The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 640 If my guess is correct, it was most likely the Holy Spirit who did it.
The wilderness outside Greystone Town on the eastern border of Twilight Province.

A biting wind swept across the cratered, frozen earth, but it couldn't dispel the pungent smell of blood and gunpowder. Broken wooden shields crackled in the embers, and various weapons and mangled corpses lay scattered on the charred earth.

Looking around, tens of thousands of ogres and goblins lay piled together, interspersed with what appeared to be humanoid skeletons.

Without a doubt, it was a skeleton.

Clad in a deep purple cashmere robe, Luo Yan rode a tall warhorse, quietly gazing at the devastated battlefield.

His gaze swept over the mangled, bloodied corpses of ogres, and the human skeletons mixed among them. After a moment, he spoke with a solemn expression.

"If my guess is correct, it was probably done by the Holy Spirit."

The heavy sound was especially clear on the silent snowfield, causing Marshal Wesley, who was riding alongside, to frown.

At this moment, behind this "Prince Colin," three thousand fully armed musketeer cavalrymen reined in their horses and stopped, among them two hundred mages from the Ottoman Empire's spellcasting corps, cloaked in robes.

This was a hastily assembled vanguard force from the Duchy of Campbell and the Empire, ordered to intercept the ogre army infiltrating human-controlled territory in the eastern part of Dusk Province.

The current situation on the mainland is already a boiling pot of water.

The main force of the Os Empire is deeply mired in the northern wilderness, locked in a fierce battle with the Holy Magic Kingdom established by the Academy, and has no time to look eastward.

In order to stabilize the eastern defense line, the Imperial Senate simply went with the flow and completely delegated the defense of Twilight Province to the neighboring Duchy of Campbell and the local armed forces, and even exceptionally granted the Holy Light Council of Twilight Province the privilege of conscripting soldiers on its own.

Normally, this power would only be granted to families that served the Holy Light.

Meanwhile, the Republic of Ryan, which was embroiled in a fierce war with many surrounding kingdoms, also tacitly accepted this fact.

After all, they also have no time to look eastward. If they can use the Twilight Province to hold back the ogres in the Dimensional Desert, it wouldn't be a bad thing.

As for the allied forces of the various kingdoms...

The ongoing war cannot be stopped by a single word from the empire; the Ottoman Empire of today is not the same empire it was a thousand years ago.

Moreover, the kingdoms' conquest of Roland City was justified by a righteous cause, and the Empire had never said it would stand on the side of the Republic of Ryan.

Even if the Saint Clement Cathedral was extremely disgusted with the Devallo family, it would never side with the National Assembly that was auctioning off the Saint Laurent Cathedral.

In fact, if the threat of chaos had not been imminent, the Pope would have already pinned the blame on the National Assembly.

Besides, it wouldn't be unfair if they really put it on someone's head.

Thus, under the tacit understanding and mutual restraint of various forces, the war-torn province of Twilight has become de facto independent.

Marshal Wesley of the Duchy of Campbell and Cosel Bryan, the Imperial officer appointed in a time of crisis, were riding alongside Prince Colin, one on each side.

Speaking of Mr. Cosell, he was an old acquaintance of Prince Colin.

When Luo Yan passed through the Holy City, he was just a centurion in the city's defense forces, living a frugal life because he supported the children of his comrades and other war orphans.

Since Luo Yan himself was also trying to expand his influence in the Holy City, he pulled him to found the "New World News".

Through exclusive news from the continent of Gana and Baron Corsia's novel, Luo Yan quickly brought this previously unknown newspaper into the sights of the citizens of Holy City, and incidentally used the profits to help more children who had lost their parents due to the war with Hell.

Then, Luo Yan went to the Academy and for a time forgot about the centurion. Occasionally, when he needed to spread news through the New World, he would do so through Sir Dantès, a distant relative of "Prince Colin," or Lumir, a nominal servant and white glove.

It seems the centurion was too embarrassed to bother the prince, and the two exchanged very few letters.

Luo Yan hadn't expected him to be promoted so quickly. When they met again, he had gone from a centurion to a commander of ten thousand and had been assigned to the Duchy of Campbell as a military advisor and staff officer on the eastern front.

"The Holy Spirit?"

