The King received his cousin, General Johan.

The redemption of General Johan was really full of twists and turns. First, the noble inheritance tax was collected, and then the Rose Crisis interrupted the collection of money. Then when the civil strife was settled, and the nobles handed over their money, the Five Port Alliance’s resistance broke out. During the resistance movement, the Bressi Expeditionary Army also tried to take advantage.

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

From September to the end of winter, the general who was closely related to the King was finally able to return to the capital Metzl.

The return of General Johan was very low-key.

After careful consideration, the King chose a time when the Duke of Buckingham would not be in the Rose Palace to let General Johan come see him.

General Johan was eight years older than the King. When he first became a knight, he was thrown on the battlefield by the Duke of Buckingham. He did not become a general by relying on his honorable status. He became a general by relying on his military exploits. General Johan’s silvery blonde hair, which was the symbol of the Rose family, appeared a little unruly in its tied back hairstyle, which made him look like a young lion.

“Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty.”

Now this young lion was quite depressed. He knelt down in front of the King and spoke with a low voice.

“My breach of responsibility brought disaster to Legrand, please punish me.”

He leaned down and pressed his forehead to the ground.

“You indeed failed to carry out your duty.”

The King’s voice came from above, accompanied by the sound of careless turning of the pages of a book.

General Johan did not defend himself at all, and the guilt almost overwhelmed the young general.

“Twenty thousand pounds.” The King chuckled lowly. “The loss caused by your failure is as high as twenty thousand pounds. Is the price high enough?”

“I have failed your trust.”

General Johan answered in pain.

With a “slam”, the book in the King’s hand was closed heavily by him, and the gentle and soft voice suddenly became cold and sharp.

“Do you think 20,000 pounds is high enough? No, it’s far more than that.”

“I ask you to deprive me of all titles, but please allow me to continue to serve you. Your Majesty.”

General Johan answered in a low voice.

“Do you think this is enough?”

The King’s voice was filled with anger.

He put down the book, stood up, and walked to General Johan’s side.

“You almost made an old man lose the continuity of his life, his beloved son, you almost made a king lose his powerful general, you almost made Legrand lose its indestructible barrier, and you almost made a person who originally did not have all that many people who can be trusted to lose his respected brother.”

General Johan suddenly raised his head and looked at the King in a daze.

The King squatted down in front of him, with his hands on his knees, his icy blue eyes filled with anger: “Now, you tell me, do you think that your mistake is enough for 20,000 pounds?”

General Johan looked at him blankly.

The King stretched out his hand.

He immediately held the King’s hand tightly. The poor general probably blamed Legrand’s unrest during this period on his defeat, and his guilt almost overwhelmed him. He held the King’s hand tightly, unable to say anything for a while.

If the soldiers under General Johan saw him like this, they would likely be too surprised to speak.

The King sighed in his heart.

He already learned about General Johan’s behavior during this period of time from other defeated and captured prisoners of war who were released together. After being captured, the Bressi Expeditionary Army had to spend a lot of effort on how to prevent General Johan from committing suicide.

Before Johan even arrived at the palace, the King had been thinking about how to handle today’s meeting for a long time.

“You made me have no choice but to choose a gentleman who wanted to kill me before as my general. This is your fault.”

The King said softly.

He stretched out his hand, and gave his cousin a light hug, just like the Duke of Buckingham had embraced him.

“You must repay me with a stronger army. This is what you should do.”

“I will, I will, Your Majesty.”

General Johan repeated hurriedly, his sky blue eyes were wet, as if washed by rain.

The King felt momentarily awkward. He released him and returned to his seat: “Now, please tell me about the Battle of Bouvin. Even if you have doubts about yourself, please don’t doubt the teachings of your uncle these many years. I don’t believe your failure is so simple.”

The King pointed to another chair next to him and motioned to General Johan to take a seat.

Mentioning the Battle of Bouvin, General Johan’s eyes became clouded over. Obviously during this time, he had also been thinking about that battle again and again.

“Someone betrayed us.” He said in a low voice, “But this is not the most important point…..I wonder how they foresaw my actions.”

This doubt seemed to have troubled General Johan for a long time.

The timing of the arrival of the Bressi Expeditionary Army was too good. It was after Legrand had just experienced rebellion in two places. The Duke of Buckingham originally wanted to lead the troops himself, but due to the domestic situation, he had to stay behind.

After General Johan arrived on the battle line, he deployed tight defensive measures.

There were three lines of defense, and the Moon River Fortress was on the last one. General Johan himself was facing the first front of the Bressi Expeditionary Force and he did not blindly defend. Before the Bressi Expeditionary Army had a firm foothold, he sent two teams, one going north along the Doma River and attacking the Bressi Expeditionary Army stationed in Cassien. They attacked the port where the Bressi Expeditionary Army landed, trying to cut off their supply lines.

The front-line army of Cassien won a lot of victories, which prevented the Bressi Expeditionary Army from directly launching an offensive for a while. The attack on the port was not successful, but it also played a harassing effect.

Early in the battle everything was very smooth. The Bressi Expeditionary Army was dragged into the quagmire of long-term siege on the castle. General Johan believed that as they had to cross the sea to fight, it was more difficult to withstand the huge expenses and consumption than it was on his side. The King’s victory in the later negotiations also confirmed this point.

However, in the battle of defending the city, betrayal appeared.

The guards of an important castle put down the suspension bridge, and the commander of the Bressi Expedition Army drove in and took General Johan by surprise.

In such critical situations, he made the quickest response and retreated with the core army.

The incident in the first castle made General Johan realize that there were traitors in his army, and there might also be problems in the following castles. After a short judgment, General Johan made a decision——”Offense instead of defense.”

He retreated with the army. Halfway through the march, he suddenly led the army to turn around and make a surprise attack on the rear wing of the Bressi Expeditionary Army. This decision was made in the moment by himself under the circumstances at the time, and there was absolutely no possibility of leaks.

——But he encountered an ambush and was only able to escape after a difficult fight.

General Johan knew his opponent, and the leader of the Bressi Expeditionary Army was a general who focused on stability. After he seized the castle, it was impossible for him to divide his forces to intercept his halfway.

After that, in several other key operations, the enemy made precautions in advance.

