our family is gone

Chapter 751: Bastia Never Falls
Bastia.

Like all surrounding areas where some information can be seen, the dark clouds that linger on the distant skyline are a hot topic recently.

However, most ordinary people soon lost interest. For those serfs who could not even get enough to eat and were exhausted every day, it was not them who were hit by the disaster, so who had the time to think about things that had nothing to do with them?

What these ordinary people should worry about now is that the master said he wanted to fight the barbarians and kept sending people to fight.

You have to know that this is not Hamlet. Most of the nobles recruit soldiers by conscripting men. Once the number is given, the people below have to find a way to get enough people.

But you have to know that a group of young and strong people had been recruited some time ago, but few of them came back alive. At the time of autumn harvest, almost half of the families were crying.

Now it comes again, who can withstand it?

Only the nobles had the time to think about what was happening over there.

From the castle in Baron Lawrence's territory, looking towards the east towards Hamlet, it was still shrouded in thick black fog.

Although he was looking far away from a high place, the fact that he could see it from here showed how vast the scope of the darkness was. This power was beyond human comprehension and made him feel uneasy.

Similar to Walter, those who had experienced the catastrophe at that time had a deep fear of this scene, not to mention that his daughter was still there, which further increased his pressure.

However, when the appointed time came, he suppressed his unnecessary emotions, put on a black hooded cloak, and walked into the secret passage holding a candlestick.

In front of the familiar iron fence of the sewer, a simple knocking sound was heard in the darkness, and Lawrence responded with the same knocking sound. Only then did he walk out. The faint candlelight could only vaguely illuminate the blurry figures of the two people.

"slogan."

Although it was a familiar voice and they had always been in single-line communication, both parties still went through tedious verification before making contact.

"This is what you want." After confirming his identity, Vic handed over a letter, and Lawrence hurried forward to take it, then read it in the dim candlelight.

"We will ensure her safety. Currently everything at home is going as planned and the risks are controllable."

Vic briefly explained that in order to stabilize Lawrence and determine the direction of his own mission, he had been keeping in touch with Hamlet through Owendo.

We also obtained more detailed information and confirmed that the situation was still under control, and also brought back this letter.

Lawrence could still recognize his daughter's handwriting, and considering her attitude of complaining about being left behind in school, he was basically sure that she was safe, which made him feel temporarily relieved.

"Is there anything I can do?" Since Lawrence got the response, he naturally knew that he needed to work, otherwise he would not contact him with just a letter. It would not be easy to meet him in person.

"The situation at home is precisely because the cultists are in a disadvantageous situation and have no choice but to resort to such means. Therefore, my Lord expected that the cultists would definitely take action during this period of time. Our people have indeed found traces of the cultists in the city. You need to prepare."

"After the last incident, the Earl had people keep an eye on me. What should I prepare?" Lawrence did not agree immediately after hearing this.

The last time the two sides met, they made a plan to abandon Alvin, play the cult card and bring the church together to fight against the Earl.

Although Lawrence pretended to be dead as soon as he came back, he looked extremely sad and cut off contact with other people in the outside world.

But in fact, when he came back, he used the excuse of looking for his daughter to disperse his confidants to reduce the count's attention. At the same time, he was also observing the loyalty of those people and testing out some of them.

After making a plan, those people were finally put into use, and with the support of Vic's intelligence, they "accidentally" uncovered an evil sacrifice scene.

Then he made the matter a big deal and heard it among some noble lords. After he cleverly pointed it out, those nobles realized that the church was obviously more useful than Alvin.

Why did those nobles raise the Alvin flag?
It was because they realized that the Earl wanted to push Bruce to the throne and was going to use them as a scapegoat, that they were unwilling to go to war. They could not let the Earl bring internal conflicts to the outside world.

Moreover, when fighting begins, your own strength will be exhausted and you won't have a chance to resist.

Choosing to support Alvin in the fight against Bruce was also a helpless choice. After all, it was still an aristocratic system and as vassals they could not openly confront the earl.

But relying on the church is equivalent to breaking out of this limitation, and the target of confrontation changes directly from Bruce to the Earl.

This is also the reason why they abandoned Alvin so decisively after receiving guidance and turned to the church.

Those nobles held up the banner of the church and used the cult as an excuse to force the count to cancel the battle against the mountains.

It is not necessarily necessary to really fight against cults, but to wait until the first snow falls and the mountains are blocked by heavy snow, so that there is no possibility of starting a war. Even if a war is to be started, it will have to wait until next year, and it is hard to say what the situation will be by then.

