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

6. 125

Read The Experimental Log of the Crazy Lich - Chapter 125 online free - Light Novel Full

Chapter 125: Voyage and Confession

When the underwater gates opened, the water level of the entire river lowered significantly. However, it was fortunate that the new balance created by the massive rain and hurricanes had caused the Seafolk's reaction to the change in water level to be delayed.

When the giant ship floated to the surface of the water, we were surprised by the change in the city.

The City of Rain, Feloci, truly lived up to its name. In the past two and a half months, when we were busy completing the construction on Borealis, innumerable Seafolk had followed the path of the river to come to this city, and the human city had already been transformed into a new city of dreams for the Seafolk who desired better lives.

Harloys' clones served as our best scouts. Finding a transparent slime in the water is a near impossible task, not to mention that she had plenty of time to plant innumerable eyes across this city.

The originally magnificent capital still remained as the capital, just changing hands. The White Whale Tribe was originally just a giant tribe living by the coastal areas, but due to its contribution in the assault, as well as the great prestige they earned through the overwhelming victory, they became the leaders of this new capital.

Agus the 1st. This was the new name of the white Whaleman with the massive physique.

The preparation that was made for Darsos's inauguration ceremony had been used for the inauguration of the Whaleman who was originally named Agus. The unrealistic fantasy of combining the concept of a kingdom along with a country of Seafolk had been realised. Agus the 1st and his clan became the new owners of Feloci. Under the rewards and protection of the Queen of the Storms, even if the new tribes who arrived at the city were stronger than them, they could only remain as his citizens.

Feloci was the name of this city, as well as the name of the future kingdom of the Seafolk. The Guardian Goddesses of this country were the Queen of the Storms and the Water Elemental Goddess.

The entire kingdom was structured in a staircase-like structure. The new tribes would move into the various districts based on their race, such as the Fishman District, Naga District, Sea Beastman District, Sea Giant District, and so on. On the other hand, the original tribes who fought in the battle would enter the royal city and become the new nobles who would serve the royalty.

From a certain viewpoint, this was a fundamental change from their previous lifestyle of herding, as well as the dissipation of the authority held by the heads of the various powerful tribes.

As a result, although a new way of life was extremely tempting, not every single chieftain was willing to serve beneath someone. There had been plenty of cases of tribes who left after living in the city for a period of time. Even so, there were many members who privately sneaked back into the city halfway through their departure.

In this world of magic that resembled the time of the Middle Ages, the fixed population in the city along with the movement of the population to and from the city was the basis for the rise and fall of a city.

Soon, as more and more Seafolk gathered here, the new City of Rain became more and more lively.

Even though the borders of the city were still in a state of war, the new life for the Seafolk in the city had started to unfold. First and foremost was the opening of markets. The most popular goods were the daily appliances of the surface dwellers. Inexpensive vases, fresh fruits, and waterproof silk cloth could be exchanged for precious gems and jewels.

The accumulation of those newly-arrived tribes could not be underestimated. Many of the mystical treasures of the ocean could not be analysed, but judging from the magic wavelengths on them, there were indeed quite a few priceless treasures among them. Even so, their price was laughably inexpensive. An Epic-tier Dragon Pearl of a Sea Dragon could be traded for just two rolls of silk.

This is almost like exchanging jewels for rocks. It was very possible that not even King Midas would make a fortune that quickly. The great profits involved in the trade made me a little tempted. If it weren't for the possibility of incurring trouble, I would have had Tracy barter for quite a few treasures.

Aware of a merchant's temperament towards profits, I didn't doubt that the moment I started to spread the news, innumerable merchants would risk their lives to trade with the Seafolk. At that point, the Seafolk would be able to make up for their shortcomings with the technology and products they earned from the trades.

Other than daily appliances, another bestseller in the markets were the multiple kinds of weapons used on the Surface. Even when the superior weapons made of alloy left behind by the Auland Empire had been hoarded by the White Whale Tribe so as to equip their own warriors, the longswords, pikes, knives, and other weapons from the Surface were far superior compared to the wooden, rock, and bone-made weapons used by normal Seafolk.

During these few days, the first shops to reopen were the blacksmiths. Due to the purge and flood that followed the assault on the city, very few of the skilled blacksmiths, craftsmen, and alchemists survived, and the few who survived met with quite a bit of trouble.

Many of the amphibious Seafolk who had been on the Surface previously were almost completely unknowledgeable about crafting, thus, the very first job of those blacksmiths was to waterproof the weapons. However, judging from the long queue outside the blacksmith's shop, it seemed that the flood had caused their craftsmanship to return back to the primitive, manual era. It would probably take a significant period of time before they would develop in this aspect. Even so, it was still a hard to come by powerup for the Seafolk.

Every night, there would be a bonfire and banquet on the waterproof platform. Even though most of the normal Fishmen would be unable to get even a single slice of cooked meat, the festive mood still put them in high spirits.

Their civilization may have still been primitive with many shortcomings, but this newly rising capital was exactly what the Seafolk had expected and desired, and they were gradually developing into a powerful, centralized kingdom.

Every day, the City of Rain grew stronger. Every day, countless Seafolk arrived at the City of Rain. Soon, the city would be filled up to the borders, and in order to expand their living space, they would have to fight. It was clear to see that this would be the first battlefield of the eternal war.

Fortunately, or perhaps, unfortunately, the Auland Empire was truly a rich superpower with deep running accumulation. The great shame of losing their capital caused them to immediately reorganize their forces to prepare for war. Very quickly, a new defense line was built and the support troops from the numerous nobles from various territories arrived quickly.

It was hard to say how powerful the army to reclaim the capital would become, but judging from the war power they had accumulated and the overall strength of the empire, I still thought that the Auland Empire would be the one laughing at the very end.

Soon, the fight over living space would begin once again, destined to be savage.

Regardless of whom the final victor of this war would be, it probably wouldn't be peaceful here for a significant period of time. Auland Empire would surely focus all of their efforts into reclaiming their capital.

To us, neither of the sides could be considered as our friends. The only thing we wished for was to not get entangled in the fight, especially when we were under the very eyes of the Seafolk right now.

On that day, the storm covered the sight of the Seafolk. In the eyes of the Seafolk, the fall of the Hydra was mostly attributed to the Dragon Slayer and the Forbidden Spell, so they ought to still be oblivious to our existence. Even so, we dared not continue staying here for too long.

Predictably, in the near future, as more and more Seafolk gathered here, the increased Power of Faith would become nourishment for the Queen of the Storms. Eventually, when the Queen of the Storms finally converted this new city into part of her divine territory and a level of intimacy was established between the church and altars of the Queen of the Storms, the consciousness of the Queen of the Storms would most likely linger around here most of the time.

Perhaps this underwater secret base might be able to avoid the sight of ordinary mortals, but I did not have confidence that the same hold true for true Gods. Thus, the earlier we set forth, the safer we would be.

Thus, the seventh day after the Borealis had been successfully converted to an Undead, when the newborn Undead had started to get used to its new body and the first batch of weapons become usable, we chose to set off.

The underwater passage used specially for the ship opened and the 300-meter long gigantic warship dove into it, proceeding slowly, the shock waves of its movement creating giant ripples underwater.

Of course, we met with a few Seafolk along the way. However, before they could have an encounter with the warship, they were blown away by the shock waves.

When this aquatic dragon left the water to soar into the skies, it left behind a giant whirlpool in its trail. Then, when the Mage Tower on the warship successfully activated its stealth mode, the interior of the Borealis exploded into cheers. After all, regardless of how incredible the design was, its practical abilities could only be proven in a real battle.

"First, the ship will leave through the east of Auland and enter the sea only upon reaching the sea in the east, as it should be safer that way. Then, moving along the coastal area, the ship will only soar up upon reaching North Trois. From there on, the ship would be moving diagonally straight towards the East Mist Communal Nation. This is the ideal path we have confirmed after multiple discussions."

"Why must we dive into the sea? Why can't we fly straight to East Mist?"

"If we were to fly straight to East Mist, we would trespass the aerial territory of quite a few superpower empires. I don't think that they would be unprepared for any threats that appear in their aerial territory; even a stealth unit isn't really a rare toy to them. Do you intend on meeting their Dragon Knights? Furthermore, if the news of a floating warship were to leak out…"

I immediately understood Kelly's words. It was best to keep some things hidden as long as possible. If the existence of this ship were to be exposed now, countless troubles could ensue.

Kelly's suggestion was one made from judging the level of risk, and was worth a try. However, the suggestion of the chief engineer from Borealis, Piacenza, was much more practical and convincing.

"It's not recommended for the maiden voyage of a new boat to involve too great a distance. After flying for a period of time, we will need to make some adjustments to certain apparatus, as well as fixing faulty equipment. Based on the condition of our ship, entering the water is the optimal choice. Furthermore, we don't have many supplies left. Thus, we should send a dinghy to the pier of Kasilo Kingdom. It shouldn't be too difficult."

Actually, I was not very concerned with taking a detour, but rather hesitant upon entering the sea.

The System might not be reliable, but it was the typical type which was spot-on on my misfortunes. I was quite concerned with its warning that reminded me to not enter the sea.

【Warning: The Queen of the Storms has marked you. If there isn't a need, please do not approach coastal areas and, even more so, do not enter the sea.

Of course, if you insist, you can try to kill other Sea Monsters and true Gods' avatars. As long as you are in the sea, I can guarantee you that the rewards will be better than this.】

The Queen of the Storms was a member of the Malevolent Gods of Chaos. Her Jurisdictions included Storm, Tempest, and the Guardian God of a portion of the Seafolk. Although she had wanted to attain the Jurisdiction of the Sea God, she has yet to accomplish her goal in the last several thousand years.

The current Sea God was Osweyar, another ancient that had survived until the present day. From a certain viewpoint, he could be considered as the descendant of the current Ancient Water Elemental Goddess Aylos. This Sea God was renowned to have a low profile in the Order Faction. Perhaps they might be acquainted with one another privately, but I did not think that he would spare the Queen of the Storms any face when the horn of the eternal Sacred War sounded.

Detect the appearance of a single ship in the sea? Since even the Sea God Osweyar was incapable of such a feat, there was no need to speak of the Queen of the Storms, whose Jurisdictions did not include the existence of oceans. Even so, I dared not let my guard down.

"That … must we enter the sea?"

"Yes, the probability of our engine malfunctioning exceeds 17%. Even if the fellows were to work overtime, they would probably be unable to keep it operating for long. We would need to stop it to conduct checks and repairs."

"Fine, then get the guys to prepare for battle. Our theoretical enemies should be … Sea Monsters. Yeah, let's treat that Hydra as our theoretical enemy."

Even without the System Notice, if the Queen of the Storms were to really come seek trouble with us, there was a high possibility that we would meet with Sea Monsters on the way. After all, that queen had another title—Queen of Sea Monsters, and there are quite a few Sea Monsters under her command.

"If it were just normal Sea Monsters, we would be able to disregard them. Do you really think that we would meet with a Hydra-class Sea Monster everywhere … Alright, alright. You're the boss, we will follow what you say."

The others might think that I was being excessive, but based on my understanding of my own luck, as well as that System Notice, no amount of preparation would be too great.

While waiting for the ship to descend to the sea, I still had some matters I had to deal with.

"Since they are unable to play soccer on the ship, those fellows are getting bored. How many times has Yingou's alchemy lab exploded? I heard that yesterday morning they froze a portion of the deck to play ice hockey. Aren't they afraid of getting beaten off the ship with a stick? Forget it, since I have something to inform them about, let me scare them while I am at it."It was a sort of fate to share the same boat in the midst of danger. On the other hand, when the danger passed, being in the same boat would require a reason.

Common profits? Common goals? No matter what, if they hope to walk together and call each other comrades, then there must be a core and goal that link them together as one.

Eating, drinking, playing, and enjoying life in a carefree manner could also be considered as a goal. However, if one were to build an organisation with such a thing as the goal, it would probably end up as a bunch of scattered sand and all would do as they pleased. Anticipating such a crisis, I had already prepared in accordance.

"Why should I be the only who fears, worries, and loses sleep over the impending doomsday? Since we're all in the same boat, let me explain to you all the possibilities that may result in the sinking of the boat in the future."

I started my lecture with such words. However, as I expected, the bunch of fellows responded with impassive gazes—"Even if the sky fell, there would be someone tall to hold it up. If the boat were to sink, the worst that could happen is that it won't arrive at shore. What could be so incredible about that?"

Asking me how I could read so much simply from their expressions? That was because those bastards had already said it out loud!

"I am a Siren. I don't fear the sinking of the boat. It is just that it would be troublesome to bring those collections of mine along with me."

"… Actually, I have been training hard during the period of time at the secret base. My swimming skills are not bad now."

"Big brother, don't judge me just because I have four hooves. Recently, I have been learning swimming as well. After taking off my horseshoes, I am definitely able to float. If the boat were to sink, you can sit on my back!"

"Hey, hey, is this a new business opportunity? Looks like a chance to earn big bucks has arrived! We should start to hoard life buoys and floating planks!"

"Stupid! What use are the life buoys! We should start purchasing all kinds of resources required for survival and make a fortune by selling them back to their original owners when the boat sinks."

"Idiot, how could we only sell it to their original owners? As long as they pay money, we would sell them to even the Fishmen and Sea Monsters!"

Yingou and Kabala's exchange was filled with the stench of copper. The two of them were seriously considering their plan of purchasing the life buoys from crewman and selling them back to them if the boat sank.

"Gunpowder cannot be used the moment it comes into contact with water. Should we prepare some waterproof apparatus?" Clint, stop thinking about your treasured explosives all the time. Please consider whether you are able to float with your heavy armor first.

"Do I have to strip the Silver Battle Hymn again? Lord, will the sinking occur too suddenly? Will we lose our personal belongings as a result of it? If we were to really lose them, would it be possible to reclaim them?"

Ever since Diana got that mithril alloy full plate mail back from me and got a Mage to enchant it, she had been wearing it all day long, oblivious to the scorching weather. She even gave the armor a name. Now that she heard that the boat might be on the verge of sinking, the first thing she thought of was still her precious armor.

"Big Brother Roland is worried that the boat will sink? It's okay. If it happens, we just have to work together to freeze the surface of the water. This way, everyone should be able to climb onto the ice, thus averting the crisis. As long as no one dies, no matter how great the loss is, it should still be in an acceptable range."

Alright, was that consolation from Reyne the killing blow?

Everyone discussed fervently, but no one wondered why the boat would even sink. They were only exchanging their escaping experiences, as though the sinking of the boat was already an inevitable event.

I shook my head helplessly. Given the personality of this bunch of fellows, I should have expected such an outcome.

"The boat I am talking about isn't the Borealis under our feet. She is called Eich, the continent Eich. Perhaps you might find it unbelievable, but our world is on the verge of destruction …"

In that instant, everyone looked at me with wide eyes. After all, going by the common sense of the crowd, those who claimed that it was end of the world on a whim were either demonic cultist or lunatics.

Even though everyone stared at me with wide eyes, I did not intend to continue elaborating on it. After finishing the introductions, I walked down the stage.

On the other hand, the crystal ball which had been placed on the table earlier started to play a video that was prepared beforehand.

"The Seven Trials of Eich. From the start of the current Sacred War, our world would meet with seven destructive calamities, and we would be swept into the dangers of it as well. The core of it all is the eternal Sacred War. Now, the horn of the Sacred War has been blown again and this Sacred War is destined to be the final Sacred War as well…"

Inside the crystal was an education lesson I had prepared beforehand, and the contents within it were meticulously prepared by me.

"This is the information on the war that is about to occur, but even so, this is just the appetiser."

The internal conflict among the humans, the rampage of the Elemental Gods, the invasion of the Undead, the raid of the Demons, and the possibility of a full-blown war between the Surface and the Underground World. Perhaps some of them might have predicted that the Sacred War would not be as simple as it seemed, but their information couldn't possibly be as detailed as mine.

Speaking of the invasion of Undead, I could point out directly which Death Dimensions were making preparations for war, as well as the estimated time for their arrival. As for the Demon army, I had the evidence and information provided by Elisa. The schemes of the Elemental Gods were right before us, and the invasion of the Underground World Alliance Army wasn't a secret since a long time ago.

Only through detailed information and numbers would the point that I would like to express be convincing. The photos that would be shown afterwards were the breakthrough point that I anticipated.

"Ah, what is that! Why is the Dwarf Mining City Helos in ruins? I was just there last year and the people there were still busy at work."

What lay before them was a picture, a picture of a ruins left behind after a slaughter by a great army. The picture looked lifelike, the details in it far surpassing what image altering was capable of doing—this wasn't a picture from this world, but one that was derived from the game walkthrough!

"Asloren? Impossible? How could that beautiful Eternal Forest of Euphony be reduced to such a state?"

"Galor Highlands, my beautiful and splendid homeland, how could it be possibly be a black land contaminated and dyed red by blood! Who did it!"

Photos of the Elven country which had been reduced to ruins, the human plains that had been corrupted to become a land of Undead, and the Demon army slaughtering life forms on the Surface. All kinds of genocides and destructive wars could be seen, all kinds of futures that would overturn one's perception of the world.

"I swear in the name of the Holy Light that these are all images of the future that I obtained through certain means. If we do not do anything, they will become a part of reality."

The dense Holy Light shrouding me testifies to the authenticity of my words. While they were still worried and shocked over the doomed future, I throw out an even larger bomb at them.

"These tragedies are just the beginning. Those who lose their lives at this point can be considered as the fortunate ones, because they will not witness the despairing destruction that would ensue. There will be no victors in this Sacred War. The final ending is the total destruction of the entire world."

At this instant, the pictures switched to the image that I would like to show them. That is a picture of the Eich continent from outer space.

The entire continent was fragmented into innumerable pieces and countless Dimension Doors had opened throughout. This was the result of the clash between the two Goddesses of Creation at their full might. Those who were able to survive until the very end, the strongest of beings, were screaming in agony and cursing the desolate fate that awaited them.

Finally, in the face of the final judgement, every life was equal. No one was spared, no one was saved, and no one was eternal. What awaited everyone was equal destruction.

Perhaps the two Goddesses of Creation might have been able to recreate the world and life. However, the life forms of the previous generation would not survive to see that day. They would be terminated in this very last trial.

"In order to prevent the worst ending, I have been preparing since long ago and have achieved some level of accomplishment. However, the strength of an individual is insufficient. I need your help, I need your strength, to reverse the path of the world from its ultimate doom!"

Alright, with new editors come new changes. This is so as to make the translations more accurate. As this is my first work, I didn't really start out well and many terms aren't as exact as I want them to be. So… Here is the edit log. My editor will gradually edit the chapter upwards down to standardise but til then, it will only be reflected in the future chapters

Present - Past tense for narrative

Gnome - Goblin (Yeah, that's why they are greedy pfft)

Most jobs and races will not be capitalised, unless it refers specifically to a person.

Beast Tamer - Beast Mastery Hunter (The job is a reference to LoL)

Celestial Tower member - Celestial Towerist

Okay, that's it for now. If there are any further changes, I will add it to the list

Anyway, welcoming the new editor, weirdo~

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 126: Changes

What are above the clouds? In the most ancient religious epics, it would be realm of the true Gods, the final resting place of humans. At the top of the clouds, the world of the numerous Gods would be stare down for all eternity.

"Mama, Lord Priest said that Lord God is looking down at us from the clouds. But there are so many people down here, can they cope? If they are able to cope, doesn't it mean that they have eyes all over their body? That's scary!"

On a field, a straightforward rascal said such words. On the very afternoon of the same day, he was tied to a stake and sentenced to death for the crime of heresy.

Those were the famous "Little Tom's Words of Truth." In the future, it evolved to become a challenge towards the falsehoods created and spread by those in authority, as well as the ignition of the changes that would be made to the numerous churches of Gods.

As for what exactly were above the clouds, the earliest batch of aerial knights who had been to the clouds wisely chose to avoid answering the question.

As the era progressed to the current day, there were some things that could no longer be concealed. The truth that the Heavenly Realm laid in another dimension was clear for all to see. As a result, the phrase "The Gods are always watching over you" became empty words in books.

Gods are not omnipotent. Altars and churches were locations where their consciousness descend toward and reside. If one were to chant their true name, it might be possible for them to hear one's words. Questions directed towards the god could only be channeled through the prayers of the priests and archbishops. Of course, it was possible for them to send an avatar or God Envoy down, but the resources that would be expended wasn't a minute sum.

Distance and the unknown brought about fear and respect. Divine authority and the monarchies always vied against one another. Deciphering the secrets of the Gods might have always been a taboo, but the private investigations conducted by individual countries had never once stopped.

In an era where every country had an oracle of a true God had come to an end and in this generation, the Gods had granted the humans a greater degree of freedom. However, it is within expectations that along with the start of the Sacred War, the humans would slowly be robbed of it.

The Sacred War has already became an inevitable event. Without even requiring the Order Gods to send down their commandments, countries already started preparing for war. After all, their enemies were already at their doorstep.

In this Sacred War, the development of all kinds of aerial units would leap ahead exponentially. The Air Fleet of the Auland Empire might have been the most advanced of the lot, but it definitely wasn't the only one. The taboo of the past had already opened its doors to the mortals.

However, reaching the clouds wasn't an easy task. Even without the existence of the taboo, the world above the clouds still remained inaccessible to ordinary aerial units. After all, the low temperature, lack of oxygen, and low pressure made it hard for even a physically fit warrior to bear. Those who tried to accomplish such heights would most probably die in their attempt.

Yet, at this moment, I flew freely about the sea of clouds, as though running on land. Erebella had shapeshifted to become a Pegasus and the surrounding Ice Crystal Barrier isolated me from the low pressure and lack of oxygen.

The low temperature that came with height was nothing to the Frigid Nightmares. The advantages of possessing a magic mount was apparent. However, the skies were far from being empty. In the distance, the sight of the mountain-like Cloud Whales turning about was a sight to behold, a sight that would leave one trembling.

Rather than say that Cloud Whales were animals, they were more like a hybrid between Wind Elementals and mammals. They were much larger than their counterparts in the sea and their movements caused the wind and clouds to billow. Even the Wind Elemental God was incapable of keeping this gigantic being in rein.

It was said that the Blackwings' ships and cities were also built among the clouds, and they were once a famous tribe in the sky. However, after being robbed of their privilege to fly, they had been reduced to pirates. I had always felt regretful for being unable to enjoy the unique way of living of the Sky Tribes.

【System Notice: You won't be feeling regretful about it in awhile. I hope that you will still have the mood to enjoy the scenery by then.】

Ignoring the notice that suddenly popped out, I turned my attention towards the clouds not too far away.

There were all kinds of mysteriously-shaped clouds in the sky. Their forms were ever-changing. Some of them resembled the mountains, some resembled the trees, some of them giants, and some the waves of the oceans. Through their contact with one another, their shapes were always morphing.

However, not every cloud changed at every moment. Under the effects of magic, some clouds remained the same even throughout a span of hundreds of years. Those firmer clouds would often serve as the lairs of the Cloud Beasts, and at this moment, they didn't seem to welcome our appearance here.

Even though I kept soaring ahead, a group of Cloud Beasts still continued to pursue us. A large portion of them were the amiable Cloud Dolphins, who were here to watch the commotion. The rest of them were small Cloud Dragons who hoped to prey on us, not knowing that their actions were suicidal.

Even though they were called Cloud Dragons, they were actually just meter long wyverns. These little fellows completely ignored the disparity between the strengths of the prey and predator and were fervently pursuing us in hope of an additional snack.

Erebella might still be far away from the pinnacle of her strength, when she was capable of shapeshifting into an Ice Dragon, but the current her was still able to easily take care of these small fries.

However, I chose to only pat her slightly to signal her to speed up so as to shake them off.

"Aooooooo!"

After a deep howl, the Pegasus unfurled her wings and surged forward, pulling the distance between us and the Cloud Beasts in an instant.

"Lord Roland, are you happy?"

"Yeah, I am indeed very happy. You noticed it?"

Of course I was happy, otherwise I wouldn't be coming here on a whim to tour the world above the clouds. If we had wanted to hasten our journey, travelling at lower altitudes would have been much more suitable.

As for the reason why I was happy…

In order to prevent the true secrets from not leaking, I didn't put the classified strategic plans within the courseware. What the rest saw were just the tragedies that could possibly occur in the future. Other than stating the potential occurrence of the Undead Calamity, invasion of the Demons, and the war with the Underground World, the courseware didn't even list the reasons behind these disasters or record the estimated time of their occurrences, not to mention the strategies I have prepared against them.

The only thing they were aware of now was that they would meet with a series of calamities, and that I was trying my best to resolve all of these troubles. As for how they would be resolved and the possibility of success, it was all still an enigma to them.

Although I was recruiting comrades, my invitation lacked sincerity.

If they were to nod their heads despite having not knowing what they could expect, they would be handing their futures completely over to me. To do so took great trust, and the foundation for this trust needed to be built up over time.

I could understand their hesitation and silence. Forcing them to toil their lives away for another just with some cheap talk—such a thing only exists in irrational novels.

If someone were to tell me that "The world is about to be destroyed, you can only be saved if you put your trust in me, so give me all your fortunes," I would already be kind to not to slap that person's face several times.

"Perhaps, this is the revelation from fate. Lord Roland, I am willing to work for you. If destruction is what that awaits us, I am willing to face it with you."

Alright, just when I just said that such a plot only existed in novels, this silly lass jumped out to slap me in the face.

Holy Knights were always the bunch who are the easiest to coax, and Diana was the kind who was the easiest to coax even among the Holy Knights. Her acceptance was a good start, but what that follows afterwards was still a long period of silence.

"Lord Roland, there is another Lich in Liu Huang Mountain City who goes by the same name as you. Your relationship with him is…"

Yingou Beyar asked a seemingly unimportant question. However, his words captured the attention of everyone in the room.

I hesitated for a short moment. However, since I had decided to face them honestly, I chose not to spout nonsense at this crucial period.

"That's me. However, I am unable to tell you the reason behind my revival."

"Then, who is the Legend Holy Knight from more than 300 years ago? The legendary hero whom that bunch of single-celled knights chant about everyday, the final prince who left a mark in history?"

This question was well thought-out. It seemed that even though this bunch of people were fooling around everyday, they weren't slacking off. At the very least, they had been collecting intelligence to prepare for the future.

If it wasn't for my determination to keep all of them on board, then some of them would have taken the initiative to leave the group back then when we had reached a safe zone.

"That's me as well, but I cannot explain the matter to you."

My confession caused several of them to gasp in shock. After all, a comrade of theirs who had been fooling about suddenly turned out to be a legendary hero.

Furthermore, this legendary hero had been right before them, living with them for a long period of time. Shocking as it was, it also made people wonder why he hid his identity and resided in Liu Huang Mountain City for such a long period of time.

"Last question. What is your relationship with Lord Wumianzhe?"

"Comrades. We have the same goals and same means. In a way, we are intimate to the point where we might as well be the same person. However, now that we've come to this point, those who choose to back down afterwards will have to sign a contract of silence."

I might have played a bit of a word game, but my words were true. We were the same person, so naturally, we were intimate to the point that we might as well be the same person.

Yingou looked at the Krose, who was standing silently by the side. The Archbishop of the God of Law hesitated for a moment before nodding to verify the authenticity of my words.

"Fine, I will speak in the stead of my elder brother as well. Our Safe Merchant Union will be staking everything on you. We will be under your commands. However, if it is an action relating to commerce, we will be demanding payment! The motto of the Goblins dictates that 'Close Goblins ask for payment straightforwardly!'."

This time, I was taken aback. From the start, I thought that the greedy and selfish Goblins would be the targets which I would have the greatest difficulty in convincing. I had already prepared myself for their refusal, yet they were the second to nod their heads. This was completely out of my expectations.

"What is there to get shocked about? Lich Roland has been our brother for many years. Furthermore, Lord Wumianzhe has always been a figure of respect among us. Since you have said that destruction is just around the corner, do we need to hesitate when there is a reliable backer right here?"

Everything could be traced back to the question of trust. Even though it was clear that huddling together would be the best choice to deal with the incoming doomsday, if one were to find the wrong tree to stand under, they would simply be waiting to become pawns in the war.

From the moment that Yingou Beyar accepted the deal, the winds swiftly turned to my favor, to the extent that I even started to suspect whether this was a trap set up by him. However, indubitably, his choice had a significant influence on the decisions of the others.

"I will listen to Big Brother Yingou. I also trust Lord Wumianzhe's decision. I know that he wouldn't ascend for no reason at all. Perhaps we might just be pieces on a chessboard, but I am willing to trust the chess player, Wumianzhe. I believe that he wouldn't sacrifice us pointlessly." The moment Kabala's words ceased, the voice of the Dwarven Blacksmith echoed in the cabin.

"Since it is the will of Lord Wumianzhe, feel free to speak up if you are facing any trouble. It is enough for us to trust him. We might be short, but we are not blind. Without your help, we would have drowned in that cell. We will remember this favor."

At this point, things were still normal. However…

"Momo… Momo likes Lord Wumianzhe the most!" Alright, looks like you have noticed the equation of Wumianzhe = Lich Roland = Little Rolo, but what do you intend to achieve by slipping in a confession in the midst of this chaos?!

"What about food?"

"Dixu, you idiot, how can you be only bothered about food! Lord, will there be meat in the meal? I am okay with once every three days."

Only bothered about their stomach, Kavan and Dixu were probably the ones who were the easiest to bribe.

"How can this be! There are so many beauties in the world whom I have yet to come into contact with. How can I let them all go to ruin? For more beautiful beasts… beauties, let's do it! No matter who it is, as long as they intend to destroy this beautiful and cruel world, I will fight against him to my last breath!"

That should be the most normal reaction one would have towards the destruction of the world. However, in so many years, this was the first time I saw Beifeng acting so seriously. Furthermore, the radiance of the soul which could vaguely be seen meant that he was in the midst of comprehending something, very much so about to break through his bottleneck! A Legend Beastmaster was about to be born!

"I was wrong. In the past, my understanding towards love was too superficial. Loving a person doesn't mean that I must possess him. Protecting everything that is beautiful, that is my truest wish. Love surpasses boundaries, kindness without motives! Goodbye, the me of yesterday. The me of today is going to comprehend the true profoundness of love."

"Guardian of Universal Love! I solemnly vow to protect all charismatic existence, regardless of race, age, gender, job, whether it is cold-blooded or warm-blooded, its land of origin, whether it is dead or alive, whether it is an arthropod or a mammal…"

That… How apt the name was. His love was simply much too universal! I had heard many different kind of vows. Advancing into the realm of Legends was the crystallisation of one's experiences and comprehension, so the vow made during the advancement was often the true words derived from that person's comprehension. However, this was the first time I heard one that left me speechless.

"… regardless of whether it is a bird or a beast, regardless of whether it is a fork or a spoon…"

This vow was really long, but why is it that something sounds fishy about the vow the more I listened to it?

"Ah! Fight! Watch my Tiger Folding Stool!"

"I can't take it any longer. Beat him up!"

"Safe-brand bricks, special discount, please take note of this green logo whenever you buy anything! Safe-brand products are always that safe! Boom! Boom!"

The last part wasn't a part of the commercial, but the sound of an explosion. To be capable of making a brick explode, how the hell did you all do it, Beyar Brothers?

Due to the vow that was devoid of a single shred of decency, someone couldn't stand it any longer and started on the daily activity of beating Beifeng up.

However, even though he was knocked down, Beifeng's vow of true love didn't stop. The sacred light representing the advancement in realm continued shining. Judging from the duration the process was taking, the Soul Imprint that was being forged would definitely be extraordinarily strong. Most probably, Beifeng wouldn't just be a normal Legend after his advancement.

"… regardless of whether it is an egg or a chicken, regardless of whether it is an S or an M…"

Alright, let's ignore the vow which was getting more and more difficult to listen to. He was probably the only one in the world who would was enjoying a thrashing while advancing to become Legend.

Although they were fooling around as usual, the situation became less tense after the incident with Beifeng and easier to communicate at this point.

Should I say that Wumianzhe's reputation was astounding? After being informed that this was the will of the God of Law Wumianzhe, the living treasures of the Underground City decisively accepted the offer one by one. However, at the very end, I unexpectedly got a single rejection.

"Can I just follow you all around for the moment? I need time to make such a decision."

Tracy's rejection was still quite polite. A large portion of Aulanders also chose the same as her. Even so, quite a few of them decided to disembark from the boat after a period of hesitation. The only positive of the situation was that there weren't many of them.

Trust needed to be built up over time. I agreed to the requests of Tracy and the rest immediately, allowing them to follow us as they pleased. However, for those who decided to leave, I didn't intend to force them to stay.

"Yeah, you can get off the boat after signing a contract of secrecy. However, you all aren't allowed to return to Auland within a year, otherwise it would be hard to explain your sudden appearance and disappearance. After all, you all probably do not wish to be locked in some dungeon of an intelligence institution for interrogation."

In the end, the results were much better than I expected. Only seventeen of them insisted on disembarking the ship and they were all the new talents whom we scouted from Kagersi before its fall.

The operation could be said to be a huge success, so how could I possibly not be happy.

"When the members of the Church of Law and my knights arrive, they would be able to serve as the backbone of our group and many things would probably be different. Perhaps, we might be able to build an acceptable base. A Liu Huang Mountain City on the surface? Seems like a decent option."

Of course, even if I was happy, I wouldn't go out for a stroll on a whim. There was a reason why I headed out alone.

Finally, I reached my destination. The collapsed massive rock lion statues jogged a memory in me. The events that occurred here replayed in my mind, that "revolt" which overthrew the notions which high-tier undead held towards their own race.

Near the entrance, two familiar figures cloaked in black busied themselves around the rubble, seemingly looking for something.

"Camisia, Fanderk. Why are you two here?"

Yes, the two people who were before me are my knights, Camisia and Fanderk. There was always a kind of inconceivable connection between an Undead Emperor and his direct subjects. The reason why I rushed here was because I felt their presence here.

"Your Highness, we started to head north upon receiving your orders. However, Lord Bastian said that the seal here was starting to unravel, so we came over to take a look."

The Headless Horseman's high-tier Nightmare possessed the ability of flight while Fanderk was an Aurora Knight. Being aerial units, they were both ideal choices as scouts.

"Your Highness, Omar's seal has been released! It looks like it is the doing of the Xiluo Empire. They are courting death!""The motion has been passed in the council. From today on, Omar Mist will replace the missing Queen of Banshees Harloys as the new 3rd Senator!"

Shocking news was pasted on the notice board outside the council room. All of a sudden, a "newcomer" stood at the very pinnacle of Xiluo Empire.

Undead who had never heard of Omar asked around to figure out who the guy who suddenly popped out of nowhere was, while those who were aware of him cursed the insanity of the council.

"Darn it, does the council intend to destroy all living beings? Are they not afraid of Omar starting another revolt? Now that Emperor Yongye is no longer here, who could keep that frenzied Pride in place!"Ever since I noticed the presence of the two knights here, I had roughly guessed what had happened. Even so, now that it had been ascertained, the good mood which I had while soaring through the clouds fell into the pits.

Since the seal had been released, there was no reason to remain here any longer.

Since both our destinations were the East Mist Communal Country, I brought the two of them back to the mouth of the sea where I had arranged to link up with the Borealis.

The path back to the ship was smoother-sailing. However, when we finally reached our destination, we realized that the Borealis was currently busy entertaining "guests."

A massive Kraken had wrapped itself around the boat and its poisonous ink had dyed the entire region of the sea black.

On the other side, a giant Horned Whale frenziedly knocked itself against the boat. Its white horn glowed with the seven colors that represented the Power of Elements, augmenting the strength of its ram.

In an instant, I immediately understood the reason why we were assaulted by these two Sea Monsters.

"Haha, damned bastards, how could I possibly die so easily! Since I'm not dead yet, you all will be the ones to die!"

In mid-air, a crow which only had half of its feathers remaining laughed crazily. Half of its face was burnt and it was astonishingly ugly. However, the familiar duck-like voice allowed me to recognise him instantly.

"The greatest cockroach of the Celestial Tower, the Auland Branch Head Lamos's Eye! You sure are resilient!"

That day, when we were dealing with the Hydra, this fellow suffered a strategic-level Fireball from a Mage's Tower. At that moment, as we were rushing to retreat from the battlefield, we didn't have sufficient time to ascertain the results of the battle.

"The Queen of the Storms has granted me power! I am Lamos's Eye! Her most faithful servant!"

Seemingly afraid of getting hit by the cannons below, he chose to fly up to a high altitude. The staff in his hand that carried divine power seemed to be charging up its strength in the midst of the storm. It seemed to be the catalyst he was using to control the Sea Monsters below. Unfortunately for him, I was above the clouds.

"Hey~, look. What did I find? A remnant of the Celestial Tower. A Celestial Towerist can provide us with several days worth of energy. Furthermore, it is rich in protein. However, a Celestial Tower inhabitant isn't easy to deal with. Not only does it possess strong life force, it is also exceptionally agile when trying to escape, equally difficult to catch as their brothers, the cockroaches. Thus, we have to approach him slowly. Be careful not to make any noise."

"Hey, I caught it. Oh, it is struggling very fiercely!"

"Let us sever its head. We can eat the other parts of it raw."

"Of course, if we have enough time, we could try barbecuing it. It would be much more delicious that way."

"Yeah, the texture is not bad. Tastes like chicken."

"Stupid Roland, stop dubbing over my voice. Irene doesn't eat these kind of things! I will suffer diarrhea!"

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Chapter 127: Legend-rank Quest

It was said that cockroaches possessed the ability to escape and reproduce even when they were decapitated, although it was a pity that their brothers, the Celestial Towerists, were incapable of such feat.

Just as what was said previously, that resilient Lamos's Eye, without even making a real appearance in the text, died in the midst of a series of retorts.

Due to the high altitude he was flying at, he was way too near to the clouds, thus providing an opportunity for three aerial units to swipe down towards him. Before he could even react, he was decapitated by the swiftest Camisia.

Based on his strength and identity, being surrounded and lynched by two Aurora Knights and one Undead Lord-level Dullahan, at least he wasn't really wronged in his death.

After he had been decapitated, his body was frozen and thrown into the sea. I didn't believe that fellow would still be capable of climbing out of his tomb to cause trouble like that.

What was noteworthy was his staff. It wasn't an ordinary treasure.

【The Will of the Queen of the Storm: Through this staff, the wielder chosen by the Queen of the Storm can become the oracle of her will. The wielder would be able to order the Sea Monsters under her command. Prerequisite: Worshiper of the Queen of the Storm or someone chosen by her.】

【This is a simple staff made from ancient oak. The craftsmanship and material for its creation is inferior and the God Power that is contained inside is not worth mentioning.

System Notice: Through this wooden material, a certain lady who had undergone menopause for more than ten thousand years is able to view the surroundings about the wielder, and she is currently staring at you. You understand.】

Of course I do.

Kacha.

I smashed the wooden staff over my knee and the staff infused with God Power broke into two as the energy within started to dissipate into the surroundings.

The container that was used to hold God Power had been destroyed. As a result, the God Power would either return to the God or dissipate into the surroundings. However, this time, the situation was slightly different.

As one of the very few existences who had personally comprehended the nature of a true God's God Power, I could vaguely feel the sliver of God Power shrouding around me, as though it was unwilling to leave.

God Power was devoid of intelligence, so I did not think that it was possible for the God Power to set its eyes upon me. So…

"Is this it?"

There was nothing unique about the antique-looking old bottle. However, the moment I took it out, the intangible and formless God Power started to seep into it and a sliver of water appeared on the bottom of the carving of billowing waves on the bottle.

In this world, God Power required a suitable container to hold it; not just any material could become a constituent of a God Equipment.

This Sidunwar's Ocean Bottle was once a God Equipment, except that the God Power it contained within had completely dissipated through the long ages, along with the fall of the God. At present, after absorbing a part of the Queen of the Storm's God Power, it regained some strength.

【Sidunwar's Ocean Bottle. Unable to be evaluated. Mystical object (Can be upgraded. However, due to the fall of its original owner, it can only reach the level of a Semi-God Equipment)】

【The Calm Ocean: After activation, it returns all fluids surrounding the user back to its most basic form and nature. Upon absorbing the God Power of the Goddess of Storm, it has gained the ability to calm storms.】

【The Favored One of the Sea God: The owner of the bottle becomes the oracle of the Ancient Sea God. It is easier for the owner to gain the trust and goodwill of ancient Sea Monsters and ancient Sea Dwellers. When the goodwill reaches a certain level, it is possible for a Companion Contract to be signed. After the Companion Contract is signed, the contractee can be summoned to battle for you.】

【Wrath of the Queen of the Storms: That fiery lass has already realized that her God Power has been stolen, and the bottle has become evidence of her setback. Thus, the owner of the bottle will be viewed with enmity and pursued by the Queen of the Storms】

【Osweyar's Displeasure: The current Sea God views every single existence who could threaten his Jurisdiction seriously. Do not give him an opportunity to pull one over you.】

【System Notice: This would prove to be a massive problem, so I recommend you to throw this bottle into the sea. Of course, with great risks come great benefits. What would you earn from offending these two true Gods? You want to know? Yeah … actually I don't know it myself either.】

Looking at the System Notice, I breathed in a breath of cold air. Ignoring the System's disgusting attempt to act cute, "Osweyar's Displeasure" and the God Equipment automatically fusing with the God Power on its own accord explained a lot about the bottle.

"God Equipment and God Power are often specific to one another. The God Power melding into the bottle and that subduing effect of 'The Calm Ocean' provides quite a bit of hint. Sidunwar's God Power is connected to the God Power of the Queen of the Storms. Furthermore, they probably come from the same source. That's why they would be able to meld with one another and curb each other. Since the incumbent Sea God feels that this bottle would threaten his Jurisdiction, that could only mean that hidden in this bottle is… a God Soul or a Jurisdiction?!"

I could vaguely figure out a few things and I immediately went into action. I stuffed the bottle into my luggage and activated the Anti-Detection Magic Ring. The longer this object was exposed for, the higher the possibility that it would bring about trouble.

"Recommending me to throw it away, 'with great risks come great benefits,' what is this? Are you trying to dupe me? Why don't you just say that this toy is involved in some great secret, and I would reap great rewards the moment I succeed, so don't throw it away? Wouldn't that suffice?"

【System Notice: You would need to be alive to spend the money you earned. Are you sure you want to keep it? Alright, I admire your guts. Then, prepare to accept the Legend rank quest. System will be counting down from ten. Final confirmation: 10, 9, 1! Confirmed!】

"Wait, why did '9' suddenly drop to '1'! I haven't confirmed anything! Besides, what do you mean by Legend rank quest? Is it even more damned than Epic rank quest?"

At this point, if I still did not realize that I was scammed by the System, I would truly be a fool.

【Congratulations for triggering the Legend rank quest: Revival of the Ancient Sea God】

【The Ancient Sea God Sidunwar was the strongest God of his time. At his pinnacle, there were multiple Main God-class existences under his faction. Back then, the Queen of the Storms was just a rookie who couldn't even fit into the ranks. The grandfather of current Sea God Osweyar, Ancient Sea God Bose, wasn't even born then. Sidunwar single-handedly ruled over the oceans, the area of which far exceeds that of the entire continent. In fact, he even challenged the prestige of the Goddess of Order. As for the results of that, since his bottle is in your hands now, I shouldn't have to elaborate too much on it.】

【Although he has already fallen, due to some coincidence, the God Equipment which holds his heritage and his profound secrets fell into your hands, and was activated by a God Power of the same origin. Perhaps, in the era nearing the end of the Gods, the might of the Ancient Sea God will be known to the world once again.】

【System Notice: Due to the overwhelming difficulty of the quest, the possibility of you accomplishing this quest is low. Thus, this quest has been divided into three portions. Rewards will be granted for the completion of each part. Furthermore, there are no punishments upon failure. Yep, that is because if you fail, there is no need for me to punish you anyway.】

【Quest Requirement Part 1: Collect God Powers related to the ocean to feed Sidunwar's Ocean Bottle and evolve it to its Semi-God Equipment form.

System Notice: Do not think about provoking the Sea God from the very start. Also, powerful Sea Monsters that survived the ancient and immemorial era would contain a trace of God Power of the Sea God within them.】

【Part 1 completion reward: Semi-God Equipment Sidunwar's Ocean Bottle, 100,000 Fate Points. Additional rewards will be granted based on the level of completion of the quest.】

Granting 100,000 Fate Points just by completing the first part of the quest? Then, if the whole quest were to be completed, wouldn't the final reward be 400,000 or 500,000? Previously, so much effort was expended to complete an Epic rank quest and in the end, I even had to kill a Demon Count. Even so, only 120,000 Fate Points were given.

However, looking at it from another perspective, if a Demon Count were to appear in an Epic rank quest, then it would be difficult to imagine what kind of enemies would appear in a Legend rank quest.

"Do it! Make those with large guts swell and starve those with small guts! With these points, not only will I be able to keep up with the progress of my plan, it might even be able to be carried ahead!"TL: It means that those who are daring would get what they want, while those are timid would end up with nothing.

In Camisia and Fanderk's eyes, my hesitation seemed like worry for the current situation.

"Your Highness, do you need us to make a move?"

Even though Lamos's Eye, who instructed the Sea Monsters to attack the Borealis had died, the battle on the ocean did not cease. In actuality, it got even more out of control. As the Sea Monsters started to rely on their own basic instincts to fight, the battle grew even more intense and bloody.

The giant octopus was one of the most commonly seen Sea Beasts, to the point that it couldn't be called a Sea Monster. However, possessing a 100- to 200-meter long massive body, it was one of the stronger Sea Monsters. Before it, even the powerful Sea Giants are only a delectable meal.

The snowy-white octopus was an Ice Element Magic Beast that often appeared in the Belor Oceanic Region and was reputed as the "Living Glacier of Despair." Regardless of the kind of ship, if they came into contact with the octopus, they would definitely end up sinking into the sea.

With a thick layer of ice armor covering it, the octopus magic beast looked exceptionally beautiful. If it were to be shrinked by countless folds, it might have been a suitable pet for a lady of nobility. However, the lethal poison contained in its ink made it too dangerous for such a possibility to be realized.

Upon finding out that it was unable to pull the warship into the sea, the giant octopus entangled half of its body onto the Borealis, making full use of its physical advantage.

Not only was the body of water surrounding the Borealis frozen by Ice Magic, the tentacles of the octopus that were full of suction pads held the body of the ship firmly in place. Some of the tentacles even carried ice blades that were the size of glaciers. Poisonous ink sprayed down upon the boat like a tempest.

Naturally, the Borealis wasn't sitting there idly. The poisonous cannons that carried the power of corrosion kept blasting at the octopus, but due to the incompatibility of attributes, especially in the face of the ice armor of the magic beast, its corrosive abilities did not take effect. Even so, under the bombardment of over a hundred cannons, the octopus was soon wounded all over and its left eye burst from an accurate shot. There were many times that the auto-regenerating ice armor failed to recover in time to ward off the attacks.

Massive beasts tended to be powerful but slow. Their way of fighting heavily relied on the physical body they were blessed with, and they were inflexible in such an aspect as well. From our perspective, the brawl between massive beasts was not much different from a street fight between hooligans.

