Chapter 294: Sacrifice

The Kingdom of Nord, located in the north of the continent and close to the sea, could be said to have extremely rich water resources, with streams, rivers, lakes, and swamps crisscrossing this land.

Except for the roads built by the kingdom, large troops could almost hardly pass through other places, and the country's terrain was mostly hilly, and forest resources were also very rich, with trees of very high age available in abundance.

From the fact that the lords of the Kingdom of Nord liked to build castles with wood, one could see this point.

In the past, during times of peace, the commoners belonging to the Kingdom of Nord liked to catch fish in the rivers, farm in the lakes, pick fruits on the hillsides, and plant flax and wheat on both sides of the road.

Although such a life could not be called wealthy, after the exploitation by the nobles, they could barely manage to have enough to eat and wear.

But now, Allen had traveled all the way and everywhere was cold and clear, almost no one could be seen. Even though it was late autumn, the fish in autumn were the fattest, and it should be the time for fishing.

"Damn Dark Cult."

Looking at the wheat fields around that were waiting to be harvested but were unattended, Dantis cursed hatefully beside Allen. This young man just couldn't stand anyone disturbing the lives of these poor commoners.

"Dantis, don't let anger affect your thoughts. The situation around here is obviously not quite right. I remember there was a village nearby, what was it called again?"

This was obviously abnormal. According to the information provided by Ragnar, the Dark Cult should be besieging Marshal Eden's troops in Kulin Castle and Tihr. This was just a very ordinary village between Sargoth and Herus Fortress.

From the map, this should be under the protection of the second line of defense of the Nord troops, and theoretically, it should be safe.

"It's Lubeck village, my lord. The crabs and flax here are very famous."

The person speaking was a middle-aged man with dark skin, whose name was Rolf. He had a face of bitter hatred, and one could tell at a glance that the first half of his life had not been satisfactory.

Between his temples was a short and thick black beard, plus the mustache under his nose, which made him look even more weathered. However, that bald head, which symbolized strength, looked a bit intimidating.

This brother was not recruited by Allen in a tavern, but found him on his own, right when the team stepped out of the Sargoth camp.

Rolf told Allen that his ancestors were once subordinates of the Holy King Henry, and for many years, the family had been circulating heroic stories of resisting the Dark Knight Order.

Therefore, he also paid close attention to the actions of the Dark Cult, and was also doing his best to help those commoners who had been bewitched.

However, in this process, Rolf naturally discovered Allen, who had always been fighting against the Dark Cult, which made him start to pay attention to this mercenary group leader who was much younger than himself.

After a long period of observation, Allen's ability and character were also recognized by Rolf, so he decided to find Allen during this turbulent period to fight against the invasion of the continent by the Dark Cult together.

However, fighting together also depended on the situation. Rolf proposed two ways.

One was to fight with Allen, but not follow orders. It was considered a partner working together for a goal, and there was no superior-subordinate relationship. Moreover, he didn't want a salary, just food and housing, and it would be even better if he could borrow a suit of armor to wear.

And the other was that he could become Allen's subordinate and act according to orders, but this had conditions, which was that he must be defeated in a one-on-one duel.

Allen looked at the man before him who seemed to have a lot of strength, and distant memories surfaced again.

In this scenario with a main plot, Rolf could be considered a very important hero follower. Although his combat power was not high, compared to true top powerhouses, he could at most be considered cannon fodder who could take a few more hits.

But this was not the main reason Allen remembered him. More importantly, at the end of the plot, Rolf seemed to have a gem in his hand that he would bestow upon the protagonist. Of course, the premise was that the protagonist's actions could convince him.

This was not as simple as obtaining recognition; it required more effort.

For example, winning against the Dark Cult's army on the battlefield, or simply killing one or two of the opponent's great generals, and taking back the town from the opponent's hands—only in this way could there be a certain possibility of making Rolf offer that gem.

However, to do this, he must keep him by his side. The relationship of a partner was relatively unstable.

If the other party was a free man, then if something happened, they would definitely leave as they pleased, and you couldn't stop them with a knife. This kind of behavior would first lose other people's favor.

So, facing the invitation to a duel, Allen had no reason not to agree. In the battle, he didn't even think about using magic, but gripped the sword in his hand and launched a duel with the middle-aged man on the street.

