches, allowing those who believe in Law to wield the Power of Law, while allowing the Law faith to be disseminated quickly; all of this has caused the Liu Huang Mountain City Supreme Court, which serves as the Church of Law, to lose its control over the basic wielders of Power of Law. But, this is within my expectations.

The fact that the God of Law is fated to develop with its worshippers spread all over, divided, made the other Churches heave a sigh of relief. After all, in their traditional view, Churches are the basis to maintaining belief.

"It is sufficient as long as the Law Faith can be disseminated. Church or whatsoever, it isn't important from the start. When too many people start to gather, it would be too chaotic. Too many voices will cause the initial teachings to change instead."

【 In order to carry out the Rules of Law with absolute fairness, I am willing to follow in the footsteps of the God of Holy Light to give up my sense of self to become the Rules of Law itself. From now onwards, I am the Law and the Law is me. One doesn't need to recite my name to obtain the Power of Law. One only needs to believe in enforcing the Rules of Law.】These are my vows I spoke during my Ascension.

"I said so in my vows during my Ascension. The law is Wumianzhe and Wumianzhe will turn itself into law as well. This is equal to giving up one's sense of self. A true God without a sense of self cannot send down God Commandments. If so, the Church which serves the true God isn't important anymore. Even so, as long as Law were to be vastly spread throughout this world, Wumianzhe, as God Power Regulation System, will eventually become as powerful as the God of Light. Then, I would be able to start on my next objective."

"Heh, just continue showing off then. But, there aren't many Judgementors that are as good as Krose, so the progress in other regions probably won't be as fast."

"Thus, I should make good use of my resources. I will bring her along to Auland Empire."

"Un? Could it be that you can make Wumianzhe send out his God Commandments?

"Of course… not. However, I have a message left behind by Wumianzhe before he Ascended. I can guarantee that it is written by Wumianzhe himself! Besides, with Krose following me, at least there is a chance through my monthly Gachapon. In any case, it is much better than searching around without any leads. At the very least, I don't have to worry about even more people believing that Wumianzhe really likes males!"

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Chapter 80: Auland Empire

'The Whisper of the Demons' is the prelude to the 7 Trials of Eich, as well as the start of everything.

Along with the awakening of the Will of Chaos, the cults that worship the Malevolent Gods of Chaos, as well as the servants of Demons, will start to cause chaos and unease across the entire continent. Then, when all of the Ancient Elemental Gods would be released, the Elemental Tide will arrive. As a result, the entire world will change.

Other than an exponential increase in the amount of Elemental Lifeforms and Magical Beasts and the experts of every race and tribe coming out from their seclusion, it also increases the possibility of the Undead Emperors returning to the main continent from the Undead Dimensions. Even more so, the arrival of the Elemental Tide builds the foundation for the invasion of the Demonic army against the Main Dimension in the future.

At the same time, the idealists and the ambitious will start to make their moves. Among the group, those who bring about the greatest threat are those who desire to build their own country, the evil cultists who welcome the descend of the Malevolent Gods as well as the ambitious Underground City Lords who wish to return back to the Surface.

The prelude to this all has started not too long ago. Other than the unlucky fellow in the Underground World who was weakened to the brink of death and devoured the moment he was released, the other Elemental Gods will be released, bringing a great amount of Elemental Lifeforms to this world.

Of course, if it wasn't for the Epic mission that was brought by the plot of the prelude, I wouldn't be able to revive so perfectly.

Ten years later, when the next Trial, 'The Vulture of War', starts, under the movement of schemers and the ambitious, the entire continent would be plunged into chaos.

Then, the question would be what exactly happened in this ten years.

Firstly, it would be the appearance of young talents in each country. The emergence of new equipment and new armies caused a frenzied increase in the military power of the countries, causing the nobles of large countries to be tempted by greed. At the same time, some organizations and individuals were fanning the flames of war by the side, such as the nephew of an Emperor being murdered by assassins bearing the name of some smaller countries, thus providing the spark for the large countries who were already craving for war.

Initially, the war only involved the annexation of smaller states by larger countries. But, as victories started to pile up, these countries started to fervently desire war. When endless greed and profits from war blinded the eyes of the Emperor and nobles; when the newly titled Knight Lords need to be given their own land; when the strength of these countries was growing stronger by the day, the Vulture of War was already circling the skies of the entire Human world.

In the end, it is just the maxim that extreme prosperity will ultimately lead to destruction being proven true once again. When the Surface society occupied mainly by the Humans develop to a certain point, the larger nations would crave to climb even higher. Perhaps, they wish to become the legendary Emperor whose name will be marked in history as the man who unified the entire Human society, or maybe they crave to become the dominant leader of an area. Even without schemers inciting them, the outbreak of war would have eventually happened.

To those who are standing at the pinnacle of the world, it is also about time for them to reap the fruits of their harvest as well. Thus, the Sacred War follows closely by the end of the war and the horns of war are blown once again.

The Great World War. When the large nations bring their subordinate states to initiate a full-blown war against others, there are even people who prophesied happily that after the war, a new Empire will sweep the entire continent, bringing the Human society to greater heights.

But then, cruel reality slapped these large countries in their face, telling them that this world isn't a one-player game among humans but a web game PK among different races.

The Elf Kingdoms will lead different tribes and rise up against the humans. Ignoring the common assaults of Beastman Tribes and such, the invasion of the Underground Alliance caused the human countries who are 100 times greater in terms of quantity to witness the sight of Gold-rank serving as cannon fodder, giant Dragons launching assaults one after another, Legends filling the entire battlefield and SemiGods roaming all about.

The Human army who outnumber their enemies by 100 times didn't even have the time to mock their large disparity in quantity of military forces when they experienced what suppression through individual abilities mean, what it means for an individual to be able to defeat a hundred, for ten to ward off an army of ten thousand, what it means for the command team to be wiped even before the start of war, what it means for an order of Knights to charge through the city walls.

Even a division chief might not be as powerful as a veteran soldier of the opposing force. This war was really hopeless for them. If it wasn't for the Underground Alliance Army falling into internal conflicts over the spoils of war, if it wasn't for the large countries sacrificing the interests of smaller countries without hesitation to exchange land for time through bringing temporary satisfaction to the Underground Alliance to make them fall into internal conflict and postponing the final battle as a result, the war would probably be long over.

Then, the Undead Calamity struck. Those ancient and perennial Undead SemiGods who were banished to foreign dimensions stepped onto the stage, making the humans even more aware of the pain of lacking top-tier powers and the ridiculousness of comparing quantity of cannon fodders against the army of the Undead Calamity.

As for the invasion of Demons and the last few trials, in reality, it is just adding a few additional knives into the tattered Eich Continent. It was already at the brink of death and would have died even if it was just left there.

Along with endless deaths, the war continued to intensify. By the time the Goddess of Order and Goddess of Chaos personally fought on the front line, everything came to an end.

Truthfully, every time I see this part of 'history', a feeling of helplessness arises from the depths of my heart, depleting all of my motivation. In the face of the overwhelming circumstances of history, my strength as an individual is negligible.

Prevent the outbreak of war? I am not that naive. However, those that I can do, I have done.

For example, under the will of the citizens of the Underground World, the invasion of the Surface cannot be avoided. However, with Liu Huang Mountain City leading the pack, at least we would have a larger say in decision-making and will not be on the passive end. As long as we settle it properly, there is still a possibility of cooperating together with the Surface against the Trials.

Also, the variable that I personally created, the Xiluo Empire, has served a bizarre purpose — The Undead Catastrophe from the several Undead Dimensions has been brought forward.

Initially, it should begin only after seventy years and not at a maximum of thirty years from now that Decars informed me. For this, I should be thankful for the efforts of the Head of the Council of Dark Night, the Second Senator Feyland.

It is a bad thing though? No, it is actually good news.

As the Elemental Tide engulfs the world, it becomes easier and easier to connect dimensions together. It is impossible for the Undead Emperors who have been eyeing the main continent for a long time to not to come. Rather, if they were to arrive earlier, it would cause the internal conflict on Eich to end early, allowing the warring forces to band together against the powerful external forces.

Besides, to forcefully enter the Main Dimension during the beginning phase of the Elemental Tide, the powers of the Undead Emperors and their forces would take a hit. At the very least, the 3 Undead Emperors who have reached the level of true Gods would definitely be unable to enter. If so, the scale of the Undead Calamity would be much smaller than that depicted in history, thus bringing the possibility of dealing with them batch after batch.

So, I ordered the Royal Faction to make peace with Feyland and focus all of their efforts to make the invasion from the foreign dimensions occur as early as possible.

It would be best if it occurs before the invasion of the Underground World begins. That way, using cooperating against the Undead as an excuse, it wouldn't be difficult for us to get the humans to give up a plot of land or to steal it from the hands of the Undead Calamity. Perhaps, after the war, both parties can achieve co-existence and accrue sufficient military power to deal with the troubles that would occur afterward.

Of course, this is assuming the best case scenario of the invasion of the Undead Calamity being brought forward. The worst case scenario is that we might not be able to even survive the Undead Calamity, causing an early loss in the game. On the other hand, if the Underground Alliance goes out of control or if an agreement with the Humans fails to go through, then facing the Undead Calamity and Underground Alliance simultaneously, we would also be crushed.

"Sigh, there are too many catastrophes in the future. Since there isn't much hope from the start, then I might as well try to make a last stand."Auland Empire. With a history of seven hundred years, it can be considered the youngest of all superpower countries.

However, they aren't the weakest of the bunch. On the other hand, after a few generations of wise kings who made good decisions, the country became wealthy and powerful and there are vague signs that they may surpass the existing superpowers.

The capital, Kagersi City, is one of the greatest city in the entire Eich Continent and is built along a river. It is split into eight main districts and its population numbers almost ten million. Of the eight districts, the Pearl District has a population of three million and is known as the Nocturnal City.

If we had to describe Auland Empire, then 'extravagant' would probably be the most suitable adjective.

Also, the countless oil lamps along the river, the magic-powered searchlights, the luxurious carriages on the streets, the cruises and cargo ships on the river, the refined ladies dressed in elegant clothes strolling by the river and merchant parties who came from all around the world, all of these brings an astonishing amount of liveliness to this city.

Now that the inauguration ceremony of the new Emperor is by the corner, colorful flags and jewels are hung on the trees by the river, an especially expensive silk carpet is laid on the main street and even the gold-plated oil lamps along the road were powered by the expensive mermaid oil. While causing the visiting tourists to criticize the 'loaded host', they couldn't help to envy Auland Capital's wealthiness and strength.

The reason why this inauguration ceremony is made so grand isn't just for their reputation. Previously, having twenty-six subordinate states have already made it a big country. Now, if the number were to increase to forty-two subordinate states, the Auland Capital would be able to shake off its reputation as a political upstart and become an influential superpower in the entire world.

Of course, there are some people who don't wish for it to happen. Black blood runs through his veins as he prepares to bring chaos and destruction.

However, he is currently in a dilemma. After all, to meet someone from the same hometown in a foreign country is a rare joy in life. However, he really wants to pretend to be unacquainted with these old friends.

"As expected of Pearl City, it really is extravagant. To think they even give free pearls to passers-by."

"Stop talking so much nonsense and quickly take them!"

Alright, they are Goblin Yingou and Kabala, familiar faces from Liu Huang Mountain City. They have set their sights on the jewels that are used to decorate the trees. Despite being surrounded by onlookers who were pointing at them, criticizing them, but they continued filling their shabby sack happily.

"Ohhhh, high-quality mermaid oil. Such a waste. It would serve a much better purpose as an additive in my combustion material for me." (Hoyle)

He recognises the people in front of him, but he would rather not know them. Indeed, they have set forth for Auland Capital in hope for a great windfall through their gifts. Looking at the date, they should have long arrived. However, to be able to meet in such a big city without any prior appointments, in a way, it could be considered as a cursed fate.

"You thieving bastards! It is you lot again! You are robbing in daytime now?"

"What? Thief? What are you talking about? Aren't these put by the road for people to take?"

"Yeah, just because you said that it is yours doesn't mean it is yours. If you were to call out to it now, will it reply you?"

Alright, even as the Gnome Kabala shouts back confidently, his movements hadn't slowed in the least. Very quickly, he fills his sack to the brink and flees with it.

"Cough cough, don't escape. You bunch of bastards!"

These shameless experts from the Underground World had honed their agility through frequent clashes with the Liu Huang Mountain City Town Security, so it was impossible for those normal human security personnel to catch up with them. They panted heavily as they ran but the gap only widens.

"Come and chase us."

"Haaa, days without the Town Security is really lonely, like a winter night."

"Hah, I, Kabala, am unmatched now… ouch!"

Alright, Kabala, who was a famous expert at digging, slips and falls onto the muddy ground.

"Kabala, what happened, what happened? I told you that after digging a hole, you must fill it up! Is this retribution? Also, who was the one who threw that watermelon skin, such lack of social conscience. Kabala still owes old Hoyle 100,000 gold coins. If you accidentally killed him, are you all sure you all can pay for it?"

TL: Hoyle is referring himself in a third person view.

Alright, the first part of the furious rant is still reasonable but it gradually gets twisted towards the end.

"It isn't 100,00, it's a 100! It's only 100! Besides, you shortie obviously cheated in cards last night, I won't even return you that 100."

Even when his forehead swelled up, Gnome Kabala struggles with all his might to use his index finger to point a '1'. He was afraid that this old Dwarf who doesn't have the slightest sense of shame would make use of this opportunity to push this gigantic debt onto him. Indeed, if Kabala really had 100,000 gold coins, he wouldn't have to go to the extent to dragging that shabby sack all around town to fill it with those decorations.

TL: He pointed to one to show '1' hundred (one hundred). What Hoyle said was '10' ten thousand (万)

Those are indeed jewels, but they were of low quality, so they aren't really worth much money. Only Yingou, Kabala and the other Gnomes who view wealth as important as their life would do such a thing.

Alright, I can't stand watching on at such a sight. Apparently, there is someone who found such a sight even more unbearable than me.

"You bastards! Causing trouble even in other cities!"

"Town Security's big silly lass! How can this be? Didn't you all head to the North of the continent?"

"Damn it, there is also that mad dog!"

"Who is a mad dog! Don't come up with random nicknames for other people! Momo has a nice name."

"Big silly lass? Alright, I understand."

The two former Town Security members clench their fists and block them from the front and the back while the other few experts from the Hall of Judgement pressures them from the side. The three short fellows fall into despair.

"Don't hit my face!"

"Not the face!"

"You don't even want your face anymore, do you think it is possible for me to not hit it?"

Now, even the onlookers were amused by this farce. Making use of this opportunity, I put on a silver mask and smiles as I approach the few security personnel who were watching the show.

"It is a pleasant night, gentlemen! Today's skyline is quite beautiful, isn't it? May I ask where is the embassy hall for East Mist Communal Country?"

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Chapter 81: The Princess and Old Friends

At Kagersi City's Palace District, there is a row of mansions built in the style that smells strongly of culture foreign to the Auland Empire. That is where the embassy for envoys stay.

The East Mist Communal Country doesn't have an embassy in Auland Empire. In a certain mansion that was assigned to them at the last minute, even though it was already late at night, a certain young lady who was duped was enraged.

"Darned Darsos! This wasn't how he put it when he invited us! This is a scam, an insult to the entire country!"

The 14 year old young lady is currently holding a tantrum in her room but it is a shame that the one she is facing is just her female retainer.

"Yes, they lied to us. But as a small country, what can we do? Do we make it public and refuse to swear loyalty to them? They would just treat it as an insult to the Empire as well as the new Emperor and start a full-out war against us. We would just be providing them a reason for war."

Yes, this time, the East Mist Communal Country had no intention of becoming a subordinate state at all. Princess Reyne was cheated here. Similarly, there were also a few small countries who refuse to serve as a subordinate state but were forced or duped here.

"Based on the current circumstances, the rise of Auland Empire can no longer be halted. While the other countries pledging allegiance to them, if we insist otherwise, we would be viewed with hostility by everyone else. To protect their dignity as a superpower, the Auland Capital would have to launch a crusade against us. Furthermore, we just ended a battle against the Beastmen, so we don't have the military power to fight such a war now." They are obviously trying to take this show for real then use their strength to suppress all oppositions. Reyne grinds her teeth.

"Yes, they tricked us here because they have seen through all this. But, Big Sister Kelly, didn't you say that the Mist Bloodline doesn't yield! We should just go all out against them."

The female Wood Elf is the Court Tutor who have served the Mist Royalty for almost 500 years, Kelablian, shortened as Kelly.

She has already mentored more than twenty Kings and it is said that she is the teacher of the Twin Stars as well. She is a well-respected figure within the country and is deeply trusted by the royal family.

"That's why, if he is able to get the Mist Bloodline along with its long history to yield, Darsos and the Auland Empire would earn even greater prestige. But, if we don't yield, he would use it as a reason to start a war. No matter how we deal with it, it is a deal he would win. That is why he can openly play these kind of schemes and tricks."

"Why? Aren't we all humans? Why are humans so much harder to deal with than the evil Beastmen?"

Weariness shows on the face of the young Princess. These days in Kagersi City, facing those hypocrites who are hiding swords behind their words, she finds it is harder to cope with such diplomatic affairs than fighting in the battlefield.

"Hmph. It is because they are humans that dealing with them is so difficult. Your Highness, have you forgotten the reason for the downfall of the Mist Country? Serving as the guardians of the borders of the human society for countless generations, what did we get in the end? The shameless betrayal by the human kingdoms whom we were protecting and being judged as heretics by the Church. We were stabbed violently in the back. Never place your trust in those foolish and short-sighted human kings who break their promises, as well as the untrustworthy Order Gods."

Although she is smiling faintly, in the words of the green-haired Woof Elf is her distrust towards the entire human society and the Order Gods.

"Also, if you were to accept the agreement to serve as a subordinate state, your popularity within the country will fall drastically. Perhaps, this is one of the motive they have in mind. After all, the damage that the Mist Bloodline had dealt to them in retaliation was not insignificant. Besides, your performance previously had probably put them on their guards. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons why they paid no regard to their standing to set up such a ploy on us."

Reyne immediately goes speechless. Following which, a look of disbelief appears on her entire face. All these just because she performed excellently during the Beastman invasion? Forcing the East Mist Communal Country and her to lower their head to become a subordinate state in order to suppress her reputation?

"Impossible!"

"No, this possibility is very likely. Who asked you to have two famous fear-inspiring ancestors. Also, many talented people have appeared in the history of the Mist Bloodline, so it is natural that they would be wary of you. Furthermore, you look extremely alike with the twin prince. No, it is exactly the same. Whether it is another demon invasion or Night of Diffindor, it is something that they won't be able to allow to happen."

While speaking, their gazes suddenly lingers at the oil painting on the wall. Depicted in the painting is a battlefield. The battle was still going on and the young generals were currently advancing with the flag.

There is a pair of twins. A young man holding his sword was currently slashing downwards from midair. Golden Holy Light radiates from him, making him reminiscent of a God descending to the mortal world. Even in the most intense and despair-inducing battlefield, he carries a peaceful radiant smile, as though a bright future awaits him.

Behind him, another young man with the exact same face was carrying a sword in his left hand and a staff on the right. Inferno from originating from hell is burning fervently on his right arm. In contrast to his twin brother, fury could be found on his young face.

A group of Knights were charging forth from their back. What they faced was a sea of endless Beastmen and Demons and by the corner of the painting, the flags of different human kingdoms can be vaguely seen, expressing the anger and dissatisfaction of the painter.

That is an imitation of the famous painting of the East Mist Communal Country 'The Last Princes'. "Prince Roland and Prince Karwenz, right? Big Sister Kelly, are they really that incredible? If they were in the same situation as me now, will they fare much better?"

Reyne is a little depressed. The guilt she feels from letting her ancestors down make her feel weak.

"Don't speak such disappointing words, you have already done very well."

Kelly shakes her head.

"This kind of comparison is meaningless. Reyne is Reyne, the Twin Princes are the Twin Princes. If Karwenz were in your position, he would probably only have wielded his sword and slaughter as his please. If so, wouldn't the situation simply worsen?"

"That is to say, if Prince Roland was here, the situation would be vastly different?"

Reyne discovers the hidden meaning behind Kelly's words and became even more depressed.

Hearing these words, Kelly stuns for a moment before a look of nostalgia appears on her face.

"Roland ah, if it was him, he wouldn't have allowed the situation end up like this, to be put in a disadvantageous position, in the first place. That little fellow may seem very radiant and cheerful, but his veins are actually filled with black water. He would already be kind to not scheme against others, do would he let others plot against him? Karwenz would definitely fall for it with a hundred percent probability. He would charge straight regardless of what stands in his way but somehow, he would always manage to charge out of these situations with brute force."

Reyne is quite curious. The Big Sister Kelly in front of her is a true elder of the Mist Bloodline and a living library. However, she disliked talking about past affairs all along. This was a hard-to-come-by opportunity, so she decided to make use of this opportunity to question her further.

"That, Big Sister Kelly, can you tell me about the affairs of that two Princes? Are they really as powerful as the legends depict?"

Reyne leans weakly on Kelly's body, allowing the other party to freely braid her own hair and touch up on her make up. This is already a daily habit she has cultivated through these two years.

Thickening the eyebrow, outlining the eyeliner, trimming excess hair and using powder to conceal her overly pale skin. Under Kelly's dexterous hands, the distinction between a male and a female's face is further blurred.

Under circumstances that just keeps worsening, what the East Mist Communal Country needs is a heroic Knight similar to Holy Knight Roland in the legends to lead the country, and not an elegant lady of nobility who busies herself with social occasions.

"Although it may sound inconceivable, they are actually even stronger than how they were depicted in the legends. If it wasn't for the outbreak of war which robbed them of their time to mature, that generation would have belonged to those two."

Hearing these words, Reyne suddenly raises her head, causing the makeup pen to stray off path on her face, messing up the makeup.

"Impossible, they were around my age when they died in battle. No, what Big Sister Kelly said must be the truth. As expected, I am useless. If only Prince Roland can make decisions in my place."

"Puuu."

Kelly's chuckle beneath her hands surprised Kelly.

"Big Sister Kelly, what are you laughing about! I am serious!"

"No, Reyne, it is just that there was someone who said the same words in the past."

"Who?"

"Roland. He often said 'Aiya, this is so troublesome, depriving me of my book reading time. If only Karwenz can deal with them all, then I can spend all of my time reading books and slacking off.'"

The legendary hero would actually have such a lazy side to him? Roland, who was viewed as the role model of the royalty and Holy Knights, would actually like to slack around?

"Prince Roland likes to read books?"

"Very much so. Regardless of whether it is about arts, music, literature, history, astronomy or geography, even if the messy alchemy and engineering, he likes them all very much. If he wasn't sent to the Church to become a Holy Knight, if it wasn't for the sudden outbreak of war, he would have probably eventually become a well-known scholar."

"Wait, Big Sister Kelly, wasn't he 10 years old when he was sent to become a Holy Knight? He started to like reading from such a young age?"

"The two Princes were a year old when they started reading. If not, they wouldn't become renowned geniuses in the world. But, there is still another little story within it."

"Impressive. Little story?"

"Un, normal boys tend to learn how to walk only after reaching a year old. Even if the Mist Bloodline allows their children to mature early, but just after just one month of his birth, Karwenz already learnt how to walk and speak a few simple phrases. This is a feat of a super genius that would be recorded in history."

"What about Prince Roland?"

"He uh, when Karwenz was already walking, he was still crawling about. Karwenz could call papa and mama but he could only cry. However, a month after their birth, while we were still worried for Roland, Karwenz, abusing his strength, snatched his milk bottle and finally, he spoke."

"Spoke?"

"Un, he first said to Karwenz 'Hey, you brat, you might not be afraid of getting sliced up but I am. Can you calm down and be more professional, we are normal infants. You should learn how to cry, come, cry like your big brother. Waaaaaaaaaaahh! Come, raise the pitch a little, wahhhhhhhh' Then, after realising that Karwenz couldn't understand what he said and continued snatching his bottle, he shouted loudly for help 'Hey hey hey, can you all control this evil brat? He is already learning how to bully his older brother. Hmph, to dare to snatch my rations, I will pull you down with me.'"

TL: Just for note, sometimes Roland and the rest would address themself as 'this old man/woman' when they are angry. In the text above, he said 'Hmph, to dare to snatch this old man's ration, this old man will pull you down with me'.

"A month old child would actually know to hide his own talents? That is incredible."

"That's right. In these few centuries, I have taught several geniuses of the Mist Royalty but I have never seen such a ridiculous child. The world thinks that Karwenz is a super genius but in reality, Roland was even more ridiculous. If it wasn't for him spending his effort on various academic domains, causing him to miss out on the golden period for training, he wouldn't be weaker than Karwenz in any case."

"Can you tell me a little more about Prince Roland?"

Staring at the face of the exhausted Reyne, Kelly strokes her hair lightly. Just like how she did it when Reyne was still a child, she lowers her head and lightly kisses the forehead of the young girl.

"Un, then, since you have been spent from being busy the entire day, let's treat it as a bedtime story. Roland, although he is smart, he isn't very reliable. There was once he happily dragged me to look at his new invention. He even said proudly 'Look, this transparent thing would definitely sell well. I call it glass. Since it can earn us a lot of money, the life of our citizens will definitely improve.'"

"Glass was invented by Lord Roland? I remember that it existed six thousand years ago though."

"Un, back then, he didn't know that. When I told him this, his depressed face really makes one's heart break. He even mumbled softly 'It's nothing, then I will invent the printing industry then.'"

"Printing technology? Isn't that the industry monopolised by the God of Knowledge?"

"Un, I also said that back then. Thus, he became even more depressed. However, the next day, he started to study astronomy and biology, what living being evolution theory. Although it seems obviously groundless, now that I think about it, it makes some sense. For example 【Living beings aren't created by Gods and they don't remain constant. They change and they evolve. Natural evolution is the way how living beings evolve. Living beings have a tendency to over-reproduce but living space and resources are limited. Thus, living beings have to fight in order to survive.】"

"The beings of the mortal world isn't created by the Gods? Don't all lifeforms originate from the Origin of Order and the Chaos Abyss? Isn't this obviously a lie?"

"Un, but he didn't get depressed over this. Very quickly, he found new toys. He has always been like this, never knowing what being discouraged and giving up was. Even at the start of the war, he quickly matured from a rookie into a true war god. If only the enemies we faced didn't outnumber us by more than a hundred times."

Under the accumulation of rage and exhaustion, very quickly, as words flew by, Reyne fell into the realm of dreams. Looking at the young lady stripped of her armor, Kelly fell into deep thoughts.

That armor is very elegant, looking like a heavy mithril plate mail on the exterior. In reality, it is only a soft armor painted with a layer of gold alloy. It is even lighter than leather armor.

It is impossible for talents to be born from the Mist Bloodline for every generation. Reyne isn't some genius expert. In fact, she isn't even a qualified Warrior. Having the fighting power of an Iron-rank primary stage at 14 years old, there isn't much difference between her and normal civilians.

In that 1000km charge, she was only in charge of holding the flags and shouting the war cry. While trembling in fear, she led the army to build up her reputation. If she were to really meet with an opponent, any Beastman would have been able to easily kill her in an instant.

However, it is a pity that the East Mist Communal Country is currently plagued with internal and external problems. It is indeed a period which they require a hero-like Princess Knight. Reyne has sacrificed a lot but if the circumstances were to be allowed to develop on as it is, she would have to continue to be sacrificed even if very possibly, she would receive no returns. Perhaps, what would await her is a bad reputation and the incomprehension of her citizen.

"Sigh, maybe what Reyne said makes sense, this job is really too tough for her to bear. Roland, where are you?"

Kelly lightly strokes the knife by her waist. On the hilt of the dagger, two giant dragons intertwines with one another and of the two pearls placed on them, one was radiating white light while the other was radiating black light.

This is the Light of Life, a secret art passed down in the royalty of many countries. When a member of royalty is born, a drop of blood would be taken from them to hold the ritual. Then, this pearl would become their Light of Life. If the light is extinguished, it means that the person is dead. This can also be used to prevent others from faking the identity of members of royalty.

The two pearls on this decorative knife is the Light of Life of the twins — Roland and Karwenz.

"Karwenz's Light of Life is becoming darker and darker. It seems that he has fallen entirely to the Chaos. But Roland…"

The situation with Roland's Light of Life is extremely bizarre. It lights up for a moment and extinguishes in the next, white for an instant and black in the next, changing multiple times frequently.

A hundred years ago, the darkness even exceeded that of Karwenz and not too long ago, it was extinguished suddenly. Then, two months later, it lit up once again, turning white.

"If the reaction of this Light of Life depicts his actual condition and that Roland is still roaming on this world, he must be leading a very exciting life."

Somehow, the knife slightly shudders, as though summoned by something. Kelly instinctively stands up and looking towards the direction of the pull of the knife, she discovers the silhouette of a person beneath the tree.

"Roland!!"

However, when she focused her sight, she realised that it was only a willow tree dancing along with the wind.

Shaking her head, Kelly shuts the window.

"Heh, looks like I am just like Reyne, desiring a reliable shoulder to lean on."

However, she didn't notice that by the corner, beneath the window, a figure wearing a silver mask was currently grinding his teeth in anger.

"Darsos, to actually dare set your sights on the Mist Country, I will make sure that your fate will be even worse than that in history!"

Don't ask me how the pearl managed to radiate black light. It just… does.

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Chapter 82: The Revival of the Mist

Without doubt, the Auland Empire is a powerful country. Their royal family's White Wolf Royal Guards is indisputably an elite tier 3 light cavalry. The combined charge of 3 of these armies of Silver-rank mounted troops is unstoppable. Alright, this isn't the Underground World where Gold-rank are treated as pawns. At the very least, the military of the smaller countries that they are bordered with are unable withstand their charge.

Compared to races blessed with longevity, a human's individual fighting prowess is definitely a shortcoming. However, humans are a race that depend heavily on tools and external items to achieve victory (The White Wolf Royal Guards can only reach Silver-rank when coupled with their mounts and equipment). The so-called large countries refers to those who possess an advantage in agriculture, manufacturing, alchemy, magic, breeding livestock and the grooming of talents, that's why they are able to equip and sustain a stronger army and military power.

TL: The word 大国 (large countries), in Chinese have the idea of them being powerful as well. So, you all can safely assume the large countries I am talking about to not just be large in term of land size.

For example, the armor of the White Wolf Guards is an alloy of Missilor Mithril. Not mentioning the blueprint for the armor of their light cavalry, even the basic materials required for the alloy itself is a class 1 secret of the Auland Empire. The Missilor Savage Dragon Lance, Savage Javelin and Savage Sword that they specially created are all high-quality alchemy products. As for their Marlot horses, it is a top-quality war horse that they carefully cross-bred for many generations. It is said that this type of war horse feed on meat.

It is because of such luxurious equipment that a Bronze-rank Knight is forcefully pulled to the strength of a Silver-rank (human). Coupling it with an overwhelming advantage in quantity and strategy, their fighting power would be one to reckon with.

Not only unique troops are like that, all human soldiers are reliant on equipment. For example, a former farmer who undergo a year of basic soldier training, after giving him a Dragon Lance, he would be a tier 1 basic Spearman. If he were to undergo 2 year of shooting training, with a magic crossbow, he would be a tier 1 intermediate Crossbowman.

If they undergo 5 years of strict training and equips full heavy plate mail with alchemy medicine that increases one's strength, then they would be a tier 2 basic armored Berserker. On the other hand, if they started grooming a Griffin from young, then after it matures to the point that it could be ridden on, a tier 3 Griffin Rider would be born. Of course, basically, only nobles who can afford the feed for Griffins will be able to assume such an expensive job.

Of course, due to being too reliant on external tools, it is unavoidable that they would be physically weak. Once dismounted, the White Wolf Guards are only Bronze-rank foot soldiers. They would then be heavily dependent on co-operation and formations. Humans are quite well-known for their military art and using the combination of different soldiers to cover for the weakness of another is a lesson that all commanders must undergo.

The inheritance and innovation of technology and culture caused the continuous emergence of new types of soldiers and new equipment. Not to mention, the growth rate of humans surpasses that of the other races and tribes, so they had never feared a battle of attrition. This also the primary reason why the short-lived Humans who don't have any race talents are able to claim supremacy in this world.

For example, the Elves are indeed strong. It is perfectly common for adult Elves to be at Silver-rank. However, it takes 200 years for them to mature… That is enough for the birth of 4 to 5 generations of humans. Furthermore, the odd one of the Elves, the Dark Elves, despite being the only one with strong reproductive abilities, they have the most intense internal conflict of all. However, admittedly, in a damned place like the Underground World, the only way one can attain sufficient resources is through cruel elimination of adversaries.

Thus, in the eyes of other races, the Human race only have 1 advantage — strong reproductive abilities. But, this advantage is sufficient by itself.

Indeed, our fake Gold-ranks might not be able to compete against the real Gold-ranks of your Elf Race. But, it wouldn't be a loss even if I had to exchange 10 of mine for one of yours. There are people to replace me even after I'm dead as long there are sufficient equipment. By 10 years, my army would have recovered. But, you Elves have to wait 200 years for a new generation to mature, are you all sure you can compete with us?

Also, as long as the population is large enough, top-class talents would naturally appear. At the very least, every top-tier Empire would have at least a few SemiGod old geezers.

However, the human kingdoms aren't infallible. In the invasion by the Underground Alliance in the future, against absolute power coupled with military tactics that aren't inferior to them, the Human Kingdoms also tasted the pain of lacking top-tier fighting power.

Thus, the need for stronger soldiers stimulated their advancement, they welcomed another period of rapid growth of engineering, alchemy and magic. That bizarre tier 5 soldier, Magic Machinery Dragon, is the product of the new Magic Machinery study and Magic Formation study.

Alright, let's stop talking about the future that brings migraine to one. Just the present itself is causing me a headache.

A large tree attracts wind. In history, the Auland Empire accurately displayed the meaning of this phrase through actual actions. Regardless of whether it is the invading Underground Alliance or the Undead Calamity, they decisively chose them as their primary target.

It will be cool under the shade of a large tree? No, following the international rules, under the orders of the sovereign state, the subordinate states must go onto the battlefield as well. Furthermore, they would come under the command of the sovereign state, so it is almost certain that they would be forced to serve as cannon fodder. When I start to think about the cruel wars that would happen in the future, the smaller a country is, the less cards they have on their hand, the easier it is for them to be crushed. This is also why I won't sit idly by and watch as the East Mist Communal Country to becomes the subordinate state of the Auland Empire.

However, just like what I have heard previously, if we were to reject them directly, it would probably cause a war. Both endings are equally bad, so it would be really difficult to choose between the two.

"Since it is hard to choose, then we might as well not choose. We should try to look for ways to turn it into a farce. As long as the subordinate state alliance fails and the plan is postponed for a few years, the situation would change completely. Of course, if I do not exact vengeance against them, I won't be able to take it lying."

Although I said these words, I still have no idea how I should strike.

Even in the case of deflecting a thousand points of strength with one point of strength, one would require at least one point of strength. Compared to a gigantic organisation like the Auland Empire, the strength in my hands might not even tally up to half a point.

"As it is my first time here, everything must be started from scratch. I don't have sufficient intelligence and network, so there is no way I can come up with a reliable action plan. However, since I still have 3 months before the inauguration ceremony, I should make getting into their top echelons and collecting information as my primary objective."

This is also the reason why I am at the entrance of this dirty and smelly underground sewage now.

"It is really too smelly. Even if we have to complete a mission to please that Count, but there isn't a need to accept such a mission right?"

The ex-Queen of Banshees and current Queen of Slimes pinches her nose as she complains with a look of resentment on her face.

"Look, it's your brethren." I pointed at the pungent sewage culvert. Over there, a Mud Slime is currently struggling, its body filled with fetid filth.

After glancing for a brief moment, disgust overwhelms her. Harloys immediately turns into a black cat and pounces over.

"I am the noble Queen of Banshees! The Omniscient One of the secrets of magic, not some filthy Slime."

First claw second bite third tail whip, she is quite well-versed in cat martial art. However, when used by this black cat, rather than saying it is an attack, one might as well say it is an attempt to act cute. However, I didn't ignore it as I usually do. This is because Harloys's biting attacks have some threat to them now.

【Frozen Air: A kind of deadly cold air that is without sound or presence. It can be enchanted on one's physical body and weapon, as well as paired together with Ice Magic as an attack. Those who are touched by the Frozen Air will have all movements slowed by 1% and suffer 1 point of ice damage per second. This debuff can be stacked. If the target's movement speed is reduced by more than 20%, a frozen effect will be inflicted. Many negative status will be inflicted such as the freezing of one's thought. If the target's movement speed is reduced by more than 50%, then there is a chance that the target might die at any moment due to massive loss of heat.】

From a certain sense, a Mage's Magic Pet is also a part of himself. The Touch of Ghoul, Touch of Lich and various other magic spells that require Mages to be in close proximity to the target to cast can be released through their Magic Pets. However, I never thought that the one to benefit the greatest from the passive ability 'Frozen Air' would be Harloys.

As a cat or bat, she is a small target and the interval between her attacks are short. She is stealthy, making her suited for assaults. Furthermore, the minuscule damage that one incurs from her claws easily causes the other party to neglect her attacks. If she were to stack a few dozen layers of Frozen Air, then the person would probably not be that far off from death.

Though, in the face of someone who knows about it beforehand, it becomes meaningless.

With a light step, a spin and a pinch, I managed to grab hold of the cat's biggest weakness, the back of their neck. After turning 2 rounds, what I received is a dead cat who is shooting gold stars from her eyes.

"Hmph, you are still too young to fight with me."

I laugh gleefully. My level has been stuck for quite a period of time due to the experience penalty which is getting more ridiculous. Also, I wasn't willing to invest my valuable skill points into that darned Ice System. However, along the way, I had been revising on my Holy Light and Power of Law, causing my battle power to soar.

But, what that grew even more rapidly was surprisingly, my swordsmanship and martial arts. This should have been the main area of study for Warriors. After all, they lack the augmentation of supernatural abilities. However, for me, studying swordsmanship is like trying to recall my past memories, so there's no need for me to spend too much effort to learn it.

This twist and step may seem simple, but it is actually a footwork with profound meaning. Coupled together with my profound swordsmanship, every attack is clean and thorough, making me look extremely cool. If I were to display this outside, it would definitely stir the praises of experts and the screams of beautiful ladies. How can I be so cool!

"Rolande! Can you be even more ridiculous? Other people are fighting and yet you are playing with your cat!"

Momo's sword was quick like the wind. At this moment, she is currently chasing a group of Underground Rats, slashing furiously at them. Judging from how their entire body is dyed red, they must have assaulted a group of passers-by not long ago.

Fine, the mad dog may look decent, so reluctantly, she could be considered a beauty. However, the Dark Elf's sense of aesthetics cannot be trusted.

Thus, I shot my gaze towards Krose.

"Lord Oracle, even if you are the one who carries out the will of my Lord, but if you such inappropriate behavior will bring shame to my Lord. Please fight seriously."

The Wild Elf Krose is brandishing a gigantic wooden vine staff which is even taller than her. Lightning flashes time and time again in the pitch black underground tunnel and every flash is accompanied by a scream of agony. Our group lacks firepower and due the the apparent fact that we have an excess of Law jobs, she took on the role of a damage dealer as a Storm Druid.

The Lightning Spell can be cast even in the underground. Although its might is obviously weaker than how it should be, the strength is still enough to overturn the common sense of normal Druids, proving that she has astonishing talent and potential in the control of lightning.

【Krose.Ainta

Gender: Krose

Race: Wild Elf

Job: LV60 Druid/LV12 Storm Druid/LV20 Judgementor/LV3 Storm Judgementor (Krose's self-created Legend job), Total LV95, Combined LV83

Soul Imprint: The Storm Envoy

Fighting Power Evaluation: Legend Priestess

System Evaluation: She is a big thigh worth lying on, not to mention it is a beautiful one. As for that gender Krose, as this joke is too old, I won't talk more about it. Right, the Spring of Drowned Man will be added into the Gachapon recently so try your best to draw it so as to please this beauty.】

TL: Big thigh - It is a Chinese web phrase, just imagine in an rpg, a newbie hugging the leg of a veteran while the veteran fights monsters.

Although a letter that I personally wrote and Diana's testimony is sufficient to convince her that I am Wumianzhe's Oracle, somehow, she seems to always bring up strict requests of me such as 'You can't do that' 'You must discipline yourself properly, slacking around everyday really damages my Lord's reputation', putting it as though I soiled the reputation of her God.

"Hmph, about soiling Wumianzhe's reputation, did you think that I was very reliable before?" Alright, saying words that insult a Priestess's true God is equal to throwing in a white glove to engage her in a duel to the death, there's no way I would say these words to her face.

Even though she couldn't exactly be considered a 'beautiful lady', judging from how everyone was staring at me angrily, it seems like I have accidentally incurred the wrath of the crowd. I better keep myself in check.

"So, where exactly is that jade?"

Something is amiss with this mission. Despite possessing solid authority and numerous experts under his command, he tasked us, outsiders, to look for his family heirloom jade that he lost.

"This lantern used to guide our path is obviously a type of necromancy magic, more like searching for souls and corpses. Hehe, looks like I have started to see the truth of this matter."

After biting on my finger with all her might as revenge, Harloys jumps on my shoulder. Sitting on higher ground allows her to distance herself from the smell of those putrid filth.

I also found it odd that the Count would hand us a lantern filled with magic, saying that we would find the jade by following its guide. However, from my senses, it is obviously a necromancy magic that is guided by flesh and blood. It is a necromancy magic that tracks the missing limbs or the master of the sample of flesh and blood used in the ritual. Ignoring the fact that a human Count has a Necromancer under his command, could the jade that we have to find a part of someone's body?

"Alright, it is right in front."

After everyone are done clearing the battlefield, I walk over with the lantern in my hand. In the end, I stop in front of a giant pot left behind by the Ratman.

Looking at how the lantern is flickering at rapid intervals, it seems that the jade we are looking for is in this pot. Thus, I casually lift the ladle inside and scoop up the contents inside a few times. The first few times, I managed to scoop up human fingers and ears. It seems that this really is a miscellaneous soup from the Ratman.

But soon afterwards, I managed to scoop up my objective — the jade.

"Oh, so the jade refers to eggs."

Alright, the mad dog explained very straightforwardly. In front me is a part of the male reproductive organ, more commonly known as eggs. It is already cooked very thoroughly and looks… Alright, I am so disgusted that I find myself unable to continue describing it.

"Heh, there is only one truth! The unlucky Count must have been philandering outside, inciting his wife to bring the knife down on him fiercely. Afterwards, she threw his eggs into the underground sewage. Hehe, she sure is vicious, I feel a bit of an urge to meet that wife of the Count."

Somehow, after hearing Harloys's ill-intentioned conjecture, looking at her gaze which was filled with malice, I felt a chill down my spine.

"No, it isn't a wound from a knife but rather, it seems to have been crushed. Judging from the wounds, there probably isn't any culprit in this case. I suspect that the fat Count might have accidentally put his eggs between the toilet bowl cover and the toilet bowl and sat down. KACHA, and it fell into the underground sewage." (There is an actual case on the web)

"Look, that Count is obese and movement isn't very convenient for him. Also, the sides of the metal toilet bowl is quite sharp. Thus, when pressure is applied, PACHI, it is immediately ripped apart…"

Should I say as expected of a Judge who is a professional at analysing cases? In the end, Krose even clapped her hands together to emulate the action of a pressure acting downwards while making sounds like 'KACHA, PACHI', but…

"Why are you all covering your lower body, is there is a mistake in my conjecture?"

"No, it is just that everyone fills as though their eggs are being pulled, it hurts a little."

Alright, without doubt, the action of these man covering their lower body is the instinctive ability to empathise with another man. However, this result that left people speechless has determined that this day would be a farce that would leave us mentally and physically tired.

"Why can't we meet a slightly more normal person? It is enough for our band to be unreliable, but now, even our client has to be unreliable as well?" I question the blue sky and as expected, there is no reply.

"Do we have to bring it back? Disgusting, Momo doesn't want to touch it."

"He probably wants the help of a Priest to reattach it, otherwise he wouldn't have spent money to hire us. Who wants to take it?"

Apparently, no one wants to touch a thing like this. Just as we were trying to push the responsibility to the one another, 'boom' a loud explosion caused the entire underground tunnel to tremble.

"The Ratman army has arrived. They have always been a lifeform with strong desire for vengeance."

Clint quietly takes a step forward. His voice had a rare tinge of pride in it. It seems that the traps that he laid by himself has worked.

But instead of reassuring me, cold sweat starts appearing on my head. Looking at the rubble that dropped from the ceiling, this fellow seems to have used too much gunpowder.

"Clint, you didn't set up explosives going by the standards of the Underground World right? This is a man-made tunnel, there is no way it would be as sturdy as the rock walls of the Underground World. How many did you bury…"

Alright, there is no need to question him further. From Clint's action of turning around to flee, it clearly says what is going to happen afterwards.

"BOOM!" "BOOM!" A series of explosions caused the entire underground sewage to crumble. This clearly shows that not only did he bury explosives, he buried a ton of them.

"Damn it! Can't you all be more normal?"

While escaping with all my might, I thought about Krose who was explaining her conjecture calmly and the Prince of Explosions, I immediately regretted coming up with the name 'Absolute Gentlemen Alliance'.

"Krose whose gender is Krose. The mysterious Prince Clint who hides his face and plays with explosives. Beifeng. Un, there is absolutely no need for any description. Beifeng itself is the best adjective for perverts. Casio, who is getting closer with Beifeng (Although he seems normal at the moment, being friendly with Beifeng is a big problem by itself). The mad dog who is into shotas. The Dark Elves who seek the path of Holy Light and Law. 2 gays (The 2: We are not gays, we just love Krose). There really isn't a normal person here. I have decided, if I manage to escape safely from here, I will go out and look for 2 normal teammates!"

