Chapter 435 The New Testament and the Salvation Army!
The boiling flames of war are raging throughout the Dusk Province. Whether it is the siege of Quemu Castle or the tragedy of Greystone Town, they are just the tip of the iceberg on this chaotic battlefield.
Things developed just as Thomas guessed, and the empire did not sit idly by.
"Rock Sword Master" Gunter stood up.
As a devout Rhodes man, although he did not hear the voice of the gods, this does not prevent him from making decisions of his own will——
He will put down this rebellion with the sword in his hand!
The army of Chaos is attacking the Brass Pass, and the Twilight Province is an important supply line from the human world to the Brass Pass.
No matter what dissatisfaction the revolting peasants had, in Gunter's opinion, they should not betray their lords at this time. Because they betrayed not only their own kingdom, but also the entire empire that was responsible for the survival of mankind.
In fact, they did so. Their power comes from Chaos, from the abominable "Eternal Hungry Claw" Urgos... It is the most murderous devil on this continent.
In terms of quantity and cruelty alone, the number of people killed by the Strange Fog is less than a fraction of it, and even the flames of destruction raging outside the pass have weakened it by more than a little bit.
Gunt's idea is simple.
Since everything started because of "Green Turban" Kailan, just find this guy and kill him.
However, he gradually realized that things seemed not as simple as he thought.
This tumor has been there for a long time.
It just broke out recently...
...
Just as Gunter continued to move towards the west with the orphans he had picked up, a tragic fight had just begun in the southernmost part of the Twilight Province.
As a natural gateway connecting Dusk Province and the Principality of Campbell, Riptide Pass is like an abrupt wolf fang, nailed between the "Broken Finger Peak" and "Broken Rock Peak" of the Wanren Mountains, and together with the plain at its feet, cuts off the endless Wanren Mountains.
After passing this pass and heading south along the Running River, you will reach the valley plain of the Principality of Campbell.
In order to deal with the threat of the Green Forest Army, Earl Derek Granston, who is based in the Earldom of North Valley, has mobilized 20,000 levies to stand guard on the border to prevent bandits from entering.
But his worries were obviously unnecessary.
Unlike the "butcher" and "medicine" who act recklessly, "Shadow of the Jungle" Finnian is not a foolhardy man.
He knew the right things to do and would not burn the flames of war into neighboring countries' territories for no reason, giving the ambitious princess a reason to send troops.
This is also the reason why "Longbowman" Reese, one of the three giants of the Green Forest, sent him here.
If the rebels want to keep the fruits of victory, they must seize the pass connecting Dusk Province and the Principality of Campbell, and completely cut off the connection between Dusk Province and the Southern Principality!
The longer you delay, the greater the variables will be!
"Kill, ah, ah!"
"Brothers! Charge forward! Capture this pass! The treasures inside are all yours!"
"Oh, oh, oh, oh!!"
The shouts of killing shook the earth, and the soldiers wearing green turbans were like waves rolling across the plains.
They held a variety of weapons and rushed towards the castle directly in front under the cover of catapults.
Even though most of the catapults operated by serfs did not have eyes, they either threw the stones into the moat or hit their brothers in the back of the head, and only a few landed on the top of the city.
However, this is enough.
Even if ten brothers are exchanged for one on the city wall, "Lin Shadow" Finnian will definitely make a profit.
After all, there are only a few hundred soldiers left in the castle after they die, and the army in his hand is more than 100,000?
Him will win this battle no matter what!
The only thing he needed to carefully consider was what would happen after capturing this pass, and to be wary of threats from further south.
At the same time, on the city wall, Knight Pierce in armor raised his sword and let out a hoarse roar.
"Fire!"
Following his order, the six smoothbore cannons on the city wall roared in unison!
Howling shells smashed into the rebel catapult position like meteors, blowing the crooked rotten wood and the artillery nearby to pieces.
Seeing the catapult position being blown to pieces, the morale of the defenders on the city wall and the charging green turbans were boosted, and they burst into deafening shouts.
But the latter soon stopped laughing.
After taking out the catapults with one salvo, the artillery on the city wall quickly aimed at them, and the black iron pipes roared again!
cedar|
While the artillery was firing, the musketeers and crossbowmen standing on the city wall were not idle either.
