Chapter 491: The Winter Month Coup

Gelansidun Castle, the main cathedral was empty.

The faint light cast by the cathedral's stained glass passed through the cold air and fell on the compassionate statue of Saint Xisi. The candlelight on the copper candlestick flickered, reflecting Count Derek's pious face.

Although the Gelansidun family had long sold their souls to the demons of hell, the holy light remained the foundation of his faith.

The real world is often not black and white.

At this moment, the head of the Gelansidun family was sitting on a long bench in front of the statue, his hands clasped in prayer, his expression solemn and grave.

All deployments were in place.

Thirty thousand noble coalition forces were marching to the battlefield in two routes. Among them were "mercenaries" from the kingdom, as well as serfs armed to the teeth, and knights loyal to the nobles... everyone was ready to restore that sacred and ancient tradition.

One part would drift downstream, burning the flames of war to the blasphemous Lei Ming City. And the other part would go straight to Campbell Castle, bringing the capital of the Campbell Duchy under control.

The duchy was already within reach.

The only variable was Edward.

That foolish guy was even more cunning than he had imagined, hiding in the Andi manor in Lei Ming City for these few months, not even going home for his birthday.

Some nobles suggested waiting a bit longer, but he didn't want to wait anymore, and the King of Lai En in distant Luo Lan City didn't want to wait either.

Actually, it was all the same.

Lei Ming City also had their people.

Count Derek, who was praying, raised a smile at the corner of his mouth, as if he had already seen the desperate face of that naive Grand Duke.

The Gelansidun family had planned everything long ago, having long guessed that the Campbell family, chosen by the multitude, would be led into the abyss by ignorant and short-sighted people.

They had buried this trump card for two hundred years, until today, when it finally reached the moment of activation; turning the tide was right before their eyes!

The Demon King was on his side!

"Bang—!"

Just as he was immersed in the joy of victory, the heavy oak door was pushed open violently, and powerful footsteps broke into this magnificent hall.

Jieluoke Campbell walked in angrily.

He wasn't wearing armor, nor was he carrying a sword, but that furious expression was comparable to the sharpest blade, rushing straight to Derek.

"Derek!"

His voice echoed in the sacred hall, like an angry lion, discovering another ambitious lion while patrolling the territory.

"What is going on?! Why did everyone start calling me 'Your Majesty' this morning?! And what about my subordinates? Knight Commander Liweierde and Knight Commander Lukelaier... where have they all gone!"

Facing Jieluoke's thunderous rage, Count Derek's piety didn't decrease in the slightest.

He slowly stood up from the prayer bench, turned around, and faced this young knight who was furious behind him.

Then—

Under Jieluoke's dumbfounded gaze, the old count, who was like a father, bowed slightly, kneeling on one knee respectfully and solemnly.

"See Your Majesty the Grand Duke!"

Jieluoke's heart exploded with a "boom," like a thunderbolt falling there, shattering the sense of shame and loyalty he had always believed in.

"What are you doing? Are you crazy!"

Jieluoke took a step back as if electrocuted; the voice of this Platinum-tier powerhouse actually carried a hint of panic.

"When did I ever say I wanted to replace my brother! Get up! And, make your people stop, we—"

"Your Majesty!!"

Derek suddenly raised his head, letting out a roar that shook the hall, his eyes staring dead at him.

Never having seen this expression on Count Derek's face, Jieluoke was stunned in place for a moment, looking at him with wide eyes.

Derek didn't stop, nor did he get up from the ground, his turbid pupils staring straight at this "at a loss" young man.

His voice was as high-pitched as the cathedral bell, echoing in the wide hall.

"Our wealth is being wantonly looted by Edward and his despicable merchant running dogs! Our honor will be buried in the dust of history!"

"Wake up! Your Majesty!"

"The guys who sold their souls to demons won't show mercy because we are open and aboveboard; if we don't fight for it now, we will lose everything in the future!"

He drew the sword at his waist with a "clang," then held the sword body with both hands, presented the hilt, and lowered his head deeply.

