The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 616 The Unfathomable One is Not Just the Demon King
Hell, the Demon City.

In the office of the Cabinet Intelligence Minister, purple candlelight burned quietly, casting illusory shadows on the tall black cedar bookshelves.

Intelligence Minister Karamos Melusine was sitting behind a large obsidian table, lazily flipping through the reports that had just been transmitted back from the surface.

The reporter was one of his favorite pawns.

As he looked at the exciting messages on the page, a joyful smile gradually spread across his delicate and handsome face.

"As expected of the Demon King I've chosen, hehe...hahahaha!"

His laughter grew increasingly manic, echoing in the empty room and making the deep purple candlelight seem even more eerie.

A great fire killed a king, and that king ignited war across the continent of Os. Former allies became enemies, while the rebels became the empire's unspoken allies.

To manipulate the entire Os Empire with ease—even looking at the epic history of the entire Os continent, you won't find a more dramatic script!
“My dear Mr. Festin, you’ve found a fine son-in-law, tsk tsk... Your old friend is truly envious.”

Having laughed enough, Melusine got up from the table, walked to the window in high spirits, and looked out at the sky.

The magnificent amethyst dome emitted an eerie light, illuminating the bustling underground metropolis and the undisguised admiration and madness on that face.

Upon closer inspection, the amethyst dome looked exactly like his eyes!
Melusine even began to believe deep down that the illegitimate son of the Colin family was actually Lord Bayeri's incarnation in the mortal world!

Because they have so many amazing similarities.

They all started from humble beginnings, were equally adept at enduring adversity, and were always able to leverage terrifying power capable of overturning the entire world at minimal cost.

Most importantly, they all gained the favor of the Padridge family!
However, when the name "Padric" came to mind, Melusine's smile faltered slightly, and a shadow of gloom gradually appeared on his face.

In the battle for this highly promising Demon King, the Melusine family once again lost to the Padrich family.

The thought of that old fool from the Padric family's smug face filled Melusine with intense disgust.

Why is it always like this?

The cunning Melusine family always manages to pick up the scraps left by the Padric family. Despite their unparalleled loyalty, the devil's favor always seems to favor the Padric fools.

The flames of jealousy nearly consumed Melusine, so much so that his fingernails dug deep into the slate of the windowsill, as if they were Lady Serena's face.

hateful!

It was so hateful.

but--

Anger is pointless.

The ten fingers that had been gripping the rock slab relaxed slightly, transforming into rhythmic tapping.

Melusine stared expressionlessly at the dome above Shanghai, as if looking into the eyes of a demon god, his mind racing as he considered a way to break the deadlock.

Miss Padridge has already seized the initiative; for her to insert his child now would only be to invite humiliation.

It seems—

We can only leave the grudges to the next generation.

Melusine's lips curled up slightly again, while a calculating glint flashed in his narrow eyes.

Although Miss Padridge and Luo Yan have not yet had any children, given the Padridge family's promiscuity, it is only a matter of time.

Thinking of this, Melucine suddenly felt a different kind of expectation for his good-for-nothing son.

Although that might not be what little Ig wanted...

……

Humans on the surface can never guess what the demons in hell are plotting, and the demons are often just as clueless as the people arguing.

Even if the slogans were deafening and the shouts echoed through the sky.

"For the Holy Light! For the King! For Glory!"

"go ahead--!"

"kill!!!"

On the southern border of the Duchy of Eiffel, earth-shattering battle cries echoed across the mountains and fields, shaking the clouds in the sky above.

Thick smoke blended with the sky, and the smell of iron and fire filled the nostrils, as if even breathing was tinged with blood.

The bullet fired from the hand of an unknown soldier ignited the flames of war in eastern Os.

With Charles de Vallo's war proclamation proclaimed throughout the nation, the royalists officially declared war on the National Assembly, and the allied forces of the kingdoms stationed around the Duchy of Eiffel also responded to the call to war, upholding the sacred law and the divinely ordained monarch.

Adjacent to the Duchy of Eiffel, the Baron of Goron on the southern border is currently under the de facto control of the National Assembly.

The moment the coalition forces crossed the border, the idyllic countryside instantly transformed into a bloody and brutal slaughterhouse.

