Passing through the white corridor decorated with blooming lilies of the valley is the fascinating Hall of the Fawang in the holy capital. The territory of the entire Luvis Alliance covers almost one-third of the entire continent, and it is here that the supreme rulers who decide the fate of the six member states meet.
For more than two hundred years, although the alliance has often faced various crises, most of the time, believers do not need to solve problems through urgent discussions-the goddess' prophecy will guide them to the best choice. Therefore, this hall has been empty for many years, and the only thing that accompanies it is the exquisite murals on both sides of the walls, and the sunlight filtering through the crystal dome. Today, however, the belated prophecy forced people to break the slumber in the Hall of the King of the Kings again.
The head of the three holy knight orders of the Holy See, the leader of the magic capital, the listener who peeps into the future from the dream, and the supreme ruler of the entire alliance—the Pope, the chances of these six people appearing in the Hall of the King of the King at the same time can be said to be very high. Once in a hundred years.
The chants of the priestesses and the melodious bells of the Prayer Tower added a bit of holiness and solemnity to the quiet Hall of the French King, while the statue of Luvis, bathed in the golden sunlight, was more gentle and beautiful than usual. The gesture of her hands folded in front of her chest is revealing the goddess' desire to send peace and tranquility to the world.
But on the high-backed throne under the statue, Pope Julian August was not in the mood to feel this peace, and the ensuing questions from the sage Kadar made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles. Julian, who is nearly 50 years old, has been on the sidelines for more than 20 years at the peak of this power. Relying on the strength of Luvis, the interests of the alliance can always be implemented, but this time the situation is obviously extraordinary.
According to the content of the prophecy and the reports of the scouts, the death knights succeeded in a sneak attack by sea, occupied a large area of land centered on Wendell, and established a solid defensive zone. Not only that, the lost Dark Portal spell also sent their main force Shipped to Alazea—a full hundred and fifty thousand more undead in just one week. Wendam, who has always been cautious, sent troops without authorization this time. Without the correct information, the 30,000 elite soldiers in Eastern Alazea were completely wiped out.
And most importantly, during this period, Luvis did not make any predictions at all~!
God will also be negligent sometimes? This kind of thought made the Pope very disturbed, and he subconsciously began to stroke his long white beard to conceal his expression and thoughts.
"Indeed, this prophecy came too late... There has never been a warning that appeared after the battle." The pope shook his head helplessly, and finally concluded, "I will let the senior priests of the Holy See Investigating this matter will of course involve the listener himself, but judging from the current situation, the most important thing is to consider the next course of action for the alliance. What do you think?"
"Of course I know this, His Majesty the Pope... But if I can figure out the reason for this vision, I believe I will be able to understand the truth sooner~!" Kadar couldn't help frowning at this protracted conclusion. The alliance has a high opinion of this great sage who is only thirty-five years old, and now, Julian himself has tasted the power of this talent.
"So, Loren, what do you think?" The Pope turned to the silent person beside him. In terms of blood relationship, this Loren August is the Pope's younger brother. But more often, he is called the listener—the existence that can sense the guidance of the goddess Luvis, and rely on his own power to avoid disasters and guide the future for the alliance.
"If I have to find a reason, maybe someone is obstructing it. Recently, I have been feeling very strange, as if I have been haunted by some kind of power... something like shielding magic. And the prophecy I got is also intermittent, a bit of a dream It's not clear either." Loren replied.
"It's unbelievable... Who can block the prophecy from God?" Kadar muttered to himself, but in the next moment, he tightly pressed his lips together.
Could it be another god
No one said this idea, but it spread faster than lightning. In an instant, uncontrollable shaking flashed across the eyes of the three.
Paladins wear different armors according to their abilities. The three people on the other side of the hall are all wearing holy silver armor that only high-level paladins are qualified to equip. Not only is the coat of arms of the Holy See engraved on the left chest of the armor, but also the Holy Grail, chains and long swords are carved on the side respectively—these are the commanders of the three holy knight orders.
At this moment they are discussing a problem that has nothing to do with the prophecy, but the brows of the discussants are also deeply locked.
"Is that Roland Strife really the one who led the undead to invade?" The question came from Necro, the head of the Knights of the Holy Grail. any title. But the sudden great change did not make the young paladin feel worried, on the contrary, there was a sense of excitement unique to young people in his tone.
"Niko, you are too impatient. The facts we have obtained so far are not sufficient. We cannot jump to conclusions." The one who answered was Joey of the Knights of the Holy Chain. The elder: "But on the other hand, guessing is helpful for preparation. Let's make an assumption, if this is true, how do you plan to deal with the former students, Mr. Usel?"
