Mount and Blade System: Start from Pioneer Lords.

Chapter 478 Heroes are all just bragging

"Elder, how many people did you kill with that one blow?" Li Wei felt it necessary to have a heart-to-heart talk with this old turtle man: "I know what you're worried about, Elder, but Aishilu's succession to the throne is unchangeable. If you let me take over directly, will I directly inherit Debe's title? Or will I create a new one?"

"If I really do that, how am I any different from those monarchs in history who seized power and plundered wealth and left their mark on history?"

“I am certainly qualified to take the throne, but that alone is enough to make the world criticize me for thousands of years.”

"What does a bad reputation matter compared to the throne?" Elder Tang Jin was a thorough pragmatist.

In its view, reputation is nothing but an illusion.

Improving one's reputation and accumulating wealth—isn't it all ultimately for the sake of status?

Now, all it takes is a little bit of bad reputation to rise to a position of immense power; everyone knows which way to choose.

"Elder, you underestimate Ashelu too much. I'm sure that before long, without us even having to say anything, she'll threaten to kill herself and force me to inherit the throne."

The lord smiled and decided to reveal some of his thoughts.

After all, Princess Debe was someone I personally picked out from the palace and took away. She may seem a bit naive and innocent, but in reality, it's quite an achievement that she was able to survive in this turbulent palace. She's much smarter than Sofia, that little silver dragon.

"My lord, you are truly cunning. I never imagined you had already planned what to do, and you possess a level of patience that is beyond the reach of ordinary people." The old tortoise, having lived for hundreds of years, immediately understood Li Wei's thoughts and revealed a sly smile.

"However, if you're going to do something, you have to do it to the best of your ability," the old tortoise continued.

"When the time comes, you must refuse firmly and righteously. Don't let others see that you've been eyeing her for a long time. You have to wait until that little girl Aishilu threatens to kill herself to force you, and then pretend to be very unwilling to agree. You must make it look like you're reluctantly going to the execution ground or the gallows, as if you're sacrificing yourself for Aishilu and for the whole of Debe..." Elder Tang Jin's tone became more and more exaggerated, and he got more and more excited as he spoke.

The throne is far too important; it's right in front of us now, how can we give it up?

While the earlier methods could still lead to the throne, they inevitably had some flaws, whereas the later methods were absolutely perfect.

Even Tang Jin felt that he was being a bit despicable and shameless.

"Elder, I have never been interested in the throne at all," the lord interrupted helplessly.

"It's so similar, it's just like it!" Elder Tang Jin's little green bean eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands and laughed: "We were never interested in the throne, it's just a matter of habit!"

Elder Tang Jin also felt that, in terms of being despicable and shameless, he still had a long way to go compared to the lord.

Li Wei choked on his words, knowing that the prejudice in the turtle's heart was a mountain, and explaining now would only make things worse.

"Now the North and we're in the same boat. I've met that little duchess in the South; she's completely infatuated with you. No doubt she'll follow you hand and foot. The prime minister and ministers are also in our hands; the only thing missing is the Holy Light Church." Elder Tang Jin continued, offering advice: "When you have time, talk to them, recruit them as followers. If we don't follow the First Holy Church under the stars, who else will we follow?"

"At that time, with the Western and Eastern borders, I don't believe they can turn the world upside down. Using force is our strength, but we have to be careful. We just need to subdue them. If we kill too many people, it will inevitably alienate the civilians from us. After all, those soldiers also have families."

"There are times like this when we also need to maintain good relations with neighboring countries, lest some short-sighted people try to take advantage of our misfortune. Fortunately, Debe has already signed an alliance treaty with the Holy Sith Kingdom and Taylor, so we don't have to worry about them turning against us in the short term."

"Elder, I'll listen to you on this matter." Li Wei nodded in agreement. It's true that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. The meticulousness he showed at the crucial moment was something that Li Wei couldn't match at all.

"And the expeditionary force, we must maintain good relations with Bernard. We need to provide them with logistical support as soon as possible. Otherwise, if such a large army is lost to the Persian Gulf Empire due to logistical problems, it will be a devastating loss for Debe."

