Chapter 468 Strategic Shift
Necropolis, Resurrection Square.
The standing skeletons suddenly opened their eyes, facing the gloomy and dark square, and started howling like wolves and ghosts.
"MMP! Why is it gone?!"
"How can anyone kick the player offline before the BOSS battle?!"
"At least let me put C G Let’s finish reading! Then what if the angel stabs the devil to death?”
A second ago, they were the Chaos Rats who blocked God and killed God, going through life and death for the Demon King, but in the blink of an eye they were "reincarnated" into a skeleton.
Who can bear this? !
Different from those newbies who made a fuss, [One Leaf Zhiqiu] calmly checked the reward.
The income is not bad.
The contribution points given were just enough for his "soul level" to break through to gold level, and to raise the level limit from LV.70 to LV.90 in one fell swoop.
There should be no one faster than him in the entire server!
[Pig-Headed Knight] walked from the side holding the back of his head, looking at the noisy newcomers in the square, with an expression on his scaly face as if he was watching a show.
"These newbies feel like they are playing this game for the first time."
How can you get into a fully-leveled MMORPG?
It's really such a good thing, what do you guys, who are serious about progress, think about it?
Honestly speaking, the operation team of "Calamity OL" is still very conscientious. At least their devil model is handsome enough, with a strong sense of immersion and participation.
[Tauren Warrior] glanced at him sideways.
"If you say this, it's as if you didn't say it."
[Pig-Headed Knight] was stunned for a moment, and then picked his head in embarrassment.
The chaotic clouds finally dispersed from the sky, and the boiling cheers followed the long-lost sunshine and resounded throughout the streets and alleys of Twilight City.
Listening to the voice of the mountain shouting long live, people who don't know think that Edward Campbell is the king who rules this territory.
In the sound of drums celebrating their triumph, the army of the Principality of Campbell passed through a messy battlefield and entered the provincial capital riddled with holes from the southern gate of Dusk City.
After learning that the heroes who had saved themselves had arrived, people who had survived the disaster rushed to the streets and cheered and whistled to the young men who entered the city.
Even more excited people rushed to shake their hands and even hug them.
Saint Sisius above——
Praise to the brave Campbells!
After defeating the Demon King of Hell, this group of brave young men once again defeated the terrible Chaos for their king!
The prestige of the Campbell family has never been higher in this land, and they are eager to invite the Grand Duke to be their king.
It’s a pity that the laws of our ancestors cannot be changed.
They could only use cheers and whistles to express their overflowing gratitude.
Looking at the cheering crowd, Irene on the horse smiled and waved, sending greetings to the people who were surviving the disaster on behalf of her brother.
However, when she noticed the sallow and thin faces, her happy mood could not help but be tinged with a touch of sadness.
There is not even a fat man to be seen in the huge Twilight City.
Whether it was men, women, old people or children, they were all so hungry that they felt like they were covered in bones and skin, as if they might faint at any time.
She simply could not imagine what hardships these poor people had to go through before her army came here.
But fortunately——
This is finally over.
At this moment, both Irene and the citizens of Twilight City were temporarily immersed in the joy of victory, unaware that a bigger storm was quietly brewing in the western border of Twilight Province...
…
The Governor's Palace of Twilight City, this is one of the few buildings in the city that is still structurally intact.
The servants were busy going back and forth, placing ale and barbecue on the long table covered with white cloth, busy preparing for the arrival of the victors.
In the previous battles, in order to deal with the continuous siege of the Green Forest Army and the endless tide of rats, the defenders of Twilight City dismantled almost everything that could be used and pushed it onto the city wall.
Including the beams of private houses.
Stacking stones for fireplaces, etc.
Fortunately, they still left a governor's palace that they had not demolished, otherwise they would have had no choice but to go to the church to entertain Her Highness Irene.
Although most people believe that it was the "saint" of the Salvation Army who called the angel who brought down divine punishment, Governor Baron Elalric is more inclined to believe that it was the determination of the soldiers and people in the city to advance and retreat together and resist to the end that moved the gods in the sky.