How did they do that?

General Johan almost questioned his commanding ability.

“I understand what’s going on.”

After listening to General Johan’s statement, the King’s eyes darkened.

“Please do not feel guilty, this is not your fault.”

General Johan looked at him in puzzlement.

The King did not directly explain his meaning. He seemed to be thinking about something before he spoke: “Now, I have an order for you.”

“Please give your instructions.”

“Go and see my uncle, this is an order.”

The King smiled slightly.

………………

After General Johan left, the line of the King’s lips suddenly became straight and extremely cold.

He had a guess.

Making speculation on the enemy’s actions on the battlefield was indeed something that generals did, but the King believed in the ability of General Johan, and he also sensed something particular from those “coincidences.”

If the course of action was not leaked, but the enemy still became aware of it early on, then this kind of “prejudgment” could only be linked to one thing——foresight.

The King thought of the man he saw during the negotiations at the Moon River Fortress, the young astrologer standing next to the General of Bressi.

Allowing a young astrologer to be involved in a war, and the status of the astrologer also appeared to be very high. Why? Because this astrologer, who was easily overlooked, was likely to play an important role in the battle——such as the divination of the enemy’s actions.

The power that did not belong to human beings secretly interfered with the direction of the war.

If this was the case, then there was another hidden shadow behind the Battle of Bouvin——the Holy Court.

Almost all astrologers today were under the control of the Holy Court.

The King leaned back in his chair and began to ponder.

He once asked the Devil whether these non-human forces would directly participate in human wars, and he received a negative answer. The Devil once mentioned “the damn knife over the head” which meant that there was a certain restriction.

Then how should the astrologer at the Battle of Bouvin be explained?

Although the Devil was always full of lies, the information obtained by the King through the former commander of the Knights Templar during this period confirmed that there was indeed a “law” restricting them.

If astrologers were truly able to participate in the war unscrupulously, then other non-human forces would also join——and judging from the history of Legrand and the history of other countries, this was undoubtedly impossible.

Then there was only one explanation:

Through some means, the Holy Court bypassed the “law” and indirectly intervened in the war.

The King must know, what kind of price was required of such a method? This was related to the following war, whether the King would face an enemy who could always predict his actions indefinitely.

He summoned Mr. Astrologer from the Lunatic Academy of Sciences.

After listening to the King’s question, Mr. Astrologer showed a look of astonishment: “Which astrologers are willing to lose their lives like this?”

The King got his answer.

The divination of astrologers was often vague and unclear. If one wanted to achieve such accurate divination, one must be assisted with some special items, and needed to gather the power of many powerful astrologers to make the divination clear. All the abilities of these astrologers would then be transferred to one specific astrologer.

The cost of this ability was so huge that it was unimaginable.

What was more important was the “punishment” that would follow.

Regarding what was the “punishment” the astrologers had to face, Mr. Astrologer’s words were vague due to the existence of certain restrictions, but they still clearly informed the King——once this was done, all participating astrologers would definitely die.

After Mr. Astrologer left, the King raised his hand and rubbed his forehead.

He had a headache, which had been getting worse these days.

He frowned, thinking of the “sacred objects” that the Ross family wanted to use as a bargaining chip with the Holy Court——the Holy Court was collecting holy objects, whether those holy objects were special items needed for this kind of divination, and if so…..

The King’s expression became serious.

The Holy Court, maybe wanted to——

Start a war.

…………………………

Koszoya.

The pirate ship flying the Royal Rose flag sailed along the coast.

Although there was now money, ships could not be built so quickly. Therefore, the King’s fleet was now composed of 40% of the original royal fleet and 40% of pirate ships. The remaining 20% ​​were the remnant ships of the Five Port Alliance that had been confiscated as well as the purchase of some armed merchant ships.

At the beginning, people along the coast and various ports were a little worried, for fear that the pirate ships flying the royal flag would return to their old businesses and blatantly rob people.

However, they soon discovered that the pirates did not abandon their old business, it was just that they were no longer the targets of the robbery.

——But instead the targets were Bressi’s merchant ships and some merchant ships of Florenia.

Legrand had a feud with the former, while the latter…..well, don’t forget that today’s merchant ships were also often engaged in some less than glorious piracy activities. So long as the pirates didn’t attack Legrand’s ships, it didn’t matter who they robbed.

And because of the hostility towards the Bressians, people were quite happy to see those Bressi ships suffer. The figures of Walway pirates thus became active in various ports.

——Who would like to live on the sea if one could drink and have fun?

Because of their openness and generosity, as well as their knowledge of maritime legends, the Walway pirates actually won the support of some young people. The older parents now had to worry about how to stop their own stinky boys from running away with the carefree pirates…..

For this, the King won a…..um…..not so commendable title:

Pirate Monarch.

However, it seemed that the “tyrant” used to describe the King before seemed to also not be a good word?

Pub.

“Pirate Monarch?”

The drunk man with a black hat and a scar on his face raised his beer with one hand and pulled a guy with a bitter face with his other hand. He smiled disdainfully and slapped the table.

“He didn’t even set foot on a pirate ship, what pirate monarch…..Bah, he didn’t even get on a pirate ship, back then…..that bastard, William…..”

The voice of Hawkins, captain of the Walway pirates and admiral of the Royal Fleet, became lower and lower.

With a grunt, he climbed onto the table and lay on it, his arms hanging over the other side of the table.

The Walway sailor who was pulled by him took out his wallet with a pained expression on his face.

——After knowing that the captain became admiral, the pirates gathered on the ship and cheered all night, celebrating that they finally got rid of this crazy and unreliable captain. Even the ghost ships seemed very energetic at the time.

However, after waking up from a hangover the next day.

As soon as they woke up, they were met with a bright smiling face:

“Hey! You actually held such a big party to welcome me. I’m really——so——touched——!”

No! ! No one welcomes you back!

The past was too unbearable to recall.

The pitiful pirate paid the money and dragged Captain Hawkins, who was holding a bottle, along with difficulty. In order to prevent the embarrassment, he pulled off his headscarf and carefully covered his face tightly.

General Sheehan, with an aura of righteousness, pressed the hilt of his sword at his waist so hard the blue veins on the back of his hand jumped out.