And then, Allen won.

To tell the truth, Rolf was very strong, even stronger than the impression in Allen's mind. His physical fitness was extremely tough, and his family's secret techniques were used skillfully. Holding an ancient sword with both hands, he drew dangerous and domineering attacks in the air, and the yellow light representing Qi was even faintly visible.

With this kind of strength, compared to those who robbed merchant caravans on the street, it was not just a little bit stronger.

It was just that for Allen now, it was a bit insufficient. His progress over the years had been great. Putting aside those extremely powerful abilities, his combat level could already be considered top-tier, at least exceeding those Nazgul by a bit.

Facing Rolf's stormy attacks, Allen rarely made a move. Between continuous flashes of his agile figure, he easily avoided all of Rolf's attacks. While moving, his pair of sharp eyes carefully searched for the opponent's weaknesses.

After a dozen moves, Allen spotted an opening in Rolf's hacking move and pointed his sword at it, knocking the big, open-and-close ancient sword to the ground.

Subsequently, a long sword emitting cold light was placed on Rolf's dark neck.

At this point, he could be considered convinced and officially joined Allen's team.

Although this brother looked very old, looking like he was in his forties, his actual age was less than thirty, only twenty-eight. This kind of thing that transcended common sense made Allen, who was unprepared, change his expression.

This guy looked way too anxious.

Since he became an adult, Rolf had been wandering on the continent, and his footprints had covered the four major kingdoms except for the Khergit. He was quite familiar with the customs and habits of various places, as well as villages and towns.

So at this time, he could be the first to give an answer, and also introduced the local specialties.

"Right, it's called Lubeck. I remember this village is not far from here. Rolf, take a few dozen of the best brothers and go with me to see. Dantis, you take the main force and follow behind. If you find any abnormal situation, support us directly."

Although the order Allen received was to go to Herus Fortress, the situation near Lubeck village was obviously not particularly normal.

The surrounding area was very likely to have been infiltrated or even occupied by the Dark Cult. If he didn't go to take a look, he wouldn't be at ease.

Don't let him be trapped in the fortress and be surrounded by the enemy like a dumpling. He himself wanted to run if he wanted to run, and fight if he wanted to fight, but his subordinates who followed him didn't have it so convenient.

The path to Lubeck was not particularly wide and was not suitable for large-scale troop movements, so Allen intended to take Rolf and a few dozen Free Knights to see the situation.

If nothing happened, relying on the speed of the cavalry, they could return in time to continue the journey.

Even if an accident was truly discovered, the cavalry could maintain maximum flexibility and escape from under the enemy's nose.

Moreover, Allen could now summon two Knight Orders on the battlefield at any time, totaling one thousand elite warriors.

If the value of the enemy here was high enough to be worth paying such a high price, then Allen didn't mind teaching them what a surprise was.

Lubeck was just a small village with a population of a few hundred, nominally belonging to the subordinate territory of Sargoth, managed directly by King Ragnar.

However, due to the long distance, the lords of Sargoth usually couldn't take care of this side. Except when it was time to pay taxes every year, there would be tax officials with troops willing to set foot here.

Usually, it was almost in a state of autonomy, managed jointly by village elders and local retired veterans with prestige. Oh right, there was also an official representing the royal family, Lord Yulian.

It was just that this official representing Ragnar was not in the village most of the time. Even if he occasionally came to the village to inspect, he wouldn't manage the affairs of these mud-legged people.

So, in Lubeck village, almost nothing particularly big had happened. If something happened, it was closed behind doors and mediated privately by village elders, never alarming official figures.

But today was different. A crowd of people gathered in the square in the center of the village, and whispers continued to rise.

"What is the situation? I remember Yulian and Giles had a very good relationship. Last time they were still roasting fish and drinking by the river, and at that time they even stole a cage of crabs from me. How could it reach this point?"

"The specific reason is unclear. Ever since that person in the black robe came, Yulian's situation has been a bit wrong. He is not like before, letting us manage ourselves. This time he even issued a decree forbidding going out. I heard Giles questioned the authenticity of this decree and wanted to go to Sargoth to verify it, so it turned into this."

"Is this going to burn Giles to death?"

