October 1432, the port of Koszoya.

The cold wind from the Abyss Strait blew over the high and low rock buildings. Here was the headquarters of the Five Port Alliance Brotherhood. This city was the wealthiest city on the southeast coast of Legrand. It had the best harbor, the most ships, and the smartest merchants in the entire empire.

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From day to night, merchant ships hung with canvases of various colors came and went. Gold flowed and circulated among the network of ships.

Like the Five Port Alliance itself, the city of Koszoya had a special political position in the Legrand Empire.

It was the largest autonomous city in Legrand.

Today, the largest port of Koszoya was blocked, and ordinary merchant ships could only dock in other places. The patriarch of the Ross family who oversaw the city of Koszoya was waiting in the port himself. The Five Port Alliance had five southeast coastal commercial cities as its core, and each city had its own unspoken lording family.

The most powerful family in Koszoya was the Ross family.

The Ross patriarch was also the chairman of the Brotherhood.

“They are here.”

The bright red carpet spread from the mooring platform to the shore, and the white-haired patriarch of the Ross family had his eyes closed slightly in rest, leaning on a heavy wooden walking stick inlaid with many precious stones. He had an iconic hooked nose, and thus nicknamed “Eagle Beak”. In the business circle, he was a terrifying old bird of prey.

The secretary behind him alerted the tough old man softly.

He opened his eyes.

Four extremely magnificent and gorgeous ships slowly sailed into the port, and each one was like a small fortress floating on the sea. If it had not been cleared in advance, the port would definitely become too crowded at this time. But even so, their appearance still brought brilliance to the entire port.

A certain degree of tacit agreement was maintained between the four ships, and they arrived at the port at almost the same time. When they were lined up, there seemed to be a certain sharpness in the air.

The gangplank was lowered.

From the ship with a cobweb as its emblem stepped down a beautiful lady wrapped in a black dress. Walking down from the ship with the emblem of an ancient coiled snake was an ordinary looking middle-aged gentleman. Walking down from the ship with a flamingo in flight as its emblem was a feminine looking man with long hair tied back with silk. The person who walked off the last ship was the youngest, with brown hair and brown eyes, and appeared a bit more low-key than the others.

“Welcome all.”

The Ross family patriarch smiled slowly, although the smile was not amiable, but rather gloomy instead.

The bell of the port was struck.

Everyone knew that the meeting of the Five Port Alliance Brotherhood had gathered urgently.

The headquarters of the Five Port Alliance.

In the luxurious hall, the patriarchs representing the families making up the Five Port Alliance and their attendants all sat down at the long table. The meeting was held as usual, first discussing the commercial volume of each port, and the internal and external disputes of the alliance during this period. The Five Port Alliance was formed in the 11th century. After three centuries of development, they had pulled open a large net on the southeast coast.

In 1312, the most prosperous period of the Five Port Alliance, the Legrand Council passed the relevant “Port Alliance Regulations.” Since then, the Five Port Alliance had the legal jurisdiction over the ports, decision making over the herring market, and the most important rights of autonomy.

The meeting of the Brotherhood held today was a microcosm of the rights of autonomy the Five Port Alliance possessed.

The meeting kept advancing, but there remained an anxious atmosphere in the air. Those who attended the meeting were important business family leaders. They all knew exactly why today’s meeting was held, but not one of these veterans of the business circle was willing to be the first to bring up the topic.

Patriarch Ross swept his gaze over his allies, disappointed to see that even the youngest Patriarch Dawson smiled as if nothing was wrong.

In the end, as the chairman of the Brotherhood, Ross let out a light cough.

“I think you all know the true purpose of today.”

Finally it came out.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“The Gelug family has taken refuge with the King.” Ross said indifferently, “They chose to abandon the purpose of the Chamber of Commerce Alliance and betray our supreme freedom. Since everyone here is willing to come despite short notice, I imagine we are all worried about the same matter——how the King plans to deal with us.”

He didn’t say it directly, but everyone sitting at this long table knew exactly what good deeds they did some time ago.

Smuggling the Gulundi heavy cavalry across the borders, transporting armaments and supplies for Grand Duke Grice, and greeting and sending off the Pope’s envoy…..any one of these things was enough to anger the King.

“Mister Ross, please speak freely.”

The lady in a black dress spoke up, she looked as charming as a socialite at any dance party, but whoever really regarded this notorious “poisonous spider” as an airheaded socialite would not end well.

“The New Royal Party nobles paid a huge ransom, and the Gelug family paid with their loyalty, only then did the King forgive them.”

“Isn’t that great?” The poisonous spider smiled. “We can also pay the little king. If he wants, the Diggin family can even build a genuine golden carriage for him. Mister Ross, you wouldn’t like to have conflict with that majesty again, would you?”

She had a soft voice, but there were sharp knives hidden in her words.

“If you really think that building a golden carriage is enough for the King to close his greedy pockets, then I have nothing to say.” Patriarch Ross responded without a change in expression, “Allow me to remind you that the King has long had the intention to rewrite the “Port Alliance Regulations”. What price do you think we have to pay this time to earn the King’s forgiveness? Autonomy? Legal jurisdiction? Like the Gelug family, surrender the freedom that we should have?”

The air suddenly tightened.

Everyone had ugly expressions on their faces.

The Five Port Alliance was known as the “Uncrowned King of the Sea and Commerce”. This was something they were all proud of. In the most prosperous time, in the mid-14th century, the naval fleet they provided to the royal family repeatedly defeated Bressi’s expeditionary forces. At that time, all Legrand’s internal and external armistice agreements would be sent to the Alliance for opinions and suggestions. [1]

This situation changed since William III came to the throne.

During the reign of William III, the Five Port Alliance’s privileges to make political suggestions were withdrawn, and the five Port Alliance leaders were no longer granted the title of baron. If it had not been for the early death of William III, the “Port Restriction Ordinance” [2] would have been passed. For the core families of the Five Port Alliance, it was simply an apocalyptic disaster.

In the “Rose Crisis,” they chose Grand Duke Grice not only because of the bargaining chips he possessed, but also because the five families were trying their best to save themselves.

However, they lost the gamble.

The situation had become even more precarious.

The “forgetfulness” of the King did not mean nothing would happen, but a more terrifying crisis to come. It meant that the King probably did not want to reconcile with them at all, but rather intended to completely sink the big ship that was the Five Port Alliance.

Don’t look at the brilliant prosperity they showed off when they arrived, it was just a way to cover their anxiety.

“Are you willing to accept the restrictions? Are you willing to surrender the legal jurisdiction and autonomy that we should have? We have spent hundreds of years, loyally providing our fleet to the royal family every time, helping the royal family time and time again with sea warfare. Without us, what would he use to build the castles in the north, and what would he use to fight Bressi?!” Ross growled, his voice filled with terrible anger.

“Are you willing?”

The expressions on the faces of the people in the conference room shifted.

The youngest Patriarch Dawson glanced at the faces of the others, and unsurprisingly saw the greed and unwillingness on their faces——profit was the most terrifying devil in the world, and it could drive most people crazy.

Patriarch Dawson sighed softly in his heart.

He suddenly stood up, and Patriarch Ross looked at him coldly: “Does Patriarch Dawson want to express any wise opinions?”

Patriarch Dawson smiled and bowed at everyone slightly, maintaining a gentlemanly demeanor: “What wise opinions could I have? Compared to you, I’m just an immature boy. I just recalled that I have something urgent to take care of. Please allow me to leave first.”

“I recall that the Brotherhood does not have any rule that members can not leave early, yes?”

He smiled while speaking softly.

The room fell silent, and Ross’s face was so cloudy that water could have dripped from it.

But Patriarch Dawson bowed again as if he hadn’t seen it, and left with his attendants.

“Who else is going to leave?” The Ross patriarch asked coldly.

Whispering voices, flickering eyes.

In the end, no one left.

Ross smiled: “Then let’s continue.”

The candlelight flickered.

………………

“That damn old bag of bones.”

Walking to the dock, the attendant behind Patriarch Dawson cursed in a low voice.

“Of course he dares not expect the King’s forgiveness——the illegitimate child of that idiot is still in the royal prison. He has no way out and wants to pull everyone into the water with him. Do the others have no brains?”

The attendant was referring to the fact that the illegitimate son of Ross sent someone to rob a merchant ship, but ended up robbing the royal family.

Although it was well-known that the Five Port Alliance engaged in piracy at the same time, openly robbing the royal family’s merchant ships was the pinnacle of idiocy. However, who the hell knew why Ross valued his illegitimate son so much, and even became the first to join Grice’s side.

“They are not without brains.”

Patriarch Dawson replied lightly.

“It’s just that the benefits are alluring enough.”

In this world, how many people were not so immersed in the glory of the past that they forgot to see the sickle of death that was about to fall? Small commercial guilds were developing, free ships were flourishing, the monopoly of the Five Port Alliance was being challenged, and commercial profits were becoming greater and greater.

