Do you have a problem with necromancers?

Chapter 86 Rebellion (6k)

After the fall of the rainforest peninsula, trade between the River Bend Province and the peninsula was also forced to stop.

Normally, if it were to be suspended, it wouldn't be a big deal, since the bulk of the family income doesn't come from this.

Unfortunately, Bodak's smuggling fleet suffered a major setback at Zircon Island, causing the old Marquis to be extremely anxious recently. He kept urging Darion to go to the rainforest peninsula to check when trade could resume—the tropical fruits and rare herbs from the lizardmen also had a fairly good market on the Imperial continent.

Yesterday, Daryl sent back ravens from the southern seas, saying that no residents had returned to the seaside town on the rainforest peninsula, but strange buildings were seen inland.

It was a huge ossuary, made up of the bones of countless creatures, about a hundred meters high, with a matte gray-white color all over.

The sailors dared not venture deep into the jungle to explore; they merely observed it from afar on deck and sketched it simply.

The old marquis frowned involuntarily as he looked at the sketch on the letter.

If trade on the rainforest peninsula cannot recover in the short term, then the Fahel family's two main sources of income will be completely cut off. Farming and fishing alone are clearly insufficient to support the daily maintenance expenses of the family fleet.

He decided to call Ryan over and ask him about it, since his son had reappeared after many years, specifically in the rainforest peninsula, and might know something about it.

The year was drawing to a close, and the most important festival of the empire—the Day of Divine Revelation—had finally arrived.

Legend has it that at the end of the reign of the ancestral elven empire, the Holy Son of Humanity descended to earth one day, leading the human slaves across the country in a rebellion. In the end, they overthrew the cruel rule of the elven slave owners and won the right for humanity to stand tall on this continent.

Later emperors of successive dynasties unanimously and forcefully suppressed the church, causing the religious significance of Revelation Day to gradually fade. Today, this holiday is primarily about gathering with family, enjoying a hearty meal around a warm fireplace, and exchanging gifts to express gratitude for the past year.

The Faher family has been preparing for the Divine Revelation Day celebration for almost half a month. Large quantities of rare ingredients and fine wines have been transported to Searock City by caravans from the bountiful lands, to be used for the grandest clan gathering of the year.

For human nobles, the Day of Revelation celebration has another layer of meaning: to demonstrate the family's wealth and power. If the celebration is a little meager in any given year, the lower-ranking members of the clan and other nobles will inevitably speculate that there is a problem with the family's finances... and that's why a grand celebration is necessary.

We're still short of money.

When the steward of the Ouburg found Raine, the man was chatting and laughing with his sisters, accompanied by his maid Dia and three elves.

Revelation Day is a festival for family reunions, and unmarried Fahrenheit girls also gather in the banquet hall. These girls inherited the typical appearance of the Fahrenheit people, with round faces and bulbous noses, which are not very attractive. Therefore, they are particularly envious of and close to the handsome Rein, chatting idly around him.

Hearing that his father had summoned him, Renn gracefully bid farewell to his sisters and then went to the lord's study in Gullburg.

“It’s a blasphemous ritual monument of the White Walkers.” He had read the letter the old marquess had handed him, and after just one glance at the sketch on it, he immediately made the corresponding judgment and replied, “The White Walkers are monsters that have only recently appeared on the rainforest peninsula. They are servants and messengers of the Old Gods, and they attack all living animals around them, using their corpses to build these ritual monuments in order to awaken the Old Gods who are sleeping deep underground.”

The amount of information in this passage was so immense that the old Marquis Fahre remained stunned for a long time before asking uncertainly:

"Old Gods? Are they demons?"

"Old Gods are similar to demons; they are both extraordinary beings that transcend mortal life," Renn explained simply. After all, the old marquis wouldn't understand if he said too much. His aging, almost dried-up brain probably couldn't comprehend anything other than women and conspiracies.

"I see." Marquis Fahel immediately said, "I completely understand now." Anyway, it's a bad thing that can destroy the world if it gets rampant!

In this Western fantasy world, there's never a shortage of things capable of destroying the world. There are undead scourges, demonic invasions, plagues, famines, wars… and even more unheard-of Otherworldly beings wouldn't be surprising. Has the world ever been destroyed because of these things? No.

"In other words, once these Otherworlders begin to spread to the surrounding areas, the Imperial Province of Changshui, which borders the rainforest peninsula, will be the first to suffer," asked Marquis Fahel.

“The Lower Serpent Mountains block the way between Longwater Province and the Rainforest Peninsula, so it may take a little longer,” Raine replied. “Of course, once the White Walkers cross the Serpent Mountains and begin their invasion of the Thousand Lakes, it will be too late to stop them.”

