One day later, it was made public that Madam Bella was a heresy, and the entire Long River Town was shocked.
Those statues and the corpses of female soldiers were also placed in the square - someone soon recognized that the statue was Dark Goddess.
At the same time, many citizens and business travelers went to the administrative office to report the case, saying that they had seen a Misfortune Bringer, who was followed by the same female soldiers.
There is no doubt that Madam Bella's heretical status has been determined.
Maybe Forster himself didn't want to, but in this situation, he was forced to make a difficult decision...
He wants to take Madam Bella to Lion City in a prison van and accuse Duke Alma of harboring heretics.
Why would he do this?
This matter needs to be considered through Forster's thinking.
First of all, Madam Bella's heretic identity has been made public. There is so much evidence that it is impossible to overturn the verdict. Heretics have no inheritance rights... The so-called 'posthumous son' is the son of a heretic, and it is impossible to inherit Long River Town.
Duke Alma cannot use Horton Family's child to get Long River Town. This is obviously Forster's responsibility, and he would have lost Alma's trust because of this.
And Li Ang also said that he would hand him over to Godric - Forster would definitely not die, but he had slandered Godric as a heretic, so Godric had enough reasons to detain him, and it would be normal for him to be detained for one or two years.
Coupled with the matter between him and his sister, it is not certain whether Forster will be expelled from the family, but the best result is to lose the right of inheritance and become an ordinary little nobleman.
In fact, we may not be able to wait for such a result - with Li Ang's character, once Forster is imprisoned in White Deer Fortress, it is estimated that it will be difficult to get out alive...
Doing this will of course make Forster quite uncomfortable, but if we do this, what are the benefits of Li Ang and Amy?
Nothing good comes of it...
This will only lead to revenge from Duke Alma - no matter how useless Forster's son is, even if he is hung up and beaten after returning home, Alma will still take revenge on Li Ang for this.
After all, it was Li Ang and Amy who exposed the heresy, which resulted in Alma not getting Long River Town. Even if the Duke just wanted to vent his anger, Wheat Fragrance Territory would immediately face danger.
Therefore, Alma must also be dragged into the quagmire.
So, what if Forster surrenders and publicly accuses his father, Alma, of harboring heretics?
Probably no one would have thought that he would do this, not even Alma.
King Ulrich may be ecstatic - you can even think with your knees that the king will definitely buckle Alma on Lion City at the first time.
Forster 'captured' Madam Bella, the leader of the heresy, and even exterminated his relatives. This is enough to prove that Forster himself has nothing to do with the heresy, and he can quickly return to Lion Lake City.
And the testimony of his biological son leaves little doubt. Alma will be caught off guard and fall into a lawsuit. Even if he is the first duke of the kingdom, he may not be able to escape for a long time.
Of course, this matter will not have any fatal impact on Alma, after all, it is just harboring.
But Forster himself will gain huge power within a certain period of time - he is the first heir of Alma. When his father cannot escape, he will become the lord of Lion Lake City and temporarily manage affairs on behalf of Alma!
The other heirs of Alma are currently underage - except for the illegitimate son Foucher who has no inheritance rights.
In this case, it only takes a few months or even less for Forster to take the family power into his own hands. Even if Grand Duke Alma comes back a few months later, it may not be able to shake Forster's status!
By doing this, Grand Duke Alma will only lose some reputation, but Forster will gain great benefits - as long as he can seize the opportunity.
So as long as he understands it, he will definitely accept it.
By doing this, Li Ang can avoid facing retaliation from Duke Alma in the short term - Forster must seize the time to seize power, and Alma must resolve the accusation as soon as possible, so that no one has time to cause trouble to Li Ang.
And when Alma resolves the accusation of harboring heretics, he will inevitably teach his unfilial son a lesson or take back his power... It is not uncommon for fathers and sons to fight for power, but until one of them completely suppresses the other, no one will come out to cause trouble for the others.
As for the future - I'm afraid it will be a year and a half later. Li Ang feels that if he is still so weak by then, then he will accept his fate.
In addition, how will other great nobles and King Ulrich himself react to this situation?
Ulrich is not a fool. He has fully demonstrated that he is good at checks and balances - if the situation evolves into a father-son struggle for power, the king will definitely find a way to balance the strengths of Alma and Forster, and even deliberately control the time of detaining Duke Alma.
Because, Oden is dead, and there is no one to check and balance Alma - Forster can just be a new check and balance weight. If King Ulrich cannot seize such an opportunity, then he is not qualified to be the king at all.
After all, once it is made public that Madam Bella is a heretic, who will benefit the most?
There is no doubt that it is King Ulrich.
All the heirs of Duke Elfwan no longer have the right to inherit, then Long River Town will be taken over by King Ulrich as a direct territory!
King Ulrich is probably the one who most hopes Alma will fight against his son - Alma has temporarily replaced Long River Town as consul a few years ago, and his influence must have penetrated deeply by now. Even if the king takes back Long River Town, he will have to rely on Alma's people to govern for a while.
