I like crossing the most

Chapter 513: The Fall of the Kingdom

In the days that followed, Lin did not meet with anyone, including Brian, Clem, Princess Lana, and Lagis. All matters were left to Monica to handle, and he did not even attend the subsequent banquet to receive the diplomatic corps.

This was originally a disrespectful act that could be held accountable, but it actually made the kingdom feel relieved.

After all, Ainz Ooal Gown is a kingdom led by the undead, and Gazef's death could easily irritate Lin, and it would be bad if it accidentally caused social problems.

So the kingdom tacitly agreed that Lin would temporarily withdraw from the kingdom's social life and exclude him from the upper class.

However, this does not mean that Lin is isolated from the news. On the contrary, he has collected much more information than before.

For example, the Blood Emperor found the chief priest of the Temple of Wind and Fire, and used the cover of hosting an arena to select the strongest. Unexpectedly, Ainz Ooal Gown himself appeared in the final duel, causing the chief priest of the Temple of Wind and Fire to mistakenly believe that they had ulterior motives.

By the way, this was not something Lin found out, it was the Blood Emperor who took the initiative to send the information to him.

He also stated in the letter that he definitely did not do that, but that the other party had seen through his plan and once again strongly invited Lin to join in the fight against Ainz Ooal Gown, indicating that after this success, Lin would be promoted as a hero and the Axis Cult would be promoted throughout the empire.

It seems that the existence of Ainz Ooal Gown is a headache for the Blood Emperor. He must have lost a lot of hair after this incident.

While Lin was happy to see it, he still replied with those two words.

——Go to hell.

Other things include the reorganization of the kingdom center, Princess Lana did not usurp the throne but nominated the second prince; the kingdom's harvest this year is still good but it must be much lower than in previous years.

And a demon named Jaldabaoth suddenly appeared in the Holy Kingdom. Due to the riots, food became scarce, and the Sorcerous Kingdom used the food purchased from merchants in the Kingdom as support.

The Magic Kingdom supports the Theocracy in its food crisis, and the undead help the priests resist the invasion of demons. Is there anything funnier than this?

...It’s true!

The stupid guy in the kingdom, a country baron named Philip, actually robbed the transported grain!

Especially since the Kingdom had previously fought a war with the Sorcerous Kingdom on the Katze Plains, it was hard not to suspect that this was revenge, which naturally caused serious social problems.

Philip was, of course, sentenced to death, but this did not quell the anger of the Sorcerous Kingdom, and through a succubus named Albedo, the Prime Minister of the Sorcerous Kingdom officially declared war on the Kingdom.

The King quickly realized the seriousness of the problem and asked on the spot whether he could use his own head to quell the anger of the Sorcerous Kingdom. The answer he got was of course no.

At this point, the king, who had lost Marquis Rebuen and Warrior Captain Gazef, was imprisoned by the second prince in the name of recuperation.

That’s why I say humans…

In fact, rather than the stupidity of the nobles, Lin believed that the other party had deliberately caused social problems through him, just wanting a legitimate reason.

Want to say that the other party has no reason?

No, no reason is a reason.

I am the fish on the chopping board, it's just groundless malice.

Just as he expected, the shadow hanging over the kingdom was about to fall, leaving no chance for respite. All residents along the way were killed.

It is said that no snowflake is innocent in an avalanche, but which is the first snowflake?

Thinking back carefully, it was probably from when Gazef went to Carne Village and was saved by Ainz Ooal Gown. Then the vampires rose, the Eight Fingers were destroyed, the demons ravaged the capital, the defeat at Katze Plains, and now the kingdom crisis.

Three months.

Only three months had passed since then, and there was no chance for any reaction at all, as it was flattened by the huge wave.

"It's really... quite unexpected. Don't you think so?"

Lin sighed and looked towards the entrance of the church, as if he was not talking to himself but asking someone.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light.

Four figures appeared at the entrance of the church.

There were rings on all ten fingers and a gentle smile on his handsome face; behind him was a woman sitting listlessly on a magic ball, with a strange big hat covering most of her face; there was also a man dressed like a barbarian carrying a huge axe, and an assassin wearing a strange tight-fitting suit to hide his face.

There were men and women, of different ages and appearances, and wearing different equipment. The only thing in common was that they all carried an aura that far exceeded that of ordinary people.

