Chapter 433 The Real Victor
The Earl left the castle with his family and entourage. A group of light cavalry escorted more than a dozen carriages and hurried away in the direction of Twilight City.
The Salvation Army's large forces on the other side also marched to the plain 20 kilometers away and set up a new camp there.
In contrast, in the siege camp outside the castle, only Thomas's caravan and the refugees living in separate areas were left.
The sun in the distance has already set, and everyone is waiting for the sun to rise tomorrow.
Sitting in his carriage, Thomas was restless. From time to time he opened the curtains and looked in the direction of Quemu Castle. His palms and backs were sweaty, and his heart was full of nervous emotions.
He always told himself that he was a businessman, not a gambler. Compared with the profit of a transaction, the risk behind the transaction is the first thing he should consider.
However, now, he seems to be pushed into a huge gamble with completely incalculable benefits and risks.
Will the count really leave?
Or is this just a delaying tactic?
And the king of the Kingdom of Lane, does he really leave this land alone, or does he deliberately let these people kill each other for a while, and then come back under the sacred banner to clean up the mess?
Anything can happen.
Including the provincial governor who has been standing still, the headquarters of the Green Forest Army, which is eyeing the enemy, and even the imperial army stationed in Brass Pass...it is impossible for them not to have noticed the chaos here.
Even themselves, behind this Salvation Army, there may be a force that he cannot imagine.
The people of Dusk Province seem to have their destiny in their own hands, but it seems that their destiny has never been in their own hands.
Of course, these are too far to say now.
Compared with the future of the Lane people here, Thomas obviously cares more about his caravan, and he must prioritize his own life.
"Can't wait any longer..."
Thomas gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind, got out of his carriage and came to Mr. Colin's carriage.
This gentleman, who always looked calm, was just the same as before, just leaning leisurely against the window and reading a book, as if he was unaware of the tension and chill in the outside world.
However, those lazy eyes seemed to have already understood everything in front of them, and even saw the future in the near future.
"Sir Colin..."
He unconsciously changed his tone and said quietly and urgently, "The Salvation Army has lifted the siege of Quemu Castle. Should we... pack up and leave?"
Luo Yan asked casually.
"Where are you going after you leave?"
Thomas answered without thinking.
"Of course it's Twilight City! Isn't that why we're here?"
Luo Yan nodded thoughtfully, closed the book in his hand, and said in a kind tone.
"It's true that you came here for this, but are you sure there is what you are looking for there?"
Thomas was stunned for a moment.
“What do you mean...?”
Luo Yan continued.
cedcedwood Territory is just a county around Twilight City. The reason why the Green Forest Army regards this place as a target is mainly to march towards Twilight City. When you go there, it is just from an already opened cage to a tighter cage. Since you are a businessman, you should understand what I mean.」
Thomas's face changed slightly, and it was obvious that he heard the deep meaning of this sentence at once.
The lord's army may look better than the revolting peasants, but it definitely does not mean they are benevolent. If those guys really had that stuff, this mess would never have happened in the first place.
When he arrives in Twilight City, his goods may not be his, just like when he first met Brennan.
Thomas smiled bitterly and said in a depressed voice.
"Holy Saint Sis... I'm already beginning to regret doing this business."
This is not a place for business at all.
Luo Yan did not comfort him, but said from a different angle.
"Then you might as well think about it from another angle. Maybe it was the gods in the dark who sent you here to help these poor people establish order. If you believe in the god in your mind from the bottom of your heart and recognize what you think is good, this can also become your most successful business." Thomas was stunned when he heard the words, and seemed to have some understanding. After pondering for a moment, he whispered.
"Can you show me a clear path?"
"It's very simple. You have two ways to go. Either go all the way south, don't go to Dusk City, let alone stay here, go through the Torrent Pass in the south of Dusk Forest, go all the way to the Whirlpool Sea, and go to a place called Thunder City. Or stay here and continue to shelter and surrender. For the hungry people, assist the Salvation Army’s household registration department to register the identity of the hungry people...continue what you are already doing, I don’t think people will forget what you have done for them so quickly.”
After a pause, Luo Yan continued with a smile.
"Of course, you can just accept it and go back with the remaining goods... I think you also made a lot of money, right?"
