War Was Imminent

The day after the Candle Holder Festival was Queen Sophia's formal funeral.

At 7:07 a. m., the Candle Holder Cathedral in the Red Queen District once again tolled its somber Death Knell.

After the seventy-nine Death Knell, no more bells will ring throughout Avalon for the rest of the day. A profound silence will envelop the entire Avalon.

The funeral procession starts from St. Genevieve Chapel, circles the Red White Queen District, and then returns to the Candle Holder Cathedral.

Seventy-seven pure white griffins wearing black scarves, and seventy-seven knights in silver armor wearing black cloaks, guarded the black coffin in the center. At the forefront was Isabel, riding the griffin minister, followed closely by Ligeia and Iver, riding slightly smaller griffins.

If this had happened before, people might have questioned how these two young people, whose combined age seemed to be less than thirty, could stand in such a prominent position.

But today, no one would raise any questions.

The photograph, taken by journalist Dimit —now the Editor-in-Chief of the Glass Staircase Newspaper —appears on the second page of the Glass Staircase Newspaper.

The Glass Staircase shattered, and the Grand Guardian and his griffin were critically wounded and dying.

Minister Moriarty prayed with his eyes closed, while the new Grand Arbitrator held his scepter. They stood behind the Queen, protecting Queen from harm, while the knights of the Arbitration Hall, all latecomers, knelt before them, repenting respectfully and earnestly.

If that photo were taken under normal circumstances, it would definitely make the front page headlines.

It was only because there were so many important events that day that it was relegated to the second page.

The newspapers also recorded in detail what Iver had done, and people learned that it was Iver had saved their Queen.

Aside from the Grand Guardian nearly perished, Iver's reputation soared to its peak almost instantly.

No one will question this young Minister of Everything anymore.

The vast majority of Avalon are ordinary people. They have no idea what "energy level" is, let alone how strong Iver is or what Emma's strength is. These things belong to the secrets of the supernatural realm.

In their eyes, Emma's ability to turn the noon of the Candle Holder Festival into Blood Moon night and to rain blood across the entire Glass Island was nothing short of the power of an evil god. And the fact that Iver could defeat her meant that Iver was stronger than her.

Such a young and strong person naturally deserves respect.

They had no idea that Iver only had Third Level.

Those who know about this dare not stand up and explain that "this is unreasonable" at this time. They would only be attacked by the angry crowd.

More than a thousand guests accepted the invitation from the Silver and Tin Palace. In addition, the people of Glass Island spontaneously took to the streets.

They circled the funeral procession, their faces solemn and silent.

It's not just for the Queen's Funeral, but also for yesterday's big news.

Yesterday was the Candle Holder Festival, and such a major event as the Queen's assassination attempt could not be kept secret.

And Iver and Isabel never intended to hide it.

Today, all the newspapers published in Avalon feature Queen Isabel on their front pages, her face grim and her clothes stained with blood. Without exception, the front pages focus on only two things: the day of Queen Sofia 'Queen's Funeral and Day of National Funeral, and the attack on Queen Isabel yesterday.

The Star Antimony's diplomats directly assassinated the monarch, and Isabel was now their only monarch—her father and brother were not recognized by the Avalon. Neither a coward who abandoned his duty and fled, nor an infant who couldn't even write his own name, could clearly become a qualified monarch.

This has enraged most of the Avalon. The fear and panic experienced by the Candle Holder Festival yesterday when he was disturbed by the sudden arrival of the ominous Blood Moon has also been attributed to Countess Emma.

The sacred Candle Holder Festival was disrupted, and the Queen was attacked—and the perpetrators were the Stibnite Person, whom the Avalon universally despise.

Coincidentally, the next day was Queen Sofia 'Queen's Funeral.

Although most Avalon were not very familiar with Isabel, she was ultimately Sofia's chosen successor. Her Ring of Power was even transferred while Queen Sophia was still alive.

Queen Sophia enjoyed exceptionally high prestige in Avalon.

All the people of Avalon today will only experience and know two monarchs: Queen Sophia and the previous tyrant, "The Hanging King."

Avalon's "modernization" was largely completed under Queen Sophia's rule.

