Throne of the North.

Chapter 593 A Righteous and Uncompromising Revenge, the Baron
A dilapidated castle, where blood flowed and gathered into a river, flowing from the high places to the lowlands. At the end of the blood-soaked place, the blood-red cross, while being soaked, also radiated an extraordinary glow.

Ancient whispers echoed from the void, and then a snow-white radiance emerged from the cracks of the castle and from the countless darknesses. They gathered around the blood-red cross, revealing the outlines of the dozens of figures who had been kneeling around it.

Beneath the cloaks, devout and fervent faces murmured prayers.

“The Lord will punish believers who become heretics, so He sends out angels of judgment.”

"The glory of dawn illuminates every inch of darkness, and when an eclipse occurs, the Lord will also look after His believers who are walking in the darkness."

"Black swans spread their wings on the day of the eclipse, soaring in the realm of angels, chasing the end of the dawn. We fly on the edge of darkness, always just one step away from the dawn."

"We are the Lord’s faithful servants. The faith of darkness cannot reach the depths of dawn. The eclipse will guide us."

"The land of sin and darkness will eventually be destroyed, and the glory of dawn will only hide the swans under the eclipse."

Black wings were carved on their cloaks, but the black cloaks would not normally reveal these wings. Now, in the dim light of dawn, everything was dim, and in the darkness, the jet-black angel wings looked particularly dazzling.

"The Lord will punish heretics, even if He is still asleep, it will still please the Lord's will."

A rapier was raised by the kneeling Black Swan assassin. It was the Sword of Judgment, which could take many forms. In the Black Swan's hands, it naturally took the shape of a rapier. Throughout history, this sword had killed very few enemies, but none of the enemies who died before it were less than legendary.

Legend is the threshold to seeing it, and it is the last thing one can see in a legend.

However, the sword trembled slightly, as if it had suffered some damage, with an invisible but real nick at the tip.

"The Empire's betrayal of Dawn must pay the price. The sword of judgment will reap their souls and seal them eternally in the prison of Heaven."

"The death of Grand Duke Russell is not the end. I can feel that blasphemous heresies are everywhere in the Flor Empire. The Lord's gaze is fixed on the distance, so there is darkness here; the Lord is eternally high, so there is an eclipse here."

"Black swans will fly over this place, and we will always work in the depths of the shadows in the eternal kingdom of heaven."

As the murmurs continued, everyone's voices grew louder and more unified.

Until the glorious dawn arrives.

“Go, let the blasphemous heretics of the Empire know their sins.”

One by one, figures disappeared into the darkness, and in this dilapidated castle, blood-red crosses could be seen everywhere, each bearing the remains of a penitent who had been nailed to their death.

……

In the capital city, the people perfectly matched the ruler's mood. Commoners who left their homes walked quickly along the edge of the road with their heads down, not daring to look directly at the powerful knight standing in the road.

Meanwhile, in the distant palace, the tolling of bells echoed far and wide, melodious yet solemn.

His Majesty the Emperor of the Flor Empire bestowed the hereditary power upon Grand Duke Russell. Grand Duke Russell, kneeling on one knee, swore an oath of loyalty. After the long ceremony, Grand Duke Russell officially became the new heir to power in the empire.

Ryan's attention had long since left him; he looked around at the knights, who were from the Templar Knights and the Bauhinia Legion of Duke Russell. Their magnificent armor was arguably the finest in the empire.

The Starsea Province, where Grand Duke Russell resides, is the most beautiful place in the Empire, said to be comparable only to the West Coast when the once-in-a-century Golden Coast spectacle occurs.

It was also known as a land that only the most elegant nobles could reach.

The Bauhinia Knights and the Flame Dragon Knights are very similar, no, Ryan felt they were even more extreme. The Flame Dragon Knight Legion was merely like a familiar, but the Bauhinia Knights gave Ryan a sense of alienation, as if they were not human at all.

