Chapter 446: Sword Master's Determination
Outside the city at dusk, green flags surrounded the city walls so tightly that no one could get through. Even if one stood on the highest tower and looked into the distance, one could not see the end of the army.
The soldiers on the city wall couldn't help swallowing their saliva, and the faces of the citizens in the city were filled with despair, while those civilians outside the city simply gave up struggling, and were either pulled into the ranks of the Green Forest Army, or became the latter's food reserves.
Uprisings in this forest have always been like this.
This fire will never stop until nine out of ten houses are burned to ashes and rivers of blood are flown.
Looking at the army outside the city, Governor Baron Elaric's face was full of sorrow and he prayed silently in his heart.
Saint Sis above...
At this moment, he had no other choice but to pray and wait...
Outside the city, in the Green Forest Army’s camp, the high-spirited green turbans were making a fire and cooking.
"Quartermaster" Silas looked at the map expressionlessly, staring at the north wall of Dusk City as if he was thinking about something.
At this moment, a cloaked figure appeared silently behind him and spoke in a hoarse and sharp voice.
"Aka is dead. He was killed by Sword Saint Gaunt in the Wheatfield Village area of Quemu Territory."
Beneath the cloak was a cunning and treacherous rat face, with two green bean-sized eyes flashing with a cold and murderous light.
However, in front of the quartermaster, it was as docile and well-behaved as a hamster.
There is no other reason.
This was because the human being in front of him had passed the trial of greed and was the chosen one designated by the "Gluttony Rat" Gerlo.
Under the command of the Gluttonous Rat, the "Carrion" clan entrenched in the Wanren Mountains will follow his greedy sacrifice and complete the great ritual to please the Gluttonous Rat.
The so-called "Gluttonous Rat" Gerlo is the alias of "Eternally Hungry Claw" Urgos in the ratman kingdom.
They are one thing.
This is also the real reason why the Green Forest Army’s supply has never been interrupted.
It's not because they can get food that even the lords can't, nor is it because they are braver and better at fighting than their fellow villagers, but simply because they have a backer bigger than the kingdom standing behind them.
As Silas's secret support, the Carrion Clan not only transported food and weapons to the former's army through underground tunnels, but also sent the tribe's elite "Plaguefang Assassins" to the Dusk Province to assist the former in intelligence activities and plan a series of sabotage operations including kidnapping, poisoning, etc.
The power of a province could never be their opponent, and the foolish king turned a blind eye and condoned this fire...
But they eventually got into trouble, and it was bigger trouble than that of Irene Campbell.
The Sword Master is gone.
After listening to the report from the Plaguefang Assassin, Silas narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Gaunt, that guy again...it seems our 'butcher' Malachi also died at his hands."
The Plaguefang Assassin lowered his head.
"Exactly."
Three of the twelve leaders are dead, and there is still a traitor who betrayed the true God.
But Silas was not panicked at all, instead a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
The logic by which Chaos Apostles gain power is completely different from that of the followers of Saint Sith.
For example, the Apostles of the Weird Mist need to weave a huge conspiracy to engulf more people, while the Apostles of the Claws of Eternal Hunger need to incite greater and more extreme oppression.
There is resistance only when there is oppression.
Whether the oppression is passively endured or actively incurred at their provocation, it makes no difference in terms of the result, as it can infuse them with power from the void.
Including himself, the twelve "apostles" chosen by the ritual were all sacrifices.
Whether it's the Gaunts or the Campbells, the more they kill, the more powerful Chaos will become in this land!
When they kill until only one apostle is left, or when they kill all twelve apostles... then the true Chosen One of Chaos will descend upon this land.
Therefore, Silas hoped to kill more of Gaunt and Irene, and it would be best if they were all killed, including all the apostles except him!
Especially if that "Green Turban" Kailan is killed, the Imperials will soon see the Amethyst-level Apostles, and then exclaim like country bumpkins that this is impossible!
In contrast, for Urgos's plan, the "Saint Kallen" who does not play by the rules is the biggest threat.
