Heart of the Castle

Chapter 825 The Great Action of the Radiant Temple
Winter is coming to an end, although the wind blowing from the extreme arctic ice field is still strong, but the chill carried by it is no longer harsh, although snow can still be seen everywhere, but wild flowers of various colors have appeared on the sunny grassland, Brings the breath of spring.

At this time when all things are recovering and thriving, the leaders of the Kingdom of Floresa, the Kingdom of Deldes, the Kingdom of Sigis, and a dozen other duchies belonging to the Glorious Alliance gathered at the foot of the Holy Mountain, and they also brought There were thousands of accompanying troops, and there were thousands of tents in a row. The waving banners and the sound of people shouting and neighing completely destroyed the original solemn and solemn atmosphere.

The expressions on the faces of every king and grand duke were extraordinarily serious, and there was even a hint of mourning that was unknown.Because they gathered here not for a pleasant spring hunting or gathering, but because of a decree issued by His Majesty Pope Nicholas of the Temple of Glory.

His Majesty Pope Nicholas made it clear in the decree issued that the venerable Cardinal St. Belikov was brutally murdered by pagan assassins from the Kingdom of Arthur. It must not be allowed to appear arbitrarily.The Glory Alliance must retaliate severely against this despicable practice. It is not just a simple trade embargo, but must gather an unprecedented elite army to go north to the wild land that refuses to shine on the glory of the Lord of Glory, and let the heretics Rewarded in blood and fire.

No king or grand duke dared to express dissatisfaction with His Majesty's decree, and they all agreed with it.It is a glorious thing to be able to avenge Cardinal St. Belikov, and spreading the glory of the Lord of Glory, Flandara, into the barren land, and at the same time opening up territories, can add wealth and prosperity to the Glory Alliance. fame and power.

This is undoubtedly a good thing, but it is also a thing that must be cautious.The Kingdom of Arthur is located in the northern border of the mainland, where the people are tough and savage. They will never willingly accept the teachings and just punishment from the Shining Temple's kindness. Although this kingdom has just recovered from the disaster not long ago, more than one piece of information pointed out that , the overall strength has improved a lot compared to two years ago, especially the appearance of a legendary magician and a legendary knight, which makes people feel worried.

At the same time, the Kingdom of Arthur also colluded with the remnants of the orc tribe and the elves, absorbing thousands of orc roaring warriors, elf sharpshooters and silver Pegasus knights as military supplements, and there are even credible sources of information. The two guardian forces of the elves, the legendary dragon Zhanqing Augustus and BlazBlue Astana also joined the battle sequence of the Kingdom of Arthur, serving for the Regent King Li Weiston who dared to refuse the glory of the Lord of Glory .

Faced with such a powerful military force, even His Majesty Philip II of the Kingdom of Flora, who was most indignant, advocated the need to proceed with caution.Before full mobilization, good preparation, and perfect intelligence, rashly using troops against the Kingdom of Arthur will not only fail to add luster to the glory of the Lord of Glory, Flandala, but may suffer serious setbacks.

The statement made by the secular king is reasonable, but it is not the voice that the priests of the Shining Temple want to hear. Philip II has not finished his opinions, and St. Bogdan, who came to announce the order of His Majesty the Pope, The cardinal's face suddenly darkened, and his gaze towards Philip II was like a frozen flame, which was so cold to the bone.

"Honorable King Philip Kotler." When Cardinal St. Bogdan spoke, his tone was extremely calm and cold, but his eyes were shining, as if the fury of thunder was brewing inside, and it might erupt at any time. "I just heard you say that you need to act cautiously. I completely agree with this point, but if you are so cautious that you will not move forward, I am afraid that not only Brother Saint Belikov who sleeps in the highest sky will not be able to rest in peace, but our Lord Flandara Your glory will be shamed by it, right?"

Philip II's face showed a layer of deep red like blood. He was indeed a kind-hearted man who made decisions before making moves. However, he was a king who held the power of a country after all, and he was also one of the three pillars of the Glorious Alliance. .Cardinal St. Bogdan's reprimanded objections in front of many dukes and entourages have seriously offended his self-esteem.

"What do you mean by this? Cardinal St. Bogdan, are you doubting me, doubting that Philip Kotler, who devoutly believes in the Lord of Glory, Flandara, is cowardly in matters of right and wrong? "Philip II's tone became tough, and at the same time he looked directly at the cardinal's thin face with piercing eyes.He had to do this, even at the risk of angering the powerful cardinal of the Shining Temple, otherwise things would get out of hand when the other party said something worse.

Cardinal St. Bogdan obviously did not expect that Philip II, who had always been gentle and honest in front of the Shining Temple—even weak and conceded—would suddenly become tough. He is no stranger to the rules of the game of poker.Cardinal St. Bogdan quickly discovered his little mistake just now. In order to calm the situation down as soon as possible, he suppressed his upset and forced himself to show an apologetic smile.