Under the cover of heavy artillery fire from the rear, the 40,000-strong army of the Kingdom of Rhodes, in dense line infantry formation, launched a massive offensive against the positions held by the 7th Militia Regiment of the Republic of Ryan.

Despite the fact that the 7th Militia Regiment of the Republic of Ryan had dug a network of trenches in front of their positions and deployed smoothbore cannons on nearby high ground with a wide field of vision, they were still badly beaten and suffered heavy casualties under the offensive of the elite troops of the Kingdom of Rhodes.

In terms of fighting spirit alone, the conscripts of the Kingdom of Rhodes were no match for these young men fighting for the republic.

However, the Kingdom of Rhodes is not fighting alone.

On the battlefield where flags stood like a forest, dazzling magical light flashed intermittently, transforming into streaks of silver light that enveloped the soldiers charging at the front.

"Silver-Gray Holy Armor"!
That was a group buff spell developed by the Enchantment School of the Academy.

Ordinary soldiers' flesh and blood could not withstand the bullets of a Roxay rifle, but if they were given a shield, the situation would be completely different.

Faced with that magical shield as hard as steel, the militia's rifles felt like they were mixed with sand. Unless they could hit the enemy's head precisely, a single shot wouldn't be enough to kill him!

A high-speed spinning lead bullet struck a Rhodes soldier hard in the chest, but only created a faint ripple.

A silver-gray magical aura flashed along the point of impact, forcefully dissipating most of the bullet's power!

The lead bullet fell to the ground, leaving only a dark bruise on the soldier's chest, which was slowly healed under the holy light of the chaplain.

Seeing that the advancing army formation remained motionless, the morale of the militia was severely damaged, and even the most resolute soldiers showed signs of wavering.

Meanwhile, the coalition's artillery continued to roar!

And among those solid shells were also scorching fireballs the size of washbasins!
These destructive spells, chanted and unleashed by the scholars, rained down on the territory of the Republic of Ryan like a meteor shower!
The roar of explosions and screams echoed one after another, and the artillery positions of the Republic of Ryan were soon forced to shut down amidst fierce resistance.

The entire position was in ruins. The cannon barrels were twisted and deformed from the explosions, and the artillerymen suffered heavy casualties, with limbs and broken bodies scattered all over the ground.

Seeing that the position was about to fall, the battalion commander of the cavalry battalion of the 7th Militia Regiment, Kelke, had bloodshot eyes and drew his command sword from his waist.

"For the Charter! For the Republic!"

"Charge with me—!"

Kelke took the lead, leading his three hundred brave cavalrymen across the flank and charging towards the rear of the enemy lines, attempting to destroy the artillery and mage positions of the Kingdom of Rhodes!
However, the commander of the Kingdom of Rhodes had obviously anticipated this and had already laid an ambush on that seemingly weak flank.

As the galloping warhorses reached the reverse slope of the high hill, a sickening friction sound came from the woods on their flanks.

Kelke's pupils contracted sharply as he saw a group of monsters, some human, some ghost, emerging from the forest and charging at them with roars!

"Squeak-"

They were a group of battle puppets made of black ironwood.

Their hands had been transformed into sharp blades, and their wooden eye sockets gleamed with a chilling azure soul light!

Looking around, this army of lifeless puppets numbered at least a thousand! And who knows how many more were hidden where he couldn't see them!

Amidst the teeth-grinding creaking and shrieking, the puppet army rammed head-on into the cavalry battalion that was charging at full speed.

A bloody battle erupted instantly, the neighing of warhorses and the sound of metal tearing through flesh intertwined, causing Commander Kelke's blood to surge.

Even when his warriors wielded their swords with all their might, they could only leave a shallow scratch on the puppet.

But the puppet was different.

They were incredibly strong and seemed tireless, their blades swirling in both hands, easily cleaving his men and horses in two!
In just a few minutes, most of the three hundred fearless cavalrymen were annihilated, and their blood stained the entire snowfield.

Kelke's eyes widened, and a hint of fear finally surfaced on his usually fearless face.

He tried his best to unleash the divine energy within his body, severing the heads of one demon puppet after another, but it was utterly futile against the overwhelming number of them!

There are just too many of them!

Watching his comrades fall one after another into pools of blood behind him, Kelke felt a deep despair, knowing that the cavalry battalion's defeat was only a matter of time.

