Origin Paradise!

The Marquis of Black said, "There will be a war next. Margaret has returned with Henry VII. I hope you can secretly deal with these two elders on the battlefield outside the capital and resolve the issue of the Silver Fruit."

"It is worth mentioning that Margaret has the support of the King of Bourbon, and a titled official has stepped in to resolve her hidden dangers. She is no longer someone you can manipulate at will. I hope the Earl will be cautious."

At the crossroads, not far away are the ruins of the inner city, and a few miles to the left is Blackstone Castle.

Just as the two were about to part ways, Jiang He summoned the Long-Hate Dragon Spear without hesitation, and went into full power, boosting his speed and reaction to the peak. The spear's special effect, Swift Kill, increased his attack speed by 80%.

Whoosh!

The terrifying speed of the shot propelled the spear into the Black Marquis's chest, unleashing both true and soul damage. His chest and abdomen shattered with a deafening roar, a severe injury even for a peak Grand Knight.

The Black Marquis created distance; his blood was pitch black, like refined oil, instantly healing his horrific wounds and even the damage to his soul, leaving him completely unharmed.

"A very unique farewell. See you later."

"See you later." Jiang He sheathed his spear and walked toward Blackstone Castle with a calm expression.

[Executor's Exclusive Note: This being possesses a supreme-level bloodline: Black Within Black - Supreme-level Self-Healing]

Chapter 314 Before the War

Explore the year 1600, August 10th.

Queen Margaret received the strong support of the King of Bourbon. The four ducal families in the country joined forces with the royal family to send a total of 7000 knights to assist the legion of more than 60000 men, including 5 Grand Knights. The army was known as 300,000 men, and the Duke of Wyatt served as the military governor.

The Bourbon army, under the banner of the Rose Family's restoration war, attacked the southern territory of Stuart on August 12, sweeping through 17 cities. Due to the heavy losses suffered by the Southern Dukes' family, the Black Serpent, in internal turmoil, they were unable to launch an effective counterattack, and the army began to slowly advance towards the southern plains.

On the same day, New Red Castle responded.

Prime Minister Marquis Black mobilized 7000 Royal Knights to assist the Legion's 70000 men, preparing to march south to the plains to defend against the enemy.

Regarding the civil war within the White Rose family, Grand Duke Mordred remained in a wait-and-see attitude, traveling alone to the border to confront the old prince of the Bourbon royal family. Grand Duke Rose remained in the central port, ignoring all requests from the New Red Keep.

In addition, the Prime Minister dispatched the Storm Regiment Commander to incorporate the remaining warships of the Northern Fleet, deploying a force of one cruiser, six destroyers, and eighteen frigates to anchor and defend the River Lamps, with their guns pointed at the south bank as fixed turrets.

Queen Eleanor attached great importance to this war, dispatching the Grand Knight Red Rose as the military governor, assisted by two royal elders, with the Sword Elder and Earl Rhine accompanying the army, and the newly appointed Baron Lor as the deputy commander of the knightly order.

……

King's capital.

After the events of the Duel of the Two Kings, the Queen's Regent, Djork's coronation, and the Battle of the Blues, the once bustling city has become much more desolate. The most obvious changes are that, in addition to the desolation of the inner city, the number of nightingales on the streets has increased exponentially.

Outer city villa area.

Roland was pruning white roses in his garden. His once passionate and capable demeanor had vanished, and even the scars on his face had softened considerably. Since the death of the Duke of Djouk, he had relinquished all his military posts and power, spending most of his savings to buy this villa.

Because he possesses the strength of an ordinary Grand Knight, and is also an exceptionally talented individual at only twenty-six years old, his potential to reach the pinnacle in the future is universally acknowledged, and he has been living a very peaceful life recently.

Roland had no interest in the ever-changing situation in the capital. He had never heard of five or six kings dying in two months. In fact, most citizens were pessimistic about Queen Eleanor, and there were countless rumors that the Red Keep throne was cursed.

Click!

The scissors cut off the stem of the white rose.

Roland suddenly turned his head; he heard the sound of someone falling to the ground near the wall.

The great knight's powerful body moved swiftly, creating a whooshing sound. He instinctively reached for his waist, only to find that his once inseparable knight's sword had been replaced by a leather belt and scissors.

"Hey……"

Roland walked to the wall, sighed softly, and saw that the young man who had fallen in was unconscious. He stepped forward, picked him up, and his expression suddenly changed slightly.

"Young Master Brownie?"

Perhaps it was the touch that jolted him awake from his unconsciousness, or perhaps it was a desperate act of self-deception, but Brownie, dressed in tattered clothes, opened his eyes, his gaze lifeless and filled with exhaustion.

Upon seeing Roland, Brownie burst into tears before his former half-vassal.

"Roland, he's dead..."

"My brothers and sisters are all dead too..."

"Leaving me all alone in this world..."

"The garrison is arresting me, and I have nowhere to go."

Brownie cried her heart out. The White Rose family had once been glorious, but with the Duke's sudden downfall, the entire family began to decline at an unimaginable speed.

"Young Master, accept reality as soon as possible."

