Imperial Crown.

Chapter 600: First to Charge! Breaking Through the Enemy Lines! Capturing the Flag! Slaying the General!
"Brave soldiers!" "Men of Nord!" "Spiritual warriors!"

"Since its inception, the Eagle Army has achieved four major feats: first to scale the walls, first to charge into battle, first to capture the flag, and first to slay a general!"

"Link, Wheeler the Hyena, and I have all accomplished the four great feats of being the first to scale the walls, charging into battle, capturing the flag, and beheading enemy generals!"

"All the commanders of the legions were once pioneers, those who charged into battle, and those who captured the flag!"

"Each of you commanders of a thousand men has also accomplished the feats of being the first to scale the walls and the vanguard in battle!"

“All of you centurions are at least pioneers!”

"Today, in front of His Excellency the Marquis, I, Eric, reiterate—those who charge into battle will be rewarded with 100 merit points! Those who are the first to scale the walls will be rewarded with 150 merit points! Those who capture the flag will be rewarded with 200 merit points! Those who slay a general will be rewarded with 300 merit points!"

"Remember this well—merit points can be exchanged not only for military ranks, cultivation resources, and enchanted artifacts, but also for noble titles!"

"Next," "Please welcome His Excellency the Marquis to give his speech."

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The date arrived at November 13th, 1209 of the Light Calendar. As luck would have it, Nord, which had been experiencing a dry spell without snow, suddenly began to drizzle today. It was as if it were bidding farewell to everyone.

Raven stood on the platform and took the cardboard megaphone from Eric. In truth, for extraordinary beings like them, amplifying their voices with their battle aura would be enough for everyone present to hear them clearly. However, the cardboard megaphone would make the effect even more impactful. Raven usually didn't conduct pre-battle pep talks; that was mostly Eric and the others' job. But today, Raven did have something to say.

"Warriors of Snowmaple County!" "Warriors of the Werewolf Clan!" "Warriors of the Eagle Clan!" "Warriors of the Goblins!"

"Today, we are gathered here for one reason only—we want to live!" "I believe you've all heard about what happened in Hippocrates!" "The people there, because they didn't resist, had all the men killed, the women raped, their money plundered, and even the children killed!" "This is what Governor Tyrone and Marshal Ferdinand did!" "It also made me, Raven, see their true colors!" "Therefore, I've decided to lead everyone in rebellion!"

"Since I inherited my uncle's will, the title of Baron, and took control of Eagle Territory!" "There have been countless battles, big and small." "I, Raven," "still say it all! As long as we win, I'll give my brothers everything except my wife!" "Over the years, I, Raven, have always kept my word!" "However," "today I must say something unpleasant." "Soldiers," "this battle" "is different from our previous campaigns against Bloodstained Heights and Eivor!" "This is a civil war," "therefore," "I must set some rules!" "After entering the city," "no burning, killing, or looting! No raping women! No bullying the weak!" "Because the people of Northsea Province are also our brothers and sisters!" "Buying things requires payment! Prostitution also requires payment!" "Here," "I promise everyone," "after entering the city, all expenses for eating, drinking, and prostitution will be paid for by me, Raven! Reimbursed!" "Of course," "except gambling!"

"Hahahaha!" These words immediately drew a burst of laughter from below. The atmosphere instantly became cheerful.

Raven's words, seemingly a pre-battle mobilization speech addressed to the Eagle Army, were actually directed at the orcs. Because of these rules, every soldier in the Eagle Army was forced to memorize them upon enlistment.

"Of course!" "Besides killing enemies on the battlefield, we must also treat prisoners of war well." "We can no longer cut off prisoners' thumbs like we did in Eivor!" "This isn't because I, Raven, am kind." "It's because I understand." "We are fundamentally different from Talon and those demons like Ferdinand!" "Because we are a righteous army! A mighty army! A civilized army!" "Now!" "Warriors, raise your glasses and drink this cup!"

"Slap!" "Slap!" "Slap!" "Slap!" "Slap!"...

Raven led the way, downing his drink in one gulp and smashing his bowl. The Eagle Army and the orcs below the platform did the same, all smashing their own glasses.

Then Raven stretched out his right hand, pointed diagonally to the sky, and shouted, "Griffith!" "Long live!"

"Long live!!!" "Long live!!!" "Long live!!!"

In an instant, hundreds of thousands of people also raised their right hands and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" three times. The sound shook the heavens and shattered rocks!

At this moment, Raven felt an overwhelming surge of pride. Those who hadn't experienced it firsthand truly couldn't understand the masculine energy this atmosphere evoked! That invincible, domineering aura could drive any man wild with fascination! "Let's go!"

"Let your mother and your loved one be proud of you!"

This phrase is essentially the equivalent of "bringing glory to one's ancestors" on the continent of Middlesbrough! Nothing could make the soldiers below willingly risk their lives for Raven more than this phrase! You could tell the difference just by looking at the high morale on everyone's faces, each one seemingly injected with adrenaline.