Or maybe it was not that they could not see it, but they were just reluctant to give up the privileges they had occupied for such a long time.

“What should we do?”

The young Patriarch Dawson raised his head, the sea breeze blowing at his face and bringing a damp and fishy smell: “Go and find out what the King’s commissioners have done.”

Don’t know why, but he kept getting the feeling that this time the King was not just conducting a political liquidation against those who betrayed him. What exactly did the King want? Should the Dawson family truly kneel before the rose badge like the Gelug family?

Their King was becoming more terrifying than ever, as well as more difficult to predict. The ancient glory of the Rose family seemed to be slowly recovering.

He must make a choice.

——Before the National Assembly convened.

………………

The King’s commissioners were running up and down the country in the midst of winter snow.

They wore uniform black cloaks, and their investigation was more detailed than ever. Don’t know when, but rumors began to spread among the people.

It was said that the King was very angry with the New Royal Party this time and intended to carry out an unprecedented cleansing after collecting the evidence. Those with more political sense began talking about it. They didn’t hope for the King to be able to provide benefits for civilians like them, but they could take advantage of the King’s great purge this time.

Reporting all the “good deeds” done by the territory nobles that the King originally hated, and then taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the King purging his enemies to change the county lords.

This idea quickly spread like the flu, and when the territory nobles found out that the situation was not looking good, they could no longer restrain it. Those ordinary people who were usually oppressed began to take advantage of the dark night to quietly enter the tavern where the Gelug family’s carriages were parked, and then report to the King’s commissioners the evil deeds of local officials and make known their dissatisfaction.

So long as they handed the commissioners a small amount of labor fees, the commissioners would be happy to help them record these things in the books.

The local officials wanted to stop this from happening. In the name of safeguarding public safety, they expelled the civilians who tried to get near the tavern the commissioners stayed in.

But when the commissioners who were as greedy as the King himself discovered this, they simply began to live in the carriages, and directly receive feedback from the civilians in the carriages. What was printed on the curtains of the Gelug family carriages at this time was no longer the emblem of the Gelug family, but the Rose emblem of the royal family.

Officials did not dare to block the carriage that symbolized the King’s will, and could only watch this happen.

As a result, the King’s commissioners were also called the King’s “black wings”, referring to them as the shadow of the King’s power.

However, what neither the civilians nor the local nobles could think of was that when the civilians who took advantage of the dark to report left, the commissioners immediately handed over the collected coins to the members of the Gelug family who acted as supervisors, who would then clearly record the earnings down together.

In truth, the so-called rumor that the King’s anger could be used for the benefit of the common people was spread by the King himself.

The King knew exactly what his reputation was like among the people. Of course, he was also even more aware of the natural distrust civilians had of the government. Only in this way could they be prompted into reporting.

And these reports were exactly what the King himself needed most at this time.

The commissioners in charge of this matter admired the King’s wisdom. As the main executors of the investigation, they witnessed how the representatives of the people were silent in the square, but then eloquent in “reporting” at night.

The King got what he wanted, and he even earned a small amount of money on the side.

As for the people of the Gelug family…..

Thanks to their wise patriarch, they were lucky enough to pledge loyalty so early. They didn’t want to face the reckoning of such a monarch who not only had the courage and valor of William III but also the cunning of a poisonous snake. Believe them, this was definitely not a good thing.

According to rumors, their former comrade-in-arms, the Five Port Alliance, was still silent so far?

The people of the Gelug family sincerely hoped that they continued to remain stubborn, so that the King’s attention would no longer be placed on them, and they would have fewer competitors who could perform well in front of the King.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Was it not better for others to go to hell than to go to hell yourself?

With such thoughts in mind, the Gelug family worked harder to find those “talents” for the King.

Speaking of, they really did manage to find some.

A few days later, the King saw these “talents” he wanted.

——In the royal prison of Metzl Castle.

AN: [1] After the battles of Dover and Trafford in 1216, Henry III once decided that any armistice agreement between England and the outside would be sent to the Alliance for comments. Although it is only for soliciting opinions, it also shows its status. When Edward I conquered Wales, he also received vital assistance from the Alliance.

[2] In fact, in 1229, the British royal family once promulgated the “Port Doomsday Judgment”

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The idea of ​​reforming the military system came to him when the King was in Truu City.

From the perspective of the King himself, the military system of this era was the same as the Chivalric Code. It should be crumpled and then thrown into the fireplace and burned into ash.

Like most countries in this period, Legrand’s military system was centered on the knight system, and through the land grant tie between monarchs and vassals, a military system in which the cavalry was used to cooperate with foot soldiers in combat was established. The system for levying troops was based on the militia conscription system and mercenary system.

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When the King quelled the civil strife, the army borrowed from the State of Ingres was not a normal conscription.

Under normal circumstances, if the King wanted to carry out a war campaign, he needed to issue a conscription order first, and then the nobles in each region would lead a varying number of knights based on their own situation and military service requirements to gather at a location designated by the King. This was the core strength of the King’s army.

However, these people did not unconditionally obey the King’s command.

Their military service duration lasted only forty days, and once it exceeded forty days, they had the right to disperse on their own.

How wonderful!

Could the King tolerate such a terrible knight based military system? An army that was likely to run away halfway through the battle?

Oh, and it was also an undisciplined army, an army that was largely influenced by the commander who was always one of the great nobles.

The King would not deny that these military systems have played a role that could not be ignored in certain specific situations and times, but too bad——

This was his era.

The King chose to let this kind of army and the great nobles be buried in the dust of history.

“I can clear some obstacles for you, but if you still can’t do what I ask despite this…..” The King smiled, “I think, sir, you might as well prepare a coffin for yourself.”

Baron Sheehan looked at the King in surprise. He was already mentally prepared for difficulty in implementing the reforms, but listening to the King’s words, the King seemed to be willing to deal with some of the difficulties for him first.

“For example, some of our county lords who have forgotten their identity.”

Hearing that the target of the King’s cleanup was “Mr. County Lord”, Baron Sheehan couldn’t help but adjust his views of the King again——perhaps the King was indeed cruel and violent, but he was also the son of William III, possessing equally sharp and clear eyes.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

For the first time, Baron Sheehan called the King “Your Majesty” sincerely.

“If these…..uh…..Mr. County Lords are dealt with, the follow-up will be much easier to handle.”

“I thought you weren’t afraid of anyone, Sir Sheehan.” The King seemed to smile, “After all, your courage in drawing the bow was impressive enough, how come even a brave gentleman like you has learned to be tactful?”

Baron Sheehan coughed, not knowing how to respond to the King’s words.

In the past, he did not know how many times he had complained to his subordinates about the greedy county lords appointed by the King, but at this time, these words of complaint and accusation towards the King…..since he was now on the path to survival, why should he run towards death instead?

Fortunately, the King did not intend to pursue the matter.

“By the way,” the King seemed to think of something. “I think, you must have also seen the armors of the Gulundi heavy cavalry? Let me guess, you later took pains to fish them out of the mud? Is that right, sir.”

Baron Sheehan coughed awkwardly.

The King chuckled: “Don’t worry, what I mean is…..if you let me see your determination and ability, then there will be armor and horses. And perhaps you will even be able to use even more powerful and terrifying weapons.”

Our King was indeed talented at using the stick and carrot.

But at least for now, Mr. Sheehan had already willingly jumped onto the King’s battleship. He didn’t know what this terrifying weapon the King spoke of, but as the King was willing to clear some obstacles for him, he already felt the King’s sincerity. The King did not intend to send him off to die in vain.

Rather, he really wanted to push the military reform to the end.

“The Iron Rose cavalry will kick up an unstoppable storm on this great continent; can it be done? General.”

The King wiped away his smile. The sunlight fell on him through the delicate lattice window. His silver hair and blue eyes overlapped with all the great Rose emperors of the past; the majesty of the Rose family was condensed in his person.

William III left a valuable fortune for his son.

Although the people had misgivings about the King’s absurdity and violent temper, when he personally led the knights in armor and carrying a long sword, so long as he revealed even a little bravery and strength, then the people would subconsciously shroud him in the glory of the Rose family and that of his father, and involuntarily give birth to hope and expectations.

This was the case for Baron Sheehan right now.

“It is my honor.”

He clenched his fist and knocked it on his heart, swearing a solemn pledge.

The King revealed a faint smile.

He clapped his hands, and an attendant walked in with an iron rose badge placed in a delicate box.

“Carry it with you, sir.”

………………

Baron Sheehan——oh, perhaps we should call him General Sheehan now——left with joy and nervous excitement.

When he came, his face was solemn, but when he left, his smile was so bright that the court maids couldn’t help but secretly look at the young blond knight. Wearing an iron rose, he hurried to bring his group of loyal soldiers out of the prison.