"You forgot yourself, you insane old monster."

"Un, thank you for your reminder, the old granny who pretends to be young!"

"Didn't I forbid you from calling me that! I will bite you, I really will!"

"You already bit me, you bastard. I forbid you from stacking Frozen Air on me!"

"Apologise!"

"Absolutely not!"

"Then eat my attacks!"

"Do you think you are the only one who can stack Frozen Air to lower one's movement speed? Watch me."

When everyone escaped from the underground sewage, they discovered that not too far from the entrance of the sewage, a man and a cat is currently brawling 'intensely'. While proceeding forward with the speed of a turtle, they tried their hardest to slow the other down. The entire underground sewage was already trembling, on the verge of collapsing at any moment now.

"Rolande! Stop playing with the cat at such a time!"

"I am not playing with the cat!"

"We are fighting!"

Alright, before everyone had the time to be surprised over the fact that the little black cat could actually speak, the underground sewage finally collapsed. Even in the instant when the rubble came crashing down, the sound of the arguments between the two could still be heard.

"Look, thanks to you, old granny! No milk for you tomorrow!"

"Hmph, you would need to have a tomorrow for that. To be able to pull you down with me, my life was worthwhile! Even after I fall into hell, I would wake up laughing."

"BOOM!"

When innumerable rocks come crashing down and everything is reduced to ruins, everyone was flabbergasted. What kind of person was he, to sacrifice his life for an argument with a little cat.

"Haa, I almost died!"

"Don't worry, disasters live for a thousand years. Given your ability to bring about catastrophes, you would even survive the end of the world. Look at my Claw of the Meow God!"

Alright, looks like I spoke too early. A head pops up from the rubble. Despite being stuck there, he was still using his teeth to fight with his cat while insulting each other.

But obviously, being stuck in the rubble, he is unable to defeat the cat. As scratches start to pile up on his face, without any hesitation, he surrenders and begs for forgiveness.

"3 times the portion of milk tomorrow."

"Milk bath, the highest quality one! Meow wants a vat."

"Deal!"

Alright, looking at the man and cat who quickly came to an agreement, let's not elaborate on what emotions they were showing on their face when they dug out their leader. They were all considering whether they should retreat from the band before they are dragged to their deaths by this living treasure. But, unexpectedly, they swiftly realised that the team leader Rolande was still holding that disgusting ladle in his hands.

"You can't be thinking of going to claim the reward right? After it is cooked and crushed, it is already entirely ruined. Just throw it away."

"Yeah, a Gold-rank Priest may not be able to revive it even if you were to return it back. The Count will just end up angered by the embarrassment."

I shook my head. I already understood clearly why the Count would task this to an external mercenary band like us.

"Diana and Krose, follow me to complete the mission. This fellow handed us this mission despite having underlings of his own, he obviously intend to dispose of us after using us. Great, after he turns his back on us, we will take him down and threaten him with this toy. This way, we can manipulate him and his network."

"Your plan sounds okay, but if that ladle touches me, I will make sure you go down with me!"

I didn't reply to Harloys's complaint. At this moment, I was surprised by the System Notice.

"Congratulations, you have activated the Epic mission: The Revival of the Mist!"

A few minutes ago, Kelly and Reyne was astonished after opening a thick letter.

"The blueprint of the full armor of the Aurora Knights? The blueprint of the royal family's heavy infantry Avalanche Guardian? The training manual for training Asmu Hounds…"

In the mix is more than 30 types of powerful soldier types that were lost, information regarding their jobs, training methods and equipment blueprint. All these are the pride of the powerful Mist Country and the Mist Bloodline, but they were destroyed in the battle in Diffindor along with the city.

"Could this really be the inheritance that we have lost? Did someone from East Mist who escaped to Auland Capital keep all these?"

"No, they are top-tier secrets. The number of people people who knew all these back then were in the single digits. Besides, look at the blueprint for this armor, we have it as well but it is slightly different… Inconceivable! With such a change, the defense ability would be increased by at least 20%. It is actually an improved version! Who is it, to be able to further refine such a perfect design. Also, the ink for the blueprint has yet to dry yet. It is probably written not too long ago."

【Just a small present, please accept it. I will be visiting you all soon — Rolande】

"Who is Rolande?"

"It doesn't matter who he is, there is hope for the East Mist Communal Country! As long as we take these back, give it 10 years, we would be able to rise up again as a powerful country in the North!"

Not mentioning the two overjoyed ladies, at this moment, my head was hurting from the mission that was suddenly triggered. I really didn't expect a whim of mine to cause such a big trouble for me.

【Congratulations, you have activated the Epic mission: The Revival of the Mist!】

【Quest objective: Remove the threat of the East Mist Communal Country from being annexed as a subordinate state. Bring back the Country of Winter Wolves in the far North — in the face of the true King of Winter Wolves, Darsos means nothing at all.】

【Quest rewards: Roland Sacred Sword will be upgraded to a God Equipment. The clue to the God Equipment Holy Thorned Crown — I know that you have been wanting to find this Guardian Equipment of your country.】

【Quest failure penalty: Turned into a female. I am serious, very serious. If you can't protect your country this time, you might as well become a girl.】

TL: The phrase for Guardian Equipment is 镇国神器， which means an extremely powerful weapon used to stabilise the country/ deter enemies.

"My head hurts, where did the fellow Karwenz throw the Holy Thorned Crown to? Not even saying a word about it, now I have to look for it myself."

Although I was complaining, the smile on my face probably didn't escape the notice of anyone.

"This time, I definitely will not fail."

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Chapter 83: Double Swords

"Name? Age? Job? Expertise? Goal?"

"Aaron, 16, Iron-rank Warrior. My Swordsmanship isn't bad. I want to earn money and become a hero that saves the world!"

Looking at the foolishly-smiling young fellow in front of me, I nod my head in response to his words. That plain-looking tanned young man reminds me of the Adam of the past.

"Next."

16 year old Iron-rank, why are you even still training? Can you reach Gold-rank within 3 years? We aren't a group of nannies, you better look for a rookie party to grind your way up.

"Kavan, around 30 plus I guess, Silver-rank Shaman. My goal is to earn enough money to buy the Fire Dragon Circus."

"Dixu, 40 plus, I am his big brother and a proud Warrior. My goal is to be a good big brother."

"I am the big brother! Dixu, you fool who can't even count properly. We were born together, how can you be 10 years older than me?"

Okay, this is a rarely seen Ogre Shaman. It is said that they were once the pillar propping up a circus. After the circus disbanded, they came out to work as mercenaries for a living, hoping to earn enough money to bring back the circus.

"I am the elder brother!"

"I am, don't think that I would be afraid of you just because you can do a few light tricks with your hands. I am strong, you know."

"Fine, then let's play scissors paper stone. The one who wins will be the elder brother."

"Fine, one, two, three. Hah, stone."

"Paper, I won. I am the elder brother."

"Kavan, you were slow. That is not counted! Again, or I will beat you up."

"Come on then, today I will show you the dignity of an elder brother, you fool who can't even count to 9."

But now, this rare double-headed Ogre Kavan and Dixu is actually brawling to determine which head is the elder brother. While beating each other up, they were both screaming in pain. It is just that it is hard to tell whether they were feeling pain from beating up the other or from getting beaten up.

I nod my head solemnly. This double-headed Ogre is indeed quite powerful, being naturally talented in magic and martial arts from birth. Their combined fighting power definitely matches up to the strength of a Gold-rank human. Even more importantly, different from the rookie just now, they would contribute to our fighting power as soon as they join our team.

"Next."

However, what I lack now is not fighting power but normal people. We already have enough perverts and weirdos in our band. If we were to add in a person whose left and right is brawling with one another, we would be going down the road of making our opponents laugh to their death.

That day, after realising that the 'Gentlemen Alliance' is lacking in decency and common sense, considering the need to pull up the bottom limit of our decency, I decided to recruit 2 normal people.

Of course, another one of the reason is that in this human country, there were too many foreign races in the Gentlemen Alliance. If we use a non-human as a front to communicate with our clients, it would be hard to prevent others from overthinking things. Thus, even if it is just for show, I decided to recruit a few human mercenaries. Of course, it would be best if they were knowledgeable about this city.

Even if they can't be of help, they would be useful as a cover. The situation of our band now, a bunch of foreign races moving together, is too striking. In comparison, it would be much better if it was a group of human mercenaries with a few foreign races in its mix.

Thus, so as to not delay the matter, I immediately got down to it. Thus, I set up a stand in front of the Mercenary Guild early in the morning to recruit people. With the 'friendly sponsor' from the Count with broken eggs, the starting salary is one that makes eyes widen.

However, it is a pity that as a foreigner, my background and identity couldn't be checked. Furthermore, with the tense atmosphere in the city due to the inauguration ceremony, the experienced mercenaries are all lying in wait to judge the situation. Those who responded to the recruitment are either rookies or oddities that other bands are unwilling to accept.

Looking at Kavan and Dixu who were still brawling with each other, I shaked my head helplessly. I start to pack up my stand to leave. It looks like I have wasted an entire morning today.

However, passing by the mission board, I stopped.

"A-rank reward mission: Look for the true culprit who destroyed the northwest underground sewage in Pearl District. Dead or alive, 200000 gold coins will be awarded."

This is really quite a significant sum. An A-rank reward mission can make a small mercenary band without any rank to climb several ranks at one go. 200000 gold coin is sufficient for one to buy a luxurious mansion in the Pearl District where land is worth gold itself. It seems like the occurrence of the mysterious vandalism just before the inauguration ceremony has struck the nerves of the officials of Auland Empire.

I hesitated for a moment. Considering that I have earnt quite a sum recently, I am not in urgent need of money. It would feel great to betray the explosion maniac who is getting more and more dangerous in exchange for the reward money. But, considering that it would most probably end up implicating me as well, I can only regretfully give up on this opportunity to thoroughly rid me of a trouble.

Yesterday, after communicating with the Count with broken eggs, it was as I expected. The reason why he seeked foreign faces to settle his tasks is so that he could get rid of them afterwards. When he saw that there were only 3 of us and that two were women, he was prepared to expose his true intentions but Diana immediately used her great Sin-Splitting Strike to chop up a dozen of his men while Krose destroyed the roof and everything else remaining. Then, I took out the Devil Contract.

That fat Count was still quite knowledgeable at identifying objects. When he saw a Holy Knight expertly changing the terms of the evil contract using the Devil Language, he was so surprised that his jaws almost dropped off, as though he had seen an angel and devil dancing together.

What happens afterwards was even more simple. After the contract was signed, seeing how he was scared out of his wits and considering the need to maintain a long-term relationship with him, it wouldn't be wise to push him too far. He might retaliate with all he got without any consideration about the cost if forced to a corner. Thus, I didn't come up with any unreasonable demands. I only extorted a large sum of money from him, a luxurious mansion to serve as our temporary base and made him our eye to provide us with intelligence.

Of course, Devil Contracts mainly work by raising the stake bit by bit, pulling people bit by bit up the hook. If we were to play big from the very start, the tasty piece of flesh would be frightened away.

I am still quite satisfied with our mansion, which is in the Pearl District. It doesn't feel right to be living in a hostel all the time. The mansion might be a little old, but the renovations and the garden could still be considered high-class. Now, our entire band is currently cleaning up our temporary base and as the human leader of the band, I made use of the opportunity to sneak out to recruit personnel.

If it's just me doing the recruiting, it won't be that be so striking. Without those decency-lacking fellows pulling me back, I should be able to get some normal people on the band.

Un, I definitely did not do it to avoid the responsibility of cleaning up. Finding excuses to slack off, is it something an upright Holy Knight like me will do?

"Looks like without any reputation, it would be hard for us to recruit decent people. Why don't we try the legendary technique of Transcenders, recruiting the future heroes who still aren't faring well. Un, it is about time for that plot to happen, they should be born already. Sigh, when I received the walk through, I thought that I could get many powerful little brothers under my command. But, I didn't expect that even their ancestors were still in their sperm and egg form. At that moment, I 囧-ed. This is even more depressing than when I put in so much effort to create glass back then, only to realise that the toy has been long created. Heh, digging talents from Auland Empire, I don't feel any guilt at all."

Thinking about how cool I would be, leading a bunch of Epic heroes in the future, I couldn't help but daydream.

"I still remember that the 'Rain Swallow Sword' and 'Master of Magic Machinery' are still in the Auland Capital. If so, should I look for them tomorrow? Un, I should first head to the Count with broken eggs to obtain some intelligence first. Alright, the recruitment mission is done. So, where should I head to spend my time next."

"Hey hey! This big brother here."

"You haven't told us whether you will be recruiting us. We need money to revive the circus, we will listen obediently to you."

I was looking at the bounty list, thinking about how long it would take for the cleaning to conclude and where I should go to waste my time when the sight in front of me turns dark suddenly. Then, 2 ugly faces suddenly appear in front me, their bad breath hitting me squarely in my face.

"GHOSTS!"

Alright, what is faster than my scream is my reflex action. Before I came to, my fist has already been struck out. Based on the sensation on my hand, it feels like I hit something physical.

"He hit him! He actually made a move against them."

"Hah, to actually dare to taunt this silly Ogre who doesn't distinguish between allies and enemies, looks like there's a show to watch."

"3:1 for the man dead, 1:10 for the man getting heavily injured."

"That pitiful Fire Dragon Circus. They were already troubled by debt due to bad management and now, their members are going to hurt someone again. This time, no one is able to help them anymore."

The shouts of the onlookers proves that my judgement is correct. From my perspective, Kavan and Dixu's prowess is already quite decent, so comparatively, to normal mercenaries, their strength would be at a shocking level. However, the reason why no one dared to hire them is because Ogres are easily enraged and would go into Berserk state. Once they start fighting, it is easy for them to go into a state where they wouldn't be able to distinguish between allies and enemies.

"I'm sorry, but you appeared too suddenly. It was an accident."

I smile sheepishly as I retrieve my hand from Kavan and Dixu's stomach. Some kind-hearted people were already shouting warnings at me.

"Lad, escape quickly! Why bother reasoning with Ogres. Just half a month ago, he severely wounded a Berserker from the Southern lands. Hurry up!"

"You actually dare to hit Kavan…" Blood-red veins appear in the 4 eyes of the 3-meter tall double-headed Ogre. Then, they start to roll upwards, showing the whites of their eyes. Saliva starts to flow freely from their mouth, and they were no longer able to complete their sentence.

"It is a Complete Berserk state! Everyone, let's face him together, otherwise we will all die here!"

Alright, looking at this sight, there were already veterans who roared furiously and charged forward.

Complete Berserk state is the ace (race talent) of Beastmen, Berserkers and Ogres. In exchange of their rationality, they burn through their life force for terrifying strength. Perhaps, they would die of exhaustion if they weren't treated in time after their Berserk ends, but until then, they would be a fearless killing machine.

Kavan and Dixu's combined fighting prowess is Gold-rank, so they would be minimally be of the strength of a Legend-rank after Complete Berserk. The judgement of the veterans were accurate. If the both of them weren't killed in time, everyone in their surroundings would probably die.

But…

The next moment, the 4 eyes of the salivating Ogre turn completely white. Then, their heads suddenly slant and they crash to the ground, their gigantic body raising a cloud of dust.

"How is this possible? It isn't Complete Berserk but rather, they were knocked out? From a blow of this young man?"

Disbelief can be seen on the face of the strongest mercenary of the group who were charging towards the Ogre. He really found it hard to accept such a reality. He was once partners with Kavan and Dixu and he knows how tough that Berserker and Shaman Ogre are physically. In fact, he has even seen the Berserk state Kavan and Dixu tearing a war elephant apart but now, they were knocked out by a single blow?

After the dust settles, the cheerful smiling young man has already disappeared.

At the same time, I, who accidentally used my full strength in the punch, made use of the chaos to escape.

The basic strength of a normal Ogre is 16 points and as a Berserker, Kavan and Dixu should have at least 18 points. It is indeed quite fearsome compared to the 10 points of an average human. However, when placed in comparison with one who have exceeded the limits of mortals, 20 points, there is a difference in terms of quality between the two. Furthermore, I accidentally used a strength exertion technique that I have been practising recently. This is also the main reason why they fell in one blow.

Why did I have to escape?

"Darn it, even if I have to make a reputation for myself, but this kind of striking reputation is really unbearable. If I don't escape, I wouldn't be able to escape the title of 'Ogre Knight' or some similar nicknames."

I still roughly get the mercenary industry. For veterans, their titles often spread further than their real name. Furthermore, this title is often related to how they made their name for the first time, it would be hard to change it after it is fixed. It would be great if it was some elegant title like Dragon Slayer. But, imagine 'Professional Kobold Slayer', 'The Destroyer of Gnomes' and 'The Ejector of Dogs' kind of titles, you wouldn't be able to raise your head for the rest of your life.

As for 'Holy Knight who is stronger than Ogres' and 'Ogre Holy Knight' kind of bizarre titles, given my Luck stat, it is definitely possible that I would receive such titles. Thus, it would be best for me to escape as far as possible.

Of course, before I left, I conveniently completed one of my objective. Holding the bounty in hand, I found a way to spend my time before the cleaning ends.

"B-rank bounty: Blood Hand Brotherhood Band, an organisation comprising pickpockets and assassins. Dead or alive, 100 gold will be awarded for normal members, a minimum of 1000 for their top brass and 50000 gold for the head of the band, Blood Hand Jim. If the task is completed before the inauguration ceremony, the bounty will be doubled."

Although the reward is much less than the A-class quest, what I require now is intelligence and a target to train with. When it comes to intelligence, who could compare with the thief bands who deal in intelligence.

Very quickly, from the Count with broken eggs, I received basic intelligence on the Blood Hand Brotherhood Band. A lower mid tier thief band with less than 200 members. They had just carried out a big operation, stealing the tributes that a certain country was going to present to the Emperor, thus causing a bounty to be placed on them. It is said that their old den is by the harbor.

"200 people? Let's try to complete it before dinner. Un, I will bring back intelligence with me so that no one can say that I am slacking off."【Roland.Mist

Strength: 20

Agility: 19

Stamina: 20

Intelligence: 29

Will: 29

Charm: 19

Race Talent: War Angel Form,Sinful Devil God Form, Sword of Order, Titan Body

LV22 Order Knight/LV22 Chaos Witch King】

In reality, ever since my revival, while being delighted over my high starting point, I have been thinking about what kind of training route I should walk on.

Not talking about Ice Magic and Necromancy first, as an experienced Holy Knight, I am still quite confident in my close combat abilities.

However, for this balanced and powerful physical body, if I were to choose the route of heavy armor and dual blade, then my 19 points in Agility would be wasted. But, if I were to wear light armor and choose the route of an agile Warrior, then it would be a waste of my 20 points Strength which surpasses the limits of mortals.

But, what surprises me the most is that despite my primary job being Order Knight, I didn't have a main stat. My overall fighting power could be increased with the rise of any one of my stats. Thus, I hesitated.

"Don't tell me I would have the walk the route of dual blades? Or should I learn from barbarians, carrying a heavy weapon in each of my hand? But, that would be starting anew."

Changing one's fighting style isn't an easy task. However, a small unexpected event made me make up my determination.

【Frozen Air】

That treacherous buff that can be enchanted on the blade of one's weapon, causing one's opponent to unknowingly fall into a desperate situation. Initially, I planned to use the radiant Holy Light to cover the Frozen Air on my sword, so that it would be even more undetectable and deadly.

However, reality never works as planned. I tried many time but whether it is Holy Light of Power of Law, the moment they come into contact with Frozen Air, one of them would dissipate. It is either because their attributes clash with one another or that I am unable to meld them together in my current state.

Ignore Holy Light and focus on Frozen Air instead? Can a Holy Knight who doesn't use Holy Light still be considered a Holy Knight? That would be either a pure Warrior or a 2nd rate rookie Warrior who is unable to focus on his swordsmanship.

Naturally, I turned my attention into wielding dual blades. One sword will be enchanted with Holy Light while the other with Frozen Air. Theoretically, using 2 unique powers to strike my enemy concurrently will definitely reduce my enemies to tears.

Furthermore, not only can this bring out the advantage of my high stats which are developing at the same pace, a fighting style that uses two kind of attributes is also quite suited for me, given that I have many different attributes.. This also gives me the advantage of choosing what attribute I should enchant on each of my two sword to counter my opponent.

But when I brought up my intention with the others, the Knights, including Diana in the mix, don't approve of my thoughts, viewing it as an impossible task and a waste of effort.

"Dual blades don't simply mean using 2 swords, it is a totally different concept from wielding 2 swords in both hands. The cycle between attack and defense is extremely important. When the left sword strikes, even if the right sword doesn't go on the offense, it must move or the balance of the body will be shaken. Splitting one's focus into doing multiple things at the same time is the norm for dual blades. At the same time, it has a very high requirement of one's balance and agility. It is a style almost unique to Elf Swordsmen and you are a human…"

These are the words Diana said to dissuade to me. She almost directly said 'Dual blades is a profession for Elf Swordsmen. It is impossible for you to learn it."

"Dual blades? Or wielding 2 swords? Haha, are you a 3 meter tall Ogre or a 2.5 meter Highland Barbarian. To actually be able to think of such a ridiculous thing. If you can achieve it, tonight, I will…"

Alright, looking at the scene in front her, Momo swallows her remaining words.

At that moment, I was wielding a sword in my left and right hand each. In the start, my motion was still rigid and rusty. But, as I swung about, my motions gradually got more and more fluid. Eventually, my standard got to the level of veterans who have several decades of experience behind them.

"I don't believe it. It must be just the empty form without any contents inside. Come, let's spar."

Alright, Momo personally challenges me. To the astonishment of the crowd, after my initial fluster, I gradually got control of the flow of the battle. The heavy dual swords were so dexterous as though they were part of my body. The coordination of the two swords had a light and swift tempo, dancing a waltz that brings about an image of the rapid flow of a stream.

For Momo who was lacking in strength, she didn't even hold on for 30 seconds when she was defeated and retreated with numb hands.

"This is almost a miracle!'

The Legend Holy Knight Diana looks at me with surprise and disbelief. Then, she smiles and nods her head, as though that this was the way it should be.

In reality, there was no doubt that I had cheated.

【Ambidextrous: Allows your left hand to be as dexterous as your right hand. Prerequisite: Agility 15 — System Notice: There is really no difference between left and right hand, please don't use this skill to do meaningless things】

There was a period when I was roaming in the Elf Kingdom when I was so bored that I started training to be ambidextrous, that's why that gray-colored option appeared in the skill tree. However, due to the fact that it is the core ability to a dual blade Swordsman, even though my basic stats fits the prerequisite, I still paid 3 skill points for it.

【Giant Wielding: Being blessed by God's strength, you are able to wield a dual-handed weapon like a one-handed sword. However, due to inexperience, the accuracy and damage will be significantly lowered. Prerequisite: Strength 18 — System Notice: Even though Giant Wielding is a close-combat skill is an universal talent, but with 18 Strength, you can only learn it. To use the weapon properly, you will need at least 20 Strength. If one isn't of Giant race, normally only Legend-rank Warriors can fit the criteria. However, by then, their battle style would already be fixed, so how would they change to dual-wielding dual-handed weapons at this point. That's why this is called the most useless skill.】

After devoting 4 skill points into it, countless battle techniques and experience gushes into my mind and my body recalls those sensations. This saved me a large amount of training time. Under the gazes of disbelief by the crowd, I grasped the basics of dual-wielding dual-handed swords.

Of course, this is only the start which brings about the possibility of trying such a battle style. However, if I were to want to become a grandmaster-class dual-wielding expert like in the past, I would still require countless amount of time to grind my techniques along with actual battle experience and the opponents in front of me were very responsible sparring partners.

"Hah."

The dual-handed sword in my right hand radiates with golden light, brightening this pitch black underground chamber. The next moment, the thieves who were hiding in the shadows were smacked flying.

Un, smack, not cut. Dual-wielding heavy swords is a classical way of using strength to subdue others. They can use their weight and its size to bully others by smacking, crushing and chopping them.

But, seeing how there was no movement after being sent smashing into the wooden crates, it seems that for the physically weak thieves, being smacked or cut doesn't really make a difference.

"It is a pity. Just consider it your misfortune then."

Shaking my head, I continue walking forward. The moment I walked into the next room, an explosion occurs and smoke rises up from the ground. Then, from my front and my back, thieves and assassins come charging out from hidden chambers.

Alright, looking at the green oily daggers, I would be courting death if I were to go easy on them. Thus, using my full strength, it became a one-sided battle.

The moment the battle started, I immediately understood why the Silver-rank Momo would be defeated so easily. Just by changing a battle style which makes full use of the advantage of my basic stats, my fighting prowess immediately multiples by several folds.

Still the same agile, lethal and accurate Monarch Swordsmanship without any tricks or unorthodox moves, but the swords come faster and faster, heavier and heavier, subduing the opponent through speed and strength.

TL: Translated as Sword of the King previously in chp 63, changed both to Monarch Swordsmanship.

For the assassins who depend heavily on agility, losing in a battle of speed is fatal.

The attacking arc for a dual-handed sword is already quite large, not to mention that we are in a narrow underground chamber. Once I start swinging that two pair of dual-handed sword, the space they have left for dodging is reduced significantly.

When the assassins were losing out in the battle of agility which they were proud of, the ones who was on the offense is basically me. Furthermore, if they wanted to close in on me, they would have to tank a heavy sword of mine.

After barely taking a heavy sword of mine, which was enchanted with Holy Light, his balance is already unsteady. As for my left sword, it is like a dangerous viper prowling about. It doesn't strike easily but the moment it does, it is aimed directly at the vitals, either their waist breaks or their throat would be crushed.

The Silver-rank Shadow Assassin is the strongest of the bunch. Before the effect of my Frozen Air could take effect, he only managed to block 3 hits of mine before he was cut into 2 by my right sword.

In just 10 short seconds, the thieves lost 7 or 8 of their companion.

When their leader, the strongest of them all here, died meaninglessly in battle, the thieves finally recognise that the opponent in front of them is an adversary they cannot overcome. Thus, they scattered and fled without any hesitation.

I didn't chase them, because the Queen of Banshees was already complaining by my ear.

"If you don't hurry up, that fellow is going to escape. My clone is about to be taken away. It is difficult for me to split a clone at my current state, so don't waste it."

She does have the right to complain. The reason why I am able to find this lair is really thanks to her.

How did we find this well-hidden thief band? I played the role of a profitable target to them and allowed the Blood Hand Brotherhood Band to pickpocket my wallet, in it is an extremely valuable tear-shaped gemstone.

Just like in the intelligence I received, the Brotherhood Band has extremely strict control over their basic members. Very quickly, even though there is some mysterious slime on the corners of the gemstone, the tear-shaped gemstone was quickly passed to the hands of the top brass of the Blood Hand Brotherhood Guild. Afterwards, following the direction of the Child of Greed, I traced them all the way here.

Harloys continues to complain by my ear. If I don't hurry up, all of my preparatory work would be in vain. If the head of the band were to escape, I would lose out on the bounty rewards and the tributes, not to mention that my primary objective is the intelligence from the thief band.

Despite in position, I couldn't see any path. There is definitely a secret passage in this underground tunnel. Thus, I hastened my search but very quickly, I realised that I didn't have any points in Detection and Mechanisms. Despite obviously feeling the presence of the Child of Greed inside, I just cannot find the mechanism.

"Forget it, being skillful really isn't for me. I am more used to crashing through using brute strength. Sword of Order! Blast me a hole!"

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Chapter 84: The Wolf King and the Crows

"Beifeng Caring Beast Tamer Hospital, providing you and your family members warm service. With the lowest price, you can enjoy royalty-class service. Un, so it's fixed."

Under the setting sun, the moment I stepped into the mansion, which looks totally different from before, I heard such an explosive statement that I started to suspect if I had walked into the wrong place.

"Let the world know my presence."

"Let our descendants know my existence."

"Even if I have to be cursed for thousands of years."

"Please put your full faith in us. Please pass your beloved pets to us. We only treat pregnant pets. We have a hundred years of history, Beifeng Caring Beast Tamer Hospital is worth your trust."

That is the slogan written on all of the flags around the mansion. It almost blinded my eyes.

Beifeng is currently arguing with someone while his blood brother, Casio, is currently carrying one of the flag and shouting. However, it is hard for one to look directly at the slogan on the flag he attached to his body.

I start to wonder that if old Minial were to see his own grandson being reduced to such a state, would he be happy that he won't have to worry about there not being an internal war within his tribe or would he try to murder me.

"Big Brother Beifeng is so warm and peaceful, why do you all hate him? Could racial discrimination be that deeply affixed in society?"

Looking at that passionate shout and the tears he has in his eyes for his big brother who he thinks is being misunderstood, I think old Minial would probably try to kill me. If he isn't sufficient to achieve this task, he might even pull his entire tribe into the fight.

On the other side…

"May the Heavens strike Beifeng.' 'Go and die gays.' Alright, it's fine if it is others holding the flag but for you 2 bastards who followed Krose here, do you all think you have the right to hold and wave that flag?

'Praise the Law, The Great Court of Law and Church.' That flag is stabbed into Krose's giant staff and the frenzied lightning around it gave people no doubt about her determination to protect her faith.

"The minority should give in to the majority. I say that we build the Court of Law. If you aren't pleased with the decision, come and fight!" Those words were from Momo and on her face is a fierce look that matches the words she spoke.

Alright, the flags of both side is hard for others to watch. The ones leading the faction is Krose and Momo, as well as the two calefares waving the flag and shouting by the side.

Ed: Calefare means unimportant side characters

Very soon, just as I was glad that I had managed to successfully escape the great clean up, I understood what has transpired here. In the end, as usual, I was the causal factor for the mess here.

Before I left, I had casually said:

"This is such a big mansion, it's a waste to leave it as is. Our bedrooms are on the 2nd and 3rd floor. Why don't we use the 1st floor for something? If people walk in and out frequently, it can serve as a cover for us."

Alright, after these idle people finished cleaning up, they began to discuss how to make use of the 1st floor as well as the space in the garden.

But as usual, the real debate only lasted for 5 minutes and the rest became a contention to realise their personal greed.

"It is better for us to make an animal hospital. We have Big Brother Beifeng, an experienced doctor here, as well as many beautiful nurses. We will definitely be able to make a fortune."

Perhaps it is something Beifeng collected when he was still serving as a vet. Casio is currently displaying the nurse costume in his hands. Given the extremely short skirt and the black laces, it would definitely be extremely seductive if worn on the Elves. Not to mention the two whose gazes keep alternating between Krose and the nurse costume, they were starting to waver.

"Bastard, if people were to find out that I have worked in Beifeng's hospital, then I won't be able to get married in the future."

However, Momo was still very resolute about it. She is currently working hard for her future.

"Hmph, you fierce granny, you think that you can get married in your current state? You think that no one knows about you secretly staring at Rolande sleeping? You lecherous wolf."

"Ahh, at least I'm better than you. Can you still remain normal being together with Beifeng everyday? You want me to be a nurse? Fine, only if you wear it as well."

"You… How can you say that. Our brotherhood is clean and pure! Fine, I will wear it. Do you think that I, the Golden Bow, am afraid of you? If I wear it, you have to approve of Big Brother Beifeng's proposal? I really don't know what you all are thinking about, such a good thing like making an animal hospital, why must you all stop him?"

At the end of his words, Casio really began to strip his armor to study how to put on the nurse costume.

The little fellow looks extremely handsome with a masculine tone to his face. His solid muscles weren't exaggerated, but it had the aesthetics of a finely sculpted classical statue. However, if he were to put on a nurse costume… Let me go puke a bit first.

Alright, if I don't stop him at this point, I won't have to eat dinner later. Even khorium dog eyes will be blinded.

TL: Khorium - World of Warcraft expensive ore. In China, there is a phrase called khorium dog eyes for people who are lucky enough to find this ore (The idea is that they have such powerful eyes that they are able to find khorium)

But fortunately, someone stopped him in advance.

"Brother, it is good that you have such intentions but don't chastise them. History tells us that those who tread on new paths are always lonely and there will be a day when the apathetic world opens their eyes. We only have to try our best to express our sincerity and quietly wait. As for me…"

Beifeng's hands clasp together as he smiles lightly like a Buddha. The light of a saint seems to vaguely shine behind him.

"The world slanders me, bullies me, insults me, mocks me, underestimates me, corrupts me, loathes me and scams me. How can I deal with that? I can only tolerate him, allow him, permit him, avoid him, condone him, respect him, ignore him and look at him after a few years. What can I do when everyone views me with enmity, I, love the world too much, too deep… AH!"

The final 'ah' is a scream of pain.

"Try acting profound, just try acting profound! You think we can't tell that the fake sacred light is from your stun grenade? You still dare to copyright the Buddhist Scriptures from the East?"

"Cure your head, you are obviously doing it to satisfy your own desires! You still dare to talk about love, must love make one depressed? I will beat you up, you warrior of love."

"Flying Shoe Strike, Sin-Splitting Strike, Evil Destroying Blow! Try my Demon-Subduing Fist!"

TL: (Po Xie Zhan (Throwing a shoe), Po Xie Zhan (Slashing him), Zhan Zui Ji (Probably some physical blow))

Alright, I also can't resist hitting him personally as well. Looking at the treacherous smile on Beifeng's face and that saintly look he portrayed while that nonsense came out of his mouth, I really can't vent my frustrations if I don't beat him up.

After that farce, the room got messed up once again by those flags with slogans on it despite just being cleaned up. I started to preach them.

"Look, how old are you all? Can't you all be more steady? Look at Diana, she isn't competing at all, how good is that?"

"Hmph, it's because Big Sister doesn't know which one to go for."

"Un?"

Alright, in the hands of Diana, who blushed furiously red due to those words, I saw 2 flags.

"Recommend the construction of a Court on the first floor."

"The Church of the Goddess of Moonlight, listen to the will of the true Gods."

Seemingless embarrassed from my staring, the Gray Elf seems to be mumbling something. After stepping closer to her, then I realised…

"Church of Holy Light is the best!" Alright, this silly lass who is one beat slow seems to have finally made up her mind.

Hearing these, her face seems to be looking at me with expectation, seeming to hope that I, as a Holy Knight, would approve of her suggestion.

I can understand that as someone who has walked on the path of a Holy Knight for a few centuries, now you have sworn allegiance to the God of Law but at the same time, chose the road as a Savior, a Gray Elf, under the Lady of Moonlight, but is it really okay to believe in 3 true Gods at once?

Even if the Order Gods only have restrictions on people joining their Churches and don't ban polytheism, but as a user of Divine Powers, can you show a little bit of restraint? Stepping into 3 boats at once, aren't you afraid of retribution from the Gods?

However, looking at how the valiant female Legend Knight turns cowardly and worried when she talks about faith, I know that there is no point in me lecturing her about it. What outsiders say won't help her at all, it all depends on her own decision in the end.

I should have known that the Gentlemen Alliance wouldn't have any normal people. Even if they look normal on the outside, but there will be something wrong on the inside. Even if they are originally normal, they will turn into a pervert after staying too long inside (Looks at Casio sympathetically). Probably, only Clint, who isn't here, is a little bit better.

"Wait, this isn't right. We have 1 person missing here. Where's Clint?"

How can I not be worried when there is one person missing, especially when the person missing is Clint, who is the most dangerous of them all!

"He disappeared the moment we started chatting. Perhaps…"

"KACHA!" "BOOM!" Following the sounds of explosions and walls being blown apart, thick smoke starts to drift upwards. I stare speechlessly at the blue sky, once again affirming my decision to look for a normal teammates tomorrow.

"He probably…"

"You don't have to speak anymore, I understand. Next time, remember to put a leash on him and look after him properly. Tell him I said that."

Alright, there is no need for her to elaborate any further, I can already understand the thought process of that Eccentric King. Clean up finished - The preparation of the fort completed - Activate alarm system - Set up a lot of traps and explosives - Safety comes first - Sleep peacefully at night.

"Safety comes first! You all don't have to be too thankful to me."

The next moment, that king appears from some corner and sends us a thumbs up proudly. Although I couldn't see his face below the helmet, I could feel that he was laughing gleefully below his helmet.

"I'll be back." Somehow, looking at the icy cold metal giant showing a thumbs up, I remembered the famous phrase of a robot in a foreign world. Now, I am starting to get curious of what Clint looks like below his metal facade. Could he really be a iron core-controlled magic metal puppet, that's why he is so enlightened?

"Sigh, forget it, it isn't worth getting angry with him. It isn't the first time anyway."

Some people are destined to remain stubborn their entire life. Clint, who doesn't listen to teachings, is a prime example. There really isn't a point getting mad at him.

Looking at plumes of black smoke rising outside the window, considering how my blood pressure is getting significantly higher despite being young, although I was so angry that veins were popping on my entire face, I hold my chest and quietly count one two three, trying my best to stabilise my rampaging emotions and blood pressure.

"Try to think positively. Since it has already exploded, just let it be. The old must go to let way for the new. It is also good for us to set up new defensive mechanisms. Wait, what did he explode?"

We just moved in here and we didn't have any customers yet, so who was it that just triggered the bomb that was just put in place?

"The… The dinner I just ordered. Food and daily necessities!! I secretly bought some classic treasure magazines and posters. Clint, you idiot! My exclusive collection, that was really expensive."

Rushing out, as expected, it is the dinner and daily necessities I ordered after claiming my reward money. The carriage which is responsible for sending the goods has already been sent flying to the skies. The stableman and porter are still trembling there in fear. But, those expensive goods of mine have turned into charred waste.

"AHHHHHHHHH. I can't take it anymore. Don't run, let me kill you all and find new teammates! I will make sure to change them to some normal people this time."

Alright, looking at the few remaining charred pages of the treasures that I got with much difficulty at the black market, the final strand of my rationality snaps. I didn't even get the chance to look at it before it was ruined. This isn't the time for me to be considering about my blood pressure, eat my great Sin-Splitting Strike!

"My dad and mum in heaven, I finally understand what it feels like to see your home wrecked after a hard day at work. I estimate that it is probably the same as what I am going through now. I regret, I have sinned, but can you not use these grown rascals to torture me? Can't you give me some normal people? If this goes on, I might explode from my high blood pressure before even reaching 20.

This was what that was written in a certain someone's diary that night. However, as facts have proven, weirdos will always attract weirdos and lifeforms like perverts are contagious. My biggest mistake was naming this band 'Gentlemen Alliance' and this was only the beginning.It is a quaint palace. There isn't colorful paint on the walls, there isn't any luxurious mat on the floor and even decorations like flower vases are lacking. Yet, it is the living quarters of the one holding supreme authority in the entire Auland Empire.

"Extravagance is just an appearance one shows to outsiders. Shove those messy things to one corner, they will only make my eyes hurt."

When the court officials persuaded Darsos to follow the tradition of the previous Emperors, rebuild the palace before his inauguration, the young Emperor threw those words at them. Ignoring the persuasion of everyone else, he moved to the unused palace of the Emperor 2 generations ago.

"Women? I'm not interested. I might be interested in other people's women though, and even more so if it is other people's land."

The future King of Winter Wolves never tried to hide him ambitions and it's exactly because of his ability to turn his desires and ambitions into reality that allowed him to overcome the other 7 sons of the previous Emperor, allowing him to be successfully crowned.

War? There would definitely be one within 5 years of Darsos's inauguration. This is the common agreement among all of the foreign diplomats and state strategists.

If it is a small country, everyone would have made a move when a war maniac were to rise to the throne. However, within the past 300 years, the Auland Empire has already accumulated enough underlying strength while the countries that border them aren't strong enough. From the peasants to the landlords, they all hope to receive an opportunity to reshuffle the cards and rise through the ranks. Under such circumstances, along with his promise of war, the inaugurating Darsos's popularity to soared to a fearsome level.

Reyne and Kelly's speculations weren't wrong. Darsos is using strength to put others under his control. If you surrender to me, then kneel completely beneath me. If you refuse, then you are simply giving me a reason to beat you until you surrender.

But there's one thing they were wrong about. Darsos's ambitions are greater than they expected. How can just one subordinate state fulfill his greed?

"Should I send the orders? The selection ceremony for the Guardian Knight of the Princess Knight."

Just as recorded in the history, the King of Winter Wolves is a rare handsome figure. A high nasal bridge on his masculine square face. His flowing black hair reaches all the way to his waist and yet, it didn't give him the feeling of being a sissy. Perhaps, it is because of that eagle eyes which always had an aggressive gaze in them under those crescent eyebrows that made others unable to ignore his presence.

而此刻，若岚之国的臣民听到他的话，绝对会和他拼命。

At this moment, if the citizens of the Mist Country were to hear his words, they would definitely try to kill him even at the risk of their lives.

"All preparations are ready. 2 Legends, 4 Gold-rank and 10 Silver-rank, our Auland Empire is overflowing with talented youths. Look at how much face we are giving her, we are giving such a good deal to that countryside Princess."

"Hah, don't underestimate the Mist Bloodline. If it wasn't for the few wars with them that destroyed so many powerful Empires, it would be impossible for our Auland Empire to rise up. Even a dying camel is bigger than a horse. I am quite interested in the secrets of the royalty. It is said that the Aurora Knights are the rarely seen human tier-4 (Gold-rank) soldier. Even if just the slightest trace of it is remaining, it can definitely raise the military capabilities of our royal guards significantly.

Yes, from the very start, what the Auland Empire wanted wasn't a subordinate state. They wanted to annex the East Mist Communal Country.

Guardian Knight? In Eich Continent, there is another name for the Guardian Knight of female nobles — secret lover. Of course, it often refers to the personal choice of the lady which due to several reasons is unable to marry. But apparently, Darsos has decided to do it forcefully without any consideration for Reyne's opinion.

There is only a female remaining in the Mist Royalty. If her husband is an Auland man, then the next generation king would have half the bloodline of Auland. Naturally, this would be equivalent to devouring this little country.

If she refuses to choose a Guardian Knight? This would mean insulting the supreme authority of Auland Empire. Un, it is a move to force you to rebel.

Reject the alliance? Launch a war and annex them.

Reject the Guardian Knight? Launch a war and annex them.

Reject the alliance and Guardian Knight? Directly annex them.

Against this powerful and shameless Auland Empire who is obviously picking on the weak, there is nothing much that the East Mist Communal Country can do.

In this shabby palace, on the gigantic map hung on the wall, the East Mist Communal Country and 4 other countries in its surroundings had flags of multiple colors stabbed in them. This represents important strategic locations for war.

The newly crowned King of Winter Wolves has already set his eyes of a predator on the small countries of the alliance and out of them all, the one he is most satisfied with is the East Mist Communal Country in the South.

As long as he were to take it down, there would be no one their match in the Southern lands. They would have free access all the way to the borders with the Beastmen. Through expansion, gaining new territory, the Auland Empire will rise to greater heights.

With a stable back, countless precious mines of the Southern Highlands and great profits from the trades by the borders, it would form the stepping stone for the great battle plan of the Auland Empire to conquer the entire continent.

After his subordinate left, the young King of Winter Wolves shut his eyes in deep thought. Just then, his connection with a someone in the shadows had been forged.

"Caw, well-done, as expected of Claude's son. Looks like choosing you to be inaugurated is the right decision. Our cooperation will bring us to greater heights."

"Hah, filthy crows. I don't care why you all are still obsessed with that bloodline. But, as long as you all are able to prove your worth, I won't be stingy with my rewards as an Emperor."

"Then, let me first thank your majesty in advance. As long as you can totally rid the Mist Bloodline, we, the Celestial Tower are willing to pledge our allegiance to you. Please anticipate our performance."

On top of the palace, the pitch black crows dive into the skies and disappears into the gray clouds.

"Heh, allegiance? A bunch of souls that should have been long dead. The remainders that Lord Yongye left behind still dare to talk to me about allegiance? However, a dog that bites is still a good dog, isn't that so? Claude."

The young King of Winter Wolves said these words to the frame of his bed and below it, there is a cell in which a haggard-looking old man is trapped within.

"Unfilial son, kill me. I will never tell you the final secret of the Auland Empire. You will always be an incomplete Emperor!"

But, it is a pity that based on the design of the cell, sound above could travel downwards but the sound from the bottom is unable to reach the surface. The screams of the old man could only echo helplessly in the underground chamber.

Celestial Tower (占星塔) - The 2 words in front means making prophecies from astrology while the last one means tower (Ed:duh TL:Tsk) Think of the typical xianxia where some old guy looks at the star and suddenly a shooting star passes by and he comments that the end of the world is coming.

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Chapter 85: The Selection for a Guardian Knight

"Alright, since your elder sister's not at home, then I'll come visit another day. Please accept this present of mine, this is just a little token of my sincerity."

Yesterday, we spent half of the night forcing Clint at sword's point to remove all of the traps and explosives that he had set. The other half, we used physical force to subdue him before he temporarily gave up on his objective.

I didn't sleep well that night after all the ruckus those fellows caused. Even so, I went out by myself before sunrise.

Un, since those fellows aren't reliable, I better quickly look for some reliable ones. I browse through the 'history' of Auland Capital to double check that the few I am looking for are currently in the capital. But, at this point, they have all yet to mature despite being future experts.

This time, in order to make sure that the ones I choose are normal people, I even bore with the pain and struck off a few names. The rest of them, regardless of them reputation, strength or character, they are all respectable future heroes

However, what surprised me was that despite visiting 2 of their houses early in the morning, they weren't at home. For the 3rd trip, I found the home of 'Rain Swallow Sword' Svina di Nelson but I was told that she has also left early in the morning.

I was a little surprised. Where could a female swordsman like Svina head to so early in the morning?

