Retired God King becomes Witch Idol Manager

The revolutionary army, with the three major royal powers as its foundation, has integrated various resistance forces and is growing stronger every day. Every day, tens of thousands of armed civilians join its ranks, and allies from the Obsidian Empire provide assistance. The Iron Dragon Riders are not under the command of the legion commander, but they will never back down once a conflict breaks out.

The hymn of liberation is finally approaching Avalon, and the army is about to enter the Sun City. Half a year ago, the noble faction represented by the Azure King took away everything of value in the city. Now, the only thing worth using is the magic crystal base buried underground. Occupying the Platinum Palace has no strategic significance for this war, but it will further boost the morale of the legion. The former city of sin will truly become the capital belonging to the people.

"Your Highness, Panini has reactivated the Madrid teleportation array. Should we rest for a day before setting off?"

Sariel strode into the conference room, carrying a message from the city hall. She looked tired but was in high spirits. They had gone through a series of difficult trials, and now the fruits of victory were within reach.

Lockrean's face was worse than anyone else's. The campaign against the Snowmen and the purge of the stubborn old guard had taken a toll on his energy. For the past few months, he had only been able to sleep for a short while each day. Even so, he did not want to waste a single second. He said in a deep voice, "No, as long as there is still a piece of territory in the Holy Alliance that has not been liberated, we cannot rest. I want to see the banner of revolution flying over the Platinum Palace, telling all of humanity that they are no longer homeless exiles!"

"Yes!"

Lockrean's voice was weak, but his eyes were unusually firm. Selene gave him a deep look, then left the tent to give orders to the various formations. Even though the Sun City was empty, they could not let their guard down.

Following Queen Louisa's instructions, the revolutionary army easily took over the defensive facilities of the surrounding planes. The real battle was in the West, not here. The Sun City offered no resistance, but what worried Archbishop Rainbow was something else entirely.

Throughout the entire ordeal, the Pope remained silent, simply standing atop the Septim Cathedral in prayer day after day, as if this power struggle held no importance for him whatsoever.

When Roland died, Lord Cohen remained silent; when the Round Table split, Lord Cohen remained silent. This time, will Lord Cohen stand on their side...?

A tall woman clad in fiery red armor walked towards them, followed by hundreds of Crimson Lotus Guards. Heroise looked radiant and her heroic demeanor was nothing like that of a mother. She would appear on the front lines in any war and was deeply trusted by the soldiers.

"You're probably the only unhappy guy here. You were the one who opposed our advance on the Ark. Now that Caliban has really become the head of the Empire and we've successfully reclaimed our lost territories, you still don't believe in Lockrean, do you?"

"Does being happy necessarily mean laughing, and being sad necessarily mean crying?"

Selene's golden mask concealed all her emotions, and she showed no kindness towards her despicable sister. She turned to the petite figure beside the Crimson Lord, bowed respectfully, and said, "Your Majesty, I'm not sure if it's a good idea for you to travel with the Legion. After all, you can't protect yourself like the Crimson Lord, and the Guardian Knights aren't around."

The distinguished figure beside Heloise was none other than the Blue Shield King. You Li had grown taller, but still retained his gentle and frail appearance. He was so handsome that he didn't look like a boy, but his courage and boldness had been proven in several wise decisions, and the reward for this was the unconditional loyalty of the entire revolutionary army.

His Highness the Holy Son represents the revolutionary army's faith, and the Blue Shield Duke, who has always spoken out for the common people, is their only political leader, irreplaceable even by the Crimson Lotus Duke. You Li shook her head and declined Celimoni's offer, smiling as she said, "The Blue Shield Dynasty has never had an emperor hiding behind his vassals. Even though I am not good at martial arts, you are wrong. My guardian knight is here, and she will never let me down."

The officers present were slightly moved and startled. As everyone knew, the Blue Shield Guardian Knight who succeeded the Holy Marshal was the second daughter of the Joestar family, the Chaos Witch who was highly controversial in the Holy Alliance. Now, that girl had become the spokesperson for Chaos and one of the most terrifying powerhouses in the mortal world.

Perhaps to satisfy the young prince's proud smile, the light around the camp blurred for a moment, and a pair of hands suddenly tore open the spatial barrier. A black knight emerged from the rift, silently guarding You Li's back, which excited the revolutionary soldiers even more.

"puppet."

Selene muttered to herself, the witch didn't seem to be here, but was observing the Holy Alliance's battle through the Black Knight. Even though it was just a puppet armor, it was still called the Invincible Chaos Knight, and no one below the extraordinary level could stop it.

