The Pilgrimage War, Ryan's Choice

Andara Kingdom, Northern Castle Defense Line.

The Rhino Orcs have not left the kingdom. The Orcs threat has plunged the Andara Kingdom into panic for two consecutive years. However, in the new year, the kingdom's nobles seem to have forgotten about the war.

With the participation of Grand Duke Leta's army and the aid of the Empire, the Rhino Orcs were never able to break through the castle's defenses.

"They defeated us, but in the end they returned to the the North."

Inside the castle defenses, the first thing Ryan saw was his own army. While the angel Samir was leading Ryan and Sven to Archbishop Adriana's location, Brandt had already led hundreds of Knight Retainer from the Northwind Avenue to get there.

This is the closest and safest place to the Archbishop.

After seeing his army, Ryan went to the war command post, a sprawling castle surrounded by farmland. The towering castle stood in the center, its Gothic architecture exuding a mysterious charm, unlike the predominantly circular architectural style of the rest of the Andara Kingdom.

"It was built more than 600 years ago as a castle for the original Andara Royal Family to commemorate their ancestors."

The one who answered Ryan was Otis Brooks, the Wandering Nobles of the empire who, having gained the power to support the Andara Kingdom from Emperor Flor, was now increasingly resembling his ancestors.

His bloodline is ancient and noble, so he knows a great deal about ancient history.

"The Andara Royal Family has half the blood of the Hero King, that is, the original group of nobles who declared war on other races in the primitive world and laid the foundation for humankind's territory."

Unlike the Thirteen Knights like Ignazio, the original thirteen noble knights were descended from the Church and were a civilization born from the Deities.

The story that Otis heard was more like a history of the rise of humanity without Deities.

In the ancient history told by Otis, the ancestors of mankind ate raw meat and drank blood, just like the Orcs, until the first group of human heroes rose up.

They called the original humans heroes who fought and waged war against other races for land.

In Ryan's view, this is more realistic, since no civilization has ever established a class system like knights and nobles from the very beginning.

"But there's nothing magical about it. Most of the ancient nobles have the blood of the Hero King. In the earliest human civilizations, the more powerful a human was, the more women he could enjoy. The Hero King was the most powerful human, and all the women in the past bore him children, including the women of other heroes."

Otis said that, not to mention such a distant era, even a hundred or two hundred years ago, the nobles on the Norris Continent were very licentious, all because of the distorted entertainment under the oppressive system of the Church.

Ryan was still curious about this. In his view, there were many gaps in the history of this world. For example, the history books that humans could record only went up to a few hundred years ago, but the nobles generally believed that human history had been going on for at least several thousand years.

The ancient nobles have some historical heritage.

"So, between them and the Church, who came first?"

Ryan asked curiously, and the answers he received were full of two completely opposite stories.

For example, according to Brendan Ignazio, the spark of human civilization originated from the first Pope and the Thirteen Knights who accompanied Pope. The Thirteen Knights followed the Pope to drive out foreign races, laying the foundation for humanity and the framework of civilization.

In Otis, however, it was the first Hero King who led many heroes to seize prosperous lands in a primitive, savage manner, gradually forming a civilization.

The second explanation seems more reasonable, but in a world with supernatural beings and Deities, who can refute the existence of the first explanation?

Otis thought about it. He wasn't entirely sure about the answer to this question, but the ancient nobles had their own guesses.

"Our ancestors once guessed that both of these answers were correct."

"Thousands of years ago, humans simply did not have the ability to travel far, nor did they have the power to discover the world beyond."

"The mighty Hero King we speak of is probably only comparable to the Golden Knight in strength. The humans he leads are simply unable to appear in a world thousands of miles away."

"Similarly, the original the Church was also like that."

Ryan understood, and after thinking for a moment, he said:

"So, it's quite possible that human civilization developed in two places at the same time?"

One exists here, built upon the foundation of the Hero King and numerous heroic warriors; the other, in another place, is where the Deities favored Pope leads the Thirteen Knights to establish a more advanced framework for civilization.