"No, of course not, Your Majesty King Philip Kotler, if there is anything in my tone that offends you, please forgive me for my unintentional mistake." Cardinal St. Bogdan lowered his eyes slightly, The thunderous fury brewing in his eyes disappeared. "But I still want to say that we must fight back strongly against the despicable evil deeds of the Kingdom of Arthur. At this time, we are still thinking about whether there is any risk. The idea is too utilitarian."

King Philip II took a deep breath. He should accept it as soon as he sees it. No one can deny that Cardinal St. Bogdan is devout, just like no one can deny that he is narrow-minded.However, he felt that his throat seemed to be scorched by a raging fire, and he had the urge to vomit.

"Before today, I have read in detail the action plan proposed by the Temple of Glory. It is perfect. Except for a little lack of military intelligence in the Kingdom of Arthur, the tasks assigned to the countries of the Glory Alliance are accurate and precise. It just won’t cause a rebound caused by despair.” Philip II continued with a sharp tone, “Is that really a plan made after the death of Cardinal St. Belikov? If so, the Temple of Glory There should be a genius military strategist in it, right?"

The smile on Cardinal St. Bogdan's face remained the same, but the light of anger reappeared in his eyes. Only relying on decades of self-cultivation, he could barely suppress the deep anger in his heart. "There are no military strategists in the Temple of Glory, and these plans were indeed not formulated after the death of Sir St. Belikov. The Kingdom of Arthur took in some blasphemers who defected from the Temple of Glory. Such behavior is unforgivable. Even if there is no The assassination of Cardinal St. Belikov happened, and the Temple of Radiance will not allow the blasphemers to escape from the golden morning light of the Lord of Radiance, Flandara, for a long time."

"In other words, Lord St. Belikov died at the right time." The tone of this sentence was far harsher than any words of Philip II, and it almost ignited Cardinal St. Bogdan's heart at once. anger.He suddenly turned his head away, and the pale and haggard appearance of Grand Duke Zandora, the regent of the Kingdom of Deldes came into view.

"His Excellency, Grand Duke Zandora Baron." Cardinal St. Bogdan said each word, "What do you mean by this sentence? Could it be that you are as wise as you, and you will actually accept the divine judgment of His Majesty Pope Nicholas?" Doubt?"

This sentence is completely condemning in a harsh tone, without mercy.

A surprised low cry sounded from behind, but Grand Duke Zandora looked calm, "I think what I said just now was a bit presumptuous, sorry, His Majesty Pope Nicholas is the mortal spokesperson of our Lord Flandala, of course not Mistake." He replied in a serious tone, "The one who made the mistake could only be the leader of the heretics. I really don't understand why Levi Ston wanted to assassinate Lord St. Belikov, who had a strong stand but a clear and steady mind. .”

"Then I'm afraid you'll have to question Levi Ston face to face!" Hearing countless whispering voices coming from all directions, Cardinal St. Bogdan decided not to get entangled in the minutiae. He raised his voice and tried to let his every Every word reaches the ears of the most distant listeners. "The blood of Brother Belikov, the martyr saint, has not cooled! Now is the time to wage war on the infidels! The evil infidels would never have imagined that our reaction would be so swift and violent, their spies and spies It's too late to send back the information, let alone make perfect preparations!"

"But we are not ready, my lord cardinal!" Philip II was too lazy to hide his mocking tone, "Don't you think that the knights and soldiers of Florence can also be like the Knights of the Apologists?" They are equally elite and courageous, so they can gather and set off on the day the mobilization order is issued, right?"

"Besides, the weather is still too cold. There was a thin snowfall last weekend. Most of the mountain roads leading to Arthur's Kingdom are rough and muddy, not to mention the passage of large troops." Grand Duke Zandora, who is no stranger to the military, added.

"Whoever regards the baggage vehicles as more important than the glory of our Lord Flandara, he is not a devout believer!" A regional bishop raised his arms and shouted, but there were only a few people who responded, which made more voices of opposition emerge. .

"Our army can't fight hungry, and if the luggage can't keep up, are we going to use our heads to break open the gates of many castles in the Kingdom of Arthur?" A Sigishi royal knight in ceremonial armor complained. .

"The spring sowing is just around the corner, and the peasants and soldiers have no intention of fighting. If the war is more difficult than imagined, I'm worried that there will be mutiny or collective escape!" An elderly nobleman spread his hands and said.

"The Principality of Fleish was hit by a drought just last year, and more than [-]% of the farmland and manors had no harvest. Now we simply can't produce enough food to supply the people of the Principality, let alone mobilize the army to fight." cried the Duke, who was rather distressed.

Seeing that Cardinal St. Bogdan's face turned red with anger, many priests and apologists also held their weapons tightly. Although there was no prior discussion, Philip II and Grand Duke Zandora cooperated seamlessly. They exchanged a look, and both of them saw a trace of happiness in each other's eyes.However, just before the situation was about to get out of control, Cardinal St. Bogdan showed a listening expression, and then the tense muscles on his face relaxed.