The portal, spearheaded by the two Saint War Maidens, Panini and Yero, is expanding into a wormhole in the center of the military camp. Heloise and Youli are the first to enter Avalon through the shortcut in the city hall. The accompaniment of powerful figures like Curtis and Celimoni is to prevent any unexpected events from occurring.

The situation in Azure Province is not optimistic. The Tavers and his son are very likely to do something outrageous, such as sending bounty hunters to assassinate important figures in the Revolutionary Army.

Returning once again to this ancient human holy city, Lockrean sighed deeply. The abandoned city was deserted and desolate, with only livestock abandoned by their owners roaming the streets.

"Let's go, let's liberate...this city!"

The group rode their horses toward the Platinum Palace. Recalling the heavy price they had paid along the way, the saintesses had different expressions. They had lost many important things on the road to pursuing their ideals, but it was all worth it.

The revolution has not yet succeeded. From today onward, the number of seats at the Round Table will not be limited to seven dukes. The royal nobles will still exist, but they will be treated the same as commoners and will no longer have any real rights. Other laws will have to be determined in detail after the war ends.

However, whether things would go so smoothly depended on the attitudes of the other dukes. Queen Louisa had made all the preparations in advance, with a large number of construction specialists using magic crystals to power some of the bases, restoring the city's daily operations and providing great convenience to the revolutionary army.

However, Heloise was quite certain that if they hadn't returned, then Louisa was now paving the way for the Azure King.

837. General Trend

The revolutionary army's shouts echoed from the top of the city wall to the bottom, officially announcing the takeover of Avalon. They captured the Holy Alliance's capital without firing a single shot. However, the expressions of the Crimson Lotus Duke and the Blue Shield Duke, who stood before the Emperor's Monument in the Platinum Palace, grew increasingly solemn. The most difficult battle had only just begun. The evils that had been bred on this land were deeply rooted and could not be easily eradicated by defeating Tafus.

"What is bound to happen will happen sooner or later. The Holy Alliance was founded to fight against darkness. Now, we are surrounded by powerful enemies on the battlefield of all realms, and the crisis of faith is urgent. There is no time for us to hesitate."

Lockrean shifted his gaze to Kings Row. As expected, there was another person waiting for them at the Trident Club. Next, they would face the greatest obstacle on the road to change: a duke who held the lifeline of humanity in his hands.

Heloise frowned and asked, "Does Lord Cohen still not intend to take a stand? If he had the will, the journey ahead would be much easier. No matter how bold the Tavers and his son are, they would not dare to disobey the grace of the Seven Luminaries."

"His Holiness's duty is to guard the Septium, where something very important is hidden. He will naturally appear when the real enemy appears."

His Highness looked on meaningfully, as if he had already foreseen the change in fate. He turned around and faced a man in a green royal robe outside the garden, with a guardian knight in magnificent armor behind him.

“You’ve finally returned. Ever since King Azure abandoned the city and fled, I’ve been waiting for this day. Fortunately, those barbarians didn’t choose to come first.”

The middle-aged man bowed slightly. He was handsome, refined, and well-mannered. His soul was weakly fluctuating. Although he had the blood of the human emperor flowing through his veins, he was just a pawn. He was ordered to come here to form an alliance with the revolutionary army. Everyone knew that Queen Louise was the true ruler of the Galu Dynasty.

Sariel had never been kind to opportunists who changed sides with the wind. She thought that Duke Garlu had played a part in falsely accusing her of treason and issuing a nationwide warrant for her arrest. She sneered, "The Snow People made a wise choice in letting Avalon go. Without the supplies of the seven provinces, there are no resources to be used here. Occupying the Sunlit Royal City would only be a waste of troops and food. It was Duke Azure's trap. If it were Emperor Tafus here today, would you say the same thing?"

"this......."

Duke Garlu looked embarrassed, cursing Louisa for not showing herself and asking him to do this thankless task. But right now, the revolutionary army was in high spirits and had the support of the people, and the alliance was inevitable.

Lockrean's smile was bright as he extended his hand to King Garlu, "Welcome to the Revolutionary Army. Sariel is right, occupying Sun City offers no advantage unless..."

"Unless the Trident Merchant Guild's vault is opened, the foundations of many nobles and royal families are hidden in Avalon, the lifeline that Emperor Tafus did not have time to relocate. However, that pyramid is protected by thirteen layers of magic crystal matrix and gathers the energy of the entire Holy Alliance. No one can crack the magic armor structure of Master Joy."

Lockrean nodded. The Blue Shield King had made it very clear that since they had entered the city safely and the Purple Sandalwood King had not activated the city's defensive firepower, there was still room for negotiation.

Duke Garlu cleared his throat and interjected promptly, "Indeed, Duke Herdo is waiting for you all at the Trident Merchant Guild."