The King sighed and picked up another list from the desk.

If General Sheehan could see this list with many detailed notes, he would understand that his touched feelings were stirred up in vain.

This romantic idealist actually thought that the King would have such things as “good faith” and “sincerity”.

Of course, the King did indeed plan to clear some obstacles for Baron Sheehan first.

This guy was a military genius but also a political idiot. He had no intentions for his future capable and useful general to die prematurely while exchanging moves with the nobles in this political whirlpool of intrigue. After looking over the list of experienced generals handed over to him by the Duke of Buckingham, the King reluctantly discovered that the most suitable candidate at the moment was still only Sir Sheehan.

It was true that those of the Royalist Party who wore the iron rose were indeed loyal to him, as well as very experienced and talented, but there was one problem——they were almost as old as the Duke of Buckingham.

A thing like reform required young blood in order for there to be any dynamism and drive.

It was better to be kind and let our old generals off the hook.

As for the other younger generations…..coincidentally, most of these wine and meat sacks were on the King’s clean up list.

One must hope that the new system would allow the King to discover more outstanding talents.

The King’s father, William III, once launched a military reform and tried to establish a standing army, but unfortunately, just after some headway was made, William III passed away. The King now intended to continue what his father did not finish.

If one really wanted change to proceed smoothly and get the expected results, then one couldn’t act too hastily, and must make sufficient preliminary preparations. The King was able to conceal the news that he was still alive for up to a month, and did not come back until the last minute, which showed that he possessed a frightfully strong will and endurance when necessary.

According to the King’s expectation, the best opportunity for military reform would be after completing all preliminary preparations and when General Johan returned.

Once General Johan was released, the King would be able to know the details of the Battle of Bouven, and thus have enough reason to stir up the Legrand people’s national hatred against the Kingdom of Bressi…..That would be the best opportunity for the King to make drastic changes.

As the King said to General Sheehan, the target of the preliminary preparations was Mr. County Lord.

Let’s take a closer look at Legrand’s military system.

In addition to the military service of the nobility, there was also a very crucial militia conscription system.

Legrand’s militia conscription system was also called the “convening and investigating system.”

The county lords of various counties were responsible for organizing militias, and all the free citizens who were adults under the age of 60 were within the scope of the conscription. After the militia convened at the designated location, the county lords then selected the number of people specified by the King’s enlistment order. Then the county lords opened the county’s armory, distributed armor and weapons, and then recovered them after the war. During the service, the militia’s military pay and food supply were provided by the King himself.

——Look at how convenient this system was for the county lords to play tricks in!

It was enough to cause any ambitious King to become angry.

Stuffy old things should have the awareness to retire from the playing field.

The King wanted to strengthen central control on the counties, smoothly advance the reform of the conscription system, and prevent his taxes from flowing into the pockets of these greedy fellows——although he took back what they pocketed a few days ago, a detailed investigation and a major injection of new blood must be conducted.

Now was a good opportunity. During the civil war, many county lords also participated in the rebellion.

So, where did one start?

Beginning with Grand Duke Grice.

Don’t misunderstand, Grand Duke Grice could not be more dead, but he left a “generous” fortune for the King. Grand Duke Grice’s wife came from the Gelug family. The Gelug family had been in the land transportation industry for hundreds of years, and because of this, the Grand Duke Grice was able to smuggle a prominent Gulundi heavy cavalry to appear outside the Truu Castle without anyone noticing.

The Gelug family put their bargaining chips on Grand Duke Grice in the civil war, and of course they lost the gamble. However, the patriarch of the Gelug family was a tactful person. He prostrated early in front of the King’s throne, expressing that he and his family longed for any opportunity to serve the King.

Thanks to Grand Duke Grice who still shone brightly after his death.

May the Holy Lord bless him so that in his death, he would not be so angry as to bang on the cover of his coffin…..Wait, did His Majesty the King even bury him?

Ah, this was just a minor detail, completely unimportant, please don’t mind at all.

Now was the time for the Gelug family to make due on their promise to work for the King.

………………

The snow fell and drifted down onto the ground, and the team that was to set off to pay the ransom and welcome General Johan back as well as General Sheehan and his soldiers both set off from Metzl Castle. At the same time, the patriarch of the Gelug family walked into the Rose Palace with trepidation.

Soon, what the King once said came true.

The cold winter had arrived, and it was time for the officials to run their errands.

During this idle winter with nothing to do, the carriages of the Gelug family began to travel up and down the counties of all sizes across the entire empire. Commissioners sent by the King arrived in pairs to each county, gathered representatives among the citizens, and walked the streets conducting investigations. The questions for the investigation were drawn up by the King himself, and these questions numbered in the hundreds.

This was a busy winter.

In addition to that list of questions, there were also some members of the Gelug family accompanying them, and they were also given a task.

They must recruit some talents for the King.

In the eyes of some ordinary people, these talents should be thrown and burned on the stake.

For example, some doctors who loved to cut open corpses, some demonic individuals who indulged in dealing with bottled potions.

The Gelug family didn’t know what the King wanted these “talents” for, but they didn’t dare to ask and could only work harder to ask people about these individuals and their situation.

Ai, at least it was better to be tired than to lose one’s head, right?

Seeing the people of the Gelug family so busy, another group of people could no longer sit still.

The Five Port Alliance.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

These merchants did a lot of “good deeds” for Grand Duke Grice during the civil war, but the King seemed to have forgotten them, and he hadn’t expressed his position on how to deal with them this whole time. On the surface it seemed to be a lucky occurrence, and the King seemed to have forgiven them.

But——

Who would even believe this?

AN: King: My era, I have the final say.

The Gelug family: I dare not say anything, and dare not ask anything.

Grand Duke Grice, who is still shining brightly today: MMP, how is this even humane?

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“So, you are saying that he took the negotiating team and voluntarily left Truu City to come to Metzl?”

The King and the Duke of Buckingham were standing in the pavilion. Hearing the words of the Duke of Buckingham, the King seemed to be a little interested.

“What is your suggestion? Do you think I should put him to death?”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

The Duke of Buckingham smiled slightly and found that he and his nephew’s thoughts coincided with each other: “No, I am here to intercede on his behalf.”

“The reason?”

The King was not angry.

“Because he is a romantic idealist——in the words of those court poets.” The Duke of Buckingham sighed, “He is too idealistic. The reinforcements that Grand Duke Grice wanted to call in were actually him and his soldiers, but after Grand Duke Grice threw in his lot with the Holy Court, he chose not to move.”

“A brave man who is too righteous to the point of stupidity.”

The King gave his evaluation.

“It sounds like you are very impressed with him.” The Duke of Buckingham asked with interest.

“Of course.” The King smiled. “A general who can stand in a stalemate with the Bressi Expeditionary Force for nearly a month while lacking both ammunition and food. Even if he is an idiot, he is also an idiot that needs special attention.”

The Duke of Buckingham laughed: “Yes, Your Majesty. It is exactly so——that guy is politically stupid, but he is an outstanding military genius.”

The King did not care about the hundreds of nobles, but he absolutely cared about a military genius, a general who could risk his life for his soldiers. He could even tolerate the Devil who wanted to take away his life twice, let alone a general with an overly romantic spirit?

In a few words, this pair of uncle and nephew reached a consensus.

At this time the north wind blew past again, the heavy snow falling down. The Duke of Buckingham glanced at the Black Tower inadvertently and then suggested to the King that he should go back. Baron Sheehan had been waiting in the palace for a while now.

“He won’t care about waiting a little longer.”

Despite saying that, the King left the pavilion.

………………

Drip, drip, drip.

The blood fell drop by drop on the icy rock, and the Mad Queen pressed her face on the icy iron railing, staring at the King’s fading back in the backdrop of the falling snow.

“Child, my child, Pureland, my Pureland!!!”

The King’s figure finally disappeared completely from sight, and the cry of the Mad Queen suppressed in her throat finally broke out. She threw back her head, crying in joy and pain.

“My child! Pureland! He is alive! He is alive!”

In the dark tower, her cries resounded in a long echo.

“Yes, he is alive.”

The voice of the Duke of Buckingham sounded calmly.

The Mad Queen suddenly turned around to look at the Duke of Buckingham in a scarlet cloak standing not far behind her.

The Duke of Buckingham’s eyes fell on the Mad Queen’s hands, and he showed a complex expression of “as expected”: “This is something you are capable of doing.”

The Mad Queen held a thin piece of black iron blade in her hand. She held the iron blade with her left hand, the blade digging deep into the flesh of the Queen’s palm, probably even embedding into bone. The Mad Queen’s hand was covered in blood, but by now the blood was already frozen by the cold weather, causing the wound to look particularly terrifying.

Seeing her like this, the Duke of Buckingham was able to guess what had happened at once.