Halfway through, he paid for a lot of Thomas's goods as supplies to sponsor "Saint Karen" and the Salvation Army.
He is a fair person.
Along the way, no one can pay a more beautiful price than him.
…
After expressing his gratitude, Thomas left from Colin's carriage.
Although he did not say his decision, he had already made his choice with actions - this old-fashioned businessman began to organize the guys in the caravan to appease the hungry people who were restless because of the departure of the Salvation Army.
Of course it was not because of his good intentions or his piety, but in terms of the results, it made no difference.
"Guys, don't worry, the Holy Lady has not left you, she just left for a while to save more people!" Looking at the hungry people gathered at the entrance of the camp, Thomas stood on the wooden box and shouted to everyone.
"Holy Saint Sis... Is there anyone more worthy of saving than us?" An elderly woman squeezed to the front and said in a trembling voice.
Thomas looked at her and nodded, speaking in a gentle tone.
"Of course, there are many people in the castle in front of you, and they are obviously human beings."
The night is getting darker.
Tuff, who was lying on the cushion and taking a nap, yawned and glanced at the castle outside the carriage, a hint of surprise flashed through her golden vertical pupils.
"They actually surrendered?"
Luo Yan turned the page of the book in his hand and said in a casual tone.
"What if? Are they going to fight with their neighbors?"
Tuff shrugged his wings.
"I was just a little surprised. I thought you were going to summon a huge fireball and blast the city wall open with a bang!"
"Why should I do this?"
Tuff yawned.
"This is easy for you anyway, isn't it?"
Luo Yan smiled noncommittally.
The difficulty depends on whether the designer of this castle has considered withstanding magic attacks.
If it is a castle made of ordinary granite, just hitting a few meteorites against the load-bearing structure is enough.
But if the design took into account the possibility of being attacked by magicians, and added a large amount of obsidian and other anti-magic materials to the city walls... then let alone him, even a demigod would have to put in some effort.
But this is not the point.
The point is that whether it is supernatural power or the power of gods, it can only solve part of the problem, but it is impossible to solve all the problems.
…
Hence the whole night without words.
In the early morning of the next day, when the sun climbed over the treetops again, shining its light on the battlements of the castle, the mighty Salvation Army also returned to the camp outside the castle at the same time.
People cheered their arrival and praised them for not abandoning themselves.
The same goes for the people on the castle.
Although they did not cheer, they just stood there in silence, but the thing in their eyes was clearly not fear and anxiety, but the expectation after the door was opened.
Karien came to the front of the battle without any weapons. She just looked at the city wall calmly, waiting for the soldiers guarding the city to fulfill yesterday's agreement.
Leiden took a deep breath, squinted his eyes in the direction of the sun, and gave the final order.
"Open the city gate!"
When hearing these words, all the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief.
Including Kallen standing under the city, as well as Brennan and the generals of the Salvation Army who were waiting in full formation.
"...I didn't expect them to keep their word." A captain muttered in a low voice.
The captain who had previously clamored for a decisive battle in the military tent twitched the corners of his lips and said something sternly.
"If they know what's going on... it saves us a lot of effort."
Brennan glanced at the soldiers behind him and lowered his voice.
"Remember what I said last night, be restrained when you enter the castle, don't look around, don't stretch your hands, don't hurt anyone, don't be so careless as a bandit who has never seen the world... For the sake of Her Royal Highness, we are the Salvation Army, have you remembered?"
"Yes!" Everyone responded immediately with expressions on their faces.
In fact, there is no need to mention this sentence at all.
After experiencing so many things, they have long been accustomed to their new identities.
This is much more interesting than being a bandit.
With the support of the gods, they had wine and meat every day, and also enjoyed people's worship.
Unlike before, they had to dig out food from the tattered walls, and people had to look at them like devils, as if they were inferior to those noble lords... Obviously what they robbed was not as good as one-tenth of what those nobles took from people.
With a heavy and long creaking sound, the suspension bridge that had lasted for several months slowly fell and hit the moat that separated the two worlds.
The siege ended.
Led by Raiden, the soldiers in the castle put down their weapons and walked out.
Karen, accompanied by Brennan and a group of soldiers, stepped forward and came to the gate of the castle.