Upon hearing this intriguing word, Koser frowned slightly and cast a questioning glance at Prince Colin beside him.

"Excuse me, Your Highness, what are you referring to as the Holy Spirit...?"

In the doctrine of St. Clement's Cathedral, the dead are equated with servants of hell, evil that must be purified, and there is never any mention of the Holy Spirit.

If it weren't for the undeniable presence of His Highness's holy light, his questions would never have been so casually addressed.

"That's what the locals call it."

Looking at Koser's confused expression, Luo Yan continued in a casual tone.

"Years ago, when the Green Forest Army ravaged this land, legends about the 'New Testament' circulated in the Twilight Province. Some people saw warriors, turned to bones, crawl out of the soil to help the local militia resist the raids of the Chaos believers. Others saw their great-grandfather crawl out of the cemetery to help them seize the window for spring planting... That was clearly not something an ordinary dead spirit could do."

"Undead... farming? Helping the living fight against chaos?" Koser opened his mouth, his astonishment finally showing.

After a long while, he finally managed to utter a sentence.

"incredible."

"But it's not impossible." Luo Yan remained calm as he turned his gaze to the vast expanse of white snowfield ahead.

Koser remained silent, waiting quietly for His Highness the Prince to continue.

Luo Yan paused for a moment before continuing.

“On the continent of Gana, death is not taboo, nor are the dead. The natives there are happy to dance with their deceased ancestors around the fire and invite them back to the mortal world to witness the miracles and prosperity created by their descendants in this paradise.”

Are you serious?

"Of course, this is what I saw with my own eyes in the New World, and it's common knowledge that many people in the Principality of Colin know. The people there also believe in the Holy Light, but they have a different understanding of death... and I, who grew up there, am the same."

Koser stood frozen in place, his fingers gripping the reins stiff.

Seeing the Imperial officer speechless for a moment, Luo Yan smiled and spoke in a more conciliatory tone.

“I think… the situation here is probably the same. Heaven cannot contain the souls of all the children of the Holy Light, especially those in these remote lands. Their ancestors remain on this land, and have always remained so.”

"When they see their descendants being ravaged by demons from the void, it is only natural that they choose to return to the mortal world as undead."

"Of course, this is just my guess, and it may not be the truth."

Luo Yan was being modest when he said that.

Rather than saying it may not be the truth, it's more accurate to say that not a single word of it is true.

However, compared to the theory that players come from another world, the "ancestral soul theory" is clearly more down-to-earth and easier for people to accept.

A cold wind swept across the empty snowfield, blowing the cloak behind Koser.

He stood there stunned for a long time before speaking in a voice tinged with struggle.

Would Saint Sith allow such...blasphemous things to happen?

"Why not? At least the locals don't see it as sacrilege."

Luo Yan smiled and threw the question back to Koser, then continued in a generous tone, "I think Saint Sith is merciful, and He will certainly not stop these people who have made choices from the bottom of their hearts with a sincere heart."

The struggling expression on Koser's face showed a clear wavering.

Prince Colin’s argument contradicted the doctrines he had been taught since childhood, yet he was unable to refute this impeccable logic.

Unless he denies that Saint Sith was benevolent.

However, denying this point would be tantamount to denying the legitimacy of the doctrines of St. Clement's Cathedral.

That's even more blasphemous than acknowledging the existence of the Holy Spirit!

"But... if the Holy Spirit truly exists, why would St. Clement's Cathedral say that all the dead are evil, apostles of hell..."

Koser spoke in a questioning tone, his voice clearly showing confusion.

Luo Yan was silent for a moment, then sighed softly and said in a tone tinged with helplessness.

"Perhaps I shouldn't say this, but... St. Clement's Cathedral has its reasons for saying this."

Koser stared straight at him and slowly swallowed.

"……What's the meaning?"

Luo Yan continued.

“If the dead are not portrayed as absolutely evil, St. Clement's Cathedral would have to explain why the Holy Light is righteous, and thus confront the promise in the Holy Word to annihilate death… But you and I both know that it is a promise that cannot be fulfilled, and it is even more difficult to explain to every believer. Rather than letting them walk into the embrace of chaos in self-doubt, it is better to let them believe first.”