This is actually equivalent to not being able to take it back... it is impossible for the king himself to come and live in Long River Town.
But if Alma gets into a lawsuit and his son is busy fighting for power in Lion Lake City, Ulrich can just take this opportunity to reorganize Long River Town - for example, appoint him first Several consuls who were at odds with Alma allowed Long River Town to be jointly controlled by people from several factions, just like when he appointed Oden to manage Long River Town's military affairs.
The lord also plans to send a gift to King Ulrich at this time.
It's the box of dinars that I've been dragging around that I didn't give, the box that was "lost gold" in the throne room.
It has been delayed for four months, which is almost the time it takes for a small lord to raise money normally. Now it is time to give.
This ten thousand dinars will definitely make Ulrich think of himself - at the same time, the king should also be able to think that the candidate for Long River Town's consul requires the participation of a lord like himself who has a bad relationship with Alma...
Political struggle is like this. It is a dirty exchange of interests from beginning to end. Only by considering other people's thoughts can you protect yourself.
Bribery is actually a very sophisticated skill.
Madam Bella has been put into a prison car, and Forster has also been escorted to Lion City by the cavalry.
He even left Long River Town before Li Ang.
The lord is currently at the ferry and has not had time to leave yet.
He is waiting for his team to return.
One day ago, after he had just 'persuaded' Forster, he sent all his more than 20 cavalrymen out to serve as scouts.
They also sent cavalry separately to convey the instructions to the camps of Fletcher Village and Ralph. The contents were all the same - to prevent Baron Leofric from delivering food to Long River Town no matter what method was used.
Li Ang is not sure whether what Madam Bella said is nonsense, but in any case, it is necessary to check whether the area is safe first.
Not long after, a cavalry captain reported, "Sir, we found several small groups of troops about fifty miles away in the southwest!"
The lord suddenly became nervous. "Did you see the flag?"
"There are no flags at all, my lord. I have left two brothers to monitor... Those troops are very strange. There are many women in each army!"
Li Ang frowned. "... it seems that there really is Prophet Legion..."
Amy was stunned, and obviously remembered. "Is it the prophet's army that Madam Bella mentioned? In which direction are they moving? Long River Town?"
"It feels like it's moving to the north. It doesn't seem to be going to Long River Town... There are many teams of dozens of people, and we don't dare to get too close."
The lord looked back at the direction and frowned. "Go north... send people to Long River Town to warn them and let them be prepared! Go to Fletcher Village, tell Charles and Ralph, and ask them to bring troops to Wheat Fragrance Territory!"
Then he turned to Amy and said, "We have to rush back to the territory as soon as possible and let Lord Godric send troops to Long River Town. This is probably an army of heretics. We have to organize a strong enough coalition army!"
Amy's eyes widened. "Army? Do the heretics dare to openly organize troops?"
"When I was at Kewen Village, Countess told me that Madam Bella bought 300,000 pounds of grain from Brave Shield Fortress, and purchased it in advance, Countess has already asked Baron Leofric to send it directly to Long River Town, so I will let Ralph and Charles stop Baron Leofric from transporting grain."
"However, judging from the state of Madam Bella being blocked in that building, even if these grains are delivered, it is impossible for Madam Bella to receive them normally... Do you still remember, Madam Bella said that she would dedicate Long River Town to Dark Goddess!"
"Long River Town has nearly a thousand troops stationed. If they are confident that they can receive food from Long River Town, it means that the military strength of 'Prophet Legion' is beyond imagination!"
Amy thought for a while and nodded, "The woman who jumped into the river and escaped is probably the messenger of the Prophet Legion! Madam Bella said that she sacrificed her own blood to welcome the coming of Goddess! So, the so-called Prophet Legion will attack Long River Town?"
"If they attack Long River Town directly, there is no need to worry too much. Long River Town can defend it for at least a month!"
Li Ang jumped onto the ferry boat, and his tone was a little uncertain. "I'm worried that they will surround Long River Town, and then send small teams to plunder and look for sacrifices! We must go back to prepare for war first. No matter where they go, at least we must have enough troops!"
Amy frowned and followed Li Ang onto the boat.
She thought of what the tall and weird woman said, "She can make Goddess come!"
And the last words of Madam Bella...
"Amy...Goddess... She is right, only a perfect virgin can become the carrier of Goddess and bring the hero of Pandor..."
Amy shivered involuntarily.
After confirming that Prophet Legion was indeed the case, the lord took Amy and left Long River Town quickly.
They took a boat and went down the river Aier River. It only took one day to reach Wheat Fragrance Territory.
However, the water in the Aier River is relatively shallow in many places, and only small boats and rafts can pass through. Fortunately, the cavalry was sent out, and the remaining dozen or so people could be carried away by two small ferries.
On the way back to Wheat Fragrance Territory, Amy finally asked another question in his mind.
"Teacher, don't you worry about Forster? Aren't you worried that he will lose control after leaving your control?"
"Forster will not lose control - he is a very calm person. After Madam Bella's heretic identity is revealed, he has only one solution. Unless, he no longer wants any power."
