Ryan suddenly had an idea. He had been thinking about how to control the power of the Andara Kingdom, or rather, Ryan influence and interests in this land.
It would be difficult to do so militarily and politically, because he was an imperial nobleman, not a kingdom nobleman, and could not truly usurp the king's King or use the emperor to command the feudal lords.
Economically, it is born from the land itself, making it the most vulnerable on this path.
Therefore, it seems there's no other way.
But now it seems Ryan has found the answer.
This world is not just a purely human civilization; there are also alien races, Deities, and faiths—in short, there are extraordinary beings.
This is the fourth element that constitutes human civilization.
If other paths are impossible, then what about the extraordinary?
Ryan witnessed the arrival of the Dragons, and the entire royal city trembled. Dragons can be Dragons, but Dragons can also be something else entirely.
As Ryan approached the palace where Daryl was, he was able to sense Daryl's presence.
It was like... an endless expanse of space, dark and boundless, but suddenly a Stars entered this pitch-black world, and Ryan perceived it.
"His condition is very poor, and he could die at any moment."
"Human willpower has enabled them to defeat many Dragons, and so it is with him; his strong willpower has allowed him to maintain his rationality."
The Dragons raised its head, its breath still in its throat.
"Killing him would be the best outcome; he would no longer suffer."
"I can sense that he is still inferior to those humans who have defeated Dragons. He cannot withstand the erosion of the two great sources, which are vying for victory. He will collapse at any time and become a Legendary monster."
"Back then, even I couldn't kill him easily. This guy is different from that piece of trash before."
"Wait a little longer."
Ryan stopped Arryris; he was waiting, not to see if Daryl could hold out, but to wait for his own choice.
He looked at his Spirituality Panel, at the very bottom of Spirituality, Spirituality Blessing, and Divinity, behind Eternity Divinity, at the Giant Mammoth.
This divinity comes from the methods brought to him by Count Clayton, which Ryan acquired during the Godslaying War in the worlds of Gam and Fenrir World.
A ritual left Surtr empty-handed, while Ryan reaped all the rewards.
The divinity of the Giant Mammoth was one of the gains, but strangely, it was not measured in " Taisu " like other divinities. The only thing Ryan could sense was its completeness.
The complete [ Giant Mammoth ].
"You're saying that if all the media are cut off, Hobii won't be able to observe this place?"
"He should be the last one, if there aren't any other ghouls under those graveyards."
The Dragons did not answer, but instead spread its wings, soared into the sky, and disappeared into the distance. Not long after, the Dragons's roar echoed from the graveyards outside the royal city. When it returned, Arryris gave Ryan its answer.
"There are no other Divine Favor, but it's no use. There are still many Hobii's followers in the Northlands. Those Goblin won't cut off Hobii's gaze on this world."
"What Northlands belongs to the Northlands, and what belongs to the Kingdom belongs to the Kingdom."
Ryan said, then pondered uncertainly.
"So, in a sense, Daryl's existence has affected the survival of the kingdom and the course of history. If he dies, the future will look one way; if he lives, the future will look another way."
"He was the turning point in history."
"And coincidentally, he was still at the peak of the Saint Realm."
"All the necessary elements are there."
"Ryan said, reaching out and pressing his hand against Daryl's forehead.
boom!
The knight's terrifying strength pushed Ryan away, Daryl struggled, instinctively speaking of knightly honor.
"I will defend Andara's glory to the death, its sunsets and Dawn, and uphold the honor that Andara protects."
"Help me control him."
The Dragons, bewildered, unleashed a breath that froze Daryl. This power wouldn't be easily absorbed, and in time Daryl would also be frozen to death, assimilated into ice like the Legendary wight before him.
From the Dragons's perspective, killing Daryl would sever Hobii's medium, thus preventing Hobii from becoming even stronger and depriving Hobii of more power to devote to the Dragonbone Grounds in the Northlands, where it was to guard the remains of the Dragon Emperor.
This is also why the Dragons followed Ryan here.