Curtis pondered for a moment, then said uncertainly, "So, if we can persuade the Sandalwood King to relinquish control of the Magic Crystal Base, the Azure Province will collapse without a fight?"

“That’s right. If they are willing to surrender and contribute to driving out the Midnight Snowfield and the Abyss Demons, the Azure Royal Family can at least retain their assets. Returning to the Round Table is out of the question.”

Heroines nodded, then shook her head. Now, three of the seven provinces have kings on the side of the revolutionary army. The Huangyan royal family is not a concern. The problem lies with the Zitan King and the Yingcheng King.

Selene snorted coldly, then suddenly looked at Heloise and sneered, "I remember the Cherry Blossom Twins weren't the most obedient to you in the past. Why did they side with Tavers this time? They are from a collateral branch of the royal family and shouldn't have too much of a sense of belonging to the traditional nobility."

“I don’t know. Ever since William died, they’ve become increasingly strange, like they’ve become different people. Every time I meet them, I feel a little scared. And recently, none of the messengers and sentries that went to Cherry Orange territory have come back alive.”

Lord Crimson Lotus's words plunged everyone into deep thought. Few things could frighten a descendant of the Flame Demon, so did that mean some kind of bizarre upheaval?

Lockrean smiled, mounted his horse first, pointed his whip toward King's Road, and said, "Don't think too much about it, let's go, let's go see Lord Hedor first."

Every magic crystal tower in the Blazing Sun Royal City is connected to the same place. Even if the entire city falls and the power supply system is paralyzed, it will not stop operating. This is the power of Master Joy. That man's knowledge of runes is probably second only to that of the gods. No one would have guessed that the Purple Sandalwood King had never left this place and was hiding in the underground kingdom beneath the royal city.

The group followed Lord Garlu to the bottom of a magic crystal tower. After obtaining permission, they took an elevator down to the depths of the dark space. What they saw was a huge pyramid with powerful energy pulses flashing through its circuitry, making it exceptionally conspicuous.

Curtis and the others were greatly amazed. It was the first time they had ever known that there was another vast world beneath the Sun City. The facilities they saw along the way were complete and could sustain them for decades. However, they didn't know why it had been abandoned and that no one was serving the ruler of the Holy Alliance's underground world.

Selene and Heloise remained calm. The magic crystal pyramid buried deep underground was a secret of the upper district, the headquarters of the Trident Merchant Guild, whose millennia-old foundation was no less than that of the Astral Consortium.

"Could it be a trap? I don't really trust Herdor."

Walking deep into the dark passageway, unable to see his guardian knight, Duke Youli felt slightly nervous. The last time he came down, he was with Nolan and Alicia. If Roland were still here, the Revolutionary Army wouldn't be in such trouble. In a direct confrontation, Duke Cangqing would be no match for him.

Lockrean unfolded the divine book, its soft glow illuminating the underground space. "It shouldn't be. If the Sandalwood King is willing, we will suffer heavy losses as soon as we enter the city. Even if it is, it doesn't matter. We still have the Blue Shield King's guardian knight and the lovely second young lady of the Joestar family."

"Ah, that makes sense."

Heloise chuckled. The joke was a bit lame. Locke Ryan said it not because of the witch's powerful strength, but because someone was still infatuated with the Duchess.

Hedo once pursued Tess relentlessly. If she were willing to agree, he would not hesitate to offer the entire Trident Merchant Guild and the Sandalwood Dynasty as gifts.

838. Cause of Death in the Future

Only when they truly arrived outside the pyramid were they shocked by its sheer size. This was the root of the city's corruption, and the secrets of the Trident Guild were buried deep within it.

Selene felt uneasy. The Sandalwood King she knew was one of the world's most astute businessmen. His qualifications as a king were far inferior to his talent for runes, yet he controlled the entire Holy Alliance through unorthodox means, seeking benefits for the nobles. The wealth accumulated by the Trident Club, which he built, was probably astronomical.

It's hard to imagine how much the revolutionaries would have to pay to gain the approval of such a man, after all, apart from the two dukes, everyone else was of commoner origin before, and even His Highness the Holy Son was a notorious pauper.

At this moment, energy pulses swirled around the tower, the magic crystal gate remained tightly shut, and the pyramid showed no intention of opening itself to the crowd. Strangely, there were no extra servants or guards around, only a tall, thin gatekeeper crouching in the darkness, quietly observing the guests of Avalon.

“Mr. Hoffman.”

Lockrean spoke softly. At this time, the only one who could remain by the side of the Purple Sandalwood King was his guardian knight. A hoarse laugh came from the darkness, and a disheveled, bearded man came into view, with an unusually thick large cross sword on his back.