Although Lawrence withdrew himself afterwards, he still attracted the attention of the Earl, who was already staring at him, so it was difficult for him to do anything.

Vic has been here for a long time, so he naturally knows what the situation is, but he just said it directly.

"Don't worry about that. The Earl is busy fighting those guys right now. Besides, he won't be able to stay alive for much longer."

"It went too smoothly. The Earl didn't react to those people. From what I know about the Earl, I'm afraid it's not that simple. If this were the case, I would never gain the Earl's trust, and I wouldn't be able to get in touch with the Knights' control later."

Lawrence originally wanted to provoke the Earl to confront other nobles, so the Earl would need to stand on his side, or he would need to re-employ him in order to appease other nobles.

At that time, he will be able to take advantage of the opportunity to take over part of the army again, or even the Knights Templar.

"Do you think the Count will believe you at this time?"

Vic was not a child, so how could he not see that this guy just wanted to protect himself? He immediately exposed him and added:
"Besides, we don't have much time left. If we don't make any moves after finishing the things at home, we won't be needed anymore."

Vic knew some of the lords' plans and understood that once Hamlet's internal problems were resolved, restoring the territory would be the next major task, and that day was not far away.

"I know."

Lawrence responded calmly, without any anger at being exposed, because he knew that once he got on this ship, he couldn't get off...

Just as Vic said, the Earl was caught off guard by the sudden emergence of the evil cult. But to say that he really lost his composure because of this would be an underestimation of the "Tiger of the Empire" that has suppressed the mountain barbarians for more than a decade.

In the castle built on the mountain in the city of Bastia, the count was handling affairs in his room as usual.

A man's prime is in his thirties. If he is pampered and well-maintained in his forties or fifties, he is still in his prime. But the Earl was able to sit in this position because he crawled out of a pile of corpses. He had suffered countless injuries in half a lifetime of fighting. Although he was only in his fifties, he already had a head full of white hair.

The strong body that could once wrestle with a bull, the vigorous energy that could kill the enemy after not closing its eyes for two or three days, have disappeared like the departing autumn.

On the contrary, aging is inevitable, just as winter is approaching day by day and the weather is getting colder and colder. The old injuries on his body are aching slightly with the change in the weather. He can only wear heavy clothes, which makes his body look a little hunched.

This is especially obvious when compared to Bruce's tall and strong body next to him, so now basically more and more things are left to Bruce.

Just like the cult case that happened this time.

"The investigation found that it really looked like a sacrificial ceremony left behind by a genuine cult activity..."

But the Earl was still in good spirits and sneered when he heard this.

"Why couldn't it be those barbarians? Don't they often perform these blood sacrifices?
And it suddenly appeared at this time, isn't it possible that those guys deliberately created it to avoid fighting?"

Bruce couldn't help but fall silent when he heard this.

He deals with barbarians every day, how could he not know the style of their rituals?
But he also understood what the Earl meant by saying this. He just wanted to push these things onto the barbarians, or those nobles, so as not to affect the entry into the mountains.

"The church also sent people there, and they determined that this was a cult sacrificial activity."

"That's perfect. If the church doesn't believe us, we can send military priests into the mountains. Then we will surely find those barbarian priests who like human skins and skulls."

The Earl was like a piece of meat on a rolling pin, completely disregarding his noble status. Bruce soon realized that his father was teaching him a lesson, and instead of what he was about to say, he fell silent and fell into thought.

Only then did the Earl continue to speak slowly.

"Don't get caught up in the enemy's rhythm. We must firmly grasp the initiative in the war.

The facts or the truth are not important at all. If those people want to use the cult to make a fuss, we can also guide them in our direction.”

"I understand, father, but we need to be careful about the church's attitude, right?"

"Why do those people think that the church is really on their side? What can those guys give? This bishop wants to be promoted to cardinal without our support. We have friends even in the upper echelons of the church."

The Count said it all. Didn't he really think that he had been running Bastia for so many years, spending so much money and employing so many people, just for today?
Where do those churches come from so many fanatical believers? The lower the level, the more devout and fanatical their beliefs are. There is no benefit at all for anyone at the top to fight against cults.

Bruce finally understood why his father didn't care about those guys getting close to the church and instead let them do it.

Because this was simply a trap set by the Count and the Church.

The church does not have the courage to crack down on cults, but it does have the courage to make money by cracking down on cults, and it is very bold.

Now those guys are paying money and sending people to curry favor with the church, which is just the same fate as the "Four Major Families in the South City".

