Shadow of the Evil God

"The ministers all agree," Clephas suddenly said, "that the Hissaean school is the most dangerous of all schools. They have not delved deeply into the ways of the soul, but are extremely skilled in destruction and ruin, and are the school most often hired in wars. What are your plans for this school, Trisius?"

Just another test like always. Trisius tried to control his emotions and keep his expression subdued. While Cleface might appear to be soliciting advice, he actually had his own ideas, which he presented solely to scrutinize and judge. His scrutiny was constant, his judgments endless; it could be said that this was just the way he was. If someone repeatedly defied his expectations, they were no more than nonexistent to him.

"I think their deployment this time is unusual. They claim to be interfering in the secular world, but in reality, it has nothing to do with it," Trisius said. "Firstly, they've made a deal with the Temple, which is unprecedented. Secondly, they hope to use the Temple's permission to intervene in the secular war on a large scale, something unprecedented since the fall of the Frank Empire. Having a school of magic join the war will indeed greatly increase our advantage, but I don't think they'll participate most of the time."

"So what's your suggestion? How should we explore the details in the negotiations and define the proper scope of their obligations?"

The prince smiled. "According to the reports from our informants and the long-standing feud between their schools, I believe we should refrain from any schemes or rhetoric. We should negotiate openly and honestly, placing the Yesterlen School on the line, and using the Templars and the Invisible Assassins as leverage as well. They will undoubtedly significantly impact the balance of power in the School War."

Chapter 256: Squeezing the Teacher Dry

"Then this negotiation will go as you wish, Trisius," said Cleface.

The upside was that with Cleface at court, Trisius didn't have to worry about the long-standing palace intrigues of the Kasar Empire. His own brother, after a warning from Cleface, was so terrified that he never dared to cause trouble again. The ministers who wanted to support him were exiled to the border. In this regard, his father's illegitimate children were actually more friendly to him.

With the old man's words, Clefas was certain of command during the upcoming expedition. Since he would be the one to discuss and decide on the obligations of the Hisai School, he would also be responsible for discussing and formulating most of the battle strategies for this expedition.

Undoubtedly, this war will profoundly shake up the currently stable situation and alter numerous issues. Once the dust settles, all the key players will become known. The largest divided empire in the north will be completely isolated, and the southern kingdoms will no longer rely solely on the Chancellor for support. They will undoubtedly be the greatest victors in this sudden shift in the situation.

The Great Temple of Sagaros defeated and annexed the Hisai School, another school of magic, and the Noble Council of the Franks. Every force that supported them would eventually belong to them, forming a perfect whole.

The obstacles along the way are just insignificant stones.

......

The weather was as scorching as usual. Cesar rode along the road, leaving behind the fortress under reconstruction and the trenches being dug. Their troops rode north, passed through a quarry near the fortress, and entered the northern territory under the jurisdiction of both the Kasar Empire and Olidan.

Near the Imperial garrison, a patrol of Imperial border cavalry intercepted them. Initially wary, they dismounted and knelt in respect after Artinia approached them briefly. One can imagine them rushing back to inform the various towns that their princess, Artinia, had finally reappeared after a long absence from the military academy at Domini and was now serving as a military commander at the southern fortress.

"At least people won't say you're blinded by love," Cesar said.

"Such rumors are not worth worrying about," Altinya continued, clinging to him as always. "I have no interest in insignificant talk. I want to hear something more powerful, sir. You haven't finished telling me about the city's defenses yet. Could you please put aside that interlude and continue?"

I have to say, as a seeker of knowledge, this guy puts a lot of pressure on her teacher. Someone else would have gone crazy and drained her brain before going crazy.

"From the northern Kasar Empire to the southern Auridan," Cesar said, "the only way to get there is narrow. From the top of the wall, you can see the lowlands between the cliffs on both sides. However, the fortress itself cannot block the entire north-south passage like a giant wall."

"indeed so."

"If the enemy army is large enough, with multiple main forces, they could easily send some troops to besiege the fortress, ensuring it is safe, and then detach the other part to bypass and march south. Because the defenses are empty and Olidan is busy with civil war, this main force can advance directly and cut off our logistics routes. Not to mention that we will be isolated and lose all supplies, the damage it causes to the rear will also undermine our status in the eyes of Evered IV. The territories we have seized through our own efforts will be greatly affected, and we will inevitably end up with nowhere to go."