And the most regrettable thing is that the sacrifice "Iron Bull" Brennan was "wasted".
Silas even began to suspect that the guy was not the chosen one of Saint Sith at all, but another force intervening in the situation of Twilight Province.
But who could it be?
It can't be hell...
They were indeed driving the undead, but the Holy Spirit's words and the Sword Master's attitude made him undecided.
Silas pondered for a long time but could not find an answer, and finally decided to start with the problem itself.
He turned to look at the Plaguefang Assassin who was kneeling on one knee and spoke in a gentle voice.
"...Apostles of the Carrion Clan, I need you to help me do something."
"What's the matter?"
A stern look flashed in Silas's eyes.
"Get rid of her."
The rat-man assassin was slightly surprised and looked up at him.
"Isn't she your sacrifice?"
"That's right. We did give her a glorious mission at the beginning, allowing her to join the kingdom of the great true God as a martyr or a surrendered one. But unfortunately... Aka, who went to persuade her, died on the way."
Silas nodded and spoke with a hint of regret, as if he had made a difficult decision.
"Perhaps she and we are not destined to be together. We can only find another way and send her to meet her false god."
The Sword Master has arrived in Quemu Territory and is causing trouble.
But since he did not go to meet the "saint" but chose to camp in Maitian Village dozens of kilometers away, it seems that he also had doubts about the identity of the so-called "saint".
In that case, let the ratman assassin go first.
They will never have any concerns.
…
In Quemu Castle, Luo Yan, who was sitting at the desk, opened his eyes, his bright eyes full of surprise.
“…Sword Saint?!”
On my turf?!
He did notice the Rock Inn in Wheatfield Village and the swordsman carrying a greatsword, but he never connected this man with the legendary Rock Sword Master.
After all, the gap is really too big. No one would have thought that a man who looks like a mercenary actually has the strength of a demigod!
Luo Yan had seen demigods from the Empire in the Holy City, such as the famous Marshal Laco. That guy was much more powerful and impressive than them.
Besides, that guy wasn't the only weirdo who came to Wheatfield Village during this period. There were many people with stories written all over their faces.
There are impoverished nobles who disguise themselves as farmers to escape, there are farmers who pretend to be nobles to cheat others, and there are even guys who claim to be the "Son of God" himself and the "Second Saint".
The great swordsman was not the only one he had his eyes on, directly or indirectly.
Once order is lost in a piece of land, all kinds of monsters and demons will breed.
Just as Luo Yan was thinking quietly, Youyou's anxious voice and the milky white mist emerged together.
"Master Demon! Something terrible has happened. The Sword Master is only a few dozen kilometers away from you! What should we do?"
"Why are you panicking? Aren't there still dozens of kilometers to go?" Luo Yan glanced at Youyou floating beside him and said calmly.
Although he was a little panicked in his heart, it did not prevent him from having a calm expression on his face.
actually……
There was nothing to panic about.
The Sword Master has been living in Wheatfield Village for almost a month. If he really had any ideas, he wouldn't have waited until now.
Fortunately, he was steady and did not use the "Butterfly of All Things" to teleport directly.
Otherwise, if he flashed into the Sword Master's face, he would have to put on the "Prince Colin" vest he had just taken off.
As for not taking action, it is impossible. If at most half of the players die, he will have to take action personally. After all, no matter how important the players' gaming experience is, he will not allow the Chaos Apostles to slaughter his people.
But then again, this demigod-level swordsman is quite powerful. He actually killed the Chosen One of Chaos in just one move.
Fields aren't even used!
You have to know that he is the Chosen One of Chaos Gods. In terms of strength alone, he is much stronger than the same-level strongmen under the Saint Sith belief system.
"...But Lord Demon King, what if that Sword Saint comes looking for us?" Seeing that Lord Demon King was indifferent, Youyou couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
Luo Yan replied calmly.
"Why are you in such a hurry? Isn't there still the Saint?"
Youyou: "...But, that's a demigod? She's just an ordinary person, can she handle it?"
