The Sera Kingdom.
The sacred Holy Light of Dawn descended from the sky, piercing straight through the Cloud Sea, like a giant pillar of light connecting the sky and the earth, shining brightly from sunrise to sunset, while the darkest night remained radiant.
Thousands of fervent believers knelt on the ground, devoutly kissing the earth before them, where radiance shone, and more and more people were becoming one of them.
"Praise the Dawn!"
Archbishop Adriana, dressed in a long robe, stood in the center of the crowd, her eyes closed as she basked in the brilliant light. She could not open her eyes, nor could she look directly at the Sun's magnificent radiance.
Time passed slowly, and as the Sun began to set, Adriana finally opened her eyes. She looked around, but no one met her gaze. In the Sera Kingdom, Archbishop Adriana's prestige at Dawn was nearly on par with that of the Pope.
"The Lord said, 'Use fire to burn away the darkness that is outside the light.'"
This was Miracle, and thousands upon thousands of people once again touched their heads to the ground, frantically murmuring Adriana's words.
In the distance, Roland and Count Fragoso watched the city's splendor from their carriage. They could not speak, for even the slightest sound would be heard by these fanatical believers. At this moment, they were no longer subjects of nobles, but devotees who had given their lives and everything to the Dawn.
"It's been three days. The Miracle of Dawn can't last more than three days. This is out of respect for the Lady Moon. Let's go."
The carriage slowly drove away, and only when the sky behind them had faded did Roland speak:
" Ryan wrote to my father that the Faith of Dawn is becoming too strong and is not a good thing for its people."
Count Fragoso shook his head, not entirely agreeing, and said:
"The Empire has proposed to His Majesty the King several times to establish Church of Light within the Sera Kingdom. Baron Ryan's words seem to indicate that he wants Light and Dawn to fight against each other in the Sera Kingdom, but if that happens, we will suffer heavy losses."
Roland didn't speak, gazing at the darkness outside the window.
He didn't finish speaking. Even his father dared not let Ryan's letter be kept; the power of wind magic annihilated it. Only Great Being at the Elemental Terminus could possibly find it by tracing back through magic.
Because it not only mentioned the Church of Dawn, but also the light.
As for why Ryan would tell the Sera Kingdom what its past was, Monarch MacReynolds said it because Ryan wanted to send troops into the Sera Kingdom.
The purpose was also stated as follows: to prevent these fanatics from harming the nobles of the Northwind Province, or more precisely, to avoid the safety risks posed by these fanatics to Baron Ryan himself.
His father agreed to Ryan's proposal because Ryan also held a high-ranking noble position in the Sera Kingdom and had legitimate authority in this land.
As the conflict between the Sera Kingdom and the Andara Kingdom intensifies, the Sera Kingdom also needs support.
In terms of national strength, the newly established Sera Kingdom lacked everything and was the least well-established of the nine kingdoms.
Behind them, the city still shone brightly in the Dawn light. Thousands of believers walked the roads back home and fell into a deep sleep. They needed to pray devoutly at the moment the Dawn broke the next day to strengthen their faith, and even competed with each other.
The fanatical believers are not insane; in fact, they are frighteningly calm. Extreme faith leads to extreme thinking. The Deities have issued Divine Oracle: how should they complete the task given to them by the great Lord of Dawn?
"Where? Is it darkness beyond the light?"
The next day, a large crowd gathered inside and outside the church, asking questions of the esteemed Archbishop.
"The Lord can see every inch of the world, but He does not actively look at the world."
"Therefore, faith becomes His eyes. He gives us vision through our faith, and the land covered by faith is where the Lord's gaze is."
"Where faith does not exist, there is darkness that the Lord cannot illuminate."
The Archbishop was implying that the light of Dawn could not illuminate many places in the South lands, the most important of which was the Empire.
"The empire has turned its back on the Dawn. Although they have welcomed the light, the emperor of the empire is using the Radiance of the Lord to perfect his own ambitions and desires. His faith is not devout."
