CH 148 Soldiers To Land In The Southeast

The Holy Empire, Athari Cathedral.

A week ago, except for Legrand, all countries that believe in the Holy Lord sent representatives, and the senior bishops of the Holy See gathered here. The religious meeting in 1433 changed the previous regulations and moved the host site from Holy Spirit Bay to the heart of the capital of the Holy Empire.

Cardinal Deacon Segney hurried towards the church with the secret letter of the barbarians gathering.

All the representatives and senior priests who participated in this religious meeting knew what their purpose was——to discuss the specific plan for the Holy Legion's expedition, to elect the six-member committee responsible for the campaign affairs, and the supreme leader of the Holy Legion.

The Holy Legion started recruiting a few months ago.

On the third day after the news of the raid on many important harbors of the Lowland Alliance reached the Holy Empire, the Pope gave an unprecedented speech to everyone on the open-air balcony of the Holy Empire Palace facing the public.

That speech was the clarion call of the Western Expedition of the Holy Legion. In that speech, Pope Theolde, the Holy Emperor of the Holy Empire and the highest spiritual leader of the Holy See, severely condemned the Kingdom of Legrand for ignoring morality and violating chivalry, committing the crime of attacking the cities of the Lowland Alliance, who were also believers, and announced the excommunication of the Legrand royal family.

It was extremely rare in history for an entire royal family to be excommunicated. The only precedent was in the 11th century A.D., the city-state of Atani, a city-state in the western strait of the Hopeless Inner Sea. After the senate of Atani city-state was excommunicated, the surrounding city-states jointly sent troops together with the Holy Court's Knights Templar to destroy it in the flames of war.

If the "Battle of God's Punishment" against Legrand allowed the warships of the Holy Court to shock the world, then the destruction of Atani gave the Holy Legion and the Knights Templar Temple fame all over the world.

After announcing the excommunication of the Legrand royal family and judging that it had become a "heretical country", in this public speech, the Pope called on all believers and knights of the Holy Lord in the world to cross the Abyss Strait , to help the believers in Legrand to achieve liberation.

After the public speech a few months ago ended, the fourth large-scale expedition of the Holy Legion since the birth of the Holy See officially launched.

The secular city-states and kings might be astonished at the speed of this Holy Legion's movement, but only the high-level officials of the Holy Court know how much preparation they have made for this Holy Legion expedition.

Collecting thousand year old sacred relics, sparing no effort to preach "doomsday theory" and "purgatory theory", religious nation building...

This was a long-prepared war. 

After the Pope's call to action ended, countless evangelists scattered around the world began to preach like crows.

They fiercely criticized the Legrand people on the other side of the Abyss Strait, how they blasphemed the Holy Lord, how they did not pray for human souls, how they protected heretics, and how they danced with witches.

"They allow themselves to fall into purgatory, but it will make the Holy Lord think that all human beings are hopeless. They are rotten tumors on the entire human race. Only by digging them out can all of us survive in the doomsday and be redeemed."

"...The blatant blasphemy of heresy is the punishment of the Holy Lord for all believers. Put on the cross, I beseech you. Only by becoming a warrior of the Holy Lord, crossing the Abyss Strait, and cleaning the corrupted heresy and saving the true believers who are controlled can one attain salvation during judgment.”

In addition, after the public preaching, the Pope gave a definite promise:

All those who participated in this Holy Legion Movement, no matter what mistakes they committed in the past, the Holy Lord would forgive all their sins. He who fought for justice, justice would bestow honor and wealth on him.

From that day on, the Holy Legion's Western Expedition began vigorously.

It seemed that everyone's heart was on fire. As long as they set foot on Legrand on the other side of the Abyss Strait, they would ascend to the Kingdom of God.

For a long time, once the religious beliefs that provide human beings with spiritual comfort intervene in wars, both sides would give their all, and thus cause the war to be extraordinarily tragic. 

Cardinal Deacon Segney's grandfather once participated in the Third Holy Legion Movement, and it was because of that movement that he transformed from a bankrupt poor boy into the famous Earl Segney. Therefore, Segney could actually understand why the Holy Legion Movement was so attractive to most poor people who were eager to change their destiny.

"In the Holy Legion, as long as you are lucky enough to live and come back alive, even if you were a slave, you could transform into a nobleman with fiefs and servants." These were words left by the grandfather of Segney, and it still applied today.

"Good day, Segney."

When Senior Priest Peter came out from the corner of the corridor, he met Segney and greeted him.

"How's the situation inside?"

Segney stopped in his tracks and asked Peter who had apparently just left the meeting. He left the Holy Empire two weeks ago, so he didn't know how the religious meeting had processed to now.

"The issue of the Holy Legion's sea transportation was resolved on the second." Peter glanced at him, "The Alliance of Abyss Strait Nations will be responsible."

"Why? Isn't the fleet of the Hopeless Inner Sea Alliance stronger than the countries along the Abyss Strait?" Segney was taken aback. His family territory was in the Hopeless Inner Sea, and his family controled a large fleet. They had originally planned to take the opportunity to make a fortune during the sea transportation of the Holy Legion.

