Chapter 435 The New Testament and the Salvation Army!
The boiling flames of war raged across the Dusk Province. Whether it was the siege of Quemu Castle or the tragic situation in Greystone Town, they were just the tip of the iceberg on this chaotic battlefield.
Things developed just as Thomas had guessed, the empire did not sit idly by.
"Rock Sword Master" Gaunt stood up.
As a devout Rhodesian, although he did not hear the voice of the gods, this did not prevent him from making decisions according to his own will.
He will quell this rebellion with his sword!
The Chaos army is attacking the Brass Pass, and Dusk Province is an important supply line from the human world to the Brass Pass.
No matter how dissatisfied the rebellious peasants were, in Gaunt's opinion, they should not betray their lord at this time. Because they were not only betraying their own kingdom, but also betraying the entire empire that shouldered the survival of mankind.
And in fact, they did so. Their power came from Chaos, from the abominable "Eternal Hunger Claw" Urgos... It was the devil who killed the most people on this continent.
In terms of quantity and cruelty alone, the number of people killed by the strange fog is not even a fraction of that of the fire of destruction. Even the fire of destruction raging outside the pass is much weaker than it.
Gaunt's idea was simple.
Since everything started with "Green Turban" Kailan, just find this guy and kill him.
However, he gradually realized that things were not as simple as he thought.
This tumor has been there for a long time.
It just broke out recently...
…
Just as Gaunt continued to move westward with the orphan he picked up, a brutal battle had just begun at the southernmost tip of the Dusk Province.
As the natural gateway connecting the Dusk Province and the Duchy of Campbell, the Rapids Pass is like a protruding wolf's fang, nailed between the "Broken Finger Peak" and the "Broken Rock Peak" of the Wanren Mountains. Together with the plains at its feet, it cuts off the endless Wanren Mountains.
After passing this pass and heading south along the Running River, you will reach the valley plains of the Principality of Campbell.
In order to deal with the threat of the Green Army, Earl Derek Granston, who is in charge of the Earldom of North Vale, has mobilized 20,000 conscripts and is on high alert at the border to prevent the bandits from entering the country.
But his worries were obviously unnecessary.
Unlike the reckless "Butcher" and "Pharmacist", "Shadow of the Jungle" Finnian is not a reckless man.
He knew very well the limits of what he did, and would not start a war that would involve the territory of a neighboring country without any reason, thus giving the ambitious Grand Duke a reason to send troops.
This is also the reason why "Longbowman" Reese, one of the three giants of the Green Forest, sent him here.
If the rebels want to hold on to the fruits of victory, they must capture the pass connecting Twilight Province and the Duchy of Campbell, and completely cut off the connection between Twilight Province and the Duchy of the South!
The longer you delay, the greater the variables!
“Kill it!”
"Brothers! Charge forward! Take down this pass! The treasures inside are all yours!"
“Ohhhhhh!!”
The shouts of killing shook the earth, and the soldiers with green turbans were like waves rolling across the plain.
They were armed with a variety of weapons and, under the cover of catapults, rushed towards the castle in front of them.
Even those catapults operated by serfs were mostly blind, and either threw stones into the moat or hit their own brothers on the back of the head. Only a few landed on the top of the city wall.
But that's enough.
Even if he had to exchange ten brothers for one on the city wall, it would be a sure win for "Lin Ying" Finnian.
After all, there were only a few hundred soldiers left in the castle, while the army he had was more than a hundred thousand.
No matter how we fight this battle, he will win!
The only thing he needed to carefully consider was what to do after taking this pass and guarding against threats from further south.
At the same time, on the city wall, the armored Knight Pierce raised the sword in his hand and let out a hoarse roar.
"Fire!"
With his order, the six smoothbore cannons on the city wall roared in unison!
The whistling shrapnel shells smashed into the rebels' catapult positions like meteors, blowing the crooked rotten wood and the artillery nearby into pieces.
Seeing the catapult position being blown to pieces, the morale of the defenders on the city wall and the charging green turbans was boosted, and they broke out into deafening shouts.
But the latter soon stopped laughing.
After a volley of fire eliminated the catapults, the cannons on the city wall quickly aimed at them, and the black iron pipes roared again!