"Whether it is Dawn or light, it is the will of the Lord. Mortals understand it, but the faith in light in the Florian Empire has been deceived and blinded. We need to Dispel the darkness in the light and let the Lord's Radiance pure again."
"Then the Archbishop? What should we do?"
When asked, Adriana held up a flame in her hands.
"Only purification can Dispel the impurity in the Lord's Radiance."
"Purify them!"
"Purify them!!!"
The fanatics roared, their bodies filled with an unusual excitement and fervor.
One by one, clergymen emerged and led the fanatics away. Their defeat in the Andara Kingdom was an insult to the Dawn, and they desperately needed to wash away this shame and rid themselves of the negative influence they posed on the Dawn.
Without resolving this issue, they will never be able to advance further in their careers within the Church.
However, not all clergy were so resentful; some stared at Adriana with deep resentment.
" Bishop Nelson, it seems you will not be able to obtain the title of Dawn Agent of the Sera Kingdom."
Beside an elderly man with gray hair, the missionary spoke calmly, without any schadenfreude, for they were all in the same boat.
Bishop Nelson, formerly the Archbishop of the Andara Kingdom, whose status was second only to Pastor Soto, became Dawn Believers sold by Ryan after the Church's defeat in the Bishop Nelson of the Andara Kingdom. Not only did his status decline, but ninety percent of his power was also taken away.
In the current branch of the Church of Dawn within the Sera Kingdom, Bishop Nelson has been marginalized due to his past. Within the Holy Mountain and on this land, clergy born within the kingdom are constantly vying for the power that rightfully belongs to him.
Not only that, when Adriana arrived, Bishop Nelson initially thought she was easy to deal with because she didn't seem to make any moves. But gradually he discovered that Adriana's position in the hearts of the believers was irreplaceable.
He was unwilling to accept this and tried to take control of the Dawn branch of the Sera Kingdom, but now he was about to lose everything.
What does power within the Church represent? It represents unimaginable wealth and unimaginable influence. Ninety-nine percent of Adriana's words carry the authority of King in the Sera Kingdom. As for the last one percent, that's when she's dealing with the King of the Sera Kingdom, where she needs to be treated with equal humility.
Humility, not modesty, means that this one percent can be disregarded.
"We cannot sit idly by and wait to die."
Bishop Nelson gritted his teeth and said that he had lost too much. If he did not take it back, his descendants would not have the opportunity to inherit his position. One step behind would lead to another, and sooner or later his lineage would be suppressed to the lowest level of the Holy Mountain.
Nelson never doubted that his enemies would do everything in their power to strike. He was promoted from Archbishop to bishop because of those guys, who blamed the defeat of the Andara Kingdom and even the losses of the Feather Dragon Legion on them.
Pastor Soto is dead, and no one will go too far in criticizing a dead man; the living must take responsibility for it.
They are living people.
"But we can't sway Adriana. She is a believer blessed by the Lord, and even the Pope cannot punish her."
Everyone acts within the rules, but there are some people who can break the rules because they have greater power.
Like Bishop Nelson, who had to accept the Church's punishment, going from a powerful Archbishop to an ordinary bishop, and needing to rely on the Church's internal rules to regain his status.
But Adriana doesn't need that. The blessing of the Lord of Dawn and her unparalleled status in the hearts of believers allow Adriana to disregard most of the rules of the Church.
She was so close to the Lord of Dawn that she was dazzling in the eyes of others. The clergy of the Sera Kingdom dared not confront her, nor could they refute her orders.
Her words are Divine Oracle.
Even Bishop Nelson wouldn't dare to think of ways to attack Adriana. Not to mention him, he believed that the Cardinal Archbishop were already considering whether to make room for this woman after their deaths.
He dared not provide for Adriana, but that did not mean he could not use those believers.
"I heard that Sera King agreed two days ago to allow Baron Ryan's army from the Empire to be stationed at his estate in the Sera Kingdom."
This is Unicorn Fortress, and Ryan's manor is not far away.
"How could the Sera Kingdom allow those damned Imperial Noble to enter this land of Dawn and bring their corrupt faith into the kingdom?"
