Miss Witch, it's time to clean up the entries

Chapter 340 The Empire's Total War Begins

Mary's death ended her decade-long reign over the South. From then on, Greenwood, Bluemoon, Rosewood, Yusofa, and Holloway were all under Catherine's rule, becoming a unified territory. Except for the Southsea County and Southwater County of the Simmons family, the entire South was unified.

Of course, Lee En had discussed this matter with his father, Jack Moria, beforehand and received his consent.

If Li En hadn't suddenly disappeared, leaving Green Shade without a leader, Jack wouldn't have abandoned his honeymoon with his new wife to rush over and save the day.

In reality, he was tired of being a lord. Now, all he wanted was to enjoy his short life with his aunt, Catherine.

So he had no objection to handing over the management of the Green Trees to his daughter-in-law, even though he hadn't chosen her himself, he still had to acknowledge the grandson in her womb.

Li En understood that Catherine had her own ambitions and ideals. She seemed weak, but she was different from women who only wanted to be housewives. She was determined and had a deep understanding of life.

She bears the mission of reviving her family, a mission that is not a shackle but an ideal that gives her a purpose in life.

What I need to do is not to hinder her, but to support her. If she wants to fly, I will not only give her a pair of wings, but also a vast sky.

Even Catherine hadn't expected that Li En would entrust her with the management of such a large territory; she looked at Li En in surprise.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Li En lowered his head and kissed Catherine tenderly, saying, "Catherine, this is what you deserve."

He couldn't give her all his love, but he could give her everything she wanted to the best of his ability.

Catherine was moved to tears because of Li En; she had avenged her family and fulfilled her promise to her father.

Because of Li En, she was reborn and began her own era.

People shouted their names and celebrated the arrival of this moment.

An unknown painter captured this scene in a painting, creating the famous work "The Kiss of the Son of God and His Beloved Catherine," also known as "Lion Moriah and His First Wife Catherine at the Guillotine." This painting was later collected by Catherine in her Catherine Palace and became a precious collection.

Whenever Catherine sees this painting, she is reminded of the tender moments she shared with Lee.

……

Night falls.

The capital of the Holy Empire.

The palace dome gleamed with a cold, silvery light under the moonlight. Twelve obsidian pillars, engraved with ancient runes, surrounded the central council hall, their tops ablaze with an inextinguishable holy flame, illuminating the entire space as if it were daytime.

The obsidian round table is as smooth as a mirror, with dark gold magical patterns flowing across its surface, symbolizing the convergence of supreme imperial power.

Emperor Augulas Frank sat in the main seat, wearing a deep purple imperial robe, his long brown hair tied back, his face dignified and serene.

Beside him, Queen Emma, ​​her slightly protruding belly, gently stroked the heir in her womb with her slender fingers. Her gaze was soft yet sharp, as if silently reminding everyone that the future of the empire was being nurtured in her bloodline.

On the left side of the round table, Seth Frank, the empire's only legendary knight and head of the Frank family, placed his hands folded on the table.

The new Prime Minister, Remus Burke, sat to the right of the Emperor. The sixty-year-old man had a solemn face, his gray beard was meticulously trimmed, and his fingertips tapped lightly on the table.

Charles Simmons, the head of the Simmons family, squinted his cloudy yet sharp eyes, toying with an ancient silver coin in his hand. It was a token minted by the first emperor of the empire, symbolizing the close connection between the family and the imperial power.

Locke Edwards, the head of the Edwards family, rubbed his fingertips against a ring inlaid with a ruby.

Hughes Lane, the young head of the Rhine family, was looking down and flipping through a parchment scroll.

Elder Cosent of the Academy of Wise Men was hunched over, with strands of pale blue magic thread wrapped around his thin fingers—traces of divination. He remained silent, yet no one dared to ignore his presence.

The newly appointed Pope Damir, clad in a pure white robe and holding a scepter inlaid with holy crystals, had a solemn and holy expression. His gaze swept over everyone present, as if examining the piety of each soul.

The five creed families held an emergency meeting here.

They excluded Lor Jackson. Although the Jackson family was selected as a member of the Tenet family at the last meeting, Catherine has now publicly severed ties with Lor. Lor lacks backing, and the established Tenet families are unwilling to let a lone commander join them.

It can be said that this conference brought together all the most powerful people in the empire.

On the obsidian table, there was no wine or tea, only a head.

That was Mary Frank's head.

