The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 435 The New Testament and the Salvation Army!

The flames of war raged across the Dusk Province. The siege of Sparrowwood Fortress and the devastation in Graystone Town were just the tip of the iceberg in this chaotic battlefield.

As Thomas had predicted, the Empire did not stand idly by.

"Rock Sword Saint" Gaunt stepped forward.

As a devout Rhodesian, although he did not hear the voice of the gods, that did not prevent him from making decisions based on his own will.

He will quell this rebellion with the sword in his hand!
The army of Chaos is attacking Copper Pass, and Dusk Province is a vital supply line from the human world to Copper Pass.

Regardless of the peasants' grievances, in Gaunt's view, they should not have betrayed their lord at this time. Because they were not only betraying their own kingdom, but also the entire empire that bore the weight of humanity's survival.

And indeed, that's exactly what they did. Their power came from chaos, from the abominable "Claw of Eternal Hunger" Urgoth... the most murderous demon on this continent.

In terms of sheer numbers and cruelty, the number of people killed by the eerie mist is less than a fraction of its own, and even the flames of destruction that ravaged beyond the Great Wall are far weaker than it.

Gunter's idea was simple.

Since everything started because of "Green Turban" Kaylan, we should find him and kill him.

However, he gradually realized that things were not as simple as he had thought.

This tumor has been there for a long time.

It just recently started to erupt...

……

Just as Gunter continued westward with the orphans he had taken in, a fierce battle was just beginning at the southernmost tip of the Twilight Province.

As a natural gateway connecting the Duchy of Twilight and the Principality of Campbell, the Stream Pass is like a sharp wolf's fang, nailed between the "Broken Finger Peak" and "Shattered Rock Peak" of the Ten Thousand Ren Mountains, and together with the plains at its foot, it cuts off the continuous Ten Thousand Ren Mountains.

After passing this pass, heading south along the rushing river, you will reach the valley plains of the Principality of Campbell.

In response to the threat of the Green Forest Army, Earl Derek Granston, who is stationed in the Earldom of North Creek Valley, has mobilized 20,000 conscripts to stand guard on the border and prevent bandits from entering.

However, his worries were clearly unnecessary.

Unlike the reckless "Butcher" and "Alchemist," "Shadow of the Jungle" Finnian is not a reckless brute.

He was very clear about the limits of his actions and would not wantonly ignite war in neighboring countries' territories, thus giving that ambitious grand duke a reason to send troops.

This is also why Rhys the Longbowman, one of the three leaders of the Green Forest, sent him here.

If the rebels want to hold onto their victory, they must capture the pass connecting Twilight Province and the Duchy of Campbell, and completely sever the connection between Twilight Province and the Southern Duchy!

The longer it drags on, the greater the variables will become!
"Kill! Kill!"

"Brothers! Charge! Take this pass! All the treasure inside is yours!"

"Oooo!!"

The shouts of battle were deafening, and the soldiers with green turbans rolled like waves across the plains.

Armed with a variety of weapons, they charged toward the castle directly in front of them under the cover of catapults.

Even though most of the catapults operated by serfs were blind, either throwing stones into the moat or hitting their own brothers in the back of the head, only a few landed on the city walls.

However, this is enough.

Even if it meant exchanging ten brothers for one on the city wall, it would still be a sure win for "Lin Ying" Finnian.

After all, there were at most a few hundred soldiers left in the castle, while his army numbered well over 100,000.
He's going to win this battle no matter how you fight it!
His only concerns were what would happen after he captured the pass and what threats would come from further south.

Meanwhile, atop the city wall, Knight Pierce, clad in armor, raised his longsword and let out a hoarse roar.

"Fire!"

At his command, the six smoothbore cannons on the city wall roared in unison!

The whistling exploding shells crashed into the rebels' catapult positions like meteors, blasting the crooked, rotten logs and the nearby artillerymen to smithereens.

Seeing the catapult positions blasted to pieces, the morale of the defenders on the city wall and the charging Green Turban soldiers was boosted, and they erupted in deafening shouts.

However, the latter's smile quickly faded.

After a salvo took out the catapults, the cannons on the city wall quickly aimed at them, and the dark iron pipes roared once again!