The massive octopus that was riding on the ship and brandishing those ice blades bore some resemblance to a frenzied female using her purse to hit an unfaithful man. The poisonous ink was not much different from the saliva she would spit onto his face. As for the Horned Whale on the other side, it resembled a powerful man wielding a thousand-pound hammer, looking for an opportunity to deliver the fatal blow.

Whales were born the largest natural creature in the ocean, and the Horned Whale was an enlarged version of a normal whale. Just the portion of the monster that surfaced above the water was already a dozen stories high. From head to toe, it was around 300 meters long. Its gigantic body granted it a majestic presence. With just a slight whip of its tail, it was able to generate giant waves. Even more so, its ram possessed the strength to suppress everything.

Before it, the super warship Borealis could only be considered a malnourished dwarf. Every single ram carried the strength of the mountains, and the giant horn at the forefront of the ram was like an incredibly sharp blade that increased the threat of the attack by severalfold.

Just by looking at the situation below, the Borealis had been suppressed to the point that it might break apart at any moment now. It was no wonder that my two knights would ask if we should make a move.

However, I shook my head in response. The battle beneath us was not suitable for us to interfere in, and there was no need for us to interfere in it as well.

"… There's no need. Don't underestimate that boat. It is the brother of your captain."

Hearing those words, the both of them froze for a split moment. Then, Death Knight Fendark exclaimed in shock, "Again? Your Highness, Omar has just escaped…. You are creating all kinds of weird things again. Aren't you afraid they will escape your control…"

Before he could finish his words, Camisia hurriedly covered his mouth.

"You fool. Have you forgotten that our prince hates people criticizing his creations the most? He treats them all as his children. If you were to reprimand his children before him, he would surely find an opportunity to get back at you. Furthermore, what do you mean by 'all kinds of weird things'? If these words were to travel to Captain Bastian's ears, how do you think he would deal with you?"

"Do you want to perform as a clown riding a unicycle past a ring of fire? Or do you want to put on a lion costume to play with rascals? If you want to commit suicide, don't pull me down with you! I had suffered enough back then when those rascals kicked my head around like a ball. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. I had pleaded to you for help, but why didn't you save me? Instead you chose to leave this headless knight running about to find his missing head. I even injured some innocent bystanders! Do you know how miserable I was?"

"Back then, I saw the 'ball' calling out so excitedly, the rascals were also having fun, and everyone was so happy. I thought that you were all having great fun playing together. So we took this opportunity to take a break. The last time old Liester played with the rascals, they took away one of his ribs. Eventually, he found it in a hole dug by a dog after his lunch meal. The smell of fermentation…. If it gets to such a point, I would much rather duel the Church of Holy Light to my death!"

Recalling the most severe punishment of the Red Hunting Hounds, "Playing with the Rascals", and those rascals whom even demons and gods went all out to avoid, even my fiercest knight couldn't help but concede defeat.

"That…. Your Highness, I'm sorry. I have misspoke. Please do not hold a grudge against me."

Initially, when my beloved one was criticized, I was slightly angry. However, when I thought about Omar, who turned against me a few years after his birth, and the fact that I might meet him very soon, I could no longer find any interest in squabbling over this.

"In order to allow them to reach the pinnacle independently, after designing the optimal road to becoming stronger, I didn't impose any restrictions on them so as to give them sufficient space to develop freely. Was my decision to give them freedom wrong? Omar, now that I think about it, the things that happened then were my fault."

I shook my head. "Envy" Borealis and "Pride" Omar were two completely different beings. Envy was just the modification of a boat. No matter how strong it grew, it would remain as an individual. On the other hand, Omar was different. He was capable of creating the most powerful army single-handedly. At his peak, he was able to stand up against a combined assault by the other Deadly Sins by himself.

Pride was the foremost of the Seven Deadly Sins. From the very start, I designed him to be a leader figure for the Seven Deadly Sins, as well as my assistant. He was unique from the moment of his birth. Due to the excessive expectations stacked onto him, he became excessively ambitious and arrogant. Not to mention, he was still way too young and lacked self-control and rationality. Although his abilities were outstanding, his mental state was too immature for him to be independent.

In the end, when I chose Bastian to serve as my captain, Omar saw what ought to have been his being taken away. To Omar, the incarnation of "Pride," this was a heavy blow compared to the smooth-sailing life he had had. How could the young Pride tolerate this huge disparity between his expectations and achievements? Anxious, he chose to flip the table like a child and used his strength to start an uprising.

"Hm? What ability is that!"

Just when I was reminiscing the past, a change occurred in the battle happening below.

The severely damaged Borealis suddenly glowed with a green light and the surrounding seawater bypassed the layer of ice and gushed towards the ship. Bathing in seawater, the green glow radiated even more brilliantly and the damaged surface layer and spare parts started to regenerate automatically.

In ten seconds, along with the retreating of the seawater and the fading of the green light, the ship that was filled with holes a moment earlier looked brand new at the current moment, as though it freshly came out of the workshop.

Did it seem very familiar? That was the main ability of the Nine-headed Dragon, the regeneration ability that left us with a headache then!

The Borealis started to counterattack. Its first target was the Horned Whale, which was preparing to ram itself into the boat again.

Red light shined on the dragon figurehead at the bow of the ship. Finally, the prerequisites of the ability of the "Envy," which had been prepared for a while now, was met and started to activate!

The red light struck the Horned Whale and it started to thrash about in agony on the surface of the water. Following which, a savage apparition of the Nine-headed Dragon Emperor flashed past the head of the massive whale and a giant, bloody wound suddenly appeared on the head of the whale. Fresh blood spurted out furiously from the hole, dying a huge volume of the sea red.

A few seconds later, that giant horn floated to the bow of Borealis and attached itself onto it. From now on, the warship Borealis would have the strongest ramming horn!

"Envy? It all originates from comparison. Nobody's perfect, so it is perfectly natural to meet someone stronger than you in certain aspects and feel envious and indignant over your inadequateness. If it is an optimal amount of envy, it can propagate growth and this is known as one's drive. However, if it is excessive, it will be warped into resentment against them, and when it happens, envy will become dangerous."

"The butterflies have beautiful wings, but I don't. I'm envious of it, thus I rip off her wings to create a sample. This way, I can delight myself over my collection, and the butterflies won't be flying around to incur my annoyance either."

"The eagles have grand wings that can soar in the vast blue sky. We, humans, do not have wings, but we still dream of sweeping through the endless skies. Thus, through our hard work, we created a flying machine modelled after them."

"My Envy of the Seven Deadly Sins, Borealis, is a combination of the two kinds of envy. If it is envious of the butterflies, it will rip off their wings and attach it to himself. That way, it would be able to fly in the skies."

The designing process of this "Envy" wasn't easy, but I had a plan in mind, and I also possessed the required technology for it already. All along, the biggest problem was the materials. After all, energy was required to drive the many spare parts that were required for its construction. However, it was already a blessing if the materials did not implode due to the clash of incompatible magic. So, how could the organs that originate from different sources operate normally?

"Do I have to provide a source of energy and main system for each of the spare parts and organs? Then what's the point of 'snatching?'"

However, the heart of the Nine-headed Dragon and the Legend-tier Nine-colored Tear Stone perfectly resolved the problem.

Each of the nine heads of the Nine-headed Dragon possessed different attributes, but it was able to release breaths of nine different attributes under a single energy source, and I had already deciphered the secret behind it.

【Legend-tier Mystical Treasure Nine-colored Tear Stone: Allows the attribute of mana with the same origin as the Nine-colored Tear Stone to change freely.】

It was just a simple explanation of the object by the System, but it clearly showcased the noble status the Nine-headed Dragon held as a Semi-God. After experimenting and making certain modifications on it, the Nine-headed Dragon Heart and Nine-colored Tear Stone were adjusted to create a multipurpose energy source that served as both an energy source and attribute modifier system for "Envy."

Judging from how Borealis had successfully stolen the horn from the Horned Whale and melded with it, it seemed that the design of "Envy" worked.

Meanwhile, the battle was already reaching its end. After all, the enemy of the Sea Monsters was a fusion between Auland's most powerful warship and my Undead Creation abilities. When science and magic mixed together, the result was the birth of the most powerful monster ship of this era.

The horn was originally attached to the skull of the Horned Whale, thus making it its strongest weapon as well as its greatest weakness. Losing its horn, even if it were to be left alone, it wouldn't survive for long.

Seeing its companion on the verge of dying and the disappearance of the envoy of the Queen of the Storms, it released its grip on the warship without any hesitation and escaped into the deep sea.

"Let's go, we probably still have matters to attend to."

This was the first time Envy experimented with its unused talents in battle. If my estimations weren't wrong, its internal system was probably in a wreck, so I needed to quickly make some adjustments.

As I moved forward, I realized that Camisia and Fanderk were still rooted to the spot.

"Your Highness, is it not suitable for us to be heading there in our state? We think it would be better for us to fly behind the warship. It is the same thing anyway."

Initially, I was slightly puzzled over their reactions when I suddenly came to a realization. They were hesitating over their identities as Undead. They were worried that they would be unable to get along with the living.

Unlike Liu Huang Mountain City which was used to the presence of Undead, the fear and resentment the Surface humans held for Undead were deep-seated. It was perfectly normal for a Holy Knight to charge at an Undead to vanquish it upon catching sight of one. Camisia and Fanderk's worry wasn't unfounded.

However, in response to their hesitation, I firmly shook my head.

"Let's go. An ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her mother-in-law sooner or later. The more we try to hide something, the likelier it is to be exposed. Eventually, the lie might lead to problems that are difficult to resolve. Since it is impossible to conceal the fact, we might as well do it openly then."Just like the River Styx, the Heavenly Pillar seemed as though it led straight up, but souls traveling through it would need to pass through innumerable dimensions before reaching the Heavenly Realms of the various Gods.

Of the many Heavenly Realms, there was one that was particularly desolate. As compared to the other Heavenly Realms that would accept an influx of innumerable souls every day, there were very few souls that entered here every month.

"The Heavenly Realm of the God of Law, Wumianzhe."

Without the invitation of the owner, trespassing on one's Heavenly Realm was a highly aggressive action. There had never been any visitors to Wumianzhe's Heavenly Realm until this day, so no one, not even the Gods, knew the appearance of Wumianzhe.

The massive Heavenly Realm was forlorn. The devotees that should have been providing the God with the Power of Faith wandered about aimlessly, and not a single God Envoy that should have been upholding order here could be seen.

"Similar to the God of Holy Light, the God of Law has also lost his sense of self. The Goddess of Moonlight must be truly furious for the unlucky Bastlar to be dumped on the God of Law, Wumianzhe."

This event might have been a secret of the Gods in the mortal world, but to the servants of the various Gods, it was a well-known fact. Bastlar, who had incurred the wrath of the Goddess of Moonlight, was labelled as an unlucky fellow by the many onlookers.

After lazing about in boredom in the Heavenly Realm for many days, just as he had really started to think that he was abandoned, he was summoned by God Wumianzhe.

"Don't be too surprised when you meet Wumianzhe."

While awaiting his audience with Wumianzhe, Bastlar couldn't help but recall the bizarre words the Goddess of Moonlight said to him a few days ago.

"Hmph, even if he has three heads and six arms, he won't be able to scare me."

But when he met Wumianzhe, in order to prevent himself from shouting out loud, he almost pinched his flesh out so as to prevent himself from exclaiming disrespectfully. Also, to prevent the overwhelming shock from being expressed on his face, the usually calm face of Bastlar forcefully scrunched up into a ball.

The reason? Wumianzhe didn't don his mask in his Heavenly Realm, and he realized that he had met that face just a few days ago!

"Bastlar, obey my will. As my envoy, go to the mortal world…"

When Bastlar walked out of that hall, those legs of his, which theoretically should have never felt fatigue, trembled. The hero who had fearlessly partaken in all kinds of battle felt afraid. He finally understood the feeling of being a pawn in a massive battle.

"This time, the stakes you all have put in are high. However, since I'm already on the boat, then let's take it to the end!"

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Chapter 128: The Northern Lands

"Quickly shut down valves 17 to 30! The 3rd engine is on fire, hurry up and evacuate all personnel in the vicinity. Where is the firefighting squad? There's no such squad? Forget it, get an ice spellcaster then. There are no ice spellcasters too? What about Princess Reyne?"

"The C15-21 storage rooms on the ship's port are leaking. Where's the maintenance team? There isn't such a team too? Fine, freeze the leaking water and fix it after everything else is stable. Princess Reyne is in the engine room?"

"Knight Elohim, it is your turn to shine. What? Your Frigid Nightmare is a Snowman that is only capable of physical battle, and is unable of freezing anything? You log-head, why are you so useless! Tie you and your Snowman to the hole to clog it up!"

"Where have all those darned engineers gone to? What? They've all gone to the bow to look at the newly-fitted ramming horn? Isn't that an ability of the ship? They aren't capable of magic, what can they comprehend by looking at it? What?! They are looking at it because it is unscientific? That bunch of bastards! Prince Clint, please help me drag them back here. No, you don't have to do anything. You just have to stand beside them to make them run back here."

"Red alert. What happened? What? Knight Elohim really tied himself and his Snowman into the hole and got swept away!? I was only complaining and drawing a comparison! He really did that? That log-head! Darn it, ask Tracy to pull that fool back up. I am already busy as it is! To think he would add to my troubles!"

"Princess Reyne, please head to the control room, someone in there is looking for you. That … Lord Diana, I know that you were looking forward to having a great duel with the enemy, but can you not hinder our job by standing in the corridor, fully clothed for battle? We have already received several complaints of your armor scratching them and you hindering their job."

"That Legend Beastmaster on the deck, the battle has already ended and your beast taming skills didn't work. So, get your ass back here!"

"I almost succeeded! Transmitting love takes time! Also, can you blame me for this failure? Do you think you can convince someone by saying that you love him while beating him up?" Alright, the voice of a certain man who could not be evaluated still loudly resounded even in the midst of chaos.

It was already a chaotic sight from the moment I landed on the deck. Kelly and Harloys's voice echoed from the cabin. That eccentric bunch was either helping or not. Anyway, every one of them were busy with something.

Regardless of how well designed the Borealis was, and how incredible the theory behind it, this was still a new ship that had yet to be tested in a practical battle. Furthermore, it was pushing it a bit for the Borealis to face two powerful Sea Monsters in a prolonged battle for its maiden battle.

It looked like I was overconfident in Envy. It seemed that the Sea Monsters weren't the only one forced into a corner.

Practical battles were always the most effective verification platform. The first problems to be exposed were always the shortcomings and weaknesses of said platform. Under the strikes of the octopus and the ramming by the Horned Whale, regions that weren't converted into Undead weren't able to regenerate. In addition, the energy tubes were proven to be too weak and many of the initial designs were proven to be ineffective. In short, all kinds of flaws started exposing themselves.

"Envy," as the soul of the warship, was no different from a newborn infant compared to the long lives of the Undead, and it is still far from becoming a force to reckon with. Sustaining the cannon bombardments and ordering the crew around sapped all of its energy while constant regeneration drained a large portion of its mana.

These flaws weren't really big problems. To make the evolution from a prototype to a real product required exposing its flaws continuously so that they could be fixed over and over again. Even so, it would all be for naught if it fell in the midst of battle.

"Little Roland is back? That's great. Hurry and help out at the port. It's still leaking over there."

I received a quest the moment I landed on the boat. In response to that, I simply smiled.

"Kelly, don't just grab me to be your laborer. There are also two other old friends here awaiting your orders. Fanderk is an Aurora Knight as well, you know. On the other hand, Camisia may be a little slow mentally, but he does possess incredible strength."

"Ah! Aren't they … All right, I get it. It has been long since we last met. Representing the East Mist, I welcome your return. However, now isn't the time to be reminiscing about the past. Little Fanderk, please help us freeze those places where water is leaking. Sir Camisia, please help adjust the sail on the deck."

"Big Sister Kelly!? Great, you're fine!" Hearing that voice, Fanderk was slightly agitated. However, he regained his cool quickly.

"All right, we'll do our best."

As the type whose actions spoke louder than words, Camisia had already started moving the moment he heard those commands. However, judging from how motivated he looked, that "welcome your return" seemed to have made him very happy.

That day, the trademark spell Ice Aeon was cast. Coupled with the insignia of Emperor Yongye, the divine apparition of a black skeleton king, there was no way that the secret could be hidden any further. Furthermore, the flags that the Red Hunting Hounds carried then were the Mist War Flags. Rumors that Emperor Yongye was Holy Knight Roland had been spreading in the upper echelons of human society for a very long period of time. In the eyes of the wise, my identity had probably already been exposed.

I did not doubt that there would be people who would make the link between me and Emperor Yongye, especially when the fact that I was an Undead Lich in my previous life had been exposed. At the very least, Kelly is aware of it. Of course, there were some matters that were better off not exposed. A huge batch of trouble would arise if the East Mist were to be associated with Emperor Yongye. Since they've decided not to reveal the truth, it is best to leave it that way.

Perhaps it is due to the camaraderie built in the midst of a crisis, or perhaps they had expected it to happen, but the two Undead Knights were swiftly accepted by the masses, even though terming it as "the masses" was slightly pushing it.

Ignoring the Gentlemen from the Underground World who had gotten used to living by the Undead, the knights of East Mist were initially stunned by the assistance of the Undead Knights. However, upon realizing that they were their senior, heroic knights, their attitude changed.

The initial estrangement between the living and the dead was resolved after Kelly and Reyna pulled them to one side to say something. After seeing the trademark Frigid Nightmare Mount, their wary gaze turned into one of reverence.

The Knights could be found surrounding the two Undead Knights every day, asking for pointers. Camisia and Fanderk also happily imparted their experiences and battle techniques to their juniors.

Upon seeing such a sight, I heaved a slight sigh of relief. After all, sending Undead into a country of living beings was a gamble. However, since the Undead Knights were able to get along well with the other knights from East Mist, this could be considered as a good start.

Of course, this also had something to do with the numerous Gods being too busy with the prelude of the Sacred War. If that wasn't so, even if the national religion of East Mist was the absolutely fair God of Law, which was protected by Wumianzhe, I would have never considered such a preposterous cause for action.

While the dwellers of the Underground World and people of East Mist were able to accept the two Knights, the reason why I said that "the masses is slightly pushing it" was because of Aulanders.

To most human kingdoms, the East Mist Communal Country was a nation of barbarians living at the borders. From the very start, they were living at the edges of the human society. Furthermore, with the past incidents, their relationship with the other countries and churches was bad. Due to Diffindor turning into a Land of Death in history, though, and the Royal Knights exacting vengeance against their enemies as Death Knights, they did not view Undead with much hostility. Furthermore, given the position of the two as historical heroes of East Mist and the guarantee from the Mist royal family, it wasn't hard to achieve harmonious coexistence.

On the other hand, Auland was one of the human empires. They had been brought up with the notion that Undead were evil and the enemies of the living. Furthermore, the occurrence of the Undead Calamity more than a century ago and the appearance of Xiluo Empire had increased the pressure on them. The numerous churches of Gods also repeatedly spoke out against them. To them, being on the same boat as the Undead was no different than being locked in a cage with lions.

This was the mainstream view of the human society. Anything associated with Undead was evil, and the Undead Emperor was the worst of the lot.

Thus, the next day, I received over thirty complaints, and more than a dozen of them changed their mind and decided to disembark from the ship.

"Umm … why don't we fly behind by ourselves? We were already very happy these few days. After all, it is normal for the living to shun the dead."

Hiding behind their cloaks, the two Knight volunteers asked to leave. However, I shook my head to reject their proposal. I had already expected this and my will was resolute.

"Take off your cloaks now. I want you both to be like you were in Liu Huang Mountain City, living proudly with your heads held high. You two don't owe this world or anyone anything. On the contrary, it is this vile world that owes you all a debt."

My words made the two Knights lower their heads, even though they don't express their approval or disapproval of my words. I know that they are hesitating, afraid that their presence will cause a loophole in my plans.

"Since we've already decided to tread on this path, there's no longer a road of return. Since we are intending to build a Liu Huang Mountain City on the Surface, so as to prevent the innocent from being discriminated or even punished due to their race and identity, we are destined to break away from the status quo of the world. The path will be fraught with dangers, and this stumble is just the appetizer. We have to overcome it. Since they're bound to leave sooner or later, why should we pay them any need?

"If our paths are different from theirs, there's no point in them accompanying us on this journey. It wouldn't work out even if we were to coerce them. So, if they want to leave, let them be. After all, I only need those who tread on the same path."Winter in the Northern Lands always arrived early. It was common knowledge among the Northerners to, before the arrival of the interminable and harsh frost, prepare sufficient provisions and preventive measures against packs of beasts.

The packs in winter were the hardest to deal with. Starvation would make them rabid, and the result of the winter lockdown of the mountains was that they would start grouping together to challenge the human cities, regardless of the price they would pay for it. Anyway, starving to death was no different to dying in battle. Rather than starve or freeze to death, they would much rather give it a gamble.

When the Mist Country was powerful, they took the initiative to clear away the hordes of beasts around the towns, sometimes even into the snowy mountains. On one hand, it was for additional provisions in winter. On the other, it reduced the number of wild beasts in the surroundings to the minimum, thus reducing the potential stress that each town faced in winter.

When winter set in, the knights would engage themselves in the anticipated Winter Hunt. At that time, even if not for rations, the knights would volunteer to clear away the packs.

In peacetime, the Winter Hunt was the best stage to showcase one's abilities. Every year, knights traveled into the depths of the mountains to hunt down powerful magic beasts.

However, the current East Mist Communal Country does not hold such power. Lack of provisions and assault by savage beasts were like a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, and it was difficult to persevere through the winter each year.

In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, weak countries would just continue to grow weaker. The war twenty years ago cost East Mist of its final enchanted metal mine, and life there became harsher.

Sorloin was an ordinary city just a short distance away from the capital, Diffindor. When the Auland Empire was still in the midst of a blazing summer, autumn had already started to set in here.

In the past, this was the period where its residents busied themselves with harvesting their crops with the accompaniment of joy and sorrow.

Being able to reap sufficient provisions was definitely a joyous affair. However, if the crops that were harvested were of inferior quality most of the time, then a tinge of sorrow would accompany the joy they felt.

The Northern Lands were plagued with winter half of the time, and most of its lands were frozen. Having crops that ripened once a year in tiny amounts was a normal situation. Furthermore, this involved the issue of whether they were able to safely get by the harsh winter. Thus, whenever autumn set in, everyone would be slightly crestfallen.

However, although the harvest wasn't splendid this year either, the situation was slightly different.

"Don't rush, there is enough for everyone!"

The young knights carrying the insignia of the royal family were giving out provisions with bright smiles on their faces. It was already standard practice for the royalty and nobles to open their stores when food wasn't enough. However, the royal family wasn't really wealthy either, so they couldn't buy many provisions either. The military nobles in the Northern Lands might have been known for their combat prowess, but they were equally known for being penniless as well. It was already difficult for them to sustain themselves, not to speak of helping others.

Thus, the foodstuffs given out every year would run out quickly, and the winter each year remained a difficult trial for most.

Thus, the food distribution in the past was similar to a battle, as everyone tried their best to fight for them. However, this time, they were all lining up neatly.

The reason? The dozens of carriages and resources stacked into a small mountain. Since there was enough of it to go around, naturally, there was no need to fight over it.

"Princess Reyne's visit to the Auland was extremely successful. Not only did she raise our nation's prestige, she even won many foodstuffs and supplies for us. Don't panic, everyone. There is enough to go around, be it food, clothes, or blankets."

Different from their usual bitter faces, the young knights were giving out food with happiness radiating from their faces as they promoted the greatness of the royal family.

"Umm … big brother knight, can you give me a little bit more food? Last year, you only gave me a sack of rice, and I was so hungry."

The little knight froze. He remembered this seven- or eight-year-old green-haired girl. Last year, she came here with her mother. Upon seeing how emaciated both of them were, he gave a part of his rations to them. Even though the provisions were obviously still insufficient, the mother and daughter still thanked him profusely before leaving.

"Little girl, I can give you a little more this year, but where are your parents?"

Little Ailee was still so young, how could they send a small kid to collect rations alone?

"Daddy was bitten to death two years ago by a pack of wolves while trying to protect mummy and I. Mummy gave all of her food to me, and she didn't make it. Now, I am the only one left in the house. But mummy taught me how to sew, so I can still make a living with that."

The children of the poor matured early. Despite being just seven or eight, little Ailee was like a little adult in her speech. However, what she didn't know was that her handicraft was poor, and the dolls she made were of poor quality, so how could she possibly make a living out of it? It was only that the little girl didn't have much to eat, thus the neighbors thought of a way to help this piteous but resilient girl.

Hearing that calm recounting of a terrifying nightmare, the knight was taken aback. He felt as though something was clogged up in his throat and he can't find any words to say. In the end, he could only sigh. After all, too much of such misfortune had befallen this wretched land. Even if he was motivated and filled with drive, how far could he help them? After such a long time, he was already numb to the endless waves of misfortunes that occurred here.

This land had been poor for many years. As a knight, the only thing he could do was hunt for prey and perhaps, hope that he managed to exact vengeance on little Ailee's enemies.

"The rations were a little heavy, so you probably will be unable to carry it. So why don't you play around in the field for a while. After I'm done with the distribution, I'll help you carry it to your house."

"Yup, thank you big brother knight. I will be playing at the Twin Princes Square then. Meet you under the statues later."

The acne-filled face of the young knight continued to stare at the figure of the little girl skipping away before shaking his head to jolt himself back. Putting his thoughts aside, he continued with the distribution.

"Looks like I will have to give out my rations this year too. Right, since it is time for the autumn harvest, there should be rats in the mine. After digging out a few wild grasses and tree barks from the ground, I can steal from the kitchen some … Hey, strong lad over there! Don't you feel embarrassed taking so much? Share a bit of it with the others! What? You are taking for that old granny over there? My apologies."

The rash young warrior hurriedly apologized for his misunderstanding.

Little Ailee was very fond of the Twin Princes Square. Not only was it the location where her parents met and fell in love, there were also two beautiful statues depicting the Twin Princes, and her mother had told her many stories under the statues.

The old rock sculptures had already faded in color, but the debonair two young knights were still clear to see. The one standing on the slightly elevated platform was charging forth with a sword that represented the symbol of authority of the Mist Country, and it seemed as though nothing could stand in his way. At the time, his silver plate was soaked red by the blood of his enemies.

The one who stood on the lower platform was a dashing young warrior. He carried a fiery staff in one hand, and a giant sword in the other. His mouth looked as though he was in the midst of chanting some kind of profound incantation.

The two of them looked like thirteen- or fourteen-year-old golden-haired youths. The faces on both of the sculptures were identical, and it was clear to see that they were twins. Even though the sculptures had eroded over time, the elder brother missing an arm and the younger brother a leg, their unyielding will still clearly exuded from the statues.

While the rest of the square was filled with fallen leaves and dust, the surroundings of the statue were swept clean. This showed the special position these statues held in the heart of the people.

This had almost become a symbol of the East Mist Communal Country. Statues of the Twin Princes could be seen in nearly every single town, and in a certain sense, they had become the avatar of the Mist's unyielding spirit against fate, as well as the Guardian God of the Mist. In order to boost the morale of the citizens, Princess Reyne was also trying her best to imitate one of the two.

"Umm … Big brother knights, I will be giving this to you. Please continue to protect our town."

Ailee placed a half-eaten rye bread below the statues. This was a part of the very few provisions she had left. She remembered that, in the past, her mother used to do the same as well.

When she was younger, Ailee's mother often recounted stories to her, and the story of these two big brother knights was the one that was retold the most frequently. Even though the contents of the story had blurred in her mind, little Ailee remembered that the big brother knights managed to chase away the evildoers and protected everybody.

She also remembered her mother saying these words.

"… Under the perseverance of the Princes, the Demons and Beastmen were driven back to their lair, while the greedy neighbouring kings and hypocritical church got their retribution, and everyone lived happily ever after."

"But… But Ailee is still hungry. Is this happily ever after?"

She can still see the bitter smile on her father's face then.

"… Daddy is useless, being unable to grant you a life of happiness. But believe in your daddy. The moment danger strikes, daddy will be just like the Twin Princes who fought to their deaths for the country. I will give up my life to protect you, mummy, and everyone else."

She still remembered the blissful smile on her mother's face then.

"Martin, I believe that you are the best knight, and that you will work hard to fulfill your vow when danger strikes."

She still remembered the moment when her father fulfilled her vow, and how miserable her mother wept.

"Stupid Martin, I don't need any knight, I just need you back!! … When will these bitter days come to an end!"

She also remembered the smile on her mother's face before she departed.

"Little Ailee, don't resent the world, and don't hate this country. Our King has died in battle, and Princess Reyne was crowned when she was just fourteen. The Mist royalty has already gave their everything to fulfill their vows, so what do we have to complain about?"

"Just remember the favorite catchphrase of your daddy, 'Hope lies at the end of despair. As long as the Mist flag continue to hang up high, we, as the people of Mist, will never give up hope!'"

"Little Ailee, your mummy and daddy were useless, unable to give you a life without woes. However, please live on with a smile. As long as you persevere, one day hope will arrive. Perhaps, the Twin Stars might even descend once more to salvage this country that is on the verge of collapsing…"

She remembered how hard she had tried to carve these words in her mind, but was still unable to recall the entirety of it. However, what left the greatest impression on her mind was the Twin Stars who would salvage this country.

"Big brother knights, perhaps you won't be here to save this country even by next year, but please bless me so that I can get past this winter. There's also Grandpa Marge, Big Brother Klore, Aunt Emmy, please bless them so that they remain safe through the winter as well. Oh right, there's Lulu too. She might always bully me, but don't blame her. She doesn't have her daddy or mummy. Please look over her so that we can play together next year. Also, please bless … yeah, that kind-hearted big brother knight from before as well …"

In a single breath, little Ailee recited over a hundred names; even the name of the dog who bit her was on the list. Just as she was still trying her best to think of the names of people who required blessings, her prayers that had never been answered received an answer for the first time.

"They will be here. Next year, the country will be salvaged by the Twin Princes."

"Everyone will be blessed as well. At the very least, no one else will starve to death."

"At the end of despair lies a glimmer of hope! When the Mist flag flies high once more, the people of Mist will be saved!"

The moment these words fell, a figure dashed past her. That familiar face made little Ailee exclaim in surprise.

"Big brother knight!!"

At that moment, the young knight had finally finished distributing the foodstuffs, and was carrying Ailee's and his own rations over. What welcomed him was a panicked look on little Ailee's face.

"Big brother knight! It is the other big brother knight! The other big brother knight has come to life and he said that he will protect everyone and salvage this country!"

The direction which little Ailee's finger pointed to was the elder brother of the Twin Stars sculpture. The Roland Sacred Sword in his hand pointed into the distance, as though showing them the way to a brighter future.

Knight Cloone was taken back for a moment, before nodding his head with a smile.

"Yup, Prince Roland will protect the Mist Country forever. The Will of Mist never yields."

TL Notes:Sir Camisia - Sir, as in how people address Knights.

Ailee addresses Roland as Big Brother Great Knight but as it sounds awkward… Gonna use it as the way it is now.

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Chapter 129: Returning Home

Letters cut off by the mountains' ridges,

Winter turning into spring.

With trepidation I approach my homeland,

Fearing to ask locals passing by.

Heading straight north, the nearer I approached that familiar land, the more I experienced the "trepidation of approaching my homeland." However, due to the worsening circumstances, it was impossible for me to back down even if I wanted to.

Since it was fated to be unavoidable, I might as well face it head-on.

Under my request, the Borealis stopped at every single town, and I would disembark from the ship to inspect the situation there.

Due to the frequent stops, the journey to East Mist Communal Country that should have only taken a week dragged on for two months.

This was my usual way of doing things, and I imparted this foundation of governance to Annie and Reyne as well. It was impossible to solve problems by sitting on a high throne and commanding one's subordinates. To truly solve a problem, one had to first investigate what the crux of the problem was.

In this aspect, waiting at one's quarters for a report and witnessing it firsthand were two completely different sensations. "Twenty people starving to death" and "personally seeing ten frozen bodies on the street, and the tragedy of humans snatching food from one another" were two completely different matters. The former would only result in the information being thrown to the back of one's mind after flipping through it, while the latter could give any conscientious governor insomnia.

At this moment, the more I investigated the situation, the more appalling I realized the situation was, contrary to my estimations.

All of the worst predictions that I had held for the country came true. After losing its final mine, the bankrupt East Mist was unable to sustain its spending and had barely kept together for twenty years.

Furthermore, the war with the Beastmen a year ago had shaken the final foundation of East Mist. After grinding away the last bits of the resources of the country, to the point that it did not have sufficient money to purchase rations for winter, the East Mist Communal Country was on the verge of collapsing.

As usual, the crops this year were lacking, and the treasury was so poor that its doors did not have to be locked. It was nearly guaranteed that a famine would occur. It was an utter blessing that we had extorted a large sum from Auland Empire, so that not many frozen corpses would be found during this year's winter.

Even so, seeing those citizens who didn't demand much of the country suffering so bitterly made one feel terrible inside. When I met cases which I was unable to tolerate, even though I knew that my actions wouldn't bear much effect on the country as a whole, just temporarily alleviating the situation of the individual, I still chose to lend a helping hand.

"Perhaps this may not be sufficient to change the fate of the whole country, but at the very least, it is able to change the fate of the person before me."

Throughout the journey, we collected more than thirty orphans. If that Ailee wasn't adopted by the warrior Cloone, I might have taken her away with me as well.

Of course, where there were good children like Ailee who left one heart's aching, there were bound to be evil fief lords and immoral merchants who, as always, stockpiled like the ones that appeared in traditional folklore. No matter where, those who tried to profit from catastrophes could be found.

Whenever I met with such situations, I jotted it down in my book to remind me to get even with them in the future. If they really went too far—for example, there was a fief lord who threatened to exercise his droit du seigneur to extort from his people. which caused all of his people to cry in discontentment. I would not forget to fulfill my duties as an executioner. Of course, at such a moment, I had to thank Reyne for the proof as an envoy of the royal family.

TL: Droit du seigneur, also known as ius primae noctis, refers to a feudal lord's rights to conduct sexual activities with any woman in his territory. ED: There are no known contemporary sources for this actually occurring in medieval Europe.

"Wonderful, the royal family has started to punish the evildoing nobles."

A chaotic era called for extreme means. Since it would be the death penalty even if they were to granted an impartial hearing, for the sake of the oppressed citizens of his territory, it would be wiser to spare the cumbersome processes.

Even though I made sure to conduct my activities covertly, the rumors still spread like wildfire, causing a rise in prestige and authority of the royal family.

However, what was relieving was that perhaps those nobles who craved for a better life had escaped to other countries. Perhaps this country had the tradition of distributing land to those who had significant contributions to the military. Or perhaps, due being in the far north that the corrupt and extravagant means of the human nobles had failed to make its way here, a large portion of the fief lords didn't spout nonsense like "Since we don't have grains, why don't we consume meat soup instead." They did not try to free themselves of the smell of earth, and continued to fulfill their duty in protecting their people.

Yep, using the words of the "pure noble blood" inherited over a span of several thousand years by the "true nobles" of Auland, the supposed nobles of the Northern Lands were barbarians who used their muscles to think. They had yet to shake off the stink of manure off themselves.

However, if I had to say, compared to those supposed pure-blooded nobles who were obsessed with banquets, extravagance, and hallucinatory drugs, I still prefered these farmers and barbarians. At the very least, they had not forgotten their origins. At the very least, they were like the ancient fief lords, protecting their own people from famine and the savage beasts of the wilderness.

While the royal family was stuck in a desperate situation due to long years of wars, a large portion of the fief lords were still trying their best to prop up the country. I had seen many who worked hard to bring better lives to their people, and there were also quite a few who were willing to use all of their fortunes to bring relief to their people. Every time I met with such situations, I couldn't help but feel that when the people and fief lords had yet to give up hope, this meant that the backbone of this country had still not broken. There was still hope for it.

This was the aspect that I found the most relieving my entire journey. There was a solution even for the hardest external problems, but if even the bones had started to decay, then there was really no saving the country.

I had promised little Ailee to change everything, but as for how I should go about doing it still remained a gigantic problem for me.

In this era where the citizens did not demand much, there were two basic prerequisites to ensure a country's steady development. First, a steady supply of ration. Second, the security of the society. These two factors were closely associated with the basic problem of survival. As for jobs, commercial and education, all these were higher tier demands up the pyramid.

The Northern Lands had never been a fertile land for growing crops. However, it was rich with mines. Using minerals to trade for rations and daily necessities was the standard norm that had been continued for thousands of years. In this very land, the past Mist Country stood high and mighty in the North. However, the current East Mist Communal Country kept losing its territories and it was on the verge of collapsing. This cannot be blamed on the previous generations of emperors for being inadequate. In truth, there was only a single reason.

"When the country is strong, its people will be strong. When the country is weak, the people will be weak. When a country is weak, everything really is sorrowful."

It was clear to see what the core of the problem was just by doing a slight comparison.

In the past, the Mist Country was a prominent country. Despite being small, it wasn't weak. The country had a militaristic tradition. The numerous combination of tier-3 troops and the Aurora Knights who were at a minimum of tier-4 were renowned throughout the entire world. Of the seven elite knight divisions under the Royal Knight Order, any two of them were sufficient to sweep through the entire Northern Lands.

Back then, the powerful Mist Country had helped the human society ward off the Beastmen and Elves, while sealing away the Demon Abyss in the east. Furthermore, being rich with mines, not only did the neighboring countries not attempt to choke the Mist Country of its food supply, they even took the initiative to trade with it.

However, after the East Mist Communal Country rose from the fallen ashes of the destroyed remains of Mist Country, many of its powerful troops were lost, and the rich mines were occupied by other countries. Furthermore, the countless years of resentment that had accumulated throughout history brought it many different enemies. With its externals enemies and internal instability, it grew weaker and weaker throughout the course of numerous wars.

"Weak nations long for strength." Perhaps a reason for the current weakness of the East Mist was due to the heroic Twin Star Knights being seen as its Guardian Gods. Although the Mist Country walked to its doom eventually, the historical story of how a single country caused the alliance army consisting of over a dozen country scramble to flee was still spreading to date, and those lost, powerful troops still remained as legends within the speech of the males of East Mist.

However, when comparing to its glorious past, the current tragic state its people were in made them even more depressed. Even if the militaristic tradition still remained, the current East Mist Communal Country had already been reduced to a third-rate country. Not only was it unable to dominate the Northern Lands with its military prowess, it was barely holding up against the waves of beasts in winter and the ambitious neighboring country.

"If only we had sufficient provisions and resources, Ailee's mother would not have starved and frozen to death. With a stronger military, even if the Mist Country is still unable to conduct the Winter Hunt and prey on the winter beast packs, at the very least, it will be able to control the scale of the beast pack before winter arrives. Entire cities wouldn't have to move in the face of oncoming winter, and little Ailee's father wouldn't have died in the journey."

This was also why I said that I was only "temporarily alleviating the situation." The foodstuffs that we extorted would be finished sooner or later, and without sufficient military power, even if we were to survive this year's beast wave by some luck, we would still meet with problems next year.

If I wanted to reverse all this, what I had to do was clear. Since the lack of food and a weak military were our foremost problems, then settling the issue of rations and strengthening the army was what I had to deal with first. This was the path I had to take to settle the problem at its core.

I already had a plan for strengthening the army, but the greatest problem still lay with food.

"Provisions, is it … This is really hard to deal with."

The barren, frozen ground may be rich in mines, but it really wasn't arable land. It was possible to hire Mages to adjust the weather in the short-term, but the Mages would require certain materials for their spell, and doing it on a large scale would be unsustainable for anyone.

Since the solution eluded me, I should check the walkthrough. Naturally, the "history walkthrough" wouldn't provide me with the answer for this question. The one I had to check was a different one.

【Roland's Foreign World Survival Booklet】

The thick and worn-out booklet had a thick layer of dust coating it, and the pages of it had turned yellow. Just by changing its cover, it could probably be sent to a museum as a historical artifact.

This was the notebook I made when I first traveled to another world so that I wouldn't forget the knowledge of the foreign world. Upon consideration that I might come to use it this time, I brought it along with me.

"Earning money by creating glass." The front pages of the notebook were filled with ideas, but most of these ideas had a small note written below it. "The creation of glass is a success, but the idea is a failure from the start. Alchemists have already created an even more transparent glass in the midst of their experiments out of sheer coincidence. My efforts are in vain."

"Inventing gunpowder … Goblins have already invented it. Printing press … The God of Knowledge has built his career on this."

My failures were jotted below each of those ideas. The notes written on it were the traces of my failures after my hard work back then. If words reflect a person, then these squiggly words clearly revealed my immaturity and anger back then.

With the knowledge of a foreign world, I expected to build a big name for myself in another real world. Looks like I was filled with ambitions then, but was struck down repeatedly by the cruel reality.

However, this wasn't the time to be reminiscing about the past. Recalling my primary objective, I flipped to the page on food, and I was shocked by it yet again.

"I got it! The solution to our food problem. Yeah, that is to plant highly resilient crops with high yield. Corn, sweet potato, potato, hybrid rice … Using the high-yield foreign crops to replace the ordinary low-yield crops? This sounds like a great idea."

While nodding my head in agreement with the excellent ideas written on the book, I closed the book and threw it against the wall.

"That's easy to say! Where can one find corn and similar high-yield crops in this world!"

Yes, that's the main problem. If this world had such plants, famine wouldn't be a problem in this world. Looks like I really wasn't reliable back then.

"I know that the possibility isn't high, but it is worth a try. System, are there any high yield crops that can be exchanged for points?"

【There are.】

A question that I asked without expectations turned out to be affirmative. Even so, I wasn't moved yet. After all, I have been scammed too many times.

"What conditions do I have to fulfill for it? If it were that simple, I would have exchanged for it back then."

【10,000,000 Fate Points per high-yield crop.】

Alright, the System was still as damned as I expected it to be. However, this time, I unexpectedly received an explanation.

【If high-yield crops were to appear in this world, under the propagation of Druids and Mages, it would change this world from its core. It might even shake up the society that is based on feudalism. You can't possibly afford such a twist in karma.】

So that was the reason why I am unable to exchange for it. However, the System's explanation reminded me of a possibility.

"Looks like I have to send a letter to Eaglestorm. It would be impossible for us to hire Mages, but as long as we acknowledge the teachings of the Druids, who are viewed as a threat in most countries, they shouldn't demand much from us."

Since we are intending to accept Undead in our country, Druids were naturally not a problem. Different from the expensive Mages, Druids didn't require a catalyst to utilize their spells, not to mention that ripening crops was one of their areas of expertise.

"However, that isn't sufficient. No matter how many Druids there are, it won't be sufficient to satisfy the needs of the entire country. Looks like I still have to scavenge for other ideas."

【I have already hinted you to such an extent, have you not realised it? The System might be unable to exchange high yield crop for you, but can't you create it yourself?】

Create it myself? My first thought was that the System was trying to scam me. I was only capable of Undead Creation. It was possible for me create a being that would turn one into an Undead when consumed, but it was definitely impossible for me to create a safe high-yield crop.

【Have you forgotten from whom you learnt Life Creation from? You are still deeply etched in her mind.】

At that moment, I came to realization. My Undead Creation originated from the combination of the knowledge from multiple fields, and many of the theories within came from a certain great Mage of Life Creation. If my memory did not fail me, that great Mage's specialization was the creation and summoning of plants. It might be impossible to create a high-yield crop that was capable of changing the entire world. However, to create and modify a crop suited for a little country in the Northern Lands shouldn't be too much trouble for her.

Thus, I hesitated for a moment on how I should write the second letter. That great Mage was different from Eaglestorm. If possible, I wanted to never meet her again in my entire life.

However, after contemplating it, no better ideas came to mind. Thus, I could only start writing helplessly.

"Dear Senior Amelia, it has been long since we last met. Your junior has something to ask of you…"Even the longest journey will come to an end one day. All kinds of primary scouting job had been completed and the familiar capital, Diffindor, comes into sight. However, I got lost in worry about personal gains and losses.

There was no reason to drag it on any longer. When we were about to enter the city, news that I received impelled me to order the ship to turn around.

Half an hour later, on the mountainous terrain twenty kilometers southwest of Diffindor, I found my objective. It was a quiet camp and a bonfire burned silently. The entire campground was filled with cloaked black figures who were sitting around solemnly.

"The Church of Law led by Xueti has already entered the city, established the Church and started propagating the faith. On the other hand, Sir Ferdinand and the other Undead Knights are camping outside the city."

This simple news surprised me. After all, I understood Sir Ferdinand well. He was adamant about keeping promises and obeying orders. Since I asked him to lead the Undead Knights into the city to tutor the new generations of knights, it was impossible for him to discount my orders. He should have already entered the city by now.

However, the moment I disembarked from the ship and caught sight of the situation of the campground, the reason immediately came to me.

Initially, I thought that Ferdinand only brought twenty to thirty elite knights of the various troops to serve as instructors, so it should have been easy for them to sneak into the city. However, there were at least 300 people clothed in darkness at the camp!

Not even speaking of sneaking into the city, with 300 intelligent High-tier Undead, at least thirty of which are Undead Lords, a force that was capable of stirring up an Undead Calamity and destroying any city of the living, if the news of them were to leak, the consequences would turn out to be disastrous.

"What is with you all, didn't I say that …"

Old Sir Ferdinand walked forward to bow to me. The old Skeleton General revealed an embarrassed expression. He was aware that he didn't do a good job with this matter.

"Upon hearing that we were heading to Diffindor, everyone wanted to take a look. As a result, the number of volunteers kept increasing. In the end, if it wasn't for Captain Bastian stepping out to suppress them and repeatedly adjust the number of personnel to send over, the number might have probably reached 5000 or 6000."

Looking over, Fayde, Lucas, Timier, Slance, Lani, Kakana and all the ace knights were here. Under my gaze, they felt slightly embarrassed.

I sighed helplessly.

"To think that you all walked over from the Underground World like that, you all didn't get noticed in the middle of the journey? However, it is good that you all came as well. It just so happens that I am in need of manpower."

"We mainly chose tread in the barren mountainous regions and wilderness, resting the day and trudging forward at night. It was troublesome in some countries, and there were a few small-scale skirmishes, but no one was injured. However, as we are well-versed in the geographical terrain of Mist Country, no one should have noticed us yet."

"Indeed. But for us to be able to creep to the vicinity of the capital without being noticed, the knights of this generation are far too lacking."

Alright, after these fellows managed to sneak in easily, they even started to complain about the other party's weak defenses.

"Have you all entered the city yet? What does it feel like?"

Even though the bulk of the group might have been unable to enter the city, given their prowess, it shouldn't be difficult for a dozen of them or so to sneak in. But when I asked this question, the response I got was an awkward silence.

"You all … It can't be that none of you have entered the city?"

Yet again, silence. However, this time, it was silent consent.

"When we were far away, we were so tempted to come over to take a look. Yet, when we are finally approaching our goal, somehow our courage to enter just withers."

Fayde's words received a wave of head nods.