Before she took office, Avalon had no railways, no bicycles, no factories, no telephones, no electric lights, no electrical facilities whatsoever, and not even newspapers for ordinary people. Most people were illiterate, and only a few could go to university and become extraordinary individuals; more than 90% of Avalon's land was rural, and the cities were full of gangs and pickpockets, while the outskirts were teeming with bandits and robbers.

Since the rise of Lloyd Prince, Avalon has been declining generation after generation.

Because people no longer genuinely believed in the Round Table Knights, or in their monarch. The compatibility of the Avalon Path of Authority declined sharply, with both the number and strength of the superhumans, as well as the economy and infrastructure, in constant decline.

By the time the Hanging King ascended the throne, Avalon had fallen to its lowest point. At that time, only six universities remained operational throughout Avalon. Silver and gold held within Avalon were rapidly flowing overseas, and many knightly families even left Avalon with their assets, heading to Star Antimony and Iris.

At that time, the most profitable industry in Avalon was still shipping, because there was really nothing of noteworthy about the local output. The most valuable thing was actually the griffins—even though stealing griffins was a serious crime punishable by death, people would still smuggle griffin eggs to the goblin merchants.

To be able to come into contact with griffins, one must at least be a mid-level leader.

There are also poachers with Extraordinary Profession who hunt wild extraordinary animals and sell their materials, directly leading to the extinction of many extraordinary animals in Avalon today. Such risky and illegal professions are called "Brave" and "adventurous" by children and are praised in the folklore, with many parents even believing it to be a good way out.

This shows that Avalon's economy had completely collapsed at that time.

It was precisely because the whole of Avalon was plunged into chaos and sin that Tudor III, at a loss for what to do, became known as the "Hanging King."

He wasn't very clever, but he was at least brave. He also lacked any intelligent and trustworthy confidants who could offer constructive advice on how to save Avalon.

So when Avalon was gradually collapsing and on the verge of chaos, Tudor III chose the most straightforward way.

That is to kill.

Kill all poachers, kill all corrupt officials, kill all fallen knights, kill all thieves, kill all robbers, kill all unscrupulous merchants and smugglers.

Kill the extraordinary who follow the illegal path, kill the publishers who print and promote "Brave tales," kill the bards who praise adventurers, kill the teachers who run away, and also kill those who do not work and the farmers who do not pay taxes.

Kill all the knights and ministers who disobey him, kill those who intend to rebel, kill all the foreign races except the elves who set foot on the land of Avalon, and kill the commoners who intend to flee Avalon.

Tudor III's solution to all problems was killing. If killing didn't solve the problem, it meant he had killed the wrong person or hadn't killed enough—his atrocities even alarmed the Theocracy, Theocracy sent an average of two people a year to dissuade him.

Throughout the reign of Tudor III, all the gallows in Avalon were lined up. As a result, other types of executions, such as beheading, waterboarding, and Burning at the Stake, also appeared in the early period.

There was no complicated sentencing.

Before the invention of the treadmill, managing prisons was costly. To prevent prison riots, Tudor III simply didn't put people in jail. And because he was so ruthless in his killings, judges had to find ways to save people.

The reason no rebellion occurred despite such a massive massacre was simply because he killed so quickly. The power of Path of Authority was fully unleashed—asset audits, memory searches, and the identification of lies. The Bureau of Supervision searched village by village; ordinary people had no way to keep any secrets from them.

Back then, the "Bureau of Supervision" was a synonym for executioner.

They would even examine the documents and belongings in everyone's home, and then carefully check where they came from.

While almost everyone feared the Hanging King, only the Bureau of Supervision and the Censorate truly felt the necessity. They stood firmly by the monarch's side, placing absolute trust in this tyrant.

Because they are the ones who have been continuously exposed to evil and chaos all along.

By the time of Tudor III, many prosecutors and inspectors had become so desperate that they had given up on themselves, because they were completely powerless to stop evil. People saved in the morning might die in the afternoon, and victims saved last week might become perpetrators the following week. They had no idea what to do, and many had even developed mental problems.

After they obeyed Tudor III's orders, they were surprised to find that the situation had indeed improved.

—And you know what, killing all the family members actually worked.

Therefore, they became even more convinced that what they were doing was right.

Crime and chaos decreased with remarkable clarity and speed... though the population also declined.

