Throne of the North.

Chapter 572 The Awakening Dawn? War or Retreat?

Archbishop Doyle knelt on the ground in a frenzy, embracing the brilliant sun overhead with both hands.

"We are right, we are the ones who are right."

"Lord, the glory of the Lord is always there. He has awakened and looks down upon His kingdom. All will submit."

Outside the Kingdom of Carlos, the armies of nobles in the southern lands were slowly gathering. If Doyle hadn't used the divine judgment to forcefully attack the imperial army with the lives of 200,000 Papacy believers, he would have waited for these armies to arrive before launching the attack.

These armies are still assembling and advancing, but the war in the Kingdom of Carlos has mysteriously come to a standstill.

The reason was simple: the divine punishment that annihilated the royal city of Carlos and the surrounding area was too terrifying, shocking everyone.

Even the Papacy, and even the Pope, could not bring about such divine punishment. Only the gods, only the power of the Lord of Dawn, could so terrifyingly destroy everything.

Has the Lord of Dawn awakened?
This is something many nobles are speculating about: if He is still asleep, then where does the divine punishment come from? If He has already awakened...

So... what chance does the Empire have of winning?
With this in mind, the nobles in the south became even more proactive. They dispatched their knights and elite troops to catch up with the large army that had been sent out earlier, no longer being perfunctory, nor daring to be perfunctory.

Anyone who witnessed the divine punishment and saw the Carlos crater would not say that the gods were still asleep. The nobles of the empire were filled with gloom, and all their eyes were turned toward the direction of the imperial capital.

They too are believers in the sun above, but everyone except the peasants knows the truth.

The High Pope of Light and the Pope of Dawn are not the same.

Imperial capital city.

The news of divine retribution reached Columbus III even faster than the war reports, and he looked south with a grim expression.

"He has awakened?"

Following the emperor's command, members of the Florian royal family appeared in the palace, and the emperor looked upon these original blasphemers.

"Has He already awakened?"

"Surtur of Twilight, Hobi of the Draco, and several other great beings have all awakened from their slumber. Is He one of them?"

"The mighty Lord of Dawn, the God of Light, is more powerful than Hobi and Surtur. All those great beings have awakened; is He also awakened?"

When questioned by the emperor, the members of the royal family remained silent.

They didn't know that there was no answer to this question. As mortals, even if they were blasphemous, they had no right to touch the dawn.

"Your Majesty, you are the noble Emperor of the Empire, the Great Pope of Light, and you are also His subject. The Empire is His land of faith."

"Even if the God of Light has awakened, He will not punish the Flor Empire."

"To be honest, even Columbus III himself didn't believe that, but it reminded him of something."

"I want to build a church of light in every noble territory."

“Every church must have believers of light, children of the God of light.”

The divine punishment that destroyed the royal city of Flor ultimately allowed the Church of Light in the Flor Empire to achieve unimaginable development. No nobles stood in their way, and everyone was doing their utmost to spread the faith in the God of Light.

Let the data speak for itself...

Ryan's Frozen Territory suddenly received an order for a million gold coins.

The birch paper woven into the doctrines of the God of Light.

"The tundra region doesn't have that many resources."

Ryan certainly wanted to take it too, and it was almost certain that this million gold coins was just the initial order, with countless more to come from the nobles who would invest at any cost.

But here's the problem: let alone what comes after, even this one million dollars is too much for Ryan to handle.

His frozen territories couldn't all be used to produce this stuff, and secondly, there's the issue of raw materials—where would he find so many raw materials to support this?

He could buy raw materials or send more people, but this couldn't be completed in a short time. The Church of Light wanted him to deliver it within three months, which was impossible.

Ryan was unwilling to let the wealth slip through his fingers, so he could only drag the Church of Light along while issuing missions to the Northern Warriors Guild.

"Have the adventurers heading to the North collect birch bark, as much as they can, two silver coins for each tree's worth of bark."

The adventurer had no idea of ​​the various uses of birch bark, so two silver coins... were quite expensive.

