Chapter 1454 - 1417: Advance

"Alright, this is the moment!"

The missionary of the Eternal Fire raised the church’s sacred book high, its hard cover adorned with flame patterns reflecting a blue light.

That was the Demon-Blocking Gold embedded in the book’s cover.

It was four o’clock in the morning, the most weary and neglected time in human schedules.

And on the hill where High Hill Castle was located, a fully armed human army was converging from several directions.

Velen had been a land of no value, except when Temeria’s borders were not yet stable, and a fortress was established here for military reasons, garrisoned with troops.

For hundreds of years, it was not worth the expenditure of a military scale to operate here.

The mere presence of an army for a day is a colossal expenditure, and its mobilization doubles that cost.

To scrape clean the entire surface of Velen would require a large army.

Yet the benefits after scraping the land do not justify the expenses of mobilizing the army.

This is why Velen has had little major trouble in Temeria’s history.

However, today, an army of five hundred without any identifying badge or flag.

They merely gathered here with ferocious intent and malicious intent.

"The Eternal Fire shall protect us!"

A missionary with a fiery red hood and a bushy beard preached in a deliberately eloquent tone.

"Witchcraft and evil spells shall not harm us! For we engage in a glorious and righteous mission: driving filthy mutants and monsters, wicked wizards from the human realm!"

The narrow mountain path did not allow too many to march side by side, so the soldiers could only form a long line, reforming their ranks near the battlefield.

And the missionary stood on a rock by the path, soldiers streamed past him, and he repeatedly chanted his inspiring sermon.

"Fear not! Neither worry! Under the protection of the Eternal Fire, we shall be invincible!"

"We are the blade that drives out evil! The tempest that clears filth!"

"The flame lights the path of light for us, driving out darkness, guiding us even after death! Who dares challenge the flame shall perish in it! Digging their own grave!"

"Eternal Fire, we pray to you!

Eternal Fire, we pour our faith into you!

Eternal Fire, our hearts admit no other divine beings!"

The missionary continually leaned forward, making gestures as if bestowing the blessing of the Eternal Fire onto each passing soldier.

The missionary’s face was fervent with devotion, together with the marching line of soldiers and the clamor of armored marching, forming an atmosphere of fanaticism.

Everyone felt their spirits were granted some unspeakable higher protection and recognition.

And they believed from the depths of their hearts, it was the holy power of the Eternal Fire!

The missionary with a fiery hood felt not only passionate in expression but fervent within.

He watched soldiers passing in front of him, occasionally bowing their heads and touching their foreheads reverently to the Eternal Fire’s sacred book he held up.

Such powerful forces, under the call of the Eternal Fire, the White Rose Knight Order gathered their greatest strength.

Though in recent years, the Knight Order tends to recruit sons of tailors and businessmen who earned money rather than traditional noble sons.

But those who had money joining the Knight Order, training for a few years, reached at least a professional soldier’s level, and their family background provided them with top equipment.

Five hundred professional knights with excellent equipment would be considered a significant force even in the hands of a count during peacetime.

It was no surprise Duke Elrand’s Seward would expend great efforts to win over this Knight Order.

The Knight Order’s rapid expansion relied on the faith support from the Eternal Fire.

And the missionary of the Eternal Fire aimed to hitch a ride with the Knight Order.

The Eternal Fire originated in Novigrad, although spread in Temeria, lacked enthusiasm, and diocese expansion and development were not rapid.

If under his leadership, the world-famous mutant gathering spot and its worshipers were cleared... his reputation, his achievements within the church!

Temeria’s diocese would expand vigorously! He might even become Temeria’s Eternal Fire archbishop!

The missionary’s voice preaching the Eternal Fire’s doctrine had become somewhat hoarse, yet rose even louder as if shouting.

He looked up at the hilltop, under the nearing disappearance of moonlight, only tiny bits of flickering fire with weakening sparks at a small castle.

The castle’s downfall would symbolize the rise of church power!

Thick wood, iron-clad at many key spots, shaped into components, started to assemble with repetitive ’thud’ sounds.

Siege engines were rising!

The scent of iron and fire was undeniable!

This fragrance delighted the missionary. He had already planned, after success, to hold a grand pyre festival in Velen!