"If you want to stop all this, then take my head and go to your brother to beg for his forgiveness!"

"Just let that roaring steam engine crush the pastoral scenery outside Gelansidun Castle to pieces. My descendants might be grateful, because they haven't seen what the old days were like; as for me—"

His voice became hoarse and tragic, as if a saint about to be martyred, mourning the setting sun before nightfall.

"At least, I died in the dusk before nightfall."

"At least, I didn't bury all this with my own hands."

Jieluoke widened his eyes, looking at the sword presented in front of him, looking at this friend who was like a teacher and father—and the elder who taught him the spirit of knighthood.

He didn't doubt Derek's loyalty in the slightest.

Count Gelansidun was one of the late king's right-hand men, and together with General Hannuo'er, they were the people Aaron Campbell trusted most.

They were one the shield of the duchy, and one the spear of the duchy.

Jieluoke's hands were trembling violently; no matter what, he couldn't take that sword, and he didn't even have the thought of reaching out to take it.

Not surprised by Jieluoke's wavering, Derek gently placed the sword on the bench beside him, his voice turning earnest and compassionate.

"Your Majesty, the Campbell Duchy is calling your name."

"Those peasants who were forced to leave the land they plowed and are dying of hunger and cold! Those citizens in Lei Ming City who can't afford firewood and are enduring skyrocketing prices! And those knights who have served Campbell for generations but are now forced to bow to merchants and demons—"

Derek looked up at Jieluoke's bewildered face, using that invisible sharp sword to pierce the heart of that knight.

"All of them are calling your name! Hoping that you will return like lightning and shatter the black clouds covering the sky!"

"You are our only hope, and only you can save the decaying duchy and let everything return to the right track!"

"Your Majesty! We are willing to fight for you, lead us to fight again!"

Jieluoke widened his eyes, couldn't help but take a step back, his ankle hit the leg of the long bench, and he sat down.

He sat in the second row of the church bench, subconsciously looking toward the Saint Xisi statue in front, trying to get inspiration from the sacred will.

However, that holy marble statue neither opened its mouth, nor did any pigeons or crows fly in through the window to bring him inspiration about the future.

Clearly, in front of the will condensed by the "thoughts of the multitude," even the gods chose to avoid the edge.

Or, the gods themselves were what the multitude thought.

There was no holy light in the world, but people felt there should be one, so besides the sunlight, there was an extra sun that didn't exist in the world.

"You... are all crazy..." Jieluoke squeezed out a sentence from his mouth; he had never been as weak as he was today, as if his fists had turned into cotton.

He was a Platinum-tier powerhouse.

But in this matter, I'm afraid even a demigod couldn't help him.

"Your Majesty, we are not crazy."

Count Derek shook his head, staring at Jieluoke sitting on the long bench without blinking, his gaze incomparably firm and clear.

"We have never been so clear."

"Our fathers also walked here just like this."

Although most people in the Campbell Duchy read fairy tales mixed with a bit of history, the counts of the duchy were clearly well-read in real history.

They knew incomparably clearly how Saint Xisi defeated the gods, how he became the only god on the surface, and opened the second epoch. They also knew clearly how the Aisaike dynasty failed, and what kind of things would happen if they won.

The Campbell Duchy didn't need Grand Duke Edward.

They needed a Majesty like Xi Ao Deng, only in this way could their glory be passed down from generation to generation.

And at this moment, that strong will turned into firewood, filling the furnace that was burning fiercely outside Campbell Castle.

On the vast plains, the crooked battle lines stretched for more than ten kilometers, and hundreds of artillery pieces fired frantically behind the line formations of the two armies.

The roaring artillery shook the earth, and the thick black smoke covered the pale sky.

Taking advantage of the gap when the artillery fired, the mages of both sides risked their lives to move forward, weaving bizarre spells on the position.

"Fire spirits that burn the earth, I pray to you for scorching flames, burn all the evil people in front of me—"

"The burning flames condense in my palm, turning into a spear that penetrates all evil, burn all enemies in front of me for me!"