Many people in Zero Crossing City were tempted, especially the adventure groups, as this was much easier than hunting monsters in the North and exploring for treasure.

After issuing the order, Ryan finally had time to reflect on the sudden surge of faith within the Empire.

"Could it be that the Lord of Dawn has truly awakened, causing the Empire to be so fearful as to build the Church of Light?"

Ryan was also aware of the situation in the south. The divine punishment that descended from the sky destroyed the royal city of Carlos. This spectacular scene, which made one's soul dance, naturally terrified and awed the nobles.

Ryan didn't feel anything.

After all, he'd seen far more impressive special effects than this; the only difference was that those weren't real.

But isn't it true that some people are really capable of this? Any random little boy could be more powerful than this, and even if it's special effects, so what? He was in the North listening to news from the South, so he didn't actually see it with his own eyes.
Ryan wasn't without reverence for the gods; it's just that his perception stretched his threshold.

When he first witnessed extraordinary power, Lord Ryan was quite shocked.

However, he could also imagine that if the Lord of Dawn had truly awakened, the political climate of the empire would be drastically altered, and many nobles would inevitably defect or become in awe.

"And... what do you mean by asking me?"

Ryan's expression was unfriendly. News from the capital was slow, and Ryan had also received a message from the emperor asking for his opinion on the army of Papal believers, those puppet soldiers of the Holy Judgment.

The emperor had already implicitly agreed that Ryan and the Northwind Province would not have to participate in the war, and he would not change his decision now, so he naturally brought up King Olsen.

"Are they trying to lure me there and then kill me?"

"hehe."

Ryan tossed the letter aside. What a joke! The royal city was reduced to ashes by divine punishment. Could His Majesty King Olsen really hold onto the throne?
Ryan is planning to take a long trip.

Whether the Lord of Dawn is asleep or awakens has a significant impact on him.

Perhaps Archbishop Adriana knows the answer.

……

In the Kingdom of Carlos, Ryan's guess was correct. King Olsen no longer cared about his grudges with Ryan. He was in a complete mess. Fear, despair, anger and other emotions were no longer important. The key was that the divine punishment had destroyed everything he had.

When King Kaan Diaz ruled the Kingdom of Carlos, nothing happened. But under King Olsen, the wrath of the gods destroyed the entire royal city.

Isn't this the attitude of the gods?
Regardless of the process or the reasons, the result was that the divine punishment of the Lord of Dawn sealed the kingdom of Carlos.

How was it explained last time?
Divine punishment cannot fail; the fact that King Olsen is alive proves that the divine punishment was not divine punishment.

The nobles reluctantly believed it, because it was indeed true; the gods were omnipotent, and mortals had no chance of escaping their punishment.

What about this time?

Even the royal city has been reduced to ashes. Are you, King Olsen, going to say that this is divine punishment for you?

How can you argue that you've turned your capital into a giant pit leading to the abyss?

Ignoring the process and focusing only on the result, the troubles King Olsen faces are unimaginably serious.

It was visibly noticeable that the number of imperial nobles surrounding King Olsen had decreased significantly, and high-ranking nobles like Grand Duke Meyers were keeping their distance. This was probably not due to superstition, but rather because they were considered too blasphemous.

However, the actions of the great nobles sparked countless rumors among the other nobles.

King Olsen was terrified and helpless, and hurriedly summoned back the army of the Carlos royal family that had gone south to quell the rebellion.

The nobles of the empire were in no better shape. They too were terrified of the divine punishment. The will of the gods was above all else, and in their panic, they did not know what to do. Naturally, this led them to want to retreat.

Retreat back to the empire.

No one could remain calm in the face of this divine punishment. If the Lord of Dawn were to awaken, would he favor the Papacy or the Empire? The nobles had a very clear answer in their hearts. They were afraid and wanted to return to their safe castles.

"Return to the Empire and regroup."

This was the excuse the nobles gave themselves; the corpses of the more than 200,000 imperial soldiers who died outside the capital gave them their reason, and even the electors and grand dukes could not make a proper decision.