Standing at the door, he silently looked at Captain Hawkins, who was dragged by the masked pirate, and felt that his tolerance level was rising in a straight line.

This was his colleague on this mission?

This was the person who would be responsible for the blockade with him?

General Sheehan felt the heavy, depressing, and tragic atmosphere that had been shrouding him on the way before, now instantly shatter into a bunch of cackling crows, cackling and flying away above his head.

General Sheehan took a deep breath and walked in.

He was just about to speak.

Captain Hawkins, who was being pulled by the leg by the sailor, turned over and opened his mouth, letting out an alcohol scented burp directly on General Sheehan’s face, interrupting any self-introduction he was about to make.

General Sheehan:…..

Seriously, could he draw his sword and cut this guy?

An ominous premonition came over him——

The task this time seemed like it would unfold in an abnormal way.

……………………

When the Rose Banner of the Legrand royal family was flying out on the sea, at the Holy Court.

In the magnificent castle of the Holy Court.

The night was deep, and a group of people shrouded in black robes walked in the shadow of the holy light. Their dark robes were uniformly embroidered with blood red and white cross patterns, and a sword was also embroidered on each of their sleeves.

A sword entwined with raging fire.

This announced the identities of these people, and they were the “adjudicators” of the Holy Court.

These people were the other face of the Holy Court.

The Holy Court advocated the “Truce of the Holy Lord” and also said, “Don’t think that I came to call peace on the earth; I did not come to call peace on the earth, but to call the use of swords and soldiers on the earth.”——They were the sword that was tasked with purging all heretics who violated the will of the Holy Lord.

They were the swordsmen of the Holy Court.

The adjudicators quietly walked into a dark iron building.

Another group of silent astrologers gathered here. They sat in every corner of the room, facing a huge crystal ball, their eyes closed. In the middle of the hall, there was a deep pool——it was modeled on the Holy Pond where Clovis stood when he was baptized.

Right now, the pool was full of blood.

“Begin.”

The adjudicators scattered around the Holy Pond. They put the silver crosses into the blood and then sat down around the Holy Pond.

They were implementing the order signed and approved by the Pope and the Cardinal:

A top secret cleansing.

“Holy, holy.” The head of the adjudicators muttered in a deep voice, made a cut in his hand, and let bloody trails fall from his fingertips into the Holy Pond like snakes.

The water in the pool began to bubble.

Not far from the Holy Pond, on a platform with exquisite reliefs, the golden eagle-billed sacred oil bottle shone brilliantly under the flickering light of the fire.

“Holy, holy!”

All the adjudicators spoke in unison, also making a cut on their hands.

The silver crosses in the blood floated up to the surface one after another, standing upright, like a sword slashing downwards.

………………

The Rose Palace. The night was deep.

The King had already rested.

The guards of the palace performed their duties, and the chief of the guards patrolled past the King’s rooms and found nothing unusual.

The King had his eyes closed, and it was not known how long he slept, when suddenly he found himself in the St. Wyth Cathedral.

Was he dreaming?

There were many people in St. Wyth Cathedral, wearing thick black robes, holding crosses and holy books in their hands. Each of them had their heads lowered, and dazzling light fell from the windows on the ribbed vaulting ceilings, the rays of light so white that it made people feel uncomfortable in their hearts.

The King was standing on the red carpet and at the door of St. Wyth Cathedral. He looked at these black-robed priests and felt his head hurt again.

And it began to hurt more and more.

The feeling of thousands of knives cutting him up swept over him again, stronger than ever before, from the inside out. The King involuntarily raised his hand and pressed it against his head firmly——he felt as if his soul was being torn apart.

This pain was familiar but also unfamiliar.

It was as if he had really experienced his soul being torn before.

He gritted his teeth hard to prevent himself from kneeling on the ground due to the sudden burst of pain, and his consciousness gradually faded. When he was awake again, he found himself in the middle of the St. Wyth Cathedral——on the high platform.

The high platform was somewhat similar to the altar where the Grand Duke Grice held his coronation ceremony, but it was not the same.

He was drowning in a pool of blood, and those who were covered in black robes had come to the high platform from the choir and surrounded him. They raised their hands, their sleeves etched with fire and swords, and they all wore pale masks on their faces——except for one.

That person wore a black iron mask on his face.

The person wearing the black iron mask was holding a golden eagle-billed bottle in his hands, and gurgling blood poured out of the eagle’s beak and onto the King’s head.

They were here to kill him!

——This thought appeared in a flash.

The King instinctively wanted to break free from the Holy Pond, but the blood was wrapped around him, and he involuntarily felt that his consciousness was being split apart little by little. The pain gushing from the depths of the soul, the knife-like headaches, converged with the blood pouring from mid-air at this moment.

There was a buzzing sound in his ears.

A premonition.

If he died in this weird dream——if it was a dream——then he would truly be dead!

They, they were here to kill him!

Familiar feelings overlapped, everyone wanted him to die…..Those people, the people who were surrounding him at this moment! They had been entwining themselves around him like shadows for more than ten years, just to make him die completely!

It was these people!

The anger was intertwined with the feeling of having his soul tear and shatter, and the King tried hard to lift his hand from the water.

——Those royal family members who survived with gritted their teeth roared past in his mind.

He didn’t want to die!

“Holy, holy! Sword of Ten Thousand Armies!”

The man holding the golden eagle-billed bottle chanted in a deep voice.

“Holy, holy! Sword of Ten Thousand Armies!”

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

The other people in black robes stretched out their hands, and the fire on their sleeves burst into flames, and they each grabbed a long sword out from the fire.

The King was surrounded by blood, his pupils reflecting the long swords slashing down towards him.

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Prev

It was foggy out at sea today.

The outline of the mast gradually emerged in the fog. The first ship approached the reef, and then three more ships sailed out of the darkness.

The anchor was dropped.

The ship stopped some distance from the coast and had no plans to dock. Charles, with a professorial temperament, appeared at the bow of the ship. With him was a witch wearing a peaked cap and had a crow on her shoulder.

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

“Is this distance enough?”

Charles asked the witch.

After being “pardoned” by the King, the envoy ship from hell that originally cursed them now became a new addition to the Walway pirates’ ghost ships. Charles took a group of Walway pirate elites, and sailed a ghost ship across the Abyss Strait to explore for the King.