“Bang!!”
The roar of artillery and the exploding shells arrived almost simultaneously. Exploding flames and flying shrapnel raged on the battlefield. The rebels under the city wall instantly fell to the ground like fallen wheat.
While the artillery was firing, the musketeers and crossbowmen standing on the city wall were also busy.
They leaned against the battlements, dodging the rebels' hidden guns and arrows, while taking the muskets handed to them by their comrades behind them and shooting calmly, and then handed the muskets to their comrades behind them to reload.
The sound of volleys of gunfire came one after another, and every gunshot was accompanied by a bloody storm.
The rebels wearing green turbans had already left behind a large number of corpses before they even reached the moat!
However--
The optimistic situation did not last long, and the rebels carrying ladders eventually reached the edge of the castle.
Although the serfs in green turbans feared the gunfire from the city walls, they were even more terrified by the methods their superiors used to punish traitors. They had seen their intestines ripped out and hung outside to dry, or boiled alive in a pot... and these punishments often involved their entire families. Those who drove them knew exactly what they feared, because they all came from the same place.
As the deaths continued, they gradually stopped being afraid. After all, being shot would only take a moment, and it might even be more painful.
When blood splashed on their faces for the first time, they would raise their arms in fear to wipe it off.
As the heads around them began to bloom one after another, they became completely numb and didn't even frown anymore.
As the first brave young man climbed up the city wall, this brutal battle officially entered a white-hot stage!
This time, it was not just the "latter" who were attacking the city wall who couldn't laugh, but the "former" who were guarding the city wall also couldn't laugh.
Although Pierce chopped off the reckless head with just one sword, there were still countless heads on the city wall.
Even though he had platinum-level strength, he could not withstand the continuous attacks like a tide.
After all, no matter how hard the steel is, its blade will become blunt after chopping dozens of bones.
Moreover, those attacking the city were not all serfs. There were also some people who gained power for various reasons. Among them were many powerful extraordinary people, and they always attacked him and his subordinates in unexpected ways.
The fight lasted until dusk.
It was not until the sound of drums in the distance did the rebels attacking the city retreat like a receding tide.
Most of the peasants in the Kingdom of Lion were malnourished and could not see at night. These rebels rarely delayed the battle until night, not only because their combat effectiveness would be affected, but also because some people would take advantage of the darkness to escape.
Pierce finally freed his hands to wipe the blood off his face, but there was no joy in his eyes at having survived the disaster.
The battle at Jiliu Pass has been going on for more than half a month, and the situation is getting more brutal day by day.
At first he had 800 professional soldiers under his command, but now there are less than 100 who can stand on the city wall.
More than that—
Three of the four silver-level knights under his command have died in battle!
Otherwise, as a commander, he would not have taken such a huge risk and stood at the front line himself.
Looking at the soldiers gasping for breath against the battlements, he no longer knew how he could hold on until tomorrow.
Just as Pierce was about to give the order to treat the wounded, his gaze outside the city wall paused slightly, and then his face changed drastically.
At the distant edge of the position, four black cannons were pushed to the front by several bare-armed Green Army soldiers!
"Cannon?!" The adjutant standing next to him exclaimed, his face full of disbelief.
The size of that cannon was obviously much larger than the smoothbore cannon on their city walls. It was of siege caliber, so it was not only more powerful, but it could also shoot farther!
How did those rebels get hold of this stuff?!
Pierce's expression grew increasingly ugly, his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.
The artillery was out of his range!
It took him only a moment to guess the other commander's intentions.
"They did it on purpose... They are forcing us to leave the city and raid the camp under the cover of night." A centurion standing next to Pierce spoke in a low voice, expressing the former's unspoken thoughts.
The soldier sitting on the battlement grinned and spoke while pressing the wound that had just been bandaged.
"Thankfully, they don't know about our situation... We simply can't spare any troops to leave the city for a night raid."
"Don't be too optimistic. After tonight they will know, and then it will all be over."
"Damn, who gave them this thing?"
"...Who knows, it's either hell or chaos."
Listening to the soldiers' discussion, the adjutant turned his gaze to General Pierce, waiting for the heroic knight to make a decision.