War or retreat?

Fear has a long history, but where is courage?
In the North, Ryan led his extraordinary legion across Winged Canyon, rapidly advancing towards the Imperial City.

Many of the empire's nobles possessed great courage, but even Emperor Flor remained silent in the face of the existence of the gods. Apart from issuing orders to build churches of light in all his territories, he gave no further commands. When nobles from the south sent people to inquire whether to withdraw their troops, the emperor hesitated and dared not make a decision.

While hesitating, outside the capital city, Ryan took the lead and knocked away the soldier in front of him.

"Get out of here!" A few years ago, no one cared when he left this imperial capital with his servants, but today his return to the city has provoked a fierce reaction from all the nobles.

Ignoring the commotion of the nobles, Ryan went directly to the palace to meet the emperor.

"Your Majesty."

Columbus III looked at Ryan with some anger.

"Baron Ryan, I heard you clashed with the guards of the capital?"

The capital city is the face of the empire; how can this be done?

"I apologize, Your Majesty. Ryan offers you his sincerest apologies."

Ryan quickly added after he finished speaking:

"I have brought you the answer you seek, Lord of Dawn. He has not yet awakened."

"Oh?"

Columbus III opened his eyes wide and looked at Lane, asking:
"What evidence do you have?"

“The former Archbishop of the Kingdom of Sera, Adriana, was a believer blessed by the gods, and she gave me the answer.”

“Her? Adriana, I know her.”

Columbus III also knew of this person, after all, over the years, only Archbishop Adriana had received the true blessing of the Lord of Dawn.

At the time, they had suspected that the Lord of Dawn might have already awakened.

"However, even divine grace cannot be certain whether a great being has awakened, and she has no right to inquire about the state of the Lord of Dawn."

Ryan smiled.

"Yes, that's why even the Dawn Church isn't sure if their Lord has awakened."

Ryan's words caused Columbus III to narrow his eyes.

“There is also an archangel on the holy mountain.”

“I rescued Archangel Samir from another world, and I know very well that she is closer to Archbishop Adriana. If the archangel gives the answer, Archbishop Adriana will definitely be the first to know.”

Columbus III still hesitated; the gods were truly awe-inspiring.

Is it possible that she deceived you?

Ryan nodded without hesitation.

"It's possible."

The emperor was somewhat angry; if he wasn't sure, what else was there to say?

“If Archbishop Adriana is deceiving me, then the Dawn Church will not be able to get the answer from her either.”

Archbishop Adriana was supposed to become a cardinal after receiving divine favor, but the Pope and the cardinals of the Holy See prevented her ascension and banished her to the North.

"Moreover... Your Majesty, the truth is not important."

"The important thing is the mindset of the nobles in the southern lands."

Ryan looked into the emperor's eyes.

"You are the High Pope of Light, and there is a Pope of Dawn on the Holy Mountain. Even though He has awakened, the great being will not pay attention to the civilization of ants. He will only understand that you and Dawn are His people."

"The Dawn Church can provide the Lord of Dawn with the power of human faith, and you can also provide the Immortal God of Light with the power of faith to restore His divine power."

"Although you are not the only pope in this world, your status is equal to that of the Pope of Dawn."

Ryan's words pleased Emperor Flor, but a few kind words were not enough to dispel the emperor's worries.

Ryan continued:

"Your hasty orders will make the nobles of the empire, and even more so the nobles of the southern lands, mistakenly believe that you are guilty."

As soon as Ryan finished speaking, he felt the terrifying majesty emanating from this legendary emperor. Columbus III did not become a legend on his own; he became a legend because he became emperor. Therefore, this majesty did not make Ryan's body tremble. The power of the dragon's heart was even tempting him to resist.

"You must let everyone in the empire, let the entire continent of Norris see your strength, and see that the God of Light also supports you."

"The nobles of the empire are nervous because of the gods, but Your Majesty, you can give them confidence. If the war is only between the nobles and the Dawn Church, the nobles will fear the glory of the gods. But if the war is between believers, then..."

