Chapter 453: How Can a Great Knight Be Underdog for Long?

The forest is lush and green, and the rivers in the valley are crystal clear, reflecting golden light under the sunlight.

On the river bank, a cavalry scout team carried shields decorated with crosses and crossbows, wore nose helmets and chain mail, leaned over their horses, galloped at high speed, and their hooves kicked up dust.

The man in the lead had a brown beard, deep-set eyes, and a worried look on his face.

The stern look created an oppressive atmosphere hanging over the team.

One of the subordinates couldn't help but ask:

"Lord Montforto, aren't we going back to the Holy City to report to His Holiness the Pope? This is the direction to Florence, which is the opposite of the Holy City, isn't it?"

Monteforto pursed his lips tightly, his eyes flashed with a trace of hard struggle, and then he said coldly: "Just follow my order, I have other important matters to attend to in Florence."

The subordinate then stopped talking and pondered silently.

Monteforto is the captain of the Vatican Guard. He claims that he has a mission, which must be appointed by His Holiness the Pope himself. It involves confidential information, so it is inconvenient to ask him about it. Just do as he is told.

The Vatican Guard is a mercenary organization that protects the Vatican and the Pope himself.

Unlike the three relatively independent knightly orders with the Grand Master as their supreme leader, the Vatican Guard takes orders directly from the Pope himself and can be directly regarded as the armed force of the Holy City.

The subordinate looked at Monteforto's back, his eyes fell on the flame-shaped two-handed sword hanging diagonally behind his back, and a trace of awe flashed in his eyes.

Hastings is world-famous and is known as the strongest of the three major knightly orders, but few people know that Montforto's swordsmanship is no less impressive than Hastings.

It's just because Hastings has been fighting outside for many years and has more opportunities to become famous.

As the Pope's personal guard, Montforto rarely had the opportunity to show his abilities and thus remained unknown.

Those who are good at fighting never achieve anything.

"Scott, this is my first time in Florence."

Another young knight with a golden lion bloodline who had just grown a light yellow beard turned his head and smiled at the subordinate:

"I heard that it is a place favored by the goddess of art. Great artists live there, and even the bards in the tavern are much more cultured than those in other places!"

As soon as these words came out, Scott's face suddenly changed. Before the captain in front of him, who was carrying a flame-shaped two-handed sword, could start a fight, he was the first to scold: "The so-called goddess of art is just a false god. There is only one true god in the world. The city of Florence will definitely pay the price for its corrupt ideas. Don't you understand?"

The young knight's smile froze, and he said awkwardly:

"I understand that those who believe in evil demons and foreign gods are destined to go to hell, and their souls are not worthy of ascending to heaven... God will destroy them for us."

He felt guilty saying this, probably because he had just joined the guard not long ago.

Scott snorted coldly and did not pursue the matter. He just carefully looked at Captain Monteforto's back, guessing in his heart the real intention of His Holiness the Pope in sending the captain to Florence.

At this time.

The captain, who had been silent all this time, spoke hoarsely:

"Florence is ruled by the Medici family. They are staunch supporters of the false gods. It is necessary to let the truly righteous replace them and become the new rulers of Florence."

Scott's heart trembled, and through these words, the real purpose of his trip suddenly popped up in his mind.

coup.

The Vatican Guard and the Papal States, acting as external forces, joined forces with other families within Florence to launch a coup against the believers of the Goddess of Art.

Let a trustworthy person ascend the throne of Florence's ruler!

However, since this is an action targeting the faith in the Goddess of Art, there is no guarantee that the God of Art on the continent today will not intervene to stop it.

That chosen one of the gods of art had defeated Hastings and was the strongest person on the continent with the strength of a sanctuary! Scott suddenly understood why the captain's expression was so heavy.

A man's reputation is like the shadow of a tree.

I think Lord Monteforto felt tremendous pressure in front of that huge shadow.

The scenery quickly retreated to the rear amid the sound of galloping horses.

Surrounded by green forests, a village comes into view.

However, the village seemed lifeless, there was not a single person in sight, and it was too quiet.