Roland's smile was bitter. He realized that the young man in front of him might be the last true white rose. Now serving as the Sword-Holding Elder and Commander of the Royal Knights, he held considerable power and had long since colluded with the New Red Keep. Without the Duke's suppression, a top expert could freely accept offers from all sides.

“Just kill me,” Brownie suddenly said.

Roland was at a loss; how could he possibly kill the Duke's son?

"Little Lord……"

“I am a disgrace to him by living. No knight is willing to be loyal to me anymore. They have all forgotten his kindness!”

Roland felt a pang of shame. The Duke had been incredibly kind to him, yet he had only thought of himself and forgotten to take care of the Duke's son. He was utterly unworthy of being called a human being.

"I pledge my allegiance to you in the name of chivalry and virtue."

Without any hesitation, Roland knelt down on one knee.

A complex emotion flashed in Brownie's eyes. The other party was not stupid and probably saw through his disguise and acting skills, but his loyalty to the Duke of Djouk made this young man, who was only a few years older than him, willing to go through fire and water, simply because he had that man's blood.

Even in his heart, Brownie didn't want to mention that person's name. If he hadn't stepped into the royal trap of the treasure vault alone, he wouldn't have had to flee in panic and would still be the heir in the spotlight.

"Rise, my knight."

Knight Roland, he wanted to grasp his knight's sword again. It was clear that after a series of changes, the young master before him had grown up and was no longer the "child" who stayed by the Duke's side.

Brownie decisively laid out his plan in its entirety: Roland was the fulcrum for his return to the top, and this was a necessary step; otherwise, nothing could be discussed.

“I intend to seek the support of the nobles to ascend the throne. The four upper nobles now share the same interests as Queen Eleanor, namely, to divide up the chaotic lands, which is the basis of her rule.”

"To defeat her and win over the nobles, we must offer greater benefits. I have decided to adopt the ancient electoral system and elevate the four noble families to electors. Every other generation, the White Rose family and the four noble families will elect the next king by voting, with the former having two votes, without being bound by the past."

Brownie's gaze was resolute. The Elector had offered him the opportunity to become king. In the past two months, even though several kings had come and gone, they had essentially been confined to the Red and White Roses. This was an unconventional decision, possessing an appeal far greater than that of the chaotic land.

Roland was horrified. He couldn't understand how the other party could have such a crazy idea. Moreover, even he, a professional officer, didn't know the specifics of the Elector. It was probably something that happened before the exploration period.

How could you have such a thought!

“It was fate. I originally planned to ask the Black Marquis Prime Minister for a pardon, but I found an ancient book in a house in an alley. It was his blessing and guidance.”

“But…” Roland hesitated, knowing that such an approach would cause the White Rose family to lose its glory from its heyday.

Brownie knew what the other was thinking, and his expression hardened as he said, word by word, "Roland, a person who can't give up anything will get nothing."

Roland was speechless.

……

Blackstone Castle.

Jiang He sat cross-legged on the bed, silently circulating his breathing techniques. A hazy mist descended behind him as the gray warhorse moved behind him. Nine vortexes of energy within his body spun rapidly, scavenging and refining the last trace of medicinal power remaining in his body and feeding it back to his soul.

A total of nine thousand doses of Grey Horse Potion were used, which, according to market prices, consumed as many as nine million gold coins. Under the influence of the Gluttony Power, the speed at which the potions were digested was terrifying.

Within the White Rose family, the former direct descendant genius, Djork II, received five exclusive cultivation potions every month, which took a full month to digest. The White Rose family had no shortage of resources and guidance, but despite this, Djork II still failed to break through the biggest hurdle to becoming a Grand Knight—the Silver Will.

Even in the Origin game, no special quest was offered for the Silver Will to be transformed. According to the game's rules, this was a matter of "necessary respect for the complete independence of the player's soul."

Jiang He increased the speed of the vortex of energy within his body.

In terms of physique, he is already at the ordinary Silver level.

In terms of spirit, the Silver Will has long been awakened.

In terms of energy, the dividing line between silver and bronze is 3000, and the dividing line between gold and silver is 10000. He has already far surpassed the former and is even approaching the latter.

Long!

A buzzing sound filled the room.

One of the nine vortexes of energy within Jiang He's body began to liquefy under the constant scouring of energy. At the moment of the qualitative change, the so-called "Silver Battle Qi" swept through his entire body, strengthening his physique. Through this cultivation, he became a true Great Knight.

[Hint: You have been promoted to Grand Knight - Gain +1 to all attributes and +200 energy]

[Strength: 22→23]

[Agility: 21→22]

[Constitution: 22→23]

[Spirit: 21→22]

[Charm: 26→27]

[Silver Energy Value: 8201→8401]

Jiang He finished his cultivation and exhaled a streak of gray mist from his sword. However, the gray warhorse behind him became clearer and clearer, with each hair seemingly having substance. The knight's true form entered the third stage and awakened the true form ability, Extreme Speed. When fully activated, his speed increased by another 30%, far surpassing that of the old gentleman.

"There's still one flaw."

