Who taught him to restore the country like this

Chapter 148 Never Abandon, Never Give Up
"If you are worried that the state of Misian will be unable to resist the Order of the End after the divine sacrifices are performed, you can rest assured," Alec said calmly, as if he could see through Ron's worries.

“What do you mean?” Ron asked.

“The Holy Unified Empire has dispatched 100,000 troops to support the Misian State,” Alec said.

"Is this really true?" Before Ron could even respond, Zedd was already excited.

At the very beginning of twilight, Misian had already sent a request for aid to the central government of the empire. However, the infighting among the royal heirs there was so intense that no one cared about the fate of Misian.

The aid has been delayed again and again, and there has been no news to this day. Now... has the royal family finally taken the situation in Misian State seriously?
“Absolutely true!” Alec replied with certainty.

Upon hearing this, Zede was initially overjoyed at having escaped a desperate situation. However, after the joy subsided, his heart was slowly filled with a sense of desolation and sorrow.

The support from the Imperial Central Government came too late.

If the support from the Imperial Central Government had arrived sooner, Earl Hughes might not have died, and Canare County wouldn't have been reduced to this state.

"What has your decision been?" Alec asked after waiting for Ron to think for a moment.

"Why did the royal family suddenly decide to send people to support Misian State?" Ron asked.

Previously, when the region of Misian was valuable, no troops were sent to support it. Now that Misian is no longer valuable, troops are being sent to support it, which is rather strange.

“His Majesty was murdered during the celebrations three days ago. After the Crown Prince ascended the throne, he made the decision to support the state of Misian,” Alec replied.

How could someone ascend the throne so quickly after being murdered?
Not right.

The plot has been altered.

"Who is the commander of the reinforcements?" Ron asked.

"They are two divine messengers."

"Angel?"

"Yes, it was the two divine messengers who quelled the chaos and helped the eldest prince successfully inherit the throne."

"May I ask what the names of these two divine messengers are?"

“One is named Etheril, and the other is named Cecilia,” Alec replied.

Ron burst out laughing after hearing this.

Since both the Son of Truth Church and the Daughter of Grace Church have sent representatives, the remaining one will surely be present as well.

That bastard God of Light really thinks highly of him, arranging three top-tier opponents for him.

This is going to be difficult...

“The two divine messengers are powerful enough that the Order of the End is no match for them. You only need to help Lord Alfred hold out in the three counties for a few days and wait for the divine messengers to arrive, and you will be safe and sound,” Alec continued.

Once the divine messenger arrives, you will be safe and sound, but I will suffer greatly.

Ron thought to himself, "What do you mean?"

The holy sons and daughters of the three major papal courts possess divine records and are all highly skilled. The current strength of the Calamity Witch is not enough for her to contend with these overpowered beings.

'We must find a way to stop the Holy Unified Empire's reinforcements outside the territory of Misian.'

Ron began to organize the information on the abilities and weaknesses of the Son of Truth and the Holy Maiden of Grace in his mind, intending to send this information to the Order of the End.

The Order of the End still possesses considerable resources, and if intelligence is used properly, it is still capable of stopping the Holy Unified Empire's reinforcements outside the state of Misian.

As for what would happen to Misian State if it didn't receive reinforcements, that was beyond his consideration.

His benevolence and morality were based on the premise of his own safety.

Seeing that Ron had been thinking for a long time without responding, Alec assumed that he was waiting for information about the reward. Before coming here, Grand Duke Misien had already given instructions that as long as the Calamity Witch could be invited, any condition could be agreed to within the limits of his ability.

“This is the reward promised by Lord Alfred,” he said, handing Ron a piece of parchment bearing the coat of arms of Grand Duke Michael.

Ron snapped out of his reverie and took the parchment to examine it.

Money, titles, women, potions, magic... everything you could want.

There was absolutely no ambiguity.

"What is your opinion, sir?" Alec asked.

“I think it’s great.” Ron smiled with satisfaction.

"That……"

“I am honored by Lord Alfred’s high regard for me and I accept his invitation.” Ron stood up and gave a formal response.

Alec's expression brightened.

This task was much simpler than I had imagined.

However, before he could even feel happy for two seconds, Ron said, "But I hope to bring everyone from Red Cloud Town with me."

Upon hearing this, Alec's expression behind the mask instantly darkened.

He had observed the situation in Hongyun Town when he came here.

This group comprised almost all the survivors in County Canare, totaling over 700 people, mostly women, children, and the elderly, many of whom were injured and unable to move around easily.