"Bam—!!"

The roar of cannons and the exploding shells arrived almost simultaneously. Exploding flames and flying shrapnel ravaged the battlefield, and the rebel troops below the city walls instantly collapsed like fallen wheat.

While the cannons were firing, the musketeers and crossbowmen standing on the city walls were not idle either.

They leaned against the battlements, dodging the rebels' sniper shots and arrows, while calmly and collectedly firing the muskets handed to them by their comrades behind them, before passing them back to their comrades to reload.

The sound of gunfire came in waves, each shot followed by a bloodbath.

Before the rebels wearing green turbans even reached the moat, they had already left behind a large number of corpses!

however--

The optimistic situation did not last long, as the rebels carrying ladders eventually reached the edge of the castle.

Although the serfs with green turbans were afraid of the gunfire from the city walls, the methods their officers used to punish traitors were even more terrifying. They had seen their intestines pulled out and hung outside to dry, and they had seen their entire bodies thrown into a pot and boiled alive... Moreover, these punishments often involved the families as well. Those who drove them away knew very well what they were afraid of, because they all came from the same place.

As the death continued, they gradually stopped being afraid. After all, being shot was just a matter of a moment, and it might even be quicker.

When blood first splattered on their faces, they would fearfully raise their arms to wipe it off.

As heads around them exploded one after another, they became completely numb, no longer even bothering to furrow their brows.

As the first brave young man climbed the city wall, the fierce battle officially entered its most intense phase!

This time, not only were the "later" attackers unable to laugh, but the "former" defenders on the walls were also unable to laugh.

Although Pierce chopped off that reckless head with a single sword strike, there were still countless heads to be chopped off on the city wall.

Even with his platinum-level strength, he couldn't withstand the relentless, tidal wave of attacks.

After all, even the hardest steel will dull after chopping dozens of bones.

Moreover, those who attacked the city were not all serfs; they also included people who had gained power for various reasons. Among them were many powerful superhumans who always attacked him and his subordinates unexpectedly.

The battle raged until dusk.

Only when the distant sound of drums rang out did the besieging rebel army retreat like a receding flood.

The farmers of the Kingdom of Ryan are mostly malnourished and cannot see anything after dark. These rebels rarely prolong the battle into the night, not only because their fighting strength would be affected, but also because some would try to escape under the cover of darkness.

Pierce finally managed to wipe the blood from his face, but there was no trace of joy in his eyes at surviving such a close call.

The battle at Jiliu Pass has been going on for more than half a month, and the situation is getting more and more brutal every day.

Initially, he had eight hundred professional soldiers under his command, but now fewer than a hundred can stand on the city wall.

not only that--

Three of his four Silver-rank knights have already been killed in battle!
Otherwise, as the commander, he wouldn't have taken such a huge risk to personally stand on the front line.

Looking at the soldiers leaning against the battlements, panting for breath, he no longer knew how he would survive until tomorrow.

Just as Pierce was about to order the wounded to be treated, the gaze that had been fixed on the outside of the city wall paused slightly, and then his expression changed drastically.

At the far edge of the position, four dark cannons were pushed to the front by several bare-armed Green Forest Army soldiers!
"Cannons?!" exclaimed the adjutant standing beside him, his face filled with disbelief.

The cannons were significantly larger than the smoothbore cannons on their city walls, belonging to the siege caliber. They were not only more powerful, but also likely shot farther!

How did those rebels get their hands on this stuff?!

Pierce's face grew increasingly grim, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned slightly white.

The cannon was beyond his firing range!
He guessed the enemy commander's intention in almost an instant—

“They did it on purpose… They’re forcing us to raid the camp under cover of darkness.” Standing next to Pierce, a centurion said in a low voice, revealing what the former hadn’t said aloud.

The soldier leaning against the battlements grinned and pressed his freshly bandaged wound as he spoke.

"Fortunately, they don't know our situation... We simply can't spare any troops to launch a night raid out of the city."

"Don't be too optimistic. They'll find out after tonight, and then it'll all be over."

"Damn it, 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 valiant knight to make a decision.