Mutants, monsters, or wicked witches! Burning pyres should be their fate!

And the flames burning on the pyre are also the steps upward!

"Praise the Eternal Fire!"

The missionary couldn’t help but exclaim loudly, drawing a chorus of agreement from the knights.

The massive wooden structures covered in iron on the siege equipment, the iron parts gleaming blue under the moonlight or firelight filtering through the forest.

These are all Demon-Blocking Gold!

"Father, we will forge ahead bravely, and when we capture this desecrated castle, we will notify you first."

The half-bald Knight Captain said to the missionary.

"I have no doubt about victory." The missionary nodded at the troops of knights and the siege equipment protected by Demon-Blocking Gold, "I just hope you can capture more of them alive; then we can host a grand and solemn trial in the holy flames."

"Swords and slaughter are just a means; ultimately, the faith in the Eternal Fire is what matters. Do you understand, dear knight?"

"I understand, Father." The Knight Captain also stepped onto the roadside stone platform, examining the knights rushing to the battlefield, but then turned slightly, blocking the missionary with half of his body.

"But can you still... uh, I mean, can you cast more of the protection of the Eternal Fire?"

The missionary looked knowingly at the Knight Captain’s expression and raised an eyebrow.

With the concealed half of his body, the missionary rummaged in his pocket, pulled out a piece of blue metal ornament, and covertly placed it in the Knight Captain’s hand.

Though the suppression effect of Demon-Blocking Gold on Chaos Magic Power has been proven for decades or centuries, many of these knights have rarely encountered magic, monsters, or mutants.

They still feel uneasy.

But fortunately, with the Eternal Fire being financially robust and the Knight Order conducting internal speech control, this minor ideological wobble is not a grave concern.

The missionary, for the sake of his future church promotion, has emptied much of his treasury and doesn’t mind supplying extra Demon-Blocking Gold talismans.

The troops are getting closer to High Hill Castle; once they get on the mountain road, the march will be faster!

And the siege equipment will be completely assembled, pushed up the hill!

Knights held torches, the dim light reflecting on their faces in the autumn night.

Excited, anxious, impatient...

Though most people here have never seen a Demon Hunter, nor seen a Warlock cast spells, only heard rumors.

But basically, no one believes they will lose.

A castle with only sixty stationed men, without any equipment to speak of.

Not to mention these sixty are merely ’Mutant Followers’, even if they were all mutants, what would it matter?

Can bodies tempered by magic potions and chemicals block axes and spears thrust out by dozens at once? Or arrows fired simultaneously?

Can they withstand the stone projectiles from the catapult? The spears fired from the bed crossbow?

How will they fight?

Besides, most of them are probably sleeping dead right now!

So the knights marched forward with even more pride.

But atop the mountain castle.

Lincoln did not light too many torches for illumination; in the darkness, the castle appeared even more silent and desolate, yet tonight no one slept within.

Because before Lann left, everyone already knew that the attack day was most likely today.

The Embers Knight Order was never afraid of war, but tonight their feeling was... peculiar.

"Can you really see the moon outside Ilyushil?"

Hazel, wearing a bizarre, exaggerated yellow chef’s hat, curiously looked up at the sky, then down beyond the castle walls.

She wasn’t just the hat being yellow; to be precise, she was now a translucent humanoid outline glowing faintly yellow.

This was the soul body state summoned using the White Mark Waxstone.

On the walls, several others, looking out of place with the Embers Knight Order, were the same.

The semi-transparent, faintly glowing soul bodies, but each was not the same color.

Yesterday, at dusk before nightfall, Lincoln had cautiously copied the parchment left by Lann with the White Mark Waxstone.

The soul bodies appeared one by one, but seemed not surprised that someone unfamiliar had summoned them.

Lincoln guessed it was probably because his lord had notified them ahead.

However, the Secretary still felt somewhat uncomfortable all over...

From appearance alone, all Lincoln could say was ’there are quite a few bizarre outfits’.

This isn’t surprising; after all, recognizing someone is difficult once they’re armored, and strong, distinct knights often flaunted garish armor for recognition—a common practice even back when Sintra was around.

What made Lincoln uneasy wasn’t the appearances... but their demeanor upon seeing them and witnessing this world.