Of course, this is not inconsistent with his gratitude to the Principality of Campbell. After all, no matter how incredible a miracle is, it cannot replace human strength.
If the Campbells had not rushed to the rescue without fear of sacrifice, no matter how many angels came, I am afraid they would not be able to change the fate of the city's destruction and death...
At the same time that the army of the Principality of Campbell arrived at the Governor's Mansion, Baron Ellarik also returned to the Governor's Mansion from the city wall.
Hence, there is no time to replace the blood-stained armor.
When he saw His Highness Irene walking into the hall surrounded by knights, he immediately quickened his pace and rushed forward, putting his right hand on his chest and saluting.
"Your Highness Eileen Campbell, I am Elalric Valerius, a baron enthroned by His Majesty the King, and the Governor of Twilight City! Please allow me to express my most sincere gratitude to you on behalf of my Majesty and the millions of surviving residents of Twilight City - your bravery and compassion will forever be engraved in the history of Twilight City!"
His voice was hoarse and high, and was trembling slightly with excitement.
Although his actions were somewhat exaggerated, everyone could feel that the gratitude was sincere and not false.
Faced with Elalic's thanks, Irene responded with impeccable noble etiquette, and then answered humbly.
"You are serious, Your Majesty the Governor. Resisting the invasion of Chaos is the unshirkable responsibility of every human leader. We only fulfilled our sacred oath. As for my bravery, it is less worthy than those of you who shed your blood in this battle." After all, please leave your thanks to the knights behind me and the allies from the mountain kingdom."
Although anyone can hear that this is just a polite compliment, the dwarf brothers in the Wanren Mountains are just like this.
The corners of Quentin Tongluo's mouth couldn't help but turn up, like a proud hozen.
"Your humility impresses me as much as your bravery. It is enviable for the Campbells to have such a noble knight as you."
Baron Alalric bowed and expressed his thanks again, and then his eyes fell on Irene's silver hair as bright as the moonlight.
His eyes paused slightly and he spoke hesitantly.
"Your hair..."
He once heard that the princess of the Campbell family had beautiful blond hair, but now it has turned into a regrettable silver.
Although he didn't know what happened, he could still guess a little bit by thinking of the legend of "Light of Praise".
Facing the looks of surprise or regret from the surrounding eyes, Irene did not cover up and casually tucked a trace of her silver hair behind her ears.
She was really sad at first, after all, everyone loves beauty.
However, when she found that His Highness Colin didn't care and even praised her beautiful hair, the uneasiness and sadness in her heart disappeared.
She only cares about what the gentleman thinks.
This was true before, and it is even more true now.
"Your Majesty the Governor, please allow me to explain for His Highness Irene," Teresa, who was standing behind Irene, took a step forward and explained on her behalf, "In order to fight against Kelan who sold his soul to Chaos, our Highness had to use the light of praise in his hand to raise the The miracle that Saint Sith granted to the Campbell family was overdrafted... You can understand that it was a payment for calling for a miracle."
There was a sound of whispers around, and the faces of the distinguished guests standing in the corner of the hall showed expressions of surprise.
There are also a very small number of people who show shame on their faces.
When they lost their territory and fled, some people burned their lives in order to pick up the responsibilities they had left behind.
How noble this is!
Of course, it is the minority who are ashamed after all, and the vast majority of the nobles still sneer at it, and even feel disgusted from the bottom of their hearts.
Count Sold Wyverd, who could be sympathetic to Eileen Campbell, had already died in the siege of the Green Forest Army.
Humans are not sheep after all.
This fire burned not only the dead grass in the pasture, but also the heroic spirit on this land.
When all the loyal and brave souls are sent away, what remains will be a group of extremely cunning rats with no fear.
Once the heroism of the entire kingdom is exhausted, the Devalu dynasty will come to an end.