The Mad Queen wanted to use this opportunity to assassinate the King. Don’t underestimate the simple iron blade in her hand. It was sharpened into a light and thin, extremely sharp blade. With Eleanor’s ability, with the help of the right wind at this distance, she could kill anyone under the tower.

This was the famous warrior queen of Legrand.

However, at the last moment, when the iron blade was about to fly out, the Queen grabbed onto the blade herself.

She recognized the King.

“Are you awake?”

The Duke of Buckingham asked. Eleanor understood the meaning behind this question.

“I am awake.”

The Queen forced her hand to open, the icy blood shattering and falling to the ground. She leaned against the wall wearily and raised her head.

“This nightmare has lasted for too long.”

“William told you the answer from the beginning. You should have some confidence in us.” The Duke of Buckingham spoke a little reproachfully, “Pureland——back then the Pope came himself so we couldn’t reveal too much to you. But we thought you would understand from the name.”

On the surface, the name Pureland meant “honor and glory”.

However, there was another obscure meaning in the ancient Legrand language——’although shattered and corrupted, in the end there will come the beauty of rebirth’.

“No.” The Queen interrupted the Duke of Buckingham. She sneered, “Do you think I don’t know the meaning of this?”

“Then why?”

The Duke of Buckingham became more and more confused, and this doubt had troubled him for more than ten years.

“I have kept something from you all…..” The Queen paused, “I performed a secret ritual. And I saw…..”

Her tone began to gradually become harsh and hurried again.

“What did you see?” The Duke of Buckingham asked.

The Queen stretched out her hand and held her forehead. Although she was awake now, but when she recalled that vision, the pain overwhelmed her again, and she cried gutturally: “I saw him dead! I saw him die…..again and again! I thought you all failed!”

There was so much hatred and sorrow in that low guttural shout. The target of that hatred included not only the Holy Court, but also the Duke of Buckingham——and even William III. For so many years, the Queen had struggled in this hatred.

The Duke of Buckingham froze in place.

The Queen raised her head, tears streaming down her face.

“I saw him die before my eyes…..again and again. And I couldn’t save him! I couldn’t save my child!!!”

“How long?”

The Queen showed a sorrowful, almost twisted smile: “It has been like this for more than ten years.”

“Relax, Eleanor.” The Duke of Buckingham lowered his voice, “No matter what, it’s all over now, it’s all over, we won the gamble.”

“Yes, we won.” The Queen turned her face and looked at the direction of the King’s departure, “My child, my Pureland…..We won, and he finally grew up healthy and safe.”

“What are you going to do now? Go and see him?” the Duke of Buckingham asked.

“No.”

The Queen refused.

She stretched out her hands and smoothed her hair. Although she was grotesquely thin, that face still revealed a special beauty that was familiar to the Duke of Buckingham. Sober, calm, and decisive: “I can’t appear now. There must be a reason why the secret ritual went wrong…..I think the astrologers must have been involved in it at the beginning. Those damn astrologers, after they submitted to the Holy Court, they have carried out orders beautifully, really a bunch of loyal dogs.”

“Give me a list of astrologers who have been active ten years ago.”

“What are you planning to do?”

The Duke of Buckingham had a familiar, bad premonition.

“Kill them.”

The sharpness in the Queen’s eyes suddenly condensed. She was as thin as a brittle skeleton, but when she said this, the air seemed to echo with the sound of iron on iron for an instant.

A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye, and blood for blood.

Whoever it was that took away her lover and also caused her child to become entangled in such a dangerous gambling game, then she shall kill him! She even dared to kill God’s grace, let alone just a bunch of Holy Court dogs.

The Duke of Buckingham sighed quietly.

He knew that Eleanor was not joking.

She had done such things a long time ago——perhaps a large part of the King’s disposition was inherited from his mother.

21 years ago.

When William III went on an expedition, a large-scale mutiny occurred in the three states south of Legrand, and many lords joined the mutinous faction. William III and the Duke of Buckingham left with most of the army. The gates of Metzl Castle were opened by a traitor, and the lords charged all the way to the Rose Palace.

Those rebels thought they would see the Queen and the servants of the palace begging.

And they did see the Queen.

The Queen stood in front of the gate of the palace, dressed in armor, just herself and her warhorse.

She wore a scarlet cloak, which fluttered in the wind, as if she was standing in a blazing flame. She carried a long iron spear and looked indifferently at the stunned rebel lords. With a wave of the iron spear, she drew a long line in front of the palace.

“I know what you want to do.”

The Queen’s voice was cold, the backdrop that of the Rose Palace standing majestically behind her and her warhorse.

“If you want it, then come and get it.”

“I can give you all the glory, wealth, power and position you want. You don’t need to fight for it.”

“As long as you have the life to take it!”

As she was speaking, the servants rushed out from the palace and poured buckets of oil on the ground in front of the palace. The lords exclaimed and found that the sides of the streets around them had already been soaked with kerosene. In their panicked disturbance, the Queen took over a torch from an attendant.

So long as the torch fell to the ground, the fire would consume everyone in an instant, including the Queen herself.

The Queen held a torch in one hand and a spear in the other.

“Come!”

Why did they think that when William III left, the palace would be left unprotected? The one who stayed behind in the heart of this empire was the warrior queen who was comparable to William III. She was shockingly beautiful but also shockingly crazy.

The lords were struck dumb by the Queen’s actions, and after a stalemate for a long time, they prepared to leave.

However, archers who finally arrived appeared on the roofs on both sides, their sharp arrows aimed at the rebellious nobles. The Queen held the torch, the flame reflecting her face as she watched the rain of arrows falling down from the sky. The corpses piled up at the main entrance of the Rose Palace, and the blood spread to the ground underneath the Queen’s horse.

The largest massacre against the nobles in Legrand history was committed by Queen Eleanor.

The Duke of Buckingham suddenly recalled what the King said at random that day, to simply kill off all of the New Royal Party nobles…..

This temper was indeed really passed down the family tree.

“Stay in Legrand for now. Look at how you are now. Who could recognize you as the former Queen?” The Duke Buckingham felt a headache, but the burden in his heart was finally completely lifted, “You don’t want him to really lose his mother, after already having lost his father, do you?”

This remark had a greater impact on the Queen.

“Arrange for me a secret room with a secure identity. So that I can see him every day and will not be too far away from him.” The Queen glared at the Duke of Buckingham angrily for a while before ordering.

This familiar arrogance, familiar fastidiousness and familiar commanding tone.

The Duke of Buckingham felt that the bossy Eleanor he was familiar with was finally back.

“You should fix your temper.”

He said helplessly.

“In any case…..”

The Duke of Buckingham revealed a tired smile: “Welcome back, Eleanor.”

“I’m now awake, and…..look at yourself now, you have become so old so fast.” The Queen was silent for a long time before smiling easily, “He will become a real king, just like his father.”

“He will.”

The nightmare was long but it had finally ended.

It had been nearly a thousand years since the crown of the Rose family became shrouded in God’s haze, and it was time for the crown to regain its brilliance.

………………

Baron Sheehan walked into the Rose Palace.

At this moment, his mind finally settled down.

When he led the cavalry to lay ambush on that cold night, he was ready to die without a burial place. Without such determination, how could he have dared to draw the bowstring against the King.

Baron Sheehan saw the King.

He was sitting by the window of the study, the sun falling on the King through the glass window. The feeling was exactly the same as when Baron Sheehan first saw him. The King was the most beautiful rose bred and nurtured by all of the court’s luxury. Almost aggressively beautiful.

“Good day, Sir Sheehan.”

The King paused in looking through the files, and looked at Baron Sheehan calmly.

Since that rainy night, Baron Sheehan knew that their King, His Majesty, was not as simple as he seemed on the surface——not just anyone could defeat an entire branch of the Gulundi heavy cavalry. He walked in silently and knelt down slowly without making a sound.

Baron Sheehan lowered his head. He could not see the King’s expression, but only heard him speaking in an unhurried tone.

“I heard that you hosted my negotiating team for a while, and I hope this will not bring you more burden. You sent them back to Metzl City today intact, right? Sir.”

“Yes, all intact.”

“Excellent.” The King chuckled lightly. “You finally made the right choice.”

“All the officials of the negotiating mission are in the inn outside Metzl. The contract is also intact.” Baron Sheehan spoke a little bit faster, “The knights of Truu City are loyal to you, and I am the only one who made the wrong choice. My arrival to the capital is by their armed escort. I beg that Your Majesty’s anger not to fall on them.”

The King did not directly answer his question, but lightly tapped on the armrest: “Let me guess at your plan.”

“Your knights are fully armed, and you chose the inn closest to the crossroad for them. Then you came to see me alone, without any weapons, in order to beg mercy for your knights. If I don’t agree, then your knights will also have a chance to evacuate as quickly as possible. The worst case would be them resorting to take the negotiating team hostage in exchange for their own safety. And you plan to throw your life away in this palace, yes?”