Perhaps, this was another form of "trepidation to approach one's homeland." Even so, the Undead Knights did have other concerns.

"After all, we are already Undead, and we tread a different path from the living. Actually, I am already satisfied just by looking at it from afar."

"The circumstances surrounding the Mist Country of this generation aren't good. If they were to be associated with Undead as well, they might end up being even more isolated by the human society."

"Your Highness, our stubbornness has burdened you. Actually, we are already contented with walking about our homeland. We have already discussed about it and have decided to leave twenty people behind as instructors while the rest of us tread back on the path we took here…"

"Enough!"

An inconceivable fury made me interrupt the lamentations of the knights.

"Are you all done? Satisfied with a single look? Tell me loudly that your journey of a thousand miles, shouldering the danger of traversing through the territories of countless countries was just to look at your home from afar! You all are just satisfied with this? You all are willing to return just like this? Do you all think of me as a fool?!"

"Of course …" Lucas swallowed his words after a glare from me. Apparently, he didn't mean what he said.

The sight that unfolded before me was similar to the one with Camisia and Fanderk. The past few days, they also kept saying that "I had fun these several days, but there are still fundamental differences between the living and the dead. We will be content with just flying behind you all."

The fact was that no intelligent being loved to be alone, not even speaking of being treated as a foreigner. Since they are happy with it, why should they allow the opinions of others to impede this happiness of theirs?

I knew that they were hesitant and fearful of facing the living. They were worried that they might bring about unintended consequences to my plan, that I would be viewed with enmity by the rest of the world. After all, the status quo was that Undead were evil. I could understand how this feeling of inferiority was born, but I did not intend to allow them to accept it!

"… Back then, you all died for the people of this land. The current you are all returning back to save them! You are all triumphant warriors returning back to your homeland, and not cowardly escapees! You don't owe anything to anyone, it is the bastard world that owes you all.

"Stick out your chests! All of you are my prided knights! Put away those pointless concerns of yours. Today is the day of our victorious return. For all of you who have sacrificed your lives for this land, why should you all hesitate to return to the land which you have given your all to protect? What are you all fearing? Answer me! Such cowardice. Do you all think you were wrong back then? Do you all regret your actions?"

My confrontation caused the 300 pairs of soulfires to silently burn in the dark of night. Their minds weren't calm.

"No, we never regretted it!"

"Even if time were to rewind, we would still be willing to sacrifice our all for our homeland. But the current us …"

Who could be willing to simply look at the homeland that they have dreamed about from afar? The consciences of these knights were clear, so why should they be condemned to such a cruel fate? They feared, but what they feared weren't powerful enemies. Our knights never, had never, and would never fear a battlefield. I know that what they were fearing were the hostile eyes of those whom they had given their lives to protect, just because they were Undead.

"Great! Since you all don't regret it, then there's no reason to hesitate. Take off those meaningless cloaks and follow behind me standing straight as you can. Please continue to believe in me! I will bring you the honor and respect you all deserve!"

All of the Undead Knights stripped off their cloaks and black auras of death started to emanate from them. However, I smiled. These were the cute knights that I was proud of.

"Fayde, my flag bearer, are you ready?"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

"Raise the flags!! Tell everyone that 377 years later, we have returned victorious!"

The tall Skeleton General carried the war flag of the army and started to beat the war drums. The rise of the Mist war flag also meant a declaration to the world that the immortal army was gathering once again.

Just as before, the horn of war was blown on and the war flags of the military soared in the air. The knights wielded their weapons and marched forward in their formations.

Since it was a march of victory, how could there be only a single war flag? Under my gaze, the other knights also raised their own flags and among them, there were flags carrying their glorious family emblems, division flags that represented the honor of the division, and even personal flags bearing their war contributions.

To the knights, the war flags represented their honor. Even if they were to lose their weapons, they wouldn't allow the flags they bore to fall.

The continuation of a family's honor, the glorious military, and the personal contributions of an individual. There were quite a few who bore all three of these flags together. There were even knights who carried over ten flags. However, they were only stubbornly shouldering the war souls of their brothers along with them.

Slance had twelve flags, Fanderk fifteen, Barak twenty and Setta seventeen…

Some of the skeleton hands of the knights carrying the flags were trembling. This wasn't due to their weakness, but rather the heavy weight of the war flags. A flag bearer who was last in his division was afraid that he might bring shame to the honor the Snow Lion War Flag represented.

Ed Ron. His family had served in the Snow Lion Heavy Infantry Division for generations. However, this infantry division was struck by forbidden magic during the battle in Diffindor, and the remaining one hundred survivors had fought to the bitter end in the ensuing battle.

There were also knights who lost the final war flag of their unit in battle. However, they used the fresh blood of the enemies to regain their honor, and the shabbiness of the war flag that he personally stitched together made it hard for people to look at. Even so, no one mocked him. On the other hand, they allowed him to walk at the forefront of the marching contingent.

His name was Timier. The Black Griffon Aerial Unit had been wiped out; not even their corpses remained. Only he, who was a Dragon Knight, answered my summons and returned from hell.

The war flags were an extension of history. What he inherited were the bones of the loyal soldiers buried beneath the lands, the will of the warriors who had given their all for the land.

Every single flag was unbearably tattered, and every single of them represented the countless sacrifice and passion of brave warriors, as well as the memories of blood and flames beneath these flags.

In the distance, the morning sun slowly rose, and the last breeze of the night blew past. The tattered war flags rose in the air and we, the remainders of the fallen army, returned victoriously.

"Band! Rydestein's Heroic Victory, 3rd Movement—Celebration of the Triumphant Return!"

Accompanied by the echoing of the horns was music that represented the victorious return of warriors. The banshees started to use a gentle and cheerful rhythm to sing along with the music and in the midst of the harmonious orchestra, even the most awkward of knights started to hum along.

The march of triumph which brought a smile to everyone's face sounded by everyone's ears, as the celebration of victory in the past reappeared before everyone's eyes. This was just like the innumerable times when we had returned triumphantly, preparing to be welcomed by the cheers of the citizens within the city.

"We … are home!"

Notes:

1. Weak nations long for strength 国弱思武穆

The literal meaning of this saying goes that a weak nation longs for the appearance Wu Mu (which refers to Yue Fei, a renowned general in the Han dynasty).

2. "Letters cut off by the mountains' ridges, / Winter turning into spring. / With trepidation I approach my homeland, / Fearing to ask locals passing by."

This is a poem from Song Zhi Wen when he was escaping from his exile back to his family.

3. Bones of the loyal subjects buried beneath the lands

This is slight alteration of a poem by Ma Yuan, a general in Han dynasty. The whole poem means that the entire lands are filled with the bodies of the loyal soldiers who had fought for their country, is there a need to trudge their bodies back in horse carriages just for burial? (that's how they sent back the bodies back then) Back then, when Mao Ze Dong's son died in battle, and his general asked if there is a need to bring his body back for burial, that's how he answered.

Alright, so Roland is 391 year old.

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 130: The Sinless City

As the capital of the small country of East Mist, historic city Diffindor was quite renowned in the entire world. However, the tourists who were visiting the city for the first time always felt disappointed by the sight that awaited them.

This city was far from the magnificence of the capitals of other massive countries. On the contrary, it was ruinous and to this day, many old abandoned buildings still stood. While ancient architecture was worth looking at and appreciating as an art form, ancient ruins were lacking in that kind of attraction.

The city might have held a significant area and possessed the grandest city walls and defensive capabilities in the entire Northern Lands, but the population living in it was far from its historical height. Despite that only a third of the city was still in use, the people in the city were still sparse.

The Mist Bloodline had guarded the northern borders of the human society for several thousand years, and this ancient city which had undergone innumerable battles was its capital. History records that this city had been purged by foreign tribes three times, but the people of Mist still stood time after time to reclaim their territory to rebuild their capital.

In the long annals of history, it wasn't the barbarian invasions of the powerful foreign tribes that dealt her the fatal blow. It was the dagger in the back that almost reduced this infallible ancient, historic city into ruins.

"1520 AD, after guarding this city for 15 months and expending all gunpowder and provisions, the human alliance army finally successfully conquered the final standing city of Mist Country, its capital Diffindor. Prince Roland and the troops he led died in the city."

This simple one line description was written in the historical books. However, to the people of Mist, this was a grudge that they carved into their bones.

That year, under the summons of Pope Paul the 9th of the Church of Holy Light, seventeen countries came together to form an alliance army. They took advantage of the lapse in the Mist Country's defense, when its main army was dealing with the Beastmen in the north and Demons in the east, and stabbed their dagger violently into its back. Then, their purging of the city directly caused Diffindor to become a Land of Death.

Soon afterward, the rampage of the Undead Knights blinded by vengeance and the Demon army that Prince Karwenz brought turned the seventeen countries into history, thus causing the most tragic loss of human society.

"The Church of Holy Light cannot be trusted. The darned human kingdoms and nobility are even less credible!"

This had been the solemn vow the people of Mist carved into their bloodline after being betrayed three hundred years ago. From there on, that was also how they operated.

More than two hundred years ago, the founder of East Mist Communal Country, Charles the 1st, claimed to be Roland's descendant and drove away the Beastmen colonizing the land and bought a portion of the Mist Country's territory back from the Elves and rebuilt the Mist Country.

In order to purify the Land of Death so as to establish Diffindor as its capital once more, Charles had requested the assistance of the Church of Holy Light back then. Even though the Pope had expended much of his energy to turn the Land of Death into a suitable living place, the perception of the people of Mist only improved slightly, from throwing stones behind their back to sneering at them, and building a regional branch in their lands. Furthermore, this was in consideration of the fact that Prince Roland used to be a Holy Knight.

Of course, given that the faith of Holy Light was the main faith of human society, the Mist Country's hostility towards the Church of Holy Light and other countries caused it to be isolated from the rest of the human society once again. This was also one of the major factors in its gradual downfall.

However, the stubborn Northerners never regretted their actions. Anyway, they were already viewed as barbarians by the "civilized" others, so it shouldn't matter that they are slightly more "vindictive" and barbaric. Rather than believing in gods living above the clouds, they believed more in the swords in their hands and the protection of their ancestors. However, when they were viewed with enmity by the rest of the world, and had been pulled into innumerable wars, it seemed that the newborn Mist Country was nearing its end.

However, there was a person who didn't agree with it. He intended to work together with the new Mist Bloodline to reverse this hopeless situation.

Today was the day that would go down in history.

The day had barely brightened, and the citizens deep in sleep awakened to the cheerful march of a victory tune. The sound of galloping horses could be heard from the royal palace coming from the city gates, seemingly urging and rousing this ancient city from its slumber.

A red carpet was laid at the entrance of the city gates. The royal family ceremonial guards and band started to play a tune as the Royal Knights begin to position themselves in a formation. The guards on the city wall tossed flower petals of all colors downward. This was the prelude to the march of victory, as well as the beginning of a festival that everyone enjoyed. However, the one that was held a year ago was for a battle a year ago that resulted in great losses for East Mist and the Beastmen, and the death of the king loomed over the joy of victory.

Hearing this victorious melody once again, the civilians walked out of their doors excitedly and a commotion burst forth as they swarmed towards the city gates.

"The victory melody? We didn't fight any war recently. Could it be that the Knights had went to hunt down the beast packs recently?"

"Are you a fool? Princess Reyne's diplomatic visit to the Auland Empire is so successful this time that the returns from the trip are not any less than the gains from a war."

"So that's the reason! Princess Reyne has returned? Yeah, thinking about it now, it's about time for it as well."

The carriages from Auland carrying a large amount of resources had arrived at their country earlier than the princess. The overjoyed crowd filled both ends of the street as they awaited the return of their princess, hoping to present their welcome and gratitude to the returning princess.

Kachi kachi. Amidst the sound of the turning of the tires, when the massive city gates gradually opened, the first figure that entered caused everyone to freeze.

"Princess? That's not it."

That person may have shared many traits with the princess, but there were also many differing features between them.

Princess Reyne wasn't that tall, nor was her face that mature. More importantly, that older version of the ice armor obviously belonged to a man. There stood a young man with a smile on his face.

"He seems so familiar, but I am unable to put my finger on it…"

"Statue! The Twin Stars Statue!"

"Yes, if Prince Roland was at this age, this should how he should look!"

"They really look identical! That disposition, that smile and that Roland Sacred Sword by his waist…. Wait, Roland Sacred Sword!"

In the depictions of the statues, the missing symbol of royal authority was striking. There wasn't a single Mist citizen who did not know the design of the sword. Furthermore, the sword was emitting a light, silvery glow, similar to how it was described in the legends. Also recorded in the legends was that this sword fell along with Prince Roland.

While the citizens were shocked over the Roland Sacred Sword, the Royal Knights, who had only received the orders to play the melody for the march of victory, burst into commotion as well. When the knights behind the young man entered the city, everyone was shocked.

Those familiar tattered war flags swayed with the wind as the Undead Knights marched proudly under the sun.

Before the Royal Knights could draw their swords as a precaution against them, the young man's declaration echoed in the entire city under the assistance of Amplification Magic.

"I, Holy Knight Roland, the final king of Mist Country, have returned along with my Knights."The red carpet beneath our feet couldn't be considered high-tier, and it was a little shabby to be using it to welcome guests of the country. However, as I stepped on it and gazed at the Mist citizens before me, I felt inconceivably happy.

The Undead Knights had stepped into the city. At this point, they had already thrown away all of their doubts and the fiery soulfire in their eyes displayed their resolute will.

Yes, they had nothing to worry about, and there was nothing for them to fear. They were just returning back to their country. Even if changes had occurred to their bodies, the heart of a traveler craving to return back to their homelands hadn't changed.

Soon after I passed the city gates, Reyne, who was riding on a Frigid Nightmare, appeared with a smile. Her presence effectively soothed the tense atmosphere initiated by the presence of the Undead.

"Princess Reyne? What is that? That lustrous white mount?"

"Frigid Nightmare! That is the mount of the legendary Aurora Knights! I never thought that I would be able to witness the legendary Aurora Knight with my own eyes. Could it be that the young man is really Prince Roland?"

While the citizens of East Mist were shocked by the reappearance of the Frigid Nightmares, while at the same time cheering for their Princess Knight for advancing to become a Legend-rank Aurora Knight, the very next sight made all of them gasp in shock, as well as verifying the authenticity of "Prince Roland's" identity.

Fifty-four Frigid Nightmares marched in neatly through the city gates. Even though the knights riding on them were beyond recognition, the identically sculpted ice armors couldn't possibly lie. In the past, that soul mount that was emitting a bone-freezing chill was a privilege of the Mist Country. More importantly, those fifty-four Aurora War Flags dispelled all doubts of their identities.

"The Order of Aurora Knights! It is the Aurora Knights Order, the legendary knight order that was able to easily defeat an army a hundred times its size! That was the most prided force of our Mist Country! The unstoppable Knights of the Northern Lights who had dominated the Northern Lands!"

Weak nations long for strength. Throughout the years, when East Mist was suppressed and bullied by the other nations, the people of Mist couldn't help but recall their previous glory.

"Are those Alchemist Knights incredible? Are those Wolf Knights of the Beastmen incredible? If our Aurora Knights were still here, those shameless fools would never be able to be so audacious!"

As their own knights got beaten down innumerable times due to the difference in the level of equipment, this resentment and grudge passed down from one generation to the next. Eventually, the lamentations became sighs of helplessness and despair. Sometimes, they couldn't help but accept the fact that their homeland was no longer as strong as it used to be.

"The Mist Country which used to dominate the world with their cavalry has became a weak nation with no powerful troops."

For a period of time, there were rumors that Princess Reyne had displayed the might of an Aurora Knight in the Auland Empire. However, to the Mist citizens who were aware of the history of the Frigid Nightmares, they knew that it was impossible. So, they simply treated it as a rumor.

"Sigh, if only it were true. If we still had Aurora Knights on our side, it would be impossible for the others to step on us."

At this moment, Princess Reyne, who the citizens were familiar with, stood out brightly even in the midst of the Undead Aurora Knights. The Frigid Nightmare in the shape of a horned beast verified those rumors to be true, and the Aurora Knights had returned to the world!

"Is it our Princess who has brought back our pride, the strongest Aurora of the Northern Lands?"

"That is Knight Captain Elohim! He has also became an Aurora Knight! The Heavens have blessed our Mist Country, the Aurora Knights have returned us! We will no longer be that weak third-rate country anymore!"

Perhaps the Aurora Knights may not have been the strongest bunch of my order of knights. However, to the Mist citizens, they were the symbol of the strength of the Mist Country when it was at its peak, the precious jewel that they hoped to regain.

The reason why I had the Undead and Aurora Knights line up at the front, putting Reyne and Elohim in the midst of them, was to lower the hostility the citizens may have held towards the Undead, as well as to establish some correlations within the minds of the citizens.

"Could that man truly be Prince Roland? Could it be that those Undead are the final Aurora Knights in the Battle of Diffindor?"

As the host, Reyne knew what to do after I shot an encouraging look at her.

The young, female knight stepped out of the formation and faced the hesitating citizens. She took over the possession of the Roland Sacred Sword from me and made a declaration that would go down in the annals of history.

"I, Reyne Qin Mist, a descendant of Mist royalty, in hopes of regaining the might of our country, found my ancestor, Prince Roland, and his order of knights! From now on, the Aurora Knights will shine in the Northern Lands once again! Under His Highness and the loyal Order of Royal Knights under his command, our East Mist will rise anew!

"Perhaps some worry about their identities as Undead. However, I can use my honor and life to guarantee that they are existences worthy of trust. My people, I know that you all have your own worries and hesitation. After all, they have all became Undead. Yet, back then, they used their lives to protect their own city. Now they stand up once more to avenge their friends and families even after their deaths. Even though they are currently Undead, and there is a risk of their souls being eradicated by such a course of action, they chose to help us. Towards these Knights, what do we have to doubt?"

The declaration of the young, female knight echoed throughout the entire city through the usage of Amplification Magic, and that clear and bright voice resounded to and fro in the city. In fact, even before she made that declaration, the radiance of the symbol of royal authority, the Roland Sacred Sword, had already ignited passion in the hearts of the citizens.

"The Roland Sacred Sword! Holy Knight Roland and his Order of Royal Knights have returned! Our Princess has found the missing symbol of royal authority and the knight order!"

Facing the agitated crowd, Reyne paused for a slight moment before continuing.

"Their faces might be scary, but look at the emblems they bear on their armor and weapons. Look at the Mist War Flags which had undergone countless wars. The Will of Mist will never yield, and the Mist War Flag will never fall. Even after their deaths, they still continue to protect their homeland. Isn't this another form of the Will of Mist? If we can't believe them, who can we believe? Are we to believe in the untrustworthy Holy Light instead?"

Due to the lack of time, I didn't have sufficient time to guide Reyne on her speech. Looking at the impassioned speech unfolding before me by the forthright Reyne, I couldn't help but to smile in relief.

While Reyne was still in the midst of her speech, the sky suddenly darkened and a gigantic beast swooped across the sky, generating countless cries of shock.

"Bone Dragon? No, there's someone on top!"

"He actually jumped down! That is a Bone Dragon Knight!"

Upon landing, Timier raised the familiar Black Griffon War Flag. Since the Roland Sacred Sword and Reyne had already verified my identity, it was time for me to say something.

"Timier, the final remaining Dragon Knight of the Mist Country. In the Scott Aerial Battle, our Black Griffon Riders unit were besieged by enemies who outnumbered them by more than fivefold. In order to cover the retreat of our ground troops, the unit fought bravely to their deaths, and Timier himself killed two of the three Dragon Knights that were attacking him simultaneously!"

Despite the intentionally flat voice, my words still stirred countless shocked exclamations.

Without a doubt, giant dragons stood at the very top of the food chain. An ultimate force like the Dragon Knights could only be found in the greatest of the empires. It is something that the current East Mist dared not even think about. Based on historical records, the Mist Country of the past did possess numerous Dragon Riders. They never imagined that after such a long time, they would be able to witness this sight with their own eyes.

"Our aerial unit consists of a group of young men, but due to the brutality of an aerial duel, the losers often do not leave a corpse behind. Even though the aerial unit is the elites of the Mist Country, only Timier responded to my summons and dealt the second wave of vengeance against those darned invaders!"

After bowing, the proud sole Dragon Knight waved the Black Griffon War Flag and led the way on the red carpet of victory, as though he was a brave warrior who returned victoriously from war. No, he was indeed a brave warrior who returned victoriously from war!

"These are our Knights. Vile Undead? No! We are just a foolish bunch who returned from hell due to the reluctance to accept the occupation of our beautiful Mist Country by invaders!"

As Timier and the Aurora Knights proceeded forward side by side, those who walked through the city gates behind them were the remains of each army, and I started to go on a recollection of their history.

"Polar Bear Squad, the heavy infantry of the royal family! It is made up of the merging of the remains of two squads near the end of the war. Equipped with Avalanche Guardian plates, they are our strongest barrier and fortress! After going through innumerable wars, sixteen men remain of them, and the strongest in their midst, as well as the youngest, is Carlos Tills."

I nodded my head gleefully as I introduced one of my most trusted knights to the world.

"He is the 'Mobile Fortress' I rely on. In order to cover the escaping refugees, he used his body of flesh and blood to jam the rock bridge, using his physique to stall the butchering blades of the invaders. Back then, he died from being pierced by hundreds of arrows. By then, his blood had already flowed dry from his body and not a single bone of his body was complete. In the end, he could only come back as an Abomination. That year, the Defensive Knight who I am so proud of even now, Carlos Tills, was only fifteen year old."

It was hard to imagine how an Abomination could show a look of embarrassment, but at this moment, Carlos was nodding his head in embarrassment towards the citizens. His smile still remained as it was in his youth.

"Perhaps you all have never heard of Asmu Hound Tamers, but it is a special type of Ranger troop. Their representative is our heroic scout…

"The Knight of Swift Wind, Slance, might just be just an ordinary Dragon Lance Knight, but he is one of the backbones of the army of the Mist Country…

"Oh, this is Great Sword Saint Fayde. I'm sure that you all must have heard of his name as the best Sword Saint of the Royal Knights. Of course, that is if his father, the old Sir Ferdinand doesn't undercut his position…

"This is…"

One by one, the names of the knights were listed, followed by the identity of the knight and their past exploits. That history of their resolute determination appeared before the eyes of the citizens once more, and they realized that these frightening Undead Knights used to be the legendary heroes of the Mist Country.

Going by the traditions of the Northerners, if they were upstanding heroes when they were alive, then they were figures worthy of respect even after their deaths.

Since the unknown could bring about fear, then allow me to dispel that fog of secrecy.

As long as they had not sinned, even as Undead, the loyal and powerful knights would only be a pride of mine, so there was no reason for me to conceal their existences.

However, some citizens did not agree.

"Damn those Undead, to dare to step into the world of the living!"

Despite the huge, golden robe, his plump belly could not be concealed. As the Archbishop of the East Mist Regional Church of Holy Light, under the protection of a ring of Holy Knights and Priests, Archbishop Lorf arrived at the scene. It was very possible that the panting him was the reason for the tardiness of the Church of Holy Light.

Just like how no Justice Knight would let any sinners who defied the Rules of God slip by them, the Church of Holy Light on the Surface did not spare any "evil" Undead. The proud entrance of the Undead into the city was an insult to the Holy Light and the Origin of Order.

Under the drive of the fervent pursuit of their faith, despite the overwhelming difference in strength, the Holy Knights still put up a formation in front while the Priests prepared to assist them from the back, as though they were preparing to start a fight at any moment.

Their arrival was within my calculations. In fact, they arrived later than I have expected, and I had already prepared something in advance to deal with them.

"Why do I remember that this is a Land of Law? Isn't the Church of Holy Light overstepping its boundaries?"

My confrontation caused old Lorf to freeze for a moment. Apparently, the fact that the Law had become the national religion of East Mist meant that he had failed thoroughly in his mission to spread the teachings of Holy Light.

At this moment, the person I was waiting for also arrived at the scene.

"Hey, old Lorf, don't go too far. The East Mist Communal Country has already declared the faith of My Lord to be the national religion of the country. This is already a Land of Law. Aren't you going too far to try to kill someone before the Pope of the God of Law!"

Xueti rushed to the scene on time, winking at me mischievously the moment he appeared. I saw many familiar faces standing behind him. That familiar silver mask exuded the radiance of the Power of Law. He looked like he had grown significantly stronger since the ascension of Wumianzhe.

"Tauren Pope!"

The Church of Law that had arrived two months ahead of us had settled into East Mist officially, and the citizens had already gotten used to this amiable Pope Tauren.

The moment the Church of Law arrived, they positioned themselves in between us and the Church of Holy Light, clearly trying to prevent a conflict between both sides.

"Darn it, they are vile Undead! They are the enemies of all beings of Order! Why do you all stop us?"

"Archbishop Lorf, before My Lord, there is only the 'innocent' and the 'guilty'. Please do not use race as a means to differentiate good and evil. At this moment, I can only see you all trying to commit a crime. This is the divine territory of the Church of Law. Do you really take us as mere ornaments?"

"But they are still Undead. They are bloodthirsty and savage. Even if they used to heroic figures, can you ensure that they will not harm others due to their natural instincts?"

The notoriety of the Undead was deeply ingrained into human society. The furious howl of the middle-aged Holy Knight Captain was extremely persuasive, causing hesitation among the citizens. At this moment, Xueti laughed heartily.

"Of course we can. I can guarantee in my name as the Pope of the God of Law that they are Heroic Spirits in the truest sense, and not vengeful spirits driven by their bloodthirstiness. They lived in Liu Huang Mountain City for more than a century, but never was there a murder case from them. Just a while ago, they played a part in the slaying of a Demon Count. That was a grand battle worthy of the word 'epic.' On the other hand, your Holy Knights always cause trouble in the name of eradicating evil, disrupting the order of the city."

The position of the Pope of the God of Law was incomparably noble. From a certain sense, it was an equivalent existence to the Pope of the Church of Holy Light, Sincarlos the 3rd. At this moment, Xueti's words were even more convincing.

"You … You vile dwellers of the underground, you are a conspirator with them. You are all miscreants! How can your guarantee be trusted!"

A split moment after the Archbishop of Holy Light howled in anger, he immediately covered his mouth. Even so, he was unable to retract that gaffe that could even qualify as a personal insult.

"Are you sure? You dare to insult a Pope of a True God as a miscreant? Also, I cannot ignore your discrimination against the Underground World. This is a grave insult against the entire Church of the God of Law. I will send a letter of remonstrance to Sincarlos the 3rd."

A slip of the tongue in a public area could not be resolved that easily. Just as Xueti was intending to pursue Lorf on that matter, even though I knew that it wasn't an appropriate moment for me to be speaking out now, I still choose to stand up.

Miscreant? Who was the miscreant? There were some things that just could not be tolerated any further.

"Lorf, is it? You are the successor of the bloodline of Cardinal Lorf the Philosopher? Fine. From a certain viewpoint, I, already a Holy Knight from 300 years ago, can be considered as your senior. Then, let's talk about who the miscreant is. Fanderk Jenon, you should have heard of this name."

The moment my words rang out, sweat droplets started to flow down the forehead of 'Philosopher Lorf' profusely. As the future Cardinal successor, Lorf was aware of that forbidden history.

"You are unable to reply? Of course, that is an unfair trial that the Church of Holy Light is ashamed about! For a kind, devout believer in the Holy Light to be hanged as a vile heretic, the true miscreant is the one who sits at the seat of the judge! Is this the justice and impartiality that the Church of Holy Light speaks of?"

Under my interrogation, the pale Death Knight slowly stepped forward. To those who were aware of it, the face of the Death Knight was no different from the one recorded in history.

"Everyone! Just like what Prince Roland has mentioned, I was once a Holy Knight. However, as I was unwilling to testify for the Cardinal, who was expelled from the Church afterward, I was hanged in the Holy Light Square to pin the blame on Mist Country."

"There… There is no such thing! No, I don't know about it."

"Then do you dare to swear upon the authenticity of your words in the name of the Holy Light?"

If one swore falsely in the name of the Holy Light, it was equivalent to turning one's back on the Holy Light. How could Archbishop Lorf, who viewed the seat of the Pope as his ultimate goal, possibly make such a vow?

However, even if he didn't make such a vow, that awkward silence, pale face, and sweat drops that flowed down his forehead had explained everything.

A commotion immediately broke out. Not only were the citizens astonished and furious, even the Holy Knights and Priests who were willing to sacrifice themselves for the propagation of the teachings of the Church were in disbelief.

Even though the current Church of Holy Light had a good reputation, it did not mean that it didn't have a shadowy past. If they themselves were immoral and guilty, and hid their sinful past, what right did they have to represent the Holy Light in bringing judgement upon evil?

Looking at that ugly, fearful state, I laughed. However, this was a laugh derived from overwhelming rage.

"I swear in the name of the Holy Light that the reason why the calamity then would develop to that point was due to the filthy and vile upper echelons of the Church of Holy Light. That supposedly sacred battle was just a depraved act by a bunch of greedy wolves under the leadership of a lion! You bunch of hypocrites are just using the flag of a sacred battle to satisfy your greed through plundering. You all are the source of all evil! Look at me! How dare you degenerates use the Holy Light?"

Unfolding the wings that radiated the blinding Holy Light and Sacred Inferno, that dense concentration of Holy Light power was the best proof for the authenticity of my words.

"I am a Holy Knight as well, but I don't worship the God of the Holy Light. Even more so, I won't be a puppet of that laughable Church of Holy Light of yours! I only believe in the justice of the Holy Light itself! The Holy Light never made us kill innocent. Knights, do you think that your own justice can be dictated by the teachings of the Church of Holy Light? If so, who will guarantee the justice of the Church of Holy Light? Perhaps your supposed actions of eradicating evil are only another 'righteous flag' that you all use to murder the innocent!"

As a War Angel, I was a God's Envoy in the teachings of the Holy Light. Under my furious glare and the interrogation of the pure Holy Light on their conscience and faith, a large portion of Holy Light users in the field started to waver.

And when these interrogations started to spread across the entire world, the Church of Holy Light would begin to fracture, and a faith that worshiped Holy Light on its own would emerge and grow at a distance alongside the Church of Holy Light. Eventually, it would result in a painful and embarrassing fission for the Archbishops.

However, at this crucial moment, when Lorf was forced into a corner with his ugly self revealed, the gazes that the citizens of Mist Country shot at him became more and more hostile. On the other hand, the middle-aged Holy Knight Captain stepped forth once more.

"The Church of Holy Light of today is no longer the Church of Holy Light 300 years ago. We have been progressing and improving ourselves. Talking about this history bears no meaning. The main issue at hand is whether these Undead pose any threat towards the living. Pope Xueti, you are acknowledging that you originate from the same location as them? I remember that your court has a rule that states that anyone who is involved in the case cannot bear testimony. Since you are related to them, your words are naturally nullified."

This is indubitably an attempt at changing the topic at hand, as well as a twisted interpretation of the teachings of the God of Law.

"Is this a court? Guaranteeing something and the testimony of an eyewitness are two different things. Going by your logic, if the guarantor cannot have any relationship with the obligee, then there would be no one to guarantee for him."

Hearing that twisted interpretation, Xueti flew into a rage. Just as he is about to rebuke him, a familiar voice spoke up.

"Then can I serve as a guarantor?"

This red-haired warrior appeared in the crowd all of the sudden at a certain point. Even though his languid voice was filled with mischief, the inconceivable might that could be sensed from beneath the outer appearance of the red-haired warrior made Holy Knight Captain Woode fearful of him, to the point that he even used polite language.

"You are?"

TL: He uses a politer form of you.

"Adam Han, Red Lotus Sword Saint, a loyal brother of Roland, as well as the previous City Lord of Liu Huang Mountain City. Do you also wish to circumvent me?"

The Red Lotus Sword Saint was one of the potential candidates for the strongest human in the world. His indelible results in terminating the Yongye Calamity made him a living legend and a saint. In front of him, even the current Pope could only be considered a junior of his.

"Margaret, Saint. Arlodante's Truth Overseer substitute. I have interacted with the Undead Knights for nearly 200 years. I trust them, and I am willing to use my honor to guarantee them."

Just a short moment after the Great Saint landed from the sky, that quiet vow echoed through the entire city and the trust within her words left a deep impression on its listeners.

"Representing the will of My Lord, I can also guarantee that."

This time, the voice also came from the sky. However, it was a familiar deep voice that carried the accent of the Elves. It reminded me of an acquaintance whom we had just separated from.

"Bastlar?"

As expected, along with the descent of the Light of Order, the God's Envoy appeared.

Hearing that prominent name, Woode's back was drenched in sweat. At this moment, he was still praying in expectation that it was just someone with the same name.

"The Heroic Spirit of the Goddess of Moonlight, Dragon Slayer Bastlar?"

"Yes, but I am Wumianzhe's Heroic Spirit at the moment. I will settle with you the matter of your twisted interpretation of the God of Law's teaching. Right now, there are two Semi-Gods and a Heroic Spirit guaranteeing them Is this enough for you?"

Under the challenge of a Heroic Spirit and epic heroes, Woode was unable to rejoinder. When he was in a weak position and speechless, I suddenly felt like rationalizing it out with him.

"Fine, let's not talk about the past. Let's discuss the present and the future then."

"300 years ago, you all used the annihilated Mist Country based on an unconfirmed fact, resulting in the sixteen years of Demon Calamity, thus bringing about the most grievous cataclysm to the entire human society. Now, this country plagued with innumerable problems is forced into a corner yet again, but what do you all intend to do? You all claimed that you are protecting human society from the encroachment of evil, but in my view, your Church of Holy Light is the origin of evil!"

"We are guiding people towards benevolence!" The Holy Church was the origin of evil? This never before made claim shocked Woode. After which, fear started to creep forth from inside. In that instant, facing the countless dark histories and the furious condemnations by the victims, even his slick tongue was unable to find the words to refute.

"Worshipping the Holy Church means to guide others towards benevolence? What a joke! The conduct of my Knights is a hundred times nobler than those pigs in the Church of Holy Light cloaked in the robes of an Archbishop! How many years has it been since my people have been on the verge of starving to death? Yet, I don't see the Church of Holy Light doing anything about it! Fine, the Church doesn't wish to interfere in it. I will! Then why is it that when I bring my Knights back to lead my citizens to a better life, you leap out to criticize our actions! Will those haughty superiors of yours be happy only when this country is destroyed and all of its citizens have starved to death?"

The furious questioning left the other party tongue-tied. Suddenly, a small pebble hit Woode's head. It was a little girl venting her frustration.

"Bad man, don't bully Big Brother Knight!"

While Woode was stumped for an answer, when the numerous grudges and resentments of the country were thrown under the sun from the continuous interrogation, the rage of the citizens in the surroundings was already on the verge of exploding.

The action of the little girl was only the initial spark. Following, more and more pebbles, tomatoes, and potatoes were thrown.

Finally, under my interrogations, when all of those dark histories were revealed, the Mist citizens' dissatisfaction with the Church of Holy Light burst!

"Murderers! Begone from the Mist Country!"

"You oppressors and miscreants, do you all not know the meaning of shame?"

"Karsha from Aymon family, if you still consider yourself a citizen of the Mist Country, take off that ugly priestess robe and return back to us!"

Under the agitation of the crowd, the influence that the Church of Holy Light had developed here over the course of so many years would probably be uprooted in an instant.

When the Church of Holy Light was viewed with suspicion or even exiled out of the lands, my Knights would receive the respect they deserved in the future for their heroic deeds in the past.

At this moment, I didn't have the leisure to be surprised about these "minor things." Bastlar had brought to me Wumianzhe's gift, and it was something that would astound the entire world.

"Divine Forbidden Spell: The Sinless City. This?"

"Yes, this is the gift that My Lord, Wumianzhe, has granted this city and the East Mist Communal Country. In this world, only Lord Roland has the qualifications to use it! After all, how could it be possible for the Order Gods to allow the City of Rain to monopolize the market?"

Perhaps I was the only one who knew what my inner thoughts were. This big gift was something that I required the most now. With it, the estrangement between the living and the dead would be swiftly repaired.

After hesitating for a moment, I made up my mind.

【I, God of Law Wumianzhe, declares that under my will, the capital of the East Mist. Diffindor. will become a sacred land of the Law Faction—A land devoid of sins. 】

When I tore apart the scroll filled with God Power, the God Power gushing out from it controlled my speech. After which, from above and below, the voice of the God and a mortal merged together as one.

This was the declaration of a True God. The entire world must listen to my will.

【In this city, no one shall be incriminated because of their identity, race, or social position. Before the Rules of God, all intelligent lifeforms are equal. If someone were to violate the Rules of God in this city, regardless of his identity, position, or race, he would be marked as a criminal by a permanent Judgement Spell, and all of my worshippers shall judge his crimes!】

At this point, the incantation came to an end. However, somehow, I moved my lips and additional content appeared within the declaration.

【In my city, Undead do not represent evil, and Holy Light does not represent justice. Before the Rules of God, everyone is equal. The benevolent shall be rewarded, and heinous sinners shall not be spared!】

TL Note: Weak nations long for strength 国弱思武穆

The literal meaning of this saying goes that a weak nation longs for the appearance Wu Mu (which refers to Yue Fei, a renowned general in the Han dynasty).

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 131: Ghost Festival

【I, God of Law Wumianzhe, declare that under my will, the capital of the East Mist Diffindor will become a sacred land of the Law Faction—— A land devoid of sins 】

All mortals must remain humble before the will of a true God. When a God's declaration was conveyed from the clouds, even the most furious of paladins and priests had to stop their arguments.

The God beyond the clouds showcased their might and innumerable pillars of light descended from the heavens. The silver Light of Law illuminated the entire world. The faint layer of silver cloaked the ruinous infrastructure within the city, causing the city to look solemn and dignified.

Contained in the golden scroll is the God Power of the God of Law. Without a doubt, this was a nation level (permanent) strategic Forbidden Spell.

Along with the tearing of the scroll, the overflowing Power of Law turned me into the medium of this Forbidden Spell as I replaced the God of Law to release this extreme Forbidden Spell.

However, in the predetermined declaration, I added in my own verse.

【Can sunlight survive alone without the night to complement it; is there no darkness to the other end of the Holy Light?】

【In my city, Undead do not represent evil, and Holy Light does not represent justice. Before the Rules of God, everyone is evil. The benevolent will be rewarded, and heinous sinners will not be spared!】

The two souls of the same origin harmonized with one another, and Wumianzhe, who did not possess self-awareness, gave up his control in the end, allowing my will to rewrite the predetermined declaration.

When the declaration of the true God echoed throughout the entire world, even I am unsure of what kind of repercussions it could bring, and what the additional words I added into the declaration would cause.

At the very least, in the eyes of those of the Holy Church, a true God bringing up the idea of 'Darkness to the other end of Holy Light; Holy Light does not represent justice' was a slap to their face. At this very moment, despite being in the Order Faction as well, in the eyes of all Holy Light jobs, the God of Law had become the top enemy of the God of Holy Light.

Even so, they were unable to censure us. After all, Wumianzhe was also a true God of the Order Faction, standing neck to neck with the God of Holy Light in a certain sense. On the other hand, the Church of Holy Light, in name, was the servant and representative of the teachings of Holy Light. No matter what, a servant criticizing a companion of his master was a disrespectful action.

"What does Wumianzhe mean by this? Does he intend to start an internal war among the Order Gods?"

Facing an unpleasant guest, the servants might not be qualified to make a stand, but the owner was allowed to reprimand the other party for their discourtesy. Everyone waited for the God of Holy Light to respond to the declaration, but the long-awaited response never arrived.

Alright, actually, these two true Gods do not possess self-awareness. They operate only on their path of logic to expand their faith. My declaration didn't contain any direct insults, and I only brought up the possibility of 'darkness to the other end of Holy Light, and that it does not represent justice'. These were facts and would not be determined as an aggressive action by that simple logical thinking of his. In fact, in the logic map of the God of Holy Light, those words had nothing to do with him at all. And thus, it wouldn't elicit a response to my words.

Perhaps, in the eyes of those who understood the secrets of the Gods, this was just a meaningless little trick. They would only be doubtful of how Wumianzhe, who had lost his self-awareness, was able to utilize such a play on words. However, in the eyes of most mortals, this was equal to the silent acknowledgement of the words of the God of Law by the magnanimous God of Holy Light.

"There could be villains hiding beneath the cloak of Holy Light, and shadows exist behind the Holy Light as well. Perhaps the Church of Holy Light isn't as sacred and righteous as it seems."

This was probably the thought going through the minds of a majority of the listeners. Very possibly, in the eyes of the world, the God of Law and God of Holy Light had already started to stand at opposite ends with one another. At the very least, the most direct impact of this declaration was that there would be some friction among the Church of Holy Light against Law jobs.

However, since my initial goal was to poach personnel from the Holy Light and even replace the Holy Light in its entirety in the future, hostility of this level is within expectation. On the other hand, only when faced with enmity on the outside could the Law Faction unite together as one.

As the medium of the Forbidden Spell, I fully understood the effects of it.

Being a God Power Forbidden Spell on the same level as the City of Rain, when the Light of Law permanently envelops the entire city, anyone who oversteps the boundaries of the Rules of God within this city will be marked with the highest-tier Judgement Spell, turning their entire body crimson-red. This effect would be sustained for 24 hours, and all Enforcers who were aware of it must pass judgement on the criminal.

The Sinless City. When all tragic sins are exposed under the sun and it becomes impossible to escape from one's crimes, the ideal of a city devoid of crimes will become reality very quickly.

If Liu Huang Mountain City is the Law Faction's sacred land of origin, then Diffindor is fated to become its land of miracles as well as the land where Law will start rising from. From today onward, the Law Faction would be intricately linked to the East Mist Communal Nation.

At this moment, the agitated citizens were surrounding and attacking the bunch from the Church of Holy Light. Under the hint of my gaze, Xueti stepped forward to stop them.

"Under the gaze of my Lord, Wumianzhe, no sinners will be able to conceal themselves. Even if the Church of Holy Light has numerous past sins, the ones before us are indeed sinless. Please allow them to leave."

After the descent of the miracle, the position of the Church of Law, which had just become the national religion of East Mist, would reach greater heights. The Tauren Pope of the God of Law religion would, without a doubt, become one of top three most authoritative figures in this country. Under such circumstances, his words would naturally be influential.

"Archbishop Lorf, your presence here will only worsen the conflict. Please hurry up and leave. If you still treasure your pride, please leave this city as soon as possible. If you choose to persevere on here, please do not die in this city; you will only cause unnecessary work for us."

By the side, Xueti made sarcastic remarks while helping them out of the situation. With the Church of Law regulating the situation, the moment a gap appeared among the crowd, the noble regional Archbishop immediately fled, leaving his guards and priests behind…

"That is enough. It will be troublesome for us if their Archbishop were to die here. Given their nature, it is totally possible for them to fabricate stories like 'The God of Law has colluded with the Undead and some Archbishop has died in the midst of carrying out his duties'. Judging from his current look, he seems to be scared out of his wits, so he will probably lead his team out of the city soon. It would be best if the Church of Holy Light can give up on the entire Northern Lands. Sigh, given their overbearing methods of dealing with problems, the possibility of them completely letting go of the Northern Lands isn't great. Looks like we will still have to toil out with them in the future."

With the departure of the 'villains', the citizens started to cheer triumphantly. The horns echoed once more and the symphony of victory played.

Under the war flags, the Knights proceeded on with their march; different from their prior solemness, the citizens joined the ancient heroes in the homecoming parade.

With the guarantee from numerous heroes and the descent of the miracle, the estrangement between the living and the dead shattered, and the forced, one-sided show came to an end. In the start, I was still slightly worried and hesitant, but now, the crowds were finally cheering for the returning ancient knights.

The grave atmosphere dissipated shortly after. When the living joined in the ranks of the formation, the parade started to exude joyfulness.

The elderly tried to ask the knights about the difference between the history they knew and the true history, while the middle-aged tried their best to leave their impressions on the knights. The youngsters beheld the figures of the unyielding knights of Mist with admiring gazes, wondering if they could become one of them, whereas the mischievous children would secretly prod the ice swords and flaunt their bravery to their companions.

The Aurora Knights at the front of the parade quickly became crowded. The elegant ice armors attracted the attention of the females and the children, while the legends of those donning it became the dreams of all males. At this moment, despite the stony faces on the Knights, happiness was gushing through their hearts. At the same time, they had to guard themselves against the sudden assaults by the rascals, as well as to explain the dangers the ice armor could pose to the crowd as well so that they wouldn't touch it.

Most of the knights were the same as well. However, what left the greatest impression on them was the bizarre method of acknowledgement and reunion.

"The clan insignia on the flag… Could it be that you are my ancestor?"

"You… Are you the descendants of my younger sister? You truly resemble her!"

"Lord, can you visit our family when you are free? My children should be interested in listening to your stories."

"Of course I can. I will head there the moment the parade ends! Everyone, look, I have descendants! I have a family once more; I am no longer alone!"

These sights occurred one after another. After receiving an affirmative, the living would receive the admiration of the other residents while the dead would be blinded by their joy and gleefully flaunt their descendants to their companions. Of course, most of them were the descendants of their siblings.

As for those who had no descendants of their own, they solemnly decided to check the civilian records to see if there were any descendants that were of their bloodline, or any far relatives who had changed their names. At the very least, for a family of their own.

Their cold outer appearance was like a barrier that the Undead Knights were used to putting on to isolate the coldness of outsiders from the inner heart. However, at this moment, the barrier was slowly crumbling, exposing the gentleness within.

The ones who were touched weren't in the minority, and I had seen two Undead Skeleton General who laughed their lower jawbone down.

In my vision, even for the mentally resilient as Camisia, when young girls were busy putting on flower garlands on the head he was hanging by his waist, that flustered reaction and cross-eyed look revealed how touched he was, as well as his inherent qualities as a virgin with centuries of experience.

Should I be thankful for the fact that Undead were incapable of shedding tears? Otherwise, judging from the agitation of their soul, their uncontrollable tears of joy would have flooded the whole place, and the march of victory wouldn't be as magnificent as it was.

"Finally… This is a true march of victory!"

Yes, what is a march of victory when only the triumphant homecoming warriors are involved? The waiting and welcoming villagers were the true reasons for the struggles of the warrior. Without the understanding and welcoming of the Mist citizens, without the blissful smiles on their face, what was the meaning behind the sacrifice of the warriors and their return?

At this moment, the thousand pound stone in my heart was finally relieved.

"What do I do if the citizens are unable to accept the Undead Knights? If it comes to that, everyone would be miserable, and it would be impossible to salvage the situation."

In reality, even though I spoke of it so confidently and was the first one who entered through the gates, my heart was pounding furiously.

However, I know that I must not reveal my cowardice, otherwise 'escapees' will appear within those hesitant fellows, and we wouldn't have the success we were experiencing now.

Despite being massive and hideous, the Abomination Carlos had rascals climbing up his shoulders. Perhaps the young parents hoped that their children could interact more with this young knight who died young, or perhaps this was the Mist citizens using their own ways to console this unfortunate youngster.

Should I be thankful to the Church of Holy Light for their hindrance? If it weren't for their enmity, the painful dark history wouldn't be pulled out and the Undead Knights wouldn't be so easily accepted by the people.

