Demeanor of the Strong
"My lord, we've located the pirates. They were swept ashore on Poison Dragon Island by the storm, and many of their ships are now stranded on the beach."
Byron said respectfully.
Status stems from strength. Since his intervention yesterday, Hudson's position on the ship has become even more extraordinary. Originally just there to help, he has now become the backbone of the group.
There was nothing they could do. First, they suffered the calamity of the Ghost Ship, and then they were hit by a storm. The Dalton Family's fleet had already suffered heavy losses.
The casualties exceeded 2,500, and seven warships sank, including two third-class capital ships and one second-class capital ship. The number of damaged ships was even greater.
The losses were as devastating as a naval battle. Having paid such a heavy price, all of which was completely unrelated to the mission, Byron didn't know how to explain it back home.
Things have progressed to this point, leaving no room for retreat. If they don't wipe out this pirate group, wouldn't the Dalton Family have suffered a complete loss?
To minimize the damage, he had no choice but to seek help from Hudson. After all, the Forbidden Spell Maxim had previously unleashed was incredibly powerful.
Even warships can't withstand the Forbidden Spell. If pirates could be hit with it, at least a few of the enemy's capital ships could be taken away, making the subsequent battles much easier.
"Sir Byron, after last night's storm, how long will it take for this sea to be shrouded in fog again?"
Hudson asked with concern.
"According to family records, once the location of Poison Dragon Island is exposed, there is usually a window of opportunity of three to five days."
Your Excellency, you don't mean to go to the island, do you?
This is no safe place; even without the mist, Poison Dragon Island is extremely dangerous!
Upon hearing Byron's reply, Hudson immediately shook his head.
"There's no rush to get to the island. Let's observe the situation first and let those pirates scout ahead for us."
No matter how much they reaped, once they've dealt with them, the loot will still end up in our hands.
On Poison Dragon Island, the pirates, unaware that they were being targeted, encountered trouble as soon as they landed. Caught off guard, dozens of them began foaming at the mouth in a panic.
"Everyone be careful. Almost all the plants and animals on the island are highly poisonous. Do not touch them with your hands."
Water is nowhere to be found. Last time I came here, I saw someone drink the island's water and immediately turn into a pile of bones!
"Barbarian Beard hurriedly offered a suggestion."
The men he sent out to scout ahead were all his underlings; with each one who died, his chances of breaking free from the Church's control decreased.
"Hurry up, we don't have time to waste. If the Alpha people discover Poison Dragon Island, things will get complicated!"
Bishop Josip rebuked him sternly.
Having dealt with pirates many times, he knew very well that pirates "fear power but not morality." To deal with these vicious criminals, one must be even more ruthless than them.
They're all a bunch of scourges anyway, so it's their honor to dedicate themselves to spreading the glory of the gods.
The accompanying Church officials now acted as overseers, urging the pirates to explore further.
The island, known as "Poison Dragon Island" for its ability to poison Giant Dragon, certainly lived up to its reputation. Even with the warning from the Barbarian Beard, the dangers on the island were still impossible to guard against.
Watching the pirate squads fall one after another, Paladin Yelachich realized something was wrong. At this rate, the pirates would be wiped out before the entire island was searched.
"Yosip, things seem to be going badly. They've only gone two miles and already lost over a hundred men. If this continues, the pirates might collapse."
"Let our men use magic to clear a path and remove some obstacles to reduce pirate casualties."
After a slight hesitation, Bishop Josip nodded. "Artifacts" aren't fragile; even if they were hit by magic, it wouldn't be a big deal.
It's not that divine artifacts have been destroyed, but those are low-probability events that only happen when top-tier experts use divine artifacts in battle.
The magic wash instantly reduced the casualties of the scouting pirates, but it also slowed down their exploration speed.
A mage's Magic Power and mental strength are not limitless. In a dangerous place like Poison Dragon Island, where they must constantly maintain their strength, the team needs to stop and recover after casting spells in turn.
"Island Master, we've discovered a ruined palace ahead!"
The sounds of the scout pirates drew everyone's attention. The Church members, in particular, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
They kept killing poisonous insects along the way, turning themselves into automatic insecticides. If they didn't succeed, they'd be laughed at when they got back.
"Keep exploring!"
Bishop Josip gave the order first.
He could vaguely sense a divine aura; the artifact was very likely nearby.
As for what the pirates think, what does that have to do with him?
Once the mission is accomplished, these guys are a bunch of dead men; there's no need to pay them any attention.
As soon as the order was given, a series of "whoosh" sounds rang out, and countless venomous snakes spewed from the palace at the crowd, killing hundreds of people in the blink of an eye.
For the first time, even the Church's oversight team suffered casualties.
