Chapter 128: Dawn: Breakthrough [VIP]

After learning that Xiao Yun would lead his troops out of Denos before dark, all the members of the priest group were obviously relieved.

After all, if one had not experienced it personally, even the most devout believers would find it hard to believe such bizarre things as lizard monsters roaming the streets and alleys of the royal capital every night, devouring women and children, and that the emperor's soul was possessed by a demon king from another world and turned into a demon puppet.

The only certainty for those living outside the capital is this:

The High Priests Yaris, who had been at odds with Emperor Edmund III for a long time, suddenly launched a rebellion. They led some members of the Emperor's Knights who joined the rebellion, all members of the Knights of the Protection of the People, and a volunteer group of civilians living in the lower city of the capital to defend the Tower of Sin for a while before withdrawing from the capital.

Count Ansel, who was in charge of the rearguard, and his 500 men were all killed in the battle. The Yaris brothers led the army to temporarily settle in the holy city of Denos.

Jaris had recently completed the coronation of his half-brother Lucien, who was given the title of Emperor Aula I.

"I admit that His Majesty Edmund III is not a qualified emperor, but this is so absurd and unbelievable..."

"This is a civilized age with advanced transportation, information, science, and magic. Lizard monsters, demon kings from other worlds, barriers covering entire cities... these are elements that only appear in myths. How could anyone believe them?"

"I understand His Highness Jarris's hatred for His Majesty Edmund, and I also understand his doting on his brother, Lord Lucien. But to fabricate such a ridiculous, easily debunked lie in order to make his brother emperor... Is His Highness truly still sane?"

"Perhaps His Majesty Edmund's announcement is the truth. His Highness, tormented by illness, can no longer distinguish between reality and delusion. Under the inducement of conspirators, he mistaken the hallucinations he saw while unconscious for actual events..."

"I suddenly feel like sympathizing with His Majesty Edmund... Well, considering he's done so many disgusting things over the years, I've decided to withdraw my sympathy, but I still hope the war ends soon..."

“…”

In pubs big and small, people who believed that the war had nothing to do with them expressed their opinions.

In areas that may be affected by war at any time, people have a different attitude towards this matter.

Most of the middle and lower classes—either out of a long-standing hatred for Emperor Edmund III or out of a firm belief in the Holy Family—chose to side with the Jarris brothers;

The wealthy businessmen who were worried that the continued war would harm their own interests, and the stakeholders who believed that Emperor Edmund III, as the head of state, would definitely lead the army to achieve final victory, continued to believe in the emperor as always.

Of course, no matter what the outside world discusses, and no matter where they stand in their hearts, most people living in Denos have a common idea at this moment - to send away the troops stationed in the outer city as soon as possible and restore the absolute neutrality of Denos as a religious holy city, even if it is only superficial neutrality.

After all, Denos was a religious city that had no agricultural production base and relied entirely on the donations of believers to maintain its prosperity.

Out of respect for the holy city, Emperor Edmund III had not sent troops to pursue the rebels who had entered Denos. Instead, he sent troops to block the main roads in and out of Denos the day after Denos accepted the rebels, strictly restricting the flow of all kinds of goods, including food and daily necessities, into Denos, and pedestrians on the road had to undergo multiple interrogations and inspections.

(If this continues, Denos will starve to death.)

The people who settled in Denos all thought the same thing.

So, when Xiao Yun stood on the balcony of the Great Temple and announced to the crowd that they would leave before dark, the people gathered in the square all cheered with joy.

The priests, led by Code, smiled collectively: "May Your Majesty's military fortunes flourish."

"Thank you for your well wishes."

Xiao Yun accepted the blessing with a fake smile, then turned around and told Lance and others who were following behind Yaris: "You stay and protect your brother well."

"Don't worry, as long as I can still move, I will never allow the enemy to touch your Highness!"

Lance swore on the spot.

