I was a knight in the Middle Ages

"Could this be... a conspiracy?" Alpha sat up and hugged her from behind.

Alpha's warm chest pressed against Athena's cool back, gently kissing her hair. "A trap aimed at the Papacy, or at all of us?"

Alpha's intuition told him that things wouldn't be that simple.

Would the Ottoman Empire really allow a "sheep" to enter its territory and take a strategic treasure?

“This… Lord Achilles’ ‘Ring of Lies’ has already been verified, so the source of the information should be fine.” For the first time, Athena’s tone carried a clear sense of uncertainty and a hint of panic.

"Is that Ring of Lies of Achilles truly foolproof?" Alpha sneered inwardly.

Alpha's personal experience told him that the ring was probably not what it seemed.

“Unless…unless there is a force capable of countering it, or even a higher level of interference.” Athena did not believe in such a thing.

“Unless…the Twelve Rings appear.” Athena turned around.

Athena's beautiful eyes were fixed on Alpha, as if trying to find some answer on his face. "Legend has it that the Holy See originally had twelve holy rings. However, the last two rings are too special and have long been taboo."

"The Twelve Commandments?" Alpha asked, feigning surprise. "I only know the Ten Commandments. What are the other two?"

“The Eleven Commandments are the Pope’s Commandments, representing ‘divine authority’, which allows one to connect with the gods and receive divine revelation. But the Twelfth Commandment…” Athena’s eyes turned to utter disgust, as if she had mentioned something extremely filthy, “The Twelfth Commandment is called the ‘Uncrowned Commandments’, which represents ‘rebellion’.”

"The Ring of Rebellion?" Alpha was startled, a chill instantly spreading throughout his body.

The Uncrowned Ring?

It's just a ring that I accidentally put on in the Elf Vault and can't take off at all.

Is this the one he's wearing on his left little finger right now, the one that's still throbbing slightly?

Alpha instinctively hid his left hand under the covers, his heart pounding wildly, afraid that Athena would notice something was wrong.

“Not bad,” Athena said to herself, oblivious to Alpha’s unusual behavior.

"Legend has it that the Uncrowned Ring possesses the ability to isolate all the effects of the Rings of Light, and at the same time, it also has the ability to copy all the effects of the Rings of Light. It is a perfect 'Thief's Ring. Since the 'Final War' between the Ottoman Empire and the Papacy, the Eleventh and Twelfth Rings have disappeared at the same time, along with two powerful paladins, which has become the greatest shame and taboo of the Papacy."

Athena's eyes were filled with helplessness and sorrow.

That final battle marked the complete end of the Papacy's glory, and its decline began from that point onward.

As a result, even forces like the Pirate Alliance can now stand on equal footing with the Holy See, forcing the Holy See to secretly ally with them.

Alpha suppressed the turmoil in his heart and calmly changed the subject: "Who exactly were those two paladins who betrayed the Holy See in that final battle? We'll probably have to deal with their descendants or forces when we go to the Ottoman Empire this time."

“Don’t worry about those things.” Athena shook her head, seemingly unwilling to discuss the topic further.

"After entering the Ottoman Empire, the two of us will act as the overt leaders, but we will not directly participate in specific quests for the Ring. Therefore, even if some earth-shattering event occurs within the Ottoman Empire, it will be none of our concern."

This explanation reassured Alpha somewhat.

As long as Alpha doesn't have to confront those legendary beings personally, he still has room to maneuver.

"One last question," Alpha asked, looking at the beauty in his arms, voicing his deepest doubts, "What exactly does the Holy Ring mean to the Papacy? Is it merely symbolic and limited to a few special abilities?"

Alpha always felt that Athena had deliberately simplified the function of the Holy Ring.

Athena dressed and tidied her slightly messy long golden hair.

Athena sat on the edge of the bed, silent for a long time, seemingly thinking about how to answer.

In the end, Athena chose to be honest: "The Holy Ring is not only a symbol for the Papacy, but also a source of power."

Athena turned her head and looked at Alpha seriously: "The Holy Ring can infuse every Papal Knight with the 'Power of Discipline.' This power can greatly enhance the knight's combat strength and is the foundation for the Papacy's rule. For the wearer, the Holy Ring is the key to breaking through to the Grand Knight Commander level and reaching a higher level. As for the Pope, collecting all ten Holy Rings (although that's impossible now) is the only way to unleash 'Divine Punishment'—a super attack that can destroy the world."