This must be painful for the descendants of Theoden, but those who are lucky enough to escape do not need to be happy too early.
Because the next one will be Urgos's Divine Choice——
In fact, if Silas hadn't kicked the iron plate, causing higher-level forces to take turns to come off, he would have really succeeded.
In other universes, he was not without success.
After hearing about Irene, Baron Elalic showed a trace of regret on his face. He sighed, his tone sad.
"So that's it... Please forgive me for being presumptuous. I didn't expect you to pay such a heavy price for us."
He knew very well what having silver hair meant to an unmarried aristocratic girl. She was almost sacrificing her own happiness.
"You don't have to feel sorry for me, Your Excellency Baron," looking at the Baron who was obviously overthinking, Irene smiled and said in a gentle voice, "We will all be turned into dust in a hundred years. We can use this short life to turn into It is my honor to be the firefly that lights up other souls...I think those who love me will be proud of me, not sad." Halfway through these words, Erin's cheeks felt slightly hot.
In fact, there was nothing wrong with her words. She really thought so from the bottom of her heart, and she had always fulfilled her oath in this way - to use her power without hesitation to protect the subjects of the Principality of Campbell.
However, unfortunately, she was accidentally awakened from her sleep in the last battle and became an immortal vampire.
Until now, she has not figured out what happened, and can only temporarily believe in the rhetoric given to her by His Highness Colin——
Perhaps in the eyes of Saint Sis, her mission is not over yet.
Rather than confessing her identity and causing trouble for herself and the people around her, Irene could only maintain this beautiful misunderstanding.
They didn't know her identity as a vampire, but everyone was completely impressed by her sparkling ideals. So much so that the local nobles who looked down upon her also showed complicated expressions.
It can be understood that the Duke of Campbell sent troops for land, but her sacrifice was obviously not because of secular land or money.
A priest closed his eyes, crossed himself on his chest, and offered a devout prayer for this noble knight.
Saint Sisius above——
Please let this Highness stay in this world for a while, and don’t take her away from your pious servants so hastily...
The atmosphere in the hall of the Governor’s Palace was tainted with a touch of sadness.
In fact, Irene didn't want to do this, especially since she knew very well that she would not die, and she really didn't want people to dilute the joy of victory because of unnecessary guilt.
Just when she was about to say something to break the sad atmosphere, a bloated and funny figure was one step ahead of her.
That man was not a court jester who amused people, but a serious nobleman, wearing luxurious clothes, but at this moment he looked more like a clown than a clown.
"Your Highness Irene! Your Highness Irene!"
Theron Gad screamed and squeezed through the crowd, staggered, and fell to his knees with a "pop" at Irene's knees.
Irene was startled. She saw a greasy, fat hand reaching for her skirt and quickly took a step aside.
Teresa's hand was already on the sword, but seeing that the other party was a noble, and his status seemed to be high, she widened her eyes and held down the sword that had been pulled out one inch.
Theron Gad doesn’t care about that much.
The fear of the past few days has already broken his spirit, and he burst into tears and let out a more miserable cry, like a baby abandoned on the roadside.
"You are finally here! Your Highness! You must make the decision for me!"
"Wait a minute, tell me who you are first——"
"Theron Gard! The Earl of Quemuland! We had a marriage alliance with the Campbell family five hundred years ago——"
"Shut up!" Irene didn't say anything, Theresa shouted angrily.
Theron was so frightened that he shrank his neck and did not dare to mention the matter again. He quickly got to the point and started crying about the brutality of the rebels.
"The Salvation Army! The so-called 'Salvation Army'! They claim to be the servants of Saint Sith, but they are actually a group of robbers who took advantage of the situation! They robbed my castle and occupied my territory! For the sake of Saint Sith, Your Highness Irene, you must make the decision for me!"
Count Theron cried with snot and tears, completely ignoring his dignity as a noble, and everyone present was stunned.
Especially the priests of the Twilight City Cathedral, staring at Count Theron as if they were seeing an undead... This guy was not like this when he confessed in front of the statue before!