"Little brother, can you tell me where your elder sister went to?"

If the first time is a coincidence, then three times surely cannot pass off as so. When I questioned the family members of the first two where they went, they tried to brush off my question. But now, since the other party is a little kid who is easy to coax, I won't let off such an easy target.

"Big Sister told me not to say… Big Sister went to attend a Guardian Knight Selection for a foreign Princess."

Alright, as expected of a small kid (rascal). The lollipop and toy I prepared for the little brother Svina loves immediately caused him to forget his big sister's commands.

"Guardian Knight? Princess? Svina is a female, why would she join such an event?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. However, when I remembered what the walk through wrote about the life of this female hero, I could understand why.

'Rain Swallow Sword' Svina, a descendant of a high noble of Auland Empire. After her family fell when she was still young, the wish of the female swordsman had been to bring her family back to its former glory. She once disguised as a male and joined the military in hope to rise through the ranks. However, when her identity was exposed, she was expelled from the Flying Dragon Knight Order which she commanded. From then on, she started to tread on a lonely road.

Clearly, this elder sister is trying to accomplish her prior goals in history, thus disguising as a male to join the Guardian Knight Selection for a foreign Princess. After all, as long as she is able to become the Guardian Knight of the foreign Princess, she is able to rid herself of her identity as peasant, thus taking a big step forward for the resuscitation for her family.

"Wait, Guardian Knight Selection? Foreign Princess? Little Tiago, which country did that foreign Princess come from, do you know it?"

"Un… Seems to be something Mist I think…"

In an instant, realisation struck me. The raging emotions that boils in my chest caused me to be unable to perceive his remaining words.

"Darsos! You dare!""Rage? Helplessness? Fear? Despair?"

Reyne could no longer use words to describe her own emotions. The bustling Auland Royal Sparring Field in front of her and the cheers of the innumerable audiences made her fall into a desperate situation.

"Congratulations, your respected highness Reyne. Your well-known beauty has even surpassed the boundaries of the Astor Mountains. Look, the youths who came today are not bad. You should be able to find a Guardian Knight whom you are satisfied with."

"Guardian Knight? For my husband to be chosen by you Aulanders, how dare you!"

Her furious roar regurgitates in her throat before being swallowed back in. The reason why this Guardian Knight Selection was shoved so suddenly into her face is so as to not give her time to react. If she were to make use of this opportunity to say 'I didn't agree on this' 'I won't acknowledge the Guardian Knight from this selection', the other party would make use of this opportunity to turn it into a diplomatic issue, turning it into the trigger needed to start a war.

Looking at the bright smiles on the faces of the diplomats from other countries, their gazes of sympathy, helplessness and envy, Reyne knew that it was meaningless to ask them for help.

There were all sorts of emotions on their faces except for surprise. Apparently, they had all gotten the notice in advance but as the person involved in this selection, she only got the news 2 hours ago.

Who knew what the Auland Empire offered them? The alliance that they had agreed on just yesterday had crumbled today as they offered her as a sacrifice without any hesitation. Reyne was enraged, but there wasn't anyone for her to vent it on.

She knows that in a social event, lashing out would only make others question and underestimate her and her homeland while tears is only a sign of immaturity and weakness.

"Is this the relationship between countries that teacher talked about? The bloody survival of the fittest? Those arrogant Aulanders! One day, you will all pay the price. The true King of Winter Wolves will crush your throats."

The only thing she could do is to try her best to squeeze a smile and engrave the hateful face of everyone else into the depths of her heart.

The King of Winter Wolves Darsos stares playfully into the face of this little lady. 14 years old, it's an age where those from rich noble families are still fooling about. But, the little lady in front of him grinded her teeth and tried to suppress her emotions, apparently well-aware of what is going on.

Facing such humiliation at a young age, being pulled into a situation which might bring unhappiness for life, it is rare for one to be able to keep their calm. However, as his opponent, as a stepping stone for his own ambitions, she is still too young. The rumor about her equalling to the might of thousands should just be propaganda.

"Cheers to the great alliance that we are about to forge! Cheers to the valiant youths of the Auland Empire! Cheers to our charming Princess Reyne!"

As the Emperor raises his cup, the other nobles happily raises their golden cups of red wines along with him. The only who is not fitting in with the crowd is the Princess who was being showered with blessings. She stares coldly at them, like a wolf staring at her prey from higher grounds.

Remembering this hatred and insult to exact vengeance in the future is the only thing she could do now.

"Pardon me, allow me to touch up on my make up."

But in the end, she is just a 14 year old girl. Anger, despair and the feeling of being wronged made her eyes turn red. Unwilling to shed tears in front of her enemies, she used the reason of touching up on her make up to leave temporarily.

The moment she walks down from her pedestal, following Darsos's eye signal, 2 well-built guards follows her.

The star of the show today is Reyne and the issue with the Guardian Knight has to be fixed on the spot today. Darsos won't allow any mishap to happen, so it is impossible for him to allow her to escape.

Soon, with one of them standing guard outside the toilet, the other ran back to report. Darsos nods his head and turns his attention back to the performance below.

In Darsos's point of view, he doesn't think that he has mistreated the young Princess. The contestants below are all small nobles and elites of the Auland Empire and he was also making use of this opportunity to find talents for him to use.

Of course, the high nobles and members of royalty won't attend such a selection. While they are able to gain prestige and standing from a foreign Princess, it will also distance them away from the center of authority in Auland.

Following the traditional practices of Guardian Knight Selections, this is a sparring contest. In order to woo their beloved ladies of nobility, the young Knights display their knight chivalry and their outstanding martial arts. As long as they show sufficient capabilities, even those who lose will be respected by the crowd.

The two Legends prepared by the 'official side', after confirming that there are no 'dark horse' that would threaten this selection, resigned readily from the competition. After all, the 2 Legend uncles aren't young anymore, so bullying the lady like this would be going too far.

The battle has already proceeded into the semifinals. At this point, all of the remaining Warriors are at least Gold-rank and the Rain Swallow Sword Svina is one of them.

The future Emperor of Auland Empire sips his cup while enjoying the love of his people. Suddenly, looking at the fierce and powerful swordsman who was like the storm, he frowns and calls for his servant, whispering some words into his ear.

While the dignitaries of the Auland Empire were satisfied by this performance, no one's thoughts were on the foreign Princess whose present situation was like a meat laid on a chopping board.

At this moment, in the VIP dressing room, in the dressing mirror, an image of a tear-stained young lady whimpering silently could be seen.

After all, she is only 14 years old. Just a year ago, she was still a carefree Princess but now, the cruel war of politics were all forced onto her young shoulders. One wrong step could very well cause the downfall of her country. Thinking about her kin and her people back in her homeland who trust her, thinking about the humiliation she is about to face, she couldn't stop the tears from streaming down.

"Father, Big Sister Kelly, I'm really not qualified to be a princess…"

"Then, do you want strength? Strength that can change your fate."

Suddenly, a voice seems to echo in the room from nowhere. The warm voices that reaches into her soul made Reyne instinctively trust it, as though it was the voice from the gods and her ancestors.

"Yes, as long as I can change everything, even if I have to pay everything, including my soul, I am willing… Who are you! What did you do to me!"

Alright, the Persuasion Spell was broken. I received her answer but I shake my head in response to it instead.

"Sigh, it must be Karwenz's descendant, you are really too dumb. To give your bottom line at the start of the deal when you haven't even seen the other party's trump card yet. To be willing to give everything including your soul, any Devil that comes by would be able to rob you of everything. You failed."

"You… Who are you!"

The Isolation Barrier made sure that her voice didn't escape. Before the young lady lost consciousness, the last thing she saw was a face identical to hers and a somehow familiar voice.

"Sleep for awhile. This burden is indeed too heavy for you to bear. Allow me to share your weight. But, your result for this pop quiz is 0 points. Youngster, remember to work hard for your retest."The Guardian Knight Selection has finally reached its final phase. The two remaining contestants are outstanding young Knights.

The tall and well-built Carter is the team leader of Auland Empire's Flying Dragon Knight Order. Despite being just 27, through his outstanding martial arts and his Myth-class Hammer 'Beastman Grinder', he swept his way through the competition and is now standing on the stage of the finals.

His enemy is that young nameless swordsman. That swordsman is the kind of enemy he hates the most, an agility-type swordsman. After realising that the handsome feminine lad's fighting abilities is even above that of his, Carter was initially very worried. However, at this moment, the sudden arrival of joyous news made him overjoyed.

As expected, the moment they started fighting, the swordsman fought extremely carefully.

"You still hope to be a Guardian Knight despite being a girl? Are you sure you have the abilities to?"

Yes, the news that he got is that his opponent in the finals is actually a girl. If the Guardian Knight turns out to be a girl, than the Auland Empire's scheme would naturally turn out to be laughably for naught.

Females can't bear offspring with another female. If so, wouldn't they be just freely giving a knight away to the other party?

After being warned, Svina can only grind her teeth at the mocking laughter of her opponent. When she received a secret message from the servant of the royal family, she thought that it was a recruitment notice, so she extremely ecstatic. However, she didn't expect that her identity has been exposed and she was strictly warned to not claim the championship of this duel.

She wants to win, and she has the confidence to do so as well. But, to disobey the will of the Emperor of the Auland Empire? Is she sick of living?

In the end, before the final match even began, the ending was already pre-determined.

On the pedestal, the 'Princess Reyne' who finished touching up her make up returns.

It is still the same face along with the same battle skirt. Just that, this time, her aura seems slightly different.

If her previous face, which was on the verge of crying, reminded others of a hatchling, then the current Princess Reyne, who smile as she walk with steady steps along with the natural confidence and pride she exuded makes one think of an eagle scouting its prey.

"My apologies to keep you all waiting."

"It's fine, it's fine." Somehow, when those smiling eyes were directed towards them, the few leaders of the small countries who just abandoned their alliance felt a little guilty.

In just 5 short minutes, she seemed to have turned into a different person. Even Darsos is surprised.

"Ahhhhh, that swordsman is actually a female!"

"How could a female join the competition?"

"The winner, Carter Dias!"

At this moment, the victor below has emerged. The hesitant Svina got hit heavily on her shoulders and her hair which was bound tightly together bursts out. As her identity is exposed, she naturally lost the opportunity to vie for the championship.

The 2-meter tall Carter carries his hammer and signals to the pedestal, his actions bearing a striking resemblance to a giant ape receiving a prize. There are already people who are discussing about the pairing of the wild beast and a girl.

But, Princess Reyne simply smiles.

"Since you will be my Guardian Knight, then you should be at least stronger than me. Can I spar with you personally?"

"How can we dirty the hands of your highness? Your highness is more suited to be doing embroidery in the warm interiors of your palace. It is better to leave the crude job of leading soldiers to war to men."

Darsos laughs but his words were sharp. He is sarcastically hinting that the other party is only suited to be a kind wife and a good mother. Even though he has thought of Reyne's battle records as a propaganda, but how could he give the other party an opportunity to overturn the situation at a time like this.

"Just a single blow will suffice. I just want to see if he is as sturdy as he looks on the outside. If he is useless on the inside, then wouldn't I be making a loss?"

The young lady sticks out her tongue, a gesture which is unspeakably cute. However, along with the words that doesn't fit her previous image, it caused uproar within the crowd.

But, since Princess Reyne has went this far, it would make it seem as though the Auland Empire is petty if they do not give in. Thus, Darsos nods his head.

Afterwards, his servants start to announce with a loud voice.

"Right now, my warriors, Knight Carter will face another challenge. Our respected Princess Reyne will personally try his strength. To prevent our strong Knight from injuring the cute Princess, this test would require Carter to receive 3 blows from our Princess. If Knight Carter is able to withstand them, then our new Guardian Knight would be born!"

Alright, this servant obviously understands the meaning of his lord. He made it sound as though that Princess Reyne insisted on stepping on the battlegrounds and that they had to reluctantly agree to it. The original 1 strike turning into 3 blows may sound generous, but there isn't much of a difference to it. It is actually a type of arrogance and confidence.

As for the final part about 'new Guardian Knight would be born', he is trying to reaffirm things so that there would be nowhere for Reyne to retreat to.

"Good job, Carter!"

"Princess Reyne, please go easy on him! Hahaha!"

Mocking laughter and racket fills the entire arena and everyone views the 'trial of 3 blows' as a joke. Even Carter himself couldn't help but nod while smiling foolishly, as though the Princess have already agreed to marry him.

But, Reyne simply laughs.

"It is a pity that I didn't bring any weapon. Your majesty, can I borrow a sword to use?"

"Of course, as long as you are able to use it."

Darsos hands over his own personal sword with malicious intentions. That blood-colored legendary sword is well-known to be aloof and bows to no one. He's waiting for Reyne to make a fool out of herself.

【Demon Sword: The Scarlet Conqueror】 As the personal sword of the Emperor of Auland Empire, it is a Legend-class equipment. It only submits to true conquerors, the weak won't even get a chance to come into contact with it. If they were to force themselves to use it, they would only become a blood slave for the demon sword.

There are already a few unlucky fellows who have had their blood sucked by the demon sword. The few Aulanders who knew about the secret of the sword were waiting to watch the Princess make a joke out of herself.

"Your majesty, thanks for your kindness. Ah, such a feisty little fellow. But, a good kid has to listen obediently to instructions."

However, the scream and the tossing away of the sword that they expected didn't happen. Instead, in that slim arms, the red demon sword seemed to glow even brighter. In the next moment, all of the light seems to gather back within the sword, the blood light gathering on the blade of the sword to prepare to battle. It seems to be even more obedient than a pet dog facing its own owner.

As the sword's owner, Darsos couldn't believe what he just saw. He has never seen the demon sword act so humble. The Scarlet Conqueror only respects ambitious dictators. Could it be that in the eyes of this sword, this little girl is an even greater conqueror than him?

Feeling that something is amiss, Darsos wanted to stop her but it was too late.

Reyne didn't walk down the stairs that lead to the sparring field. Instead, she walks to the corner of the watch stand and raises her head to look at the blue sky.

"How many years have it been? The Mist Bloodline has been guarding the borders of the human world through the fresh blood and life of countless of its tribesman, but all it received was the enmity and suspicion of others."

Reyne steps on the border of the stand, causing a commotion in her surroundings. Worried that she was about to commit suicide, the servants have all rushed up. However, light so dense as though it was tangible appears from her back, making them unable to get near to her.

"How many times has it been? Those bloody wounds have yet to heal and the new despicable traitors are stacking new wounds on top of the old, the sacred alliance ripped apart as though it was waste paper.

A pleasant voice echoes from the stand. Despite it being simply normal words, there seems to be magic to it. Wherever those clear eyes gaze at, traitors feel as though they were being interrogated in hell by their conscience.

"All of you, you all wish to know of the secret of the Mist Royalty? Fine, let me tell you all. The Mist Royalty possesses the powers of God. God's Blessing: War Angel Form!"

Reyne jumps off from the stand. The light that bursts forth from her back forges a pair of tangible wings. Flying in mid-air, under the stare of everyone else, she is surrounded by endless radiance and successfully turns from a mortal into a War Angel.

Different from the new generation of Angels who serve as God Envoys, this ancient War Angel is a personal creation by the Goddess of Order, it is the vanguard in the crusade against the Malevolent Gods of Chaos, the king of the entire Angel tribe.

The golden wings represent the endless Power of Order while the burning sacred flames represent judgement and punishment. The golden marks that extends throughout the entire body is the engravings of the Rules of the World. In the far away ancient times, the only opponent for a War Angel is the stronger Malevolent Gods or Demon Lords.

As the golden wings unfurl, the flames on her head burn furiously and the sacred and pure inferno seems to merge together with the blood light of the demon sword. With a flap of her wings, the War Angel Reyne appears on the space above Carter.

"My Guardian Knight? Laughable mortals, do you admit your sin?"

"I, I, I…"

Facing an interrogation by a War Angel, Carter starts to waver.

The repeated teachings of several Churches have carved the image of Angels as the oracles of the Order Gods deeply into the mind of mortals. There are already very few oracles of true Gods in the world and now, a mortal actually dares to tries to vie for the adoration of an angel. Is this not a crime?

Alright, he doesn't have to say anymore. 'I', Reyne didn't even wait for him reply before bringing down the blood-colored inferno sword on him.

"Clang!"

What was unbelievable is that Carter actually managed to bring up his hammer to block this sword. The 2 weapons met each other and sparks flew about.

"I managed to block it, I actually managed to take it… Why aren't you all cheering for me! I am the victor, just two more swords, I will be able to wed the Princess."

But soon, he understood why.

Indeed, he managed to block the blow but the sacred flames on it followed the weapon and turned him into a human torch.

He didn't even manage to scream out before he was reduced to ashes. The newly-appointed Guardian Knight was destroyed with just a hit from the person he was going to swear loyalty to, not to mention how pathetic his death was. In an instant, the giant sparring field turned silent and cold.

"Hmph, one who doesn't know his place. A toad craving the meat of a swan."

Maintaining the War Angel Form really saps a ton of power. Within just 10 seconds, all of Reyne's stamina and Power of Order was squeezed dry. As she withdraw her wings back, Reyne turns back into a mortal.

"Pah pah pah!" What followed was Darsos's applause and frenzied laughter.

"Hahaha, indeed, he doesn't know his place. How can a normal man be worthy to serve as your Guardian Knight."

Darsos walks closer and suddenly kneels with one leg in front of me.

"Then, the beautiful Princess Reyne, Can I, the Emperor of Auland Empire, Darsos.Menon, be granted the honor to be your Guardian Knight?"

"What?"

This is equal to proposing on the spot. Furthermore, this is the Emperor who is known in the country to be uninterested in the charms of a female. In an instant, the field broke out in a commotion, filled with discussions and cheering.

But, I knit my eyebrow together. Un, me, not Reyne. The true Reyne has been long thrown to Diana. From the moment when Reyne returned from the washroom, it has been my show. Even more so, the War Angel Form is my race talent. Right now, everything that has occurred is within my expectation with the exception of Darsos's confession.

"A confession from a male to another, disgusting."

But at this moment, there is an urgent need for me to consider it seriously. The proposal of an Emperor involves the pride of his country. If I don't settle it properly, it might lead to the start of a war. Since rejecting him outright or accepting him are not plausible solutions, then I can only settle it my way.

"Impossible."

"Why! As long as you are willing to accept me, I can even give you half of my Empire as betrothal gift. You can become the Queen of Auland Empire. With the both of us working together, we can obtain everything in the world. Isn't this much better than suffering in the cold in hunger by the cold borders?"

After being rejected, Darsos lashes out like a furious lion, questioning me angrily.

"We are impossible from the start. I swear with in the name of Holy Light that I am uninterested in man, I only like woman."

Alright, the sparring field which was still bustling a moment ago turned cold. Their Emperor, who just proposed in public, was rejected in an incomparably miserable way.

For a Divine Job like a Holy Knight, the vow that they make using the name of the origin of their power must be true, otherwise fooling the true Gods would cause them to be stripped of the power that God granted them.

As seen from the vigorous Holy Light around her, she isn't lying. She really likes females.

At this moment, I walked straight to the final person on the stage, Svina, who lost due to her identity as female being exposed.

"I thank the Auland Empire for holding this Guardian Knight Selection for me, allowing me the opportunity to meet such a cute Knight. Un, she will do."

Lowering my head, I kiss the forehead of the girl who had been scared silly, thus completing the final part of the ritual of a Guardian Knight.

"A Knight and a Princess falling in love at first sight. A beautiful tale has been created. Congratulations, congratulations."

Thousand years later, history would be recorded as such. Reyne Qin Mist, or better known as the Lily Princess, despite being a female, has a Lily Back Palace with hundreds of concubines. Svina di Nelson would be recorded as the first Knight of the Lily Princess, as well as the first concubine she personally chose — The story above is completely fabricated, if there is any similarities, it is due to coincidence.

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Chapter 86: An Old Friend

When a certain 'princess' was performing haughtily, the real princess could only tremble in rage under the stage.

Back then, when she awakened from her coma, she realised that she was stripped naked like a small white goat, sitting in the stands with just a cloak wrapped around her. If it wasn't for the 2 Gray Elves watching her movements by her side and that she was afraid that it might lead to unresolvable troubles, she would have long held a tantrum.

Initially, she was depressed over the fact that a bogus princess could handle the situation better than the real princess. Then, after witnessing the War Angel Form, she was dumbfounded.

The humans are a very xenophobic race. Even so, there is one bloodline that not only do they not reject, it is even highly respected among most humans.

"Angel."

The first generation children of the Order Faction, the oldest son of the Gods who participated in the creation of the human race, a race of Gods that already transcended the mortal world.

Compliments towards this race are far from lacking on the walls of the church and in the sacred hymns. Regardless of whether in history or novels, the Angels are always a pure and sacred tribe. Their existence itself is the will of God and where their blade is pointed at would be the nemesis of the Order Faction.

Perhaps, the current existing Angels might be unable to appear in the mortal world for certain reasons. This is also one of the main reasons why humans who believe in the Order Gods worship them so much. After all, for a true monarch, it is best for religion to be further away from their authority.

At that instant, Reyne immediately understood the reason for the actions of the bogus princess and silently cheered for her.

"Could she really be here to help me? Just by the War Angel Form Bloodline Ability, the Mist Royalty would not be looked down upon. Even if it is just putting on a brave front, with the blueprints provided to us previously, as long as we have sufficient time, there will be hope for us to rise up once more."

Upon seeing the sword that struck down on Carter, Reyne clenches her fist in agitation. Not mentioning how she was disgusted by that giant ape, the frustration that she has been accumulating these days left her without a sliver of goodwill towards this country.

However, Darsos' immediate proposal afterwards left her completely stunned and in shock.

The marriage between 2 monarchs? It is inconceivable just by the thought. Regardless of whether the guy is doing it for the Bloodline Ability or to annex East Mist Communal Country, while clearly displaying his ambitions in public, he is also expressing his sincerity towards the Mist. Indubitably, this is an important diplomatic decision.

At that instant, Reyne really hesitated on whether she should sacrifice herself to accept his proposal. Perhaps, this would grant her country some breathing space. But the next moment, she realised that when strength of 2 working partners are too far apart, then in another sense, one side would be effectively taking possession of the other.

"Reject it. It must be rejected by all means. However, wouldn't rejecting it directly hurt Darsos' pride and bring shame to the entire Auland Empire? If this isn't settled well, it could lead straight to war. Is there any possible way out?"

Apparently, it is an unexpected event that no one was prepared for. However, putting the full authority of the Auland Empire on the line, Darsos never even expected that he would be rejected.

However, in what the real Reyne sees as a desperate situation, to the bogus Reyne, it is just a walk in the park.

"I'm sorry, you're a male, but I like females."

The result of Darsos' confident proposal is a merciless rejection. Even if he wanted to blow this matter up, he has no idea where he should start from. In the end, the situation could end as a farce and gossip before meals.

For one's target for proposal to be someone with unique sexual orientation, that kind of rejection is probably the only one that leaves one helpless. At the same time, it is the most powerful reason for rejection — How can one date when the gender is wrong?

While Reyne was still glad over the fact that she and the East Mist Communal Country barely escaped a calamity, she immediately realised the new troubles she was about to face. Despite being saved, she seems to have fallen into a pit dug by the bogus Reyne and given the depth of the pit, it is one she is unlikely to escape from for her entire life.

"Wait, to use my face to make such a declaration in front of everyone else, wouldn't I be unable to redeem my reputation in the future? Then, won't I be unable to marry anyone for my entire life?"

Alright, tomorrow's headlines for all kinds of newspapers have been confirmed to be 'Emperor's Proposal Falls Through, Princess Reyne Exposes Her Sexual Orientation', 'The Secret History of the Emperor's Love Rival, Svina', 'The Love Triangle That Transcends National Borders'. Without doubt, these would be the hottest topic for at least a period of time.

What about Reyne herself?

Under the witness of the God of Holy Knight, there is no doubt about the authenticity of her declaration of true love as a Holy Knight. Very quickly, as rumors and intelligence start to spread, Princess Reyne's unique taste of being more into beauties than her kingdom would be common knowledge throughout the entire world.

Furthermore, this is the type of situation that requires her to follow through. If it is proven that she is normal in the future, then she would be seen as deceiving the Auland Emperor in front of his own people, humiliating the entire Auland Emperor. If so, the outcome would be disastrous. Then, not only can Reyne not redeem herself, she still has to try her best to pretend to be an abnormal female. In the worst case scenarios, she even has to get herself a few wives and concubines.

"You bastard! I'll kill you!! How can I face the others after this."

Alright, if it wasn't for Diana holding her down, Reyne, who is dressed scantily, would have charged up onto the stage without any hesitation.

As this tragedy turned completely into a farce, as the different presses rushed to inform the people about what transpired in the Royal Sparring Grounds, the real and bogus princess returned together to the temporary embassy and sit around the same table.

"Roland, you are Roland! You are indeed alive."

"Long time no see, Kelly."

TL: He calls her Kelly-jie, a casual way to address someone you are close with and more senior than you (in terms of age)Due to the exciting performance by the Princess, the obscure East Mist Communal Country became a hot topic in an instant. The embassy where visitors were few initially found its entrance bursting with people at this moment. However, the gate is firmly locked, expressing their intention to not accept any visitors.

However, this didn't stop a commotion from going on in the meeting room on the 2nd floor.

"Bastard, you're going down. To think that you would actually lay a trap for me!"

In front of the young lady whose rage couldn't be quenched, I, who have returned back to Rolande's appearance, is sipping on the iced bitter tea leisurely. This is a specialty of my homeland. Given the fact that I haven't tasted it for a long time, I have to make sure to savor it properly.

"Then, can you come up with a better solution? One that doesn't hurt the pride of the Auland Empire while rejecting them at the same time. You should be thankful for me, otherwise you would be in deep trouble now."

Reyne isn't an unreasonable person. As the words I spoke are all true, Reyne immediately quiets down. She has been thinking about it all this while but not mentioning a better solution, she couldn't even come up with a feasible one on her own.

"Who are you? Roland wouldn't address me like that."

Despite being initially delighted, after hearing how I addressed her, hesitation appears on Kelly's face.

"The arrogant Roland would never call anyone else big sister or big brother, he…"

In my diaries, Kelly is one of the few people which I was extremely close to in the past. As expected, I was unable to hide the fact from her. However, to think that I would be exposed the moment I opened my mouth. Then, let's try the second way of addressing her as written on the diaries. Right, there is the little secret about this Wood Elf as well.

"Un, little Kelly. Is the star-shaped birthmark behind your neck and the mole below your right breast and left thigh still there?"

Hearing that, Kelly immediately covers her breasts with her arm, her face red from embarrassment. She stares at me with a look as though trying to ward off a sex fiend. My companion, Diana, also looks at me in shock.

"I have forgotten many things. But, for someone from a race of short lifespan to surpass their longevity, a price like this should be natural, right?"

Kelablian shakes her head. Even though her instincts tell her that the man in front of her is indeed Roland, she is still hesitant to accept it.

As this is quite a big matter, it's natural that she would be extremely careful about it. There is a possibility that the man in front of her might have just obtained that information from the belongings that Roland left behind. Fortunately, she has a much better way of authenticating the identity of the man in front of her.

She takes out the short dagger of two dragons coiled together, that is the 'Light of Life' that is directly linked to the soul.

The moment I stepped closer to the dagger, the white pearl immediately radiates brilliantly, proving that it is my Light of Life.

"Indeed, it is you little pervert! But how did you manage to extinguish and light it up again and again!"

Before I could even react, Kelly hugs me tightly, her overjoyed expression making one suspect whether she really is the same calm Wood Elf from a moment ago.

"Heh, that's simple. Reviving after dying, dying after reviving, that's all."

Hearing that, Kelly stuns. Reviving after dying, dying after reviving? It may seem easy but as long as one has a slight understanding of the world and souls, they would definitely know that it is an impossible task.

"Alright, it is hard for us to be reunited so let's not talk about these boring matters. Right, the color of the Light of Life is the indicator to show whether the soul is sided with the Order Faction or the Chaos Faction right? Looks like Karwenz's one is really completely black."

Indeed, what else could be more sided to the Chaos Faction than the Demons who are the incarnation of Chaos. Surprisingly, Kelly shakes her head.

"130 years ago, your Soul Pearl was even darker than his. Can you tell me whether you are him? The nightmare who represents the dark night."

TL: Yongye means eternal night.

The Wood Elf asks me with a trembling voice. Even if intelligence that Lord Yongye is Roland has been spreading among the leaders of each country, as the mentor of the Twin Stars, she has been unwilling to believe that Roland, who was kind and warm like a ray from the sun, would actually come to such a point.

"Un, it's me. Back then, I investigated and realised that the reasons for the destruction of the Mist Country isn't that simple. Thus, I purged all of the suspects responsible for it and their accomplices. Heh, it looks like I went a little overboard in the end."

"Ah…"

"Big Sister Kelly!! What did you do! Why would Big Sister Kelly faint?"

Alright, having her worst nightmare warp into reality, emotions start to surge in the silent Kelly, assaulting her heart, causing her to faint on the spot.

After she faints, the 3 people remaining on the spot could only stare at one another. The me who has lost his memories and can only know from the diaries that Kelly really deeply loves the previous me is unable to understand her excessive reaction.

After Reyne's immediate treatment, Kelly gains consciousness once again. Then, she suddenly hugs me and starts to weep.

"Wuuuu, it is all because of my uselessness that caused you and Karwenz to suffer so much."

The strong sense of self-reproach from watching the person she values fall into depravity, the warm prince to turn into a demon lord caused Kelablian to weep silently.

Tear drops moistened my back and the familiar yet foreign touch left me motionless. This is my first time experiencing the care and concern of an elder towards a junior. It made me feel uncomfortable, making me want to escape from it.

"Looks like I have to look for something to retrieve my memory."

Despite seeing the other party breaking down in tears, I couldn't feel anything at all. For the first time, I feel that diaries could not replace true memories. Some things cannot be retrieved the moment they are lost.

Alright, it took me much effort before I managed to persuade the tearful Kelly from her self-reproach to return the topic to the main issue at hand.

"… Will you return?"

The trembling Kelly questions. I shake my head in response.

Why should I return? My people are still in Liu Huang Mountain City. The current East Mist Communal Country is no longer the original Mist Country. Besides, it is unconventional for a retired monarch to ascend back to the throne. Also, my goals also doesn't allow for me to be limited to only one country.

"However, I will help the Mist Country rise up once again. The blueprints have already expressed a part of my sincerity. The main show still awaits, starting from this sword."

【Roland Sacred Sword, SemiGod Equipment】

【Attack Power: 22-4411】（11 additional damage due to it being a 11 SemiGod Equipment. Even if the Sword deals damage of the lower limit, it will deal additional 11 unavoidable Silver Inferno Magic damage）

【Indestructible: Even against God Equipment, this Sacred Sword will not break.】(Out of the two times it has broken, one of it is because of Ayer, while the other time is because it's already in an incomplete, weak state, which allowed the Dragon Saber to destroy it through its Unique Ability)

【The Royal Seal of the Mist: Roland Sacred Sword is a symbol of the power of the Mist Royalty, only with the acknowledgement of the King can one use this Sacred Sword. Along with the rise of the Mist Kingdom once again, it is trying its best to evolve to become even stronger. At the same time, this proud Sacred Sword can only be used by the king of the Mist Kingdom and his trusted knights.】

【The Prestige of the King: Strength2, Agility2, Stamina2, Charm2. In the country built by the Mist bloodline, the reputation would be equal to the respect the user earns.】

【There are yellow words carved on the body of the Sword: The Roland Sacred Sword is the sword used by the Holy Knight Prince Roland in the legends. Only his descendants and inheritors of his will can be acknowledged by this Sacred Sword. (Prerequisite to equip: Mist Bloodline)】

The silver Sacred Sword emits blinding radiance while I shed tears silently. I knew that the System definitely had ill intentions when it allowed me to reforge the sword. From the start, it isn't a weapon that I could wield.

To become a knight that is loyal to the royalty? Then, it would require an inauguration ceremony. Not mentioning that the current East Mist Communal Country is unable to do it. Even if it is able to, I am unwilling to be a knight that swears loyalty to someone, even if the person is likely to be my descendant.

Even if I am able to use the sword, that is at most another top-tier weapon in my hands. Even though these kind of things are hard to come by, it is still possible to look for them. With the guide of 'history', I don't think that it would be too difficult to look for a replacement.

However, if the Crown Prince of this generation, the Princess Knight, were to retrieve the Roland Sacred Sword, which is the mark of authority of the king, it would seem as though it were the plannings of the heavens. In this era where the authority of a monarch and religions intersect with one another, the recovery of a lost treasure representing symbol of authority in the country will greatly unify the entire country. Those previous citizens who left due to war will also start to reconsider returning back to their homeland.

At the very least, Reyne, who managed to recover the Roland Sacred Sword, will find her reputation soaring. With the weapon of royal authority in their hands, they can even try to negotiate a merger with the other 2 countries built by the refugees of the former Mist Country. Only this way, with both land and people, will there be hope for the rise of the Mist Country once again.

"Roland Sacred Sword! Is this the legendary Roland Sacred Sword?"

The moment the jubilant Reyne touches the Sacred Sword, she was sent flying by a rebound. However, looking at how she wasn't burnt by the Silver Inferno, it seems she fulfills the requirements for its usage. It is just that she is still too weak, so weak that she couldn't even earn the approval of the Sacred Sword.

However, looking at the determined princess, I started to ponder on a way to make her strong.

"Reyne, why are you so weak? Is there no one to teach you?"

"Reyne's talent for swordsmanship is still okay, but that is only stuck at the level of just okay. With many troublesome matter weighing down on her, there is no time for her to slowly train in her swordsmanship. On the other hand, she doesn't have any talent in Divine Arts, so it is impossible for her to walk on the route of a Holy Knight or a Priestess. Even though she is intelligent, she doesn't have large amount of time required for a Mage to mature. Thus, the most she can do is to train a little bit on the way of the sword and strengthen her body. Don't use Karwenz and you yourself as a standard for comparison. In the thousands of years of history of the Mist Royalty, you both are one-of-a-kind, so it would be unfair to the other members of royalty if you both were to be compared to them."

I nod my head. I have a rough idea on what I should do.

"I have a new job here, Justice Knight. Although they are the Knights of the God of Law, in reality, they are similar to the Holy Knight in the sense that they don't have to be completely loyal to the Church. Also, unlike other Divine Arts, it doesn't require the Will Stat. What it requires is Intelligence, as well as understanding and analysis of the law…"

"Perhaps, the East Mist Communal Country can try to come into contact with the God of Law as well. If it is able to become its national religion, then many things would change…"

"Right, we also have to start grooming the Aurora Knights from this moment. It would be too late by the time the winter season starts…"

We didn't take too long to talk about the main issues at hand. After all, I was the one who was doing most of the talking while the both of them listened to my words. The final decision isn't something that could be decided on the spot. However, there is a private matter that I would really like to ask.

"Right, Kelly, who exactly is Reyne's ancestor? Is it me or Karwenz?"

An ugly daughter-in-law still has to meet her mother-in-law eventually. Despite feeling uneasy, it isn't an option for me to bury this concern of mine in the depths of my heart. In the end, I still posed the question.

"You don't even know the answer yourself?"

Alright, it is natural for Kelly to be surprised. I could only shake my head in frustration, pointing at my own head to indicate my memory loss.

Suddenly, a crestfallen expression appears on Kelly's face. She lowers her head and starts to rebuke me tearfully.

"It's enough for you to forget me! To think you would even forget our child!"

"Our child!". "Our child!". "Our child!". These two words echo simultaneously in my head and in this room.

"Kacha!". "Kacha!". Diana's cup and my cup shatters upon contact with the floor. Our gaping mouth couldn't be closed no matter what.

"Clang dang." At the same, Reyne's loses her grip on her sword. She also stares in shock at the big sister who brought her up. It can't be that her ancestor would actually be her children. Then, should she be calling her grandmother?

"I'm just joking!!"

I'm completely at a loss. The scariest part about losing one's memory is that one wouldn't know that they forgot. Could it be that I unknowingly forgot my own wife?

"Un, I'm just joking. I'm still unmarried."

Kelly sticks out her tongue and makes a face. Don't just look at how she is 700 years old, for the Wood Elves who are blessed with a long lifespan, she could only be considered a young lady. Furthermore, the Wood Elves are known to be positive.

"Kacha!" This time, even the saucer holding the cup crashes.

I lay paralysed on the chair while grabbing onto my chest. These sudden blows are really bad for my heart.

I finally understand why the records on Kelly on the diaries would be so contradictory:

"Although she is gentle like a big sister and a mother, she is overly obsessed with pulling pranks and sometimes, it could be fatal. Never give her any chances or you will regret it. Never!" On this section, I even left an asterisk to indicate that it is important information.

"I almost believed it, you know. Can you not joke about these matters!" Alright, I admit that I totally believed what she said.

"Actually, I also don't quite know myself. Back then, when both sides were crossing fire, I returned back to Xuanlu Forest. When I returned, there was already no one I could recognise there. However, she should either be a descendant of you or Karwenz. In any case, she is a descendant of Mist and besides, after a few hundred years, the bloodline should be very diluted by this point, so does it make a difference?"

TL: Xuanlu - Melody. The pronunciation should be sh-uean lui (around there)

There is a great difference! The difference is whether I am a 300 year old well-qualified archmage or not!

Alright, saying this would mean self-exposing my scandal, as well as that my love life hasn't progressed a single step in the past 300 years. I am not that foolish.

"It should be Karwenz, after all, compared to you, that child is…"

There is no need to elaborate further on it. I know that Karwenz is more popular than me but please stop rubbing salt on my wounds.

Then, the familiar body scent starts closing in on me and big sister Kelly hugs me once more.

"If you're missing your beautiful memories, then we just have to create more of them. I love my cute little Roland the most…"

Despite having just reunited, I was already hugged 3 times. Instantly, I understood what the side note of 'beware of being treated as a bolster' means.

"Big Sister Kelly, I'm no longer a little kid."

I'm a little touched by her excessive warmth, but even more so, what I felt is being at a loss. After all, of the beautiful ladies that I came into contact with in the past, half of them were trying to kill me while the other half was hiding daggers beneath their smiles. A beautiful lady hugging me with kind intention, it was something that has never happened before. On the contrary, it left me with no idea how to react to it.

Suddenly, Kelly laugh evilly and edges forward. Then, she sticks out her tongue and licks my ear lightly.

The sudden soft sensation on my ear caused my entire body to shiver in an instant. Then, feeling lightheaded, I quickly retreated.

"You… What did you do?"

Even without looking into a mirror, I know that my face is definitely intensely red at this moment. This time, I have been completely exposed.

"Despite having the exact same reaction as in the past, you still claim that you aren't a kid anymore. After so many years, it looks like the love life of little Roland is still a complete blank. I have seen the Time Distortion Ring of the Saint before. We Wood Elves are the Elves who are the most sensitive to life. Ascertaining the age of an ancient tree through touching it is the most basic race talent of our race. Judging from the smell, your actual age is different from that your outer appearance shows. Do you need me to guess your real current age?"

I clasp my hand together and raise them to indicate my surrender. Normally, I am the one who land others into trouble. Today, I managed to meet someone who is able to subdue me totally. Is this the experience of an elder? But again, it was so easy for me to trick the Queen of Banshees.

"Hmph, stop underestimating others. I watched you grow since you were still a baby. Those little tricks of yours are useless against me."

It looks like it isn't just the difference in ages and experiences. What is even more crucial is her understanding towards me while my understanding towards her only stops at data and books.

Suddenly, seemingly unhappy with my sudden gaze of wariness, she hugs me once more.

Just when I was looking warily at this woman who loves to prank others, I heard a whimper from the back of my ear. On my shoulders, Kelly starts to sob once more.

"Too much, smelly Land Land. To actually forget me. To think that I have been missing you all along, worried about you and yet, you only talk about official business with me. Don't you know how to care for me? Let me hug you for a moment, just a moment. Wuuuu, stupid Land Land."

Hearing the sobbing behind my back, I was left motionless yet again. Different emotions filled me in an instant and yet, I am still at a loss of how to react.

I can ascertain now that this woman who is like a mother and a teacher is definitely the nemesis of my life. I would rather solo an evil Dragon then to guess what she will do the next second. In the end, I could only helplessly allow her to do as she please. Just this one hug, she hugged me for an entire 10 minutes.

"Little Roland is also around the age which you can become an adult. If it is Roland, I am okay with it."

Even after she finally let go of me, the casual and flirtatious jokes makes one unsure of whether she is being sincere or not.

However, looking at the green-haired Elf who is smiling from the depths of her heart despite her swollen eyes from all the crying, I found another reason for me to continue trying hard.

Then, 10 minutes later, a sudden blaze overwhelms the temporary embassy of the East Mist Communal Country. It seems to be the actions of the extremists who are unhappy with the Princess Knight rejecting Darsos' proposal. 20 minutes later, escorted by a team of East Mist Royal Knights, the princess and her Court Mentor found a new living quarters — The 3rd storey of a western mansion.

"Welcome to the base of the mercenary band Absolute Gentlemen Alliance. We will provide you the most reliable security and the most caring customer service."

Big Sister, Older Brother etc all seems so awkward, would you all prefer me to use jie, mei, di, ge in this cases? When I keep using big brother big sister, it makes it seem as though all of the characters are little kids. Also, there are different variations to the big brother big sister and depending on the variation, the tone are different. For example, when Annie calls other people, she goes with the full term jiejie gege, which makes her seem young. On the other hand, adults normally go with a more casual one like Kelly-jie, which shows her seniority and the closeness of their relationship.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

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Chapter 87: Sacred Sword and Demon Sword

"Is this the sacred artifact you are talking about?"

Even before sunrise, the great great great granddaughter of a certain someone (?) kicked a certain someone out of bed.

"Is this a rebellion? What are you doing when the sky has yet to light up?"

Due to several reasons yesterday, I wasn't able to sleep last night. Just when I was about to drift off, I was awakened abruptly, so in this instant, I'm extremely angry.

"This is the sacred artifact that you gave me? Look at it yourself!"

Sacred artifact? It may sound like a high-end top quality good, but it is just a unique object infused with God powers. For example, a cup filled with God blood, a wooden spear that pierced through a certain God's heart and a shroud a certain God used before. A sacred artifact of a certain true God is often an object that the true God has used before he Ascended. If a worshipper were to come into contact with it, they would be able to deepen their contact with the true God and increase the God Powers swiftly. They are the treasures of every Church.

Naturally, I have a large amount of these sacred artifacts for the God of Law. After being appraised by the System, a large portion of those that can be used were left at Liu Huang Mountain City for the worshippers to use. I also kept a few pieces with me and now that Reyne has changed her job into a Justice Knight, I casually passed one over to her. To think that she would be complaining over it early in the morning.

"Isn't this good? It's a sacred pillow with a pikachu picture on it, isn't it cute. Ah, you don't know the famous lightning mouse? Let me tell you, it is a cartoon picture that I designed. Look, its cheeks are red and its entire body is yellow, don't you think that it's cute…"

"Who cares about your lightning mouse! Saliva, it's the saliva! The back of your sacred artifact is full of your saliva. Halfway through my sleep, I accidentally got some on my face. Disgusting!"

【Wumianzhe's Pillow: Sacred Artifact. Due to Wumianzhe's usage of this object over a long period of time, this pillow is already infused with his aura. By coming into contact with it during sleep, connection with the true God Wumianzhe can be deepened, increasing the rate of increase of Power of Law.】

Receiving the pillow, I flipped it over and there is really saliva on the back. After hesitating on a moment, I flipped it back and went back to sleep without a care in the world.

"Hmph, I'll use it since you don't want it. I haven't been sleeping well since I left this pillow."

Yes, the reason why I have been insomniac isn't because of a certain someone staying up for the night assault that has yet to come, but because of him losing the pillow that he's used to.

"Oi, wake up! It's time for morning training as well. What other sacred artifacts do you have?"

"Do you really take the sacred artifacts of a true God to be like cabbage that you can just pluck on the street? However, I do have a few of them here. You definitely would reject the sacred red scarf, do you want the sacred toothbrush?"

"No!"

"What about sacred cloth? Oi oi, don't get happy too early. I knew that you would misunderstand. It isn't those western armor types but a nickname for the sacred bathrobe. Furthermore, it is a pink-colored one."

TL: Saint Seiya

"Big Brother Roland, no matter what, you are a legendary hero. I grew up listening to your heroic deeds. So, can you be more reliable? Does it make sense for a female like me to be walking around wearing a male bathrobe?"

"Fine, I still have another sacred artifact here. It is definitely the top one in maintaining your connection with Wumianzhe. Furthermore, you won't find it excessive wearing it and it isn't striking as well. It's definitely easy and good to use."

"If it's that good, why didn't you take it out earlier? Where is it?"

"Take it yourself."

Thus, I flipped open my blanket and continued snoring in my sleep.

"Where is it? Big Brother Roland, can you tell me?" Lowering her tone when she has a favor to ask while acting haughty normally, it's quite easy to grasp the temper of this princess. However, she obviously lacks education.

"Isn't this it? Sacred underwear, take it yourself. You can wear it inside. It is neither excessive nor striking. Furthermore, you get physical contact with Wumianzhe, so I can guarantee that your connection would be intimate."

"You old sex fiend! Sexually harassing me again, eat my Sin-Splitting Strike!"

Alright, having just changed jobs a day prior, her Sin-Splitting Strike still wasn't up to standard and only had the spirit to it. Thus, after taking care of her in an instant, I dragged her down for morning training. A new day starts with a certain unrespectable old man educating her little granddaughter.

"To launch a sneak attack on this old man! 20,000 swings today, no dinner if you don't finish it. Practise seriously!"