With these people, they traversed several counties occupied by the evil god cult across the frozen land amidst wind and snow, heading towards the Shirchin Fortress where Grand Duke Misian was located.
Do you think this is child's play?
Putting aside the question of whether such an open and blatant advance would allow them to successfully reach the Hilchin Fortress in the face of retaliation from the End Order, they should be prepared to proceed.

How long would it take to walk there?

By the time you arrive, the daylilies will be cold.

"Lord Ron!" Alec's voice carried a hint of anger: "Do you know your own predicament?"

“Of course,” Ron nodded, “I killed a high priest of the Order of the End, and I will surely face their furious revenge.”

"Since you understand this, why make such an irrational request?" Alec questioned.

He suppressed his anger: "I admire your willingness to protect the people even in times of crisis. But taking these civilians with you will only expose our whereabouts and greatly delay our journey."

It's just a matter of time.

Seeking refuge is out of the question.

From the very beginning, Ron had no intention of siding with Grand Duke Michael.

He kept Alec behind to discuss matters, simply to learn about the outside world from him.

He was very clear about his own position.

If he were to surrender, given the evil god aura he currently possesses, it would be impossible for him to continue growing under the control of Grand Duke Misian, who has no expectation of him being able to exert much combat power.

All they cared about was the Calamity Witch's abilities.

Just as Isabella feared, his allegiance to Grand Duke Misien would only reduce him to a tool used to blackmail Isabella into doing things.

Even without the two divine messengers who wanted to kill him, his ultimate fate would have been to be discarded after the End Order was defeated.

Therefore, he chose to keep the Calamity Witch all to himself.

He's free and easy outside, leveling up his character just fine, why would he want to go and be controlled by someone else?
As for... the final cult's frenzied retaliation, he was quite worried before he learned that the Holy Unified Empire had sent troops to support them.

After hearing the news, my worries disappeared.

With a formidable enemy looming over them, the Order of the End had no extra energy left to retaliate against him.
Keep in mind that he killed an eighth-rank high priest. If the Order of the End wants to retaliate against him, they will have to send at least two high priests.

The Order of the End has only a few high priests, not enough to deal with the imperial reinforcements, so how could they dare to take away two more?

Ron was very certain.

Even if the Order of the End really sends two high priests, he is not afraid.

After all, there are stronger external enemies. As long as he offers some information that can turn the tide of the battle as an apology and joins the Order of the End, he can preserve himself.

Currently, the only thing that worries him in Misian State is the two contestants who were sent here by the God of Light.

Kalim, the evil priest of the Kingdom of Diam, has been quiet since seeing Isabella that day, and hasn't approached this area again. As for the other person, their identity is unknown, but they are certainly also an evil cultivator.

According to the map provided by Zedd, the man's location is in Fingri County, a port in Missian that controls access.

This place seems to be the headquarters of the Order of the End.

That person could get to where he is; his position in the Order of the End must be quite high.

The worst outcome would be that he would have to compete with that person in terms of his own worth.

“What do you think we should do?” Ron asked, looking at Alec.

Although I don't intend to help, I still have to do the pretense, at least to avoid offending them by hurting their feelings.

"Your Excellency can take a hundred garrison troops, while the rest will remain hidden until the situation stabilizes before moving on. The most urgent task is to ensure the safety of the people... You and that prince will head to the Hilchin Fortress," Alek stated, offering the most reasonable plan.

“Red Cloud Town has already been exposed to the End Order. The End Order will definitely send people to attack again. How is it any different for me to leave them here or let them wait to die?” Ron asked calmly.

A few hundred civilians who were not of much use died, so what? So many people have already died in Misian State, what's wrong with a few more dying?
Alec's sinister gaze was fixed on Ron, and he let out a long breath.

Are you forcing me to say these things out loud?

Ron seemed not to understand his gaze, and said emotionally, "These people are the sparks that countless heroes of Canare County preserved with their lives. They trusted me, followed me, and fought bloody battles against the Cult of Evil in desperate situations. How could I, Ron, abandon them for my own safety?"

“I can ask for no reward, but I hope that Grand Duke Michael will grant me this small request.” He returned the parchment to Alec.

Alec frowned deeply as he looked at the parchment that had been returned to him.

Ron accepted Grand Duke Michael's invitation, but it also seemed as if he didn't.

"Does Your Excellency insist on taking these civilians with you on the journey?" Alec asked in a deep voice.

