Apocalypse Lord-Chapter 49 - 47: The Celestial Calamity Prototype
During the execution, Ed did not forget the interrogation work either.
He learned that Lord Levell’s "army" consisted of more than two thousand people, totaling twenty Southern Iron Guard Corps.
Among them, six Iron Guard Captains guarded the main city of the Southern Territory, while four Iron Guard Captains oversaw the lord’s coal and iron mines.
The remaining Iron Guards were scattered across towns big and small, responsible for collecting various harsh taxes like land, quarterly, and population taxes.
Amusingly, Henry, the Iron Guard Captain, turned out to be the cream of the crop among many captains!
His legion was invincible, and in the Southern Territory, he was honored with the prestigious title of "The Lord’s Right Hand," deeply loved and recognized by Lord Levell.
Upon hearing this "great reputation," even the usually stern Ed held his forehead.
Fortunately, he eventually unearthed some relatively important information.
The Lionheart Knight Order cultivated by Prince Ryan is currently roaming the kingdom’s Western Border, and it’s said that there are countless sinners afflicted by the Blood Plague in the Western Border.
It has already become a true Purgatory there!
Moreover, Lord Levell strictly forbids anyone from discussing any news regarding the Western Border.
Every time the guards stand on the city walls gazing towards that direction, they can see the dark red dense fog enveloping the land, and in the deep sky, a gigantic terrifying blood eye occasionally appears.
In the face of death, the collapsing guards confessed all they knew, yet sadly, this couldn’t change their fate.
Heads, filled with despair, rolled onto the ground.
The scent of blood spread around, making many young militiamen retch, as they had never executed a prisoner by their own hands before.
Lin Lan watched the scene coldly, still unfazed internally.
This group of villains did not deserve sympathy; they had long lost their humanity, each carrying indescribable blood debts.
The Civilian Corps began cleaning the battlefield at Ed’s command.
They collected the scattered iron swords on the ground, picked up withered branches, piled the bodies into a heap, and eventually set them ablaze.
The wind and snow gradually died down, replaced by billowing smoke.
"From today onwards, we must push forward, Ed."
Lin Lan contemplated for a moment and decisively said, "Let’s start with the mines under Lord Levell’s control."
Ed nodded; the current situation was indeed grim.
Although the guards under the Lion Heart nobles were all inept, the real thorny issue was clearly the Blood Plague spreading everywhere.
The knights have already turned the Western Border into a breeding ground for the Abyss!
Sooner or later, even the Lion Heart nobles will notice the mad nature of the Lion Heart Royal Court and realize that their homeland is heading towards destruction.
No... maybe the nobles have already noticed, but they cover their heads, unwilling to face it...
The indulgent nobles would never come to their senses until death.
Lin Lan decided to tackle the problem personally and remove any obstacles in his way in the most ruthless manner!
Flames rose up.
And high in the sky, a pair of eyes silently watched everything happening on the ground.
The sunlight on the blocky cloud suddenly flickered, like a light with loose wiring, sketching the shape of a complexly engraved grey mask cast by a momentary shadow.
The Alliance Secret Guard began flickering towards the kingdom’s Northern Border, meanwhile, the surface of the mask lit up with changing luster,
’Uploading data observation log.’
’Log entry: 06-271-D-SX/S-160605’
’Event summary: Viscount Roland used Sunshine Refining Technology to stir up resistance against the Lion Heart Royal Court at the edge of the Southern Territory.’
’Threat level to the Alliance: Extremely low.’
’Handling measures: No handling authority.’
A series of character symbols flowed in the sunlight, presenting peculiar colors.
After an unknown time, the mask glided over the Western Border’s sky, diving into the red mist.
Under the gaze of the Alliance Secret Guard, the ground of a small town had already turned into a scarlet swamp.
The melting flesh rose and fell in the swamp, occasionally a pained face skin would surface on the blood swamp, emitting a piercing, insane scream.
The flesh swamp was slowly pulsating, as if something terrifying was being nurtured deep inside...
Several Golden Armored Knights rode their skeletal warhorses, patrolling back and forth along the edge of the swamp, emitting horrifying murmurs and laughter, their faces densely covered with blood-red eyes.
’Log entry: 06-271-D-SX/W-185539’
’Event summary: Part of the Lion Heart Kingdom has fallen, and the cognitive curse spread by Prince Ryan originates from the Abyss Celestial Calamity’s embryonic form.’
’Threat level to the Alliance: None (once the Celestial Calamity formally descends, the sea will thoroughly engulf the Lion Heart Kingdom, dissolving the Calamity into the Deep Sea).’
’Handling measures: No handling authority.’
Malicious gazes swept the sky, the mask swiftly pierced through the blood mist, soon flickering to the kingdom’s Northern Border.
The very center of the Royal City.
A well-dressed Alliance diplomat was sitting alone in an empty opera house, pondering something in solitude.
The mask hung in mid-air, sketching a graceful figure and a wide robe in the dancing light and shadows.
The grey-robed woman stood still behind the man.
Sigma opened his eyes, looking at the Secret Guard, his gaze extremely gloomy.
"You still haven’t been granted handling authority from the main island?" he inquired, his voice somewhat hoarse.
The Secret Guard shook their head slightly.
Sigma furrowed his brow tightly, rubbing his monocle with great force, his irritation growing more intense.
The situation was beginning to spiral out of control.
He had never imagined that the Blood Plague spread by Prince Ryan would fucking originate from a Celestial Calamity embryo!
The Empire and such were already unimportant.
If the situation continues to develop like this, the end result will be the Lion Heart Kingdom being dragged into the sea by the Celestial Calamity, and himself slipping back to the Alliance like a coward.
How can that be?
The Governor of the "Fortress Main Island" had high expectations for him!
But in the face of the Celestial Calamity, the nature of the whole event had changed and become increasingly complex.
As a diplomat, Sigma naturally reported the situation to the Alliance’s high level at the first opportunity, requesting to forcefully prevent the birth of the Celestial Calamity using the Grey-clothed Secret Guard.
The outcome was:
Among the Alliance’s three main islands, the "Fortress Faction" voted in favor, while the "White Oak Faction" and "Spiral Star Ladder Faction" voted against.
Sigma’s request was thus rejected.
The White Oak Faction, as conservatives, was always at odds with the Fortress Faction.
But why did the Spiral Star Ladder Faction vote against it? It was clearly their people who arranged for scholars researching the Celestial Calamity!
Sigma just felt utterly vexed.
The only power the Fortress Faction secured for Sigma was that he could continue to lead the activities of the merchant convoy, thus encouraging the locals to resolve the birth of the Celestial Calamity themselves.
Those fools who only indulge in pleasure couldn’t solve a damn thing!
The Second Princess even hid in her bedchamber, refusing visits from anyone, expressing she would wait for her brother’s awakening...
Sigma was mentally exhausted; as a lowly diplomat, he could not defy the resolutions of the high command.
"Is there no one normal in this kingdom? Secret Guard?"
He sighed softly.
In the next moment, a cool female voice responded, "A lord in the Southern Territory is rebelling against the Royal Court, Diplomat."
Sigma was slightly stunned.
Is there really one?