Actually, they are not without manpower; for example, this platinum-level knight could handle it himself.

certainly--

All of this is predicated on the fact that the opposing army does not possess the corresponding combat power.

Otherwise, that person wouldn't even need to gain the upper hand.

All he had to do was hold off their General Pierce, and then overwhelm him with sheer numbers... and this fortress, so easy to defend, would crumble on its own.

Just as Pierce was caught in a dilemma, a cloud of dust suddenly rose from the southern horizon, obscuring the sky.

A lookout soldier was the first to spot the anomaly and then let out a shout of surprise.

"General! Look! In Campbell's direction! An army is approaching us! They are flying the Grand Duke's banner!"

Grand Duke?

The Campbell Royal Family?!

Pierce paused for a moment, then his blood-stained face lit up with the ecstatic joy of surviving a disaster, and his fists clenched involuntarily.

Why did those people come?

Count Derek's soldiers had been sitting on the border for more than half a month, and he never expected that these indifferent neighbors would suddenly send troops!
However, since this group of Campbells has come, they must have a good reason for it!
them--

saved!
Cheers of victory rang out from the castle, and the remaining defenders erupted in deafening cheers, as if they were shouting out all the fear and repression they had endured for the past two weeks.

Some people were so excited that their bandages tore open, and hot blood gushed out of their freshly tied wounds.

In contrast, within the Green Forest Army's ranks...

Finnian, holding a monocular telescope, had a solemn expression on his face.

Several kilometers away, soldiers from the Duchy of Campbell, carrying uniform flintlock muskets and dressed in identical uniforms, marched with high morale toward Stromgarde Fortress.

The duchy has sent troops...

Moreover, this was before he conquered the Rapids Pass.

His worst fears came true.

Having also received the news from the scouts, the lieutenant approached Finnian and spoke with a grave expression.

"Boss, what do we do now?"

After a long pause, Finnian put down his binoculars and said with a grim expression.

"Let's retreat first, to the forest five kilometers to the north, and set up a defense based on the strongholds we prepared in advance."

They had no chance of winning on the plains, but their chances might be different in the forests and hills.

That will be his home turf.

It's a pity that the more than eight thousand brothers who fell before the turbulent pass died in vain...

……

The defenders of Jiliu Pass finally saw the dawn of victory, and the people in Quemu Fortress finally saw their hope.

After a long talk with Colin and a restless night, the confusion in Karen's eyes had vanished, replaced by an unprecedented determination. The next morning, she summoned all the Salvation Army soldiers and her followers to the central courtyard of the castle, saying she had something important to announce.

Seemingly anticipating what was about to happen, Brennan arrived first with a delighted expression. He deliberately wore a suit of armor he had salvaged from the lord's treasury, replacing the blood-stained bearskin, to make himself look more respectable and avoid losing face in a formal setting.

Regardless of what that saintess thought, and regardless of what those pedantic priests and gentry thought, he was determined to place the crown on this princess's head!

No?

Then let the blacksmith make one!
He doesn't care about legal principles, titles, or church recognition.

Whoever can feed him and his brothers well, whoever can give him a better life than he has ever had before, will be his king!
As he expected, Saint Sis was quite reasonable and thought the same way as him. He even managed to persuade the kind-hearted nun on his behalf.

What he didn't expect was that the Holy Maiden seemed to have already prepared the crown.

However, it wasn't made by a blacksmith overnight; it was a grass wreath woven from olive branches.

Adorned with olive branches and wearing a simple nun's robe, she slowly walked to the high platform in front of the castle's main hall.

The moment she stepped onto the platform, the spacious courtyard fell silent, and thousands of eyes converged on that kind face.

She exuded an aura of holiness, like a river spirit emerging from a rushing river.

That's a legend from the Province of Twilight.

Legend has it that when flames sweep through the mountains and forests, the fairy in the river will send down sweet rain to heal the wounds on the ground.

Although the priests all said it was false, every Ryan believed the legend wholeheartedly, and even the false became the true.

Just like the saintess standing on the high platform at this moment, even Ben, who had seen her in a disheveled state before, had completely forgotten what she looked like at the beginning.