Mills, the leader of the Citizens Volunteer Corps, solemnly promised: "If the enemy wants to harm Your Highness, they must first step over my dead body!"

——After many negotiations with the priests, the citizen volunteer group was allowed to stay in the outer city of Denos. After all, these people had only received a small amount of military training, and if they laid down their weapons, they would be ordinary civilians.

Xiao Yun also hopes that the Citizens Volunteer Corps will stay in Denos. On the one hand, he is not confident about the position of the Priests Group, believing that relying solely on Lance and others cannot guarantee Yaris's safety. On the other hand, the members of the Citizens Volunteer Corps are civilians who have been armed in an emergency and cannot be compared with regular troops. Going to the battlefield will only lead to their deaths.

The citizen volunteers themselves also wanted to stay - after all, they were not soldiers who had experienced the test of war. They fought back in order to survive, and now they came to the relatively safe Denos. They couldn't help but miss their relatives and friends who were stranded in the capital. Even if they couldn't return to the capital to reunite with their relatives and friends, they hoped to stay closer to them.

Live."

Yaris smiled gently and said, "I will not enter the sacred tower until I have received the news of my upcoming journey."

”

Xiao Yun patted Yaris's shoulder carefully, and said, "The motherland will be safe and sound."

"Um."

Yaris responded softly.

…

…

In the evening, the army officially set out. Under the setting sun, it was like a long silver river flowing slowly along the "Road of the Gods" towards the city of Magha, which was currently being besieged by the emperor's army.

The emperor's army had obviously anticipated this. Not only did they not lift the blockade of the main road leading to Denis, they also dispatched troops to strengthen the defense line along the road from Denis to the city of Maaga.

…

When they were about to reach the defense line built by the Imperial Army, Xiao Yun raised his hand and signaled the army to stop and prepare to set up camp.

The mainstream weapons in wars of this era were still swords, bows and crossbows, and most armies were not good at night battles. Moreover, although the two sides were already hostile, they were still compatriots, wearing the same armor and using the same weapons. Facing the upcoming confrontation between the two armies, the murderous aura or fighting spirit was not strong.

The commander on the opposite side obviously had similar ideas. Seeing the Holy Empire Army stop and prepare to set up camp and build defenses, he immediately ordered his own troops to set up camp along the defense line to rest.

"Do you really want to fight?"

"Do we really want to go to war with our fellow countrymen?"

"I always feel that this war..."

"Why did it come to this?"

The evening breeze was blowing gently, echoing the low and helpless discussions of the soldiers on both sides.

Xiao Yun made no comment on this.

He came to the small hill at dusk, looking at the army dozens of meters away that was also wearing silver armor but belonged to Edmund, feeling complicated.

As early as when Lance and others arrived safely in the city of Dinos and reported the situation of Maga to him and Yaris, he realized that they were deliberately let into the city of Dinos by Edmund.

(He knew that Magha had special meaning to Yaris and me, and He also knew that even if we guessed His plan and anticipated that the road to Magha would be full of obstacles, we would still act without hesitation.)

(On the surface, He successfully calculated us, but He forgot one thing—in the face of absolute power, all calculations are meaningless!)

(If I lead my army to break through, not only can I easily save the city of Maga from crisis, but I can also eliminate more enemies through continuous victory and gain more people's support.)

"--His Majesty!"

Malus' voice rang out.

Xiao Yun looked up: "Are you worried about something?"

"Um."

Malus pointed at Edmund's defensive line. "They spread out their troops slowly and neatly, raising the flags of the Yula royal family at regular intervals, clearly intending to overwhelm us. Furthermore, from my observation, Edmund has deployed over ten thousand troops along this defensive line. In addition to the visible cavalry and infantry, they also have chariots and various heavy weapons needed for sieges."

"You think we have no advantage in numbers or weaponry?"

"Yes."