She was rushed to Emperor Augustus as a gift.

Augulas had longed for Mary's death countless times, but when he saw Mary's head actually placed in front of him, he felt no joy or pleasure. Instead, a surge of anger welled up in his chest, like a volcano about to erupt.

Seth Frank, the patriarch of the Frank family, was equally displeased and could not accept that his niece had suffered such a fate.

The other four families remained silent, waiting for Augulas to speak.

“Lyon Moria is back.”

Augulas finally spoke.

These words exploded in everyone's hearts like a bombshell.

They thought that Li En and Randall had disappeared together, or that they had both been taken away by the Gift, by the evil god.

But now, Lyon Moria has returned alone!

How did he get back? Does he possess any gifts? What did he do? Where is Randall now?
Countless questions arose in their minds, sparking much discussion among them.

The council chamber was noisy until Augulas spoke again, at which point everyone quieted down.

"Lyon Moria killed my sister Mary Frank, declared the South's independence, and joined forces with the witches and the Revolutionary Army to overthrow our rule."

Augulas angrily threw the letter in his hand onto the table. "This is the letter he wrote to us. It's a declaration of war."

Lee En's declaration of war was sent along with Mary's head.

Seth Frank picked up the letter on the table, his brow furrowing slightly.

"He actually claims to be the successor of the god Tiger."

"He is indeed very talented. If he hadn't started the rebellion, he could have become the next pope."

Damir said with a sigh.

Although he had once served as Li En's teacher and was determined to groom Li En to become the next pope, his current status was different, and he could not betray the Holy Empire.

“Your Holiness, please do not make such a joke. Lyon Moria could not possibly be the offspring of the God of Tiger. He is a demon, a devil. He has bewitched all the witches to rebel against the empire and is about to devour the entire southern land. We must find a way.”

The 71-year-old patriarch of the Simmons family, Charles Simmons, trembled with anger. He was deeply worried because the territory where the Simmons family lived was about to be invaded by the revolutionary army led by Li En. He wondered if the Shield of the South could withstand this revolutionary tide.

“Yes, we must find a way.” The other creed families agreed.

They are now a community of shared interests; their fortunes are intertwined, and their losses are shared.

Lee En's goal is not just to overthrow the Frank family's rule, but the entire Tenet family's rule; he wants to destroy the Tenet Covenant.

Still, in the name of God, it's about killing someone and destroying their spirit.

If Li En continues to bewitch people like this, the empire may soon be completely torn apart.

Augulas looked at Bishop Damir.

Bishop Damir sighed and said, “We will do our best to vindicate His Majesty. Your right to rule is divinely ordained and is the will of the people. We will not allow the believers to waver in their faith. At the same time, we will send priests and knights to support the southern front. Lord Simmons, rest assured, our Holy See will not stand idly by.”

"Praise be to His Holiness the Pope."

Charles Simmons gave Damir a slight bow.

Augulas nodded and said, "From today onwards, the Empire will enter a state of war. The Empire will not tolerate the existence of traitors. All territories must send troops to suppress the rebels and expand the number of Red Armor Guards."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The heads of the Tenet family answered.

"Elder Cosent, how far has the puppet project progressed?"

Auglas asked.

Elder Coscent of the Academy of Wise Men adjusted his monocle and slowly said, "Your Majesty, you may use it at any time if you wish."

“Very good. Send 30 puppets to support the South. I want to show Lyon Moria what true power is.”

A sinister glint flashed in Augulas's eyes; he wanted Li En to die in the south.

Upon hearing the name 30 puppets, Charles Simmons's cloudy eyes gleamed slightly, and a fighting spirit ignited in his chest.

It should be noted that each puppet possesses power comparable to that of a witch, and the puppets have no thoughts at all, making them true humanoid weapons.

Thirty puppets are equivalent to having a powerful army.

The Simmons family finally has the confidence to back up their money.

The meeting lasted from nightfall until the early hours of the morning.

The following day, the Holy Empire issued a declaration of war against Li En, listing Li En's crimes.

Holy Empire Declaration of War—In the Name of Holy Flame and Iron Blood
To Lee En Moriah:

Your arrogance has eroded the land of peace like a venomous snake, and your greed has torn apart the sacred oath like a jackal. We, the Supreme Emperor Augulas Frank of the Holy Empire, and the will of the five great creed families, now proclaim the coming of war, with the holy flame and the blood of our ancestors as our witness!