Scorching fireballs shuttled across the battlefield!

The magicians holding magic wands let out desperate roars, as if they wanted to shout the last cry before the sky turned dark.

The roar of artillery and the roars of magicians opened the prelude to the civil war!

The noble coalition forces of Count Derek occupied an absolute advantage in numbers, thirty thousand troops spread out like a tide, banners covering the sky and sun!

Although most of the people standing in the military formation were serfs who had just put down their farm tools, they were terrified, clutching their flintlock guns tightly, and didn't even figure out who their opponent was until today, but this didn't hinder the power of the flintlock guns in their hands.

And on the flank of the military formation was the pride of the noble coalition forces—the famous Trident Knights, as well as knights loyal to the northern vassals.

They were clad in heavy armor, their momentum like a rainbow, and faint holy brilliance shone on the spear tips, advancing forward with the blessings of the priests.

In contrast, Grand Duke Edward's new army only had one hundred thousand people, just enough to fill the wide battle line.

They stood in thin-looking line formations, standing silently in front of Campbell Castle, as if they would be swallowed by this huge wave in the next second.

Every face of theirs was very heavy, like a cloud that couldn't breathe.

Looking at the "tottering" Duchy army, General Hannuo'er, the "Spear of the Duchy" fighting for the noble coalition, was the first to draw his sword.

Immediately afterward, Knight Commander Liweierde and Knight Commander Lukelaier, who led the Trident Knights, also set up the cavalry spears in their hands for their Majesty Jieluoke.

"For Majesty Jieluoke—!"

"For the glory of Campbell!"

"Kill!!!"

Accompanied by earth-shattering shouts, the general attack of the noble coalition forces began, and the thirty thousand troops pressed toward Campbell Castle like a tide.

Under the cover of artillery fire, the "Trident Knights" took the lead and launched a charge toward Grand Duke Edward's center army.

At the same time, in the distant military formation, a hundred-man priest group held their magic tools high and chanted piously.

A golden barrier visible to the naked eye descended from the sky, bathing the heads of every knight charging.

That was the blessing of Saint Xisi.

It was also the "Sacred Barrier" that could not be penetrated by worldly weapons!

Bathed in the shining holy light, the knights and squires holding cavalry spears were fearless, launching an unstoppable fearless charge against the artillery fire!

Most of the noble coalition forces were peasants, and the Grand Duke's army was the same; they didn't doubt at all that as long as they broke the Grand Duke's formation, that group of mud-legged people would flee like birds and beasts.

Wars in the past were always like this, they didn't need to kill everyone. Besides, they were all their compatriots in front of them; although they fought for the nobles, they still hoped that this war would kill fewer people.

After all, it was all the blood of their own people...

However, just as the knights charged halfway and were about to crash into the ranks of the Duchy's army, the sacred barrier above their heads suddenly disappeared!

Perhaps the merciful god didn't want to watch his subjects draw swords against each other, letting the blood dirty his sacred feathers.

Only to see that golden sky curtain shattered with a "bang" like a soap bubble being poked.

The charging knights didn't even notice this fatal change!

And at this moment, at the rear of the battlefield, one hundred priests who were chanting piously suddenly stopped their prayers in unison.

They seemed to have been hit in the soul by an invisible heavy hammer!

One hundred clergymen knelt on the ground in pain at the same time, holding their heads tightly, blood seeping from their eyes, ears, mouths, and noses.

"Ah..."

"My head!"

"Saint Xisi is above... please forgive your servant."

Some people thought it was the heavenly punishment sent down by the gods, enduring the severe pain in their skulls, kneeling on the ground and praying uneasily.

The messenger cavalry ran over, looking at this group of guys who dropped the chain, his eyes widened, anxious but not knowing what to do.

Suddenly, he thought of a few years ago when Grand Duke Aaron Campbell fought the demons in the labyrinth, the priest group seemed to have had a similar situation...

A drop of cold sweat crossed his forehead.