A one-man division, infinite magic power, the strongest among mankind, the best in heaven and earth... That's right, they are the strongest force among the six-color scriptures of the Church, and some of them are the last and strongest guardians of mankind.

Lin knew them and had even gotten along with them before, but they didn't get along very well.

Lin looked at them, and his tone did not contain the greetings of old friends when they met again. Instead, he said with a slightly cold tone: "You guys, barging in without the owner's permission, isn't that inappropriate?"

"Oh, should I say sorry? But if the guests are not greeted upon entering, shouldn't it be the host's fault?"

“You have your causality wrong.”

The one who spoke to Lin in a gentle tone was Quin Aise Haseia Quintia... The name didn't matter, as long as you knew that he was the brother of Clementine who was killed by Lin, and now it seemed that he was the representative of these people.

After seeing Lin, he relaxed and indicated that he meant no harm. Of course, the three people following him did the same.

"So, you guys are not here to catch up with me, right?"

"No, I hope you can join us."

"You want me to surrender?"

"While it might be a good idea to fight to the last breath here, we hope you can look to the future."

He meant it.

At least Lin didn't feel it was false at all, and the three people following him nodded slightly to indicate that it was indeed the case.

This also made Lin curious.

"Did the Theocracy send you here?"

"Yes."

"That's really strange. The Church will allow people who believe in other goddesses to join. Shouldn't I be labeled a pagan at this time?"

"Compared to the future fate of mankind, I think we should put aside our past grudges."

"Even if there is a vengeance for killing my sister?"

"If that's the reason, there's no need to worry. In fact, even if Master Lin didn't kill Clementine, the church has issued a hunting order, so she will die no matter what. And I won't seek revenge on you. On the contrary, I will thank you for your help."

I see. Has he been completely brainwashed by the church?

For a guy like this, even if the church told him to kill his parents, he would do it without hesitation. At most, he would just find a reason that he could accept.

"Please don't treat me like that."

Perhaps sensing Lin's thoughts, he quickly explained, "Clementine made a big mistake. She killed members of the church for the secret treasure. Not to mention that she colluded with Chiranon and summoned an army of undead, causing huge troubles for ordinary people. I don't think even the Axis Church would forgive such a believer."

“Indeed… Well, what happens to you is none of my business. My answer is no. I can’t abandon the kingdom, my family, and the Axis Church. That’s absolutely impossible.”

"That's it, I understand."

The man was still smiling, as if he was not really here to persuade her, but just going through the motions.

Lin looked at them and asked, although it was unlikely, "Do you guys want to fight the Sorcerer King with me?"

"You have made the same invitation as well? Unfortunately, we are here to persuade you to surrender, so we can only solemnly reject your proposal. After all, those who join the battle based on their own judgment will only harm the organization."

It turned out to be just a formality.

Just like what Lin thought, the other party didn't really want to invite him to join. In addition to what I just said, it was probably not just me, but other outstanding talents who had made invitations.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the kingdom was doomed, so the Church, with the intention of poaching talent and copying Bodi, cast a wide net and sent these people to persuade them.

Lin continued to ask: "You have also invited other people, right? Who are they?"

"This is a military secret. I'm sorry I can't reveal it... Although I really want to say this, but considering your friendship with the Theocracy, I can tell you that two adamantite-level teams, Vermillion Dew Drops and Blue Rose, have invited you, and both of you have rejected the invitation."

Vermillion Dewdrop and Blue Rose were the only two steel-level adventurer teams in the kingdom. If they were not invited, Lin couldn’t think of anyone else who would be qualified.

It was not surprising that they refused.

Azus, the captain of the Vermillion Dew Drops, is a frivolous and arrogant person. With his armor on his back, he can easily escape even if Ainz Ooal Gown's undead army surrounds the royal capital.

And Lachis...

"Master Lin, if you refuse, we will retreat first. To be honest, the capital is surrounded now, and we will not be able to evacuate easily if we don't leave now."

"Of course, you can leave at any time."

"Then... I hope you will avenge Ainz Ooal Gown on our behalf."

After saying that, they turned around and left without any reluctance. The so-called persuasion was just a formality.

"Monica."

Lin's call went unanswered, and he then remembered that he had sent Monika away yesterday. Scratching his head, he walked alone to the room at the back of the church, where Gazef's body lay.