The Purple Sandalwood Guardian Knight has had many titles: Royal Arena Champion, Commander of the Ninth Alliance Legion, the Dark Sword Saint, the [Nocturne] Saint, and so on...

“You should know why you’re here, right?”

The Hoffmann problem was intriguing; none of the Holy War Maidens understood it. The Revolutionary Army's objective, of course, was singular: to liberate the Holy Alliance.

Lockrean pondered, “Of course we’re here to break the shackles that bind the people, just like the great human emperor of the past. However, this time the Breakers’ enemy is not demons but greedy humans. With the wisdom of Duke Hedo, he shouldn’t choose sides.”

Hoffman waved his hand impatiently and said, "This kind of nonsense is meaningless to Hedor. How can a guy who dares to peek into the language of the gods have faith? Don't expect a sophisticated egoist to suddenly repent. His very existence is the greatest shackle binding humanity!"

Hoffman's response was extremely honest: the Rosewood Dynasty and the Trident Merchant Guild were built on the blood and sweat of the people, and were the most despicable exploiters in the eyes of the Revolutionary Army. Heloise and the others were speechless for a moment.

Lord Youli was the first to notice something unusual and probed, "If that's the case, why is he still waiting for us here? He could have given his full support to Lord Cangqing."

Hoffman shrugged and said, "Ha, I thought you guys were really smart. Of course it's a deal, a deal. Hedor has what you want, and you have what he wants. The Tavers are cold-blooded and ruthless; they're not good partners."

"What is it?"

Locke Ryan's heart skipped a beat, and he smiled.

"future!"

The Purple Sandalwood Guardian Knight lightly touched the hexagonal light prism on his breastplate, and a magnificent magical armor of exceptional quality instantly covered his entire body, arming him to the extreme. "But first, please allow me to fulfill my duty."

"Responsibilities?"

Sariel protected the frail Blue Shield King as they retreated, when Hoffman suddenly drew his greatsword, his menacing attack startling everyone.

"You will soon understand. Now, please choose a warrior to step forward. Once you pass my test, the Sandalwood King will unconditionally grant your request and complete this deal concerning the future."

No one knew what Hoffman was planning, but his fighting spirit was real; the dark elements were cutting through the air, and even Curtis had to be on high alert.

Heloise retorted, "Unconditional? Is it really that simple?"

Hoffman paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, stroking his beard and teasingly saying, "Simple? Is it simple to beat me? You can think that way if you want, Crimson Lord. Although you are far from being my match, Archbishop Celimoni and Berserker Princess have a better chance of winning, but I still suggest that shy knight fight, because... before I was knighted, I was also a commoner, and I also hope that the Revolutionary Army will ultimately win."

Hoffman's former glory had been forgotten after he withdrew from the interdimensional battlefield. Now it seemed that time had not left any significant marks on him. The soul fluctuations that had been lingering in the Holy Domain suddenly surged, and he stepped into the Extraordinary Domain. Black ripples spread like a tide, driving away irrelevant personnel from the mechanical pyramid gate. He had already sensed the Chaos Knight in the void rift.

"Come out, guardian knight of the Blue Shield King. I have no prejudice against girls, only respect for the strong. It is an honor to face you and me in the final battle!"

The final battle?

"You seem very confident, as if you don't care about anyone except Chaos Knight!"

Heloise squinted, her white skin showing through the scales of the Flame Demon. With her temper, she couldn't swallow this insult. However, Serimone, unusually, stood in front of her sister, shaking her head to stop the revolutionary leader's impulsive act. The Nocturne Saint was equipped with the world's most advanced magical armor, and her combat power was incomparable to that of ordinary extraordinary saints.

There was no response in the darkness. The puppet armor appeared only briefly and ignored everyone except for You Li's words. Hoffman was inevitably disappointed. Locke Ryan glanced at Curtis with trust in his eyes.

The Berserker Princess took a deep breath, gripped her battle axe, and slowly stepped into battle. She activated her elemental imprint, her powerful body enveloped in a swirling aura. "Although I don't know what you're trying to say, since you insist on resolving this with force, then I'll oblige!"

Hoffman nodded, his dejected demeanor vanishing instantly. He raised his greatsword high, unleashing the Dark Soul, and stripping away the last glimmer of light from the underworld.

"Is that so? Be careful, Saintess Curtis. Today, I will die in the future, so please don't let me leave any regrets. Be sure to cross this place with the determination to die!"

Hoffman's determination moved the Blue Shield King, who keenly grasped the truth behind the deal and what the Rosewood King's offer was. As the corrupt root of the city of sin and a symbol of dictatorship, they were ready to end their era and embrace a new future.