In order to avoid being spotted by the ships of Bressi and the Holy Court, they only sailed at night. After arriving at the east side of the Abyss Strait, they continued to advance southeast, bypassing the Gulf of Noginia and boldly entering the Hopeless sea which was under the great influence of the Holy Court.

At this time they were in the waters of the Kingdom of Ayr, which was at the junction of the mainland.

According to the calculation of the witch during this period, if the Black Death really broke out, here in the east would be its source.

The sea breeze lifted the witch’s hood. Under the hood was a face with profound facial features. She had dark purple swept across the ends of her eyes, which contrasted with abnormally pale skin. The witch put on a pair of thick glasses and looked towards the city that faintly appeared in her field of vision for a moment, before nodding.

“Let’s begin.”

Charles had a feeling in his heart.

The place they chose was relatively concealed, and they could see the faint outline of that side of the port——which was very quiet, with boats moored and no moving figures at all on the dock, as if they were all in deep sleep.

The witch raised her hand.

The crow fluttered its wings and flew up.

Her dark green pupils enlarged slightly, connecting the crow’s eyes with her own.

The sea breeze was blowing, and the crow circled high in the air twice. After determining the direction, it flew towards the city of Florenia.

The city was dead silent, the church bells did not ring, and there was none of the noise that a city should have. Looking down from a high altitude, scattered figures stumbling towards the mountains and plains could be seen. Some of these running people just fell to the ground and couldn’t get up anymore.

The crow lowered the altitude of its flight.

The dark red eyes reflected a cemetery not far from the city——if it could be called a cemetery——many trenches were dug in the wilderness, and hundreds of corpses were piled up inside like goods. Some of these trenches were just thinly covered with a light layer of soil, but more corpses were directly exposed to the air.

There were also some hearses lying on the side, the dead bodies inside yet to be unloaded.

Because the undertaker did not have time to finish his work, having died next to his own hearse.

The crow flew into the city.

Many houses had their doors and windows wide open, and the owner of the house and any guests had either died or just died, with no one to carry their bodies away to be buried. Corpses were also lying out in the streets. Occasionally, a few hermit priests in the city of Florenia wearing dark robes and holding crosses praying over those terrible looking patients who were about to die.

The patients groaned in pain.

Some of them were covered with lumps as big as eggs, and some were covered with dense carbuncles. The patients shouted weakly while vomiting black blood. The priests, nuns and doctors in charge of taking care of the patients all looked bleak.

Some people begged the few pedestrians passing by to help bury the bodies.

The crow flew lower and listened clearly to what those people were saying.

“Help us send the corpse to the tomb!” They were almost crying, “If we die, someone will come to carry it!”[1]

The crow hovered and landed on the window of the newly deceased patient’s house. It tilted its head slightly. In the dimly lit room, a woman had just died. Her child was scratching at the lumps on her body and rolling on the ground painfully. Putrid breaths exhaled out of her mouth with the black blood.

The crow fluttered its wings and flew up again.

Just after flying a little bit, the crow suddenly fell straight down from mid-air.

It also died.

………

On board the ship.

The pupils of the witch suddenly regained their clarity.

“How was it?”

Charles asked immediately.

“The city is dead.” The witch replied concisely.

A huge gloom shrouded them, and Charles stared at the dead city not far away, letting out a sigh after a while.

“Return to sailing.”

He ordered.

Under the leadership of the hell envoy ship, the three ghost ships quietly retreated into the mist as they did when they came. And when they sailed out a certain distance, they came across a merchant ship with the sign of a certain chamber of commerce emblazoned on the sails in front of them.

The merchant ship had sailed out of the city port where the plague broke out, struggling to escape from this cursed place.

“Charles.” The witch stared at the ship with thick glasses, “That ship has been infected by the plague.”

Charles frowned slightly: “All?”

“Some people are still alive, very few, but they won’t be able to live long.” The witch stated.

A cold and terrifying meaning was revealed in those concise words.

“Give it a final sending off.”

Charles, the elegant pirate first mate, was silent for a moment before he made a decision.

There was no objection.

The trebuchet obtained from the Five Port Alliance was set up on the envoy ship, and the boulder whistled through the air and smashed into the desperately fleeing epidemic ship. The merchant ship was not big, and most of the sailors on it had died. The hell envoy ship and the ghost ships were some distance from it, but still sunk it easily.

The ship infected by the plague sank, and the sick, the corpses, and still alive struggling people were all swallowed by the sea.

Charles and the witch stood on the bow, watching this scene in silence.

Their hearts sank slowly.

The Black Death.

The great plague, the great disaster, had come.

………………

“…..The plague appeared in the eastern city of the Hopeless Inland Sea. When we arrived, there were already places that were turned into dead cities due to the plague. At present, the plague has not spread out quickly because the initial contact between these places and the outside world was not frequent, but it will be soon.

On the way back, we sank several epidemic ships. In order to avoid attracting attention, we could not do more.

………

The plague is spreading, and once it reaches the intersection of the Hopeless Inland Sea and the Abyss Strait, it will be the moment of the major outbreak……Griselda has already understood what the “flock of fish” in the prophecy refers to——that is the death that spreads from the Hopeless Inland Sea to the outside.

Your Majesty, may God bless Legrand.”

………

The King finished reading the letter that Charles sent back quickly from the sea by special means.

Charles had tried his best to write the letter calmly, but the pain and sorrow of the Black Death still involuntarily flowed out of his writing ——this was a disaster.

The King lightly rubbed his forehead, his head starting to ache again. Perhaps Charles’s somber tone had infected him.

Although the King had tried his best to think about what the Black Death could mean, there were some things that could only be seen in person in order to image its terrifying qualities.

“What are you worried about? My dear Majesty.”

The Devil’s cheerful voice sounded, and black mist flowed into the room. The Devil, wearing a black formal wear and a red rose tucked on the front of his coat, came out of the shadows.

“I feel your dissatisfaction with me…..How did I upset you?”

He stretched out his hand to press it against his chest, and bowed to the King in salutations.