“I have heard a new oracle.”

The moment she spoke, hope shone on every face that was filled with hesitation, anxiety, or fervor.

Taking in their expectant gazes, Karen responded with a gentle smile.

"He told me through the words of the divine son 'Flame King' that our mission is not to overthrow a castle, win a war, end a dynasty, and begin a new one, but to completely end the tragedy of this land beneath our feet and save all our compatriots who are suffering in misery..."

Then, in an extremely solemn tone, she pointed out a direction that no one had ever imagined for those who were hoping to be saved—

"From this day forward, we will no longer be loyal to any secular king who, for his own selfish desires, has forgotten his sacred duty, and whose titles are no longer justified!"

"From this day forward, we will serve only the God who saves all people, and all people under His grace!"

"Our swords will fight only for the people of God!"

This solemn and impassioned speech stirred up a huge wave among the crowd.

That towering wave was powerful enough to shake the very foundations of all the secular kingdoms on earth!

Leiden's eyes widened, not expecting the saintess to say such a thing. However, upon further reflection, he realized that what she said was not entirely without reason.

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.

Those peasants didn't care who was king, or even whether there was a king at all. The people who truly cared were precisely the nobles and priests who had abandoned their own obligations.

These landowners have long been exercising rights that surpass those of the king on this owned land, in place of the king!
They don't deserve to sit there at all!

Thinking of Earl Theron's pathetic state as he frantically hid in the castle like a rat and then fled like a rat again, he had no desire to consider things from their perspective.

As for how the Empire and the Church will view the Salvation Army's declaration and uprising...

That was too far away for him.

The empire only cared about the Brass Pass, and secondly about the interests in the New World and the vast ocean.

As for the Dusk Forest, it was not even within the Holy City's sights.

Perhaps in the eyes of those in high positions, this barbaric land is no different from hell.

If that's the case, why should they care about those guys' opinions?

If those old fogies are truly startled by the raging flames and notice the people suffering in dire straits, then their deaths will have some meaning.

Unlike Leiden, who was filled with countless thoughts and a chivalrous spirit of self-sacrifice, Brennan didn't think so much. He only had one word in his mind: "Awesome."

Saint Sith's sons all said that their rebellion was justified because the nobles had betrayed them first.

Can a king be more powerful than this?
Whether the church acknowledges it or not, he doesn't care about that stuff at all; he believes in it anyway!
The only ones who were terrified were the priests present.

When they saw that the Salvation Army soldiers had breached the castle but hadn't gone on a killing spree, they thought these peasants had truly had a change of heart, had been moved by divine grace, and had returned to the faith.

Unexpectedly, these guys weren't "devout" at all; they were just keeping quiet to prepare for something big!

What is a divine child?

Saint Sith isn't a mortal... When did she have a child?!

Making up stories about mortals for gods is something from the First Age!

And then there's that bizarre Salvation Army; every word they utter in the name of Saint Sith sounds like the twisted logic that only demons from hell would spout!
However, their faces turned pale and they dared not utter a word. After all, the fierce soldiers were right beside them, and with "truth" in hand, it was hard to say who the heretics were.

Those with devout faith had long since perished in the chaos of war; those who survived were mostly cunning individuals.

They don't want to be taken away by Saint Sis for the time being; only by surviving can there be any meaning in arguing about right and wrong.

In short, let's be patient for now...

As it stands, these ill-mannered country bumpkins seem to be merely compiling a genealogy of Saint Sith, but haven't used it as an excuse to start killing again.

Thinking about it this way...

Seems pretty good, right?

Thinking about what these country bumpkins had done before, they suddenly convinced themselves.

Even if this saintess were to issue another divine decree, ordering them to replace the sacred texts in their hands with a new one, they might still consider going along with it.

What they didn't know was that the saintess standing on the high platform actually had this plan.

She had no doubt about the necessity of spreading the truth, and sooner or later she would compile the version that Mr. Colin had told her into the New Testament and then pass it on to the lost people.

Human beings are the foundation of everything, and "everyone is a priest" is the truly correct legal principle!

However, this matter can be done later; there are more important things waiting for her to do now.