On the path of family ties, the four Grand Dukes went further than the Earl of Clayton.

The change of power of the Grand Duke stirred up a huge storm, but the storm stirred up by the Grand Duke's death was hard to see. To Ryan, it felt like one was a raging storm on the surface of the sea, and the other was a whirlpool and turbulent tide from the depths of the ocean.

The latter is even more frightening. Currently, not a single noble in the circle belonging to the political faction of the Archduke Russell has shown any concern for interests, which undoubtedly makes the circle around the Archduke Russell the second type.

Ryan could guess what methods the Emperor and Archduke Russell would use to deflect the storm-like conflict.

Only war can achieve this.

As expected, with the coronation ceremony over, Archduke Russell announced with a heavy heart that the Bauhinia Legion would head to the southern battlefield, for only the Pope's head could cleanse the sins of the Dawn Church, and only in this way could Archduke Russell's soul rest in peace.

The full commitment of a Grand Duke means that one-fifth of the Empire's strength will be poured into the war in the south, in addition to the previous power change of Grand Duke Freming and the existing war.

More than half of the empire's power will be poured into the southern battlefields, and every nobleman can instinctively sense that an unimaginable frenzy is about to be born before their eyes.

Moreover, they are irreconcilable.

Before the empire's wrath could reach the southern battlefields and demonstrate the nobles' anger to the world, news of another large-scale assassination attempt by the Papacy arrived.

This time, it wasn't the nobles on the road who were attacked, but those who had already returned to their castles and were within their own territories. They were subjected to a terrible assassination attempt, with some nobles dying, many others injured, and a significant number of their bloodline members perishing.

This enraged and terrified the nobles, who realized their castles were no longer safe. The Black Swan of the Dawn Church did not end its slaughter of the imperial nobles after killing Archduke Russell.

"Find those damned assassins and burn them all in the square!"

The armies within each territory became tense, and the nobles began to strengthen their own protection.

"Only knights can stand against those extraordinary shadow assassins!"

The nobles were no longer stingy with resources; they were generous when their lives were threatened, and began to cultivate more extraordinary powers.

This undoubtedly accelerated the process of the aristocracy's power becoming extraordinary, but no one cared.

Ryan's expression was also grave. He had received a letter from the Frozen Territory. Unsurprisingly, the Northwind Province had also suffered a large number of assassinations. After all, it was the border of the Empire, and the Black Swan's assassins could easily leave the Empire from the Northwind Province.

In the province of Northwind, more than a dozen lords and several barons have been killed, and the people are filled with fear and unease.

"I have to go back."

Ryan knew he had to return to Northwind Province, but the journey would likely be unsafe.

"The black swan is definitely waiting for us to leave."

Earl Winters made the same suggestion, but Ryan's expression remained firm.

“If I don’t go back, the Northwind Province will become even more chaotic. The Dawn Church wants my territory to lose its proper guidance, but that’s impossible.”

Ryan had made up his mind, and Earl Winter fell silent, watching Ryan's army depart the next day.

Leaving the capital city once again, Ryan was much faster, his warhorse galloping wildly. Even if you wanted to keep up, you'd have to keep up with that speed first.
Ryan stopped lingering in the wilderness and set up camp outside the nobles' castles. He was not refused entry, and the nobles along the way also wanted a large army in their territories to ensure their safety.

"It seems their target isn't us."

Dawn was approaching, but the killings of the night had not yet begun, and Ryan couldn't help but relax a little. However, in that instant, shadows flickered on the surrounding walls, and a rapier reflected a cold light in the moonlight, its sharpness and extreme speed striking towards Ryan.

In a split second, the assassin's extraordinary strength was sharp and terrifying. Even if Ryan tensed his muscles and drew his sword to defend himself, it would be too late. At the critical moment, he abandoned the act of drawing his sword and grabbed the weapon with one hand.

Stab it!