At this very moment, Elord, a high-ranking mage of the Soul School, who was standing at the rear of the puppet army, was safe and sound at the edge of the forest.

Watching the almost one-sided massacre, a cruel and triumphant smile appeared on his face, as if everything was under his control.

His ten fingers stretched outwards, each fingertip connected to hundreds of faint blue threads that were barely visible to the naked eye.

That is the fuse of the soul!
Through these barely perceptible threads, he could easily manipulate thousands of puppets on the battlefield, making them reap lives like tireless reapers of death.

Although his strength is only at the Silver level, in terms of his role on the battlefield, he has no doubt that he is no less than a Gold-level or even a Platinum-level superhuman!
After all, even a platinum-level expert is only capable of defeating ten thousand people.

"Hahaha! Mere mortals, a bunch of filthy mud-blooded people, dare to provoke the gods with those laughable firearms!"

"Tsk tsk, they're really courting death!"

A pleased smile graced Elrod's face, while his index finger moved continuously without pause, smoothly weaving this puppet show called death.

Apparently—

After selling his soul in exchange for the ability to easily control the life and death of others, he forgot that ordinary blood also flowed in his veins and regarded himself as a god who could control everything!

Just as he was about to carry out that blasphemous act to the end and chop the people in front of him into mincemeat, a sudden change occurred!
Suddenly, the light gray clouds in the sky were torn apart by a violent force, and then a giant cyan sword, several meters long, came flying through the air!

With an overwhelming pressure, the transparent giant sword, like divine punishment, cleaved down into the dense army of demonic puppets!

"boom--!!!"

The earth trembled violently, and a violent shockwave swept across the entire battlefield in an instant. Hundreds of black iron puppets were shattered into wood chips and debris without even having the chance to resist.

Caught off guard by the sudden and shocking turn of events, the pale blue thread connecting his fingertips snapped inch by inch, shattering into countless points of light.

The backlash from his soul made his face turn pale.

Elrod stumbled back a few steps, his smug smile freezing on his face as he looked up at the sky in a panic.

what happened? !

His eyes were filled with fear, completely unaware of where this terrifying power came from!

Just then, a gust of wind swept up the distant hillside, nearly knocking him to the ground. He shakily steadied himself, looking back with suspicion and disbelief, his pupils shrinking even further.

A massive, silver-white griffin stood proudly atop the hill, flapping its enormous wings, powerful enough to stir up a storm.

Those amber-colored beastly eyes arrogantly surveyed the battlefield below, its fierce forepaws digging at the ground, clearly unable to suppress its hunting desires.

On the back of that raptor sat a tall and imposing knight. He was clad in gleaming silver armor, held a knight's longsword, and was bathed in a divine light.

Under the blessing of that divine light, his booming voice, as loud as a bell, instantly enveloped the noisy battlefield.

"My name is Basil Joel! Commander of the Imperial White Griffin Guard, and hereditary lord of Graystone Territory! Today, I have come here by imperial decree to punish the traitors!"

In the nearby army formation, the marshal of the Kingdom of Rhodes suddenly changed his expression, and his fist gripping the reins clenched involuntarily.

The commander of the 7th Militia Regiment of the Republic of Ryan was the same; he looked at the griffin knight that had descended on the battlefield with a look of astonishment on his face.

The empire has fallen?!

When did this happen?!
The two sides fighting on the front lines were completely unaware of the Holy City's decision, let alone which side the griffin rider who had suddenly appeared on the battlefield was on.

The two sides ceased their fighting for a moment, and even the demonic light that streaked across the battlefield stopped its clamor.

The griffin rider, standing proudly atop the high slope, did not turn his gaze toward the group who had stopped fighting.

He looked down at the soul-based magician with a disdainful gaze, making no attempt to conceal the contempt and murderous intent in his eyes.

"I don't kill nameless nobodies. State your name, wizard!"

Upon hearing these words, Elord, who had been filled with doubt and uncertainty, was completely stunned, and even forgot to drink the potion that he had just uncorked.

The Imperial... Royal Guard?!
Cold sweat covered his back, so much so that his voice stammered for a moment, and he couldn't speak a complete sentence.

"Your Majesty, an imperial edict?! Wait, wait a minute... Is there some misunderstanding between us?!"