Facing such a sharp and obvious questioning, Uther just smiled: "'Ever'? Although it has been ten years, I have never said that I want to dissolve the master-student relationship with Roland Strife, and even This matter is confirmed, and I will not make such a decision."
"Betraying the goddess Luvis, degenerating into a death knight, and blaspheming the faith... Isn't such a heinous behavior enough to make you make up your mind?" Joey chased after him.
The other party was silent for a while, and then looked at his colleagues meaningfully: "Pay attention to your words, Mr. Joey, don't try to use assumptions to draw conclusions for my students~! Roland has the proud title of Alazea, and has never Mercy and justice have never been forgotten at any point, and he is definitely not a self-sacrificing person, which I can vouch for on my reputation."
"but… "
"But if... in case he really becomes the hypothetical death knight," Usel interrupted the other party's rebuttal, "I will definitely end this matter myself—as Roland's teacher and guardian—his Sword skills and knowledge are given by me, so the disaster caused by it will also be ended by me.
"I have to admit that you are very considerate, both logically and morally." Joey replied with unknown frustration. Although the status of the heads of the three major holy knight orders is completely equal, once a holy knight is mentioned, the name Uther, the guide of light, will always flash in people's minds. And at this moment, the self who provoked the conversation had to face the disparity in strength that made him extremely annoyed.
"In any case, we'll understand why the death knight borrowed this name later. It's a good idea to wait until then to make a judgment." Necro eased the atmosphere without a trace.
Eleven years ago, Roland returned to Alazea as the first place in the paladin assessment. Only one year later, he suddenly disappeared and was accused of treason and fleeing the country, which shamed the Holy See. Even if Usel went to investigate in person, he still didn't find any clues, or signs that Roland still existed. Slowly, the city full of wind and rain and countless mysteries gradually faded away under the washing of time.
Until the sudden invasion of the undead, and the appearance of the death knight who claimed to be Roland Strife.
"Yes, I will find out after a while... something I have been wanting to know for ten years." Usel's tone unexpectedly mixed with a strong element, "This time not only is the protection of the holy circle, but Wenda Mu has been deprived of the right to silence and will surely bring the truth to light."
Whether it's a king, a bishop, or a mage, everyone hopes to have a place in the Hall of the King of Law, but if you don't enter this hall as a person in power, everything is meaningless. The baptism and blessings bestowed by the goddess were carried out in the Temple of Luvis, and being ordered to enter the Hall of the King of Law only represented one thing—judgment.
King Wendam knew this very well, so his legs moved slowly, and Archbishop Frederick and Prime Minister Rivers, who followed closely behind, also turned pale. The three of them walked forward in the corridor without saying a word, and none of them planned to speak, and praying at this moment was obviously a ridiculous and stupid thing.
When the silver paladin serving as the guard opened the sandalwood door, Wendam was immediately caught by two stern eyes. Peeping at the head of the Knights of the Holy Sword who made no secret of his hatred, the king couldn't help but tremble a little: for the betrayal ten years ago, what price will he pay? But he then reminded himself that no matter what kind of verdict it was, it was much better than dying in the hands of Roland.
"Your Majesty Windham," Julian couldn't help but smile to show his composure when he saw the other party's inner struggle, "First of all, on behalf of the Holy See, I must apologize for the sudden outbreak of this invasion." The Pope lightly passed At the same time, he raised his hand to stop Wendam who wanted to speak, "But anyway, it is definitely a powerful force that cannot be ignored~! And as far as we know, one of the decision makers of the undead It seems to have something to do with you and Bishop Frederick, if the Holy See can get relevant information, I believe it will be able to find out the source of that power faster, and provide more help to Alazea."
"Tell me everything you know, starting with that incident ten years ago~!" Uther's iron voice sounded immediately.
"Yes, I will tell everything." Wendam lowered his head, his voice trembling like an old man. The complete annihilation of the main force of Alazea made him disqualified from negotiating with the Holy See. Now, the only way to survive is to obey obediently, "I hope I can get forgiveness from Luvis..."
"Let's get started, then, we're all listening." Julian nodded.
But Wendam turned around unconsciously, looking at the bishop and prime minister who were also trembling.
"What should come will always come, and it is meaningless to fight against the holy circle, Your Majesty the King." Rivers' wry smile showed helplessness and awareness, "Maybe this is fate, just like we chose Roland in the first place." .”