Baron Elalic's face turned the color of pig liver, and he wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl in. In front of the Campbell people, this fat pig almost disgraced all the nobles of the Lion Kingdom!
Does he think that pleading can win the respect of his neighbors?
They will only be more unscrupulous when asking for benefits, because they will feel that the nobles of the Lion Kingdom are not worthy of having them at all!
However, Theron's title of earl was far superior to that of his baronet.
In addition to scolding in his heart, Elalic could only turn his eyes aside in shame, pretending not to see anything.
No one understands why Theron is acting like this. They think he is probably crazy, but they don’t know that he is actually very sober, even more sober than everyone here.
The Inquisition is on its way here!
Others may not know what that angel means, but he is an understanding person, and he immediately realized that it was the ritual magic of the Holy City!
The king cannot "legally" annul a title of nobility, but the Holy See's Inquisition can.
He must convince Irene to take back Quemu Territory for him before that group of people arrive, burying all his mistakes in the dust.
Otherwise, once the Inquisition knew that he had given up his territory to a group of cultists, it would be a trivial matter for the entire Quemu Territory to leave its chickens and dogs behind, and his family would be completely ruined!
The entire hall instantly fell into a dead silence. Everyone's eyes were focused on Irene, and the scene was extremely embarrassing.
The Salvation Army is stationed outside the city at the moment.
Although the Campbell people may not know those guys, they are comrades who have fought side by side. The request made by this guy is really a bit unreasonable.
What if there is conspiracy behind someone’s back?
Even if you step back ten thousand steps, the Principality of Campbell is also a vassal of His Majesty the King. There is no way it can wipe the butt of an earl like you.
Irene looked at the imageless Earl in front of her, and was a little bit dumbfounded for a moment. After all, she really had some dealings with the so-called saint.
That was His Highness Colin's proposal.
In case her identity is accidentally exposed, Kallen can use her identity as a saint and the "oracle" to protect her, at least not to bring shame to the Campbell family.
Irene gave a wink to the knights beside her and asked them to help her up.
“Anyway, you...get up and talk first.”
…
Different from the crowds of people in the Governor's Palace, the Salvation Army camp outside the city seemed solemn and quiet.
The army of tens of thousands did not enter the city, but camped on a plain a few miles away.
The neat rows of tents are like grids on a chessboard, the patrolling soldiers are walking calmly, and Brennan's loud voice can still be heard on the training ground... The guy seems to be losing his temper.
They did not enter Twilight City.
As for the reason, it is not complicated.
On the one hand, the residents in the city still have certain prejudices against this complex army. Not everyone believes in "Saint Karen" and her oracle.
On the other hand, their identity is indeed too sensitive, and forcing their way into the city will only embarrass their friendly forces.
Most of the backbone of this army are rebels who once gathered in the mountains and forests.
And the Quemu Territory, which they are now proud of, legally still belongs to Earl Theron Gard, who is currently wallowing in the Governor's Mansion.
They are the victors, but they are also a group of "illegal occupiers" without identity.
Not to mention that the citizens in the city have complicated feelings towards them, even they themselves are hesitant about their identity.
The war is over.
The famine seems to have come to an end.
If we continue to fight, it seems that we can only use the king and the empire behind the king as our opponents...
Looking at Leden sitting at the gate of the camp drinking alone, Gunter walked to sit next to him, took the wine bottle from him and filled himself a glass.
This taste is something you never get tired of tasting.
Gaunt smacked his lips and praised sincerely.
“This wine is really good.”
Leyden grinned.
"The fine wine of Thunder City is said to come from the winery in Silverpine Forest. To be honest, I only drank it after joining the Salvation Army. I'm afraid none of my lords have ever tasted such good wine."
After taking a sip of the red wine in the glass, Gunter filled another glass for himself and said casually.
"I heard that a banquet to celebrate victory is being held at the Governor's Mansion. You are a knight of the Kingdom of Lane, don't you go and take a look?"
