Throne of the North.

Chapter 509: Praise of Light (I)

Under Ryan's order, Brand personally led these dragon warriors to the wilderness.

Their lifespan is not long. Among more than a hundred people, only a few of them can eventually become dragon warriors, and those that do not live for more than ten days.

Ryan did this on purpose. He wanted everyone to see the birth of these dragon warriors and let them understand that this sacrifice was no different from the previous ones. Since the people of Nidhogg needed such a tradition, he would grant them the tradition.

The people of Nidhogg should be very familiar with dragon warriors.

They therefore had no doubt about Ryan's existence.

After leaving Purple Potato City, Ryan traveled to more than a dozen other cities in the south of Nidhogg. The birth of dragon warriors in public awakened everyone's fear and also allowed Ryan to better control the world's population.

His orders were carried out unwaveringly.

……

“Dig faster!”

"This is Master Ryan's order. We must dig under that tree before evening this evening!"

The supervisor yelled loudly, then turned around and went into the shed, grabbed the ladle from the wooden barrel and scooped water into his mouth.

It’s too hot. The damn weather is getting hotter day by day.

Fortunately, he was the overseer, and those who died during this period were slaves who dug the river.

In the distance, the knights were riding their war horses at full speed. For the northern war horses, the current environment in Nidhogg still made them feel strongly uncomfortable.

They preferred the icy cold of the North to this hot summer, so after a short patrol, these cavalrymen headed directly for a cool place.

Digging a river channel is what almost everyone in Nidhogg is doing now.

Although Ryan solved the problem of the people here worshiping the dragon monarch, which alleviated the faith and customs, the scorching sun could not end it.

In fact, as it is July now, the temperature is getting higher and higher.

The solution to this problem is actually very simple, which is to let the people of Nidhogg believe in the Lord of Dawn, or the God of Light. According to the environment where Ryan is in, there is a high probability that they will become believers of the God of Light.

Ryan refused to do so and became a believer of light. What if he was eventually used by the Empire's Cathedral of Light?
What will he do with it when the time comes to deal with Master Ryan?
Not only is he shooting himself in the foot, he is also cultivating believers for others.

The cost of not doing so would be the death of many people, but Ryan was willing to do it.

【This is the price of becoming a king.】

Invisibly, the call of the dragon once again appeared in my ears.

In his mind, the power of the dragon once again infinitely magnified the desires in his heart. In front of him, there seemed to be a giant dragon crawling on a mountain of gold, whispering to him, tempting him to fall into an endless abyss.

"You really want to make me fall."

Ryan touched his chest, the heart of the legendary dragon. He had not yet refined one tenth of it. It was dead, but it had been affecting Ryan.

It can even be said that it has been somewhat successful. Before, Ryan would definitely not want these people to die because of digging the river.

These people are the people who can bring him spirituality. They will give birth to children, their children will give birth to children, and their children's children will give birth to children. They are all the source of Ryan's spirituality.

Now that you are dead, all those who come after you are gone.

The losses were devastating.

It's just that it's over.

Ryan wanted to use water to dispel the summer heat. He dug rivers to moisten the land so that the cultivated fields would not die and more crops would not die. In addition, he also wanted to bring groundwater into the city.

Enter the underground of the city.

Don't forget that in the land of Nidhogg, because of the Chosen Dragon and the Dragon Lord, there is a huge cavity under every city.

Those caves were the safe houses for the first humans to survive. Later in the era of dragon monarchs, they were the shelters for the Chosen Dragons. Under every city, the Chosen Dragons could hide until they grew up to be able to fight against the dragons.

In a few places, the weapons and armor of the Chosen Dragons, as well as the power that accelerates the growth of the Chosen Dragons, are buried.

How much groundwater can be pumped into such a huge underground space?

With groundwater, humans have the primitive power to avoid heat and cold. Groundwater is warm in winter and cool in summer, and can provide warmth to the population above even in the northern winter.

All Ryan had to do was pour the water in.

The storage of groundwater and the fact that farmland is located around the city can once again reduce the probability of food dying.

"A severe drought all over the world?"

Ryan raised his head and looked at the sun in the sky. Droughts in the world also depend on the environment. Nidhogg, the land where humans live, is surrounded by oceans on all sides. If you have the ability, you can burn the sea dry.

Ryan didn't say it because he was worried that this person could really do it.

"Praise the light."

Ryan said with a smile that Master Ryan was blessed by the sun.

He, the Lord of Dawn and the God of Light are a family.

……

“We are all believers in the light.”

"Praise the honorable Emperor Flor and His Holiness the Grand Pope of Light for bringing us the guidance of light."

Ryan returned to Rhino Horn Mountain because someone was coming from the south of the empire.

He avoided the invitation of the Elector Volvo, but could not avoid the priests of the Imperial Cathedral of Light.

Looking at the noble missionary of light in front of him, Ryan didn't know whether to call him Mr. Baron or Mr. Missionary.

Why did this guy appear in the frozen land? It was obvious that he disliked the land of the north.