"No, we should be thankful for the Mist citizens dwelling upon this land. It is my trust in them that made me stake in on this bet. It is impossible for the living to tread beside the Undead in any other countries!"

"Un, we might as well commemorate this day. Every year, we will hold a small celebration to deepen the friendship between the two."

I didn't expect that this thought of mine would result in the birth of the famous Ghost Festival of the Northern Lands. On that day, youngsters would dress up as demons and mythical beasts to join in the night parade of a hundred demons. Naturally, there were true 'ghosts' in their midst as well.

Undead not being viewed as evil will become one of the most important trademarks of the Sinless City. Soon, when the news spread, countless discriminated races and minorities would start to consider heading to the Northern Lands.

"I have not sinned, so why must you all pursue me to no ends? I have had enough of this.While Roland was still busying himself for the future, a certain someone was destined for tragedy.

A few months later, when the news of the Northern Land reached the Auland Empire, the emperor who was still vigorous despite losing his capital showed his weariness for the first time.

"You will regret it." The elegant figure and her words appeared in his dreams once again, and the words that contained another meaning beneath the surface became the greatest rue of a certain emperor.

"Yes, I've regretted it! I've truly regretted it! Is this karma? Is this retribution for allowing others to assassinate you? Or was I mistaken from the very start?"

Every time the emperor drank on his own, he would be shouting these words while bawling over it.

At this moment, the attendants who thought that the emperor was stressed due to the worsening war situation would close the doors and call for Lord Hermit and Lord Rosemary.

The former was a strategist deeply trusted by the emperor. Regardless of whether it was matters concerning the war or daily affairs, he was always able to come up with suggestions that satisfied and left the emperor assured. On the other hand, the latter was a beauty that left one dizzy-headed. Empathetic, she was always able to soothe the burden and emotions of the emperor with a few words.

This time, it seemed that Lord Hermit was too busy with war affairs, thus only Rosemary came.

"Emperor Darsos? Why did you drink so much again?"

"Rosemary? Come, accompany me for a drink."

"As you wish, your highness. Except, it will better for you to cut down on the alcohol. Drinking too much harms your body."

"Hehe, I never expected that you, who she sent to me, would worry over me. Come, let's chat."

As expected, after a few words, the spirits of the doleful emperor lifted.

"Rosemary, you are truly my soulmate. Regardless of whether it is military affairs, politics, economics or commercial activities, you truly know it all. Perhaps, if I chose you to be my queen from the start, many things would not have occurred…"

Seeing the two of them hitting it off, the understanding royal attendants silently closed the doors. Perhaps, not long later, something would happen.

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Chapter 132: A New Era

【Ding! Congratulations on building a new job advancement infrastructure. The job change to an Avalanche Guardian has been unlocked. The job advancement to an Aurora Knight has been unlocked. The job change to a Swift Wind Knight has been unlocked. Please throw some citizens in, give it two minutes, and a powerful warrior will leap out… Did you think I would say this? Stop dreaming. This is the real world. There's no way such a disorderly job advancement system that's neither scientific nor magical could exist.】

【You want powerful warriors? Sure, train them yourselves, cultivate them. ——You expect soldiers to pop out just by building barracks? The Star Wars next door is beckoning you.】

Alright, it isn't that easy to obtain powerful troops, but for this System, which is neither scientific nor magical, to retort that I am being unscientific, it seems that it is as darned as usual.

This is the third day since the 'homecoming' march of victory. However, not only did Diffindor's celebration not stop, the celebration activities even expanded to be national level.

"Since that's the case, we might as well allow the entire country to celebrate for an entire week and pardon all criminals. Un, the food will be provided by the nation's treasury so as to allow the citizens who have suffered for far too long to enjoy themselves."

This was the decision that I had made. It was clearly an attempt to win the goodwill of the people. But at the same time, it had the effect of calming the hearts of the people before the arrival of the storm.

A celebration mainly consists of delicacies, alcohol, music and cultural performances, as well as all kinds of unique activities. The cheers of delight, dancing and singing outside the windows of the squares never stopped and the sound of the drums shook even the heavens. However, in the palace, everything had reverted back to the hectic daily routine.

"Going by your plan, we still have sustain the homecoming celebrations for another five days, not to mention supplying the celebration of the other towns with food. This will exhaust at least two months of our rations. If things go bad, it might even cause a shortage in the rations that was finally sufficient to last through the winter. Although a kind man had sponsored us this time, and we earned quite a bit from him, the expected shortage in rations in the long term still remains a menace. If you weren't the one who brought up the idea, I would have gone all out to block the proposal, before finding an excuse to exile the perpetrator to the borders and have them serve as a laborer."

The sentiments of the top court lady Kelly was shared by most of the officials. Used to thriftiness due to the difficult and harsh life here, they would even tear a copper coin into two to spend it over a course of two days, so how could they tolerate such an 'extravagant waste'? If it wasn't for me backing it adamantly, this celebration probably couldn't even be held.

"Everyone here has suffered. However, this will all be worth it. On one hand, this is a way to reward the citizens. Even though the harvests were pitiful this year as well, it isn't their fault. After toiling for an entire year, they should be granted a few days of rest. On the other hand, I want to leave a new impression on the citizens. 'From today onward, everything will be different.' With this at the core, life will become less difficult for them."

Morale? Popularity? The will of the people? All these may seem fleeting, but they can become a positive driving force from another perspective. At the very least, filling the stomachs of the citizens and painting a beautiful future for them to look forward to was all we could do at present.

Of course, changing this country from the ground up was still something to be done step by step.

I proposed an unrealistic request to the System, and as I expected, I received an even more unrealistic response. Every single warrior required several years, sometimes even decades, of cultivation. Hoping that troops would magically appear just by throwing resources into a newly-created barrack? If only this held true in reality as well.

"Then, the two foremost matters we have to attend to is to reconstruct the individual main divisions and to settle the problem with rations…"

A sparrow may be small, but its internal organs were still present. This emergency internal meeting had more than thirty officials attending it, and based on the primary interaction with them, it seemed that there were quite a few talents among them. It seemed that these experienced and hardworking politicians played a big role into why Reyne and the Mist royalty were able to persist to date.

TL: The Mist Country may be small, but its internal workings are still complete.

A filial son can only be identified when the family is in poverty. Similarly, the truly loyal subjects are the ones who stick with the country through times of difficulty. Should I be thankful for the years of difficulty they have experienced? They were able to calculate out the burden that a month of celebration would have on the supply of rations next year, and settle on the locations of the new barracks within a short ten hours. This was something that that bunch in Liu Huang Mountain City, who goes 'What Lord Saint says is correct' for all matters, could never hope to accomplish.

However, no matter how efficient the governance was, and how well-utilized the resources are, it was still impossible to alleviate the situation when the country was that severely lacking in resources.

At this moment, the conference made one feel very uncomfortable. As a newcomer without any official position, I was sitting in the chairman's seat to officiate the internal affairs meeting. And yet, they were all treating it as though it was something reasonable, as though this was the way it was supposed to be… Un, the one who felt the most uncomfortable in the meeting was, no doubt, me.

After all, I was already used to governing that bunch of unreliable subordinates of mine. A large portion of the time, I would be arguing with them during the meeting, trying my best to direct the discussion, which had begun to digress from its boundaries, back to the topic at hand. In contrast, seeing the officials seriously discussing the problems now made me feel uncomfortable.

Seeing the serious faces of the middle-aged and elderly officials as they jotted down notes on the meeting and pondered deeply before raising questions, I was tempted to bring Xueti, who was still enjoying himself in the square, over and show him how others dealt with matters seriously.

"As for the problem concerning rations, there should be a stock of meat coming in half a month. If stored properly, it should be able to slow down the depletion of our rations."

Kelly came to a realization.

"You mean that whale?"

I nodded my head. It was too much of a waste to leave that corpse of the mountain-like Horned Whale in the ocean. Considering the problem of food East Mist was facing, I decided to send the Borealis to drag it back here.

Considering that it was way too big, if it was impossible to drag it back as a whole, it was also possible to cut it into several pieces to ship it here.

Even when top-tier Sea Monsters were dead, their might will linger in the surroundings for a period of time, thus there was no need to fear fishes and prawns from consuming it within a short period of time. The meat of the whale could be used as rations while there were top-class spices within its body. It would be a waste to leave such a great fortune to rot in the ocean.

"As for the means to resolve the problem of rations from its core, I have a proposal. By selling our acquisitions, we should be able to purchase rations sufficient to last us for two to three years. Thus, we should start planning for the long-term."

After all, East Mist was a small country. Given that the resources given to us were sufficient to make the emperor of the massive and powerful Auland Empire feel an ache in his heart, it was even more so an astronomical sum to East Mist. It was possible to live off it for several years.

At this point, the head treasurer flipped through his records and nodded his head affirmatively.

"If we were to sell away those jewels and minerals, it could sustain us for five years, let alone two years."

I nodded my head in satisfaction. At the same moment, I recalled the bitter face Darsos had when he was extorted by us. Recently, I had heard from Rosemary that she had successfully invaded the inner circle of the Auland Empire. Perhaps, this may allow me the chance to interfere in their affairs in the future.

"I am really curious as to how she was able to infiltrate their inner circle of authority despite being a servant of obscure origin, and to say that it is possible to climb even higher on the totem pole…"

Even though she refused to explain how she was able to do it, I do not think that she was lying to me. Other than the fact that her phylactery was in my hands, the top classified secrets of the entire continent that she was supplying me with also proved that she had gained sufficient trust to access them.

"To survive by preying on the wealthy isn't a feasible long-term plan, even though it is sufficient for us to survive for a few years. I will think of a solution for our rations. So, let's talk about the other proposal —— Expanding our military."

If it was in the other countries, pushing forward an expansion in the military was an incredibly vexing process. It would cause an outbreak of war between the Dove Faction and the Hawk Faction. Unless the emperor forcefully suppressed the opposing faction, it would take at least three to five years, sometimes even reaching a decade or two, to expand. Furthermore, one had to take into account the reactions of the various fief lords when strengthening the army of the central. Even if the motion were to pass by some sheer coincidence, by the time new divisions were being formed, people would be vying for military positions and authority.

TL: The Dove Faction supports peacefulness, whereas the Hawk Faction refers to the nationalists.

However, to the East Mist that had been struggling in the Northern Lands for a long time, it was something the population fervently longed for. The main reason why the military wasn't expanded in the past was due to the lack of funds and rations to sustain it.

"Regardless of whether it is to deal with future wars or to protect the people from the waves of beasts in winter, we require a powerful army. In the Northern Lands, one will never find military prowess excessive. Thus, the first thing that has to be done is to restore the previous establishment of the Mist Country. With my knights at the very core, the various battalions will be reformed. Their names and flags will remain the same, and the equipment and gears will be as it is in the past. With the old veterans leading them, the battalions should be able to take shape within ten years."

Looking around at the surroundings, the crowds nodded their head slightly in approval. Their eyes were filled with enthusiasm. After all, the Mist citizens had already suffered the bitterness of a lacking military strength. As long as there were sufficient resources, rebuilding a powerful military had been something they were dreaming of.

"In reality, the will of the younger generation to protect their country is strong. The numbers who actively applied to join the military has always exceeded our logistic capabilities. As long as the supplies are able to keep up, along with the attraction of the legendary troops, there should be no problem with the number of manpower."

"Un, then let's begin the recruitment of the army as soon as the celebration ends. If we do not have sufficient equipment, use wooden swords and wooden spears for training first. Let's first get the situation kicking before we proceed on to the specifics. We must quickly make use of the time to allow them to undergo training before war starts."

There was someone who heard the other meaning behind my words and raised his doubts.

"War? Does Your Highness believe that war is imminent?"

"Un, you all should have heard of it. The eternal Sacred War is about to occur again, and the battle between Auland and the Water Elementals and Seafolk is just the prelude to it. The unrest doesn't just stop there."

Speaking of the eternal Sacred War, the faces of those in the room darkened. Expanding one's army was one thing, but fighting another war was something else. They barely had a few days of peace; why was trouble knocking once again?

"A few days ago, I received a confidential intelligence report that the Blackwings in the South have allied themselves with the Wind Elemental God. Their Cloud Fleet is currently heading west and, along its way, has plundered quite a few towns. Even the capitals of two middle-tier kingdoms have been a victim of theirs. As for the north…"

The moment I spoke of the north, everyone's attention focused on me. After all, this was the utmost north of the human society, and anything that happened here concerned their safety. No matter what, they had to be wary of whatever happened here.

I sighed helplessly. Were the Mist citizens really condemned to a life filled with catastrophe? They had chased away the Beastman tribes a year ago and barely had a few days of peace when new problems arrived.

"…In the north, there seems to be quite a few tribes that have received the support of the Earth Elemental God and become powerful in an instant. That fellow proclaimed himself as the Khan of the Beastmen. Right now, they should be in the midst of an internal war, annexing one another. Going by their past history, it should be a matter of time before their great army starts venturing south."

TL: Khan - The supreme leader of nomadic tribes.

"That is impossible! Ah, Your Highness, I am not saying that you're lying, but…"

"This is a destructive catastrophe! Your Highness, is your source of information reliable?"

"Your Highness, are the Beastman tribes from the highlands or the plains? Have the other countries of the Northern Lands received the news yet?"

As expected, the moment the figurative bomb was thrown, the conference room burst into commotion.

The Northern Beastman tribes could be divided into two groups. The Highland Beastmen resided in the Oregon Mountains, the geographical terrains of which were complex. Over 70% of the Beastmen of the Northern Lands resided there. On the other hand, while the Beastmen of the Holen Plains may be fewer in number, their population was more densely concentrated and the actual danger they posed is significantly greater.

If it was the Beastman tribes from the highlands, there were at least a few countries who stood between us and them. On the other hand, the Plains Beastmen share a part of the border with them. And due to historical reasons, the several dozen kilometers of the boundary shared with them had never been peaceful.

Of course, this is still a positive situation. If it was the previous borders of the Mist Country, with the long border between both sides, the pressure would be even greater. In these two hundred years, the rise of a highland country, the Suya Kingdom, and the neighboring Rhodes Kingdom, which were both ruled by those who share the bloodline of the barbarians, had split the great plains of the Beastmen into two, thus alleviating the pressure.

By the way, these two countries were also the only two of the seven countries in the Northern Lands that have amiable relations with the East Mist Communal Country. Other than the fact that they were viewed as a 'Nation of Barbarians', their countries were also built on the lands of foreign races, and they did not annex the land of the original Mist Country. The lack of a historical feud among them formed the basis for their amiable relationship.

As for the other five of the Seven Countries of the Northern Lands, most of them were founded by the fief lords from the south. Some of them were even relatives of the seventeen destroyed countries, so how could the relationship between them and the Mist be cordial… At the very least, unless it was absolutely required, merchants were unwilling to head to this 'Nation of Barbarians'.

The current chaotic situation of the Northern Lands was as such; 'The three countries of the Northern Lands where most of the indigenous population of the north lives (There was also an ancient Fengqi Country on top of Rhodes Kingdom and Suya Kingdom. It borders the Rhodes Kingdom and its political stance leaned towards the north even though its royalty stemmed from the south)'; 'The other four countries founded by Southerners (of which Sleuweir Kingdom is a product from the splitting of the Mist Country. They emphasize that they are the legitimate Mist Country)'; a bunch of autonomous regions that weren't small in size.

The entire Northern Lands had been regarded by the other massive human countries as barbarians; furthermore, the continuous conflict between the various countries of the north had caused this land of bitter frost to become the frontier and a place of exile for human society. As for those supposed autonomous regions, quite a few are 'lands of freedom' governed by bandits and criminal organizations.

"…Unexpectedly, this intelligence was supplied by the Elf Kingdom, so it should be credible. According to them, they have informed most of the human kingdoms. It is the Highland Beastmen; it seems to be a tribe called Blood Axe Tribe."

"Pui, that bunch of long-ears can't wait for us to grind ourselves thin with those Beastmen. However, just as usual, we were excluded from it all."

"Hah, Sleuweir is in for misfortune. Those bastard traitors deserve it."

"Karsomi Communal Country as well. It seems that the Blood Axe Tribe isn't too far away from them. However, the Rhodes Kingdom might be hit as well."

A commotion burst out below. At this point, the conference had finally gotten to its final point of discussion.

"Don't get too excited yet. Although we won't be at the forefront of the impact, it is very likely for us to be roped in. Furthermore, if they manage to break through the borders, we will still have to face the Beastman tribes, so we have to make preparations for actual war. Thus, I have a suggestion. Starting from this year, we will start one of the symbols of our past glory —— The Winter Hunt!"The conference room was still in an engrossed state, whereas I was resting by the corridor.

Even though it was already late at night, a ruckus could be heard from the square not too far away. The bonfire had lit up and the unrefined but lively music made me smile from the depths of my heart. I also saw the Bone Dragon, which was shaking its hips, dancing queerly. It seemed like they intended to party the entire night.

After delegating all tasks that could be delegated, the remaining matters didn't require my attention. The arrangements for the homecoming celebration and the recruitment of soldiers for war were going well. The only debatable aspect was the Winter Hunt that I proposed at the end of the discussion.

Only the Northerners were aware that the wild beasts in summer and the beast packs in winter were two totally different concepts. The beast packs that had been driven mad and bloodthirsty by starvation did not fear any enemy at all.

When berserk from starvation, they could use their heaps of flesh and blood to fill the trenches dug along the city walls. Also, there were numerous mutated and powerful magic beasts in the snow mountains. If they were to go on a rampage, they would definitely be scary opponents.

Spring and autumn in the Northern Lands were extremely short. When put together, spring, summer, and autumn only added up to five months. Thirty days from the end of autumn, snow and ice would fill the Northern Lands as the season of frost started to set in. In previous years, to deal with the beast packs, creating a solid wall and clearing away wild beasts were the optimal solutions.

If the wild beasts were to gather into packs, then moving the citizens from the villages and towns to the large cities would be the only plausible course of action. Even so, not everything could be brought along, which meant that when they return once spring arrives, the sight of their ravaged homeland would be all that lay in store.

Furthermore, a large migration was extremely dangerous. If they were to meet with beast packs that had set off in advance in the midst of their journey, it would be equal to delivering food right to the belly of the beasts.

However, to make the citizens totally give up their home, livestock, and farmlands from the very start was even more unrealistic. They were barely able to survive with the harvest they had each year. Furthermore, there was limited living space around the cities, not to mention the problem of rations.

It was clear to see that the methods of dealing with the problem of the beast packs were filled with loopholes. On the other hand, the Winter Hunt that I had proposed could bring large amounts of meat, as well as unique products from the beasts, reduce the stress that would be exerted upon the cities when those beast packs were cleared, and boost the morale of the citizens and army. There were benefits in doing so.

Of course, everyone knew of the advantages in doing so, but the reason why carrying it out had been postponed was due to the lack of military prowess.

Using defensive tools to deal with the beast packs, which were only capable of charging blindly into the cities, was totally different from heading into the wilderness to battle with the bloodthirsty and cunning beast packs. The reason why my suggestions were rejected by the masses was due to their understanding of the military might of the country, as well as their lack of confidence in it.

"However, without battle experience, how can one's army grow stronger? No matter what, those brainless beast packs should be easier to deal with than those frenzied Beastmen. If you are worried for those young fellows, there are old veterans to guide them, and only through facing true battles will they grow rapidly. An army that has never seen bloodshed before, no matter how outstanding their equipment is, they can only be considered as security guards."

I didn't argue with them. After all, it was all just cheap talk without evidence to support it. To convince them, I need to prove to them that we had the power to do so. Besides, the army was under my control, so I could make preparations for it in advance.

Right, my current identity was also awkward. After all, I am a prince of the Mist Country. The royalties of this country claimed themselves to be my descendants and had been acknowledged by the world as such as well. Thus, I should be a member of royalty as well. However, logically speaking, this would mean that I should have been an emperor who had stepped down. Yet, I had never assumed the responsibilities of an emperor before, and I am also still alive. So, do I elevate straight to the position of a retired emperor?

This relationship was so complicated that probably even the world's most incredible genealogist would be unable to make sense of this mess.

Furthermore, the troops under me were held in the name of Princess Reyne's Guardian Knight.

Yes, Guardian Knight and not a titled knight. After all, in order to use the Roland Sacred Sword to verify my identity, I could only have Reyne confer on me the title of a knight on the surface. Yet, she conferred on me the title of the Guardian Knight at the gates of Diffindor.

"We're about to enter the city now, so it is impossible to find the Council of Elders to confirm your nobility and your territory. Since there have been many examples of one's father and elder brothers holding the role as a princess's Guardian Knight, and Big Brother Roland is like my elder brother, so just make do with the title of a Guardian Knight."

While saying these words, Reyne's tiny face flushed red, seemingly embarrassed.

However, the identity as a Guardian Knight is indeed convenient. I am able to handle matters in Reyne's name, as well as avoid many awkward situations. Back then, I thought that this idea was excellent, and I even praised her for it.

"Your ability to adapt to situations is excellent; seems like you are able to think on the spot. Un, you are indeed my descendant."

Despite it being a sincere praise from the depths of my heart, for some reason, after I said these words, Kelly and Reyne's face darkened. There were even some from the Undead army behind who laughed.

Alright, back to the topic, at the very least, the identity as Reyne's proxy gave me some confidence during the conference when I did not hold any official positions.

Also, there were many things that I had started working on that were inconvenient to mention at the conference.

"Since the symbol of royal authority, the Roland Sacred Sword, has appeared once again, the East Mist and the various other Mist Country spin-offs can start discussing a coalition. Also, the Frigid Nightmare altar in the snow mountains should have accumulated quite a few newborn Frigid Nightmares, so it is about time for us to produce true Aurora Knights. Seems like I must handle these two matters personally to get them done."

Troubles popped out one after another. At such a moment, I feel illimitable yearning for Elisa. If she were here, I could confidently throw everything onto her… or I could make time to chat with her.

【System Notice: Your suicidal abilities are about to break through the heavens… Cough, this time, I didn't appear just to lecture you on how you are courting your own death. There's another daily quest for you to complete.】

【Ding! Daily quest: Today's Unfortunate Fellow. Please punish at least three villains who have committed evil deeds. Based on the identities of those who were punished, you will be rewarded with 1-100 Fate Points, and there is no upper limit for the reward of this quest. However, if you fail to accomplish it, 1000 Fate Points will be deducted. ——Just because you have earned a lot of Fate Points recently, you think that you don't have to do daily quests? If you fail this daily quest as well, the next deduction will be 10000 Fate Points.】

Looking at the daily quest, I was taken aback.

Committing evil deeds did not necessarily mean that the deeds had to be illegal, but what was illegal often translated to evil. In previous days, it would have been easy to find villains; there would be plenty of them in the jail cells. However, as it is the homecoming celebration today, and a universal pardon has been issued, where the heck would I find a villain?

Even if I were to start looking for one right now, the declaration of the Gods on the land devoid of sins was still seemingly echoing in the ears of everyone. Even the most insane villains would fear the might of a God and keep a low profile for some time.

"Looks like I can only give in to my misfortune. The darned System must have been unhappy with me and is trying to pull a prank on me. So be it, a thousand points then. But if it is going to be ten thousand points tomorrow, then I must really take caution… Pu!"

The sight before me caused me to spit my tea out. I rubbed my eyes to double check if I was hallucinating.

A bunch of men was running about, and there were quite a few familiar figures in the group. The one leading at the very front was the tall and mighty Tauren.

"Returning back to nature, treading along with the wind, this is the true nature of us Taurens. My true name matters not, please call me the Son of Wind! Come, my friends, join us in this wonderful run alongside the wind."

Not out of expectations, there were quite a few guards chasing behind this group of bastards. Their clothes and pants were messed up as they waved the wooden sticks in their hands around.

"Lord, at least put on your underwear. Your underwear. Your underwear!" The town security shouted as his words echoed through the streets. In that instant, my face turned green.

"Son… Son of Wind your head! Do you think that this is the Underground World? How many Taurens do you think that Diffindor has? I bet you were exposed from the very start! For the Pope to be bringing others to run around nude, how do you expect the judges of the Church of Law to do their work tomorrow? I thought that you would at least hold it in for a few days! Alas, our heritage is unfortunate!"

Thus, I unsheathed the Silver Avenger without hesitation.

"I got it. It seems that the System isn't unhappy with me. It's the Tauren! Fine, today, I will be cleaning up my household."

【Ding! Bingo, but there isn't any additional reward. Further System Notice: Think about it, why did the quest only request for a minimum of three but did not set a limit on the rewards? Yes, as this is the miraculous Sinless City, even those local criminals would have to keep themselves in check for a period of time. However, have you forgotten that there is still another group of eccentrics who are skilled in dancing about the boundaries of law?】

"You want to become a fireworks expert admired by the crowds? You want to comprehend the profoundness of a festival from the Underground World? Safe and reliable, flashy and radiant, Safe brand fireworks, a product worthy of your possession!"

Alright, a villain who sold dangerous objects and counterfeits had appeared.

"Hmph, it is about time for us to settle our grudge. I want to avenge my lover number 38!" Leaning against the wall was a Dracon Hunter who exuded the aura of an expert.

"Hmph, don't think that I would fear you just because you've ascended to the ranks of a Legend. A true hunter will never fear the strength of his prey; it will only make us feel more blissful. Hmph, your weaknesses have already been exposed to me. The next instant will be the moment of your death." This was an old Dwarven Hunter. Despite his ordinary outer appearances, his shining silver hunting rifle didn't seem ordinary.

By the side, a Goblin was trying his best to shout.

"The grudge from thirty years ago is about to be settled, and an epic battle is about to play out. Kabala Gambling Den is currently accepting all kinds of bets. Those who bet on the victory of the Legend Dracon, the payout is 1:2, whereas those who bet on the victory of the Ace Hunter, the payout is 1:3. As for the both of them perishing together, 1:10, and for the two of them settling their grudge amiably, 1:100…"

Alright, to think that there would be private brawling and a gambling fraud. At this point, I already knew what to do. Before the reputation of the Underground World and the Church of Law fell into the gutters at the hands of these fellows, I had to quickly deal with them.

"That, can I bet that the duel will be terminated due to special reasons?"

"Of course you can, but the payout is 1:7. However, the settling their grudge amiably ending isn't included in the mix." The gleeful Kabala raised his head, but his smile turned into a cry upon seeing me.

"You… Aren't you supposed to be in a conference?"

Ignoring him, I threw a sack of gold coins on top of his head.

"Keep it well, I will be claiming my prize money from you after I'm done dealing with these bastards!"

Alright, what happened afterward was a night of suppression that everyone was glad to see. After running myself to exhaustion, I decided to place rebuilding of the Town Security Army as the topmost priority.

In the end, not only did I complete the daily quest, I even earned more than 700 Fate Points.

Of course, the nude-running Pope would also become the dark stain on the Church of Law. In the future, this was how the annals of history would record this dark history.

"AD1897, during the homecoming celebration, due to overwhelming joy from the return of the knights, the incumbent Pope then, Xueti, drank too much during the celebration and acted out of decorum. Even though he didn't violate any law, in order to punish himself, he hung himself on the highest flagpole in the royal palace for three days and three nights."

"The world was impressed by the strictness he treated himself with and his noble character, and, thus, they titled him as the 'The Impartial Upside Down Man'. Hanging upside down on the flagpole had also become a method to find one's path when one was confused. Furthermore, in order to commemorate this event, sprinting along with the wind during the day of homecoming had also become a tradition. Naturally, most of the participants would still put on a pair of underwear."

Since Reyne, who is a descendant of Roland (as they claim), was the royal family, it meant that Roland must have been an emperor.

For example, if an emperor had 3 daughters and 2 sons, these 3 daughters and 2 sons were part of the royal family.

If the elder son (son 1) inherits the throne, then the sons and daughters of (son 1) will become the main line of the royal family.

In contrast, the children of the 3 daughters and the younger son (son 2) will NOT be considered as part of the royal family.

So, if you work this way upwards, and if Reyne is the empress, it means that Roland MUST have been the emperor.

Also, the retired emperor held significant standing in China. In a country like the East Mist where the ancestors were truly respected, it was natural that they valued seniority as well. So, going by this logic, Roland should be one of the most respected figures in the entire country (as well as highest standing in terms of social position).

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Chapter 133: Distance and Expectations

1897 AD, the summer of the Year of the Griffin.

Against the worsening situation in the country, as well as the eternal Sacred War that was about to occur, the East Mist Communal Country's 'Princess Knight' Reyne Qin Mist had decided to seek for the Mist Country's lost honor. After going through many tribulations and trials, she finally received the acknowledgement of the Heroic Spirit of her ancestor, Roland Mist. Following the return of the Undead army, marked by the "Homecoming Day Celebration" and the "First Winter Hunt in 300 Years", a page opened in the annals of history as the Northern King of Wolves crouching in the Northern Lands started to rise once more.

That was the evaluation written in a certain history magazine many years later. At this point, everything seemed normal in it…

"Of course, to a large portion of the audience, this isn't the main point from the very start. Princess Reyne who remained unwedded for her entire life chose her ancestor, Roland, to serve as her Guardian Knight. This became the popular theme for the works of many playwrights. Even though there aren't many details left behind, considering the chaotic relationship within the household of the Northerners and the fact of Princess Reyne remaining unwedded for her entire life, we can infer that there is some truth behind these creations. As for the rumors of Princess Reyne having a unique sexual orientation, that is likely just a tactic to divert the attention of others."

"—The previous passage is extracted from The Truth Behind The Top Ten Historical Romance Plays, compiled by a printing press which was the subsidiary of the Arhinlo Empire's Cultural Department. Note: This book has been banned by the East Mist Communal Country and numerous other northern countries. The author is wanted by the East Mist and if someone is found bringing this book into the Northern Lands, he will be lynched. The publisher takes no responsibility for the damage incurred by the purchaser."

Alright, let's not pursue the matter about the incredibly suicidal future printing press, although it's not like I could pursue the matter even if I wanted to. Ignoring the problems that the position as a Guardian Knight would bring in the future, at the very least, it solved the problem of my awkward position, thus preventing the bizarre situation of having two central figures in East Mist.

After all, East Mist Communal Country was in the midst of rebuilding its various divisions, but the head of the divisions were all Undead Knights. In the perspective of outsiders, I seemed to have appeared from nowhere to take control of the new armies, so it did seem like I was gaining too much power over the country. In the end, it is best to avoid some matters if possible.

The formation of most of the divisions went well. The moment the intention to expand the army was revealed, the conscription points and the barracks were filled to the brim. Due to our industries lagging behind, it was impossible for us to equip all of them. However, at the very least, we weren't lacking in manpower and training could be started.

However, while some things were well, others weren't that lucky. There were some divisions which met with problems from the start, and they had problems that could not be resolved within the short term.

"Asmu Hound Tamers? We have the complete improved training methods of the troops, and those who signed up are intelligent lads who are carefully hand-picked from the applicants. They are all good seedlings. The Undead Rangers also demonstrated their expertise in taming hounds and how it feels like to have ten Skeleton Hounds suddenly surrounding and assaulting an enemy in a battlefield. However, the problem is…"

"Tucker War Hounds are extinct? How is it possible?"

Alright, we really didn't expect such a problem to occur. Tucker War Hounds were massive warhounds unique to the Northern Lands. They were around half a human's height and their snow-white fur was exceptionally resistant to the chill. Furthermore, they possessed sharp fangs, a strong sense of smell, and an aggressive and loyal personality. They were the best companions to an Asmu Hound Tamer and after undergoing training, they were capable of competing physically with lions.

"We had also just realized it. Back then, due to the overwhelming damage from the fall of our nation, all of the warhounds that we were rearing were lost. After which, natural disaster struck year after year in quick succession. Even humans were unable to find food, needless to say, dogs. Those wild dogs that failed to escape into the mountains were all consumed as food by the refugees. At the very least, not a single warhound can be found in Diffindor now."

After hesitating for a moment, I finally asked, "…Since the warhounds are extinct, why don't you all… change your job to Asmu Wolf Tamer? The Northern Lands may lack everything, but one thing it doesn't lack is wolves. It seems that the Winter Wolves are rather powerful as well. Since they belong to the same family as hounds, there shouldn't be too much of a difference between the two."

Alright, the moment the words of this outsider sounded, the Undead Rangers stared at me as though I was an alien.

"Your Highness, wolves and hounds are two completely different animals. Wolves have a wild nature, which makes them a difficult target to tame. Furthermore, Winter Wolves are Magic Beasts. No matter how I look at them, they have nothing to do with ordinary wolves."

My mouth opened, only to close without saying a word. After all, do you expect me to start talking to them about Darwin's theory of evolution? Besides, who knew how the hounds and wolves from a foreign world evolved? It was possible that they might be two different species. If I turned out to be mistaken, that would be even more embarrassing.

"Crossing species would be difficult, but…"

At this point, talking about crossing species, somehow I recalled that certain someone/

"The reason why you still like humans is because you have yet to meet a life form which you truly love. Species? That is never a problem!"

—By a certain elder brother of the True Love Siblings.

Thus, I tried advising them.

"It might seem inconceivable, but you all can give it a try. Look for the hunter named Beifeng Herault. Yeah, that 'criminal, Beifeng; crime, Beifeng; punishment, Beifeng' mortal legend. No, don't look at me like this, I have not given up on treatment yet, nor did I eat medicine today. Trust me, try looking for him first."

The rangers left half-convinced half-doubtful. Thankful that I was able to hoodwink them, I forgot the entire matter.

I didn't expect that two months later, the rangers would rush into my office and inform me of the surprising and pleasant news.

"What, that fellow actually managed to tame a Winter Wolf? Herault Wolf Tamer? Go ahead, what does a single name count as. Right, how did he succeed? Hmm? Why did all of you go silent? Alright, I know that I shouldn't have asked, so please do not tell me. Don't go spreading it around as well!"

While the Herault Wolf Tamer happened to find a substitute out of coincidence, there were few divisions that, due to numerous reasons, were unable to be formed.

The meritorious Black Griffon Aerial Unit, who had its final remaining Dragon Knight Timier as its living signboard, had many people enthusiastically signing up for it. However, the recruitment closed within a single day, and Timier did not manage to accept a single person.

The reason? How could an aerial unit be created when there wasn't any powerful aerial mounts? Just by the name of the Black Griffon Aerial Unit itself, it was clear that the Mist Country's aerial unit was not much different from those of the human empires. They depended heavily on griffons as their main fighting power. However, how could the current East Mist afford to raise those expensive Griffon?

Furthermore, now that the Sacred War had started, these kinds of military supplies were hard to buy. Upon seeing his brothers building up their own divisions while his was still empty, Timier panicked.

"The proposal to transfer the Aurora Knights and Dullahans into the aerial unit is rejected. Timier, don't look so bitter. I will have Bastian capture a bunch of Manticores here. Those are even more powerful than Griffons."

"What? Aren't those two completely different species? Can manticores even be tamed? Trust me, you only need a Beifeng. What? Only with Griffons can your group formation be executed? Alright, if you insist on having Griffons, I remember that Xiao Hong had been rearing a group of them. It should be fine if I borrow a few dozens of it from here. However, if it numbers over a hundred, even if she is willing to hand it over, we cannot afford to raise them."

Just like how the energy consumption of mechanical flying units is a hundred times that of a chariot, in order to escape from the bindings of gravity, aerial troops require a massive amount of food to sustain their energy consumption. Regardless of whether they were mechanical aerial units, magic lifeforms or living flying beasts, the same rules applied for all of them. In fact, the Griffons which humans raise and giant eagles can already be considered one of the better ones.

Four hundred to five hundred Griffons could eat the amount sufficient to feed ten thousand humans in a single meal. Most probably, the Finance Head would faint from seeing the expenditure afterwards. However, it was true that there wasn't much use to Griffons if they didn't come in a pack.

"Fine, the most I can accept is 30 mounts, so the division can only serve as a scouting unit. I really cannot afford any more than that."

If it could only number thirty, then so be it. After all, it was much better than having an empty division. As Timier left the room sighing, a new trouble came knocking.

This time, it was the siblings Fanderk and Lani. They were once outstanding Holy Light users, and after they were converted into Undead, both of them became outstanding Death Knights. The division they were creating had met with great trouble.

Initially, their "Dawn Hammer" was a Holy Light division centered around Holy Knights and Battle Priests. However, not mentioning how the East Mist was hostile with the Holy Church at the moment, which would cause the growth of the recruited soldiers to slow, the division commander and vice-commander were unable to use Holy Light as well.

Having Death Knights who were incapable of using Holy Light to impart skills of Holy Light and the battle techniques of Holy Knights would be a completely awkward situation. Furthermore, if these Undead were to stay with a massive group of Holy Light users, they might just happen to be cleansed by it somehow someday, so they would have to be wary of it as well.

"… Why don't you try building an order of Black Warriors and Black Knights? Or why don't you just start a division of Death Knights and teach those lads the battle techniques of Death Knights in advance?"

In the end, the Fallen Holy Knight Order and Death Knight Order fell through. After all, the prerequisites for a job advancement was way too absurd. After all, no living knights would take the initiative to job change into a Death Knight.

As for Swift Wind Knight Slance, who was in the midst of discussions with me on building a Light Cavalry Order, the contents of our discussions can be summarised with nine words.

"Money? Mount? Equipment?"

"No money! No mount! No equipment!"

Knights were a money-burning class, and Knight Orders required a large amount of funds to be pumped into them. Only with strong finance could a country afford to support powerful Knight Orders. Upon hearing my reply, the cool Slance turned around to leave. Perhaps, from the very start, he knew that it was impossible, but he couldn't give up without giving it a try.

Initially, I thought that conscripting manpower to build new divisions would be an easy task, but when I am seated in this position, when innumerable small matters came flying towards me, I realised that my thoughts were too simple.

Those flaws at the very start were still solvable through thinking flexibly. However, there were a few aspects that were true dead ends. The greatest problem of it all was the East Mist's industries, which were lagging far behind this era.

This lag was in all aspects, be it smithing, mining, refining, engineering, or alchemy. Every single one of them was still at the standards of a century or two ago. There were wise kings who had tried hard to advance these industries, but even if we ignore the fact that the East Mist was locked out and viewed with hostility by the main human societies, East Mist couldn't afford to buy those technologies.

The design of the old furnaces was still stuck at that of two generations ago. All of the products in the alchemy and engineering shops were all some standardized low-end stuff with low specifications. Then, after the final mine was lost twenty years ago, the mining industry went into decline and at present, it was already basically negligible.

In this world, smithing a good sword first required mining sufficient iron ores before refining it into metal ingots. After that, the metal ingots would be forged into swords under the hands of a blacksmith. If it turned out to be a superior product, then an Enchanter and Alchemist would be invited to carve magic runes on the sword to enchant it.

Given East Mist's current industry standards, besides trying to decipher the new weapons obtained from Auland, even repairing those damaged weapons in the armory was already a difficult task, much less producing new equipment of acceptable quality in bulk for the new army.

Even an inferior metal sword requires countless processes to be done on it before it can be formed, not to mention the superior equipment used by those ace knight orders. The East Mist fell into a bizarre situation where there were blueprints but no craftsman, technologies but no facilities, models but no resources.

However, the talents that I had scouted from Auland were fortunately all from different industries. However, it would take a long period of time for them to truly integrate into this country, and the resource that we were lacking the most at the current moment was time.

Boom! Boom!

The sounds of explosions in the distance reached the heavens. The roof flew across the sky, rotating into the distance. However, the citizens were already used to this sight. After all, the explosions had become a daily occurrence.

Previously, the citizens couldn't understand the rationale behind creating a specialized district for the various experts of various industries to do their research, but after numerous days of explosions and flames, they finally understood my painstaking efforts.

However, this time, a familiar figure could be seen after the explosion. It was the "Miraculous Alchemist" Olivia, and smoke was emanating from her. At this moment, even though she was a mess, a thrilled expression covered her face.

"Ever since she has come under Yingou, Olivia's explosion frequency has taken up half of the entire research district. Explosions occur at least three times every day, and on some days, it can number up to ten times. To be able to remain alive after all that, perhaps that's where the 'miraculous' of her title came from."

While I was slandering her in my head, Olivia smiled happily upon seeing me.

"Your Highness, there have been some results to the object that you wanted me to research. Just as you said, it could probably change this world."

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Chapter 134: Revolution

Magic Engineering was a new field of research that was bound to revolutionize the entire world. However, at this moment, it was still in its infancy stage.

It wasn't something entirely new that popped out from nowhere, but an amalgamation of engineering research, scientific theories based on material engineering, and magic formation research, a magic system theory based on alchemy. In "history," it shone in the intermediate stages of the Sacred War.

I had poached the two founders of the new study from Auland Empire. Putting aside Timmy Lade, who was still studying in the public school, Olivia, who had been studying under the great alchemist Yingou Beyar, was making great improvements.

The Goblin had often bragged about his genius disciple on private occasions (at the same time, he also laments that the inventions of his disciple aren't reliable, and he had been a victim of them many times) and thus, as her sponsor, I gave her the research topic I wanted to embark on without any hesitation.

Without a doubt, this was cheating. Giving the original inventor her original research topic, even providing her with facilities beyond what she was able to lay her hands on in "history." If she was unable to succeed even under such circumstances, then there was nothing more I could do.

Of course, they still weren't as mature as they were in history when they founded the study either. Thus, I had prepared myself to wait patiently for the ripening of the fruits before harvesting them. However, upon hearing from Olivia that there was progress in their research, I was overjoyed.

"Your Highness Roland, those that involve the other fields are still in the midst of being deciphered by everyone else. However, the 'Portable Energy Source' that you had tasked me to create happens to be within the field of magic formation research and alchemy which I have expertise in. With the help of teacher and everyone else, I have already roughly grasped some leads on the subject."

I was delighted. This "Portable Energy Source" happened to be the research that I was looking forward the most to. If this hurdle were to be crossed, then the progress of the research could be carried ahead.

In "history," there wasn't any newly developed technology that had had as much of an impact as Magic Machinery Research. The reason for it was because this technology was prepared for the physically weak humans, and humans were the main fighting force of the Order Faction.

The concept behind its design was that humans needed to train for a minimum of several years to attain supernatural abilities, while on the other hand, Magic Beasts were born innately with their own talents and magic. So why not create an energy source to power a machine that mimics the abilities of these Magic Beasts so as to save the time required for humans to attain such abilities?

The fighter who wields the equipment, the magic engine that serves as the energy source, and the external shell which serves as a medium to channel the energy, these three come together to form a perfect system. It was evident that the core of this technology was the portable energy source. When this system was formed, even the most everyday human was capable of using supernatural abilities.

Even the Magic Machinery Dragon which was capable of competing with true dragons that was developed later on was an extension of such a concept. The only difference that set it apart from the others was its powerful engine and its sturdy outer shell. However, there wasn't any revolutionary change to the technology in terms of its concept map.

From the very beginning, the outer shells of the machines weren't a problem at all. Liu Huang Mountain City's engineering research had been leading ahead of the world, and the machineries behind Roland No.2 were formidable in and of itself. However, its energy source, Titan's Heart, wasn't a product that could be mass produced. The other machines of the Roland series were energy core burners and the energy required to drive them added up to an astronomical sum. That was also the main factor that was preventing it from going into the production line.

To my knowledge, the energy of the Magic Machines was derived from the kinetic energy of humans. One could also find a member of the spellcaster class to recharge the energy within the weapons quickly. This meant that as long as one had a charging port, it was possible to reuse the weapon over and over again, making it a worthy one-time investment for many. That was also the reason why it was able to become commonplace in the world.

Of course, making heavy machines from the very start was a foolish action that was unlikely to bring many benefits. My ambitions weren't that unrealistic. Auland's White Wolf Guards were able to reach an average strength of Silver-tier relying on their exploding Savage Javelins and their Savage Swords which were able to cut through everything. This proved how important an artificial magic weapon was to the fighting style of an average soldier, as well as the potential rise in fighting prowess it could induce in them.

I did have a large bunch of the standard equipment of the White Wolf Guards in my possession, but deciphering the secrets behind them wasn't something that could be done in the short term. I reckon that even if I were to successful analyze the secrets behind them, the composition of the alloy and the high-level enchantment on them would still make them difficult to be produced on a large scale. Most probably, due to insufficient materials and lack of technology, the results of it would contribute nothing to the military strength of East Mist.

However, if I were able to provide a magic sword that had low prerequisites to every single soldier of mine, just with the basic elemental enchantments, every single one of them could potentially become mobile rechargeable cannons. This would revolutionize the role of a soldier within wars and the basic firepower of an army would increase exponentially.

Thus, the first problem I had to tackle was the creation of a rechargeable magic engine, and the core technology behind it was its rechargeable energy source. At this very moment, Olivia was telling me that she had managed to overcome the first obstacle, so how could I possibly not be overjoyed?

My estimations were that it would take a minimum of three years to get to this point. However, it had been just three months since returning from Auland and I was already presented with such positive results. I could hardly believe my ears.

Perhaps due to my overly passionate gaze, Olivia felt embarrassed. She lowered her head and muttered.

"Lord, I didn't do it alone. Teacher Beyar (Yingou) and Lord Kakana had contributed greatly to the research as well. It was a group effort by us all."

Mistress of Plague, Lich Kakana? I was taken aback for a moment before a realization struck me.

Back in her time, Kakana was an ace alchemist among ordinary peasants. It was said that her goal back then was to become an alchemist merchant and sell beauty products and vitamin pills.

The stronger one's will, the more resentment one will carry to one's grave, the easier it was for one to become an Undead. She, who still had lingering wills in the world (she still refuses to reveal what the matter binding her to the world was), responded to my summons and became a member of the newly formed Red Hunting Hounds.

Alchemist and Saint were occupations that had a great demand on one's accumulation of knowledge, and they were well-known for the slow progress one faced climbing up the ranks. Time and experience were one's greatest limiting factor. At the very start, Kakana, who wasn't skilled in battle, was only a young sister who everyone protected carefully. However, she eventually became one of the most fearsome existences in the army.

Alchemist was a job that became more powerful the more knowledgeable one was. The longer an alchemist lived, the more fearsome he became. With sufficient time, there were no dangerous experiments that one couldn't do, no out-of-the-box ideas that one couldn't try, and no poison that one couldn't concoct. An accumulation of knowledge for 300 years made the tonics she brewed something that no Undead would dare to drink, much less the living.

She slowly progressed from a mere Skeleton Mage to a powerful Lich. Even I was unsure of how strong she currently was. After all, there wasn't an opportunity for her to use her full strength. Given how Liches were existences that were at minimum Legend-rank, her strength was bound to be something not to be underestimated. Also, her title "Mistress of Plague" showed the impression the world had of her. The lives that had perished from her plagues were uncountable.

At the current moment, she had three apprentices, and one of them was a Lich just like her. Gold-rank alchemists were equivalent to a human kingdom's national treasure, much less say Legend-rank alchemists. An incredible research team that comprised two Legend ranks and two Gold ranks was something unheard of in the human society.

It was precisely because of them being too capable—with their research directed towards poisons, plagues, and such—that I had been depriving them of an opportunity for them to showcase their talents. Otherwise, if they were to start a few destructive plagues there and then, even the Gods would collaborate with one another to deal with us.