Baron Sheehan did not answer.

“You are really a lone warrior.” The King praised him, his tone suddenly changing. “But it’s a pity, sir. When you arrived at the palace, your loyal men couldn’t help but follow you into the city. Their ability to maintain a convincing disguise is too shoddy, so my uncle sent them to prison to reflect.”

Baron Sheehan suddenly raised his head, his hand subconsciously moving to his waist.

And touched only air.

Only then did he remember that when he stepped into the Rose Palace this time he had handed his weapons to the guards.

“Don’t be so nervous, sir.” The King noticed his subconscious movement, “The people I want to kill can line up from the gate of the palace to the gate of the castle. You and your brave and stupid soldiers are not qualified to be on the list. “

Heart falling back down in place, Baron Sheehan recalled what he had heard during this period, about the New Royal Party nobles being exploited by the King, almost emptying them of their pockets: “I would like to offer you everything I have. Please forgive them for their recklessness.”

“I don’t need your loyalty, or your oath. Those things are not worth a penny.” The King leaned back in the crimson chair and looked down at him contemptuously. “As for wealth, that I may consider, but I don’t believe you can offer up any.”

“Then what do you need, Your Majesty?”

Baron Sheehan did not think that the concept of tolerance could be related to the King.

The King picked up the file at hand, and then handed the compiled file to Baron Sheehan. Baron Sheehan took it and flipped through it. His face showed a look of surprise, and soon became more and more solemn.

Finally, he raised his head in astonishment and looked at the King. A guess came to his mind.

“I want an army.”

The King said slowly.

Not an army borrowed from someone, or an army ordered from the nobles during war, or an army hired with money, but an army that belonged only to the King, an army comparable to the Gulundi heavy cavalry. From generals to commanders to soldiers, from armory to battle flags, only the King’s will shall be obeyed.

Baron Sheehan’s speculation was confirmed.

The King was determined to carry out what his father failed to accomplish.

He wanted to reform the military system!

“How firm is your determination?”

The King looked at Baron Sheehan coldly.

Baron Sheehan took a deep breath, the cold air filling his lungs. Under the societal conditions where the Chivalric Order and the aristocracy system were intertwined, if one wanted to make changes, then one could imagine how much resistance and bloodshed there would be. If he failed, the King might still be safe and sound, but he would definitely meet his death.

But wasn’t this what he had longed for countless times before?

There was not only danger, but also an opportunity that he never thought he would be able to get.

He heard his breathing become quicker, knowing that the things he had previously imagined were close at hand.

“I am willing to serve you!”

The King revealed a smile.

He picked up a letter of commission from his desk and handed it to Baron Sheehan.

“What shall Your Majesty’s army be called?”

Baron Sheehan took over the letter of commission, and instead of reading it, he asked the King.

“Rose.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

The King looked out the window, his eyes seeming to pass over the majestic Rose Palace.

“Iron Rose Cavalry.”

October 1432.

The turmoil of military reforms began to brew, and in the study of the palace, on a winter morning, the embryonic form of the Iron Rose cavalry formally took shape. The King would soon have the first army that only obeyed the will of the crown.

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“The black star is already in place, exactly connected with the authority and majesty of the evening star. The death scythe will soon fall on the horizontal human form. If they come together, the dead fish will flood the illuminated continent.”[1] The Devil recited a few obscure and odd sentences.

This reminded the King of the young man he met during negotiations at the Moon River Fortress.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

According to the vow knight commander, that was an astrologer.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The Devil speculated on the King’s thoughts, “This is indeed the prophecy of those astrologers. It predicts an imminent disaster…..you know what it is.”

“It will come in four months.”

The King pondered for a while, and stated his judgment.

The Devil sincerely wanted to applaud the King. Just look at how keen his senses were towards conspiracies.

However, this was actually not difficult for the King to deduce.

Because in the original line of fate, Pureland was hanged before Mohn Tower four months after the assassination when the original sentence was only exile. Although Pureland was indeed a tyrant, but based on the character of Grand Duke Grice, he should be more inclined to imprison the former king in order to show his magnanimity to the people.

The sentence of exile at the beginning confirmed this.

A former tyrant king who lived without power still had a lot of political significance for the new ruler. He could elevate himself in people’s hearts by constantly comparing himself with the former tyrant king. When the goal was almost achieved, the former tyrant king could then leave the picture silently.

A few months was not enough for Grand Duke Grice to establish the image he wanted.

But if there was a terrible plague that people were powerless against?

Was there any more suitable target to use for blame than a violent former king?

“Apart from you, can astrologers also predict this Black Plague?” The King caught on one point, “Who do astrologers work for?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The Devil immediately took the chance to claim credit for himself, “Do you remember that shoddy Mr. Astrologer? He tried to spy on your destiny, and then planned to tell his mentor. But as your loyal knight, I’ve helped you solve this little trouble——otherwise, by now, dozens of those disgusting fellows will have arrived like flies smelling blood.”

“They serve the Holy Court.”

The King made a judgment.

He pondered for a while.

Generally speaking, astrologers should be labelled as heretics and incompatible with the Holy Court. In his memory, from the 11th to the 13th centuries, the Holy Court had launched a vigorous campaign to persecute astrologers——a scale almost comparable to hunting and killing witches. But in the middle of the fourteenth century, the movement subsided.

Judging from the words of the Devil, it seemed that most of the astrologers chose to serve the Holy Court in order to survive.

This was really not good news.

If the new Pope on the other side of the Abyss Strait was not mindless, he would most definitely seize this opportunity to improve the position of theocracy. During a large-scale plague that people were powerless against in this era like the Black Plague, the easiest to breed was religious beliefs and all kinds of theories on the sinful.

Legrand’s last Black Plague occurred in the fourth century.

Before that, the Rose family ruled more strongly than it did now, and the Western Continent became the most dimly lit area by the holy light. But the Black Plague changed the political landscape. Nearly one-ninth of the people died in the plague, and the royal family was powerless to stop and powerless to change the situation. The Holy Court took advantage of this opportunity to spread the idea that it was precisely because the Rose family did not fear the Holy Lord, that the Holy Lord condemned the land of Legrand.

“God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.”[2]

The King slowly recited aloud this passage that every Rose family member must remember.

The Black Plague was God’s judgment, and all crimes stemmed from Legrand’s contempt for the Holy Lord.

As the death spread, this accusation eventually became a riot, known in history as the “Return Of The Holy Spirit Movement.” Under the instigation of the Holy Court, people began to spontaneously build churches. In the end, the kingdom of God on the other side of the Abyss Strait expanded to Legrand.

From then on, the kings of the Rose family needed to be crowned by the Holy Court.

This was the origin of the nearly thousand years of enmity.

The King sneered.

No wonder the Pope changed his attitude this time and suddenly sent someone to intervene in Legrand’s battle for the throne. It turned out that they had already anticipated this disaster.

They must want to take this opportunity to reenact the events of the fourth century on the land of Legrand once again. Grand Duke Grice was just one of their puppets.

But damn it, this Black Plague was indisputably deadly.

There were only less than four months left before the outbreak of the Black Plague. The King did not think that these four months of preparation would be able to resolve an unsolvable disaster in this era.

“Hell is happy to solve this problem for you, Your Majesty.”

The Devil bowed to the King gracefully.

“However, it depends on whether Your Majesty dares to dance with hell.”

The King looked at the Devil’s perpetually smiling face.

“What are the conditions?”

“There are no conditions. Does one need any conditions to be useful for one’s own monarch?”

“I don’t plan to go to hell with you now.” The King refused.

“You misunderstood me.” The Devil said so, but there was a clear tone of regret in his voice, “Then…..fine, just one small condition, it’s not difficult for you to do.”

The King waited for the Devil’s words.

“Mind a knight from hell? My dear Majesty.”

………………

The Devil now had an official identity, he had become a member of the King’s vow knights.

However, the Devil seemed to have other things to do. After receiving this promise from the King, he hurriedly left again.

After the Devil left, the former Knight Templar walked in quietly.

“Your Majesty, your devil is very dangerous. I don’t know why he is so humble to you, but his aura reminds me of the past. At that time I was still serving the Holy Court and marching in their expeditions. The team of that time came across a historic site, where I felt a similar aura.”

The face of the former Knight Templar was rarely so serious.

“How was the situation at the time?”

“Disaster. Your Majesty.”

The former knight commander of the Templars replied, with pain that could not be concealed.

“A mortal disaster.”

………………

The Devil excused himself.

The King did not intend to pin all his hopes on a dangerous devil of unknown origin and unknown purpose. He set out to make his own preparations.

In the past two days, the King’s finance minister compiled the royal financial files requested by the King. They were so heavy and complicated that even the full-time staff of the Ministry of Finance would not be happy to read them.