As the army thundered forward like a torrent of steel, Raven mounted a warhorse and followed alongside. White Moon, Chirp Chirp Linga, Igni, Eric, and the others naturally followed close behind. Raven's body swayed slightly with the movement of his horse, and his thoughts drifted.

Jonathan's statement, "Fight whether you win or lose," was clearly an expression of his dissatisfaction with Raven. He believed that everything he had suffered was because of Raven, who hadn't offered him any support. But he didn't consider whether he, Jonathan, had ever genuinely helped Raven. Leaving aside his past collusion with the Celes and funding of the Razorfen Downs, his current actions—wasn't he also choosing neutrality and desperately trying to distance himself from Raven? Ferdinand and the Papacy colluded, using Tyrone as a scapegoat, choosing him as their target. Instead of blaming Ferdinand, the Papacy, and Tyrone, he inwardly blamed Raven.

What kind of bullshit logic is this? Good people should be allowed to have guns pointed at them?!
No refund.

That sounds nice, but what's the price of not retreating? Does Raven intend to follow in his footsteps and lead his loyal followers to their deaths in the territory? Raven isn't a hothead. He certainly won't act rashly and decide to attack just because Jonathan goaded him. In fact, he already had the idea of ​​attacking when he saw Bai Yue and the others arriving as reinforcements. Now he's simply taking advantage of the situation!
Politics is always about accumulating small victories into a major triumph. There's never a chance to achieve everything at once.

Ultimately, Raven only had a mere 30,000 men, while Ferdinand commanded an army of 200,000. If it were like before, fighting on someone else's territory, Raven wouldn't have so many concerns. But this was a civil war. Raven had far too many things to consider. If he allowed Zolzahn to launch a tirade, it would undoubtedly push all the already wavering nobles to the opposite side.

If Raven were to lead 30,000 soldiers directly to the North Sea Province, and the enemy were to remain holed up and refuse to engage, and still possess magic crystal cannons, how could he possibly win the battle? The three magic crystal cannons that Thomas had originally supplied him had long been destroyed by Silvermane's blade. Now that the Holy See had turned against him again, they would no longer provide him with magic crystal cannons.

Too many people, including Jonathan, failed to grasp the true situation. They only saw Raven repeatedly forbearing and retreating. Leaving aside the fact that Ferdinand, having dared to come, must have already devised a way to deal with Zolzahn, Raven wouldn't have allowed Zolzahn to slaughter the surrounding populace. If he could, he would have done so long ago. Raven admitted he had never been a good person, but he always maintained his bottom line and principles.

Fortunately, Tyrone and Hedley, blinded by folly, massacred Hippocrates, giving Raven a legitimate reason to launch his attack and establishing a moral high ground. Of course, this was also predicated on the support of the orcs. Otherwise, Raven wouldn't have so easily decided to send troops. However, it's hard to say, given that Raven has successfully broken through to the fifth tier of transcendent, and he already has the idea of ​​assassinating Ferdinand. If the assassination succeeds, Raven will also send troops! Then he'll negotiate with Habsburg. Attacking the capital is impossible. With an army of 200,000, and at least five more surrounding the capital, totaling nearly a million soldiers, Raven isn't a god; he wouldn't dream of annihilating a million-strong army with only 30,000 soldiers. Besides, the High Court wouldn't be breached from the outside. The Papacy certainly wouldn't stand idly by while Raven destroyed the Keynes family! Politics is far more complex than most people imagine. As for Tyrone's sudden madness and massacre of Hippocrates, it's somewhat understandable. First, he had spent over half a year in Hippocrates, commanding nearly 100,000 troops but hesitating to attack. His true nature had long been exposed, and he had endured immense pressure and criticism. In short, Tyrone, the so-called governor, was deeply despised by the other nobles in the Nord province. For a noble, losing face is worse than death. Second, the death of the dragon Zolzahn made Tyrone arrogant. Coupled with Ferdinand's orders and the tacit approval of the high-ranking officials of the Papacy, Tyrone believed the time was ripe to finally destroy Raven and vent his pent-up anger. Hyde, on the other hand, was incredibly arrogant! When people get excited and lose their temper, they say and do foolish things. As the saying goes, "Joy doesn't allow things to happen, anger doesn't stop things."

Tyrone and Hyde's plan was ingenious: they would plunder all the money and then pin all the blame on Raven. It was a foolproof plan, but the orcs interfered, ruining everything and turning them into prisoners. Keep in mind, Bai Yue and his group numbered a whopping 160,000 orcs, including 10,000 flying eagle-men. Even the Wind King's forces had been utterly routed by the eagle-men; Hyde's harpy beasts were no match for them. Moreover, the orcs had outflanked Tyrone and his group from the rear! A surprise attack. Minsk, though a fourth-tier transcendent, could he possibly be stronger than Eric? Even someone as strong as Eric, after killing Broken Tooth outside the Bloodstone Wall, nearly perished in the swarms of quilboars. Had Death's Hand not arrived in time, Eric might not have survived. A whopping 30,000 goblins and over 10,000 werewolves died, and it's possible that Talon and Minsk alone killed more than half of them. So it's quite normal that they were captured due to exhaustion.