"That's a matter for the Dann family, it has nothing to do with our Reach." Marquis Fahl ignored his warnings and hints and said calmly, "The Empire will not stand idly by and watch the territory of the Dann family, whose lineage is that of the Queen, be conquered and occupied by a group of monsters. When the time comes, we will put up a bounty, and there won't even be any Imperial Legion to be dispatched. Many warriors will bring their own equipment to go and fight them off and wipe these monsters out completely."

Renn inwardly sneered, but outwardly replied perfunctorily:
"You're right."

Marquis Fahre's attitude toward the White Walkers represents the general attitude of the nobility of the entire human empire toward them: unless the knife is actually stabbed into their own flesh, they will never feel pain.

Raine hadn't intended to persuade the Marquis; in fact, he hadn't even considered bringing it up if the Marquis hadn't asked—he wasn't some naive fool like Dia, clinging to unfounded hopes. To deal with the White Walkers, they could only rely on the power they themselves possessed.

As soon as Ryan returned to the banquet hall after leaving the Marquis's study, he saw Dia rushing over and saying:
"A letter has arrived from Iron Harbour City, saying that a guest has come to visit."

Raine took the letter from Dia and unfolded it to read it carefully.

A messenger from the Nightmare Legion? Claudius needs to speak with me. Why send a messenger instead of a raven? Oh, he said he has a message that can only be given to me.

There's a risk in ravens sending letters: the first person to receive them is often the maester responsible for training the ravens. If this maester is turned against the maester, the contents of the letter could be read, and even a wax seal isn't entirely foolproof.

Fortunately, Sea Rock City and Iron Harbor City are not far apart, it's just a little troublesome to take a boat.

Raine told the steward of Gullburg, then left Searock City with his maids and elves, boarding a ship from the dock back to Iron Harbor City.

Upon entering the Blood Fortress, he saw Legion soldiers in Imperial armor give him a solemn military salute and then hand him the letter.

The soldiers currently serving in the Nightmare Legion are almost all those who fought alongside Renn against demons in the sorcerous dream world. Therefore, Renn wasn't too surprised; he simply nodded to his comrade-in-arms and then unfolded Claudius's letter:

“Dear Ryan Fahre.”

"It is as if we have met in person. Our business cooperation continues and is greatly beneficial to both of us. There is nothing more wonderful than continuing to achieve mutual benefit with a comrade-in-arms with whom you have shared life and death. Therefore, as your most loyal friend, I must remind you of one thing."

"In order to fulfill our duties, our Nightshade Legion has some rather secret and unspeakable intelligence channels. Recently, we came across a rather strange piece of information, saying that Duke Malorne has written to Earl Oakburg, asking him to keep a close eye on the movements in the south."

Oak Castle's territory is located at the southern end of the Fertile Lands, facing Fahel's Eagle Castle across the river. The "south" that Duke Malorne refers to could only be the Fahel family; it couldn't possibly be those primitive tribes in the Serpent Mountains.

Renn continued reading:

"The Earl of Oak Castle has not summoned the knights, but has begun to arm the militia. This is clearly not for the purpose of invading southward, but for the purpose of vigilance and defense."

"Considering that the Day of Divine Revelation is approaching, and all your people will attend the gathering without any precautions, I suggest you be as careful as possible on that day."

“Your faithful friend, Claudius Pantoré.”

The date at the end of the signature is two days ago.

Clearly, the letter arrived a bit late, as it was already afternoon of the day of divine revelation, and the family dinner was just a few hours away.

After a moment's thought, Raine instructed Garyven, the steward of Bloodhold, to take the Legion messenger to rest, and then handed the letter to the group:

"What do you think?"

"I'm not going," Ellina said succinctly.

She acknowledged that the Ancestral Elf Empire had committed many crimes, but that did not mean she enjoyed watching humans celebrate a festival to "drive away the Ancestral Elves."

“I agree,” Aurora chimed in. “We wood elves have a saying: Whenever and wherever you sense something is amiss, don’t hesitate, run.”

“Generally speaking, Oak Castle does not have the capability to attack the Fachel family.” Berthalia was still reading the letter. “Oak Castle’s geographical location serves as a bridgehead to guard against the Fachel family’s invasion of the Fertile Lands, so Malone must be convinced that a major change is about to occur on the Fachel family’s side… Whatever the specific event, as long as we stay on Salt Island, we don’t need to worry about being drawn into the whirlpool and undercurrents.”

"And you, Dia?" Renn asked, calling on her by name.

"Ah, I..." Dia thought hard for a while, "Staying on Salt Island is fine, but won't my family have objections if I don't attend the Divine Revelation Day Celebration?"

“That’s true.” After a moment’s thought, Raine said, “I will write to my father to explain.”

Back in his study, Ryan wrote a letter by hand, saying only that an important friend was visiting Iron Harbor and needed to be specially entertained.