Ryan pressed his palm against Daryl's forehead through the ice. He couldn't perform a blessing from a distance, but with such a solid medium, it didn't seem too difficult.
Divinity began to dissipate, flowing from Ryan's hand into Daryl's body. As the air grew heavy, the Dragons Arryris raised its head, looking around in astonishment.
Gradually, the Dragons became uneasy. It spread its wings and soared through the Sky-rank, searching for unfamiliar threats in its surroundings.
Ryan took a few steps back, but he didn't feel threatened. Instead, he felt that the world around him had become more friendly.
Click!
A crack in the ice caught his attention, and his gaze locked onto the block of ice in front of him. The ice seal left by the Dragons was breaking apart, until a certain moment.
boom!!!!!!
The earth trembled, and the entire Royal Palace —no, the entire royal city—was on the verge of collapse. Many poorly constructed buildings collapsed directly.
Daryl, standing in front of Ryan, opened his eyes in an instant, his eyes filled with ancient wisdom and majesty. Then he raised his head, and a roar from his throat startled the Dragons's attention.
"What did you do to him?"
The Dragons landed, but did not approach Ryan; it sensed a threat from Daryl.
"It gave him hope."
Daryl's roar made the air feel as heavy as metal, which is why the Dragons was reluctant to get close, because if it got too close, it would find flying to be a very troublesome thing.
In the clear air, sunlight was refracted, and with the refraction of sunlight, a blurry outline appeared in the eyes of countless people.
It was a world of ice and snow, no, the ice and snow of the Northlands, reflected in the sky above the royal city like a mirage. And in this world, a colossal Mammoth, bringing unparalleled shock to the ground, slowly walked in.
It overlapped with Daryl's figure.
Then Daryl stretched out his hands, and the Giant Mammoth stood upright and reached out to grab Daryl's body.
The pitch-black darkness was pulled out by the Giant Mammoth, and then the Giant Mammoth roared, its terrifying power causing Daryl to spread his arms, tearing the darkness in front of him apart.
"Ah--"
Daryl roared, but this time it was no longer a savage roar; it was a human voice.
He fell from the sky, kneeling on one knee, panting heavily. His naked body was bulging with muscles, and his hand pressed against the ground continuously provided him with the strength of the earth.
As I stood up, I noticed that the spot where my hand had been pressing against was now frozen solid, and all around me, snow-white frost covered the soil and weeds.
A garment was tossed over, and Daryl's somewhat bewildered gaze began to focus as he saw Ryan standing before him.
Ryan looked at his Spirituality Panel and was somewhat surprised to find that the entry for " Giant Mammoth " in the divinity section had not disappeared, but had turned grayish-white and transparent, as if it might disappear at any moment.
"Is this... also a blessing?"
Ryan was shocked. He had previously bestowed the Legendary blessing of the Rampaging Elephant Farrell, but it did not belong to him. Rather, it was Legendary Boon that Farrell had originally earned during that war, which Ryan had simply intercepted, acting as a middleman. In essence, that Legendary blessing belonged to Farrell.
But this time was different. Daryl, who had two great powers within his body as his battleground, was qualified but could not attract the Legendary blessing, because his body and soul simply could not withstand the third terrifying power.
Ryan gives voluntarily, and everything is done according to his will.
Ryan hadn't expected this thing to be so powerful.
" The Divine Bone Potion —isn't this blessing very similar to the Divine Bone Potion?"
Ryan, then shook his head.
"It's even more powerful than the Divine Bone Potion."
Ryan lost the Divine Bone Potion, but discovered a power with the same effect, unique to him.
"Thank you for your blessing, sir."
Daryl looked at Ryan, clenching his fists at his chest in a knightly salute. He didn't know how to address Ryan now, but he knew very well what had just happened.
"How about the power of Legendary?"
Ryan asked, Daryl, sensing the next moment, replied:
"Great, there has never been a better time."
Ryan didn't say much. This wasn't a deal. If it had to be explained as a deal, it would be now, until death.
Within the royal city, there is a sense of being in another world, as if everything is in a daze.
Soldiers ran through the streets and alleys, gathering all the corpses together.