"Link."

Time flew by in Raven's drifting thoughts. Before long, they arrived in Hippocrates. Just as Paine had said, cannibalism had indeed occurred. In a large black iron pot over the hearth, stiff, blackened human legs, like snail tentacles, were exposed to the air, being stewed. Raven glanced at it, then frowned and shouted.

“Master,” Link said as he rode up. Like Eric, he was one of the earliest members of Raven’s team.

"You will lead three elite squads to gather all the living people in this area. Find the ringleaders who started the cannibalism and the most notorious cannibals. Then, publicly behead them. Send the rest to Snowmaple County and have Korru assign them some work," Raven coldly ordered.

An elite squad consists of approximately 200 people.

"Your will will be carried out!" Link roared, then took the order and left.

Seeing this, Bai Yue's eyes flashed with a strange light. Chirp Chirp Linga, however, remained calm, seemingly unconcerned. Only Igni scoffed at the sight, then spurred her horse to Raven's side, saying sarcastically, "Those who raise tigers are rarely merciful. Lord Raven, as a marquis, is putting on this show to get my attention?"

Raven: ...

That damned woman! She's already here, and I've treated her to good food and drink for three days. I never expected she'd still go against me at every turn. If I weren't counting on her leading the Eaglefolk to fight for me, Raven would have already given in to her insults. Now, he could only ignore her, a kind of "let it slide" attitude. Ignoring Igni's sarcastic remarks, Raven summoned Eric and ordered him to bypass Mansa County and head straight for Hodges County, where Mon'en City was located. Although the rain hadn't been heavy, the increasing duration of the downpours made marching more difficult. Fortunately, after years of accumulation, Raven had a considerable number of warhorses and packhorses. More than enough.

As for bypassing Mansa County, it was naturally because I didn't want to visit Jonathan.

Seeing that Raven was ignoring her, Igni became increasingly unhappy. She deliberately moved closer to Raven, riding alongside him. "Raven!" she cried. "You still haven't told me how you made the Eagle Yellow Moss revert to its ancestral form?"

Raven was speechless. He seriously suspected that Igni had developed a psychological problem after losing her right wing—Stockholm Syndrome. Her attempts to get his attention were far too aggressive and obvious. In the three days since entering the castle, Igni had found countless faults with him. Either the food was too salty, or the bed was too soft. Either the bathwater was too cold, or Chirping was too noisy. But she wouldn't ask Lingling or Chirping to solve these problems. She insisted that Raven deal with them himself. This had driven Raven to his wits' end. He was incredibly annoyed. And now… it was starting again? Was this never going to end…?

"That's confidential, can I tell you?" Raven said calmly.

"What secret?" Igni seemed genuinely confused and asked seriously.

Raven: ...

After a while, Igni seemed to realize that she had asked a stupid question. She rolled her eyes and said, "What about the Mother of the Dragon potion? Weren't we supposed to share it? Why haven't I received it yet?"

“Void Magic Cores are too scarce.” “Besides, there’s a success rate to refining potions.” Raven explained patiently. To revert the Eagle Yellow Moss to its ancestral form, a Void Magic Core is necessary. But compared to other magic cores, Void Magic Cores are extremely rare.

"What are you pretending for?" "I know you've successfully refined six bottles. I should at least get two, right?" Igni immediately retorted, dissatisfied. "Besides, I provided all the Void Cores."

"Next time," "Next time for sure..." Raven chuckled sheepishly.

Igni rolled her eyes.

Seven days later, the army arrived at Mon'en City. Fortunately, the light rain stopped the next day, greatly increasing their marching speed. What would normally be a two-week journey was completed in just seven days thanks to the forced march. Raven arrived at Serpent Keep and forced Talon to open the treasury. Even at this moment, Talon was still hoping to survive. Raven exploited this, making Talon willingly hand over the treasury.

However, after verifying the treasure vault, Raven didn't make a fuss. Instead, he quietly sealed the vault again.

Lei Wenni

Tyrone was dumbfounded. If Raven had taken the treasure from the vault, he might have had a chance to survive. But now Raven was completely unmoved, clearly intending to seize the place for himself. Tyrone and his family had no chance of survival.

"Your Excellency," "You're overthinking it," "I just don't want to share the profits with those orcs outside."

Raven flashed his signature red lips and white teeth, smiling reassuringly.

Then, she tightened the demon-sealing steel shackles on Talon, and before Talon could speak again, she took out a foot-binding cloth and shoved it hard into Talon's throat.

……

(End of this chapter)