Malus said sadly, "We have only half their numbers and are inferior in equipment. Perhaps the only thing that can defeat them is our faith and will. Everyone here witnessed the Sacred Square Massacre and the Ebola Bridge Massacre. We have seen the monsters from the darkness. We are convinced that we are on the right path and shoulder the great responsibility of saving our motherland."

“Faith can work miracles.”

Xiao Yun patted Malus on the shoulder and said, "When a soldier knows why he is fighting, he will unleash unimaginable fighting power."

"but--"

"And we have a special advantage."

"What?"

"The enemy doesn't want to make things worse, at least not yet."

Xiao Yun pointed at the densely packed Edmund Army defenses, which were covered in flags. "The more they deliberately emphasize their majesty and create momentum, hoping for our surrender, the more it proves that they don't want a head-on collision with us."

"Your Majesty means—"

"Is it true that no one in Edmund's army noticed anything unusual?"

"Well……"

Malus was surprised, then suddenly realized.

"A soldier's duty is to obey orders, but they're not mere machines. They think, observe, and react to the various anomalies around them with their own thoughts... Were those soldiers ordered to cooperate with the lizard monsters to massacre the people gathered at the Ebola Bridge truly unmoved?"

“It’s impossible not to have ideas.”

"Yes, even a ruthless villain—as long as he still considers himself human—would have his own thoughts after experiencing the Sacred Square Massacre and the Ebola Bridge Massacre. That's why Edmund repeatedly declared that lizard monsters and otherworldly demon kings were all Yaris's delusions. We have already raised the banner of rebellion, but Edmund doesn't want to make things worse—he wants to extinguish the flame of truth before it becomes a towering pillar of fire visible to everyone!"

Xiao Yun said calmly, a glint of victory in his eyes.

"And I'll give them a surprise tonight!"

…

As night fell, the moon climbed up the hillside into the sky.

The lights in the tents of the two opposing sides gradually went out. In the darkness, apart from the moon in the sky, there were only the crackling bonfires and the mobile lights held in the hands of the soldiers on night patrol.

However, the silence at this moment not only does not make people feel relaxed, but instead gives people a sense of tension and urgency as if a rainstorm is coming.

——The Holy Empire Army needs to break out and head south to aid the besieged Maga, and cannot stay here for a long time. The Imperial Army, which has been ordered to set up defenses and intercept, is even less likely to siege for a long time without attacking, which would anger the emperor.

In the hazy night, the tension between the two sides continued to rise, and finally—

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

A scream came out without warning, breaking the tense silence.

"The enemy's left wing is attacking us!"

"What!"

The Imperial Army's camp erupted in roars: "What did you say!"

Everyone was utterly surprised.

Especially the middle and high-level commanders who have heard about the lazy and luxurious life of the Holy Family members.

You know, there hasn't been a large-scale war in the Dayang Empire for more than a hundred years. Not only is the overall armament of the army lax, but most of the commanders are also rigid in their thinking.

Although the officers had been mentally prepared for the possibility of a night attack by the enemy when the two armies were facing each other and setting up camp and defense, they were still deeply concerned that "this kind of thing would not happen tonight", especially when they thought that the enemy's highest commander was an aristocrat among aristocrats, a member of the Holy Family who was better at playing music and reciting poems than wielding a sword.

"Report - There are about two enemy battalions attacking our left flank!"

"Two battalions?!"

Earl Williams, who was temporarily appointed as the supreme commander of this blocking operation, jumped out of bed: "Which two battalions! Who are the commanders!"

"I don't know. I can't see clearly. It's dark... and they're wearing the same armor as us..."

"Ahh! Damn it!"

Williams was furious and kicked over the camp chair next to him. "Damn it! They did it on purpose! They must have done it on purpose!"

The two armies originally wore the same armor. If the battle took place during the day, the different flags and the presence or absence of red ribbons could be used to distinguish the specific camps. But at night... at night, it was pitch black. Soldiers wearing the same armor could not tell who was the enemy and who was their comrade unless they got close!