They leaned behind the battlements, dodging the rebels' cold guns and hidden arrows. At the same time, they took the muskets from Baoze behind them and fired calmly, and then handed the muskets to Baoze behind them to load.
The sound of volleys of gunfire came one after another, and every time a gunshot was heard, there was a bloody storm.
The rebels wearing green turbans had already dropped a large number of corpses before they even touched the moat!
However——
The optimistic situation did not last long, and the rebels carrying the ladder finally reached the edge of the castle.
Although the serfs wearing green turbans were afraid of the gunshots on the city, the chief's method of punishing the traitors was even more frightening. They had seen people whose intestines were taken out and hung outside to dry, and people who had their intestines thrown into a pot and cooked alive...and these punishments often brought their families along with them. Those who drove them away knew exactly what they were afraid of, because they all came from the same place.
As the deaths continued, they gradually became less afraid. Anyway, being shot only lasted a moment, and maybe it would be quicker.
The first time blood splashed on their face, they would raise their arms to wipe it in fear.
As the heads around them blossomed one after another, they were completely numb and could no longer even frown.
As the first brave young man climbed up the city wall, this brutal fighting officially entered a fever pitch!
This time, not only the "latter" who attacked the city wall couldn't laugh, but the "former" who guarded the city wall couldn't laugh either.
Although Pierce chopped off the reckless head with just one sword stroke, there were many heads on the wall that could not be chopped off.
Even though he has platinum level strength, he cannot withstand the continuous attack like a tide.
After all, no matter how hard the steel is, the blade will curl after cutting dozens of bones.
And those who attacked the city were not all serfs, but also mixed in with some people who had gained strength for various reasons. Among them were many powerful extraordinary beings, and they always killed him and his men in unexpected ways.
The fighting continued until dusk.
It was not until the drums sounded in the distance that the rebels attacking the city retreated like a flood at ebb.
Most of the farmers in the Lion Kingdom lack nutrition and cannot see anything when it gets dark. These rebels rarely delay fighting until night, not only because their combat effectiveness will be affected, but also partly because some people will take advantage of darkness to escape.
Pierce finally freed up his hand to wipe the blood on his face, but there was no trace of joy in his eyes.
The battle at Riliu Pass has lasted for more than half a month, and the situation is getting more and more tragic day by day.
At first, there were 800 professional soldiers under his command, but now there are less than 100 who can stand on the city wall.
More than that——
Three of the four silver-level knights under his command have been killed in battle!
Otherwise, as a commander, he would not take huge risks and stand on the front line personally.
Looking at the soldiers relying on the battlements to breathe, he no longer knew how to survive until tomorrow.
Just when Pierce was about to order the treatment of the wounded, his eyes fell on the outside of the city wall for a moment, and then his expression changed wildly.
At the far edge of the position, four black artillery pieces were pushed to the front of the formation by a few bare-armed Green Forest Army soldiers!
"Artillery?!" The adjutant standing next to him exclaimed, with disbelief written all over his face.
The size of the artillery is obviously much larger than the smoothbore cannon on their city wall. It has a siege caliber. Not only is it more powerful, it can also shoot farther!
How did the rebels get this thing? !
Pierce's face became increasingly ugly, and he clenched his fists, his knuckles turning slightly white.
That artillery is out of his range!
It took him almost only a moment to guess the intention of the other commander - "They did it on purpose... They are forcing us to leave the city and rob the camp at night." Standing next to Pierce, a centurion spoke in a low voice, expressing the former's unspoken thoughts.
The soldier sitting next to the battlement grinned and said while pressing the wound that had just been bandaged.
"Fortunately, they don't know our situation... We can't tell the difference between the men and horses leaving the city for a night attack."
"Don't be too optimistic, they will know after tonight, and then everything will be over."
Who gave them this thing? "
"...Who knows, it's either hell or chaos."
Listening to the discussions of the soldiers, the adjutant turned his attention to General Pierce, waiting for the heroic knight to make a decision.
In fact, they are not incapable of distinguishing people. For example, it would be okay for this platinum-level knight to take action himself.
Of course——
The premise of everything is that the opponent's military formation does not have the corresponding combat power.