“The Black Death has appeared.” The King’s eyes still rested on the letter paper in his hand, “Do you have any explanation for this? Mr. Devil who is full of lies.”

“My dear Majesty, you cannot condemn a knight who has done his duty for you in such a way.” The Devil was very calm, he smiled, “I have never deceived you, you see, isn’t the complete outbreak of the Black Death going to be in January?”

“You are really a brilliant artist of language, Mr. Devil.”

“Thank you for your praise?”

“So the solution you spoke of is to wait until the plague breaks out in Legrand in order to solve it, am I right?” The King passed over the issue about the time of the outbreak of the Black Death, and went straight to the crux of the matter.

“Ah…..” The Devil who was exposed spread his hands helplessly, “Why must you be so keen.”

“You are indeed a typical representative of hell. Should I put countless question marks on everything you say? Should I invite my former Commander of the Knight Templars again?” The King asked softly, “A knight like you is truly deserving of being the number one hell knight.”

“This is for your benefit, Your Majesty.”

The Devil retracted his smile slightly.

“I am afraid that the credibility of your words is worth less than a penny.”

“You have wronged me.” The Devil’s smile faded, and he walked closer to the King. “Aren’t you planning to close the customs? But do you think those selfish humans——those short-sighted ants would be grateful to you?”

He let out a cold laugh, laced through with undisguised sarcasm.

“Ah, my dear Majesty, you are willing to save their lives, but just look at them, they won’t appreciate your greatness…..What would they say? They would say! It’s all that violent tyrant of a king, he is responsible for my bankruptcy, making us impoverished and forcing us to starve to death!”

“Let me think about what else there will be. When you have blocked off all the ships, how many saints will there be——Aha! Saints!——who would jump out and accuse you of being coldblooded!…..You blocked the plague for them, but as long as they don’t see those deaths with their own eyes and stay behind the warm safety line from beginning to end, they may not be all that grateful to you.”

His voice was not as frivolous as it used to be, but rather mocking.

It seemed that there was a deep hatred hidden under his ridicule.

“How rare. Are you actually feeling angry about injustice?” The King caught the hatred for something hidden in the Devil’s words, but he couldn’t figure out where it came from. “This is rather incongruous to your usual image.”

“Your Majesty, how is there any incongruence?” The Devil said softly, and he knelt down on one knee in front of the King. “If you want, I am willing to do anything for you…..Who else is more loyal to you than me?”

No need for kindness, no need for a bottom line, no need for right or wrong, no need for any kind of reason…..

Apart from the Devil, who could serve you so insanely loyally?

Something flowed in the air, carrying the turbulent secrets in its undercurrent.

The King and the Devil looked at each other. The Devil had a mask-like smile on his face.

“That said, I still have to compliment you for your painstaking efforts?”

The King frowned and looked away.

“If you want to.” The cold hatred in the words just now seemed to be just an illusion, and the Devil’s tone lightened up again. He smiled, “Look, I’ve painstakingly thought it over for you…..in any case all the countries that are hostile to Legrand are harassed by the Black Death.”

“Everyone is dying, so wouldn’t it be more beneficial for you to let the Black Death break out in the southeast for a little bit?”

The Devil tried his best to convince his Majesty.

“It only needs to break out for a period of time, which not only prevents Legrand from attracting envy from other countries, but also allows you to do things you want to do next more smoothly. Isn’t that good?”

“What do I want to do next?”

The King asked back.

“Aren’t you trying to take back the power from those stupid nobles?” The Devil laughed and said sincerely, “Look, simply wait for the Black Death to take away some people, for the tenant serfs who are dominated by the manor lords to be even more powerful. And then with just a slight push from you, you can make those old fuddies forever disappear from Legrand’s stage.”

“Without the foundation of the manor, what do they have to make trouble for you?”

“You are so smart, naturally you would know the changes brought about by the reduction of manpower? How naturally and easily you can promote the emergence of new production systems, your ideas…..the big factory, steam engine, gunpowder, it will all be several times easier to realize in Legrand.”

“The old chambers of commerce in the Southeast will completely die out, but your Free Chamber of Commerce can be re-established and become a chamber of commerce that will completely control the ports. All ships will only fly your flag, and only your will shall be the direction that guides the ships. If you want, I am also willing to help in opening up your new trade routes.”

“At that time, from the Hopeless Inland Sea to the Abyss Strait, only your ships will be able to weave a net of power and commerce.”

“You see, all this is the benefit of this plague, and you just need to treat it as if you don’t know anything, let it erupt on the land for a few days, and then let me solve it for you.”

“Isn’t this the most advantageous option?”

The Devil was the most excellent persuader in the world.

He sketched out the shadows of the grand plan, peeked into the human heart all that it wanted to achieve and realize, and then put all the tempting interests on the table one by one.

The King clearly understood one thing.

Regarding the Black Death outbreak, the changes that would be brought about after the mass death of the population…..the benefits. The Devil did not lie, this was indeed the case.

“Hell is willing to serve your empire, my dear Majesty.”

The Devil was smiling.

“I do not need it.”

The King lowered his eyes and said slowly.

The smile on the face of the Devil faded.

The King’s icy blue eyes made contact with his own.

The Devil sighed in distress, “Why do you need to choose a thankless road of infamy? My dear Majesty.”

“Because I don’t need it.”

“You are too proud. The people of Legrand should be grateful that they have a King like you.” He stood up like he was making a compromise, and bent slightly. “Well then…..As you wish, the Black Death will not break out in the lands of Legrand.”

………………

General Sheehan and his first Iron Rose Cavalry were about to arrive in Koszoya.

He was terribly silent along the way, even feeling a little lost.

His subordinate followed him, not knowing what he was thinking, and could only alert him that they had arrived when Koszoya appeared in front of them.

General Sheehan raised his head and looked at the city that appeared in front of him with a complex expression.

This time, only a few people know the real purpose of the army’s arrival here, and General Sheehan was one of them.

Before departure, the Duke of Buckingham met him and told him the true purpose of the trip——he must assist in the blockade of the city. All those who obstructed the blockade of the sea were to be put to death regardless of their identity or reasons.

“I know that justice is above everything else in your heart.”

In the cold winter wind, the Duke of Buckingham sat face to face with him.

He deeply respected the old man who had guarded Legrand for many years, so he remained silent.