After a while he came out with someone.

"I didn't expect that after so much time, the resurrection magic could still be successful. I have made a new discovery. Well, it's time to get down to business."

Lin stretched and walked out of the church.

The entire church was extremely cold and desolate. There was no more laughter and joy of the past, no more devout prayers to the goddess, and no more strong power of faith.

He slowly closed the door of the church and walked towards the palace without any reluctance.

Arrive at the palace.

Lin was not stopped along the way. Even though the kingdom was in such a crisis, he easily came to the palace by scanning his face. Maybe it was because there was no one in the capital at the moment, and all the soldiers were taken out to fight. People passing by showed incredible expressions when they saw them.

The eldest prince is currently missing, and the second prince is in charge. And as far as Lin knows, the kingdom has high morale and has assembled an army of more than 400,000. However, they are just a mob, and at most they can summon a few more black goat kids for the enemy's magic.

"Go, find the king, your loyalty is not over yet."

"Ah."

The sturdy man in armor beside him nodded, bowed deeply to Lin, and then walked quickly into the palace.

With his familiarity with the royal city, he should be able to easily find the master he once served. Coupled with the magic item that Lin gave him that can teleport, he should be able to escape the royal city safely.

Lin continued walking in another direction, where the princess's bedroom was located.

However, when he arrived at the door and heard the noisy noise inside, he did not go in to stop it, but waited outside silently until peace returned to the inside.

"It seems like we've arrived at the right time."

"…What's the right time?"

The one who talked to him was Brian, who was holding something that looked like a snack in his hand, and following behind him were the twin assassins Tina and Tia. Their expressions changed slightly after seeing Lin, but they didn't say anything.

"You've been staying in your room the whole time. I thought you weren't going to come out."

"Isn't there an option for me to escape?"

"Do you know?"

"No, not really."

"I think so too."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Tina and Tia remained silent. They were not interested in the strange friendship between men.

"By the way, it's just finished inside, you guys can come in too."

"End? End of what?"

While Brian was confused, Lin pushed the door open first.

What was seen was not a harmonious scene of chatting and laughing, but several fatal wounds on Laqis's shoulders, abdomen and thighs, staining her beautiful pink dress red. Her pale and lifeless eyes showed that she was under mental control at this time.

"What on earth is this..."

Brian paused when he smelled the blood, and Cang Qiangwei's men also became nervous after seeing Lin.

Nina even said, "Master Lin, please don't get excited. Listen to us first..."

"I understand. You care more about the safety of your companions than the survival of the kingdom, right?"

Lin looked calm, which actually scared Gegelan and the others.

Tina and Tia said: "He was outside just now, so what you did must have been exposed." "But he didn't come in to stop us, so I guess he understood what we were doing."

"What? You've already arrived!"

Gagran opened his voice.

Ibiruai even complained: "It's all your fault. In order to prevent the magic from taking effect, I used eight kinds of poison and several weakening magics. What's more important is that I was worried that it wouldn't work. Since you are here, come and help, you bastard!"

"No, I'm sorry, I can't do this. After all, I can't do anything to hurt Lagis. Besides, wouldn't it be very bad if I was there just now?"

"Tsk."

The old vampire woman smacked her lips in dissatisfaction. She didn't expect to be teased at this time.

"Ahhhh, I'm so annoyed!"

She stamped her foot in dissatisfaction and said, "I'll be frank. This country has no future. What awaits the princess and the priest of a fallen country cannot be a decent fate. This may be the last chance to escape. I can take you with me."

Of course, this proposal could not be accepted by Lin.

"I have to fulfill my royal responsibilities."

Princess Lana said the toughest words in a gentle tone, and she must have realized something.

Respect the fate of others and let go of helping others.

Ibiruai respected Lana's choice, then looked at Brian and naturally got the same answer.

"…Really? I thought you would say that, okay."

"By the way, Ibiruai, take this with you too."

When the magic circle opened the transmission channel, Lin threw a book over - the Book of Curses. It should be useful for them who need magic power to escape.

Ibiruai looked at this priceless magic item, said nothing, and left in a flash of light.

There was no time for them to continue exchanging pleasantries. The situation was so urgent that they didn't even have time to say goodbye properly. They didn't know whether Lagis would resent them afterwards.

(End of this chapter)