Two 5th-tier Magus were unfortunately struck by poisonous snakes and instantly collapsed to the ground dead. The accompanying priests were too late to save them.
"Everyone be careful. These are puppet snakes created using witchcraft. They are snake spirits that guarded the imperial tombs of the ancient wizarding kingdom."
It is said that within each snake is sealed a human soul, stripped of human emotions but retaining the combat experience from its previous life.
Normally, these serpent spirits are in a dormant state, only being awakened when an enemy breaks in.
The Serpent Spirit Guardian is just one of the graveyard guardians; the ancient wizarding kingdom had many other strange and bizarre creations, each one utterly evil.
We've already alerted the cemetery guards; what's coming next is a fight to the death. Even if we leave now, we'll still face various attacks.
The upcoming exploration must proceed with heightened vigilance. Any carelessness will come at a bloody price.
The well-informed Yelachich Jelacic warned.
Wizards are a mysterious and powerful group. In ancient times, they were once the mainstream of human cultivation, but all things are subject to decline after reaching their peak.
With the emergence of gods, the wizarding system quickly declined, replaced by magic and knights, and gradually became a marginal profession.
Especially after the Church dominated the continent, wizards were relegated to a heretical profession, and their lineage almost died out.
The wizards who have survived to this day have only inherited a small portion of the tradition; most of the wizarding secrets have disappeared into the annals of history.
The treasure hunt turned into tomb raiding; it's ridiculous. And to make matters worse, Bishop Josip's secret methods revealed that the artifact was nearby.
It just so happens that the cardinal who betrayed the Church back then was a hidden sorcerer. It makes sense that he had a way to evade the cemetery guards.
As the journey forward commenced once more, various dangers arose one after another. Blood stained the path forward, and almost every step forward came at a bloody price.
At the Emerald Palace, Caesar IV was furious ever since he learned that Hudson had set sail.
Instead of overseeing the kingdom's military affairs, he went to suppress petty pirates—a classic case of putting the cart before the horse.
However, anger solves nothing. The stalemate between the two sides is essentially a power struggle.
As King, Caesar IV wanted to control everything; as the future commander-in-chief, Hudson also needed to strive for more control.
The question now is who will concede first. It's clear that Caesar IV is more impatient.
The complex international situation put too much pressure on him, making it impossible for him to remain calm like Hudson.
In the power struggle, this mentality will undoubtedly lead to significant losses. At such crucial moments, the more anxious one appears, the more easily the opponent will take advantage of the situation.
"Prime Minister, the Count Hudson is neglecting his duties. How about we appoint someone else as the commander-in-chief of strategic mobilization?"
Caesar IV, enraged, made the suggestion.
No monarch likes uncontrollable subordinates. No matter how capable they are, they are meaningless if they cannot be kept in control.
In a centralized country, Hudson doing this would be suicidal.
However, in Shareholding State, this kind of thing is all too common. The struggle between the power of the subject and the power of the monarch is playing out almost every moment. There are countless similar cases.
"Your Majesty, things haven't come to that. It won't be easy to find someone in the kingdom to replace Count Hudson."
Compared to other races, we are at a disadvantage. If the chosen people are incompetent, and the tragedy of the Warhammer Kingdom repeats itself..."
Seeing Caesar IV's increasingly grim expression, the Duke Newfoundland immediately realized his slip of the tongue. Warhammer Kingdom was indeed the best example of what not to do, but the overthrow of Joseph II was a taboo subject for all monarchs.
Due to the situation on the mainland, no one has the time to intervene, but that doesn't mean they can tolerate such things happening.
In Caesar IV's eyes, this was a coup. It was as if he were being warned that if he did not accept the people's choice, he would follow in the footsteps of Joseph II.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. Count Hudson's personal campaign to wipe out the pirates may have had its reasons."
According to the information reported by the Southeast Province, this group of pirates who suddenly broke in was clearly targeting the kingdom.
At this critical moment when the whole country is preparing for war, if there is such a pirate threat in the rear, future logistics and transportation will inevitably encounter great trouble.
Eliminating these destabilizing factors first would be a good thing for the kingdom.
Duke Affierro advised.
Unfortunately, these words were completely distorted when they reached Caesar IV's ears. An unstable element—was there a greater unstable element in the kingdom than the Hudson?
We can use the opportunity of war to demand power from him now. What would happen if war broke out?
They could easily find a few excuses to sideline him. It's not uncommon for powerful ministers to usurp the throne in the Alpha Kingdom.
Fortunately, Caesar IV remained rational and did not voice his thoughts.
In politics, many things are fine as long as they are not explicitly stated; but once they are, there is no room for compromise.