That is the evil of the Demon King.

This seemingly fair statement appears to be an attempt to exonerate the Papacy, but in reality, it implicitly acknowledges the existence of lies by virtue of the Holy Light Nobles.

A lie is a lie.

Even if it was a compromise with reality that had to be made in order to uphold the doctrine.

Koser's lips moved slightly, but he ultimately swallowed back the words that were about to come out, and did not voice his further confusion.

After all, the person standing before him at this moment was a noble of holy light.

He had no doubt about Prince Colin's kindness, but he also understood that no matter how conscientious Prince Colin was, he could not betray his principles.

The interests of the Holy Light Nobles are always intertwined with those of the Holy Light Nobles, and he himself is just an officer from a commoner background who happens to have a good relationship with them.

Moreover, the continent of Os is currently facing a crisis of chaos invasion, and no matter what confusion he may have in his heart, he must give way to this more serious matter.

However, even Kosel himself did not realize that a crack had already appeared in his heart.

"My Lord Demon King, you're getting better and better at poaching Saint Sith's men." A milky-white ghost appeared beside Luo Yan, and Youyou, who had been watching the whole thing, couldn't help but sigh.

Luo Yan's expression remained unchanged as he quietly replied in his mind.

'I wasn't trying to poach him; I was simply answering his question.'

By the way—

This serves as a small prelude for players in the Great Cemetery to walk in the sunlight.

This is a good thing for both sides.

Baron Adair has tacitly accepted the existence of Karen and the Salvation Army, but the officers and soldiers from the Empire are still unprepared for the "Holy Spirit" to appear among them as allies.

He would start by working on the minds of the upper echelons, and then use the locals of the Dusk Province who had been saved by the Salvation Army to work on the minds of the soldiers.

This is much more effective than courts and missionaries.

Compared to Coser, who was caught in a dilemma and confusion, the experienced Field Marshal Wesley was clearly focused on something more practical.

During the brief pause in their conversation, he rode forward to survey the area, and now he's pulling on the reins to turn back.

The sight of the corpses on the frozen ground sent chills down his spine.

It wasn't just because of their gruesome deaths, but also because the bullet holes left on the cannibals were so numerous that each corpse was practically riddled with holes!

Wesley calculated in his mind that to reduce these ogres to such a state, it would take at least 100,000 well-trained line infantrymen to fire in shifts.

not only that.

The countless craters from explosions on the battlefield are utterly absurd!

That's an effect that no ordinary magic scroll could produce; it would take at least a dozen cannons firing at this position in turn!
But here's the problem.

He searched the surrounding mud and snow carefully, but couldn't find even a trace of a heavy wheel.

Shells don't just fall from the sky on their own. Field Marshal Wesley's Adam's apple bobbed as he inevitably thought of the battle on the towering mountains.

During the previous decisive battle against the Carrion Clan, the Kingdom of Gutaf displayed similar terrifying firepower in order to support the Duchy of Campbell's position!

Once the idea popped into his head, it grew uncontrollably in his mind.

Could it be that the Kingdom of Gutaf, an ally of the Holy Covenant, has long been secretly colluding with the New Testament sect and the mysterious undead behind them?!
However, this idea is far too dangerous.

Wesley glanced at Prince Colin beside him, then at Imperial officer Coser, and finally swallowed the question that was already on the tip of his tongue.

Some things, though you see through them, you can't say them out loud.

Just as Sir Wesley swallowed his question, Luo Yan's peripheral vision caught a glimpse of that hesitant face.

After a moment's thought, he suddenly took the initiative to dispel the confusion that had been troubling Marshal Wesley.

"It's really puzzling."

Looking at the mammoths riddled with holes in the distance, he seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps deliberately speaking to the two people beside him.

"Although judging from the skeletons left on the battlefield, the force that blocked this ogre army should be that guy who called himself 'the Son of God' and his holy spirits, I am still curious... how exactly did they unleash such terrifying firepower and withdraw from here without anyone noticing?"

same as before.

When faced with inexplicable problems, the Demon King would immediately use phrases like "I'm curious too" to connect with those who were equally perplexed.

However, to the Demon King's surprise, it was General Koser from the Holy City who first put the controversy aside.