Otherwise the person doesn't even need to have the upper hand.
He only needs to hold back their General Pierce, and then rely on their numerical superiority to pile him to death... This fortress that is easy to defend but difficult to attack will collapse without any attack.
Just when Pierce was in a dilemma, a cloud of dust suddenly rose on the southern horizon, covering the sky and the sun.
A soldier on the lookout was the first to notice something strange, and then let out a shout of surprise.
"General! Look! In the direction of Campbell! There is an army approaching us! They are flying the flag of the Grand Duke!"
The Grand Duke?
The Campbell royal family? !
Pierce was stunned for a moment, his blood-stained face instantly showed the ecstasy of surviving the disaster, and his fists clenched involuntarily.
Why are those people here?
Earl Derek's soldiers have been sitting quietly on the border for more than half a month. He never thought that these indifferent neighbors would suddenly send troops!
But since this group of Campbells are here, there must be a good reason!
They——
They are saved!
· Cheers of victory sounded on the castle, and the remaining defenders burst into earth-shaking cheers, as if they wanted to shout out the fear and depression of the past half month.
Some people were even so excited that their bandages split, and hot blood spurted out from the wounds they had just tied.
In contrast, in the formation of the Green Forest Army.
Hold up the monocular, "Lin Ying" Finnian's face was solemn.
Only a few kilometers away, the private soldiers of the Principality of Campbell were carrying uniform flintlocks and wearing uniforms, marching towards Stromgarde with high morale.
The principality sent troops...
And this was before he took the Riptide Pass.
What he worried about most finally happened.
Having also received the news from the scout, the adjutant walked to Fenian's side and said solemnly.
"Boss, what should we do now?"
After pondering for a long time, Finnian put down the telescope in his hand and said with a gloomy expression.
"Let's retreat first, retreat to the forest five kilometers to the north, and rely on the strongholds we prepared in advance to launch defense."
They had no chance of success on the plains, but not in the forests and hills.
That will be his home court.
It is a pity that the more than 8,000 brothers who fell in front of the Rapids Pass died in vain...
...
The defenders of the Rapids Pass finally saw the dawn of victory, and the people far away in Quemu Castle finally had their hopes.
After a long conversation with Colin and a night of tossing and turning, the confusion in Kallen's eyes had been swept away, replaced by an unprecedented firm gaze.
The next morning, she summoned all the Salvation Army soldiers and her followers in the castle, and asked them to gather in the courtyard in the center of the castle, saying that something important was announced.
Seemingly anticipating what was about to happen, Brennan was the first to arrive with a look of joy on his face. He deliberately wore a piece of armor picked up from the treasury of the Lord's Mansion instead of the bloody bearskin to make himself look more serious and not lose face in formal occasions.
No matter what Her Highness the Saint thinks, and no matter what those pedantic priests and squires think, he will put the crown on Her Highness’s head no matter what!
No?
Then let the blacksmith give you a head!
He doesn’t care about legal principles or not, or about titles and church recognition.
Whoever can make him and his brothers have enough to eat, and whoever can make him live a good life that he has never had before, will be his king!
As he expected, Saint Sis was quite reasonable and wanted to go with him, and even convinced the kind-hearted nun for him.
What he didn't expect was that Her Royal Highness the Saint seemed to have already prepared the crown.
But it was not made by the blacksmith overnight, but a grass ring made of olive branches.
Wearing an olive branch on her head and a simple nun's robe, she slowly walked to the high platform in front of the main hall of the castle.
The moment she stepped onto the high platform, the wide courtyard was silent, and thousands of eyes were focused on that loving face.
Her body exudes a holy aura, just like the river spirit walking in the running river.
That is the legend of the Dusk Province.
It is said that when the flames sweep through the mountains and forests, the fairies in the river will send down rain to heal the wounds on the ground.
Although the priests said it was a lie, every Lane person firmly believed in this legend, and even if it was false, it became true.
Just like the saint standing on the high platform at the moment, even Ben, who had seen her in embarrassment, had completely forgotten her original appearance.
"I heard a new oracle."
The moment she spoke, the faces that were either hesitant, anxious, or enthusiastic all showed the light of hope.
With all the expectant eyes in her eyes, Kallen responded to their expectations with a soft smile.
