Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1930 1902. The Blessed King

The bridge through the forest remains as magnificent and orderly as ever.

On the wide and sturdy bridge, the statues of wise men and knights still stand on both sides, contrasting with each other.

On the statues and bridges, gold is luxurious and stone is pure white.

However, at the eastern intersection of Chuanlin Bridge, a large plume of smoke and sparks darkened what should have been a bright sky.

Attracted by the flames, the Martian butterflies gathered in small groups.

These Martian butterflies are attracted to fire, but they are also burned by it, and can even be used as kindling. Their lifespan is very short.

Laqad's army, anticipating that they would be unable to cross the bridge tonight, simply set up camp on this side of the bridge and waited for tomorrow.

When crossing the bridge, the number of troops will become a disadvantage in combat effectiveness, and the ranks will be forcibly stretched and thinned.

Therefore, any experienced general will be extra cautious at this time.

Raccard was born into the union of Rdagan and the "Queen of the Full Moon," Renara, during the period of the Giant War.

Although he did not achieve any remarkable feats in the War of the Giants, he was not an inexperienced novice after all.

The entire border region is characterized by significant topographical differences due to the impact of a golden meteorite in ancient times. The area surrounding the Gemir volcano is particularly affected by geological activity and the solidification of magma.

The terrain is mostly rugged and sharp rocky peaks, with narrow paths winding through the gaps between them.

These terrain features made the road from the volcano's residence westward to Rodel extremely rugged, and much of it difficult to accommodate large groups of people. This inevitably slowed the advance.

By the time we reached the forest bridge, the terrain had actually improved considerably.

However, if you don't want to cross the bridge, you have to go around the edge to the big depression of the Bountiful Forest. Considering the extra distance and time involved, it's better to wait here until dawn the next day and cross the bridge.

So even though it wasn't too late, Laqad's army had already stopped and set up camp to rest.

The outer tents of the Gemir Knights and soldiers wrapped around the huge tent at the very center, layer upon layer.

Without a doubt, that was the camp of the demigod Raccard.

Inside the tent, the curtain was lifted, and a demigod was talking to someone.

"How long has it been since we last met?" Lakad poured a distinctly bubbly drink into two glasses, one large and one small, handing over the smaller one as he spoke. "Three hundred years? Or five hundred years?"

“No more, sir. You didn’t care much when we were deprived of our blessings and banished.”

The man was only of normal human size, appearing weak and insignificant in front of a demigod. He calmly accepted the cup and said...

This calmness prevented him from appearing too weak in front of a demigod.

“Have a drink, Baglam.” The demigod sat in a specially made chair and raised his glass to the person opposite him. “Mount Gemir isn’t just known for its bloody stories and endless screams; it also has things that can lift your spirits.”

"The barrels are made from volcanic rocks from the Gemir volcano. The high-temperature gases from the volcanic rocks are infused into the liquor, making it not smooth on the palate, but very stimulating and interesting."

The demigod, with his imposing appearance and terrifying reputation, who inherited his father's red hair, sat in his chair, his fingers lightly twirling on the rim of his wine glass, while his eyes scrutinized himself.

Standing before a demigod like the Grand Justice is a difficult task.

After all, in the Golden Age, which was as wonderful as an immortal paradise, the official residence of Mount Gemir served as a living hell.

Baglem, holding a wine glass, seemed a little lost, but as if he had just thought of something, he didn't dare put down the glass. Instead, he used one hand to unfasten his iconic helmet, from which it was named, and tucked it under his arm.

The helmet was removed, and the man inside stood upright, his black hair revealing a pair of black eyes.

Without a doubt, this is a faded one.

Bagliem, one of the founding members of the Hall of the Round Table, is nicknamed the "White Wolf War Demon".

The back of his helmet, around his neck, was adorned with white wolf fur, like long hair tucked outside. This is the origin of his title.

"It is an honor to share a drink with you."

The White Wolf War Demon spoke dryly, but those words alone were enough to make Lakad raise his eyebrows.

“According to you, we haven’t seen each other for over five hundred years, Baglem. But you’ve changed so much in such a short time?” Laqad seemed quite interested. “You weren’t nearly as eloquent as you are now.”

Baglem didn't speak, but stiffly raised his glass to Laqad and took a sip of volcanic sparkling wine.

Lakad didn't press the matter, simply assuming the man had genuinely become more agile.

"Rumor has it you were recently spotted at the northern edge of the Altar Plateau, tracking down some elusive apostles of the gods." Lakad's finger continued circling the rim of his cup as he asked, seemingly casually. "Any results, Baglem?"

"Nothing."

The White Wolf War Demon gave an honest and concise response.

“Indeed, we should have gained nothing,” Rakad said with a smile after receiving the reply, his eyelids lowered. “Queen Night-Eyed has been wiped out by Lord Black Sword for so long, how could her remaining scum still be able to jump around?” Queen Night-Eyed, that was the name of the god who competed with Queen Marika for the sole divine position during the War of the Giants.