“Yes.” Ron nodded, his face showing an unwavering determination.

"...When do you plan to depart, sir?" Alec asked, suppressing his anger and threatening to escalate the situation.

He chose to compromise.

What else could he do but refuse to compromise? He didn't have the power to forcibly take the Calamity Witch away.

Regardless, the first step is to win over the Calamity Witch to our side.

Creating chaos in the rear and diverting the attention of the Order of the End would also reduce the pressure on the three counties garrisoned by Grand Duke Michael, which is better than nothing.

“We’ll set off first thing tomorrow morning,” Ron replied without hesitation.

His serious expression made it seem as if he truly intended to come to the aid of Grand Duke Mician.

Alec paused for a moment, then stood up and said, "I will accompany you tomorrow. If there is anything you need me to do, please let me know."

He wanted to accompany and supervise.

"Thank you for your understanding." Ron nodded in thanks.

If you have a good relationship, you'll get a level 7 laborer for free.

Alec nodded in response, said nothing more, and took his leave.

“Zed”.

After Alec left, Ron, his voice tinged with weariness, instructed him, "Please keep an eye on things tonight. Tomorrow morning, I want to see everyone in Red Cloud Town ready to leave."

“Lord Ron…” Zedd hesitated, then stopped.

"What?" Ron's eyes sharpened as he glanced sideways at Zedd.

"...Your subordinate will do his best to fulfill your orders, sir." Zede swallowed the words that were about to come out and changed his words.

"Ah."

Ron nodded slightly and walked away.

As Zedd watched Ron's departing figure, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to tell Ron to take Diana and head to Hilchin Fortress first.

He's a madman who's both incomprehensible and admirable.

……

The next morning.

Everyone had assembled in front of Hongyun Town.

Ron rode his warhorse past the long caravan, and the people all looked at him with gratitude.

They had already heard from Zede that Grand Duke Michael had extended an invitation, and Ron could have easily turned his back and gone to Hilchin Fortress to escape danger.

However, he was unwilling to abandon them, and was willing to risk his life to take them with him on his journey.

This immense kindness moved them to tears, and the power of their faith became even more refined.

Ron was very pleased with their determination to follow each other through thick and thin.

These are all future reputation points.

Under Ron's orders, most of the supplies were abandoned, and the vacant vehicles were used to house the wounded, the elderly, women and children who had difficulty moving around.

Fortunately, the Order of the End has sent quite a few means of transportation several times during this period, which is barely enough.

After surveying the area, Ron stopped in front of Isabella, who was standing alone to the side, and extended his hand: "Come with me into the future, my friend."

Isabella looked at him, and after learning that Ron had accepted the invitation and decided to go to Hilchin, she said nothing.

Looking into Ron's wise and kind eyes, she slowly reached out and placed her hand in Ron's palm.

Ron smiled slightly and gently pulled her onto the horse.

And so, the team from Hongyun Town set off for Dunuo County as planned.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Fingrishire, Gem Bay.

The once prosperous port, bustling with merchant ships, is now desolate, with only occasional cries of anguish emanating from the town.

The air was thick with the stench of blood that even the sea breeze couldn't dispel, and the once azure sea was stained a strange dark brown.

woo-

On the towering watchtowers of the harbor, warning horns sounded from the mouths of the End God cultists.

In the distance, dozens of imperial warships appeared on the horizon, rapidly breaking through the ice and speeding towards him.

On the masts of the warships, the golden lion banner of the Holy Unified Empire fluttered wildly in the biting wind, like a burning golden flame, proclaiming sovereignty.

woo-

As if in response to the earlier bugle call, a powerful and penetrating bugle call, representing the Imperial fleet's attack, came from the lead warship.

On the bow deck, two figures stood out, radiating a sacred light that seemed out of place in this filthy place.

Yu Zuo is a young man clad in a platinum holy robe, his calm and unwavering eyes seeming to see through the truth of all things.

Yu You is a young girl dressed in a silver-blue robe, with cascading red hair and holding a magic wand. She radiates a pure and chilling holy light, like the bright moon in the dead of winter.

Boom! Boom! Boom—

The cult's artillery emplacements along the port launched the first attack, unleashing dozens of energy beams burning with corrupting flames and magical missiles carrying blasphemous runes. Like a dense swarm of death bees, they tore through the air with shrill screams and slammed into the rapidly approaching Imperial fleet.

"Tear them apart!"

"Defense array! Full activation!"

(End of this chapter)