"We must immediately send people to spread your word. I want those bards to tell your story throughout the whole of Germany... no, to the whole world, so they know who the Twin Dragon Knights are, who the hero who solved the demon calamity and the undead calamity is, and who the number one warrior under the stars is!"

"A legendary sanctuary that cultivates both holy and martial arts, with two giant dragons following it, and mastering the Starry Sky Twin Shadow Barrier, the strongest barrier of the sea race—what does that mean? Hmph... If you're going to play, play big." Elder Tang Jin snorted twice, his face extremely smug.

"Haaland's glory days are over. Now it's time for Levi, the greatest warrior under the stars, to shine!"

……

After the Battle of the Undead in Gonda, this devastating victory spread like wildfire throughout Debe.

Following Elder Tang Jin's advice, Li Wei, after discussing it with Flint, cunningly granted the Northern bards leave to visit their families, allowing them to return to their respective hometowns—these bards were not all from the North; they came from every province, and some even came from other countries.

The lord provided them with a large amount of gold and even encouraged them to try recruiting other bards they encountered along the way, so that they could do their best to spread their stories.

For these already down-on-their-luck bards, spending their lives wandering between taverns and aristocratic banquets, occasionally singing a few of their sentimental poems, wasn't their only hope that one day they would be noticed by a nobleman and become honored guests?

Therefore, he naturally felt extremely honored to be asked by the current dragon knight and the future lord of Debe. He patted his chest and agreed, even saying that he would not ask for any gold and would promote the lord for free.

Fortunately, after much persuasion, they finally accepted the offer, as it was the start-up capital to help the team grow stronger.

So they took their lutes and traveled along the Lionheart Avenue toward the provinces of Debe and even the Seven Kingdoms, weaving the story of Livy, the greatest warrior under the stars, into a heroic epic poem that was sung along the way.

However, these bards are no longer the mediocre poets who used to make a living by singing. With their wallets bulging, they are experiencing for the first time the joy of treating bards as a hobby.

Not only them, but with all of Gondar's wealth plundered and placed in the royal palace, coupled with ample manpower from the Northern army to help manage Gondar, the lord also loosened control over the city. Adventurers, mercenaries, and nobles who had been eagerly awaiting their arrival were finally able to re-enter this once-prosperous city.

So they saw the desolate Gonda, and the lingering spirits howling in the shadows. They were shocked that such a terrible thing had happened to Gonda, and they were even more curious about who had rescued Gonda.

At this moment, the memory crystal that Digen had used to record the lord's battle achievements played a crucial role.

The battles against Harland and the Lich King were broadcast live, amplified through the images of mages, and played day and night in the Sacred Dove Square in Gonda.

The continuous images captured by the memory crystal are breathtaking; the background scenes depicted by the calamity of the dead are entirely reflected in colors as heavy and powerless as a natural disaster.

Inside, the battle caused a series of explosions, and the colorful elemental magic reflected the ruthless cruelty of the disaster.

Unconsciously, everyone was completely absorbed in this magical spectacle. The scene playing now was the Lord facing the Nebula Chain Lightning without fear, launching an attack on the Lich King. Due to the almost first-person perspective and the clear picture, it was as if the scene was being recreated. The roaring thunder in the sky and the several legendary liches eyeing them menacingly were like a heavy mountain, pressing down on everyone's hearts.

As the three Lich Kings unleashed their strongest spells, striking the lord in unison, a group of people watching the memory images by the fountain, overcome with tension, instinctively screamed and fell into the pool, splashing water everywhere. Their faces were filled with shame and a lingering fear.

In fact, if there wasn't only one Memory Crystal, and if the bards were to carry it around to sing about the Lord's deeds, the effect would be a thousand times, ten thousand times better.

However, among the group watching the video, there was a businessman who had a memory crystal and even recorded the scene. These shrewd businessmen immediately thought that if they made dozens of copies and sold them to other countries, it would be an extremely profitable business!