When the time comes, the Earl's money will be returned in full, and everyone will share the four major families' shares. The church will get the money, and the Earl will get the land. It will be a win-win situation.

The Count also has something to say to those fanatics who were instigated to clamor for a crackdown on the cultists.

Cults must be eradicated at all times; there is no other way but to eradicate them!
But this cult needs me to define it.

These people are the easiest to fool, and they are determined, able to endure hardships, and have strong fighting power.

It's just right to send him to be a military chaplain or a crusader to fight against the barbarians. He can also take the opportunity to eliminate a wave of fanatical believers and extremists to improve the control over the territory. These are the details that Bruce needs to learn.

"It doesn't matter how despicable it is, because history is always written by the victors, and no one remembers the losers."

"I understand."

Bruce felt a little emotional for a moment. Those people were having so much fun and seized this opportunity thinking they could fight against their father, but they still couldn't escape his father's control. How pitiful.

"But we still have to be careful about cult matters. I suspect it has something to do with Hamlet."

Bruce still reminded him that everyone knew that Hamlet was involved in a cult, and now that there was a dark curtain hanging over it, it was really a bit horrifying.

"They are just a few cultists. Let the eagles handle them." The count didn't care. They were just a few cultists who ran over. They were nothing at all.

Under his control, Bastia was impregnable and no one could cause any trouble with it except a few cultists.

This is why many noble lords allow the church to preach. In this desperate world, ordinary people need a little spiritual support. The bright faith of the church can occupy and squeeze the living space of most cults.

Therefore, it is difficult for cults to take any action when the situation is stable. They only have the ability to cause chaos when order collapses.

That is why the count does not care much about these rats that have to hide in the sewers all their lives.

On the contrary, another thing made him more alert.

"Do you think Lawrence had anything to do with this?"

The Earl suddenly asked a question with a subtle tone.

Bruce knew that this was a test for him, and after a moment's silence he spoke:

“Just as those people were instigating Alvin, the cult incident broke out. It was a bit too coincidental. Regardless of whether it was related to him or not, it had to be related.

Because he is Alvin's teacher, and when his daughter is missing, it seems that Alvin is the only one who can serve as the continuation of his power. He has enough reasons to want to exclude Alvin and protect him from the side.

What’s more serious is that they want to use this to make us fight. He stands in the middle and doesn’t seem to favor anyone, but neither of us can ignore his existence, which makes him even more important.”

Bruce paused for a moment before stating his final conclusion.

"You can win him over and show goodwill, but you can't give him real power. Otherwise, it will easily cause him and Alvin to develop unnecessary fantasies."

After hearing Bruce's analysis, the Earl didn't say anything else, just nodded, but his attention was obviously not there.

"What about Alvin, what do you think?"

"Let him leave Bastia, so that he can be guaranteed to be safe."

“If there had not been unrest in the empire, I would have definitely sent him to the Emperor’s Knights to train, or have him become a wandering knight in the empire.

But it’s no longer possible now. Alvin’s identity is very sensitive. Any of our actions will be regarded as taking sides. We should not make any statement to the outside world before the situation becomes clear.

So it can’t be released…”

The count shook his head, and suddenly his calm tone turned into a harsh scolding:

"I thought he would grow up after what happened to him in Hamlet, but now he seems to be just a kid.
No! He is a fool! He actually led my entire knight group to fall in Hamlet. Even if I let a pig lead me, I can't let everyone be captured.

You even asked me to pay money to redeem him, and now my Knights have not recovered yet. How dare you throw a tantrum at me? I don't have such a stupid son."

The earl did not conceal his disappointment and anger, but he soon calmed down, and his words revealed a kind of indifference, without much affection.

"Keep him under house arrest and do not allow him to leave the castle. Do not let him disrupt our plans. Send him away once the situation becomes clear. The farther away from the empire the better."

"Will this hurt him too much?"

Bruce also had a headache. Everyone knew Alvin's twisted personality. It was harder to confine him than to kill him. There would definitely be a quarrel, and he didn't want it to be that ugly.

The Earl didn't say anything but just glanced over, which immediately made Bruce feel pressured.

The meaning is self-evident. If you can't control him, you are not qualified to be the heir.

In response, Bruce could only nod and agree.

"Go ahead, don't feel pressured. You are protecting him. Otherwise, if he continues to make trouble, it will not be a matter that can be resolved by locking him up for a few days." The Earl finally calmed down as he saw the most outstanding heir in front of him instead of his subordinates.

"Yes!"

After Bruce left, the Earl fell into silence and stared blankly out the window, with a strong sense of unwillingness and, of course, a little fear.