The reason, of course, lies with Ryan.

Before, in order to avoid the invitation from the Emperor Elect Volvo to go to the west coast to serve as a naval commander which would bring no benefits but only countless troubles, Ryan went to the North with the help of Archangel Samir, and then visited the two kingdoms in the east.

The invitation from the Emperor Choosing Officer is also a major war event in the Empire, so Ryan has to give a reason to go out.

Originally this reason was going to be used to fool people, but the price was that it would affect the relationship with the electors. Later, Samir appeared, and it became a natural thing.

Ryan betrayed Archangel Samir.

So today, the Baron Angerbed, the missionary of light, came to the North in person, followed by a guard of honor of up to 300 people to welcome Samir.

"As the nobility of the empire, the Church of Dawn is undoubtedly our enemy."

"Even though we are far away in the North, I, Baron Ryan, have no hesitation in providing military equipment worth millions of gold coins for the war in the South. Even in the land of the South, the nobles of the North Wind Province have supported the nobles of the Dawn Road in their fight against the damned fanatics of the Church."

"But Baron Anglebed..."

“Call me missionary.”

"Mr. Anglebed, we are all believers in light, but I really can't do what you ask."

"That archangel has left my territory. I found her in another world. She was frozen in the North at that time. I saved her. No, I should say I helped her break the seal of the North. Maybe that archangel once participated in the terrible Pan-Dimensional War and fought on behalf of the immortal light."

Ryan's expression was full of regret and pity, as if he felt sorry for not being able to get too close to the archangel.

"She went to the North, but I don't know where exactly she went. After all, I am not qualified to ask the honorable Apostle."

After Ryan finished speaking, he asked the missionary of light who had an ugly face:

"Missionary Anglebed, do you have a way to call for her response? As a devout believer of the God of Light, a distinguished missionary, and a priest who spreads the faith of light, perhaps you can call for her to appear through faith."

"From what I understand, she needs the power of faith to heal herself."

"Faith belongs to the great and immortal light. How can I call upon it?"

The missionary looked at Ryan unkindly. Why did he feel that this northern baron was making fun of him?
"That's a pity. As far as I know, there are people in the Vatican who can use faith. What if they catch the trace of Apostle Samir..."

This was Anglebed's mission. If the Holy See got there first, he didn't know whether the furious Emperor would directly sentence him to death.

As a baron without territory, Anglebed was very afraid of this.

"It seems that I can only rely on faith. My Lord, please forgive me and praise the light."

"Praise the light."

Ryan also spoke, and then stood not far away, watching the golden light emanating from the baron missionary.

Did he actually master the means of priesthood?
The Empire's Cathedral of Light is not just a makeshift team?
Ryan thought that the Cathedral of Light was a means for the Empire to fight against the faith of the Church of the Dawn, but now it seems... His Majesty the Emperor really established a new church.

One faith, two sects...

Almost predictably, Ryan saw the outbreak of a future world war.

A terrible war might not break out between the two countries, but it would definitely happen between the two churches. The golden holy light on the Baron missionary's body became more and more dazzling. Finally, he saw the burning faith in the North through the unique means of the clergy system.

In the far north, Archangel Samir raised her head and seemed to feel the gaze of the Baron Missionary. The next moment, a large number of snow-white holy wings grew out from behind her.

"Honorable Apostle..."

Just as Angelbed was about to speak, he suddenly felt darkness in front of his eyes.

He opened his eyes, Ryan saw that his face was pale, and couldn't help but asked with concern:
"what happened?"

“She took away my faith.”

The Baron Missionary was a little desperate and pale. Ryan was afraid that he would die in his own territory, so he could only ask someone to bring precious magic potions and feed them to this guy with great pain.

And then…the preacher went up in smoke.

He was furious and angrily scolded Ryan.

"I am a missionary, a follower of the God of Light. How can I take magic potions?!!!"

He was so angry that he forgot that these nobles didn't have any good stuff in their hands.

If he had not lost the power of faith, he might have died just for this betrayal by allowing magic power to enter his body as a clerical slave of the God of Light.

Are you quite devout in your faith?

Ryan was surprised. Although the clergy of the Dawn Church had never taken magic potions before, he had never heard of such trouble.

"How about you call on the Cathedral of Light to bring in more faith?"

"I told you that the Apostle came here for faith."

"What do you think faith is?"

The Baron missionary was not good at speaking, he had lost too much, and at the moment he was in no mood to play any game of harmony between nobles with Ryan.

"I think that apostle is quite easy to talk to."

Ryan said this, and the missionary said nothing, just thinking about the scene just now.

He didn't even have a clear idea of ​​the archangel's status before all his faith was taken away.

Easy to talk to? The other party didn't talk to him.

He was tired and too lazy to communicate with Northern nobles like Ryan.

"She has left somewhere and has come to the south. She may go to the Imperial Capital by herself to meet His Majesty the Pope."

Ryan said thoughtfully beside him:

"It is also possible to go to the holy mountain further south, where there is a stronger power of faith."

