Chapter 95
Duke Salem, in a daze, had just crossed the border of the Kingdom of Lortheran when he was captured by Lortheran's men and taken to the capital.
Until he met the newly enthroned King, the Duke of Salem felt dizzy, as if someone was talking in his ear, but when he tried to concentrate, there was nothing there.
As his carriage drove through the bustling city, he tried to concentrate and listen. The sounds of conversation seemed to appear in double images, sometimes far away, sometimes close, but the Duke of Salem still managed to catch some information.
The Duke of Serenfini was stripped of his title and sent back to the Third District.
The Duke of Salem shuddered.
The royal murder that shocked the world, and the fact that the Duke of Celinefini, the younger brother of the mastermind, was on the run after the incident and had not yet been dealt with, already attracted much attention.
He used to be stubborn and had offended many nobles, but he was also on good terms with some young nobles. This time, the decision was made by Prince Garcia himself, and the decree naturally bore the king's seal.
He was simply stripped of his title and sent back to his hometown; everyone said His Majesty the King was kind and benevolent.
Is he kind-hearted...?
In the cold, magnificent hall, a semi-circular dome covers the top of the hall, supported by several thick white stone pillars. Magnificent murals begin at the top and spread to every part of the hall.
On the throne, the young king rested his head on his hand, holding an official document. His eyes were lowered, and the corners of his mouth were slightly drooping. His majesty was not diminished in the slightest by his youthful appearance. The secretaries and ministers who served him around him did not dare to breathe loudly.
This is how the Duke of Salem was brought before His Majesty the VIII.
The other party lifted his eyelids and casually decided his fate: "Strip him of his title and imprison him for life in the royal capital's prison tower."
The Royal Prison Tower is located in the southeast of the Royal Palace. In the entire capital of Lortheran, apart from the tower of the High Papacy, the Royal Prison Tower is the tallest.
Soon someone stepped forward and pulled the Duke of Salem out.
Duke Salem was still in a daze. The Royal Capital Prison Tower, the Royal Capital Prison Tower. When he was young, he had mocked how many of his brothers had ended up in the Royal Capital Prison Tower because of their crimes or because of revenge from other brothers.
Is it his turn now?
As he was being dragged away from the main hall, he suddenly awoke with a start and shouted, "You can't do this to me! I am the duke appointed by my father, and the Royal Prison Tower is not my home!"
His shrill cries finally made Lortheran raise his head. The guards who were holding him stopped, still restraining the deposed duke, but they all lowered their heads, not daring to face His Majesty the King, cursing inwardly that this Duke of Salem was still not at peace even after being deposed.
His Majesty's cold, brief words echoed from afar: "To plot against the Pope is a capital offense. You should be grateful."
The Duke of Salem abruptly raised his head, his face drained of color. The others in the hall were unaware of what had happened in Salem County, but the Duke of Salem knew it all perfectly well.
pope……?
The guards covered his mouth and dragged him away.
Lortheran truly felt he had shown mercy. The rules were set by him over two hundred years ago. If it weren't for the fact that this kid was his descendant... well, actually, it wouldn't be good to kill Duke Salem directly now. He spared Duke Salem's life, which was truly benevolent.
His Majesty the King shook his head in rapture, then slammed the document on the table, his voice sharp and stern: "Who wrote this? Tell him to come out here!"
A secretary immediately ran out to call for help.
-
After Veris had been in Salem for about five days, his army arrived at the northern border of Salem and soon encountered the Phoenix County army.
Earl Reed tested them a few times at first, and after figuring out their strength, he breathed a sigh of relief. Their greatest advantage was their ability to adapt to the environment, but it was already springtime, so the cold was definitely not a problem.
Even with a large army pressing in, Earl Reed preferred negotiation to fighting, aiming to minimize casualties whenever possible.
The Prince of Phoenix's attitude was ambiguous, and he repeatedly made some requests that required His Majesty the King's approval, such as that the Kingdom of Lotheran should never interfere in the internal affairs of County Phoenix.
The secret message was sent back to the palace, and Lortheran sneered, "Let him die!"
"And Reed, tell him that if he doesn't listen to reason, he'll have to suffer the consequences."
When the reply reached the northern border of Salem, Earl Reed pondered for a long time before issuing the order without hesitation.
—A full-scale offensive.
While Veris was dealing with the mess of a bunch of churches in Salem, news of victories came from the north. It was said that Prince Phoenix had repeatedly abandoned the city and fled north.
About half a month later, Veris finally chose the cardinal in charge of the main affairs of Salem County, a calm and quiet middle-aged man who was only in his thirties.
The executive team sent by Lor'theran to take over Salem also arrived. The adjutant who used to be in charge of the main city's affairs knew something was wrong when he saw this.
What does it mean that His Majesty the King directly appointed an executive officer? That's a position only available in District 11!
However, he could only suppress his doubts and respectfully greeted the executive officer's team. The executive officer looked very young, with calm yet sharp eyes, and was very opinionated. In just two or three days in Salem's main city, he had already won over most of the Duke of Salem's old subordinates.
The Duke of Salem's execution results were also brought into the city.