"What are you old man-ing for? You want to play seniority? Big Sister Kelly has told me that you aren't as old as me yet. I only call you Big Brother Roland in view of your little reputation in the past. Otherwise, hehe, little Roland, do you want a lollipop?"

This delinquent young lady apparently lacks education.

"You really need a beating! Now, practise your swings. If you can't finish 30,000 by today, you will be punished with no dinner or night snack tonight. Just watch and see if your Big Sister Kelly will plead on your behalf!"

"Don't, Big Sister Kelly may seem gentle but in reality, when it involves classes, she turns into a ghastly old granny, extremely aggressive and scary."

"Ghastly old granny is at your back…"

"Do you think you can fool me with such a simple trick? If that fierce bitch were here, I would have long heard her footstep. Recently, she's been getting a little overweight… Who is pulling on my ears!"

TL: Bitch seems a bit over the top, is there any word that is milder but still an insult?

"Cough, it seems that I'm a ghastly old granny and a fierce bitch. To think I would worry you over my health problems. Looks like Princess, you need some remedial lessons on social etiquette and hygiene. Please head to the second floor for lessons after you end your swordsmanship training.

"Bastard Roland, you tricked me."

"Now you're blaming me?" I raised my head innocently in the end, but I was smiling gleefully."I want a good sword. I'm serious."

Although I want to look for a good weapon, I ended up arguing with my cat.

The solo assault on the thief band a few days ago was unplanned but within my expectations. I still require an opponent to test my skills at this point. After trying out the new battle style and discovering its strengths, I also discovered its weakness. Being forced to use my immature skills on the sparring field the other day, I was forced to face this flaw.

【Demon Sword: The Scarlet Conqueror】

【Attack Power：30-509】（9 additional damage due to it being a 9 Legend Equipment. Even if the Sword deals damage of the lower limit, it will deal additional 9 unavoidable Bloodthirst damage)

【Blood Conquer: This Demon Sword has 5 forms. Depending on the amount of people who have fallen under the user's hands, a number of forms would be usable. For every new form unlocked, an additional special skill would be added. The highest and lowest damage would be increased by 10 points. Currently, it is at tier 3.】

【The Rage of the Bloodthirster: After activating this skill, the blood of all lifeform will be absorbed to deal a large amount of damage while recovering the stamina of the user.】

【The Poison Fangs of the Coldblooded: Those who are struck by the weapon will be afflicted by a bleeding status that cannot be stopped. The damage dealt by the bleeding status can be stacked infinitely.】

【The Curse of the Filthy Blooded: Using the blade as the core, create an impure field. Everyone on the field will suffer the pain of their blood boiling.】

【There is a string of tiny blood-red words on the hilt of the sword: This Demon Sword craves for fresh blood and slaughter at all moments, regardless whether the fresh blood is from your enemy or it originates from you.】

When Darsos handed me this demon sword, I was really hesitating over the success rate of managing to escape with this treasure, especially with the enticement of the demon sword.

"My temporary master, the amount of fresh blood and souls you harvested with your hands is at least a hundred times greater than the fool (Darsos) here. Of my 10 recent owners, only the great you are able to use my final form. That would be a hundred times stronger than my current form. However, as a price, you need to offer me the fresh blood of 10,000 people within a year."

A large portion of demon swords are the creation of Devils and Demons. Those who wield demon swords normally need to pay a heavy price and few of them end well. Equal exchange has always been the common rule in the world. After paying a heavy price, the strength that one earns would be fearsome as well. The tier-3 form of The Scarlet Conqueror is already comparable to the SemiGod Roland Sacred Sword. If it was evolved to its final form, it is unimaginable how strong it would be. Probably, a God Equipment would also only be that strong.

However, if a tier-5 demon sword requires the fresh blood tribute of 10,000 people, then at tier-3, it should be around 100. Furthermore, if the user is unable to pay the price, he would have to use his own fresh blood to pay the price. 100 people in a year, 1 in 3 days, Darsos is probably busy with his blood ritual.

Back then, I rejected it. If it were to really be converted to its final form, then it would be difficult to explain how I managed to meet the prerequisites required for the transformation, not to mention the heavy price I would have to pay later on. However, as a swordsman, given the overwhelming power and special abilities of the demon sword, how could I not be moved.

"I am really lacking good weapons. As a master in swordsmanship, to think that I would be stuck with 2 poor quality iron dual-handed swords. It is really hard to stand such a reality."

After using both the demon sword and sacred sword, now that I see that Reyne being able to barely wield the Roland Sacred Sword, which is getting stronger and stronger, while I am still stuck with 2 iron swords which don't even amount to 10 gold coins together, I feel a strong sense of depression.

"Meow, if you want a sword, you should look for a blacksmith. Why are you asking meow meow me?"

It's hard to look the Queen of Banshees straight in the eye when she is getting worse and worse with her acting cute and playing the fool. At this instant, she is licking her paws.

"Stop feigning ignorance, you know why I'm looking for you. We're both old foxes, so there's no need to play the type of games youngsters play. Tell me, are there any godly weapons nearby?"

"Meow, none at all. Though, I have 2 sharp fish bone blades that I left behind from yesterday. If you want them, I can pass then to you."

Heh, I knew it would end up like this. Thus, I made some preparations in advance.

"Alright, it can't be helped then."

"Meow, this isn't like you, for you to give up."

"Un, I can't possibly make one appear out of nowhere. Since I don't have any, I will make one myself."

Harloys is a little bit surprised. She knows that the person in front of her is a prodigy in Undead Creation but she never heard that he was able to do smithing.

"Meow, you can even make weapons? Wait, Roland Mist, my good disciple, what do you intend to do!"

Soon after, she understood. Like a demon, Roland wore a white robe, mask and glasses. His eyes were filled with passionate sparks and in the test tubes and bottles in his hands, numerous bizarre fluids were flowing.

"You should have heard of the legends. The gold-element Slime can turn into an iron bat or some kind of weapon. Even more so, a gold-element Slime King is able to turn into a legendary godly weapon. Since you are already a Slime, changing a bit of your element and adding a bit of functions should mean nothing, right?"

"Right your head! Don't pour those things into my body, not even the tweezers! A drill? Too big! Do you want to kill me!"

Alright, under the threat of her life, Harloys finally didn't have the leisure to continue acting cute.

"I surrender, I surrender. I'll tell you where you can look for godly weapons so please take away your drill!"

"Tsk!"

"What are you tsk-ing for! Are you that regretful? Do you really want to stab and drill around my body? You unfilial disciple!"

Alright, facing the complaining Harloys, I raised my drill and test tubes once more and she immediately turns obedient once more.

"There is really one nearby that you're able to use. Do you know Pale Justice? The sacred sword that Legend Holy Knight Kane once used. He is an Aulander and his descendants should be in this city. I won't elaborate more on it."

Sacred sword huh? I was overjoyed, this is a reward beyond my expectations.

In the Eich Continent, sacred swords actually refers to swords that are divine and pure. However, if we return back to reality, there are often 2 types of sacred sword. The first type is the Sword of Protection that represents a certain area, country, race or family. Indubitably, the Roland Sacred Sword lies under this category. The second type refers to treasured sword which had a pure soul infused into it. Often, this is a right exclusive to Holy Knights.

In reality, the Order Gods opened a backdoor for their servants. When a Holy Knight dies with an unwillingness to stop in his pursuit to eliminate the Chaos Faction, he is able to infuse a portion of his strength and soul into a weapon for the usage of his descendants.

Just like that, a pure god sword/ sacred hammer is born. The restriction for usage normally only allows Holy Knight to wield them. At the same time, the sacred sword is extremely powerful against Chaos lifeforms.

Why do I say that this is the backdoor left behind by the Gods? That's because other jobs have tried the same but never succeeded. Unless one turns into an Undead Spirit, otherwise the Order Gods and River Styx would never let a single soul of the dead go.

To be able to receive news on the sacred sword, naturally, I'm extremely happy. Thus, when Harloys heaves a sigh of relief, I raise up my drill once again.

"What do you intend to do! Didn't I tell you the location of the sacred sword? You intend to go back on your decision! You untrustworthy conman!"

"Firstly, I didn't promise you anything from the start. Helping you upgrade is one of my agendas of the day. Secondly, I just got addicted to reforming things and am unable to quench my passion. Finally, and more importantly, I'm a dual blade wielder, how can 1 sword be sufficient for me."

The foolish cat immediately 囧 as she reflects on how she was caught so easily every time.

"Can it be true that one's physical body will affect one's intelligence?"

"No, didn't I still manage to trick you in the past? Intelligence is something that you are born with, you should give in to your fate by now."

"Don't even think about it!"

From anger to sadness, from sadness to agitation, I never get bored of Harloys' expressions when she falls into the pit I dug. Perhaps, this is the main reason why I like to trick her.

"This is my territory, no one can save you even when you scream out your throat. So, just give in!!"

"NO, take the white oily fluid away from me! You damned pervert, why are there tentacles. Could it be that the legendary Book of Erotic Fantasy is really with you? Save me, someone is torturing cats!"

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Chapter 88: The Rules of God and Laws of Human

"OUCH! Darned cat, it's you again!"

Recently, Rolande seems to have fallen out with his cat. Whenever his guard is down, his cat would immediately pounce towards him and conduct a chain combo with her claws and fangs. During this period of time, she would often wear slippers on her paws to conceal her presence and close in on him before assaulting him like a fierce wild beast. What made it worse is that there isn't any killing intent whatsoever before she strikes and her movements are fast, accurate and vicious, causing Rolande to howl in agony multiple times.

If it occurred during normal occasions, it would definitely cause a great cat-human battle to immediately occur. However, now isn't the appropriate time for such a farce to happen.

"Lord Rolande, if you are unable to keep your cat under control, then please play with it outside."

On the podium, Krose stares furiously at me through her glasses. Frustrated, I could only grab Harloys by her neck, bestow upon her 4 to 5 full rounds before throwing her out of the window while she's still weak from the dizziness.

"That's too much. How can he treat animals with such cruelty? The cat will fall to its death."

Casio, who is growing more and more fond of animals, exclaims in indignation but I simply shake my head in response.

"Good people don't live long but disasters live for a thousand years. If she can die that easily, then she should have been dead several times centuries back then."

As expected, Harloys's curses and complaints come echoing through our telepathic connection.

"Darned unfilial disciple, to treat the great and noble Queen of Banshees like that. Just wait and see, I will leave scars on your pillow and…" After hesitating for a split moment, the damn cat finally releases the most vicious and immoral curse in her entire life.

"I will leave urine on your pillow and bedsheets. I will carry out my words. I am only a cat now, so don't expect me to be unable to do it! I don't care anymore. Since I said it, I will definitely accomplish it."

"Then, I will wrap up that pillow and bedsheet then post it to our old acquaintances in Xiluo Empire. I will put a picture of your current form on top of the package and label the wet portion as the secretions of 'The Omniscient One'. Do you think I should post it to your fervent followers so that they can worship it or should I post it to your enemies for them to hold a gallery and celebrate over it?"

"I'm wrong, I swear that I won't do it. I'll go practise transforming into a weapon now." This is the part of Harloys that I like the most. After realising that she is unable to win, she would admit defeat right away, never pushing her way through forcefully. Perhaps, this is also the main reason why this disaster has been able to live for a few thousand years.

"Hmph, pitting against me, you are still far too tender."

"Student Rolande, since you like to stand so much, I will allow you to stand as you please. Go and stand outside in the hallways."

But the next moment, I knew that I still fell for her tricks. Right now, I am in the middle of a lesson. Although I am talking to my Magic Pet through our telepathic connection, from the perspective of outsiders, I seem like a madman standing in a daze.

It just happens that the temporary lecturer Krose is staring furiously at me at the moment. My sudden blank stare became an action that challenges her authority as a lecturer. Thus, I could only obediently stand outside helplessly.

Yes, I am currently in a lecture now. The contents of the lecture is about the teachings of the God of Law and Law itself. Naturally, the one taking on the role of the lecturer is Krose, who has the highest power rank of the Law jobs here.

After that intense fight, the final verdict was to have half of the first floor serve as a court of law (a small church of the God of Law) and after some consideration, a small space was left behind to be used to serve as a Church of Holy Light for Diana and me.

As for an animal hospital that a certain someone strongly persisted on… A booth outside the walls would suffice. Anyway, I will never admit that I am acquainted with him. Not only that, I even secretly reported his unlicensed business to the relevant authorities. It is a pity that the Town Security of this city couldn't be compared to those of Liu Huang Mountain City, it would be quite a difficult task for them to deal with him.

Alright, back to the main topic at hand. Allowing Krose to explain the teachings of the God of Law is her own wish as well as the will of the audiences.

Needless to say, Reyne and Kelly are listening attentively to the lecture, given that they are still hesitating over whether they should make the faith of the God of Law as their national religion and need to learn more about it. Even Diana and Momo, the two Gray Elves, are strongly insisting on allowing them to hold classes. However, what was most shocking is that Casio was not only the one who was interested in the faith of the true God which is growing rapidly in the Underground World, even that one whose name I refuse to speak of is unexpectedly interested in the faith of the God of Law as well.

"I still want to return to Liu Huang Mountain City. I believe that this new rising faith will spread to the corners of the world and as a man who treads on the boundary of law, I have to first understand my adversary and the loopholes in it before challenging it."

A certain Dracon seems to resemble more and more like a philosopher recently. His words made me wonder if a new ideology will be born as a result of such a ludicrous reason. However, we don't have any reason to reject him from learning about the Law and besides, from the looks of the past two days, it seems that he is the one who is listening the most seriously to the lectures.

At the same time, the group of Royal Knights who accompanied Reyne to the Auland Empire were listening in to the lecture as well. A few of them were already considering whether they should job change to become a Justice Knight. Even though this is just the second day of the lecture, we already had 2 new audiences.

Svina di Nelson and Raymond lon Nelson. Due to a certain accident, the elder sister became the 'love rival' of the Emperor, causing her landlord to kick the two siblings out from their rented dwelling without any hesitation. After meeting with blockade in everything they set out to do, Svina soon realised that even though Auland may be big, there isn't anywhere here that could shelter them.

In this world which is in the feudal era of the human society, the interests of knights and the lord they are serving are firmly connected. If one of them falls, both of them will suffer together whereas if one of them prospers, both of them will prosper together. Lest needs to be spoken about Guardian Knights. Actually, there are also Guardian Knights of the same sex as their master and they are often intimate friends who would give out their life for the other. But, the relationship between Svina and Reyne isn't that easy to explain.

A knight who betrays the one they swore loyalty to are the type of knight that are despised the most. Helpless, she could only acknowledge that she was stuck on the same boat as Reyne and seek refuge with her. However, watching at how she would run away frightened whenever Reyne approaches her, those who are aware of the backstory would clutch their stomach in laughter.

As a top-notch preacher, Krose's voice is extremely charming and her understanding of the teachings are quite firm. For normal imparting of knowledge, she is more than qualified. However, facing Kelly and the 700 years of experience behind her, who also has to fully understand this faith to judge if it is beneficial to her country, the Wild Elf who is one generation younger than the Wood Elf noble often find herself unable to handle the situation.

"Then, can you explain why singular Law would be split into two parts, 【Rules of God】 and 【Laws of Human】 and what is the difference between them? There are quite a few portions that overlap between both of them. Going by the common knowledge of jurisprudence, won't overlaps or even contradictions in the law cause chaos in the enforcement and the weakening of its authority?"

"But… But that is what is taught in the teachings. That is set by Lord Wumianzhe. It can't be wrong."

Being forced to a corner, Krose can only repeat the theories written on the book. Normally, this level of imparting of knowledge which teaches of the results but not the causes that derives it is sufficient, but apparently, it is insufficient to convince that East Mist Court Mentor. No way around it, I shake my head and walk back into the hall that is being used for this lecture.

"Cough, if possible, allow me to explain. I am acquainted with Lord Wumianzhe and I happen to have heard him talk about it before."

Looks of confusion could be seen on the faces of the crowd. I point one of my finger upwards and the silver glow of the Light of Law ripples above it, indicating my identity as one with a Law job.

It is impossible to train in two types of powers simultaneously. If someone were to convert all of their Power of Holy Light into the Power of Law like what Momo did, it would be equivalent to starting anew. Fortunately, there are a few overlaps between the two powers but even so, if one were to work on both of them together, it would be a waste of effort.

Thus, other than Krose who muttered 'as expected of the God's Oracle' in approval of my identity as a Justice Knight, in the mind of the others, they were thinking that I was expending my effort on something fruitless.

Anyway, this itself proves that I am qualified to lecture on Law.

"Cough, firstly, I will talk about the difference between the 【Rules of God】 and 【Laws of Human】. The Rules of God is fixed by our God. It consists of only 13 severe crimes which are commonly accepted to be unpardonable sins and basically, it is unchangeable. The sins that can be judged by the Judgement Spell of the Law jobs consists only of those of the Rules of God. On the other hand, the Laws of Human are laws that would be continuously changed by the Church of Law and is tied together with the jurisdiction and the monarch. The Rules of God is applicable to the area of jurisdiction of the Order Gods whereas the Laws of Humans is only applicable with the approval of the monarch. This is the main difference between the two."

The other Gods also have commandments like 'punish evil', 'banning extravagance' and 'forbidding lies' but it is often a difficult task to enforce punishment on people who are not their worshippers. My version of the 13 severe crimes are commonly accepted and thus, there is no need to fear for the ire of other Gods, nobles or royalty. At the same time, it gives those assuming Law jobs a list of sins that they must eliminate. (It doesn't matter whether other people enforce it or not, but Justice Knights must enforce it)

"However, this doesn't mean that the two of them will conflict with one another. On the other hand, the both of them are representative of the same thing. The Rules of God is the lower limit of the Laws of Human. Since they are sins that Rules of God forbids, then the Laws of Human mustn't pardon the sinners. For example, the first of the 13 crimes 'claiming the life of others wilfully to fulfill one's private desires will result in a strict verdict by the God of Law. Even after death, they would suffer in the mountain of blades and sea of flames'. The Laws of Human also have the corresponding clause. The first clause of intentional murder states that 'Intentional murder would result in the death penalty or imprisonment of minimum 10 years. However, if it is legitimate defence, in a war of justice or for any other reasons that are in conflict with the other clauses, the latter clause will be prioritised."

Despite it being the same crime, but the God of Law brought about a tone of a religion advising against certain behaviours. As for the final portion which may seem excessive, further punishment after death, in actuality, it is preparation for the future. On the other hand, the Laws of Human are ice-cold clauses and sentences.

Reyne starts to get a little agitated. She seems to have seen the complex value behind it.

"That is to say, those of the Law jobs only have to enforce sins that go against the Rules of God. If so, what is the significance of setting the Laws of Human?"

"That is prepared for countries and lords that are prepared to allow the faith of the God of Law to become their national religion. This Laws of Human would obviously infringe on the profits of the nobles in the region, so aren't you all afraid of them banding together to suppress the spreading or even push for the banning of your faith?" Kelly questions after deliberating for a moment. She has been living in the human society for quite a significant period of time, so she understood the corruption and hopelessness of those bunch of nobles. How could they accept the introduction of laws that would threaten their rule.

I smile. This is also one of the consideration that I expected them to have.

"Indeed, in many places, nobles only pay 1 gold coin for beating up ordinary civilians and some royals even confiscate the properties of merchants as they please. Are these vile laws that support only the governing body acceptable? Our Laws of Humans will infringe on their profits directly and so, being viewed with enmity and even being suppressed at the start is unavoidable. However, it is impossible for them to ban it. After all, our Wumianzhe is a true God. Banning the teachings of a true God is equivalent to revolting against all of the Order Gods. Why do you think Wumianzhe had to try so hard for his Ascension, it is all for this day."

"However, it is meaningless if it just prevents them from banning the religion."

"So, there is a need for someone to make a stand. If I am an ordinary civilian and merchant, on one hand is a set of vile laws that view me like an animal and a slave while the other at least allows me the basic rights of a human, so where would I choose to live and work hard in? Actually, there is no need to hesitate and Liu Huang Mountain City is an ideal example. A large influx of population and resources would naturally bring about prosperity and power. This is required for any territory. Thus, the faith of the God of Law is actually beneficial to the development of any territories and we just need someone to make a stand."

"So, you looked for the Mist Country. Little Rolande, you would actually pull your own people into a pit you dug. Haven't you considered the high possibility of turning hostile with the surrounding states after turning it into the national religion? Have you considered the possibility of being wiped out even before we rise up?"

Kelly frowned as she spoke. Her considerations were legitimate.

"Of course, I have considered it. However, do you think that the East Mist Country won't attract hostility if it goes on like this? You are already surrounded by enemies on all fronts and since it isn't far from destruction, at least this is quite a good straw of hope to clutch on to. Also, if the God of Law becomes the national religion, then using Liu Huang Mountain City as an example, the rapid development of the strength of the nation can be expected. A large increase in the amount of Justice Knights and Judgementors would also significantly improve the ability of the country to defend itself. At the same time, it should be able to gain the assistance of the land of origin of Law, Liu Huang Mountain City. No matter how you look at it, its benefits is greater than the detriments it brings."

"What if we still refuse to accept it?"

"Nothing, just continue to wait. When those of the Law jobs fill the entire world, when the teachings of the God of Law become widespread in this world, the accumulated resentment and conflicts will finally explode one day. By then, what is awaiting the nobles will not be a peaceful retirement. The guillotine will be washed with fresh blood until it turns rusty and hanging corpses will fill the gallows."

Kelly instinctively shivers, as though seeing the arrival of such a day. On the other hand, Reyne brings up her considerations.

"Going by the teachings, starting a war is a severe crime. If so, doesn't this mean that we would be unable to unify the Mist Country? Isn't this unfair for us?"

"No, although it is true that starting a war will cause those of the Law jobs to lose their Power of Law, helping allied countries who are being invaded and wars of justice such as to recover annexed land are still allowed."

"Then, who would decide what is justice?"

Beifeng who had been solemnly jotting down notes brings up a query for the first time and he managed to shoot right on the bulls eye.

"One vote by the God of Law Wumianzhe, one vote by the monarch of the country and one vote by the majority of the population. If all three votes are in approval of the war, then the war can be considered just. Also, since Wumianzhe has turned in the incarnation of justice, then his judgement should be fair and acceptable by his worshipers."

The questioner nods his head and sits back down. Then, new questions from the crowd starts popping up once again.

"I have a question…"

"Un, this is actually quite simple…"

Initially, I only intended to just casually filling in on a bit of details but somethings cannot be stopped once started. This lecture which is fated to be recorded in the annals of history continued for an entire day.

Krose, who was lecturing the class initially, became the recorder. What she tried her best to record down would be eventually passed onto the hands of every worshiper. I can foresee that not too long from now, the flower of Law will bloom beautifully.

In the end, the lecture turned into a debate and the debate turned back into a lecture. When the marathon imparting of teachings finally ended, Reyne and Kelly stare at each other before coming to a final conclusion.

"The East Mist Communal Country decides to acknowledge the faith of the God of Law as our national religion. But you, Roland, must be responsible to help us to the end."

"Sigh, fine, I will treat it as returning what I owe you all." Even though I was complaining, the smile on the face couldn't escape the notice of anyone.

TL: Waste of effort - (What I am trying to express is) Getting less than proportionate returns compared to the effort you put in. (Couldn't find an appropriate phrase to explain the Chinese one)

Just curious, has anyone realised what Roland's goal is?

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Chapter 89: Arbitration and Justice

Still the same simple and shabby palace along with the same young Emperor.

Darsos is engaged in a battle of chess with his old friend and subordinate. But, looking at the lapses in judgement, missteps and how he was being forced to retreat continuously, his thoughts are clearly not on the chessboard.

On other days, he would swiftly wipe the floor with his old friend with his superior chess skills before talking about official matters while the other party is still wallowing in his depression. But this time, his usual calmness is absent.

"Hermit, have you found her yet?"

"Found? Oh, you mean that Princess Knight. They changed their dwelling and currently, they are living in the Church of the God of Law. Attacking the Church of a true God can bring about great troubles. For a woman, is it worth it?"

The one speaking is a brunette youngster with squinty eyes. With a monocle, he emits a scholarly feeling. Simply by looking at just his outer appearance, no one would suspect that he is the head of intelligence of the Auland Empire, as well as the private financial advisor of the Emperor, making him one of the most powerful man in the Empire.

"Stop joking with me, you know that I am not looking for that little lass. I am looking for the girl with the bloodline of the Angels, the woman who singlehandedly subdued the demon sword using brute force."

With his attention to detail, Darsos could tell that Svina is a woman with one glance. After that day, he started that guess that the Princesses with the identical faces but totally different auras may be 2 different people.

"The Twin Stars, yet another ominous twins. No wonder the Mist Royalty would hide her existence."

Alright, corroborating with history, there is a foundation for the story Darsos came up with. At least, in Darsos's eyes, they are definitely 2 different people.

The most obvious evidence is the behaviour of the demon sword.

"Hermit, you should know the price I paid to awaken the third form of The Scarlet Conqueror. But, that woman could easily subdue the third form of the demon sword. What's worse, when she returned the demon sword to me, the feelings that the demon sword transmitted back to me was actually 'pity', 'fear' and 'relaxation'. There could only be one explanation, the demon sword has actually submitted completely to her. It is very possible that she can even use the demon sword in its final form."

"Impossible! The Scarlet Conqueror that was forged by the Tyrant of the Blood Sea will crave for fresh blood eternally. In order to use this sword, almost ten thousand lives have disappeared under your hands. Even today, we have to prepare a few hundred death row prisoners to pay tribute to the sword. The girl is still so young, how could she subdue the demon sword?"

"But she still managed to do it, didn't she?"

"Is that why you proposed to her? Not wavering in the least despite being rejected in public?"

"No, no. I had enough of those beautiful but fragile vases. I suddenly felt that a Blood Angel that is showered in fresh blood is also not bad. I am really smitten by her. However, I didn't expect that she would actually like women, it is really such a pity."

"You intend to give up? Then why are you still looking for her?"

"Why do you think the Mist Royalty is hiding that trump card for? Do you think that they, who are holding such a chip in their hands, would obediently submit to me during my enthronement ceremony? Do you think that the proud Half-Angel who refuses to look me in my eye would kneel and swear loyalty to me on the day of the ceremony?"

Recalling the sight of the proud War Angel who refuses to even allow her feet to touch the ground, Hermit shakes his head.

"From birth, some people refuse to yield to others. I don't think that she would ever submit to anyone."

"But, we don't have any route to retreat to. It is either we carry this through or give up the plan and be reduced to a 2nd-rate power."

Yes, the enthronement ceremony that forces the countries to submit to Auland Emperor is an oppression towards the smaller countries as well as a challenge to the Auland Empire's prestige and power. If they succeed, they could become a superpower at one go. But, if they were to fail, then the subordinate states under them originally will start to waver and falling straight to become a 2nd-rate power isn't entirely impossible.

"This is a bet with great stakes at hand. It involves the fate of Auland 200 years from now. We can't afford to lose."

"I understand, we can't allow for any variables at this point. I will send spies to investigate the secret of the East Mist."

"No, hold it for a moment. Just send a few Magic Eagle Riders to keep an eye on them would be suffice. I have already sent out the Crows, it would be inconvenient for them to strike with our eyes firmly on them."

"The Crows? Why, they aren't trustworthy at all. They are just a bunch of oversensitive lunatics who keep prophesying about the ludicrous end of the world all day long."

"But, irrational mad dogs tend to bite the hardest."

Saying these, Darsos burst into laughter. Naturally, he knows that the Crows aren't reliable. But, even mad dogs have their own use. If it is just releasing them out in the public to bite others, then there is no need for them to have any rationality.

"I think I understand why you called me here."

"Un, with the East Mist Communal Country as a variable at the core, do a few more emergency contingency plan."

"Do we have to prepare for the worst? The East Mist Communal Country being removed from the alliance."

"No, the worst possibility is the East Mist Communal Country along with the other countries declaring war on us while our military forces are being kept in check."

Hermit nods his head. He understands Darsos. Preparing for the worst in all scenarios is his die-hard habit but this doesn't mean that he doesn't have the confidence to follow through with the enthronement ceremony.

On the other hand, preparing so many contingency plans in advance means that he has his eyes firmly set on the success of the alliance.

Other people might think that he is a crude ambitious man who pays no attention to little details but only the companion who he grew up with comprehends that the greatest strength of Darsos is his attentiveness to details. Perhaps, it is because he is always prepared for the worst situation that he is able to climb his way up a step at a time to the top.

"Don't panic, even chess requires one to move step by step to claim victory. Let's first use the mad dogs to test their might. Hah, looks like you got distracted. Check, I won!"Making the ambassadors of the East Mist Communal Country live with us wasn't an aimless sudden inspiration on my part.

It is still 3 months away from the enthronement ceremony. It isn't a long period of time but it couldn't be considered short as well. Being in the capital, his own field, it would be inconceivable if Darsos doesn't play some little tricks to rebuild the reputation he lost.

Besides, our connection with the ambassadors would grow more and more intimate. Rather than being looked with gazes of suspicion by others, we might as well directly link up together. This way, not only is it more convenient and safer, I can also discipline that little lass.

As for the Church of the God of Law, it can only be said to be an unexpected surprise.

Initially, we only intend to build a Court to allow those of the Law jobs to train and learn in. Without the support of the ruler of the territory, we are unable to conduct judgement on others. We could only engage in arbitration work.

Judgement requires the support of the ruler, and involves someone using the clauses of law from a higher position to judge the criminals of a lower position and force a verdict on them. On the other hand, arbitration is a process where the arbitrator is of equal position as the two people involved in the contract and a ruling would be made by the arbitrator.

Indubitably, in places where Law isn't recognised by the ruler of the territory, the Law jobs can only do arbitration jobs. Due to the lack of authority in an arbitration, arbitrators require significantly deeper understanding of the law. In a certain world, one has to work at least 8 years in the law industry before there is a possibility of them conducting an arbitration.

Of course, we are talking about bigger affairs in that sense. In actuality, most of them involve insignificant little matters.

"Aunt Lee, Uncle Lee only owes you 3 silver coins right? Since he said he will be returning to you in 2 months, calm down.

"2 months? Considering the interest, he has to pay me at least 4 silver coins 2 months later!"

"3 and a half!"

"4."

"Alright, let me be the middleman. Give him a little bit more time, Auntie Lee, then Uncle Lee can pay a little bit more on the interest. How about 4 silver coins for 3 months?"

"Deal." "Okay!"

Although it may seem lame, this is basically what arbitrators do. The only difference is the sum of money involved in the settlement and that whether the both parties are an individual, merchant guild or organisation.

Of course, if both parties are still unable to come to a compromise, then the arbitrator can conduct a forced arbitration in front of idol of God Wumianzhe. If so, there would definitely be one side whose interest would be harmed. Under such circumstances, the decision of the arbitration will be enforced by Wumianzhe's God Powers.

Without the monarch backing it the law, the law enforcers won't have the authority to judge criminals and naturally, they won't have the right to enforce verdicts on others. However, as one has the freedom to make contracts and promises, the Law jobs could borrow Wumianzhe's God Powers and his Obligation to serve as an arbitrator for the affairs of the mortal world.

The arbitration system has already been operating for decades in Liu Huang Mountain City. But on the surface, it is something new. Very quickly, the sensitive merchants realised the superiority of such a system.

Its greatest advantage that it is fast, very fast. On other days, heading to the local jurisdiction to file a complaint about a contract or settle a disagreement over goods would take at least 1 or 2 year to settle. Even if they were to earn the settlement sum after winning the battle, they might very well be bankrupt by then. That is the typical case of winning the lawsuit but losing one's livelihood.

Furthermore, if it involves a certain noble or official in the lawsuit… Then you just have to give in to your misfortune.

An arbitration only involves the 3 sides who are involved in the case and an agreement can be striked very swiftly, often in a few days. To merchants, time is life itself, not to mention that no one would dare to refuse to carry out a contract that has been made in front of Wumianzhe. That bizarre Incantation of Law: Obligatory Enforcement leaves those who intend to go against their promise nowhere to hide.

Kagersi City, which was built along the river, is extremely accessible, one of the reason why it is able to become a famous commercial city. In a place where merchants gather, this new way of settling conflicts immediately spread rapidly within the industry.

"To think that there would be a God to ensure the fairness of a contract, now I don't have to worry about those ruffians withholding payment. This is great!"

Thus, when new contracts involving trades are signed, they will make sure to add in a line 'If a disagreement occurs, then arbitration will be held in xx Church of Law'.

Thus, in less than a week, the Court found itself gaining a few thousand new worshipers, making it a regional religion.

Alright, going by the rules of Gods, when sufficient worshipers appear in a land, the true God Wumianzhe will start to notice that land. It will come under his sacred jurisdiction — Kagersi City Branch Church of Law is born as a result.

When the 'Laws of Human' still require a long time before it would acquire the support of the local landlords and walk onto the stage of history, this new rising arbitration system will become a powerful weapon to expand the faith of the true God of Law Wumianzhe.

Such an occurrence is appearing in many different corners of Eich Continent. Thus, in the Realm of Gods, Wumianzhe received the first derivative of his Obligation — The God of Contracts.

As the essence of fairness is weaved into the contents of a free contract, having weak God Powers now, he is gradually evolving to become a mid-tier God.

"Ah, I totally didn't expect it."

Adding the system of arbitration into the law system, I was just casually imitating the law system of my previous world. I didn't expect that the arbitration system that wasn't really significant there would bear flowers in this foreign world.

"Un, in this chaotic world reminiscent of the Middle Age, there is indeed a great need for a neutral party to guarantee, enforce and settle the disputes of agreements. The reason why it isn't that popular in that is because it still lacks an authoritative power to guarantee that it would be carried out. Even if the result of the arbitration is hard to enforce, in this magical world where true Gods that could guarantee the enforcement of the contract exist, arbitration becomes something much more impressive.

Such an unexpected outcome is of course beneficial to me. This accident also made me realise the significance of the bloodline of my physical body as The Arbitrator…

"Chaos on the left, Order on the right, so I am standing in the middle as the Arbitrator? In the end, I would just offend both sides at once. System, are you trying to remind me that my goal is something which my efforts will not reap proportionate rewards?"

Attacking a regional Church, a land where true God gazes upon (The God of Law not setting up Church refers to it not being like other true Gods who throw Churches everywhere for the sake of spreading their teachings), is no different from slapping the face of a God. Naturally, as the people staying in it, we would be in a much safer position.

Even so, I can still see dozens of spies among the worshipers coming to visit.

"Hey, this big brother here, it is indeed a good idea for you disguise as a travelling merchant with your big bag. But, can you change your military boots, there is still the insignia of the Flying Dragon Knight Order on it."

"Hehe, your family uses such superior horses to ship grass forage? Is the money you earn sufficient to pay for the oat they eat?"

"That mark of noble on your sword… Can you be more professional? To think that you can still laugh about it."

Alright, regardless of whether it is those who are interested in the East Mist Communal Country who shone brightly on that day or those who are interested in this rising true God Church, the way this city expresses its passion to its guests is really hard to take.

"Lord Oracle! If you have the time to play with them, you might as well come help us!"

After the Court became a regional Church, the most senior Krose once again takes the blow and got forced to become the regional archbishop. However, despite being promoted, not only did she not get a pay raise or new subordinates, on the other hand, her workload exploded.

Despite being a small Church, the merchants are all rushing here to settle their disputes over their contracts. The average visitors that come each day numbers over a hundred and the queue extends all the way to Beifeng's small booth outside the mansion. As for the people who are receiving them and the arbitrators… 2 Gray Elves, Krose and her two subordinates, 5 people in total, that's all.

Although Krose is trying her best to groom the first batch of Divine Art users, they are all starting from scratch and there is still a long way before they are able to handle the situation. Right now, Krose and the rest can only work overtime to try their best to handle the situation.

So, even though the respect Krose had for me soared significantly after that lecture, but looking at how I wander about leisurely despite having deep understanding of the law, her rage comes pouring out on me.

"Lord Oracle, if you are free, can you help look at the contract of the Gnome merchants? There are a few parts which I am unsure of and require your assistance."

"Haha, I am busy today. Let's talk about it after I'm back."

After throwing those words, I turn around and escape without any hesitation. Krose wanted to chase me but the crowd in front of her makes her stop helplessly.

This time, I really am not trying to shirk responsibility, I really have something on. Today, I have an appointment with someone.

The location isn't too far away, a plot of empty land where people are scarce. Standing under a rotting old tree, I lean on it and pour a little wine on the floor. The gray mist gathers to form a silver specter. However, the usual coldness and aggressiveness of a specter is absent. This is someone who is between the existence of a specter and a Heroic Spirit.

"Hey, Uncle Kane, I'm here again. I have already settled the problem with your granddaughter. The amount of money I left for her school fees is sufficient for her to use for 10 years. You can give that sword to me now."

After receiving Harloys's hints, I would be too useless if I can't even find my target. In the first day, I found Kane's soul. But, it is a pity that even though I conversed with him over many matters these few days and even helped him on several accounts, Kane still remained silent on the whereabouts of his own sword.

"Un, little fellow. I can see your sincerity. Let me tell you one last story."

If there is a mirror here, my face would definitely be 囧. This specter really acts just like the NPCs in games. I had to do a few missions for him first before he tells me about his background story. Most probably, this story would be about his story and in the end, I would have to enlighten him so that he could move on.

"…The village was threatened by Magic Beasts. The enemy would overrun his own outpost at any moment. That young Knight faced 2 difficult choices. One is to fulfill his duty to his king by defending his post and watch as the threatened village is destroyed or he could go against his orders and his pride as a Knight to protect the village. Youngster, if it was you, how would you choose?"

Alright, I knew that it would be this kind of problem. This kind of question is as unsolvable as the one about who to save when one's wife and mother falls into the water. Not answering might instead be the best answer.

However, I have done too many of this kind of questions. From the start, the answer isn't of the options given.

"I will act first. Either finish my mission before going to protect the village or to get rid of those Magic Beasts who are threatening the villagers first then pull the villagers to help me accomplish my orders. Un, the better option would be to pull all the villagers with me to guard my outpost."

"This… This doesn't fit the prerequisites."

"Whose prerequisites? The one coming up with the question? Or the ones you set yourself? As long as the endpoint is good, why should one care so much about the process?"

"No, that is impossible. I can't do those that you just said."

"I can do what you can't do. To tell you the truth, if I was in your position, the moment signs of a threat from Magic Beasts appear, I would have thought of ideas to get rid of it as soon as possible before it becomes dangerous. Besides, if you can't do it, you could have asked for others to help you right?"

"They have their own missions. How can I use my own private matters to soil the honor of other knights?"

"That is an outdated idea. No wonder you still aren't enlightened even a few decades later."

"I… I will test if you are capable of doing what I can't do!" The old Knight rages from embarrassment.

Alright, as expected, I had to fight him in the end.

19 seconds. Including the time required to draw and sheath my sword. The Undead Binding Formation that I have long set activates and I immediately followed up with a standard Holy Knight skill, Turn Undead. Afterwards, I raise my sword and knocks him, causing Kane who had his movements sealed to fall.

"This is unfair…"

"Why? You thought that I would be like those foolish Knights and compete in swordsmanship against you who have once reached the realm of Legends? Being killed by you after crossing 300 blows, why don't you talk about how unfair it is for a Legend to bully a Bronze rookie. Look, isn't this way much simpler?"

"I… Young man, was I really wrong?"

I hesitated for a moment before giving my answer.

"No, you aren't wrong. The decision you made is worthy of the respect of future generations. The one that is wrong is this cruel world who forced you to make a decision."

The old Knight saved the village, thus failing to accomplish his own mission. As a result, he lost his honor and prestige as a Knight, implicating his family. In his later life, he kept questioning himself whether what he did was correct and in the end, he died with that thought lingering in his mind.

'Pale Justice', that is the name of the soulsword, as well as the questioning screams he directs towards himself.

"Am I wrong? Is the justice that I insisted on a mistake? Should I have watched as the village get annihilated?"

"Locar Town, that is the village you saved back then. It has been 70 years since and it has turned from a village of 300 into a small town with a population numbering ten thousand. You did well."

"Is that so? That is great."

With a smile on his face, Kane's soul starts to disperse and the only thing that remains is a teardrop gem that scatters ice-cold white light.

【Soul Gemstone of Pale Justice: A portion of Kane's fragmented soul and power is embedded within. A complete 'Pale Justice' would be formed when it is merged together with Kane's personal sword.】

"Whether justice is pale white or not, is that really important? As long as the things you do doesn't go against your conscience, what does the sounds of the external world matters?"

That is what I wanted to say but I couldn't. To old Kane, the evaluation of the future generations weren't important. Just the prosperity of the village that was saved is sufficient to show that his choice wasn't wrong. If so, what else has to be said?

But reality is often much more cruel than fairy tales.

"Locar Town? Indeed, there used to be such a town. But, it has long disappeared once again in the annals of history. Back then, when the different kings were vying for the throne, war was rife and the people living on the land would have underwent 5 devastating war, at the very least. Even if the villagers survived the assault of the Magic Beasts, they probably would have died in the war that followed suit." This is the answer that I received from the Civil Affairs Department.

Stroking the soul gemstone that was emitting a pale radiance, I shake my head.

"There is still a long road ahead, let's just take it slow."

Suddenly, I recalled something.

"Wait, that's not right. Don't I have to look for the sword Kane used back then? Who knew where he threw it to. Have I been tricked again? The village has already disappeared in the annals of history, so where the hell should I go looking for a sword? Old man, are you still there? Can you show me the location first before passing on?"

ps: This story about the Pale Justice isn't my own creation. It is just that I liked it a lot, that's why I put it together. Just treat it as a tribute to the classics.

Pale Justice

Pale - It has the idea of sickness/ lacking in liveliness. In my own opinion, it refers to the rigidness of justice, whether there really is only one justice.

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Chapter 90: The Celestial Tower

To me, the Celestial Tower is a name deeply etched in my memory, as well as one that should have long faded in the past.

Currently, they are a famous evil organisation in the world. In the eyes of the world, they are equal to the famous Druid Kindness Movement Association (Animal Kindness Druid Association), a bunch of mad dogs who bite anyone they manage to lay their hands on.

Just like how bad-reputed organisation often have a noble goal initially, the Celestial Tower was also initially built on ideals.

Regardless of whether it is the Celestial Mages who are skilled in astrology, the Witches who can divine fate or the Mages who are adept in the art of prophecy, on a certain level, they are all able to peer into the future. Thus, under the leadership of a highly-respected Mage, the Celestial Tower was built on the ideal of 'using prophecies to make life for the better and to avoid calamities'.

Then, how did an organisation with such lofty ideals turn into the ill-reputed mad dogs of today?

Initially, the Celestial Tower's warnings towards natural disasters worked extremely well. At that era, the prophecy skills were very different from the current weak ones. Back then, the prophecy magic system was quite advanced and effective. Connected to the God of Fate and the Strings of Fate, they really managed to avoid calamities and disasters.

After a golden era, roughly around AD200, the Celestial Tower met with trouble. No matter how heavy the price they paid, they are unable to peer into affairs beyond a certain time period.

In the end, they came up with a conclusion. From a certain year onward, the Eich Continent would be a blank slate.

If it was only one seer, they would think that it was due to their lacking abilities. However, if all of the seers reached the same conclusion, then there can only be one answer — The world has been destroyed, there is no future beyond that.

Alright, prophesying the end of the world isn't a good thing but at the very least, knowing that it would happen, they could think of ideas to overcome it.

But, their efforts were in vain. No matter how they prophesied and divined, they only received a single answer — This world doesn't have a future, they were unable to even confirm where the destruction originated from.

Of course, I can understand the reason why they are unable to divine it. All of the lifeforms in the world originate from the Order and the Chaos. Naturally, you would be unable to prophesy that the destruction which originated from the Mother of all beings, even less so, prophesy the timing of the occurrence.

Alright, this is feels like the turmoil of someone on the death row awaiting his sentence. Unable to obtain any answers, they waited despairingly day after day as doomsday approaches. Then, a coincidence happened, one that would relight their flames of hope.

Due to an intervention by the Celestial Tower, a certain young man who was prophesied to become a hero in the future met with an accident, causing the future surrounding him to be unable to be seen.

The actions of a seer would cause changes in the future? The untimely deaths of historical figures and heroes will affect the entire history? If the fate of the entire world is rattled past a certain extent, will the world which is fated to be destroyed be preserved?

Alright, since there is no clear solution to this malady, they decided to try all the possible remedies. Through such a logic, the Celestial Tower found the most direct way to changing fate — Causing the untimely deaths of historical figures and heroes.

Normally, a seer will try his best to prevent their prophecy from affecting the target of their prophecy. On the contrary, the Celestial Tower began on their rampage — Hunting down historical figure and shaking the future back into an unknown state.

This isn't an easy task. After all, it is hard to divine accurately a specific prophecy and on many occasions, it all comes down to luck. Not to mention, the seer getting involved in the situation will just make it even more chaotic. Under such circumstances, if an unlucky fellow were to cross the path of the Celestial Tower… Hehe, do you think that a future legendary hero would have the ability to resist them as an infant?

The dragon-slaying hero who would save the masses became slandered as an evil incarnation of demons, the great engineer who pioneered the development of technology became an unpardonable villain and the Sacred Priestess who saved a country from a calamity got burnt on a stake as a witch. Lies were spewing out from the previously respected seers. Due to their meddling, the path of fate became muddled.

Indubitably, this is an act of flipping the table during a poker game where one is fated to lose. Since it will just end in a loss, something good might come out from messing around with it. This is the desperation of the seers who were driven up the wall.

Due to them overdoing it, the Strings of Fate of the God of Fate became messed up, alarming the Order Gods who rarely interfere in the mortal world. They sent retribution down upon them, destroying their main headquarters. Only then, did they halt their actions for a moment.

