Throne of the North.

Chapter 504: The Pilgrimage War, Ryan's Choice
Andara Kingdom, Northern Castle Defense Line.

The Rhinoceros Orcs are no longer far away from this kingdom. The threat of the orcs has plunged the Andara Kingdom into panic for two consecutive years. However, in the new year, the nobles of the kingdom seem to have forgotten the war here.

Because with the participation of Grand Duke Leta's army and the reinforcements from the empire, the Rhinoceros Beastmen were never able to break through the castle's defenses.

"They defeated us, but they eventually returned to the north."

In the castle defense line, the first thing Ryan saw was his own army. When the angel Samir took Ryan and Sven to where Archbishop Adriana was, Brand had already rushed here from North Wind Avenue with hundreds of knights and attendants.

This is the closest and safest place to where the archbishop is.

After seeing his army, Ryan went to the war command post here. It was a spacious castle surrounded by farmland. A tall castle stood in the center. The Gothic building was full of mysterious charm, which was different from the circular architectural style of the entire Andara Kingdom.

"It was built more than 600 years ago when the Andara royal family built a castle here to commemorate their ancestors."

The one who answered Ryan was Otis Brooks, the wandering noble of the empire. Because he obtained the power to support the Kingdom of Andara from Emperor Flor, he is now more and more like his ancestors.

His bloodline is ancient and noble, so he knows a lot of ancient history.

"The Andara royal family has half of the blood of the Hero King, that is, the first batch of nobles. They declared war on the alien races in the primitive world and established the territory for mankind."

Unlike the thirteen knights like Ignazio, the thirteen original knight nobles were passed down by the Holy See and were a civilization born from the gods.

The story Otis heard here was more like a history of the rise of mankind without gods.

In the ancient history told by Otis, the ancestors of mankind ate raw meat and drank blood, just like the orcs, until the first group of human heroes rose up.

They called the first humans who fought against alien races and fought for land heroes.

In fact, in Ryan's opinion, this is more true. After all, there is no class system like knights and nobles that was established at the beginning of civilization.

"But this is nothing magical. Most of the ancient nobles have the blood of the Hero King. In the earliest civilizations of mankind, the more powerful the human, the more women he could enjoy. The Hero King was the most powerful human. At that time, all women would give birth to children for him, including the women of other heroes."

Otis said this, not to mention such a long time ago, even one or two hundred years ago, the nobles on the Norris continent were very promiscuous, all because of the distorted entertainment programs under the high-pressure system of the Holy See.

Ryan was still curious about this. In his opinion, there were large gaps in the history of this world. For example, the history books that humans could record only went back a few hundred years at most, but the nobles had a general understanding that human history had been going on for at least thousands of years.

The ancient nobles have some historical heritage.

"So who comes first, them or the Holy See?"

Ryan asked curiously, and the answer he got was full of two completely opposite stories.

For example, according to Brendan Ignazio, the fire of human civilization came from the first Pope and the thirteen knights around the Pope. The thirteen knights followed the Pope to expel aliens and laid the foundation of mankind and the framework of civilization.

In Otis, however, it was the first heroic king of mankind who led many heroes to seize prosperous land in the same way as primitive savages, and gradually formed a civilization.

It seems that the second statement is more reasonable, but in a world with extraordinary powers and gods, who can refute the occurrence of the first thing?

Otis thought about it and realized that he was not completely clear about the answer to this question, but the ancient nobles had their own guesses.

"Our ancestors once guessed that both answers were correct."

"Thousands of years ago, humans had no ability to travel far, nor did they have the power to discover distant worlds."

"The powerful Hero King we are talking about may only be as powerful as the Golden Knight. The humans he leads simply cannot appear in a world thousands of miles away."

"Similarly, the original Church was similar."

Ryan understood, and after thinking about it, he said:

"So, it is very likely that human civilization developed in two places during the same period of time?"

One is here, based on the Hero King and many heroic warriors, and the other is in another place, where the Pope favored by the gods leads the thirteen knights to establish a more advanced civilization framework.