The Goblin Explosive Alchemist Yingou Beyar, the Human Miraculous Alchemist Olivia, and the Undead Alchemist Mistress of Plague Kakana and her research team. Somehow, intentionally or coincidentally, a research team consisting of top-tiered alchemists that even large countries were unable to match up to was assembled.

"No, luck played too much of a factor into our success this time. It was all thanks to Olivia's innovative thoughts."

A faint, blue-green soulfire burns in the sockets of a skeleton, and concealed beneath the white robes were withered bones filled with magic. The very existence of the being struck fear in the hearts of the living. If it wasn't for the slightly sharper voice synthesised by magic, no one would have thought that this individual was a female.

However, by the looks of it, it seemed that she was slightly unused to the doctor's robe. As she walked, she would subconsciously tug on the cloth by her chest and her sleeves.

It was my suggestion to have Undead put on clothes of ordinary humans. Of course, it wasn't due to my unique interests of wanting to see an Undead fashion show or a zombie rabbit lady. One of the contributing factors why the living was estranged from the Undead was due of their tattered and gloomy clothings. With a change in that aspect, even though the Undead weren't used to it, it helped to put onlookers at ease.

"I didn't think that the product of a failed experiment would be of use. It used to be an ice maker in my storeroom."

At this point, several Knights who had heard the explosion rushed over. They skillfully pushed aside numerous scattered fragments of the wooden house and pulled the half-fried Goblin out. The Goblin, who had been waiting a long time for them in the rubble, whipped out two bottles of medicine. Gulu gulu, he drank them and the scaldings on his body disappeared at a rate visible to the eye. Then, upon noticing my presence, he rushed here spiritedly with a smile.

"Old friend, a fat lamb… Oops, I mean respected sponsor, we have already completed the task you entrusted to us. It's about time to talk about monetary rewards."

As long as there was money to be earned, this Goblin became more single-minded than a zombie. I was slightly taken aback by how quickly he bounced back to his usual liveliness despite being severely injured a moment ago. On the other hand, everyone else had an expression that said that they were already used to this sight. This "Explosion–Swift Recovery–Next Explosion" cycle had already become a daily occurrence in their life. In fact, in order to make the reconstruction and rescue efforts more convenient, their temporary lab was reduced to this simple log house.

In their report, I soon understood the reason behind their swift breakthrough.

"That is to say, the original magic formation for portable energy source had been discovered by Olivia long ago, but she only remembered it because of the topic I gave her?"

"Yeah, I happened to stumble upon it coincidentally when I was still a rookie. It was a magic formation that allowed energy to flow cyclically so as to lower the temperature of an underground chamber for extended periods of time. Using that as the basic blueprint, we created a miniature energy source that could store energy for extended periods of time."

The microwave was created in an experiment using the radar of the military. Penicillin was discovered accidentally due to a negligence in the lab. X-ray was stumbled upon while changing experimental conditions. A falling apple led to the uncovering of gravity. In a different world, facts have proven the importance of "coincidence" and "luck" in scientific progress. I didn't expect that it would be the same for alchemy research in this world.

Probably, from the very start, Olivia was the key to opening this vault, and my action of looking for the inventor to "invent" this ending resulted in a successful replication of this "coincidence."

"It is a magic formation comprising flowing liquid. Its structure contains sixteen layers, but its size is barely that of an egg. It should be sufficient to meet your requirements."

Just by the outer appearance itself, it was a completely transparent crystal, and there was a light red liquid flowing slowly within. However, upon contact with the surface of it, I could feel the pulsating magic beneath its peaceful surface, as though it was alive and kicking.

"Well done, I will double the reward I promised you. Your next research goal is to put the energy source into practical usage in ordinary weapons. From the looks of it, it seems that we will have many new, powerful troops soon!"According to the others, I had been carrying a peculiar smile the entire afternoon. I would be smiling whenever I met others, shake their hands and return their greetings. Many people were shocked by my attitude.

However, I had reasons for my happiness. Other than the increase in the strength of our army that "Olivia's Magic Box" (I had been named it myself, but the initial name of Olivia's Vibrating Egg, which I came up with as well, had been vetoed) was going to bring, the breakthrough in this technology also meant that the massive fortune the Magic Machinery Revolution was going to bring in the future was already mostly in my hands.

"By that time, many countries will come knocking to purchase them. Going by my plans, we will definitely sell it to them. However, how we should go about doing it is a wisdom of itself. It is definite that we will have to extort a large sum out of them, and it might serve as an ice-breaker for East Mist in its diplomatic ties. After all, it is foolish to be making enemies out of the entire world. Even if it was very tempting to slice the other party apart, a friendly face should be shown on the surface. Only in this way can a backstab have the greatest effect."

During this period of time, I had been thinking about how I could extort their money out of them. Naturally, a bizarre smile would hang on my face as a result. The only thing that caused the smile to crumble were the two news that I received consecutively.

The first one was within expectations. It was with regards to the restlessness among the Beastmen due to the arrival of the Earth Elemental God. The territory of the Beastmen was already filled with spies from each and every country, and Rosemary's news came at a timely moment.

"The internal conflict among the Beastmen will be concluded by winter this year. The frost will make it difficult for the Beastman army, which is lacking in rations and clothes, to conduct a southern expedition. However, the moment the ground starts to defrost next year, it is very likely for the Beastmen to journey down the mountains."

Upon receiving the news, I sighed. What that will come eventually comes. In any case, the good news was that they wouldn't be coming in the winter, so we had half a year to make preparations for it. On the other hand, if they really came during the winter, it would be easier to deal with them by making use of the adverse conditions.

However, the other important news was a completely abrupt massive bomb.

"Xiluo Empire has suddenly declared war upon its surrounding countries. Its Undead army had traversed across the death swamp, the freezing highland, the sweltering desert, and numerous other forbidden zones of the living to assault the other countries. This time, eight of the twelve Senators were involved in the attacks, and the size of the army was uncountable. The sudden raid was extremely successful, the human kingdoms were caught off-guard. The armies of several kingdoms that were involved in the fight were pushed back continuously, and of which, one of the victims of their attacks was a superpower of the continent, Solo Federation."

If the assault of the Undead was within expectation, then what happened afterward left the intelligence groups of the various countries perplexed.

"The newly appointed 3rd Senator who was less than three months in his position, Pride Omar, has rebelled. He led the army he was just granted control of in a coup d'état, and at this crucial moment, the Royal Faction chose to remain neutral. As a result, the Council was forced to face him head-on. At present, the Xiluo Empire is divided into three factions and is mired in an internal struggle."

They were making good progress in the battle and two smaller kingdoms were already on the verge of destruction. Yet, at this opportune moment, an internal conflict broke out among them. Furthermore, it was a chaotic battle involving three factions in its midst. What were they up to?

The Seven Deadly Sins, Pride Omar Mist, was a powerful expert who, despite his sudden appearance, was able to prompt the Bone Dragon Queen Gria to give up her position as the 3rd Senator to him. In an instant, the attention of the entire continent was focused on him.

When he proclaimed himself to be the son of Yongye, the head of the Seven Deadly Sins, and the news of him once rebelling against Emperor Yongye was dug up, everyone had a "The heck, so he is a formidable figure after all" epiphany.

"Still the short-sighted Feyland as always. Did you think that by releasing Omar's seal you would be able to use him to suppress the Royal Faction? Yeah, it is true that he would be able to suppress them, but had you not thought that Omar would be able to suppress your Council of Dark Night as well? By handing him an army to lead by himself, aren't you giving him a chance to start a coup d'état?"

I could roughly fathom the thoughts of Feyland. He probably hoped to use Omar to keep Lionheart and the others of the Royal Faction in check. After which, making use of the chaos from the Sacred War, he would focus all of the strength of Xiluo into starting a war with the living.

He probably thought that the reason behind Omar's rebellion back then was to obtain greater authority and strength. Thus, he promised him the world. As long as the main force from the Death Dimensions were to arrive eventually, it would mean nothing even if he failed to fulfill his promises.

"Other than me, it is impossible for Omar to obey the commands of anyone else. As the incarnation of Pride, it is impossible for him to accept anyone being of a higher standing than him. For him, there's no need for any reason to start a coup d'état. If someone were to question his actions face-on, he would just find any random excuse such as 'You are an eyesore,' 'You are too ugly,' 'Despite being born so ugly, you dare to command the suave me'. Words that seem to have come from damned rascals would pop out from his mouth and drive the other party into a rampage."

I know that darned rascal and that Undead Control Ability named as "The Highest Authority of the Dark Prince" too well. Any Undead that came under his control would serve him faithfully for eternity. Perhaps, just like back then, several Undead Lords might already be under his control. If so, then this internal conflict would probably drag on.

For some reason, I felt sympathy for Feyland. After planning so tediously for many years, gathering sufficient military power, gaining control over the twelve Senators, waiting until an opportune moment—the prelude of the Sacred War, perhaps even checking the points of entry for the invasion multiple times—, they all gone to naught.

"Who will be the final victor? If I were to gauge based on the strength of the two factions, 3:7 for Omar to Feyland. However, if Lionheart doesn't make use of this chaotic situation to play some tricks, the years he had spent by my side would have all been for naught. Forget it, it doesn't really matter anyway. No matter who wins, all that matters is that Xiluo has lost."

The intelligence network of the ambitious Auland Empire was truly formidable. However, the news that those elite spies risked their lives was sent to me at first time's notice through Rosemary's phylactery.

The situation of the various lands differed from one to the other. However, there was a common point between them all. That was that none of them were peaceful.

"The storm is already brewing, we have to speed up our preparations. What that is of utmost importance now is… the autonomous region of the hybrids and the Northern Altar. I mustn't drag the matter on any longer. After I'm done with the miscellaneous work here, I will have to set off once more."Due to the very few members of the royal family, the East Mist Royal Palace's sparring field was opened to the Royal Knights as practice grounds. However, it was closed to them today. Other than the sparring experts on the field posing a threat to spectators, today was also the day for the experimentation of the newest weapons.

The specifications demanded the new weapons weren't too high. Most of them were engineered magic swords with an inner core inscribed with a Fire Conversion Magic Formation.

Both flames and machines were the expertise of the Goblin Engineers. As long as they were offered sufficient rewards, the efficiency and passion they showed in their work were incomprehensible to the other races, to the extent of even toiling 23 hours a day. As such, in less than half a month, the prototype I had requested had started to take shape.

The crimson-red magic sword carried with it the might of crushing mountains and billowing oceans. Radiant flames shrouded the blade of the sword and the hot wind it generated caused its adversaries to feel suffocated.

After the wooden dummy sustained a single blow, it started burning furiously. It was swiftly reduced to ashes.

"Is this a success?"

At the next moment, the gemstone "vibrating egg" placed on the hilt of the sword flashed before extinguishing altogether. At the same time, the blade of the sword started to melt. After a few seconds, along with the diffusion of heat across the entire sword, the melting portion started to expand. It didn't take long before the sword was reduced to a puddle of metallic liquid.

"Another failure? The results are a little disappointing,"

The wielder looked at the hilt of the sword in his hand in pity, completely oblivious to the scalding metallic water dripping onto his body. After all, the temperature achievable by his physical body was not something this mere magic sword could ever hope to match.

"Of course. How can it possibly endure the infusion of your full strength? I simply wanted a SemiGod like yourself to test the limits of its might. How is it?"

Adam scratched his head.

"Bronze pinnacle. No, grudgingly, it should pass for a low Silver."

Clearly, the firepower was far from satisfactory for him. While lament could be heard from his words, the scribes by the sidelines cheer in delight. The result was already far better than their expectations.

Those who were on the field were the top fighters of East Mist, and the reason why I had them here wasn't just to view the testing of the weapons.

"Alright, since the Magic Engineered Sword and Magic Engineered Firearms have passed the primary test, the next job is to develop two new forces with these at the core of them. In order to allow these troops to truly leave a mark on history, I have an idea in mind."

Heroic Spirit Bastlar, Adam, Old Ferdinand, and Fayde. The four of them were highly qualified Sword Saints. Furthermore, none of them were purely physical Sword Saints. On top of their swordsmanship, they had their own expertise as well.

At this moment, even if I didn't say it out loud, they would have probably guessed it. After all, most of them knew that I had requested Bastlar for the complete information on his Nightfall Blade.

"Is it about the Magic Swordsman job advancement?"

"Yeah, we will open up a new path for everyone else. At the very least, this path shouldn't lead to a dead end after a certain point. Every single job has its own techniques and battle style that is suited to them. Thus, we have to develop a job advancement suitable for these Magic Swordsmen. The job advancement will be between Gold rank and Silver rank and it must be far superior to those useless Mage Knights. It will be called Four Elemental Swordcaster, and I am willing to become the very first Swordcaster!"

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Chapter 135: Sword Seals and Army Divisions

Job advancement wasn't something that was rare in this world. On the contrary, almost every single expert who had reached a certain level would choose a job suited for them to advance to.

For them, it was a necessity upon reaching a certain level, while in my System interface, there was a much more direct view on it.

LV60 Warrior/LV7 Weapon Master; LV60 Justice Knight/LV2 Castigator; LV60 Mage/LV1 Fate Weaver. The former were the basic jobs whereas the latter were job advancements. For the basic job, one would have to continuously temper oneself and mature through the Iron, Bronze, and Silver ranks before they could reach the standards required for a job advancement.

Actually, there wasn't much of a difference among the various basic jobs and most of the skills and abilities each job possessed were shared by the others. The main differing factor for their strength were their talents and basic stats. Choosing a job advancement meant choosing one's future path and what one was going to specialize in. At the same time, it meant giving up on the other countless possibilities. Even so, specialization significantly boosted one's strength. At Legend-rank, some of them were able to use the single specialization of theirs to crush everything else.

For example, a certain more and more Beifeng individual whose name must not be spoken of had the basic job of a Ranger. After which, he advanced to become a Beastmaster, which was to say, he had given up on his previous Ranger skills—his archery, survival, trap setting, tracking, dual wielding, and numerous other common Ranger skills, and instead, chose to specialize in controlling and taming wild beasts.

When he had reached Legend-rank and forged that bizarre Guardian of Universal Love Soul Imprint, his skills in taming beasts and proficiency in controlling them were raised to his limits.

It was said that during that battle in the ocean back then, he managed to cause a momentary hesitation with the Sea Monster. If not for the relentless cannon bombardments, he might have even successfully tamed it. It was unthinkable for a Legend rank to induce such an obvious effect on a Sea Monster that was at minimum Myth rank.

If he had really managed to tame a Sea Monster as his pet, his fighting prowess would be raised by a few hundredfold in an instant. This clearly showed the massive benefits specialization could bring to an expert.

What? This fellow had been overpowered from the very start, and he wasn't a good representation?

Yeah, your words weren't really wrong. I doubt that there would be another Beastmaster who would love their responsibility to the extent of forging their soul with their will, and deriving their strength from their soul. In fact, a normal soul was the limiting factor of mortals. The more obsessed and frenzied a soul, the more fearsome the potential it possessed. To a certain extent, he was a far distance away from the concept of normal. He is a ridiculous existence, but one with unlimited potential.

At this point, I couldn't help falling into contemplation.

"If he were to continue rising up the ranks like that, given how the Jurisdiction of Wild Beasts and the position of Beast God is still empty, if he were to really step into the realm of SemiGod, there might be nothing to stop him in the most difficult step in ascending to Godhood…. That's too terrifying!"

I can't help but picture what would happen if Beifeng Herault were to really become the Beast God. I feared that the world wouldn't fare well then.

Alright, seemed like I went on a tangent. Let's not talk about the fearsome future for now. At the very least, I definitely would not allow that to occur. Let's get back to the main topic at hand, yeah, job advancement.

Job advancement meant choosing a specific path to specialize in. As a simile, it is like climbing a mountain. The further one goes, the narrower the road gets. However, when one turns back to take a look, one would realize that he had soared above the others.

Using a much more down-to-earth comparison, an ordinary law student had focused in finance law when he was in his Master's, before going on to specialize in international anti-monopoly cases in his Doctor of Philosophy research.

This was an example of going from a broad range into a specific genre. It may seem as though one is walking into a narrow path, but in actuality, they are climbing higher and higher. After all, was it possible for them to just forget the law knowledge they had studied? Of course not. It's just that there wasn't any need for it anymore. For them, their specialization would more than suffice.

My situation was slightly more unique. Other people only had a single path, but I had four paths mingled together. If I were to diverge my efforts into training them one by one, not only would I tire myself to death, I wouldn't be rewarded greatly either.

Thus, I decided to pave my path like how the rivers lead into the sea. The four rivers would eventually converge together as one into the ocean. Thus, what I had to do was to find the point of convergence for the individual rivers. Then, extracting the strengths of each field, I would pave my own way, and this time, my goal wasn't just a mere SemiGod.

It was a difficult path to tread, but it wasn't an impossible one. That was also the reason why I made up my mind to research the magic swords.

After reaching a certain level in my path of magic swordsman, it was only a matter of time before I had to create a job advancement suitable for myself. Rather than being forced to make a choice when I come to a bottleneck, I might as well plan ahead of myself.

As for the reason why I chose to create a new job advancement rather than to utilize an existing job advancement for magic swordsman was because, although creating one's own path was difficult, it was bound to be the most suited for oneself. On the other hand, one might progress quickly upon walking the path of another, but it would be difficult to surpass the strength of the creator.

Of course, from a certain viewpoint, it was a luxurious difficulty. Given the short lifespan of ordinary humans, it was sufficient as long as they could rise up the ranks fast enough. Such a difficulty was normally the privilege of the Elves and the other races blessed with longevity.

The appearance of experts whom even true Gods feared after Magic Machinery Research reached its advanced stage proved the unlimited potential in this path.

"Star Shatterer—Tonight, please remain with me. I will knock down the brightest North Star for you!"

"A single person fleet—Billions of cannon towers, billions of radiance. My final goal is the Milky Way!"

"The undefeatable passionate fool—My ship-slaying blade is capable of cutting through everything!"

"Using cannon bombardments to make friends, the Super S Mobile Calamity—That… Please believe me! I only wanted to make friends with you. I didn't intentionally destroy your city."

"The führer of the Jedi Order—How infuriating, all that hinder my path are trash!"

TL: In China, Hitler is labelled as the 'moustache' for his moustache.

At this moment, when the light of the new generation was presenting itself before me, giving me an opportunity to lead the era, if I still failed to grasp it, I would truly be foolish.

Of course, the other Sword Saints were unable to see that far ahead. However, as long as they trust me and support me, that would be more than enough.

Under the efforts of the craftsman, the sacred sword Pale Justice had been modified. There was an additional aperture at the hilt of the sword to insert attribute magic cores, while the entire sword was an Olivia's Magic Box that had a complete magic circulation system.

"Sword Seal of the Vermilion Bird!"

A red-colored attribute core had been inserted within and the complete magic box immediately activated. Under my control, an apparition of a crimson-red divine bird appeared on top of the seal and scarlet magic flames enveloped the sword, extending beyond the tip of the sword for several centimeters.

Every single slash was reminiscent of a shooting star severing the skyline, the radiance of the flames leaving a trail behind it while the fire sparks fell from it, creating an extraordinarily beautiful sight reminiscent of the Milky Way.

Furthermore, every single target thrown at me, upon getting struck by me, would swiftly incinerate. At the same time, the enchantment on the sword would be consumed and the apparition of the Vermilion Bird gradually darkened.

After dozens of blows, the sword seal finally vanished altogether. Along with a kacha sound, the empty attribute core flew out.

"49 attacks. That was better than I expected."

"Is it possible for it to be improved?"

"There is a limit to the maximum capacity of portable energy sources. Unless we expand the magic box and the attribute core, which means that the size of the weapon will be increased, it will be difficult. However, if we were to do so, the value of it would be lowered. Anyway, in a practical battle, that much is enough. At most, one just has to bring more attribute cores to switch it out. Let's go on into the second segment."

The attribute core was an extremely miniaturized version of Olivia's Magic Box (portable energy source) with a specific attribute to it. On the other hand, the larger magic box that it was slotted into was an attributeless energy source. When the attribute core was activated, the entire energy source would be converted into the corresponding element. When the energy source had consumed entirely (Most of the time, the attribute core would be expended while the attributeless energy source still have remaining energy.), it was possible to use the attributeless energy core to charge it up.

Allowing the magic boxes to maintain the sword seals by themselves let the wielder focus on using their weapons, thereby preventing the suicidal action of diverting one's attention onto multiple actions.

The researchers by the side burst into commotion, while the Sword Saints and craftsmen were looking over interestedly. From the very beginning, most of them grudgingly chose to help out either in deference to me or for the wages. However, upon seeing the technology take shape and gradually proving the worth of its existence through facts, the endless wonders of the new object started to pique their interest.

"Sword Seal of the Black Tortoise!"

Just like before, a snake-tortoise sword apparition was activated and a pale white frost started to diffuse. I raised my sword, and facing the target ten meters away, I swung the sword with great force.

"Sword Seal Burst Mode!"

Accompanied with a furious howl was the apparition of the snake-tortoise flickering, and a snow-white arc was released along with the swing of the sword.

The speed of the snow-white arc wasn't exceptionally fast, and cold air diffused from it during its trajectory, causing ice crystals to form along its trail. It was an incredibly beautiful sight.

Kacha! Cha!

The target was immediately sliced into two before freezing and shattering upon contact with the floor.

When the sword seal was activated, its default form was an enchantment on the sword, making it suitable for physical battles. On the other hand, this sword seal burst mode refers to using the remaining mana left in the energy source for a single long-range burst attack.

Currently, there were only these two offensive models, and the four sword seals that corresponded to the four classical elements, under my suggestion, had been named after the divine beasts which never appeared in this world.

Of course, due to this inconceivable persistence in the eyes of the others, I suffered much criticism, especially from the Goblins, who surrounded me to complain resentfully in an attempt to gain the rights to name it.

"I would be able to understand it if the Fire Phoenix was the divine beast of the fire element, but why did you have to name it the fire element sparrow (The Vermilion Bird in the view of the Goblins). This is obviously a low-level magic beast. That Black Tortoise is even more inconceivable. I have never heard of a magic beast who is a tortoise on one side and snake on the other."

"As for the Azure Dragon, it probably refers to Green Dragons. Their talents obviously consist mainly of manipulating the plants in the forest…. Alright, since it is able to fly, I can barely accept its relation to the wind element, but White Tigers are only a rare mutation breed. Even if its skin is beautiful, as an earth element divine beast… To tell the truth, we have always thought that Ruby Sword Seal, Gold Sword Seal and Jade Sword Seal sounded nicer! Please respect our opinion! As the craftsmen, we also have the rights to its name."

Facing all kinds of opinions, a single reply of mine settled all of the disputes.

"I am the sponsor."

Alright, this was one of the aspects I loved about the Goblins. Anyone who had money was the boss. The moment I said those words, every single complaint disappeared.

This was also the only explanation I could offer them. After all, am I to explain to those of a foreign world that the divine beast of the north, Black Tortoise, has a water attribute, and the ice attribute was an extension of the water attribute, while the divine beast of the west, White Tiger, is of metal attribute, so it had to make do with the earth element? As for the Azure… There was no wood element in the four classical elements, so I could only correspond it to the wind element.

The reason why it was named Four Element Swordcaster was because there were only four main sword seals, modeled after the four classical elements created. The fire attribute is called the Vermilion Bird Seal, the wind attribute is called the Azure Dragon Seal, the water (ice) element is called the Black Tortoise Seal while the earth (metal) attribute is called the White Tiger Seal.

Of course, these were only the commonplace basic sword seals, there were still a bunch of additional ones. For example, I possess ice mana. If I were to use the Black Tortoise Seal, I could refill the energy of the attributeless energy core directly. As long as I were to swap the cores quick enough, there were no restrictions on my ability to conduct prolonged battles. Also, I had privately created some sword seals that were unsuitable to be released to the public.

"Pride Sword Seal—O' Holy Light, who gave you the authority to dictate what justice is, and to incriminate others through your own justice?"

"Wrath Sword Seal—Anger against villains and injustice is the propelling force of the Law. However, excessive justice will only harm you and others. Calmness is of necessity. Never allow wrath to cloud your rational thinking."

"Sloth Sword Seal—Death is the sweetest slumber. However, it is a pity that it isn't time for you to get off work yet. Thus, make good use of your time to continue living an exciting life."

These three sword seals were created in correspondence with my other three powers, Holy Light, Law, and Death. I was using Olivia's Magic Box and the job advancement to sort out my chaotic and diverse energy systems, so that I could make these rivers converge together into a single ocean, creating an even more powerful fighting prowess.

Of course, these three energy systems weren't suitable for public release. The current four sword seals were more than enough for those rookies to study.

In the midst of the development of the sword seal, I had some epiphanies. The future road of development for this job should be to develop a certain systematic combination of sword seals, to create and grasp new and higher-leveled sword seals, or to seek more and better ways to exploit greater use out of them.

For example, the Azure Dragon Sword Seal could be used to create a hurricane to propel or negate arrows while the Pride Sword Seal could be used to disperse Undead. I could already foresee these magic warriors gathering as one and turning the tides of a battle.

As for the Magic Gunner that was disclosed along with the Four Element Swordcaster, in actuality, it was only turning the Sword Seal Burst Mode into a model suited for common use, turning the sword seal enchantment into a last resort when the enemy happened to close in on them. If some conspicuous difference had to be pointed out about them from the Four Element Swordcaster, it was that most of the weapons they chose were bows, rifles, and staves.

Of course, the strength of an individual was limited. Thus, without any hesitation, I decided to dump this responsibility on others so as to pool in the wisdom of others.

"Fendark and Lani, didn't you two complain about being unable form your own division? I will leave these original prototypes with you all. Fendark will be responsible for training the Four Element Swordcaster whereas I will entrust the Magic Gunners to Lani. Periodically, we will try out different variations and new battle styles. Together, we shall perfect this job!"

When Fendark and Lani delightedly accepted the posting, I jolted abruptly. The familiar sound of System notice rang out in my ear once more.

【Ding! Congratulations on triggering the unranked quest (At minimum Epic-class): My Struggle】

【Quest objective: To the greatest extent of your ability, perfect the abilities and techniques of the Four Element Swordcaster. Also, open up its job advancement, construct an army, and turn this brand new job into the new favored one of the era.】

【Quest rewards: It will be decided based on the level of completion of the quest. There will be no upper cap to the rewards. If you are able to uncover the potential of this job up to SemiGod-rank, then the rewards will be SemiGod-tier as well. (Notice: As this is a long-term quest, the rewards will be released irregularly.)】

【Quest failure penalty: None. However, this is your own path. The moment you fail, your road to the summit also comes to an end. Without any strength, you are unable to challenge those experts. As a result, your goals also become illusions. This is already the harshest penalty.】

【System Notice: Under your diligence, a brand new fighting class walks on the stage of history as well. The development of the Magic Machinery Research had been brought forward by fifteen years and the strings of fate that lead to the end of the world have already been tangled up. All prophecies are destined to be unfulfilled…. Well done, please continue to overturn everything. Only through this can your insane goals be realized one day. Also, the massive amount of Fate Points you will gain as a result will allow you to stand up against any opponent, even if the enemy is the legendary Goddess of Creation!】

What else can prove that I am treading on the correct path than this rarely serious System notice? Thus, I smiled gleefully.

"Fendark and Lani, I will be depending on you two. Right, the name of the new division isn't fixed yet, so why don't we call it…"

"Please don't! Your naming abilities had too much of an impact on the morale of the troops! Even now, Lord Bastion still rages out instantaneously at anyone who dares to call him by that nickname, growing into a small mountain in an instant."

"Your Highness, it is better to leave such a minor matter to us. The name of Olivia's Vibrating Egg has already gotten out and, initially, she was happily going around bringing up this name you came up for her. That is until Tracy's adult toy shop opened…. The depressed Olivia holed up in her dwelling for ten days straight, and everyone is still trying to console her. Your naming abilities are way too formidable. What if we fail to recruit a single person after you named the division?"

"Indeed, if not for the name of our division being changed from Night Watchdogs to Red Hunting Hounds, everyone would probably be embarrassed to be walking around. It was all thanks to Lord Bastian going all out to veto the name."

"Cough, Roland. I think you better give up on it. The names of the four sword seals may be slightly bizarre, but they are barely acceptable, so my impression of you just improved by a little. Everyone knows that your naming abilities are still stuck at the level of an elementary grader. If another Xiao Hong, Xiao Bai, Xiao Gou were to pop up, everyone's impression of you, which had just barely risen slightly after so much effort, would go down into the gutters once more. You must reconsider your decision."

Alright, the few knights who had been following me all along became agitated. Even Adam jumped out to join in the commotion. However, why do I feel some traces of gleefulness from his heart-rending expression?

Looking at the agitated crowd who were trying their best to persuade me otherwise, I swallowed back the name that was on the tip of my mouth helplessly, and grudgingly muttered silently.

"Twin-headed Chihuahua Division is obviously such a great name. Not only does it fit the concept of the division, it also sounds cute as well…. Or, since the first prototype of the magic engineered weapon is a silver sacred sword, why don't we call it Silver Sword Division?"

Looking over, although everyone had clearly heard my "silent mutter," everyone was busy doing their own things, pretending not to have heard my words. But when I walked out the door, the cheers of "Victory!" that sounded from my back made me harden my resolution.

"Later, I will go to the military barracks to register the name of the division. I choose you, Super Silver Sword Division!"

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Chapter 136: Return and Reunion

"Fresh fruits and vegetables for sale at a cheap price!"

"Hey, you over there, the one who looks strong. Our engineering team is facing a lack of manpower. We provide food, lodging and favorable treatment. Are you interested?"

"Here! Bread fresh out of the oven! Buy one get one free! Knights get a fifty percent discount! Do you want one? Alright, it will be two bronze coins."

"Tom? Your entire family has returned! Great, it is enough that you all have returned! This time, do you all intend to stay permanently?"

Strolling about East Mist City, I looked around at the busy crowds, the traffic flowing to and fro, and all kinds of construction grounds. Somehow, a smile crept onto my mouth, one that came from the depths of my heart.

Rome wasn't built in a single day. Even with great funds pumped in without concerns for the potential returns, the rebuilding works of the city were still stuck at the phase of clearing up and renovating the older district. The resources we had obtained also only improved the living standards of the civilians slightly, and the difference in the overall standard of living wasn't apparent. What made me smile happily was the faces of the citizens who were gradually becoming increasingly spirited and expectant.

The journey north towards the East Mist Communal Country had shown me much tragedy and suffering, and my mood gradually worsened.

When humans met with tragedies, they would often carry bitterness on their faces. Even more so, their eyes would reflect heart-rending numbness and confusion. I understood that when someone had no expectation for the future, when he believed that the future would only become more and more bleak as time goes by, no matter how mentally resilient the person is, his complexion and mental state would only grow worse and worse. When there was no hope for his future, he would naturally treat others colder and colder.

The reason? It was probably because this nation plagued with calamities would eventually just meet with another catastrophe.

That year, when the Mist Country crumbled, they did not fall. When they lost their homeland for nearly a century, they did not migrate. Two hundred years ago, the East Mist was annexed by the wars waged by its neighbors. Even so, they persisted on. Twenty years ago, after losing the final mine they were reliant on for their survival, they continued to fight on. A year ago, when the old emperor died, they gave their lives to follow behind a fourteen-year-old princess to charge against their enemies, achieving a miraculous victory in the war.

They weren't superhumans with wills made of steel; they were just ordinary mortals who had a longing for their homeland. Perhaps in the eyes of outsiders, this barren land of the north was a useless plot of land in the wilderness. But for those whose ancestors had lived here, there was too much nostalgia and longing for this plot of land.

Outsiders were unable to understand the sentimentality Northerners held for their homeland. Perhaps they were exactly like the glaciers of the Northern Lands. Just because their core was here, their souls adamantly chose to guard the homeland their ancestors had created for them.

"As long as we do not starve to death, as long as that flag doesn't fall, we will clench our jaws and endure."

However, not long ago, they finally found themselves unable to endure any longer. In the span of a year between the death of the old emperor and Reyne's returning with provisions for survival in hand, a significant amount of the population chose to leave their homeland out of frustration.

I knew that they couldn't be blamed for it, and neither did they break their vow.

The citizens of the Mist did not fear sacrifice and war; they only feared the unknown future.

When the shadows of war fade away, the tattered farmlands and the ruined villages became a sight of hopelessness. Facing the onset of winter, under the menace of the wolf packs, they did not have the provisions required for them to survive through the winter. When the neighbors they knew died of starvation and froze in the streets, when the life-saving rations allocated during winter was insufficient, even the most optimistic of people had to consider their future.

"I don't mind living this tragic life, but my child isn't at fault. He doesn't deserve this."

No one could stand idly and watch as their children starved to death before them. No one could chastise the Mist citizens who left. Even if they knew that this would be a one-way trip, and that they would likely die in the midst of the dangerous journey, they could only leave their homeland reluctantly.

However, what was even more ironic and cruel about their departure was that it allowed more rations to be allocated to each individual, thus saving more people. Compared to the previous few years, the amount of people who died in last year's winter was the least.

No one could be blamed for this cruel reality. If someone had to to take the blame, then one could only blame the Mist royalty who had failed in their duties for protect their people. If one had to go even further, it could probably be traced back to my generation, the generation which created many potential enemies for the country.

Thus, despite knowing that Auland was up to no good, as the descendant of the Mist, Reyne, who had yet conduct an official coronation ceremony, gritted her teeth and journeyed there. After all, death awaited them if they chose to do nothing. As long there was a ray of hope, she had to go through with it.

Should I say that when one door closed, another opened.… If I was even a year late in regaining my physical body and returning to the Surface, the East Mist Communal Country might have already disappeared by then. If not for the irksome Auland Empire forcing them into a corner, I might not have even met Reyne.

At this very moment, after the bustling Homecoming Ceremony two days ago, many things had changed. At the very least, in place of their confused gazes was expectation for a brighter future.

"Have you seen it? Barracks have been constructed in the old districts by the west of the city. That is the army of Prince Roland."

"Back then, I was the first one to rush to the conscription point. It is a pity that I was just a bit off from being qualified."

"Keep bragging. Who doesn't know that even though they were recruiting significant amounts of manpower, the threshold to be accepted was very high? The very first test was already a physical one. Seeing how you are as skinny as a monkey, how many sandbags can you carry? You probably got eliminated in the first round, and you still dare to brag that you are just a bit off?"

"To know it so clearly, can it be that you…"

"At the very least, I survived until the third round! I, Aiken, do not intend to give up. As long as there are divisions that are recruiting, I will give it a try. If I still fail even then, I'm will make do with being a security officer! Right, there is the Church of Law as well; they are also recruiting. I heard that they impart fighting techniques as well."

Despite being eliminated, the bulky man, Aiken, had a face full of pride and honor. The surrounding crowd was also gasping in surprise, as though they were looking at an amazing expert.

When a country is weak, the safety of its people are threatened. The citizens of a weak country are looked down upon. No one knew this logic better than the citizens of East Mist, which had been ravaged time and time again. Even after establishing the Church of Law as its national religion and, from a certain perspective, becoming a permanently neutral country, it was clear to see that East Mist was still in a dangerous situation. The Beastmen of the north could launch an invasion southwards at any moment, and the neighboring countries were eyeing East Mist with greed. Even if one didn't assault the other countries, there was no guarantee that the other countries would do the same.

In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, one had to possess formidable strength in order to become truly neutral.

Thus, the establishment of every single army division became a reason for the citizens to rejoice. After all, this meant that their country's ability to defend itself was growing stronger and stronger. At the same time, this new army also provided the younger population an opportunity to develop themselves.

Avalanche Guardian, Swift Wind Knight; one after another, these legendary jobs popped out from history. Their legends were attracting every single one of the youngsters and they craved to create history with their own hands, just like their ancestors did.

In the past, citizens were also enthusiastic to join the army, but that was only to make a living. However, right now, they were building a future for themselves while defending their country. The motivation of the citizens between the two scenarios were incomparable with one another.

Furthermore, the fact that the citizens felt pride in joining the military was representative of their faith in the country. This was also symbolic of the faith they had in me, the legendary Holy Knight Prince Roland.

However, this wasn't the happiest and most remarkable news yet. Thinking about it, it had to be the migrants from the East Mist returning back to their homeland.

After the news that the legendary Prince Roland had returned with his vanished army and liveliness was returning back to their homeland, even though the situation wasn't looking too good, the Mist citizens still chose to return. Every single day, there were carriages and individuals returning back to their homeland.

Outside the city gates, the roads were packed with all kinds of carriages and travelers who were waiting to enter the city. The streets were packed with tired but happy returnees. "Is everyone still doing well? I have finally returned here." "You're back? That's great, that's great." Such conversations could be heard everywhere. The returning travelers were extremely curious about every single change that had occurred after their departure. Many of the crowd were pointing to the division flags and commenting about them. In fact, some of them even grabbed familiar faces to interrogate them about it.

Furthermore, this was only the beginning. Those who had managed to return at this point were mostly those who had migrated to the neighboring countries. As the news traveled to the different corners of the world, those Mist citizens who had left within the past twenty to thirty years started to contemplate on whether they should return or not. When the Mist War Flags rose up high once more, the disparate Mist citizens would start to reunite as one.

Not too far away, a group of travelers had just arrived. Some of them were wearing thick cotton caps and others, light feather hats. Judging from their entirely different clothing, it was clear that they had just returned from different countries.

At the beginning, the returnees were discussing how they were getting along in a foreign land. Eventually, it devolved into a complaining session.

"…We were lucky to have not met with any wild beasts and bandits in our long journey to the other countries, but if not forced into a corner, who would be willing to leave their homeland? After all, do you think that speaking a foreign language and living an entirely life from what we were accustomed to is enjoyable? Those locals would always look at us as though we were savage barbarians, do you think that it was pleasant being treated as such? Upon opening our eyes every morning, the feeling of isolation when all we saw were foreigners speaking a foreign language sometimes made us despair. Sometimes, we would even think of committing suicide."

That was a young man, but the heavy under-eye bags, depressed expression, as well as his callused hands and his rough skin made him look like a middle-aged man in his forty or fifties. Due to overworking himself and his constant low spirits, he seemed significantly older than his actual age.

"We were discriminated against due to our foreign accents. Even when we were bullied, despite holding the moral high ground, we did not dare to argue with them. Who can understand the indignation that we felt then? The loneliness we felt during the festive periods of our homeland, sometimes even suffering from insomnia due to excessive longing for our homeland, families, and friends—all those heart-rending emotions we felt while struggling to make a living, who could understand them? Furthermore, if we were to express them, we would only be isolated even further."

Despite being his prime where he should have been filled with ambitions, this middle-aged man was the same as the young man before. As he spoke, he recalled those past events and the anger he felt made him slam his mug on the wooden table.

"When we finally made new friends after much difficulty, in the midst of our conversation, a slip of the tongue results in 'East Mist? Oh, I know, it's that barbarian tribe that had been destroyed. Could it be that you are that legendary barbarian princess?' When those by the side are laughing, in order to fit in, despite feeling so furious that you could beat the hell out of the other party, you could only try your best to force a laughter and pretend as though it was nothing. That life was too aggrieving, too torturous!"

That indignant lady spoke impassionedly. From her seething tone, it seemed as though she had suffered many grievances.

After all the complaints, an abrupt silence suddenly settled over the atmosphere. Everyone had suffered quite a fair bit. After a moment of silence, someone suddenly led the group into raising their mugs towards the city's west, the direction where the military barracks were.

"Let's thank the princess who had been propping up the flag for so many years.… At the very least, we have returned, and there is still a place beneath the flags for us to return to. So, everyone, let's be more cheerful from now on. For our blissful future, cheers!"

Even though the heavy burden of life had crushed his waist, the young man's heart had yet to die. He still dreamt of a beautiful tomorrow.

"Let's thank Prince Roland for providing us a reason to return…. No matter what happens from now on, at the very least, we will be able to die in the land of our ancestors. Perhaps all we needed was a reason to return here."

The middle-aged man was much more pragmatic. His resolve to remain here even if it meant his death caused the atmosphere to turn heavy and dismal.

"Let's thank…"

Even though they were words of appreciation, the drinking toasts were becoming more and more sorrowful. Soon, someone found it unbearable.

"Hey, stop acting as though we are marching onto an execution platform. Didn't you all see the Homecoming Ceremony that day? Prince Roland's army is powerful and those Undead Knights are elites that have gone through countless wars throughout the last three hundred years. They are all the Heroic Spirits of our Mist Country! With them serving as the core of our military, our army will charge through battlefields undefeated! Our country will only grow stronger and stronger and our life will only improve as time goes by!"

The one who had interrupted abruptly was Aiken, who was boasting a while ago about how he had bashed through several trials but regrettably failed in the end. At this moment, he was walking over to the group.

"You all are overthinking it. Hehe, you all must be unaware of how powerful our new guardians are. That Bone Dragon the Dragon Knight was riding on was so massive that it was even larger than the city walls. Do you know who he is? He is the final Dragon Knight of our Mist Country! The Knights under Prince Roland are that incredible, he himself…"

Aiken began boasting about the scenes he had seen during the Homecoming Ceremony, speaking of it even more gleefully than his own glory. All kinds of rumors were mixed in with the truth in his words and all kinds of legends came bursting out of his mouth. In a moment's time, I became a 2.8-meter wide, nine-headed, fire-breathing, winged, SemiGod monster from their gossipping.

From the very start, the returning travelers were curious about the things that happened on that day. Even though it was clear that Aiken's words were exaggerated and filled with nonsense, they were absorbed into his story.

Under the ceaseless questions by the audience, Aiken became more and more impassioned in his story. When he went overboard with his story, some of the onlookers would interrupt and correct him. With a word here and there, the atmosphere in the tavern heated up.

"Say, this is a hard-to-come-by opportunity! So many ace knights are building their own divisions and they are intending to personally train the soldiers. You can't imagine the sight of all of the nobles of the country being present for the tests. Even so, they were eliminated just like everyone else. I, Aiken, was always just a little bit off every single time. Perhaps if I were able to leap over this hurdle, I might become a knight under Prince Roland's direct command! That wouldn't just be my honor, but the honor of the future generations of my descendants to come! If my deceased father were to hear of it, he might even leap up from his grave in sheer joy!"

"Shoo shoo, you were unsuccessful for so many times already, to think that you would still try to brag about it! I don't think there's any hope for you anymore, you should just be content with serving as Town Security."

"Hmph, let's wait and see. I vow to become a knight one day! After this toast, I will go to the newly established Silver Cross Division to take the test. Are any of you willing to follow me?"

"What is there to be scared of? Let's go then!"

Alright, the more these few fellows spoke, the ruddier their faces grew and the more agitated they became. Waving their hands about furiously, they dashed out to register for the test.

"…The Silver Cross Division requires one to be capable of learning how to utilize the Power of Elements. This fellow's intelligence doesn't even reach 9, it is impossible for him to pass the test."

Silver Cross Division was the Swordcaster and Magic Gunner division that Fendark and Lani were building. After my Silver Sword Division was mercilessly rejected by everyone, the image of an intersecting sword and staff into the shape of a cross representing the duality of magic and physical might became the insignia of the division, as well as the origin of its name.

I knew the basic requirements for admittance into the division and looking at the bulky Aiken, who was still boasting in the midst of the crowd, I shook my head. I highly doubt that he would meet the cut for the Silver Cross Division. With a smile on my face, I placed three bronze coins on the table to foot the bill and left.

"Aiken huh? I shall remember his name. At the very least, he has a glib tongue. I could ask Kelly to see whether they lack talents in the public relations department."

I strutted down the street, not fearing that anyone would recognise me at all. At this moment, a young man approached me.

"Uncle, a cup of fruit wine only costs two bronze coins."

"Here, I will give you a tip since I'm in good mood today."

Yes, that teenager called me uncle. That's because my current outer appearance was that of an middle-aged uncle.

The Time Distortion Ring which changed one's outer appearance in correspondence to the age it is set at served as an excellent disguise. After changing my age and donning a wig and fake moustache, I didn't believe that there would be a single person who would associate this shaggy-bearded middle-aged Knight with Prince Roland.

I was happy. With such cute Mist citizens before me, how could I not be happy?

I strolled calmly along the streets. Even though investigating the plight of the citizens wasn't my duty, looking at the country slowly progressing towards prosperity and the optimistic and spirited expression on the face of the citizens gave me confidence.

The living standards were still harsh and it was highly possible that we would face war in the future. However, as long as our citizens believed that there was hope in the future, the country would take a turn for the better. As long as they could face their harsh lives with a smile, as long as they place their trust in me, I had the confidence to pull them out of the mud they were in.

"Yes, I am conducting an incognito inspection. I am not doing this to escape those endless documents. Damn it. By having me look through all of the army logistics and the crops that will be planted for next year, do they intend to tire me to death?"

Making a rough estimation, the royal palace should have noticed my disappearance by now. Kelly, who often gave people "surprises," was probably handling those endless documents in my stead at this moment.

Considering the resentment Kelly would build up after having bury herself in the sea of bitterness, she would probably look for some "enjoyment" afterward. At this moment, I was considering whether I should stay out for the night.

"Yeah, I am not shirking my responsibility. This is called trusting my subordinates and granting them the authority to make decisions. I will phrase it like that when I return back to the palace.… For my safety, I should bring back some snacks to humor her. If I remember correctly, there is a good cake shop somewhere around here."

Considering how there were no limits to Kelly's pranks, I thought it imperative to bribe her. According to notes I had jotted down in the past, she should be fond of sweet desserts.

However, before I found the cake shop, I saw something which caused my good mood to utterly vanish. Looking at the signboard in front of me, I didn't even know how I should respond.

【Prince Roland's direct subordinates, the Absolute Gentlemen Alliance, are recruiting. Do you wish to contribute to Prince Roland? Do you wish to be prioritized in the substitution of the position of the Royal Knights? Welcome to the Absolute Gentlemen Alliance! We are the most trusted army of His Highness and we are entitled to conversing directly with him!】

Alright, I hadn't really bothered with the mercenary band which I had created at a whim ever since reaching Diffindor. After withdrawing from the management of the mercenary band, the vice-captain, Beifeng, took over control. Looking at that three-story mercenary band headquarters and the population coming to and fro the building, it seemed that the organization had somehow grown massive and powerful!

I wasn't bothered with the idea of them using me as an advertisement for the recruitment. After all, I was still the head of this mercenary band. However, what that worried me was…

【As long as you can prove that you are an Absolute Gentleman who has comprehended true love, you can join our ranks directly without going through any tests.】

This recruitment notice left me at a loss of what I should start retorting at. Did they think of the number of freaks and Gentlemen among them as insufficient? Furious, I stomped in. But the next moment, I heard a cry that left me even more speechless.

"Why? Why do you reject my application? I am a true big breast maniac! I am also unaccepted by the world!"

"Hmph, shallow! Do you feel passionate love over just a trait? Doesn't that mean that you will accept anyone who fulfills that condition? Do you think that the Gentlemen are something that shallow? Your understanding of true love is way too shallow!"

Momo's furious rebuke echoed in the corridors. In that instant, I felt an urge to turn around and escape.