Saint Sis above!
Even though he hasn't prayed in a long time, is it really fair to put such a huge accusation on a mere magician like him?!
The magician who had proclaimed himself a god just a moment ago suddenly remembered that he was just a lowly magician after finally receiving that real iron fist.

"Misunderstand?"

Upon hearing this, Basil laughed in fury, his laughter carrying a chilling undertone. He turned his gaze to the out-of-control puppets on the battlefield, and then to the scattered limbs and broken bodies.

"Saint Seth granted you power that surpasses that of mortals, yet you use that power to crush the souls of mortals and slaughter the children of the Holy Light!"

Recalling the blasphemous evidence of the extraction of civilians' souls that the Holy City had released, an uncontrollable rage ignited in the eyes of this centurion of the Imperial Guard.

Sensing its master's anger, the griffin lying beneath him let out a low hiss and stopped rubbing its forepaws on the ground.

Elrod panicked and tried to defend himself.

"This is a misunderstanding! We are merely assisting the legitimate Devalo royal family in eliminating the bandits who are overthrowing the monarchy—"

"Shut up, you beast!"

Basil gripped the greatsword tightly with both hands, and the violent blue holy energy erupted once again like a volcano.

"You are bandits!"

The furious roar shattered Elord's spirit, and he dared not harbor any more hope. He immediately reached into his robe and ripped open the random teleportation scroll hidden in his sleeve for his own survival.

A dark blue magical light surged around him, almost dragging him into the turbulent currents of the warp.

However, at that very moment, Basil, riding on the griffin's back, suddenly glared and unleashed an invisible hammer that slammed into the magical light behind Elord.

That power seemed familiar, just like the divine energy that severed the threads of his soul at his fingertips!
At that very moment, Ellord finally recognized the griffin knight's attack. It wasn't some divine aura at all, but rather platinum-level holy light magic—

The Light of Silence!

This guy is actually a dual cultivator of magic and martial arts!?
As he watched the scroll turn to ashes and flutter through his fingers, Ellord's face turned ashen, and his trembling lips lost all color.

Faced with that boundless pressure, despair completely destroyed his reason.

"I'll fight you to the death!!!"

He roared hysterically, and suddenly pulled a short staff inlaid with sapphires from his sleeve, preparing for a final, desperate counterattack.

Unfortunately, he was still too slow.

Before the wand was even fully raised, he saw a silver torrent rushing towards him, its gleaming claws aimed straight for his chest.

What a great speed!

Before Elrod could even see when the griffin flapped its wings, his vision was completely obscured by a huge white wing.

Immediately afterwards, a tremendous force crashed down, as if he had been struck on the chest by a horse's hoof, and he was pinned to the ground in the muddy snow.

click-

The cracking sound of breaking ribs was particularly jarring on the silent battlefield, causing Ellord to nearly faint on the spot from the pain.

"Wait a moment--"

He coughed up blood and, terrified, tried to beg for mercy.

However, the arrogant imperial knight didn't even glance at him again, letting his mount tighten its claws.

puff-

The sound was like crushing a ripe tomato. A minute ago, the Soul School mage was ruling the battlefield like a god, but before he could even let out a complete scream, he was crushed into a bloody mess of pieces.

Basil looked down at the pile of rotten flesh under the griffin's claws, then slowly shifted his gaze to the distant army of the Kingdom of Rhodes, and said in an icy tone.

"I originally intended to give you a quick death with one sword, but since you stubbornly refuse to tell me your name, then don't blame me."

He doesn't kill nameless people, but his mount can.

These words are spoken to the dead, and also to those scoundrels who have shed the robes of the Academy and mingled in the army of the Kingdom of Rhodes.

This swift and decisive action completely shocked the smoke-filled battlefield.

Whether it was the Rhodes Kingdom's 40,000-strong force that held an absolute advantage, or the Ryan Republic militia that had been struggling under the artillery fire, there was complete silence at this moment, and no one dared to even breathe.

Even though they knew in their hearts that a mere griffin rider was not enough to change the course of the entire battle, no one dared to defy the majesty of the empire behind him.

In the suffocating silence, from the rear of the Kingdom of Rhodes' army, a knight clad in heavy armor rode out on horseback.

Despite the overwhelming pressure, he drove his trembling mount to Basil's side and removed his full armor helmet.