"Don't know, maybe it's just to scare him. Giles's son is also a Temple Guard, so he should be fine. Just watch."

Usually, this square in the center of the village was used for handling crops, such as spreading wheat, beating flax, and at most, when the kingdom had some major changes, the elder would shout here and tell everyone about it.

Now, a large amount of dry firewood was piled up on the hard ground, and a burly white-haired old man was tied to an execution rack standing high in the middle, his rough voice letting out a thunderous roar.

"This is a cult act. I absolutely do not believe that His Majesty the King would issue an order to burn me to death. I don't believe it. I want to go to Sargoth to verify it. This is my right as a Temple Guard."

"Right?" The person speaking had blurred eyes, a morbid flush on his pale, fat face, and his luxurious robe was supported by fat. Just standing there seemed to be a bit of an effort.

"You question the King's decree. This is an act of treason. I represent the royal family and have the right to execute you in an emergency. As for when to execute, and what method to use, you don't need to worry about it."

"You don't have the right to judge me, no!!! What are you all stunned for? Watching Yulian mess around?"

Simmons's roar caused a commotion in the surrounding crowd. He had high prestige in the village, and some people had already started clamoring for their fellow villagers to stand up for him.

"You say it's treason, so it's treason?"

"You want to burn whoever you want?"

"Without a decree signed by the King, no one can judge a retired Temple Guard!!"

With the continuous shouts, the surging crowd began to squeeze forward.

"Want to rebel?"

Feeling threatened, Yulian yelled. The dozen or so soldiers guarding the execution platform drew their weapons one after another. Fully armed, they faced the crowd that far exceeded them in number and stepped forward without hesitation. The faces under their helmets were very calm, without a trace of emotional fluctuation.

As long as anyone dared to step forward, they would swing the swords in their hands without hesitation.

"What a waste, can't even do a small thing well."

A weak, gentle, and charming voice sounded from the black robe. Although it was a reprimand, it still made those who heard it feel as if their bones had become light.

A charming face also appeared from the hood with the voice, and the graceful figure was looming under the wide robe.

It was Hel, one of the three commanders of the Dark Cult, "Death's Kiss."

Facing Hel's scolding, the flushed Yulian reacted extremely strongly: "Yes yes yes, I will get this done right away."

"No need, being able to gather people is enough. It can barely be considered completing the task. Hehe, as a reward, I will sacrifice you to the great Dark God."

The charming face said words that made people shudder. A fair and delicate hand stretched out from the black robe, grabbed Yulian, who weighed nearly two hundred pounds, and threw him onto the firewood pile.

Immediately, a red light flashed, and the firewood pile sprinkled with oil burned fiercely. The screams of Simmons and Yulian rang out immediately.

Facing such an abrupt change, the commoners watching were unable to react at all for a while. Coupled with the deterrence of the elite soldiers, the crowd suddenly calmed down, leaving only the "crackling" sound of the fire roasting the wood and the screams ringing out together.

Hel didn't care about the changes around her at all, but took out a pitch-black magic wand from her bosom, with a small skull emitting faint black mist embedded at the top.

If one observed carefully, there were two soul-stirring purple lights in the skull's eyes, just like a pair of evil eyes, looking down at all living beings.

Subsequently, Hel held the eerie magic wand high above her head, and a slender, symmetrical, snow-white arm was exposed. Because the range of motion was too large, the black robe rippled due to the trembling of her body.

A pitch-black beam of light spat out from the skull's mouth and shot towards the sky in the eyes of everyone.

In an instant, a great change occurred in the sky. Rolling dark clouds appeared suddenly, covering the sky that had just been clear. A huge and ferocious head appeared and disappeared in the dark clouds, looking at the villagers gathered in the square.

This was a premeditated sacrifice. The Dark Cult could be said to be well-versed in this aspect. Hel was even more aware of the process inside. She calmed her heart and began to pray to the Dark God.

In the increasingly loud prayer, a hazy purple light appeared on the top of every villager's head, and their faces revealed a dazed expression.

Suddenly, an arrow flashing with white light flew towards the magic wand like lightning.

Allen's figure also appeared in the distance, flying towards this side at extreme speed. ===== CHAPTER 295 =====