"But considering the relative strength of our forces, it's almost impossible to leave the city to fight," Altinya said. "At least it's very difficult to do so."

"If you think it's impossible, then I think it is," Cesar said. "You have a better eye than I do in this regard. So, it all comes back to the city defense artillery."

"You mean, to make sure we can cover the entire area between the two ends of the cliff with the city defense artillery."

"That's the ideal approach," Cesar replied. "This also requires us to prepare a sufficient number of artillery pieces before the war, with an adequate supply of ammunition. Even the quality of the artillery must be sufficient to sustain long-term firing and rotational use. We must also build workshops within the city to complete repair work within the fortress. Besides the roads in front and behind the fortress, the passages on both sides, while not necessarily destroyed, must also be rebuilt to ensure that cavalry cannot pass through, and infantry must be carefully considered when passing through."

Altinia pondered. "Although destructive spells must be used with caution and the attitudes of the various temples must be carefully considered, I believe that if the Corpse Eaters approach first, we can use the Shawl Order as witnesses and provide a suitable excuse. Then, you can have that little Ferrières beside you use her foresight to modify the terrain on both sides of the fortress. By then, not only will the infantry have access, but even the invisible assassins will have to climb the cliffs on both sides to bypass them."

"That's certainly a solution," Cesar nodded, even though he didn't think Fils could pull it off. "We have the Shawl Society as witnesses, and we have the excuse of defending ourselves against the Corpse Eaters. This can clear us of suspicion of using destructive magic in secular warfare. As for Cleface's army crashing into us later, they were courting their own doom."

Artiniya smiled: "I want to say 'bad luck', but 'seeking death' is also OK. But for the young Grandmaster beside you who is capable of doing this, perhaps you have to make a little effort and find her in the wasteland.

More life-giving nourishment." She glanced toward the carriage.

"She's wanted to do this for a long time, but Diana has always stood in her way, confining her exploration of magic to the underground testing grounds," Cesar said. "Has the Grand Master ever done something similar before?"

"Yes," she said. "Before the Frankish Empire fell, many destructive spells of unimaginable scale appeared during that war. Many of these involved rituals that took entire schools over a month to prepare, ultimately reducing entire regions to devastation. Later, to prevent similar incidents from happening again, the various temples worked together to restrict the mages of their schools, using the threats posed by the Orvera School to force them to Itris. Now that the Hisai School wants to interfere in the secular war in the name of the temples, I believe the trajectory of the war has changed."

It's a crazy world, Altinya's tone seemed to say, but her eyes said something completely different.

"Today's artillery is still too fragile," Cesar said. "I'd love to see artillery win battles and infantry take over, but that's not realistic right now. I'm not a craftsman, so I can only watch and do nothing."

"I've heard that the monks of Sagaros are quite knowledgeable about craftsmen and forging, but their temple..."

The Shroud of the Hiel Temple provided him with considerable aid, not only primitive antibiotics, but also medical methods far superior to those of ordinary people. If he could win over the Temple of Sagaros, the assistance they would provide would be even more incredible. However, Cesar could only imagine it. Until this war was over, there would be no chance for the Temple of Sagaros to communicate with him.

"Let's see how many lost hermits we can find along the way," Cesar shook his head. "With Brother Xiluo here to guide us, at least we won't be looking for a needle in a haystack. If we can find those who sailed across the ocean with the fleet, you can come forward and talk to them. We will definitely receive unimaginable help."

Chapter 257: We the Borgia Family

......

Although the purpose of the raid was achieved, the team that launched the raid was completely gone, even the bodies were gone. There was only a dirty shell crater on the ground, surrounded by broken trees and armor debris.

Saino personally searched the shell crater with a shovel, searching until nightfall, when he finally found his general direction. He found a smashed helmet, a dented breastplate, and a pile of charred carbon that looked like body parts. Digging, he unearthed a slender, familiar human hand, a woman's. It had been blown off at the wrist, but it was still twitching. If it hadn't twitched, Saino wouldn't have been able to tell whose hand it was, but since it was moving, it was undoubtedly Isri's.