After the retribution, the God of Fate took back a large portion of the divination abilities and techniques that he left in the mortal world and cut the connection between his Palace of Fate in the Heavenly Realm and the seers in the mortal world, causing the standards for divination in the entire world to fall steeply. This was an event that occurred over a thousand years ago.

Today, the prophesied doomsday has still yet to come but their sins of killing the future heroes floated to the surface. Eventually, the Celestial Tower became a huge joke. But, I know that their prophecies weren't wrong. The calamity is just right ahead.

To this date, a prophecy directed towards one's future is the greatest taboo a seer could commit. The seers of recent times only divine events and not humans. However, it seems that the Celestial Tower has yet to be completely destroyed. They are still hiding in a corner, continuing their unfinished job.

However, it is hard to say whether they have gone mad from trying to save the world or whether they just want to seek vengeance against the Order Gods and the entire world.

The prophecy regarding me and Karwenz from 300 years ago came from them. They also had a hand to play in forcing us up the corner.

During my adventuring afterwards, I found their trails in the shadows. Thus, after turning into Emperor Yongye, I dug then up one by one from the corners and slaughtered them one after another.

However, looking at the charred corpse before me in this instant, the insignia of constellations and an eye on the ring on its finger clearly shows that I wasn't thorough enough back then.

"The darned remains of the Celestial Tower. To think you all still have the guts to appear before me!"In a pitch black room, the seats lit up one by one. All of the participants in this meeting were silent for a long period of time. Eventually, the person on the chairman's seat spoke.

"Darsos is already getting impatient. Are there still no reports from our scouts?"

"Hmph, the King of Winter Wolves? Lord Lamos's Eye, I say that we should kill him, not cooperate with him."

"Calm down, our current goal is to wipe away the Mist Bloodline. We can talk about other things later. It has already been a week, is there still no news? Darsos is starting to express his dissatisfaction against us."

There is really no mistake in calling them mad dogs. When the divination techniques regressed, their targets expanded from 'future historical figures and future heroes' to 'historical figures and heroes'. Anyone of high standing working with them had to be wary of them. It is hard to tell when the knife would be directed towards them.

"You know that the presence of a Church of true God means that the land is a territory of the God, and this will result in the divination techniques of humans to be discounted. At the same time, our scouts also met with some troubles."

"Un?"

"We sent a few Druids who can transmogrify into crows…"

In the Church, Casio is napping under a tree. But, whenever a bird appears in the airspace of the Church, a golden line will cut through the skyline and following a caw, it would fall to the ground. A few knights would then rush to pick it up. This wildlife would serve well as an additional dish for their dinner.

"Although I don't understand why Rolande wanted me to shoot down all flying creatures, this is still a good opportunity for me to train my archery."

"… All crows were shot down by an archer. If it weren't for the great agility they displayed while fleeing, they might have ended up as dinner."

"Looks like they are guarded. What about our reconnaissance team? Our master Thieves."

"They were all blasted to the skies. The entire backyard is filled with Gnome landmines as well as all kinds of chain explosives and robot alarms. The security is even tighter than a Gnome bank. We suspect that there are at least 4 to 5 master engineers who live in the Church."

By the corner of the wall of the backyard, Clint is in the middle of doing something when his ears suddenly twitch. Then, carrying a basket, he immediately escapes. As expected, someone comes chasing him right after.

"Damn it, Clint. You are burying landmines all around again. How many times have we said, products of engineering are dangerous and can't be left about casually. What if it explodes on some passer-by? Even if it doesn't explodes on others, destroying plants and flowers aren't good as well! Look at how many times have we fixed this wall of the backyard. Yesterday, when I met with the bricklayer, he asked me if I wanted to buy a monthly maintenance pass. Tell me, if the Church of the God of Law turns into the Church of the God of Explosions, will old man Wumianzhe send a strike of lightning down in rage? Hey, listen to me! Stop running!"

Diyer (finally he gets a name!), the Law Incantationer who had travelled with Krose, his traits are… Un, everyone has witnessed that for themselves, extremely naggy. However, he seems to be the nemesis of the silent Clint, which is also why I immediately chose to task him with the job of keeping watch on the explosion maniac.

"What about our Chief Spy, Feng Die? He can easily impersonate a worshiper to sneak in right? Given his experience, he should be able to easily get past that Holy Knight who is pretending to be strolling about at the entrance but is actually keeping watch."

TL: Feng Die literally means Phoenix Butterfly. Pronunciation for die (di-ye)

"He…"

Feng Die is known as the Thousand Faces and specialises in impersonating all kinds of women. This time, he was quite successfully in impersonating a rich lady and managed to get close with his primary target, Princess Reyne, just that…

"Sin-Splitting Strike!" After a feminine roar, the silver-colored sacred sword, which was radiating silver light, flew out of her hands.

"Tee hee, my grip accidentally loosened." Even though Reyne tries her best to act cute, it is unable to cover the fact that she actually managed to turn a swing into a throw.

Kelly shakes her head helplessly. Even though Reyne was making good progress under Roland's skillful tutelage after switching to become a Justice Knight, her swordsmanship talent that is way past the golden growing primetime is just too horrible. At least, within a period of time, her swordsmanship will remain as one others will find it hard to look at straight.

Then, following the trajectory of the sword with her eyes, she saw the Roland Sacred Sword stabbing in between the thighs of a rich lady. She immediately panics.

"Priest! There is a wounded here… Un? A male? Spy? Knights, gather. I think we better call an undertaker first."

After hearing that their most capable spy was exposed in such a ridiculous manner, the Auland branch head of the Celestial Tower, Lamos's Eye, is in a state of disbelief.

"It feels like ridiculous things will happen the moment we try to get close with that Church. Is that a Church of the God of Law or a Church of the God of Misfortune!"

"该死！对了，我们的潜行大师了？无影行者狄克亚了？从来没有他不能进入的地方，他怎么了，他可不是会被厄运打败的对手，难道连他也失败了？"

"Darn it! Right, what about our master of concealment? Shadowless Treader Decka? There has never been a place where he can't enter. What about him? He isn't someone who would be defeated by bad luck. It can't be that he failed as well?"

"He…"

Shadowless Treader Decka. He is famous in certain regions. It is said there isn't a single treasure vault that he is unable to enter and that he had once successfully robbed a Blue Dragon. Lamos's Eye spent much effort to get him into the organisation.

He is only a Silver-rank Thief but he possesses a legendary artifact that allowed him to move as he please

【Sewage Cloak, Legendary Artifact: The wearer will be turned into a mouse and be receive 95% reduction from physical damage】

Using this artifact, he is able to sneak into the treasure vault of any kingdom as he please. Even if he were to meet with a powerful enemy who was able to see through his disguise, he had always managed to sneak away with that near immunity to physical damage.

"The final transmission from that lord was 'why is there a magic cat here!!'."

It is about dinner time for the Church of Law and when a certain cat jumped onto the table, I scooped it up and threw it one side.

"Go, play by one side. Who knows whether you have eaten some dead rats and cockroaches."

"Bastard, I am not a real cat. Besides, even if I am a real cat, I will be enjoying piles of fish and meat everyday. If I were to go hunting for rats, it would be only to play with my prey, there is no reason for me to eat it. Hmph, to think that I had a treasure that I wanted to show you. Such a heartless person, forget it then."

"What treasure?" Hearing the word treasure, my heart immediately moves.

"Hehe, a transmogrification cloak. It is very suited for you. Do you want to try putting it on?"

"Hehe, you think that I'm a fool? Seeing how you are taking the initiative to pass such stuff to me, it is definitely a cursed item to turn me into a rat or a squirrel. It can't be that I will turn into a slime… Looks like my guess is spot-on, you darned cat. No more dinner for you, go eat your rats!"

At the same time, a short wounded figure is struggling in the backyard.

"Darn it, what a fearsome Meow Alien. To think that it would be skilled in the art of brawling and capable of both magic and physical attacks. I almost died from it. Cough, it is fortunate that it left after taking the cloak. Cough, yet another mouthful of blood. Looks like I am quite severely wounded . I probably won't be able to escape from the main entrance or by flipping over the wall. The sewage it is then."

After struggling to open the sewage cover and forcefully squeeze himself in it, he realised that someone has beat him to it and is currently waiting for him there.

"How could there be someone here. If you're the same as me, a peer, then please give… Wait, it's not a real person. Gnome Exploding Dummy!! To think it would be in the sewage! Who would be that bored!"

"Boom!!" "Boom!"

There seems to be a significant amount of gunpowder in it. The entire mansion trembled under the explosion. When I shot my gaze towards the dinner table, Clint immediately gets up and reports.

"Report! Following your orders, I have settled all of the unstable explosives by throwing them into the sewage."

"The sewage? Hehe, whose thief is it, to be so unlucky? It's okay, you did well. Work harder next time."

【Ding! Congratulations, your Aura of Plague has brought misfortune to its 100th target and has evolved into the Star of Misfortune Aura. The effect of the aura will be boosted by 50% and its effects will prioritise your enemies first. Now that you have reached the 100 mark, you aren't that far from 1000. Work harder. — That lad is really unlucky. Anyway, it would be best for you to take a look. Your old friend is there. 】 At this time, the System couldn't resist popping out.

When I got to the scene of the explosion, I found the familiar insignia of the Celestial Tower and immediately knew that I met with an old friend. In that instant, I flew into a rage.

"For a being like mad dogs, the appearance of one means that there would be a den of them around. Kelly, I will be going out for awhile. I will leave matters here to you. Diana and Krose, follow me. We will be hunting mad dogs."

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Chapter 91: The Successor

The Celestial Tower is a really troublesome foe to deal with. Ever since they became the common foe of the world, they scattered and concealed in the shadows, disappearing from view.

Most of their members are of the spellcasters, inclusive of Priests, Druids, Mage, Incantationers, Witches and Witch Doctors in the mix. Regardless of race or tribe, spellcasters are always a sorely lacking precious asset.

A thousand years of accumulation and inheritances has given these spellcasters sufficient power and connections and in this very world, power and connections can be easily traded for authority, not to mention the fact that they are assisted by their ability to divine.

The most dangerous part about the Celestial Tower is that its members are often hidden in the midst of the upper echelons of the Human and the Elf society. Even between fellow members, they often use nicknames to address one another. No one would be able to identify the hidden spy until that member goes on a rampage, making them an adversary hard to guard against.

A bunch of poisonous snakes that hides in your midst, capable of biting you at any moment. It is a thought that sends shiver down one's spine.

After realising that the Celestial Tower has set their eyes on me, despite the world being already plunged in darkness, I rushed out of the mansion without any hesitation.

I understand how they operate. Assuming the many spies that we encountered recently were their scouts, judging by how that troublesome group doesn't know the meaning of restraint, their failure in their reconnaissance mission will only motivate them to take bigger risks to accomplish their goals. If so, instead of waiting for them to knock on our door, I might as well make the first move.

But the moment I stepped out of the door, I realised a little problem…

"Harloys, to whom does this Celestial Tower Ring belong to? Smell it and find him!"

"Smell… Smell your sister! I am a cat, not a dog. That's not right, I am not a cat as well! Damn it, you bastard unfilial disciple!"

Alright, looking at this dumb cat who bites relentlessly on my finger, I decided against reminding her that her claws and fangs were unable to break through my defenses due to my Titan Body.

"Heh, how can you underestimate yourself so much. The potential of Meow Aliens are limitless. They can conquer the entire world. Alright, stop biting me. I wasn't joking. I will just tell you directly now, I added a new function to you the last time."

"A new function? No wonder I felt something wrong with my body these past 2 days. I'm going to kill you!"

"Sit down! Hand!"

Harloys immediately gets into a squatting position, one that was striking similar to that of a dog. Then, she sticks out her tongue and stretches out her cat paw. This is one of the new functions that I implemented, specially prepared for the Queen of Banshees who was getting more and more disobedient.

"Wuuuu, you are really going too far. I already agreed to work together with you and you even landed me into such a state. How can you treat me like this? No matter what, I am still your mentor!"

The teardrops that drips down from the Meow Alien makes her look exceptionally pitiful. The onlookers, Diana and Krose, are full of sympathy towards her and even started to glare angrily at me, the cat abuser.

"Drop the act. Did you forget our Magic Pet Contract? Your feelings can be transmitted over to me. Do you think I can't tell whether your tears are real or not?"

Alright, the next moment, the tears stopped. A musing look appears on the black cat and after a short moment, she sends me a short message.

"You should know that even if I am in such a state, I still have cards under my sleeves that can make your life hell. As long as you agree to help me seek vengeance against 2 people, no, 2 Gods and make them fall, I will remain as your pet obediently and devote all of my strength and knowledge to you. I would accept it even if I have to serve you in bed. Even though I have never come into contact with men, my techniques are definitely in no way inferior to the Dark Elves."

Even though those words had a hint of intimacy to it, even though she was assuming the form of such a cute kitten, her endless resentment towards the Gods formed a tangible dark fog around her, her hatred could be clearly felt in her tone and her gaze still remains as fearsome.

Despite being unable to hear anything, Krose and Diana instinctively raise their weapons and went on guard. Perhaps, the form of the cursed black cat who brings about misfortune is the true face of the Undead Queen of Banshees.

Time will bring endless power and knowledge to one. Even if she has fallen under my hands and has yet to find an opportunity to flip the tables on me, I never dared to underestimate Harloys. It is exactly because of the fact that I do not dare to underestimate her that I used the once in a lifetime Magic Pet Contract without any hesitation to tie her forcefully by my side. I have absolute trust that in my absence, she can single-handedly flip the entire Underground World around.

"Forget about the serving at night, I am not Beifeng and I am unlike the other fools who get blinded by illusions. 2 Gods right? Tell me which 2 Gods is it first, so that I can consider about it. After all, if you were to ask me to slay Ayer and Karolan, there's no way I would be able to settle them and naturally, I won't be able to agree to your conditions."

Harloys spits out 2 names telepathically and looks at me expectantly.

As I expected, they were both true Gods of the Elf Faction. One of them were in my long-term target list while I would probably be unable to avoid the other old acquaintance. Since it is aligned with my goals, this deal is one that I could strike.

"To think that it would be the ex-Guardian God of the Elves. I guess traitors are even more loathed than the mastermind. Fine."

"Great. It's a deal then."

"Un? You don't want to make a contract?"

"Being committed to your promises is one of your few good points. Your consent is much more effective than any other contracts… If I were to really sign a contract and take advantage of you, I still have to be worried over you finding a loophole to go against your words."

Looks like she understands me quite well. It is just what like she said in the latter part of her words. Perhaps it is the obsession of one who walks with law, I have quite an intense level of obsession to recognise and fulfill the promises I make to others personally. However, if I was forced to make the promise or if an obviously unfair contract was presented to me, I would most probably try my best to go back on my words. (In the current civil law of the modern world, agreements that are unfair or forced upon can be cancelled. However, in this world, the terms of the contract that were established cannot be cancelled)

"Fine, I will write it down in my diary. You don't have to worry about it anymore. Now, quickly fulfill your role as a pet dog."

This time, Harloys didn't retort and instead, she performs a somersault excitedly before obediently coming over to sniff the ring in my hands. After a few seconds, the dumb cat falls into deep thoughts.

"How is it? With your current specially-made magic smelling organs, your ability to detect scents should be at least twice as strong as normal police dogs. Are there no clues yet?"

After a long moment, Harloys lifts up her head hesitatingly.

"…It is all the smell of charred flesh. I couldn't smell anything else."

Now, it is our turn to look at one another at a loss of what to do. Recalling the fact that I retrieved the ring from a charred body, not being able to smell anything from it is natural. However, Harloys suddenly ran towards the backyard.

"I remember that he has a cloak with him."

Alright, the efficiency of one who is forced to work and one who works voluntary is totally different. After 2 minutes, another companion joins us. Casio, who was almost bored to death, requested for us to bring him along. Considering the fact that a Centaur Archer would be equipped with tracking abilities, I didn't reject him.

"Wait a moment. If Casio goes, then I am going as well."

A certain someone requests to join in as well but we tried our best to ignore his presence.

"In terms of tracking abilities, a Beast Tamer is definitely much better than a pure Archer. There isn't a single person that I cannot find in this city."

"What do you want?" That fellow may seem honest but in actuality, he is very crafty. He is the typical kind of person who doesn't move if there is no profit for him involved. It is impossible for him to do voluntary work.

Beifeng nods his head.

"That cloak which can turn one into a mouse. It should the legendary Sewage Cloak right?"

Alright, I really don't feel like pursuing the matter any further. I don't even want to think about what he would want to do with that cloak. If it wasn't for the fact that we were short on time, I might have already got physical with him.

However, considering the fact that what the Beast Tamer is the truth, that he is indeed skilled in the art of tracking, I can only suppress the urge to beat him up and treat him courteously.

Just when I was about to accept his request, he seems to have sensed the decision I have made through the look on my face. With an excited look on his face, Beifeng does a silent whistle and in a short moment, a few dogs come running here, a few rats appear from the underground sewage and even an eagle comes landing down from the sky.

"You bastard, taking opportunity of one's weakness, you've won this time. It is a deal… Wait, I don't need it anymore."

Not too far away, 2 broken carriages were stopped by the alley. A few people dressed in black were secretly moving haystacks from the carriage and there were already a small pile of haystack by the wall of the Church. They were trying to start a fire but perhaps due to the night gale, they failed a couple of times, causing them to throw the matchsticks on the ground and stomp on it in a fit of rage.

There is a spellcaster who is obviously trying to maintain an Anti-Detection Spell. However, even if he had successfully prevented them from getting noticed from detection spells, I could still see him clearly from my current position.

Looking at those unlucky fellows, I couldn't help but recall a rumor. It is said that due to the fact that they had really thoroughly offended the God of Fate Cartiero who rules over Fortune and Misfortune, a God Punishment, a Curse of Misfortune, was delivered upon this cockroach-like organisation. The moment one joins this organisation, the system of karma will immediately be activated, causing them to be stuck in the valley of misfortune for the rest of their life.

In normal circumstances, a person plagued with misfortune will find himself failing easily on the task he is working on. While crossing the road, he would step on dog poop and get bitten by cats. It isn't really that big of a deal as long as the person remains careful. However, when stacked with my Aura of Plague, un, it should be called Star of Misfortune Aura now, those whose luck is worse than mine will trigger a series of accidents, causing their misfortune to turn into something deadly. All of their misfortunes will eventually turn into an opportunity for them to meet with tragedy.

"What are you all waiting for? Get rid of this bunch of unfortunate fellows."

Alright, other than the spellcaster, the bunch of unfortunate fellows who came to burn down the Church of true God were only the lowest-class pawns. They were subdued in an instant. Then, under the wrathful interrogation of Beifeng whose ploy was upset, our destination became clear.

"Their temporary meeting point is the Astrology Platform of the royal family? Such a fitting location for their identity. However, since they are able to make use of the facilities of the royal family, then there probably is a certain Emperor who was upset from losing face backing them."

"Why don't we reconsider it?"

Due to the fact that the Emperor is backing them, Diana, who has been getting closer with Reyne recently, starts to hesitate. If we were to enrage the Auland Emperor once again, given the fact that we were still in the territory of the Auland Empire, even if our group would be able to simply escape, we would implicate the East Mist Communal Country's ambassador party.

"He is probably testing us out. If we were to show weakness, he would just strike at us more and more callously. Since he is playing the game by the rules of the shadows, we must make sure to keep up with his pace. If he stretches his hand, we will chop off the hand. If he stretches his claw, we will rip off his claws. At the very least, we must make him feel pain. Not to mention, the Mist Bloodline…"

"The Mist Bloodline don't fear challenges. Since they are coming directly at us, how can we back down? Yielding will only make the tyrants more arrogant."

It seems that the brawl by the wall has caught the attention of the people in the Church. Kelly and Reyne come out escorted by the Royal Knights. Reyne's words made me nod my head in agreement.

However, the words that followed it made the face of Kelly and the Knights lose their colors.

"I also want to go, Big Brother Roland. Didn't you say that the battlefield is the best classroom? You often tell me that I am in dire need of real battle experience."

"Stop messing around, you are bringing trouble to everyone. You are just courting your own death." Kelly immediately reprimands her in hope that it would dispel her thoughts of plunging straight into danger.

She is indeed messing around. I couldn't help but chuckle. In a battlefield of Legends and Gold pinnacles, what is a Iron-rank rookie like you joining in for? A grenade could easily annihilate you. Raking experience from a battlefield doesn't work in such a way. (Someone totally forgot that he is only Bronze-rank)

"I am already 14 years old. In the legends, Prince Roland got on the battlefield when he was 12. I already had enough putting on the facade of a Princess Knight. I want to turn this glorious title into reality. If I can't even handle such a small situation, what will I do in the future battles?"

Even when shouted at by her kin, the young lady bites her lips firmly. Despite not saying a single word, the resolution on her face clearly shows that she would not give up on this.

I gaze at her. Reyne's legs were trembling but the Roland Sacred Sword by her waist is radiating bright silver light, as though showing its approval of her decision.

"'Roland Sacred Sword is the personal sword of the legendary Holy Knight Prince Roland. Only the descendants and the successors of his will is able to gain the recognition of this sacred sword.' Successors of my will huh?"

At this moment, I somehow recalled the prerequisites for the usage of the Roland Sacred Sword. Recalling how the death of my father caused Karwenz and I to step on the battlefield 300 years ago and looking at the striking resemblance between the previous me and the girl in front of me, I smiled.

"Successor of my will? Fine, follow us then. Don't fall behind. Kelly, just like back then, some people are fated to be unable to bloom in a greenhouse. But, Beifeng! Protect her well. If something were to happen to her, your cloak will be gone."

Ignoring the Beast Tamer who rejoiced at my words, I whispered an apology in the depths of my heart to Kelly, whose face was marked with worry. Then, I started leading the way.

"Darned remnants, let's settle the interest of the debt you owe me in the past."

At this point, the System came jumping out once again to brush up on its existence.

【Special Quest: The Will of the Legendary Holy Knight Roland has been triggered. Before the completion of the Epic Quest: The Revival of the Mist, a third of the Fate Points that you obtain from slaying enemies will be transferred to the wielder of the sacred sword, Reyne. Using the Fate Points transferred, you can strengthen her. System Notice: The Special Quest is directly related to the progress of your Epic Quest. Also, if Reyne were to die in battle or if she were to permanently lose the Roland Sacred Sword, both quests will be marked with an instantaneous failure… But after turning into a woman, you can consider becoming a true princess. You would definitely do a much better job than Reyne.】

"I definitely will not fail! Before I die, Reyne definitely will not die!"

Alright, my decisive furious roar and the oath to protect her heightens the morale of the Knights, as well as to cause a certain princess to blush bright red.

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Chapter 92: Sword of Order

"Blade Form."

Following my orders, a black cat starts to change its form. The Gold Slime, following the blueprint I made, starts to reforge its own physique.

A few seconds later, a black-color two-handed sword appears before me. That is an extraordinarily normal looking military weapon. There is not a single elegant carving or ornament on it. It is as simple as the inferior goods that the city guards carry around with them. There are indentations all over the blade, giving a feeling as though it could break at any moment. Even so, an inconceivable killing aura emerges from it, similar to that from a veteran who have went through hundreds of battle, making one feel terror just by looking at it.

【Pale Justice (Imitation)】

【Two-handed Sword

Attack Power: 5-15. Tier: Superior

Prerequisite: Strength 12

Special Ability: None】

【Man-made Magic Sword: This sword is transmogrified by Harloys. Even though she doesn't feel pain and don't fear breakage in this form, it is better to not to pit her against weapons which are 2 tiers higher. Also, treat her nicer, otherwise if she were to suddenly liquefy in the middle of a fight…】

【Elemental Control (Basic): Augment all magic damage by 25%. The blade will carry 5 point of a chosen elemental damage with it (Current Element: Ice)】

I have found the true Pale Justice sword but due to certain reasons, I am unable to retrieve it at this moment. Right now, I had Harloys imitate the true product and the only special effect of increasing magic damage originates from Harloys's soul. Rather than saying that it is a magic sword, one might as well call it a magic staff. Furthermore, it is still the rare highest grade magic staff that augments the effects of all magic spells.

To say the truth, this imitation is an insult to Harloys's identity as the Queen of Banshees. However, with the 【Soul Gemstone of Pale Justice】, it is an entirely different matter.

After lodging the Soul Gemstone within, a pale Holy Light shrouds the entire blade and the pitch black magic sword turns into a silver-colored sacred sword.

【Pale Justice (Imitation)】

【Attack Power: 15-20. Tier: Epic (Lower)】

【Two-handed Sword, Prerequisite: Strength 12, Holy Knight Job】

【Man-made Magic Sword: This sword is transmogrified by Harloys. Being a Epic-tier sacred sword, as long as it isn't SemiGod Equipment, feel free to cross swords with any other weapons. However, due to the Soul Gemstone being incompatible, the sword is in a process of disintegration. Within 2999 seconds (50 minutes), it will be broke down and Blade Form cannot be activate for half an hour afterwards.】

【Elemental Control (Intermediate): Augment all magic damage by 35%. The blade will carry 15 point of a chosen elemental damage with it (Current Element: Ice)】

【High Tier Sacred Flames: Deal additional 20 Silver Inferno damage to Chaos lifeforms. To normal lifeforms, deal additional 5 Silver Inferno damage.】

【High Tier Courage: Immunity to fear-related magic that are below 9-circles. The wielder will always be in a state of high morale.】

【High Tier Protection from Evil: The damage dealt from Chaos lifeforms will be reduced by 10 points.】

Sacred Flames, Courage and Protection from Evil, they are all abilities that a typical sacred sword would possess. This is also the effects that the soul of Holy Knight Kane carries. Its effects might not be as good against normal people and the upper limit of its damage barely reaches the lower limit of the damage of Roland Sacred Sword. However, if the target of its blade are Chaos lifeforms like Demons and Undeads, then it would be comparable to a Legend-tier godly weapon.

Of course, other than natural-born Chaos lifeforms, it works just like the Incantation of Law: Judgement spell, those who are found to be using the Power of Chaos by the Holy Knight's Detect Evil will be viewed as a being of Chaos by the sacred sword.

This includes the innocent Elemental Mages, the slightly guilty Demon Mages and the completely guilty Necromancers, Dark Mages, Witches, Banshees… For a significant period of time in history, the Mages had been warring with the Churches of Gods both on the surface and in the shadows. The Witch Hunt and Wizard Hunt had caused a commotion for several centuries. The Holy Knights who can use their will to gain immunity to magic possess significant natural magic resistance and there are job advancements that are specially directed to kill Mages. Naturally, it can be understood why they had poor relationship.

At this moment, I can't help but be thankful for the deep resentment against beings of Chaos that this sword possesses. The moment I stepped into the hall of the royal family's Astrology Platform, the Mages immediately focus all of their firepower on Diana and me, who were standing in the front.

Since we are aiming to crush the Celestial Tower who mainly comprise spellcasters so naturally, we would use Holy Knights to tank the front lines.

To a Mage, the standard tactic when dealing with a Holy Knights who have high magic resistance but low mobility is to summon pawns. Then, while the pawns are blocking the opponent, the Mage would use an elegant spell to wipe him out.

TL: Just realised pawns would be a good substitute for cannon fodder, I think I will alternate between the two.

As for the common long-range control kiting tactic, due to the high magic resistance of Holy Knights, it is easy for the Holy Knights to resist the attacks and charge forth to kill the Mage, so it is falling out of times.

To me who can't be more familiar with this tactic, I charged straight ahead into the barrier of pawns without any hesitation.

The reason? The pawns that Mages summon are normally lifeforms from foreign worlds such as the Undeads from the Death Dimensions, Elemental Lifeforms from the Elemental Dimension and lower-tier Demons and Devils from the Lower Realm. No matter which one it is, they all share the common trait of being members of the Chaos Faction.

"Detect Evil!" "Detect Evil!"

2 Holy Knights used Detect Evil simultaneously and under the effects of the large AOE Divine Art, red light representing the presence of Chaos shrouds the entire group of Mages, as well as the Undeads, Demons and Elemental Lifeforms in front of us.

The Titan Body reduces 5 damage from each attack whereas the High Tier Protection From Evil reduces 10 damage from each attack. Adding into the equation a heavy armor with outstanding physical defense, I became an outstanding tank against these beings of Chaos. Most of the time, the primary job of a Holy Knights, with their outstanding magic resistance, weak mobility and weak offense, is to serve as a good tank.

"Sin-Splitting Strike!"

After ignoring the attacks from the pawns, I am not that far off from the Mages anymore. Swinging my sword, the Mage who just summoned two Skeleton Soldiers was cut into two before he could make a sound. Just like that, I took the first blood.

When their companion fell, the rest of the Mage immediately directs the first wave of their offensive magic spells towards me. In an instant, Fireballs and Ice Arrows flew around in the air while Acid Arrow and Heat Rays were shot from all around the room. The Mystical Arts came rushing towards me like an relentless river.

But when a slim figure came blocking them in front of me, no matter how colorful and dangerous the spells are, she blocked them all completely without saying a single word.

"Are they dead?"

When the fog from the ice and thick smoke from the flames scatter and the brown-skinned Elf Knight appears, to their astonishment, unharmed, she had already rushed to the stairway to the second level and many spellcasters were lying in her trail.

"It is fortunate that Dark Elf Holy Knights are exclusive to only that bunch in Liu Huang Mountain City, otherwise this would really be bullying the spell-casting jobs."

Before their fall, the Dark Elves were known as their Light ELves and they were high nobles of the great Elf Kingdom, possessing, at minimum, Bronze Bloodline. Physically, their stats weren't that much stronger than the white slate humans. As a Warrior class, their Strength and Stamina were lacking even in comparison to humans but no one dared to say that they were unworthy of being termed as a Bronze Race. That is because of their Race Talent.

Magic Immunity Skin. That is the Race Talent that all Dark Elves possess. In reality, its prowess is frighteningly scary. Based on the power rank of the ones possessing the ability, the effects and damage of magic will be reduced and this reduction is rather significant. Magic arts whose effects are significantly mitigated by this ability includes those of Druids, Banshees, Witches and so on (including Holy Light). The only one thing that cannot be mitigated is the Divine Art of a Priest that contains God Power.

This is also why the top echelons of the Dark Elf society are all Priestesses of Lorci. Under most situations, only lowly males would choose to become Mages. Even those who learn the barbaric martial arts (as known among the Dark Elves) have a higher standing than the Mages.

A Legend Holy Knight who has an unbelievable level of resistance to magic Magic resistant skin The Silver Avenger which also has the effect of Protection from Evil. When the hall of the first floor is filled with Apprentice Mages who have yet to learn higher circle magics, Diana's charge is like bashing through eggs with a rail train. I can already see the ending.

"Sin-Splitting Strike."

Despite using just simple and inelegant moves, she managed to get a head per slash steadily. During the time when I was still carefully avoiding those magic in the air and the wolf and bear-transmogrified Druids, Diana has already slaughtered to and fro multiple times.

From her look of astonishment, it seems that she is quite surprised by how weak her enemies are as well. At the start, she was shocked by the sight of the overwhelming quantity of spellcasters.

In the past, even when they were facing the Mages who were perfect countered by them, the enemy's creativity in coming up with new tricks continuously caused the Dark Elves to suffer quite a great deal. Now, being able to reap 1, or even 2 to 3 heads per slash feels quite unreal to her.

"Cough. This is the Surface, you can't expect all Mages to be of the level of Lich Roland."

In the human society, being of Legend rank will make you a prominent power of a region at the very least. To use her full strength to bully a rookie is indeed a little shameful, but for Diana who grew up in the Underground World, she doesn't possess the so-called 'dignity of the powerful'. Seeing so many Mages, she was deeply afraid that she might be killed in an instant by a powerful spell prepared by the enemy if she were to move a single step slower, so she went all out from the start and killed a dozen on them in an instant. The result of it is that the main army behind who are only a few second late in entering the tower are only left with leftovers.

At this moment, the summoned pawns came into frontal contact with the Knights and the Gentlemen. The Knights engaged a group of them seriously whereas the Gentlemen began clearing the whole field immediately.

Regardless of whether it is the two giant wolves under Beifeng or Casio's Bone Bow, they are the explosive offensive ability of a Gold-rank, allowing them to sweep the whole field. Before Krose could even prepare her first large AOE Lightning Strikes, the entire field has already been cleared.

Out of consideration, they even left a skeleton soldier which was at the brink of disintegration for her…

Looking at Reyne who is flustered from just dealing with a low level skeleton soldier, I shake my head helplessly. Needless to talk about ascending through the power ranks, she is far from even being a passable Warrior. Even if she were to rise through the usage of the external System, but experience and skills cannot be forged in a single day. Then, hearing the alarms sounding out loudly, I know that I didn't have the time to be thinking about such matters at this point.

"The same goes for the second floor. Diana and I will be the vanguard. Hurry."

From the look of the blueprint we just obtained, the Astrology Platform is a building with only 3 floors. The first floor is used to keep books, information and daily necessities and serves mainly as a museum. The second floor is the residential area of workers whereas the third floor is where the different kinds of telescopes are kept.

The targets we are hunting for, the upper echelons of the Celestial Tower, are most probably in the second floor.

This time, we met with trouble the moment we reached the second floor.

The 2 giant metal magic statue furnishings immediately activates and all of the decorative armor and statues start to come to life. At the same time, sharp spikes traps and lightning traps appear on the floor. After leaving the main hall where normal people can enter freely, the Celestial Tower, considering their bad reputation as well as the countless enemies that they have made, restructured this place to serve as their fortress.

One of the giant metal magic statue got blocked by Diana but being made of superior steel, the magic statue is impenetrable by physical weapons and possesses unparalleled strength. They aren't something that I could fight face on against in my current state.

"It can't be helped. I will have to use my trump card. Sword of Order!"

It is still a little forced for me to use this Race Talent with my current strength. With a large amount of stamina and Holy Light surging out of me, I feel the world spinning around me. However, with a slight flicker of my finger, a golden lightning ray strike through the wall and clashes violently onto the physical body of the giant metal magic statue.

That is a strike from a tangible sword made out of pure crystallization of Holy Light. With its might, there's nothing that it cannot destroy. The next moment, the sword of light explodes to deal a second damage. Even the metal magic statue which could easily subdue Gold-rank melee combatants begins to stagger before it collapses downwards.

"Kacha!" A gaping hole has been opened in the back of the metal magic statue and dark smoke starts to pour out there. Diana stares at me in shock. As a Legend-rank, she has yet to finish dealing with the magic statue and yet I, who isn't even Silver-rank, has already managed to destroy it.

But, I shake my head in response. Man-made magic statues are the favored guards for Mage Towers because of their resilience. This metal magic statue is obviously a superior quality good, it is impossible for it to be destroyed so easily.

Although it is severely injured, looking from how the gears below its metal skin is still spinning and the radiant spiritual light shrouding it, it is still far from being broken down.

But, how could I possibly allow it breathing space for it to regain its momentum.

I have already jumped on the body of the magic statue, picked up my other two-handed sword and stabbed it in, twisting the sword inside its body.

Where did the sword come from? It is summoned from my Race Talent Sword of Order.

【Race Talent: Sword of Order: Summon a weapon forged by the Power of Order and deal damage to an enemy through a physical collision and an explosion. Afterwards, the weapon will continue to exist for an additional minute per summoner LV. The tier of the weapon will be decided by the power rank of the caster.】

【Weapon of Holy Light: Arbiter of Holy Light】

【Attack Power: 10-15, Tier: Elite】

【Two-handed sword. Prerequisites: Strength 12, Holy Knight Job. Duration: 22 minutes】

【Crystallisation of Holy Light: Increase the effects of Holy Light by 50%, recovery rate of Holy Light by 100% and an additional 10 Holy Inferno damage will be dealt during an attack】

【Intermediate Tier Protection from Evil: The damage dealt from Chaos lifeforms will be reduced by 6 points.】

This Race Talent which I can only use once per day allows me to summon a Sword of Holy Light/ Sword of Law of acceptable quality. At the very least, the buffs to Holy Light is really attractive but it is a pity it can only be sustained for 20 minutes now, which insufficient for my usage.

Through infusing a large amount of Holy Light into the magic statue, the invasion of a foreign energy caused a conflict in its original power system, resulting in it twitching for a moment before it is done in.

Judging from how I was awarded 200 Fate Points, the metal magic statue's absolute prowess is definitely above mine.

Lacking explosive power remains as one of the fatal weakness of a Holy Knight. On the other side, despite Diana dealing massive wounds on the body of the magic statue that black smoke is arising from it, she is still stuck in a stalemate with it. Only when Krose came with a series of consecutive lightning strike did the metal magic statue, who has weak resistance to lightning, finally slumps.

But the next moment, the activated traps pose yet another trouble to us. I finally know what our party lack, obviously, a thief. These darn consecutive traps, you can't expect me to barge through all of it in hope that my physical body would be able to withstand them.

In the end, using summoned lifeforms to scout the path, we eventually got through the traps section. However, as we were delayed significantly, by the time we managed to clean up the second floor and head towards the third, the Celestial Tower Auland Empire Branch Head Lamos's Eye has already disappeared in a Dimension Gate.

The enemies of the second and third floors were slightly harder to deal with. However, given the time we took to reach the inner regions, those who had double identities in the Celestial Tower were already gone, assuming their other identity, causing the strongest power left behind to guard the tower to be 2 Gold-rank Mages who posed no threat whatsoever to our party.

When we finally swept the battlefield and tally the amount of casualties among the enemies, I realised that the result is better than expected.

"Yet another unlucky fellow who got stuck in a wall after failing to pass through the Dimension Gate. For a spell like Dimension Gate which even novice Mages only have 1% probability of failure, to actually witness over a dozen of high-rank Mage triggering that possibility, looks like the rumors that the Celestial Tower has been cursed by the God of Fate is true."

At the same time, I, who should had been enraged from my opponents getting away, picked up a report that left me overjoyed.

"… For his great ambitions, in order to expand the influence of the Auland Empire, we have decided to help the 5th son of the old Emperor, Darsos, to the throne. In order to prevent him from burning the bridges after our assistance, we have left behind evidence of him killing his father and his siblings. That is… What is unexpected is that Darsos actually didn't kill his father. I don't think that he would just let him off, there must be some kind of secret behind it… As expected, after helping Darsos raid the ambassadors of Solo Federations, through some coincidence, we actually found out the final secret of Auland Empire. Perhaps, we can use this as a chip to extort him."

"Killing his father and his siblings, such a ruthless character. Heh, this is just the intelligence I need. Darsos, perhaps, we can have a good chat.""Perhaps, it is about time for us to have a good chat."

The morning of the next day, news of fire breaking out and destroying the royal family's Astrology Platform spread across the entire city. The spies of the royal family quickly reported the news to Darsos's confidant.

Hermit who was still groggy from being woken up suddenly, after hearing such explosive news, immediately pulls himself together.

"You don't intend to suppress them with force?"

"From the moment their scouts are noticed, it took less than 2 hours for them to track them down and reach the Astrology Platform. Based on the corpses we found in the rubble, there are at least 4 Legends in their forces. Not only are they ruthless, they also have the power to back it up. Since they have displayed sufficient strength, then we could at least have a talk. Besides…"

"Un?"

"My men didn't find the corpse of the mysterious Celestial Tower head. Perhaps, he got away."

"That would be troublesome. That fellow knows quite a bit of things."

"Un, there is no need us to foolishly wait for him to come knocking in order to kill him. Just put him on the blacklist across the country to distance ourselves from him."

"Aren't you afraid that he might spill the beans?"

"So what if he spills them, will there be anyone who would trust him? Even if someone does, there is only one remaining son of the previous Emperor. Do they expect me to step down?"

"Heh. Right, has the old fellow given in yet?"

"No, the old fellow is still impressively stubborn as always. I will go and try again today."

After a while, when the flower pot on the ledge is shifted, a mechanism activates and a secret passageway leading to the underground chamber appears.

"Right, why don't we organise a ball in your name. We can invite all of the foreign guests and the children of nobility, it wouldn't be too striking that way."

"Heh, you are probably just taking this opportunity to hunt them down. Fine, we shall fix it on the next week…"

When Darsos lifts a lamp to lead the way down the pitch black stairs, he didn't expect that a black mouse would come following him.

"Hehe, looks like searching for tidbits here paid off. This secret, it I sold it to that generous Rolande, how much would I earn?"

For those who don't remember, Demon Mages are Mages who control Demons. I guess why they say they aren't really guilty is because 1) They aren't bending any laws of nature (unlike Necromancers) 2) They control Demons, but that doesn't mean that they belong to the Chaos Faction. (I remember translating it somewhere around Kakajil but can't recall exactly)

Leaving it here just for reference

Power Ranking: (For Weapons, Weakest - Strongest)

Normal - Superior - Elite - Epic - Legend - SemiGod - God

Power Ranking: (Weakest - Strongest)

Iron Bloodline - Bronze Body - Silver Dignity - Golden Will - Respected Legend - World Saint - Immortal Myth - Indestructible SemiGod

I don't know if I'm using inconceivable and some synonyms of it correctly (I doubt so, that's why I'm writing this :X) But anyway, I'm using inconceivable to mean something unexplainable, there is no basis for its happening, e.g, the part on Pale Justice, even though the blade looks ever so simple, it is unimaginable that it would be emitting such strong killing intent.

Anyway, grammar error no. 2, I haven't really been checking on my usage of which and that. For those who are unaware, there is a difference in usage between the two. (I apologise if I made mistakes previously, and I think I will probably keep making them haha) For those curious, a very simple explanation between the difference of the two can be found .

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Chapter 93: The Fleet and Presents

"Tell me, if I were to use my War Angel Form and stab Darsos in the back, what will happen?"

"Good idea, why don't you give it a try? Un, since it isn't too far from the river, you could steal his boat after killing him and sail down the river. Then halfway through, abandon the boat and hide in the water. Given our strength, there should be at least a 70% chance of success."

"Un, then we will use a shattered cup as our signal to move. You will turn into a blade and we will immediately chop at his neck. Then, after taking his demon sword, we will flee."

"Can you let me eat the demon sword? I think that it is quite compatible with my attributes."

"Fine, but you probably won't be able to digest it now. Let me play with it awhile first."

"Your Highness 'Reyne', I know that being forced to dress like this made you unhappy. But, please consider the citizens of the East Mist Communal Country, they can be regarded as the descendants of the Mist Country. They are unable to take another war in their current state."

"Tsk." A certain princess is still resentful.

"Hmph, foolish humans." A certain Meow Alien speaks in disdain.

Kelly looks at the cat-human pair who are really scheming meticulously to murder the Emperor and smiles bitterly. From a certain sense, the main reason why she is following them as a retainer is that she is worried that the prince might go too far after accumulating too much resentment from being forced to dress like a lady.

Princess Reyne received an invitation to a cocktail party held by the Finance Minister of the Auland Emperor and along with the invitation was a note 'The princess of that day, perhaps it is about time for us to talk. It is regarding the future relationship of both of our countries, so it is best if you come personally. If you're going to send the indecisive little girl, then just forget about it."

The hint is extremely obvious, especially with him circling 'that day' with red ink and the 'indecisive little girl' written at the back of the message.

Helpless, Roland can only start putting on makeup once again. Princess Reyne, who should have been angry from being scorned at, actually happily helped with the make up and the clothing, fueling Roland's anger.

"You are really beautiful. Gentle and cheerful with a hint of maturity and restrain, alluring but not flirtatious. My face could actually become something like that."

"Prince Roland, please stop it with that bitter face. You are actually very beautiful. Even though you look exactly the same as before, but the aura that you had accumulated throughout the years has created a big gap between you and the immature Princess Reyne. Actually, why don't you try becoming a real lady? There should be a lot of Princes who would want to pursue you. Ah, I'm sorry, there is already an Emperor who wants to make you his empress, why don't you give it some thought?"

Alright, looking at how she is giggling under her hands, Kelly is quite heartless as well.

Already enraged from being forced to wear that light and flowy dinner gown, after being provoked like this, Roland immediately draws his sword and walks out of the door.

"That ignorant man, to dare to insult me."

Even after being stopped by everyone else, Roland still sits there with a nasty face.

In order to prevent accidents from really happening, Kelly who realised that she has accidentally gone too far volunteered to tag along and keep an eye on him. Un, she definitely isn't using work as a reason to watch the commotion.

Right now, looking at the cat and man seriously scheming an assassination, Kelly regrets silently. If he were to really do it, the East Mist Communal Country would be in serious trouble.

Although he is trustworthy for most of the time, once the hole in his brain opens and his bad personality comes rising through, it is really hard to tell what he will do.

However, it is hard to blame Prince Roland for his rage.

The black-colored dinner gown that extends all the way to the ground brought out a noble and elegant disposition within him and maturity could be seen on his immature face. The combination of contradictory yet harmonious dispositions makes him extremely attractive to the opposite sex.

The light make up brought a tinge of gentleness to his masculine face. Under Kelly's magical hands, the moment the beauty reminiscent of a flower from mountainous regions walks out of the carriage, gasps of amazement come rising from the crowd.

From Kelly's perspective, she could see Prince Roland's eyebrows twitch a few times and a few veins could be vaguely seen on his forehead. Apparently, he is already on the verge of exploding.

"I can't provoke him anymore, or else he would really go on a killing spree."

Thus, after declaring their identity, she quickly pulled Roland into the hall for the cocktail party to prevent him from exploding on the scene."Blush on a skeleton, flesh on white bones. All appearances are illusory."

Actually, I am not that angry. Isn't it just a layer of skin? I have already walked around with just bones, so what else could matter.

Un, I am already a grown man, so why would I record down such little things in my little notebook so as to prepare to get my revenge on them one by one in the future.

But, if I don't show a little rage, such things would definitely be forced on me again in the future. I would be making a fool out of myself too often. So, I tried to best to display my wrath.