In fact, they are not short of manpower. For example, this platinum-level knight can take action personally.
certainly--
The premise of everything is that the enemy's army does not have corresponding combat power.
Otherwise that person wouldn't even need to have the upper hand.
He only needs to delay their General Pierce, and then use the advantage in numbers to kill him...this fortress that is easy to defend and difficult to attack will fall on its own.
Just when Pierce was in a dilemma, a cloud of dust that covered the sky suddenly rose on the southern horizon.
A soldier on lookout was the first to notice something was wrong and then let out a cry of surprise.
"General! Look! From Campbell's direction! An army is approaching us! They are flying the Grand Duke's flag!"
Grand Duke?
Campbell Royals?!
Pierce was slightly stunned, and his blood-stained face instantly revealed ecstasy of surviving the disaster, and his fists clenched involuntarily.
Why are those people here?
Earl Derek's soldiers have been sitting in silence on the border for more than half a month. He never thought that these indifferent neighbors would suddenly send out troops!
But since these Campbell people are here, they must have a good reason!
them--
Saved!
Cheers of victory rang out in the castle, and the remaining defenders burst into earth-shaking cheers, as if to roar out all the fear and depression they had experienced in the past half month.
Some people were so excited that their bandages even cracked, and hot blood spurted out of the wounds that had just been tied tightly.
In contrast, in the Green Forest Army’s formation.
"Lin Ying" Finnian, who was holding a monocular telescope, had a solemn expression on his face.
A few kilometers away, the private soldiers of the Principality of Campbell were carrying uniform flintlock rifles, wearing the same military uniforms, and marching towards Stromgarde with high morale.
The Principality has dispatched troops...
Moreover, this was before he took over the Rapids Pass.
The thing he was most worried about finally happened.
Having also received the news from the scout, the adjutant walked up to Finnian and said with a serious expression.
"Boss, what should we do now?"
After pondering for a while, Finnian put down the telescope and said with a gloomy face.
"Let's retreat first, to the forest five kilometers to the north, and defend it based on the stronghold we prepared in advance."
They had no chance of success on the plains, but that was not necessarily the case in the forests and hills.
That will be his home turf.
It's a pity that the more than 8,000 brothers who fell at the Jiliu Pass died in vain...
…
The defenders of Jiliu Pass finally saw the dawn of victory, and the people far away in Quemu Fort finally got their hopes.
After a long talk with Colin and a night of tossing and turning, the confusion in Kallen's eyes had disappeared, replaced by an unprecedented firmness.
The next morning, she summoned all the Salvation Army soldiers and her followers in the castle and asked them to gather in the courtyard in the center of the castle, saying that she had something important to announce.
Brennan, seemingly anticipating what was about to happen, arrived first, his face filled with joy. He had deliberately replaced the blood-stained bearskin with a suit of armor he had found in the lord's palace treasury, to make himself appear more respectable and avoid losing face in such a formal setting.
No matter what Her Highness the Saint thinks, or what those pedantic priests and gentry think, he will do whatever it takes to put the crown on Her Highness's head!
No?
Then let the blacksmith make one!
He didn't care about legality, titles, or church recognition.
Whoever can feed him and his brothers, whoever can let him live a good life that he has never had before, will be his king!
As he expected, Saint Sis was quite reasonable and agreed with him. He even helped him persuade the kind-hearted nun.
What he didn't expect was that Her Highness the Saint seemed to have already prepared the crown.
However, it was not made by the blacksmith overnight, but a grass wreath made of olive branches.
Wearing an olive branch on her head and a simple nun's robe, she slowly walked to the platform in front of the castle's main hall.
The moment she stepped onto the platform, the vast courtyard fell silent, and thousands of eyes focused on that kind face.
She exuded a holy aura, like a river spirit walking in the rushing river.
That is the legend of the Twilight Province.
Legend has it that when flames engulf the mountains and forests, the fairies in the river will send down sweet rain to heal the wounds on the earth.
Although the priests said it was false, every Ryan person believed in the legend so firmly that even a false story became true.
Just like the saint standing on the high platform now, even Ben, who had seen her in such a miserable state before, had completely forgotten what she looked like at first.
"I have heard a new oracle."
The moment she opened her mouth, hope shone on every face, some hesitant, some nervous, some enthusiastic.