As the team leader, Scott sent the Golden Lion youth into the village to purchase some supplies. Bread, olive oil, and malt liquor were all indispensable supplies.

However, not long after, the Golden Lion Youth turned back the same way and shook his head and said:

"This village is in the grip of famine, and many people have died from disease. The few remaining men have been called up to join the army... This village is no different from an old man in the ground."

Scott pursed his lips and sighed.

“Famine, plague, war…when will these terrible disasters end?”

"When the day of apocalypse comes, everything will be better."

The taciturn Montfort said with hope in his eyes, "The Day of Judgment will bring death and rebirth to the world. You must believe that in the new world, there will be no more disputes, and the merciful God will give His chosen people a promised land."

In the latter part of his speech, Montefuto's voice turned cold again: "So, we must fulfill our duties and be enemies of all absurd beliefs... This is God's will, and this is our mission."

There was a hint of fanaticism in Scott's eyes, and he nodded vigorously.

Florence, this flashy, decadent and corrupt city, should not continue to exist and should be destroyed like Sodom in the scriptures.

This is not about killing, but about creating a better new world! For this, even if it means becoming an enemy of the chosen one of art favored by the gods, it is worth it!

…

Fjord.

The waterfall splashes and hits the rocks.

Hastings' spiral sword slashed out with unparalleled sword force, cutting off the waterfall.

Ding! The blind old man held a curved sword that looked like flowing water, and he easily turned the sword light into nothingness.

Wow! The water splashed and made a loud noise.

"Your sword has slowed down."

The blind old man said, "Hastings, what are you hesitating about?"

Hastings was silent for a moment, standing beside the waterfall, looking up at the old man standing in front of him, with a majestic and lofty figure.

Imperial Swordmaster, Hugh Sanchez.

Legend has it that he is the same unknown swordsman who single-handedly defeated the eight-headed snake two hundred years ago.

There are no more than three people in the world today who can perform the elegant and gorgeous flowing sword technique.

He was Hastings' mentor, and it was he who cultivated Hastings' swordsmanship to the level of a master.

Tightening his trembling hands, Hastings lowered his head and said in a low voice:

"I've been thinking about something lately..."

"If Yeats Bronte had not shown me mercy on that day, I would have been beheaded."

"But he spared my life on the grounds of the knight's virtue of mercy."

Hastings smiled bitterly: "Every time I think of his eyes at that time, I can't show my full strength. It's like... a ghost hovering over my head."

The blind old man smiled slightly and said, "I know you lost miserably in that duel."

"I tried to avenge my previous defeat and vowed to defeat him one day, but I found that I had begun to doubt myself."

Hastings lowered his head, staring at the spiral patterns on the sword's edge, and muttered to himself hoarsely, as if asking a question.

"Is the path I'm on really the right one..."

"Why am I fighting for?" Hastings said, "Faith, beauty, wealth, fame, these are not important to me. I just want to be the strongest knight in the world."

"But now I realize that I can't do this at all, because there is a huge mountain in front of me." Hastings sighed deeply, "I have seen many geniuses, and they all fell under my sword. But until I saw Yeats, I realized... I was also a fallen corpse, with only an empty shell still struggling to support myself."

The old man said, "I was once as confused as you, wondering if my sword was not as smooth as before, but then I realized that it is better to move forward with my eyes closed than to hesitate."

"I have often heard people say that man lives for himself, but a sword must be wielded for something."

“Justice, victory, companions, friends, family—the sword will only give you the answers if you have them in your heart before swinging the sword.” The old man stared at the waterfall and said in a gentle voice, “Hastings, you have been trapped in the mission of the Knights for too long… The world is so big, you shouldn’t be under someone else’s command for too long. You should find a reason to swing the sword for yourself.”

Hastings' eyes flickered.

The moment when Yeats's sword was only an inch away from his throat, but his eyes showed pity, appeared before his eyes.

The spirit of chivalry...

Wu De...

Have mercy on the weak and fight for those who cannot fight.

Hastings closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice:

"You are right... How can a great knight be under someone else's control for long?"

…

Papal States.