“Whoever they are, as long as their guns are pointed at Chaos, there’s no need to investigate further right now.” Looking at the chaotic battlefield, Koser said with a complicated expression, “Our real enemy is not in these piles of dead bodies.”

Luo Yan nodded slightly.

"That's what I thought too... so I was just curious."

Just as he finished speaking, a sharp whooshing sound suddenly came from the gray sky. A huge royal griffin pierced through the clouds and landed in an open space not far from the three of them.

Startled by the griffin that suddenly landed in front of them, the surrounding warhorses neighed in fright.

The knight riding on the griffin paid no heed to any of this. He flipped over and leaped off the griffin, stumbling and falling to Koser's warhorse.

"General! Urgent report from the front! Please take a look!"

He spoke while panting, pulling a scroll sealed with sealing wax from his bosom and presenting it to Koser with both hands.

Not daring to delay, Koser grabbed the scroll, unfolded it, and glanced at it.

However, it was those two glances that instantly drained all the color from that previously composed face.

Field Marshal Wesley, who was standing nearby, noticed the change in his expression and rode up to him.

"What happened?"

"Broken Blade Pass...has fallen."

Upon hearing this, Field Marshal Wesley's heart sank.

As a Campbellian, he understood better than the Imperials from the distant Holy City what that pass meant to the Mountain Kingdom.

Looking at the silent Field Marshal Wesley, Coser handed him the scroll and said in a low voice.

"The ogres breached Vargas's defenses and slaughtered 100,000 dwarven soldiers and civilians... These beasts have cut off the heads of our allies and built a blasphemous altar at the pass where they have lived for generations."

Field Marshal Wesley's hand trembled slightly as he held the scroll, clearly having also seen the alarming intelligence within.

After listening to Koser's account of what happened, Luo Yan frowned and remained silent for a long time before speaking.

"This is a disaster."

"No matter what, we cannot lose Twilight Province! We must keep these monsters out of the mountains, even if it means fighting to the last man!"

Koser clenched his fists tightly and squeezed out the last sentence through gritted teeth.

"At all costs!"

Field Marshal Wesley read the intelligence report in his hand over and over again, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

After a long while, he raised his head, looked at General Koser who was gritting his teeth, and spoke his thoughts.

“I have an idea, but I don’t know if I should share it.”

General Koser looked at him.

“Speak, Your Excellency Marshal. As long as it is an idea that can win us victory, I think no matter how blasphemous it may be… Saint Sith will forgive us.”

Luo Yan raised an eyebrow.

I never expected that General Coser would apply the narrative logic of the New Testament so quickly.

Of course, he may not have realized that this was the "pragmatic" narrative logic of the New Testament.

"Then I'll tell you."

Field Marshal Wesley nodded, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.

"Judging from the situation at Broken Blade Pass, the ogre's forces are far greater than what we see now, and it is very likely that this is only their vanguard. Although we cannot determine how many more troops follow, considering the situation in the High Mountain Kingdom, the pressure we will ultimately face will be no less than theirs."

“In that case…why don’t we cooperate with the Salvation Army? At least they are locals, and…they know how to invoke the ‘ancestors,’ that is, the power of the Holy Spirits.”

Koser was stunned.

Although he was prepared to set aside the controversy, he never expected that this Campbell man would actually intend to cooperate with those heretics.

Are you serious?

Field Marshal Wesley looked intently at the "overseer" from the Empire and nodded.

“I have never been so serious. In fact… we reached an understanding with those people when we dealt with the chaotic crisis in the Twilight Province. It is true that they have different beliefs from ours, but one thing is beyond doubt: they also have the Holy Light in their hearts and are also children of Saint Sith.”

Koser opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to refute.

After all, even putting everything else aside, it doesn't change the fact that St. Clement's Cathedral sent a tribunal to suppress this group.

It would be one thing to let him turn a blind eye to these people's existence, but to expect him to fight alongside them...

He couldn't get past the courtroom or his own conscience.

In fact, not only was Coser surprised, but even Luo Yan, who was standing next to him, was surprised by Marshal Wesley's suggestion.

He did have this idea, but he didn't expect that the marshal of the Duchy of Campbell would bring it up on his own initiative.

But what he didn't expect was yet to come.