"Then, at some point, the two civilizations met."

Ryan guessed that the encounter between the Hero King group and the Holy See group should end with the Holy See's complete victory.

Why? Of course it is because of the existence of the gods. The Pope and the Thirteen Knights are definitely more powerful than the Hero King. The civilization brought by the gods even accommodates the so-called title of the Hero King.

So...there came into being the nobility.

As humans met on a large scale, the increase in population made humans increasingly powerful. The favor of the gods was indispensable, and so their faith became increasingly solid.

In this case, the original Dawn Church and the nobles were very friendly, and they had common interests and common goals.

"The ancient nobles liked such pointed buildings, perhaps for better defense and warfare."

Otis said this. Looking at the castle, he indeed felt the powerful defensive power brought by the castle. Over the past hundreds of years, even the royal city of the Andara Kingdom had been invaded, but the castle had always stood firm.

While the two were talking, Grand Duke Leta also arrived. He also lived here to facilitate his command of the army.

However, after so long, Grand Duke Leta and Otis did not seem to be very familiar with each other, which made Ryan a little confused.

After all, one of them represents the empire's reinforcements to the kingdom, and the other represents the military power of the Andara Kingdom.

They are both in this castle, but they rarely meet each other?
Otis shrugged at Ryan. After gaining power, he was much more relaxed than when Ryan first met him. This was a noble bloodline that was very suitable for war.

He knew the reason. Grand Duke Leta did not think Otis was a nobleman, and this was indeed the case. Otis' current identity was still a wandering nobleman, but he had obtained temporary power over the army from the emperor.

He was a general, not a noble general.

This is why Grand Duke Leta is not interested in him. This nobleman who came to the Norris continent from another world and became the Grand Duke of the Andara Kingdom has an obsessive desire for the identity of a noble. In order to gain the recognition of the kingdom, he sent the Extraordinary Legion to fight against Grand Duke McReynolds at that time.

Later, because of his gradual and in-depth integration into the aristocratic circle of the Andara Kingdom, he made many efforts, including appearing on this battlefield.

Grand Duke Leta is particularly obsessed with the word "noble".

So, he was polite to Ryan, but he seemed to be unable to see Otis next to him.

Ryan performed noble etiquette towards Grand Duke Leta, then glanced at Otis imperceptibly. The young man had a nonchalant expression and seemed not to care about Grand Duke Leta's attitude at all.

But in reality... the strong and powerful heartbeat in Ryan's chest was like the shadow of a greedy dragon roaring in Ryan's mind. It was mocking, it was disdainful, it was telling Ryan that Otis had endless anger in his heart.

The power of the dragon's heart is still affecting Ryan.

But the dragon's perception is never wrong. Otis Brooks also cares a lot about his noble status. Their family has been in decline for hundreds of years and they can't hold their heads up in front of the nobles. The more this is the case, the more he cares about his noble status.

However, he was very tolerant, and his etiquette towards Archduke Leta was standard chivalrous etiquette rather than aristocratic etiquette.

In Ryan's opinion, Otis's behavior is more like that of a nobleman than many nobles who just eat and wait for death.

After all, what is the most important thing for aristocrats? Is it the standard of etiquette? No, it is acting skills.

"You came just in time."

Grand Duke Leta said to Ryan, his tone was not relaxed.

"His Majesty has sent an order. Soon the troops here will be transferred to the south. The Kingdom of Sera has declared war on the Kingdom of Andara. His Majesty is very angry and wants us to kill the Andara traitor."

What Grand Duke Leta was referring to was naturally the Serra royal family, Grand Duke McReynolds of the former Andara Kingdom.

Ryan was also surprised. The Kingdom of Sera declared war on the Kingdom of Andara?

"What's the reason?"

War requires a reason. No matter what the truth of the war is, the reason must be impeccable to ensure the morale of the army, or in other words... the morale of the nobles and knights.