There's no need to explain who it is; the old marquis will most likely imagine it to be a noble from the High Elves, so there's absolutely no need to worry.

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Marquis Fahel was not worried about Renn's absence, because as the banquet approached, more and more clansmen came to visit and offer their greetings, and he was completely overwhelmed.

As the patriarch, his most important task on the Day of Divine Revelation was to meet and win over those patriarchs who held certain positions, and to maintain his complete control over the entire clan by maintaining his relationship with them.

The Fahel family has a long and prosperous history, so the old Marquis has a traditional performance every year: he can accurately call out the name of any family member the moment he sees their face—even if he hasn't seen them all year.

Many tribesmen would be flattered and moved to tears by the fact that the chieftain remembered their names. Or rather, they would feign gratitude, since it happened every year. Large numbers of tribesmen from outside the city arrived in Searock City, along with their accompanying knights, servants, and slaves, causing chaos and smog in the city streets.

Just now, a cargo wagon from Eagle Castle suddenly had its bearings break at the city gate, rendering it unable to move and affecting the efficiency of the following teams entering the city.

The guards could only report to Gullburg and send people to remove the heavy cargo from the wagons so they could clear away the remaining wreckage.

Dolores led his disguised knights and swaggered toward the city gate with the caravan.

Now there's no turning back. His father's attitude is ambiguous, and if he were to publicly announce on the Day of Revelation that he would hand over the position of family heir to Renn, Lowell's reputation within the family would immediately plummet.

The entire Fachel family's strength far exceeds Dolores's, so his only chance is that the old Marquis hasn't anticipated his rebellion and therefore isn't taking many precautions.

The guards were still supervising the servants as they cleaned the carriage when they saw a group of strong men approaching. Although they were all wearing robes, their large physiques were impossible to conceal.

"Hey, who are you people..." one of the guards tried to stop them. The instant their bodies touched, he realized the guards were wearing armor beneath their robes, and his expression changed drastically. "Enemy attack..."

Before he could finish speaking, one of the knights drew his sword and stepped forward, covering his mouth with his left hand and plunging his sword into his stomach with his right.

Chaos erupted at the city gate. Caravans and citizens screamed and fled in all directions, turning the once crowded streets into empty spaces in the blink of an eye.

"No delay!" Dolores drew his sword and pointed it at Gull Castle. "Seize the banquet hall! Capture Renn alive!"

The knights swiftly tore off their robes, drew their swords, and raced through the streets. Whether guards or civilians stood in their way, they were all stabbed to death without the slightest hesitation.

On the Gullburg side, some castle guards had already spotted the fleeing Searock City guards in the distance, as well as the Eagleburg knights hacking and slashing through the streets.

"Lower the city gates quickly! Raise the drawbridge!"

Before they could even begin, more than a dozen people rushed out from inside. They were all knights disguised as cargo servants who had previously delivered the celebratory goods to the Gull Castle warehouse on behalf of Eagle Castle and had been lingering there under various pretexts.

To pass inspection, these Eagle Knights wore no armor at all. The castle guards, though fully armed, were without command and in a state of panic. Thus, a fierce battle ensued, resulting in a bloody massacre filled with screams and carnage.

Just as the guards of Gull Castle, relying on their numerical advantage and armored defenses, cornered the unarmored knights, Dolores arrived with his men and swiftly stormed into Gull Castle.

In the banquet hall, the old Marquis Fahel, who was still socializing, had already learned of the attack on Gull Castle by armored knights and hurriedly mobilized the castle guards to intercept them.

Considering the enemy's large numbers, the old marquis immediately announced the news and ordered all his clansmen to take up arms and fight the enemy, including the servants and slaves brought to Gull Castle.

When the tribesmen heard that Gull Castle had been attacked, they were completely disoriented and had no time to think about anything else. They immediately did as instructed.

At the very bottom of the castle, Dolores had pushed the battle line to the first-floor hall.

The guards of Gullburg were actually quite strong, after all, they were the old marquis's direct guards. However, Dolores had already calculated that the number of knights he brought was enough to overwhelm the enemy. As a result, the guards quickly fell into a disadvantage in terms of numbers. Only with the help of the attendants and servants who came to support them from behind did they not immediately collapse and flee.

Upon hearing of the unfavorable situation at the front, the old marquis had no choice but to personally go to the front to oversee the battle, where he witnessed Dolores, who was wielding a sword and killing a guard at Gullburg.

"Dolowell! How could it be you!" The old Marquis was heartbroken, his face flushed with anger.

"Father!" Dolores cried out, "You've been controlled by Raine's illusion! I'm coming to free you right now!"