Moreover, the soldiers of the Imperial Army were already demoralized by having to face their former compatriots and even comrades in arms, and they had no fighting spirit...

Williams became more and more anxious as he thought about it, and shouted, "Send someone to the capital for help immediately!"

"yes!"

"By the way, does the enemy have a red strip of cloth on his arm?"

(If they take off the red ribbons, we won’t be able to tell our enemies from our own people!)

Williams thought anxiously.

"terribly sorry……"

The subordinate said in distress: "It's dark, I can't see anything clearly. But I can see that the person leading the charge seems to be... is..."

"Who is it?"

"It's the one that His Majesty has explicitly ordered to be captured alive..."

"ah!"

Williams was shaking with anger.

After a brief thought, he came up with a brilliant way to shirk responsibility: "This is a serious matter. I must personally report the situation to the commander-in-chief and ask him to make a decision."

After saying that, Williams walked out of the tent quickly, took the warhorse from the servants with confidence, and ran towards the tent of Marquis Matenia, which was about two kilometers away, under the cover of night.

The commander's departure caused even more confusion among the soldiers of Edmund's army, who were already in a passive state.

Awakened by the night attack, they panicked like ants on a sinking ship, picked up their weapons and rushed out of the tents to fight the enemy.

For a moment, roars, screams, hisses, cries, the sound of weapons clashing... echoed in every corner of the battlefield.

Moreover, since the enemy extinguished the campfire upon entering the camp, the weak moonlight became the only source of light on the battlefield. Unfortunately, the command system was paralyzed because of Williams's desertion.

The soldiers of the Imperial Army could only run around like headless flies, waiting for the light to return to the battlefield again -

The enemy has gained an absolute upper hand.

They screamed excitedly, held up torches, and formed a huge crowd.

"Long live! Long live!"

"Long live the Holy Empire!"

"We're here! We broke the siege! We won!"

"Long live Aura I! Long live!"

The passionate shouts created a shocking momentum.

Everyone couldn't help but look at the young man standing in the center of the storm.

He was a young god of war, wearing golden armor, his long brown curly hair fluttering confidently in the night breeze, his blue eyes sparkling with a fearless and vast brilliance like the ocean, and in the moonlight, his cheeks and armor gleamed together.

No! His cheeks were brighter and more shining than the moon in the sky!

It’s like another moon lighting up the night!

(Is this our enemy?)

(Aura I! He who has the blood of God flowing in his veins!)

(He completed the Great Coronation and received the approval of the gods!)

(We are no match for him!)

(He is God's favorite!)

(He is——)

Intense anxiety and panic spread among the soldiers of the Imperial Army who were still resisting, shattering the last bit of fighting desire in their hearts.

"Listen! As long as you lay down your weapons and let us pass, we will never make things difficult for you!"

A clear and serious voice sounded, accompanied by a radiant smile.

The soldiers surrounding him shouted in unison!

"Surrender! Surrender!"

"Surrender immediately!"

“…”

Faced with this roar that seemed to be about to sweep across the entire world, the soldiers who were ordered to intercept them scrambled to lay down their weapons.

"I surrender!"

"I surrender!"

"I surrender too!"

…

…

"——My Lord Marquis!"

Williams rushed into the tent and knelt before the commander-in-chief, Marquis Maternia. "Our troops were attacked at night! The enemy wore the same armor as us, and it's difficult to distinguish friend from foe in the darkness! The situation is extremely critical! Requesting immediate military support!"

"support?"

Marquis Matenia frowned, his facial muscles strangely stiff. "Are you sure it's still too late to send reinforcements?"

"What do you mean, sir?"

Williams was puzzled.

"...Tonight's failure is what Your Majesty wanted."

Marquis Maternia said convulsively.

Not only did his facial expression look strange tonight, but his tone of voice was also different from usual.

"I do not understand what you mean, sir."

