Chapter 130
Chapter 130
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Black Conspiracy (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Clang.
The sound of metal armor clashing together gathered and echoed across the vast plain.
A thousand armed soldiers were busily marching forward.
Their destination was Palbion City, now a city of the dead. Even though they would soon face undead hordes numbering more than ten times their own, not a trace of fear could be seen on their faces.
The lofty pride and honor of carrying out His Majesty's orders left no room for fear to creep in. They were the Heresy Inquisition Unit of the Emperor's Faith.
"Bishop, we will arrive at Palbion City soon."
A priest approached from behind Gustav Bishop, who was riding at the front and commanding the unit, and reported.
Gustav Bishop nodded with a grin curling at the corner of his mouth. Soon after, Palbion City came into view.
The sky over the city was thick with dark clouds, and the blackened walls were swarming with skeletons and zombies. The gates were firmly shut.
"Looks like they're planning to defend the walls."
Gustav Bishop nodded at his subordinate priest's words and opened his mouth.
"They're undead, but someone with a sense of self—a high undead or necromancer—is commanding them. That's why they're hunkering down for a siege."
"We outnumber them. Do they really need to bother with a defense?"
"The longer they drag this out, the more trouble it causes His Majesty the Emperor... That wicked leader of those filthy heretics dares to bring harm to His Majesty, who is as lofty as the heavens themselves."
"Those undead are truly harmful beings."
"Indeed. In times like these, we must spread His Majesty's majesty far and wide as the vanguard entrusted with his imperial command."
Gustav Bishop stepped forward as he finished speaking. Skeleton archers on the walls of Palbion City nocked their arrows, and the undead mages simultaneously drew up mana.
"Advance the troops. The time has come to grant them eternal rest in His Majesty's name."
"His Majesty the Emperor, as lofty as the heavens, is truly merciful."
"I agree. The emperors of old were the same. And His Majesty today is no different. I have no doubt he will raise the weakened Philius Empire once more."
As the two zealots conversed, the Heresy Inquisition Unit slowly closed the distance to Palbion City.
Sinister green mana orbs surged toward them from the city—evil black magic conjured by the undead mages.
"Fear not, all of you! His Majesty the Emperor is with us!"
Gustav Bishop shouted vigorously, clutching the necklace engraved with the imperial crest. A golden aura exploded outward like a burst, forming a massive shield.
The unholy magic streaking through the air evaporated all at once under the manifestation of powerful holy magic.
The low-level black magic cast by the undead mages melted away in the majesty of the holy shield infused with the Emperor's authority before it could even approach.
"His Majesty the Emperor protects us!"
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
The zealots of the Emperor's Faith let out cheers of triumph.
"Now is the moment! Deliver His Majesty's solemn judgment upon these wicked hordes who dare nibble at His Majesty's territory!"
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
Golden auras erupted here and there. The zealots of the Emperor's Faith were manifesting holy magic based on their unshakeable faith in the Emperor.
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
With resounding cheers, a barrage of golden lightning rained down from the sky onto Palbion City.
Boom! Kwang!
The city shook violently.
It's said that the power of holy magic is determined by the depth of devout faith in the god granting that power.
The faith the Emperor's Faith priests held in the Emperor had reached the realm of fanaticism, so its might was overwhelmingly superior to the holy magic wielded by priests of other religions.
Unlike regular magic, holy magic was infused with sacred energy, making it a nightmare calamity for the undead.
"Bishop, if we keep up the bombardment like this, there's a chance the entire city will be destroyed."
A subordinate priest who had been closely observing the city's condition approached and reported. Gustav Bishop scratched his chin, gathered his thoughts, and spoke calmly.
"It's a city already tainted by the undead. It doesn't matter if it's destroyed."
Gustav Bishop had been granted full authority over this matter by Raymond. He had received firm assurance that he could use any means necessary as long as it minimized sacrifices among their forces, and he was faithfully carrying that out.
"Shall I order the bombardment with the city's destruction in mind?"
"No. Just flat-out destroying the city isn't a bad idea either."
"I'll instruct them to increase the output of the holy magic."
The Emperor's Faith forces, receiving the orders, ramped up the output of their holy magic.
The city screamed under the intensifying barrage of thunderbolts. The necromancer belatedly opened the gates and sent out undead cavalry, but they were all intercepted by the waiting holy knight order.
"Increase the output even more. We must judge those who dared to raise swords against His Majesty with overwhelming power."
As Gustav Bishop finished speaking, he himself unleashed his most powerful holy magic on the city.
Kwang! Boom!
Thunderbolts rained down from the sky without respite, and explosions rocked the city, sending up clouds of dust. The undead couldn't withstand this ferocious assault.
The necromancers hiding in the lord's castle were no exception. They all perished instantly as the castle collapsed.
But the Emperor's Faith followers did not cease their attack.
Only after the city was completely reduced to ruins did the golden aura blanketing the plain finally subside.
"Sir Richard... This doesn't look good."
Rodin, emerging from the darkness, spoke to the back of Richard, who was walking ahead. Richard continued walking without a word, and Rodin let out a short sigh as he hurried to catch up beside him.
"Are you listening to me?"
"I was organizing my thoughts."
"Palbion City has been completely destroyed. The Philius Empire army—those mad bastards—blew the whole city away."
Rodin ground his teeth. He had dispatched his elite necromancers underlings to support this plan, and now they had all become buried in the rubble of the destroyed city. It was inevitable that he would be furious.
"The Emperor's Faith."
