The Rorsted Archipelago, in the primeval jungle outside Bayam.
The rebel leaders gathered in a cave, gazing respectfully at the " Sea God's " Blessed before them, draped in a black cloak, with scorched yellow eyebrows and deep blue eyes.
"Lord Danitz, now is an opportunity!" Kalat, who was bald, in a wheelchair, and had a bluish beard, said with a hint of excitement.
His partner, Edmonton, whose face was painted with red short stripes, followed up:
"Lord Danitz, according to our intelligence personnel, the situation in Bayam is currently chaotic. Both the Church of Storms and the Governor's Mansion are anxious because of the siege of Backlund by Feysac's army."
At this point, Edmonton glanced at Kalat, signaling for the relevant area leader, who was more knowledgeable about the situation, to provide a more detailed description.
Kalat glanced at the solemn-looking Lord Danitz, and after carefully considering his words, said:
"Differences have emerged within them; some want to divert resources from the colonies back to aid Backlund, while others want to hold on here as Kindling of revival."
"This disagreement has left both the military and the Beyonder of the Church of Storms somewhat bewildered, and loopholes have appeared in various aspects."
"Lord Danitz, this is our chance! We can agree to the conditions set by Feysac and the Feynapotter Navy, cooperate with them to attack Bayam, and reclaim our kingdom!"
It is indeed an opportunity... but is it something I can decide? I'm not stupid! Danitz listened quietly to the statements of the resistance leaders and muttered a couple of things to himself.
As an Intis, a famous pirate and treasure Hunter, he had absolutely no mental burden regarding the attack on the Loen colony, and showed no hesitation or wavering.
Of course, he didn't feel a strong sense of belonging to the Republic of Intis, and even when he occasionally worked as a pirate, he preferred to target Intis merchants because they carried more valuable luxury goods with them.
There was only one reason why Danitz didn't immediately grant the rebel leaders' requests: having become a " Conspirer," he was perfectly aware of his true role.
A human-shaped megaphone!
A tool used to relay messages between Gehrman Sparrow and the rebel leader!
Gehrman is most likely Loen. If I dared to agree to your request directly, I might not see the Sun rise tomorrow... However, he acted as if he didn't care about Loen at all... Bullshit! Don't be fooled by appearances! Danitz cleared his throat, looked around, and said:
"This matter is of great importance. Prepare a clean and peaceful altar for me immediately; I want to pray to God."
In an organization that widely worships the " Sea God," such a request did not surprise Kalat, Edmonton, and others at all; in fact, it met their expectations. So, they immediately arranged for people to prepare for the sacrifice.
"The resistance in the Rorsted Archipelago can't sit still either... They themselves have only been able to hold on and not be wiped out by the Loen and the three major churches thanks to the support of countries like Feysac, Intis, and Feynapotter... I even had them extract a lot of subsidies from various countries..." Klein sighed after listening to Danitz's prayer.
Sitting in the ancient palace, he lightly tapped the edge of the mottled long table in front of him with his fingers, pondered for a few seconds, and then materialized "The World" Gehrman Sparrow.
The mad adventurer immediately assumed a praying posture and said in a deep voice:
"... Taking advantage of the current situation, we should directly negotiate with the high-ranking officials of the Church of Storms and the Rorsted Governor's Office, applying necessary pressure... The aim is to force them to back down and accept the Rorsted people's ideology of governing the Rorsted Archipelago..."
"... The resistance can safeguard most of the interests currently held by the Loen people, allowing them to confidently redeploy troops and Beyonder to aid Backlund..."
Inside the clean and tidy altar, Danitz straightened his back after receiving the feedback.
He turned around and looked at the rebel leaders waiting outside, saying solemnly:
"I have received a divine oracle."
"God tells us that every one of His people is precious and should not be sacrificed for unnecessary wars."
"We will never start a war lightly, but we are not afraid of war either. In short, we will first try to use the current situation and our strength to negotiate with the Loen people and force them to make concessions that can satisfy the majority of our people. If that doesn't work, then we will consider war."
"God said, remember hatred, but do not let it cloud your judgment; the people around you and a bright future are the most important."
After becoming a " Conspirer," Danitz found that his ability to fabricate reasons and persuade others increased dramatically; often, ideas would form as soon as he opened his mouth.
Kalat, Edmonton, and other rebel leaders harbored deep hatred for the Loen colonists, but the words of the Sea God and Lord Danitz's rhetoric successfully swayed them.
They had a clear understanding of just how powerful that " Sea King " was during this period of time. If the war escalated to the point where both sides were blinded by rage, Blue Mountain Island, where Bayam was located, might be completely submerged by the sea and become a ruin, with all the locals being dragged down with it.