"You don't need to understand. You just need to know this: His Majesty's plan for tonight was for them to successfully break through after a fierce battle. However, your army was truly incompetent and was easily defeated, failing His Majesty's expectations! His Majesty had originally intended to use your troops to deplete their strength!"

“So, so…”

Williams was stunned.

(Your Majesty actually treats me as expendable! In his eyes, I am just a chess piece on the chessboard like those ordinary soldiers below? Am I even less than a chess piece?!)

"...Williams, get ready. The battlefield that truly belongs to you is about to begin."

The Marquis of Matenia exclaimed, a cold, reptilian smile playing on his lips.

…

…

At the same time that Xiao Yun led his army to complete the breakout, a carriage from the royal capital escorted by dozens of royal knights passed through the darkness and arrived at the holy city of Dinos at sunrise.

The Holy Land Knights stationed in the outer city saw the carriage adorned with the royal emblem of Yura and dared not be rude. They stopped the carriage and politely asked, "Who is on board—"

"The mother of the prince who will be born in April."

On the driver's platform, the driver proudly announced, "Madam Suvelt wishes the Imperial Prince to be born under the blessing of the Twin Gods. She begs Your Majesty to allow her to enter Denos, escorted by the Royal Knights, to discuss matters face to face with His Highness Yaris."

“This kind of thing…”

The knights of the Holy Land Knights all frowned.

They had never heard of the name Madame Sue Velt, but she was riding in a royal carriage with the royal emblem, and her entourage were all royal knights, which showed that the people inside were indeed members of the royal family.

After a brief stalemate——

The Holy Land Knights let them go.

The royal carriage passed through the outer city of Dinos, entered the inner city, and arrived at the Great Temple.

"stop!"

In front of the Grand Temple, Lance stopped the carriage and said, "Who are you? Who is in the carriage?"

The driver repeated the answer he had given to the Knights of the Holy Land.

After hearing the coachman's answer, not only Lance was stunned, but his subordinates also looked at each other in confusion.

(Is she crazy? A pregnant woman with Edmund's child, about to give birth, at such a sensitive time, rushed to the Grand Temple in a carriage to ask for a meeting with His Highness Yaris...)

Lance felt something was wrong the more he thought about it, so he said "Wait a moment" and immediately ran into the temple.

…

"Kellyel, His Highness—"

"Lord Lance, Your Highness is listening to the battle report sent by the magician from the front line that His Majesty has successfully broken through the first line of defense."

Kellyl led Lance to Yaris with a full smile.

"Your Highness—"

"What is it?"

Lance looked up and told the story of a pregnant woman who called herself Su Weilt, who had come to the inner city of Dinots in a royal carriage and was now waiting outside the Grand Temple.

"What did you say? Sue Velt?!"

Hearing the name, Yaris, who was originally leaning on the recliner receiving a leg massage from the doctors, sat up straight.

Lance asked uneasily, "Your Highness knows Su Weilt?"

"I only know one person named Su Wei Erte, a black witch from the East. I had an unpleasant encounter with her during the Sacred Square tragedy."

"Then this woman is——"

Lance frowned.

"Well, whether the person in the carriage is Maleficent Suvelte or not, I will not see her."

"I understand. I'll tell her to get out right now!"

"Lance, the woman in the car claims to be pregnant with Edmund's child. When you ask her to leave, be as gentle as possible. Avoid physical contact with her and avoid eye contact."

Yaris warned Lance.

Lance nodded and promised through gritted teeth, "Your Highness, rest assured. I will never let this woman who claims to be pregnant with the dog emperor's child have the opportunity to frame us!"

"Go ahead."

"yes."

Lance walked out of the bedroom quickly.

Yaris looked up, glanced at the direction where the sun was rising, and sighed, "Dinos is about to be hit by a violent storm."

"Your Highness is worried—"

"Richard."

"exist!"

"Go outside the city immediately and gather the citizens' volunteer group. The massacre against Denos may break out at any time."