After being forced to step down, the once-annoying nun eloped with me.

Natalia ignored the Night Witch's presence and, after snorting, continued to take care of her little queen as always.

The Night Witch remained silent. She continued to monitor the Little Queen and the Chief Justice's every move, and this monitoring...

Then came December 15th—at court today, the envoy from Alessandro proposed to the Empress of the Roman Empire, “Let us send troops to assist the Roman Empire in resolving the rebellion.”

Their remarks left everyone looking at each other in bewilderment, while Prince Garsen's head lady-in-waiting seemed to have been prepared, using ventriloquism to replace the disgusted little empress behind the curtain in agreeing.

They also agreed to a marriage alliance, scheduled for May of next year, in which the groom would move up his birth year.

..........

In fact, Alessar had received news of the rebellion in the Roman Empire five days prior. After all, this rebellion was premeditated, and they were even provided with standard Roman Empire weapons that lacked any labels or markings.

The origin of these weapons is a long story: it seems that some warlords in the coastal military regions wanted to clear out their stockpiles of old weapons, but they couldn't find a place to sell them for the time being.

Alesser conveniently used the excuse that there was a shortage of weapons due to fighting pirates at sea to obtain those weapons. However, these weapons were never actually used in the battle against the pirates, because the pirates themselves were the pirates they described.

"Give the Roman Empire's old weapons to the Romans, and then take advantage of those rumors that came out of nowhere... Hmph, do the Roman fools think that we can't get ashore just because the ports are blocked? Those people don't even send anyone to patrol the coast. I'd be surprised if a country like that doesn't eventually split up!"

In the court of Arese, the Emperor of Arese explained his thoughts to his secretary in this way.

Although Alese is currently just a kingdom, it will become an empire after annexing the Roman Empire.

So the Emperor of Arese had long ago given himself the title of "Emperor"—his secretary-general had some reservations about it, but seeing that the Romans seemed to be hopelessly stupid, the secretary-general tacitly approved of the emperor's little vanity.

Faced with the emperor's statement, the secretary-general could only shake his head and say that their plan had only just begun.

"To be honest, although the Roman Empire was not prepared to deal with the division, their military district's troops have been training and ready to go to the battlefield at any time. We don't know the strength of their army, nor do we know what kind of defeat the diocese had previously suffered... But what is certain is that we can gain more benefits this time."

At this point, the Secretary General pointed to a map of the Roman Empire on the table, prepared by his spies. His finger first traced the capital, then the coastline, and finally reached the vast, unobstructed pastures to the west.

"We can use the method of [sending troops to support] to station a group of elite troops within the Roman Empire. This elite force can be small in number, but it must have sufficient combat experience so that we can directly seize the palace of the Roman Empire at a critical moment and completely control the Roman Empire's royal family."

But before that, we need to secure the Roman royal family's permission for our fleet to patrol their coast—I believe that if we, Aleser, establish a marriage alliance with the Roman Empire, even just a betrothal, the actual ruler of the Roman Empire should be willing to agree. After all, he's incredibly stupid.

Having simultaneously projected both land and coastal power onto the Roman Empire, we can prepare domestically and then, at an opportune moment when the Roman Empire fractures, openly march our troops into their territory... The only problem is that the Isugardians seem to have designs on the Roman Empire as well.

“Isugard, indeed… they are sending more and more caravans, as if they want to squeeze money out of someone before they can murder them… When will they first invade Roman, my Secretary General?”

"I estimate it will be as early as March, or as late as May—March is the typhoon season on the continent of Elusia. Even if the Isgards wanted to invade, they would have to wait at sea for the typhoons to pass. And typhoons would appear one after another along the coast of the Roman Empire until May... By then, the Isgards should launch a major offensive."

"The Romans definitely can't withstand the invasion of Isgard... In order to prevent the fruits of victory from being stolen by some unknown bastard, we must be faster than the Isgardians."

The master and servant debated in hushed tones for a long time. As the two most intelligent minds in Alessar, they were naturally well aware of the current state of the Roman Empire.

It's no exaggeration to say that inside a house that could be kicked open with one foot, several critically ill patients lying on operating tables, near death, were hiding. To put it more dramatically, they were like dead people already rotting in their graves.

Isgard must have seen this as well. Therefore, to prevent the Isgards from seizing the spoils of victory first, Alesser must openly intervene in the Roman Empire's "rebellion."

So after much deliberation, Emperor Alessandro sent a secret letter to Prince Gassen before December 15th.

With both sides agreeing, the agreement to have Alessar send the Volunteer Army to assist Roman in suppressing the rebellion was thus successfully reached.

Both sides were satisfied with each other's arrangements. The difference was that the Romans, who saw the threat from Alesser, were unable to speak, while those who did not see the threat controlled the entire court.

On December 15th, after the head lady-in-waiting announced that she would accept Aleser's military aid and the Kingdom of Aleser's request for a marriage alliance in May of the following year.