"Then, at some point, these two civilizations met."

Ryan guessed that the encounter between the Hero King group and the Church group should have ended in a complete victory for the Church.

Why? Of course, it's because of the existence of Deities. The Pope and the Thirteen Knights are definitely more powerful than the Hero King, and the civilization brought by the Deities even embraced the so-called title of Hero King.

And so... the nobility came into being.

As humanity encountered each other on a large scale, the increase in population made humanity stronger and stronger, and the favor of the Deities was indispensable in this process, so faith became stronger and stronger.

In that case, the original Church of Dawn and the nobles were very friendly, as they shared common interests and common goals.

"The ancient nobles liked these pointed buildings, perhaps for better defense and warfare."

Otis said this, looking at the castle, he could indeed feel the powerful defense it provided. For hundreds of years, even the capital of the Andara Kingdom had been invaded, but this castle had always stood firm.

While the two were talking, Grand Duke Leta arrived. He also lived here, which made it convenient for him to command the army.

However, after all this time, Grand Duke Leta and Otis don't seem to be very familiar with each other, which puzzles Ryan.

After all, one of them represented the Empire's reinforcements to the Kingdom, while the other represented the military power of the Andara Kingdom.

Both of them live in this castle, yet they rarely meet?

Otis shrugged at Ryan. He was much more relaxed now that he had power than when Ryan first met him. This was a noble bloodline well-suited for war.

He knew the reason. Grand Duke Leta did not consider Otis a nobleman, and that was indeed the case. Otis's current status was still that of Wandering Nobles, only having obtained temporary military power from the emperor.

He was a general, not a nobleman general.

This is why Grand Duke Leta wasn't interested in him. This nobleman, who came from Otherworld to the Norris Continent and became the Grand Duke of the Andara Kingdom, had an obsessive desire for the status of a nobleman. Back then, he was willing to send Extraordinary Legion to fight against Grand Duke McReynolds in order to gain the kingdom's recognition.

Later, he gradually integrated into the Noble Circle of the Andara Kingdom and made many efforts, including appearing on this battlefield.

Grand Duke Leta was particularly attached to the word "noble".

Therefore, he was polite to Ryan, but seemed oblivious to Otis standing beside him.

Ryan performed the noble greeting to Grand Duke Leta, then glanced almost imperceptibly at Otis. The young man's expression was calm and indifferent, seemingly unconcerned about Grand Duke Leta's attitude.

But in reality... the strong and powerful heartbeat in Ryan's chest was like the roar of a greedy dragon in Ryan's mind. It was mocking, it was disdainful, it was telling Ryan that there was endless rage in Otis's heart.

The power of the Dragons's heart continues to affect Ryan.

However, the Dragons's perception is never wrong. Otis Brooks, this guy also cares a lot about his noble status. His family has been in decline for over a hundred years and can't hold their heads up in front of nobles. The more this is the case, the more he cares about his noble status.

However, he was very patient, and his etiquette towards Grand Duke Leta was standard knightly etiquette rather than noble etiquette.

In Ryan's view, Otis's behavior was more aristocratic than that of many other idle and complacent nobles.

After all, what is most important to nobles? Is it the standard of etiquette? No, it's acting skills.

"You've come at the perfect time."

Grand Duke Leta spoke to Ryan, his tone far from relaxed.

"His Your Majesty has issued an order that the troops here will soon be transferred to the south. The Sera Kingdom has declared war on the Andara Kingdom. His Your Majesty is furious and has ordered us to kill that Andara traitor."

Grand Duke Leta was referring to the Sera Royal House, formerly Grand Duke McReynolds of the Andara Kingdom.

Ryan was also surprised that the Sera Kingdom had declared war on the Andara Kingdom.

"What's the reason?"

Every war needs a reason. Whatever the truth of the war may be, the reason must be impeccable in order to maintain the morale of the army, or rather... the morale of the nobles and knights.