"Such is the way: All that has form is illusive and unreal. When you see that all forms are illusive and unreal, then you will begin to perceive your true nature. Young man, you have strayed from the path. You are too obsessed with physical traits. A true Gentlemen loves the beauty within that illusionary outer shell. My kind has abandoned such illusions to view the truth, and yet, you have lost your core due to a trait, thus lagging behind."

TL: 'Such is the way' is a phrase normally used at the start of Buddhist scriptures.

After hearing words that seemed to have came from an enlightened monk, I was taken aback. Only after a long moment did I manage to comprehend the profoundness behind those words. However, by then, Casio's explanation was already by my ear.

"What Big Brother means is that you are a fake Gentleman who is obsessed with a certain trait. When a true Gentleman loves something, he loves it from the depths of his heart, and not over a temporary and fleeting trait. True love comes from the within, not over outer appearances."

Much less the audience in the room, even I was stunned by his words.

"In the midst of worldly desires and attachments one comes and goes alone, is born alone and dies alone. One's happiness and bitterness is solely his, nobody else can take his place. Leave, our paths differ!"

"What my Big Brother means is that although we may live together in this world, our hearts are lonely. Our desires are too unique, and as such, we are often plagued with worries, and it is difficult to find a soulmate whom we can confide in. However, you aren't one of our kind, so please leave."

Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer. What the heck is this? Gentleman is about to become a type of philosophy already! If this goes on, will a cult worshipping Beifeng be born?

"Speak human language!"

However, the moment I rushed in with a howl, I immediately regretted my action. The moment the door opened, Momo, who seemed to have been waiting for a long time for me to enter, immediately hugged me.

"Hehe, little Rolo, I knew that you were outside the door! I have been waiting a long time for you."

While pushing away the Dark Elf Knight who was latching onto me, the infuriating explanation and deciphering was still going on and traveled to my ears.

"All conditioned phenomenon are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow; like dew or a flash of lightning. Thus we shall perceive them! Excellent, my path isn't lonely!"

"What Big Brother means is that, look at that Momo. Without even using her eyes, just by using her intuition, she was able to see through all falsehood and tell that her beloved shota hides beneath the shell of that middle-aged man! That is a true Gentleman. Wait… The shota that Big Sister Momo loves, isn't that… Prince Roland!"

"The wind presses hard, sound the retreat!"

"What Big Brother means is to quickly flee!"

Alright, even though these Gentlemen with guilty consciences were scattering before me as though a threatened flock of birds, it wasn't possible for me strike them down. Other than the female Elf who was clinging onto me as though an octopus, there was another familiar figure.

"Roland!! It has been a long time since we last met!"

"Amelia!"

"All phenomena are born of karma, and destroyed by karma. Prince Roland, this female peer has been chasing behind your fate for a long time and was brought here as a result of your doing. Excellent!"

"What Big Brother means is that you are in deep trouble…"

This time, Casio's explanation is finally interrupted.

"Shut up!"

"Shut up!"

"All that has form is illusive and unreal. When you see that all forms are illusive and unreal, then you will begin to perceive your true nature."

This saying came from a Buddhist scripture known as Diamond Sutra

Source

"In the midst of worldly desires and attachments, one comes and goes alone, is born alone and dies alone. After death, one goes to a painful or pleasant state of existence. Each receives his karmic consequences and nobody else can take his place."

(This is the full saying as translated in the Source)

I edited it slightly as the Chinese version slight differs from the English one, the interpretation of it as well.

This saying came from Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra, another Buddhist scripture.

Source

Basically, what it means that even though one might be surrounded by friends and families, but one is, in a sense, alone. After all, it is nigh impossible to find someone who understands one, someone who knows what you are thinking and someone who you can share your thoughts with. In that certain sense, we might be surrounded by people who love us, but we are still alone. (In the Chinese version) Thus, we should pursue happiness. Whether it is happiness or bitterness, we have to accept them, and no one can substitute us in it.

"All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow; like dew or a flash of lightning. Thus we shall perceive them!"

This saying came from a Buddhist scripture known as Diamond Sutra

Source

"All phenomena are born of karma, and destroyed by karma"

I gave up finding it and translated this by myself.

Buddhist scripture from Pratītyasamutpāda

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 137: Sharal Autonomous Region

Even though the earth had yet to freeze, the wind blowing through the Northern Lands had already turned frigid. Based on how things were in the previous years, within two months, the first wave of snow would descend onto the world. The seven months of winter would become the greatest challenge of all lifeforms residing in the north.

Those who managed to adapt will survive; the strong survive while the weak are eliminated. Nothing was more suited to serve as the cold-blooded and merciless examiner than the harsh natural world.

In the Northern Lands, the short period before the end of autumn wasn't an optimal period for one to travel around. After all, one might very well end up getting trapped on dangerous terrain when the first wave of snow sets. However, I did not have the privilege to be picky.

When the warm spring sets in and the flowers blossom next year, the great army of the Beastmen will most likely travel southward. By then, it would no longer be possible for me to make this trip. The urgent thing to do now was to make use of the meagre remaining time we had to achieve more so as to earn more chips to protect ourselves.

"The autonomous region of the hybrids? That is truly a demeaning past. However, this seems to be the only way out for us."

The autonomous region of the hybrids is officially known as Sharal Autonomous Region. However, not a lot of people know of this name. After all, that land was an ignominious remnant of history.

Whenever different races warred with one another, the losing faction would often forfeit a large portion of their territory and people, especially the females who would then become the spoils of war of the victors. As such, extended periods of governance under a foreign tribe represented the birth of a large amount of shameful hybrids.

A large portion of the Northern Lands, including the Mist Country, was dominated by the Beastmen who invaded southwards. The Demons had also contributed a fair bit during their campaign against the Northern Lands. The Elves were also implicated in the mess, as multiple Elf Tribes made up a large percentage of the slave trade. As such, there were quite a few DemiBeastmen, DemiElves, Half-Demons and all kinds hybrids living on this plot of land. Of course, the majority of them were DemiBeastmen.

Naturally, the "quite a few," when put in comparison against the population of country, was a negligible figure. However, when the human kingdoms managed to reclaim this plot of land and the enslaved humans were cheering joyously, these newborns who were stuck between the two were put in an awkward position.

Their identities as hybrids made their lives better than ordinary humans when they were under the dominance of another foreign race. However, on the other hand, they were destined to become targets for people to vent their resentment.

When the foreign race was driven back to their homeland, these DemiBeastmen were unable to follow them back. The unique racial characteristics that they possessed made others remember the painful history they had undergone. With the slightest friction or intentional provocative words, an uncontrollable genocide would probably occur.

Furthermore, quite a few of those DemiBeastmen weren't kind-hearted souls either. During the years under the dominance of the Beastmen, in order to reiterate their stand, they treated their fellow human "peers" cruelly. Most of the shocking tragedies that occurred were a result of the doing of these bastards in awkward positions.

When the humans finally reclaimed the lands that they had lost a century later, a great judgement and bloodthirsty vengeance that occurred left most of these hybrids hanging on the gallows. As for the remaining ones, they were either unable to be convicted of anything or they were too young. In any case, they were still exiled. These were events that transpired before the East Mist Communal Country was founded, happenings in the generation of the founder of the East Mist, Charles the 1st.

In that era where one could be executed for the slightest association with the Beastmen, the only hybrids who were able to survive the unjust trials of vengeance were powerless children and women. Even those DemiBeastmen who were known for being friendly towards humans were only allowed to bring more personal possessions with them in their exile.

In that era where the desire to exact vengeance had clouded the minds of the population, no one dared to speak up for those "Beastfolk". Otherwise, if someone were to accuse them of being a spy for the Beastmen, wouldn't they die indignantly?

In that frenzied era, not a single country was willing to accept those hybrids. On the other hand, the borders to the Beastmen Highlands were sealed (The few who successfully trespassed over didn't end up well either. Most of them became tools of frustration for the Beastmen who had lost the reclamation battle.). As for the supposed exile, to the powerless DemiBeastmen then, it was no different from a death penalty. It was just that they chose not to personally execute them and, instead, left them to fend for themselves against the harsh nature.

If the Mist Country was the dark history for the entire human society, then these hybrids were the dark history of the entire Northern Lands.

When all countries denied them entry and mobilized their knights to drive them away, they could only helplessly trudge forth toward the remote mountains. As time passed and everyone started to forget their existence, thinking they had died in the frigid snow and to the beast packs, in the depths of the mountains, in a miraculous valley, a new autonomous region appeared—Sharal Autonomous Region.

Naturally, the current Sharal Autonomous Region wasn't the same autonomous region the hybrids occupied two hundred years ago. This nation still wasn't recognized by the various countries, but it had already become a haven for those who belonged to no country and criminals. Humans, Beastmen, and Elves could be seen on the lands, but the ones who claimed the majority were still the indigenous hybrids who had unique traits.

For example, the young warrior standing outside the carriage had cat ears and sharp claws belonging to that of the Feline Beastmen. However, he was dragging along the long tail of the lizard, not to mention that he had a lower body similar to that of the Centaurs. It was clear that he was the product of interracial mating.

The ranger in the shadows had beautiful white feathers, seemingly possessing the blood of a certain species of Avian Beastmen. However, the human hands he had on his left and the long lizard-scaled arm on his right were in disharmony with one another.

"This is heaven!"

A certain Beast Tamer, who was becoming more and more philosophical, upon catching sight of the plot of land and its residents, immediately threw aside that incomprehensible communication method of his and spoke so directly that it was hard to retort against it.

At this very moment, surrounded by numerous hybrids, he was overjoyed. He had been taking the initiative to strike up a conversation with another, and judging from the increasing intimacy between the two, it seemed that the hybrid warrior who carried the bloodline of the Centaurs would probably be unable to escape from the experienced hands of this veteran.

When we first arrived at this inspection point, the DemiBeastmen warriors weren't amiable to us. Leading their army forward, they tried to intimidate us with numbers. The sharp arrows of the rangers on the trees were also aimed at us.

When I whipped out the merchant identification to prove that I came from East Mist, not only did their attitude towards us ease, they were also more lax with the inspection as compared with the carriage before. My escorts even started to chat happily with the warriors, which gave a certain male an opportunity to make his move.

"The relationship between East Mist and Sharal Autonomous Region is not bad?"

Harloys, who was slumped over on top of my head, was forced to go on this journey right after she had just completed her evolution. At this moment, she was feeling sluggish and was reluctant to move. As a result, she spent her whole day slouching on top of my head with a displeased expression.

"East Mist has good relations with all powers who are viewed with hostility by the human society. Of them all, its relation with Sharal Autonomous Region was exceptionally good due to certain other reasons."

That was a dark history that had surfaced along with the passing of time. When the hybrids coincidentally found a suitable valley for living amidst the mountains, the Sharal Autonomous Region was born. Lacking clothes and food, they led a tough life. Thus, the first king of East Mist, Charles the 1st, felt guilty and secretly aided them.

"Initially, I only intended to help those innocent exiles and the descendants of the Mist. However, as their state was simply too unbearable, I went the extra mile. Alright, most importantly of all, if you only provide the descendants of the Mist with food and clothes, it would be stolen away the moment you turn your head. It would be equivalent to bringing them harm. Thus, I could only help them all. It was fortunate that we were still wealthy then."

When that line was uncovered from the diary of the previous emperor, the thirty years of assistance formed the foundation for the brotherhood between the Sharal Autonomous Region and East Mist Communal Nation two hundred years later from then.

Throughout these years, as the two were gradually isolated from the rest of the human society, they began to walk closer together. The close interaction between the two strengthened their mutual relationship. Merchants from foreign countries who wanted to enter Sharal had to find a way to obtain an East Mist merchant identification. Also, many of those who wielded authority in Sharal Autonomous Region viewed themselves as the descendants of Mist.

One thing worth mentioning was that the valley amidst the mountain was a rare granary for the Northern Lands. When the tides turned and the descendants of the previous Emperor Charles fell into difficulty, the residents of this land brought them aid. If it wasn't for the "borrowed foodstuffs" without any interest from Sharal Autonomous Region, perhaps the fall of East Mist would have already occurred many years earlier.

Packed in the carriages were a bundle of medicines and resources which the Northern Lands was in dire lack of. They were definitely luxurious goods which one couldn't buy in the Northern Lands even if they had money. They were also East Mist's interest payment for the many years of debt from the food they "borrowed" us.

Allowing the debt to drag on wasn't considered a favor? Drawing an analogy, they allowed a company that could potentially declare bankrupt at any moment to owe them money, and even more so, continued to loan them emergency rations when there were low possibility of returns. Looking at it from that perspective, it was truly a massive favor that they had showered upon us.

Since the Sharal Autonomous Region had not forgotten the kindness Charles has showed them previously, naturally, East Mist would return this favor generously.

The amiable relationship between the both was also a reason why I chose to visit this land first. In the other countries where I had no associates, I would unlikely be able to achieve anything within the short period of time that we had.

However, a coincidence had given me a new purpose for this journey.

"Senior Amelia, what do you think of this land? Is it suited for the growth of plants? Do you think that you will be able to cultivate the new type of seedlings I want here?"

"It is impossible to achieve it so quickly! I still need time to experiment and analyze it. Right, don't forget what you have promised me!"

"I won't forget it."

Alright, remembering that promise that I was coerced into, I couldn't help but smile bitterly. To recount the entire incident, I would have to start from the coincidental reunion we had half a month ago."My Seven Deadly Sins are invincible! They are much more powerful than those weeds of yours!"

"W-weed? Hehe, you sure are audacious!"

With a lowered head, the great Mage laughed frenziedly. Countless shadows crept forth from her back. In an instant, the scent of danger and sweet-sour, venomous liquid reached my nose along with the wind and a blood-colored, man-eating demon plant began making its move from the shadows.

"Wuuuuu!"

Seemingly sensing the rage of its creator, a certain lifeform seemed to be weeping silently. Giant vines grew from the shadows and chainsaw-like mouths started appearing on the green leaves on it.

Even though the man-eating plant's saliva was already dripping right before me, and the venomous thorn on its thick vines were about to wrap around me, I still remained motionless, as though completely oblivious to its presence.

Even though she was the one who had committed the greatest amount of murders among those I knew of and she wasn't restrained by morals or those things, if she were to make a move now, she would be admitting defeat.

Those of the same trade were often nemeses of one another. When academics met, especially when academics whose fields of research overlapped with one another but their views differed greatly from one another met, they usually started off by greeting the other with sarcasm before proceeding to bellow at one another and eventually concluding with bricks being thrown.

However, if an academic were to achieve victory through murder, that would instead mean that he was unable to surpass the research of the other and could only resort to such methods to eliminate his competitor. Perhaps, this would mean a complete loss instead.

As expected, the Great Mage Amelia, who was prepared to get rid of me upon our meeting, eventually suppressed her rage amid my sarcasm and pulled back those dangerous man-eating plants to bring the battle back to an academic one.

"Hmph, Seven Deadly Sins? You haven't successfully put them together yet, right? Pride, whose seal was just released, Gluttony and Wrath, there are only three of them."

"Recently, I have made Greed and Envy. I am just off by two now. What about you? Are your Seven Heavenly Virtues complete yet? Don't tell me that you are still stuck with 'Temperance' and 'Diligence' as you were a century ago?"

"…I, I have also created 'Humility' to deal with your Pride!"

"Yeah? Interesting, but talk is empty. Bring it out for me to take a look."

After which, Amelia fell into an odd silence. Based on my understanding of her, she wasn't the type of person to resort to lying. Most probably, she truly had some other reasons for being unable to take it out now.

"If it wasn't for that darned Adam destroying my darling…"

Alright, upon hearing those words, I was stunned for a moment before subconsciously wiping away the beads of sweat on my forehead. I couldn't help but be glad for being able to escape a calamity. However, the next moment, my rage billowed.

If the toy of the other party was still intact, she would probably immediately whip it out to flaunt it in front of me. Given my current strength, I would probably be slaughtered in an instant. However, I had no intention of thanking Adam, because I had already understood the other meaning in her words.

"Great, you darned Adam. I was wondering who it was who leaked the news of my existence, prompting this shut-in who bothers not with worldly affairs to choose to go on a journey to hunt me down. I finally understand that bizarre expression you had on your face these last few days. You were intentionally keeping the fact from me, so that you could laugh at my misfortune then, is it?"

However, this wasn't the time for my thoughts to stray. Making use of the temporary lapse of weakness in the opponent, I whipped out of trump card.

"Do you still remember our teacher, Harloys? Right now, she is my Greed! Hey, you darned cat, wake up! I need you to save my life!"

After consuming "The Dark God's Breath of Death," Harloys had been in a slumber, as though she was conserving her energy for a breakthrough. However, I urgently needed her presence to save me at this instant.

"Teacher Harloys? Isn't she a Banshee?"

When I whipped out that darned cat, there was no longer any need for me to say anything else. That slime monster who was taking on the form of an alien cat was more convincing than anything else.

Thus, when Amelia's attention was focused on analyzing that darned sleeping cat, I finally had an opportunity to ask the others about the happenings that had transpired in my absence and why this fellow was here.

"Allow me to explain. Yesterday, right after we put up that signboard, this lady came and claimed to be your acquaintance. She said that she wanted to give you a surprise and wanted us to invite you over. However, my Big Brother sensed that even though she is our kind, she is your enemy, and thus, we had been dragging the matter out. Throughout this period, this lady had shut herself in her room, as though she was busy researching something. As time went by, we soon forgot to ask her about it. That is, until you came knocking today."

After hearing those words, I was speechless. Perhaps they really did it out of the kindness of their hearts, but by surviving until now, they were truly fortunate.

"You all actually dared to house the depraved culprit of the serial killings that occurred in the Mages' Country over a span of hundred years in the headquarters? In search of inspiration and lab rats, she dares to even commit murder in the Cloud Tower. You all… Wait, Big Brother? You are?

That was a tall and sturdy man. Underneath his tight leather clothes were solid muscles that were reminiscent of a sculpture. Wearing sunglasses, his calm explanation of the situation gave others an impression that he was an exceptionally reliable person.

"He is Pierre Papin, the new number two of the True Love Siblings. We all call him Rina Papa-san!"

Alright, I shall retract that "reliable" evaluation I had of him. Being the new member of the True Love Siblings was the best annotation for him.

"Umm… May I ask if you have a daughter?"

"Yeah, I love my daughter Rina deeply. I love her more than myself and anything else in the world. That is also the reason why everyone allowed me to join the band."

After hearing this, I heaved a sigh of relief. He was just a father who had a daughter complex. It was still within acceptable range.

"Rina is a ship, a warship."

Alright, Momo's words made me realize instantaneously that Gentlemen were something that would increase exponentially if not kept in check! So this fellow was into ships.

"Um, I've heard that sailors who stay offshore for too long view their own ships as women. I can understand that. I really can understand that."

Even though I said so, I was slowly retreating backwards so as to stay away from this bunch of Gentlemen who were getting more and more ludicrous.

"Hehe, Second Brother Papin, I told you that you were overthinking it. How is it possible for His Highness to not comprehend you? He himself is the King of Gentlemen. You are only 0.4 Beifeng while he was already 10 Beifeng during his time in Liu Huang Mountain City!"

Momo's explanation was unnecessary, because at this very moment, Rina Papa-san's eyes were already filled with fanaticism.

"It is not that kind of shallow love for one's shell! Don't compare Rina with those vulgar things. Rina is the most adorable girl in the entire universe. Do the other ships have towering cannons like hers? Do they have such smooth and beautiful decks? Do the other ships have such elegant curves? Do…"

Looking at this different type of "daughter complex" going into a frenzied state, I couldn't help but sigh helplessly. Indeed, it was impossible for there to be anyone normal in the Gentlemen Alliance! How can there be any normal existence among the True Love Siblings!

Alright, ignoring the new Gentleman who was still singing praises "Ah, that warm engine room~ Oh, that charming and hulking pillar~," I set my sights on Amelia, who was squatting in one corner with a depressed face, muttering ceaselessly under her breath.

"A half-dead, half-alive Undead? How is that possible? That should already be at the level of the Creator. He has improved again? Or could it be that I have fallen behind times?"

I felt exhilarated seeing her in such a state. However, if things were to drag on, she might give up the final shreds of her dignity and go on a rampage, forcing me to reveal the secrets behind the technology. At my current state, I was definitely unable to match up to her. Thus, I dropped her some bait.

"Senior Amelia, as long as you fulfill two tasks for me, I will bring you up to greater heights!"

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Chapter 138: Zombies VS Plants

"Roar! A new wave of zombie is approaching."

"My plants will tear you apart!"

Staggering, the gray-colored zombies inched forward. With a Gargantuar serving as the tank in front, a dense congregation of an army of zombies followed closely behind it.

On the opposite side, shrouded in fog, Peashooters popped out from the ground abruptly one after another and spat shiny green pea bullets furiously at the zombies. A raging Melon-pult catapulted explosive watermelons one after another. As the watermelons exploded, fatal shock waves gushed outward into the surroundings and mushroom smoke clouds appeared above them.

Lacking the support they usually received as close-ranged fighters, the zombie army could only trudge forward slowly while tanking the rain of ammunition. Even though they had suffered great losses in the midst of their advance, a massive number of them still remained, making them fearsome adversaries.

When the two armies came into contact with each other, an intense battle broke out between them.

When the zombies collided with the Wall-nuts, a brownish-gray Boomer exploded itself. Green and gray poisonous clouds rose up ceaselessly, and all plants that came into contact with the venomous liquid and gas rapidly withered and died. A no man's land swiftly emerged on the battlefield.

As for the plants, despite being immobile due to their roots, they, who were able to absorb energy from the earth, possessed unlimited ammunition. Although they weren't able to maintain nonchalant in the face of death, unlike the brainless zombies, at the very least, when their frontliners were sacrificing their lives to block the opponents, they were able to use their unlimited firepower to bury their opponents.

Soon, due to the overwhelming firepower, an opening appeared in the formation of the zombies and the plants began to counterattack.

"Will of Death! The speed of all members of the Undead Tribe is boosted!"

Upon realizing that the zombie army was in bad position, a certain mastermind behind the shadows expended the final Army Command he possessed.

When the black fog started to creep over, the zombies frenetically increased their speed. Furthermore, what was boosted for those zombies wasn't just their speed. On a rampage, they began to dig out their intestines to throw it on their opponents.

"The Protection of the Forest and Sun! For thirty minutes, the attack speed and HP of all plants will be doubled."

When the command was passed down, the interval between bullets of the Peashooters reduced to the point that it shot out in a continuous stream and the sound of explosions echoed ceaselessly on the frontlines.

Facing the frenzied bombardments of the plants, the zombie army could only helplessly trudge forward while sacrificing the ones in front of them. When newly born Cherry Bombs jumping out one after another to destroy the main army of the zombies, the frenetic zombies no longer possessed the might to break through the firepower of the plants.

Thus, I could only watch helplessly as my remaining zombies died under the bombardment and I fell in defeat helplessly.

"The victor, Great Mage Amelia!"

With the scattering of the radiance, the battlefield morphed back into the shape of a massive chessboard. The zombie chess pieces were dull and unlit whereas the plant pieces on the opposite end were shrouded in white radiance, seemingly ready to strike.

This was the currently most popular magic chess game—Zombies VS Plants. Naturally, the "inventor" and the manufacturer was me. The one we were playing wasn't the usual game, but a true war edition which demanded a certain level of strength out of its players. The ones that were sold to the public were the normal editions which consisted of small chess pieces that were made of magic oak.

Just to add on, in less than a month, there were four different editions released. As such, the series had been labeled as the "Vampiric Money-sucking Master."

"Sigh, this new version seems a little too imbalanced. Even though the zombies have the advantage in terms of quality, their winning rate is still way too low. On the other hand, the explosions of the plants are way too powerful, allowing it to whittle down the main force too easily. Looks like I have to do some balancing. Yeah, let's cut the bombardment abilities of the Druid Faction in the next version!"

"Hah, losers sure know how to find excuses."

"Or, why don't we add two Bone Dragons and Liches to the Zombie Faction? However, that wouldn't be zombies anymore, and it wouldn't be considered as Zombies VS Plants 3 Sword and Magic Edition. Forget it, names are just like decency anyway, there is no meaning in it. Let's just add it in the next edition."

"Up to you, but based on the rules of balancing, in order to satisfy consumers, troops of equal level must be added to both factions. I will match your Lich with a Yggdrasil Tree and Bone Dragon with a Blood Bramble Wall. The one to win in the end will still be me."

Amelia chuckled demurely. She was in love with the game because she was able to win against me frequently through it.

"However, will this really help me comprehend the profoundness of life and step into higher realms?"

After "inventing" this game along with me, she got absorbed in it instead. After which, we continued inventing Zombies VS Plants Tower Defense Edition, Zombies VS Plants King of Fighters Edition, Zombies VS Plants War of the Magic Beasts Edition and other money-sucking editions. After enjoying herself tremendously these last few days, she finally recalled her initial goal—Bringing her creation abilities to greater heights.

Facing this question of hers, I smiled.

"Of course… not! This is just a game. Alright, keep your man-eating plant, allow me to explain."

"You… You scammer! You fooled me again! You toyed with my emotions again! I will never trust you ever again!"

After realizing that she had been fooled once more, the shrieking Amelia became hysteric. Manic blood tattoos flashed in her beautiful eyes, and her long smooth hair began to morph into plants. Vines grew frantically from the roots of her hair. The domain of the plants expanded and very soon, a real-life edition of the Zombies VS Plants was able to play out.

As the zombie who was about to be pummeled, I felt great pressure upon me.

However, I still had my trump card.

"I will split a tenth of the profits from the game with you."

"That, how much is that?"

"This game is already a bestseller. As long as the pace of our manufacturing can keep up, adding up the total revenue from all of those editions, you would earn a few hundred thousand gold coins at minimum."

Alright, in the next moment, everything calms down. That crazy witch from a moment ago appeared without a trace. All that was left was a gentle senior who was sipping quietly on her black tea in front of me.

It wasn't that Amelia was greedy; rather, Mage was a job that burned through money. The more advanced a Mage was, the more money they spent. Of course, Mages were also able to sell the products of their experiments to earn a huge profit. However, putting aside how an experimenting freak like Amelia had zero financial sense, she didn't even spend any effort on producing goods that could earn her profit. Even if she happened to make a fortune, she would immediately dump it into a new experiment. As such, she was exceptionally amiable to her investors. Now, upon hearing that she would be able to earn money, she immediately adopted the business facade she showed to her donors.

You say that I am mistaken? Should it be investors, not donors? Unfortunately, I am not mistaken. Given how she allocated her funds without any consideration of monetary rewards that could be reaped, one would make a loss equivalent to how much one invested. If this wasn't a donor, then what was this?

According to Margaret, Amelia didn't even have her laboratory now (It was taken away from her when she went bankrupt.). After which, it was rumored that she had embezzled funds from the Cloud Tower. Upon getting exposed, she was expelled from her position as a Truth Overseer. At this moment, the wages she earned as a teacher went to repaying her debts.

It was a wonder how she, as a SemiGod Mage, managed to land in such a state. In the field of investment, her reputation was so poor that she was unable to coax any donors to finance her despite her efforts. In the end, she could only grab her students to serve as laborers and engage in lucrative research to finance her research.

"Besides, this isn't just a game. The functions of these plants should have given you quite a bit of inspiration. I do not believe that after these few days of war simulation, your ability to arrange the formation of your plant army and coordinate them as one has not improved. At the very least, it should have given you some inspiration in designing new plant troops."

Amelia nodded her head. After all, what I said was true.

"Furthermore, at our level, it is a daunting task to advance even a single inch forward. Be patient. After all, I have already promised you. Have I ever broken my promise?"

After hearing me declare my trustworthiness, the teacup the senior held in her left hand was immediately crushed. Even though her right hand had caught the falling teacup in time, even though she still had a smile on her face, from the looks of her trembling arms and twitching eyelids, she seemed to be on the verge of a rampage once more.

"Junior, you sure dare to speak. Back then, who was the one who proposed for us not to be restricted by those dumb theories and we should dump them aside and explore the secrets of life together? I thought I had managed to find a hard-to-come-by soulmate, and I was overjoyed. Yet, in the blink of an eye, all of my research had disappeared without a trace and a letter of my misdeeds was sent to the Truth Symposium. I was almost exiled from the Cloud Tower."

"Ah, did I do all those back then? I'm sorry, the damage reincarnation did to my memories was way too great so I can't really remember it. Yeah, we should look to the future instead, let's just forget those pointless things of the past. Right, how did you manage to settle the affair back then?"

Can't remember? Of course that was a lie. Back then, this fellow had not a single shred of decency. It was so extreme that even I, who didn't have much decency either, couldn't stand watching on any longer. Who else should I do in if not for her? However, seeing her getting along fine now made me a little curious. Back then, I wrote a letter reporting that she was using her students and other living humans in her experiments to the Truth Symposium. There were at least five Truth Overseers on the spot when I reported it, so I was quite interested in how she managed to settle the matter.

"It's nothing much. Back then, my teacher helped me suppress the matter temporarily. Then, I got rid of a Truth Overseer who was biting on my tail relentlessly and I replaced him in his seat. After which, I paid a small price to have the other Truth Overseers turn a blind eye to the matter. Dammit, if it wasn't for the fact that I could only use those on the death row for my experiments, how could I possibly lag behind you! You were probably able to break through that boundary because you were able to obtain experimental subjects on the battlefield. Indeed, one should collect as much experimental subjects as they can! Hee hee, now that there aren't any bothersome figures watching over my actions here…"

That hysterical laughter made my hair stand on end. I knew that she was the type to do as she said, so I hurriedly tried to persuade her otherwise. Of course, stopping her directly was impossible and she wasn't the type to restrain herself because of others either.

"Do you have a suitable research topic at this moment? If we were to collect a large amount of experimental subjects, we would probably have to escape. Thus, going through all the trouble for an ordinary research topic is a big waste. In two years, there will be endless experimental subjects available for your choosing. Furthermore, compared to those fragile humans, the resilient Beastmen would serve as much better experimental subjects. So, let's just tolerate it and work on some theoretical research within these two years first."

Upon hearing my words, she stared at me blankly for a long time before replying.

"Indeed, you are the one who understands me the best. Whenever others hear me say such words, they will either start to chastise me severely or be terror-stricken. Those fools are unable to understand how honorable their sacrifices are to be able to contribute to my research of the truth."

"You are too soft-hearted to be conversing with your experimental subjects. Normally, I just seal their mouths and throw them onto the experimentation platform. After a few muffled screams, they go completely silent."

"Indeed, after all, I am a woman. I get too soft-hearted too easily. Previously, there was a death prisoner who insulted me nastily. In order to prevent him from dying from the pain, I even applied anaesthesia on him in advance before dissecting him. The cost of the anaesthesia was enough to trade for a bag of new seeds, you know!"

Hearing those words, even though I was going along with her to cajole her, I found it hard to continue. By saying that she was soft-hearted despite dissecting him alive, wasn't she afraid of getting punished by the heavens? It seemed like she was still a dangerous figure who viewed others as mere livestock, and that I was still overestimating her decency and restraint.

"Cough cough, let's put aside the topic of experimentation. Let's contemplate how we should earn more money to finance our experimentation. Do you think we need to make some changes to this 'Zombies VS Plants—Sword and Magic Edition' before introducing it to the market?

"Actually, I think that we could change our marketing strategy. It is foolish for us to sell all of the chess pieces and chessboard together when we can sell them separately."

"Hmm? But if the chess set isn't complete, won't they be unable to play the game? If so, will the consumers still be willing to purchase it?"

"You fool, you can just put the basic chess pieces and the most primitive chess board inside the set. If they want stronger and unique chess pieces, they have to purchase them. Of course, those stronger chess pieces mustn't break the balance of the game. As long as they have a slightly more unique outer appearance and abilities, they could be sold for money. Right, since the original set is called the Basic Set, then let's call this the Expansion Package! Also, we could add some elements of lottery into it. In every pack, there would be a unique chess piece. They will be trying their luck time after time again until they find themselves bankrupt and swear to never to touch it again. In order to appeal to the younger players, you can even give rarity levels to the chess pieces. The more valuable a chess piece is, the more one is able to brag about it. I don't believe that after going this far, we are still unable to empty the pockets of those little kids!"

"Ohhhhhhh, my impression of you have improved. You are truly talented in marketing. Indeed, those rumors that you aren't capable in management are lies."

"Hmph, it must be Margaret badmouthing me again. It's not like I am unskilled in managing businesses, it's just that I don't care to do so. Besides, this is also how I coax sponsors to invest on me. Selling the results of a research in different batches and to different people every time, this is the way to make a killing!"

Looking at that gleeful, degenerate Mage, I finally understood why, despite her incredible capabilities, her name in the investment field was horrid. If you just scam others once, it was still possible to regain their trust. However, if you scammed a few thousand people over a course of two hundred years, a person would truly be foolish to approach you and invest on you.

"Very despicable, but I like it! Let's make a killing together!"

If such actions were aimed at milking money out of a minority, it would definitely cause an outrage among the public. However, given that it seemed like an attempt to venture into uncharted waters instead, there was no reason for me to give up such great innovation.

"As expected, you are my soulmate."

Alright, let's ignore how the sinister laughter of the accomplices frightened many of little children passing us by and how this 'Zombies VS Plants—Sword and Magic Edition' was cursed and sworn at by others while being a bestseller. The main reason why I created this game wasn't just for money.

"One more round! One more round! This time the zombies will win for sure!"

"Mummy, I want one as well. Buy one set for me!"

"Oh, Undead don't seem to be as scary as I thought. They aren't even able to defeat plants!"

At this moment, we were currently playing in an empty field and crowds were surrounding us to spectate our duel. Our simplified version of Zombies VS Plants was already selling like hotcakes, and the audience wasn't satisfied with just watching a single battle. The passionate crowd demanded for us to play another round and thus, after chatting for awhile, we began another round.

"I've heard that the East Mist Communal Country's national religion is the God of Law. As long as they do not commit crimes, even Demons and Undead are accepted among their ranks. It's rumored that even Druids have established their own academy there. I have also heard that Necromancers were advertising and selling their products by the side of the streets. Perhaps the rumors are really true…. Will they accept hybrids too? I've heard that Diffindor had recently set up many advanced institutions for all kinds of experts to change their jobs. Perhaps we could send our third child there to study."

Earning money was just an additional benefit. The reason why I chose to display Necromancy in a form acceptable with the public was to allow those of the Sharal Autonomous Region to understand and accept East Mist's changes. This was also the main goal of my journey here.

"Diffindor has established all kinds of institutions and is currently recruiting students. We provide professional training for Druids, Engineers, Alchemists, Necromancers, Justice Knights, and other battle-oriented classes. There are only limited places, so if you want to change your fate, do not pass this opportunity by. Quickly apply! We have an information pamphlet for new students here."

The shoutings of the admission staff members who I had brought here had earned the attention of the bystanders. There were already a few who were willing to head to East Mist to take a look. Eventually, an onlooker watching at the sight from the shadows could endure no longer and walked out.

"Prince Roland, Lord Gagalol invites you over for a conversation. These are his exact words: 'We have already felt your sincerity, so it's perhaps time for us to discuss an alliance.'"

After receiving the cold shoulder for a week, on the third day of our advertising, I finally received a formal invitation from Sharal's Lord. Looked like it was time for a negotiation.

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Chapter 139: Hidden Currents

From the very start, we had agreed upon an alliance. After all, without an invitation with sufficient weight behind it, it was impossible for a top brass of another country to visit other countries so casually.

It is also within expectations that I would get the cold shoulder. They had only invited a run-of-the-mill diplomat, yet contrary to their expectations, I came. This was equal to baiting and preparing to fish for a carp, yet catching a whale instead. Naturally, the fisherman would find the situation hard to process.

Furthermore, if it was just an ordinary diplomatic visit, they wouldn't make such a big fuss over it. However, the East Mist's diplomatic party seemed to have ambitious dreams of this trip. The first thing they did after entering the city gates was unloading the goods of nearly a hundred carriages at the square, claiming to "thank Sharal Autonomous Region for their many years of help. In return, we are giving additional gifts on top of the ones used to repay their debt, and every resident can claim a complimentary gift" and such advertisement, creating a commotion and making everyone in the city aware of their presence.

The complimentary gifts that barely numbered three hundred were all snatched clean in less than a day. However, the citizens who came upon hearing the news had also spread the news, so probably everyone was aware of the fact that the diplomatic party of East Mist was in Sharal right now. Furthermore, the one leading the group was the legendary Prince Roland.

One's name and history always stays with them. When this legendary figure appeared from out of the epics and paid a visit to them, the Sharal Autonomous Region's reception unit panicked.

It was common knowledge that someone of equal standing in the country had to receive the diplomats, and the receiving host being of higher standing than the guest was a form of respect towards them as well. For example, the hosting side's sovereign can personally receive a fief lord of the diplomatic party, and it wouldn't seem out of place. However, if the king of another country came, and the hosting side welcomed him with a fief lord, that would be disrespectful.

Furthermore, although I had no official authority in East Mist, as the ancestor of the founder of the nation, my standing was significantly higher than that of Queen Reyne. Perhaps, even their sovereign who had the bloodline of Mist flowing in him could only be considered his junior. This was a difficult situation for them.

"If Princess Reyne came, Lord Gagalol coming to welcome her personally would already be a great honor on her part. However, now that it is Heroic Spirit Roland, going by seniority, even Lord Gagalol's retired father isn't qualified to welcome him."

Do they really have to dig out the ancestors who founded Sharal Autonomous Region and say, "This is His Highness whom you have always spoken of. You are the only one who is qualified to welcome him. Right, he has already said that we will count each other as individual entities, so please don't treat yourself as his citizen and don't insist on greeting him as a subordinate." After all, this was probably the only way they would not be considered as disrespectful.

Not only were those of the foreign affairs department distressed about it, even the top brass of Sharal Autonomous Region felt gloomy about this incident. They had only invited a diplomat to negotiate an alliance to counteract the Beastmen army, which was likely to invade southwards, so why did this fellow come instead? Not to mention, he was extremely high profile about it.

All of Sharal probably already knew that East Mist was here to negotiate an alliance by now. Furthermore, given the amiable relationship between the two countries and the massive gifts that we have brought, we created an impression that something incredible was about to happen. On the other hand, there was no news from the lord on their side.

In an alliance negotiation, when one party came prepared while the other party was completely ignorant about what was happening, it was very easy for the unprepared to be disadvantaged. They had already held meetings for three days straight to figure out what was going on. On the other hand, I had been dawdling about the embassy before I decided upon carrying forward my next step, swaying public opinion.

At this point, Gagalol finally made his decision. It was impossible for them to come to a conclusion with those doors closed, so they decided to invite me over.

The moment I stepped into the Lord's Residence, just as I was about to prepare a surprise for the other party, I was surprised by them first.

Based on the information I had received, Gagalol Haber was a plump man. However, the toned man before me who had his upper half bare and had an eagle tattoo on his chest, which fluttered along with his breathing as though it were alive, definitely wasn't him.

"Respected Lord Roland, I am Gars, the eldest son of the Chieftain of Eagle Tribe. I represent my father and the tribe in paying respects to the immortal one."

The passionate handshake of barbarians (if it was in the mountains, it would likely have been a hug) wasn't that pleasant to accept. In the face of the 2.4m tall giant, I was like a bean sprout. Whether the other party was capable of bearing their passionate welcome and innate brute strength was also an important factor barbarians used to evaluate whether the other party was worth making friends with.

"This strength should be around 18 points. Possessing such strength despite being at Silver-rank, how fearsome. As expected of a battle tribe whose members were all of Bronze Bloodline."

However, compared to me, who had strength exceeding 20 points, it was as though his strength was entirely negligible. No matter how hard he squeezed me, his hand would just end up aching.

As expected, Gars released his grip first, shaking it forcefully to get rid of the aching sensation. On the other hand, Gagalol stepped forward with a smile, saving him from this difficult situation.

"Prince Roland, welcome to Sharal Autonomous Region. I am the lord here, Gagalol. Our ancestors from 300 years ago should have been your people as well. Your arrival here is an unexpected surprise, as well as an honor. Please be seated, please be seated."

At this moment, I was trying my best to suppress myself from laughing impolitely. Gagalol's protruding stomach, stout stature, fish-like ears, and bulging eyes were exactly as what was stated in the intel. He did resemble a standing frog.

In response to the passionate welcome of the other party, I chuckled.

"We were a family 300 years ago? Then, are you willing to become a family with us 300 years later?"If creating new armies gave an instantaneous rise to a country's military prowess, then education was aimed at grooming new talents, talents that would bring the country to prosperity.

In this world, "knowledge is strength" weren't just empty words. Building a high institution to groom the growth of a certain occupation was a reflection of the history, overall strength, and accumulation of a country.

The Mages' Country was difficult to deal with because of all sorts of established Mages' institutions around the country. When the Mages, who were known to be difficult to deal with among the battle classes, gathered as one, when the immortal top-tier Mages chose to conduct their research there, no one would be so foolish as to provoke them of their own accord.

Olivia traveled over a thousand miles to Auland to study because Auland was well-known in the world for its alchemy, and its alchemy institutions had groomed countless master alchemists. As a result, they had attracted numerous apprentice alchemists to study with them. In turn, this also helped solidify the Auland Empire's position as the leader in the field of alchemy.

Up until today, other than rebuilding the army barracks, Diffindor had built all kinds of schools, such as the Kindness Faction Garden Art Academy, Diffindor Life Medical School, Beast Tamer Technical Academy, Nanxiang Law Academy East Mist Branch, and West City Engineer Academy.

TL: The first word for Druid means kindness (Kindness Faction - Druid Faction)

If you evaluated them based on their names and thought that they were ordinary institutions, you couldn't have been more wrong.

The full name of Kindness Faction Garden Art Academy is Druid Forest Art of War Academy (Garden Art Class—We also teach you how to cultivate plants as well!). All those selected as lecturers were all some kind of leader figure in the Druid Faction. In other words, most of the lecturers were dangerous terrorists wanted all over the continent.

Most human kingdoms were hostile towards Druids. As such, they often lived in mountains and forests, isolated from the rest of the world. However, the various denominations among them had a unique and swift way of communicating with one another. Under Eaglestorm's guarantee, quite a few outlaws were willing to try out "a life without sinning."

As for what kinds of students such a dangerous teacher would teach, that was an enigma to me as well. At the very least, from the very beginning, I had already been rebuked by those ill-tempered Druids.

"What? Cultivate a new crop that could endure the cold? Do you know why we all became outlaws? Because we punished those bastards who went against the will of nature. Are you sure you want us to cultivate such aberrations of nature? We will really beat you up!"

As expected, when I brought up my request, I received a blunt and rude response.

Among the raging Druids, at least Eaglestorm's reply was more pragmatic: "Lord, I doubt that anyone would be able to do so. We can accelerate the rate of maturity of plants, allowing it to mature a year or two earlier. That is the privilege that nature has granted us. However, changing the unique traits of a plant from its core is unnatural, so naturally, we are unable to do so. In theory, there is not a single Druid who is able to do so. We have to obey the rules of nature. These kinds of actions that go against the laws of nature would only be attempted by Dark Druids."

If Druids were the public enemies of the continent, then the Dark Druids, who had fallen into depravity, were fanatic worshipers of the Chaos. Similar to ordinary Druids, they found anything unnatural a mistake, but Dark Druids behaved much more extreme in all aspects.

Without doubt, man-made cities were unnatural. Ordinary Druids would only try to stay away from city life, only retaliating furiously when the forests they lived in were being invaded. On the other hand, Dark Druids would try to create a hurricane or a flood to destroy the city. However, their greatest insanity was that they denied the existence of the Gods. They found the Jurisdiction of Gods unnecessary, and the existence of the various Churches of Gods was a sin by itself. They believed that everyone should return back to the fundamental elements.

Not easy to understand? Let me give an example. When they thought that the Sea God was an existence that shouldn't exist as the conscious controller of the seas, and was a threat to nature, they would grasp every single opportunity to attack the Priests of the Church of the Sea God.

In reality, the Church of the Sea God wasn't the only victim. Almost every single Church of God was on their blacklist. Thus, the Gods of both factions unanimously gave these extremists the beautiful name of Dark Druids, and these Dark Druids had constant appearances on the wanted lists.

The other Gods could still accept East Mist giving Druids the green light. However, if they were to invite the Dark Druids into their cities, they would immediately suspect that Wumianzhe had gone mad.

Alright, in the end, I could only give up. However, it was fortunate that Amelia's arrival meant that I wouldn't have to seek out those dangerous Dark Druids. At the same time, the Kindness Faction Forest Art Academy also found themselves a magnificent principal.

"What? You mean those little Druids who refuse to come under my command? I didn't see any of them though. Oh, that day, I pummeled all of the teachers. He should be one of them."

Given how violence-inclined the principal and teachers were, this Garden Academy, which should have been a propagator of harmony and camaraderie, would produce generation after generation of terrorists.

Furthermore, based on what I knew, the Kindness Faction Garden Art Academy was the most normal of the numerous institutions that were about to begin lessons.

The principal of Diffindor Life Medical School (I was the one who came up with the name) was Harloys, nicknamed Xiao Hei (still named by me). Other than imparting recent medical knowledge and techniques, it also focused on all kinds of Necromancy skills. It was probably the one and only formal Necromancer Institution in the world of the living.

TL: Xiao Hei - Little Black (Xiao Hong - Little Red)

In fact, I was also a visiting lecturer of the study of Undead Creation of the academy. Of it, its Plague research was probably the top of the world. After all, Kakana and a group of formidable Undead Alchemists were stationed there.

Alright, due to this, the Holy Church had sent us a stern warning. Numerous countries also protested against it and sent letters of censure. Even so, I threw all of those into the trash can without hesitation. In any case, our relationship was already hostile, so I could protest however I wanted to. What about the Anti-Undead Covenant agreed upon by majority of the continent? All along, I had thought of agreements that I never signed as a waste of paper.

As for Nanxiang Law Academy East Mist Branch, there was nothing to be said about it. It was just a surface version of the main school in the Underground World. However, with Krose as its mascot and Xueti as the honorary principal, the number of applicants they received this year exceeded that of other institutions.

As for the West City Engineer Academy, it was divided into two main factions—Goblin Self-destruct Study and Dwarf Suicide Study, and the principals were the self-destruct expert of the Goblin engineers and the suicide expert of the Dwarf engineers. Alright, I confess I gave my biased views about those who were stated previously, but I have always thought that these were the fundamental, unique traits of this institution.

Alright, that's all for the introduction of the institutions. What? There's still one more, Beast Tamer Technical Academy?

Seems like I was unable to omit it. I will do a brief introduction then—the principal of the technical academy is Beifeng, and what is being taught is "All kinds of techniques to interact with beasts." There should be nothing else that needed to be said about it.

When I saw this proposal, I almost stuffed Beifeng into the main cannon of the Borealis and blasted him out of Eich. However, this was the reward he demanded after he miraculously managed to accomplish the mission of taming the Winter Wolves. Furthermore, facts had also proven that it was highly possible that we would need Beifeng's abilities in the Northern Lands filled with Magic Beasts.