"I see." Alpha finally understood why the Vatican was so desperately searching for the Holy Ring.

This is not just about power, but also about survival and domination.

However, Alpha still felt that there was more to the story, and the secrets of the Holy Ring were probably far more than that.

"Since the Holy Ring is so good, wouldn't continuously using its power to infuse the knights with strength infinitely enhance the strength of the Holy See? What would be the point of having us knights then?" Alpha raised a crucial question.

"Dream on." Athena rolled her eyes at him, seemingly amused by his naivety.

"Whether it's the Holy Ring, the legendary Uncrowned Ring, or the Pope's Divine Ring, each use requires a massive amount of energy. The source of this energy is extremely demanding and highly restricted. Otherwise, the Papacy would have been invincible long ago."

Athena clearly didn't want to dwell on this issue any longer, so she deliberately put on a stern face.

Athena changed the subject: "Alright, I've told you everything I needed to tell you. Remember, in this mission, we're just superior and subordinate. If you dare to overstep your bounds in front of the Holy See, I will show no mercy!"

Athena is reminding Alpha to keep public and private matters separate.

Don't break the rules in front of outsiders just because of their intimate moment, and don't expose their private affair.

“If you can’t hold back in Ottoman territory, you can bring other people, or you can take care of your physical needs there.” Athena tidied up her appearance and returned to her aloof and cold golden knight persona.

Athena stood up, preparing to leave.

"How can you be distracted by leading other people on such an important mission?" Alpha asked, puzzled.

“We’re just a front to attract attention.” Athena walked to the door, turned back and smiled.

The smile held a hint of cunning and cruelty. "The more people there are, the bigger the target, and the muddier the waters inside. Only in this way can Achilles and his men operate smoothly in the shadows. As for whether the people you bring along survive, that's your own business."

After saying that, Athena didn't linger. She pushed open the door and disappeared outside.

Alpha sat blankly on the bed, pondering the profound meaning of Athena's last words.

It turns out that from beginning to end, Alpha and his men were merely pawns used by the Vatican to deceive the enemy.

A strong sense of humiliation and anger welled up in his heart, but he quickly suppressed it.

Alpha is not a lamb to be slaughtered.

Since the Vatican wants to use him, he will make this situation so murky that even the Vatican can no longer control it!

"Bright moon! Stars!" Alpha's voice rang out in the tent, carrying an undeniable air of authority and urgency. "Summon all the core personnel! Immediately! Right now!"

The situation was urgent, and Alpha had to make the most thorough arrangements before setting off.

This journey into the heart of the Ottoman Empire will be the biggest challenge Alfa has ever faced.

This could be Alpha's only chance to turn the tide and truly take control of its own destiny!

"Mingyue, send out all the encrypted information immediately." Alpha's tone was urgent and serious.

As he quickly changed into his close-fitting soft armor, he gave Mingyue his final instructions: "Notify Princess Fayana to immediately depart for West Macedonia and assume full authority over government affairs. Her task is to appease the people and restore order, but remember, everything must be done with caution in mind."

Alpha paused, a sharp glint in his eyes: "At the same time, order the Tasly Knights to shift their focus and eliminate all potential enemies around Central Macedonia. Whether they are spies or small groups of bandits, wipe them out completely. But!"

Alpha emphasized, "Temporarily halt all large-scale military operations. No one is to provoke war without my orders. Remember, we'll discuss everything when I return."

Although Athena had assured him that they were merely acting as bait in this operation.

He didn't need to engage in any real combat, but Alpha still felt a sense of unease.

Alpha must have a backup plan.

“Also,” Alpha looked at Mingyue, his eyes becoming extremely solemn, “tell Princess Fayana that the construction of the new mining city cannot stop, but the pace must be controlled. Have her only carry out basic site selection and infrastructure construction. All aspects involving core technologies, such as refining and forging, should be slowed down or even temporarily suspended. Everything must be restarted only after I confirm that it is safe.”

Alpha knew that if they ran into trouble within the Ottoman Empire, those core technologies must not fall into the hands of others.