Could it be—

He looked up suddenly, but apart from the low dark clouds, there was nothing in the sky, or maybe he just didn't see it...

At the same time, above the low clouds.

Xixi, flapping her wings, floated in the air, a demonic smile hanging on her bright red lips, looking at the bugs on the ground with mocking eyes.

Under the blessing of "Eternal Nightmare," she, who was good at mental magic, only made a slight move and used "Soul Hammer" to interrupt the joint spellcasting of those one hundred priests.

Now they were suffering from the backlash of mental power, and they wouldn't be able to cast spells for three days.

The previous queen of the Nightmare Land was shot into a sieve by Campbell's musketeers under the curse of this group of priests, and finally strung on the spears of the farmers.

Now it could be considered that the great revenge had been avenged.

It's just a pity that a certain yellow-haired ape wasn't in that knight group.

This was Xixi's only regret; if only that damn Princess Ailin Campbell was also in it...

Campbell's knights didn't know that they had lost the sacred protection and were charging toward death heroically and piously.

In the military formation of the Grand Duke, the Centurions of commoner origin drew their military swords, raised them high, and issued a roar of attack.

"Fire—!"

The deafening roar erupted instantly!

Hundreds of "Luo Ke Sai rifles" issued continuous steel roars, pouring wave after wave of death rain in the crisp "ding-ding" sound!

The charge of the Trident Knights solidified instantly.

The thirty Bai Yin-tier knights in the lead bore the brunt!

Their proud swordsmanship and heavy armor were like paper in front of that rain of bullets.

Even if the transcendent power in their bodies could protect their vital points, even if they could all cut open the bullets flying at high speed, it was impossible to block so many bullets at the same time!

"Ah—!"

One Bai Yin-tier knight fell quickly, followed by the second, the third... Campbell's pride was beaten into bloody fragments along with the horses.

It wasn't just the Bai Yin-tier powerhouses who fell, but also those refined steel-tier knights, as well as the Bronze or Black Iron-tier squires.

The five-hundred-man knight group had already lost half!

Looking at the comrades who fell one after another, Liweierde and Lukelaier roared, wishing they could tear the soldiers who fired to pieces.

However, their roars weren't enough to cover the roar of the steel torrent.

Although the noisy rain of bullets hadn't broken through the "Sacred Power" of the Gold-tier powerhouses for the time being, it beat the other knights and squires behind them until they fell off their horses, turning into corpses rolling all over the ground with the messy sound of horse hooves and neighing.

In less than a minute, under the roar of artillery fire, the pride of the Campbell Duchy didn't even have the last half left.

The whistling cavalry spears hadn't hit their opponents before they were broken into two by the ruthless industrial fire, leaving only the sharpest spearheads flying out of control.

With few people left behind, Liweierde finally fell off his horse with hatred, rolling on the frozen mud ground.

He recited the name of Majesty Jieluoke, swallowed his loyalty and blood into his throat, and carved his hatred into his red eyes.

I curse you—

If there was an afterlife, he would still choose to reincarnate into this land, just not in the name of a knight, but in another name to take back everything he had lost!

The last one to fall was Lukelaier.

He was the strongest in the Trident Knights besides the commander Jieluoke, only one soul bottleneck away from Platinum-tier.

If he could make an immortal achievement, for example, taking back the throne for the "orthodox" Majesty Jieluoke, he, who upheld justice, might be able to forge a new legend, become a hero in that brand-new epic, and break through the bottleneck of his soul with this.

Yet, regrettably, the gods did not seem to recognize his nobility, and he ultimately died in that fated calamity.

On the other end of the battlefield, the battle on the flank was also breaking out at the same time.

The Campbell breastplate cavalry composed of commoners, under the cover of the destructive suppression of their own artillery, successfully bypassed the flank of the noble coalition forces.

Without the protection of the Trident Knights, that flank formation temporarily armed by serfs was not worth worrying about at all.

Some cavalry fell in the gunfire, but it wasn't enough to block their charging momentum, let alone extinguish their determination to fight for the Grand Duke!