Leiden pulled out the long sword from his waist, held it upright in front of him and looked at it for a while, then without any regret, put the sword back into the scabbard, handed it out sideways, and handed it to the so-called "saint".
"This sword symbolizes the control of nearly a hundred kilometers of land on both sides of the river, and also symbolizes the castle behind me... Devalu I gave it to Theron Gard's ancestors, and now I hand over this honor and responsibility to you on behalf of Theron Gard."
Kallen nodded slightly and took the long sword that was too heavy for her with both hands.
"Thank you for your recognition."
"I did not approve of you, I was just fulfilling my promise."
Leiden grinned slightly.
He is a platinum-level knight after all. Even if he does not have a title, he still has his own dignity.
The soldiers behind him might not be able to tell the identity of this woman, but he could tell at a glance that this guy was just a pretty village girl. Any nun in the castle would know more about the Holy Word than she does, and how to pray and bless her better than she does.
…"We were not defeated by your army, nor by your kindness, but by the gods behind you."
Brennan narrowed his eyes slightly, and his hand was unconsciously placed on the ax handle.
This knight gentleman probably fell asleep and forgot his current situation.
It's just a platinum level knight. Although he has only broken through the platinum level not long ago, his ax is not bad at all!
Noticing Brennan's gaze, Leden didn't flinch at all and stared back without hesitation.
Theron would be afraid, but not him.
Diying on the battlefield is a supreme honor for him. He has fulfilled his oath. He wants this guy to pull out the ax and let him see who is stronger.
Just as the two were at war with each other, Karen suddenly spoke up and interrupted their argument.
"You are right, you did not lose to us on the battlefield."
Leiden was stunned for a moment and cast an unexpected look at her, as if he did not expect that she would give in after gaining all the advantages.
But in Kallen's view, this is not a concession, he is telling the truth.
Without the intervention of the gods, the moat beside her would never be as clear as it is today. It must be filled with the blood of farmers and soldiers.
What they ended up with was just a pile of rotten rocks and a pile of corpses that could only be left to rot.
Just when Raiden was at a loss, Kallen continued in a gentle tone.
"It has nothing to do with whether you recognize me or not. I have no other identity or title. I am just a nun who serves the gods."
"But I still want to say that the gods themselves are the embodiment of the will of the people. And the so-called people are not just the people behind me, but also the people behind you, and the count who has escaped."
"And among them, of course, you yourself are included."
Brennan was already stunned by these words.
Honestly speaking, his brain couldn't handle such a complicated thing. He would rather fight the knight in front of him with an axe, repair the elm head, and let this guy realize the reality.
However, Leiden, who stood in front of Kallen, felt like he was waking up from a dream, and there was a turmoil in his heart.
The gods are the embodiment of the will of everyone.
In other words...the fall of Quemu Castle today was not the will of any god.
It was the "common wish" in their hearts that brought them all the way here.
…I didn’t expect that the knot in my heart would be untied by a rebel nun. Haha, I suddenly recognize you. Maybe you really heard the oracle.”
At least, the village girl couldn’t say this.
It is impossible for a nun.
Leiden had a bitter smile on his face, but behind that smile was more relief.
He was still not sure whether the so-called "Holy Lady" really saw the grace of God, but she did hear the voices in everyone's hearts.
Whether the gods told her or she heard it herself.
Karien looked at him and smiled.
That was not because of his repentance or surrender, but because he was sincerely happy that he could get out of the siege in his heart.
"Then what is your choice?"
Leyden smiled sarcastically.
"Choice? Why do you have to ask me. I am your prisoner, what choice can I make." Kallen shook his head slightly and corrected his statement.
"I did not capture you, nor did the Salvation Army behind me. If you are still loyal to your lord, you can now ride on your horse to follow in his footsteps, including the soldiers behind you."
When she said this, she paused for a moment and continued.
"But if you choose to serve the gods in your heart, and recognize that the will of the gods is the will of all, then I hope that from now on you will be honored to protect your people, instead of enslaving them in the name of God."
"No matter which king you are loyal to."
Leiden's body trembled slightly, he raised his depressed head, and once again cast an incredulous look at Karen.
At that moment, he suddenly understood his destiny when he was confused, and finally understood why this saint came to him when he was confused.
There is no doubt -
It was the gods who sent her here!
