The Lord Of Blood Hill

Facing the fierce Henwell, the king’s envoy freezes for a moment.

Then, snapping back, he screams, “How dare you! How dare you kill a senior military commander of the kingdom in public! Henwell, you owe me an explanation for this!”

Henwell raises his hand, recalling his Penitence war spear, and sneers, “An explanation? I’m here representing the church to fight, not to explain myself to you. Come on! Since you want an explanation, I happen to have one right here. Watch closely!”

With that, Henwell takes from Penitence Squad’s deputy captain McComb a metal cylinder engraved with elaborate runes and countless church prayer inscriptions.

He opens it and pulls out a parchment scroll, holding it up for all to see.

At the center is the church’s emblem. The next ring features the crests of major kingdoms. Beyond that are the heraldic symbols of the continent’s most prominent noble houses.

These densely packed crests form a circular pattern. Even the outermost ring bears marks that only counts and above from various nations have the right to imprint.

Henwell points to the design. “Do you know what this is? It’s called the Ring of Nobles. It represents every influential family and power on the continent. Take a good look, do you see your family’s crest here? If not, I’m sorry to tell you that means your family isn’t important enough yet.”

“Also, see this sunflower wreath emblem? Looks familiar, right? That’s the Billie Kingdom’s crest. It means I’m currently carrying out the king’s orders with the highest priority! Understand? This is the explanation you asked for. “

”If you have objections, I suggest you keep them to yourself and ask Ulysses about it later. For now, you’d better stay silent and follow any orders I give.”

“I think you understand what highest priority means. It grants me the authority to act first and report later. We’re all here chasing glory and wealth, so tell me, how much are you getting paid to risk your life like this?”

The king’s envoy’s face darkens; he can’t refute the validity of the document.

In the end, he bows and says, “Marquis Torede, I accept your command.”

Henwell hands the document back to McComb. “Good. Now, gather all senior commanders here for a meeting.”

That very night, across the entire Rose Legion officer territory, numerous mounted messengers are dispatched to spread the word.

Three days later, the king’s army trapped inside the Rose Legion suddenly shifts into a state of war.

Just as everyone around assumes the Rose Legion is about to erupt into civil conflict with the kingdom’s forces, both armies unexpectedly begin mobilizing.

Heavy troops press down on the Vorry border region, but Vorry seems well-prepared, having completed its war readiness long ago.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers from both sides face off near the border.

This move triggers a chain reaction: from Tyran City all the way north to Duke Marcus’s Luon City, armies enter a wartime footing.

In the northern city of Yosui, where Arius is stationed, three legions conduct tactical maneuvers.

In a short time, the entire eastern border of Vorry is fully mobilized.

While many curse Henwell, they also actively prepare for battle.

Especially once it becomes clear that two of Peace Haven’s field legions have completed their war preparations and are stationed at the border.

Large quantities of war supplies begin moving in, signaling readiness to cross the border at any moment to support the eastern front.

Those who don’t understand the situation grit their teeth and follow along with the preparations.

At the same time, numerous messengers race on horseback toward Peace Haven and the eastern border, desperate to find out what’s really going on.

It’s been nearly half a month since Henwell crossed into Billie’s territory.

No one knows where Henwell is.

Some say Billie’s border troops ambushed and killed him, prompting Vorry to prepare retaliation.

Others claim Henwell never crossed the border at all, that Vorry is using the turmoil in Billie’s royal court as an excuse to send troops and grab their share.

Still, some say Henwell quietly returned halfway through and never reached the border.

Many believe Henwell deliberately provoked war between the two nations to gain greater advantage.

In short, rumors and false reports fly everywhere, with every kind of story being told.

Inside the royal palace of Divine Revelation City, Ulysses furrows his brow as he studies the map. “Where do you think Henwell is right now?”

Those gathered exchange uneasy glances. The kingdom’s military commander steps forward. “Your Majesty, according to intelligence reports, he should still be within the Rose Legion. But now that both nations are in a state of war standoff, military movements are tightly controlled.”

“Our spies find it nearly impossible to send out information. Their identities don’t hold enough weight with the Rose Legion officers. Officials dispatched by the Military Council are already en route and should be at the border by now. We expect news soon. Henwell likely hasn’t left the Rose Legion.”

Ulysses remains noncommittal and looks around. “Do you all agree?”

The room falls silent. Ulysses sighs. “You all underestimate Henwell. The fact he’s grown strong amid the four nations’ pressures shows he’s no ordinary man. I believe he’s already on his way to Divine Revelation City, probably near its outskirts by now. “

”Have the Military Intelligence Office set up a blockade around the city. Henwell won’t come alone; he brings an elite team. Just keep a close eye on that.”

Costi, the kingdom’s executive officer, asks, “Your Majesty, what do we do once we find them?”

Ulysses falls silent.

Indeed. Even if they find Henwell, then what?

He’s already at Divine Revelation City’s doorstep. Can they really stop him?

Remember, every capital city has secret lines linked to the Western Federation.

If Ulysses acts rashly, he’ll soon face questions from the Holy Spirit Church.

After a long pause, Ulysses waves his hand wearily. “First, find them. Then we’ll talk. Tell everyone to be cautious, don’t give that cunning gladiator any excuse.”

Henwell proves even craftier than Ulysses expects. He’s already near Divine Revelation City.

After all, Henwell has years of experience with smuggling. Sneaking near Divine Revelation City with an elite team is no challenge.

Yet, Henwell doesn’t enter the city. Instead, he changes course toward nearby Yinxin City.

This was once Pi’s territory. Even though all forces withdrew after the Marriage Alliance War, many networks remain.

After the war ended, Pi rebuilt some influence here.

But Henwell isn’t here to activate those forces; he’s here to seek help from an old acquaintance.