"Hurry, burn it all! Don't leave a single bone behind!"
"Scatter their ashes in the cemetery!"
There was quite a commotion within the royal city, while at the Royal Palace, the royal family, the King, and a few nobles including Ryan awaited the arrival of the large army outside.
"Weren't there supposed to be ghouls? Where have they gone?"
Grand Duke Leta was a mature-looking young man, and he lived up to that maturity. Under his leadership, the Leta Family achieved great glory, and the Legendary Witch Ghosts warrior Anla Leta followed closely by his side.
"The royal family is naturally capable of expelling the belief in Evil God; the Andara Kingdom has always been a believer in the light."
King Adams regained his King dignity, and if Ryan hadn't seen him hiding behind his chair, he might have really thought the kid had changed.
Grand Duke Leta looked somewhat surprised, then exclaimed in admiration:
" Your Majesty is the noble King of the Andara Kingdom, and even Evil God cannot get close to you."
"I just don't know... why you called me here."
Ryan answered him, nodding to Grand Duke Leta, Ryan said:
"Your Excellency, His Your Majesty invited you here to discuss the Orc War in the the North. Perhaps you are unaware that the Rhino Orcs have breached the castle's defenses."
"They've breached it?"
Grand Duke Leta was astonished.
"Aren't there the imperial army and the nobles' allied forces there? How could this be...?"
He looked at Ryan and recognized him.
"It's you, my sister's lover..."
He knew he had said the wrong thing; he shouldn't have said it here. Lotte Letta was the previous Queen.
"Lord Baron Ryan, how could the the North defenses have been breached?"
Ryan was also furious about this issue. Adams dared to stop the supply of provisions from the the North at this time and even transferred a batch of troops back to the capital to fight against the ghouls.
The fact that the Orcs haven't reached the capital is a testament to Otis Brooks's skill; he's managed to cut off the Orcs army in half, preventing Orcs from advancing further south.
The problem is that it is currently being attacked from both sides.
" The Rhino Orcs seem to be more powerful than I thought."
That was all Ryan could say, while Grand Duke Leta looked at the King and Count Merses.
" Count Ryan now holds the title of Count of the Andara Kingdom, and he will serve as the Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom Army, responsible for matters of war."
It was Count Merses who spoke; he still had a deep influence on King Adams, after all, he was the first nobleman to firmly support him.
Ryan and Messer exchanged a glance, having already reached a consensus: since Messer hadn't stepped forward when the war started, Ryan wouldn't try to seize military power after Ryan arrival.
Ryan did not hold him accountable, and Count Merses reciprocated Ryan's kindness.
"I am a feudal nobleman of the empire. Without His Majesty the Emperor's order, I am not suitable to appear on the battlefield of the kingdom, but Grand Duke Leta is very suitable."
"Fighting the Northlands is not a matter for one person alone. If Grand Duke Leta can help the nobles keep the Orcs at bay in the north, I think the nobles will be very grateful to you."
Grand Duke Leta raised an eyebrow. In the entire Andara Kingdom, there were not many qualified nobles, and even fewer with great wisdom. He understood what Ryan meant, smiled at him, and then knelt on one knee in front of the King, placing his hand on his chest.
" Your Majesty, the Leta Family will await your orders."
"Okay, okay."
Adams was quite pleased. Ryan's suggestion was indeed correct. Since the Leta Family had already come, he wouldn't refuse the King's order to go the North to fight the Orcs.
Since they were already there, the army led by Grand Duke Leta bypassed the royal city and headed to the the North battlefield to join forces with Otis Brooks to fight against the Rhino Orcs.
The nobles were somewhat shocked that he had not come to support the royal family.
"The mark of the Evil God left by Hernan has been completely removed. The royal family suffered heavy casualties and was even falsely accused of being a monster. From beginning to end, there has only been one monster, and that is Hernan. His followers launched a final resistance, but the majesty of the King of Andara prevented them from trampling on the kingdom's land!"
The nobles suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. It doesn't feel quite like what I've heard." But in any case, the royal family still seemed powerful, and the nobles put away some of their ulterior motives.