"He told me through the mouth of the Son of God, the Flame King, that our mission is not to overthrow a castle, win a war, end a dynasty, and start a new dynasty, but to completely end the tragedy of the land beneath our feet and save all our compatriots who are drowning in dire straits..."
Then, she spoke in an extremely solemn tone, pointing out a way for those who were looking forward to salvation that no one had ever imagined. To——
"From today on, we will no longer be loyal to any secular king. They have forgotten their sacred obligations for their own selfish desires, and their titles will no longer be reasonable!"
"From now on, we will only serve the God who saves all peoples, and all the peoples under the shining of God's grace!"
"Our swords will only fight for God's people!"
These solemn and impassioned speeches caused huge waves in the crowd.
That huge wave is even enough to shake the foundations of all secular kingdoms on earth!
Leiden's eyes widened. He didn't expect that the saint would say such a thing. However, when he thought about it... he realized that what he said was not unreasonable.
The nobles of Dusk Province have indeed given up their feudal obligations, otherwise the peasants who cannot survive would not have revolted at all.
Those peasants don't care at all who is the king, nor do they care whether there is a king or not. The people who really care are precisely the nobles and priests who have given up their obligations -
These landowners have been replacing the king for a long time, exercising rights beyond the king on this piece of land owned by the owner!
They don’t deserve to be sitting there!
Thinking of Earl Theron hiding in the castle in a hurry like a mouse, and escaping like a mouse in embarrassment, he didn't want to put himself in those people's perspective at all.
As for how the Empire and the Church would view the Salvation Army's declaration and uprising...
That was too far away for him.
What the empire only cares about is the Bronze Pass, followed by interests in the New World and the vast ocean.
As for the Twilight Forest, it is not within the Holy City's sight at all.
Perhaps in the eyes of those at the top, this barbaric land is no different from hell.
In this case, why do they care about the opinions of those guys?
If those old guys could really be frightened by the roaring flames and notice the people sinking in the dire straits, their death would be considered meaningful.
Unlike the thousands of thoughts in Leden's chest and the self-sacrifice of chivalry, Brennan didn't think much about it. There is only one word in his mind, and that is "awesome".
The sons of Saint Sith all said that it was reasonable for them to revolt, because the nobles betrayed them first.
How can a king be more awesome than this?
·Whether the church admits it or not, he doesn’t care at all. Anyway, he believes it!
The only ones who were scared to death were the priests present.
Seeing that the soldiers of the Salvation Army had breached the castle without killing anyone, they thought that these mud-legged people had really discovered their consciences, been inspired by divine grace, and converted again.
Unexpectedly, these guys don't have any "piety" in their bones, and they keep silent just to suppress their anger!
What is the Son of God?
Saint Sith is not a mortal... When will he have a child? ?
Writing stories about mortals to the gods, that was all a matter of the First Era!
There are also the nondescript Salvation Army. Every word they say in the name of Saint Sith is like a fallacy that can only be spoken by demons in hell!
However, their faces were pale and they did not dare to say a word. After all, the wolf-like soldiers were nearby, and with "truth" in their hands, it was hard to say who was the heretic.
The devout people died long ago in the chaos of war, and most of those who survived were cunning people.
They don't want to be picked up by Saint Sith yet, and they will have the meaning of arguing about right and wrong only if they survive.
At present, these ungrateful country bumpkins seem to have only arranged the family tree of Saint Sith, but they did not use this as an excuse to start killing again.
Thinking about it this way...
It seems not bad, right?
Thinking of what these country bumpkins had done before, they suddenly convinced themselves.
Even if the saint comes out with another oracle and wants to replace the book of Holy Words in their hands with a new one, they will not be able to consider making mistakes.
What they didn't know was that the saint standing on the high platform really had this plan.
She has no doubt about the necessity of spreading the truth. Sooner or later, she will compile the version that Mr. Colin told her into the "New Testament" and then teach it to the lost world.
Talent is the foundation of everything, and "everyone is a priest" is the truly correct legal principle!
However, this matter can be done later. There are more important things waiting for her to do now.
After clarifying her powers and responsibilities, she still needs to promulgate the Salvation Army’s policy agenda and complete the formal canonization ceremony—or personnel appointment.
