Throne of the North.

Chapter 683 The Death of the Emperor (Part 1)

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The resounding horns echoed in the first minute after the sun's radiance rose from the horizon, followed by an endless, magnificent horn blast that reverberated throughout the entire capital. The vast empire was awakened by the light, and tens of thousands of cultists dressed in golden robes emerged from the palace, heading south. They would walk a long way, for their steps mirrored the slow ascent of the sun reaching its highest point in the sky.

From dawn to sunrise.

……

The sun's rays fall in sequence, with the North always being the last to arrive.

When it arrived, Ryan had already returned from the dark snowfields. North of the Wall in the North, a massive number of orcs had gathered, and they could attack human lands at any moment.

"Xu~"

The warhorse Winter came to a slow stop. Ryan looked up at his castle, which was brightly lit, illuminating every corner. Extraordinary power protected the entire Rhinoceros Horn Mountain, ensuring that no accidents would occur on this special day.

Ryan returned to his castle and spent half an hour changing into a magnificent baron's robe. This baron's robe was unique to Ryan; other barons' attire was not as extravagant.

However, no one cares about the Baron's clothing these days.

The three kings did not come, which was expected, but they did send their representatives, including the crown prince, which shows that Ryan's prestige in this land has finally been realized over the years.

Within the walls and beneath the ground, a faint grinding sound began to emanate. Then, before everyone's eyes, the walls on all sides receded, and the floor beneath their feet formed a stepped pattern. Banners rose up, bearing the family crests of each nobleman.

When they raised their heads slightly, they saw the vast sky, which was not an illusion. Snowflakes were falling from it, landing on the exposed skin of every nobleman, and a biting cold instantly followed.

The once warm hall had become chilly, and the nobles were not used to such an environment.

"But this is the North."

Ryan stood on high, snow falling heavily behind him, his voice carrying ahead.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the natural disaster we are facing."

“Every winter, it arrives with the most intense malice toward humanity, and we become the first to face the North.”

"The land in the south is warm, but only we know how cold the north is."

"And no one can help us."

"In the face of disaster, we can only rely on ourselves."

"The North is not invincible, which is the original intention behind the creation of the Northern Military Council."

After Ryan finished speaking briefly, he sat down. Once the nobles were seated and the area quieted down again under the cold snow, a nobleman asked a question.

"Baron Ryan, is this meeting merely a military meeting in the North?"

As the nobleman spoke, the floor of the council spun, and when he was halfway through his speech, he suddenly found himself at the center of the entire council, with the high platform that had been in front of Ryan now in front of him.

This scene astonished the nobles, and some of the imperial nobles looked on in amazement. Had Baron Ryan's castle also begun to become extraordinary?

“Lord Wick, as you can see, the Northern Military Council only discusses military wars in response to the threat from the North, and does not involve politics or regional grievances.”

"I still have questions."

Viscount Wick was somewhat excited; the feeling of being the center of attention was exhilarating.

"Since this is a purely military conference, is anyone qualified to decide on military strategy? Or is it that only the Legion Commander and you, the Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Frontier, are qualified?"

He wanted to make a name for himself in front of all the nobles, not just in this council.

“Viscount Wick, this is the purpose of this council. Today, here, all decisions will be made. If you are asking about what will happen after we leave, I can answer yes. But if you are asking about this very moment, then I can tell you that anyone present is qualified to express their military opinions.”

"But how can we prove we're right?"

A nobleman nearby couldn't help but speak up; he had never seen such a scene before, and it was truly nerve-wracking.

Ryan smiled slightly and replied:
"To persuade others, and to be persuaded by others."

The platform was back in front of Ryan, and Ryan once again became the center of the council.

"Or, if any of you can convince me, that would also prove the correctness of your military strategy."

The undefeated Ryan has the right to do so.

"So, everyone, do you have any further questions?"

Ryan looked around, and when no one spoke, he continued:

"The Northern Military Council, in its first meeting today, discussed the numerous orcs that have appeared in the North. They have posed a great threat to human lands, and we have reason to believe that the orc army, driven mad by hunger, will once again launch a full-scale invasion of our territory."

"We don't want to recall the disaster caused by the last orc invasion, so this time, we must keep the orcs out of our borders."

"Currently, there are only a few gaps in the paths through which the orcs can enter our land."

"One of them is the Fragrant Mountain Plain in the Northwind Province, where there is a fortress. The Northwind Legion is currently fighting against a continuous stream of orcs."

"The second gap in the Northwind Province is the Frozen Territory beneath our feet. The fortress I built in the north is impregnable."

"Further east lies the Kingdom of Sera, but it is still very difficult for orcs to directly invade the southern lands of the Kingdom of Sera from the Griffin Mountains."

"The Kingdom of Andara will be an even larger battlefield. The Andara Kingdom's army, with its military castles as a defensive line, is also fighting against the ever-appearing orcs."

“Gerald Noble Territory is our easternmost fortress. Those orcs will not stay away from Gerald Noble Territory out of fear of the Woodlands. The Gerald Legion will face an even heavier invasion and attack than before.”

"None of us have absolute confidence that we can resist the orcs, so military cooperation has become our only option."

After Ryan finished speaking, he looked at all the nobles again. These nobles didn't know what to say. This was the first time they had attended such a meeting. After Ryan finished explaining everything, it was the nobles' turn to be at a loss.

Scratching my head, I see. And then...

Based on past experience, everyone should just do what they need to do. When the orcs come, send troops to resist them. Now, it's even easier to mobilize legions. If you can win, fight; if you can't, seek survival in desperate situations.

What are we discussing? What's there to discuss?

The nobles didn't understand; the conversation would inevitably turn to Ryan.