The King frowned and endured the terrible recording method and the cumbersome monetary unit. After reading the part he cared about most, he realized one thing deeply——

The royal family was astonishingly poor.

The King’s annual income was about 27,000 pounds. On the surface, this was definitely a huge sum of money. Because in today’s Legrand, a person who could earn 20 pounds a year was considered rich, and even the annual income of an earl was rarely more than 5,000 pounds a year. [3]

But the income of the King must be used to maintain the expenses of the entire royal family and the operation of the entire empire.

This was also the norm for royal families in most countries in this era.

They were always in a situation where they could not make ends meet.

The construction of a castle for military use was also part of the King’s financial expenditure. The construction of the royal castles in Newcastle in the north and Nordover in the west began at the end of last year. The construction of the castles always took a long time, but on a conservative estimate, the entire construction of a castle in Newcastle alone would require 27,000 pounds. [4]

It was only natural that the Duke of Buckingham now had no money to his name.

Anyone who must maintain such huge expenditures would end up in poverty.

When the King finished reading the files, the nobles in the New Royal Party also happened to submit their first ransom money——the value they assigned to their own heads caused them to write down the highest amount that they could get and with great effort, so they could only submit the total in installments.

At this juncture, when the King looked at the sum of money collected he once again wondered whether he should just kill everyone.

All territorial money and property would be confiscated at one time, saving worry and effort.

The nobles who came to pay the money didn’t know why but they felt a chill on their necks.

The amount of each ransom was several thousand pounds, and the total sum was quite considerable. When the nobles paid the first ransom installment, plus the inheritance tax levied before, the King made nearly enough money to redeem General Johan, the son of the Duke of Buckingham.

And at this time, there was also news on the missing negotiating team.

“Why not talk as we take a walk? You have been cooped up in the room long enough, Your Majesty.” The Duke of Buckingham had an outer robe over his arm. He saw how many files and documents the King had read during this time. “Perhaps you might be willing to go on a stroll with me?”

“Of course, I would be happy to.”

The King glanced at the Duke of Buckingham with some surprise, and then put down the quill.

It was now October, and snow was beginning to cover the earth thickly. The King and the Duke of Buckingham walked through the long corridors and saw the forest trees of the castle begin to be covered with crystal clear frost that glittered magnificently and dreamily under the sunlight.

“Stuck in the Truu Castle.”

The King listened to the Duke of Buckingham finish, and then fell into thought.

“Baron Sheehan? He does have a bit of courage, and not too stupid it seems.”

While they were talking, the two had passed through most of the palace. The Duke of Buckingham stopped and looked out from the corridor. He looked at the stone pavilion on the left side of the tower not far in front, and said with nostalgia: “There used to be no pavilion there. But later your father built one.”

The King also looked at the stone pavilion that had rose vines growing over it.

It was conceivable that after the flowering period, countless magnificent red roses would decorate it into a beautiful part of the landscape.

“Take a closer look?”

The King agreed.

They walked through the cold wind and into the snow. The black tower stood not far away, and the snow that fell on the tower quickly slid down its walls.

The black tower was silent.

It also seemed to be watching all of this.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

AN: [1] The original text is “If Anyone Knows” created by the Prague court poet Heinrich von Muggen around 1349-1355. The original poem is slightly modified according to the world background.

[2] Quoted from Psalm 7:11-13

[3] The data refers to the current state of the currency economy of Edward I

[4] It is actually the construction cost of Caernarfon Castle

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From the words of the former knight commander of the Templars, the King understood where the enmity between the Rose family and the Holy Court came from.

A family that once killed an evil dragon, a family arrogant enough to dare to build a kingdom on the bones of a giant dragon….. How could such a family that was almost synonymous with madness be willing to be shrouded in the light of the kingdom of God?

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

The kings of the Rose family didn’t need anyone to crown them. They were born as Legrand’s monarchs.

When people prayed for help from God, God did not reach out. The Rose family killed the dragon with their own strength, so from then on Legrand’s glory had nothing to do with anyone else.

That the king needed to be crowned by the Holy Court. What kind of grace and glory was this for the Rose family?

This was humiliation!

“This is…..humiliation.” The King whispered to himself softly, the bones and roses in front of him reflected in his pupils, “This is glory!”

Some things lurked under the undercurrent, smelling heavily of blood, and the King could see their shadows.

The seemingly wild and unrestrained former Knight Templar was also observing the King.

He was the leader of the people with special powers in the Rose family, but he had not seen the King before. People like him just hid in the dark according to the usual practice. Under normal circumstances, they would not be controlled by the King himself, but by someone who was absolutely loyal to the King.

The King ruled the empire under the sun, and they defended the King’s territory in the shadows.

In history, only a few Kings of Legrand personally controlled this blade hidden in the shadows. The most recent one was the King’s father——William III.

The former Knight Templar knew the intentions of the Duke of Buckingham having him come to see the King.

The Duke of Buckingham intended to return this sharp blade to the King.

The former Knight Templar was not sure if this was a good idea, because the last Legrand monarch who had the most intense conflict with theocracy, William III, was now buried in the ground forever.

So, what about the King?

Would the King make the same choice like his father?

“If they want to kill the Rose family’s ambitions with the death of one or two generations, then they are truly naive.” The former Knight Templar answered the King’s murmur while waiting for the King’s answer.

“I think you should probably know one thing.”

The King watched him, his voice was not high, but underneath that gentle tone, there was a determination that was passed down by blood.

“I don’t plan to let anyone judge me.”

The former Knight Templar smiled.

In the circling air current, the former Knight Templar knelt down on one knee to the King: “Then…..please take out your sword and accept the allegiance from your knights, Your Majesty.”

“I represent all my companions.”

Added the former Knight Templar.

The King drew out the imperial sword hanging on the wall. He stepped forward and laid the tip of the sword on his knight’s shoulder.

“For the glory of the Rose.”

Said the King.

“For the glory of the Rose.”

The former Knight Templar replied.

……

The airflow gradually subsided, the bones returned to the appearance of stone pillars, and the delicate roses were re-turned into reliefs sculpted on them. The room was a little messy. On the surface, it was just an ordinary luxurious palace, and no one could imagine just how terrifying its backbone was.

The ceremony with only two people present was completed.

The King returned to his seat, and the former Knight Templar appeared even more relaxed than at the beginning.

“Now, let’s discuss how to deal with the devil you mentioned. This requires a little bit of wisdom.” The former knight commander of the Templars laughed, “Well…..you know, conspiracy is actually our specialty.”

Of course the King knew.

The Rose family was not like normal heroes who used weapons bestowed by gods to slay the dragon, but instead relied on the wisdom and power of mortals——of course, in the words of some people, they used trickery and conspiracy.

“Come, let us set up a small trap for Mr. Devil.”

The King, who had always shown “unscrupulous” behavior to the fullest, also smiled briskly.

………………

Today was a good night, as a happy event suddenly occurred.

After the King stepped into Metzl, the Devil disappeared. After all, the most glorious St. Wyth Cathedral in the entire Legrand stood in this city, as well as the presence of the Pope’s envoy who arrived a few days ago.

The Devil had no intention of engaging in a head-on conflict with the Holy Court at this time.

But tonight, he rushed from hell in a hurry because he felt that the King’s life force was weakening and might die at any time. Today, there were still some private soldiers of Grand Duke Grice in Metzl. It was possible that one or two fellows with aspirations to kill the King might have escaped the cleaning and made an assassination attempt.

After the Devil felt this, he hurried over.

After all, Metzl City had the existence of St. Wyth Cathedral. He had no intention of letting the Holy Court and those damn priests perform a dying baptism for the King after all his hard work. That would be too disastrous!

This time, the Devil did not take his fancy bone carriage and traveled in a very low-key manner.

He melted into the shadows, and walked through walls silently, avoiding the hidden guards, and arrived at the Rose Palace. Seeing the towering Rose Palace in the night, the Devil felt a little nostalgic.

The last time he came here was on the night of Saint Val’s death more than ten years ago.

That damn William III was indeed the conspirator and careerist of the Rose family. If it were not for the cunning of William III, he would have taken away His Majesty’s soul more than a decade ago.

Without alerting the guards of the Rose Palace, the Devil walked into the palace silently. He walked through the long corridors where he became more cautious and did not pass directly through the walls. He wandered around, looking at the upright pillars around him with a little regret.

The deterrence and intimidation of these dragon bones was greater than their magical array power. Unfortunately, human alchemy had not reached the extreme, and the full power of the dragon bones had not been exerted.

Otherwise, the castle could have been a terrifying war machine.

Following the feel of the King’s life force, he arrived at the King’s bedroom in the Rose Palace.

The King’s life force was very weak behind the door, and standing outside the door he could hear the dispute between the King and the Duke of Buckingham. The Duke of Buckingham asked the King to receive treatment immediately, but the King believed that the degree of loyalty of the doctors in Metzl City was hard to determine.