He forced a calm expression on his sweat-drenched face, cautiously looking at the high-ranking griffin knight, and introduced himself with imperial courtesy.

"I am Earl Thijan Clement, commander of the 40,000-strong army of the Kingdom of Rhodes... May I ask your name, esteemed general?"

"Basil Joel".

The knight on the griffin's back slightly raised his chin, introduced himself again, and looked down at him with an arrogant and provocative gaze. "What, you, that Earl of the Kingdom of Rhodes, do you want to duel me?"

Thijang's eye twitched violently.

To be able to kill Mage Elord in one hit, this person's strength must be at least at the peak of the Gold level, and possibly even at the Platinum level!
If he's a Platinum-level expert, he could already be considered a high-level transcendent. And what legends lie behind the knight's longsword he holds...?

It was undoubtedly magic that interrupted the teleportation scroll, but that sword strike that fell from the sky was definitely not as simple as magic or holy energy!
“I wouldn’t dare.” Thijang took a deep breath, looked at Basil with an extremely serious and solemn expression, “Commander Joel, I want to know, what exactly is the meaning behind the Empire’s actions?”

"As you can see, the Empire has declared war on the Academy."

Thiján's brain went blank for two seconds.

"……what?"

Has the Empire declared war on the Academy?
Xuebang is a vassal state of the empire.

Meanwhile, the "de facto kingdom" that claims to be an academic mecca but operates behind the scenes is also the biggest ally of the Allied Kingdoms in intervening in the situation in the Republic of Ryan.

Looking at the pile of golem remains and the mangled body of the mage Elord, Tijan felt his muscles tense up, and a hint of panic crept into his eyes as he looked at the griffin knight.

However, the griffin rider did not point his sword at him. The griffin, in turn, showed no interest in him, preening its own white feathers.

It can sense its master's murderous intent.

Its owner merely felt disgust towards these people, not to the point of wanting to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Basil spoke again, interrupting Thijand's rambling thoughts.

"I don't want to answer the same question twice. As for the specific reasons for the Empire's declaration of war, you can go back and ask your king."

After saying that, Basil's indifferent gaze swept over the army of the Kingdom of Rhodes, his tone carrying a hint of undisguised mockery.

"However, as colleagues who also believe in the Holy Light, I advise you to sever ties with the academic community that has sided with Chaos. Otherwise, you will inevitably be burned by the Holy Light."

This is the bottom line set by the empire.

The Empire still abides by the ancient covenant and will not directly intervene in the war between the kingdoms and the First Republic of Ryan, since the Academy has not nominally joined the war either.

Basil led the White Griffin Guard here solely to eliminate those chaotic minions who had secretly joined the battlefield as "mercenaries."

As for the problems of the Devalo family and their dirty dealings with the Academy, they will be thoroughly settled after the end of the full-scale war between the Empire and the Academy.

The Senate needs to know exactly how many Old World nobles were involved in that heinous holy water project, how many knew the inside story, and how much they knew.

This is precisely where the royalists' good fortune lies.

If the angry citizens of Roland hadn't killed Theodore's entire family, they would never have chosen a distant nephew to be the next king.

If the current king were a direct relative of Theodore, the Empire would likely have a different attitude towards the royalists of the Kingdom of Lane.

For now, the Empire needs to focus its efforts on dealing with the Academy.

Thijang felt a chill run down his spine and managed to squeeze out the words through gritted teeth.

"I... need time."

There are still hundreds of Academy mage soldiers on the Kingdom of Rhodes's battlefield; it will take some time to persuade them to lay down their weapons and surrender.

I'll give you one day.

After saying that, Basil stopped looking at him and instead turned his gaze to the cavalry battalion commander, who was covered in blood, not far away.

In the distance, Battalion Commander Kelke, covered in blood, also gazed at the knight riding on the back of the griffin.

When he noticed that the other person's gaze briefly swept over him without showing any hostility, he immediately came to his senses—

He wants to let himself off the hook!
"Retreat! Take the wounded, everyone mount up! Quickly!"

Kelke gave a low shout and led his men to quickly mount their horses, seizing the opportunity to retreat from the bloody battlefield.

Although the charge caused them heavy losses, as long as they could return alive, the cavalry battalion would remain intact!

Count Thierry gripped the reins of his warhorse tightly, forced to watch helplessly as the enemy troops left right before his eyes.

