Chapter 55: Players Think (Please Follow!!!)

August 8th, 2614 of the Era.

Golongni Port.

A fleet draped in bright red ribbons and bronze ornaments was assembling at the port.

The unblessed Chivalrous Expedition, the military force of the Cursed Crusade, was continuously gathering within this largest of ports.

The Cursed Crusade is the official synonym for this Chivalrous Expedition. There is a reason for this.

The Lady of the Lake did not bless this Chivalrous Expedition because it was not an expeditionary force summoned by the Knight King, but a spontaneous action by local honorary knights and squires. It is the atonement of Gede Knight and Joshua Knight.

Furthermore, because the Holy Grail has not yet been welcomed back, they would not grant blessings to these fleets due to religious considerations. The entire Chivalrous Expedition Fleet is to launch a massive grand expedition toward the Broken Lands without the blessing of the gods. They even collected grain and supplies gifted by many other factions, shuttling forward across the icy sea.

Because Bretonnia and the Norsca Peninsula face each other across the sea, some impatient vanguard fleets have already begun clearing out Norscans on the Norsca Peninsula, paving the way for the Chivalrous Expedition.

This kind of urgent, non-knightly expedition, meant only to prove themselves, was ultimately called the Cursed Crusade.

However, this very ragtag expeditionary force, which even seems somewhat ridiculous in the eyes of the Old World authorities, is an unattainable dream in the eyes of many races and factions.

Just by setting sail, the entire port was filled with colorful ribbons. As the ships gradually left the port, huge banners and sails began to rise, followed by the chanting of peasants and minor nobles on the shore to bless this expedition, and the light of Magic began to flicker one by one on those ships.

It is precisely these radiances that give these strange-looking ships extraordinary load-bearing capacity, impact resistance, and even self-repairing capabilities.

A fleet without Magic is unqualified in this world.

Even without Magic, you must at least have faith and reverence for the gods.

Because only in this way will the ocean not stir up monstrous waves, and the Winds of Magic will not instantly tear your fleet to shreds. Ships that rely purely on so-called technology and design would be dismantled into fragments by the wind, waves, and the wrath of sea monsters in less than a dozen years.

"……Every time I see this scene, I feel a sense of jealousy."

Sitting on the top floor of the port tower, Edward watched the fleet draped in ribbons sail out of the port and begin to converge, his eyes narrowing somewhat unpleasantly.

"Their fleet is protected by the gods; wanting to shatter our fleet is no different from taking apart building blocks. Their physical bodies are also blessed by faith, and their own abilities far exceed those of normal people... Why is it that things we can only achieve here by desperately using money and interests are so simple for them?"

"Because they have lived here their whole lives, while we are from the other side."

What's more, the gods here haven't really taken a liking to us either.

Beside Edward, Anderson, the player responsible for official liaison and also the coordinator for this Chivalrous Expedition, was wearing a luxurious formal suit, holding a bottle of fine wine, and sitting next to Edward.

Using a corkscrew to open the cork, the mellow fragrance, blessed by the Lady of the Lake with Magic and impossible to appear in the original world, permeated the air, making the originally somewhat damp room seem to become noble and elegant. The two picked up wine glasses, poured the red wine, clinked them together, and looked at the distant fleet, each sighing.

"Regarding Gede Knight's side, we cannot intervene no matter what."

Swirling his red wine glass, Anderson looked at the departing fleet and said softly: "I feel that man is a bit off. Although he has begun his vows and curses, his power remains strong, and he has recently become fond of red and often injures others during training. He has developed certain symptoms of bloodlust."

This symptom was very obvious, or rather, very obvious to the players currently wandering in the Old World. Hearing this, Edward frowned.

"Do you think he has been corrupted by Chaos? Or is there some other reason?"

"The Lady of the Lake didn't mention Chaos corruption, so there must be no problem."

Anderson shook his head.

"After all, the Lady of the Lake's power is much greater than that of the Chaos gods. If the Chaos gods were that strong, how could they spread in the ice fields? Wouldn't they have established a country long ago? Isn't Northrend just like that."

"Isn't it said that the Chaos gods are gods formed from the evil thoughts of all intelligent beings, and don't care about the environment at all?"

"That's just talk. What intelligent being doesn't like a normal life and a beautiful environment? Who would like to live a hard life in that kind of ice and snow? It's just that they can't make it elsewhere. It's the same in other places; the Chaos gods are probably just like that."

Anderson shook his head easily and freely.

They had adopted all the stories and related things from all major regions to determine this point.

Except for the Island of Eternal Gathering of the Elves, which for some reason could not be infiltrated at all, and those eerie rainforests full of temples, other Human nations in the Old World, including even those evil races and strange countries, basically did not regard the Chaos gods as any irresistible, powerful enemy.

Even the Empire, which describes the most terrifying image of the Chaos gods, basically joins forces with Kislev to resist those Norscans and followers of the Chaos gods who come south to plunder, and nothing major has happened for so many years.

Therefore, based on multi-party verification and adoption, as well as evidence from other regions, players generally believe that while the Chaos gods are terrifying, their divine power is not as good as that of the other great gods.

Rather than being some distortion point of the world or a terrifying villain that will Destroy the World, they look more like some god-hated, ghost-loathed things that can't make it elsewhere and are throwing a tantrum at the edge of the world. With this understanding, the gifts and various behaviors from the Chaos side look no different from secretly poaching people.

If you were really that powerful, people would have come to defect long ago; how could there be so many things? As for the so-called power of destruction, twisting into non-human forms, players have never seen that kind of high-end scene and tentatively assume it's bragging. Thinking about it conventionally, one's own side is holy and noble, and the enemy looks ugly and hateful—isn't that standard procedure?

How could anyone record it truthfully? Just thinking about it feels ridiculous. It must be that they were described that way only after they lost.

"So I think the Chivalrous Expedition will definitely succeed. After all, the power of the Lady of the Lake is stronger than that of the Chaos gods. Although the knight has actively abandoned it, there is still time. Corruption always takes time."

Anderson said: "Even if Gede Knight falls and becomes a demon, it will definitely be after the Chivalrous Expedition is finished, or he will transform only at the very end of the Chivalrous Expedition. Time is still somewhat to our advantage. For details, we can wait until Joshua Knight brings the follow-up main force to act together. And as it happens, he is arranging a consolation banquet recently. Shall we go together?"

"Go to the banquet together? Are you sure you aren't coveting those noble ladies and young misses?"

"That is the only place where we can be looked up to. Do you really think we intend to be cannon fodder in the name of knights in the Chivalrous Expedition? Don't forget our original intention. We can just watch these things; the core is still Hope City in the north."

We are people who rolled out of drinking parties; we can't lose face in front of those noble ladies.

We have to be energetic at night to satisfy those women.

Anderson tapped his head, pointed to the pale purple banquet invitation, looked at Edward who understood, and revealed a mysterious smile.

(End of this chapter)