Of course, the lingering gazes of the other men made me really furious. The dumbfounded look that Darsos revealed made me write another line in my book of resentment without any hesitation.

"Lad, I will introduce Krose and Victoria to you 2 days later. No, that isn't enough, who knows, this lad might even earn a profit from it. I have to think of a way to draw the Spring of Drowned Woman and introduce Beifeng to him."

My mind is full of vicious idea but I still squeezed out a smile on the surface. After all, I am representing the reputation of East Mist Communal Country now and Kelly behind me is already on a verge of tears.

Apparently, the Emperor has already gave out word, so there isn't many annoying fellows bothering me. Soon, in the room on the second floor, the secret discussion with two people on opposite sides each began.

"To actually dare lay you hands on the Astrology Platform of the royal family, aren't you afraid that I would lay the blame for this case on you and start a war?"

As expected, trying to suppress me the instant the discussion starts.

"You should thank us for getting rid of this trouble for you. To even dare to use the lunatics of the Celestial Tower, aren't you afraid of getting burnt? Right, we have found a few stuff there that you might be interested in, like the incident where the envoys of Solo Federation got assaulted."

The Solo Federation is one of the strong countries in the continent and the attack on their envoys shocked the entire world. But, the true reason for the attack is because the Soloians were interfering with the battle for the throne of the Auland Empire. Thus, the man before me sent assassins to destroy their entire group of envoys and even blamed the other party for not bringing sufficient bodyguards.

Seeming to have anticipated my threat, Darsos shrugs with apathy on his face.

"It is all old news. If it was just a year ago, I might still be worried over it but now, hehe, you know also understand how much it only weighs now. But, let's forget the matter of the Astrology Tower and talk about the future."

"Fine, let's treat the incident about the subordinate states as though it has never happened before and return back to where we belong."

"That is impossible, the reputation of the Auland Empire will be damaged. We would rather start a war."

The advantages of a secret discussion is that excessive diplomatic language could be dropped and one can dive right into the main topic at hand. Just like what I have said before, discussion is just a compromise made by exchanging chips after testing out the bottom line of the other party. It is decided by the chips and circumstances of both parties. Thus, it could even be said that the end point could basically be confirmed before the discussions begin.

Originally, judging from the absolute strength of both counties, I, representing the East Mist Communal Country, would be in a disadvantageous position. After all, the other party only have to threaten us with war and put on a fearless front. In that case, we, who would want to avoid war at all causes, have to give way to them. (Remembering the lord foreigners from a certain era…)

TL: Not very well-versed with China's history so while I have a clue what he is referring to, I can't confirm it.

This is also what Darsos is doing. By blackmailing us with war from the very start of the negotiation, it is obvious he is trying to suppress us with force.

However, what is fortunate is that I have found quite a few new chips in the Astrology Tower. As long as I can come up with a chip that is even more powerful than war, I would be able to reverse the situation.

"Cassomes."

After throwing out this phrase, I silently savored the high-end cake and red tea without even looking at the other party.

But, from my peripheral vision, I can see two shocked faces of disbelief.

"You, how did you know?" Under excessive shock, the Hermit's poker-face couldn't be maintained.

Although Darsos remained silent, judging from his action of stroking the demon sword by his waist, he seems to be subconsciously entertaining the thought of silencing me once and for all.

Cassomes, it is the name of a ship. But, it is no original ship. It is the future Auland Empire's super weapon, the flagship of their Air Fleet. At this moment, it should still be in the midst of being built in a secret base in an emptied chamber under the river.

Other than regular armies, every super Empire will have their own trump card. The Solo Federation's Giant Elephant Legion that knows not of the existence of walls, the Beyer Empire who is rumored to be able to summon Giant Dragons to back them up in war, the Xiluo Empire's Cursed Contingent that is full of all kinds of abnormal war monsters, Cazorla Kingdom's Sea God Brigade which is said to be able to cause tsunamis on the continent and the Beastman Tribe's Behemoth War Beast who could spar with Dragons reputedly. One of the reason why the Auland Empire is unable to join the superpower club is because they lack a strategic-level army.

Thus, generations after generations of Emperors have been investing in this sector regardless of the returns. After screwing up a few times, the final goal that they have decided on is an Air Fleet.

The Air Fleet, from the technical details of building one to digging a hole in the river to create a secret base for construction, spent the Auland Empire a total of 200 years and 4 to 5 generations of Emperor as well as the expenses of over half of the national treasury. If the walk through is accurate, it would take another 15 years before it would first appear in the war with the Underground World. In the first time that they appeared, they annihilated over 10 armies of the Underground Alliance, shocking the whole world. However, estimating the time, the construction should be in their final phase.

Perhaps, the reason why they moved to this city by the river a few hundred years ago is because it would be convenient for Kagersi City to build an underwater base.

This kind of country-level powerful weapon would definitely be under the direct control of the Emperor. However, Darsos didn't ascend to the throne normally. He wasn't even the crown prince previously, thus he had no rights to know of this secret.

Only when he ascended the throne was he pleasantly surprised about the secret weapon of his country. However, he descended into a situation that one would find it hard to laugh at, he was unable to enter the treasure vault.

The key to enter the underground base was originally in the possession of the Crown Prince Milause but Milause was already beheaded by Darsos. Without the key, no one can enter or exit the secret base. Gauging by the time, given that rations haven't been sent in for a significant period of time, everyone inside should have long starved to death.

This isn't the civilised society that emphasises human rights. All of those aware of the secret were sent into the secret base together with their family while rations and everything else were controlled by the external side. The result of being so overly secretive was that when a problem occurs in the chain, all connections would be broken.

Thus, he could only spare that smelly and stubborn old fool, hoping that he would possibly have a spare key. He was even afraid of using necromancy to extract his soul for questioning in fear of failing.

As for the reason why he colluded with the Celestial Tower and even gave them the Astrology Platform was because he hoped to utilise the divination techniques of the other party to find the key. However, in this era, the art of divination has already declined and a series of anti-detection secret arts had been placed on the key, not to mention that the Celestial Tower is much more skilled in assassinated and causing destruction rather than prophesying at this point, so it is natural that he would reap no fruits from this attempt.

Even if they were unable to use it, the fleet is still the top secret of the Auland Empire. If it wasn't for him joining in the rebellion, even Hermit wouldn't have the authority to know of it. Yet, an external personnel like me found out about it and even spoke of the name of the flagship. Naturally, the intention to silence me wells up in him.

It is to the extent that Darsos might even consider starting a war just to protect this secret.

"You do know that Angels can fly. Let's first not talk about whether the two Legends in that secret chamber is able to eliminate me in an instant, do you think that I would utter these words without being fully prepared?"

The black cat on my shoulder is the best hunting hound. She has discovered the hidden troops of the other party from the very start.

After realising that it is impossible to silence me, Darsos killing intent retreated as quickly as it came. But, my chips wasn't just limited to this.

"I know where the key is. That bunch of mad dogs have found it but they didn't want to give it to you. If it wasn't for the fact that the bloodline of the royal family is required to open the lock, perhaps they would have already emptied your treasure vault by now."

"That bunch of lunatics, bastards! Those untrustworthy wild dogs! Hermit!"

"Yes, my majesty. The wanted list will be released very soon. All of the members of the Celestial Tower that we have identified will be arrested, the treacherous fools will be hanged."

Even without looking in the mirror, a cruel smile is probably hanging on my face. Pushing the blame to an enemy really brings such great joy to me.

The Celestial Tower didn't find the key, but someone else did… That is an one-of-a-kind famous Myth-class chain quest that would happen ten years later. Triggering from a fortunate player picking up an old backpack in an ancient well, it would end in the revival of the invincible fleet of the Auland Capital. The details of the process of how it happened isn't very clear in the walk-through but an abandoned ancient well is already a big hint.

To others, this might be a great secret. When Beifeng told me that the new Emperor is coercing the location of the key of the fleet from the old Emperor, what is left is to find the location depicted in the walk through and after 3 nights of searching, I found the key in the 26th dried out ancient well I visited.

"If the doors were to open now, there might be a few surviving engineers and mages. This is much better than starting anew after finding all of them dead. A remote subordinate state should be nothing compared to an invincible Air Fleet. Right, if you intend to gamble and steal the key from me after killing me, go ahead. While I may not be capable of much, but I still have the confidence of making the key disappear forever. For example, feeding it to a fish in the ocean or a bird in the sky."

Smiling, I casually stir the drink in front of me as I admire the anxiety and unease of my opponents.

Considering the unyielding spirit of the Mist Bloodline, giving their life for even the smallest thing as well as the 'good reputation' for remembering grudges, Darsos can confirm that if he were to continue using war as a threat, no matter what he earns, his trump card, the Air Fleet, would definitely be a goner.

I am not worried at all. Since my chips are larger than that of the other party, I am already on the advantageous side. The first to take a step back could only be the other party.

Kelly and I savor the tea delightfully while on the opposite side, their faces scrunch with anxiety. One side is smiling while the other is bitter. At this point, the situation cannot be clearer.

After a long bizarre silence, finally, grabbing his forehead, the King of Winter Wolves sighs helplessly and gives in.

"I can allow for all of you to secretly sneak away. The East Mist Communal Country will be excluded in the alliance ceremony and the list of subordinate states, but your country must be careful so as to not wound the reputation of the Auland Empire. You must remain silent during the commotion of the international community afterwards and in name, you must remain as our subordinate state."

Remaining as a subordinate state in name is the bottom limit of the Auland Empire, otherwise he would be unable to explain it to the other countries whom they are going to alliance with.

However, I nod my head in agreement. Not talking about any other affairs, I have expected this to be their bottom limit. Going at it forcefully won't benefit me and besides, I already have an idea on how I could bypass it. The main matter at hand now is to profit more from them.

"This isn't enough. Our country is weak, so we require the generous support of your country. For example, the Missilor mythril alloy of your country, your specially-bred war horses…"

Alright, what is left is a certain someone opening their wide mouth to bite into the flesh of the other and the other so furious that he could kill someone but could only continue negotiating with his weak points were firmly grabbed onto.

Of course, as one of their national secrets, it is impossible for us to lay our hands on the Missilor mythril alloy but if we were to start out big, it would be easier for us to negotiate later.

After 4 hours of difficult negotiation, Darsos and Hermit gained a deep understanding that bargaining with a woman is almost suicidal. Not mentioning the 'Reyne', there almost no limit to the patience of the female Elf official. By pushing in bit by bit, she seems she would only be satisfied only when she forces the other party to flip the table in frustration.

When the Devil's Contract is taken out by an Angel and skillfully altered using the Devil's Language, even Darsos find himself unable to keep up with the happenings.

"…The contractor Roland guarantees in the name of the Mist Bloodline that as the true possessor of the royal authority in the Mist Country, after signing the contract, the Mist Country will become the subordinate state of the Auland Empire in name. However, the Auland Empire must pay the following resources to Roland…"

"Roland is your true name? That is a good name, just like the legendary hero from your family. Right, that is also the name of the sword representing your royal authority right? So it is a traditional name huh?"

The Devil's Contract will only take effect when signed with one's true name. However, if one doesn't play a few literary game, then how can the contract live up to the vile name of the Devils who take pride in fraud?

The country written in the contract is the Mist Country, not the East Mist Communal Country, even though many people in the communal country still identify themselves as citizens of the Mist Country.

When the Mist Country is destroyed, in the eyes of the monarchs of different countries, the East Mist Communal Country is the revived Mist Country. Of course, for a professional diplomat, this kind of little tricks would be exposed in an instant. However, this is a secret meeting and apparently, these two lads whose patience were at their limits weren't sufficiently professional.

The result of this contract is that the destroyed Mist Country would profess loyalty to the Auland Empire while he would gift me a large bunch of resources and technology in return and if it is not followed… The Devil's Contract is signed using one's soul, so the result of it is obvious.

By the time he realised that he was scammed, I believe that he wouldn't have the time and energy to settle the scores with me and the East Mist Communal Country.

By the time we were satisfied with our returns, the tired Darsos smiles bitterly.

"I should be doing my job well as someone being ripped off. Then, as an outstanding profligate, can I invite you for dinner?"

He holds out his hands in invitation but what he received was…

"AH! This little thing dares to bite me… My apologies, is this your cat? It is very beautiful but it seems to be like its owner, a wild rose full of poisonous thorns."

I smile, but it isn't because of this Emperor who changed his words halfway through.

"Did you obtain sufficient blood sample?"

"Who knows how much blood that key requires, we just have to try it after we get back."

After finishing discussing whatever that needs to be discussed, there isn't really any reason for us to remain for dinner. Ignoring the regretful Darsos, I stood up to leave.

But, just as I was about to exit the venue, I was surprised by the chaos unfolded in front of me.

The cocktail party has been trashed. The tables were flipped while the delicacies and wine were scattered on the floor. Elegant ladies were shrieking as they escaped while their retainers and the gentlemen were surrounding the troublemakers.

"What happened!" Darsos, who seems to have found an outlet to vent his displeasure, roars.

"It's that human Emperor Da… Da something." A Gnome said.

"Idiot, since you can't remember his name, then just call him your highness. Nice to meet you, your highness, in order to celebrate you ascending to the throne after getting rid of your father, we are here to present our celebratory gifts." That is from yet another Gnome.

"Dumbass, stop prodding at their sore spots, getting rid of his father and ascending to the throne, it is obviously a rebellion. Right, that Da… da Vinci?" That is a orange-haired Gray Dwarf.

Yingou, Kabala and Hoyle have come to present their gifts to the new Emperor in hope of massive returns. After going through many exciting and tearful adventures (they were the primary cause of it), they finally found their target but apparently, their target was just about to go frenzy.

"Guards, arrest them!"

The black-colored dinner gown that extends all the way to the ground brought out a noble and elegant disposition within him and maturity could be seen on his immature face. The combination of contradictory yet harmonious dispositions makes him extremely attractive to the opposite sex.

TL: Or the same sex in this case (Just had to copy paste this to say this)

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Chapter 94: Congratulatory Gift and Mockery

Without doubt, engineering is a job that burns money. As the investor of the Roland Series Robots, as the honorary director of the Liu Huang Mountain City Engineering Association, after investing without limits to develop the series, the Beyar Brothers of the Safe Merchant Group is already on the verge of bankruptcy.

Even so, the Roland series remains as an immature product. Although the towering giant robot may look impressive, if it doesn't even have the combat ability of a Legend-rank, then it is just a slightly higher-tier punching bag in the Underground World which is full of experts. But, if they were to add in a few high-tier parts to increase its combat ability, then the funds required would be astronomical. Thus, they thought of finding an investor who is in need of higher-end military power on the Surface.

The Roland Robot that they brought isn't the newest product of the series. Even more so, it is a second-handed product where the technology and resources used is discounted. But, on the Surface world, it is still something full of the scent of new technology. At the very least, in the eyes of the Engineers, it is a very valuable gift.

By presenting congratulatory gifts of great significance or novelty to the ascending Emperor of a large Empire, not to mention that it is the Auland Empire which is known for their extravagance, astounding returns can be expected.

The Auland Empire's Alchemy and Engineering industry is also rather outstanding, which is also the reason for the appearance of the Air Fleet and Magic Machinery Dragon in the future. At the very least, the Gnomes have already set their eyes on the secret alchemy art of forging alloys as well as the theory for Magic Engineering which is a mixture of both Magic and Engineering.

The plan that they had in mind was that in the best case scenario, they would trade the robot for technology and resources. Otherwise, earning some gold to fund their research would also be fine.

The idea isn't bad and if left to an outstanding diplomat, the result should be satisfactory.

But, from the very start, having a diplomatic party comprising Yingou.Beyar as the head along with Kabala and Hoyle is a mistake in itself.

Kabala is a Gnome orphan born in Liu Huang Mountain City. It is said that going by his family heritage, he is comes from a noble bloodline of Gnome Kings. He is said to be a master of civil engineering, although obviously, it is all self-taught. No one has ever seen him build any decent buildings. However, his overwhelming passion for architecture led to him examining and studying the foundations and beams propping the building up. If it was just examining, then it would still be okay. But, this lad likes to work hands on, so he would often pluck a few spare parts out to study them.

Just think about it slightly, what would happen when the central pillar of a wooden house is removed. It isn't just one or two times that he had buried himself among rubble.

After creating big holes and rubble numerous times, people came up with nicknames for him 'The King of Digging Holes Kabala' and 'The Green-skinned Termite Kabala'. He is also one of the major targets for the Town Security and 'tomorrow, Kabala will be visiting your house' has become a vile curse.

But, it is fortunate that he has a good head for business so he is rather wealthy. Personally, he doesn't have the concept of money and often spend money casually. After such incidents, he would pay the victims sufficiently and surprisingly, no one was ever hurt by the buildings he collapsed. That's the main reason why he is always just outside the boundaries of the cell.

There is nothing much left to introduce about Yingou, a moving professional explosion Alchemist. Despite being a Master Blacksmith, the Dwarf Hoyle is addicted to gambling, drinking and prostitution and is also well-known for his ability to cause destruction.

A diplomatic party comprising these 3 living treasures to deliver their congratulatory gift, to think that those short fellows could even think of it.

After reaching their destination, the Auland Empire, the gambling addict Hoyle spent numerous nights in touring the different kinds of casinos and lost a large portion of their funds. Even worse, Kabala collapsed a monastery with a century of history and compensated them with the remains of their funds. Otherwise, they wouldn't be driven to the point of stealing ornaments from the trees by the road.

Indeed, they have visited the palace, but these fellows have no socialising skills whatsoever. They insisted on meeting the Emperor before they are willing to present their congratulatory gift and even forbid those rough guards to touch their own treasure. Seeming suspicious, these foreigners almost got treated as assassins who came with malicious intents. As such, their plan to deliver the gift met with trouble all along the way.

If such situations were to persist for a few more weeks, they might even be forced to sell their gift as scrap iron to earn a little bit of money for the journey back home.

Then, 2 days ago, they became aware of the cocktail party in Hermit's mansion and that the Emperor is going to be present as well. Delighted, they barged in here to deliver their gift personally.

However, the fact that they did not have invitations and that they were of foreign race made it impossible for the sentries to allow them in. The result of it was the three short fellows battling with the entire security troop of Hermit's mansion. With their experience in chaotic battles and their individual strength, the three fellows managed to claim victory.

If they were stalled for a moment just a moment longer, the Royal Guards would have arrived and they would be dealt with as assassins. The situation would be irreparable then.

What is fortunate is that Darsos came out in time. But, at the same time, what is unfortunate is that these fearless fellows offended the person they had to please the moment they opened their mouths.

"Leaving aside the insincere compliments, to strike at the sore spot of the other party murdering his father and siblings the moment they open their mouth, are you all here to deliver your gifts or to draw aggression?"

Shaking my head, I look at the enraged Darsos. I know that if I don't interfere, the result would most probably end in the three person being sentenced to death so as to vent his anger. This isn't the outcome I would like to happen.

"Respected Emperor, since they are here to deliver their gift, allow them to present it first. This way, you are able to show the magnanimity as the monarch of a powerful country."

His unwillingness to lose face in my presence seems to have made my smiling persuasion effective.

Taking 2 deep breaths, he suppresses his emotions which are on the verge of exploding and nods his head.

"Since Ro… Lady Reyne pleaded in your stead, then I will give you all a chance. Guests from a foreign tribe, identify yourselves and present your sincerity."

The 3 fellows immediately gathers together for a discussion and starts spouting introductory lines that they prepared beforehand.

"Since you have sincerely asked!"

"Then we will generously tell you!"

For…"

"Enough! Explain it properly in 10 second or I will throw all of you into the river with a stone anchor tied to you all." I wanted to listen to their newly edited introductory lines but apparently, Darsos doesn't have the patience for it. The roar of the Emperor made everyone lower their head and tremble in fear.

"We came from Liu Huang Mountain City of the Underground World. We have heard that your majesty is about to ascend to the throne, so we travelled a thousand miles to present to you our greatest gift."

As expected, threats are still effective.

"Underground World?"

In the eyes of the human nobles, the legendary Underground World is a place ruled with demons and monsters, filled with bloodshed and war, a totally different place from the Surface. Hearing the Gnomes and Gray Dwarf say that they originate from the Underground World, commotion broke out as faces of disbelief and shock appears on the faces of the nobles present.

"Cough, then show me what treasures you have brought."

Without doubt, looking at his raised eyebrows and the slight smile on the corners of his mouth, a gift from the citizens of the Underground World from a thousand miles away made Darsos feel exalted.

I heave a sigh of relief. Their innovative idea of sending a gifts from thousand miles away is indeed an excellent one. As long no accidents happen, even if the present is just so-so, Darsos would at least act pleased and reward them significantly so as to leave behind a good legend.

"Look, this miniature No.88 Robot scaled at a 20:1 ratio is our present to your majesty."

Kabala pulls out a broken robot from his patched sack.

That is a robot on the verge of breaking apart. It is only a metre tall and it is covered with green rust throughout its entire body. Apparently, it is made of second-handed waste spare parts leaving it without a shred of majesty that the original one possesses.

The panicking Yingou didn't manage to explain clearly. What he meant to say is that he intend to present the bigger Robot No.88 but due to its hulking size, he can only replace it with a smaller model.

"Puu. This could be given to the kids to play with."

"This is a direct insult to the Engineers of Auland Empire. Our Magic-Engineered Steam Armor is already 3 meter tall, what do you all mean by sending this over? Do you think that our Emperor needs this little toy?"

In the eyes of the nobles here, what they see is a few fearless countryside bumpkins presenting a small toy to the Emperor.

"Look, he has a drill and a main cannon, there is even a jetpack at the back. They are all the latest technology of Liu Huang Mountain City, so they should be able to contribute to your country's engineering research…"

I slap my forehead. Without even clearing up the misunderstanding, Yingou continues to explain seriously, as though looking down on the engineering study standards of the other party, provoking their ire.

"Tsssssssss!" "Kacha!" "Boom!"

Alright, there is no need to explain too much about this. Just like other Safe-brand products, under the hands of the Gnomes, this scaled down robot first short circuited and black smoke came pouring out before it exploded.

"Enough! Is this your congratulatory gift to an Emperor? Perhaps, you all take my kindness for granted!"

Blood-red light emits from his demon sword, the Emperor no longer intends to conceal his killing intent.

The 3 people stare at each other in incomprehension. Although No.88 is the product of the crystallisation of the ingenuity of the Underground World engineering study, why does the other party seem to be on the verge of killing them. In the end, Kabala's mind moves and he thought of a really bad idea.

"Since this present is unsatisfactory, then let's just find another present on the spot."

"Lord, this is our real gift!"

"Audacious!" "What audacity!" Looking at the presents Kabala retrieves from his sack, the nobles of Auland immediately lashes out.

That is a bunch of jewels that looked familiar. It is the the ornaments used on the trees by the river. These inferior and cheap jewels that no one would pick is actually used as a gift to the greatest Emperor?

"Darn it, this is even worse than stealing flowers from the flower bed that a girl loves and using these fresh flowers to make a garland to propose to their original owner." Such suicidal actions left me speechless as well.

"Heh, arguing with you all is really a waste of my time."

What is fortunate is that Darsos was so enraged that he laughs instead. In the end, he shakes his head, deciding against squabbling with these Gnomes.

"Take them down. Forget it, you all can leave by yourself. Un? Liu Huang Mountain City? Isn't that the land of origin of the God who no one have heard of? Since the citizens there are like that, it shows how much a countryside bumpkin their true God is as well. Tell me, will the great God escape to the mortal world when a calamity there? Perhaps, our Auland will be blessed by a God as a result."

Although the Emperor's sense of humor is really lousy, these kind of cold jokes that mock a true God makes one really unable to laugh, but…

"I haven't even heard of the God of Law in the past. It was only a while ago did I hear that many merchants are switching to that faith. Indeed, as expected of the Church of lowly people."

"Heh, we can see it from these fellows. Who knew how did that unknown fellow become a true God. He probably just got lucky and somehow Ascended to Godhood.

However, Darsos is the Emperor. No matter how bad a joke is, the nobles under his command have to try their best to follow suit. However, they aren't dumb as well. At the very least, they know that they cannot call out the true name of 'Wumianzhe', otherwise if they were to catch the attention of a true God, a God's Punishment wouldn't be funny.

"Enough, you all can insult us but you all cannot insult Lord Wumianzhe! You foolish humans! You all can't even compare to a finger of his."

The hilarious high-pitched shouting of the Gnome echoes around the hall and following it is the entire hall bursting into laughter.

"Don't laugh! Do not laugh! I, Yingou.Beyar, forbid you all from laughing!"

But the more he shouted, the more angry he got, the louder the laughter of the human nobles became.

"Do not laugh, or our almighty countryside God is going to punish you." As though confident in his sense of humor, Darsos pinches his throat and does a vivid imitation of Yingou. This caused the the hall to explode in laughter once again. This time, the sound travels beyond the boundaries of the walls to outside the mansion.

"You… what do you all know, you bunch of short-lived ghosts! Wait until you all turn to dust, then the gaze of the true God will start to be directed towards you. In the face of Gods, you all must learn to be humble. How great do you think you are, Emperor of the mortals. In the eyes of that man, you are nothing."

Alright, the furious roar of the Gnome is indeed the truth, but it still hurts the pride of some people.

"Hmph, at least we had a rich and fulfilling life. What about Liu Huang Mountain City? Hehe, if you all are prosperous, you all wouldn't end up coming here to steal gems and present it as gifts! That kind of place is the land of origin of the God of Law? As expected, only in such a second-tier location will a countryside God be born."

The moment these words come out of his mouth, the entire atmosphere chilled. Even Darsos himself immediately covers his mouth. Although he didn't mention the name of the true God so Wumianzhe wouldn't be able to sense it, if word were to spread out, the Auland Empire would become the mortal enemy of the Church of the God of Law.

Suddenly, the old Dwarf who seems to be on a verge of sleep all along suddenly laughs.

"An Emperor of the mortals actually dares to insult the Gods of Heaven. Just on your guts, I will toast and gamble with you. But, it is a pity that you found the wrong opponent. Yingou that fellow tends to ramble nonsense but he isn't wrong this time. Compared to Lord Wumianzhe, even if it is the Lord Wumianzhe when he is still in the mortal world, you aren't even as valuable as a toenail of his."

"Hmph, I have heard of that man's story. Isn't he just some countryside judge who suddenly receives the approval of the Gods of Order, allowing him to Ascend as a God? It isn't wrong for me to say that he just got lucky."

The war between the authority of a monarch and the authority of a God is endless. Since Darsos has already offended the God of Law, there is no difference in going a little further. Thus, there is not a sliver of respect in his words towards the God of Law.

Even this sight left me speechless. If it was the Town Security or the other Judges protecting my honor, I wouldn't be surprised at all. But, looking at this bunch of bastards, they are the perverts who have been struck down by the Town Security innumerable times. As Wumianzhe, I even took care of them several times. It is enough that they do not hold enmity against me, but for them to actually speak up for me? Maybe I should go check on my hearing and my sight.

"… Perhaps, you bunch of people may not understand. The Underground World is a true hell, it is perfectly natural for the weak to die. In that world, resources are so scarce that one could be killed over a cup of water. I am an orphan without anything and for an unlucky fellow like me, the ending that I would most possibly meet with is dying in some sewer. But, in Liu Huang Mountain City, weaklings like me are able to live on. They even provided me a chance to learn architecture, giving me an opportunity to live using my own strengths."

"We are different from born winners like you who are rich enough to use jewels to decorate trees. We, the unlucky ones who struggle to live, know that allowing the weak to live with pride and allow the strong to live without depending on hunting down on the weak is a difficult task. In this entire world, the only one who is able to accomplish such a deed is that lord."

The solemn Kabala said so.

"'One day, my sons will live in a country where they are not judged by their race, but by their morals'. These words are carved on the Liu Huang Mountain City Gates and its square. That year, everyone simply treated it as an arrogant declaration but that man, he spent more than a century and through inching a step forward at a time, he really managed to eradicate racial discrimination. He really succeeded."

"Can you all imagine? Dark Elf Knights who are kind to the point of foolishness, Undead Warriors who are peacefully slacking about everyday, Gnome lads who are hardworking and are not greedy. In Liu Huang Mountain City, races aren't important. What is important is that what you did and what you intend to do."

The old man shakes his wine gourd and gulps down half of it.

"Emperor of the mortals, perhaps, you are able to command your armies to fight for you and your farmers to work for you, but can you make those ordinary citizens walk up to the city walls by their own free will and give up everything to protect their city? To fight a war that cannot be won? That man did it. He made the entire population of that city sacrifice their all to protect their homeland.

Somehow, the sight of the battle against the Demon Count floats to my sight and remembering those adorable citizens who walked up to the city walls by their own accord, I smiled.

"Hmph, isn't it just a political scheme? As long as I have sufficient time, I can accomplish it as well."

Darsos's face hardens but he is still unwilling to give in.

At the same time, the piercing shout of the Gnome echoes in the hall once again.

"Emperor of the mortals, you can probably tell that we aren't good people. In fact, we have been locked in the jail cells of Liu Huang Mountain City just a period ago because of certain things that we have done. Due to the schemes of some people, the walls of the jail fell but we didn't take advantage of the opportunity to escape. Do you know why?"

"Hmph, that is because you all are cowards."

"Hehe, old Hoyle and I are already Gold-rank. Going by the standards of you humans, we are masters who have transcended mortal standards. But, those who were guarding us were just a few Silver-rank. With our strength, we are able to earn a living wherever we go. But, why do we choose to obediently stay in our jail cell and suffer the ire of our juniors?"

The drunkard smiles. Those who escaped that time all died. After that incident, they reaffirmed that their choice to not escape that night was the right decision.

"Those who sinned must be punished and sinners will eventually be judged. Only through judgement can one be saved. These words were carved onto a rock placed in front of the jail. But, you all would probably just find it ridiculous. But, I can tell you that under the workings of that man, that became the rule of the city. The reason why we chose to stay in the cell is because we believe in the words of that man. After we serving our sentence, as long as we do not touch the bottom limit of the law, we can continue living with dignity in that city."

"As long as one sins, one would be punished. As long as one is innocent, one can live with dignity. For a Gray Dwarf like me who isn't welcomed in any Underground Cities, we are looked upon with suspicion wherever we go. But, in our city, no one will discriminate against us just because of our race. Emperor of the mortals, can you do the same?"

"After saying so much, as an Emperor, can you build a beautiful homeland where everyone can work in peace such that they are willing to give up everything for it? If you can't do it, then you can't even compare to a finger of that man."

"Hah, old drunkard, how could he do it? Have you forgotten what we met with on our way here? If it wasn't for us possessing two hands, we would have long been 'rid of as evil' by someone and all of our fortunes would be confiscated."

"Aiyo, that's right. Old Brother Beyar, I am starting to miss home. Perhaps, we should return back."

"Hmph, what greatest Emperor in 300 years. As expected, rumors cannot be trusted. Without a heart that tolerates others, without the willingness to comprehend the wisdom of others, filled with jealousy and biases, this country would be ruined in his hands sooner or later."

"Emperor of the mortals, I know you wish to be immortal, because that is what all of you Emperors with short lifespan wish for. But, even if you were to become immortal, you would only be a zombie that craves for the mortal world. You can never compare to that man who sacrificed everything to turn into the incarnation of the Law to change the world. Such a vulgar human actually dares to mock the God of Heavens, mock the incarnation of justice. Should I say that those who are ignorant are fearless? Or should I say that those who are shameless are invincible?"

At the end of their speech, the 3 of them carried their sack, preparing to leave. But this time, they are stopped.

Under the orders of a certain someone, the two Legends who were initially hidden in the secret chamber appears before them.

"To insult the Emperor in his face, you are guilty of insubordination. Throw him into the underground cellar! I will see if that incarnation of justice of yours will save you."

Looking at Darsos' steeled face which is ready to open blood, I know that nothing I say would help them now.

"Sigh, looks like I have to gather information once again. Where is the royal underground cellar? They really cause me tons of trouble." Even though I say this, somehow, my mood lifted.

…theory for Magic Engineering which is a mixture of both Magic and Engineering.

TL: I know it's obvious but…

As long no accidents happen, even if the present is just so-so, Darsos would at least act pleased and reward them significantly so as to leave behind a good legend.

TL: Legend - It more of means a good rumor, like when an Emperor spared who and who and it gets passed down in history.

Wait until you all turn to dust, then the gaze of the true God will start to be directed towards you

TL: Probably refers to the fact that after you die, the soul goes to the Heavenly Realm.

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Chapter 95: Losing Control

"A smart man turning dumb is a fish that is easiest to bait; This is because he is highly-educated yet is unable to see through his own arrogance. The foolishness of a fool isn't anything unique, what is funny is a smart man doing dumb things; That is because he is using all of his abilities to prove his stupidity."

"In the country of idiots lies a smart king. He feels that he is nobler and greater than the Gods."

"Oh, my brothers, please do not say that. The dignified lord is swinging about his stave of authority as he tries to ascend to the high throne. If you were to talk bad about him, fear that he would raise his stave of maggots to beat you."

"Hmph, the narrow-minded Emperor who can't even accept words of truth. Those arrogant words of yours that described the God of Law as a countryside bumpkin are arousing the laughter of the Gods in the Heavens."

"Oh, who gave this hilarious Emperor the confidence that with his short lifespan and his country, he is able to look down on the immortals?"

"Perhaps, it is because of his loud voice. At least, with his furious roar, he is able to make those crows shiver."

"Or perhaps, it is because he is very rich. At least, he is rich enough to use jewels as ornaments on trees and to lay mats for the road."

"Or perhaps, it is because he is strong. At least, those 40 unlucky fellows intend to present their own flags and serve him obediently as his lapdogs."

The comical trio, despite being blocked by Legend-rank guards, continued to sing their own songs.

"Hahahaha!" "Hehehehe!"

The hall has been plunged into chaos. The maniacal laughter of the three short fellows echo throughout the hall while the nobles (crows) shiver in fear.

"The Emperor's voice is resonant? Hmph, the entire country might hear his furious roar but that man never needed to shout. Even when facing a penniless farmer, even when interrogating the noble SemiGods, he only had to take out his codex and slowly talk the senses of our Liu Huang Mountain City to the other party."

"Let us slowly wait for the noble time to determine the weight of their words. 300 years later, when only ashes of the bones of the great Emperor are left behind, will his arrogant words be mocked by future generations? The solemn immortal, will he have realised his dreams and changed the world with his own rules by then?"

"The Emperor's country is very wealthy? Oh, in order to put up a show, he opened his own national vault extravagantly to flaunt his fortunes, using jewels to decorate their greenery and using milk to fill the rivers. The judges of the countryside isn't that wealthy. They are so poor that they often spends beyond what they earn, writing a loan to pay for their bread tomorrow."

"But, in his country, as long as you work, you won't starve. As long you follow the law, you will be respected. Every single civilian can enter his office to complain about what is plaguing them or express their hopes for the future. But, your country is one where human eats human. The greedy nobles are wolves. The cunning merchants are innocent sheeps in front of the wolves but they turn into tigers when facing the civilians. As for you, the great Emperor, the almighty one who feeds on wolves and tigers, have you ever walked through the districts of normal civilians to listen to the 'moaning' of those sheeps who are in so much pain that they find it hard to live on. Have you listened to how they sell their sons and abandon their daughters just so that they can fill their stomach today?"

"The Emperor's country is strong? I've heard that your Royal Guards are Silver Cross (Mark of a Silver-rank) Elites, that voice can make your neighbouring countries tremble. Then, do you know that in the Underground World where the strong reign supreme, even Golden Triangles (Mark of a Gold-rank) are only pawns in battle. Do you know that we have just eliminated a Demon Count that is able to rival a true God, together with his army, exiled the evil Dragon Empress and beheaded the Beastman Sovereign who once commanded an army of over ten thousand Golden Triangles?"

"We don't have nobles that protect their land and civilian because our land do not belong to anyone. Our city doesn't have any army but if the shadow of war looms over our homeland, we are willing brave warriors who can give up everything to protect it. We have many enemies, but we have even more friends whom we are willing to believe in. But you, the great Emperor, the Emperor who is envious of the Gods, do you think that after losing your royal crown and stave, when your homeland is under threat, how many of your people are willing to give up their lives for you? How many nobles are willing to die for the country? How many allies will come to rescue you and how many won't stab you in your back?"

"The young Emperor who raises his rotten stave, you might think that you are a dignified monarch, but you're just a grandstanding clown."

"An immoral person who killed his father and siblings, you think that you can look down on that man. But, regardless of whether it is your morals or your value of existence, you can't even compare to a strand of hair from that man."

"The foolish Emperor who envies true God, you think that you're powerful and rich. In actuality, you don't even know what it means to be strong. In front of that Lord, in front of the truly powerful, please remain humble."

"You think that you are very incredible."

"But actually you are hardly it."

"You're a joke."

Alright, the three of them insult him one after another, Darsos's face turns bright red. In the end, the three short fellows got arrested by the Emperor's personal guards. Or perhaps, one should say that they surrendered after realising they were unable to defeat them. However, those who are more sensitive could feel that this matter has yet to come to an end.

Hoyle and the rest don't care about politics or anything else, they're just bastards with many problems on them. But, they know who is the one who gave a good life to the citizens of Liu Huang Mountain City. So, even if you are the almighty Emperor, as long as you insult the benefactor in their heart, they will still put you in your place.

The human Emperor who mocked the true Gods and the short Gnomes and Gray Dwarf who mocked the Emperor. In the eyes of the onlookers, especially in my eyes, it is something that would be written in the annals of history.

As I expected. Two days later, something happened.

"… The nonsense of the three short fellows has been made into a comical bar tune. Now, the tune is spreading in many of the bars and tea houses in the public district. Given how widespread it is now, I'm afraid it's too late to stop it."

The momentum of history cannot be stopped. But, that so-called momentum is forged by countless individuals and events. In the country-level battles both on the surface and in the shadows, the three fellows are insignificant but often, it is these insignificant figures who do astounding things.

"There must be a mastermind manipulating it behind the scenes. The lyrics are picked off the original words of those Gnomes and has been worked on, so the artistic level is rather high. Even our playwrights and music experts say that it is the work of a master… They even said that it might become a legendary piece."

"The archbishop of the God of Law Krose has sent an official note, demanding us to release the prisoners as well as to explain for the disrespect to the God of Law. The Nore the 6th from the Church of Holy Light has sent a message through the urgent communication channel to express their dissatisfaction with us and request for us to explain for the disrespect towards a true God. There are also 9 other Churches of true God that are watching the matter and severely warned us, demanding us to give them an explanation."

"The Royal Guards have found a giant robot in the temporary quarters of those three fellows. That should be the present that they intend to present and based on the primary investigation from our royal engineers, it is indeed very advanced and there are quite a few techniques involved in it that could be helpful for the progress of our country's engineering study. But, it is a pity that the Gnomes refuse to cooperate with us. Not only so, someone let the word out and privately criticised the Emperor for repaying gratitude with enmity, mocking the Emperor for his lack of tolerance."

"The intelligence organisation 'Midnight Rose' has sent a warning that there are idle chatter describing how you murdered your predecessor to ascend to the throne. Of course, these are unfounded claims but your prestige is being affected as a result of these rumors. As these vile rumors spread, civilians are starting to call Your Majesty as 'The Foolish Emperor who Envies the Gods'. There are even people who are spreading rumors that our Auland Empire has the ambition of annexing the other countries. Out of the 40 countries, there are at least 30 who are wavering now and they are communicating in private. They seem to be scheming against us."

Reports of bad news are stacked one after another on the table. The pen is mightier than the sword. The young Emperor is facing with his greatest challenge ever since he was confirmed for enthronement. This is a formless enemy, yet at the same time it is the doings of countless opposing forces, making one unsure of where to start tackling the problem from.

From a certain sense, Darsos can indeed be considered a wise king. At least, under his rule, his subordinates dare to point out his mistakes as well as the bad circumstances that are occurring without worrying for their head.

"Darsos, you really overdid it this time. Disregarding everything else, just for a little verbal conflict, you got pinned with the crime of looking down on a true God, resulting in hostility from the Churches of Gods. This is really a foolish decision."

As Darsos' good friend and brother, only Hermit dares to point out the Emperor's fault to him. But, at this moment, Darsos is also very vexed. Recalling the matter back then, it is really unlike how he usually settled things.

"Indeed, staying away from women is the right choice. Beauty really harms people."

Darsos finally recalls that the reason why he was so annoyed and why he failed to censor his words. It is most probably because of that 'Reyne' by his side.

Being criticised and mocked in front of the lady that one likes, even the most humble and prudent person would not be able to suppress the rage in their heart, needless to say the Emperor of an empire who holds great authority in his hands.

"The contract probably played a part as well. After all, those are the words of the Devils. More or less, there are some problems with the language of the Lower Realm."

Language itself holds power. The language of the Lower Realm will incite negative emotions. The Chaos Language of the Divine Arts and the Blasphemous Language of the Art of Truth are spells that utilise the Devil Language and Demon Language from the Lower Realm. Comparatively, the Virtuous Language and the Sacred Language are spells that use the God Language and Angel Language from the Heavenly Realm.

Having stare at the contract for too long, negative emotions unknowingly welled up inside Darsos. At the same time, the demon sword itself causes one to side towards Chaos. When he walked out of the chamber, his feelings were already very pent up, so it was natural that he would explode in rage after being mocked in public.

"It's too late to say all these. What's done is done. What is important now is to fix it."

If he just misspoke, it would still be easy to deal with. But, given that the one he insulted prepared a big gift for him, it made him look ungracious and narrow-minded instead.

As the bizarre song started to spread around the entire city at rocket speed, the 'beautiful title' of 'The Foolish Emperor who Envies the Gods' got attached to him before he received the title of the King of Winter Wolves.

For an Emperor in the feudal era, authority and honor are much more important than their life. Sometimes, reputation can equal to one's might. When an Emperor loses his honor and reputation, the nobles under his control will refuse to listen to his commands.

All these weren't a result of someone's scheming but sometimes, mistakes that pile up as a result of cause and effect can be even more fatal than the plots of an enemy.

This is especially so when Darsos and the Auland Empire weren't really that stable internally. His father and siblings might have fallen from the stage but the influence that they left behind hasn't been plucked out yet. Furthermore, the noble warlords are looking at the situation closely for an opportunity to push ahead their ambitions. How could they miss an opportunity that allows them to lower the king's authority and honor without losing a single soldier?

Those little countries who are forced to join the alliance are already full of resentment. It is still manageable if there are no flaws in the Auland Empire for them to pick at. But, now that a weakness has appeared, they are gathering in flocks to stab at it so as to seek an opportunity for them to break away to become independent.

If it was 3 to 5 years later when Darsos has a firm control over the country, these wouldn't pose as a problem. However, Darsos has been suppressing the internal and external situation with force in recent times, his situation is as though he is sitting on a volcano in this instant. Now that he finally misspoke and a hole has appeared in his defense, his opponents won't just let it slide.

Thus, under the efforts of different factions, even without them colluding together, the rumors and the bar tune spread swiftly and all kinds of hidden problems came crashing in simultaneously.

"Since the mistake has been done, then let's just go through with it. Throw the three of them into our most secure prison and prevent them from meeting anyone. If we were to let them out, it would show that we are weak. Return a message to Nore, use slightly more tactful wordings and say that it was just a slip of the tongue and apologise for it. As for the Church of the God of Law, since we have offended them thoroughly, then just ignore them totally. As for the rumor, let our intelligence group create a few more unbelievable rumors so as to divert the discussions…"

Even in a disadvantageous situation, Darsos calmly came up with solutions one after another to tackle the problems one by one. Even if it is a little too late, it's still quite an impressive feat.

"…That, Your Majesty, Lord Hermit, I have just received 2 new pieces of information."

A official suddenly rushes in and his words stops abruptly. It doesn't seem to be good news.

"Speak, what worse news can there be. I can take it."

"I don't know how the bar tune spread into the royal family prison, but the Gnomes have been humming it the entire day. Due to that, the other prisoners also began singing along. They're all mocking… There are some that say that the Emperor of this generation is useless and that the Auland Empire is going into decline."

"Pah!"

Despite knowing that they are just mocking of failures, words that won't affect him in anyway, Darsos is still unable to suppress his surging emotions. He smacked on the table with great force and the expensive red phoebe office desk split into 2.

TL: Red Phoebe is a type of wood.

The room suddenly turns silent. A moment later, the low voice of the Emperor after pushing down his bursting emotions rumble in the room.

"Alright. What's the next one? What other bad news is there?"

The young official replies shakily.

"The East Mist Communal Country declared the faith of the God of Law as their national religion and Princess Reyne placed her honor on the line to guarantee the innocence of the three men. Furthermore, she guarantees that the present they gave out is a priceless treasure and they weren't disrespectful towards the Emperor in that sense. They demanded us to release them instantly."

"Boom! Kacha!"

This time, there is no salvage for the expensive office desk. After Darsos smacks the table in a rage, not mentioning how the entire desk was destroyed, a hole even appears on the floor.

"As expected, women are not trustworthy!"At the same time, below the river, a figure is currently diving underwater and beside him is a black cat who is walking slowly in the water.

"Is this it? There's a reaction from the key? Let's hurry up, we don't have much time left."

PS：这段剧情卡了松鼠两天，本来打算真的用诗歌的，但那就估计要卡两个月了…..那就稍微模仿莎翁的戏剧台词凑合吧。顺，继续求票票吧。这段卡过了应该会快一点。RI

Well, to be fair, Darsos hasn't even become the Emperor yet and it isn't practical to expect him to exact such changes instantly. I mean, Roland had a hundred years behind him. Also, the background and history of both places are different.

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Chapter 96: Sneaking In

In a certain world, to deal with civil disputes, a lawyer must first learn how to create traps and avoid fraud in a contract so that they can reap more benefits for their employers.