A piercing scraping sound rang out in the darkness—the sound of sharp metal weapons scraping against bone. As a Sky Knight, Ryan was blessed with spirituality and empowered by the power of the Dragon Heart, making his bones far harder than any metal could provide.

But flesh and blood couldn't do that. Blood flowed straight down, and Ryan gripped the weapon in front of him tightly with both hands. The Black Swan assassin in the darkness couldn't help but be shocked. At the same level, the unexpected attack was actually blocked by pure power.

Knights are indeed difficult to assassinate. The Black Swan assassin thought to himself, but his eyes didn't change much. Who said he was alone in the night?

The moonlight flickered, and the dawn was about to rise from the horizon. A blurry shadow appeared behind Ryan, approaching him with lightning speed.

It can only be said that the Dawn Church understands the situation in the Northern Territory better than the nobles of the Empire. Their killing intent towards Baron Ryan has not diminished in the slightest. Three Sky Knight-level Black Swan assassins are waiting to attack him, ready to strike with extreme assassination.

Two figures approached from behind, their outlines invisible in the darkness. But just as the assassins were about to reach Ryan, a furious force surged forth, and Brand's reflection appeared in the galloping blood-red stag, wielding a knight's longsword as it slashed down at the two black swan assassins.

The terrifying power forced the Black Swan Assassin to twist her own strength, causing her to fall from the darkness. The earth was plowed into furrows, and countless cracks appeared on the walls. Then, broken bones and blood sprayed out from the void.

Brand stood behind Ryan, his longsword slowly slicing across his arm armor, wiping away the blood. Ryan gripped his weapon tightly, while the Baron, now free, kicked forward.

To reiterate, when assassins lose their stealth, they are no match for knights.

At the same level, if they strike unexpectedly, Black Swan assassins can kill almost any target, but once exposed, they are not even as good as the lowest-ranking knights of the same level.

With a single kick, the assassin in front of him was shattered to pieces, lying in a pool of blood with fragments of his internal organs spilling from his mouth. He was barely alive, and Ryan had no intention of interrogating him. He simply threw the assassin's rapier forward, piercing through the Black Swan assassin's chest.

As dawn broke in the distance, the radiance of the morning light rose straight up from the edge of the earth into the sky, and the world entered daylight in a short time.

From that fleeting moment to Ryan killing the assassin, the entire process took less than ten breaths before the surrounding servants finally surrounded them from all sides.

They were fast enough, but the Black Swan's stealth capabilities were extraordinary.

This represents the dark shadow beneath the belief in gods.

The black swan's wings on the cloak gradually dimmed, and in the light of dawn, the black swan's wings could no longer flutter.

Ryan didn't explain anything to the noble lords here. He just saw their nervous expressions and told them that arming the castle was the only way to protect the nobles' honor.

Immediately afterward, Ryan rushed towards the North. The Black Swan Assassins' killing spree continued, and no one knew when it would end. Perhaps all the Black Swan Assassins who entered the Empire would die in the night's carnage before it would stop, or perhaps the Dawn Church would never cease sending this force of darkness to the Empire.

After several days of rapid advance, Ryan finally entered Winged Canyon, where tensions rose. The empire was in a state of high alert, and Commander Farrell was under immense pressure as many nobles appealed to him for help. However, neither the Wyvern Legion nor the Elephant Legion could handle the enemy they could not find.

"Lord Farrell is not responsible for the safety of the nobles. This assassination attempt was aimed at the nobles, and the only force capable of fighting against it is the same kind of power."

Both the dragons and the elephants are huge creatures, and as long as the black swan still has a brain, it's impossible for it to get close to these monsters that they can't kill even with all their might.

These two extraordinary legions were powerless against the Black Swan assassins.

"Many nobles have died; you must be careful."

Commander Farrell spoke to Ryan, and as a legend himself, he was on guard, so naturally he was even more concerned about Ryan.

"Don't worry, on the way back I also realized that I'm probably ranked quite high on the Dawn Church's death list."

"But they can't kill me."