"Just now, His Majesty the Supreme Pope Nicholas gave me a sacred decree!" He raised his voice, and his words cut through the noise in front of him like a sharp knife, "I should apologize to you for the fierce words just now, especially Flo His Majesty Philip II of the Kingdom of Ersa and His Excellency Grand Duke Zandora Baraung of the Kingdom of Deldes, you are absolutely right, now is indeed not the time to launch a large-scale war." He humbly bowed and apologized, Philip II and Grand Duke Zandora looked at each other in blank dismay, and had no choice but to bow in return.

"I hope that my anger didn't make me say those stupid things just now. Of course I can't do it without luggage. Even the pious belief in my lord Flandara can't make hungry soldiers defeat those barbaric heretics. It takes time to prepare for a big battle. It is even more necessary to mobilize a large amount of manpower and material resources, so His Majesty the Supreme Pope has decided to start war against the pagan country in the north when the spring is warm and the flowers are blooming, and the golden morning light of the Lord of Glory, Flandara, shines on the earth. , I hope that His Majesty the King and His Excellency the Duke will be ready for all battles."

"In other words, it will take about two months..." Grand Duke Zandora pondered for a moment, then raised his sharp eyes and said, "Lord Cardinal Saint Bogdan, forgive me, two months It's still not enough."

"I'm afraid I can't give you more time to prepare, Your Excellency Grand Duke Zandora." Cardinal St. Bogdan's mouth showed a disturbing smile, but it was not a threat, but a triumphant smile, light blue Bright eyes shone brightly. "Because the death of Lord Saint Belikov has made the loyal Knights of the Temple of Glory furious, especially the Knights of the Sword of Condemnation, they have set off to the north on the alchemy flying ship Light Judgment and Divine Kingdom , at this very moment, the first battle of the Holy War has begun!"

Grand Duke Zandora Baron's complexion suddenly became as pale as paper, and he took a step back involuntarily. "What?" His voice was between a grunt and a moan. "The first battle has already begun? For the sake of the Lord of Glory, Cardinal St. Bogdan, has the Knights of the Sword of Condemnation succeeded in severely injuring King Arthur?" heretics from the country?"

"You seem to attach great importance to those heretics?" Cardinal St. Bogdan whispered meaningfully, "But it's a pity that although the Knights of the Sword of Condemnation won a big victory in this battle, they didn't pay attention to those heretics." What kind of trauma did the believers cause, because the flames of war did not burn directly on the land where paganism was rampant, but just beat their allies to pieces and broke into an army."

"Then can you tell us where exactly this battle took place?" Philip II asked with a frown.

"Certainly, a northern city, Tarafezza, have you ever heard of it?"

Confused expressions appeared on the faces of Grand Duke Zandora and Philip II at the same time, obviously quite unfamiliar with this name.But not everyone has heard of it, "I know." A somewhat hoarse voice then sounded from the crowd, "I know that city, because it borders my territory, a desert with a red crescent flag Villains often invade my territory from there, killing people, plundering food and wealth..." The person who spoke was His Excellency the Grand Duke of the Principality of Flesch, with an expression of fear and surprise on his face, "That is An important military town in the Kingdom of Abraham, [-] troops are stationed there... Cardinal St. Bogdan, could it be that the sword of condemnation won a victory there?"

"That's it, Your Excellency Grand Duke Fleish, you can rest assured from now on." Cardinal St. Bogdan replied with a smile, "There is no more Tarafeza, that city has disappeared forever."

"Wait a minute, Lord Saint Bogdan!" Grand Duke Zandora said suddenly, "The glorious victory of the Knights of the Sword of Condemnation really inspires joy, and at the same time adds an indelible brilliance to the glory of our Lord Flandara , but may I take the liberty of asking you a question?"

"of course can."

"May I ask what Arthurian army is there?" Grand Duke Zandora said loudly in a contemptuous tone, "May I ask what kind of trauma the Knights of the Sword of Condemnation have caused to the Kingdom of Arthur other than a hearty killing?" Dare I ask if this battle has any positive meaning other than adding an enemy called Abraham to us?"

The smile on Cardinal St. Bogdan's face disappeared, and his eyes became cold and stern. Looking at Grand Duke Zandora, he seemed to have just discovered a heretic hidden in the Shining Alliance.

"His Excellency, Grand Duke Zandora Baron, do you think that only Leviston of the Kingdom of Arthur is the pagan enemy we must face? Don't forget those who worship the so-called Allah of the Bright Flame, distort and blaspheme our Lord Fran The desert rats of Dala teachings, if we forget about the existence of these guys, when the army of the Shining Alliance crosses the border and goes to the north, these guys will become our biggest obstacle and trouble!"

(End of this chapter)