Because that direction is Hamlet...

The Earl can control the overall situation with ease, but the same cannot be said for some others.

In the city of Bastia, a quarrel is breaking out in a secret room that no one can explore.

"Damn it, can't you be more honest? Do you know what's going on outside? The church has already found your traces. What if they find out here?"

Alvin's words were as aggressive as ever. He was very angry. The nobles who had gathered around him suddenly dispersed and ran to cling to the church because of this matter.

This made him feel a strong sense of humiliation and, of course, fear. After all, the Imperial Church was more powerful than the Emperor.

Under the bloody candlelight, one could see that the missionary was still mostly covered in a black robe, but he remained calm in the face of questioning.

"Those were only discovered in the villages and towns outside. There are so many people in the city, no one would notice if a few were missing. Besides, you are very satisfied with the effect of the [Ascension Dagger], aren't you?"

Speaking of this, Alvin suppressed some of his anger and couldn't help but feel the exquisite dagger hidden in his clothes.

After killing someone with this dagger, you will become stronger, but because the corpse will become like a mummy and cannot be used casually, the Ascension Sect is asked to provide people and deal with the corpses.

His strength has also increased dramatically during this period of time. After feeling that kind of power, it is impossible for him to remain silent.

As long as he is a little stronger, it is not impossible for him to defeat Bruce and prove himself. As for those ordinary people whose vitality he has devoured, he doesn't care. On the contrary, it is the honor of those untouchables to be able to turn it into his strength.

The missionary opposite him took the opportunity to incite.

"Go ahead. Once you complete the ritual, Bastia will be yours. You are the man chosen by God, and they are just obstacles on your way to ascension."

"Impossible, I've told you many times not to touch them." Alvin's face twitched when he heard this. It sounded good, but he was not an ordinary person, so how could he believe it easily? He could use the power of these guys, but he couldn't follow their way completely.

After all, these lunatics want to kill the Earl and Bruce.

Alvin wants to prove himself, not be their puppet.

"But they don't think so..."

The missionary laughed strangely and raised his hand to cast a spell. Alvin actually heard the voices of the earl and Bruce talking. These guys actually had the ability to lurk around the earl. What a terrifying ability.

But Alvin's focus was not on this. He only heard his father's yelling and cursing, and his face turned red, which could not be concealed even by the darkness of the underground secret room.

In fact, if the complete process is heard, one can feel the protection that Count and Bruce have for Alvin, but the cult also understands the basic principles of recording, and as missionaries they know how to inspire people.

Although it was not forged, some content was deleted and spliced, which resulted in the entire paragraph being about the two people's dissatisfaction and disgust towards Alvin.

In the end, the Earl and Bruce suffered the loss of a professional spellcaster consultant. If they had performed a ritual to disrupt the spirituality, it wouldn't have been so easily spied on and eavesdropped on.

"You see, they never cared about you and have long wanted to kick you out. Once you are imprisoned, you will never have another chance."

The missionary ended the spiritualistic ritual, but continued to encourage Alvin.

"Impossible! Do you think I will believe you?" Although Alvin was filled with anger, he did not lose his mind. It was a miracle.

"Go ahead, we have prepared a sacrifice for you."

Hearing this, Alvin couldn't hold back any longer. He covered his chest and turned to the other side to leave the secret room.

The missionary did not stop him, but let him leave. However, he could not help but complain.

"Fear, I smell the scent of a pitiful person. It's not that he doesn't believe it, but he doesn't dare to believe it, let alone resist. But when he saw the benefits, he didn't hesitate at all. Why did we choose such a greedy and cowardly person?"

That is to say, they need Alvin's inheritance rights to control the entire Bastia from the top. They are also worried about the counterattack from the church and those nobles. Otherwise, who would want to deal with such a giant baby?

It's kind of funny that even the cult dislikes Alvin.

"The ending was determined from the moment he took the dagger." At this time, a tall but extremely thin man gradually walked out of the darkness. He was wearing a black robe and holding a uniquely shaped staff.

If I'm not mistaken, this is the leader of the Ascension Sect that Lance has been looking for for a long time.

"The seeds have been planted, but unfortunately we don't have much time. Let them sprout tonight." said the leader, but his attention was not here.

There has been no news from God for a long time. They need to take control of Bastia as soon as possible, and then use it to take the lead in uniting others to launch a crusade.

"Yes!" The missionary also left the room, leaving the leader alone to meditate, hoping to receive instructions from God...