The prime minister's hoarse voice echoed in the hall, and when it was swallowed by the cold silence, Wendam finally spoke: "Well, if you want to calculate the exact time, it should be eleven years ago..."
In the first month of Luvis calendar 216, Roland Strife passed the assessment with the first place, became a sea blue paladin, and was awarded the title of "Pride of Alazea". But as soon as he returned to Dharamla, he learned the bad news that the royal family was tightly sealed-King Wendam was suddenly seriously ill. There was an air of uneasiness in the palace, and the prime minister's urgent summons brought Roland to Wendam's sickbed.
"Even though I fell into a coma for a while, I had a dream, a dream that was seared in my soul and that people will never forget." Wendam's old voice echoed in the Hall of the King of Law, "Among them, a certain A mysterious and irresistible force, showing me a way to escape from the pain of death... "
As if the soul had been separated from the body, Wendam's consciousness flew over the mountains and the vast forest under the undetectable and powerful guidance, and came to a miraculous place - the capital of stars.
Here, there is a girl named Jiu Yuan, a wonderful power flows in her blood, only that power can save you, you must let her life transform into your life~! A voice sounded, and the consciousness that suddenly broke into his mind not only did not surprise Wendam in the dream, but also planted an eager and urgent temptation in his heart.
Without any reason or reason, everything that voice said convinced the king. Before the dream sank into darkness, he firmly remembered every detail.
We must find that girl, we must get her blood, this is the only way to survive~! The flame of longing for survival devoured rationality and kindness, but the distorted desire, like a crazily growing vine, firmly bound Wendam's soul.
"And what's even more strange is," another voice came in, maybe it was the effect of the Holy Circle and he couldn't help telling the truth, Frederick's voice had a sleepy tone, "On the same day At night, I also had a similar dream about how to carry out the blood ritual. At that time, I was just a priest, and I was too far away from becoming a bishop, but this dream was a very good opportunity. Once the king can be cured Your Majesty, then the fulfillment of the wish is just around the corner. The next day I went to the palace to propose to His Majesty Wendam, and he also told his dream... We thought... it was the favor of the goddess and we firmly believed it."
The face of the listener at the side turned pale, he tried his best to conceal his shock, and tightly pressed his pale lips. Fortunately, all eyes were on the three people under trial, and no one noticed Loren's expression.
What happened next was logical—Prime Minister Rivers took over the task in order to consolidate his position. With the king in a coma from time to time, he planned everything: Roland, who had just become a sea blue paladin, was easy to control, with superb sword skills, and could Sent as Zhili, there is no need to contact the Holy See, so he became the first choice for the task.
The young paladin was told like this: From ancient manuscripts we know such news, far in the west, there is a place called "Star Capital", where the magician has the ability to cure this rare disease. Due to the Holy See's rejection of the magic in the house, and the rarity of that power, it may be robbed by other forces, so everything is kept secret during the operation.
With this order, Roland set off as quickly as possible to find the girl named Jiu Yuan.
Although King Wendam was seriously ill, his life showed no signs of dying while Roland was away. In this way, he spent more than half a year half asleep and half awake on the sickbed, until November 216, when the news that Roland returned with the saint finally spread to the deep palace that hadn't seen the sun for a long time.
But the returning paladin was imprisoned as soon as he entered the city, and was accused of several crimes without any precautions, and was sent to prison to be executed secretly. In order to avoid long nights and dreams, Frederick and Rivers immediately held the Blood Ritual after two days of intensive preparation of all measures.
As told in the dream, when the ancient blood seeped into the dying king's body, the disease was like ashes under the strong wind and disappeared without a trace. Before the girl's body cooled down, Wendam had already opened her eyes.
The two mercenaries who fought with the young paladin were not imprisoned. After getting the news, they rushed to the cell in time. However, Roland, who escaped from prison and rushed to the altar, saw facts that he could not bear...
Under the pursuit of the royal guards, the paladin who beheaded nearly 30 knights rushed out of the siege with Jiu Yuan, whose body was already cold, escaped from Alazea who had betrayed him, and then completely disappeared.
"During the final pursuit, the Knights of the Rose led by Lothar killed the two mercenaries and severely injured Roland." Windham's tone gradually calmed down, revealing a sense of consciousness, "We carried out a big battle later. A large-scale search was carried out, and special envoys were sent to investigate in the adjacent elf country, but nothing was found. Everything proved that he had died in an unknown wilderness... But unexpectedly, today, ten years later, that person brought with him Mighty forces are back with a vengeance..."