"you!"

The missionary's face was already pale, and he was smoking just now, but now he was vomiting blood. Ryan sighed that these people were so devout in their faith that they were so desperate when their faith was taken away.

The missionary stared at Ryan with his nostrils dilated, making Ryan worry that he was really going to die. Fortunately, a priest of light came up and calmed the breathing of the baron missionary.

"I have to go back quickly and ask His Majesty to find a solution, such as letting the Archangel stay in the Empire, otherwise..."

Otherwise, the empire would suffer a great loss on the battlefield in the south, and even the rebellious nobles of the Path of Dawn might give up or even backstab the Emperor-Elect, His Highness Freud.

The ultimate responsibility for all this will not be on the emperor, but on the missionary Baron Angerbed, who represented the light and came to the North to invite the archangel but failed.

Of course he was anxious and worried.

"I suggest Mr. Missionary not to go back yet."

Ryan spoke again at this time, but his tone was no longer as naive as before, and he had the dignity of a noble.

"You want to hurt me."

Angelbed looked at Ryan, feeling inexplicably angry, but when he met Ryan's eyes, he felt unnatural and didn't know what to do.

The South already had the reputation of Baron Ryan from the North, and he truly felt it at this moment.

"How could I harm you? As a noble, I can't help you enough."

"Mr. Baron Anglebed, think about it yourself. If you go back now, will you really get anything good?"

"You have failed. Invite the Archangel to enter the Empire and meet the Honorable Emperor Flor, His Majesty the Grand Pope of Light."

"But if the Archangel did not appear in the Imperial City but appeared in the Holy Mountain, do you think that the nobles in the south would speculate that it was because the Archangel did not recognize the other identity of our honorable Emperor, the identity of the Grand Pope of Light?"

"This is a serious problem."

"In the war in the south, I heard that sixteen marquises have assembled their armies in Qianhu Province. If the war fails, the great nobles will be so angry that His Majesty the Emperor may have to stay in the Imperial Capital and claim to be sick."

"Mr. Baron Angerbed, maybe you don't understand war, but I do. I once killed the Silver Moon Wolf King, one of the six werewolf kings, with my own hands."

"I know war too well. Once the Archangel appears on the Holy Mountain, the war between the Empire and the Church in the Thousand Lakes Province will definitely fail."

“Then, it’s politics.”

"You are not unfamiliar with politics, Mr. Baron? I heard that you are also a member of the Elders Council of the Imperial City."

"It is truly an ancient and noble bloodline."

Ryan looked meaningfully at the badge on Anglebed's chest. It was a flower.

Among the nobles of the Flor Empire, only the most original and ancient nobles have flowers as their emblems.

With noble blood and status, the Anglebed in front of him is qualified to bear a terrible responsibility.

As Baron Angerbed who lived in the imperial capital, how could he not understand political disputes? Listening to Ryan's words, which were what he feared in his heart, his face turned even paler in an instant.

"unless……"

Ryan's words seemed to be the only lifeline for the Baron, and he asked:

"Unless what?"

"Unless... our missionary Mr. Anglebed has never met Apostle Samir."

Ryan said with a smile.

"Let me think, what did I say in the message I gave to His Majesty?"

"You said that after the archangel brought you to the northern border of Norris, he went straight to the depths of the northern border. If your army had not found you in the vast snow and wind, you would have been killed by the monsters in the northern border."

Angelbed said it directly. He remembered Ryan's letter clearly at this time.

"Yes, that's what I said. I almost died in that damn North Territory. Mr. Baron Angerbed, you don't know how cold the North Territory is..."

Ryan talked incessantly, which made the Baron a little anxious and he interrupted him.

"Baron Ryan, just speak frankly."

Ryan stopped talking, pointed to the north and said:
"It's very simple. Our missionary Mr. Anglebed is currently in the vast northern border, searching for the honorable Archangel Apostle Samir, but he has not found any trace of her."

Anglebed's eyes lit up, but he soon hesitated.

Ryan smiled and put his hand on the baron's shoulder.

"Mr. Baron, Apostle Samir is very easy to talk to. She will definitely not take the initiative to expose the white lies of a devout believer of the God of Light."

Thinking of the scene just now, Angelbed finally felt relieved.

Yes, looking at the appearance of the archangel apostle, how could he be so big-mouthed just because of Anglebed?

She wouldn't even talk.

It’s better not to talk. It’s better not to talk.

"Yes, His Excellency the Apostle is an archangel who is very easy to talk to."

"Praise the light."

"Praise the light."

Angerbed went to the North and probably won't be back in the short term.

Ryan looked at his back as if he was regretting the departure of a good friend, his face full of reluctance.

"Mr. Anglebed, there are a lot of good fresh fruits in the frozen land."

The emperor couldn't find any evidence against him, but now, the only person who could leak it was Baron Ryan.

Deceiving the emperor, ignoring the gods, rejecting the orders of the Great Pope of Light... What kind of crime is this?
(End of this chapter)