The enemy had reached the city walls, yet Dadir City remained as lively as ever, filled with song and dance.
For the Skull Society higher-ups, who had spent so long hiding from place to place, they had finally gotten the chance to become the masters. How could they not enjoy themselves properly?
Even if a few clear-headed people remained, they could do nothing against the tide.
To put it bluntly, most of the Skull Society consisted of insignificant common folk.
Those "cultured people" capable of writing their own names were few enough to count on one hand.
Their limited knowledge kept their eyes fixed on their own little patch of land, leaving them utterly incapable of long-term planning.
If faith in the Evil God had not been mixed into it, this would have been nothing more than an ordinary peasant rebel army.
After overthrowing the noble lords' rule, they would not have known what to do next.
The shortage of talent was not merely a problem for the Skull Society; it was also a shared dilemma faced by countless cult organizations across Aslant.
In theory, with the Church in decline and no longer hunting them down, cult organizations should have flourished.
Yet reality was exactly the opposite. Since the Church's decline, cult organizations had declined alongside it.
The nobles who held power were exceptionally tolerant toward their own kind.
This relaxed social and political climate had caused nobles joining cult organizations to become nearly extinct.
Back when the Church held power, anyone even remotely connected to a cult would be sent to the stake if they could not prove their innocence, forcing many nobles to mix with the cults.
That was useless now. Mere "suspicion," without conclusive evidence, was not enough to convict a noble lord.
Even if the charges were proven, as long as no actual harm had been done, there was still a chance to redeem oneself through meritorious service.
This change had directly caused the difficulty of recruiting people into cult organizations to rise exponentially. Even those lured in might turn back on their word.
Once the nobles stopped playing with them, the overall quality of cult leadership plummeted, dragging down the organizations' combat strength as well.
Three hundred years ago, the mighty Blood Moon Cult could organize armies to confront the Church's forces head-on, forcing every nation on the continent to join hands against them. Now, cult organizations could at most bring disaster to a single corner of the land.
The council hall, which should have been sacred, was now hosting an orgy. The Skull Society higher-ups discussed military and state affairs while indulging themselves.
No one objected, because the Skull Society's core doctrine was: "Indulge your desires and return to your natural self."
Whether playing this wildly was appropriate did not matter. What mattered was that the Evil God behind the scenes liked it.
Obscene fumes filled the hall. It looked like a carnal revelry, but it was actually a special ritual. The Skull Society higher-ups were using this method to prove to the Evil God that they were the most devout believers.
Obviously, such a game was extremely disadvantageous for the elderly High Priest. Under normal circumstances, he never took part. Unfortunately, several consecutive failures had greatly weakened his authority within the cult, leaving him without the confidence to refuse.
Making a fool of himself was still far better than losing his life. With his "wise man" image shattered, the Grey-robed Elder's position as High Priest had already become unstable.
Originally, relying on the prestige he had accumulated and the High Priest's special role in presiding over divine rituals, he had barely been able to contend with the Skeleton Lord. Now, he had no choice but to lower his head.
"Have the sacrifices been prepared?"
The masked man asked coldly.
Rather than asking first about the enemy army outside the city, he cared more about the sacrifices. That alone proved that, in the masked man's eyes, the sacrifices mattered far more than the menacing Noble Allied Forces.
Hearing the question, the middle-aged man responsible for preparing the sacrifices hurriedly pushed away the woman beneath him and answered, "Reporting to the Lord, six hundred and sixty-six pairs of thirteen-year-old virgin boys and girls have been prepared. All ritual items are ready. We are only lacking a high-tier magical beast as an offering and endless slaughter as a catalyst."
The scale of these sacrifices made it obvious that the Skull Society was planning something enormous.
"Do not worry about the magical beast. Someone has already brought one over. As for the endless slaughter, the enemies outside the city will soon complete it for us.
Tell the men below to keep their lower halves under control. They can play with any woman in the city, but the gods' sacrifices must remain pure. Whoever dares to lay a hand on them, I will send him to apologize to the gods.
High Priest, you have the most experience presiding over rituals. You will personally oversee this Centennial Grand Sacrifice!"
The masked man spoke in a tone that allowed no doubt.
As soon as his words fell, everyone looked at the High Priest with gloating expressions. Their eyes made it clear that presiding over this ritual would bring no good outcome.
Facing the masked man's icy gaze, the Grey-robed Elder ultimately did not dare utter a refusal. His body trembled as he answered, "Yes, Lord!"
A closer look would reveal an additional puddle of mysterious liquid on the ground. He had been frightened into losing control of himself and still did not dare refuse. Clearly, this Skeleton Lord was a ruthless man; the consequences of refusing were likely even worse than presiding over the ritual.
Looking at the boundary marker before him, Hudson's attention was immediately drawn to the words "Maple Leaf Town." This was the rendezvous point they had agreed on beforehand.
By his calculations, the raiding party should have arrived long ago. After all, the grain transport unit had been delayed for an entire day after encountering an enemy attack.
"Pass down the order. Have the carts carrying the wounded move at the very front of the column."
Hudson gave the order sadly.
Joining the main force meant greater safety, but it also meant that the troops under his command would be drastically reduced.
Who would complain about having too many soldiers under their command when they did not have to pay for them? If possible, Hudson truly did not want to give up this force.
Unfortunately, reality was cruel. Serf soldiers were the nobles' private property. How could they allow him to occupy them?
If he obediently returned command, he could still preserve some goodwill. Falling out with them would only bring suffering upon himself.
Although he had to send them back, it was still necessary to play up how miserable things had been. Otherwise, how would he show off the achievements of Sir Hudson?
Especially since, for everyone's benefit, he had rejected Count Pierce's offer and turned down the title of landed baron that had practically fallen into his hands.
The column moved forward slowly. Seeing the familiar tents appear on the horizon, Hudson secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The raiding party had arrived on time, which meant no unexpected incident had occurred and the situation remained under control. It also meant that his choice had not been wrong.
Cart after cart of wounded men slowly entered the camp. The nobles of the Fifth Army, already in a foul mood, now looked even uglier.
"Hudson, did something happen on the road? Were the grain, supplies, or weapons lost?"
Chers asked with concern.
If anything had happened to the grain, supplies, or weapons being escorted, then as commander of the Fifth Army, he would bear the primary responsibility. No matter how great the gains from the raid were, they could not offset the political consequences.
"Do not worry, Uncle Chers. We were merely ambushed by Rebel Army elites on the road, but I led the troops and drove them off.
The grain, supplies, and weapons did suffer considerable losses, but they remain within a controllable range overall. Considering the military achievements we gained, it should be enough to cover up the problem.
The trouble is that the Griffon Cavalry spotted you on the second day after your departure. That would not have been much, but the night before last, Count Pierce even sent people over..."
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