"And the followers of Dawn will absolutely not allow the enemy to appear."
"They have seen that evil Baron, and for the glory of the Dawn, they will listen to us."
Bishop Nelson said that he would not attack Adriana, but he could use the followers of the Dawn. After all, he was a bishop and had a status within the Dawn, making him closer to the great Dawn than the monks and nuns.
On Northwind Avenue, the Armored Bear's paw left a clear imprint on the ground.
The Northwind Avenue was dustier in winter, and the merchants reduced their trips between the Empire and the Kingdom during this time. Of course, another reason was that the merchants were like dogs with a keen sense of smell; they could also sniff out a new round of conflict between the Empire and the Church, which could cause their merchants to suffer heavy losses on the road, so they simply reduced the frequency of transactions.
Armored Bear are not afraid of the cold. As they gradually entered the Griffin Mountains, they frolicked around, looking at the surrounding Mountain Forest, where wild animals were giving them hostile looks.
"How much longer until we arrive?"
Borgeld, atop the Armored Bear, called out to Apia, who was riding a warhorse beside him. Apia thought for a moment and replied:
"We have two more days. We need to go to Count Fragoso's territory first, and then arrive at the manor outside Unicorn Fortress."
" The Church's followers might attack us."
"They'd better come, but if they don't, I'll go find them."
A group of five hundred people, including fifty Armored Bear, entered the Sera Kingdom, leaving the Griffin Mountains and entering the territory of the Sera Kingdom.
"At the Baron's suggestion, the Sera Kingdom is building the Northwind Avenue within its territory. However, it will be called the Sera Avenue and will directly connect the Northwind Province and the Unicorn Fortress. In a year or two, the Imperial Merchant Guild will be able to enter the Sera Kingdom much faster."
"The army will be much faster too."
Borgeld nodded and said that Ryan had told her about it; the road was being built for economic and convenience purposes, but also to prepare for war.
The benefits of the road construction were not limited to nobles and merchants; commoners and slaves also benefited. For example, on this unfinished road, many people carried tools and walked along the edge, avoiding the threat of insects and snakes by not having to cross wasteland.
After all, this place is close to the Griffin Mountains, so there are a lot of insects and such.
The flags of Rhino Horn Mountain fluttered in the cold wind. As they continued to advance, the group gradually noticed that the gazes of those around them were becoming bolder.
His eyes held wariness, fear, and a hint of hostility.
The Church of Dawn's entry into the Sera Kingdom was Monarch MacReynolds's choice. In the South lands, his newly established kingdom needed the help of the Church or the Empire to quickly gain recognition from the South world and thus solidify its position.
Choosing the Church inevitably means entrusting the Church with many things. For example, the existence of the Church of Morning Radiance is indispensable. In their spare time, people, besides making noise, would also go to the Church because eggs and bread would be distributed there.
Gradually, ordinary people inevitably became influenced by the Dawn Missionaries.
The pastor (the priest) said that the flag represents our enemy, and that's definitely true.
Things were a bit better in the north, where many of the people had once served in the army commanded by Ryan. But in the south, beyond the fertile plains where Unicorn Fortress was located, the hostility towards Ryan was even greater.
Because Ryan had never brought them any benefits; on the contrary, many people lost their loved ones in the war. In addition, the nobles here were once Ryan's enemies, so they would not try to whitewash him.
"They seem to hate us."
"Hopefully they'll be smart enough to launch an attack on us soon."
"I won't lay a hand on these defenseless ordinary people," Borgeld said with dissatisfaction. "But if they become soldiers, then Borgeld 'll be a ruthless Legion Commander on the battlefield."
Ryan sent her to the Sera Kingdom, telling her that war was bound to break out there, which made her come excitedly. The journey was too quiet, so there was no fun in it.
In the distance, the outline of the Unicorn Fortress was already visible. Here, there were not only more ordinary people, but also people who, more or less, bore the insignia of the Church of Dawn. They were devout monks and believers of the Church.