Jiang He repeatedly activated all the acceleration states, gradually turning them into instincts. The operation of the mind takes time, but as proficiency increases, these states can be activated simultaneously, rather than sequentially. In the end, all that is needed is a snap of the fingers.

"Super Speed ​​Mode".

"Leaving aside combat strength, if we were in the Eternal Dark World, the first liquid vortex to condense would make you a level ten Day General at this moment."

On the sofa, Lilith put down her imaginary book, her reclining posture revealing her perfect curves. Her incredibly long and shapely legs were crossed, and she smiled, propping her cheek up with one hand:

"The Eternal Dark World is a place where human empires and dark races have been fighting each other for ages. Due to its high energy level, its influence has affected other worlds in the surrounding void region, such as the Ember World and the Maritime World where we are now."

"In that place, soldiers are bronze and generals are silver. Depending on the faction, humans and dark creatures name the extraordinary levels according to day and night. Of course, beings from the Golden Age can still be considered noble figures, but only fourth-tier heroes are considered strategic combat power."

Lilith looked tenderly at the Chosen One she was pulling up and reminded him, "So please don't focus your attention on that old gentleman. Although he's not exactly a nobody, if he were truly worth taking seriously, he wouldn't have been buried with a dead man like me. That void voyage had no return."

Jiang He nodded and asked, "What level is above the fourth-tier hero?"

“A fifth-tier legendary figure,” Lilith casually gave the answer. “There are only a handful of strong individuals at this stage in the Eternal Dark World. They are mostly asleep. I was one of them. However, I had a little talent and ability and attempted to advance to a sixth-tier god. I would say I was mostly successful.”

Lilith gave a rare cold laugh: "The Eternal Dark World does not allow any life to challenge its status of consciousness. In exchange for the inability to give birth to the Child of Destiny from then on, it exhausted all the power of destiny to make me fail. The obstruction of the other legends is secondary. The most critical thing is the backlash caused by the collapse of its own authority."

"The transportation of my remains was really just a severed hand. It was all just for show. The people accompanying me were all pawns that various races were planning to eliminate, but for various reasons they couldn't openly do so. Among them, the old gentleman was indeed of noble birth."

"Want to hear more?" Lilith suddenly asked.

Jiang He tentatively asked, "Shall I give you 50 game coins?"

Although he came from a border island, he had heard of this old story from a few years ago.

Lilith was both amused and exasperated. She sat up and said, "As a teacher, I originally wanted to spark your interest in exploring history."

Jiang He pondered for a moment, then asked, "Is there something wrong with Marquis Black's purpose?"

“That’s right.” Lilith laughed. “He has a supreme level of self-healing, so killing two royal elders wouldn’t be a problem. If what he said is true, that he wants to intercept the Silver Fruit because he is afraid of the Chosen One, then letting you take action is equivalent to completely handing over control afterward. This is not how one should act out of fear.”

Jiang He pondered to himself that the concept of "blackest of blacks" is easy to understand in the field of alchemy. Simply put, it means the ultimate. The Black Marquis founded a church, parasitized the court, and gathered all kinds of unique bloodlines, reaching the pinnacle of this path. However, to this day, he has failed to break through to the Gold level, perhaps because his bloodlines are too mixed.

Lilith said, "Three thousand years ago, the first elf was born in this world. It had a unique bloodline and was also known as the Sun Elf. Its power was exceptionally pure."

"Its offspring did not inherit the full power; like the moon reflecting the sun's light, they were merely moon spirits."

"This is ultimately because the Sun Elves are unique, and the first generation of offspring with the closest bloodline lose their eligibility. As the lineage continues, the bloodline is diluted, and eventually, they can no longer even be considered eligible."

"But driven by fate, moon elves are not absolutely immune to miraculous phenomena—such as atavism."

"The answer is obvious. The Chosen One, Lor, is probably a candidate for atavism. If the Black Marquis can plunder the bloodline of the Sun Elf, then the pure blood might be able to help him advance to Gold rank, since he already has the bloodline of the Moon Elf."

Jiang He said knowingly, "So, to make Lor become a Sun Elf, a constant stream of pressure is needed. The rest can be left to fate. The Black Marquis both covets and fears fate, so he wants me to be the villain on the stage so that he can reap the benefits."

Lilith nodded. "However, it's all just speculation."

Boom boom boom!

At the castle gate, the armored knights knocked.

Jiang He left the bedroom and waited for the butler to open the door. There he met the current leader of the Royal Knights—the Sword-Holding Elder.

"Count Rhine, the army is breaking camp. Don't delay the time." The Sword Elder's smile held a hidden meaning. He had previously suspected that the Saint Lilith was a rare advancement-type treasure. After the Battle of the Blue River, the Golden Dreadnought disappeared, and some of his predictions may have come true.

Unfortunately, without solid evidence, he could hardly persuade the other powerful figures to join the attack, after all, Count Rhine had killed William, a wolf of the same level, and his combat strength was extraordinary.

……

Explore the year 1600, August 15th.

The royal army crossed the Lambs River and reached the southern plains.

The four viscountries on the plains were spared from devastation, because Margaret clearly saw the Stuart nobles as targets for her wooing, under the banner of the War of the Red Rose's Restoration.