Leyden had an intriguing expression on his face.
"Good idea, maybe I can meet Theron Gard there, I bet his expression will be wonderful."
Gaunt took a sip of red wine and said with a grin.
“I think he would be happy to repair the relationship with you.”
Leiden shrugged.
"On the contrary, now he probably wants me to die immediately, and then take his little bit of nastiness that no one cares about into the grave."
Gaunt fell into silence.
After a long time, he asked.
"What's next?"
Leiden glanced at him and raised his eyebrows.
"Next?"
Gunt nodded and asked seriously.
"I want to know what you are going to do next."
He wants to help these comrades who have fought alongside him so that they can get a good ending, but first he has to know where they plan to go next.
Leiden looked away from him and looked at the forest outside the barracks. His determined eyes were a little confused for a moment.
"Honestly, I don't know either."
Perhaps, the oracle will tell them.
…
It is not just Raiden who is confused about the future, but also many sober people, especially the senior leaders of the Salvation Army.
Not everyone is a one-minded Brennan.
They are not naive enough to believe that "Saint Karen" has really seen Saint Sith and received some oracle from the latter.
It's just that under the circumstances at that time, it didn't matter whether it was true or false. Even the sword master could turn a blind eye, let alone them?
But now, the situation is different.
With the angel really descending in this sky, many things that would not be weighed at all in the past may have to be put on the scale this time...
Luo Yan walked slowly on the slope at the edge of the camp, with his hands behind his back, looking at the outline of Dusk City in the distance.
Kallen, dressed in plain clothes, followed him, her gentle eyes filled with trust and piety, like a nun waiting for the oracle.
In fact, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have it.
Even better.
She had no worldly ambitions.
If Brennan still has the desire for power and land in her eyes, and Redden still has the yearning for honor and chivalry, then she simply wants to make Mr. Colin happy.
Rather than saying that she was responding to the expectations of the believers, it would be better to say that she was just trying to please the gods in her mind...
"Danger is approaching."
The sudden oracle interrupted Kallen's thoughts.
She thought for a moment and asked in a hesitant tone.
"Is it the Rat Man?"
"That is my opponent, it has nothing to do with you for the time being."
Luo Yan shook his head slightly, and his eyes turned from Dusk City to the distant west, as if through the clouds that were burned red by dusk.
After a moment, he spoke.
"As for you, the threat this time does not come from Chaos, but from the Holy City."
Most people thought that the angel who descended from the sky and killed the Chaos clone with one blow was a miracle sent by the "Son of God" and a manifestation of the power of the God served by the Saint.
But Luo Yan would not deceive himself.
That pure and vast holy light energy without any personal will can only come from one place -
That is the Holy City of the Empire!
Gregory IX detected the arrival of the Chaos clone through some special channel, and pressed the "nuclear button" in his hand!
It is obvious that the Holy See has set its sights on the chaotic land of Twilight Province.
Judging from Luo Yan's understanding of the empire's history, a Grand Inquisitor riding a griffon is probably already on the road at this moment.
Once the chief judge arrives, all secular armies in the empire will theoretically obey his orders.
Having a head-on confrontation with that kind of guy is a dead end.
As for why?
That is of course also because of the lessons of history.
On the land beneath his feet, a certain senior time traveler had already tried it once for him. One step ahead of the version is a genius, two steps ahead is a coffin.
Don’t look at the fact that Rock Sword Saint Gaunt is now firmly on the side of the Salvation Army. That’s because the Salvation Army is still under the banner of Saint Sith.
Once they point their swords at the church, this group of joyful "rebels" will soon realize what is the real "people's will" and who is the "people" who are "what everyone wants".
Karien understood the meaning of Colin's words, thought for a moment and said.
"You mean...the Holy See will interfere with us."
Luo Yan smiled faintly.
「准确的说，他们已经来了。」
若是寻常人恐怕已经被吓破了胆。
However, the ignorant "Saint Karen" was not afraid at all. She just looked at her god and blinked.