"For the Grand Duke—!"

"For Campbell!"

"Kill!!!"

The Centurion galloping on horseback shouted slogans that sounded familiar, so that the serfs who also heard the shouting were dazed for a while.

They thought they were the sacred side, how come the opposite side was also shouting that sentence for Majesty, for Campbell?

Whether it was the people charging or the people being charged, they had no time to think about what kind of chessboard they were standing on at this moment.

When the well-trained breastplate cavalry cut into the formation that had already been chaotic from artillery fire like a sharp blade, the flank position of the rebel army instantly began to shatter like an avalanche!

The Centurion fighting for Count Derek widened his red eyes.

He waved his military sword, scolding those serfs who were fleeing, trying to save the collapsing situation, but was pierced through the throat by the cavalry spear that came to kill.

Soon, the breastplate cavalry who defeated the rebel flank didn't linger, following the sound of artillery to kill the rebel artillery position, poking the howitzers and smoothbore guns that were firing into a mess.

Seeing that the flank and rear of the rebel army began to collapse, the young officer Sir Weisilie didn't miss the opportunity, decisively letting his subordinates blow the horn of attack.

"Forward—!"

The Grand Duke's army began to advance, and the ten-kilometer-wide battle line was like a bowl turned upside down, approaching the noble coalition forces that were three times their number.

And in contrast, the battle line of the noble coalition forces had already twisted in the roaring gunfire, and everything from the flank to the center army was in a mess!

Especially the destruction of the Trident Knights, which caught the nobles of the coalition forces off guard, dumbfounded on the spot.

They had never seen such astonishing firepower, and didn't expect their Grand Duke to be so ruthless, killing the most elite force of the Campbell Duchy without leaving a single one.

The wars of nobles were different from peasant uprisings; although they were equally cruel to peasants, they were always lenient to nobles.

Even if they occupied Campbell Castle, they wouldn't make things difficult for Edward's family like the Green Forest Army, at most they would go to the Whirlpool Sea to find a small island to imprison them.

After all, the northern vassals led by Count Derek didn't want to usurp the title of the duchy, just wanted to change a master for the duchy, and this master was still a direct successor of the Campbell family.

If they were very unfortunate and failed, their families would probably not lose their fiefs, just be replaced by successors designated by the royal family.

Even under the mediation of the Lai En royal family, this was also a matter that could be discussed; although the duchy was independent of the royal court, it couldn't "mess around" wantonly.

However, now—

Looking at the Trident Knights turned into dust, those small and medium nobles who stood with Count Derek suddenly couldn't make up their minds whether this was still a "glorious war."

They didn't care if the soldiers killed until their eyes were red.

But their Grand Duke, clearly, had already killed until his eyes were red...

In the hesitation of everyone, the scale of victory had already tilted toward the determined side.

A huge gap was torn in the central battle line of the noble coalition forces, and the breastplate cavalry that broke through the artillery position turned around and aimed their spears at the reserve troops behind the center army.

That was a square formation that hadn't fully deployed, and the conscript soldiers were nervously waiting for the order of battle, but waited for the enemy's horse hooves first.

Centurions hurriedly directed the soldiers to prepare firepower, but behind the cavalry rushing over, there were the backs of their own front-line soldiers.

Panic spread like a plague on that ten-kilometer-wide battle line, and finally the twisted battle line began to collapse backward.

The conscript soldiers broken by the cavalry were like smoke blown away by the wind, fleeing in all directions!

"Stabilize the formation—!"

"Everyone listen to the order, hold your positions, no retreating!"

The coalition commander, General Hannuo'er, was furious.

He galloped to the front of the fleeing soldiers, cut off the head of an officer who left the battle position with a sword, and roared at the terrified soldiers while holding the officer's head.

"Those who retreat, die!"

Hannuo'er was an old general who followed Aaron Campbell, the last symbol of martial prowess left by that golden age. He was a genuine Platinum-tier powerhouse, and his prestige and strength were the last anchor of the coalition forces.