In the end, under the seduction of solid power, I compromised helplessly. However, I threw the building to the outskirts of the city to prevent it from being an eyesore. I also arranged their office to be on the dozen story-high clock tower so as to help them train their bodies.

【You want powerful warriors? Sure, train them yourselves, develop them. —You expect soldiers to pop out just by building barracks? The Star Wars next door is beckoning you.】

Fine, since the System had retorted that just building the barracks itself was insufficient for the production of troops, I created a bunch of institutions to train the future core of our military. In any case, for every single person I threw into the institutions, I would receive a powerful soldier in a few years' time. There wasn't much of a difference from this and the unscientific barracks. It was just that the duration required was slightly longer, and the resources required were greater.

At this moment, when I was busy negotiating important matters with Lord Sharal and the barbarian prince, my companions, under my orders, were busy spreading those recruitment pamphlets all around Sharal Autonomous Region.

They should be traveling through the alleys of the villages and the squares in the cities to bring in new students for their institutions. Of course, it was highly probable for them to fight over them as well.

"The hybrids will be discriminated against? Rest easy, madam. Such a thing has never happened in East Mist, not to mention that the God of Law's Forbidden Spell, The Sinless City, had also guaranteed it. There is no need for you to worry about your son being bullied! Right, please accept this pamphlet. There is my serial number on it, and if you take this and sign up at the West City Engineer Academy, you can save five gold coins on the school fee!"

"No, it's true, I didn't eat into the discount. I'm not lying… Fine, madam, I give up. Alright, seven gold coins then. However, you must introduce other students to me. For every one that you introduce to me, I will give you a discount of two gold coins!"

Currently, Goblin Kabala's performance was the best. He had already developed a multi-level marketing network and at the current moment, he could already sit back and wait for money to roll in.

"Um, is there an academy for alchemists? I would like my daughter to learn alchemy, but we don't have any good alchemy academies here."

"We don't have any alchemy institutions at the moment, but you can consider having your daughter apply for Diffindor Life Medical School. Their Anti-plague research's (the public name for Plague research) Dean Master Kakana is a Legend-rank alchemist. Her two students are also Legend-rank alchemists. Under her tutelage, your daughter will surely become an outstanding alchemist."

Alright, a young lady, who had set her goals on being an alchemist, under the coaxing of a student trafficker, had started walking on the path of becoming a Necromancer.

"East Mist's best Navy Command Academy is recruiting! Do you wish to become an admiral and possess a harem of countless warships? Welcome to the newly established East Mist's First Royal Naval Academy!"

Alright, no matter how much effort Rina Papa-san put into his advertisement, his recruitment results were destined to be worse of all. To date, he had only recruited two dark-skinned admirals who refused to admit that their skin tone was dark. In a certain sense, they seemed to possess some level of cognitive disorder.

The reason? East Mist Communal Country was a landlocked nation, it had no navy at all. That was the reason why most people thought that he was joking. The crux of the problem was that I didn't allow him to reveal the fact that East Mist's Air Fleet was in the midst of construction.

He had already been confirmed for last place. As for second to last, it would probably be Garden Academy. For those who were unaware, this Garden Art Academy sounded overly inclined towards the aesthetics, and it was unlikely for one to make a living out of it. As for those who had received explanations on what it was—sending their own children out to be groomed by outlaws and become Druids, public enemies of the continent—, it was a little beyond them.

What left others speechless was a certain Dracon who stepped onto the front lines personally. Without preparing any pamphlets for recruitment, all he did was prepare a feast and a barbecue on the square and chat with those guests who were on the same frequency as him. Just like that, he somehow took second place in the number of students recruited.

"Hey, you have already recruited so many people. Share two of them with us."

"Let me look at the rankings.… It seems that we have 20 additional students. How about this, one for a hundred gold coins. Take it or leave it."

It was no wonder that they would strive so hard in this recruitment drive, to the extent that they had begun selling and purchasing students from one another. After all, I had intended to use the results of their recruitment to determine the budget for the respective institutions next year, and that was a huge sum of money.

At this instant, this wasn't just occurring in Sharal. All kinds of recruitment activities were being carried out all over East Mist. My goal wasn't a short-term improvement, but for this weak country to change from its very core and grow stronger.

Of course, I had my own reasons for why I was willing to dump so much money into Sharal to motivate the recruiters.

At this very moment, I was looking gleefully at the two dumbfounded top brass of another country.

What caused them panic, let alone bothering about diplomatic etiquettes at this point, were two photos in front of them. One of them was of the sacred lands of the Beastmen, Orsolovan Summit. In the photo, the lands had been ravaged by the flames of wars. As for the other photo that was placed right before Gagalol, it was one of Sharal Autonomous Region. There wasn't any autonomous region of any sort in the photo, just a plot of barren land amidst the forest.

Without my existence, East Mist Communal Country wouldn't have risen up; without East Mist's support, the hybrids wouldn't have been able to survive and reach Sharal; Sharal Autonomous Region wouldn't have existed.

This kind of logic was comprehensible to me. However, in the eyes of the lord of Sharal Autonomous Region, those photos represented a frightening future that could possibly be realized: "Can it be that Sharal has been totally erased, to the point that not a single trace of it remains?"

"These two photos are images that I have foreseen through divination techniques. I can assure you in the name of the Holy Light that these photos are real. Take a good look at what will happen to your people and your land in the future. Think about it before you reply to my suggestion."

Looking at the two top brass whose faces instantaneously turned pale, I smiled gleefully.

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Chapter 140: The Lies of the Demoness

"If you only met that lord once, it would be hard to imagine him as an influential figure who would leave his mark on the world. With a dashing face framed by his golden hair, which was as radiant as the sun, he always wore a tender smile. Even towards subordinates like us, there wasn't the slightest arrogance in his tone, nor was there the regal air great aristocrats spoke of with great relish. He directly said what he wanted. Sometimes, he would lower his head shyly in contemplation, like an amateur who had just begun his job.

"However, everything changes the moment he speaks. In that negotiation which decided the fate of the three countries, the situation had been within the grasp of the 'amateur' from the very start. 'Sharal Silver Fox' Lord Gagalol and 'God of War' Lord Gars were, indubitably, incredible heroes. History had also proven their astonishing strength and wisdom. However, in the negotiations with Prince Roland, their nervousness made them seem like newcomers to the scene. Eventually, the situation came under the complete control of His Highness. However, in a certain sense, that was also the reason why the Alliance of the Northern Lands could rise so quickly. It had the alliance between the three as the foundation, with East Mist serving as the core of the alliance

—Extracted from the diary of Sharal Lord Residence's Secretary, Kasorla."

"This… This is impossible!! You are lying! This… must be forged. An imitation means nothing no matter how lifelike it looks!"

The surroundings mountains were familiar, and just from the scenery itself, it was clear that it was their homeland, Sharal. However, unlike Sharal's usual bustle, there was nothing but a barren land in the image.

There were no fools here. Gagalol already understood that if the image were true that could only mean that either there was either no civilization here from the start, or that the civilisation had disappeared along with the wind. Furthermore, such barren land would only occur a few hundred years after complete destruction.

"Hmph, think about your own identity and his. Would he come up with such a lie to fool you all? You all are putting yourselves on too high a pedestal! Take a look at your own reflection in the mirror!"

While I was touching my nose and smiling wryly at the suspicions of the hosts, Amelia had begun to chastise them arrogantly.

"This is?"

Without a doubt, Amelia, who just leapt out of nowhere, was extremely conspicuous. According to the intelligence Sharal had gathered, she was only an accompanying Mage. She doesn't even have a robe or insignia representing her level of strength, so they thought of her as a wild Mage without any identification. Yet, the attitude she arrogantly chastised Gagalol with was absent of the humility and prudent attitude a member of the entourage should have.

"Amelia Milan. Maybe none of you have ever heard of this name. However, you should know of the Truth Overseers of Arlodante. I haven't been out for around a century, so I am not aware whether the youngsters of this generation still remember me."

They had heard of it. No doubt, they have definitely heard of it. From how they subconsciously backed their chairs away to maintain distance from her upon hearing that name, it seemed that her vile name had left quite an impression.

"Um, Senior Amelia, may I ask you what you have done recently?"

I felt a little exasperated. No matter how ludicrous a shut-in who had confined herself to her home for a few hundred years was, it should be impossible for her to be so notorious.

"I didn't do anything recently. I was only commissioned to do some sales."

"Um… is that Thorned Forest of Bayer Empire your doing? As well as that famous Deep Slumber Curse?"

The secretary at the side interjected abruptly. His words caused Amelia to smile gleefully.

"Of course. Despite being relatives, they actually failed to invite me to the young princess's birthday celebration. Thus, I took revenge on them. When the young girl turned 16, a thorned needle was placed by the spindle outside her room. Naturally, the Poison of Deep Slumber I had prepared beforehand was smeared on it."

At this point, I vaguely realized that my perception of the world was about to be torn apart. On the other hand, Amelia was already laughing frenziedly in glee.

"Haha, as expected, her finger was pricked by the needle and she fell into a deep sleep due to the poison. Initially, seeing how we were relatives, I didn't want to go too far, so I prepared a remedy. Yet, they sent an order of knights on a crusade against me? They were suicidal! Thus, I created a Thorned Forest, trapping all of them inside, causing all of those knights to starve to death."

"Is that the legendary true love's kiss? How romantic! It's like a love story out of a fairy tale!"

Sometimes, I really find myself unable to comprehend women. Even though it was clearly an act of terrorism that almost destroyed a kingdom, it became a romantic legend in their eyes. At this moment, the female secretary looked at Amelia with reverence.

However, Amelia shook her head.

"True love? Little girl, magic isn't omnipotent, and a human's heart cannot be fathomed. If I could tell whose love was true and whose was false, I wouldn't have been scammed so tragically by another."

At this point, a gleam flashed across her crimson-red pupils. It was apparent that she was on the verge of going on a rampage, and her killing intent seemed to be directed towards me. A chill ran down my spine. However, it was fortunate that she returned back to normal in the next instant.

"It was just some insignificant magic. I've customized the spell so that anyone who fits my requirements can unravel my magic. Back then, I had already lost all confidence in men and thought of them as beings driven by physical lust. Thus, in order to find an honest husband for little Nana, I set it so that only people who were interested in corpses could unravel the curse. Yep, going by the words of the human society, it should be called necrophilia."

"AHHHHH!"

That pitiable little girl dropped her pen and book in fright. How could she accept it when the truth behind that romantic and legendary love story was something that would topple her perception of the world?

"Hmph, I have already left them a note on the solution. That was just a kind joke. Did they have to launch a crusade against me? They could solve the problem just by looking for a necrophile. If not for our relationship as relatives, I would have long ago knocked on their doors."

Amelia spoke so gleefully that it seemed as though the one at fault was someone else. However, I think the reason why Bayer didn't start a war against Arlodante was on account of them being relatives.

"…I remember that Princess Fiona Milan married the prince who awakened her in the end. After which, the prince became the emperor of Bayer Empire two generations ago. That is to say…"

Gagalol quickly covered the mouth of the secretary. How could he allow her to finish her words? Bayer was a powerful empire. If news that their emperor two generations ago was a necrophile were to spread out from here, that would mean massive problems for them.

"Actually, the Poison of Deep Slumber and the Thorned Forest weren't my greatest masterpieces. However, the poisonous apple given to Seere Kingdom's Snow Queen is."

Somehow, I vaguely sensed that the information that I would hear would definitely ruin the perception I had of the world once more. However, I was too late in covering my ears.

"I had good relations with that queen, and she specially looked to me for a poisonous apple. The poison on it was similar to the poison on the needle as well; the cure was the kiss of a necrophile. However, it is really unfathomable why all passing princes are necrophiles."

"Snow White and the Seven Gold-Armored Dwarves!? That is my favorite fairy tale. I beg you! Do not go on! You will ruin my childhood!"

Alright, where should I start retorting from? Should I start from the passing necrophile princes or the Golden Dwarf warriors? Damn it, Amelia. Can you do something normal instead? Why did you have to choose to create parodies of the fairy tales, taking the role of the villains, to ruin the childhood of others?

"What about that 'Little-footed Cinderella and the Crystal Slippers Only She Could Wear'? It can't be that you…"

"Oh, that. This time, I am on the side of the protagonist. Do you know the pumpkin carriage in the story? I am the witch who created that carriage. Right, this time, the prince isn't a necrophile but a podophile. Because of this, he couldn't remember Cinderella's face, insisting on using the glass slippers instead. I had to intentionally get her to leave the slippers behind. As expected, princes are a bunch of perverts."

"Do you have such a large grudge against princes? Marrying a prince riding a white horse should be the dream of every little girl!"

"Hmph, that was what I thought back then as well. Truth has told us women that princes are a bunch of bastards and perverts! However, it is a pity that not a single printing press was willing to publish my book that is filled with numerical data and case studies named The Truth Behind Princes. Those cowardly bastards! Those were actual events that I went through personally, yet they refused to print them even though I was willing to pay them to do so!"

Alright, this childhood destroyer wants to publish a book to ruin the image of princes in the minds of everyone else! What deep-seated grudge was this!

Thus, after realizing why Amelia's reputation was so horrid and why Gagalol retreated far away upon hearing her report her name, as the only human prince in the room, as the one responsible for her resentment towards princes, I backed my seat far away without any hesitation.

"Hmph, I will tell you all directly now. In the circles of SemiGods and true Gods, the Indestructible Roland is much more famous than me. You doubt that he would lie to you? You should first consider whether you are worthy of him going through the effort to."

"Indestructible Roland?"

This was the first time I was hearing this nickname. Hadn't I been killed many times before already?

"Yeah, it is saying that you are similar to that certain black creature, unable to be completely killed no matter what happens. Even after getting destroyed, you were able to pop out dozens of years later and cause a huge uproar. Even though being difficult to kill was a common trait among top-tier experts, you are the only one who managed to revive time and time again despite the complete destruction of your physical body and soul. Most importantly of all, you are a vindictive, shameless jerk who uses all means to accomplish your goals. When failing to get rid of you, one has to be careful of your vengeance and thus, no one was willing to provoke you."

Alright, upon hearing this, I paused for two seconds. Indeed, not disappointing my expectations, the System leapt out.

【Ding! SemiGod-tier honorary title 'Indestructible Roland'. After equipping this title… There is no effects. This time, it is really just a title. At most, you can use it to scare others. It isn't a product of the System, so there isn't any special effects to it. However, I can help you create an illusionary outer appearance of a cockroach, so that you can become a standing Martian Cockroach in the eyes of others. Do you want to give it a try?】

Are there cockroaches in Mars? Continue spouting bullshit then, System! Did you think that I didn't study before transcending over? It was obviously octopus aliens, alright!

OK, back to the topic at hand. No matter what Gagalol and Gars had prepared beforehand, no matter how they had agreed to advance and retreat as one, their alliance wavered due to such unforeseen circumstances.

In a certain sense, it was a wise move to bring Amelia to the negotiations. Even though we had yet to start negotiations, it was clear just by looking at the two of them that they were cooperating with one another. One of them was playing the carrot while the other was playing the stick. By throwing consecutive information bombs at the other party to tear apart the primary arrangements of the other party, I had managed to gain the initiative in the negotiations.

When the information that both parties possessed weren't symmetrical, it caused the positions of the two sides negotiating with each other to be asymmetrical as well. It created a false image that it mattered not to us whether we negotiated the deal or not (when in truth, it mattered a lot), while the other party required more information about the prophecy of destruction. As such, the other party would be forced to take the initiative to plead with us.

We managed to play out this show just by exchanging a glance right after walking into the room. At this moment, we exchanged looks once more and smiled. At this point, we had already won.

"Excluding the other traits of her that are difficult to deal with, Amelia's strength and cunningness make her an ideal partner, especially when I need to protect my image as the heroic Holy Knight prince. She, who dared to do anything and say anything, is my best avatar."

Right after these thoughts appeared in my mind, they were buried securely in the depths of my mind. "Perverted serial killer; frenzied professor without the slightest bit of decency," just these two difficult aspects made her a ticking time bomb.

However, this wasn't the time to be preoccupied with such thoughts. It was imperative to continue pushing the stakes while the negotiators of the other side were still unsettled.

"Esteemed lords, I have a small proposal. Perhaps, to deal with the future threats we face before us, we should solidify our channels of communication. Or perhaps, an alliance where we huddle together for survival might be a good idea. After all, you all don't have to give in much, but in return, you will earn everything!"After an arduous negotiation, when I stepped out of the Lord Residence, I was so happy that I felt like singing.

However, when I recalled my musical talent that was comparable to Gria's Throat of Death, I dispelled that thought. Even so, my footsteps became lighter.

Since the alliance had been settled, all that was left was for the negotiators of both sides to slowly tug and pull on the contract. This alliance would become the foundation for the rise of East Mist.

"Provisions and manpower from the Sharal Autonomous Region will just be additional gains. Rather, the rights to mine from the mountains of the barbarians will become the new core to this alliance!"

Indeed, even if Prince Gars didn't come, I would still pay a visit to them. I had already long since set my eyes on their lands.

The Northern Lands were publicly acknowledged by the continent to be the richest in mines. However, the shallow mines of the various kingdoms had already been dug out and thus, they weren't the main targets of contention. East Mist had lost its final mine twenty years ago, and as a result, it had lost its very foothold in the Northern Lands. That was the main reason behind its downfall.

To reverse all this, just cutting down on expenses wasn't enough. East Mist had to find a new source of income, and after it had established the Church of Law as its national religion, it was no longer an option to use war to vie for mines. If so, there was only a possible course of action—seeking new mines.

In truth, that was a nearly impossible task. After all, every single plot of land in East Mist had been repetitively probed for potential mines. Even if there were still hidden mines within its territory, it was clear that they were beyond the probing and mining technique of East Mist, so it wouldn't make a difference to East Mist's plight either way.

However, in truth, there was still another mountain rich in minerals that hadn't been mined yet. Furthermore, many people knew of it, but none went ahead and excavated it. The technology required to develop the mine was too advanced, making the cost exceed the potential revenue.

"For outsiders, gaining the trust of the barbarians was something inconceivable. However, for the Mist royalty and its thousand years of history, given the brotherhood they had with them amidst innumerable years of war and mutual assistance, gaining their trust wasn't too difficult a task."

"However, that isn't the greatest problem. Even if you could mine the minerals within, how do you intend to transport them down the mountain? Those mountainous paths aren't something ordinary humans can tread on. Conventional methods of shipping are absolutely impossible. That is the main reason why no one had tried to develop the mines in the mountains."

"Hehe, perhaps I should introduce to you my prided creation—Envy, Borealis!"When we left, the anxiety Gagalol and Gars had expressed a moment ago disappeared without a trace and they instead started to calmly discuss the results of the meeting.

"Brother Gars, do you think what Roland said was true?"

The word "brother" means a lot to the barbarians. If one were to casually try to establish intimacy with them, losing all of one's teeth from a single punch was considered minor. However, judging from how Gars accepted the phrase so readily, the relationship between the two didn't seem as distant as they had previously displayed.

"Brother Gagalol, being careful and meticulous may be your strengths, but you are truly overthinking it this time. I can feel the kind intent behind the other party's words. Furthermore, I am willing to bet my life that what he said is true."

The truth was that these two were sworn brothers, and there were many interactions going on between the territories of the two. Simply put, though, few knew about this secret.

"Hm?"

"I don't know about that image of yours, but the prophetic image of our sacred land being wrecked is definitely true. Look at those giant statues. They have been shattered into rock pieces. However, only a few people of our tribe know that these rock statues are defensive mechanisms for our sacred mountain. Ordinary tribesman don't even know that these rock statues were the doings of our ancestors. Their destruction can only mean that they were forcefully destroyed by a powerful enemy, which means that the tribe had fallen into danger."

"That isn't enough. It is possible that he might have received news of it from some other chieftain within the tribe."

"You are overthinking things. Look at that giant."

It was a massive, golden giant. At this moment, its chest had been impaled with a gigantic spear and it was on the verge of death. However, the engravings on its chest were still gleaming.

"This is definitely a secret which no one knows about. That giant is almost certainly me. My ultimate talent, War God Avatar, allows me to sacrifice my life to turn into an invincible War Giant before I return to the embrace of the God of War. This is a legendary talent of the Ancient Barbarians. Not even my father knew of it, so it is impossible for him to have heard of it from any other source."

This meant that not only was Doomsday going to befall them, it was approaching quickly.

"You appeared in the prophecy as well? Looks like Doomsday is coming much earlier than we expected. I think we should talk with that Lord Roland."

"Yeah? You no longer doubt the words of the other party?"

Hearing those words, the one who would become known as Silver Fox in tribute to his wisdom smiled bitterly.

"Just as the insane demoness had said, think about our own identity and his. Are we worthy of the lord personally visiting us just to deceive us? I have overthought it. What we have to do now is quickly mend our relationship with him. I can sense that he is slightly dissatisfied with us."

"Yeah, get your man to prepare some extravagant gifts. Tomorrow, we will personally pay him a visit."

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Chapter 141: Greenhouse

Looking up from the valley where Sharal was located, the sun was peeking over the clouds. The mountains around reached up to the skies and it was these mountainous ridges that created this rare warm granary of the Northern Lands.

The bizarre and mystical workings of nature had created this land of miracles. The mountainous ridges and forests had blocked off the cold drafts while the rain, dews, and underground streams gave life to the ground. As a result, this unique granary of the Northern Lands was created.

The Northern Lands weren't suited for growing crops. At maximum, its lands could only enjoy a harvest once a year whereas in this valley, with the assistance of a spellcaster, it could enjoy a maximum of three harvests per year. Furthermore, due to the rich nutrients in the ground and the suitable weather, the quality of the harvest was rather high.

This was also the reason why we had to come here. Ten years of work on some other land would mean around ten generations of crops to choose from whereas in the same period of time, thirty generations of crops could grow here. There was a huge difference between each generation in cross-breeding crops, let alone twenty generations.

"Can't we just use magic to hasten their growth?"

"…I really have no idea how you managed to pass the Theoretical Life Examinations back then. Normal crops and crops whose growth have been hastened by magic are actually two totally different things. Crops hastened by magic carry with them the spellcaster's will, which warps the crops' growth. If we want to see the normal growing process of life, we have to do it step by step."

"Are you sure you really don't know how he passed the examinations? It was all cheating. Back then, if not for his outstanding cheating skills, given that nonexistent elemental comprehension ability of his, he would have long ago failed most of his homework and exams, resulting in his expulsion."

After waking from her long slumber, Harloys possessed a state of vigorous energy. At this moment, she was talking bad about me while crouching on my head and tugging on my hair to make furballs.

"Teacher Harloys. Your habits… could it be that your physical form affects your soul?"

That reminder caused the darned cat to freeze. Only at this instant did she realize that her actions were no different from a real cat. She immediately covered her face and went into silent depression.

"Pu! How is that possible? That cat form of hers is just one of her mimicries. She is just addicted to playing the role of a cat.… Darned cat, how dare you bite me!"

Alright, the moment I used my physical actions to display what "disaster originates from one's mouth" meant, Harloys also used her physical actions to display what "embarrassment warping into anger" meant.

"A pet cat attacking its owner? Are you rebelling, you Meow Alien! You all have not conquered the world yet!"

After which, I got into a fight with that darned cat. Just when I was about to achieve victory due to the advantage of my physique, I heard Amelia's faint words.

"Seems like your relationship is pretty good."

"Who would have a good relationship with him/her!"

Alright, at the very least, our opinion in this aspect was aligned. In order to prove so, as well as to verify Harloys's testimony, I grabbed the cat by her neck and did an Eighteen Hell Rotation and received a pleasurable, shrill scream and a dizzy-headed darned cat in return.

Compared to before, the movements of the awakened darned cat were much more like a real cat. As for the outer appearance, she seemed to have grown from a Meow Alien youngling into an adult black cat, and her stiff cat fur had become glossy and smooth.

After successfully absorbing the SemiGod Equipment "The Dark God's Breath of Death," Harloys finally began to display her potential as a top-notch Magic Pet. On the surface, she became much more elegant while beneath the surface, a much greater change had occurred.

【Magic Pet: Harloys (Main Body of Greed)Race: SlimeStrength: 14Agility: 10Stamina: 35Intelligence: 30Will: 25Charm: Depends

Job: LVL 37 Mage

Overview: Position, Racial Ability: Transmogrification (Legendary), Child of Greed Division (Legendary)】

【Innnate Ability [Transmogrification (Legendary): Transforming to a harmless kitten is just its weakest ability. It can choose to change to weapon-form and the current choices are Staff (Breath of Death) and Magic Sword (Counterfeit, Pale Justice).】

【Innate Ability [Child of Greed Division (Legendary): Divides to form a small Child of Greed. The Child of Greed will inherit a portion of Harloys's abilities and stats. As long as the Child of Greed is within a certain radius around Harloys, it will be under her total control, serving as her eyes, ears, hands, and legs. The total amount of divisions: 15,417—Before misfortune strikes, one would somehow find the inauspicious omen of a black cat roaming about, and for Harloys, being everywhere isn't a difficult task. She always arrives in time in the form of a crow/black cat to laugh at your misfortune.】

【System Evaluation: This is your Magic Pet, but she is constantly thinking of how to get rid of you within the limitations of the contract. Do not be fooled by her outer appearance. As a grandmaster in magic, even though she only possesses the strength of a Bronze-rank at the moment, she is able to easily destroy those Gold-rank rookies. Furthermore, her incredible base stats and her transmogrification ability has made her even more dangerous than before.】

【System Evaluation 2: She definitely isn't as weak as she portrays herself. As for why she hides her strength, is there a need for me to explain it to you? Perhaps the recent interaction with you has pleased her, so she decided to leave a path for you after a successful revolt.… So what are you still waiting for? Hurry up and get rid of this foolish Meow Alien while you still have the upper hand.】

The tier of the Breath of Death Staff had been lowered to Epic-rank, and the consumed Power of Death had allowed Harloys to become powerful and dangerous. Looking at the various figures on the interface and the increasing numbers of Child of Greed, I started to suspect whether I would be a match for her if I really fell out and had to exchange blows with her.

To tell the truth, the current situation of the cat thinking that she had concealed her strength well when it was all laid bare, out in the open, was enjoyable for me, given how I could bully this darned cat openly. Furthermore, in order to make me neglect her fighting power, she could only record the scores one by one.

Harloys's experience and wisdom were what I most valued about her, and she had helped choose the first batch of crops to plant.

Naturally, due to the complete lack of decency and common sense between Amelia and me, we needed her to correct us.

"I have a good idea! Why don't we plant rice on the back of frogs, which have moist skin? We can create a hybrid animal-plant. I even came up with a name for it! I choose you! Wonderfrog Seed!"

"Rejected! Putting aside the technological aspects, the frog would probably die in a few days. Furthermore, how can something like this reproduce?"

"Then, why don't we plant it on zombies? It is said that the decomposing bodies of the Undead serve as good fertilizer for plants."

"Rejected! Who would dare to eat rice planted on a zombie!"

"Then…"

"If you dare to say zombie wheat or zombie biscuit, I will smear your entire face with slime goo."

"Fine, I'll return and give it some more thought."

Should I say, "as expected of a professional"? Initially, I thought that Amelia would be like me, coming up with interesting projects to try as well as experimenting with the newest technology. In the end, she decided to settle the matter seriously.

"Special breed Hewert barley and Siere rice… Is that enough?"

"Yeah, we will just use seventeen genetically-modified plants for the first batch. We have to find the most suitable genes for cold and dry conditions. After finding the most suitable breed, I will use my magic to modify it once again and use the ones that were modified the best for the second batch."

"Obtaining good crops through genetic modification isn't something that will bear results within the short-run. Even if you provide me with this greenhouse technology of yours, at the very most, it can only hasten the process in awaiting the germination and growth of the plants. For the safety of the population, we have to proceed prudently.… Why are you all staring at me like that? Did I say something wrong?"

I hurriedly shook my head. There's nothing wrong with your words, but this seemed a little off with your image.

"'One should face Mother Earth with gratitude for the blessings she has showered upon us, and appreciate her gifts.' Back then, when I was the Sacred Maiden of the Church of Mother Earth in Xyntherar, my teacher taught me so. A pity…"

Sacred Maiden? Furthermore, the Sacred Maiden of the Church of Mother Earth that had an incredibly good reputation? I couldn't help but be impressed by how colorful Amelia's life was, as well as curious as to how she managed to come to such a point.

"A pity?"

"It is a pity that she was duped by a man. As a Sacred Maiden who lost her purity, she was expelled from the Church. Furthermore, that man even abandoned her, saying that 'I was only playing with you. After all, men always bear some level of interest for Sacred Maidens, but you aren't a Sacred Maiden anymore. Why should I give up my honor to accompany you for life?' Not long later, my teacher committed suicide. Due to her dishonorable death, she was regarded as a stain on the Church of Mother Earth's history. In fact, even I, her successor as the next Sacred Maiden and her adopted daughter, was unable to attend her funeral. She truly lost her standing and reputation."

Her calm and casual words carried an undercurrent of bone-chilling hatred.

"You avenged her?"

"I killed that man's entire family, but he managed to escape. To date, I am still unable to do anything about him.…"

"To date? He is still alive?"

"'Dragon Hunter' Deimos. He is the first generation Deimos. I have already killed the second generation Deimos, and one day, I will…"

This wasn't the first time I had heard this name. Didn't Marsolit's enemy go by such a name as well? Remembering the intelligence I had gotten from that old emperor of Auland, I smiled.

"…bury his bones amidst Undying Grass and cut off a portion of his flesh everyday to feed to him…"

She had already begun to talk about the torture scenarios she had come up with. The more she spoke, the more agitated she got. It was clear from her red eyes that she was on the verge of losing control once more. At this moment, I patted her shoulders.

"One day, you will have your revenge. I will help you. I will make him die in greater dishonor and despair than your mother."

Amelia froze for a moment before taking two steps away from me. She stared at me warily.

"Don't try to act intimate with me. You aren't any better than him. I know your history well. Even though you don't have any confirmed relationships with the opposite gender and there aren't any cases of you toying with their feelings, the number of women you messed with and the emotional debt that you owe them is much greater than that bastard."

My jaw dropped. Where did this rumor come from? I have been a virgin for three generations now, and if I really owed that much emotional debt, I would have just made up for it to shake off my single identity.

"I, I don't have any…"

"Hmph, don't bother trying to convince me otherwise. You playboys are skilled in planting expectations into women. Can you remember the number of women who have cried over you? Right now, we're only working partners, so don't even dream about gaining my trust once more."

Staring at the figure of Amelia, who turned to leave right after she was done saying her piece, I couldn't find a response.

"Playboy, playboy. This virgin is actually treated as a playboy.… Pu! I can't stop laughing!"

This darned cat actually started rolling all over my head in laughter, inducing in me the urge to throw her. Yeah, the next moment, I did it.

Even when flying in the air, she was still shouting.

"So dizzy! You are really annoying! I will be back!"

"Hmph, what is truly disgusting is a Meow Alien who can talk."

Turning around, I saw a bunch of fawning faces.

"Lord, can we take a rest? It is almost noon now."

"No, continue working. This is punishment!"

Naturally, for the crops experiment, we required diligent farmers toiling in the fields. The "farmers" whose entire bodies were covered with mud at this moment, after working for an entire morning, were the group who were about to be promoted as the bosses of different departments.

"Eaglestorm, I am very thankful for your support. However, you can't behave like this just because you are unable to find any students."

After hearing those words, the Legend-rank Druid's face flushed. Yesterday, after they were unable to recruit a single student no matter how hard they tried, they used a certain someone's idea and began to morph into bears, wolves, and other animals. They carried the children around to win their goodwill. However, by the impetus of some inconceivable primitive will, the unique culture of Liu Huang Mountain City started to show on the Surface.

"Mum, what's that! A bird?"

"Your head that it is a bird! It is obviously an elephant!"

"AH!! Let's go, don't look!"

"…Xueti, I heard someone call the Church of Law the Church of Nude Running yesterday."

"Boss, leave it all to me! I will show you the innate talent Taurens have in farming. One of my Race Talents is in Herbology! I can't understand why Taurens require this Race Talent, but perhaps, it was in preparation of this day. Ohhhhh, I'm burning up! I will work hard!"

After being hung to make beef jerky, this fellow managed to keep himself in check for two days. However, after going through forests to come to this valley, his passion had been ignited once more. When he caught sight of the familiar wave of nude runners, how could he contain his urge?

As for Clint and the other Goblins… I should have stopped them the instant they started to demonstrate their abilities in assembling machinery. In the end, someone even had to fill up those craters by the mines.

As for Beifeng… Right, what did Beifeng do? Why is he being punished?

"Beifeng, what did you do that day?"

"Lord, I was framed! Back then, I was only chatting with someone. But somehow everyone just pulled me here."

"Ah? Beifeng, you didn't commit any mistakes? I'm sorry, it's a habit. Somehow, I just pulled you here upon catching sight of you. Alright, I will deduct one from your future exploits then."

Diana's apology had not an ounce of sincerity. Even so, the deduction of one punishment was accepted by the crowds. Apparently, everyone thought that Beifeng would commit more crimes.

"Impossible. Beifeng actually didn't make any mistakes?"

"Bullshit. We must have just overlooked it. How can it be possible for him to not do anything at all?"

"Sigh! The world slanders me, deceives me, insults me, mocks me, belittles me, debases me, loathes me, and scams me. So what? I need only tolerate it, allow it, permit it, avoid it, bear it, respect it, ignore it, and, after a few years, look at it again."

Eventually, under the criticism of the crowd, the innocent Dracon sighed, spouted a few words that tempted others to pummel him before working diligently alongside Xueti.

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Chapter 142: Ominous Clouds and Changes

"For menial labor, household chores, construction, and even dangerous mining jobs, there's nothing that it can't do! What can be more suitable and trustworthy than an indefatigable zombie worker as your assistant? Not only do they not need rest, they also don't need a wage! It only costs ten gold coins for one, and you only need to pay two gold coins every year to charge up the Power of Death in it. You will benefit your entire life with this purchase!"

"Don't listen to the nonsense of that fellow, zombies easily become smelly! It might still be acceptable in winter, but when spring and summer come, that stench will stink you to death! Hey, uncle. Why don't you take a look at my mummy maid? Not only will it never rot, its insides are filled with top-notch fragrant spices that give you an aromatic scent even when you hug it to sleep at night. You should know that only those of noble standing can be mummified after their death. This cutie of mine used to be a noble princess before her departure."

"He is just spouting bullshit! Do you think that he would dare to dig the graves of royalty given his appearance? That is most probably just a normal female villager with fat thighs."

"…A Goblin princess should still be considered a princess. Furthermore, she is the princess of a massive tribe with a population exceeding three hundred!"

Even when the battle between these two Necromancers quickly elevated from a verbal one to a physical one, not a single customer had the intention of patronizing their stall. Instead, they chose the Skeleton Worker not too far away. That's because Skeleton Workers are cheap and hygienic. Furthermore, even when the Power of Death dissipated in them, they could be treated as a clothes hanger or be fed to the dogs.

"Undead War Mounts for sale! It knows not of weariness and is eternally loyal!"

"You have to think of your weight before riding on a Skeleton Horse which falls apart easily. I have a Skeleton Beast that can be used to pull carriages! Feel free to choose among a variety of them!"

This was Diffindor's 7th Market as well as the newly-established Undead Worker Trading Center. Necromancers had finally found their livelihood aside from slaughter in here.

When the news of the Sinless City spread across the entire continent, the most delighted group was probably the Necromancers.

In this cruel world, the weak never fared well. Most people already had an instinctive desire to pursue strength, even if the strength was taboo. However, it could give them better lives, and at the very least, they wouldn't die ludicrously by being caught up in a fight. No matter what, it was a risk worth taking.

By training step by step, not every single existence who practiced the depraved demonic arts would become demented. But the Holy Church didn't consider what the Undead, "whose existence is a sin," had done. They persisted in cleansing every single Undead. Necromancers who were capable of creating them were absolute heretics they had to destroy.

Some of them were coincidentally compatible with Necromancy; some of them fortuitously happened to inherit it. Even so, it mattered not. When their true identities were revealed, they were still outlawed in the same way as heretics and villains. Such prejudice made every single Necromancer go all-out to conceal their existence. If they were revealed, they might even resort to silencing the witnesses directly. In another sense, it caused them to fall into a deeper nightmare.

In the eyes of the world, it was impossible for Necromancers to be the cheerful neighbor boy whose face was full of acne. Necromancers must have a gloomy face and savagery must be reflected in their eyes as they planned their vile schemes to destroy the world in the demented Xiluo Empire. The truth was that it was a misunderstanding.

Xiluo was a country for the deceased. Their nobles and fief lords were all Undead. On the other hand, no matter how bizarre Necromancers were to the eyes of the world, they were still living beings, and in a certain sense, living beings were equivalent to slaves in Xiluo. This made the identities of the living Necromancers in Xiluo awkward.

Unless they were willing to give up on their physical body and convert into a Lich or if they possessed incredible talent that allowed them to become an apprentice of a Lich, their lives would most likely be difficult there. At the very least, their sustenance, accommodation, and numerous other living conditions were not what they deserved. If a bloodthirsty member of the Blood Tribe was enticed by the scent of their blood; a bellicose Death Knight found a sudden urge to use them as his practice target; or perhaps their Lich mentor wanted to use them as his new experimental subject… Actually, as long as they did not reveal their own magic, most Necromancers were able to blend into the crowd. Furthermore, they were still able to use their own abilities to better their living conditions.

All along, Necromancers and Warlocks were the favored mercenaries of the nobles. After all, they were figures who were unable to come to the surface and they struck quickly and ruthlessly. Even if some secret were leaked to them accidentally, they were unlikely to spread it.

As such, the reputation of the Necromancers worsened. It didn't help that Necromancers required corpses to improve their skills. They could only murder others personally or rob graves. This gave rise to numerous bizarre city sightings and ghost stories.

As such, the graves of every city were under the surveillance of a watchman dispatched by the Church of Holy Light. It was natural to leave some traces behind in the midst of robbing corpses as well.

Even if they reached Silver-rank or Gold-rank by sheer luck, allowing them to earn big bucks with their strength by serving as mercenaries, if they were to accidentally slip up, they would still be exposed. Even a beggar by the roadside might report you in the blink of an eye for the sake of ten silver coins.

The moment a Necromancer was exposed, no matter how many good deeds one did in the past, the Church of Holy Light would instantly send their forces over to surround the Necromancer. Even if one escaped from their encirclement, due to the worldwide arrest warrant, one could only wander around the world aimlessly to avoid pursuit. Less than ten percent of these people were lucky enough to escape to a rural countryside village or Xiluo Empire.

When Wumianzhe's declaration resounded across the entire world, these hidden Necromancers were taken aback. Uncontrollable, frenzied joy followed.

"Undead do not represent evil? Perhaps I'll be able to live with dignity from now on. Maybe I might even be respected and revered!"

As such, half a month after the declaration was made, numerous disguised Necromancers entered the city before disappearing abruptly. There were even more of them who chose to sneak into the city by scaling the city walls.

These days, there were always people trying to fly across the wall. Some of them were of the Blood Tribes. Some of them were Gargoyles. Most of the time, a person would be hanging beneath them. Their appearances made the city guards wary as well as hesitant about whether they should shoot them down or not.

Did they really have to shoot them down? However, something was obviously wrong. Soon, the guards understood what was going on, but why did those people avoid the city gates?

Most of those who flew in, upon landing, would find themselves surrounded by Knights.

"Are you a Necromancer?"

"No, I'm just a fanatic of extreme sports. Today, I saw a passing Gargoyle and wanted to experience the sensation of flying in midair. Thus, I grabbed its legs and happened to fly in here."

Even a fool wouldn't fall for these kinds of crappy lies. However, the ones speaking them never got sick of it.

The Knight Order in charge of defending Diffindor eventually succumbed to these slippery Necromancers. As a result, they pasted a notice on the city gates.

"Gate 7 of the city's west side will be specially allocated for the usage of Necromancers. It will only take half an hour for the numerous administrative paperwork and identification verification. Furthermore, it comes with three job recommendations. Necromancers who enter the city through any others means will be fined 300 gold coins upon revelation, and stripped of their job permit for two months.

Note: Please station your Gargoyles and all Undead beings of middle-scale and larger outside the city. Alternatively, you can pay a fee at Gate 7 for it to be kept there. Of course, you have the freedom to infringe the rules written above. However, Diffindor's airspace is guarded by Bone Dragon Rider Lord Timier. You can try to play cat and mouse with him, but if he and his mount strike too heavily against you, your remains may become a popular auction item for your peers the next day. Presently, Skeleton Mages and Undead Sorcerers are expensive commodities in the city."

This was already utmost sincerity on our part. At the very least, we didn't hunt them down and instead, we expressed kind intentions to them.

After someone led the way and confirmed the passage was safe, even my Undead Knights were surprised by the number of Necromancers entering.

After entering the city, while rejoicing over finding so many comrades, a new problem appeared.

Just when they were treading into a new life, they found themselves jobless.

The newly established Diffindor Life Medical School (School of Necromancy) needed many lecturers and teachers, but that was for the elites. Most of the Necromancers were self-taught and their standards were only slightly better than apprentices. Rather than teaching others, they wanted to find a teacher to guide them along.

"Doing what we did previously? Do you mean an assassin or a mercenary?" There were quite a few bloodthirsty ones among the Necromancers, so they naturally thought of resorting to how they made a living in the past.

I had to admit that there was no lower limit to the foolishness of the humans. They actually dared to commit such severe crimes in the Sinless City, a phenomenon created by the God of Law. When their corpses were hanged on flagpoles to be dried, it served as a warning to the others, and explained the Judgement Spell and Sinless City.

Even so, the mass unemployment would eventually lead to social instability. As a result, I had already made preparations for it in advance.

The first solution was joining the army. After all, Necromancers were powerful weapons in war. This was where their expertise lay. My army had many years of experience and were well-versed in effectively utilizing Necromancers in battle. However, there were also weaker Necromancers who were unwilling to step onto the battlefield. This was another area that I had to look into.

"Bringing in all kinds of magic into our daily lives? Converting the products of Necromancy into tools for the convenience of daily living?"

This subject seemed to be an absurd and impossible one, but it was by no means a new one. Many human kingdoms had already started to use magic lamps, and magic kettles were a daily necessity for nobles. The numerous products of alchemy also came from the crystallization of the wisdom of the magic civilization. Since it was already proven probable with other magic and alchemy, why should it be impossible for Necromancy? In reality, Necromancy was all-encompassing, though the materials required for it were slightly unique.

The main job of the summoned Undead was serving the Necromancer who summoned them. It was within my expectations that a labor market would be started. Of course, there were technical difficulties to it as well.

The instincts of Low-tier Undead had determined them unintelligent and bloodthirsty. Unless the Necromancers kept a close watch on them, no one could guarantee that these brainless Undead would not go out of control. However, an invention had changed all that.

"Sloth Sword Seal—Death is the sweetest slumber. However, it is a pity that it isn't time for you leave work yet. So make good use of your time and continue living an exciting life."

The Sloth Sword Seal was a sword seal that represented all products of Necromancy. Its use wasn't any different from the other Elemental Sword Seals. It was activated through Olivia's Magic Box. Through the sword seal, one could manipulate the Power of Death. However, based on the current level of research, it could only allow its user to control a few Low-tier Undead.

I left certain concepts and theories to Olivia and company for them to develop into sword seals. Soon enough, a new Olivia's Magic Box customized for Undead usage was created. Its only use was allowing one to control a Low-tier Undead through contracts. Thus, when ordinary humans wielded this black magic core, they were able to control their Low-tier Undead through it and get them to work for them.

As a result, the Undead labor market became a reality. Skeletons did household chores, zombies mined minerals, and mummies served as maids. Only the people's imagination stopped them; anything could be realized.

Of course, there was limit to everything. The "genius" who thought of the concept of a cute and disgusting Abomination by complementing it with a sexy maid costume had been stripped of his job permit for three months due to excessive complaints about how the product blinded people's sight.

On the other hand, phantom carriage rental, the Gargoyle Express, and the Zombies VS Plants series became the talk of the town, as predicted. With technology nearing perfection perhaps an entirely new magic civilization would be born.

Maybe these little things seemed like nothing, but they had huge repercussions on the future. The unknown had always brought fear to humans. However, when these beings were willing to be enslaved, the fear and sense of estrangement was hugely minimized. Eventually, when these became acceptable to the world, Necromancers would be able to enjoy normal lives.

"Sometimes, the era treads somewhere unfathomable to you. Perhaps even the inventor, Prince Roland, did not expect that this obscure and unaccepted invention would be the impetus to effect change on the world."

However, some things would never change. For example, the unpredictable minds of sentient beings and the seeds of resentment.

Looking at the headless corpse, Reyne sighed.

The two corpses were extremely young. One of them was a Silver-rank DemiElf Hunter whereas the other was a rookie Necromancer who had managed to sneak in. When she was patrolling the city walls, they, disguised as passersby, suddenly assaulted her. However, in the next instant, her guards had already decapitated them.

"Master Fayde, Teacher Ferdinand, and Teacher Sina, thank you for protecting me. You all have worked hard."

"There's no need to thank us. This was Prince Roland's order."

Before leaving, I had the two Sword Saints and Great Mage protect Reyne. Back then, Reyne thought I was overreacting. But facts had proved my judgement correct. This was already the seventh assassination attempt this month, and it was clear that this was only the start.

"The younger the seedling, the easier it is crushed. Even if we put aside your identity as the descendant of the Mist, just by the fact that you are the knot tying East Mist Communal Country and me together, you are absolutely important and irreplaceable to the country in its current state. If something happened to you, everything would fall apart. If I were the enemy of East Mist, assassinating you would be the best way for the country to fall into disarray."

"We should have no enemies in the Northern Lands, right?"

Back then, I only chuckled, not pointing anything out. At this moment, Reyne remembered her indifference back then and could only lament her ignorance and immaturity.

"Send them over to the 7th Market and submit a report of the Soul Interrogations to me, even though it is highly likely that they were sent by that kingdom once more. Seriously, the Beastmen are going to be invading the Northern Lands next year. Instead of diverting their attention towards assassinating me, they should be reorganizing their army and making preparations for battle."

No enemies? They were probably all enemies. On a state level, as long as there were conflict of interests, it was impossible for two countries to have an amicable relationship. No one would want to have a powerful neighbor, even if the country repeatedly claimed that they would not invade the other countries. How would it be possible for them to entrust their safety in the words of others? Furthermore, these countries also had ambitions of their own, and the newly rising East Mist was an eyesore for their plans.

I, who was at Sharal, also met with similar experiences.

"One, two, three, four, five. Five top-notch assassins, not to mention a Saint-rank hidden in the shadows. They sure do view me highly."

Beside me, Amelia shook her staff with a furious expression.

"Yet another group trying to assassinate you. This is the thirteenth time this week! I have almost been reduced to a free bodyguard for you. Compensate me!"

"Hmph, I have no money for you! My life isn't for your taking either!"Winter often came earlier for the highlands. When most of the countries of the Northern Lands were preparing for the invasion of the Beastmen next year when spring came, the lands of the Beastmen were already shrouded in ice and snow.