"It's the decision made by the Holy See." Peter was very clear about what Segney cared about, and he shook his head in exasperation, "The Lowland Alliance was originally decided on, but the Lowland Alliance suffered heavy losses in the previous raids and can not support the cost. As for why choose the countries along the Abyss Strait... I guess it is because it is closer to the southeast coast of Legrand."

"What about the rest?"

"The members of the meeting has elected a six-member committee, who will be in charge of the operations of this expedition. The selection of candidates has almost been made. But the position of the supreme commander has not been able to be decided on. The meeting has been interrupted several times because of this."

"What's wrong?"

Peter shrugged his shoulders, showing an incomprehensible puzzled expression: "Because the His Holiness intends for himself to be the leader of this expedition."

"What?!"

Segney was taken aback.

"His Holiness——he——"

"Who knows."

Peter sighed deeply.

………………

The Pope's lounge where the meeting waa taking place.

In the lounge, there were only the Pope and a few cardinals.

"Your Holi...Your Majesty." Cardinal Furlan said, "In your capacity, you should not step on the battlefield in person."

"I know what you all think," Theolde said gently. "If I get injured on the battlefield, or worse, get captured and die accidentally, it would deal a huge blow to the Holy Empire, won't it?"

"That would be a tragic nightmare for all devout."

The cardinals replied.

"I know your concerns." The Pope smiled and shook his head, "but don't forget, this is a life-and-death battle. If we lose this war, then what's the use of me being alive? As for the result, don’t you have any confidence in the Holy Court’s millennium of preparations?”

"Having said that, it's too dangerous. We have pious people who are loyal enough to you, the empire, and the Holy Court. You don't actually need to take this risk yourself." Even the closest personal friend of Pope Theolde, Sisian shook his head in disapproval.

"This is the battle of then thousand armies, my old friend." Theolde slowly shook his head, "If in such a fateful war, I am far away from the battlefield. Then how should I command this war? ? Of course we have sophisticated enough 'messengers' to make our message delivery punctual enough. But how can I ensure that our soldiers will still obey my orders tens of thousands of miles away across the Abyss Strait?"

"The Holy Legion fights for the Holy Lord, and all actions will follow your will."

Cardinal Furlan replied.

"In such a conversation, don't use these words." The Pope shook his head. "What is the reason for the interruption of the Second Holy Legion Movement? Others have forgotten it. Have you forgotten it too?"

The room fell silent. The several cardinals looked at each other, and no one was the first to answer this question.

Among the Holy Court's several Holy Legion campaigns, the most failed one was the second one. The leader of the Holy Legion movement was generally a person of high status, who obeyed the orders of the Pope. However, in the second Holy Legion Movement, the Holy Legion did not reach the conquest target of Lower El, but clashed with a city-state along the Hopeless Inner Sea, which was also a follower of the Holy Lord, on the way.

The Holy Legion violated the purpose of "justice" and attacked the city-state of the Holy Lord's believers. After the incident was reported to the Holy Court, the Pope at that time was furious and issued an order of excommunication for the Holy Legion who participated in the battle.

However, it was useless. The Pope was far away, and it was difficult to control the huge and complicated army.

After the spread of the Holy Legion's behavior, it caused a lot of condemnation and blame. At that time, the sea barbarians made a comeback again. Therefore, the second Holy Legion Movement had to be forcibly terminated in order to deal with a new round of Hopeless Inner Sea turmoil.

In any case, the failure of the Second Holy Legion Movement brought profound lessons to the Holy See and the Pope at that time.

"Even the most brilliant military strategist cannot always guarantee that his orders will be carried out meticulously, unless he is in the army and takes the lead." The Pope picked up the chess pieces on the table and held it in his hand, "A real commander, the significance of his existence does not lie in his profound martial power and rich combat experience, but in his ability to condense a tray of loose sand into a blade or a sword, making it invincible."

"Sometimes, I envy Legrand."

The Pope sighed with emotion.

"It is so fortunate, there were always a few people who could unite the whole country in almost every generation. The Duke of Buckingham was like this, and Queen Eleanor was like this. Today's Pureland is also not inferior to his elders and ancestors. I often wonder, is it a cursed land or a blessed land?"

Only a few people knew that the death of the Duke of Buckingham was not an accident.

In the secret hit list of the Holy Court, the Duke of Buckingham was specially marked.

A very prestigious knight who could be called the spirit of the empire. To Legrand, what was lost was not only an excellent and outstanding general, but also a very influential battle flag. The Duke of Buckingham's position in the hearts of Legrand's knights was too lofty, it was the glory and trust accumulated over the years, and his existence was too great a threat to the Holy Court's plan.

Even if he didn't fall at the hands of Saint Val, he would fall at the hands of others.

One of the main purposes of the Holy Court instigating the massive Legrand Northland Rebellion was to kill the Duke of Buckingham.

He alone was as important as an entire army.

"It's a pity, Eleanor hid herself too well before." The Pope said with some regret, "Otherwise, if we could have gotten rid of her before the war began, the Holy Legion would lose a huge roadblock in its westward march."

"So, where do we launch this western expedition? Herrid City's Swan Harbor?" Sisian asked.

The Pope opened his hand and placed the chess piece he was holding on to a point on the map on the table.

"Here."

He said.

The chess piece was placed on the southeast coast of Legrand.

Koszoya.