Pioneer Lord: I Have Conquering System

As the Debei Capital and the seat of the Holy Light Church, which boasted the most followers in the Seven Kingdoms, Gonda City’s permanent population wasn’t as exaggerated as Vantika’s, but it still exceeded three million.

Its prosperity was therefore beyond what even Kolon and Bailiu City could compare to.

Exquisite bronze fountain-statues were a common sight. The streets were wide and clean, lined with all sorts of flowers that bloomed year-round, ensuring a constant floral fragrance through the changing seasons.

The architectural styles along the streets varied, from classical Baroque to modern minimalism, with every building a work of art in itself.

Shops on both sides of the road displayed luxury goods from all over the Seven Kingdoms, from delicate jewelry to magnificent gowns. In the slave market, female slaves of various Races and exotic charms craned their necks in anticipation, hoping a handsome, gentle-tempered master would take them away from this Hell.

Treading a road paved with unfamiliar blue-green bricks, they arrived at the famous Holy Dove Square. From here, one could faintly hear the hymns of Priests drifting from the distant Holy Light Cathedral.

The distance and layout had been meticulously planned so that the drifting songs weren’t loud enough to be an annoyance. Instead, they carried an ethereal, soothing quality that comforted the soul.

A golden statue stood tall in the center of the square—the famous Statue of the Holy Light Goddess.

It towered a full twenty-eight fathoms high. She was draped in a light, gauze-like robe, its hem fluttering as if stirred by a gentle breeze. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, gentle and divine, her eyes and brow revealing boundless compassion and Wisdom.

Her hands were held cupped together, as if offering blessings and hope to the world. Every fold of her robe was carved with fine-grained detail, and every feature was so lifelike that it seemed the artisans had imbued the statue with life itself, as if she might step down from her stone pedestal at any moment.

All of this converged to create an indescribable religious atmosphere, making those within it feel an irresistible urge to prostrate themselves in worship.

Levi, however, felt nothing. Getting him to believe in one of the Gods would be no less difficult than getting the Queen to strip naked and be gawked at by every resident of Gonda.

Perhaps it was the wrong season, or for some other reason, but the group didn’t see the flock of holy doves, white as angels.

"What song is this? It’s surprisingly good," Zat said, smacking his lips.

For a song to be considered good by a brute like him, it must have reached a level of artistry unimaginable to ordinary people.

"I told you to read more books, but you insisted on playing with Goblins." Levi gave the country bumpkin a light kick, then began to show off his knowledge to the High Cliff Castle illiterates—every last one of them. "This is ’Dawn’s Radiance: Goddess’ Lament.’ It’s performed as a twelve-part aria and is said to allow one to feel the Goddess’s blessing."

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

Just then, the sound of applause, accompanied by a voice full of praise, came from behind the group.

"As expected of the Lion Hunter Knight who took first credit in the southern campaign for the duchy and turned the tide against the Demon disaster. I never thought that beyond your dazzling strength, your knowledge would be so remarkable as well."

Knights cleared a path through the crowd, escorting a middle-aged man as he approached.

He had a smiling face, meticulously slicked-back hair, a perfectly placed walrus mustache and a Little Moustache on his chin, and was dressed in a well-fitting, crisp formal suit—the impeccable attire of a Noble Garden dignitary.

"Who are you?" the Lord asked, his hands in his pockets.

"Filo Martel. I am the Prince dispatched by the Northern Territory for this occasion." The middle-aged man with the mustache gave a slight bow, a greeting perfect down to the smallest detail. "Good day, esteemed Lord Levi. That was a splendid job you did earlier! Really knocked those Sith Lords down a peg!"

’Damn it, so you’re the bastard who set me up earlier, aren’t you?!’ Levi’s eyes suddenly widened, his fists cracking as he clenched them.

"Lord Levi, a fight isn’t necessarily a bad thing!" Filo, watching the approaching Lord, didn’t dare bet on whether the man would actually strike a Prince in the middle of the street, and hurriedly spoke up.

"I’ll give you time to spin your tale. But if I’m not satisfied..." Levi let out a cold laugh. He didn’t finish the sentence, but the meaning was perfectly clear.

Filo breathed an inward sigh of relief, but his expression remained calm as he asked, "Lord Levi, have you guessed why, after your conflict had escalated for so long and was about to get out of hand, that Prince only arrived at the perfect moment?

"He was watching from a balcony the entire time."

"He wanted to use me to teach those insufferably arrogant Sith Lords a lesson?" Levi offered the simplest, most logical guess.

"Wrong! It was to test your limits!"

Filo looked up at the Statue of the Holy Light Goddess, gave it a respectful bow, and then continued with a profound question, "Do you know what it means to be a Legendary Powerhouse?"

Then, without waiting for an answer, he continued with a look of pure envy, "It means that by strength alone, they attain eminent status. It means even a King will treat them with the utmost courtesy. After all, no King wants to needlessly make an enemy of someone with Legendary strength."

"Because being Legendary means being at the apex of the world, the undisputed strongest in this realm. And fists—are truth!"

"A decent argument," the Lord acknowledged with a nod. From the very beginning, his faith had always been in his own two iron fists.

"And when such power can no longer be constrained by equivalent force, people will look for other methods. Like morality."

Filo smiled and tapped his own chest. "A certain psychologist once proposed an interesting idea: only a Legendary can deal with a Legendary. In that case, why can’t that Legendary be *oneself*?"

"Therefore, that Prince was testing your limits. And the Holy Sith Kingdom also sent a moronic Prince to test your limits."