Until a replacement for Hudson can be found, the idea of changing the person is just a figure of speech by Caesar IV, and it is impossible to actually implement it.
Besides, if someone else comes to power, they won't compete with the monarch for power, right?
That's simply impossible!
Whoever is in charge of the army will inevitably demand more power from the King. The only difference lies in the size of their demands and whether their methods are more acceptable to him.
"Let's wait and see. If the fight is worthwhile, then so be it. But if it's just about power struggles, then what happens next..."
For two days, the army guarded the outer perimeter of Poison Dragon Island, and the pirates showed no sign of leaving.
If Hudson hadn't personally gone to investigate and confirmed that the pirate crew was exploring the palace, he would have suspected that they had left from somewhere else.
Suddenly, a sacred aura emanated from the direction of Poison Dragon Island. Hudson immediately thought of—"Divine Artifact!"
Having played with the damaged artifact Blood Moon Horn, Hudson was also very interested in artifacts. However, the Blood Moon Horn had too many side effects, and he was unwilling to risk his life for it, so he could only sell it for a good price.
"Sir Byron, order the army to advance immediately and head to Poison Dragon Island!"
Once you arrive, don't rush to land. First, use the Magic Crystal Cannon to destroy the pirates' ships and cut off their escape route.
This was a classic case of the guest overshadowing the host, but Hudson couldn't care less. The number of divine artifacts circulating on the continent was small, and almost every one of them had a prominent owner behind it.
It's not just about strength; luck also plays a role. As far as Hudson knows, none of the forces in the Northern Continent openly possess a single divine artifact.
Who knows what happens behind the scenes?
In any case, the Moxi Duchy definitely doesn't have it, or rather, even if they did, they couldn't use the artifact. Otherwise, they would have used it when the Beastfolk army besieged their Royal Capital.
The Alpha Kingdom most likely doesn't possess one either. In the past few centuries, no matter how dire the situation, the kingdom has never used a divine artifact.
If this is the case for nations, then it goes without saying that it's even more so for individuals. With the powerful forces openly displaying their divine weapons, Hudson didn't even dare to covet them.
It's not easy for an unclaimed divine artifact to appear; it would be foolish not to seize it.
As for what to do with it after it's seized, Lord Hudson is not only a top "strongman" on the continent, but also the commander of the kingdom's army!
As long as it's not too dangerous, it should be able to hold onto most of the time. If the political pressure becomes too great, it can simply be given to the kingdom as Inheritance Divine Artifact in exchange for tangible benefits.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Hudson headed ahead to Poison Dragon Island, ready to seize the fruits of the other side's victory at any moment.
"Hahaha..."
"Finally found it!"
Bishop Josip was so moved that tears streamed down his face.
Looking at the two divine artifacts before them, the Church delegation was filled with emotion. They had devoted half their lives to finding these things.
They were there wherever there were clues. Time and again, their efforts came to nothing; had it not been for their unwavering faith, they would have collapsed long ago.
Some are happy, some are sad.
While the Church's entourage cheered, the pirates accompanying them wept. This treasure hunt was entirely risked their lives.
Although most people nowadays don't know what the Church is looking for, they still understand the principle of "killing the dog after the rabbit is caught".
"Let's clear the area first!"
"Yelachich said coldly."
Such words coming from a paladin would certainly shock many people.
The paladin, known for his holiness, benevolence, humility, and so on, was actually capable of doing such a thing.
But for Yelachich, who was determined to dedicate everything to the gods, this meant nothing. How could a little empty fame compare to welcoming back the divine artifacts?
The massacre has begun. Of the pirates who completed their expedition, only one in ten has survived, and they are no longer a threat to us.
The most important thing to do is to eliminate any potential hazards as soon as possible to ensure that the artifact can be safely returned.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Yelachich took the lead in attacking the nearby pirates, and the others followed suit.
Stunned by the attack, the pirates realized the danger and scattered in all directions, fearing that if they were too slow, they would become victims of the blade.
From the sky, Hudson, who had been rushing all the way, witnessed this unusual internal strife.
"Another one from the Church. Am I destined to be at odds with the Church for life, just to ruin their plans?"
Hudson sighed to himself.
A quick glance at the battlefield revealed a one-sided massacre. Countless pirates fled in all directions, screaming and crying, utterly unable to mount an effective counterattack.
"Beldens, look, I've changed my knight's sword seven times since I debuted. It's not a good idea to keep changing them like this."
Find a chance to help me snatch that sword below. Only a divine sword is worthy of my body..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Young Bear had already darted off. It slapped the cardinal below, then grabbed the Holy Sword of Light and ran, giving the Church no time to react, much to Hudson's frustration.