Exhausted from digging, he returned to camp for the night, leaving his soldiers on guard. He then returned to the scene in the morning. Before dusk, he had unearthed the remaining parts of his beloved niece, packed them up, and brought them back to camp via oxcart. The next morning, she lay bundled up and paralyzed in her bed. The rest of her troops were dead, but her legendary fame would live on. The undead knight, Isley, would live on.

"You slept all night before coming here, and then slept all night again." Yisli said while sitting on the bed.

"That's right." Saino nodded as he stood beside the desk. "I slept all night before digging out the rest of you. I kept you buried for a long time, but I needed to relax."

Isley said nothing, but her expression was more intense than the curses she'd cursed out of control. It reminded Sayno of the dramatic performances at the Royal Capital Theater, where the actors' expressions were intense and their movements exaggerated. Even without listening to the audio, he could sense the intensity of the performances. Isley's current expression was perfectly suited to the theater; if he spoke these words, she might completely lose control.

Seeing her growing dissatisfaction, Sai Nuo added, "Besides, you can go do your own thing."

Yisili's expression changed instantly: "Are you making fun of me, Uncle Saino?"

"That's not what I meant," Sainuo shrugged. "You can go do your own thing, that's all. You've done a great job. Although one day before, you woke up with your head and body inexplicably severed, causing me to wait for you to recover, you've done a great job recently. Now, you're not needed here anymore." At this point, he gave her a kind smile. "This is my encouragement to you, do you understand?"

"I really want to change my last name, Uncle Saino, do you know how malicious your smile is?"

"It's obvious that you can't change, because both sides of your hatred are also members of the Borgia family. You have nothing else in your mind except our family." Saino said to her calmly, "Do you understand, Yisili? If you understand, you can leave. No matter what, in the end, you are still a member of our family."

"I want to know what happened. I have the right and reason to doubt all your actions, and I also have the right and reason to doubt all your promises." Yisli said persistently.

"When I don't want you to leave, you want to disappear every now and then, and when I agree, you ask me the reason?" Saino asked her back.

"Isn't capriciousness a natural talent in our family?" Isley asked him back, "You're being too erratic right now. I can't understand you. If I don't understand what's going on, then no matter what you say, I won't do it."

"Then it's up to you. You can also be an idle gilded nobleman and just stay in the barracks and watch the show." Saino said, "I don't need you recently, and maybe I won't need you even after this war is over. Although you can't return to Dominion yet, I allow you to do your own thing with unimaginable magnanimity. This is all to encourage you, it's that simple. And to be honest, when I think about waking up one morning and having to face your torn body in the tent next door, I feel sick all over. This will happen many times in the future, right? You always fail, Isley."

"I can fail many times, but he can only fail once."

"You're really good at talking sweet words, but I think you're just like a cockroach and always manage to escape."

"What if I told you that I would not only throw myself completely into my personal vendetta, but that I would also sell the northern fortresses for my personal vendetta and aid Clefas's army in its advance?"

"You can do whatever you want, it has nothing to do with me," said Saino.

"You said Cesar was worthy of attention." Isley was even more confused. "Besides, it's the most important fortress in northern Olidan. I've said this much, and you still don't care?"

"If you think you have what it takes, you can give it a try. If you succeed and show me the key role you played in taking down the city, then I'll naturally recognize your ability, and I'll value you even more than before."

Isri stood up, and Sayno noticed that she had fully recovered, faster than usual. It seemed that the temple she had traded with had given her many benefits. "I think, Uncle Sayno," she said, "even with our support and the large amount of funds that Cesar gave to Efred IV, the army of the Royal Family of Olidan is still no match for the coalition of nobles. Even if you use strategy and rely on my surprise attacks to solve many difficulties, the Royal Family is still at a disadvantage overall. If the north is broken and Clefas leads his army south, this will

The edge is completely vulnerable."

"It's remarkable," said Sayno, "that this is the first time you've taken the war at Olidan seriously. I thought your head was so full of personal grudges that it couldn't hold anything else."

"So, what changed the situation?"

"You don't have to care about that."