Here, Alvin came out of the secret room after going around in circles. It turned out that he was in a high-end club as a cover, and there was a hint of alcohol on him. It was not known whether it was to cover it up or because the news just now put too much pressure on him.

Anyway, when he came out, he couldn't help but shiver all over when he was blown by the cold wind. The slightly drunk look on his face began to fade, and he lowered his head and returned to his home outside. He hadn't been back to the castle for a long time, ever since he was redeemed that day.

However, at this moment there seemed to be a person at the door, and the tall figure made people feel inexplicably pressured.

"Have you been drinking?" Bruce frowned slightly. He didn't remember Alvin having a drinking habit, especially so early in the morning.

This sound made Alvin feel tremendous pressure. He found it difficult to raise his head in front of his brother and remained silent.

Bruce didn't say anything when he saw this, but instead relaxed his tone.

"Go back, go home and have a look."

Bruce knew that if he asked other people to come, Alvin would definitely not be able to go back, so he had to come alone. But he didn't expect that this sentence would stimulate Alvin. He didn't believe the words of the cult leader at first, but now he couldn't hold it anymore, and raised his head and said something sarcastic.

"Yes, you win, you can laugh at my joke now."

"What are you talking about? Is it really so difficult for you to go back to see your parents?" Alvin's sudden words made Bruce a little confused.

To be honest, he was not good at dealing with this kind of thing. Having been in the army and the Knights Templar for many years, he was accustomed to keeping a serious face and reprimanding his subordinates in a stern manner.

Perhaps this would scare a soldier into obedience, but there was no doubt that this attitude irritated Alvin once again.

"This is just an excuse for you and my father to imprison me. Do you think I'm stupid too?"

Bruce couldn't help but fall silent when he heard this, but the look he gave Alvin was a little strange.

"Humph, have you admitted it?" Alvin sneered fearlessly, "Are you planning to imprison me, poison me to death, or drive me out?"

"Who told you what? Where did you hear all this nonsense?"

Bruce became more and more dissatisfied, and instantly thought of those nobles who dared to instigate Alvin and try to provoke brothers to kill each other.

"Don't trust those guys. They are just trying to sow discord between us. We are a family."

"Those guys have always been under the control of you and father, right? What can they do? Oh yes, of course, including a fool like me."

Alvin seemed to have come to his senses, and was acting all kinds of weird and strange. I don't know who he learned this from.

Bruce was not good at dealing with this kind of situation. This younger brother was now a little unfamiliar to him, so he could only keep a cold face and speak in a deep voice.

"Come on, come back with me."

"No, that's your home, not mine!" Alvin also restrained his playful smile and looked at her without fear at all.

"Snapped!"

This also angered Bruce, and he raised his hand and slapped him. The next second, Alvin's dull expression was full of indescribable surprise and unexpectedness, and only the reddening cheeks proved that it was not an illusion.

He didn't expect Bruce to actually hit him, after all, he had never hit him in his life.

"You actually hit me..." Alvin was so angry that his voice was trembling and his whole body was shaking.

It was not fear but anger, like a sign of a volcano about to erupt.

"Why can't I hit you? Come back with me right now!"

Bruce was used to maintaining his dignity, and although he calmed down, he would never allow himself to show any weakness. Instead, he became even tougher in his efforts to overpower Alvin.

"Okay! I'll go back with you and see what he can say!" Alvin covered his face and tilted his head with eyes full of suppressed anger.

Bruce wanted to explain something, but the earl put a lot of pressure on him before coming here. If he couldn't prove that he could control Alvin, his father would definitely use a more cruel method to deal with the matter, and it would not be as simple as house arrest.

So it's true that Bruce was trying his best to suppress Alvin in order to protect him.

It's just that no one cares about Alvin...

The quarrel took place at the door, and the hoarse shouting attracted the attention of many people, including of course the missionary who had chased out.

"That's fun~" When the missionary saw this scene, he knew that the previous arrangement had worked. He murmured and turned away.

Regardless of what those people do, Alvin did not come back willingly to be imprisoned, but to see his father, Lord Bastia.

"Just talk to your father and admit your mistake and the matter will be over."

Bruce didn't want the two to meet because he had a feeling that a bigger quarrel would break out between them.

But it was obvious that Alvin would not listen to him and broke into the Earl's study.

"Father!" Alvin shouted, his chest pumping exaggeratedly like a bellows.

The Earl seemed to have received the message and was not surprised by Alvin's appearance. Instead, he waved his hand to signal Bruce and the butler to leave.

"I can finally see you, my father." Alvin walked forward, looked at the man with a complicated expression and asked, "Is this what you mean?"