Luo Yan smiled faintly and said calmly.
"She probably couldn't handle it before, but after my training...she's no longer a problem."
Ordinary people will become an advantage.
There was no mark of his own on her soul, not to mention the Sword Master, even Saint Sith himself could not see anything.
Moreover, the Sword Master was very polite to ordinary people, which was somewhat similar to himself.
If she was lucky, she might be able to win over the Sword Master to the Saviors' side, or at least help them resolve some obstacles.
Youyou looked at the Demon King in surprise, who looked calm and as if everything was under control, and a feeling of admiration arose spontaneously.
As expected of the Demon King.
I have to hide behind a woman again...
…
With the death of "Executioner" Aka, the rebels outside the Wheatfield Village, terrified by the reputation of the Sword Saint, threw down their weapons and surrendered. However, anyone could see the forbearance hidden behind that fear.
It was obvious that they had not repented of their sins, but had taken off the turbans from their heads, thinking they were going to die.
How to deal with these nearly 5,000 prisoners became the problem that followed.
Some players suggested that turning them into zombies would be the safest option and they could also gain some experience. However, the vast majority of players thought this was too extreme. After all, these NPCs looked quite human and it would be a pity to kill them.
However, no matter what ideas they come up with, it ultimately depends on the opinion of Her Highness the Saint, and the Saint then asked the Son of God behind her for instructions.
The benevolent King of Fire thought for a moment and decided to give these ordinary people who were blinded by chaos a chance.
Outside Maitian Village, at a logging camp near the river, nearly five thousand people were squatting in an open space, looking around in panic.
At this moment, they were like cattle and sheep on the altar, without any trace of their previous arrogance.
The Salvation Army soldiers, armed with pitchforks and muskets, surrounded them and prepared for battle.
Although the two sides were on the same side until a few months ago, they now serve different masters.
If Her Highness the Saint had given the order, the saviors, who had already gone blood-thirsty, would never have shown mercy just because they had a few days of full meals.
It was evening, and dusk dyed the Running River red.
The hell dwarf lying downstream still didn't dare to come out of the river. He trembled and waited for the humans upstream to decide the outcome.
Devil above...
These people are really ruthless when it comes to killing their own people. The lords of the Calamity Castle on Broken Rock Peak often change, but... wouldn't it be enough to just arrange a fight outside the castle to determine the winner?
Why be so cruel?
This isn't the first time the leader has been replaced, and it certainly won't be the last.
In fact, to be honest, humans are still much better than the dwarves' arch-enemies, the ratmen. But the ratmen are too ugly after all, so it is difficult for the dwarves to empathize with those guys.
Just as everyone was holding their breath and waiting, a fast horse came galloping from the horizon.
The messenger dismounted and took out the documents that Quemu Fort had sent to the nearby outpost via carrier pigeon.
When the centurion in charge saw the emblem of the saint, he immediately stepped aside and stood with the soldiers, waiting for the messenger to read the oracle.
"...According to the laws of the Kingdom of Ryan, rebels should be hanged! However, Her Highness the Saint said that our Lord is merciful and has pardoned your death penalty. Thank Him for His mercy!"
The rebels, their knees weak, burst into tears of gratitude and knelt down to express their gratitude, feeling lucky to have saved their lives.
At least this hurdle is over.
Looking at the grateful bandits, the messenger paused, then raised his voice and continued.
"However, the death penalty may be forgiven, but the punishment of life cannot be escaped! Your hands are stained with the blood of your own kind. Letting you go like this will not bring comfort to the souls wandering this land! You must work in the fields, cut wood in the forests, or rebuild the houses you destroyed on the ruins... until He says you can return."
No one objected.
In this land of starvation, not killing prisoners was already an incredible act of mercy. As for becoming the spoils of war for the victors, it was just the most common thing.
If there was a port, they would generally be branded, loaded onto imperial merchant ships and sold to plantations in the New World.
When there were no ports, most of them were sent to the lord's mines, and only a few lucky ones would become serfs again and return to their pre-war lives.