Prince Gassen of the Roman royal family was resting in his living quarters as usual. He was feeling rather tired.

After all, too many unexpected things had happened during this period. Whether it was the failure of the parish or the sudden rebellion, Prince Garsen felt that things were getting out of his control and that his strength was being drained away little by little.

He felt that everything had happened so suddenly—the regent was like his mortal enemy, cawing frequently above his head like a crow.

The rattling sound made Prince Garsen extremely irritable and tired, and even gave him a vague urge to have a mental breakdown.

Fortunately, he recently promoted a lower-ranking attendant—a handsome man who knew how to please people, and more importantly, who always offered satisfactory advice.

Just like now.

"My lord, now that the Ares have won and are coming to your aid, why not simply have them garrison your palace, and then send all the Imperial Knights out to join the town garrisons in suppressing the rebellion? This way, the nobles within the country won't be dissatisfied with the Ares stealing the credit, and the safety of the capital will be guaranteed. After all, our two countries will be related by marriage in the future, don't you think?"

"Yes, you're right—ha, your suggestions are much more useful than those of my advisors."

Prince Garsen comfortably sprawled on the sofa. His handsome attendant, whom he had promoted, stood three meters behind him, with everything the prince might need at hand.

There were meals, drinks, work documents, and even the schedule for the next day.

What a perfect servant—unassuming, perceptive, and able to offer excellent advice.

If I had had such a servant earlier, would I have been in such a chaotic situation now?

With this thought in mind, Prince Garsen drifted off to sleep.

The attendant simply smiled and looked at the back of Prince Garsen's neck.

There, the marks of the great rift of demonic calamity are quietly emerging. The Roman Empire will become the breeding ground for the next demonic calamity—the demons are certain, for it is worse than hell itself.

At least the demons don't eat their own people.

Chapter Seven: Constantinople and Her People 8K

12 month 26 day.

Seventeen days had passed since December 9th. Lucas took the lock of hair cut off by the Purple-Clad Princess and, accompanied by the Regent's loyal servants and elven soldiers, headed towards the underground passage.

Throughout the journey, the seven veterans of the Bayern Empire solemnly instructed everyone to follow their instructions once they entered the underground, and suggested that they collect enough plants and items from the surface along the way.

Although the Bayezians would be greatly encouraged by the Purple Princess's words, the ravaged Bayezians might never have the chance to see leaves from the ground again. So Lucas hoped that at least when they returned to Constantinople, they could show this precious natural greenery to the young men who might have died in the final battle.

Of course—it's also to gather more food. Lucas suspected they weren't used to the food underground, which made the elves a little stiff, while the Listening Clan chief, Naruja, said: "Very likely."

After all, based on the observations of the Ling people, elves prefer to enjoy elaborately prepared food. Even a simple vegetarian dish requires dozens of steps and even enchanted tableware for preservation, so it's possible that elves wouldn't be used to the coarse food of the wild.

In the experience of the Ling tribe, being able to eat simple food in the wild is already a great fortune—even the Ling tribe members who possess golems can only eat wild grass and nuts they dig up during their tribal period... They are so fortunate to be able to eat such delicious food now, thanks to the fact that they rescued Yang Hao and the others back then.

"What are you saying! As warriors, we can certainly get used to eating rough food in the wild! Don't underestimate us elves!"

The elven riflemen merely expressed their displeasure. Lucas and the other Bayezians, seeing this, simply laughed it off.

The reason Lucas brought so many people back was actually arranged by Yang Hao.

According to Yang Hao at the time, sending some troops to the surface would serve two purposes: firstly, it would prove the truth of Lucas's statement, rather than relying solely on a token made from a lock of Theresa's hair; secondly, the elves could scout the underground environment in advance and use their medium- to long-range communication magic to contact Gaparia, who were preparing for their march, and prepare the supplies that Bayrzans needed in advance.

It was at that moment that Naruja volunteered, saying that if she went too, she might be able to use Golem to help in the upcoming battle.

Yang Hao's expression at that moment was extremely complex. It was a mixture of worry and unease.

“Naruja, you must understand that you could very well die there—you are a member of the Listener race, you lack the agility of elves, and if you encounter danger, besides your companions, you will only have your golems to rely on. And for us, whether golems can stand against demons is still an unknown!”

“I know… um. Although I’m not smart… I also know it’s dangerous. So I want to go.”

Naruja was glad that Yang Hao was worried about her safety, and even more glad that he hadn't tried to stop her in every way possible. Because for Naruja, this was a unique, new kind of "coming-of-age ceremony."

She wanted to be seen as "useful" and "valuable" by Yang Hao. She didn't aspire to the status of Mother Teresa, but at least, Naruja hoped to have a place for herself in Yang Hao's eyes.

But Naruja refused any form of charity. The laws of the forest told her that anything given to her by others, if it wasn't something she had earned herself, would eventually be taken away.

Therefore, Naruja needs to prove herself. And the final battle between the Bayerzans Empire and the demons is the best testing ground for her.

