Who taught him to restore the country like this

Chapter 159 Dare to come back
Fortunately, Isabella had only recently mastered this move, and her accuracy was still lacking.

Although the area hit was not fatal, the wound refused to heal and continued to expand.

The four high priests frowned slightly, their eyes unconsciously glancing behind them.

The four then immediately separated, maintaining a safe distance from Isabella.

They seemed to know that Isabella couldn't maintain this state for long, so they had their men wear her down.

However, Isabella is not fighting alone now.

Soon, the soldiers in Hilchin City, along with the only remaining eighth-tier expert, went out of the city to provide cover for Isabella.

On the city wall, watching the battle gradually reach a balance, and even showing signs of turning around, Grand Duke Michael of Mician breathed a long sigh of relief.

As expected of the Calamity Witch who possesses the power of annihilation, her strength is so formidable even without special training.

They've kept it well hidden all these years... After the danger was over, Grand Duke Michael couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension.

This further solidified his idea of ​​severing ties with the Calamity Witch.

Because the royal family would never allow such a dangerous person to exist, and if he got too close to him, he would only be implicated.

While observing the battlefield, Grand Duke Mistian was secretly planning to sever ties with the Witch of Calamity.

As time passed, the offensive of the Order of the End showed signs of weakness. With Isabella's godlike assistance, the eighth-tier powerhouse of Hilchin displayed great prowess, successively injuring four high priests of the Order of the End.

Before long, the sound of retreat bugles rang out from the rear of the battlefield.

Watching the retreating Order of the End, Grand Duke Michael closed his eyes with a sigh of relief.

Just when he thought the war was over for the night, a sudden change occurred on the battlefield.

"Oh no, Your Grace! Princess Isabella has been captured!"

The officer's exclamation made Grand Duke Michael's heart, which had been at ease, suddenly jump again.

He suddenly opened his eyes and saw Isabella being bound by two chains from both sides and being quickly carried away from the battlefield in mid-air.

Oh no, we can't let the Order of the End capture the Calamity Witch!

He immediately wanted to send Hilchin, that eighth-tier expert, to rescue the Calamity Witch.

However, when he looked over, he saw the eighth-level expert kneeling on the ground, half of his shoulder had been cut off, and he was on the verge of death.

Grand Duke Mician's pupils froze.

what's the situation?
How did it turn into this state in the time it takes to close your eyes?

At this point, the Calamity Witch had already been taken far away from his control by the Order of the End, and it was too late to chase after her.

Grand Duke Michael's face was grim. Powerless to change anything, he could only ask the officer beside him what had just happened.

"Your Grace, the enemy has probably deployed not four high priests this time, but five." The officer's expression was equally grim.

After listening to the officer's explanation, Grand Duke Misien realized that in the less than three seconds he had closed his eyes, a dark figure had suddenly appeared on the battlefield and ambushed the eighth-level Shirchin expert who was walking towards Isabella.

He was unable to dodge in time and had half of his shoulder sliced ​​off by the long sword.

Isabella was suddenly attacked by several black beams. She blocked them with her "Annihilation" domain, but her body seemed to have reached its limit, and she lost consciousness and was bound by chains.

Archduke Michael frowned upon hearing this.

How could the usually cautious Mead not notice someone lurking nearby? And how could he be successfully attacked?

This sounds absurd no matter how you look at it.

Especially since Mead was attacked when he was getting close to the Witch of Calamity, even if Mead didn't realize that someone was lurking nearby, would the Witch of Calamity not realize that someone with the aura of the end was lurking nearby?

Not right.

Something is very wrong!

He suspected he was being played.

He suspected that the Calamity Witch had helped the assassin conceal his presence, which was why Mead hadn't noticed him.

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

After all, Ron and the Calamity Witch are one entity, and since Ron is colluding with the Order of the End, it's not hard to understand that the Calamity Witch is also colluding with the Order of the End.

These two may have come to Xierqin with the intention of eliminating the two eighth-level experts in Xierqin, and he gradually fell into their trap.

The thought was chilling, and Archduke Michael's face turned pale.

Can Colette come back?

Now, of the two eighth-tier experts from Xierqin, one is missing and the other is seriously injured. If they want to defend Xierqin again, they will probably have to sacrifice the lives of countless soldiers and civilians from the three counties.

No!

It can't be delayed any longer.

We must get the imperial reinforcements into Misian Prefecture as soon as possible, otherwise Hilchin won't be able to hold out for more than a few days.