All the rebels were glad that they had survived. As for what the messenger said later about labor reform, striving for leniency, and being able to be allocated land after the reform, they did not listen very carefully.
After all, who among you sitting here is not rising up because you have heard enough of the lords' sweet words and can no longer live?
Not to mention that they didn't believe what the lord said, they didn't believe what Kailan said either. They followed Aka just because they could have enough food to eat.
But though they did not listen carefully, Gaunt, who was watching from a distance, did.
Even when he heard the second half, an incredible expression appeared on that resolute face.
He was a mercenary who traveled far and wide. When he was young, he helped the lords fight many battles. It was not uncommon for both sides to send the captives to work on the farms after declaring victory.
After all, farmers cannot afford the ransom, and ransom merchants will only look for citizens or mercenaries whose families can afford it.
However, it was the first time he had heard of "labor for the purpose of transformation and re-creation", and distributing land to prisoners of war was unheard of.
At least in this land, the Saint Kallen was the first to do so.
She did not drive them to work for the sake of slavery, but rather to make them pay for their past mistakes in order to fight for their freedom tomorrow.
The incredible feeling lingering in his heart even surpassed his surprise at the successive arrivals of the Chosen Ones of Chaos, and even more so his astonishment at the decline of his own power.
"...Perhaps, she really was sent by Saint Sith."
At least in his impression, there is no lord more merciful than Her Highness the Saint.
Perhaps the Empire wouldn't be happy, and the Church wouldn't acknowledge her, but since she was the most suitable person for this place, there seemed to be no reason for him to interfere with people's choices...
As the messenger finished reading the saint's oracle, the sky finally darkened completely.
Gaunt returned to the hotel alone and found that everyone was looking at him in astonishment, as if they had seen Saint Sith himself.
He was not surprised by their surprise, as this was not the first time he had faced such a situation.
He just calmly returned to his seat, put the sword aside casually, then picked up the wine jug and poured himself a glass of red wine. Looking at the stunned old Hank, he forced out a smile that he thought was natural, but in fact it was not natural at all.
"Everyone, don't look at me, just keep drinking...haha." He laughed dryly and drank it first.
Everyone was drunk that day.
Although this was not the Sword Master's original intention, he simply wanted to treat everyone to a drink, but no one could guess what he was thinking.
Except for Yulien who couldn't drink much and didn't participate at all, and the players who tried to trigger the hidden mission, everyone was volunteering and no one dared to stop.
The gap between mortals and demigods is destined to be bridged only by time.
And this was one of the reasons why he didn't want to reveal his identity in the first place...
…
A day passed.
Early in the morning of the second day, a team of a thousand men arrived at the outskirts of Maitian Village, took over 5,000 prisoners from the local garrison, and used breakfast time to complete the identity registration of the prisoners.
Since this work has been repeated countless times, the household registration personnel accompanying the army are quite adept at handling it.
Thanks to the citizens from Dusk City and the priests in the castle who turned a blind eye, the "literacy" work that Her Highness the Saint personally deployed and even participated in went smoothly.
In addition, the common language of the Empire itself is not difficult, so many soldiers of the Salvation Army have learned basic spelling and can at least remember a few common names and place names.
After a day of rest, the expeditionary force will head to the border of Quemu Territory with 5,000 captured prisoners of war.
There is a village once occupied by ratmen, and the nearby barony has been reduced to scorched earth. Only a ruined manor remains, which may be able to salvage some useful materials...other than that, everything has to start from scratch.
They will be accompanied by 300 returnees who will act as guides and work with their fellow travelers to rebuild the land.
On the other side, Gunter, who had been thinking for a long time, also set off at the same time.
However, his direction was not the border of Quemu County, but the capital of this earldom - Quemu Castle.
At the entrance of the newly opened Rock Hotel.
Looking at Ullion who looked reluctant, Gaunt had already thought of what to say, but when the words came to his lips he forgot the words.
After a long silence, he stretched out his broad palm, placed it on the boy's shoulder, and patted him gently twice.