He knew very clearly.

Even if the soldiers stood in place and let the enemy kill them, it would be better than dying in a mess fleeing backward. A few hundred breastplate cavalry simply weren't enough to kill through his battle line, the cavalry spears in their hands could at most support two charges, even with spare spears, it would be three at most.

And that continuous roaring gunfire...

The firepower of the Duchy's army was fierce, but their ammunition wasn't infinite, and they didn't equip every soldier with such rifles!

Another point, large-scale engagement was different from small-scale fighting, troops of this scale couldn't complete replenishment in a short time, once they ran out of ammunition, victory still belonged to the glorious coalition forces!

They hadn't failed yet!

"Guard team! Charge with me!" Hannuo'er roared, waved his battle sword, and led his guards to turn the direction.

He no longer chased those breastplate cavalry, nor did he care about that collapsing flank, but locked his eyes on the artillery fire roaring in the distance.

Now the morale of the whole army was on the verge of collapse, compared to those line soldiers advancing forward, the distant artillery was clearly a bigger threat!

Especially when their own artillery stopped, the roar of the enemy's artillery would be even more fatal than the shells themselves!

Hannuo'er's charge began.

As the strongest in the army, he galloped like a golden lightning, Platinum-tier holy light wrapping around his armor.

He was a martial artist of the Temple Sect!

The "Sacred Power" of the Temple Sect was different from the "Qi" of the Dragon God Sect; the latter emphasized the power of "Qi" itself, while the former emphasized protection and resilience!

The volley of bullets gathered toward Hannuo'er, and the Grand Duke's army didn't show mercy at all because they saw his flag.

And he didn't show mercy either.

Only to see Hannuo'er kill into the middle of the hundred-man squad in the lead, a flash of sword light and more than ten heads fell to the ground.

The surging firepower stopped instantly, and Hannuo'er, who killed out from the smoke, was like a ghost demanding life, his wide-open eyes making the line soldiers liver and gallbladder split with fear.

They were also Campbell people, not braver than the Campbell people on the opposite side, at most just better equipped.

Facing that hero of the past, they even forgot the skills of bayonet fighting, and were chopped down by Hannuo'er, who had killed until his eyes were red, one sword after another.

The guard team following General Hannuo'er killed in immediately, thirty cavalrymen were like tigers entering a flock of sheep, the galloping horse hooves kicking the young men who were trying to stabilize the formation away.

A hundred-man squad was pierced through instantly!

A Platinum-tier transcendent could be considered a superior transcendent, far from what ordinary mortals could contend with.

If it were in the distant old era, he alone would be enough to kill through a ten-thousand-man army!

It's just a pity that the era had changed.

Just as Hannuo'er locked onto the artillery position in the distance and waved his battle sword to lead the guard team to kill, a sound of breaking through the air whistled over.

The martial artist's instinct allowed Hannuo'er to capture that fatal threat immediately, and he instinctively swung a sacred slash, splitting the shell flying toward him.

However, it was unfortunate that the one aiming at him wasn't one artillery piece, but twelve artillery pieces!

The "insidious and cunning" Sir Weisilie had long locked onto his flag, betting that he intended to use personal martial prowess to turn the tide of the battle, so he deployed twelve smoothbore guns pre-loaded with explosive shells in front of the howitzer position, just waiting for him to deliver himself to the door.

The fire of the explosion covered the position where General Hannuo'er was in an instant, and the scorching steel fragments instantly cleared the guards behind him.

It wasn't just his guards who fell.

It also included him.

Even if he could hold on to that terrifying firepower, his warhorse couldn't withstand it, and it fell to the ground before it could even let out a whimper.

The sacred barrier shattered, and a painful low roar came from Hannuo'er's mouth. Dozens of sharp shrapnel were deeply embedded in his heavy armor, tearing his flesh and blood.

If it weren't for his Platinum-tier strength, I'm afraid he would have already died in this round of direct-fire artillery execution.

However, even if he didn't die, he only had half a life left.