Just as Grand Duke Michael was becoming increasingly anxious due to the grim situation, a close attendant rushed in to report:
"Your Grace, Lord Ron has returned."

Upon hearing this, Grand Duke Michael's expression brightened.

He was just worrying about how to get imperial reinforcements to arrive as soon as possible when Ron delivered himself to his doorstep.

It's like a pillow coming to someone who's sleepy.

As long as Ron is killed, Imperial reinforcements will arrive as promised.

Originally, Ron was staying with the Order of the End, and he had no way to kill Ron, but he didn't expect Ron to dare to come back.

"Take the man to Noz town..." Grand Duke Michael whispered the order in his ear.

He currently has no evidence that Ron is colluding with the Order of the End, so killing Ron cannot be too publicized.

"Lord Ron, you..."

At the city gate, Peggy saw Ron, but her face showed no joy, only worry.

She didn't understand why Ron had come back.
Did he not encounter Colette?
"Sorry, something came up along the way, and I got back late," Ron said with a smile.

His expression showed no anger at having harmed Grand Duke Michael, only his usual relaxed optimism.

It seems he really didn't run into Colette.

"Was there a battle here while I was away?" He turned and glanced around at the battlefield, which was covered in charred marks.

“The Order of the End launched an attack on Hilchin last night,” Peggy replied.

“I see. It seems that even without me, Hilchin can hold out.” Ron said with a smile.

"Lord Ron, Princess Isabella..."

"Lord Ron, the Duke wishes to see you. Please follow me."

Peggy was about to say something when she was interrupted by her returning attendant.

"it is good."

Ron nodded in agreement.

"Miss Peggy, could you please go to the village and let them know I'm safe?"

He asked Peggy for help, then started walking to catch up with the attendant who had led the way.

Peggy watched Ron leave, a hint of regret in her eyes.

Ron's journey there is certain death.

I'll leave this report as is.

……

"This doesn't seem to be the way to the Duke's residence, does it?"

Following behind his attendant, watching the road gradually recede from the main city, Ron asked in confusion.

“His Excellency the Duke is on business in Nortz,” the attendant replied.

"I see." Ron smiled, squinting at the attendant's retreating figure, but said nothing.

As he followed his attendant to a sparsely populated horse ranch in the town of North, dawn was breaking in the grey sky. "His Excellency the Duke is inside," the attendant said, stopping in front of the largest shed in the ranch and gesturing for Ron to go inside.

Ron stood in the doorway, glanced at the steam rising from the chimney and the candlelight shining through the window, then pushed the door open and went inside.

He closed the door, looked at the person sitting at the desk engrossed in reviewing documents, and walked straight over without bowing, snatching the "Grand Duke Michael" hat off.

really……

Beneath the hat was a puppet stripped of its consciousness.

The next second, the entire house exploded as Ron smiled.

"jump!"

With a single thought, Ron moved from the center of the explosion to a spot more than ten meters outside the house.

Such a small explosion with little destructive power was naturally not the main event. As soon as his figure appeared, he was immediately bound and imprisoned by dense runes, while four magic-suppressing chains bound his limbs and pulled his figure into the air.

Ron's gaze swept quickly across the surroundings. The entire horse farm was now surrounded by three hundred black-armored soldiers, all of whom were trusted confidants carefully cultivated by Grand Duke Michael.

Among them, there are three seventh-tier experts with the strongest aura.

At this moment, the black-armored soldiers dispersed, making way for Grand Duke Michael. He stepped forward and sneered, "Ron, I didn't expect you to dare to come back."

"What is Your Grace doing?" Ron asked, looking puzzled.

"Stop pretending! You colluded with the Order of the End, harming two of my eighth-tier experts and plotting against the three prefectures. Today, I will execute you right here!"

Grand Duke Michael gave Ron no chance to explain. With a wave of his hand, a hundred heavy bows were drawn and fired in unison at Ron.

Bound by both the magic-suppressing chains and the sealing array, it seemed that Ron could only meet his end in the Northwest.

But Ron didn't want to die so soon. He smiled slightly, and the next second, all the approaching arrows turned to ashes.

At the same time, the magic-suppressing chains and sealing runes that had been binding his movements were all annihilated into shattered light.

Grand Duke Michael's pupils suddenly contracted.

This method... is the Calamity Witch's "Annihilation"!
Is the Witch of Calamity nearby?
He became alert to his surroundings and stepped back, distancing himself from Ron.

"Your Grace, I came all the way from Canare County at your invitation to fight against the enemy. Is this how you treat reinforcements?" Ron questioned.