Li Ang shook his head and smiled, "But how can a person who has done so many bad things because he is afraid of losing his inheritance rights give up his power..."
Amy is probably still a little uneasy. "But if the Duke is willing to give up his power to fulfill Forster, what if there is no power struggle between father and son?"
Li Ang raised his eyebrows. "Once people have power, they will not tolerate losing it... No one can accept that sense of gap, at least not immediately. Moreover, if the ideas are different, even father and son will not be of the same mind..."
Amy also shook his head and sighed, "Well, I still don't quite understand people like them. Shouldn't father and son be the closest relatives... for power..."
"Sometimes it is not necessarily for power... but for security and a better life. Just like fish in the water, they only feel safe in the river... Even if there are boats on the river, they will still swim around..."
The boat kept going along the river, and the gentle river surface was stirred by the breeze. The water in the Aier River was crystal clear, and occasionally fish could be seen cruising on the side of the boat.
"For people like them, power is like river water... They will only feel safe if they build this water into a big river."
"What about you, teacher, do you value power?"
Amy also stood at the bow of the ship, the wind blowing her long hair. "I haven't heard you talk about your ideals."
However, the Lord seemed to be stumped by such a simple question - he was silent for a long time and was unable to give an answer.
At least three minutes later, just when Amy thought he didn't want to answer, Li Ang spoke, but his tone was unexpectedly low.
"Originally, I just wanted to live peacefully... I was being hunted all the time."
Li Ang kept looking at the fish in the water. "But now, I really want to have power, otherwise I can't protect myself and the people I want to protect. I want to pull up an army, and even want to unify Pande Continent... Only in this way will I feel safe."
Amy turned his head and looked a little surprised. "I thought you would say that you would save the suffering people of Pendor, overthrow those cruel and corrupt nobles, or eradicate those evil heretics - just like those so-called 'heroes' who call themselves Child of Prophecy..."
Li Ang grinned. "Amy, if necessary in the future, I will probably say the same thing... But the fact is that I became a lord for my own safety... and in the future, I will probably take more power in order to make myself safer."
Amy also laughed, "It's unimaginable that such honest words actually come from the mouth of a master of deception..."
"I rarely lie to people, Amy, haven't you noticed... I may be shameless and cunning, but I will definitely be honest."
Li Ang shook his head seriously. "Whether it was doing business or facing enemies, I almost never told a lie. The only lie I told was to the unconscious Madam Bella..."
Amy thought about it seriously for a long time, nodded, and sat in front of the lord. "What you said is true... However, teacher, you didn't tell Forster Prophet Legion... Is your other intention to make him leave Long River Town immediately? Do you want to... settle in Long River Town?"
Li Ang also looked at Amy seriously, expressing satisfaction with his apprentice's keenness. He nodded. "Yes, I want him to leave as soon as possible, so that Long River Town will have no one to take charge of for the time being... I want to use the power of Horn Summon Ranger Corps, and also use Prophet Legion... to control Long River Town!"
Amy is very pleased that the lord can completely tell the truth to her, but she is also a little confused. "Then why don't we stay at Long River Town and wait for Ranger Corps to arrive? Why should Ralph and the others lead the army to gather at Wheat Fragrance Territory?"
"Prophet Legion has been nearby for dozens of miles. They will definitely come faster than Ranger Corps who are hundreds of miles away... If we stay in Long River Town, the garrison of Long River Town will not listen to our arrangements, but will doubt us... We will only be stuck in the city and can't do anything."
Li Ang shook his head and smiled self-deprecatingly, "Amy, we can only lead a large enough force outside to become the most powerful reinforcements, so that Long River Town's garrison will cooperate with us."
Returning to Wheat Fragrance Territory, the territory is as usual.
Only Eric came over to report the situation, saying that some cavalry came two days ago to inquire about the Lord's whereabouts.
At that time, Eric led the patrol and casually said that the lord had gone to Long River Town, and then they left without any conflict.
Li Ang knew that it was probably the person sent by Forster. Fortunately, Forster only wanted to control himself at the time and had no intention of causing a scene.
The lord asked Amy to return to White Deer Fortress and inform Godric of the situation.
Then he took many farmers to Trublen, intending to bring back the sixty soldiers there - and by the way, he also harvested the food and brought it back directly.
However, after arriving at Trublen, there were two groups of people confronting each other in the village.
One of the groups is naturally the sixty soldiers staying here.
There were about sixty people in the other group, led by several knights.
These knights wore black plate armor, black hooded helmets, and black steel leggings - their whole bodies were black.
Behind them were about twenty retinues also dressed in black.
In addition, there are about thirty infantrymen, all dressed in different styles, but fairly well equipped.
However, Li Ang didn't see any crests on them - are they a group of adventurers or mercenaries?
An archer saw the lord's flag and came over quickly. "Sir! These people insist on seeing our lord, and they have been stuck here for a long time... They won't leave even if we tell you that you are not here. They don't know what to do."