kingnovel Chapter 357: Prelude to the Holy War
Chapter 357: Prelude to the Holy War
The early morning sun shines on the towering towers and majestic churches of the holy city. The golden light and the delicate stone carvings complement each other, outlining a magnificent picture.
The streets are wide and clean, with stone bricks as smooth as mirrors. There is an endless stream of pedestrians, wearing gorgeous clothes and with confident and satisfied expressions on their faces. There are many shops, and the craftsmen shout loudly, mixed with the crisp sound of hammering metal and the fragrance of spices. The whole city is shrouded in a lively atmosphere.
In stark contrast to this bustling scene, a solemn atmosphere permeated the Bandimeo family's mansion.
Fidelica sat behind the long table in the study, with more than a dozen pieces of intelligence scattered in front of him. His eyes were solemn, but his mind was no longer calm.
All of this information was about the mercenaries he hired to King Lana to fight against the Mitlan army. What was shocking was that he had taken great pains to win over more than a dozen mercenaries with thousands of people, but not a single mercenary group escaped, let alone fighting against the Mitlan army. Some of them were annihilated, while others were captured and sent to farms and mines, becoming laborers day and night.
"Why is this so?"
Fideli asked himself in a low voice, feeling uneasy. This war affected every nerve of his, and the reason why he was so concerned about the fight between Midland and Rana was because of John, who was the most popular person in Midland.
Because the religious knights under John performed well in the fight against the cult organizations in Midland, and repeatedly defeated the enemy, these cult forces no longer dared to raise their heads. This not only made John famous, but also greatly improved the prestige of the King of France who appointed him in the King's Hall.
In contrast, as the leader of local dignitaries, Fidelicio, who controls the economic lifeline of the French King's Office, does not want the emergence of a French King whose influence exceeds his own, so John, who openly stands with the French King, must be dealt with.
Fidelicao originally envisioned that when John led his troops into a foreign country and was isolated and helpless, he would use the power of the Lana Kingdom, the Yoda Intervention Army, and tens of thousands of mercenaries he hired to defeat John in one fell swoop. However, this seemingly perfect plan failed due to the development of the situation. Now, facing these results, he has to admit the huge gap between the situation he envisioned and the reality.
"It's more complicated than I thought."
Fidelicio felt an invisible pressure. His former confidence and pride seemed pale and powerless at this moment, replaced by deep anxiety and uneasiness. Since he became the head of the Bandimeo family, except for the dignitaries from the French King's Hall who he had to face at the beginning, he has not encountered such a troublesome opponent in more than ten years.
At this moment, the guard at the door pushed the door open, knelt on one knee solemnly and respectfully in front of Fideli, and whispered:
"Sir, an envoy from His Majesty the King of France wants to see you."
Fidelicio nodded slightly to indicate his agreement, and the guards retreated respectfully.
Soon after, the messenger came in, dressed in a gorgeous uniform, standing proudly. He saluted Fidelicio, his tone respectful but not without majesty:
"Lord Fidelicor, His Majesty the King of France would like to discuss an important matter with you."
Fidelicao raised his eyebrows slightly and asked in a deep voice:
"Besides me, who else is invited?"
"Because the matter is of great importance, all the nobles in the Holy City have received an invitation from the King of Dharma."
The messenger replied, a hint of urgency in his words.
Hearing this, Fidelicio was shocked, realizing that a major event that would affect the rule of the French King's Office must have occurred. After sending the messenger away, he immediately ordered someone to prepare a carriage and quickly returned to his bedroom, changed into an exquisite uniform, tidied his appearance, and then left the mansion and stepped into the carriage.
When the carriage slowly stopped, Fidelicao looked out of the window and saw the French King's Palace, which he would admire no matter how many times he saw it. On both sides of the street outside the palace gate, there were almost endless carriages from various families. The surroundings were bustling with people, and the dignitaries got off the carriages and walked into the palace in groups of three or five, talking in low voices.
Fidelicao opened the door and stepped out of the carriage. As a prominent noble in the Holy City, his appearance immediately attracted a lot of attention. For a moment, several heads of other families gathered around him, showing concern on their faces, and asked urgently:
"Lord Fidelicao, do you know what exactly happened?"
"I don't know the details either."
Fidelicao said calmly, and as the crowd surged, he did not stop and continued to walk towards the entrance of the palace.
When Fidelicao found his seat in the conference room and sat down, he couldn't help but look around, and he was shocked. The number of people present today was obviously more than in previous gatherings. In the past, the conference hall had no more than a hundred people, but today the hall was so crowded that it was almost overflowing. The dignitaries looked at each other and talked in low voices. The atmosphere seemed extremely tense and uneasy.
As the bell outside rang melodiously, everyone's attention was suddenly drawn, and all eyes were focused on the hall. The King of France, supported by several servants, slowly walked towards his throne. In stark contrast to his leisurely demeanor in the past, the King of France looked solemn and extremely serious. He did not say much, but went straight to the point and said in a sonorous and powerful voice:
"Everyone, the war that determines whether we can spread the gospel of the God of Light has begun."
The air was instantly filled with a sense of urgency. Everyone held their breath and listened, their hearts shaken by such an opening. The King continued:
"According to reliable intelligence, a chieftain of the Kusha tribe emerged from the civil war among the Kusha tribes and not only unified most of the Kusha area, but he is now leading his troops south to capture the fortresses and cities that have converted to the God of Light."
As soon as the words fell, the conference hall exploded, and everyone was whispering and looking worried.
While being surprised that the King of France knew the intelligence about Kusha earlier than himself, Fidelicio was secretly thinking that the rise of this chief and the large-scale offensive would inevitably affect the situation in the entire Kusha region, especially the safety of those territories that believed in the God of Light. Without these springboards for the King of France to attack Kusha, the next goal of the Kusha army would be to march westward to attack the countries within the King of France's religious circle.
Just as Fidelicao was lost in thought, the King's voice rang out again, like a thunderclap, pulling him back from his reverie. The King looked determined, his eyes like torches, and he looked around, as if he was focusing everyone's attention. He slowly said:
"It seems that now is the time to call upon all nations to launch a holy war against the infidels."