"Then what do we think we should do?"
Luo Yan thought for a while and said.
"With the Tribunal's methods in the history of the empire, I can't be optimistic that they will be lenient to you. You have to prepare for the worst."
"So we can only continue to fight, right?" Kallen smiled softly, nodded and said, "No problem, as long as you wish, I am willing to fight against the Holy See for you."
Luo Yan glanced at Kallen in surprise.
He was still thinking about how to tactfully convince this simple village girl that the church cannot represent the truth, and the pope is not equal to Saint Sith. What’s more, it is not the New Testament or others who distorted the Book of Holy Words, but the priests themselves who ignore believers.
However, looking at it now, this ice-snow and smart girl may have known that she was not a son of God, and she only trusted herself from the beginning.
This actually saved him a lot of time.
Reading the surprise on Mr. Colin's face, Kallen blinked slightly, and her quiet and gentle face was stained with a playful blush.
"I seem to have surprised you, can I be proud of it?"
"Of course... you can," Luo Yan, who came back to his senses, smiled and glanced at her appreciatively, "You have a high level of understanding. It seems that I can teach you some advanced skills."
"That would be my honor." Kallen nodded slightly and responded softly, ready to listen to the oracle.
Looking at the "saint" he had trained with his own hands, Luo Yan thought for a while and said. "The larger the organization, the more complex its internal forces are. This is true for principalities, kingdoms, and empires."
"If you want to survive in the cracks, you must grasp the core pain points of different forces, discover their interests and demands, and the constraints between each other, and then unite all the forces that can be united and make them work for you."
"At the same time, strategically, you have to learn to move the organization from under the sun to underground where the sun cannot shine."
h "Can you... be more specific?" Kallen had a confused expression on her face, obviously unable to fully digest these words.
Luo Yan was not surprised by her reaction, which just showed that she was thinking about it, but it was just because of her vision that she didn't think about it for the time being.
He gave an example, and she understood it quickly.
"For example, I let you let go of Theron Gard. I don't have to look at it to guess that now he must be holding Irene's thighs and complaining with snot and tears, begging the Principality of Campbell to send troops to take back the territory occupied by you... before the tribunal comes here."
"But to be honest, that idiot was daydreaming. Even if Irene used her soldiers like a god and took one minute to take back his territory for him, he wouldn't be able to wipe the shit off his butt in the remaining days."
Sure enough.
As he expected, the ice-smart Kallen grasped the core of the problem in an instant, her bright eyes flashing with cunning light.
"But we can do what Irene can't do, take one minute to take back his territory, and then spend the next minute wiping it all... Am I right?"
"Smart."
Luo Yan glanced at Kallen appreciatively, like looking at a cunning little fox, and then continued.
“The church in the castle is still there, and the priests and nuns are still alive. Compared with the rest of the land, you are a paragon of piety.”
"Those who once turned a blind eye to you, who were forced to obey you before, are now your "accomplices". As long as you are not caught by the Tribunal, everyone will help you, because it is also for themselves."
"As for Count Theron Gard, he is your mascot. If you want to retreat from the front of the stage to the backstage, you have to push the legal lord to the front of the stage. As long as the tribunal takes steps forward, you will take steps back. They will always leave here, and you will become a ghost that cannot be killed by swords." Kallen, who heard this, completely understood what Lord Shenzi meant, and a knowing smile appeared on his face.
Now the only thing she was undecided about was the last thing.
"What if Theron Gard doesn't cooperate?"
"He is a smart man and will cooperate."
Luo Yan smiled slightly.
"If he is not smart, then replace him with a smarter "Gard"."
The first aid to the Salvation Army in the Necropolis was not the "Grenade Rider" and the "Organ Cannon", but the intelligence personnel trained by Sarah.
That thing is not used to deal with the Green Forest Army.
He had long expected that such a day would come, but he didn't expect it to happen so soon.
(End of this chapter)