Alpha took a deep breath and gave a final instruction: "Warn everyone that if you hear any unusual noise or confirm that the Ottoman Empire has launched an attack, immediately abandon everything and evacuate along the predetermined route. Survival is the most important thing; material possessions are all meaningless."

After arranging all of this, Alpha finally felt a little more at ease.

Alpha surveyed the core members gathered in the tent and began to assign tasks: "Starlight will come with me on this mission. Everyone else, stay behind."

"No! Lord Alpha, you can't take the risk!" The elf Melissa was the first to stand up and object.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with worry and anxiety. "The Ottoman Empire is a den of dragons and tigers. You are our pillar of strength. What will we do if something happens to you? Let me go with you. I can protect you!"

"Objection overruled." Alpha interrupted her decisively. "The focus of this mission is not combat, but on identity concealment and intelligence gathering. More people are useless and will only expose our position. Star's ability is useful to me and might save my life in a critical moment. The others would only be a burden."

Looking at the expectant and reluctant gazes of everyone, Alpha finally softened a little.

Finally, Alpha added, "In that case, the Dark Elf Peter will come with me. He's an expert in the shadows and might come in handy. The rest of you, stay at your posts and wait for my message."

Time always flies when you're apart.

Alpha bid a brief farewell to everyone, explaining the contingency plans for various possible scenarios.

Just then, Athena's tall figure appeared at the tent entrance.

She had changed into a low-key leather armor, but the noble aura of a golden knight was still hard to conceal.

"Time's up." Athena's voice was cold and direct.

At this moment, everyone had prepared weapons and equipment for Alpha.

The Arthurian sword, knight's armor, and various life-saving scrolls and potions were neatly arranged on the table.

Everyone looked at Alpha with anticipation, hoping that Alpha would carry the symbols of these powers.

“There’s no need to bring these standard weapons and equipment,” Athena suddenly said, stopping Alpha’s actions.

"In this operation, we will disguise ourselves as elite knights of the Ottoman Empire. All equipment will be provided by the Vatican and will be standard equipment befitting the status of Imperial knights. The weapons you carry yourself will easily expose your identities."

Athena's gaze swept over Alpha, implying that he must leave behind everything except for the equipment that had become part of his body and could not be removed.

Alpha shook his head helplessly, except for the "Blood-Weeping Spear" that was already connected to him by blood and could be hidden inside his body.

The "Sword of Arthur," a symbol of glory and power, could only be helplessly returned to its sheath by Alpha and left in the camp.

Thus, a seven-person team (Alpha, Star, Peter, plus Athena and three core figures from the Holy See) was initially formed.

Just as they were about to set off, a holy and subtle white light suddenly enveloped them.

The light flashed and disappeared in the blink of an eye; the seven figures had vanished from the tent as if they had never been there.

When Alpha's vision cleared again, they were in a secluded valley.

Not far away, ten silver knights, clad in standard armor and exuding an aura of restraint, were already waiting.

These are the "outer shells" that the Vatican prepared for this operation.

"I am now infusing you with the power of discipline," the voice of Archduke Achilles echoed through the valley.

"Knights with the 'Equipment Master' ability can perfectly adapt to any equipment you acquire. This equipment is not just armor; it can be anything, and can even accommodate multiple people."

Alpha then understood why the Holy See had only sent ten Silver Knights.

It turns out that Achilles' power of discipline is the true core ability.

Alpha was utterly astonished to see that the knight with the "equipment master" ability had actually managed to perfectly "squeeze" two knights into a single set of equipment.

This amazing ability was something Alpha had never heard of before.

For safety reasons, and to better conceal Alpha's identity, Achilles decided to have Alpha share the same set of equipment with Stars.

After all, the little girl, Fanxing, doesn't seem like a warrior at all; she's more like a toy that Alpha is carrying.

When Alpha and Star entered the seemingly single-person armor, a miracle occurred.

They didn't feel crowded at all; on the contrary, they felt that the interior of the equipment was a world of its own.

The two moved around freely inside, completely intimate.

This is the magic of combining "Equipment Mastery" with "Discipline Power".

And so, a special squad that appeared to consist of ten knights slowly stepped out of the mountains and forests.

They need time to get used to this brand new "skin".

Of course, there are far more than ten people inside the armor. Once they enter the target area, there are still ten armored knights, but the people inside will disperse.

"Remember, within the territory of the Ottoman Empire, no power of light may be used."