However, as usual, the Beastmen had no intention of shrinking their area of activity to prepare to tide through the winter. On the contrary, the Wolf Knights and Lightning Roc Knights were traversing across the highlands to hunt down hidden human spies.

The closer one got to the base camp of the Beastmen, the more frequent these patrols passed by. Such abnormal behavior attracted the attention of the various countries, but even after they paid a heavy price to infiltrate the Beastmen's camp and listen in on their discussions, all they got was that the Beastmen were preparing resources for war.

In reality, that was only a smoke screen.

There were only two conventional, narrow paths down the highlands where the Beastmen resided, and both paths were blocked by the fortress cities of two different countries.

The entrance leading to the various human countries of the Northern Lands was a barren and remote land called Erole Highlands. At this very moment, smoke was billowing ceaselessly from the innumerable tents established on that plot of land, indicating the presence of the Beastman army.

The Chieftains were currently gathered at the highest peak of Erole Highlands. At this moment, news that made their tribesmen thrilled was currently spreading amid the tents.

"Let's toast to the glory of the War God! By next week, our Beastman army will be able to begin its invasion. Finally, we can settle our old scores. This time, let's catch the humans off guard! Activate Plan Thunderbird!"

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Chapter 143: Short Letter

"A swordsman of Zhao wears a plain helmet, his curved blade bright as rime."

Wearing shabby leather armor made of python skin, a swordsman of the Northern Lands wielded a silver longsword and created snow-white afterimages in the air. Wherever the radiant longsword struck, a bone-chilling wind issued, even covering the ground in a layer of thin frost.

"A silver saddle shines on a white horse, galloping swift as a shooting star."

Pointing the longsword to the heavens, a silver winged horse galloped over. Carrying the knight, the apparitional mount charged forward as if a silver shooting star.

"Robbing a life every ten steps, never turning back in the long journey."

Wherever the sword passed, the heads of the enemies flew. Just with the sharp sword in his hands and the mount beneath him, the lightly-dressed Knight could tread dominantly across the Northern Lands!

"Flicking his sleeves when all's done, casting his reputation into the shadows… I seem to have forgotten what comes afterwards. Forget it, I am unable to conceal my reputation anyway. Boys! Pay close attention! I, Roland Mist, have come! I am the Lich King!"

When Pale Justice was abruptly stabbed in the ground, magic gathered and the Black Tortoise Sword Seal, represented by an amalgamation of tortoise and snake, activated. A snowflake formation lighted up on the ground, and as the hidden, frigid current beneath the ground burst outward, Ice Magic froze everything in the surroundings.

My actions were too sudden. Along with the creeping of ice, the feet of the assassin in the shadows were frozen, rooted to the spot before he could even react. If he could react swiftly, he could amputate his leg and escape. If he were slow, he would enjoy the luxury of being encased in ice.

"I am truly impressed with those protagonists of novels. They always manage to look dashing when reciting poems in the midst of battle, but in actuality, it isn't something plausible for a human to do! How did they manage to chant magic incantations, contemplate fighting strategies, and adjust their rhythm of battle while recalling the poems at the same time? Aren't they worried about forgetting a phrase and ending up being embarrassed? What if they happened to choke on air and cough uncontrollably? Wouldn't their deaths end up ridiculous?"

While I was retorting, a snake-shaped dagger with a green gleam on it suddenly appeared in the shadows behind me. That menacing dagger slowly moved towards the nape of my neck without the slightest movement of wind.

Just as the blade was about to come into contact with me, the body of the assassin who wore a cruel smile suddenly jolted.

"An upgraded ability of Shadowstep—Temporary Elemental Concealment? This seems to be a rare ability that only a master assassin with Elemental Bloodline can learn. What a wonderful experimental subject."

How could it possible for the veteran assassin to slip up at such a crucial moment? However, his hands were already numbed.

"AHHHH!"

Pale Justice was just inserted into the ground, but a rampaging flash of lightning was crackling as though thunder was traversing through the sword. The frenzied flow of lightning caused the unfortunate assassin's body to convulse ceaselessly.

"Pitiful child. I doubt you can understand why a magic sword which had no contact with its wielder was able to attack you. I should remember this skill and teach those rookies when I get back so that they can use it on others."

The lightning from the Azure Dragon Sword Seal that I activated wasn't too strong. The assassin whose body was convulsing was still able to grit his teeth and climb up. He had intended to bring me down along with him, but I simply patted the black cat on my shoulder.

"Gather a blood sample so that we can run an analysis on it. He is a rare specimen, so keep him alive. We'll extract his soul when we're back at the experimental lab."

Upon hearing these words, the elegant cat lowered her head and licked her paws, not moving from her spot whatsoever. I knew that she was just waiting to negotiate the terms with me.

"I will split a third of it with you. If senior doesn't want it, I will split half of it with you then."

"You lunatic! To think that our Phantom Serpent Bandits were destroyed by you lunatics, a person who talked to his cat… AHHHHHH!"

Upon seeing that I still facing the other way, the furious assassin dashed forward to assault me. However, in the next instant, an ominous black shadow blanketed his vision.

"Cat… Cat demon!"

A queer smile crept onto the corners of the lips of the cat-shaped figure on top of the assassin's head, as though it was mocking something or someone.

The assassin could no longer suppress the fear which penetrated straight into his bones. He immediately turned and ran. However, in a flash of light and a piercing scream, the assassin disappeared without a trace. All that was left on the spot was the elegant cat who was still tidying up its face.

Pah.

With a snap of a finger, the three corpses of the three bandits who had died from excessive bleeding stood up silently. They would bring the other frozen bodies with them.

With Necromancy no longer outlawed, the corpses of experts have become valuable trading commodities for the nobility. Naturally, we can't waste such precious goods.

While I was still admiring my actions, the battle on the other side had also reached its final moments.

A black, man-eating flower was chewing on something. Taking a closer look, it was the right arm of that Saint-rank assassin nicknamed Hellfire….

After sacrificing his own limbs to feed those frenzied plants, the great assassin Hellfire finally got into proximity to the Mage. However, what met the cruel smile of the assassin wasn't a panicking rookie Mage, but an insane demoness who grinned even more happily.

"You're the 76th assassin who thought that I was an idiot at close combat. How do you think your predecessors fared?"

The will of a Saint-rank assassin was unfaltering. Even though he vaguely felt that something was amiss, the words of the other party was unable to affect his mind. He immediately stopped on the spot and executed his movement technique, creating a series of mirror images that surrounded Amelia on all sides.

However, all the female Mage did was take a deep breath and drop her flamboyant sapphire staff. Ignoring all of the mirror images around her, she sent a punch towards her rear.

Boom!

Amelia wasn't as weak as she seemed on the surface. Just the wind pressure from the fearsomely forceful punch created a deep gash in the ground. Even though Hellfire reacted in time, he was still hit by it. He instantly kneeled on the ground and threw up blood.

Pah!

Wearing the ruby bracelet, Amelia flung her hand lightly. Accompanied by a shout of agony, a massive crater formed around him. Hellfire was lodged into granite. At this moment, all of the air within his body was forced out of him.

Perhaps a bystander might think this some kind of gravity magic. However, I knew that this was just a simple swing of her hands, and what had pushed the assassin into the ground was just the wind pressure generated by her palm.

"You really can't offend a Mage with 42 points in Strength. Even more so, a genetically-modified human whose eyes have the ability of True Sight cannot be offended. After all, she had to possess an incredible amount of strength for her to still be alive after messing around so much."

At this moment, Amelia stroked her hair and her peculiar silver irises hid their radiance. Her lips were moving, as though she was muttering something.

Long, light-green hair fluttered along with the wind; a young lady recited a poem. Just by her outward appearance, Amelia carried the aura of an academic.

However, I couldn't be fooled because I could tell what the other party was speaking through lip-reading.

"Darling, it's time to eat. It's a feast this time."

The next moment, the smooth, light-green hair came to life. Her countless strands of hair extended with the tug of the wind before transforming into blood-red thorns. After the tip of those thorns opened a massive dragon-like mouth, when the assassin who was being chewed on was screaming in agony, I knew that the remaining images were rated Mature 18.

"Temperance, huh? Truly a monster with a lack of any sort of temperance. Perhaps the reason why she named it Temperance was so that this monster wouldn't eat too much and affect her figure."

Senior's research direction was similar to mine. The information and results of our research could be traded, but the method which it showcased itself was completely different.

In a certain sense, I was integrating Biology, Modern Medical Studies, and Necromancy for my Undead Creation. Naturally, what I was creating were other powerful Undead.

On the other hand, as a master of Biology, what Amelia studied was life itself. How could she possibly give up on the physical body that she was the most familiar with and understood the most, her own?

It was likely that she was unable to remember how many times she had modified her body. Even when I first met her, she had already said that she was more like a plant than an animal.

In fact, two of her Seven Benevolent Virtues, "Abstinence" and "Diligence" were part of her body, plants that shared life with her. Their existence and growth made Amelia stronger.

Amelia's combined total of 42 Strength after enhancement by her equipment was something that had already exceeded the limits of ordinary life-forms. I had never heard of a single race that had Strength exceeding 40. Perhaps even the Titans couldn't to match up to her. Her bloodline was already something that was unable to be evaluated. From her very core, she was a being that exceeded common sense.

Of course, given how her ability to cause trouble was in no way inferior to mine, it was impossible for her to live until now without capabilities of her own. As far as I knew, her regenerative abilities and unkillable qualities were in no way inferior to mine.

After that group of assassins had been completely cleaned away, I felt a little regretful. I wasn't in the midst of completing a mission now, and the Saint-rank assassin which senior killed didn't allocate me any Fate Points at all.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I am lacking high-quality fertilizers at the moment. Even if you begged me, I wouldn't share any of it with you."

Her guarded gaze was really depressing. Ever since that unpleasant chat back then, Amelia seemed to be even more on guard against me.

"Later, I will pass you a third of the blood and flesh of an Elemental Descendant possessing the ability of 'Temporary Elemental Concealment.' However, I will keep the the soul and skeleton of that fellow, I have some uses for it."

"…Such rare material. Your luck sure is good for you to always meet these kinds of unique existences. However, you seem to lose out in this deal. Are you scheming something?"

That wary gaze sure did break my heart. I shook my head. I knew that if I didn't provide some reason, she, who was already agitated, wouldn't feel at ease.… Speaking of which, making that incredible senior of mine so wary, should I be proud of it?

"Since someone wants our head, we must naturally repay the favor. However, my strength is lacking at the moment, so senior, help me."

"It's a small matter. There is always a lack of fertilizer and experimental subjects. Deal!"

By this time, having received news of an assassination attempt on me, Xueti and the others had rushed to the scene. However, upon realizing that there wasn't anywhere for them to interfere in, they became onlookers.

"Exactly which side is the antagonist? Why do I get a feeling that our side is the evil boss who intends to destroy the world whereas the ones facing us are courageous heroes challenging the evil?"

"Agreed."

"Seconded!"

Alright, upon hearing the discussion of the late rescue army, I was taken aback for a moment before chuckling.

"Looks like the days of living together with old friends like Amelia and Harloys has made me younger and livelier. However, this doesn't seem to be a bad thing. Of course, to my enemies, it was bad news."

After enjoying such a long, peaceful life in Liu Huang Mountain City, I had clearly toned down. Perhaps this was something good for those around me.

However, considering the cruel future we were about to face, a scheming Yongye who utilized everything in his grasp to achieve his means was clearly much more effective than a righteous Holy Knight. I had also never intended to sit still as Doomsday befell us.

"Wish to destroy an evil and cunning opponent? Then, you have to become even more unscrupulous and frenzied than him."

To my opponents, a scheming, lunatic avenger who was willing to cut away his limbs at crucial times posed the greatest threat. Also, I wasn't a moral ablutomaniac* who was was reluctant to dirty his own hands.

"Senior, Harloys and I… This is perhaps the most interesting (dangerous, frenzied) group of researchers in the entire world. Maybe we can create something interesting together."It was the annual Hunting Festival once more. The Beastmen Tribes were gathered around the Orisen Mountainous Range. Upon receiving the support of the Earth Elemental God Emordilorcan, the Blood Axe Tribe had become the most powerful tribe of the lot. Its leader, Eron Bloodaxe, had become the Great Chieftain of the new alliance of the tribes.

Perhaps a familiar title might be much more appropriate for him, Beastman Sovereign. However, for him to don this crown stably upon his head, he had to win the upcoming war first.

At this moment, the Chieftains from the various tribes were discussing their future military plans. Rather, arguing would be a much better phrase.

"I object! The first snowfall is just around the corner, and launching an offensive at this moment is suicidal."

The Centaurs around the mountainous region were usually slightly slimmer and agiler than their brethren living in the Underground World and the Elven kingdoms.

However, the Chieftain of Kaerci Tribe, Haer, was an exception. With a height of three meters, he wore a massive halberd on his back. He was well-known for his unparalleled brute strength among the Highlands Beastmen.

"I object to it as well. Sleuweir Kingdom and Karsomi Communal Country have fortresses blocking the entrances to the highlands. By attacking them in winter, we would suffer overwhelming and additional losses. I don't fear sacrifice, and I understand that war demands sacrifice. However, I am unwilling to have my sisters become meaningless pawns of war."

Kamala was the Chieftain of the Blue-feathered Harpy Shamanic Tribe, as well as the most famous witch in the highlands. She held in high esteem across the entire mountainous range and her opinion was acknowledged by many other Chieftains.

Forcefully invading a well-defended human fortress in winter wasn't a good idea, no matter how one looked at it. The Blood Axe Tribe's obstinacy finally resulted in an outburst of resentment by the various Chieftains. If this matter wasn't settled properly, the alliance would likely fall apart.

The Chieftain of the Blood Axe Tribe, Eron Bloodaxe, was a towering Eagleman. Their tribe was known for their Lightning Eagle Riders but Eron himself wasn't that well-known. On the contrary, those who knew him thought of his capabilities as merely average. At this moment, challenged by the various other Chieftains, Eron only knew to scratch his head in frustration, unable to find an answer to their questions. It was clear that he was at his wits' end.

"… I'm returning."

The Chieftain of the Bearman Tribe, Ronde, was known to be reticent as well as stubborn. He would definitely bring his men back now that he had also spoken of it.

Finally, after making up his mind, Eron decided to speak of his plan. However, before he could start talking, a hoarse voice echoed from beyond the doors.

"Chieftains of the various tribes, allow me to introduce myself. I am Daimon Riley, the representative of your alliance army."

The one who had entered inconspicuously was a short Ratman. Their kind usually lived in the sewers of the cities. Even though they were known to be cunning and difficult to deal with, they were sidelined by the Beastmen who valued strength.

However, even though the tent was packed with experts, no one dared underestimate this short Ratman. Other than the fact that he was able to silently enter this tent, his scales and the horn on his face reflected his identity.

"A Hellbreed? Are you of the Demons or the Devils?"

There was also an entrance to the Chaos Abyss in the Northern Lands. Beastmen weren't strangers to the dwellers of the Underworld. However, there wasn't a single sapient tribe that bore goodwill for these two races.

"My identity matters not. What is important is that I can help you. With the assistance of the Earth Elemental God, the geographic obstruction your army faces isn't a problem from the very start. There is no need for you to besiege those two fortresses at all.

Daimon walked to the map and casually pointed out a path. It was an inconceivable path crossing over numerous steep mountain ranges and cliffs, straight to the core of the human world.

"As for the gelidity of winter, I bring you all good news. With the assistance of the Will of the Chaos Abyss, the Inferno Marquess has promised to grant you all the Blessings of Flames, allowing you all to remain unhindered by the cold gale of winter."

The various Chieftains stared at one another, unable to fully grasp the situation.

"Inferno Marquess? The Inferno Dimension is a part of the Chaos Abyss, so that Marquess should be a Demon Lord. I am slightly knowledgeable in Demonology, but I have never heard of the great name of the lord. Could she be a new Demon Lord who has emerged in the past few hundred years?

"Haha!" Daimon laughed gleefully.

"No wonder you haven't ever heard of the name of that lord. That lord had only returned to the Chaos Abyss last year and she was instantly promoted to the position of Demon Marquess. This bears testimony to her strength. Furthermore, she is granted the noble title of 'The Devourer,' and it is precisely due to the fact that she has devoured the God Power of the Fire Elemental God that she is able to grant you all the Blessings of the Flame."

Upon hearing those words, the crowd was delighted. On the other hand, upon seeing that there was hope in accomplishing his mission, Daimon's gleeful grin widened.

"Look, this is a keepsake from that lord."

It was a silver-plated bronze ring, with flames circling the ring slowly like some sort of decorative pattern.

"Lord Elisa! Please grant me your blessings."

The Hellbreed Ratman Daimon raised the magic ring up high and the strength of the Demon started to creep forth, summoning the will of a superior existence through an artifact.

"Who is the one summoning me! Who dares interrupt my beauty sleep! Hm? So it was an ugly Ratman! Die!"

The consequences of enraging a Demon Lord were severe, and it was even worse when a female Demon Lord was roused by a hideous man. In an instant, the flames of the Demon shrouded the summoner.

"Lord!! Please spare me, I am inno… AHHHH!"

Alright, the words of an unfortunate fellow who had already been reduced to ashes didn't hold any power. Looking at the magic ring that fell to the ground, everyone was taken aback.

What kind of show was playing? To think that the intermediary would be destroyed by the mastermind all of a sudden? How can the negotiations go on after that?

They had heard that the Demons were irrational and illogical, and they had just had the honor of witnessing it first-hand. However, what were they supposed to do next? Return to their tribes?

"Chieftain Ven, you are well-known for being suave among the Beastmen and your social skills are good. Why don't you try communicating with that Marquess?"

Instantaneously, the complexion of the Werefox Chieftain whom Eron had pointed out paled. The Ratman intermediary had died right in front of them. How could he possibly dare to step forth at such a point?

However, the Werefox weren't reputed as the sages of the Beastmen for nothing. He immediately found a solution to the problem.

"You have already heard it as well. This Daimon here was sentenced to death for interrupting the Marquess's sleep. Thus, we just have to communicate with her after her nap. Yeah, regardless of the time difference between the Chaos Abyss and the Surface, eight hours should be safe."

Alright, this was clearly an attempt to drag things out, but this conclusion was something everyone could accept. Thus, they heaved a sigh of relief.

On the other hand, I, who was far away in another country, received a message from the silver ring on my hand.

"The Beastmen intend to circumvent the geographic limitations of the Highlands and directly assault Sleuweir in the midst of winter?"

ED Note: An ablutomaniac (a word that technically doesn't exist) would describe a person with ablutomania, that is, obsession with bathing and washing.

TL Note:

"A swordsman of Zhao wears a plain helmet, his curved blade bright as rime."侠客行 (Song of the Cavalier)The poem was by Li Bai, an extremely famous poet in China. It has inspired many works afterwards, a noteworthy one being a novel called Ode to Gallantry by Jin Yong, a famous wuxia writer.The poem is incredible in the sense that you can really picture the sight of an awe-inspiring swordsman slaughtering his enemies before flinging his sleeves and leaving gallantly. (Kind of)However, due to the limitations of my translation, I shall not embarrass myself by translating all of it. [ED: It's OK, Starve. I helped you!]

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Chapter 144: Chaotic Situation

In a blizzard before dawn, the dense congregation of the Beastmen army packed their items, donned their tattered platemail, and began their journey.

Massive Behemoths used their footsteps to awaken the sleeping highlands. Amidst the drumbeats, Wolf Knights began traversing the darkness while the aerial units who had just returned from their hunt carried the heads of human spies with them.… What that was just described was impossible!

According to the original plan, the Beastman army should have set off long ago. However, a small "accident" occurred.

"Scram! What I want is top-quality cosmetics from Yadosven! Do you think that you can fool me with these inferior products? Do you believe I won't burn your entire basecamp?"

"Lord, please don't be angry! This is the top-quality Elven Springwater. It has the ability of restoring youth and vitality. It is definitely much better than those inferior man-made alchemy products!"

"I don't care! If you want my assistance, you have to fulfill to my requests!"

The Dimensional Window leading to the Chaos Abyss closed and the flames on the magic ring dissipated. The will of the Demon Marchioness had already retreated. Looking at the pile of ashes on the ground, Witch Kamala shook her head helplessly. She slowly placed the magic ring down and left the tent.

Upon stepping out of the tent, she saw countless faces waiting outside. They were all influential figures from the various tribes. Their worried looks were reminiscent of examinees waiting for the release of their results. Based on the frowns on their faces, it seemed that most of them didn't hold out much hope in the results.

When the witch lightly shook her head in response to the gazes of the various Chieftains, she received a wave of helpless sighs.

"She is too difficult to deal with. The previous time, she said that the war songs of the Beastmen were too noisy, so she wanted us to find something more soothing. Thus, we found Sparrow Shaman singers and wandering poets for her. Even though the collaboration of the two had produced a piece of melodious Soulsong, that Demon said that it was a countryside folksong and they were off-key. This infuriated the proud Soulsingers to the point they almost charged to the door leading to the Chaos Abyss to teach her a lesson. I had to expend great effort before managing to appease them."

"That is nothing. What that happened two days ago was even worse. She actually said that she wanted to eat the Red Jadefruit, a fruit unique to the west of the continent. When I told her that there was none of it here, she almost killed me. And that 'Don't you all have Dragon Knights? You should be able to get them if you tire a few of them to death. At the very least, I didn't make you all buy lychee.' What the hell is lychee?"

"More than thirty attendants have died waking her from her sleep. There is already a rumor going about that we are feeding a powerful Ogre with our attendants.… Alright, not mentioning how this affects the moral of the troops, the amount of food our army consumes everyday isn't a small sum. Are we supposed to continue stalling the matter like this?"

"Forget it. Even without the Fire God's Blessing, it shouldn't be a problem conducting a sudden attack and taking down two cities to tide us through the winter with the assistance of the Earth Elemental God. At the very least, it would be much better than idling here like this. Yesterday, another thirty tribes chose to depart from the alliance."

Women were difficult to deal with, even more so for Demonesses. In the past half a month, the Chieftains had already had enough of the endless demands from Elisa. Beastmen had their own pride as well, and the movement to go on with the invasion without her was gaining momentum.

As one of the few people who were able to converse with Marchioness Elisa, Kamala naturally became the middlewoman for them. During this period of time, the other Chieftains viewed her highly. However, as time passed, she became an outlet for the frustrations of both sides, causing resentment to accrue in her.

"We can't wait anymore. Who knows what she will come up with tomorrow? The first snow is rapidly approaching, and by then, it will be too late."

"Sigh. I'd already heard that the Demon Lords were fickle-minded and did everything based on their own interests. This time, I've had the honor of witnessing it first-hand."

"Shhh, this is a Marquis-level Demoness who conquered an entire Dimension by herself. She is an existence equivalent to a true God, so it is understandable that she would be slightly haughty. She has an eternity before her to play with us, but we can't afford to go along with her."

"We can't wait any longer, let's just throw in our chips tomorrow…"

While the Beastmen Chieftains were getting frustrated and infuriated over the Demon Lord, they couldn't have possibly guessed that the difficult Demon Lord they were talking about was currently speaking impassionately with their greatest opponent. Furthermore, her tone wasn't the irritable and impatient one that she spoke to them with.

"… They are probably getting impatient. Even without the Fire God's Blessing, they will probably go it alone."

"Stalling them for half a month? That's already quite an incredible feat. Is the pressure from the Chaos Abyss piling up? Are the other Demon Lords complaining about it?"

"The Demons wouldn't bother about such insignificant figures. It is the will of the Chaos Abyss to allow the Power of Elements to wreak havoc in the Main Dimension. It doesn't care about the Beastmen's success. It is sufficient as long as the Power of Elements causes the Elemental Tide to rise."

At this point, Elisa paused.

"There seem to be some other intentions behind this invasion. Most probably, there are intermediaries from other Demon Nobles in the camp. There are many Great Demons who intend to utilize this opportunity to please the Will of the Chaos Abyss. As long as I continue to refuse to grant them the blessing, others will probably take my place."

"Just grant them it then. Grant them the blessings when they show all of their cards to you."

"Yeah?"

This was different from what we had discussed previously. A Beastmen army who did not fear the cold would become a difficult enemy to fight against, but I had other ideas.

"It would be problematic for us to deal with them if they were granted the complete Fire God's Blessing. However, if something were to happen midway through and the blessing didn't possess the effects they had expected, no one would be able to blame you.… You get it."

"You are evil, as always. Right, have you been philandering recently? If so, be careful of my sudden assaults."

After dealing with the official matters, all that was left was our daily small talk. Honestly, I, who had been single all along, wouldn't know how to face Elisa if she had remained by my side. Rather, making small talk like this as we usually did felt more comfortable to me.

"How could I? If only I had such luck. You don't know how eccentric Beifeng and company have been recently. The more Gentlemen there are, the more difficult to keep them in check…"

Furthermore, I didn't even know how I felt towards her.

Lovers? Partners? An adopted daughter felt much stable than the previous two relationships. At the very least, I knew whenever I recalled that familiar silver hair and the features on her face, that rare hint of warmth and sweetness I felt was nostalgia for my family rather than love between a couple.

"I understand that Elisa had forked out a lot, and I know what she intends to achieve by doing so. However, whenever I try to view her as my lover, I somehow recall her voice and features when she was six or seven. I am not a beast, so how could I possibly lay my hands on her? Maybe it's because she is too important to me. That's why hesitation halts me.

"Sigh, the more I think about it, the more complicated it gets. Forget it, I will stop mulling over it. After all, I have never been able to make sense of it, and it is unlikely that I can in the future anyway. So let me just muddle my way through this."

I knew that this was an irresponsible attitude similar to a cowardly ostrich. But my past experience had proven that settling the matter by burying my head in the sand was effective, even though awkward.

After all, not everyone could live as long as I could. As long as I was able to drag on until the other party's death, their emotions wouldn't matter anymore.

"However, even if I wanted to be philandering trash, I have to at least be in a position to do so. In my first life, I died too early. In my second life, just when I had barely dug out something, I triggered a war and died pathetically. In my third life, for the sake of vengeance, I turned myself into a Lich.… Sometimes, looking at the couples who appear during Valentine's Day, I feel like I have lost. I can't help but to shout the FFF slogan and throw a Fireball at them."

However, I would sometimes ponder the possibilities that could have occurred if I hadn't pursued strength vindictively. Perhaps I might had already found a suitable candidate to start a real family with, and at this moment, my children and grandchildren could have been surrounding me. At the very least, my adopted daughter (depending) wouldn't pity me and ridiculously develop a crush on me when I was already more than three hundred years old. However, most baffling was my descendants appearing when I hadn't even settled my romance.

Perhaps it was precisely because of Elisa's deep understanding of me that she played these little tricks, leaving me with no way to reject her at all. Somehow, I ended up falling into a deep emotional debt, resulting in the current state of affairs.

"She didn't say so, but the Chaos Abyss can't possibly be a comfortable place to live in. Demons are the incarnations of Chaos and the Demons below often revolt. Demons of the same tier often devour one another to evolve, and as such, battles are never ending. Maybe, from the moment she stepped into the Chaos Abyss, her fight had never stopped. It is truly difficult for her.

"However, Elisa's help is something I cannot do without. It is useful to have a spy amidst the higher echelons of the Chaos Faction. Just a single piece of news at a crucial moment can serve as the determining factor in a war. If we were attacked without any prior notice, we might have ended up losing the initiative right from the start. By delaying them for half a month, we managed to reverse the situation.… Seems like I am sinking deeper into debt. There is no way I can repay it anymore."

After ending our conversation, I heaved a sigh of relief. Putting aside the emotional debt I owed her, the invasion of the Beastman army was quite troublesome to deal with.

The one to face the brunt of the first wave would be Sleuweir Kingdom. I had complicated emotions about this country.

They proclaim themselves as the true heirs of the Mist. I had many comments just on this itself.

After all, in my generation, Karwenz and I were the only remaining royalty of the Mist Country. If that darned father of mine hadn't left behind an illegitimate son, Karwenz and I would have been the only remaining main bloodline. Due to Karwenz's horrendous reputation, Reyne could only call herself my descendant even though it wasn't spoken of explicitly.

History is history. However, since they acknowledged themselves as the descendants of the Mist Country, this made the situation interesting.

If the final remaining prince and the sacred sword that represented the royal authority of the Mist Country returned, then shouldn't Sleuweir Kingdom, who had proclaimed their royalty to be of the Mist bloodline, come under the command of Mist's emperor? If so, didn't that mean that Pavill the 3rd would have to hand over his crown and be satisfied with the position of an ordinary fief lord?

Of course, everyone knew that it was impossible for that to happen. However, if I really brought the Roland Sacred Sword to their capital and demanded him do so, no one could know for sure what would happen. At the very least, ever since the rise of East Mist and the return of Roland and his knights, the Mist citizens migrating from Sleuweir had never stopped.

As a result, they made a decision, and what was presented before me was a "gift" of theirs to greet their ancestor.

"Sigh. On one hand, they proclaim themselves to be the true Mist bloodline, while on the other, they send a bunch of assassins to get rid of me? What filial descendants I have."

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Chapter 145: Torch Festival

Hailatedum. In the language of the ancient civilization, it meant 'Sage'.

In the ancient times, it was the name of a civilization which dominated an era. It branched off from the Ancient Humans, but from a certain point onward, it somehow became the main branch instead.

"Colossus Civilization," "The Miraculous Era of Gears and Steam Engines," "The Inconceivable Society Where Everyone is a Wise Man." There were countless other names and glorious titles for them. In that era in the distant past, they and their creations were once commonplace around the world.

As the most advanced society then, they dominated the entire world. Massive floating islands and towers amid the clouds unveiled the secrets of the sky. A giant barrier erected on Island Turtle became a underwater city and colossal Titan Magic Statues were the guardians of their home. Even the Dragons had to remain humble before their wisdom and strength.

Even today, traces of the race could be seen, be it the Floating Island of the Blackwings, the Air Fleet of Auland Empire, or the Colossus Legion of the Solo Federation.

Modern engineering and alchemy originated from it, and the ruins of Hailatedum were fought over by all countries. After all, it was hard to say if a new discovery found in the ruins could be awakened from its dormancy to become an integral part of a revolution.

During their peak, they even dared to debate about truth and reality with the Gods. How such a powerful civilization abruptly ceased to be was always a mystery of history. Research papers on the civilization were written in various countries, but when it came to their history and the reason for their extinction, it simply wasn't clear.

"Was it a calamity? Or an invasion by aliens? Ice Aeon struck once more? A catastrophic plague? An update patch? It was none of them. The truth is actually quite simple, they had stepped on the line!"

To some existences, Hailatedum's destruction wasn't a secret. On the contrary, it was warning to them, telling them that there were some things that could be done, and there were some things that one shouldn't even think of.

"Perhaps, you might become a powerful as the Gods, but please, by no means step into the realm of the Gods. At the very least, do not allow those fellows above you to see it."

Hailatedum was destroyed due to a God Punishment, and this wasn't any incredible secret. At Cape Glyte, the entrance to the Spiral Empyrean Tower, there was a glyph inscribed in ancient words with the greatest crime of this race.

"Life Creation, man-made souls, racial immortality."

These were the three greatest taboos that the Gods didn't allow anyone to commit. The proud Hailatedumers had indeed trespassed into the domain of the creators. As a result, they had received divine retribution.

However, this was only on the surface. "An endless proliferation of their race would have exhausted this world of all its resources." But to those who were aware of the situation, they only had one crime.

"They managed to bypass Reincarnation."

When the death rate fell significantly and no new souls crossed the River Styx and entered the Heavenly Pillar, when Life Creation and man-made souls were able to create their own brethren, the original system of reincarnation was broken.

Without a doubt, they had crossed the line for the two sleeping Goddesses with such an act. As such, a God Punishment fell upon them and they went extinct. Everything was that simple.

In order to prevent others from uncovering such techniques once more, the black glyph outside the Empyrean Tower constantly reminded mortal experts they should never touch such techniques.

Thus, even if someone discovered the route to immortality, they dared not utilize it to mass produce immortals. As for the second clause of the Three Great Crimes, man-made souls, the technology for it had already been lost for countless years.

Of course, if there was oppression, there would naturally be those who fought back. The more the Gods tried to suppress the mortals, the more people tried to fight back and trespass the barriers they set.

The Holy Church had used the notion of heresy to sentence many people to death, and in reality, there were also numerous cases of heresy. The more forbidden something was, the easier one would grow curious of it. Throughout the years, the number of alchemists who were burned at the stake for challenging Life Alchemy was uncountable. Furthermore, some of them were part of the core of the Church. After all, the sweet fruit of immortality was difficult to resist.

The previous lunatic who neared the barrier was probably me. However, unlike my other predecessors who sought immortality, my goal was slightly different, causing my means to differ from theirs as well.

"When eternal night descends, all living will disappear from history. From then on, the Undead shall last forever!"

If a Country of Dead were to be established and all living beings were converted into Undead, then reincarnation would become a joke. In another sense, the world would be saved from its doom.

Whenever I recalled the grade-schooler like words of mine, that embarrassing dark history would play in my mind. I couldn't help feeling relieved about my decision to halt it abruptly back then. If a Country of Death were established, I would probably be destroyed by a God Punishment the next moment.

After which, Ayer had also personally verified my conjectures. It would be impossible for the Gods to look on as a world belonging to the Undead became established.

However, there was a good reason why people still chose to fight back against the oppression of the Gods even so. Those three technologies contained great potential. I had been researching it all along and had achieved a certain level of results with them.

However, I am not so foolish as to display my works before the Gods and incur their wrath. Alright, I admit that the Seven Deadly Sins had already touched on the sensitive nerves of certain existences, but they also heaved a sigh of relief when they realized that I had no intent of mass producing them.

Most likely, I am already on their list of individuals to be wary of. If I had not started from the creation of powerful beings and instead, like some other Undead Lords, choose to achieve racial immortality, those up in the heavens would probably have come after me long ago.

Of course, I wasn't the only heretic. While I am highly talented in the study of souls and Undead Creation, Amelia's Life Creation field was a direct challenge to the authority and dignity of the Gods of Creation. It was a simple feat for her creations to achieve immortality…. If not for her cloaking the results of her study through plants and subconsciously circumventing the study of souls, she wouldn't have been left out when the others underwent God Punishment.

However, there were some things that were beyond the control of Gods. For example, not all of Hailatedumers died back then.

Yes, there were still remnants of them, and they numbered more than one.

In that "history," if Olivia has solved the greatest bottleneck regarding the energy core, the most outstanding creation of Timmy Lade, then the "Master of Magic Engineering" Timmy Lade, one of the future founders of the Magic Engineering field, was a control system that allowed ordinary humans to wield supernatural abilities easily.

In theory, an ordinary human who had never undergone specialized training could never wield supernatural abilities. Thus, he gave the magic-engineered gears an independent soul such that they were able to manipulate the Power of Elements by themselves. All that the Warrior wielding it had to do was pass down orders to it.

If Olivia had given magic-engineered gears blood and nutrients for them to operate, what Timmy Lade granted it was a new soul.

However, quite a few people had noticed it even though he went in a roundabout manner in an attempt to camouflage the technology. His research was taboo from the very start. He had infringed the taboo of man-made souls!

When I learned of Timmy Lade's achievements, I was surprised as well.

After all, I am quite well-versed in the field of man-made souls as well. Any research relating to souls was extraordinarily difficult, and in order to achieve results, the researcher would probably have to abandon him humanity and conscience. After all, it wasn't possible for them to remain moral given the experimental materials they required for their research.

I had spent several centuries with countless experimental matériel before me, and yet, my research was still stuck in the phase of stitching together old souls through extreme emotions to create powerful but twisted warrior souls. On the other hand, he managed to reach the level of mass production of man-made souls. The difference in the level of our technology was truly massive.

I had the advantage in terms of the creations' individual prowess, but it was a clear loss in the theoretical and technical aspects. Such results made the usually haughty me surprised.

"Could that snotty brat really be that much of a genius? Could he have skipped past the stage of knowledge and data accumulation? Or, just like Olivia, that shocking invention of his originated from a coincidental miracle?"

Thus, I paid more attention to little Timmy Lade and heaped high expectations onto him.

Eventually, I realized that I was wrong from the very start. There were some things that could be explained by coincidence and talents.

"1897 AD, the summer of the Year of the Griffin, on the seventh day of the seventh month… At least it was still summer in Auland Empire. The weather in the Northern Lands was gradually growing colder and it seemed like it was about to snow."

In the children's coloring book, an oddly mature handwriting could be seen. However, the words written were completely different from the current languages existing in the world. The words written resembled numbers overlapping one another.

If one looked at the pictures on top of the words, he would conclude that those weren't words but a series of pictures stacked over one another without any logical pattern among them. There were triangles, circles and twisted numerical digits. Perhaps to some, it was no more than a nonsensical abstract drawing, but to Timmy Lade, they were just some words he used usually—the Hailatedum Language.

"Big Sister Dana has been quite happy recently. It seems like her work is going well. The students in the school respect her greatly and a smile has been on her face recently…. Yeah, Big Sister's smile has nothing to do with those male cats in heat surrounding her. On the contrary, she must be really annoyed by those flies buzzing around her. Looks like I have to find an opportunity to teach those despicable lads clinging onto her a lesson."

From a certain sense, the reason why this Miss Dana hadn't been married yet was truly due to her little brother serving as baggage. However, he was holding her back in a way different from what she expected.

"Those toys of the Goblins aren't mature yet, but they provided me with quite a bit of inspiration. I should be able to complete XT-2 by next week. Let's start by sacrificing the son of the boss of the bread shop to it first. Hmph, to dare to cling to Lord Big Sister like that, even gifting her flowers yesterday!"

Upon recalling the bright smile on his elder sister's face when she accepted those flowers, Timmy Lade's rage flurried.

In certain aspects, the young Timmy Lade was much more mature than others expected him to be. However, in others, he was like an ordinary orphan who had lost his parents, holding great attachment and fondness to his elder sister who brought him up. This wasn't hard to comprehend and it was completely normal.… Alright, I understand that this wasn't normal in any way, but I am just trying to convince myself that there were normal people by my side. Couldn't you all just go along with it for once?

Timmy Lade, Haku Evon the 17th. The former was the name everyone knew him as in this life whereas the latter was the name of an ancient soul.

When the God Punishment descended, the Hailatedum met with its end. However, a master of man-made souls was unable to simply accept death like that. He wished to use his own knowledge and strength to avoid the unavoidable destruction. He wished to pass down the heritage of his civilization.

"A person's personality is simply forged by a soul with memories. Since souls return back to the world in the form of reincarnation, if I inscribed my memories onto a brand new soul, wouldn't that be equal to resurrection?"

In a certain sense, Master Haku succeeded. Every time his soul underwent reincarnation, along with the growth of his soul, a certain apparatus would be activated and his soul would regain the memories of his previous life.

However, from a different point of view, he failed miserably.

Once a person entered the path of reincarnation, he could be considered dead. A new soul meant a new life. Even if the soul had acquired the memories of its past, it would only be able to view it in a third person perspective, as though looking through someone else's life.

He had already succeeded in reincarnating 17 times, but unfortunately, with the exception of the memories of his first life, which had been stored over and over again, the memories from his other sixteen lives had been washed clean by the River Styx and whatever remained of them were negligible. He was still the same shut-in who isolated himself in the research lab

He was unable to remember how many times he had reincarnated. Even more so, he was unable to remember clearly whether he was the reincarnation of that legendary sage. All he knew was that the memory transfer system had detected souls identical to his and activated sixteen times.

Alright, since that was the case, the reason why that little adult was able to mature so quickly could be understood. The reason why he was able to create complete man-made souls was because of his previous inheritance.

In a certain sense, Timmy Lade was the true protagonist of the currently popular "transported to another world" novels. Putting aside the fact that he had a mobile "grandfather" he brought about alongside him, his parents had died and he had an elder sister whom he was mutually dependent on. Furthermore, he was destined to achieve greatness.… Alright, at the very least, the current little Timmy Lade wouldn't think too much into it. He was only a child who matured earlier than others, and in order to protect his beloved elder sister, he was currently putting all of his efforts into designing the machine known as XT-2 so as to destroy those pesky flies.

"Life has been fulfilling and it is good that big sister is happy. Even so, war is coming. Yet, this city remains so peaceful. Does everyone really have that much confidence in Roland?"

Thinking of the man who always wore a smile on his face, Timmy Lade couldn't help shivering with the jitters. His Race Talent "Ultimate Eyes of Wisdom" allowed him to see through all disguises to peer into the true nature of a person.

That day, when he first opened the door and saw Roland, he was almost scared to death.

"Too fearsome. Life and death exists simultaneously in a single person. To think that Chaos and Order could be fused together to form a single bloodline, his physical body is truly ridiculous. His soul is even more so."

Remembering the apparition of the black skeleton, Timmy Lade shuddered.

"Countless obsessed and demented soul fragments pieced together to form a normal one, and the might I feel from the black skeleton obviously points him as the legendary Emperor Yongye. Yet, this kind of ultimate incarnation of evil is actually the legendary hero of this country?"

Back then, Timmy Lade was in one of the last carriages moving to the secret base. Yet, no one would have thought that little Timmy would be the first person to recognize Emperor Yongye.

"Sigh, I'll just see how it goes. At least life is not bad here. However, if war broke out… It is truly a wonder how they can be so self-confident. Is that Roland so trustworthy?"

Roland, who was out for diplomatic affairs, had sent news back: "The Beastmen army is about to begin their winter assault. The Sleuweir Kingdom is going to be invaded." This news had already traveled through every single street and alley. Without a doubt, it would make the difficult winter even more unbearable.

The Beastmen army invading in winter was something that was illogical and inconceivable. Furthermore, the notion proposed of them traversing across the difficult terrain to launch an attack was treated as a joke by many southern nobles. As such, Sleuweir thought that the envoy sent by the Mist Country was up to no good and evicted him from their borders. News of that had already spread.

Yet, amidst countless criticisms, the Mist Country was still able to remain quite confident in their sovereign. This in itself was inconceivable.

Even when everyone thought that the Beastmen army was going to invade next year, the citizens of Mist Country acted as though they were going to invade during winter and made preparations for battle as such.

On the other hand, with the shadow of war looming right before them, while the East Mist military divisions were busy preparing for war, not only did the citizens not panic, they even continued carrying on with their lives leisurely, even conducting a festival today.

"Torch Festival? What a bizarre name."

Opening the windows, the city square was already filled with tourist groups. It was said that this was a traditional festival from the Liu Huang Mountain City of the Underground World. Every year, when the evening of this very day came, all young and single men and women would have to cover their features with a black robe and carry war flags and metal chains marked with the FFF logo. They would prowl about the streets to hunt down their "prey."

Yes, prey. The prey of these FFF members were the young "couples" engaged in romantic actions in public!

On this long night, all black-robed FFF hunters would scavenge for loving couples and tie the man onto a burning stake.… Of course, they were only strolling around town. The FFF members and passersby could smash food on them to bless the couple, as well as to pray for a better harvest next year. Actually, carrying torches and touring around town was the same thing as a parade float procession; it was more of a cultural thing.

It was said that this festival was created by Lord Wumianzhe. And the hunter who managed to hunt down the most prey would receive official prize money and a present. There was also an urban legend that the winning hunter would be proclaimed as the Love Hunter and he would soon capture his long-awaited love.

On the other hand, there was also another urban legend saying that "the couple who survives the attack of the FFF members to the very end will earn the blessings of the Goddess of Love. They will be together forever!"

Of course, most of these legends were just hearsay. Of the fellows from Liu Huang Mountain City, the "Love Hunter" from year to year were either be Adam or Wumianzhe himself, but they were still unable to rid themselves of their bachelorhood.

However, the romantic legend of the blessing from the Goddess of Love still moved many of the young ladies' hearts. Many young guys also made use of this opportunity to muster their courage and pursue the one they loved.

"It is only a game. Perhaps we might even survive until the very end.… If we do survive until the very end, will you listen to my words? You don't have to answer me, I will be content with you just listening to how I feel!"

Alright, the escapes were, indubitably, a method to win the other party's affection. Also, one was more likely to succeed with one's confession when one confessed in the midst of chaos. Furthermore, if they did survive to the very end, they would very likely become a couple.

In the end, a certain someone was extremely disappointed. Quoting from his words, "How can so many couples appear right after such a sacred day of flames? Are the damned heavens really blind! Those heretics must be subjected to the judgement of the sacred flames! Eyesores everywhere! The next month, we will be conducting a cultural check of the city and all couples who display their affection in public will be fined!"

Alright, as usual, Wumianzhe's sudden outburst was suppressed by the Four Heavenly Kings and his external conscience (Elisa). However, this festival became celebrated by countless young men and women.

With Princess Reyne's approval, this year's festival was even backed by Diffindor's officials, the scale significantly larger.

Little Timmy stared out from the windows. A large amount of black-robed figures were waving scythes and torches, preparing for the start of the hunt. On the other side of the square, countless men and women were holding hands with one another.

"Damned couples!"

"Snuggling together right in front me, look at how decadent our society has become!"

There were some sentiments that didn't require many words to express. Looking at those blissful couples, regardless of gender or age, the new generation of FFF members lit the torches in their souls.

"Burn! Burn! Burn!"

Without anyone leading them along, their rage exploded into a furious roar, trembling the heavens.

Of course, there were also many people in there who added fuel to the fire.

"Look at how the lazy Adam was able to win the affection of Magaret. This is the magic of the festival. If you're single, how don't you give it a try? You might even be able to win your future spouse."

This was the handwritten advertisement slogan by a certain prince. Under the board on which the slogan was written was a rental store by the Undead Knights under his command.

"Renting torches, whips, stakes, scythes, nooses, and many other commonly used tools. It only costs 3 bronze coins for each equipment per day! Glue, inked eggs, and stink bombs cost a bronze coin each. In order to thank our beloved customers, as long as your purchases total more than 10 bronze coins in our store, we will gift you free FFF uniforms and flags! Long live the FFF army!"

Looking at the agitated young men and women, Timmy Lade shook his head. This world seemed so far away to him.

When he was about to shut the windows to focus on his research, he suddenly recalled something.

"Big Sister Dana should be off work early today, so why isn't she back yet? Could it be…"

When a certain possibility struck his mind, the shocked Timmy Lade quickly took out a small gadget and checked it.

It was a mini-GPS. At the current moment, the position of the bright dot was the city square before him!

After a moment of silence, Timmy Lade walked over to the wardrobe which was taller than him and patted on it lightly. The wardrobe door immediately opened.

It was a black robe. The original use of the robe was for Timmy's choir classes. However, Timmy, who didn't like singing, hated the robe and had never worn it. At the current moment, the silent Timmy was finding the robe more and more pleasing to his eye.

"Yeah, you'll be it!"

However, as he stared at the robe, he couldn't help thinking that something was amiss. After pondering for a moment, a thought struck him and he used a red marker to scribble on the back of the robe—FFF!

"Hah, burn them all!"

The childish sounding voice carried in its undertone the determination to kill. In the center of the room, countless machines came to life. The flickering green light in those man-made irises seemed to bear testimony to the young boy's ability to turn his words into reality.

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