The Eve of War and William's Declaration of War

When Falan arrived in his floating ship, Hill, who had been waiting outside the Mage Tower, was captivated by the beautiful vessel.

Under the rising sun, the silver sailboat slipped lightly through the clouds. Its three sails shimmered with light.

"Silver flying ship, soaring through the sky, I so want to see that sky. The sea breeze gently caresses this hill. No one is here anymore, no one is here anymore."

Humming the song in his heart, Hill widened his eyes as he watched the ship slowly descend through the sunlight.

The tears at the corners of his eyes were only because he had stared at the sun for too long.

The floating ship stopped in midair. Adrian appeared by the rail, waving vigorously and calling for him to come aboard.

Hill raised a hand to wipe his eyes, then happily flew up.

Only after standing on the deck did he realize that the ship was not small.

Beneath the silver sails was a large cabin. Its surroundings were lined with silvery-white crystal windows.

After following Adrian inside, Hill saw Falan sitting on a white sofa, one hand resting on a crystal ball.

At Adrian's gesture, Hill chose a single sofa and sat down. The sofa floated gently into the air. Adrian said, "See where you want to sit. There are directional buttons on the left side of the sofa. Once you've picked a spot, just say so. This ship's magic core can only be controlled by voice."

Hill ran his left hand over the buttons for forward, back, left, and right. Glancing at Falan, who had his eyes closed as he communicated with the core, he moved to the very front of the cabin.

His territory was truly beautiful!

Adrian suddenly raised a brow. "Hill, you really are a good master. A cat came looking for you."

A white kitten was carried inside by Adrian's Mage Hand.

Adrian smiled. "What made you think you could sneak aboard without being noticed, Alice?"

"Meow~~~~" Alice cried pitifully, doing her utmost to look adorable and obedient.

Hill rubbed his nose and said softly, "Uncle Adrian, let her go! Don't disturb Grandfather."

Adrian laughed. "Little Hill, you've spoiled this cat into becoming utterly fearless! A Nature Spirit actually dared to come to a Magus's place. She really isn't afraid of dying!"

He tossed Alice into Hill's arms. "Don't think you can swagger around just because this is a ship belonging to Hill's elder. If Teacher really wanted to study you, as long as he didn't kill you, would Hill dare refuse?"

Alchemists were naturally disliked by nature. As long as Alice was not killed, nature would not casually abandon humanity. So what if people disliked her a little?

Hill had raised this cat to be far too innocent. Adrian did not want Hill to worry, so he could only play the villain himself.

Hill understood Adrian's good intentions. "Hurry and thank Uncle Adrian, Alice. You were far too bold!"

"Meow~~ Thank you, Mr. Adrian," Alice said softly. "I wanted to go outside and take a look, but Hill said it wasn't safe out there. I thought Falan must be going out too, so maybe Hill would let me come along."

Adrian sat down by the door and looked from afar at Hill holding the white cat. Two pairs of equally wet-looking green eyes gazed at him expectantly, making him laugh.

Most of Salar's great nobles were blond and blue-eyed. But unlike the other people's narrow eyes, Hill's were large and round. When he looked at someone, his gaze was exceptionally affectionate, with a hint of blue.

Adrian had never known how to describe them, but now he finally understood. They really were like a cat's.

Adrian knew that after Hill became a Sorcerer, his bloodline would make him increasingly elf-like. But Hill's eyes did not look like an elf's at all. He suddenly smiled. "Are cats and bears related?"

Hill first tilted his head and thought about it: pandas?

Then he angrily realized that Adrian was saying his eyes looked like a bear's eyes! And very much like a cat's!

A Mage Hand smacked Adrian on the head.

Falan looked up. "Do you think I can't hear you?"

Adrian held back a laugh. "Teacher, Hill looks a lot like Alice when he opens his eyes wide."

"We're setting off. I've already planned the route. We'll go to Closter first and see what William intends to do." Falan ignored him. "If fighting does not break out there, we'll go to Black Rose and see how they plan to defend against a Legendary attack. The Mage Tower in their city isn't very high-level."

Falan looked up at Hill, who was holding the cat. "If you want to bring her, bring her. Just don't take her outside the cabin."

"Yes, Grandfather." Hill lifted the kitten, who did not dare make a sound. "Alice will be good too, right?"

"Meow! Yes!" Alice said, clutching Hill's hand tightly and not daring to raise her head.

Falan could not be bothered with them. The floating ship swiftly set off.

They arrived just in time.

William was frowning as he listened to a group of archbishops beneath the city wall loudly read out their declaration of war.

A divine decree from the great and majestic God of Nobility and Sovereignty:

Salar serves a Pseudogod as its lord. This is an outrage!

William is unworthy to be King of Salar. The people of Salar should abandon him, restore Edward to the throne, and return to the Noble Temple's authority.

If the people of Salar submit, the Pseudogod believer William shall be exiled, and all shall swear to offer their faith to the God of Nobility and Sovereignty!

If the people of Salar remain stubbornly unrepentant, the Noble Temple's coalition army shall use force to completely eliminate the Pseudogod believers. All who follow the Pseudogod believers shall likewise be executed!

Everyone saw the contempt on William's face as he sat atop the city wall.

The archbishops reading the declaration were furious, their faces turning green. William had actually failed to listen reverently to the divine decree!