If I had known it could be played like this, I would have just let Beldens take back both artifacts. Why did I have to add this drama to my own life?
Poison Dragon Island is teeming with poisonous creatures and is utterly unsuitable for human habitation. Destroy the pirates' ships, and in ten to fifteen days, almost all of them will have met their end with the Lord of Dawn.
This is troublesome now; we must seize the other artifact. Otherwise, these guys will definitely try to hide it when faced with a life-or-death situation.
If it remained on the island, it would be fine; no matter how well hidden, it could still be found. But if they knew the secret method to seal the aura of a divine artifact and could simply throw it into the deep sea, then it would be impossible to find.
"Maxim, did you see that clearly? When you take action in the future, learn a thing or two from Beldens."
A cardinal, unaware of what was happening, suddenly passed away, leaving this world in a daze—that's the true meaning of battlefield combat!
As he spoke, Hudson had already taken the artifact. He then activated the Mysterious Compass, sealing away the sacred aura.
At first glance, it looks just like an ordinary knight's sword. No one would guess that this unassuming thing is actually a divine weapon.
The dramatic change directly impacted the battlefield below. The group of Church experts, who were engaged in a fierce battle, no longer cared about pursuing the pirates and instead surrounded Quasi -Hudson.
Unfortunately, it was all in vain. Having learned his lesson after being warned, Maxim showed no intention of going down to fight the enemy in close combat, and instead launched magical attacks from the sky.
Besides the seven eighth-tier powerhouses in the Church who can fly and fight, the rest are just a group of mages who can provide fire support.
Unfortunately, they found Hudson, the culprit, but failed to keep an eye on the elusive bear.
Beldens, who deliberately shrunk his figure, relied on his absolute advantage in strength and did not engage in close combat with the enemy. Instead, he constantly moved around the battlefield to ambush the magicians.
Following the unfortunate Cardinal's murder, several more seventh-rank Magister lost their lives, and even more Magus and Grand Magus were taken away along with him.
Realizing that the Dragon Knight was merely drawing fire, the members of the Church immediately stopped their pursuit and turned to protect the artifact.
But Maxim wouldn't allow them to slip away. One of the eighth-tier paladins, who was a fraction too slow, was struck directly by the dragon's tail and, before he could recover, was finished off by Hudson's sword.
The artifact is truly extraordinary; it can even pierce through the defenses of an eighth-tier paladin with a single thrust.
In the blink of an eye, the well-trained members of the Church completed the formation. An elderly man with white hair picked up a magic staff and began chanting incantations, causing light elements to gather nearby.
Knowing the power of the artifact, Hudson wasn't going to be foolish enough to try and withstand it head-on. He slapped Maxim's butt and disappeared from everyone's sight.
The quick-witted Beldens had already vanished. This completely baffled the old man wielding the divine artifact; he had already half-finished his Forbidden Spell, but the enemy had disappeared.
Stopping is out of the question. He's not a Holy Domain expert; his ability to unleash Forbidden Spell relies entirely on the enhancement of divine artifacts. Once the magic is halfway through, it's simply beyond his control.
Just as they were hesitating, the deafening roar of the Magic Crystal Cannon rang out, and the violent vibrations almost caused the magic to fail.
Without further hesitation, the old man roared and unleashed the Forbidden Spell on the fleeing pirates.
"Bishop Josip has been murdered, and you, Knight Yelachich, are now in charge. What should we do?"
The white-haired old man's question made Yelachich frown. They had suffered heavy losses in that recent attack. If it happened a few more times, they wouldn't be able to return.
"There are only a handful of Dragon Knight on the continent. The one who ambushed us just now was probably Hudson. We know who the real culprit is now, and we can settle accounts with him later."
But first, we need to get out of here alive! News of the artifact has been leaked, and there's a lot of gunfire outside; it must be the Alpha Kingdom's navy arriving.
Judging from the sounds, they're destroying our ships that are still out there. We need to move quickly and save at least one warship!
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a bloodcurdling scream rang out. A sixth-tier Golden Knight on the edge of the area had his head severed from his body.
The distant roar of a dragon echoed once more, and Dragon Language Magic swept towards them. Startled, everyone hurriedly joined forces to erect a magic shield, and the white-haired elder once again drew his divine artifact.
However, the attack came quickly, and the retreat was even faster.
"Snort!"
Was Hudson an assassin?
They only know how to attack from behind, they never fight us head-on, they have no class whatsoever!
An elderly man with white hair roared about filial piety.
Divine artifacts are not easy to activate, especially when one's cultivation level is insufficient; forcibly activating a divine artifact will come at a price.
Of course, Hudson's method of directly wielding the artifact to kill people without relying on its power is an exception.