Everything will be done in the name of God!
In other words, in the name of all people!
In the name of the oracle, Saint Karen proclaimed herself a saint, in charge of religious affairs, and her status was similar to that of a bishop.
But unlike the bishop, she did not divide any fiefs for herself like the traditional bishops did.
Her explanation for this is that she has promised the Son of God that she is willing to give up all worldly desires, devote the rest of her life to faith, and accept poverty throughout her life.
As for Raiden, she canonized him as the first "Holy Grail Knight" of the Salvation Army, commanding fifty knights in the castle.
In addition, she also gave her divine son the "Shield of the Holy Grail" made by his own hands as a gift for him to choose to be loyal to all peoples.
As for Brennan, he was also canonized and received a "Champion's Ax" in the name of "Champion Warrior".
At first, both of them thought that what the saint gave them was just an ordinary "ritual vessel", until they held the sacred object in their hands.
A steady stream of power came along the cold metal, as if the gods were standing side by side with them!
For a moment, both of them had expressions of wonder on their faces, shocked by the incredible thing in their hands.
Perhaps...
Maybe Saint Sis really has a child?
In addition to the two "National Protector Generals", Kallen continued to appoint a group of affairs officers responsible for specific affairs.
Most of them are people who have performed outstandingly in their previous work, some are from within the Salvation Army, and some are from the private sector... No matter where they come from or what kind of work they have done before, Shen Zi hopes that they will continue to perform their responsibilities.
But these people don’t have artifacts.
They themselves do not need extraordinary power, they only need to uphold awe and complete the work at hand.
On the tower of the castle, Luo Yan looked down at the castle atrium with a smile on his face, taking in a panoramic view of the canonization ceremony in his own name.
"What kind of monster did you create?" Tuff, who was squatting next to him, couldn't help but complain.
Luo Yan smiled.
h "The Kingdom of Bretonnia? Or...something else? Who knows, I'm also curious about where they will go with the weapons I handed them."
h He didn't just give them bread, he also handed them a weapon.
But it is different from chaos.
He gave us invisible weapons instead of visible guns.
Of course, except for the two "artifacts", they were his improvised works.
In order to celebrate the birth of the Salvation Army, he specially synthesized two diamond seeds, selected two suitable ones from the lord's treasure house, and enchanted them with divine power.
He must admit that he just wants to try out the functions of his godhead and study whether the return can be greater than the investment.
Anyway, the weapon itself has no will of its own, and it is easy to withdraw the divine power attached to the artifact.
And if the holder of the artifact uses the artifact in his hand to create a new legend, such as truly fulfilling his oath and protecting his people in the years to come... the return on this investment may far exceed his expectations.
He and Youyou have been secretly paying attention to Layden and Brennan.
One is a knight who betrayed Saint Sith, and the other is a warrior who betrayed Chaos... They are both guys worthy of investment, even more worthy of investment than a few young men in his territory.
But then again, does this count as giving Saint Sith and the Claw of Eternal Hunger to the cow at the same time?
When he thought of this, he suddenly felt inexplicably excited.
· However, Tafu, whose brain has not yet fully developed, is still immersed in his last sentence.
"Bratonia...what is that?"
"It's nothing, it's just something from a game I played in my previous life, don't worry about it."
"You're really a bad person."
"Why do you see that?"
Taff said forcefully.
"Although I admit that I didn't do anything good, I was careless, at least my intention was good."
Hearing this sophistry, Luo Yan couldn't help laughing.
"How do you know my intentions are not good?"
"I can't tell anyway!"
Luo Yan smiled slightly.
"That's why you——"
Seeing the Demon King smile slightly again, Tuff quickly pulled her wings to cover her ears, pretending not to listen to the tortoise's chanting.
"That's enough, I don't want to hear it!"
Luo Yan actually wanted to say something else, but he has teased Tuff enough today, so let's leave the rest to tomorrow.
Lest she become desensitized one day and it would not be fun.
At this time, Luo Yan suddenly noticed that light footsteps were coming from the entrance of the tower.
He looked over and saw Kallen standing there after completing the ceremony, with a hint of joy in her holy smile.
"I knew you must be here."