After Becoming The Tyrant

Holy Empire, Cathedral of Acellia.

A week ago, except for Legrand, all countries that believe in the Holy Lord sent representatives, and the senior bishops of the Holy Court 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 to the church with the secret letter gathered by the barbarians.

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

The Holy Army started recruiting a few months ago.

On the third day after the news of the raids 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 Army. In that speech, Pope Siolde, the Pope 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. He committed the crime of attacking the cities of the Lowland Alliance, who were also believers, and announced the religious excommunication of the Legrand royal family.

It is extremely rare in history for an entire royal family to be excommunicated. The only precedent was in the [-]th century A.D., the city-state of Atani in the West Strait of the Hopeless Inner Sea.After the Attani city-state Senate was divided into excommunication, the surrounding city-states jointly dispatched troops together with the Holy Court's Templar Knights to destroy it in the flames of war.

If the "Battle of God's Punishment" against Legrand made the warships of the Holy Court shock the world, then the destruction of Artani made the Holy Army and the Knights of the Temple famous all over the world.

After announcing the excommunication of Legrand's royal family and judging that it has 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.

The public lecture a few months ago ended, and the fourth large-scale expedition of the Holy Legion officially started since the birth of the Holy See.

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

Collecting sacred objects for thousands of years, sparing no effort to preach "doomsday theory" and "purgatory theory", religious nation building...

This is a long-prepared war.

After the pope's call, countless preachers scattered around the world like crows to preach.

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 human beings are hopeless. They are rotten tumors on the entire body of human beings. Only by digging them out can all of us survive in the doomsday." be redeemed."

"...The blatant blasphemy of heresy is the Holy Lord's punishment for all believers. Put on the cross. Only by becoming the Holy Lord's warrior, crossing the abyss and strait, cleaning the corrupted heresy, and saving the true believers who are controlled, can they be judged attain salvation.[1]”

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

All those who participated in this holy army movement, no matter what mistakes they have committed in the past, the Holy Lord will forgive all their sins.He who fights for justice, justice will bestow honor and wealth on him.

From that day on, the Western Expedition of the Holy Army started vigorously.

It seems that everyone is on fire in their hearts. As long as they set foot on Legrand on the other side of the Abyss Strait, they will ascend to the Kingdom of God.

For a long time, once the religious beliefs that provide human beings with a prudent destination get involved in wars, both sides will be desperate, making wars extraordinarily tragic. [2]

Cardinal Deacon Segney's grandfather had 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 can actually understand why the Holy Legion movement is so attractive to most poor people who are eager to change their destiny.

"In the Holy Army, as long as you are lucky enough to live and come back alive, then even if you were a slave, you can transform into a nobleman with fiefs and servants." This is a sentence left by the grandfather of Sagney, It still applies today.

"Hey, Sagney."

When High Priest Peter came out of the corner of the corridor, he met Segney and said hello to him.

"What's going on inside?"

Segney stopped and asked Peter who had apparently just left the meeting.He left the Holy Empire two weeks ago, so he didn't know where the religious meeting was going.

"The sea transportation problem of the Holy Army was solved the next day." Peter glanced at him, "The Alliance of Abyss Nations is responsible."

"Why? Isn't the fleet of the Hopeless Inner Sea Alliance stronger than the countries of the abyss?" Sagney was taken aback. His family territory is in the Hopeless Inner Sea, and the family controls a large fleet.It was originally planned to take the opportunity to make a fortune during the sea transportation of the Holy Army.

"It's the decision made by the Holy See." Peter was very clear about what Segney cared about, and he shook his head helplessly, "The Lowland Alliance should have been decided, but the Lowland Alliance suffered heavy losses in the previous raids and could not bear it. As for Why I chose the countries of the abyss... I guess it is because it is closer to the southeast coast of Legrand."

"what about others?"

"The parliament elected a six-member committee, who will be in charge of the expedition's operations. The candidates have been selected. But the supreme commander has not been able to make a decision. The parliament has interrupted several times for this."

"what happened?"

Peter shrugged, showing an incomprehensible puzzled expression: "Because the Holy See intends for him to be the leader of this expedition."

"what?!"

Segney was taken aback.

"The Holy See he—he—"

"Who knows."

Peter sighed deeply.

………………

Papal lounge for meetings.

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

"Holy...Your Majesty." Cardinal Fudelan said, "In your capacity, you should not step on the battlefield yourself."

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

"That will be a tragic nightmare for all believers."

The cardinals answered.

"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 rest As a result, don’t you have any confidence in the holy court’s millennium 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 best personal friend of Pope Theold Sisian shook his head in disapproval.

"This is the battle of armies, my old friend." Theold shook his head slowly, "If I am far away in the sky in such a fate-determining war, then how should I command this war? ? Of course we have sophisticated enough 'messenger' to make our message delivery punctual enough. But how can I ensure that soldiers can still obey my orders tens of thousands of meters away across the strait?"

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

Cardinal Fudelin 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 Army Movement? Others have forgotten it. Have you forgotten it too?"

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

Among the Holy Court's several holy army campaigns, the most failed one was the second one.The leader of the Holy Army movement is generally replaced by a person of high status, who obeys the orders of the Pope.However, in the second Holy Army Movement, the Holy Army did not reach the conquest target of Lower Er, but clashed with a city-state along the Hopeless Inland Sea, who was also a follower of the Holy Lord, on the way.

The Holy Army 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 excommunication order for the Holy Army 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 Army's behavior, it caused a lot of condemnation and blame. At that time, the sea barbarians made a comeback again. Therefore, the second Holy Army movement had to be forcibly terminated to deal with a new round of hopeless inland sea turmoil.

In any case, the failure of the Second Holy Army 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 them in his hands, "A real Commander, the significance of his existence does not lie in his profound martial arts and rich combat experience, but in his ability to condense a plate of loose sand into a knife and a sword, making it invincible."

"Sometimes, I envy Legrand."

The Pope sighed.

"It is so lucky that there are a few people who can unite the whole country in almost every generation. The Duke of Buckingham is like this, and Queen Eleanor is like this. Today's Purland is also not inferior to his uncles and ancestors. I I often think, is it a cursed land or a blessed land?"

Only a few people know that the Duke of Buckingham's death was no accident.

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

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

Even if he didn't fall into the hands of Saint Val, he would fall into 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 is as important as an entire army.

"It's a pity, Eleanor hid it too well before that." The Pope said with some regret, "Otherwise, if she can be eliminated before the war begins, the Holy Army will lose a huge roadblock in its western expedition."

"So, where do we start this western expedition? Herrid 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 is played on the southeast coast of Legrand.

Koth Soya.