"What do you mean?" The Earl asked calmly, his attitude so cold that it seemed as if the person in front of him was not his son, but just a subordinate.

"Let Bruce imprison me."

"No, actually I'm more inclined to send you away. Bruce feels that the situation outside is unstable right now, so he wants you to stay at home for a while and see what happens."

The Earl's explanation was very calm, but it was this attitude of not even bothering to give a perfunctory answer that caused Alvin to collapse.

"Does this make you so unhappy?"

"Didn't I give you a chance? It's fine that Bruce and I had to clean up your messes since you were little, but what did you do this time?"

The Earl also slammed the table and shouted angrily, “The entire Knights Order was in your hands and couldn’t even take down a declining town, and they were all captured.

Bastia has never suffered such an insult since its founding. Even if I let a pig lead the knights in the charge, this situation would not have happened. You have disgraced our family!
I made several trips to redeem you this time and spent a lot of money to redeem you, but you made trouble as soon as you came back. You even dared to collude with those nobles to deal with your father. Don't you know what they want to do?
If you were not my son, you would have died long ago. Why are you still here asking me what I did wrong? People who don’t know would think that you have been wronged. Don’t you know whose fault it is?”

It's not that the Earl has no temper, but he usually doesn't show it casually. But now, behind closed doors, he has no scruples and his anger bursts out.

When it came to the urgent matter, he walked forward and answered Alvin's original question.

"Okay, you asked me what you did wrong, and now I'll tell you - why didn't you die in the battle? Why did you come back alive?"

The vented emotions hit Alvin's mind like a torrent, and his already abnormal spirit was close to collapse.

Alvin has lived under Bruce's shadow since he was a child. When he was a child, everyone told him that he had a good father and a good brother, and they all hoped that he would be well.

At that time, I didn’t think much of it. Instead, I felt very proud and tried desperately to do better and catch up. However, when I grew up, this situation became more obvious.

So no matter what he does, he has to compare with his brother, because Bruce is so outstanding, and Alvin has been a "disappointment" since he was a child in comparison.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, everyone used Bruce's situation to demand things of him, or to question him and suppress him, causing Alvin's character to become distorted.

Essentially, he is a sensitive and fragile child. What he wants may not be an heir, but just the recognition from his father and brother.

In fact, deep down in his heart, he has always had a kind of worship for his father or brother, which is why he has always disagreed with the cult leader.

But it's not needed now.

Alvin's will is being tested... Crazy!
"Everyone wants me dead! Why not you?"

A strange aura emanated from Alvin. After a ghostly cry, he pulled out the Ascension Dagger hidden in his arms and stabbed it into the Earl's chest.

"You!" The count was not expecting this either. His face was full of shock. He raised his hand and grabbed Alvin's clothes tightly, staring at his son in front of him with wide eyes.

"I...this...is not..." At that moment, Alvin's face showed a reaction of fear. He subconsciously raised his hand to pull out the dagger, and his mouth began to speak incoherently.

But the power of the dagger had already exploded, the count fell to the ground, blood began to flow, and his vitality disappeared.

If Bruce could put aside his superior status and choose to talk to Alvin as a family member and an older brother, perhaps he would not go to extremes.

If the Earl could put aside his status as a lord and explain the current situation from the perspective of a father, perhaps things would not have come to this point today.

If the Count hadn't come closer to provoke Alvin...

Fate gave them many chances, but they were all deemed to have failed. What is the probability of this?
Hopeless……

"Ahhhh!"

Alvin was so stimulated by this scene that he went crazy and screamed strangely.

The noise finally alarmed the butler outside. When he pushed open the door, he found the earl lying on the ground, bleeding, and Alvin holding a dagger.

This scene needed no explanation; it actually made the butler look horrified.

Alvin had no way to retreat, or perhaps he had already gone mad and rushed forward directly.

Of course the butler subconsciously turned around and ran, shouting.

"Guard! Guard!"

There were many people in the castle, and they were attracted by the sound, but they were stunned when they saw Alvin chasing the butler.

The butler was quickly caught up by Alvin and the dagger was stabbed into his back, but at this time he didn't care about himself and continued to shout.

"Go and inform Master Bruce that Alvin has killed the Earl."

"Ahhh! Die!" It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned it, but Alvin seemed to be provoked and stabbed the butler a few more times, and the butler soon turned into a mummy.

Alvin felt the endless power of the dagger, and a strange smile appeared on his face. Then he started killing people and took away the power of life.

The castle was in chaos for a moment, everyone started to flee, and spread the news...

