Man on the ark, forced to become king

In addition, the various special operations teams can provide regular fire support to supplement the shortcomings of the Papal Knights and the Landon Guard.

As for the garrison responsible for city patrols, in actual wars they are mostly used to make up for the lack of regular defense forces. They are more like police officers, with their main function being to serve the people. They are mostly composed of young people who are still quite inexperienced, and the weapons they use are not firearms, but standardized axes and spears. Therefore, they cannot play a very important role.

"Then...should we contact them...?"

Violet hesitated slightly before asking.

All intelligence regarding this war came from Mostima. Even now, Laterano has no accurate estimate of the Gold Tree's specific strength, let alone how the war will start or how large it will be.

The number of enemies is a mystery, and their method of attack is unknown. Their preparations here are actually quite passive. If they want to play it safe, she feels it is necessary to contact other countries in advance so that they can react in time in case of events beyond their control.

"No, keep the news under wraps for now."

The Pope had considered Violet's idea, but when he thought of Mostima's expression when he mentioned that the leader of the Golden Tree did not allow Lateran to ask for help from outside, he felt it was better not to do so.

Mostima must know far more about the Golden Tree than they do. Her reaction indirectly confirms the Golden Tree's power. It is precisely because of this that Lateran mobilized the entire nation and deployed all its strength to prepare for war.

At this point, actively breaking through the restrictions set by the other side could suddenly worsen the situation, tilting it toward an outcome they do not want to see.

Moreover, contacting other countries has no real effect.

Lateran's two staunch allies, Iberia and Syracuse, are currently struggling to survive, and Syracuse is too weak to intervene. Other countries might also be eyeing the opportunity to benefit from the situation and secretly get involved.

Since the leader of the Golden Tree has offered to give Laterano ample time to prepare before a fair and square confrontation, it's not a bad thing for Laterano to let things proceed in this direction.

People give you a chance, and they will only make their move when you are ready. Moreover, this is a battle fought on your own country's soil, backed by your own city. If you still can't win, then it's your own problem. The gap in strength is too great, and asking for help from outside is useless.

"First, send out some cavalry to assist the Landon Guard in setting up the defensive line. You will go and take command. Don't be careless. This time, we have the people of Lateran behind us."

"Yes, Your Holiness the Pope."

-------------------------------------

Compared to the predominantly barren wilderness across the continent, Laterano is a much better place, with vast tracts of fertile land and expansive plains, free from the pollution of modern industry. It boasts a beautiful environment and a mild climate, making it an ideal place to live.

There are no natural disasters or wars. Just as the Lateran Church proclaims, this place is indeed a rare paradise. On ordinary days, Lateran residents often stroll in twos and threes in the lush fields, enjoying the warm sunshine and the gentle breeze.

However, as the shadow of war loomed, ordinary citizens were arranged to take refuge in groups, leaving the wilderness empty and tinged with a different hue.

Beside a pile of large metal crates, Xi Dejia, who had come to the border with his elders, stood in the shadow cast by the crates, nervously alerting his surroundings.

She took off her old nun's habit and put on a dark blue dress. Normally, such clothes are not suitable for combat, and the monks in the monastery probably understood this, so they made some modifications to make it more suitable for combat. They largely retained the style of the dress, but added a series of things that had nothing to do with a dress, such as a tactical waist pack and arm guards.

She held a composite bow that was far too large for the girl's petite frame; its length was almost greater than Brother Sidgar's entire height.

With the rapid development of modern technology, weapons must also keep pace with the times. Langdon Abbey is skilled in the use of bows and arrows, so it has put a lot of effort into this area. Even though it is still behind new weapons such as firearms, it is still much better than the wooden or iron bows of the past.

Special metals combined with a meticulously designed pulley system allow users to fire arrows with greater power using the same force. The armor plates attached to the bow arms can be used as shields to block attacks, and the sharp ramming horn also gives the composite bow, which is originally intended for ranged attacks, a certain degree of melee capability.

The cost of this modification is that it significantly increases the weight of the bow. The all-metal construction is enough to deter ordinary people, making it difficult to even pick up, let alone draw and shoot arrows.

However, the young Sister Sidgar could handle it; although the bow was about the same size as her, she could still hold it easily and move it freely, which was one of the reasons why Bishop Langdon agreed to let her come along.

Those who can join the Landon Guard based on their own strength are not mediocre. Sometimes age doesn't mean anything; strength is the most important thing. Although Sidgar is young, he already has the qualifications to participate in this war.

She insisted, and Bishop Langdon had no reason to refuse.

However, compared to her predecessors, the girl lacked experience and was therefore extremely nervous, not daring to relax for a moment as she did not know when the enemy would appear.

His serious demeanor almost made the papal knight next to him, who was in charge of assembling the defensive devices, burst out laughing.

Of course, this is not meant to be mocking. The girl's tense little face paired with her heterochromatic eyes is really cute, giving people the feeling of a child pretending to be serious.

“Brother Sidjia, would you like to sit down and rest? Don’t stand still. This is a plain with a wide field of vision. In daylight, we have plenty of time to spot the enemy, and besides—”

The armor pieces clanged together with a crisp sound. The Papal Knight, with two revolvers at his waist, patted the metal base beside him. Even though his face was not covered by the visor, one could feel the pride and arrogance in his voice: "This is the latest equipment. Once assembled, it will be far more useful than our eyes."