The dust hadn't settled yet. Shortly after Grand Duke Leta led his army away from the capital, an imperial delegation arrived.
" Your Majesty King of Andara, I am Nyx Columbus, son of the Marquis Chixue and nephew of the esteemed Emperor Flor. I come on behalf of the Empire and His Majesty the His Majesty the Emperor to help you purify the Divine Favor that have appeared in your territory."
"We have reason to believe that it has nothing to do with you, but is a setup by the Church."
Nyx gave a friendly smile that nobles were known for, neither humble nor arrogant. His bloodline and status were equally noble. A hundred years ago, before the Marquis system was exclusive to the Imperial House, he was entitled to be addressed as Your Highness by the nobles.
"What are you talking about?"
" Nyx Columbus, is that it? I heard you've come to my kingdom to serve as the Archbishop of Light. Andara welcomes you, but I don't quite understand what you're saying."
"There has never been any belief in Evil God on my land. Although there is some chaos, it was a coup d'état launched by the followers of the traitor Hernan."
"Their desire to support Hernan's bloodline as the new king caught me off guard, because my entire army had been dispatched to the the North to fight against the Orcs who wanted to exterminate us humans."
"But he still cannot shake the foundation of the Andara Kingdom. I am the King here, and everyone has witnessed it."
Adams emphasized that he added the last sentence himself, mainly because Ryan's earlier words about the Empire Emperor wanting to replace him had made him very uneasy.
Nyx's expression froze on his face. Beside him, the Legendary Mages Aven, whose title was " Ivy," narrowed his eyes, looked around, and finally settled on Ryan.
" Imperial Noble?"
Nobles differ from one another because they have different insignia. Similarly, there are even greater differences between the nobles of an empire and a kingdom, as their clothing has a distinct imperial character.
" Ryan Clayton greets Archbishop of the Nyx."
Ryan, being Baron, bowed to Nyx first, which was not surprising. It was Nix who was somewhat surprised by Ryan's appearance.
" Baron Ryan? I've heard of you, the Northern Baron who slew the Orc King. His Majesty the Emperor told me before I left that I could ask you about your Faith of Light, but I heard you weren't in the territory. I didn't expect to find you here."
The presence of imperial nobles in the kingdom's palace is hardly good news.
"I participated in the kingdom's wars. Now that the Orcs threat is looming, His Majesty the King has invited me to serve as the Empire's military advisor to the kingdom, to guide the kingdom's war. At the same time, to prevent the Papacy from taking advantage of the Church situation, Archbishop Nyx, you may not know that the Dawn Faith within the kingdom has been revived."
"Oh?"
Nyx' eyes widened, his gaze filled with murderous intent.
"Damn the Church, how dare they blaspheme the Faith of Light! Baron Ryan, perhaps we can work together to expel the Dawn Faith from the kingdom once again."
He was discussing things directly with Ryan, which made the nobles, including Wang Gui, look rather unpleasant. As for Adams, he completely believed Ryan's words; the arrival of this member of the Columbus Royal Family was very likely to replace him.
He always felt insecure about his throne.
"Without His Majesty the Emperor's order, I cannot directly interfere in the affairs of the kingdom. Perhaps you can discuss it with His Majesty the King."
Ryan politely declined, Nyx looked past him to the King, but Aven beside him kept his eyes fixed on him.
"Did Farrell conspire with you? No wonder his views on noble Noble Title have changed, and he's stopped writing to me asking for my help in trying for higher Noble Title."
"Dirty nobles."
Aven thought to himself, feeling a sense of sarcasm towards the nobles, whether it was Ryan in front of him or the royal family members beside him.
They're all the same.
It's pathetic that I have to run errands for nobles for such a paltry income of Gold Coin. I wonder if the experimental subjects in the Mage Tower are still alive.
As Aven looked away, Ryan glanced at him.
This guy has been staring at me for a while now. Was he sent by the Emperor to deal with the forces of Hobii?
It shouldn't be worse than the previous Light Shepherd.