The Earl was dead, killed by his son Alvin.

What does this mean? Many people did not believe it at first, but more and more people who escaped confirmed it.

The cultists who were paying attention to this side naturally noticed what was happening. Even they didn't expect Alvin to take action and even ruin their plans.

Alvin acted so rashly and crudely that it was basically impossible to receive the attack perfectly. However, there was no time to worry about that now. The leader immediately decided to take the opportunity to seize Bastia.

There are two difficulties. One is Bruce, the heir, and the second is the church in the city.

"The missionary will take people to deal with Bruce, I will deal with the bishop, and you go to seize the city gate, and you must be quick, and dedicate Bastia to our Lord." The cult leader assigned tasks to his men and announced the start of the war.

When the leader walked out of the secret room, he raised his hands high, and it seemed as if a strange evil wind swept across the entire city out of thin air. The lurking cultists seemed to have received guidance, and corruption began to sprout...

At the same time, various forces in the city also responded.

Vic, who was lurking in the city, had already deployed spies around the castle and received the news at the first time. At this time, he also smelled something wrong, which made him feel like he had stepped into a conspiracy.

This was not in his plan. According to his estimation, the conflict between the two sides should not break out so quickly, not to mention that it started with Alvin killing the earl.

Did the Earl fake his own death to lure those people into action? Or was the army actually ready to suppress them?
Or did something really happen?
At this moment, a gust of wind blew, and Vic reacted instantly. He felt a familiar feeling in it, which was the corrupt breath of the Ascension Sect!
“Retreat, retreat, retreat. Tell everyone to evacuate the city. If you can’t take anything with you, then don’t take it with you. If you lose contact, gather the refugees and go to Owendo on your own.

Find some strangers to spread the news that the cultists killed the count and they want to massacre the city. Encourage everyone to flee quickly. Our people can hide among them so they won't be conspicuous."

If a cult intervenes, it means losing control. That is not a struggle between nobles, but a struggle between humans and anti-humans.

Working in their line of work requires decisiveness. You have to run away at the slightest sign of trouble without any hesitation.

But Vic couldn't leave yet. He needed to do one thing, which was to arrange for people to notify the subordinates to move out. There were some people that only he could contact, such as Francis...

Some spies planted by the nobles also noticed this situation, and they also learned to throw out a little money to encourage those rogues to spread the word.

On the other side, after Bruce brought Alvin back, he started to get busy with various affairs, so he was not in the castle.

He didn't even learn the news until the castle guards came to him, and he was shocked and confused by it.

"What? Alvin killed Dad!"

"Master Alvin is like crazy..."

"Go back quickly!" Bruce didn't have time to listen to these. He quickly called people back. He had to control the situation.

However, before they could return, chaos had already begun to appear. The news spread like a plague, and everyone was in a panic. Even the guards in the city ran around like headless flies.

What’s more important is that any random person knows more than you do. When has there ever been a cult?

At this time, Bruce decisively raised his hand and drew out the long sword of the guard beside him, rushed forward and killed the one who shouted the loudest, then stood up and faced the crowd.

"I'm Bruce! Don't believe those rumors, they are the enemy's conspiracy. The guards will immediately maintain order and arrest those who spread the rumors."

Bruce was famous after all, and he quickly took control of the situation on the street, but it was difficult to notice the few people approaching in the surging crowd.

Suddenly a man rushed out, pointing the poisoned dagger directly at Bruce.

Bruce was no ordinary man. He swung his sword and killed the assassin in just a few strokes.

There is no need to keep him alive, because there are only a few people who want him dead, and they will no longer exist after today.

Bruce also became more ruthless, truly worthy of being the earl's son.

Damn it!
The missionaries who were hiding in the crowd and preparing to take action were speechless. This person was not one of theirs. It seemed that there were many people who wanted to kill Bruce, but being alerted in advance made the target prepared.

There was no way to retreat at this point. At the missionary's signal, several cultists took incense and scattered it into the crowd. A strange smell filled the air and chaos arose again. The few guards who had just gathered were also dispersed.

No matter how dumb Bruce was, he knew that this was an assassination attempt against him. "Guards, gather towards me. Charge out. Anyone who comes close will die!"

However, at this time the missionary had already approached. Bruce seemed to sense something and turned around and rolled over the next second.

Deep sacrifice with one finger!
Almost at the same time, sharp bone spurs with the spine as the main trunk and entangled flesh and blood stretched out from under the cloak.

Bruce dodged, but stabbed the guard nearby and killed him instantly.

This scene caused further chaos, and everyone fled here frantically, even causing trampling.