Coser opened his mouth and stood there stunned for a long time, but in the end he did not refute Marshal Wesley's suggestion.

He gripped the sword hilt tightly and then loosened his grip; after a struggle with himself, he finally convinced himself.

After all, the devastation at Broken Blade Pass was still fresh in everyone's mind; even with the natural defenses, the army of 100,000 dwarves could not stop the advance of the followers of Kalmandes.

If the people of the Holy Light continue to distrust each other here, it seems only a matter of time before a bloody massacre unfolds in Twilight City.

He glanced at Colin beside him, recalling what Colin had just said to him—

Saint Sith is merciful; He will certainly not hinder these people, who have made choices from the bottom of their hearts with sincere intentions.

I'm sorry, Your Highness.

I can only trouble you to stand with me in the courtroom and defend General Coser's risky decision today.

In the end, he couldn't let go of those innocent civilians.

Looking at Field Marshal Wesley, Coser asked in a serious tone.

“How…how can we contact those people? Even the Tribunal can’t find them, let alone us? And will they trust us? After all, the Tribunal has been here before, and even the Imperials themselves are terrified of those guys.”

Seeing that Coser had finally compromised, Field Marshal Wesley's face showed an indescribable joy.

If he were to face the cannibal army alone, he would have less than a 10% chance of success.

But now, his confidence has dropped to 30%!
"...The locals do have a bad impression of the Empire, but if the opponent is Chaos, I believe they can still tell which is worse. Besides, the army we are leading is flying the flag of the Duchy of Campbell, so they shouldn't hate us as well."

At this point, Marshal Wesley paused for a moment, then turned his gaze to the distant town of Greystone.

"As for whether we can find them, to be honest, I'm not 100% sure, but that doesn't stop us from trying. I've heard that many locals in the Twilight Province have received favors from the Salvation Army. If we can send out goodwill signals, they should be able to help us find those people."

Finding the Salvation Army is equivalent to finding the Son of God, and it also means that they will receive a powerful ally.

It's not just the firepower that can turn an army of ogres into sieves.

Marshal Wesley was reminded of the battle he had fought against the Carrion Clan in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Although the newspapers in Thunder City all said that Eileen had ended the chosen one of the Eternal Hunger Claws, he knew that what truly ended that monster was actually the black sun that devoured all light.

If he could bring out that divine child, his chances of winning would increase from at least 30% to 50%!
Intriguingly, Marshal Wesley was unaware that the divine child he longed for was actually less than ten steps away from him.

Luo Yan remained silent throughout.

To his surprise, he discovered that even though he hadn't said a word, things were still developing in the direction he had envisioned.

Is this the highest level of chess playing?

The pieces not only moved on their own, but also convinced each other.

In fact, long before Luo Yan rushed to the front line to fight the fire, Saint Karen had already met with Baron Adair and Grand Duke Edward at his manor.

Baron Adair from the Holy City has tacitly acknowledged her existence and the activities of the Salvation Army in the area, and has sworn to the Holy Light not to tell any third party what he has seen.

Of course, such behind-the-scenes political deals could never be made public, much less be revealed to the two officers in front of him who were completely unaware of them.

After all, they are also "third parties".

However, it is a different story if officers at the front decide to cooperate with the Salvation Army on their own initiative.

Aside from the Church of St. Clement, which might be unhappy, everyone, including the Senate, would welcome it.

As long as it serves the interests of the empire, they can even use demons from hell, let alone a group of heretics in a remote mountain area.
Just as Coser and Field Marshal Wesley were discussing how to contact the Salvation Army, Luo Yan opportunely interjected.

"I have reservations about cooperating with the Salvation Army... however, I agree to talk to them."

Upon hearing Prince Colin's statement, both Marshal Wesley and General Cosel breathed a sigh of relief, at least this nobleman of the Holy Light did not object.

This is already a huge compromise.

“The problem now is how we find those people. There’s no one left here.” Koser’s gaze swept across the ravaged battlefield and landed on the distant town that had long since turned to ruins.

Luo Yan struggled to maintain his composure, turning his gaze to the forest beside him.

"It's unlikely that we'll find everyone."

"But if it's just one or two of them, it's not that difficult for a magician like me."

(End of this chapter)