The powerful figures of Feysac and Feynapotter certainly have the ability to prevent things from collapsing, but how much of their strength can they spare for the peripheral battlefield of the Rorsted Archipelago?
The rebel leaders, including Kalat, didn't have much faith in them, believing that these guys were no different from the Loen people, just bandits from the Northern Continent who could drop their masks at any time and become new colonists.
After a moment of silence, Kalat, sitting in his wheelchair, looked at the man in the black cloak on the altar and said:
"Lord Danitz, we are willing to work towards a peaceful resolution."
He paused and then said:
"Intelligence indicates that the final decision-making power in the Rorsted Archipelago currently rests with that ' Sea King,' Jahn Kottman. We'd better negotiate directly with him."
Danitz nodded slightly and said:
"That's exactly what I was thinking."
"We need to send someone as a plenipotentiary representative into Bayam to confront Jahn Kottman..."
He was about to ask who was willing to go when he suddenly noticed that Kalat, Edmonton, and the others were all looking at him, as if to say that the Intis pirates, Blessed by the " Sea God " and had a relatively detached status, were the most suitable candidates.
"... Bullshit!" Danitz cursed under his breath, glancing at the crowd as his thoughts raced.
"Yes, this is an honor, but it also carries extreme danger. I know some of you are full of self-sacrifice and want to make your due contribution. Uh, how about this, let's decide by drawing lots, that's the fairest way."
"I have no objection," Kalat and the others replied without hesitation.
A few minutes later, Danitz looked at the cards in his hand, and his facial muscles twitched slightly.
City of Silver, at the top of the Round Tower, inside the chief's room.
Colin Iliad turned his gaze to Derrick Berg, who appeared underdeveloped compared to his surroundings:
Are you ready?
Derrick, holding the massive hammer " Roar of the Thunder God," with its handle resembling a leg bone, a dark blue surface crackling with electricity, nodded emphatically:
"Ready."
He behaved nothing like an Beyonder from the " The Sun " realm, but rather more like a Warrior.
Colin Iliad, with his gray hair and old scars on his face, then shifted his gaze to Lovia:
Are you ready?
With her silver-gray curly hair and light gray eyes, Lovia no longer wore her usual black robe with purple patterns, but instead donned a dark suit of armor.
She moved her head almost imperceptibly and said:
"No problem."
Colin, now the " Silver Knight " and the " Demon Hunter," turned his attention to the others in the room, asking them one by one if they were ready.
After receiving affirmative answers from all sides, Colin Iliad walked slowly to a wall, took down the two straight swords hanging there, and carried them on his back.
"Depart." The chief of City of Silver immediately and succinctly issued the order.
His exploration team will once again head to the Afternoon Town camp to further explore the " Giant King's Court " and find the path to the real sea.
Amidst the clanging of metal armor plates, Lovia, Derrick, and the others silently followed behind the chief, filing out of the room and descending the stairs.
Along the way, they saw the elders of the Council of Six, including Waite Chirmont, and the residents of City of Silver who were maintaining order in the Round Tower.
These people, some leaning on the railings, others waiting at the stairwell, all wore solemn expressions, as if bidding farewell to the exploration team that carried so much hope.
No one spoke, and the scene was completely silent. But as Colin Iliad, Derrick Berg, and the others passed by, the residents of City of Silver raised their right arms and punched their fists in front of their foreheads.
With the sound of this movement, Colin and the rest of the exploration team left the round tower and came onto the road.
They then lit lanterns covered with animal hides.
Bathed in the dim light, residents of City of Silver emerged from their homes and stopped by the roadside.
They looked at Derrick and the others with admiration and expectation, and one after another raised their right arms and punched their fists in front of their foreheads.
Derrick instinctively straightened his back, his heart burning with excitement.
And so, surrounded by the crowd, their exploration team followed the road to the city gate and left City of Silver.
As if by unspoken agreement, Colin, Derrick, Lovia, and the others, as soon as they left the protection of the city walls, all turned back to look at their homeland, which had stood guard in the darkness for two thousand five hundred and eighty-four years.
They saw that the residents of City of Silver had not left; they were all standing near the city gate, watching them.
In a flash, the entire dark mass of people simultaneously raised their right arms and placed their fists on their foreheads.
This expresses both the highest respect and the deepest blessings.
Colin Iliad stared silently for a few seconds, closed his eyes, raised his right arm, and swung it down sharply:
"Set off!"
Derrick and the others immediately turned around, carrying animal-hide lanterns that emitted Yellow Light, and silently and resolutely stepped onto the dark road.
Objective: " Giant King's Court ".
P. S.: First day of February, updating early to ask for your guaranteed monthly votes!