The Devils of this world are masters of deception and experts in contract frauds. However, if there isn't a single ounce of truth in their words, their reputations will sour sooner or later and no one would be foolish enough then to sign a contract with them.

Thus, using the souls of both parties as a guarantee, as long as one is able to detect all of the possible traps in it, the Devil's Contract is instead, the world's fairest and most effective contract. This is also the reason why it is popular in many different dimensions.

The characters of the Lower Realm that are used to write on the contracts possess magic. Even if it is the residents of the Main Dimension who can't understand the Devil's Language of the Lower Realm, they are still able to understand what is written in one look. However, if they think that the contract will be fair just because they are able to comprehend it, they can't be more wrong.

Contract fraud is something that the Devils have researched and studied like a form of art since tens of thousands of years ago. For example, if you were to take a magnifying glass to examine those elegant ornaments on the contract, you will realise that those are actually twisted words that form an additional clause in the contract. If you don't notice it before signing on it, you can only admit your misfortune.

The section that is overwhelmingly long and complicated that it makes you feel averse to might very well be hiding the true terms through the first word of every sentence or such. You might think that the contract should be read horizontally but when carrying out the contract, the Devil will tell you that you should have been reading it vertically or even diagonally, causing the meaning of the contract to change altogether.

As for the inverted words, missing words, wrong terms and other factors that seem out of place, never think of them as an accidental mistakes or typos. Most probably, they are done intentionally and contains some kind of trap within.

Hence, for a Mage who often come into contact with the Lower Realm, the first thing to take note of when striking a deal when Devils is to never use the original contract they provide and insist on creating a new one on the spot, even if it means that it will result in a marathon-length showdown.

As eras progressed, the hypocritical and deceitful human nobles began to employ the Devil's Contract amongst themselves. Of course, the human's aptitude for deception is in no way inferior to the Devils. For over a thousand years, they managed to play out new tricks in contract fraud that surprised even the Devil Lords. For example, they would raise an orphan and name them with an identical name with some influential individual and make them sign the contract in their stead. Even I myself wouldn't dare to use a contract prepared by somebody else, or allow the contract out of my sight.

As expected, Darsos refused to use the contract that I've prepared without a second thought. He even brought out a literary scholar and magic scholar from Hermit's residence and requested for a new contract to be written on the spot.

Thus, we struggled against each other one clause after the other. But very quickly, I managed to slowly seize the initiative for the creation of the contract.

Ignoring the fact that the literary scholar and the magic scholar are not as professional as I am, the Devil's Language from the Lower Realm possesses magic. Its side effect of inciting negative emotions is still a small matter, what would be fatal is if it corrupts your soul, causing you to fall into depravity. The fight over the clauses of the contract isn't just a battle of knowledge. Even more so, it is a showdown of one's physical stamina and will.

I intentionally dragged out the contention over the clauses of the contract and even verbalized the Devil's Language to place greater pressure on them. By the time the contract is finally signed, the moment the tension on the scholars ease, they immediately faint on the floor. It seems that it would a year or so for them to fully recuperate.

I am rather satisfied with the final contract. Also, the other party has seen the hard work the experts have put into the contract so Darsos and the rest are quite satisfied with it as well. Un, at the very least, before those loopholes are discovered, they should be quite satisfied.

One of the victories that I found the most satisfactory is the clause stating that 'No acts of military threats or war is allowed under any under cause within 10 years'. This would ensure a period of peace for East Mist Communal Country. Without this clause, if Darsos starts to threaten us again a few days after we finished trading our chips, we, on the weaker side, would still have to give in. This would mean that we have signed the contract for nothing.

What about after 10 years? I don't think that he would have the leisure then to go after the East Mist Communal Country. Besides, if my plan is successful, it would be hard to tell who would be the one raising trouble with whom.

With this secret contract, the East Mist Communal Country could be said to have truly achieved freedom. This is also why after discussing for a bit after returning back, Reyne and the others did not hesitate to acknowledge the God of Law as the national religion and demanded for the Auland Empire to hand over the three short fellows.

Without a doubt, this is a challenge to the prestige of Darsos and the Auland Empire. Even more so, we were stabbing them savagely in the back just after the contract has been established. Yet, Auland was unable to do anything extreme retaliation.

"I stabbed you in the back. So what are you gonna do? Bite me?"

"Un? The East Mist Communal Country actually remained unscathed even after such provocation. Looks like the rumors that the Auland Empire being only strong in appearance is true. Perhaps, the young Emperor might turn out to be unable to even command the Dukes and Counts under him."

Surrounded by enemies, when the first one to jump out and question their authority isn't smacked down, many more would probably follow suit. If so, their authority would be endangered.

This isn't a conjecture of my part but a fact proven by the recent changes in the situation.

Indeed, I was the one who spread the song, but the melody wasn't my doing. At the very least, I know myself well. Even though my music talent is better than Gria's, an evolution from the Cry of a Banshee into the Cry of a Lich would create the same murdering effects. Perhaps, dying a slower death might turn out to be even more torturous.

Since the melodies aren't something that I could have composed, the few bar melodies, operas and the few other varieties which are spreading around furiously now surfaced too quickly. Without a doubt, someone is making use of this opportunity to move in the shadows to damage Darsos's reputation.

Trying to assume an influential position by suppressing 46 other states during his enthronement, without a doubt, this is a big gamble. While its success would bring about humongous rewards, but it also poses the risk of the situation rebounding back on them, both internally and externally.

Given the speed which the songs are composed and disseminated, as well as the high quality of the finished products, there is a very high chance that it is the doing of the Auland nobles. It would be difficult for other powers to amass so many musicians and playwrights to work on it, and utilise a large amount of travelling poets to spread the name of 'The Foolish Emperor who Envied the Gods' to the masses.

In a country that adopts feudalism, a ruler who manages to gather great influence and power isn't something the nobles would want to see. Auland Empire has 2 Great Dukes, 4 Dukes and 37 Counts. Of them all, more than 70% have their own territory and subjects. All along, they have been living like kings in their own lands.

In the future "history", Darsos would successfully amass power and look for reasons to reclaim back one third of the noble titles, confiscating their territories and wealth along with it. Through that, he created a powerful centralised country.

This is something inevitable. When a monarch gains power, the nobles will be suppressed. From a certain viewpoint, the nobles of Auland Empire didn't do nothing wrong. They have seen through the wild ambitions of their new Emperor and had been looking for an opportunity to exploit to overcome this threat.

On the other hand, two hours after the East Mist Communal Country made the demand to release the three, thirteen other nations made identical demands, of which, three of them have hundred years of history as Auland Empire's vassals.

The identity of the three prisoners is no longer relevant at this point. The envoys of the other nations probably don't even know their names, but this did not stop them from protesting. Those 'innocent' unlucky fellows have already became the breach that the smaller countries were looking for to challenge the might of the Auland Empire. As more envoy parties receive the authorisation of their kings, many more would probably join the protesting faction.

Without doubt, the Auland Empire is facing retribution for oppressing the weaker nations to serve as their vassals. No nation would willingly submit to another. After all, they would have to pay tributes to them and serve as their pawns when war breaks out. Since the situation can't get any worse, so they chose to make a gamble before the new Emperor ascends the throne.

Without a doubt, in this period of time, Darsos's authority and pride has been challenged from both internal and external factions. But, his way of handling it is really skillful.

Despite facing so many provocations, he remained peculiarly silent. He didn't even try to blame the East Mist Communal Country for it and instead, silently fulfills the terms of the contract, sending huge amount of resources and technology to the ambassador party.

"He gave in just like that??"

Reyne and Kelly were shocked, this definitely wasn't the style of that oppressive Emperor. But, in my opinion, the man hasn't changed at all. He has the standard character of a gambler. The reason why he is keeping his silence now is just to raise the stakes further.

If he decides to compromise, he could just release the three fellows. However, he is keeping abnormally silent on that matter. Right now, he is just bearing all of the pressure so as to look for an opportunity to turn the tables around in one shot.

Fulfilling the contract is just a part of his plans. Going by our contract, if the Auland Empire finish giving all of the resources and technologies promised in it, then I would have to pass the keys of the secret underwater base to Darsos.

"An opportunity to turn the tables… The enthronement ceremony? If he were to bring out the Air Fleet at that moment… No, he doesn't even need the entire fleet, he only needs to bring out one. That revolutionary weapon that no one has ever seen before should be sufficient to boost his reputation and influence, allowing him to suppress the voices of dissent."

I could even guess how he would alter the programmes of the enthronement ceremony. A military parade is always the best way for one to display their military might. After several of their armies have shown their prowess and the parade reaches the climax, the entry of the new warship would allow him to suppress those restless nobles and vassal states, granting him greater authority.

The reason why I called the Emperor a gambler is because despite the fact that his plan seems feasible, it is dangerous gamble filled with uncertainty.

"If the despairing Engineers were to destroy the creations they painstakingly built, the interior of the of the secret base will just reduced to ruins; Even if the doors are opened, if none of the ships could be completed within three months to make it in time for the enthronement ceremony, then his efforts and resources would have gone down the drain."

In any case, his actions of fulfilling the contract in advance is beneficial to the East Mist Communal Country. However, to me, it means that I would have to speed up my plans. After all, I am interested in the treasures of the underwater base as well. At the very least, the technology for the Air Fleet can be said to be a priceless treasure that every single country desires.

Logically speaking, there should only be one entrance to the underwater base, which is situated near an old bridge. However, the land there has already been turned into the base for the Auland Royal Guards. The Emperor's most trusted elite troops are often stationed there, not to mention that the area is reinforced by the SemiGod 'Dragon Sniper' Deimos. Even getting close to that place is problematic, needless to say entering the underwater base.

However, in this moment, I am diving in the river to find something else.

"Yes, it's indeed here."

Despite the constant protest, the multi-purpose Meow Alien can also glow underwater, making the search for my objective more convenient.

After two fruitless nights, I've finally found my target. It is a stone cliff with a White Wolf Insignia sculpture latched onto it. Although it is mostly covered by seaweed and the flowing water had eroded much of it, the savageness of the wolf's head still remains lifelike.

I carefully place the Wolf Fang Necklace on the insignia but nothing happened.

"As expected, the blood I've taken from Darsos isn't enough. It's fortunate that I made preparations in advance."

On the pouch on my waist is a bottle of fresh blood that was just retrieved. (Darsos's father: Unfilial son. This dungeon is filled with blood-sucking rats! Piss off, smelly rats! Despite living gloriously for my entire life, will I end up dying to the mouths mere rats!)

The blood mixes with the river water, dyeing the entire necklace red. Finally, the eyes of the wolf head sculpture emits white light a dark hole opens by the wall, causing a slight change in the water level of the entire river.

"As I expected, there is an underwater entrance."

Finally, I felt the burden on my heart lift. This kind of man-made underwater base would most probably have an emergency exit. Although it is a conjecture on my part, the cave that opens up before me after the mechanism is activated has proven my conjecture.

However, this passageway isn't very wide. It probably isn't a passageway for boats as I guessed but rather, one for the flow of water or for the movement of the workers.

I carefully sneak into the cave and head upward along the passageway. In a few minutes, I reach the surface of the water.

The moment my head pops out to scan the surroundings, I didn't even have the time to take a second look when I submerged my water back into the water hurriedly.

"Despite all of the possible scenarios I have thought of, I didn't expect such a conclusion."

Regardless of whether it is me or Darsos, we do not hold any expectations there to be any survivors in the base. After all, the supply of water and rations have been cut for more than a year. Even if they use the river water to quench their thirst, no matter what, they would have all died from the lack of ration for an entire year.

However, after sneaking a peek, I realise that we were all wrong. Not only were there survivors, the survivors were even working hard building the ships. On one side, by the pier, there are already two medium-sized Air Fleet berthing by the port.

"To think that it would be a fellow peer. Looking at the amount of Low-tier Undeads here, there should be an Undead Lord here."

Yes, although there are survivors, there were no living beings remaining. Those who are working hard at the pier are mostly of them are Skeletons and Zombies. Judging from how their flesh have yet to fully decompose, they should have been converted to Undeads not too long ago.

"Is it Prince Carlohin? Worse come to worse, there could be a Saint-rank Lich in there. That would be hard to deal with."

Even if I were to ignore those Undead beings, the small-scale and medium-scale magic statues who were busy working on the pier are also not easy to deal with. As an important military base of the Auland Empire, it is hard to imagine it wouldn't be firmly guarded to the smallest detail.

From the intelligence in 'history', the future invincible Air Fleet also has a section of Ghost Fleet. Of which, the Fleet Admiral is a High-tier Lich named Carlohin. It is rumored that he is the younger brother of the previous Emperor and Darsos's uncle.

At that moment, there were many speculations why a noble Prince of a large country would end up becoming a Lich. What's even more incredulous is that the King of Winter Wolves would actually hand nearly half of the Fleet over to this undying. But now, it seems that it is the Prince who handed over the Fleet to the Emperor.

Very possibly, the seclusion from the outer world is the impetus for that great Mage to turn into a Lich. After all, when he realised that there weren't sufficient food, he can't possibly just sit idly and wait for his demise. After converting into a Lich, he wouldn't require food. Perhaps, that is the best solution then for his survival.

I quietly remain under the water, looking around the surroundings to etch the situation in my heart before turning around to leave without a second thought.

"Since my fighting power is insufficient, I just have to bring more people with me the next time."

But, after returning to the Church, my plan met with an obstacle. The top fighter among my subordinates, the Moon Knight Diana, is fated to be unable to join in this project.

"That… I grew up in an Underground City. Water is a very luxurious resource. It is already wasteful to use it for bathing. If I were to use it for swimming…"

Alright, nothing more needs to be said, the excuses the residents of the Underground World have for not being able to swim is simply too persuasive.

Also, considering the fact that a heavy armor unit like the Holy Knight depends heavily on their equipment and the impossible challenge of swimming with one's armor, even the intention to get her to give it a try dispels from my mind.

Scanning around, Beifeng and Casio looks up at the sky, trying their best to pretend that they didn't hear our discussion. Clint remains silent, but it is obvious that he is unable to swim just by looking at that heavy armor of his. On the other hand, Momo excitedly raises her hand and sounds off.

"I am the best swimmer among the Town Security. Back then, I have practised in the fish pond in Morsblight and I am able to hold my breath underwater for a minute! I can also swim 30 meters in one breath!"

Alright, what the heck is the meaning of this record of a 10 year old? I got happy too early. In the end, I turn my pleading eyes to Krose but got an apologetic reply in return.

"Lord Oracle, Wild Elves never liked water. Due to staying in the Underground World for a long period of time, I didn't even learn how to transmogrify into a seal, so…"

"I don't know how to swim."

"It doesn't rain often in the Underground World."

Looking at the bunch of landlubbers before me, a headache starts to consume me. However, the black cat on my shoulder laughs gleefully.

"Stupid, why don't you look for a Siren. Their Race Talent, Blessing of the Sea God, allows non-swimmers to be able to swim and breath underwater for a short period of time. It is definitely more than enough."

"There is only a river here. Where do I look for a Siren?"

"Here."

It is a piece of tattered poster. On the picture is a comical clown, Twin-headed Ogre acrobat, air trapeze artist and a Siren Beast Tamer who performs with her seals.

"Fire Dragon Circus? I seem to have heard of it somewhere before."

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Chapter 97: Aurora Knights

"Aurora Knights? Aren't those just legends?"

In the past, there used be an order of Aurora Knights among the Royal Knights of Mist. They are the rarely seen tier-4 (Gold-rank) human troop. 300 years ago, they should have disappeared along with the Mist Country.

But, as time passed, that legend of that order of Knights was viewed with suspicion. After all, they number only a few and they rarely left the snowy fields of the Southern Lands.

One of the unique traits of humans are their rapid growth. But, on the other hand, due to their short lifespan and the short period in which they are at the pinnacle of their strength, the average battle power of the human kingdoms remain at a bottleneck.

For example, grooming a mature White Wolf Knight would require at least 7 to 10 years, which means a rookie would be around 17 to 18 years old by the time they become a qualified Knight. But, by 40, many aspects of their body will begin to deteriorate so normally, the period when they are able to serve rarely exceeds 20 years. The age in which Knights tend to be of their pinnacle strength is between 28 to 35.

Ignoring the augmentations due to equipment, a large portion of the ace troops are unable to reach tier-3. That's also where the name Silver Dignity came from. For most of the human kingdoms, a Knight who reaches the Silver-rank is eligible to become the lowest noble.

As for those lucky ones who successfully advances into the Gold-rank, they are given the noble title of Masters, regardless of which race or tribe they come from. This is a level that exceeds where hard work can bring one to and is fated to be the privilege of only a few geniuses.

The God of Fate is fair. The more reliant a Warrior is to their equipment, the harder it is for them to advance on to the next rank.

Comparing it like that, the humans are far too inferior compared to the other races. There is totally no difficulty at all for a mature Elf to reach Silver-rank and through hard work, they can easily achieve the level of a Gold-rank. Although the Beastmen have a slower growth rate, through their outstanding basic stats and Race Talent, as long as their weapons and equipment don't lack too far behind, they can easily match two humans of the same power rank.

But, humans were still able to suppress the other races to become the dominant power of the continent. Other than their overwhelming population, credit must also be given to their numerous and complex classification of troops as well as their outstanding ability to craft equipment. Special breeds, elites and aces, every single mature troop have their own specialised equipment and role to play in battle.

Through the augmentation of equipment, on average, troops that reach tier-2 (Bronze) can become the backbone military power of each countries. The White Wolf Guards, being a tier-3 troop, plays an important part for the formidable strength of the Auland Empire.

The Missilor Savage Dragon Spear that they made is indestructible after infusing mana into it while the one-time use Savage Javelin that explodes after being thrown has the equal might to a full-strength attack of a Gold-rank. On the other hand, the Savage Sword which has jagged edges with flames enchanted on it serves as a fearsome body shredder. Under the augmentation of these sturdy weapons along with the unbreakable Missilor Light Plate and the hefty investment in these by the Auland Empire without any regards to the cost, this ace tier-3 light cavalry troop is born (The reason why why it is a light cavalry is because the equipment is extremely heavy. Even the specially-bred horse is unable to withstand the additional weight from putting on heavy armor, thus only light armor protecting the vitals can be worn. Despite so, this light cavalry is known to be even slower than heavy cavalry.)

This is already at the level of an ace troop of a powerful Empire, as well as the crystallisation of the progress in alloy smelting technology in the past hundred years. Yet, it is said that 300 years ago, in a country in the frigid snowfields, there is a tier-4 heavy cavalry known as the Aurora Knights. No matter what, people would be doubtful of its existence.

"The difference between an average Gold-rank and an average Silver-rank is as great as the heavens and earth. Exactly what kind of mounts and equipment can forcefully pull a Bronze-rank Warrior all the way up to possess the strength of a Gold-rank. Could they be Dragon Knights? With 100 of such Knights, one could dominate the whole world."

"However, based on the information and a sample of their equipment that the other party sent over, our primary analysis has shown that the full strength of an Aurora Knight is of tier-4 standard."

Darsos opens his mouth in incredulity. It is hard to believe that they would send such a top-tier military secret just like that.

During negotiations, Roland had indeed jokingly mentioned that he would use the Aurora Knights to trade for the three great tier-3 troops of the Auland Empire, including the White Wolf Guards in the mix. However, in reality, the existence of the Aurora Knights has been viewed with suspicion all this while. If they really exist, their value would indeed be above that of the three tier-3 troops, so they only treated it as a joke.

Thus, Darsos agreed to it without any hesitation. He even said that if the other party was willing to exchange such information, they would be willing to provide a thousand sets of sample equipment for the three great tier-3 troops each.

This was just a verbal promise made jokingly. After all, even if the Aurora Knights were to really exist, they should have disappeared in the annals of history. If not, the East Mist Communal Country wouldn't be meeting with defeat after defeat, causing their strength as a country to diminish continuously.

However, they actually really sent the information of the troop along with a sample during their toughest moments. What kind of situation is this? Are they using another method to display their submission to the Auland Empire?

Darsos delightfully questions:

"Where is it? Have you tested it yet?"

Very quickly, when the sample is brought to him, Darsos's delighted face immediately freezes.

That is indeed an elegant and artistic plate mail. The thickness and bulkiness of it didn't cause the artistic value of it to lower. The sharp spikes on the armor apparently aren't just to accentuate the aesthetics of the armor. The frigid air that surrounds the armor smells of magic.

But… That equipment is melting. A puddle of water is already accumulating in its surroundings.

"Isn't this an ice sculpture? How can it be an equipment!"

"Based on the information that the other party sent over, the armor of the Auroroa Knights is made using a special kind of ice. Based on the tests we conducted, before the special mana infused in it subsides, the hardness of this ice armor is actually 3 times of our Missilor alloy despite being just a quarter of its mass."

"Also, the mount of the Aurora Knight is an apparition lifeform that is known as the Frigid Nightmare. It is stated very clearly in the information that the Mist Bloodline had made a contract with them for them to provide a batch of its youths every 2 decades to serve as the mounts of the Aurora Knights. This kind of accumulation can be accrued and they should have accumulated quite a sum of their youths throughout the past 300 years. That is to say, the East Mist Communal Country has at least a Knight Order of that level as its trump card."

At that moment, realisation strikes Darsos.

This can be considered as a friendly gesture as well as a display of might. The frost armor of the Aurora Knights and their spiritual mounts are obviously a unique product of the South. It is very probable that they might be unable to leave the Southern lands but if they were to meet with an invasion…

"No wonder the alliance formed by over a dozen of countries would meet with such heavy losses. Is the frost armor and its blueprint helpful to us?"

"It is extremely helpful. Although there are many flaws in it, it is probably the pinnacle if what a human troop could hope to reach. As long as we are able to digest the theory behind this blueprint, our White Wolf Guards would be able to take one step forward. It is even possible that it might give rise to a new tier-3 troop."

Nodding his head, Darsos hesitates for a moment before coming to a conclusion.

"Pass the information of the information of our troops with the exception of the White Wolf Guards to her and promise her that we would pass the information of the White Wolf Guards to her after 3 years. Also, to express our good intentions, open our trade channels to them. Right, treat the three fellows better as well. Perhaps, the reappearance of the Twin Stars may cause the East Mist Communal Country to rise once again… Right, ask her whether she is willing to have dinner with me tonight as well."

Not long later, while rejecting the embarrassing invitation, I am quite satisfied with the 'presents; that Darsos sent over.

The Aurora Knights indeed exists. In fact, they were the main powerhouse of the previous Royal Knights of the Mist Royalty. But, it is a pity that the Contract Altar with the Frigid Nightmares is in the coldest region of the Southern Lands which is is no longer part of the territory of the Mist Country. It won't be an easy feat returning it to this world.

The frost armor is actually an imitation from the collaboration of me and the Queen of Banshees. The true Aurora Heavy Armor requires the power of the Frigid Nightmares and it doesn't melt that easily. In order to prevent the wearer from being frozen into an ice cube, it requires a contract to be established between the wearer and this ice element apparition-like lifeform. The true Aurora Knight is indeed a powerful tier-4 troop but the requirement for such a contract to be established is that the Knight has to be at least tier-3 pinnacle.

To the other races, Silver-rank pinnacle may mean nothing but to the humans, it is already a height which mortals might be unable to reach within their lifespan. This is also the reason why the Aurora Knights are unable to become a standard troop. However, if a war were to really occur, as long as I have a hundred Aurora Knights in my hands, I wouldn't even lift an eyebrow at the sight of a thousand members of the White Wolf Guards.

Of course, given the rate how a hundred youths of the Frigid Nightmare is supplied to us every 2 decades, the Aurora Knights has never been filled to its capacity before. However, just thinking of how no contract was established in the last 300 years, how there should be at least 1500 Frigid Nightmares waiting for the summons of the Knights in the South, I can't help but want to rush there to reclaim our stolen land.

As for the information I supplied to the Auland Empire, I don't believe that he could recreate the Aurora Knights simply through those things. However, the information of the weapons we received in exchange can bring the Alchemy industry of the East Mist, which is lacking behind the current times by 200 years, to greater heights. That is what that is important.

Besides, since I have slapped him soundly on his face, there is a need to provide him with some benefits. Contracts are not omnipotent. Standing on the direct opposite of the Auland Empire isn't something good. Besides, the type of enemy that are the hardest to deal with is those whose stand isn't clear. On the contrary, those who stand clearly in the enemy faction are easier to deal with.

At this moment, I didn't have the attention to deal with these troublesome matters. The Knight lads in front of me are full of strength but obviously, they had been living a pampered life before. They are already complaining despite it not being long since the training started.

"Bite your teeth and hang on. When this final training is finished, you all will get your lunch."

What is unfolding before me is, without doubt, a scene of a tragedy of the mortal world. Under the assault by a bunch of wild dogs, the young Knights, whose hands were tied up, were squeezing out the final ooze of their stamina to escape from their sharp fangs.

On the other side, Diana is currently supervising Princess Reyne's swordsmanship training and every single blow of hers has some kind of profoundness to it.

The Frigid Nightmare is indeed a product unique to the Southern Lands. Physically, it is a soul being. When the Knight it is linked with dies in battle, if it doesn't chose to return back to the great snow mountains, it would slowly descend into a long coma in one of that Knight's relics.

If a compatible Knight were to meet with such a relic, there is a possibility that he might be able to awaken that soul being and become a new Aurora Knight. If the new generation of Knight has blood ties with the deceased Knight, the possibility of forming a contract would be increased significantly.

This is also the only other way for the Order of Aurora Knights to expand their numbers other than the regular supply of Frigid Nightmares. I still have quite a number of this kind of relics from previous Aurora Knights in my hands. Initially, I didn't intend to take them out at all but after hearing from Kelly that most of the Royal Knights who escorted Reyne here are descendants of the previous generation of Aurora Knights, the thought pops into my mind.

"5 Silver-rank pinnacle while the rest of you are just Silver-rank primary stage and Bronze-rank pinnacle. This won't do."

Even if I really lack fighting power right now, but to become a noble Aurora Knight, having just the right bloodline isn't sufficient. If they were to want to inherit the honor and strength of their ancestors, they would have to at least show me their determination or at the very least, prove that they have a resilient life force.

Thus, these few days, these Knights were completely unfortunate.

Right after completing the test on the limits of their stamina, the lunch they anticipated didn't come but instead, a new test appears right before them.

"AH CHOO!!"

"Big Sister, stop splashing water on us! We have all caught the cold, there's no way to treat a cold in summer!"

But, after receiving my approval, Momo threw another bottle of ice water on them without any hesitation at all. Immediately, the two of the young men's face turn white. Right before they are about to roll their eyes and faint, someone heads over and 'pah pah pah', slaps them awake before throwing them into the ice bath.

Perhaps finding it hard to bear such a sight of harshness, Kelly silently walks over and whispers softly in my ear.

"Meditating on the tip of a sword, walking on burning charcoal, escaping from frenzied dogs and bathing in ice water right after they worked out a sweat. Is such a training method effective? I only see these kids on the verge of dying, I don't really see them improving. Back then, Feyde didn't train them like that."

"No matter how they are trained, the end point is still to force them to overcome their limits. When they find themselves treading the boundaries of death a few more times, they will break through their bottleneck. Rest assured, I received the most traditional Royal Knight Training back then.

Kelly nods her head although it is hard to tell by her expression whether she really believes my words. Turning around, she barely walked a few steps when she seems to recall something and came running back hurriedly.

"I almost got fooled by you. Back then, you went off to become a Holy Knight when you were just 10, so how could you possibly undergo the complete Royal Knight training? At most, you were only taught basic swordsmanship."

"Don't worry about it, I am the legendary teacher who taught out a SemiGod. My way of teaching definitely isn't inferior to the conventional method in any ways. So, just rest assured. Look, didn't Reyne break through the Bronze-rank after undergoing my trainings?"

Reyne's unexpected breakthrough is indeed something to rejoice over and that fact made my argument even more persuasive. Kelly didn't go on about it.

But, what she doesn't know is that I am full of doubt as well.

"Why aren't they breaking through? Didn't that fellow Adam somehow broke through like that back then? Why don't I try making them meditate under the waterfall, beat them into a half-death state for them to experience the cosmos or tie a ton of weights on them to train their will? Un, let's try them 1 by 1 then. As long as they don't die, there would surely be a day that they will break through. Oh right, it is said that bungee-jumping is also a way to stimulate one's potential. Extreme hunger too, let's just deprive them of their dinner for 10 days."

A certain day, Annie asked Adam why Adam didn't teach him but rather, only imparted basic techniques to her before sending her off to adventure the outside world alone to gain some experience. Back then, Adam hesitated for a long time before coming up with an answer that makes me at a loss of whether to laugh or cry.

"I really don't know how I can teach you. If I were to use what we did back then, I think that you would most probably die your zodiac isn't a cockroach. Right, by no means should you ever look for your Uncle Bones to learn martial arts from, definitely don't do it. Also, when he says that phrase, don't hesitate, run as far as you can."

"That phrase?"

"Un, 'new idea'."

At this moment, a sudden ingenious inspiration strikes me.

"Ah choo! Who is talking bad about me? Right, lads, I have a new idea. Why don't we try the racing with the horse game? You tie yourself to the horse and slap the horse on its back, allowing the horse to pull you along on its run. What? You're afraid that you can't catch up? If you can't catch up, you will just get pulled on the ground for a few times. You all should be catch up with it soon enough. Back that, that fool and I used a raptor, you know. Its speed for short distance running is much faster than warhorses. But, raptors are difficult to find here so I can only use warhorses as a replacement."

"We might die…"

"We will definitely die!"

But, it is a pity that their Princess has already handed them all over to the hands of the devil. No matter what, they can only follow through to the end.

"I have another good idea. It is said that carving a tattoo on one's chest will awaken one's potential. Why don't we give it a try?"

A few years later, when the first generation of Aurora Knight reminisce the past, tears would start flowing down their face. Whenever the word 'trainer' is mentioned, they would instinctively start to tremble. Some of them would bring tidbits everywhere. Some of them would shake in fear whenever they see ice and Dark Elves. Some of them would start catching cold when summer comes and be cured of it the moment winter sets…

One of the thing which people found the most incredulous about this group of powerful founding Knights is that each of them has a tattoo on their chest. For some of them, it is a tiger while for the others, it is an elephant. However, for the most of them, they have seven bizarre scars over there.

TL: Fist of North Star, Kenshiro.

"You are already dead! My life is without regrets!"

This is their most despair-inducing war cry to their enemies. The self-confidence and fearlessness of death from the war cry motivated the future generations of Knights to imitate it.In this generation where entertainment is sorely lacking, especially for normal peasants, a travelling circus arrives at a town and starts to put up their tent, sound their gongs and distribute flyers. This is like a festival for that little town, bringing great joy to little children.

But, for that circus, moving between cities tend to be unsafe, not to mention that their daily jobs are tough. There are rich merchants and nobles who find circuses low-class and vulgar. Yet, if they were to cater mainly to the normal peasants, they would find it hard to make good money. Thus, it is often difficult for them to retain talents.

This is why the history for typical circuses are short. Many of them disband within 3 to 5 years. Even if they were to occasionally become popular for a moment due to the introduction of a certain interesting and novel program, due to the inflexibility of their management system, they would still meet with difficulties some time in the future and disband eventually.

The Fire Dragon Circus is a long-standing circus with hundred years of history behind it. Just like the other new stars who were radiant for a period of time, they are also undergoing a period of downfall.

Initially, this reputable circus was supposed to perform during the enthronement ceremony. This is a hard-to-come-by opportunity for their big circus. If their name were to spread far and wide from it, they might even be able to hold regular performances at some theater or establish a long-term employment contract with some great nobles. This would release them from their fate of wandering about and anchor them to shore. However, just when the group was happily planning for their future, they met with an accident.

First was the original circus master as well as the trapeze artist Isoro getting injured in the midst of training. Then, a series of training-related accidents follows by, causing them to be unable to operate temporarily. Seeing how the inauguration is just by the corner, their competitor, Fetero Circus and Soaring Wing Musical came to poach their people. Two of their three aces left. What's more, the Siren Tamer who remained brought big trouble for the circus.

Seeing how they are unable to conduct even regular performances, the circus that was passed down within the family for 3 generations is on the verge of collapsing, the heavily-injured Isoro almost died from anger. But, just before he went fully into a coma, he passed the role of the circus master to the immature little Milor.

But, even though Milor tried his best to sustain this family business, even when the old members were trying their best in the performances and even took the initiative to claim a lower salary, the day of their disbandment still slowly approaches.

But, today is a happy day. A rich investor is actually offering to finance the Fire Dragon Circus. Little Milor is overjoyed.

"Nice to meet you, esteemed lady. May I have the honor of knowing your name? Are you married? Oh, that's great. Can I have the pleasure of enjoying dinner with you today?"

After walking into the tent with a big pool inside, Milor frowns upon hearing that deep and strong voice.

The Siren Tracy might be one of the pillars propping up the circus, but her own natural charms has also brought countless trouble to the circus.

"This customer here, the circus is currently not in its operational hours, so I beseech you not to disturb our circus members… Ah?"

After walking over to the pool, the sight that unfolds before him left him dumbfounded. The beautiful Siren stands dumbfounded at one side while the ones engaged in a conversation is a Dracon and a seal.

At the same time, a golden-haired Holy Knight walks over with a smile on his face.

"Morning, Lord Milor. I am Rolande. There are some things which I would like to discuss with you about. It involves a large sum of money. Are you interested?"

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Chapter 98: Trade

A white-colored fox walks out from the shadows. Emaciated, he hasn't been able to catch any prey for the past few days.

The reason? Dressed in luxurious and expensive furs, he and his pack have met with their most dangerous enemy recently.

"Bang! I found the prey!"

Alright, after the sound of a gunshot from a Dwarf's rifle, a certain white wolf abruptly falls to the ground.

A short figure walks out from the trees. Despite being shrouded in weeds, he's in his peak condition, apparently excited over catching such rare prey.

However, what happens immediately afterwards is the burst of alarms and sirens all around his surroundings.

"How dare you, to dare poach on the private lands of Count Carlock. Back then, you killed the Aspen dog that the Count doted on and now, you dare to kill the snow fox that the Countess is fond of? You must be courting death!"

Alright, appearing right after the furious roar is over a hundred of raging guards."He got caught due to poaching? The legendary sniper?"

Initially, I intended to set forth to the Fire Dragon Circus alone. However, even before I stepped out of the mansion, I met that Dracon who was already prepared and ready to set off.

"Thank you for your care in recent times. I am afraid I will have to leave for a period of time."

To say the truth, hearing Beifeng bidding his farewell, I feel as though I have eaten two pounds of apples in one mouthful and a band starts playing in my mind. I couldn't suppress the ecstasy I'm feeling.

"You are leaving? That's… cough cough, how regretful."

Being stared at by Casio's resentful eyes, I could only change my words helplessly.

"Un, there is a grudge that I have to settle."

After putting on his windbreaker, the Dracon intends to leave but Casio stops him.

"Big Brother, you can tell me if you have enemies, I will help you. Setting forth alone like that, aren't you being too formal with me? Do you not treat me as your brother?"

"Casey, it is because I regard you as my brother that I don't want to involve you in it. This is my personal grudge."

"Say no more, I have already made my decision. I am clear of the grudges between HHA and that organisation. Originally, I was sided towards the HHA but after interacting with you these few days, I started to understand how precious life is. So, I've decided to choose that organisation."

I couldn't make sense of what they were talking about, but the newspaper on the table seems to be the culprit of his decision.

【HHA's（Happy Hunting Association）ace Hunter Lowens Bronzehammer will be performing his ultimate technique of Hundred Feets Piercing. We welcome all hunter friends to join in the commotion and exchange their hunting experiences.】

"No, this won't do. It's enough to have a weirdo like me in this world. If you were to join the Kindness Association, you will be mocked by all the hunters in the world."

"…Mocked? Hehe, Big Brother, didn't you tell me that as long as you walk on the path that you think is right, mockery and disdain are just the faces of the ignorant. Big Brother, say no more. I will definitely join the Kindness Association. I will be interfering in this conflict of yours!"

"Since you've made up your mind, then I will say no more. Come, let's work together and bring a better tomorrow for cute little animals…"

Looking at the sight in front of me which is turning gay all of the sudden, I quickly understood what was happening. The Kindness Association is the short form of the 'Animal Kindness Druid Association' and in a large number of countries, it's treated the same as the Celestial Tower, an unwelcomed organisation filled with lunatics.

Just as mentioned before, Druids are born connected to the word 'terrorist'. The Kindness Association stands out even among its brethren. Their motto is even more extreme than the Wild Bull Alliance's 'Reject clothes and return back to our origins'. What they hope to achieve is that 'All animals should be granted the equal privilege as intelligent lifeforms'.

It sounds great but if you were to think deeper into it, if the chickens and ducks that you consume have equal privileges as you, then in the eyes of the Kindness Association, wouldn't eating meat make you a murderer? Alright, towards 'murderers', the Kindness Association will show you clearly what the wrath of nature is.

No doubt, this is too extreme for others to accept. Can you imagine a certain peasant being dealt a harsh punishment by the Kindness Association for eating meat and drinking beer in public? After some of their members injured civilians in public locations, they got into deep trouble and the Kindness Association became generally rejected by the public.

Of course, such extremists only number a few even within the Kindness Association. A large portion of the Kindness Association members are still able to tolerate others ingesting meat for due survival. However, they are unable to accept it when others hunt beyond what they require for subsistence.

Thus, the Kindness Association sees the HHA as their sworn enemy. As an organisation formed by a group of people who hunts as an interest, a large portion of their members are outstanding hunters. They view hunting down strong or rare animals as the goal of their life. Due to the clash in their ideals, they became mortal enemies.

At this point, I'm totally shocked.

As a Hunter, it's already surprising for Beifeng to not join the HHA. To think that he would even join the Kindness Association which is mainly comprised of Druids. What does he really intend to do? He even influenced Casio, who is a sniper, to join the Kindness Association along with him. This is really incredulous.

Alright, end of the recollection. Since our goals align with one another, we naturally banded together.

After reaching our destination, Beifeng is surprised to find that his mortal enemy caught and is in the royal family prison. What is even more unexpected is him taking the initiative to try to save him.

"I have a grudge with that guy, Lowens. One of my intimate lovers died under his spear. We have crossed blows for 6 times and the current score is 3 wins and 3 losses. Since our paths happen to cross on the Surface, then perhaps, it is a sign for us to settle the score once and for all. Even if he is destined to be punished and die from the sins that he have committed throughout his lifetime, I should be the one to bring down this divine retribution onto him and end his sinful life."

I shall not point out why your intimate lover would die under the spear of a hunter but Casio, why are you so touched by his story? It makes others at a loss for word.

"Dracon, you should be Beifeng.Herault that Lowens once mentioned. This is my first time meeting a man who overlooks my presence, not bad."

Indeed, Siren Tracy has the right to say such words. Sirens are a symbol of beauty in legends. The stories of Sirens and sailors are classics that survived the trial of time, often by word of mouth in bars. The woman in front of me, Tracy, is tall and elegant. There is a certain charm and attractiveness to her beautifully shaped face. Her green scales and dull-yellow iris doesn't destroy the balance of her face by any means. If anything, it adds a kind of exotic touch to it.

Her weird and shaky voice somehow carries a seductive tone to it. Sirens are born attractive. Their voices can confuse the ships sailing in the ocean and cajole young sailors to jump into the sea. It is no surprise that she would become one of the pillars propping up the circus.

Judging from Casio's expression as he sneaked peeks towards her occasionally, the cold beauty is indeed full of charms. Besides, this young Centaur has yet to walk too far on the road of life.

"Lowens mentioned me? What did he say?"

"Are you sure you want me to say those words here? It seems that you have a little friend over here too."

Her chuckle under the cover of her hands looks unspeakably seductive. Casio's eyes are firmly affixed on her whereas Beifeng's gaze remains fixated on the body of the female seal.

If we allow Beifeng to carry on with the farce, I would be no longer to achieve my purpose coming here. Thus, I took over the conversation and started talking about the important matter at hand.

"Blessing of the Sea God? I am able to cast it and even upped its tier before. I can make 10 landlubbers into swimming masters capable of breathing underwater. But, using this skill depletes my strength significantly. Why should I help you?"

Alright, it is the time for the bargaining to begin.

Initially, I thought that I only had to spend a bit of money to help the Fire Dragon Circus out of its precarious situation. However, I didn't expect that the Siren would have a different thought process than that of humans. She doesn't care about this circus at all, she is only staying here due to her promise to the previous previous previous circus master, as well as to assume a convenient identity for her to live in the human world.

Different from the Mermaids who have a good reputation, Sirens are known to be fickle-minded and deceitful. The reason why she rejected the poaching of the other circuses without any hesitation is because the benefits those humans offered her doesn't mean anything in her eyes and that she finds moving a chore. Right now, since someone has a favor to request of her, it is basically impossible to get her to work without paying a price.

"Two things. Help me get rid of one person and save one person. If you accept my request, I will help you."

"The person to save is Lowens right? Who is the one you want me to get rid of?"

"Lowens is my old friend. He is the one who invited me here to help and it isn't right for me to land him in jail. As for the one to get rid of, it is a hateful person who doesn't know his place, a foolish weakling. He seems to be a noble among you humans."

"This customer, the circus is currently not in its operational hours, so I beseech you not to disturb our circus members… Ah?"

Perhaps, our negotiation has caught the attention of others. The circus master of the Fire Dragon Circus, Milor, appears.

Initially, since we are have came to an agreement privately, the affairs of the circus shouldn't concern me then. However, considering that this circus could possibly be performing during the inauguration ceremony, I might be able to play a trick or two through them. Thus, I turn my attention towards owning this circus.

But, what is surprising is that someone has beat me to it.

"Lord Knight, Count Carlock has already decided to invest in this circus. He will be coming to take a look today."

Count Carlock? This name sounds a little familiar. At the same time, Tracy whispers into my ear.

"He is the man that I want to get rid of. He keeps harassing me, not to mention how hateful he is. As long as you save Lowens and stop that guy from harassing me, the Blessing of the Sea God would be just a minor issue."

I hesitate slightly. Since we would be breaking into the jail, saving Lowens would be convenient, so it isn't anything much. However, it is obviously not wise to offend a Count in the capital of the Auland Empire. Rather than going one big round, it seems that using strength to force this Siren to submit may be more efficient.

"I…"

"I want to see who is the one who dares to steal my woman!"

Just as I wanted to reject her offer, an arrogant voice echoes from the entrance of the tent. Somehow, that voice sounded very familiar.

After a few seconds, a panting plump man walks over from the entrance.

"Who is the one who dare snatch the woman I have set my eyes… AH!"

I was just thinking why that name sounded so familiar. No wonder, it is an acquaintance.

"It is the Count with broken eggs."

"No, it is obviously Count Egg."

"No matter what, he is still a Count. You must be respectful! The Count with half an egg, have you eaten? To think that you could be flirting around, the Priest that you hired must be pretty good."

Alright, ignoring the Count whose face steels but is afraid to lash out, I turn my sight to the surprised Tracy.

"Un, we accept your conditions. Let us first postpone the issue about saving Lowens, we need your assistance first.""I want to become a Mage. I want to become an apprentice of a real great Mage. If you can make my wish come true, I will pass the sword that my grandfather left behind to you."

When I found Kane's granddaughter, I have no idea how I should persuade this young lady who resolutely wants to become a Mage despite coming from a family with a line of Knight heritage.

"Knight? My grandfather is one of the Knights who come under the direct control of the royal family, a respected famous Legend Holy Knight. But, how did he end? My father risked his life fighting for the royal family just to restore the honor of my grandfather. In the end, he died on the battlefield and what did he earn? Just the broken armor and weapon that grandfather left behind."

Kane's son, Slork Solia, for the honor of his father, stepped on the road as a Knight as well. Back then, when the royal family was impressed by the loyalty of the Solia family, they passed Kane's previous weapon and armor to Slork. However, before Slork could accomplish his goal of regaining the honor of his father, a new war broke out. In the end, the only things that returned back to the Solia family were 2 Knight armors and swords.

"So, do you want it or not? If it wasn't for you helping to pay for my school fees previously, I wouldn't have brought up such an offer in the first place. No matter what, they are relics left behind by a legendary character, so they should be able to fetch quite a price."

Recalling the Heroic Spirit of Kane, I couldn't help but shake my head. I can understand the rationale behind Kathleen's thoughts. After all, very few of the seniors who walk on the road of the Knight has ended up well. Even if they were a renowned Knight family in the past, it is understandable that the new generation don't want to carry on the heritage. But, to the older generation, for the armor and weapon of the Knight which represents their honor to be sold like an antique, that is far too much for them to accept.

"Uncle, your equipment aren't bad so you should have connections. Introduce a Mage to me, a Silver-rank Mage would do. If not, a Bronze-rank would suffice as well."

Her demands are really not very high. But, as the inheritor of the family of a Legend Holy Knight, isn't there something wrong with the situation?

Indeed, I can introduce a Mage to her. The Incantationers from the Church that followed Krose are Gold-rank Mages and they would definitely satisfy her request. But, at this instant, comparing her to the Rain Swallow Sword who is also a woman but is adamant to bring honor back to her family, I really don't feel like introducing them to her.

"Give me your hand. Relax."

Kathleen follows my orders and the information that appears makes me click my tongue in surprise.

【Kathleen Solia

Race: DemiElf

Job: LV14 Alchemist

Strength: 9

Agility: 11

Stamina: 8

Intelligence: 14

Will: 12

Charm: 14

Race Talent: None】

Her other stats are still normal but her identity as a DemiElf is a very big problem. Most likely, Slork found an Elf wife eventually and had a DemiElf daughter. Even if he died early in life, he could already be considered a winner in life. Furthermore, Elves are born lacking in strength and it is indeed unsuitable for her to walk on the path of a Knight.