He wanted to lead his troops to pursue them, but he was hampered by the intimidating presence of the griffin rider and the nobleman's pride, leaving him helpless for the time being.

Basil didn't say he couldn't pursue it, but he also didn't say he could. That silent rebuke itself was a form of pressure.

Seeing that Ryan's remnants had gone far away, Earl Thirang gritted his teeth and finally showed the demeanor befitting a nobleman. He nodded slightly to Basil and then waved his hand sharply behind him.

"retreat!"

Seeing the show was over, Roller deftly sheathed his longsword, his gaze following Count Thijand's retreating figure until it disappeared into the army formation.

The bugle sounded.

Due to the empire's sudden intervention, the allied forces of the kingdoms were forced to halt their offensive. Thus, the battle, which lasted only half a day, ended in a draw.

However, the militiamen, who had lost their artillery positions and suffered heavy casualties, knew that this respite was nothing more than a death sentence with a reprieve.

By the morning of the following day, the 40,000-strong army of the Kingdom of Rhodes, which had been reorganized, launched another fierce offensive.

This time, they did not back down even without the support of the monks from the Academy, because two other full-strength 10,000-strong units of the Allied Forces of the Kingdoms joined the siege from the flanks.

Faced with an overwhelming numerical disadvantage, the National Assembly's militia forces were quickly routed and forced to withdraw completely from Baron Goron, retreating all the way to the walls of Longway.

Perhaps only Marshal Fayet's presence at the front lines could save them.

……

Meanwhile, on the other side, in Dragon's Eye City, a strategically important northern city of the Kingdom of Rhodes, far from the vortex of war, a loud roar pierced the sky.

The citizens looked up and saw more than a hundred fully armed griffin riders descending upon the square outside the city lord's mansion like divine warriors.

A knight with a menacing expression leaped off the griffin and strode over to Duke Blackwood, who had been waiting there.

This man is none other than the commander of the Imperial White Griffin Knights!

“I have received reliable intelligence that Aumon Sgode is here.”

Without a single word of politeness, the commander directly stated his purpose, his sharp gaze scrutinizing the duke of the vassal state standing before him.

The Duke of Blackwood had a dignified appearance, and even when faced with pressure from high-ranking imperial generals, he did not show the slightest fear, but simply gave a polite and dignified reply.

"Commander, your intelligence is accurate. That guy did visit my residence two days ago. However, you should know better than me that a mage as meticulous as him would never sit obediently in my guest room and wait for me to put the wanted poster under his nose."

Apparently—

The person has already run away.

The atmosphere between the two instantly turned to freezing point. Their equally matched auras clashed in the air, and for a moment, no one could determine the winner!

The Grand Master of the Knights narrowed his eyes, stared at Blackwood for a while, and finally left a profound piece of advice.

“Your Grace, I sincerely hope that you and your family have not been tainted by that disgusting blasphemy.”

He realized that this guy was also a grandmaster-level expert, and if a conflict were to break out, it would result in both sides suffering heavy losses.

Blackwood smiled faintly, a smile that carried the composure of an old aristocrat, and took a step back at the opportune moment.

"The Empire can always trust the Blackwood family's devotion to the Holy Light. Our family's glory has been passed down for thousands of years on this land. We have enough foundation to not need to add sin to our souls through such despicable means."

He wasn't an ally of the Academy; at most, he knew those magicians and occasionally got one or two novel trinkets from them.

This level of friendship wasn't enough to warrant him sacrificing the Blackwood family's honor.

Moreover, the person standing in front of him at this moment was not even one of the empire's top experts.

"Oh? It seems you already know about the holy water?" The Knights Commander's face gradually darkened, his tone tinged with amusement.

The knights around them placed their hands on their sword hilts, as did the guards of the Duke's mansion, their nerves taut with tension.

Blackwood remained calm, observing the changing expression on the Knights Commander's face, and continued speaking without any hesitation.

"Of course, didn't you tell us? To be honest, it's hard to believe that our northern neighbor would do something so heinous in secret. Besides, you should know that the Kingdom of Rhodes and the Academy have never had a good relationship. Now it seems that we were right about them."

These words sound impeccable, but they are actually nonsense.

An ordinary old farmer from the Empire might be fooled by him, but the leader of the White Griffin Knights is no ordinary person.