“Block the harbour and behead all those who oppose. Many of those who oppose will be innocent. They have never stolen, never killed or robbed. They abide by the law. They just want to prevent their goods from rotting in vain, so that his wife and children would not starve to death.”

The Duke of Buckingham said lightly, his voice low.

General Sheehan did not answer.

“I once told His Majesty that you are too idealistic.” The Duke of Buckingham sighed, “You think that the duty of the knight is to guard and not to slaughter, for justice, not for crime, yes?”

“If the person wearing armor and holding a sword does not protect the weak, what qualifications does he have to be called a knight?” General Sheehan finally said, “Isn’t this the vow we swore when we were knighted?”

“His Majesty’s evaluation of you is correct.”

The Duke of Buckingham smiled faintly.

“What do you think of my royal brother, William?”

General Sheehan solemnly replied: “He is a hero of Legrand, a promising and great monarch.”

In his view, it was William III who unified the 36 states and ended the chaos of endless war.

“Heroic? Promising? Great?” The Duke of Buckingham said again, “You are correct in saying that he is promising, but heroic? Great? These are not words that can be used to describe a king.”

General Sheehan looked at the Duke of Buckingham with confusion. With the relationship between the Duke of Buckingham and William III, it was impossible that he would show contempt for his brother.

“Do you know about the Battle of Cassien?” The Duke did not explain, but asked instead.

“Yes.”

General Sheehan replied.

That was a battle that took place in the third year after William III’s coronation. All those who admired William III would remember it in their hearts.

“That time I went to battle with him.” The Duke’s thoughts seemed to have returned to a long time ago. “Our enemy was the Northern Alliance Army supported by Bressi. Less than seven thousand on our side while the enemy had fifteen thousand.”

The Legrand people knew that in that battle, William III and the Duke of Buckingham defeated the strong while being much weaker and shattered Bressi’s plan to invade through the rebellion in one fell swoop.

When the news of the victory came back to Metzl, people were ecstatic and celebrated on the streets, shouting “God Bless Legrand” and “God Bless My King”.

The court poets wrote odes of admiration: “There has never been a King of Legrand who managed to turn the tide and achieve such an important victory in such a dangerous situation. He guarded Legrand’s freedom and prevented all the people of Legrand from being reduced to subjugated slaves. When he returned with great glory and victory, and this kingdom only bows to him.”

“Is this not great enough, not heroic enough?”

General Sheehan asked in puzzlement.

“The only thing that is remembered by the people is the glorious side.” The Duke of Buckingham said lightly. “At the end of the battle, we had less than two thousand people left, and there were more than two thousand prisoners of war and wounded enemy soldiers. Do you know what order he gave at that time?”

“What?”

General Sheehan suddenly became nervous.

“He ordered the killing of all prisoners of war.”

The Duke of Buckingham said slowly.

General Sheehan looked at him in astonishment.

Killing all the surrendered prisoners of war and the immobilized wounded…..This was an order that could only be described as “cruel and ruthless”. The spirit of the knight and the basic human morality were trampled by such an order.

The Duke of Buckingham closed his eyes slightly.

He seemed to have gone back a long time ago, when he was still young, and followed his royal brother onto the battlefield. He watched William take the longbow in his own hand, drew the bowstring, and shot and killed the first wounded and groaning man in the mud——his royal brother, who was such a proud knight, took the lead and violated the principle of “not bullying the weak.”

So everyone picked up their weapons in silence, and swung their butcher knives at the enemy who had already put down their weapons.

“Kill prisoners of war, kill the wounded.”

The Duke of Buckingham opened his eyes abruptly, and his voice was deep and powerful.

“Yes, this is cold, ruthless, and contrary to justice.”

General Sheehan sat there, his body cold all over, feeling that the heroic image he admired in his heart gradually collapsing.

“But what can we do? Legrand’s army had only two thousand people left, and we had less than a day’s ration. Could we take them with us? Could we guarantee that they would not rebel again?”

“Behind us was Legrand’s royal city. We were surrounded by countless dead comrades-in-arms. Could we risk losing our country because of a little justice?”

The Duke of Buckingham asked General Sheehan aggressively.

General Sheehan was speechless.

“It was His Majesty who ordered the closure of customs, because he is the King of Legrand. People in the future will only remember what order the cold and ruthless King gave during this year, but they will not remember who executed the order. Either infamy or accusation, it will only fall on him.”

The Duke of Buckingham glanced deeply at General Sheehan.

“If the person who is king only upholds justice, who will bear the sins of innocent sacrifices for the people?”

The Duke of Buckingham stood up and patted his shoulder gently: “You are the first general selected by His Majesty. Don’t let him down.”

“Does His Majesty understand what his order represents?”

General Sheehan asked in a low voice.

“He knows better than anyone.”

The Duke of Buckingham turned around and walked into the blizzard.

——Everyone could long for salvation, and anyone could expect to enter paradise, but the King could not.

The King’s robe was destined to be dyed red with blood…..the blood of the innocent, the blood of the enemy, and the blood of his own.

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

“Sheehan? Sheehan?” His subordinate called him twice, “We are here.”

General Sheehan suddenly woke up.

He tightened his hands on the reins hard:

“Let’s go.”

He executed the King’s order.

AN: [1] From the “Pizza Chronicles”, it is a true record of the second pandemic of the Black Death.

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The professors of the Royal Academy of Sciences were experiencing what the King’s officials had experienced some time ago.

The King didn’t care about how they assessed the sewage system in the town, and he simply interrupted their long speeches——the King directly threw them next door to the Lunatic Academy so that they could have a face-to-face debate with Mr. Architect, fellow with the obsessive-compulsive disorder and serious obsession with cleanliness.

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

The two sides argued with each other, and whoever managed to persuade the other would be able to come see the King again.

Before the pitiful professors had even recovered from the joy of meeting the King for the first time, they found that they were now neighbors with a bunch of lunatics.

However, it was estimated that the officials would not be feeling schadenfreude amusement about this, at most they would be sympathetic to each other…..

Because they were once again “invited” over by the King.

The familiar Rose Palace, the familiar royal guards, and the familiar Head of the Households.