In the past, the lord would have stopped such blatant and illegal filming, but now he not only did not stop it, but also designated a suitable area for these people to film again.

Including the bards who had already set off, along with adventurers, mercenaries, and merchants who recorded these images, Li Wei suddenly had several propaganda teams.

"How are heroes made? First, by boasting; second, by boasting; and third, by boasting! Now we're going to unleash our full potential in boasting! That's the principle behind the saying 'a thousand pounds of Boolean and ten thousand pounds of bravado'!"

This is a piece of advice passed down by Elder Tang Jin.

If it were just the bards spreading the word, it wouldn't be possible to cause a huge uproar in the Seven Kingdoms in a short time, because the scale is simply too small. However, if adventurers, mercenaries, and merchants are added, the speed of this spread is like a snowball rolling downhill, expanding rapidly.

In the past, although the lord did promote himself, he would secretly find a few bards and at most have a reputation within the territory of Debe. The nobles of the seven kingdoms would know that he existed, but it was far from the exaggerated reputation he has now.

The power of propaganda is formidable, especially since almost everyone who learns about his deeds spontaneously promotes him, bringing this force to an unprecedented level.

Every intelligent being has the instinct to admire and respect heroes; it is ingrained in their very being.

Although kings hold a high position in the hearts of common people, they are somewhat different from heroes. A king is merely a symbol of high status, not a hero who remains calm and fearless in times of crisis and smiles to save the day. Common people, or rather, 99% of the population, only have respect for kings, not worship.

Because from birth, everyone has dreamed of becoming a hero admired by thousands, saving the world from peril.

He dreams that when all intelligent races face the crisis of world destruction and are filled with despair, he can calmly say, "It doesn't matter, I will take action."

This is a soft spot hidden deep within everyone's heart.

Li Wei's appearance completely and thoroughly filled the void of a time without heroes.

Rising from humble beginnings to become the greatest warrior under the stars, isn't this exactly what most people aspire to be?
Despite not having a privileged background, he has risen step by step to his current level, displaying unparalleled bravery and wisdom, making him an idol admired by all.

Less than half a month after the bards left, waves of young and passionate knights began to arrive in Gonda, coming with a sense of pilgrimage to visit the warriors in their hearts.

These knights were mostly illegitimate sons or youngest sons of nobles of all sizes in various provinces of Debe. In the medieval continent, no matter which country it was, the law of primogeniture was always maintained. They could not inherit the title, so they were usually trained as knights so that they could help their families in the future.

A good knightly education instilled in them a strong desire to be heroes and to become heroes from a young age.

They felt a deep sense of pride and happiness in their resolute pursuit of their dreams, because they had been personally received by the first warrior under the stars, their idol.

He was so handsome, so kind, and so brave and invincible; his heroic spirit alone was as vast and boundless as the sky.

They then watched the live footage of Gonda, saw some remaining low-level undead, visited the ruins of the Holy Light Church, the battlefield where idols and enemies fought, observed the crystals on the ground—soil crystallized by elemental power—and the collapsed buildings, as if bearing witness to the ferocity of the battle, and touched the undead dragon that had become nothing more than a skeleton, its evil soul utterly annihilated by that great one… Everything about Gonda stirred their blood and fueled their growing longing.

When they were filled with surging emotions and ready to ask to follow Lord Liwei, they were surprised to see Lord Liwei's followers, who were said to be "invincible with a hundred men."

So they left in shame. The strength of the High Cliff Fortress warriors made them feel that asking to follow them would be an insult to the Twin Dragon Knights.

He vowed to go back and train diligently, cultivating his battle aura to a suitable level before returning to follow this dragon knight.

This made the lord, who had just received the news, chuckle helplessly.

To be honest, these noble descendants who have mastered battle qi are definitely not comparable to ordinary knights. They are not as good as the current warriors of Gaoyabao, but that is because Gaoyabao is not what it used to be. The former lowly country warriors are now all at the fifth rank.

He was naturally envious, but considering that as things developed, more and more people would definitely join him, if he started accepting everything now, the followers would definitely be a mixed bag.

(End of this chapter)