Ryan's eyes were cold, while the Bucks soldiers around him were filled with murderous intent.

Ryan's army entered the Northwind Province, which was noticed by many nobles. When the nobles saw Ryan's emblem return, they were inexplicably relieved. Their previously uneasy hearts calmed down, and the fear and gloom of facing death disappeared a lot.

"But how will Baron Ryan deal with those unseen black swan assassins?"

While the nobles felt reassured, they couldn't help but show concern, as it involved their lives. The Papacy's indiscriminate killing of nobles, no longer following the rules of war, caught the empire's nobles off guard, leaving them with no effective means to counter or prevent it.

"Appia!"

Back at Rhinoceros Horn Mountain, Ryan found Apia. In his previous letter to the Imperial City, he mentioned that the cat-man assassins had discovered the Black Swan of the Frozen Territory.

“They want to kill the lady, sir. We… are no match for them. The cat people’s supernatural system isn’t that powerful.”

Appiah lowered his head; he was seriously injured, but Baroness Avril was only slightly frightened and not hurt.

The assassination attempt was repelled by Luna and her companions. Black Swan was also surprised to find many powerful supernatural beings on Rhinoceros Horn Mountain, and eventually left after leaving behind several dried-up corpses.

“It’s not that you’re not strong enough, but that as assassins, you don’t really have a defense. If it were you who were to assassinate the clergy of the Dawn Church, even the Black Swan would have a hard time stopping you.”

Ryan said that, though that's true, this world is about results, and life safety is not a game.

"The training of the cat-person assassins needs to be accelerated. I will give you more blessings to strengthen your power. I hope you will not disappoint me."

"The cat people swear to obey your will to the death."

Appia gritted his teeth and said that the cat people's treatment in the Frozen Territory was incomparable to that of other places. He didn't know what would happen to the cat people's tribe if Ryan died or they were driven out. He would never allow his utopia to fall into the hands of those damned black swans.

"Sir, we will find those assassins."

"Ah."

Ryan's return put the Frozen Territory at ease, and the previous chaos disappeared. Early the next morning, Ryan dispatched the Bucks Army.

"Patrol the North Wind, that will be your hunting ground. All the noble territories will be wide open for you. I don't want those black swans to be able to leave safely after killing nobles."

"They can choose to kill the nobles, but they also have to leave their lives on this land."

"Let's see if it's easier for the Papacy to train elite assassins, or for the hereditary power of the nobles to be more secure."

Upon his return, Ryan wrote letters to the nobles and entrusted them to the Buck Legion. For the time being, Bogerd would lead the legion to patrol the Northwind Province, while Brand, the guardian knight, would remain by his side.

"The lives of nobles are not to be desecrated, and the actions of the Dawn Church must be punished."

Ryan publicly stated that he would seek revenge for the assassinations that had occurred to himself and all the nobles of the Northwind Province.

The Dawn Church responded with sneers, completely ignoring the response.

Then, a few days later, in the neighboring Kingdom of Sera, half of the remaining churches were attacked, and cat-man assassins roamed the shadows, launching a frenzied assassination campaign against the clergy.

In just three days, more than twenty priests died in the prayer room. The believers of Dawn are also human beings, and they also feel fear.

"Revenge will be relentless and never cease."

This was the first time that the imperial nobility had openly acknowledged the killing of clergy members of the Papacy.

It should be noted that before this, neither the Papacy nor the Empire had ever directly acknowledged any malicious intent or killings against Papacy clergy, including on the southern battlefield.

The Dawn Church has never admitted to possessing such dark methods as the Black Swan.

Ryan's resolute resistance greatly angered the Dawn Church, and Bishop Guy Hunter, who was in charge of assassinating the Northern nobles, ordered Black Swan to strangle the clamorous Northern Baron in the snowstorm.

"Let him die under the sacred fire. That baron of the North, that brat, must atone for his desecration of the dawn!"

“His body will be nailed to the blood cross.”

(End of this chapter)