"The Pilgrimage War"

"The Andara Kingdom abandoned the Faith of Dawn and embraced the light. The Pope of the Holy Mountain personally issued an order to the King of the Sera Kingdom, questioning why there were places around the Sera Kingdom where the flag of the Dawn Faith did not exist."

"So Sera King launched a war in the name of the Dawn."

Grand Duke Leta was quite a ruthless and ambitious man. Ryan was very wary of him, after all, someone who could send his sister to the Old King to be Queen definitely didn't look as naive as he appeared.

The power of the Witch Ghosts rendered the Grand Duke devoid of emotion.

The Sera Kingdom declared war on the Andara Kingdom, enraging the Andara Kingdom. This did not surprise Ryan; the traitor had taken the initiative to declare war. Given the origins of the current King of the Andara Kingdom and Adams's personality and abilities, he would probably be wreaking havoc and ranting in the Royal Palace again.

Seeing the nobles trembling in his anger, he must have been very proud of the authority he held as King.

"How many people does he plan to transfer?"

It wasn't Ryan who asked the question, but Otis, who frowned deeply, unable to contain his displeasure despite his excellent self-control.

This place is the northern defense line of the Andara Kingdom, the kingdom's only line of defense. Their enemy is the savage and ferocious Rhino Orcs.

Those tall, tough-skinned, and massive Rhino Orcs pose a threat to humans that goes far beyond the physical level.

Before Grand Duke Leta joined the war, Otis had already allowed the Rhino Orcs to breach the defenses once, and the army he brought from the Imperial Winged Gorge had also suffered considerable losses.

If Grand Duke Leta were to leave again, the loss would be even greater, making it impossible for him to explain to the Emperor of the Florian Empire.

This is the most fatal flaw.

He needs to regain his crown from the emperor of the Florian Empire, so that the Brooks bloodline can once again shine and become a noble aristocracy.

The war here concerns the future of him and many others.

Grand Duke Leta glanced at Otis and said expressionlessly:

"Twenty thousand people."

The number is not small, but it's not that extreme. It seems that after the last time Andara Royal City was trampled by the Orcs, this new King still hasn't forgotten the scene of the Orcs making him flee the capital.

Otis breathed a sigh of relief, but Ryan sneered.

"Twenty thousand?"

"I'm afraid the final number won't be just this."

Ryan looked at Otis. This guy hadn't experienced enough. His status as Wandering Nobles meant that he might have lived to this age without ever participating in many of the nobles' quarrels.

"The King has mobilized troops to the South to defend against the Sera Kingdom. In addition to the 20,000 troops, he will certainly also have the nobles send troops to the south for defense."

"And the nobles will certainly use the Northern War as an excuse to shirk responsibility. In the end, the nobles will have to send troops, but they will recall soldiers from their own territories."

Neither Otis nor Grand Duke Leta, who had not yet integrated into the Noble Circle of the Andara Kingdom, understood the nature of the nobles well enough.

The King mobilized troops to the South, and in the end, when the nobles secretly recalled their own troops, the number of 20,000 would probably become 40,000.

In that case, the castle's defenses would be in grave danger.

Number of soldiers is one aspect, but morale is another; the departure of tens of thousands of troops would make the remaining soldiers uneasy.

The Rhino Orcs will exploit and amplify human weaknesses.

Hearing Ryan's words, Otis also became somewhat uneasy.

"Why would the Sera Kingdom declare war on its own initiative? Don't they know there's still a war between them and the Orcs here?"

Even the Church of Dawn didn't dare to provoke trouble during the full-scale war between the Florian Empire and the Orcs. It was a war concerning the survival of the race, and everyone had to give way to this most basic political correctness.

How can the Sera Kingdom maintain its Noble Circle if it declares war on a kingdom that is at war with the Orcs?

Even when chatting, members of the Sera Royal House have to bow their heads.

"What else do they have to lose?"

Grand Duke Leta sneered. The Sera Kingdom was originally established by traitors of the Andara Kingdom. They had no foothold on the Norris Continent. If it weren't for the Church needing the right faith to support them, the Sera Kingdom would probably have been in constant internal strife long ago.

