Volume 6 Chapter 73 Preparing for Battle in Various Ways Before the War Begins
The day after the imperial army was spotted in various parts of the kingdom.
In the royal capital, the news spread quickly──before they could even impose a gag order──causing the citizens to panic.
At the same time, the [Pilgrim of Truth] finally appeared in the royal capital.
This was no time for a 'Don't bully the Church' demonstration. The royal capital was in complete chaos from the early morning.
A preacher proclaiming the end times.
Guards chasing after them.
The streets were nearly empty, and the doors of the houses were tightly shut.
There had been no major terrorist attacks like explosions, but the residents were completely terrified of the cult that appeared overnight.
It was no wonder.
The double punch of the [Pilgrim of Truth] and the imperial army.
Moreover, it was reported that the imperial army had already started sporadic fighting since last night.
The end times preached by the cult weighed heavily on the citizens of the royal capital.
Even now, the sound of a guard's whistle calling for reinforcements echoed in the distance... On such streets of the royal capital, Randy and Liz were walking toward the academy.
The upscale residential area.
The back alley of the tavern that was a shortcut to the academy.
And the main road leading to the academy.
The usual path was wrapped in an eerie silence, different from usual.
"We're still far from the royal capital, but everyone is so jumpy."
"It can't be helped. The kingdom has been peaceful for the last hundred years."
Liz showed a wry smile, almost back to her usual self thanks to yesterday and today.
She still had some anxiety and worry, but she laughed, saying she would trust Alan and Volcan since they promised to protect her.
Still, she couldn't help but be concerned.
"I wonder if Cecily is okay."
Even though the opening ceremony had already ended, Cecilia was still at Hartfield.
As the lord's daughter, she couldn't just run away alone from here.
"Well, Luke is there, so it's fine. Plus, Abel and the others said they would send help."
The 3 squad leaders were all gathered.
To be honest, if someone wanted to break through those 3 and reach Hartfield, they would need to deploy a significant amount of force.
Even if Luke and the others were to be defeated, Victor still had Harrison, Keith, and Volcan by his side.
The Dukedom was in chaos, but surprisingly, the adventurers remained calm and were coordinating with Aaron, so Victor still had some strength left.
The adventurers could fight without hesitation since they were up against cult terrorists, not the Imperial Army.
"Braubelg seems to be doing well too,"
Randy heard rumors about the strength of the Braubelg Navy.
So far, they were showing a fantastic fight, holding back the Imperial Navy.
"The only thing that worries me is..."
Just as Randy furrowed his brow, a man who looked like a [Pilgrim of Truth] jumped out from an alley.
The man, with wild eyes, reached out to Liz while shouting a strange cry──
Randy's backhand slammed into the man's face.
The man was sent flying into the alley, crashing headfirst into a garbage pile, twitching.
Satisfied that he had held back, Randy nodded, saying, "Good, good," as he glanced at the man.
"What I'm really curious about is, why did the Empire send the [Pilgrim of Truth] to the capital?"
As Randy started walking again, Liz tilted her head and asked, "Maybe to cause chaos in the capital?"
"That's true, but..."
Randy, with his arms crossed, began to explain why the [Pilgrim of Truth] hadn't appeared in the capital before.
The reason for the Empire's advance was a pretext of "worrying about the kingdom's citizens who were afraid of the cult," a mere facade for the kingdom's sake.
Therefore, taking too long to advance would invite criticism from other countries.
That's why the Empire preferred a quick resolution.
And the key to a quick resolution was the capital.
If they captured the capital, it would practically mean victory for the Empire.
The responsibility for this crisis lay with the kingdom's government.
By saying things like that, they could occupy the capital and dismantle the government.
At the same time, if they pulled back the [Pilgrim of Truth]... how strange.
The moment the Empire took command instead of the government, the cult would be destroyed, and peace would return to the kingdom's people.
That was the plan.
So, they let the [Pilgrim of Truth] run wild outside the royal capital.
If the Knight Order came to suppress it, the capital would be left weak.
Plus, if the royal capital is safe but they can't control the other territories, the royal family and government will face growing dissatisfaction.
When the government changes, the built-up dissatisfaction will turn into expectations for the empire.
That's why they didn't let the [Pilgrim of Truth] run wild in the royal capital.
Randy thought this way.
And the demonstration of 'Don't bully the Church' crushed the empire's plans.
It's different from the [Pilgrim of Truth', but it's a large-scale protest right in the government's backyard.
It also gives a reason to keep the Knight Order in the capital.
In other words, that demonstration can be seen as a move to strengthen the capital's defenses.
That's why Randy suspects that Braubelg secretly led the demonstration.
A forced move to strengthen the capital's defenses.
Even after the war ends, the government's incompetence will be exposed, and they will face another crisis.
It's a smart move that combines Lucian's usual annoyances with practical benefits, but Alan just laughed and said, "Not far off."
And now, here comes the riot of the [Pilgrim of Truth].
It's hard to believe the empire would give a reason to keep the Knight Order stuck in the capital, and Lucian doesn't need to get involved any further.
"So, it's coming to this..."
"The Knight Order is now absent."
"It can't be helped."
Randy's loud sigh echoed through the street.
To think they would send the Knight Order out at such an important moment.
The kingdom's government might really be foolish.
That thought slipped out.
"But Sir Alan said, 'Something strange will happen, but don't worry. It's all part of the plan.'"
"Well, that's true..."
Randy, looking like he bit into a sour bug, frowned even more and said, "I don't like that either."
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)