"If the North's defeat becomes irrelevant, then either Dominic has changed his mind, or more reinforcements are coming. Dominic has many troops stationed in the Chancellor's empire, and it's already a stretch to mobilize us. If the situation changes, then I think..."

"Okay, stop thinking about it, my dear niece." Saino waved his hand. "Our dear queen has found the queen of the other side, and it seems that they have reached some kind of agreement. I don't care what the agreement is, but Garcia is bringing troops here. At the same time, we will completely let go of our attention to the northern fortress and pretend that it doesn't exist. We will neither support nor interfere. Let it fend for itself, so it doesn't matter what you think."

"I understand." Yisri stared at him with her large, light gray eyes. "The key point isn't that many people want Gular Fortress to fall, but that your beloved eldest brother is coming, Uncle Saino. You're as excited as a young girl hearing that a prince is coming. Perhaps I should point out that both you and your sister have a love for your eldest brother, the firstborn in the family, that goes far beyond blood ties."

The corners of Sayno's mouth twitched, and he felt like he was about to have a seizure. As soon as he put his hand on the hilt of the sword, Isley quickly retreated, as fast as a giant cockroach, standing right in the window where he couldn't pierce her chest with his sword.

"Look, you've never been this angry, Uncle Sayno," Isley continued. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have angered you, but of course, I don't blame you. When displaced, no one can avoid admiring their older brother, who took such good care of them when they were little. It's just that you two went a little too far, and your sister was even a step ahead of you. She was at her most beautiful and charming age, with nobles vying for her from the northernmost to the southernmost reaches of Dominica. Her gentle words made Uncle Garcia make a big mistake. But you couldn't do that. You were just a little boy back then."

He shook his head. "Don't tell me about this, Isley. If you want to do your thing, then go ahead and do it, but I don't want Garcia to know about this, and I don't want you to mention it to him. In short, the farther you go, the better. Do you understand? Garcia is the one in the family who cares most about Cesar. He personally found him a swordsmanship teacher and even paid him back wages for this."

Isley smiled. "You really care about Uncle Garcia, Uncle Saino. You two siblings each care about him in your own way, don't you? No wonder he wants to stay away from the Domini royal family and the Borgia family. In my opinion, he really wants to stay away from you two, right?"

"In recent years, he really hasn't been very kind to the two of us." Sainuo continued to shake his head. "Perhaps my actions in the family were a bit excessive. Of course, my dear sister was also excessive. But now that things have come to this, we can only find a way to make amends."

"Your way of making amends is to make decisions on important family matters without your permission and keep Uncle Garcia in the dark?" Isley's smile widened. "I bet if he knew what was happening today, he'd definitely regret taking care of you two when you were little. Some brothers and sisters look adorable when they're young, but they can be terrifying when they grow up. Isn't that right, Uncle Saino?"

Saino sat down on the bed, pressing his hand against his twitching brow. "I admit, I've done many wrong things to protect my family." He looked at Isley with a gloomy gaze. "But so what? These things are very common in the history of the nobility. Some people just leave things to servants, or even force people to commit suicide in a roundabout way, but I did it myself. If you look at it rationally, your mother's pain only lasted ten seconds. In an ordinary noble family, she might have suffered for decades before committing suicide. Honestly, as long as a person walks around a bloody battlefield, when he returns, he will no longer feel any guilt about the blood on his hands, because compared to the killings on the battlefield, those killings are just insignificant trifles."

"You're quite good at making excuses for yourself, Uncle Sayno," said Isley. "All I can tell is that you have no sense of guilt."

Chapter 258 We Are a Family

"I'm actually quite puzzled as to why some people always think of me as a crazy parricide," Saino said nonchalantly. "You know, I never kill without reason. I'm neither a lunatic lacking rationality nor an assassin who only cares about money. I have my own integrity and persistence, far beyond the reach of ordinary people."

Isley looked at him. "The most remarkable thing about you, Uncle Saino, is that even with your hands stained with blood, you still genuinely believe you have a perfect family and a perfect kinship. Will you always ask them to perform for you, to play the role of a loyal wife and well-behaved children? You'd better not count on it."

"I told you to do your own thing, Isley. You always talk more than Isett and squawk more annoying than a mouse. If you were even a little less talkative, I would keep you here."