So shortly after being discovered, Borgeld noticed that the number of people around him began to decrease until at some point he could no longer see anyone.
"Alert!"
She shouted, and from both sides of the road, believers of the Church rushed out and, led by more than a dozen Holy Light Knight, launched an attack on the group.
The force of 500 men, including the Armored Bear Warrior, numbered only 150, while the Dawn Believers charged out numbered 500 or 600.
"For the glory of the Lord!"
The clergy didn't speak of revenge; the great Lord of Dawn never fails, and all their actions are for the glory of Dawn.
"For the glory of the Lord!"
The sight of believers waving their weapons in a frenzy excited Borgeld, who charged forward, his heavy longsword aimed at the knight. In an instant, the knight's expression changed; his previously frenzied look turned numb, and his whole body went limp.
When the knight realized what was happening and tried to Dispel all the negative buffs with a holy glow, it was too late. The Armored Bear's claws fell and shattered the knight's bones.
"You guys are really too weak!"
Borgeld shouted loudly, his longsword killing another Holy Light Knight. The army, surrounded by hundreds of men, formed a circle, with an Armored Bear Warrior between every few soldiers. No matter how the believers charged, they could not break the formation of these elite soldiers.
But what's terrifying is that no matter how many people died, these fanatical believers never gave up their desire and methods of attack. In the charge of five or six hundred men against one hundred and fifty soldiers, only the Armored Bear Warrior were able to fight back completely. The remaining one hundred soldiers were not wearing heavy armor, which would have been too heavy for these soldiers who were not yet knights.
The leather armor he wore was not enough to provide complete protection.
People began to get hurt, and the believers' attacks became increasingly frenzied.
The enemy's fearless fighting spirit finally made Borgeld's eyes turn cold. He led Volibear into the army of believers and frantically slaughtered these Dawn Believers.
In the distance, large numbers of troops began to appear.
"Stop fighting! This is the Count's Domain!"
The leading knight shouted a command, but both sides on the battlefield seemed not to hear him, roaring as they charged at each other.
"Stop!"
The knight was furious. His words had no effect on these people, so he ordered the soldiers behind him to draw their weapons.
"Stop your war! This is Count Fragoso's territory, and no one is allowed to damage the Count's land!"
Still no one paid him any attention. The knight charged forward and kicked several believers to the ground. But the believers struggled frantically, ignoring the knight's strength, and, at the call of Dawn, tried to attack the people of the Frozen Earth Territory.
"No one may wage war on this land without the Earl's permission."
The longsword fell to the believer's neck, finally silencing him. He stared intently at the knight, as if he were looking at his father's killer.
"Knight, put away your weapons; they are followers of the Dawn."
"This is the territory of the nobles."
The knights of the Church and the knights of Count Fragoso faced off. The former felt extremely troubled, as the Church was no longer the Church it was a hundred years ago, and could act arbitrarily on the lands of nobles.
The latter was also terrified. The Faith of Dawn was strong in the Sera Kingdom, especially during this period. The nobles were unwilling to provoke them. However, Count Fragoso's territory contained hundreds of thousands of pure the Church believers brought from the Andara Kingdom.
Those people were not subjects of any noble family, nor even subjects of the King.
King and Pope, but only the Pope has the right to rule over them.
"Perhaps you should make them lay down their weapons."
The knights of the Church gave the knights of the Fragoso Family a choice. The latter did not want to oppose the Church and charged toward the other side of the war, but suddenly a slender sword was pressed against his neck and he dared not move.
Cold sweat streamed down his face as Apia, wearing a hood, looked at the knight. His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear.
"This is the army of the Frozen Earth Territory. You are not qualified to start a war between Ryan and Fragoso, Sir Knight."
Apia stepped over the knight in front of him, raising his voice so that it reached the ears of the Church.
"On this road, if you don't retreat, you die!"
"Either it's you guys—"
"Either it's us!"
The last words were Borgeld's furious roar on the battlefield. Her longsword tore open the chests of several believers, and the gushing blood turned the Armored Bear's fur crimson. Standing on the corpses, she continued her attack.