He knew all too well that ancestral friendships and personal relationships were two different things, not to mention diplomatic and personal relationships that were even further apart.

The relationship between the Academy Mage Tower and the upper-class nobles of the various kingdoms has always been very close, which does not conflict with the border friction between the Academy and the Kingdom of Rhodes.

Even if the Kingdom of Rhodes outwardly submits to the Holy City's will and issues a nationwide arrest warrant for the Academy's high-ranking officials, their private dealings with each other cannot truly be severed.

The reason is simple: the Holy City is too far away from them, while the mage tower of the Academy is right next to them and they can be easily bribed.

The Grand Master of the Knights, not wanting to dwell on the matter any longer, directly issued the order from the Senate.

"I don't care about your past relationship. Now, I demand that the Northern Border immediately seal off all border crossings leading to the Academy, and strictly prohibit any mage with ties to the Academy from leaving the Northern Border until this war is completely over!"

The Kingdom of Rhodes has a large number of mages from various schools of magic, and many of these mages are even Rhodesians. Things will become extremely complicated once a real conflict breaks out between the two sides.

The Duke of Blackwood nodded with delight and agreed without hesitation.

“No problem. All the nobles in the North will cooperate unconditionally with the Empire’s campaign to eradicate heretics. However, I have a small question I would like to ask you.”

"What's the problem?"

Blackwood narrowed his eyes slightly.

"This war came very suddenly. I want to know how far the Empire intends to go?"

"Of course, it's about thoroughly eradicating the corruption of chaos and sending those heretics to the stake," the commander replied coldly.

Blackwood pressed, "And then?"

"And then?" The commander frowned.

Blackwood nodded. "Yes, I'd like to know what you plan to do after you win everything. Are you going to demolish the mage tower?"

The Grand Master of the Knights sneered upon hearing this.

"That depends on the opinions of the Senate and His Highness the Regent. What, does His Excellency the Duke have any particular thoughts about that wasteland?"

“No.” Blackwood shook his head slightly. “It’s just that as the Duke of the North, I also need to consider the livelihood of my people.”

"Since there isn't one, then do as I say right away!"

Having uttered this irrefutable order, the Grand Master of the Knights flung his cloak behind him and led his griffin riders as they soared onto the griffins, disappearing into the howling, snow-covered sky.

The citizens watched the griffin riders leave, their faces still showing confusion and bewilderment, not knowing what had happened.

The same goes for Blackwood.

The dignified duke watched the departing griffin riders silently, his deep pupils flashing with an unfathomable complexity.

……

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Having just fled Dragonwatch City in a panic, the Soul School leader, Ormon Sigode, was like a stray dog, desperately fleeing towards Eagle Rock Territory of the Kingdom of Rhodes through a blizzard.

The biting wind whipped against his bewildered face, and Omon was utterly confused, unable to figure out what had gone wrong.

The situation took a sharp turn for the worse!

The Empire has declared full-scale war on the Academy!

But...why?
Everyone else involved in the Roland City experiment, except him, died. Whether they were direct participants or indirect participants.

After dealing with all the troubles, he successfully shifted the blame for the blasphemy onto the extinct Devalo dynasty and the shady organization of the tomb keepers behind it.

While some magicians from the Academy were indeed involved, the Soul School had long since severed ties with those magicians.

Unless a sage-level figure is involved, the Senate would never have escalated the entire incident to such a level.

unless--

They have other evidence in their possession!

This directly proves that the research projects of the Soul School are directly related to holy water.

Suddenly, his chaotic thoughts came together. Omon abruptly stopped in the snowstorm, and one of his cloudy eyes widened instantly.

"...Edgar!"

Thinking of the student he had personally silenced, Omon's expression changed completely, and cold sweat quickly crept onto his face.

Everything connected—

This is the most logical possibility!
To protect himself, that fool Edgar secretly revealed the core secrets of the School of Souls to Marius, the leader of the Gravediggers!
For example, the study of spiritual matter and soul matter!
Only Xuebang and the Empire knew about the relevant research, but Xuebang concealed the separation and purification technology of spiritual matter and soul matter.

This clue was like a key, pointing directly at the only lock.

If the Duchy of Campbell were to seize relevant clues during the Battle of the Ten Thousand Mountains, and such knowledge were to fall into the hands of a third party who could never have known, the Empire would immediately realize that what the Campbells were saying might actually be true!