"I'm going on a long trip. Remember to take care of yourself while I'm away."
Yulien's intuition told him that this time was different from the past. His master was probably going on a long journey and might not be back for a long time.
Otherwise his farewell would not have been so solemn.
However, even though he felt very reluctant, Yulien still did not ask his master to stay or to take him with him.
He believed that his master must have thought carefully before making the decision to keep him here.
Whether it is out of consideration of strength or concern for the dangers that may be encountered next.
He didn't want to be a burden to his master—
Whether it is around you or behind you.
Looking at his master with a determined gaze, Yulien spoke more seriously than ever before.
"I will take good care of myself and your hotel, and I will continue to teach me swordsmanship when you come back..."
"…Take care, Master."
Looking at the sensible boy in front of him, Gunter showed a relieved smile on his face.
Although they had not known each other for long, he had treated him as his own child throughout the entire journey.
He was also very pleased to see that his child had grown up and was no longer a weed that seemed like it would be blown away by the wind at any time, but had become a flame that could illuminate others.
That's good.
"Yeah, wait for me."
There was no need for too many promises between men. He believed that after he left, Yurien would continue to hone his swordsmanship and run their inn, at least not disappointing the enthusiasm and kindness of the villagers here.
As for himself, there are more important things to do...
On the dirt road north of the inn, a knight in full armor had been waiting there for a long time.
His name was Leiden. His family had served the local earl for generations and was quite famous in the local area. As a result, this generation actually produced a platinum-level knight.
This situation is actually not uncommon in some earldoms or duchies that are not good at martial arts.
If the lord of a region is too comfortable and has neglected bravery for two or three generations in a row, and one of his vassal families is famous for its chivalrous virtues, there is a high probability that a noble soul will be born into this promising "small family" to ensure that someone can take up the banner at the critical moment.
On the contrary, for families with strong martial virtues like the Duke of Campbell or the Earl of Swift, the knights around them are mostly mediocre in qualifications, and it is almost impossible for them to be stronger than their lords, and they have no ambition to exceed their own territory.
The blessings of the Holy Light are evenly distributed to every land, with only occasional ripples.
According to the Salvation Army soldiers, Mr. Redden was also one of the people who were touched by the miracles of the oracle.
After fulfilling his final oath, he pledged his allegiance to Saint Kallen, who then appointed him a Knight of the Holy Grail.
The shield on his back at this moment indeed exuded a power that was familiar to Gaunt.
Gaunt had met many of the chosen ones, and they all possessed similar "artifacts".
Noticing the swordsman coming towards him, Leiden, who had been waiting for a long time, dismounted, handed his helmet to the servant beside him, and then stepped forward and performed a knight's salute.
"Respected Rock Sword Master, Günter Steingrabe, my humble name is Leiden Kechter. I have long admired your great name."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Redden. I've often heard legends about you from the local villagers lately, and you've left a lasting impression on me, just as the legend says."
Gaunt also politely returned the courtesy of a commoner of the Kingdom of Rhodes, and did not show any neglect just because the other party was weaker than himself.
Raiden laughed.
"Really? Then they must be exaggerating."
Gaunt smiled faintly.
"On the contrary. After seeing this oasis standing alone in the desert, I feel that their stories are too conservative. Whether it's the legend about you, the Saint behind you, or the legendary 'Son of God'."
When hearing the word "Son of God", Leiden's expression was a little embarrassed, especially after realizing that this sword master was a Rhodesian.
I heard that the people of Rhodes are famous throughout the continent for their old-fashionedness and traditions, and even the people of the Empire are inferior to them, so they are known as the "dwarves among humans".
Of course, this sword master is not short at all. Not only is he two meters tall, but his shoulders are as broad as a door.
In short, telling the people of Rhodes that Saint Sith has a child is as absurd as telling the goblins that the demon god is actually a succubus.
"This... of course there are many stories behind it. Perhaps you can ask Her Highness the Saint in person. She will be happy to answer your questions." Leiden didn't know how to make this story sound, so he simply passed the trouble to the Saint who claimed to have seen the Son of God.