Your crimes are too numerous to list:
Firstly, you blaspheme against God, claim to be the son of God, mislead people, and defile the sanctity of our faith; you are a true heretic.

Secondly, you instigated the witch to provoke a rebellion, attempting to undermine the foundation of the empire with your despicable scheme; your crimes are heinous.

Thirdly, you have overstepped your royal authority, divided the empire, and arbitrarily declared the independence of your territory; your crimes are unforgivable.

Now, the empire's wrath has spread like wildfire, leaving no room for maneuver!
Therefore, in the name of the Emperor, I hereby declare:
First, the imperial cavalry will break down your city gates, and the holy flames will burn away your false banners;

Third, all who resist will be considered traitors to the gods and will be killed without exception; all who surrender will be pardoned, but their heads will be hung at the gates of the capital as a warning to others!
Wherever our mighty army goes, your territory will be reduced to scorched earth, and your bloodline will be enslaved for eternity!

This battle will be fought to the death!
—Holy Emperor Augulas Frank
—A joint signature from five families adhering to the five core tenets

— His Holiness Damir of the Papal Palace

The edict was written on black parchment with gold patterns, and was stamped with the emperor's wax seal, the coat of arms of the five major creed families, and the papal seal. It was escorted by Templar Knights with swords and was eventually delivered to Li En.

In addition to sending the message to Li En, the empire also began conscription in various regions, requiring all nobles to participate in the war to suppress the rebellion.

Li En's infamy spread widely, and the bounty on his head increased from 10 billion to 15 billion.

Li En was not to be outdone; who can't write a short essay?
He also listed various crimes committed by Augulas, including having an affair with his cousin, waging war for gifts, breaking the Sebastian Pact and making a deal with the sirens, ordering the Institute of Sages to create artificial witches against God's will, and deceiving all his subjects.

Besides Auguras, the other five creed families were also listed by Li En for various crimes.

This gave the Revolutionary Army a legitimate reason to launch a campaign. Miriam quickly gathered the Revolutionary Army, and the 10 Revolutionary Army amassed 5 troops in the south, combining with the armies in Green Shade Territory, Blue Moon Territory, and other places. Soon, Li En's revolutionary army surged to 35.

In addition to an army composed of ordinary people, Li En also possesses a witch legion.

And the Dawn Knights, who are all blood servants.

The Holy Empire assembled an astonishing 100 million troops for suppression, with 20 of them available to be deployed to the southern border.

再加上30人组成的傀儡机动队、5000巨人奴隶军，150人巨人骑士团、3000人铁盾骑士团以及教堂派来的10位神官。

The battle between the armies in the southern water territory turned it into a meat grinder, even though neither side committed too many troops in the early stages of the battle.

The main battlefield consisted of witches, puppets, knights, and adventurers, with both sides only sending 1 troops as support.

Witches fight against puppets; the Knights of Dawn and the Northern Adventurers unite against the giant slave army, giants, and the Iron Shield Knights.

Although each of the puppets possesses power comparable to that of a witch, their power is that of a state before awakening, while the witch army led by Li En consists of witches who have already awakened.

Therefore, in the early stages of the battle, the puppets were completely suppressed by the witches.

Until the puppets began to self-destruct, their self-destruction was no less than that of a witch going out of control, triggering a huge magical storm that strangled all life around them.

Although the witches managed to dodge in time, they still suffered many injuries, while the knights and the army of ten thousand were directly turned into flesh and blood by the magical storm.

The cruelty of war was manifested at this moment.

At the critical moment, Li En used the power of order to seal the magic storm within the territory of the Southern Water Territory, thus preventing harm to the people on the outskirts.

Even so, the Southern Water Territory was completely destroyed by magic.

Val Simmons led his army in an emergency evacuation to Southsea County, but he completely ignored the people who originally lived in Southwater Territory. They became innocent victims of the war, and most of them died in the chaos. Except for a small number who were protected by the witches and survived, Southwater Territory was basically a no-man's land after the war.

Simmons suffered heavy losses in this battle, losing almost all of his puppets and giants. Even though they retreated to Southsea County, they were terrified and dared not fight Li En again.

In less than a month, the southern battlefield of the empire collapsed completely. The Simmons family surrendered with an army of 100,000. The south declared complete independence, and the empire's full-scale war broke out, with the battlefield extending from the south to the central region.

(End of this chapter)