Taking in those expectant glances, Kallen responded to their expectations with a gentle smile.
"He told me through the Son of God, the Flame King, that our mission isn't to overthrow a castle, win a war, end a dynasty, and start a new one. Instead, it's to completely end the tragedy of this land beneath our feet and save all our compatriots who are sinking in dire straits..."
Then, she spoke with an incomparably solemn tone, pointing out a direction no one had ever imagined for those who longed for salvation—
"From this day forward, we will no longer be loyal to any secular king. They have forgotten their sacred obligations for their own selfish desires, and their titles are no longer legitimate!"
"From now on, we will only serve the gods who save all peoples, and all peoples who are illuminated by their grace!"
"Our swords will only fight for God's people!"
This solemn and generous speech caused a huge stir among the crowd.
That huge wave was enough to shake the foundations of all secular kingdoms on earth!
Leiden's eyes widened. He didn't expect the saint to say such a thing. However, when he thought about it... he found that what she said was not unreasonable.
The nobles of the Twilight Province did indeed abandon their feudal obligations, otherwise the peasants who could not survive would never have risen up in rebellion.
The peasants didn't care who was king, or whether there was a king at all. The people who really cared were the nobles and clergy who had abandoned their obligations.
These landowners have long been exercising rights that surpass the king on this owned land on behalf of the king!
They don't deserve to be sitting there!
Thinking of Count Theron's miserable appearance of hiding in the castle like a rat and escaping like a rat, he didn't want to consider it from those people's perspective at all.
As for how the Empire and the Church would view the Salvation Army's declaration and uprising...
That was too far for him.
All the empire cared about was the Brass Pass, followed by the New World and its interests in the vast ocean.
As for the Dusk Forest, it is not within the Holy City's sight at all.
Perhaps in the eyes of those high and mighty people, this barbaric land is no different from hell.
In that case, why should they care about those guys' opinions?
If those old guys could really be frightened by the raging flames and notice the people who were suffering, their deaths would have been meaningful.
Unlike Raiden, who was consumed by a thousand thoughts and self-sacrificing chivalry, Brennan wasn't so preoccupied. He had only one word in mind: "awesome."
The sons of Saint Six said that their uprising was justified because the nobles had betrayed them first.
Could the King be more awesome than this?
He doesn’t care whether the church recognizes it or not, he believes it anyway!
The only ones who were scared to death were the priests present.
Seeing that the Salvation Army soldiers did not kill anyone after breaking into the castle, they thought that these peasants had really found their conscience, were inspired by God's grace, and converted again.
Unexpectedly, these guys don't have any "piety" in their bones, and they keep silent just to make things worse!
What is the Son of God?
Saint Sis isn't a mortal... When did he have a child?!
Making up mortal stories for gods was a thing of the First Age!
And there's that weird Salvation Army. Every word they say in the name of Saint Sis sounds like the kind of perverse logic that only demons from hell would utter!
However, they were so pale that they dared not say a word. After all, the ferocious soldiers were right next to them. With the "truth" in their hands, it was hard to say who was the heretic.
Those who were devout in their faith had long since died in the chaos of war, and most of those who survived were cunning people.
They don't want to be taken away by Saint Sith for the time being. Only by surviving can there be any point in arguing about right and wrong.
Anyway, just be patient for now...
At present, it seems that these ignorant country bumpkins are just compiling the family tree of Saint Sis, and they are not using this as an excuse to start killing again.
Thinking about it this way...
It seems pretty good, right?
Thinking of what these country bumpkins had done before, they suddenly convinced themselves.
Even if the saint gave another oracle and asked them to replace the holy book in their hands with a new one, they might consider pretending to be submissive.
What they didn't know was that the saint standing on the platform actually had this plan.
She had no doubt of the necessity of spreading the truth, and sooner or later she would compile the version that Mr. Colin told her into a New Testament and then teach it to the lost world.
Talent is the root of everything, and "everyone is a priest" is the truly correct legal principle!
However, this matter can be put aside for later, as there are more important things waiting for her to do now.
After clarifying the powers and responsibilities, she also needs to promulgate the Salvation Army's policy program and complete the formal enthronement ceremony - or personnel appointment.
Everything will be done in the name of God!