The hall fell into silence as the surrendered person fell silent. Wendam, who finished telling everything, stood with his head down, waiting for what came from above. But at this moment, the Dharma King's Hall seemed to be swept by a silent storm. Even the sunlight shining on the statue of the goddess became cold because of the cruel fact.
"Abusing the sacred power bestowed by the Holy See, murdering innocent girls to satisfy their own desires, betraying Luvis' paladins in order to silence... Not only that, ten years later, just because you heard the name 'Roland', you Then you drove 30,000 soldiers to work for your personal purpose~! Is this the ugly face of King Alazea?" Usel's cold voice finally broke the silence, "Your Majesty, I suggest that you should deprive Wen of Wen immediately. Dame Oland's religious membership, and then send him to the judgment stand~!"
"I really didn't expect such a thing to happen in the alliance..." Kadar looked at the head of the Holy Sword Knights with a livid face. If it wasn't in the Hall of the King of Law, maybe Usel would have directly taken off the heads of Wendam and others, right? And the other party's knuckles turned white from holding the handle of the chair, which obviously showed that he was trying his best to restrain that impulse.
"This is really a shocking fact, Your Excellency Wendam, what you have done has dishonored the honor of the King's Hall and the goddess Luvis." Julian opened his mouth calmly, his tone even more serious than usual Gentle, only those who are most familiar with the pope can understand the cruelty and sharpness, "Not only that, but your personal behavior has also put the entire alliance into a passive situation. I have now decided to use the power of sanctions, which means that from now on, Wendam's life no longer belongs to him, and his every move is completely under the control of the court. As for the other two, you will be sent to the court tomorrow."
"Your Majesty, is this the final decision?" Kadar was a little surprised at the speed of the Pope's ruling.
"Yes." Julian clapped his hands lightly, and six heavily armed paladins immediately escorted the three of them out, and quickly disappeared at the end of their sight.
"So, Your Majesty August, what are you going to do with Wendam?" Usel turned his head and asked without hesitation. Even in front of the supreme ruler of the alliance, the veteran on the battlefield did not flinch in the slightest, "We didn't Confirming that the death knight calling himself 'Roland Strife' was really my student, and even if... even if that happened, the vile apostate is of no use - there must be someone behind the undead army An incomparably powerful force is manipulating, and that force obviously won't stop for one's own will. What's more..."
"What's more, this will make the alliance synonymous with cowardice." The pope interrupted the other party with a smile, but the coldness in his eyes did not fade away, "Don't worry, Your Excellency Uther, I never intended to use Wendam as a As a bargaining chip."
"Then, why let him live? His sins are serious~!" The guide of light stared at the Pope on the throne with eyes like two sharp knives. student, Paladin Roland Strife seeks justice~!"
"Is that Roland Strife... You must really want to confirm the true identity of that death knight, right? Since the Knights of the Holy Sword happen to be in the territory of Alazea, I would like to appoint you to intercept the undead army again." It couldn't be more appropriate." The Pope paused, "Besides, I believe that no matter what the truth is, the noble guide of light will definitely be able to make the right choice, isn't it?"
"Yes, His Majesty the Pope." Uther's answer was heavy and slow.
"Very good. I will offer blessings to the Paladin Roland, the girl named Jiu Yuan, and those two brave unknown mercenaries tonight." The Pope looked at Kadar beside him, and suddenly changed the subject, " As for the deployment of the other two major holy knight orders, and the deployment of other five-nation national legions, etc., I will leave it to you, the great sage Kadar. I believe that under your genius mind, whether it is a mage in the capital of magic or The elite knights of all countries will complete the reorganization soon, right? Also remember, you can send Wendam at will to serve the interests of the alliance in any way, without regard to his dignity, honor or life."
"Is it used as... an item...?" Kadar's words stopped short, and he finally understood the cruelty of the coldness in the Pope's eyes.
"That's right, because the leader of the undead seems to be very interested in him, maybe he will be a good pawn." The pope glanced at Usel, whose protests have disappeared, "The Hall of the King of Law does not ignore legal sanctions , I don’t like to torture criminals with pain, but in the current emergency situation, we must mobilize all available power to serve the interests of the alliance and the goddess, so we must do this. If you have any dissatisfaction with this explanation, please Just bring it up."
Everyone, including the guide of light, had admiration and support in their eyes, and Julian felt very satisfied: "Then, this is the end of the general matter and the ruling of Wendam Oland, we now On to the next topic."