Anyway, she was very eloquent after hearing the oracle, and she could always come up with some profound truths that would even scare him.
However, to Leiden's surprise, Gunter just smiled after seeing his embarrassment. He did not get angry like the average Rhodesian, and did not even delve into the matter.
"You misunderstood, Mr. Redden. While I am a devout believer, I have no intention of correcting anything on behalf of the Church. As for Her Highness the Saint, I do intend to meet her this time, but not to discuss theology or doctrine, but to discuss more practical matters."
Leiden breathed a sigh of relief, a cheerful smile returning to his face as he continued.
"That's perfect. Her Highness the Saint also wishes to see you. I can lead the way for you... But what exactly is the real problem you're talking about? Could I ask? It's just out of my personal curiosity."
Gaunt did not hide anything and spoke directly.
"I want to persuade her to send troops to Griffin Territory."
The air was subtly quiet, and the only sounds around seemed to be the wind and the snorting of horses.
Leiden was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting the Empire's Sword Master to say this.
After a long silence, he spoke.
"Can you tell me the reason?"
"The reason is as you see before your eyes." Gaunt glanced around and then cast his gaze further away. "Even if the king here has abandoned this place, we cannot allow the corruption of Chaos to continue to spread."
He did not personally interrogate the prisoners from yesterday, but he learned about the tragic situation in Griffin Castle from the soldiers who had interrogated those prisoners... It was simply a hell on earth at the moment.
A-Ka failed to capture the living sacrifice, so he hung the desecrated corpse on the city wall, as a humiliation to the faith and glory of the human race, and a pleasure to Chaos...
There is no doubt that it is the altar of Chaos and one of the sources of the Green Forest Army's power.
Now that he knew of its existence, he had to remove it and bury those "heroes who fought for the fate of the human race until the last moment."
In the past, he would have gone alone, but now he had a better choice—
He can also bring the order here with him!
This way you can prevent new chaos from arising just after you leave.
And the most important thing is that this Salvation Army is actually under the banner of Saint Sis.
In this way, it won't be considered as breaking my oath.
Leiden looked at the man in front of him in surprise, and his stunned expression gradually turned into admiration.
He remembered hearing the story of Gaunt from a bard long ago.
That was not the first legend he left behind, but it was definitely the most exciting one, otherwise it would not have been written into poems and passed down by poets.
To slay the evil dragon that wreaks havoc on the city of Altai, the rock-hard swordsman swore an unbreakable oath with his sword, gaining universal support and miraculous powers comparable to those of the legendary heroes!
In exchange for the miracle, he must promise not to use the sword in his hand to destroy the legal system of the empire, not to use the sword in his hand to harm the pious people, and not to let go of any evil spirit bewitched by Chaos.
The three commandments were engraved on his sword, and he forged many legends without pledging allegiance to any lord.
Since then, he ended his career as a mercenary and never fought for any lord again. He lived a simple and poor life, and only appeared there as a great swordsman when the human race needed him most.
Until he became a true legend under the name of Sword Saint...
The truth of the matter may be far more complicated than the story told by the bard. Leiden did not know where Altai City was, nor had he seen a real dragon.
However, this sword master did just as the legend said. He adhered to the three commandments after that, did not pledge allegiance to any secular king, and only fought for the people who looked up to him.
Although fighting alongside the Savior Army did not violate his oath, after all, the Savior Army was not a lord under the imperial law, and their opponents were not subjects of the empire, but there was still suspicion of interfering in the internal affairs of the kingdom.
In other words—
He is willing to take risks for the people here, even if he doesn't have to bear them!
After realizing this, Leiden's eyes were filled with not only admiration but also respect.
He said this in an unprecedentedly serious tone.
"...I will take you to see our princess. I believe that she is kind and will definitely stand by you!"
…
(Thanks to the book friend "Dongyouxidang Miao Fanfan" for the reward!!!)
(End of this chapter)
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