Looking at her hair which intentionally covers her ears and the laws directed towards the nobles of this country, I roughly get her situation.

"DemiElf, if I am able to fix your natural weak strength, are you willing to become a Knight?"

Hearing my words, Kathleen covers her ears and steps backward with a look of astonishment on her face. She was very confident in her disguise and didn't expect for it to be seen through in an instant.

"Cough, don't worry. I know that you would lose your nobility if your identity as a DemiElf gets exposed. I am not trying to blackmail you so, un, consider it for a bit. If you are willing to sign a contract with me to turn into a Magic Girl… Oh, willing to become a Knight, then find me, I will introduce a good Knight trainer to you. At the very least, you won't sully the glorious name of Solia. Of course, if you still insist on walking the path of a Magician, I will introduce a Gold-rank great Mage to you as well. However, that would be truly a deal that way. If so, don't expect me to settle what happens in the future ."

ps：白狐狸同学，龙套和史上最快便当同时送到，希望你喜欢。

In case you all are wondering who Kathleen and Kane is, Kane is the ghost Knight who wields Pale Justice. He is the one who Roland searched for when he wanted to find a sword, the one who chose to save a village from a magic beast instead of protecting a fort (as commanded by his superior) and lost his honor as a result for going against his orders.

Kathleen, as mentioned, is his granddaughter.

"As a Hunter, it is already surprising for Beifeng to not join the HHA."

TL: I know I translate Beifeng's job as Beast Tamer but in reality, it is Beast King Hunter. Well, truthfully, he is closer to a Beast Tamer than a Beast Hunter and I thought it wouldn't affect the story much.

"Blessing of the Sea God? I am able to cast it and even upped its tier before."

TL: Upped its tier as in, just like how they can rise from a Silver-rank to Gold-rank, I think abilities can also be 'upgraded'.

Side rant: He really likes to change his POV every single chapter. Back then, when I was reading, because the jump in between chapters are too great (at least for the introduction part), I always suspect if I skipped a chapter.

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Chapter 99: The Unexpected Attacker

In the dark veil of the night, a silhouette was running.

Sometimes, he is climbing up walls using ropes. Sometimes, he is leaping from roof to roof. Sometimes, he is darting through dark sewers. Whenever a passers-by turns towards the origin of a sound, most would only see the aftershadow of a black cape.

The sentries that appear every 10 steps are meaningless to him. The life-threatening traps and spikes only make him laugh. The patrols who watch to and fro are only decorations in his eyes. As for the hounds who were equipped with steel braces… Un, they attracted his attention. Looking at their figures, he was stunned and almost forgot about his mission.

Un, he is the justice of the night, the bane of sinners, the undying hero — Batman… Cough, I almost misspoke. Un, that's right, he is the legendary hero of wild animals, Beifeng.Herault.

At this moment, after reaching the interiors of the jail, he immediately puts on the Sewage Cloak and turns into a little rat. Then, he struts proudly into the jail.

The Auland royal family jail is well-protected. An Eye of Truth gazes from the top of the solid city walls, rendering the illusions of any trespassers useless. On the top of the hulking Mage Tower, sentries change shifts every 24 hours and keep watch round the clock.

But, it's a pity that the legendary unique Sewage Cloak changes one's physical form, causing the user's very cells and body structure to become that of a rat. This isn't something that the 6-circle Detection Magic could notice. Very possibly, the only way to tell the difference between him and a rat is through checking his soul.

As expected, despite numerous rays of light sweeping past him, there was no reaction at all.

However, the animals guarding the jail noticed this invader.

"AHA, look at my rat karate! You bunch of rookies aren't even equal to my four turtle students! To think you would dare to challenge this old man here, you all are courting death!"

After transmogrifying, the Beast Tamer's natural aura which makes animals feel intimate with him has been rendered ineffective. Facing a powerful enemy, the rat actually stands up on its hind legs and performs a set of elegant martial arts moves.

After a series of fist-throwing and leg-kicking, the cats and dogs who came assaulting him were all knocked faint-headed. One pitiful eagle even lost over half of its feathers, making it resemble a chicken with hair loss problems. But, what was most surprising of all is that none of the animals were injured even in the slightest.

As he advances ahead, he deals promptly with whatever is sent his way. Nothing could stop his steps. Very quickly, he found his objective.

"…That DaVinci, his face was red like an apple after hearing our songs. What, he's not called DaVinci? Oh, I think I recall it, he's called Darwin right? That's not it? Hmph, who cares what he is called. Anyway, he's just a foolish emperor who's jealous of the capable. Right, let us toast to the generosity of that foolish king."

"Toast to the generosity of that foolish emperor! I remember that he seems to be called Uncle Dawen?"

"Cheers! Who cares what he is called. Say, despite scolding him so harshly, he still sent good food and drinks down here to us, don't you all think that he might actually like being insulted?"

"Hah, well-said! To the Darwin who likes being insulted, cheers!"

Darsos kindly ordered for better treatment for these few 'political criminals'. But, it seems that they didn't appreciate his kind will. Despite receiving good meat and good beer, they still insulted him as they pleased.

As their beer mugs clash together, the beer froth carrying the rich scent of the beer splatters on the floor, causing a series of sighs and salivation from the other prisoners. But, no one dares say anything about it.

When they just entered, the other prisoners wanted to make use of that opportunity to threaten these short fellows to hand over their rations. However, after a 'friendly interaction', they quickly understood that these short fellows aren't to be trifled with.

However, the appearance of a black rat caused the passionate scene to abruptly halt for a split moment. Then, the three of them silently finished their beer before lying down to sleep.

But, by Hoyle ears, a secret communication is currently going on.

"Has the date been confirmed?"

"The date of the inauguration of that foolish emperor? Indeed, a large portion of their manpower should be on standby during the inauguration ceremony. We could make use of that opportunity to cause a big mess."

"Is this the remote control for our Roland No.88? Hah, with this, we can directly demolish the walls to escape."

"Is this the meeting point after the escape? You all sure have it planned out properly. Lowens? Oh, that gray-haired Shield Dwarf. I get it, we'll bring him out along with us."

"The codeword is 'Transformers, roll out!'. I really don't get that codeword. However, as soon as we hear this codeword, we will make sure to cause a great mess."

"Hehe, this time, we have to make that foolish Emperor know that even an old dog has fangs. Dwarves may be short but if you force us into a corner, we can still jump up to smash his knee!"【Pale Justice】

【Attack Power: 20-25. Tier: Epic (Superior)】

【Two-handed Sword

Prerequisite: Strength 12, Holy Knight Job】

【Ultimate Sacred Flames: Deal additional 30 Silver Inferno damage to Chaos lifeforms. To normal lifeforms, deal additional 5 Silver Inferno damage.】

【Perfect Courage: Immunity to all fear-related magic, death-related magic, race talents and abilities. The wielder will always be in a state of high morale. This effect can be shared with 3 party members.】

【High Tier Protection from Evil: The damage dealt from Chaos lifeforms will be reduced by 10 points.】

【The Judgement of Justice: Activate the Soul Gemstone's judgement ability. When this sacred sword strikes on a Chaos being, the target will be forced to undergo Judgement. If the target fails to pass the Judgement, the target will be directly destroyed thoroughly. Duration: 10 minutes. This ability can be used 3 times daily.】

Before me, the silver sacred sword emits a very slight silver light that comprise the Holy Light of Order. After receiving the original body of the sword, the sacred sword finally reverts back to its original form.

Although this Sacred Sword is still unable to reach Legend-tier, as long as it is facing Chaos lifeforms such as Undeads and Demons, it would have the might equivalent to a God Equipment. Of course, if the other party is just an ordinary human, then this would just be like any other Elite-tier weapon.

I can already foresee that among the enemies I would face, Undeads and Demons will not be lacking, so I am still quite satisfied with it personally. But, it is a pity that the enemies I am facing now do not fall under such category.

"Darn it! Why would there be Fishmen in the river! Sea Beasts as well!"

Diving alone, I had intended to check on the underwater base, but I didn't expect to meet enemies on the way.

If it wasn't for the timely reminder from the cat, a hole might have been opened up in my body by the bone spikes created from the bones of a whale.

But right now, whether it's above or below me, weapon-wielding Fishmen surround me. Not to mention, Demon Sharks who are circling in the water around me. Behind the Demon Sharks, there are two medium-sized Water Elementals who are preparing their magic spells. Very possibly, I might have caught the attention of these Seafolks the moment I dived into the river. Unknowingly, I walked into a trap prepared by the other party and fell into a desperate situation.

"Could it be that the Auland Empire has bribed the Sea Tribesmen to guard their water territory? No, that's definitely impossible. The Sea Tribesmen would never listen to the commands of the humans. Then, it must be Aylos! Yes, that's the only possibility."

The Ancient Water Elemental Goddess Aylos, the wife of the legendary Ancient Sea God Sidunwar. Going by seniority, she is the ancestor of the current generation's Sea Goddess Oswell.

Just like the unfortunate Fire Elemental God Arolaweiss, she was sealed on a certain island but looking at the rate of the Elemental Tide, it is apparent that she has been released.

The only one s who could achieve such a feat are probably the Seafolk.

In the 'Whispers of the Demons', the different countries will suffer the invasion of the tribes and Elementals under the command of the Ancient Elemental Gods. Looking at the present situation, it seems that the enemy that the Auland Empire would face is the Elemental Water Goddess Aylos.

"There should be 2 more years before the Elemental Catastrophe. I don't think there is this part in 'history'. Forget it, let me first settle the situation here and think of a solution later after I return."

The Mermen, whose mouths open widely as they stare at me hungrily, aren't anxious at all. They circle around me slowly, throwing their spears from time to time to taunt me. They were still taking their time to start the final showdown. Their tactics bore striking resemblance to a pack of wild wolves hunting down a cow, patiently waiting for their prey to show weariness and a flaw in their defense to exploit.

The silver sacred sword can't be used underwater. But, from the previous crossing of blows, it seems that my physical ability isn't even a third of what it is on land. Furthermore, if I were to fight with my full strength, I would definitely run out of breath. If I don't quickly think of a way to get to the surface to catch my breath, I might just die a ridiculous death.

But, if I were to try to escape forcefully and expose gap in my defenses, then in that instant, the whale fish thorns that is attached to steel chains would be thrown towards me, immobilising me.

Imagining the sight of over a dozen of fish bones and fish spears protruding from my body, I couldn't help but shiver. No matter how I look at it, fighting with the Sea Tribe physically underwater is a foolish decision.

"Looks like I can only try using that trump card of mine."

Thus, I keep my longsword and smile towards the Mermen, who narrow the encirclement on the prey whom they thought have given up hope.

"Sinful Devil God Form!"

Bottomless magic power goes berserk. My Chaos Bloodline creates a streak of blue lightning which rampages in my veins. A scorching volcanic layer starts to emerge on top of my white and smooth skin and the fresh blood that flows from it causes the water in the surroundings to boil. The blue lightning gathers in my blue eyes as mystical magic tattoos appear on my hands and chest.

At this moment, the Queen of Banshees has already turned into a pitch black magic sword, augmenting my magic power. The Power of Ice shrouding the sword causes the water in contact with it to solidify.

"Ring of Ice!"

The moment my hand clasp together, Power of Ice bursts outward from me. Under the augmentation of my Chaos Bloodline, my original limit of a 15 meters radius for Ice Ring increases multiple times over.

Below the water, a flower of ice blooms from me, who is at the core of the flower. The crystallisation of ice underwater starts to creep further and any Seafolks who come into contact with the ice would be glued to it and be frozen.

"Frozen Breath!"

The 2-circle Ice Breath has evolved into the even deadlier Frozen Breath. Creeping along the frozen ice, the Frozen Air caused the temperature of the water to plummet furiously and in a few seconds, the eyes of those struggling Mermen roll backward and they died from hypothermia.

Even those Water Elemental who are in close proximity start to freeze and crack. This shocking sight causes the Seafolks by the side to quickly retreat.

As for me, I didn't have the leisure to appreciate my own own art work. My skills with Elemental Magic are too lacking. Even with the augmentation from my Chaos Bloodline, I still had to chant incantations to sustain my spells. The moment I opened my mouth…

"Cough cough… cough cough…"

The moment I climbed onto shore, I felt like my entire throat was spasming as I coughed relentless, almost forcefully removing all of my stomach fluids.

"Cough cough, I drank too much water… I almost died like that. It would be really embarrassing if I died like that."

"Dang!"

A fish bone comes smashing onto my back with great force. Although I feel a sharp pain on my back, the whale bone spike fractures into two instantly. The ability, Titan Body, is like wearing a formless armor. Also, the spears of the Fishmen aren't as deadly as they are underwater.

The moment I turn and stare furiously at the Fishmen who were on the surface of the river, they immediately dive downwards back into the water, intimidated by the fact of how their weapons were ineffective.

The weakness I feel after transforming makes me feel inexplicably uncomfortable and the river water that I drank makes me feel disgusted and nauseated. It took me quite a moment before I recovered. But, at this moment, I realised that a greater trouble awaits me.

The Sinful Devil God Form made me expand physically several times over, and the burning lava that appeared on my skin wasn't just for show. Not to mention, the destruction that my ice magic bore towards my clothes, so…

"All of my clothes have been destroyed! I'm not Xueti! It can't be that I have to run back nude?"

Yes, at this moment, I can't be any more envious of those mystical superheroes of my previous life. I have no idea how they could walk out of an intense battle with their clothes intact. What's even more enviable are those who are still clothed after transforming to assume a bigger form, especially a certain green giant who can turn into a two to three meter tall muscle tank out of the blue with his boxers still remaining intact.

After a period of silence, I finally squeeze out a completely indecent question.

"Harloys, can you transform?"

"Go and die! If you make me transform, I will turn into a sharp pair of scissors and turn you into an eunuch!"

Alright, considering how it was very possible for Harloys to realise her threat, for the safety of my little brother, I gave up this wonderful idea after much consideration.

In the end, I thought of another alternative idea, a solution that wasn't really a solution. A method that could lower the embarrassment level of the situation to the lowest…

Half an hour later, a black carriage by the river embankment is halted by a cute little child.

The little boy is dripping with water and clothed only by a leaf covering his nether regions. Even so, he is carrying a gigantic silver sword.

"That, uncle, can you give me a ride? The weather was scorching, so I went for a dive. But, the tide suddenly rose and my clothes got washed away. Can you bring me to the Church of the God of Law?"

Carrying a gigantic sword with one hand while the other covers my nether regions, even without looking in the mirror, I can judge from the burning sensation on my face that a bright red glow must be plastered over my entire face. If it wasn't for that, fainting would be more embarrassing, I would really want to collapse and never wake up again.

"Puuu!" At that moment, a certain princess stretches her hand from the carriage, she bursts into laughter.

"Hehe! Roland, seeing you in this state reminds me of how you were when you were small. You were also just as cheeky and loved playing in the water. Do you still remember the days when Big Sister Kelly helped you to bathe when you were younger? Back then, you were also completely nude like that."

That Kelly who is chuckling beneath her hands, that is enough of you. Since you called yourself an elder sister, then you should know what indecent assault is. Stop looking at the lower regions.

"Of course you can! Rolo, come and let Momo hug you!"

Someone, control this salivating lifeform! Stop touching about! Hey, you are not allowed to touch there! You are not allowed to flick and even more so, pull! Even a small little kid has his own pride!

"Lord, so the important thing that you were talking about was to go skinny dipping in the summer. Although I don't want to be always preaching to you, it is best for you to wear something the next time. Also, as expected of the core member of the Gentlemen Alliance."

Alright, Diana, you've won. As long as you stop peeking, I will admit to anything you say. I won't retort to you saying gentlemen or anything else.

Only at this moment did I clearly see the insignia of the Mist on the carriage. After waiting for 2 and a half hour, when my head was already giddy from being basked under the blazing sun, I just had to meet with Reyne and gang who were returning from a trip outdoor. Obviously, it is another crime committed by the Star of Misfortune Aura.

"Misfortune!! To actually cause me to run nude! Darned Seafolks, I will never forgive you all!"

"AHA, look at my rat karate! You bunch of rookies aren't even equal to my 4 turtle students! To think you would dare to challenge this old man here, you all are simply courting death!"

TL: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles~ (Damn I loved that show)

Clarification of terminology

The general word to describe intelligent beings living underwater is Seafolks

The general word to describe unintelligent beings living underwater is Sea Monsters

Sea Beasts probably refers to tamed monsters by the Seafolks

Fishmen probably refers to fish body and human legs (Can't be sure) and they are different from Mermen (or Mermaid)

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Chapter 100: Rising Tide

It is already pitch black outside, but I still sat under the glow of the lamp, deep in thoughts. A pen has been in my grip for quite a long period of time, but I was unsure of how I should to start. In the end, I sigh deeply and eventually start to write.

"Dear Sir Ferdinand, it has been long since we last met. I wonder if things are still going fine in Liu Huang Mountain City… It has been 300 years since many of our inheritances and secret arts were lost in the fires of war. In present time, the Mist Royal Family Knight Order can't even be considered third-rate. Perhaps, we have failed them as their ancestors. I have already came to an agreement with the current generation of the descendants of the Mist to provide them with some 'mentors' to guide those rookies."

"After pondering over it, I decided to entrust this matter to you. Please bring along Great Sword Saint Fayde, Lucas… The young Knights have already come to a realisation. As their ancestors and imposing Heroic Spirits, please do not be overly-conscious about your identities as Undeads, just pay careful attention to the journey."

I expended quite a bit of effort to produce this letter. After all, it is meant for an elder to read. The contents are actually quite simple, I am requesting for the Red Hunting Hounds to dispatch some mentors to the East Mist Communal Country. But, if I didn't personally write the letter to invite them, to the old Ferdinand who felt guilt to his homeland, it is very probably he would choose to never return to those icy plains.

But, without doubt, even when he has turned into a Knight of withered bones, old Ferdinand is still the old general who is the most suited to training new troops. Other than imparting battle techniques, he is able to impart something that is even more important, such as battle experience, fighting strategies, an unyielding will and the soul of the army that is harnessed in the war flags.

"…I am looking forward to the day that the war drums echo again. The young Knights would be able to carry the burden and glory that their ancestors left behind. There is no one else for this job but you. I sincerely hope look forward to the day when you reunite with the land of ice and snow."

The other letter is slightly simpler. I didn't have to consider the wording and went straight to the point.

"The East Mist has already established the faith of the God of Law as their national religion. It won't do for you all to be hiding in your shells at such a point. They need an Archbishop, a complete legislation and judiciary system, a complete Church of true God… This is an opportunity and if we were to succeed, decades and even a century of time would be saved in the spreading of the religion of Law. This is a gamble involved that is worth betting on. Putting up the banner of a true God, I don't believe that there would be anyone who would dare to interfere with your passage to East Mist."

Under the name of the Church of the God of Law, many of the forces in my hands can finally come to the surface. From a certain perspective, there are high stakes involved in this gamble. When I throw all my chips in, I would be sharing a common destiny with the East Mist Communal Country.

The matter of of becoming a national religion came earlier than I expected. From a certain sense, it is an opportunity as well as a challenge. If East Mist were to rise up from this point onwards, the Church of Law would also float up along with it like a boat in a river. If the East Mist were to be destroyed… Alright, we can still return back to the underground.

The two letters were firmly sealed with wax. After contemplating for a short moment, I wrote another letter to Adam whose whereabouts were unknown. There is still another letter which I really didn't want to write but I had no choice otherwise, so I got along with it helplessly.

"Darsos, looks like you and your country is in deep trouble. If you don't deal with it appropriately, the Auland Empire may become history. Perhaps, you may think I am just an alarmist, but this all have to do with a bunch of Fishmen…"

Indeed, I never expected that the assault I met with would pull a whole string of schemes and troubles. I must begin the story from the day when I returned nude.Back then, cloaked in a mantle that I borrowed, I tried my best to ignore the mocking gazes of the women sitting opposite to me. I tried my best to turn my attention to the Seafolks who appeared mysteriously.

The Seafolks aren't just an individual race. It is the common terminology used for Fishmen, Mermen, Shrawns, Sea Giants and intelligent underwater lifeforms. Most of them live along the long coastline of Eich Continent. These underwater lifeforms are unable to leave the water and exist through forming kingdoms and tribes.

The greater the sea pressure, the more stronger the Sea Monsters get. The weak are unable to survive in the deep sea and the living space of the Seafolks aren't infinite.

There are quite a few Fishmen tribes sparsely populating the coastlines. However, being unable to leave the water for extended period of time made them of limited threat to the living creatures on the continent. In fact, their attacks don't even measure up to an invasion by a neighboring country. However, due the extreme offensive nature of many Seafolks, they are hostile with the countries on the continent.

Thus, even though it would still be understandable if I meet a Red Dragon in the river, it is inconceivable for me to meet an obviously well-organised group of Seafolks there.

As the capital of Auland Empire, even if one just looks at the surface of the water, Kagersi City is definitely well-guarded. It is unbelievable for a Fishmen tribe to exist in the river.

Fishmen are living beings who can survive in both freshwater and saltwater. However, a Fishmen tribe which is powerful enough to rear Demon Sharks are definitely unable to live in the river water. After all, Demon Sharks are creatures of the ocean, they would die sooner or later in the river water.

That is to say, these Fishmen moved against the direction of the delta of the sea to visit this riverside city.

This isn't an easy feat. The riverside cities of the Auland Empire all have their own fleets, so how can they not get noticed after passing by so many cities? For these Fishmen to arrive directly at the core of the Empire? What do they hope to gain, spending so much effort and taking such a big risk coming here? It can't be that they only want to visit this city to watch the enthronement ceremony.

My suspicions didn't last long…

"Un? The bone spikes and bone spears made from the bones of a whale and Demon Sharks? If I recall, their fins seem to be white. Un, they should be the Fishmen of the White Whale Tribe. Since you met them underwater and were assaulted by them, it seems that they intend to purge this city."

Right after reaching home, recalling that Siren Tracy is also one of the Seafolks and that Sirens are of high standing among the Seafolks, I sent someone to call her over in hope that she might know something. In the end, just after barely explaining the situation, the other party threw a bomb at me.

"Purge this city? Purge the capital of Auland Empire? Has their tribe gone mad?"

"They aren't mad. In the entire North Bay of the Black Sea, the White Whale Tribe is considered an extremely powerful tribe ranked in the top 3. Those Fishmen are only their vanguards. Depending on the strength of their targets, Nagas, Sea Giants and the Sea Snakes will come. There might even be Mermaids and Sirens."

"But, this doesn't justify their intention to purge the city. This is equal to offending an entire Empire, aren't they afraid of being surrounded and destroyed by the fleet?"

"Heh, you don't understand the Seafolks at all. The Seafolks never have to worry about who they offend. Even more so, the White Whale Tribe is a well-known hunting tribe, as well as a mercenary tribe which accepts missions. After receiving enough benefits, they can just leave. After all, do you think that the races on the continent would be able to pursue them? Besides, without someone leading them, do you think that they would be able to arrive at this city?"

After pondering over it for a slight moment, I smell the scent of a scheme behind the encounter.

The fleets by the river didn't notice them? Most probably, someone is controlling the fleet so that they would pretend that they didn't see them. Or perhaps, these Seafolks are loaded onto a merchant boat, allowing them an unobstructed passage through the river.

As for the goal of those collaborating with them? That is even more obvious. If the country were to come under attack at the same day of the inauguration of the new Emperor, Darsos's position would be shaken.

Tracy speaks in disdain.

"That damn fatty is also involved in the plan. Since he is so afraid of you, you can totally go ahead and question him."

"The broken eggs noble? He is involved?"

"Un, I am the recon sent by the White Whale Tribe to connect with our allies. But, he kept harassing me, which is really annoying. So, I cast a Confounding Curse on him to cause him to do something silly subconsciously, resulting in him turning into an eunuch. However, it is weird but he seems to have recovered."

Alright, everyone's eyeballs fell to the floor. Right in our faces, Tracy didn't even hesitate to reveal that she is the spy of the Seafolks. To think that dumb mission that I received back then would be related to it as well.

"However, the plan seems to have fallen through. I took advantage of the opportunity to leave the White Whale Tribe."

"Fallen through? Isn't this already considered a success?"

"Another group whom I was communicating with suddenly got wiped off. Their den was set on fire. Without someone to guide their path from the human's side, it is impossible for the White Whale Tribe to come to this city from the waterways. They only look at the results and not the process. If I were to return back to the tribe after failing this mission, I will only end up as the seasoning for the afternoon tea of the tribe head."

Grabbing my forehead, I could roughly guess what was going on.

"Oh right, the ones who I was aliasing with wore a ring with the insignia of stars and an eye."

With all of the evidence laid out before me, I could tell what was going on by tying them all together.

Apparently, just like how Darsos was guarded against the Celestial Tower, the Celestial Tower wasn't truly on Darsos's side either. They colluded with the White Whale Tribe to oppose Darsos and the nobles behind him. They have placed bets on both factions.

If Darsos works with them obediently, the assault from the Seafolks probably would not happened at all. However, it seems that after all of their members were outlawed, the remnants of the Celestial Tower has decided to throw in their everything to pull Darsos down with them.

"Heh, those people actually dare to bring the White Whale Tribe here to attack the coastline. Apparently, they do not know that the Seafolks have grown at least 3 times more powerful after the awakening of that Lord. When the great waves finally come crashing, there is nothing that can stop its path. By the time the tides of the White Whales retreats, how many people would still remain standing."

"Aylos?"

Hearing this name, Tracy stuns for a moment before nodding her head solemnly.

"The current Seafolks is no longer the same as the Seafolks of the past. Under the will of that Lord and the Queen of Storms, all Seafolks are craving for the fresh blood and soul of the lifeforms on the surface to please their masters. In the near sea, under the guidance of great existences, with each and every tribes cooperating together, I'm afraid that war cannot be avoided."

The Queen of Storms is the Guardian God of the Seafolks, as well as a member of the Malevolent Chaos Gods. It seems that prompted by the Ancient Water Elemental God and the calling of the Sacred War, after countless years of resentments accrued from the conflicts with the surface lifeforms, the Seafolks have rid themselves of their neutrality and started to side towards the Chaos Faction.

If the attacks were to really begin, no, judging from the circumstances, a raid from the White Whale Tribe would surely happen, it would immediately exceed the scale of which the nobles have expected and turn from a skirmish into a country-scale war.

"Different from them, I have quite a few friends in the human world. Those fellow probably never trusted me from the start. Perhaps, even the Count might have other objectives approaching me."

"Then, why didn't you reveal it earlier?"

"I have already committed treason by escaping, so I dare not return back to the sea. My source of information has been long cut. Now, I can't ascertain the occurrence of an invasion, so how do you expect me to speak of it? Also, to whom should I speak these to? The reason why I can tell you all of these directly now is because the vanguards have already been spotted. Afterwards, it is up to you humans to settle it, it has nothing to do with me anymore. I am but an individual, there's not much that I can do. Even more so, I am of a foreign race, neither sides would place their trust in me. Sitting on the fence would only cause me to offend both sides simultaneously. I am unable to interfere in this matter and I also do not intend to interfere in this matter."

After finishing her piece, the Siren's face relaxes. On the other hand, the listeners feel helpless. She could rest easy now but the ball has been passed on to other people's hands.

At that moment, we discussed over it for a long period of time but we weren't able to come to a conclusion, whether it is on the authenticity of the words of the Siren or a contingency plan directed against an invasion occurring.

Yes, she may seem very honest by taking the initiative to reveal a series of secrets, but we still held doubts about the reliability of her words.

Regardless of whether it is in the legends or in reality, Sirens are deceitful beings. By taking the initiative to explain the whole situation, it makes others even more doubtful and aware of the possibility of a trap lying beneath her words. Furthermore, somehow, I feel a slight dissonance in her words, as though she has left out something really important.

Night fell and my spies has just returned.

"Is there any news?"

The black cat jumps onto the window ledge. Her original body has been in a state of pseudo-sleep by the table but in reality, she has sent out four clone spies who could slip through any cracks, sneaking and keeping surveillances on the dwelling of the Siren and the riverside.

"Yes, the Siren is indeed untrustworthy. At the very least, she isn't as uncaring as she described herself to be. She sent her own seals out to keep a watch on the Fishmen Tribe by the river while she herself has headed to a Thief Guild and Mercenary Guild to request a mission. She seems to be looking for something."

"Something?"

"Un, it seems to be a tribute of some kind. I heard that it is related to the Sea God."

"Related to the Sea God? Then, it is natural for her to seek it as a Siren. Aren't there any other news? What about the situation in the river?"

"The Fishmen are starting to construct their base in the river. It seems that they are really the front scouts sent in advance to prepare for the insertion of the army."

I nod my head in response to her words. Even though I have received the intelligence I wanted, I was still unable to make out the situation.

"We still do not possess sufficient intelligence. Our understanding of this country and the Seafolks is too lacking…"

"Cough, Roland, I have some guesses on the matter, do you want to hear them?"

"Unlimited supply of dried fish and milk until you are satisfied… Alright, I am only joking, I know that you aren't a cat. Don't bite me, get straight to the point."

Seeming to appreciate the look of mine when I am plagued with a migraine, the gleeful kitty jumps from the window ledge and struts proudly to and fro, her tail pointing up to the sky.

"My foolish disciple, it is all actually quite simple. Interest and benefits. The Seafolks aren't some charity organisation. To risk so much to invade the capital of a country, the only explanation is that there is some incentive for them to get involved. Besides, the Water Elemental God isn't the Guardian God of the Seafolks and yet they are cooperating together. The Water Elementals are almost like one family with the Fishmen already. Without sufficient interests involved to serve as a fusing reagent, how could this be possible?"

"You mean… Darn it! They are really playing it big."

Through the illustrations of the kitten, a Water Elemental falls apart in the middle of the sky, turning into rainfall while in the rain, a bunch of Fishmen represented by wooden figures were advancing.

"With the help of the Water Elemental God Aylos, the Seafolks are coming to shore?"

"It is feasible in theory. That kind of benefits are sufficient to make the Seafolks fall into frenzy. Perhaps, the Auland Empire is really in deep trouble this time."

"It is the common terminology used for Fishmen, Mermen, Shrawns, Sea Giants and intelligent underwater lifeforms."

TL: Shrawns = Shrimp men, the word is formed by combining Shrimps Prawn… Unless you all prepare Shrimpmen

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Chapter 101: Tribute

AD1897, the summer of the Year of the Griffin, the enthronement ceremony of the Auland Empire's 20th Emperor was just around the corner. At the same time, the news of the invasion of the White Whale Tribe of the Seafolks was accidentally leaked.

The Emperor was enraged. In a single night, he demoted 37 high nobles and stripped the position of over 200 high-ranking military officials in three armies and put them into interrogation. The crosses used to hang those guilty rose from the ground by the river, extending for several miles. This day became known in history as the 'Bloody Night of the White Whales'.

On the same day, the Auland 3rd Fleet which was stationed on the upper river from the capital Kagersi City and the Auland 1st Fleet which was stationed on the lower river arrived in the capital on the same day and began to surround and eliminate the White Whale Tribe.

On the very same day, the Hermit River which was praised as the 'Flowing Chrysoprase' was dyed blood-red. The blast of the cannons and the sound of slaughter shook the heavens. The various districts of the capital became a battlefield.

Pincered by 2 great fleets, they held advantage at the start of the battle. But, when the SemiGod Sea Dragon Hydra and innumerable Seafolks and Sea Monsters joined the battle, the Auland Empire Guardian Hero 'Dragon Hunter' Deimos got killed in battle while the Empire Advisor 'Blood Mage Emperor' Marsolit was heavily wounded. The half of the 2nd Fleet was wiped out while the 1st Fleet was completely annihilated.

During the war, the Sea Monsters cooperated and exerted their powers together, causing the water level to rise and the Pier District, Bacteria District and a few other districts of Kagersi City were submerged under water. As large amount of Water Elementals came to shore, rainwater continued to pour down as the war gradually stalls into a stalemate.

Two weeks later, ten cities that were close to the sea or by a river got assaulted. Sorolan City and numerous other cities fell in a single day. Of which, the Sorolan City was invaded by the Blood Shark Tribe, which comprise man-eating Fishmen, resulting in the entire city getting purged.

Symbolised by the Blood Night of White Whales, the horns of the eternal Sacred War is blown on once again. Led by the Water Elemental Goddess Aylos and the Malevolent Goddess Queen of Storms, the Seafolks who came to shore became the vanguards of this war and the Chaos Faction rises up once again.

Due to a letter from Princess Reyne, the Auland Empire managed to avoid being cornered into a desperate situation from a sudden invasion. Thankful to the East Mist Communal Country and Princess Reyne, the Emperor declared 'The East Mist Communal Country will forever be a brother nation to the Auland Empire', and proposed to Princess Reyne in front of a crowd once again. But, due to the current chaos, Princess Reyne once again rejected the proposal of the Emperor under the pretext of being worried for her country.

But privately, there were already rumors on the streets that Princess Reyne furiously reprimanded Darsos for being ridiculous and threw two red-colored high heels towards him, hitting both the Emperor himself and his Finance Minister Hermit. It is said that Hermit fainted on the spot and the situation turned chaotic.

"Being bugged by such matters when your country has fallen knee deep into such trouble, I have never seen such an idiotic Emperor. I have already said that I am uninterested in men. You want to marry me? Impossible, unless you find an Edwina's Belt and come to me in a skirt."

In the eyes of those who are aware, this move of Darsos's is indeed very crafty. By proclaiming that the East Mist is a 'brother nation', they were able to directly take the East Mist Communal Country out of the list of vassal states. As rumors and gossips started to spread, as the shadows of war creep closer, as rows of people are hung on crosses, as a large amount of those opposing Darsos land in jail, his bad reputation is no longer of importance. As long as he is able to lead his people out of this period of turmoil, he would be able to unite the country even more strongly than any of those fleeting titles could.

Although the public evaluation of the Emperor is generally negative, the Princess of the small country who entranced the Emperor to the point he loses his prestige and rationality has become the hottest topic recently. Praises of her beauty and straightforward personality spread far and wide that she became reputed as the 'The Pure Snow Lotus of the High Mountains'.

It is said that despite looking pure and young, she has a certain charm that the Emperor is exceptionally attracted to.

At this moment, hearing the rumors that his companions have collected, that flower is on the verge of murdering someone.

"Lotus of the High Mountains? Darsos, you sure know how make people owe you conveniently. Using me to divert the attention of the public? This old man will remember this grudge. Make sure not to display any weakness for me to exploit."

At this moment, I didn't have the time to wallow in my resentment. There are many responsibilities here and there that I had to take care of.

After receiving the news, Darsos investigated the authenticity of the news before waiting patiently for an opportunity to make use this topic to 'explode' and get rid of those opposing him to solidify his authority. This is still within my expectations.

Afterwards, Darsos, using repaying the favour as an excuse, proclaims the East Mist as a brother nation, pulling the agreement on providing resources and assistance to the surface, thus hastening the progress of the fulfilment of the contract. Very quickly, when he fully fulfils the terms of the agreement, I would have to pass the key on to him. If I don't speed up the progress, then my efforts would be for naught.

After all, this is the capital of the Auland Empire. Even if they have met with some trouble, no one thinks that the Auland Empire would actually lose.

That dragon may be powerful, but it isn't invincible. As the trusted subordinate of the Malevolent Goddess Queen of Storms, it heading out to the battlefield also signifies the Malevolent Chaos Gods officially stepping into the battlefield. With top tier powers, its ability to pull aggression is also top class. It is very possible that some Dragon-Slaying God Envoy of some true God is already on their way down.

However, the reason why Darsos hastened the fulfilment of the agreement is probably because he still holds some expectations for the things in the secret base. If an Air Fleet were to suddenly charge out from the bottom of the river, it would change the flow of the entire battle. Of course, he has also prepared himself for the scenario that he might walk out empty-handed from the secret base as well.

As for me, if I don't want to end up empty-handed, then I must really quicken my pace.

"Have you found Tracy?"

While reorganising our forces for battle, the disappearance of the Siren caused quite a hassle for us.

"She suddenly returned to the circus with a box in her hands. There is a special seal on top of it. Judging from the mark of a shield and longsword crossing one another, an insignia of a guardian, it is probably the insignia of some royalty."

The insignia of royalty? Most probably, this is the stolen tribute. Harloys and I look at each other with a smile on our face. It seems that we have found out target. Our patient surveillance has finally reaped its rewards and it is time to reel in the hooks of our fishing rods.

"Sidunwar's Ocean Bottle, a legendary God Equipment of the ancient Sea God. It is said that in ancient times, it could stir endless tsunamis. Even though it has lost a large portion of its powers after the death of the ancient God, if it were to land in the hands of the Queen of Storms and Sidunwar's wife, the Ancient Water Elemental Goddess, there is a chance it might regain its God Powers."

After finding out that the stolen tribute was such a treasure, the moment we received intelligence from a Son of Greed that the Siren is looking for the stolen 'tribute', we immediately came to a 'realisation'.

"Regardless of why she revealed the secrets of the Seafolks, as long as Tracy manages to find the God Equipment, we must prevent it from returning to the sea by all means!"

Solo Federation's tribute (congratulatory gift) was stolen by the Celestial Tower. Given Tracy's previous relationship with the Celestial Tower, if she had kept a lookout for it, she would definitely know where the lost tribute is. Based on our estimates, now that the members of the Celestial Tower are reduced to fugitives, she is probably the only one who can find the tribute now.

Thus, the moment Tracy returns back to her own tent in the circus, uninvited guests came knocking at her door.

"Open the door! We are here to check the water meter. What? You didn't install water meter? Then we are here to deliver water to your doorstep! Forget it. You don't have to open the door. Your family will never need to open the door ever again."

Alright, when a Legend Holy Knight raises her sacred sword and charges forth, when a Legend Druid summons storm and lightning onto the entire tent, the tent is instantly reduced to wreckage.

At this moment, astonishment is clearly shown on Tracy's face. With the barely opened box with the tribute in her hands, she looks at us, who suddenly appeared, in surprise.

"Haha, you didn't expect this, did you? We have been waiting for a long time now, hand over the God Equipment…"

As I walk out gleefully, I set my gaze towards the box and the next moment, I am dumbfounded.

"What's this! Where is the God Equipment?"

There is nothing that resembles a bottle in the box. That is a white jade sculpture and the shape resembles a banana or an ivory. It looks like a certain something, really alike… The more I look at it, the more it resembles it…

"This is a man-made dildo. This is a special kind of warm jade that simulates the body temperature of humans. Looking at its color and the handicraft, it is definitely a top quality good, the work of a master! This is the rarest of the rare goods. Definitely a God Equipment!"

Okay, I am regretting my decision in bringing Beifeng along. In an instant, he spoke the truth of the matter that we were trying our best to overlook.

"This is the tribute?"

Having her privacy invaded, Tracy nods her head in a daze.

"It is indeed a tool for concubines…" As the pronunciation for concubines and tribute is identical, it isn't weird that Greed would make such a mistake.

TL: Concubines (gong1 pin2) and Tribute (gong4 pin3)

"Since you all found out, then I will hide it no further. Actually, one of my main goals in staying in the human world is to research adult toys. You all know that we Sirens are mostly females and that we are cold-blooded creatures. We live alone in the sea and it is difficult for us to meet with another of our kind, making the long nights unbearable. Many of our peers have that kind of habit…"

"… Thus, I intend to open the first adult toy shop on the sea. It would probably be welcomed by Sirens, Mermaids, Nagas and other similar kinds of female Seafolks. But, it is a pity that the more deeply I research the intercourse of both genders, the more shallow I realised I was. I felt regretful for my previous shallowness and made up my mind to spend another century here to research this art. Only when I become a master of this art will I open my mobile shop."

Even though this beautiful lady is speaking completely indecent words, her eyes were filled with passion and her face was filled with the realisation of one seeking the utmost of their path. I instinctively feel that she wasn't lying, that she really intend to devote her entire life into it.

I finally understand why I instinctively felt close and familiar to this beautiful Siren lady. Isn't it obvious that this is one of the specialty of Liu Huang Mountain City – Gentlemen (Perverts)?

"It is a pity. Perhaps due to the difference in our races, but why are humans unable to understand our point of view? Whenever they hear me speak of this, they would look at me with a very strange gaze. That fat Count even pestered me to no end. Hmph, to us, tools are only used to dispel loneliness, it is a non-living thing. It is a completely different concept from a companion who would accompany us in life and in death. Sigh, it is really difficult to find a soulmate."

At this moment, when the Siren laments the world's lack of understanding in her, that man stood out. On his face is realisation similar to that of Tracy's.

"This is incredible! This is touching! Partner (Over here, it refers to one who shares the same goals), I can understand it. The art of the intercourse between two sexes is really too complex. Actually, I am also searching for my own path and is unable to find anyone who is able to understand me. I can help you! Testing it personally or whatsoever, leave it to me… AH!"

Alright, everyone can't stand listening to it anymore. Ignoring the Siren whose face lit up after hearing those words, we began on our daily mission –Beating Beifeng up.

Clutching my head, I am really at a loss for words. The Siren in front of me reminds me of those fellows in Liu Huang Mountain City, making me want to stay as far away from her as possible.

"What about the tribute? The bottle of the Sea God? Isn't it stolen by the Celestial Tower?"

Tracy shakes her head.

"Back then, they worked together with a local Thief Guild. Un, they used the Thief Guild to conceal their own identity, the ones who did the job were still them. After all, how could a small Thief Guild deal with the envoy party for a powerful country. Afterwards, in compensation, the spoils of the battle were all given to the Thief Guild."

When realisation struck me, a faint ominous omen looms at the corner of my mind. Often, this is a foreboding sign that I have fallen into a pit.

"What is that Thief Guild called?"

"Blood Press Brother Band? Oh, I remember that their insignia was a bloody handprint, it should called the Blood Hand Brother Band."

Alright, this name sounds very familiar. The memories of the past felt fresh as though like it just happened yesterday. I felt like I was on the verge of crying. It seems that this time I have reaped what I have sowed, I have worked in vain once again.

"I roughly know where the bottle of the Sea God is. Harloys… Return me the milk bottle that I gave you."

Yes, after arriving at this city, I used the Blood Hand Brother Band as a target practice for my swordsmanship. Back then, I heard that they have stolen some tribute so I thought that their skills should be up to par. However, I simply ended up sweeping through them easily, even their Guild Master was sliced into two with just a single slash. I didn't manage to gain much from the experience.

After getting rid of their Guild Master, I saw a box in the secret chamber and there was an antique bottle inside that looks like it could fetch quite a sum. However, the cat that I was rearing wanted me to buy her a milk bottle and personally, she also felt that this bottle had an artistic sense to it, so she just took it and used it.

There were totally no response from the magic tattoos inscribed on it. Who would have thought that it would actually be an ex-God Equipment…

"Meow, no way. A God Equipment bottle suits my palate. If you want it, take out something of equivalent value to trade."

Just when I was about to rationalise with that darned cat and prepare to snatch it if it goes awry, a 'ding' sound echoes. I instinctively shivered. This sound never means anything good.

"Darn it, the System is here to pour salt on my wound again?"

【Cough, you got the correct answer, but there isn't any reward. Congratulations on successfully recruiting another Gentleman into the Gentlemen Alliance that you built, the beautiful Siren Tracy whose goal in life is to open an adult toy shop. When the Gentlemen (Perverts) in your Gentlemen Alliance reaches 10, you will be rewarded with an Epic Title – The King of Gentlemen. Its effects is definitely powerful.】

【Now, you are just lacking one more member. Please work harder. Actually, there is one just right before you. I recommend Ogre Kavan Dixu who likes brawling with himself. Although his Gentleman level is a little weak, the System will give you a hand and reluctantly qualify him as one.】

【The current 8 members in the Gentlemen Alliance includes: the Shota-fetish female Elf Momo, the eccentric Elf Diana with 3 faiths, Casio who is gradually walking down a twisted path in life, Beifeng (He doesn't need any description, he is a legend by himself, he is the legendary Beifeng), the Prince Clint who will one day blow a hole through the entire continent, the Krose whose gender is Krose, the Princess Reyne who is into her great grandfather and the Holy Knight Roland who is gradually awakening into a cross-dressing fetish】

"Cross-dressing fetish you head! You are the one with cross-dressing fetish, your whole family have cross-dressing fetish! You are the Gentleman, your whole family are Gentlemen!"

"…This day became known in history as the 'Bloody Night of the White Whales'."

TL to ED: Haha, trust me, it sounds cooler in Chinese. Crap, why must they be called White Whales, they sound so cute and fluffy and blubbery and huggable. Damnit.

ED to TL: Narwhals Narwhals swimming in the ocean, causing a commotion, because they are so awesome!

"On the very same day, the Hermit River which was praised as the 'Flowing Chrysoprase' was dyed blood-red."

TL: Chrysoprase is a beautiful green gemstone.

"…he would be able to unite the country even more strongly than any of those fleeting titles could."

TL: Emperors normally rule by propaganda. He means that he wouldn't have to rely on propaganda/image building any more.

"…Darsos, you sure know how make people owe you conveniently."

TL: The exact phrase means Darsos is doing Roland a convenient favor (building up a good reputation for Reyne).

"…I have already said that I am uninterested in men. You want to marry me? Impossible, unless you find an Edwina's Belt and come to me in a skirt."

TL: Just like many other characters when they are mad (esp Momo and Harloys), he proclaims himself lao nianghere, which literally means old woman but in China, where age is traditionally equivalent to your social position, he is establishing that he is kind of senior albeit in a very crude way (This phrase is usually used by gangster etc)

Okay, I know I keep repeating this but bear with it, somehow being unable to bring the gangster-ish tone over gets on my nerves.

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