In other words, in the name of all people!
…
The enthronement ceremony went smoothly, although the process was somewhat awkward and not even conducted in the name of enthronement.
In the name of the oracle, Saint Kallen proclaimed herself a saint, in charge of religious affairs, with a status similar to that of a bishop.
However, unlike a bishop, she did not divide any fiefdoms for herself as traditional bishops did.
Her explanation was that she had promised the Son of God that she would give up all worldly desires, devote the rest of her life to her faith, and accept a life of poverty.
As for Raiden, she canonized him as the first "Holy Grail Knight" of the Salvation Army, commanding the fifty knights in the castle.
In addition to this, she also gave her Son of God the "Shield of the Holy Grail" crafted by her own hands as a gift for his choice of loyalty to the people.
As for Brennan, he was also canonized and received the "Champion Axe" in the name of "Champion Warrior".
At first, both of them thought that what the saint gave them was just an ordinary "ritual vessel" until they held the holy object in their hands.
An endless stream of power flowed along the cold metal, as if gods were standing shoulder to shoulder with them!
For a moment, both of them showed expressions of amazement on their faces, shocked by the incredible things in their hands.
perhaps……
Maybe Saint-Sis really has a child?
In addition to the two "National Protector Generals", Kallen continued to appoint a group of officials to be responsible for specific affairs.
Most of them are people who have performed outstandingly in their previous work. Some are from the Salvation Army, and some are from the public... No matter where they come from or what kind of work they did before, the Son of God hopes that they will continue to fulfill the duties in their hands.
But these people don’t have any magical weapons.
They themselves do not need extraordinary powers, they just need to maintain a sense of awe and complete the work at hand.
On the castle tower, Luo Yan looked down at the castle courtyard with a smile on his face, taking in the entire enthronement ceremony held in his own name.
"What kind of monster did you create?" Tafu, who was squatting next to him, couldn't help but complain.
Luo Yan smiled.
"The Kingdom of Bretonnia? Or... something else? Who knows? I'm also curious to see where they'll go with the weapons I hand them."
He not only gave them bread, but also handed them a weapon.
But it's different from Chaos.
He gave invisible weapons, not visible guns.
Of course, except for the two "artifacts", they were his impromptu works.
To celebrate the birth of the Salvation Army, he specially synthesized two diamond seeds, picked out two suitable items from the lord's treasury, and attached divine power to them.
He had to admit that he just wanted to try out the function of his godhood and study whether the return would be greater than the investment.
Anyway, weapons themselves have no self-will, so it is easy to take back the divine power attached to the artifact.
And if the holder of the artifact uses the artifact to create a new legend, such as truly fulfilling his oath and protecting his people in the years to come... the return on this investment may far exceed his expectations.
He and Youyou had been keeping a close eye on Raiden and Brennan.
One is a knight who betrayed Saint Sith, the other is a warrior who turned his back on Chaos... They are both guys worth investing in, even more worthy of investment than the few traitors in his territory.
But then again, does this count as giving both Saint Sith and the Everhungry Claw to the cow at the same time?
Thinking of this, he suddenly felt inexplicably excited.
However, Tafu, whose brain had not yet fully developed, was still immersed in his previous words.
"Bretonnia...what is that?"
"It's nothing, just something from a game I played in my past life. Don't worry about it."
"You really have a bad taste."
"How do you know?"
Tafu argued speciously.
"Although I admit that I didn't do anything good, it was accidental. At least my intentions were good."
Hearing this sophistry, Luo Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"How do you know I don't mean well?"
"I can't tell anyway!"
Luo Yan smiled slightly.
"That's why you—"
Seeing that the devil smiled again, Taf quickly pulled her wings to cover her ears, pretending to not listen to the devil's chanting.
"That's enough, I don't want to hear it!"
Luo Yan actually wanted to say something else, but he had already teased Tafu enough today, so he would leave the rest for tomorrow.
Otherwise, she might become desensitized one day, which would be no fun.
At this time, Luo Yan suddenly noticed that light footsteps were coming from the entrance of the tower.
He looked over and saw Kallen, who had completed the ceremony, standing there, with a hint of joy in her holy smile.
"I knew you were here."
(End of this chapter)
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