The broken sword propped up the ground, and Hannuo'er, who stood up shakily, was covered in blood, as if he were a demon crawling out of the abyss.

He was a bit dazed.

His strength had clearly been improving all along, yet for some reason, he always felt that his transcendent power was weaker than before.

... Why?

Sir Weisilie, looking from the mound, held his breath, and the adjutant beside him looked at him nervously, waiting for the officer's order.

Only one round of artillery fire was needed, and they could send the hero of Campbell away.

But was it really necessary to do this step?

Sir Weisilie also hesitated in his heart, but when he saw the expression

A knight is different from a baron; it is a lifetime honor rather than a hereditary title, and it comes with no corresponding fief.

Although his knighthood was bestowed by the Grand Duke, the actual power he possessed was not even equal to that of the knights who were vassals to a baron.

Those fellows at least had fiefs, even if it was just a village. He had nothing—only the honor granted by the late Grand Duke and the appreciation of the current one.

He did not want to harbor the worst intentions toward the hero of Campbell, but if General Hannor had survived and knew he had been defeated by a "commoner officer"...

A commoner who offends the nobility will not have a good end!

Sir Wesley pondered for three seconds, lowered his binoculars, and said in a cold tone.

"Send in Knight Bertrand Pegg. For the sake of our principality, give our general a decent end."

The adjutant swallowed hard, but ultimately saluted loyally.

"Yes..."

Bertrand Pegg was Edward's personal guard and the only Gold-tier transcendent among the many guards.

A peerless, heroic lord often does not have very strong transcendent beings under his command.

This is why the cowardly and incompetent Count of Quemubao could possess a Platinum-tier knight, while the Grand Duke only had Gold-tier transcendents under his command.

Although the Grand Duke himself was only Gold-tier, his younger brother Geluo was of Platinum-tier strength, and after Princess Ailin killed Kailan together with Prince Kelin, her strength had even reached Diamond-tier!

By the way, Bertrand Pegg was the father of Theresa Pegg, and the latter was the captain of the guard unit beside Princess Ailin.

The two had been playmates since childhood, and Theresa, being a few years older, had even taught Princess Ailin swordsmanship.

It was precisely because of this that while anyone else could jump off the Grand Duke's carriage, Sir Bertrand had no choice but to bite the bullet and go.

Even though he, loyal to the late king and tradition, did not approve of certain decisions made by the young Grand Duke...

For the sake of his family and his children, Bertrand, upon receiving the order, was shocked by Sir Wesley's "shamelessness," but could only grit his teeth, mount his horse, and rush into this dishonorable duel.

The fierce battle erupted!

The two sides traded blows, the raging sword edges carving trenches into the flat ground, leaving the watching soldiers terrified.

The heavily wounded Hannor was still valiantly unstoppable, yet he was ultimately no match for a Gold-tier knight in his prime.

Finally, Bertrand's longsword pierced the old general's heart.

When Hannor fell, Bertrand felt immense pain in his heart, as if the sword had pierced his own.

But it was also at this moment that he felt the shackles that had bound him for years shatter with a roar!

A surge of majestic power poured out from his sea of consciousness, rushing through his blood and infusing every corner of his limbs.

Bertrand discovered in astonishment—

He had broken through!

In mid-December of the year 1053 of the Aus Calendar, the noble coalition army split into two routes, marching toward Lei Ming City and Campbell Castle respectively, attempting to subvert the authority of His Majesty Edward.

This suddenly erupted civil war lasted for several days, blood staining the Running River outside Lei Ming City and the plains outside Campbell Castle...

General Hannor, the "Spear of the Principality," died in battle.

And the one who defeated this old hero was an obscure commander, Sir Wesley, who was of commoner origin.

This knight had once been under General Hannor's command, had rendered great service in the war to suppress Lei Ji Delagon, was knighted by Grand Duke Aaron Campbell, and was entrusted with heavy responsibilities by the subsequently enthroned His Majesty Edward to train the new army.