Some were killed, and some starved to death.

Some people risk the death penalty to flee overseas with their families.

Iver had checked the data—in fact, after the initial wave ended, the number of executions had already decreased significantly. The initial wave of deaths was far too many, exceeding the combined casualties of all the foreign wars fought by Avalon since its founding.

After that wave ended, Avalon's almost completely collapsed order was able to be rebuilt.

Other types of executions resulting from overcrowded gallows have essentially been discontinued. The ever-crowded gallows serve more as a continuous deterrent. This is why gallows in various places remain consistently full, yet no new ones are built—the goal is precisely this "fullness."

By the later years of Queen Sophia's reign, which was the era in which Iver lived, most people had no recollection of what the Hanging King had done.

But their fear of the Bureau of Supervision seems to be ingrained in their genes.

The fear, hatred, and distrust instilled by Tudor III certainly caused Sofia considerable trouble upon her ascension to the throne. However, from another perspective, it was precisely because he had indeed killed all those people and cleared away these obstacles that Sofia's policies were implemented so smoothly at the time.

Because what lay before her was now ruins, not the fortress that still stood against her.

It is precisely because of the contrast with Tudor III that people realize how benevolent, diligent, gentle, and kind-hearted Queen Sophia was. With the trust and support of the Bottom Layer people, Sofia was able to implement more policies that benefited the people—all of which were mutually beneficial achievements.

It was Queen Sophia who saved all of this from the abyss.

She lived only seventy-nine years, yet she saved Avalon from two centuries of decline.

Avalon rose from the ruins and, under the leadership of Queen Sophia, in less than sixty years, became a nation that had to be respected by its powerful neighbors.

But it also brought new problems—the rapidly developing economy, the too-easy prosperity, and foreign capital gradually corrupted the knights of the old era. Merchants who grew rapidly amidst factories, alchemy, and the wave of modernization also had to take notice.

When Avalon comes back to life, some will inevitably become wealthy. Knights represent the power of the old era, while merchants represent the power of the new era.

In times of peace, knights could hardly shake the position of merchants—because knights also wanted to live a good life, and most knights did not know how to manage their assets or had the energy to make money.

This is why the vast majority of knights' fortunes are constantly shrinking.

That's why there were newly promoted knights who compromised with merchant groups like Lloyd's's, and ministers who were corrupted by the Stibnite Person and the Iris People.

And those days are about to end.

Because war is about to begin.

If there was anything missing in Avalon during Queen Sophia's reign... it was the lack of war.

The Avalon are neither weak nor cowardly.

They are ultimately a nation of knights.

The original inhabitants of Avalon were native human slaves who hated the giants, and warriors who voluntarily joined the crusade from the Herasul Empire. Their blood was thick with the spirit of battle, which is why they formed the Griffin Legion, a powerful army born solely for the purpose of extreme offense.

Since its founding, Avalon has never ceased engaging in wars, whether proactive or reactive. At Avalon peak, even the still-standing Herasul Empire was wary of and in awe of Avalon.

However, during Queen Sophia's reign, the economy developed so rapidly—and the rebirth from the ruins was naturally fast enough—that the Avalon had not fought a war for a long time.

Queen Sophia was indeed a gentle and kind Queen, so she always tried her best to avoid any unnecessary wars. When faced with pressure from the Iris and Star Antimony, she always chose to concede benefits or engage in equal competition, resolving political issues only on the table.

Even when the royal family was repeatedly cursed, her instinctive choice was to resurrect Lancelot I through the Shadow of Avalon Ritual. She wanted to use this truly powerful figure to protect Avalon and deter the ambitious Stibnite Person. But this was essentially still a "defensive" strategy.

In fact, this did wear down the Avalon ' fighting spirit and belligerent desires.

But when Isabel appeared in the newspapers wearing a blood-stained Queen's gown.

The Avalon were truly enraged—

Queen Sophia's Mourning Period is not over yet!

Their New Queen has not yet been crowned!

The public directly blamed the Stibnite Person for the previous deaths of members of the royal family due to the curse.

At this moment, Earl of Star Antimony's attack on Isabel is undoubtedly an act of annihilation! When everyone yearns for war... war is inevitable.