"The Pilgrim's War."

"The Andara Kingdom gave up its faith in the Dawn and embraced the light. The Pope of the Holy Mountain personally sent an order to the King of the Serra Kingdom, asking why there were places around the Serra Kingdom where there were no flags of the Dawn faith."

"So, King Sera declared war, in the name of the Dawn."

Grand Duke Leta is also a tyrant. Ryan is very wary of this guy. After all, a guy who can send his sister to the old king to be the queen is definitely not as immature as he looks. The power of the witch ghost makes this grand duke emotionless.

The Serra Kingdom declared war on the Andara Kingdom, which was extremely angry. This did not surprise Ryan. The traitor took the initiative to declare war. Coupled with the origin of the throne of the current king of the Andara Kingdom and Adams's personality and ability, he was afraid that he would go crazy and smash and curse in the palace again.

Seeing the nobles trembling in his anger, he must be very proud of the authority of the king in his hands, right?
"How many people does he plan to transfer?"

It was not Ryan who asked the question, but Otis. He frowned, and even with all his good manners he couldn't help but look dissatisfied.

Where is this place? It is the northern defense line of the Andara Kingdom, the only line of defense of this kingdom. Their enemies are the savage and ferocious Rhinoceros Orcs.

Those tall, tough-skinned and thick-fleshed rhinoceros beastmen are not just physically lethal to humans.

Before Grand Duke Leta joined the war, Otis had already let the Rhinoceros tear open a hole in the defense line once, and the troops he brought from the Imperial Wing Canyon also suffered heavy losses.

If Grand Duke Leta leaves again, the loss will be even greater, and he will not be able to explain to the Emperor of the Flor Empire.

This is the most fatal thing.

He needs to be crowned again by the Emperor of the Flor Empire, so that the Brooks bloodline can be glorious once again and become a noble aristocrat.

The war here concerns his future and the future of many people.

Grand Duke Leta glanced at Otis and said expressionlessly:
"Twenty thousand people."

The number is not small, but it is not that extreme. It seems that after the last time the Andara Royal City was trampled by orcs, the new king still has not forgotten the scene of the orcs forcing him to escape from the royal city.

Otis breathed a sigh of relief, but Ryan sneered.

"Twenty thousand?"

“I’m afraid it won’t be just this number in the end.”

Ryan looked at Otis. This guy had very little experience. His identity as a wandering noble meant that he might have never participated in a quarrel among nobles in his life.

"The king is sending troops to the south to defend the Kingdom of Sera. In addition to the 20,000 troops, he will definitely ask the nobles to send troops to the south for defense."

"And the nobles will definitely use the war in the north as an excuse to shirk responsibility. The end result is that the nobles will have to send troops, but they will call back soldiers from their own territories."

Neither Otis nor Grand Duke Leta, who had not previously integrated into the aristocratic circle of the Andara Kingdom, had sufficient understanding of the character of the nobles.

The king transferred troops to the south, and in the end, including the nobles who secretly transferred their troops back, the final number of 20,000 might have become 40,000.

In that case, the castle's defense line would be in danger.

The number of people is one thing, and the other is morale. The departure of tens of thousands of troops will make the remaining soldiers uneasy.

The Devil-Rhinos will seize upon humans' weaknesses and magnify them.

Otis also became a little uneasy after hearing what Ryan said.

"Why would the Kingdom of Sera take the initiative to declare war? Don't they know that there is still a war with the orcs here?"

Even the Church of Dawn did not dare to stir up trouble when the Flor Empire and the orcs were at war. That was a war for the survival of the race, and everyone had to give in to this most primitive political correctness.

The Kingdom of Sera declared war on a kingdom that was already at war with the orcs. How could they still mix in the aristocratic circle?
The Serra royal family always lowers their heads when chatting.

"Do they have anything to lose?"

Grand Duke Leta sneered. The Kingdom of Sera was originally established by the traitors of the Kingdom of Andara. They could not stand on the Norris Continent. If the Holy See did not need the support of the correct faith, the Kingdom of Sera would have been in civil strife long ago.