This time, the task was to recount the many records left by the Five Port Alliance, and to reassess the large and small chambers of commerce in the southeast of the original Five Port Alliance system…..After hearing the report from the Head of the Households on the King’s request, the officials all slowly sat down on the chairs.

But this time, their luck was better.

Because the main targets being exploited this time were not them.

——But the two remaining family heads of the Five Port Alliance, Patriarch Dawson and Madam Poisonous Spider.

“You don’t seem to have mentioned this habit of His Majesty.”

Madam Poisonous Spider sat in the moving carriage, looking at the writ for a long time, before turning her head slowly to stare at Patriarch Dawson quietly, her voice cold.

Patriarch Dawson faced the same situation.

The both of them were former leaders of the Five Port Alliance, and no one was more familiar with the many southeast ports and chambers of commerce, large and small, than them. Therefore, the task of forming the “Free Chamber of Commerce” was directly placed on their shoulders by the King.

At first, when the two of them had just received the appointment for the chairman of the Free Chamber of Commerce, they thought it would be an honorable task.

At that time, they actually naively thought that the King had seen their contribution in the Battle of Koszoya and planned to reward them.

But when they finally had an audience with the King, and after listening to the King’s hurried and rapid speech listing his requirements, the expressions of the two people froze on their faces.

They were really just the former leaders of the Five Port Alliance…..

“I believe in your abilities.”

At that time, the King said this with a smile on his face.

Patriarch Dawson, who almost developed a psychological shadow in regards to the King’s smile, broke down in a cold sweat. In his interpretation, the King’s words should be translated as followed:

——If you can’t do this well, then prepare to go to the guillotine.

“What habit?”

Patriarch Dawson was currently looking through the urgently recorded list of the King’s request when he heard the words of Madam Poisonous Spider, and raised his head blankly.

“Making the best use of everything.”

Madam Poisonous Spider said quietly.

Patriarch Dawson, one of the “things” made use of by the King, couldn’t find words to respond for a while.

Outside the carriage, accompanying the two family heads back to the southeast coast, was a cavalry led by a vow knight of the King.

They represented the King’s will, both to help the patriarch Dawson and Madam Poisonous Spider suppress the local nobles, and to monitor the two family heads. Once they were in the process of forming the Free Chamber of Commerce, and committed “mistakes” they shouldn’t have, then these knights would chop off their heads without hesitation.

“This is our only opportunity.”

Patriarch Dawson rubbed his forehead. The people responsible for the establishment of the Free Chamber of Commerce naturally would not just be the two of them. The King’s officials would also arrive later.

“That is a majesty uncaring of conventions and niceties. He even dared to appoint a pirate like Hawkins as admiral. As long as we perform well enough, we may have more chances to be used for important matters.”

“Thank him for making the best use of everything.”

He concluded.

………………

The King who was accustomed to “making the best use of everything” was currently receiving General Sheehan.

At the meeting of the Moon River Fortress, the Bressi Expeditionary Force appeared to be very unwilling, so the handling of the hostage affairs was very protracted. The King estimated that they had been waiting for the Five Port Alliance Incident to take the opportunity to exert pressure and obtain greater benefits while Legrand was overwhelmed.

But they did not expect the naval battle to end so quickly.

After the collapse of the Five Port Alliance, the Bressi expedition lost the reason for further delay. They finally returned Moon River Fortress and the hostages, and quickly evacuated.

General Johan, who had been detained for several months, would arrive in Metzl City in three days.

Before that, it was General Sheehan who was in charge of the formation of the new army who arrived at the palace earlier than him.

The King listened to General Sheehan’s report.

After the big exchange of blood for the county lords in the parliament, the recruitment of new soldiers was much smoother than before. General Sheehan conducted a second screening from the people selected from various places, and formed the first “Iron Rose” cavalry directly under the King, the number of which was a little more than the King originally expected.

This was good news.

This prototype of a “standing army” had already begun to enter training.

After the King listened to the report, he pondered for a moment, and had General Sheehan take his army to the southeast area immediately.

Regarding where to choose the location of the barracks, the King pondered the map for a while, and finally decided on Koszoya.

Koszoya was the former headquarters of the Five Port Alliance. The cavalry could be used as an excuse to “prevent the remnants of the Five Port Alliance” from making trouble. In this way, suspicion would not be so easily aroused, after all, the King had just experienced two rebellions and being more cautious was in line with common sense.

The King knew that news about the upcoming outbreak of the Black Death must not be leaked out.

Even if the cause of the “Black Death” could, to a certain extent, make people more coordinated and support the King’s series of preparations, at the same time, it would certainly cause widespread panic.

Concealment and prevention were the most appropriate choices.

“I hope you can show me something I want. Sir Sheehan.”

The King watched General Sheehan.

General Sheehan took the order from the King: “I shall follow your orders.”

The first mission to be performed by the King’s Iron Rose Cavalry:

Prepare to impose martial law and blockade on the southeast port cities at any time.

A series of plans that were originally scheduled to take place in a longer period of time were compressed and advanced by the King. With the King as the core, Legrand’s governmental agencies spun like a top.

At this time, people were completely oblivious.

They sat in front of their fires, talking briskly about the King’s newly appointed county lords doing a much better job than before, and hoped that the King’s rage would continue to vent on those useless meat and wine sacks.

They were unaware that the King was pulling a long line of safety for them.

……………………

On the other side of the Abyss Strait, the Holy Court.

From small villages to prosperous cities, the shadow of the cross was everywhere on this side of the Abyss Strait. The churches of the Holy Court often stood in the center of the cities here, and in particular, the Kingdom of Bressi in the north used the emblem of the Holy Court in the palace in great amounts. Compared with Legrand on the other side of the Abyss Strait, the Kingdom of God was more brilliant here.

And even more ubiquitous.

The most glorious place among them was the location of the Holy Court.

The Pope’s Hall.

A person walked into this hall, which was shrouded in the glory and will of God.

The light of the candlelight shone down on him. He was wearing a black priest’s robe and had his head down. Many people had seen him in Legrand. He followed the proud cardinal at that time as if he was his guardian, and he was called “Aynauld” by the other.

However, at this time, he was very different from the time when he accompanied the young cardinal, the illegitimate son of the Pope, to Legrand.

