### Chapter 2: Southern Line (5)
The emperor’s decision to mobilize troops triggered an earthquake of seismic proportions in the imperial capital—a whopping eight on the Richter scale!
What a ridiculous joke! Why should a magic user with royal bl**d stay cozy in the capital while all the knightly fighters and harpists, even those with just a speck of talent, were sent out to face potential doom? It was like handing them a one-way ticket to a make-believe heroic end!
In a bid to change the emperor’s mind, droves of nobles stormed the doors of the imperial palace, shouting like a bunch of rabid fans trying to get the attention of a celebrity.
And just at that moment, Morris—the Messenger of the God of Light—waltzed into view at the city gates. Radiating with a golden glow that would make a disco ball jealous, he looked at the throng with a calm gaze and said, “Did you all forget who you are?”
The crowd froze, their bravado dissipating faster than a balloon at a porcupine convention.
Over seventy percent of these nobles worshipped the Church of Light. According to their doctrine, the emperor, being both the pope and a child of the gods, had the authority of divine will behind him. Arguing with him was like trying to out-tango a tap-dancing octopus—pointless!
Unless they wanted to switch lanes and exit the Church of Light, which would instantly make them the pariahs of the city—meaning many folks would be delighted to see them roasting on a spit.
It dawned on the nobles for the first time that when imperial power combined with divine authority, it was a formula for trouble of epic proportions.
Moreover, aside from the skilled warriors and harpists who could actually fight, each noble was just one branch of a big, sprawling family tree. If they wanted to keep the Church of Light on their side, they had no choice but to send out their most competent relatives, almost like paying a survival fee for their dynasty.
Morris’s mere presence and a few choice words instantly crushed their resolve to meet the emperor.
A handful who didn’t worship the Church of Light remained but had lost their momentum to act united. Under the watchful eyes of the guards, they reluctantly exited the palace and began readying for the looming expedition.
The harpists were mainly the wives of high-ranking nobles, and many were already mothers to a small army of children. So, when the emperor declared they must go off to war, it was like someone flipped a switch—the noble residences surrounding the capital erupted with wailing that could give banshees a run for their money.
Once Monroe left the palace, he scrambled to meet Lord Lin. Yes, he needed to fill Lord Lin in on this turn of events. He had every reason to suspect that the emperor was using this call to arms as a way to diminish all power outside his royal grasp.
After hearing Monroe’s account, Lin fell into deep thought.
Meanwhile, the harpist academy’s dean, Janet, couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Lady Janet, what’s so funny?” Monroe asked, puzzled by her train of thought, yet he only managed half a sentence due to his inhibitions.
“My dear Monroe, no need to fret so much,” Janet replied with a wave of her hand.
“Why do you say that?”
“Regardless of what the emperor is plotting, this is an excellent opportunity for the harpists, especially these fresh graduates. The Messenger has told us that harpists aren’t just support roles; they also have fierce offensive capabilities and astonishing growth potential. But they need to be tested in actual combat.”
Monroe gasped, “But war can k*ll! Harpists are precious! If those nimble beasts break through defenses, even with protective measures, I doubt they can escape unscathed from jaws the size of dinner plates!”
Janet’s expression became serious. “Without a little bloodshed to wash away their previous lack of experience, how can we call them warriors?
No matter the emperor’s intentions, this is a crucial test for the harpists. I genuinely want to thank him for giving our academy this rare opportunity to harden our chins—er, I mean, our skills. Even if only a hundred survive, they’ll sow the seeds for the future of the harpist academy.”
Monroe shook his head vigorously. “Lady Janet, you’re too biased. Have you not thought that if the army can’t fend off the beasts, the capital will be in ruins? Everything we know will be utterly destroyed!”
After a moment of silence, Lin suddenly spoke up. “Don’t worry, Lord Monroe. You needn’t lose sleep over this. As long as I’m here keeping watch over the capital, we’ll ensure it remains safe, and the citizens will be protected.”
Upon hearing about the beast army invading the Southern Line, Lin felt a twinge of surprise. She had no idea who was stirring up trouble at such a crucial moment, but she believed the emperor would leverage this situation to attract fresh believers.
As for why he hadn’t dispatched the mages, she was well aware. Those skilled in magic had been quietly working for the emperor. In fact, on forums, there were rumors of many black-hooded figures floating above the pit, casting spells into the abyss.
So why would the emperor send out mages at this critical time?
For these past few days, whether it was Xi leading the bl**d Moon Team or herself, they had been searching for this pit.
Strangely enough, not a shadow of the abyss had been spotted within a hundred miles of the capital. One would think that such a massive hole would be easy to see in clear weather.
Yet the bl**d Moon Team hadn’t reported back anything.
Thus, Lin ordered them to widen their search area until they found the pit.
The bl**d Moon Team was now far from the capital, and unless Lin recalled their character cards, it would mean the search was in vain.
Nonetheless, Lin vowed that until the pit’s exact location was found, she wouldn’t let the beast army step one foot into the capital. After all, the lives of those players hung by a thread, and whether from compassion or a shared plight, she wouldn’t let the emperor turn them into sacrifices!
Once she pulled those players out, she’d go for the emperor’s throat and seize control of the empire in the name of the Messenger of the Goddess of Destiny!
That, in a nutshell, was her grand plan up till now.
With Lord Lin’s verbal guarantee, Monroe finally felt a bit of relief wash over him. After all, his hurried visit to the Harpist Academy was to test the waters.
The worship of the Goddess of Destiny had indeed dwindled, and most of the citizens had been captured by the Church of Light. Even if Lord Lin choose to ignore them, no one would complain.
However, Lord Lin made it clear that she would fight to protect the capital, igniting a flicker of hope in Monroe and Janet, because who could deny that the Messenger’s vision was extraordinary?
If the God of Light’s messenger, Morris, could join her side to battle the beast army, perhaps the capital’s defenses weren’t as flimsy as they imagined.
And with reinforcements fortifying the knights and harpists, they were far from easy pickings!
Suddenly, a glimmer of confidence sparked in Monroe’s heart.
