### Chapter 131: Roadblock Tiger (Part 2)
“Good reasons? After having sufficient reasons, are you planning to go head-to-head with the Church Knights Order…?”
“Are you scared?”
“Scared? I’m worried your stupidity is playing right into the enemy’s hands…”
“Are you talking about those cowards who are cowering in the Royal City or about the Knights? I refuse to believe that if we take a firmer stance, those knights would really dare to do anything against us. They wouldn’t want to… avoid a confrontation with the Duke and risk a war with the entire Northern Region…”
“Alright, alright, no more arguing or wasting time… What’s urgent right now is to ensure Lady Annie’s safety. If she really is in the hands of the Knights, remember… everyone must stay restrained—no one can act impulsively. Unless absolutely necessary, we can’t provoke the Church. Let’s see what they want, assess the situation, then negotiate further…”
“How many of Taku’s group have gone? Why haven’t they returned yet…?”
“I think they should be back soon…”
“Let’s go, calm your people down and keep an eye on the New City of Kaliye. I’ll head up front to wait for news…”
Slowly, their footsteps faded away.
After waiting for a moment until I could no longer hear their voices, I poked my head out and stood up from the snow pile, brushed off the snow on my clothes, tilted my head, and stared in the direction where the three had left. After watching for a bit, my eyes sparkled and my brain started turning quickly.
The Knights are a roadblock…
Can I be sure it’s the Knights?
Their confidence sure suggests it, so it’s probably right…
Hmm…
Doesn’t that mean…
I just go find a bishop or someone and have a serious chat about it, and then everything will be crystal clear, right?
Fantastic!
The Church must know more about it…
I was eager to get moving; I couldn’t keep dragging my feet. So let’s just do it.
However, it would be best if I didn’t have to show my face. Let the Sword Demon Miss handle it; after all, I can’t let the Church find out I’m still alive. Who knows if there’s anyone here who might recognize me… It’s always best to be cautious.
So I immediately turned around and went back, found the Sword Demon, briefly explained the situation, and without telling anyone, we quietly left with the Horned Horse. The messy guy noticed us before we left, but he didn’t say much—probably thought we were just heading out. He waved goodbye from a distance, treating it as a silent farewell.
“Hey, remember… once you’re there, find someone who looks in charge, grab them by the collar, and run. You run fast enough that no one can catch you…”
We avoided the crowded areas, dodging soldiers as we headed north. Along the way, I nervously reminded the Sword Demon, “Keep your mask on, just don’t let anyone see your face. As for the Lightning ability… there’s no one quite like you, so they won’t suspect a dead person…”
“We’ll find the camp first, and once you catch someone, just run north with them… By the way, keep an eye out for a red-armored woman there.”
“…A red-armored woman?”
“Uh-huh, something like the fighters from Erin Castle… If you see her, rescue her, but don’t bring her this way. I can’t expose myself. I’ll wait for you somewhere further north… Find a spot there to ask questions and check how to get to Baihao City.”
The Sword Demon nodded: “Should we leave someone behind?”
“…Whether we should leave someone depends on what they really want.”
I thought…
No matter what happens, the Church is unlikely to be the one to initiate a war. Even in difficult times, they wouldn’t openly confront my father…
The worst-case scenario would be using ‘house arrest’ tactics to control the people at Shanter Castle, coercing and manipulating to cover up the truth while carrying out their nasty schemes behind the scenes—that’s their specialty.
But my father isn’t someone to be trifled with; he won’t give in so easily, especially with Viki around… and that’s the reason I don’t worry too much… right?
Anyway, once I get the facts straight, I’ll go take a look.
Find my father or Viki… though I haven’t decided if I want to meet them directly just yet. First, I need to confirm their safety.
“Got it.”
Our departure didn’t attract anyone’s attention.
Handsome Uncle Taku was absent, and that annoying soldier from earlier was nowhere to be found. The entire valley’s troops were in disarray; most soldiers had started to rest on the spot. Some looked quite furious, shouting something from a distance—too chaotic to hear clearly. I spotted that knowledgeable soldier mingling in the crowd, seemingly trying to calm everyone down…
However, as he wasn’t a commander, he could only manage part of his own people. No one in the New City of Kaliye was listening.
In a situation like this, after not long, the noisy sounds gradually drifted away from us.
Just as we were about to leave the valley, the Sword Demon was getting ready to mount the beast when suddenly, I spotted someone riding a Horned Horse returning from the north over the hill.
…Hmm?
That’s…
Squinting, I tugged on the Sword Demon’s clothing, signaling her to wait a moment.
That looked like Taku…
He…
Is he covered in bl**d?
“Prepare for ambush! Get ready to fight—!”
Before I could even process what was happening, the man’s hoarse roar echoed across half the valley: “Church—! It’s the—Church… Knights—!!”
What is he shouting…
What does it mean?
Amidst the swirling snow, the man’s shout captured the attention of hundreds of soldiers in the valley. I saw some of the red cavalry from Erin Castle galloping towards him; more people, looking perplexed, stood up, still shaking their drink bags, peering towards the sound, while others couldn’t see anything at all.
“Grab your weapons—!!”
Taku’s second shout echoed through the wind and snow: “The Church has betrayed us! The knights are coming! They’ve broken the peace treaty—!!”
Wha…t…
I finally heard that loud and clear.
Buzz—
But in the next moment, with the man’s chilling scream, the once-falling snowflakes seemed to freeze in midair—everyone wore expressions of shock, disbelief, and confusion. They didn’t have time to react. Suddenly, the dazzling Light of the Divine Miracle erupted from the northern sky above the valley, like divine punishment descending from above.
“Nefilodah White Wing…”
Buzz boom boom boom boom boom—!!!
With a chanting, sacred voice, countless rays of light fell like rain into the crowd. White feathers mixed with the falling snow, flaring wildly in the stormy sky. The radiance was so bright that even I struggled to keep my eyes open.
!!!
In the chaos, I raised my hand to shield my eyes, faintly seeing countless splashes of bl**d erupting from the valley below, with innards and guts being blasted up to nearly ten meters high. In the distance, Taku was thrown off his beast; the Horned Horse was split in half by a beam of light, and he rolled down the slope, sprawled out in the snow…
One second, two seconds…
The frantic shouts and cries echoed like thunder, and within a few moments, the valley erupted in chaos.
“All—troops—form—up—!!”
I couldn’t tell whose order it was, but with the hastily blown trumpets, the already scattered army in the valley fell into complete disarray, the northern light still burning bright, the stench of bl**d from the fallen warriors barely dissipating, and suddenly, in the distance, I could hear the “rumble rumble rumble” of an approaching army…