Although the new Demon King from hell did not witness his knighting ceremony, they might have passed each other in a hurry on the streets of Lei Ming City.

Luo Yan was on the street at the time, quietly watching the Grand Duke's procession walk away, then turned and returned to the chaotic labyrinth.

Now he had won again; perhaps it wouldn't be long before he received a knighting from the Demon King—oh no, Mr. Kelin.

The noble coalition army was thoroughly routed, the three-hundred-thousand-strong army becoming like birds startled by the mere twang of a bow, fleeing in disarray toward the northern Valley Plains, preparing to tidy up the mess and make further plans.

If the Campbell Principality were divided into four parts, the noble coalition held at least three-quarters of the territory.

Added to the support from the Kingdom of Lei En in the north, as long as they cut off the trade routes on the Running River and prepared to fight to the death, they were not without a chance of victory!

As for Her Highness Princess Ailin and the fifty thousand Northern Expeditionary troops under her, as long as they were bogged down in a protracted war, the Lionheart Knights of the Kingdom of Lei En would naturally hold them back.

However, while Count Derik's subordinates could think of this, the "all-knowing" Grand Duke Edward obviously would not fail to think of it.

Long before this civil war began, while both sides were still in the preparatory stage of maneuvering, Sir Wesley had presented a highly daring strategy to the Grand Duke—the "Oblique Order of Battle."

That was a tactic he had realized while fighting against the Demon King's army.

An army of over one hundred thousand deployed on the front line, the two sides colliding in parallel like two wooden sticks, seeing who would exhaust their manpower first.

Since that was the case, why not deliberately shrink one side of one's own position and concentrate elite forces to strike the enemy's weakest position?

The goal of war is not to kill every living force of the opponent, but to destroy the opponent's organization and neutralize their combat capability.

Of course, achieving this set of tactics is not easy.

It extremely tests the discipline of the soldiers, the commander's ability for strategic deployment, and even the battlefield's traffic environment and the attacking side's transport conditions.

However, Sir Wesley was a soldier promoted from the grassroots; he knew very well what level his comrades were at and knew that the Campbell boys could do it.

After Edward heard his plan, he immediately staked his chips on it, which was why there were only one hundred thousand troops outside the most important Campbell Castle.

The southern part of the Valley Plains.

Nearly thirty thousand rebel troops had just crossed a tributary of the Running River, looking at the tranquil Valley Plains, and finally gained a moment of respite.

Count Green Spinor was cursing the bad weather and was discussing countermeasures with his subordinates when dense gunfire erupted from outside the camp that hadn't even been fully set up...

The last day of December, 1053 of the Aus Calendar.

Grand Duke Edward's army thoroughly routed the remnants of the noble coalition in the southern part of the Valley Plains, and after that, drove straight in, surrounded Granston Castle, and thoroughly defeated the northern vassals' plan to shrink their lines and put up a desperate resistance.

The "Luo Ke Sai 1053 Rifle" shone brilliantly in this pursuit battle.

The Campbell hunters, riding warhorses and quickly infiltrating the enemy's rear, exerted excellent firepower with very few numbers, repelling the rebel army's wave after wave of attacks and holding out until the main force arrived.

Due to the thorough preparations, this civil war came to an end at an incredible speed.

Although Count Derik, who was under siege, did not surrender, everyone felt that he and His Majesty Geluo would not hold out for long.

However, even though the flames of that civil war did not last long, the impact brought by this war was still painful.

The "Lei Ming City Daily" called this civil war the Winter Moon Coup.

Count Derik had bewitched His Highness Geluo, coerced the northern vassals, and the knights who had abandoned their oaths of loyalty to launch this coup.

Countless young boys died in the dishonorable war, countless long-standing noble and knightly families fell from their warhorses, and the traditional forces of the Campbell Principality suffered a devastating blow.

However, the Campbell people need not grieve for that darkness before the dawn.

Because soon they would forget those decaying names, and a group of young heroes would take their place, standing on the stage of history in place of those names...

(End of chapter)