The old marquis's expression changed. What control? He quickly realized that this was just a pretext for the other side to rebel!
“Nonsense!” he proclaimed. “Dolowell has rebelled and treasoned, therefore Fahl’s surname is stripped and he is expelled from the clan! Whoever kills him here will be rewarded with 100 gold crown coins!”

Dolores looked ashen-faced, because the old marquess had reacted so quickly that he had immediately declared him guilty of treason and stripped him of his right to inherit the family business.

In other words, even if he wins the battle, he has to eliminate all the clansmen present. Otherwise, once the news gets out, he can forget about securing his position as clan leader; he can expect rebellions to erupt throughout the clan's territory!

"Kill!" Dolores roared.

The battle raged from dusk into the night. What should have been a time of joyous celebration was now reduced to the groaning wounded and the dead, unable to rest in peace.

Dolores, panting heavily, crossed the corridor strewn with corpses and ordered all the prisoners to be executed.

Not all the tribespeople were loyal to the chieftain; many surrendered on the spot and expressed their willingness to pledge allegiance to him.

But Dolores didn't trust their loyalty. If he let these guys return to their fiefdoms, they would most likely turn against him, the new patriarch, immediately.

He had already killed several of his own people who had turned against him, his hands stained with the blood of fratricide, and he was destined to be rejected by the gods. Therefore, he had long been bloodthirsty.

Kill them all!
Dolores arrived at the lord's study on the top floor and saw that the old marquis, who had been trying to put up a fight, had been subdued by his knights.

"Dolowell! My dear Dolores!" Old Marquis Fahre wept uncontrollably, his face devoid of fear, filled instead with unbelievable grief, trying one last time to awaken the conscience in his son, "Why did you turn your sword against your father! Why!"

Dolores walked forward expressionlessly, looked at his father whose face was streaked with tears, and coldly asked:

Why pass the succession position to Rennes?

"The heir?" Marquis Fahl was stunned for a moment. "When did I pass the position of heir to Renne?"

“He’s wearing the family seal ring,” Dolores said coldly.

"Foolish!" Marquis Fahl cried out. "I have at least three of those rings! What does it have to do with the heir? The reason I gave him the ring is because he's going to the Gem Isles to meet the High Elf royal family, and I needed to give him more leverage and bargaining chips for the negotiations..."

"Even on the verge of death, you're still lying to me!" Dolores, burning with rage, gripped the old marquis's neck tightly. "The high elves have been isolated for thousands of years. How could they possibly summon a human so easily? You're still trying to deceive me! Lies, all lies!"

Only when the old Marquis Fahre's face turned ashen and his head slumped limply did Dolores, panting heavily, release his grip, wipe the sweat from his face, and turn to instruct the knights:
"Pass down the order... Renn Fahl, taking advantage of the family celebration on the Day of Divine Revelation, brazenly murdered the patriarch and his clansmen, and has now fled back to Salt Island in panic."

"All the family knights stationed outside returned to Haiyan City immediately upon receiving the news... That's all for now."

"In addition, send another team to the Haiyan City docks to seize all the ships moored there."

"We will cross the sea and attack Salt Island first thing tomorrow morning."

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Aurora likes high places.

During her time at Salt Island Blood Fortress, she often went to the top of the castle to look out over the vast ocean and the distant Sea Rock City.

It was already late at night, but fires had broken out in Haiyan City. The last group of guards in Gubao who had not yet surrendered were forced to set fire to the kitchen on the first floor, trying to create an opportunity for themselves to escape.

Aurora hurried downstairs and reported to Renn:
"Gullburg is on fire."

“Okay, I understand.” Raine stood by the window in the study, also gazing at the distant Sea Rock City.

The raven sent to Searock City did not return with a reply from the old marquis. Therefore, Renn sent over a dead ghoul raven, so that, through the undead servant's perspective, he could clearly see the Eagle Knights attacking Gull Castle from high above.

Well, Gullburg is probably finished.

Killing one's own father is a crime on par with violating the rules of etiquette for guests, a crime that is intolerable to the entire empire and the gods. Therefore, Marquis Fahel never imagined that his own son, Dolores, would actually turn against him... In fact, even Rein did not expect it.

Now that Dolores has captured Gullburg but hasn't found himself, he'll probably be crossing the sea to attack Salt Island soon.

After all, only by killing himself immediately can a suitable scapegoat be found for this complete mess.

After a moment of contemplation, Raine asked Ellina:
"How are the knights and squires of Bloodfortress doing in their training?"

“It’s time to go to the battlefield,” Ellina replied.

It wasn't "the enemy attacked, so we had no choice but to go," but rather "we were able to go," indicating that these people already had the strength to contend with the Knights of Eagle's Fortress.

Raine was highly skeptical, but Ellina wasn't one to exaggerate.

"Then let them prepare for battle."

(End of this chapter)