The Pope paused, subtly adjusted the rhythm of his speech, and tried to keep his tone as calm as possible: "As Uther said just now, it is absolutely impossible to form an army of 150,000 undead in just ten years—maybe Summon enough ghouls, but it is absolutely impossible to gather 10,000 death knights—this is definitely not a realm that can be achieved by one person's strength. And if we combine the two events of the shielded prophecy and the invasion of the undead, it is not difficult to deduce that , the powerful will hidden behind the undead... Maybe it's also... "
"God?" There was a tremor in Usel's eyes.
The words blurted out by the guide of light seem to be endless darkness, colder than the cold night, thicker than blood, like countless ice crystals in the wind and snow, pouring into the mouths and noses of the listeners, freezing their hearts and souls.
When the military meeting ended, the sunlight that sifted through the dome had become faintly hazy and yellow, and only the August brothers remained in the silent Hall of the King of France.
"After two hundred years of peace, an unknown force that overturned the balance has reappeared. To be born in such an era, is it luck or sorrow for us?" Julian sighed deeply after taking off the majestic mask. in one breath.
"Such things are beyond the scope of human wisdom, brother." Loren paused, and then expressed the confusion in his heart: "Do you know that Wendam's dream... and Luvis The dream that the Goddess gave me was exactly the same, there was almost no difference. The same feeling of leaving the body of the soul, and the words that permeated my mind carefully and seductively, it was as if it was... guided by Luvis~! "
"Stop it, Loren~!" Julian's tone was filled with rare scolding, "We are the people of Luvis, no matter what, we must never think about problems with such a mentality, and we must never hold on to God. Whether it’s a coincidence or an irresistible fate, we just need to know what we need to know and do it well.”
"Is it all right as long as this is it?" The suspicion in Loren's eyes didn't decrease in the slightest.
"Luvis has brought us peace, prosperity, and strength. It is only natural to act according to her will. We are not blind followers, but believers. We use our belief in Luvis in exchange for all the things we dream of , so... don't doubt anything~!"
"This kind of justification is not so much a belief as a transaction." With inexplicable malice, Loren mercilessly tore off the gorgeous decorations in his brother's sentence.
"Did you understand it until now? Although I don't know what the reason is, it is true that humans and gods need each other, and they can never be separated. If you don't understand this, you will never be able to become the pope~ !" Julian showed a sly smile that didn't match his identity, got up and left the throne under the shelter of the wings, and walked slowly towards the corridor of lily of the valley.
At the same time, the sage Kadar finally caught up with Yuser who was running fast ahead: "Master User, please wait a moment~!"
The elder who heard the words stopped in his tracks.
"Are you really going to the Fortress of Flame?" Although Yusel had clearly explained the reason in the meeting just now, Kadar still stubbornly raised the question.
"The army of the undead is much stronger than imagined, not only in terms of combat effectiveness, but more importantly, they don't need rest or supplies. Before the alliance army gathers, I must stop the undead at that strategic point. , that is our only chance." Ussel succinctly repeated the analysis of the meeting.
"Of course I know the reason very well, Lord Usel~!" Kadar felt that he was perfunctory by the other party, and his face flushed suddenly, "Maybe it is a bit abrupt, but I want to know your personal will, after all, I am also a Roland's former friend..."
"If that's what you're asking, then my hope is: I'd rather he had died in the wilderness than really be a death knight." A trace of sadness flashed across the paladin's weather-beaten face, "If my student If I want revenge at all, then my only choice is to kill him with my own hands."
"Is there no other way? You should know that Roland respects you very much. If the rumors come true, we can also adopt a dialogue..." Kadar retorted fiercely.
But Usel just interrupted the other party with a wry smile: "Roland's character is not so extreme, although he usually knows how to make choices calmly. But once he reaches the limit in his heart, no matter what price he has to pay, he will I will never compromise. Roland is that kind of person, and I know this best." The paladin's expression gradually became sad, "He fought hard, but was betrayed. The woman named Jiu Yuan may be his lover. … If that is the case, then probably nothing will stop his vengeance.”
"In this case, do you always have to stand on the opposite side?" Kadar's voice gradually dropped.
"Maybe. Although everything is uncertain now, it seems..." Uther's eyes fell silent, "In any case, I will try my best to find that death knight on the battlefield and confirm his identity. If it is really My student Roland Strife, there is no other way, I have made up my mind to fight him—to protect the land I love and the people on it.”
The singing in the evening wind has long since disappeared, only the leaves of the lily of the valley humming in the rhythm. The figures of the twelve obelisks that guarded the holy capital pierced into the sky, cutting the sunset sky into fragments, while the falling black cast a faint haze on the ocean of lilies of the valley.
Just like the mood of people at this moment, helpless and sad.