After clarifying the powers and responsibilities, she still needed to promulgate the Salvation Army's governing program and complete the formal investiture ceremony—or personnel appointment.

Everything will be done in the name of God!
Or rather, in the name of the people!
……

The investiture ceremony went smoothly, although the process was somewhat awkward and it wasn't even conducted in the name of investiture.

In the name of the oracle, Saint Karen proclaimed herself saint and took charge of religious affairs, holding a position similar to that of a bishop.

However, unlike a bishop, she did not allocate any fiefdoms for herself as a traditional bishop.

Her explanation was that she had promised the Son of God that she would give up all worldly desires, dedicate the rest of her life to her faith, and accept a life of poverty.

As for Leiden, she appointed him as the first "Knight of the Grail" of the Salvation Army, commanding fifty knights in the castle.

In addition, she bestowed upon him the "Shield of the Holy Grail," which was made by his own hand, as a gift for his choice to serve the people.

As for Brennan, he was also knighted and given the "Champion's Axe" in the name of "Champion Warrior".

At first, the two thought that the saint had given them nothing more than an ordinary "ritual object," until they held the sacred object in their hands.

A continuous stream of power flowed through the cold metal, as if the gods were standing shoulder to shoulder with them!
For a moment, both of them showed expressions of amazement, shocked by the incredible object in their hands.

perhaps……

Maybe Saint Sis really did have a child?
In addition to the two "Generals Protecting the Nation," Karen continued to appoint a number of officials to handle specific affairs.

Most of them were outstanding individuals in their previous work, some from within the Salvation Army, some from the general public... Regardless of where they came from or what kind of work they had done before, the God Child hoped that they would continue to fulfill their duties.

However, these people no longer possessed the magical artifact.

They don't need extraordinary powers; they just need to perform their tasks with reverence.

From the castle tower, Luo Yan smiled as he looked down over the castle courtyard, taking in the entire investiture ceremony being held in his own name.

"What kind of monster did you create?" Taff, 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 curious too, where will they go with the weapons I handed them?"

He didn't just give them bread; he also handed them a weapon.

However, it is different from chaos.

He gave us invisible weapons, not visible guns and cannons.

Of course, those two "magical artifacts" are an exception; they were his impromptu creations.

To celebrate the birth of the Salvation Army, he specially synthesized two Diamond Seeds and selected two suitable items from the Lord's Treasury, imbuing them with divine power.

He had to admit that he simply wanted to test the functions of his divine status and, incidentally, investigate whether the returns would outweigh the investment.

Since weapons themselves have no will of their own, it's easy to reclaim the divine power attached to them.

If the wielder of the artifact creates a new legend with it, such as truly fulfilling his vow and protecting his people in the years to come... the returns on this investment may far exceed his expectations.

He and Youyou had been keeping a close eye on Leiden and Brennan in secret.

One is a knight who betrayed Saint Sith, and the other is a warrior who abandoned Chaos... They are both worth investing in, even more so than the few traitors in his territory.

But then again, wouldn't this be considered giving both Saint Sith and the Claw of Eternal Hunger to the cow at the same time?
Thinking about this, he suddenly felt inexplicably excited.

However, Tauf, whose mind was not yet fully developed, was still immersed in his previous sentence.

"Bratonia... what's 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 come you see?”

Taff argued illogically.

"Although I admit I didn't do anything good, it was by accident, and at least my intentions were good."

Upon hearing this excuse, Luo Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

How do you know my intentions weren't good?

"I can't tell anyway!"

Luo Yan smiled slightly.

"That's why you—"

Seeing the Demon King smile slightly again, Taff quickly covered her ears with her wings, pretending to ignore the tortoise's rambling.

"That's enough, I don't want to hear it!"

Luo Yan actually wanted to say something else, but he had already teased Taf enough today, so he would save the rest for tomorrow.

In case she becomes desensitized someday, that wouldn't be fun.

At that moment, Luo Yan suddenly noticed that light footsteps were coming from the entrance of the tower.

He looked over and saw Karen standing there, having completed the ceremony, her holy smile tinged with a hint of joy.

“I knew you would be here.”

(End of this chapter)