"...No, I don't need to rest."

Moreover, I trust my own eyes more than these things—this is a sentence that Xi Dejia did not say aloud, but kept silently in his heart.

She turned her head to examine the 'latest equipment,' which looked like a thickened street lamp. A black metal block was mounted on the base, and judging from the firing port, it should be some kind of long-range attack weapon. Besides it, there were other empty spaces on the base, probably because the things to be installed were still in the box, so they were empty for the time being.

Is this thing really reliable?

Langdon Abbey lacked such technological equipment, and the overall environment was still in a relatively backward stage. Therefore, Sidgar didn't know much about such things, and her warrior instincts made her distrust cold, inanimate objects.

How could a cold, hard lump of metal compare to a well-trained body?

Such arguments would certainly draw ridicule outside the monastery, but within Langdon Abbey, many people shared this view, including Sidgar.

For her, her honed skills and the bow and arrow in her hand were the most trustworthy things.

"I think you don't understand at all!"

Sidja was not good at hiding her emotions. The Papal Knight saw the doubt hidden in the girl's eyes at a glance and began to explain with great interest. It was clear that he really liked the 'new equipment' that he had assembled himself.

"I'm telling you, this—um, wait, it looks like someone's coming?"

However, before the popular science could begin, it was interrupted by a figure appearing on the horizon. Xi Dejia, who had not put down his weapon, also noticed the person coming from afar. Instinctively, he raised his bow, nocked an equally large arrow, and the bright red arrowhead reflected a cold luster in the sunlight, ready to be released at any moment.

As is well known, Langdon Abbey has three types of arrows, with red representing hunting.

“Wait, you’re being too sensitive, Brother Sidgar.”

The Papal Knight reached out to stop the quick-thinking little nun, pulled up the revolver hanging on his left side, and stood in front of Sidgar.

"I see a halo, it's Sarkaz, don't attack."

Those returning to Laterano at this time could be executors stationed abroad, or messengers from various nations traveling to different lands. A Sarkaz with a bright aura is most likely not an enemy.

"Sorry, I was too excited."

Taking a deep breath, Brother Sidgar was about to put down his bow when a gust of wind suddenly blew from behind him. A dark shadow flashed by, and Sakta, dressed in a black dress, was already standing in front of them, her back to them, her hand on the guard musket at her waist, as if facing a formidable enemy.

"Cardinal Violet?!"

"what……"

Without turning around, Violet said in a deep voice, "Take up your weapons, cavalry, and the little guys from the Landon Guard. That man is dangerous."

Her gaze wasn't fixed on Sakta approaching from afar, but rather on the figure beside him, a strong sense of crisis rising from the depths of her heart.

In fact, she spotted the approaching figure even before the two people assembling the defense system there, which is why she rushed over.

That person gave her the feeling of intense heat, as if he wanted to set the field ablaze, and he exposed it without any attempt to conceal it.

The appearance of this powerful stranger at this juncture, even with a Sarkaz by his side—

Wait, that person?!

As the distance closed, Violet noticed Sakta beside the man.

That outfit, and that guard gun...

You can’t go wrong!

"That is……"

"I am Outcast, it's been a long time, Violet."

A golden shadow swept across the field, covering hundreds or even thousands of meters in an instant. Standing a dozen meters away from Violet, Outcast raised his cowboy hat, revealing a slightly aged face, and greeted her with a smile.

outcast, the abandoned.

The name shook Violet to her core, even causing her to lose her composure for a moment. She argued fiercely, "We all know it wasn't your fault, Cardinal Cade!"

“I am no longer a cardinal, Violet.”

Outcast smiled and shook her head, raising her hand to mimic firing a handgun. Her words made Violet's eyes widen instantly.

"This time, we are enemies."

Chapter Eleven Warm-up Exercises

"How, how could it be?"

Violet stared wide-eyed in disbelief, desperately hoping it was all a hallucination.

However, reality is reality, and it will not change because of her personal will.

Before her eyes, Outcast remained motionless, while the man beside him silently watched everything.

After more than a decade apart, they met again, but now stood on opposing sides.

“This won’t do, Violet. You are a Cardinal. How can you show such weakness in front of the enemy?”

Outcast lowered his arms and gazed at the pure white holy city nestled in the distance on the plains, the smile that had been on his face fading slightly.

She has never returned to her hometown since that incident.

Indeed, as Violet said, many people did not think it was her fault, but she herself did not think so.

Others' opinions are not important; what truly matters is the answer deep within your heart.

So she left, abandoning her cardinal status and her former name, exiling herself and leaving the sacred land of Sarkaz.

Now, after many years, I have returned here. Things have changed. The holy city is still the same holy city, but she is no longer the same as she was back then.

Who would have thought that returning to his hometown years later would be as an enemy?

"Have you betrayed Laterano, Outcast?"

As a cardinal, she was not so fragile as to be easily defeated. Her emotional breakdown lasted only a few seconds before she quickly regained her composure and gripped her Guardian Gun.

But she did not pull it out.