And the answer in his mind is also obvious.
It is better to serve the gods who take pity on them than to be loyal to the earthly king.
"Your Highness, no king can be better than you...at least on the land under my feet."
He knelt down on one knee and offered his sword.
"The sword passed down from generation to generation by the Kechter family has been wielded for the lords who betrayed the people. I am already aware of this shame. If it can still fight for innocent people, it will be its supreme glory." Kallen took the sword in his hand. The weight of the two swords was already too much for her body. After all, she was just a mortal without extraordinary power.
However, she was not crushed after all, because her belief was not inferior to anyone present.
She handed the sword that symbolized the castle to Brennan, then pulled out the long sword in her arms and put it on his shoulder with all her strength.
...I think that the people of Dusk Province will accept the allegiance of you and your family."
The fair face turned red, she held her breath and whispered.
"Hold it for me, I... can't hold it anymore."
Leiden was stunned for a moment, and then he remembered how heavy his sword was. Before Her Majesty the Saint fell down tiredly, he hurriedly took the sword.
As for the 10,000 defenders in the castle, some chose to disarm and return to their fields, while others chose to follow Her Royal Highness the Saint and join the ranks of the Salvation Army.
Among the 10,000 defenders, 3,000 were the lord's standing troops and were professional soldiers, and 7,000 were conscripted peasants, including serfs and free people.
In addition to the combatants, there were more than 20,000 soldiers and their families in the castle, as well as church clergy and people of various identities.
Although these people are not soldiers, at a critical moment of life and death, everyone can become a soldier.
It is foreseeable that if there is a fight, the Salvation Army may eventually win, but it will not be that easy.
After settling the surrendered soldiers and family members in the castle, Brennan came to the Lord's Hall.
Standing in front of the huge stained glass window, he looked down at the tranquil wilderness outside the castle, with a complex look on his face and a lot of emotions in his heart.
At this time, Kallen walked into the Lord's Hall, stood not far behind him, and announced in a gentle voice.
"I have fulfilled your three wishes. There is enough food in the castle and camp to fill your granaries. And the gate of this castle has been opened to you. The holy light behind me has not broken its promise."
Brennan turned around and was silent for a while.
"Are you planning to leave?"
Karen replied softly.
"It depends on the guidance of the Holy Light."
She has sworn poverty in front of the gods and spent the rest of her life serving her gods, and she believes that this is the prerequisite for the god sitting in the carriage to take her out of hell...
If she betrays her oath, fate will eventually take away everything she owns and return her to that hell.
It is precisely because of this that she has no interest in the glory and power that is readily available to her.
This can be called either fanaticism or sobriety. She knew very well that she was not a "saint", and she did not have enough strength to withstand things that did not belong to her.
However...
Although she thought so, the people around her could no longer do without her.
Brennan's expression became increasingly complicated.
He originally planned to change the flag back once the castle was conquered, but now... let alone his subordinates, he himself did not want to go back to the past days.
It is also ironic.
Just a few days ago, he was still thinking about whether to tear up this contract, but now he was unwilling to let it end.
"Our contract is not over yet..." he said after a long silence, "My wish is to fill our granary with food, but I didn't say... how big the granary is and how long it will take to fill it."
He paused and continued.
"There are still many people in Dusk Province who are suffering from hunger, including my former brothers, and there are eleven rebel armies like us... I think they are also part of us, and when I say that we include them."
When he said this, he blushed a little, feeling that this statement was a bit greedy and sophistry.
However, Karen did not laugh at his wish, she just smiled gently and said.
"I'm very happy that you think so, although such a contract should not be signed with me or the gods behind me, but with the people beside you."
But we don't know where to go! And you happen to know, why don't you take us on?"
Brennan couldn't help but take a step forward and said excitedly.
"We will continue to use the banner of the Salvation Army! Those knights can't see your power, but I can! Your Highness, we are willing to follow your footsteps! Together we can build a world without hunger, right on the land beneath our feet!"
Facing those sincere and even fanatical eyes, Kallen was silent for a while and said honestly.
"I can't answer your question, but I think the god I serve has heard your request... Please give me some time, I am also waiting for His guidance."
It's a pity.
On this road that no one has ever imagined, she doesn’t know where their future lies.
(End of this chapter)