Actually, there is still room for maneuver at this point.

After all, even if the "Holy Water" plan is blasphemous, it is still the job of Chief Justice Jiménez. He can just send a few people to the Mage Tower to investigate the case.

At worst, we can just send a few scapegoats to the tribunal, just like when Prince Colin came to the Mage Tower back then.

However, things went wrong when an elder died, which escalated the incident to the level of suppressing a rebellion, alarming the entire empire!

Cold sweat dripped down Omon's face, and the prosthetic crystal in his left eye socket trembled incessantly.

He never expected that Prince Colin would be so patient. After winning the battle to take the Ten Thousand Mountains, he actually refrained from releasing this earth-shattering information, which led both him and the Great Sage to focus their attention on the experiment in Roland City!
They kept it a secret, patiently waiting until the most critical moment before finally playing this card on the Senate's table!
Had Omon known that these guys possessed such terrifying evidence, he wouldn't have cared about Roland City at all. He would have insisted on removing Campbell Fortress first and crushing these wandering bastards into pieces with the plague of chaos!
Omon gritted his teeth, his heart filled with both fear and boundless regret.

Just when he thought he had won everything, a massive and suffocating web of conspiracy had already been laid silently.

How to do?
He didn't know what to do.

Now, not only his mage tower, but the entire academic community is probably caught off guard by this sudden and shocking change.

He dared not imagine the expression on the Great Sage's face, yet the empire's sword was pressing down on him from behind, making him dare not stop in his tracks.

Not far behind Omon, his young assistant was closely following in his footsteps, trudging through the snow with difficulty.

Unlike Omon's fear, there was not a trace of fear or tension in his eyes, only heartfelt admiration and respect.

As expected of Lord Ormon Stragod!
Just as he had predicted, the Imperial envoy Sean who was shot dead by a mob on the streets of Roland City was actually the one whose shrewd mentor had secretly cast the spell!
The entire Os Empire is now in chaos. The imperial prince who is about to be strangled by his mentor must be having trouble sleeping and eating because of the Senate's suspicions.

Although he couldn't yet see the benefits this would bring to the Soul School or even the entire academic community, he had no doubt that it was a grand plan destined to shake the entire continent of Os!
The poor, self-important young man still hasn't realized that, given the current situation, it's no longer important who killed Earl Sean.

The moment Baron Adair arrived at St. Clement's Cathedral with irrefutable evidence of the holy water, the entire Senate was left with only one option: war.

Many people will be drawn into this war.

Whether he can graduate smoothly has become the most insignificant detail.

However, most of those who can get into Xuebang are intelligent people, but their long-term logical confusion and inversion of right and wrong have temporarily destroyed their thinking.

This damage is not permanent.

This is why a trivial question arose in his mind—

Since assassinating the imperial envoy and stirring up chaos were both part of the mentor's grand plan, why are they now fleeing for their lives in this freezing wasteland like fugitives?

Could it be... that this is also part of the plan?
Just as the sage's assistant was racking his brains, a black carriage slowly drove into the turbulent city of Roland.

Looking out the carriage window at the bustling crowd and the blocked port on the riverbank, a faint sadness surfaced in his deep purple eyes.

To be honest, Luo Yan didn't really want to come back at this time.

However, even Prince Colin had times when he was not in control of his own destiny.

It wasn't entirely because of Earl Sean.

Another reason is because of a little darling who has run away from home again.

"Incredible... I never imagined that there would be such a magnificent church outside the Holy City."

Gazing at the dome of the Saint Laurent Cathedral in the distance, Ophia, sitting opposite in the carriage, let out a heartfelt sigh.

She even felt that this church was more magnificent; at least the dome was taller and larger than the St. Clement's Church she remembered!

Luo Yan smiled gently.

"After all, St. Clement's Cathedral was built a thousand years ago, while this church may only be three to five hundred years old."

Ophia turned her gaze to him, her bright eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"You've been here before?"

"Yeah, just passing by." Luo Yan nodded slightly, not wanting to delve too deeply into the topic.

Ophia gave a drawn-out "oh," but then suddenly changed the subject.

"which year?"

The moment she finished speaking, the entire carriage fell silent.

(End of this chapter)