"Think what you will," she said. "Now your dear family is going to murder another of your family members for their own personal grudges. I hope you will always think of yourself that way."

"Of course I will, my dear niece," said Saino. "No matter what, we are family."

......

The army marched through the dilapidated woods until the sky darkened and night fell on the earth. They finally reached the edge of the expected town and camped by a river. This unnamed river was much narrower than the long river from Sodoris to Gural Fortress, but it was much less polluted and clear.

Cesar could see the forest growing thicker under the moonlight. The further north they went, the denser the vegetation, indicating they had left the dragon's lair. The suffocating and oppressive heat would gradually ease. He first bled the dog, exhausted from the long journey with the invisible blade, then gave Altinia a drop of blood, confirming that no dragons were roosting nearby. Only then did he conclude his day's work.

He took his sword and chopped wood to build his own bonfire, as he was used to doing. As for the princess, as expected, she still had to inspect the camp, ensuring that the entire army was within her sight before resting. She was still wearing the same knight's armor, her silver hair tied in a bun, a longsword hanging from her body, and a musket that could be held in one hand at her waist. She looked extremely eye-catching.

The two mages had no intention of attracting attention. One of them was only visible to the other two, and did not exist to the others. After Cesar had piled the dead branches into a pile and patiently lit them with flint, iron, and tinder, the two of them got off the carriage and gathered around the bonfire by the river.

The one-eyed mage from the Black Sword was sitting by another bonfire, trying to pry the secrets of the Empire from Brother Shiloh, asking questions over and over again, tirelessly. Halfway through, he looked like he was about to ask Cesar how to approach a monk, but when he saw the mage from the Yestren School by the bonfire, he immediately retreated.

Because of the school's reputation, those in the know were reluctant to approach Diana. Cesar had tried to joke about it, but she gave him a stern glare, forcing him to remain silent. Phils was complaining again about how normal their journey had been. However, with the army accompanying them, there was no way wild beasts were roaming around, and the monsters of folklore would stay away. Honestly, he didn't expect any.

Cesar lay on his back by the river, watching tiny sparks drift into the night sky. The starlight occasionally illuminated the night, seeming unreal and ethereal. To this day, he was still unsure whether the world had stars, or whether the sky was round and flat, and everything was an illusion in the sky, but this idea seemed meaningless to him.

Firth caught fish from the river and gave them to Cesar to roast. Magical flames were more ethereal than starlight, capable of burning a person to ash without the heat of normal heat. To melt steel armor like the magical fire of the Hesai school seemed even more complex than understanding the soul.

Cesar used the remaining branches to build a small rack and skewered the fish, passing it around the campfire. He felt the temperature with his hands as it roasted, and finally tore off a piece to feed Phils. She sat beside him, hugging her knees and opening her mouth to accept his feed. When it was Diana's turn, he received a glare, and was forced to give her the other fish, whole.

"Old One-Eye heard half-truths," Diana explained, chewing on her tongue. "Because they're half-truths, they're often exaggerated and more alarmist than true rumors. And One-Eye used to be a member of the Hisai School, so the rumors there are often even more alarmist than those from other schools."

Cesar listened and nodded repeatedly, tearing off another piece for Phils. She just chewed the fish, her body leaning, her head resting on him.

"What do you think, Diana, if we assume that the Hisai School will interfere in this war, how should we respond?" Cesar asked her.

"You really give me a hard time," Diana sighed.

"We have to think of something, even if it's a pre-planned plan," Cesar said. "Although the Hisai School may not necessarily intervene on a large scale and burn the city with fire every time they fight, I think they will definitely be there."

Those blue eyes flickered in the firelight. "The Ritual Stone," Diana said. "I heard that when the Sasoulai invaded the lower city, you and Finnie sealed a sword dancer's spell in the dog pit. I've been trying to restore the Ritual Stone to its original state lately, but haven't been very successful. If I could find the lost hermit monks in the north and ask them about Grand Master Ferriers's past deeds, perhaps I could gain some insights and overcome some of the obstacles."

"You think that lockdown had something to do with me?"

“I think it has something to do with you

"Or rather, it's related to your path. Don't you feel that the path to the Crimson Realm has fallen upon you as if it were destined?"