On this land, the legitimacy of any territory must be recognized either by the Church or by the now-rising Florian Empire.

"What about us here?"

Otis instinctively looked at Ryan. Was Ryan here at this time because of the Empire's orders?

Ryan was also thinking about this question: how could the war between the Sera Kingdom and the Andara Kingdom be most advantageous to him?

Nobles are all concerned with interests, and Ryan is no exception.

He wields considerable power in both kingdoms, including the authority to immediately assume command of the war effort along this defensive line.

He can do many things, but how can he maximize his own interests?

To be fair, the excessive tranquility of the Andara Kingdom is not a good thing for Ryan.

Because a peaceful environment would make the nobles forget the help Ryan had given them, especially since Ryan did not belong to the nobles of the Andara Kingdom, but to the Imperial Noble, and was far away from them.

But too much chaos is not a good thing for Ryan either.

Because chaos would reduce productivity, and Ryan was not just an arms dealer; his wealth came from many sources.

The lands of the Andara Kingdom will provide him with enormous profits, especially since he hasn't even seen his first fortune yet, and war could cause this initial wealth to disappear.

Can he stop this war and bring both sides back to the previous situation?

No, this war was not just a feud between two kingdoms, but also a war between Royal Authority and divine power.

The Pope of the Church of Dawn ordered the Sera Kingdom and the Andara Kingdom at this time is probably because... the Church's war in the Thousand Lakes Province is not going well.

The Holy Mountain aims to suppress the Empire's ambitions, shatter the desires of these nobles, and return human civilization to the era controlled by the Church.

Did the King specify who would command this army?

Ryan asked Grand Duke Leta if the order was addressed to him.

The latter nodded and said:

"I, His Your Majesty Adams, wish for me to command the army against the Sera Kingdom."

Otis's face grew even uglier. With Grand Duke Leta gone, the Witch Ghost Legion would surely follow, and the war here would likely be doomed.

"You stay."

Ryan said almost without hesitation, "If Grand Duke Leta leaves, the defenses here will probably be on the verge of collapse."

When Grand Duke Leta wasn't there, Otis was able to hold the war together on his own. Grand Duke Leta coming and going, Otis would lose control of the situation, and the soldiers would lose hope for the war.

What was Adams thinking?

Ryan was somewhat enraged. The power of the Dragon Heart within his heart once again transformed into the phantom of Dragons, roaring in his mind. The Dragons's greed and desire tempted him to fall.

"Kill him; he will not be a good King."

"Kill him, then let that Queen Leta birth to a new King, and let your offspring become the Monarch of this land."

"At that time, this kingdom will be completely yours."

"Kill him, kill him, and you will be the only king of this land."

"You will become a hero in everyone's hearts, you will be the new Hero King."

The Dragons kept tempting Ryan, causing Ryan to breathe rapidly, his nostrils to widen, and his nasal wings to tighten and stiffen.

The Dragon Heart of the Legendary Dragons is far less weak than Ryan imagined; even if the Dragons dies, it can still kill many greedy humans.

The essence of a whole Legendary Dragons's Dragon Heart was something even Ryan found difficult to digest.

Is this what one has to endure for the Dragon Spirit Blessing?

Ryan glanced subconsciously at Grand Duke Leta, then at Brandt behind him. The benefits of the Dragon Spirit Blessing were not as great as those of refining the Dragon Heart, but the side effects were not lacking. Those who could withstand the Dragon Spirit Blessing were undoubtedly geniuses.

How unwavering Brandt's will was!

Ryan pressed his hand to his chest, trying to slow the beating of his burning desire.

"I will only send 10,000 soldiers to the south, and I will persuade him to change his mind about who will command them."

Also possessing the bloodline of the Leta Family, seeing Grand Duke Leta reminded Ryan of Queen Leta, so he left to prevent the Dragons's power from amplifying his desires once more.

As for the war in the south, Ryan felt it was time to expose the Legendary Knight Daryl.

(End of this chapter)