"Hmph, Ron, do you think I don't know about your collusion with that fallen angel of the Order of the End?" Grand Duke Michael sneered.

“Since Your Grace is so certain that I am colluding with the Order of the End, why not present the evidence in public before executing me?” Ron twisted his wrist and walked step by step toward Grand Duke Michael.

“If I present the evidence, will you comply with the execution?” Archduke Michael asked rhetorically.

"of course."

"If that's the case, then you should surrender immediately."

“That won’t do,” Ron shook his head. “The Duke has sent men to ambush me time and time again. I can no longer trust you.”

"What do you want to do?" Archduke Michael frowned.

“If Your Grace does not wish to reason with me, then I have no choice but to make this public and let everyone judge it.”

His figure floated up, and after speaking, he flew towards the main city of Shirchin.

"Stop him quickly!"

Grand Duke Michael exclaimed in alarm.

Ron’s work in Hilchin during this period has been virtually impeccable, and his respected reputation is hard to refute.

Now that the Calamity Witch has been captured by the Order of the End while protecting Sylchin, the people will only feel more guilty and respectful towards Ron.

If it were revealed now that he had sent men to ambush Ron several times, the public's faith in him and the forces behind him would only plummet once again.

This was undoubtedly adding insult to injury for Hilchin, whose situation was already dire.

Ron had not gone far from the horse farm when he was caught up by three imposing silver-armored knights.

"jump!"

Ron created some distance, and with a wave of his hand, a ball of energy belonging to the power of annihilation enveloped the three knights.

The three knights hurriedly dodged.

In an instant, their armor was corroded through.

Ron quickly passed through them.

"It's those statues!"

At this moment, they finally discovered where the annihilation energy Ron was unleashing came from.

As Ron waved his hand, they clearly saw gray mist emanating from the Calamity Witch statue in Norz Town and gathering in Ron's hand.

Grand Duke Mistian breathed a sigh of relief after learning that it wasn't the Witch of Calamity who was helping Ron.

Given Hilchin's current condition, she can't do anything to the Calamity Witch for the time being.

"Send the order: destroy those sculptures in all towns immediately!" Grand Duke Michael roared, realizing he had been tricked.

"Activate the array formations of the Array Palace to lock onto him!" he ordered.

"Your Grace, the energy in the array is almost depleted. If we use it now, the Order of the End will be in trouble..."

"Didn't you hear my order?" Grand Duke Michael looked coldly at the talkative officer.

He has no interest in the End Order right now.

All he wanted now was for Ron to shut up forever.

With Xierqin's defenses, even without the array palace, they could still hold out for two or three days.

He only needs to kill Ron, and the Imperial reinforcements will arrive; three days will be enough.

"Yes!"

Seeing the enraged Grand Duke Michael, the officer trembled and dared not say another word.

Ding!
On the other side, Ron's progress was once again thwarted.

Two daggers, gleaming with a cold light, simultaneously stabbed towards his neck and temple, one from the left and one from the right.

"jump!"

Ron reacted quickly, taking a few steps back and slashing his longsword horizontally.

The two assassins immediately changed the angle of their daggers, using them vertically to block the incoming longsword.

"Physical weakness!"

Before the two troublesome assassins could disappear again, Ron timely applied a negative buff to them.

After a brief pause, the three knights caught up again, halting Ron's advance and buying time to activate the array.

Ron understood their intentions, and he was capable of using the power drawn from the statue to get rid of these troublesome fellows.

But he didn't do that.

Because killing these people would only give him ammunition to criticize him and damage his reputation.

Moreover, what he wanted to do was not simply to kill these people physically; if he wanted to do that, he could have simply sent Kertia over.

What he wants to do is destroy these people on a spiritual level, and most importantly, use their words to bring down Aetheril, who poses the greatest threat to him, from his pedestal.

Thus, with a fighting spirit of "going all out," Ron finally made it to the main city of Hilchin.

At that moment, the array palace had just finished adjusting.

As Ron entered the skies above the edge of Hilchin's main city, he was immediately locked onto by the array palace.

"Ron colluded with the Order of the End to murder my warriors, the Shirchin warriors! He deserves to die!" Grand Duke Michael accused the villain first.

Killing Ron can no longer be done quietly; now all we need to do is shut him up.

"Is it worth using the Array Palace to kill me?" Ron asked with a smile. "If I really am colluding with the Order of the End, then after killing me, have you thought about how to deal with the Order of the End?"

(End of this chapter)