"What?"
"That's the name of the group that pulled off this madness."
"First time hearing it..."
Rodin furrowed his brow. There was no reason for Richard to lie, but having just lost over ten loyal and capable subordinate necromancers made him sensitive.
"No surprise there. The Emperor's Faith was a religious unit operated by the ancient Philius Empire."
"Then why has this ancient religious unit suddenly appeared now?"
"The Philius Empire has an Empire Reconstruction Plan. The emperors of old preserved a mighty force in suspended animation using ancient grand magic, in preparation for the empire's fall."
"And the current Philius Emperor awakened them?"
Richard slowly nodded at Rodin's sharp question.
"Most records of the Empire Reconstruction Plan were lost and not properly passed down."
"Then how did the current Emperor know to awaken them?"
"That's the question."
Richard's eyes gleamed coldly.
"The first End Plan failed. What now?"
Rodin asked, waiting for an answer.
As one of the highest executives nearing the top, Richard was practically the sole upper echelon figure, so even among fellow high executives, Rodin was the one receiving orders.
In cases like now, without separate directives from the End Association's supreme council, he would first consult Richard on the plan.
"With the first End Plan a failure, we move to the second, don't we?"
"The second..."
"However, this requires approval from the supreme council. I'll send a separate messenger."
The End Association's high executives had a degree of autonomous action guaranteed, but certain specific interventions in the world required supreme council approval.
"Looking forward to it."
Rodin grinned and vanished into the darkness. Richard cast a cold gaze toward where he had disappeared, a sharp smile playing on his lips.
"Yes, you can look forward to it."
A voice laced with restrained anger seeped into the empty air where the darkness had melted away.
The Emperor of the Philius Empire, Raymond, was leading 20,000 troops toward the Ireiser frontlines. He had left the rear to Count Denitz and Bishop Gustav.
If the vanguard Heresy Inquisition Unit sent ahead under Bishop Gustav were annihilated or routed, Count Denitz's army would step up. Of course, their numbers weren't sufficient to fully counter the undead horde, so it would likely only buy time.
If the worst-case scenario unfolded—where the Emperor's Faith was wiped out and Count Denitz's army had to engage—the Philius Empire would be in quite a bind.
"Marquis Direp the 3rd Field Marshal above, and an undead army below... The situation isn't good."
Riding on horseback, his complex inner thoughts slipped out as a murmur.
The closer they got to the Ireiser frontlines, the more tangled worries surfaced. It wasn't ideal before a battle, but as long as the rear undead uprising wasn't resolved, those distractions wouldn't fade anytime soon.
"You seem troubled."
"That obvious?"
"Yes."
During the final rest before the Ireiser frontlines, Desia approached and asked. He had tried not to show it, but she had noticed somehow.
"Must be showing a lot."
"Not really."
Desia shook her head with a faint smile at Raymond's near-mumbled words.
Today, Raymond had only the subtlest of changes from his usual self—something hard to notice without paying close attention.
But Raymond obliviously missed the meaning in Desia's gaze and response, blaming only his own failure to stay composed.
"Worried about the rear issue?"
Raymond scratched his cheek with an awkward smile instead of answering Desia's question. Seeing this, Desia opened her mouth with a clear smile.
"No need to worry about that, Your Majesty."
"Do you have good news?"
Raymond shot to his feet and asked.
Desia was a high mage. That meant she could connect magical communications.
He had wondered if, when she stepped away earlier, she had received news from the occupied territories—and it seemed his guess was spot on.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Good news indeed."
"Tell me."
"They've exterminated all the undead in Palbion City. The Emperor's Faith forces that engaged suffered almost no losses."
"That's a relief."
Raymond let out a great sigh of relief. With the rear threat gone, he could now focus fully on the Ireiser frontlines. Count Denitz could redouble efforts to secure the occupied territories as well.
"However, Palbion City has been reduced to complete ruins."
"That's not an important issue."
Losing one city wasn't a big deal. The residents there had all become undead anyway.
In the Empire of the Dead worldview, once a city became the domain of the deceased, it was hard to reuse. Turning Palbion into ruins while minimizing Emperor's Faith casualties was actually something to celebrate.
"A good outcome."
Raymond sat back in his chair and resumed resting.
After the brief rest, the 20,000-strong army marched onward toward the Ireiser frontlines. They arrived soon after.
"My god."
The Ireiser frontlines were a sea of blood. When Raymond arrived, the armies led by Marquis Crayer and Count Dancihi were locked in fierce combat with the Free Isiria Kingdom forces.
The situation was so dire that Raymond's 20,000 reinforcements had no time to properly organize before being thrown into the fray.
Even in the chaos, Raymond spotted Marquis Crayer. Covered in blood, he was being carried to the rear by his knights.
"Damn it all!"
Seeing a valued retainer carted off bloodied like that filled Raymond with rage. Once more, he drew on his life force, summoning a golden aura.
"In the name of the Emperor! I promise and engrave victory upon this land—the Empire shall not retreat!"
The Imperial Seal was activated. High above the massive battlefield, where tens of thousands clashed, the Philius Empire Emperor's crest appeared in the sky.
The scale of the battlefield was on another level from before, so the life force consumed was immense.
"Urk!"
"Your Majesty!"
As Raymond staggered and nearly collapsed, Gestain rushed over to support him.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Gestain."
Expending such a massive amount of life force wasn't in vain. The troops infused with golden aura were gradually pushing back the Free Isiria Kingdom forces.