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Chapter 442.2: Some Things Can’t Be Avoided (2)

Meanwhile, Roel was also thinking something along the same line.

The more someone is trying to hide something, the more important it is to uncover it. There must be an important reason as to why the Collector has taken special care to conceal his identity all this while.

Regarding that, he could think of two possibilities.

One, the Collector’s identity was controversial enough to cause a huge uproar if it were to ever get out. That might cause repercussions that disadvantaged him.

Two, the Collector had many enemies who were out for his life, and his life would be in danger if his enemies ever learned of his true identity.

In any case, it was to Roel’s benefit to get to the bottom of this matter, and the internal war provided him an opportunity to do so.

“I know that you’re worried about my safety, but have you forgotten who is at Edgar City? My father and Holy Eminence John are both there. I know that they can’t protect me around the clock, but there’s no place safer than under Holy Eminence John’s watch.”

“Well, I guess if my grandfather is around…”

Nora wavered upon recalling that her grandfather was on the frontline too.

Sensing an opportunity here, Roel decided to further push his point. He abruptly leaned forward and stared right into Nora’s indecisive eyes to relay his resolve.

“While Bryan is the one who ambushed us, the true mastermind is the Collector. This matter won’t be over until we deal with him. That man sought to spread chaos across the Theocracy by scheming your death. No matter what it takes, I’ll return the favor to him.”

“!”

Wrath was reflected in Roel’s unwavering eyes, and his usually gentle voice was seething with rage. Nora widened her eyes as a searing heat began to consume her body. She could no longer bring herself to stop him.

After several failed attempts to speak, she let out a long sigh. With a resigned look on her face, she laid her head on Roel’s shoulder and whispered into his ear.

“Make sure you stay safe. That’s an order.”

“I will. I promise,” replied Roel solemnly.

After a moment of silence, the two of them embraced each other and immersed themselves in each other’s warmth.

…

After accompanying Nora for several hours, Roel waited for the crowd to disperse before leaving the royal palace in a carriage. His destination was the Labyrinth Villa, which he hadn’t been to for quite some time now. Everything was just as he remembered it.

The Labyrinth Manor wasn’t considered to be a military base, so the Ascarts’ intelligence network wouldn’t usually deliver reports here. Knowing that, Roel didn’t blame the servants employed here for the lack of information.

While he had convinced Nora to allow him to head to the frontlines, he wasn’t planning on setting off right away.

He technically couldn’t as Nora had enforced a compulsory three days rest on him, but aside from that, he also wanted to let the heretic army take some time off to rest up before they set off.

Without a doubt, the heretic army had contributed greatly to Roel’s mission to save Nora, but fighting in the intense battle against the evil cultists and the long journey to and fro the eastern border had taken a huge toll on them.

The fatigue they had accumulated along the way was beyond imagination.

If not for every single one of them being at least at Origin Level 5, their high level of discipline, and their outdoor survival skills stemming from their past experience as barbarians and mercenaries, they might not have been able to hold on till the very end.

In fact, in the final part of their journey after entering the Theocracy’s borders, some of the inquisitors found themselves unable to keep up with the convoy anymore. So, they were sent to nearby towns along the way to rest up first, and it would probably be a few days before they returned.

That showed just how harsh and fast-paced their march was.

To be honest, Roel thought that three days probably wouldn’t be sufficient for the heretics to fully recover, such that he considered not bringing the heretic army with him. However, when he brought that up with them, Rodney, Wood, Cynthia, and the rest of the army unanimously disagreed with his decision in a rare show of defiance.

“Holy Son, please permit our Unyielding Sect to remain by your side and protect you. It’s the decree of our god, as well as our own wish. Besides… we hope to participate in this battle as a member of the Ascart Fiefdom. It’s a chance for us to earn recognition,” said Cynthia.

“My thoughts exactly! Our Strength Sect has never been afraid of battle. If anything, this war is an opportunity for us to prove ourselves!” Wood added.

“… I see.”

Roel slowly digested what he had just heard before slowly nodding in acknowledgment.

While the heretic army was Roel’s personal army, they had likely faced some degree of discrimination due to their identities. What they were lacking at the moment was others’ recognition.

It was one thing for them not to participate in the internal war before since they were out guarding Roel, but there was no excuse now that they were back. Failure to do so might result in others casting doubt on their loyalty, which would worsen their positions in the Ascart Fiefdom.

On the flip side, this could be a good opportunity for the heretics to integrate into the Ascart Fiefdom. There was nothing more persuasive than military contribution.

Besides, Cynthia and the others also wanted to repay Roel for the grace he had shown them thus far.

There was no way Roel would oppose their decision now that he had learned their thoughts, but he still ordered for everyone to go on a three-day break.

The Elrics’ Edgar City was a highly fortified city with no lack of soldiers. Even with the combined forces of the Ascarts and the Xeclydes, it would be no easy feat to breach its defenses. Thus, there was no need for them to be in a rush even if they wished to accrue military contribution.

The allied army had already reached the limit of what their speedy advancement could do. They had managed to gain significant ground by catching the Elrics’ off-guard, but the latter had already snapped out of their daze and taken countermeasures against their aggression. It would likely take until early spring before this war could be concluded.

Even so, this was already considered fast on the Sia Continent.

Infighting between powerful nobles could easily last three to five years, with the preparation phase often taking over a year. It was worse for battles between countries, and the prime example of this was the Rosa Independence War, which lasted for nearly a century, spanning three to four generations.

Even if the heretics joined the war late, they would still be able to get in on some action. In fact… they might even encounter some unexpected enemies.

Roel settled down in a chair in the Labyrinth Manor and pondered about a piece of information that he had seen on the war report back in the royal palace. It spurred an ominous feeling in his heart.

The Elric Fiefdom was not a good piece of land, not just because it wasn’t fertile but because it also bordered two other major countries, Knight Kingdom Pendor and the Austine Empire. Conflicts would break out every now and then, causing a major hassle.

No one wanted the troubles that came with this piece of land, which was why it ended up being tossed to the Elric House.

Ironically, it was also for this reason that the Xeclydes and the Ascarts faced difficulties gathering information on the Elrics. It was too difficult to track anything once it went beyond national borders, and the Elrics had most certainly been exploiting that. In fact, the two houses relied predominantly on the Sorofya Merchant Association for information on the Elric Fiefdom as it had eyes across the borders.

However, in the war report that Roel had read in the royal palace, it was stated that the Austine Empire, who rarely paid any heed to its borders with the Elric Fiefdom, had suddenly mobilized its army. Unlike Knight Kingdom Pendor, they didn’t spread their troops across the length of the border to protect their boundaries. Instead, they were concentrating their troops together.

Even a layman with little knowledge of military affairs could tell that the gathering of troops was a prelude to imminent aggression. Roel had no idea what the Austine Empire was thinking, but they were likely up to no good.

“What could their emperor be thinking?” he murmured with a deep frown.