Bruce's scalp also tingled. Even if he was wearing armor, he would still be penetrated. This was definitely not the ability of a normal person. It really was that evil cult!

But there was no more time for him, as the cultists gathered and killed the guards, and he was also targeted by the missionaries.

He tumbled again, and crimson tentacles stretched out from where he was just now, and he was almost caught.

Unable to fight, he realized that he was trapped and doomed, and if he wanted to survive he had to break out.

He couldn't care less about these things at this moment. He immediately grabbed the sword and ran away, with no intention of fighting anymore.

But there was no way the missionary would let him leave. Bruce was entangled and couldn't get rid of him at all. The cultists on the other side also killed the guards and began to gather together.

Just as they had beaten up the legend of the barbarians, the cult would beat him up in the same way now.

For a moment, Bruce felt a little sad. He couldn't use his full strength. Was he going to die here?

However, at this moment, the sound of galloping war horses was heard, and several knights rushed over from the side of the street where all the people had fled, and directly charged and tore open the encirclement of the cultists.

But the cultists are not ordinary people, and the missionaries are even more extraordinary. They killed two knights in one encounter. How could it be so easy for them to leave?

"My Lord, please leave. I will stop them!"

A knight jumped down and gave his horse to Bruce. Although he was wearing a helmet, Bruce could tell that it was the one he had demoted from deputy leader...

"Come on!"

With a terrible roar, the man rushed towards the missionary without any hesitation.

Bruce mounted his horse and charged forward without hesitation. When he turned back subconsciously, he saw that the missionary's bone spur had pierced and lifted him up.

He was so angry that he almost wanted to turn around and rush back, but a shout from the side called him back.

"My lord, leave quickly!"

Another knight turned his horse around and charged towards the missionary who was chasing him. His determined look was deeply engraved in Bruce's heart.

But soon Bruce didn't even dare to look back and just rushed forward...

Originally, the plan was to take action at night, but Alvin caught everyone off guard, including the cultists, and as a result, they were not fully prepared and were unable to seize the city gate in the first place.

This allowed Bruce to finally escape from the city. After he had gained some distance, he dared to look back at the towering walls of Bastia with a complicated expression.

The father, who was known as the Tiger of the Empire and had suppressed the barbarians in the mountains for many years, did not die at the hands of the barbarians, but was killed by his son. He was able to escape only because of the guard who risked his life.

Not to mention him, who could have thought that so many things would happen in less than half a day?

And I have fallen to this point today...

"Sir, what should we do now?"

Bruce was, after all, a product of the elite education brought up by the lord, and with the experience he had gained since childhood, he did not collapse because of these things, but quickly calmed down.

"You guys immediately take your men and start gathering the surrounding troops. I'm going to the barracks."

Bruce made a decision immediately. Now that the city of Bastia had fallen into the hands of the cult, it was a huge blow to his status as heir, because everything he had accumulated was gone, both in terms of reputation and supplies.

At the same time, because Alvin was colluding with the cult, the church would not support him.

In addition, Bruce knew that some nobles were unhappy with his father's control. Now that his father was dead and the city of Bastia was lost, it was hard to say what those nobles knew would happen.

But fortunately, the army cannot stay in the city, and because they have to attack the mountains, the troops are resting and gathering. Now they are stationed in military camps in the suburbs, which is their basic base.

Bruce is not Alvin who is obsessed with the identity of heir. He knows clearly that nothing else matters at this moment. He must control the three knights.

Because power does not come from his status as an heir, but depends on the power he holds.

Those old nobles have been keeping an eye on changes in the situation, so basically whenever something happens in this city, those nobles have received more or less information about it.

Although the Earl's death was a big deal, it was not surprising, considering he was already at that age.

However, the news that there were real cultists wreaking havoc caught them off guard. After all, although many of them were clamoring, they actually thought it was a fabricated excuse and they could just find a few ordinary people to take the blame.

There is no essential difference between relying on Alvin or relying on the church. It is just an excuse to fight against the earl.

The city of Bastia, the city that represents the Count's authority and power, has fallen, so it's no wonder they are overthinking.

Almost all the noble lords entered a state of war readiness. Even those nobles who had never cooperated with the earl tried their best to arm themselves and formed a team, under the slogan of eradicating the cultists.

Lawrence also got the news, and looking at the black clouds that were beginning to dissipate in the distance, he couldn't help but sigh.

Batia, which was said to be unbreakable, was breached from within, and the darkness that had shrouded Hamlet dissipated.

Knowing that the east is already bright...