Standing in front of the door, the Devil straightened his collar.

After thinking about it, he manifested a bunch of red roses. After doing this, the Devil reached out and touched the closed door.

Like a tide, the black mist penetrated through the gaps in the door, avoiding the rose reliefs. After waiting for a while, the arguing in the room gradually subsided, and then there was complete silence.

The Devil was so ecstatic that he wanted to hum a little tune. He held the bouquet of red roses and opened the door.

The Duke of Buckingham in the red cloak was lying beside the King’s bed. His beautiful Majesty lay quietly on the bed. The cold moonlight slanted through the window and shone on the King’s face, which appeared as pale as paper.

“My dear Majesty.”

The Devil briskly walked across the carpet embroidered with dragon and roses, and arrived at the King’s side. There was a faint smell of blood in the air, and the King was wrapped in gauze that was slightly blood soaked.

“Look, didn’t I say so? You have belonged to hell since birth.”

The Devil showed a triumphant smile, and he stepped closer. However, after learning from the previous lesson, the Devil did not reach out to touch the King. Instead, like a most loyal servant, he stood still in front of the King’s bed, waiting.

“Together, with me……”

The Devil’s joyful words came to an abrupt halt.

Because the King suddenly opened his eyes.

“What are you doing here? Mr. Devil.” The King’s ice-blue eyes were too clear, and when the moonlight fell on them they appeared like hidden blades.

“Ah, I’m here to wish good night to Your Majesty.”

The Devil’s smile disappeared. He realized something and immediately concealed his original intentions.

“Am I disturbing you? I will leave now.”

Having said that, the Devil immediately pulled away and tried to get out.

“Having already come, why bother to leave.”

A second voice sounded, and the “Duke of Buckingham” who was lying on the side jumped up. He wore the same scarlet cloak as the Duke of Buckingham, and he also had the iconic silver hair of the Rose family. So combined with a disguised voice, the pretense was very convincing indeed.

Almost at the moment he jumped up, a bright light burst from the carpet embroidered with dragons and roses under their feet, and the air currents became even more violent than. All the pillars and beams in the room once again turned into awe-inspiring dragon bones. The green vine with scarlet roses slid across the ground like snakes.

In just a few breaths, those rose vines were woven into the bones to create a huge cage.

With the Devil trapped in the very center.

“Your habit of getting rid of someone when you no longer have use for them is too delightful, my dear Majesty.”

The Devil sighed. He saw that there was a faint golden glow coming from the rose vines, and immediately guessed where the smell of blood in the air had come from.

The King had awakened the Rose Palace with his own blood, and then disguised the smell of blood as an injury from an assassination attack.

“Compared with you throwing stones at someone who is already down, it doesn’t seem to be too impressive.”

The King sat up, untied the gauze on his body, and threw it on the ground. The wound on his hand had healed, and the gauze was used to deceive the Devil.

“Goodbye, Mr. Devil.”

The King stood outside the cage. As he casually put on his outer robe, he smiled and bid farewell to the Devil.

The former knight commander of the Templars raised a strange sterling silver longsword in his hand and was about to plunge it into the ground.

“Wait!”

The Devil immediately raised his hand.

“The Black Plague!! Your Majesty!”

It was a routine behavior of rulers to get rid of people they no longer had use for.

So, naturally, one must hurry before the blade falls down to display more value.

The Devil was very clear, one should not expect His Majesty to have any kindness. Instead, it was more efficient to quickly show his value, otherwise he might really be reduced to a sorry looking state today.

Black Plague.

These two words represented the nightmare and death scythe of the Middle Ages.

As soon as the King made a gesture, the longsword of the former knight commander of the Templars stopped in mid-air.

The magical array also stopped.

“Tell me, regarding the Black Plague that you have mentioned.”

The King looked at the Devil.

“You look as if you are just waiting for me to finish, and then let this gentleman here continue on, am I right, my dear Majesty?”

The Devil watched every change in the King’s expression and asked cordially.

“Should I praise you for your keenness?”

The King spoke regretfully.

“You are truly a natural born scoundrel.”

The Devil sighed sincerely.

Just look at this habit of squeezing every drop of usefulness out of others and then throwing them away afterwards. His dear Majesty did it so smoothly….. Truly, it was too hell-like, too dark-side.

“Should I thank you for your appreciation?”

The King asked calmly, not minding the Devil’s observation of his nature.

“If you want to…..but for my own health, may I ask Your Majesty’s gratitude to be a little bit more reserved?” The Devil looked towards the Knight Templar, “Your Majesty, may I ask that this gentleman take away that precious sword first? It would not be good if a thousand-year-old antique got damaged.”

The former Knight Templar looked askingly at the King.

The King nodded.

A very regretful expression on his face.

…………………………

While the Devil was talking to the King, the Duke of Buckingham stood in front of the Northwest Black Tower.

The guard opened the gate of the tower.

This time the Duke of Buckingham did not hear any singing, and the Mad Queen was much calmer than last time.

The Duke of Buckingham walked in and saw the unkempt woman with her back to him, sitting quietly in the middle of the black tower. In the cold black tower, the dim candle light provided the only illumination. Years of madness had worn away this beautiful woman, but her skinny and ridged back was still held straight, clearly showing her strong will.

This gave the Duke of Buckingham hope that she would get better.

“Eleanor.”

The Duke looked at the Mad Queen.

“Pureland is not dead. He is back. Don’t worry. He has regained the throne….. He will be the pride of the Rose family.”

No matter what, the Mad Queen was still the King’s mother, and the Duke of Buckingham believed that it was his responsibility to tell her about the King.

At the same time, he also hoped that news of her son could gradually make her better.

The Mad Queen was silent for a long time.

Just when the Duke of Buckingham was about to leave as usual, she suddenly said quietly: “I want to see him.”

This was the first time she spoke so calmly.

She seemed to be quite aware and sane.

But towards her request, the Duke of Buckingham was stuck in a dilemma. He could not be sure whether the Mad Queen who lost her mind would harm the King or not.

“Don’t worry about me hurting him.” The Queen noticed his hesitation. Her back remained facing the Duke of Buckingham as she raised her head, her voice hoarse and full of restrained anger, “No one in this world loves him more than me! He is my child! My child!!”

“If you are worried, then arrange for him to pass here, and I can just look at him from a distance. Let me see him!”

The Queen’s voice became fierce again, revealing a forceful and unyielding strength.

She was originally the illustrious Queen of Iron and Blood.

“Alright.”

The Duke of Buckingham finally agreed.

The ancestors of the Rose family, please bless her so that she may get better.

The Duke of Buckingham left, and once again only the Mad Queen was left in the tower, the candlelight flickering and dancing on her bony frame. She raised her head and laughed loudly: “My child! Pureland! My child! My child!”

The blood and tears rolled down her astonishingly thin cheeks, and those green orbs were filled with endless despair and murderous intent.

She had her back to the Duke of Buckingham, and where the Duke did not see, she gripped a piece of black iron in her hand.

It was a small piece of black iron knocked down after countless collisions of the iron chains. The Mad Queen who could guard the palace for her husband had grinded it into a terrifying sharp blade with the same tenacity she had back then as she stood guard over the empire in her armor.

In the end, the Duke of Buckingham had still underestimated the Mad Queen.

She spent more than ten years, little by little and with much difficulty to finally forge a sharp blade!

Fingers that appeared like only skin and bones stroked the cold blade little by little. The blade cut her fingers, and the blood slid along the smooth surface of the blade but she didn’t care.

The Queen hummed a lullaby softly, as if returning to the time when the baby was just born and this iron rose warrior queen often gently rocked her son’s cradle.

Her child, her Pureland.

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Let their carefully planned product of divine grace be buried with her child!

The Mad Queen raised her head, the blood on the tip of the blade dripping to the ground.

The candle light in the black tower fell down on her from above. Her eyes were empty as she sat on the icy ground, like an indestructible statue.

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Before seeing the professionals that the Duke of Buckingham would bring for the King, the King first met another person.

General Edmund of Ingres.

This time, that the King’s plan could be carried out so smoothly was largely due to the State of Ingres. After the King’s second coronation was completed, they followed the King’s will to clean up the city of Metzl, and completely root out the remnants of Grice’s confidantes.

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Of course, there was no such thing as a free meal in this world.

The Ingres’ willingness to exert such great efforts in quelling the rebellion would naturally not be out of loyalty.

The King and Ingres had agreed on certain terms for their cooperation.

“Thanks to the Lord’s blessing, I have fulfilled your orders, Your Majesty.”

General Edmund humbly saluted the King, his heart still with many hesitations at this time.

Because what followed would test the results of Ingres’ gamble.

“I should be the one to say thank you, sir.”