Now that the Golden Dynasty is about to collapse after its period of prosperity, her fate is predictable.

Queen Marika sealed away her laws after defeating Queen Night-Eyed, thus eliminating death from the world and allowing the foundation of the Golden Law to be established.

The Apostles of Godskin are the subordinates and followers of the Queen of Night-Colored Eyes.

Baglam's actions show that even though the Night-Eyed Queen has been eliminated for so long, the Golden Dynasty and the Two Fingers of the Round Table still have no intention of relaxing their suppression and vigilance.

“Yes, the Apostle of Godskin is a minor problem.” Baglem nodded immediately, then turned meaningfully to look at the lifted tent flap. “As things stand now.”

Beyond the curtain lay the bustling military camp, with Gemir's knights and soldiers coming and going, and trolls carrying pack animals and supplies brushing past each other.

Like the Knights of Rodel, the Knights of Gemir wore standard uniforms. However, similar to the Knights of the Cuckoo, they also used their own color schemes on their uniforms to indicate their identity and stance.

The overall garment is a black robe with red trim, and the small shield on the breastplate bears an uncommon emblem of a variant of the golden tree.

The knights' helmets are adorned with bright red feathers, symbolizing their lord's identity as the son of "Redhead" Radagan.

"Ha." Lakad chuckled, finally raising his glass to take a sip. "So you're saying that my Gemir Knights are the real problem for the dynasty right now?"

The ordinary-looking Baglem watched the demigod opposite him drink, his cold gaze particularly striking as he concealed a smile at the corner of his mouth. He forced himself to remain steady and not show any fear.

Laqad was by no means a person who enjoyed laughter and happiness.

Baglem had little contact with him, but he naturally had his own way of knowing the temperament of this demigod relative.

From the very beginning, he regarded the other's smile as the lurking of a venomous snake... although comparing a demigod to a snake, such a vile and ominous creature, was already disrespectful.

But looking into the other person's eyes, Baglem was certain that he hadn't made a mistake.

The heart of the demigod Raccard... is probably indeed as cold as a snake.

“I probably know no more about the current situation in the capital than you do,” Baglem said cautiously, “but in any case, it is not a wise move for you to lead your troops to Rodel in this chaotic situation.”

“You mean to say that this makes me seem disloyal?” Laqad waved his hand. “But who is truly disloyal?”

"As the dynasty's Grand Justice, I have the authority to handle matters related to military defense. I have been fulfilling this authority for countless years without ever making a mistake."

"But now? Ha! The great Queen Marika has been punished and imprisoned in the Golden Tree, and her consort has disappeared. Then suddenly a 'Blessed King' pops up?"

"The Blessed King" was the title of the king of Montgomery, who was enthroned in Rodel.

This means that he became king at a time when the blessing was wavering and the Golden Law was collapsing, and people placed their hopes on him, wishing that the blessing of stability would return.

Secondly, he didn't actually have a god worthy of him, so he couldn't be called the universal King of Elden, and could only bear this awkward title for now.

Laqad did not mention the question of the envoy he had sent to Rodel.

This was because Lann made a decision too quickly; he didn't even let Ditica and the Forge Knights leave the city gates before directly taking down the prisoners.

Lakad has absolutely no idea what happened between the two.

Now that the Golden Tree and the Golden Law are in big trouble and in complete chaos, he can't even be sure if his messenger ran into trouble on the way and never made it to Rodel.

However, the reason for sending troops is much more significant: the sudden ascension of the "Blessed King." The envoy is no longer important.

It's fair to say that the situation in the Golden Dynasty is changing rapidly, and Lan En's decision was both decisive and successful. Elsewhere, these two envoys alone would have dragged on for months! This bought them a lot of time.

However, conventional methods are no longer sufficient to keep up with the pace of the border region.

It's as if the society, which was almost stagnant during the Golden Age, is now trying to catch up on its pace at this critical juncture!

"I now have reason to suspect that, with the King's consort also missing, something despicable has happened to Rodel! That's why the 'Blessed King' has emerged! As the Grand Justice, I have the responsibility and the authority to supervise and control Rodel at this time!"

Laqad's words were righteous and forceful, and they delved into the ruling structure and power structure of the Golden Dynasty, presenting a well-reasoned and supported argument.

In fact, when he launched his campaign when the French Ring was broken, he had no confidence at all; it was a desperate gamble.

But on the way, he heard that the Queen had been imprisoned, the King had disappeared, and the King had ascended the throne, which immediately filled him with confidence!
This is about putting the greater good on my side!

So much so that even those who have faded in appearance can get a smile from him.

Lakad didn't know much about Baglem, but he was confident that no one in the entire Faded Ones could disagree with him.

Not to mention the White Wolf War Demon, who is not known for his wit or thinking.

But after speaking, Rajard felt something was off and realized that... Bagram on the other side didn't seem to be choked up at all?

This is really not right!
(End of this chapter)