...Yang Hao conceded defeat at that moment. He sighed deeply and patted the chieftain who had followed him from the Demon Forest to the Elf Forest. Perhaps he didn't trust Naruja at first, but after so many days together, fighting side by side, and with Theresa's guidance... he truly considered Naruja his comrade-in-arms.

He gave Narudya a hug, stroking her antlers, which were shimmering pink with emotion, as he whispered in her ear:

“You must come back no matter what. You must come back. Otherwise, Theresa will be heartbroken.”

"I know."

And so, with Yang Hao's concerns in mind, Naruja joined Lucas's team. Naruja was determined to see it through to the end, not only for her fragile pride, but also for the feelings that had begun to blossom within her.

But not long ago, when they were camping at the bottom of that cliff, Lucas said—everyone should be prepared to die. Including himself.

“The underground is a very harsh environment. The air is polluted and resources are scarce. We can’t find any clean drinking water, and germs you’ve almost never seen before breed underground—not only that, but most importantly, demons patrol our path.”

"patrol?"

"This is a mechanism that emerged after demons learned our human tactics... They patrol the important routes where we search for food or gather resources. Although the patrolling demons are not high-ranking demons but ordinary larvae and larvae, their threat to us is very real."

More importantly, many places are extremely narrow... Apart from the area we call the "Devil's Lair," which is where the elevator platform is located, and the surrounding areas of Constantinople, which have enough terrain to accommodate a legionary phalanx, other places are very narrow.

We're doomed if we're caught in a pincer movement. So we must be prepared. If we can avoid fighting demons, we shouldn't. Not even killing a single demon is acceptable.

At this point, Lucas gave a serious look as he surveyed the team of fewer than 20 people.

He glanced at his six veterans, then focused his serious gaze on the faces of his elven allies and Naruja. After confirming that they were completely unaware of the mechanisms by which demons were born underground, he explained, in a rigorous yet simple manner, why demons could not be killed along the way.

It's very simple: demons don't eat other demons, but they do protect the corpses of other demons.

It's unclear whether it's because the Bayezids have dissected too many demon corpses over the past few centuries, or whether demons also have their own funeral instincts. In any case, if a demon is killed and is within the range that the species can recover, and the war in other places is not too intense, then a large number of demons will flock to the scene just to reclaim the corpses of their companions.

The Bayerzans had used this characteristic of the demons to launch several ambushes. As a result, the number of demons they deployed increased to the point that the Bayerzans felt that ambushes were no longer an advantageous strategy.

"In this situation, killing one demon means hundreds more will follow... We don't have the capacity to confront hundreds of demons head-on. So we must proceed quietly. We can't cook or sleep for long periods along the way. We must complete the four-day journey in the shortest possible time... Then, we can have our final battle with the demons in January."

At this point, Lucas fell silent.

It is said that Constantinople is very close to the devil's lair. That's why Lucas said that the final battle could take place in January, and why Yang Hao's side was so nervous in making preparations, marching the troops ahead of time to the wasteland where the giant elevator was located on the original site of Constantinople, and searching for and maintaining the location of the core control console in advance.

In other words, knowing that if she survives these four days, there will be a decisive battle on the fifth day... then Naruja can openly enjoy her honor and earn his attention through her own efforts.

But is life underground really that hard?

Naruja was confused, while the elves felt that their brotherhood was an exaggeration—just as teachers always have to act fiercely during exams to make people take them seriously, they genuinely believed that Lucas was only doing this to prepare them.

Then, on the afternoon of the 26th.

They only realized what was happening after they climbed the cliff, reached the summit, and, led by Lucas and others, descended into the depths of the underground through a narrow, steep, and slippery cave.

Lucas was serious about everything he said.

"Cough cough... Ooh whee..."

Naruja couldn't help but cover her nose; the stale, foul air almost made her vomit.

The accompanying elf's face turned ashen. He instinctively wanted to cast a spell to filter the air for the group, but suddenly realized that the magical elements underground were unusually scarce.

"The underground magic has been dried up by our mushroom farms—and perhaps some of the war machines still in operation are also constantly burning magic. In short, the underground magic accumulates very slowly. Unlike demons, we can't store or produce magic, so... let's use it sparingly."

Lucas stated it casually, and the elves looked at each other, finally able to follow the veteran forward, just like Naruja, covering their noses.

As evening fell, they officially entered the underground space. Everywhere they looked, there were glowing mushrooms and crystals. Naruja instinctively thought they were food to collect, but the veteran structural engineers immediately pulled her back and picked up stones from the ground, throwing them at her.

In the next instant, the mushroom suddenly burst out with a cloud of green mist, and the rock was corroded into a puddle of thick liquid in mid-air, demonstrating the extreme danger of the place.

"This is a specialty of what's known as the Acid Mushroom—after demons took root underground, their magic also contaminated the fungi there. This is the result of their contamination; it's unusable and you shouldn't even get near it."

The veterans left their advice and then continued to lead the way.