"Unless there's something else behind Sean that I don't know about," Cesar replied. "I think that's indeed a problem, but it's not something we should be considering right now. And I think that only when Her Royal Highness can become the Queen will we have room to delve into many of the things that bother us."

"I'm afraid we'll have to wait until all the other self-proclaimed emperors stop calling themselves emperors," Diana said. She bit slowly into the fish, her eyes lost in the hazy glow of the fire. "By then, many of us might already be old."

"That's just how worldly people are." After finishing the fish in Cesar's hand, Firth finally gave her assessment. Cesar gently rubbed her face, realizing that this guy had always thought this way. Even though she was the most emotional part of Firth's soul, she still lacked attention to worldly people and things. No matter how rampant they were now, they would eventually die of old age, and she would become the only winner.

Cesar found it difficult to assess Phils's state of mind, so he looked down at the bare branch in his hand, then sideways at Diana, who had just taken a bite of the last piece of fish when she noticed his gaze and raised her brow.

"What are you looking at me for?"

"Look," Cesar said, sidling up and taking Diana's hand. "We're a family. I haven't eaten yet. Do you know what I want to say?"

Characters and Relationships So Far (Contains Spoilers)

Because some readers said there are too many names, I'll just list them briefly. Countries and regions that don't appear in the story are not listed. I have to divide the chapters into several chapters because if it exceeds 1,000 words, it will automatically be charged. If it's not correct, it seems that no matter what, it will be charged. So I'll write carefully so that it won't affect the evening updates. If you see something in the early morning, you can wait until daytime to read the supplementary part. If there are any names that are not mentioned or you need me to make up names on the spot, you can ask here.

Borgia family:

Sean: The oldest member of the Borgia family, he has no descendants and is the lord of Neuen. Although he has a good sense for economics, he is keen on worshiping evil gods and spending money to draw monsters. The various monsters he summoned filled the basement of the castle. Those who are not aware of the situation think that he is a spendthrift.

Cesar: A fake Borgia, originally a sacrifice to Thane, who relied on rumors to become a fake noble and Thane's fake illegitimate son, and used this to force the elder Thane to accept his noble title.

Monuya (a newly made-up name): Sean's younger brother, the second oldest member of the Borgia family after Sean. He has a bunch of children and is always worried about the inheritance rights of Neuen that he lost. Every once in a while, he sends one of his children to Neuen to see when Sean will die.

Garcia: Monuya's eldest son and Cesar's fake cousin. He spent his childhood in Neuen. After Monuya lost his inheritance rights, he and his father wandered to the capital of Dominica. Later, he relied on his outstanding military talents to become the most powerful general and nobleman in Dominica.

Fenasia (a newly made-up name): Monuya's eldest daughter and Cesar's fake cousin. She spent her childhood in Neuen. After Monuya lost her inheritance rights, she and her father wandered to the capital of Dominica. She later became queen, but she only admired her brother Garcia.

Saino: Monuya's second son, Cesar's fake cousin, and the last of Monuya's children who spent his childhood in Neuen. Like his sister, he was taken care of by Garcia when he was displaced. Although he later got married and started a family, he admired his brother Garcia very much.

Isley: Saino's niece. Her father was addicted to alcohol, gambling, and prostitution, and her mother was murdered by Saino. The only uncle in her family who treated her as a human being was the one Cesar met when he escaped the castle. Ever since learning of her uncle's murder, Isley has been plotting to murder Sein and his son. With Sein holed up in Noyen, she has no other options, so she starts with Cesar.

Iset: Saino's nephew, Isli's older brother who is about the same age as him. He is more liked by Saino because he is sensible and obedient.

In the city of Neuen (before the war, it belonged to the Kingdom of Dominion, and after the war, it belonged to the Kingdom of Olidan):

Canaday: Sean's trusted interrogator, who treats torture as a corporate job, neither enjoying it nor resisting it. He expressionlessly considers how to torture people more effectively, just for the sake of his job. However, his professional skills are mediocre, so he doesn't get any results. He is also the one who accepts Sean's true face.

Askrid: Sean's trusted general, he was originally a spy sent by the Dominican royal family. However, after seeing Sean's true face, he could not resist the temptation and quietly surrendered, thus the spy became a loyalist.