White marble columns stand upright, the dome is painted with magnificent ceiling paintings, and the magnificent side hall is filled with precious incense.

Sitting on the couch, Cesare looked down at the document in his hand with a strange expression on his face.

Famula wore an iron mask, her golden eyes were as cold as ice, and the silver arm connected to the broken arm glowed coldly. She whispered:

"What does Hastings's letter say?"

"He's crazy." Cesare threw away the document and said expressionlessly, "He said he wanted to quit the Black Cross Knights and go to the snowy mountains in the north to practice combat skills."

The North is said to be the birthplace of the Midgard civilization, where the gods were born. Although the rune power remaining in the North is slim, if obtained by chance, it can indeed allow a knight to achieve a qualitative improvement.

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Famula's eyes changed and she sneered, "The day he lost to Yeats Brondi, I expected this day to come."

Cesare looked up and asked, "How can you be sure?"

“If you hesitate, you will not be able to move forward, and you will be stuck in the past and wait for death.”

Famula spoke with a tone of someone who had experienced it, and said coldly:

"No matter what, he has lost the qualifications to unlock the seal of the [War Knight] - I will take over his mission."

Initially, the reason why the Vatican accepted Hastings into the Knights Templar was because they valued his talent and his status as the Chosen One of War. They believed that he had the potential to become a vessel for the [Knight of War] and eventually allow the Knight of War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, to descend upon this world.

However, the trial of the War Knight is extremely dangerous. If you don't go to the Seventh Ring Sanctuary to participate in the trial, you will die. Therefore, the Holy See has been vigorously cultivating Hastings, preparing to wait until there is no risk of error before letting him participate in the trial.

However, what no one expected was that Hastings, who was highly expected, fell in front of Yeats, the chosen one of art, and even his mentality changed.

Cesare never thought that he underestimated the Chosen One of Art, but his growth rate was too amazing, so fast that even Hastings could not catch up.

And if you want to suppress Ye Zhi again... I'm afraid you can only rely on a miracle.

Cesare's eyes fixed, he silently made up his mind, and said coldly: "Except for Hastings, the original plan remains unchanged-"

"In Florence, a plan to replace the Medici family is being implemented to target the faith of the goddess of art."

"And you, will replace Hastings and participate in the trial of the war knight."

"I will go to the bottomless pit to get the holy object in the bottomless pit."

"Yezhi Brondi has promised Anubis's chosen Nephthys to kill the nightmare demon Abaddon together with her." Famula said, "You are very likely to meet Yezhi on a narrow road, so be mentally prepared."

Despite her hostility towards Yeats, Famula had to admit that Yeats was a formidable opponent and possessed a personal charm that could not be ignored.

This can be seen from the fact that his victory over Hastings caused his mentality to waver.

The holy relic sealed in the bottomless pit is no less important than the Spear of Longinus, as both are holy relic stained with the blood of saints. The leyline sealed in the bottomless pit is to suppress the nightmare demon Abaddon and block the passage between hell and the material world.

But now, with the day of apocalypse approaching, it is meaningless to continue blocking the passage. It is time to recover the holy relics and use them to strengthen the heaven's control over this world.

Cesare smiled gently, a smile that contained relief, liberation, and a determination to face death head-on.

"Don't worry, I'm fully aware of this..."

"I have disappointed my father many times." Cesare smiled bitterly. "Compared to death, I am more afraid of facing his calm eyes."

Famula was silent.

Cesare's role as the vessel of Plague Knight means that he has the ability to sacrifice himself and unlock the seal of Plague Knight, but he has to pay an extremely painful price.

In this bottomless pit, perhaps we can see the Lord of Plague descend again...

Countless lives will be lost due to the rampant plague.

Famula seemed to have seen the scene of devastation, but her eyes were still cold.

But it is a necessary sacrifice...it is for the sake of a better tomorrow.

"This is an act of justice."

Famula nodded proudly and said, "Someone will remember your contribution, Cesare."

Cesare smiled bitterly: "Is this your final farewell?"

"Perhaps, this is my farewell." Famula turned around, leaving Cesare with a lonely and arrogant back. The black armor and silver arms complemented each other, just like an invincible general on the battlefield.