The servant-like humility from him had now faded away, leaving only a black iron-like silence.

After the black priest walked into the hall, the door closed behind him.

The candlelight was brilliant, and all the angels mentioned in the holy book were carved on the walls on both sides. Stone inlay art was used, and it possessed a simplicity as well as magnificence. The spokesperson of the supreme god was currently sitting on his ornate chair, reading the holy book decorated with gold.

“Your Holiness.”

The black priest went to the Pope and knelt down.

“You have arrived.”

The Pope closed the holy book, his tone when speaking to the priest in black was very gentle.

“The astrologers have completed the divination.” The black-clothed priest lowered his head and reported, “The Holy Lord’s armies are coming, and their fiery arrows will point to the criminals.”

The Pope laughed: “I thought there was no one but you and me who would understand my meaning…..Don’t be tactful, we all know that the place where the plague will first break out is the Kingdom of the Lord. You are worried.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

The black priest fell silent for a moment.

“The plague a thousand years ago allowed us to establish the Kingdom of God on the other side of the Abyss Strait, but this time the plague may destroy our efforts over these thousand years.”

“I know what you are worried about.” The Pope said lightly. His hair was grayed at the temples, but as the Pope he was already quite young. “You are worried that we will not be able to fight the plague.”

The black priest remained silent.

“This is our Father’s punishment to purge sinners. His arrows point to our enemies. All devout believers will be blessed by Him.” The Pope raised his hand and made the sign of the cross on his chest, “Our enemy is not the plague. It’s not Legrand, but those who should be the lambs of God. You have returned from Legrand and traveled through many countries and cities. You must have heard a lot of voices.”

“I heard noise embedded in the sacred carols.” The black priest lowered his head deeply, “Although the voice is still very weak, it has indeed appeared.”

“No, their voices are not weak.” The Pope’s eyes reflected the candlelight. “In those ports where large numbers of people and ships come and go, the servants of the Holy Lord are forgetting their duties, and the merchants who have been reprimanded in the past are gradually becoming distinguished guests, the sound of falling gold coins overwhelm the sound of sacred chants. The Hermits in the Lowlands are trying to connect with them. Our Eleventh Tax collection has already encountered some resistance.”

“The Holy Lord’s sword will shatter those resistance.”

The black priest gently made the sign of the cross on his chest.

“I don’t want to go to war with them.” The Pope said, “Mortals will never be able to restrain desire and greed. We used to think that a unified nation-state is our greatest enemy, but in fact, even in the nearest place to the Holy Court, once the shadow of greed spreads, our enemies will be everywhere.”

“Do you mean…..”

“Human nature is our real enemy.” The Pope raised his head, “No matter how pious the country, no matter how pious the monarch, they will embark on the path of abandoning us in the end. I have seen that in the future the Kingdom of God will shrink and dim…..Is that something we, as the apostles of the Holy Lord, can sit and ignore?”

The Pope’s voice changed sharply.

“We are still strong now, but how long can we be strong? How long can our strength be supported? With the first voice of opposition, would the second and the third be far behind?”

Under the Pope’s aggressive questioning, the black priest unknowingly broke out in a cold sweat.

“So what should we do?”

He seemed to have returned to the first time he touched the cross. At that time, he was guided by the Holy Father, who was the guide that would give him his holy mission.

“Gather our strength and gather our army.”

The Pope stood up and turned to face the sacrificial image of the Son of God behind him.

“The first black death allowed us to establish an invisible Kingdom of God, and the second black death shall allow us to build a real empire!”

The black priest followed the other’s gaze and looked at the image as well, the Pope’s words causing him to reveal a look of surprise.

What the Pope meant was that he planned to——

The Holy Court planned to establish a real kingdom!

“The thousand-year kingdom is about to be established! We must build an earthly Kingdom of God for the Holy Lord!”

The Pope said sternly.

All the candlelights in the Pope’s Hall shone a white flame in an instant, the fire almost compelling and overwhelming. The angels all around seemed to have really descended down at the words of the Pope. They came from a high altitude, looking down on this land, holding swords and blades that judged the world in their hands.

The sounds of clashing metal echoed.

The black priest stood up in shock, as if he had seen the biggest and most sacred prophecy in the painting of the holy book——

God fell into a deep sleep after winning the thousand-year war for his apostles, but it was only temporary. When a thousand years had passed, evil began to breed and darkness returned, and at that time He would eventually awaken. He would finally come to the world and bring the judgment of the last days. On the barren land of the Apocalypse, the Kingdom of God would be reborn. All believers would revive His glory.

The millennium was approaching.

The Kingdom was coming.

“The Kingdom of God is not built at the arrival of a thousand years, rather we should build the Kingdom for God before He comes.” The Pope turned and said quietly, “We are His servants, His lamb, This is our mission.”

“Our mission.”

The black priest lowered his head slowly and deeply again, pressing his forehead to the icy ground, as if sacred glory gathered in his soul.

“I will go personally for the coronation of the new King of Bressi.” The Pope returned to his seat, “We must not tolerate any surprises.”

“Understood.”

“This time you met Legrand’s King Pureland. What impression do you have of him?”

“He is similar to the rumors but not the same.” The black priest organized his thoughts and described, “I can feel that the brand of madness still remains on him, but he has not completely lost his mind because of his madness.”

“The Rose family is indeed the original Rose family.”

“Will he hinder us?”

“No, he won’t.” The Pope replied coldly, “William III’s methods were clever, but the Holy Court was prepared earlier than him.”

The priest in black waited for his instructions.

“William III is already dead, and his son will be no exception.”

The Pope said slowly.

“Do I need to go to Legrand again?”

“No.”

The Pope vetoed it.

“This time, it’s the sword of God’s ruling.”

The black priest understood.

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

The sword of God’s ruling referred to the most secretive, frightening, and least-known group of people within the Holy Court. They hid behind the shadow of the cross, and were the weapons of the Holy Lord, who cleansed all the most intolerable sinners for the Lord. Sometimes, he even suspected that these people…..

Were they even human in the first place?

“Pureland, a good name, although broken and fallen, will eventually rise beautifully in the fires of rebirth. Hmph, broken and fallen…..”

The Pope sneered.

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