William stood and said with a cold laugh, "You want me dead, yet you still expect me to act like a slave? Keep dreaming!"

He straightened and looked back at the red flag of Salar and the royal banner fluttering behind him. "I stand beneath the red flag, under my lord's watchful gaze.

"Salar has never desired to invade another nation. My lord has always treated all other deities equally.

"The God of Nobility and Sovereignty is unreasonable and tyrannical, threatening Salar with war and threatening my lord with a war to destroy a god.

"Salar's patience has limits. My lord bullies no one, but neither will he allow anyone to bully us.

"If others do not offend us, we will not offend them. But if they offend us, we will surely offend them in return. We have always kept our word."

William gave the enemies beneath the wall one final cold look. "If you want war, then war it shall be!"

Even Falan was shocked by William. He stood and bowed deeply toward William on the ground below. "He is a king worthy of respect."

Hill fell silent. That patched-together declaration of war truly sounded stirring!

Even though he could identify all the sources, Hill was still fired up by it.

William might have borrowed others' writing, but the emotion from the depths of his heart truly moved people.

William had poured all his longing and love for his homeland into Salar.

Hill truly admired him from the bottom of his heart.

Keslote erupted in fervent cheers. "Long live the King! Long live Salar!"

The Noble Coalition was plunged into uneasy silence.

A figure in red robes suddenly flew up. "No more words! Pseudogod believers! The war begins tomorrow morning!"

"Cardinal Dolbis Dionysio. Rose's future Pope," Falan suddenly said.

Hill understood what Falan meant. Since this man had appeared here, the God of Nobles would definitely descend in the end.

Several figures suddenly shot out from the Noble Coalition, flying in different directions.

Hill knew they were the Legendary figures going to attack the players' cities.

One per city? They really were underestimating the players' combat strength.

Falan directed the floating ship to fly higher.

Frowning, he said, "Tomorrow morning, we'll first observe the battle. That one from Love will basically not participate. He's just there for show. Five people cannot suppress William's side. Are they trying to hold William and the others back? Is their main force being sent to the Undead cities?"

Hill thought for a moment. "No matter how viciously those people describe the Undead, anyone who has never seen them won't believe it, right?"

Adrian smiled. "They won't believe there are Magi willing to fight to the death! They still think that after killing a few, everyone else will run away in fear."

Falan shook his head. "Their arrogance has gone too far, and they're looking down from too high up. Tomorrow, they'll learn what a setback is. I just wonder whether they'll lose their lives."

William below did not stop the people who flew away. He merely began changing the guard, replacing the defenders on the wall with the Undead.

Hill stared in astonishment as he saw two rows of buildings rise behind the rear half of the two sections of wall, separated by the tall gatehouse.

Batches of Undead Sky Knights walked inside.

Had William built them a place to log in and out?

Probably not, right? Hill thought somewhat timidly. Were they going to revive directly here? At least build a church to hide it!

Hill felt that William was capable of doing it. So was that deity.

It really was convenient.

Hill saw Karl and Miller bow slightly to William before turning toward the Mage Tower atop the gatehouse.

This Mage Tower, built within the city wall, controlled Border City's defensive magic array and the Magic Arrow Towers on the wall. It could also strengthen the power of spells cast by mages.

Now that two Legendary Mages would control it in turns, he wondered who would dare charge forward tomorrow.

Adrian curled his lip. "Let's see how many Divine Artifacts they bring tomorrow!"

Hill gave an inward start. He had completely forgotten about Divine Artifacts.

After all, once a Divine Artifact was used, it had to remain inactive for a very long time. Leaving it in place could deter people, but using it meant risking being unable to use it again for centuries. No temple had dared take one out for use in a long time.

So this future Pope was not here only to prepare for Divine Descent! He would definitely be carrying and using the Divine Artifact himself.

Hill suddenly smiled. "So they brought so many people just to pray when they use the Divine Artifact?"

Falan shook his head with a sigh. "Other than praying, they won't be much use. Can they compete with the Undead in terms of attrition? The ones standing on the city wall right now are all Sky Knights!"

The Noble Temple's army did not even have that many knights.

"Go get some rest. That's all for today," Falan said. "We'll take a look tomorrow morning. If nothing major happens, we'll go directly to Black Rose."

"Yes, Grandfather." Hill carried Alice, who had behaved herself until now, down the last staircase into the cabin.

The lower cabin was divided into six rooms. Hill walked to the last one and opened the door. As he grasped the handle, a voice rang out. "Please state your name."

"Hill Bolanio."

"Alice."

Hill glanced at the foolish cat in his hands. "Alice may not leave the room by herself."

"Meow! No!"

"Hill Bolanio's room has been confirmed. Alice is not within the permitted range."

"Grandfather won't give you permission, Alice," Hill said calmly. "This isn't my territory, where you can play however you like. Be good these next few days and don't leave my side. If Grandfather gets angry, he really will throw you out."

"I'll be good." Alice lay dejectedly in Hill's arms.

Hill stroked her little head and examined the room, which had a bedroom, a living room, and a washroom.

It was Adrian's handiwork. Though the space was small, it was arranged very warmly. The white sofa was fresh and natural, while the white carpet gave a soft feeling.

Leaving Alice in the living room to play by herself, Hill walked into the bedroom with a smile.

He needed a good night's sleep to build up his strength for tomorrow's great show.

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