In this land, the legitimacy of any territory must either be recognized by the Holy See or by the now rising Flor Empire.

"So what should we do here?"

Otis subconsciously looked at Ryan. Was Ryan here at this time because of the empire's order?
Ryan was also thinking about this question: what kind of war between the Kingdom of Sera and the Kingdom of Andara would be most beneficial to him?
Nobles all care about interests, and Ryan is no exception.

He has great power in both kingdoms, including the power to now take over command of the war for this line of defense.

He can do many things, but how can he maximize his benefits?

To be fair, the fact that the Andara Kingdom was too peaceful was not a good thing for Ryan.

Because the peaceful environment would make the nobles forget Ryan's help to them, especially when Ryan was not a noble of the Andara Kingdom, but an imperial noble, and was far away from them.

But too much chaos is not a good thing for Ryan.

Because a chaotic situation will reduce productivity, Ryan is not just an arms dealer, his wealth comes from many sources.

The land of the Andara Kingdom will provide him with huge profits, especially now that he has not even seen the first profit of wealth, and the war may cause this first pot of gold to disappear.

Can he stop the war and return both sides to their previous situation?

No, this war is not just a feud between two kingdoms, but also a war between royal power and divine power.

The Pope of the Dawn Church asked the Kingdom of Serra and the Kingdom of Andara to declare war at this time. Perhaps... it was because the war of the Church in the Thousand Lakes Province was not going well.

The Holy Mountain wants to suppress the ambitions of the empire, crush the inner desires of these nobles, and return human civilization to an era controlled by the Holy See.

"Did the king say who commanded this army?"

Ryan asked Grand Duke Leta, to whom this order was given.

The latter nodded and said:
"I, His Majesty Adams, want me to command the army to fight against the Kingdom of Sera."

Otis's face became even uglier. If Grand Duke Leta left, the Witch and Ghost Legion would definitely leave with him. The war here might become desperate.

"You stay."

Ryan said almost without hesitation that if Grand Duke Leta left, the defense line here would be only one step away from collapse.

When Grand Duke Leta didn't come, Otis was able to support the war with his own abilities. But when Grand Duke Leta came and left, Otis would lose control of the situation, and the soldiers' expectations for the war would be shaken.

What on earth was going on in Adams's mind?
Ryan was a little angry. The power of the dragon heart in his heart once again turned into the shadow of a giant dragon roaring in his head. The dragon's greed and desire tempted him to fall.

"Kill him, he won't be a good king."

"Kill him, then let Queen Leta give birth to a new king, and let your offspring become the king of this land."

"Then this kingdom will completely belong to you."

"Kill him, kill him, and you will be the only king of this land."

"You will become a hero in everyone's heart. You will be the new Hero King."

The dragon kept tempting Ryan, causing his breathing to quicken, his nostrils to dilate, and his nostrils to become tight and stiff.

The heart of the legendary dragon was not as weak as Ryan had imagined. Even if the dragon died, it could still kill many greedy humans.

The essence of an entire legendary dragon's heart was difficult for Ryan to digest.

Is this what one has to endure to be blessed by the Dragon Spirit?
Ryan subconsciously glanced at Grand Duke Leta, and then at Brand behind him. The benefits brought by the Dragon Spirit Blessing were not as great as refining the dragon heart, but there were no shortage of side effects. Those who could withstand the Dragon Spirit Blessing were undoubtedly talented.

Brand's will is so strong.

Ryan pressed his chest to slow down the beating of his burning heart.

"Only 10,000 soldiers will be sent to the south. As for the choice of commander, I will ask him to change his mind."

Ryan also has the blood of the Leta family. Seeing Grand Duke Leta reminded him of Queen Leta, so he left here to prevent the power of the dragon from magnifying his desires again.

As for the war in the south, Ryan felt it was time to expose Daryl, the legendary knight.

(End of this chapter)