Cesare couldn't help but think of the war knight trial where he had a narrow escape from death. His eyes moved slightly and he murmured in a low voice:

"Perhaps...she is indeed more qualified to receive the inheritance than Hastings..."

*The bottomless pit is located at the border between the Kingdom of Roland and the Divine Empire. A heavily guarded castle and military fortress are built above the pit.

Yeats ordered the Dark Night Cult's High Priestess Magosa to keep an eye on the movements of the Abyss and asked the Holy See to inform him immediately of any actions. However, the Holy See was unexpectedly calm.

This is like a confrontation between two masters; the one who loses patience first will fall into disadvantage.

In the calm before the storm, a coup d'état took place in Florence within the empire.

The Pazzi family in the city joined forces with the Vatican Guard to carry out an assassination attempt on Lorenzo, the patriarch of the Medici clan.

Although the assassination ultimately failed, the conspiracy still alarmed the entire empire and the Roland Kingdom.

The brother of Medici patriarch Lorenzo was killed by an assassin's dagger. Lorenzo himself survived by hiding in the temple of the goddess of art, and regained control of the situation after the coup.

Florence launched a large-scale manhunt and execution, and the Pazzi family's influence in Florence was wiped out. However, the Vatican Guard pushed the blame on the Assassin's League and suffered minimal impact.

In order to ensure the legitimacy of his rule, Lorenzo promoted the belief in the goddess of art in Florence in the name of divine right of power, and Yeats, the chosen one of art, was also widely promoted in the city of Florence.

After this coup, the belief in the goddess of art was established in Florence, the influence of the Holy See in the city was greatly weakened, and Florence became a city patronized by art.

Ye Zhi was not directly involved in this turmoil, but he unexpectedly discovered that the seeds of divine power in the soul realm had grown, obviously irrigated by the power of faith.

"It seems that the promotion from the seventh ring to the eighth ring depends on the role of faith."

Ye Zhi thought to himself, "If I can obtain the status of the Chosen One of Light, the power of my faith will surely increase."

At that time, the Son of God claimed to be God's agent on earth, performing miracles and gaining faith.

And to this day, there are still many people in the world who believe that the God of Light has not yet died and will come back to this world with the help of God's Chosen One - just like the "Trinity" doctrine.

In short, advancing to the eighth ring and obtaining the three inheritances of the God of Light are of utmost importance!

"I remember there seemed to be some stories between the God of Light and the Goddess of Death. There is also a legacy of the God of Light in the underworld."

Ye Zhi thought to herself, "It just so happens that the key to Gray's promotion to the eighth ring is also related to the underworld. I have to find a chance to go to the underworld..."

Florence was in an uproar, but there was no movement in the bottomless pit.

Based on the principle of not moving unless the enemy moves, Ye Zhi decided to go to the Dragon Country with Gray first.

After all, according to the original plot, the troops sent by the Church would also engage in a firefight with the Nightmare Abaddon. Sitting back and reaping the benefits was more in line with Yeats's psychological expectations.

Late March.

In the eastern part of the empire, the mountains are like a giant dragon.

Yeats and Gray rode on the back of a snow leopard with its icy frost wings spread out, soaring in the sky where the wind and snow were howling, heading towards the snow-capped peaks further east.

"Ao!" The snow leopard suddenly roared, widened its eyes, and looked at the figure appearing in front of it in surprise.

A huge green dragon flapped its wings and flew straight towards them! Gray's eyes lit up and she waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "Third Elder!"

The green dragon nodded slightly, his eyes fell on Ye Zhi, his eyes were gentle: "Ye Zhi, long time no see."

Ye Zhi nodded slightly and smiled:

"Third Elder, I also brought you a gift... It's the fine wine brewed by Arenil. Please accept it."

"You kid, you're here, why do you bring any gifts?"

The green dragon smiled, turned around and led the way, saying, "Follow me!"

Gray blinked.

It seems that the Third Elder is not shy at all and has already regarded Ye Zhi as a member of the Dragon Country! ...

(End of this chapter)