Whether intentionally or not, Lortheran's response in the main hall also got out.
Veris handed over most of his work, took a stroll around the city, and overheard the residents discussing the matter. His eyes lit up, and a plan formed in his mind.
As night fell in Salem, despite the fact that the local customs and culture were quite different from those of District 11, Veris had been to Salem before and was quite familiar with the preferences of the residents.
For example, these people like to listen to the hand drum but don't like the harp.
Of course, you should cater to their preferences.
The next day, Veris went to the tavern to earn some extra money. He wrote a story overnight about a pope who wandered the continent incognito to spread his faith, with Salem as the setting.
It's not surprising that bards follow current events; in fact, the day before, bards in other taverns had already started making up stories.
Veris spent several nights happily in the tavern, and his version of the song successfully overshadowed the other bards; the residents of Salem were now seven-tenths convinced.
The main reason is that Veris said he used to be a priest, which makes him seem much more reliable than the other bards!
Other bards followed suit, adding their own stories of punishing local bullies to the original examples, which also became very popular.
After staying for a few more days, Veris was reunited with the dragon, and the two continued northward, this time with Veris riding the dragon.
The Lortheran army chased after Prince Phoenix's small army, avoiding any unfamiliar terrain, and fought all the way to Prince Phoenix's former capital. After a brief rest, they sent out an elite squad to hunt down Prince Phoenix.
But conquering the capital was only half the battle. Count Reed was struggling with how to win over the lords of the other cities when Veris arrived with a dragon.
In May and June, Phoenix County is bathed in the warmth of spring as the snow melts and flowers bloom, making it the best time of year. But what happens when winter snow arrives in the second half of the year? Should the army stay or return to the capital?
Winter in Phoenix County arrives as early as September.
As the famous "road sign," the dragon traveled north again for this very reason. Lortheran invited it to dinner, so of course it had to help Lortheran!
Count Reed saw Veris and the dragon again in the capital of Phoenix and was momentarily dazed. After hearing Veris point at the dragon and explain his purpose, Count Reed was overjoyed.
"Your Excellency possesses such formidable abilities!"
The dragon proudly raised its head.
Veris patted its shoulder to let it play somewhere else, then turned his back, took out a thick booklet from his pocket, and said in a low voice, "This is what His Majesty asked me to bring you. It contains important notes on how to get along with it. You must memorize them."
Earl Reed held the heavy booklet, his smile fading slightly, a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart.
"Hey, Veris, I can hear you!" The dragon, who had just turned to leave, immediately ran back to protest.
"I won't breathe fire randomly!" it said.
Veris glanced at it; the dragon that had blown itself up with its fire breath last time wasn't qualified to say that yet.
The dragon was also very good at magic, but it simply chose the simplest and most brutal method, which resulted in it blowing itself up and leaving it covered in wounds.
Although eating two meals of Warcraft completely erased his miserable state from that day.
Veris took the dragon around the capital of Phoenix for a day, and then bid farewell to the dragon. Before leaving, Count Reed hesitated, looking distressed.
He had finished reading the booklet and felt that he could easily offend this gentleman named "Dragon".
Veris ignored them, rode a horse-like magical beast—magical beasts were the primary mode of transportation in Phoenix County—waved at them, and then drove off.
Most houses in Phoenix are low with very thick walls, also to protect against wind and snow. The roads are covered with green grass, but rarely with lush forests. Most trees have thick trunks and dark green leaves.
Veris set off alone, and his connection to the ruins of the goddess of love made it easy for him to find the right direction. The dragon drew him a rough map and told him which rift valleys and rivers he needed to avoid.
The monsters moved at a leisurely pace, and Veris was not in a hurry either. However, Count Reed on the other side seized the opportunity and divided his army into several branches to attack other small towns.
It's good if they surrender quickly, but if they insist on holding the city gates, nearby troops can immediately come to their aid and form a main force.
A massive black shadow of a dragon loomed over Phoenix County, its roar echoing across the land. Finally, a beast tamer belatedly realized that the beast resembled the legendary dragon so closely.
If that's true, then Phoenix's geographical advantages are nothing but child's play in the eyes of dragons.
At the end of May, Veris arrived at the northernmost part of Phoenix County, which is also the northernmost part of the continent of Icarus, on a cliff, under the early summer sun.
The icy seawater flowing into Beihai crashes against the cliffs below. This place is deserted, and you have to walk dozens of miles back before you find any people living in the wilderness.
The grass was yellowish-green, dotted with unidentified wildflowers.
The wind was strong, and Veris had to use a little magic to shield himself. He gazed at the endless ocean in the distance, the pale sunlight reflected on the surface, and seagulls were rarely seen.
In this desolate and barren land, atop the northernmost sea cliffs, awaiting the first rainbow, the ruins of Cupid will open their gates in the clouds.
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Author's Note: I was delirious with fever and dreamt that I killed off Sylvain in my writing, and I even wrote 6,000 words about it! I was so scared in my dream that I begged and pleaded with everyone not to publish it—this isn't my story at all! [Angry]
This chapter is probably a transition...
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