"Orcs don't have much intelligence, especially when they're hungry. The orc threat we face is not the same for everyone."

"The purpose of the Northern Military Council is to transfer surplus military forces to areas with insufficient military strength and to allocate resources so that... no battlefield will be defeated by the orcs."

"What the Northern Military Council is supposed to do is protect the land of all of us."

When it comes to this situation, the nobles are no longer confused.

"Lord Ryan, how can we tell whether our military strength is excessive or insufficient?"

The nobles were puzzled, for it was quite simple: no noble would ever feel that there were too many troops protecting their territory. They wished that all the knights in the world were within their territory, protecting it so that they could sleep soundly.

“In subtle details, it is of course difficult to distinguish, but there are also very clear examples.”

Ryan began to speak:
"For example, the Kingdom of Koran is located in a region where the army of the Kingdom of Koran is unable to directly confront the orcs. Therefore, the army of the Kingdom of Koran is a military surplus that can be used to help and support the northern battlefield."

"For example, in the Kingdom of Sera, where the situation is worse, the orcs don't have much brains. If they don't want to cross the Griffin Mountains from north to south, they can't reach the south of the Kingdom of Sera. In the process, they will inevitably leave the Griffin Mountains and enter the Kingdom of Andara or the Northwind Province. At this time, the military strength of the Kingdom of Sera also has a large surplus."

"With our surplus strength, we can support those in need, and our northern defenses will be unbreakable, keeping those evil orcs at bay in the north."

Most nobles did not react to these words, but the nobles of the Kingdom of Kolan and the Kingdom of Sera could not help but have their own thoughts.

“Baron Ryan, the Kingdom of Coran has absolutely no reason to face the threat from the North, yet it will have to pay a huge price for helping them fight against the North. It is even possible that our army will be wiped out in the North.”

"Who can be held responsible for the deaths of our soldiers?"

What he was really talking about behind his words wasn't soldiers, but rather—profits.

The nobles prioritize their own interests. When they learned that their armies were to go north to help others fight off the orcs, and that they would gain nothing but pure resource consumption in the process, the nobles were naturally unhappy.

Ryan smiled, though he felt equally bored.

At first, these nobles were afraid that the Northern Military Council would become the subject of political struggles between kingdoms, and tried their best to avoid it. However, once they got down to business, these nobles instinctively turned the military council into their political table and the meeting into a political struggle.

But there's nothing wrong with that, is there?

Ryan's voice became serious, and he said loudly:
"First, I need to correct something."

"The threat from the North does not belong merely to the territories bordering the North, but to all of humanity and to all human civilization!"

“No nobleman can say that his territory has nothing to do with the North.”

"Secondly, I want to tell everyone in the Kingdom of Kolan that the problems facing the Kingdom of Kolan are more serious than you imagine."

Ryan looked toward the Kingdom of Coran, from the crown prince to the nobles.

"To the north of the Kingdom of Coran, only the Gerald Noble Territory and a small part of the Andara Kingdom can enter the Kingdom of Coran smoothly. In the Gerald Noble Territory, over the course of hundreds of years, they have built natural fortress boundaries with mountains as their boundary to defend against the invasion of the orcs."

"In the Kingdom of Andara, there are equally ancient fortified defenses, and with the help of a larger army and imperial reinforcements, they rely on these advantages to fight against the orcs."

"But I want to ask the Kingdom of Coran a question: if the defenses of the Gerald noble territory and the Kingdom of Andara break down, and the orcs advance unimpeded south in search of more peaceful lands, what will the Kingdom of Coran have?"

“You have no tall city walls, no solid fortresses. In fact, when the orcs march south from the northern plains of the Kingdom of Coran, it only takes them half a day to reach the capital of Coran.”

"Does the army of the Kingdom of Kolan have the strength to withstand the orc army from the noble territory of Gerald, the Kingdom of Andara, or even the Kingdom of Sera?"

"That vast hilly area, located in the northwest of the Kingdom of Coran and the south of the Kingdom of Sera, will bring together the orc armies of both kingdoms and noble territories in one place: the north of Coran. That is the only gap for the orcs to advance south."

"Or you could consider this: why would the orcs ignore the abundant food resources in the north of the Kingdom of Kolan and instead take a long detour to launch a full-scale attack on the Empire's Winged Canyon to destroy the Empire?"

"The army of the Kingdom of Coran is helping its northern allies in order to protect the land of the Kingdom of Coran and the safety of its nobles."

"For over a hundred years, orcs have never set foot on the land of the Kingdom of Koran, and I sincerely hope that the Kingdom of Koran will not be harassed by orcs in the future."

"Your greatest comfort comes from the kingdoms and noble territories to the north, which have helped you resist the orc invasion."

"As for the question from earlier."

Ryan stood up, exuding an imposing aura.

"Success brings honor, and so does failure. If someone needs to be held accountable for the land and the nobles after the defeat in the war in the North, then the Speaker of the Northern Military Council is the only one responsible."

“I, Ryan Clayton, will take responsibility for all the failures.”

Ryan looked around; he didn't want anyone else to dwell on this kind of thing.

The first meeting of the Northern Military Council lasted a long time; the nobles spent an entire morning resolving the non-military disputes.

The nobles would go hungry, and they wouldn't allow themselves to go hungry, so a break was essential, and time also needed to allow the nobles to process the news they had gathered that morning.

The North remained cold, yet held a quiet reluctance to lose its warmth amidst the clamor. But in the distant southern capital, shouts had already filled the air as countless citizens of the empire followed the golden-robed cultist, completely surrounding the High Pope of Light outside the capital.

The esteemed Emperor of the Flor Empire finally left his palace and arrived at this radiant cathedral bathed in divine light.

(End of this chapter)