The young King was holding a thick book in his hands. When General Edmund came in, he glanced at it and found that it was a manuscript of theology and legend. The King closed the heavy yellowed book and spoke to General Edmund gently.

However, General Edmund had seen how the King smiled and dealt with a group of nobles in a gentle tone, so he didn’t dare to treat the King’s gentleness as a matter of fact.

In fact, he was even more nervous.

“Don’t be nervous, General.” The King noticed his mood and said briskly, “You and your soldiers did a great job this time. Maybe you are willing to bring a beautiful iron rose back to the mountains of Ingres? May the friendship between the Rose family and the Leverin family last forever.”

After hearing the King say this, General Edmund’s heart finally settled back in place.

He showed a joyous smile.

The day before yesterday, before the New Royal Party nobles each got a piece of paper that they needed to fill in with a certain amount personally, the Royalist Party wearing iron roses were exempted from the inheritance tax they had to pay before, and each received different rewards. Finally, the King personally conferred upon them new iron rose medals.

Right now, what the King said meant that he intended to fulfill his promise.

“Look at this.”

The King picked up a prepared treaty from the desk and handed it to General Edmund.

General Edmund took it with both hands and flipped through it quickly, the smile on his face becoming bigger and bigger.

Observing his reaction, the King had a clearer judgment of Ingres’ current situation——it seemed to be worse than he expected.

“Ingres’ one-year tariff cannot afford a button on the sleeve of the King of Legrand”, this sentence was a joke for others, but it was a deep wound for the Ingres people.

Because they were indeed too poor.

This situation had become more and more serious especially after the passage of the 1134 Penal Law that lowered the Ingres people’s social status. The natural conditions of the mountains and swamps of Ingres inherently restricted their agricultural development. After the passage of the Penal Law in 1134, Ingres not only had a low status, but also lost the right to trade with the Legrand borders.

The bazaars on the borders were all evacuated and replaced by military defense castles. The Legrand royal family had pulled up an invisible but present blockade on the border of Ingres.

They were trapped in the mountains.

For 300 years, the Ingres people had been trying to use force to break out of this blockade, but the population density of Ingres was extremely low due to the harsh natural conditions. So even if they relied on military bravery to achieve a temporary victory, they would still quickly be forced to retreat. Three hundred years was enough time for certain things to become a habit.

For example, people subconsciously rejected and looked down on the people of Ingres.

They were considered barbarians.

This time, the King of Ingres sent General Edmund who knew Legrand’s etiquette for this reason. He wanted to show people that:

Ingres was not a place of barbarians.

The King knew and targeted the sore spot of Ingres.

He learned about the current affairs in Ingres from his memory.

In the past few years, Ingres’ rebellious behavior still existed, but during the armed conflict, their slaughter of villages had been greatly reduced, and they did not directly kill prisoners of war as they did in the past. Instead, they chose to carry out a ransom transaction with Legrand. This was actually a signal displayed by Ingres.

They were seeking readmission into civilized society.

But before that, Legrand people simply didn’t care about these things at all.

The King was willing to give Ingres this opportunity.

If Ingres sent elite soldiers to help the King quell this rebellion, then the commercial gates on the borders would be reopened for the people of Ingres, and Ingres’ trees could once again appear on the market, and at the same time they could re-negotiate the 1134 Penal Law.

“…..Legrand’s 36 states are part of a whole, and under the glory of the Holy Lord, Legrand’s people may have conflict with each other, but we are still like brothers…..”

This was the original wording in the King’s letter.

When necessary, the King did not mind using the name of the Holy Lord when it suited him.

The knight commander responsible for delivering the letter was undoubtedly strong proof. He was a member of the Ingres royal family, but the King accepted him and appointed him as his extremely important knight commander of his vow knights.

The King of Ingres hesitated for a long time, but looking at the vow knight commander, he finally made up his mind to take the gamble.

Here, they must thank Grand Duke Grice once again.

——In the past few decades, in order to win a good reputation, his attitude towards the Ingres people was known to be very tough.

The King now felt that Grand Duke Grice was truly a dear fellow, just look at how much he had helped him unknowingly.

Looking at the figure of General Edmund leaving with joy, the King thoughtfully summoned his vow knight commander.

After some inquiries, the King confirmed his conjecture.

The situation in Ingres this year was really terrible. They were met with a terrible cold spell…..If the King did not send the letter, then they might have even taken the initiative to bow to the royal family of Legrand.

“Natural disasters.”

The King seemed to say with sympathy.

He knew what he should do afterwards.

……………………

Before leaving Metzl with the agreement, General Edmund left half of his soldiers for the King to show Ingres’ sincerity.

Not long after he left, the King saw the person he wanted to meet.

A knight commander of the Templars who came from the Rose family——of course, a former one.

The former knight commander of the Templars left the holy court three years ago under the reason “when he was fighting for the Holy Lord, he suffered a serious injury that could not recover, and he hoped to die on the land of Legrand” and returned to Legrand. According to the Duke of Buckingham, it seemed that he had been responsible for driving away the dark creatures around Metzl over the years.

“You don’t look like you are seriously injured or dying.”

The King looked at the former Knight Templar in front of him with great interest.

“Of course, Your Majesty.” The former Knight Templar seemed to have a good impression of the infamous King. He winked at the King happily and replied, “You can’t expect true members of the Rose family to dedicate themselves to the holy court and pledge loyalty, can you?”

“Then you must really despise Grand Duke Grice?”

The King asked with a smile.

“If that kind of stupid fool who wagged his tail at the holy court actually won through his vile methods, then even if it violated the Code, I would still chop off his head and throw it into the Abyss Strait.”

The former Knight Templar replied with his back straight, the killing intent in his tone showing that his words were not an ingratiating remark, but a belief he persisted in upholding.

The King understood.

It seemed that the enmity between the Rose family and the holy court didn’t seem to have started with Pureland, but actually had a long history.

“What is a violation of the Code?”

The King asked quietly.

“Hmm…..” The former Knight Templar showed a hesitant look, “Please forgive my concealment, Your Majesty. Due to some constraints, I cannot explain to you in detail, but I can tell you, those like us, like those dark creatures, can not appear on the mundane battlefield with integrity.”

The King’s fingertips pressed together, and recalled back to that day he had asked the Devil and got a similar answer.

What constraints could exist in this world.

“Then, let’s talk about the main topic…..” The King temporarily suppressed his speculations, “How can one deal with a powerful devil?”

“May I know the name of that devil?” the former Templar asked, and immediately added, “I apologize, I have no intentions of spying on your secrets, but according to the natural laws of darkness, the name itself symbolizes power. Not their claimed name, but the name they presented on the contract, which cannot be hidden.”

The King was silent for a while.

“What would be the reason for the name of a devil to be hidden in the contract?”

The former Templar was also silent for a while, and cautiously formed his words: “I can only think of one possibility, because he is old enough that even the name itself is a taboo.”

Even the name itself is a taboo?

The King thought about what the Devil looked like in front of him, and couldn’t connect the possibility with that guy.

“Then that means this is beyond your scope?”

“It will be very difficult to deal with.” The former Knight Templar replied frankly, but then he added, “However, your Majesty, we are now in the Rose Palace. Here, the descendants of the Dragon Killer are the real masters.”

“Descendants of the Dragon Killer?”

The King raised an eyebrow slightly.

“I always thought it was just a legend.”

“No, Your Majesty.” The former Templar stood up, “Please look…..”

He walked to the columns in the room and smeared them with his own blood one by one. As the blood seeped into the embossed pillars, the King began to hear a rumbling sound——gradually a strong air current hovered in the room, carrying with it an ancient and enormous echo.

The King stood up and saw that the reliefs seemed to become hovering rose vines.

The legend of the origin of the Rose family came to the mind of the King.

The people who slaughtered the evil dragon, established their own kingdom in the place where the bones of the dragon were buried.

The burial place of the dragon’s bones, the Rose Palace, which was the heart of Legrand…..heart…..

The answer was ready to come out.

“Yes! Your Majesty!”

The former Knight Templar stood in the center of the room, his hands smeared with blood, but he didn’t care. Every pillar in the room was stained with blood.

He stood up straight, spread his arms and proudly let the King witness the miraculous scene with his own eyes.

In the eyes of the King, the pillars and beams of the room all changed. They were no longer cold rock, but awe-inspiring, enormous bones.

“This is the heart of the dragon! This is not a legend! Your Majesty!”

It seemed as if the breathing of a giant dragon traveled over thousands of years to reach their ears, and the King’s robe flapped violently in the intense flow of air.

Ancient legend was intertwined with real history at this moment, and a family stood proudly in the torrent of that time. This group of people marked by the rose had built Legrand on the bones of the dragon.

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This was a truly arrogant and fearless family of lunatics.

After they slaughtered the dragon, they built a mortal palace in the very center of its heart!

“This is glory!”

“The glory of the Rose family!”

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