"A great being will not care if His people kill one another."

"The nobles need to know that the Empire is a faithful follower of the God of Light, and they need to know that if the Lord of Dawn can bring down divine punishment, then the God of Light can do the same."

"Only in this way can the nobles reunite; otherwise, it won't be long before some imperial nobles rebel and defect to the Dawn Church."

"Besides, you can't be too hasty. The divine punishment has just passed, and you've already ordered every noble to build a Church of Light. In the eyes of the nobles in the southern lands, this is a sign that the empire is guilty and fearful."

"The war in the South cannot be retreated either. If you withdraw your troops, wouldn't that just give the Dawn Church a reason to retreat? Everyone will see that the Empire is withdrawing its troops because of divine punishment, and the nobles of the Southern Lands will completely support the authority of the Dawn Church. You will lose everything outside the Empire."

"On the contrary, if you insist on continuing the war under divine punishment, then you can prove the empire's confidence. Our Flor Empire will not withdraw its troops because of divine punishment, because the Flor Empire has also received a divine oracle from the God of Light. The divine punishment did not originate from the empire."

“When the gods awaken, they will only care whether the soil of their faith has been lost, not whether two believers among their followers are fighting.”

"Therefore you must confidently tell the whole world that this is a war of faith in dawn and light."

"If possible, I hope Your Majesty can find a way to summon the angels."

"When faith is fair, the outcome of the battle between the empire and the papacy lies in the hearts of the people."

"Whoever gains the support of more nobles in the southern lands will have the upper hand. You need the support of the nobles, and now, under the divine punishment, the empire's performance has made the nobles in the southern lands more inclined to the Dawn Church."

"But are they really willing?"

"Your Majesty, you know how much blood the nobles of the Path of Dawn have shed in their resistance against the Papacy."

"They support the Dawn Church because of the Lord of Dawn, and they can also support the Flor Empire and the Grand Pope of Light because of the Church of Light."

"You need to tell the world about the will of light, and you also need the continued victory and ongoing victories in the Southern War to ensure the victory of light over the dawn."

"In fact, the outcome of the war is a battle between light and dawn. Even if we cannot win over the nobles of the southern lands to the empire, we must use the war to shake their faith in supporting the Church of Dawn."

"Of course, you also need to guard against the divine punishment methods of the Dawn Church."

"Also... there's one more thing."

Ryan took a deep breath and said:

"Your Majesty, you may need to find a way to kill King Olsen."

"Under divine punishment, King Olsen will never have the chance to rule the lands of the Kingdom of Carlos again."

“You need a new spokesperson for that land.”

After a long while, Ryan left the palace, covered in sweat.

It was frightening, and it was also the pressure that made it worse.

The awakening of the Lord of Dawn may bring about extraordinary changes to the political landscape of the entire world. Ryan is unwilling to see the empire fall like this. He still needs to take shelter under the big tree, as this involves his vital interests as an imperial nobleman.

As for what he said to the emperor, most of it was nonsense, but Ryan had to say it anyway, because he needed to establish a preconceived notion.

As long as Emperor Flor accepts the Light Faith as opposing the Dawn Faith, he can establish a foothold based on preconceived notions.

Moreover, it must be this way. Ryan cannot decide the thoughts of the gods, but he must firmly grasp the hearts of the people of Norris.

As for whether the gods have awakened?

Ryan didn't know either; he hadn't received any answers from Archbishop Adriana.

"The Lord is eternal, and hangs high in the highest place in the world."

These are Archbishop Adriana's original words, and have nothing to do with whether the Lord of Dawn has awakened.

Walking down the main street of the capital, Ryan looked at the bustling crowds around him. These people were always the last to know about the changes in the world.

Ryan led his army south, but words could not dispel Emperor Flor's hesitation and panic; only benefits and victory in war could.

"The outcome of the battle between the Empire and the Papacy does not depend on the gods in the sky, but on the hearts of the people on earth."

(End of this chapter)