novellhall Chapter 333 - 60: Su Yue, I Have Returned
Chapter 333 - 60: Su Yue, I Have Returned
Just as Westheid had predicted, the Knight Expeditionary Army’s subsequent battles could only be described as an unstoppable advance.
Yonglan Knights were said to be impeccable Warriors. Compared to other paths in the Mortal World, their only advantage was their overpowered stats. But when facing Chaos, every single one of their traits, Specialties, and Talents came into play.
Although the anti-Chaos abilities of the various Celestial God Paths were formidable, most relied heavily on boons from a Divine Ancestor. The Yonglan Knights, however, had always been self-reliant. Their strength was pure and unadulterated.
Wherever the Yonglan Knights went—riding their Flying Griffins, Mixed-Blood Warhorses, and Roaring Steam Engines—waves of [Annihilation Light Punishment] scoured the land. They repeatedly cleared out the rabble before launching a fanatical charge in the name of their faith.
"Blood for the Riding God! Skulls for the God-Throne!"
Westheid strolled leisurely at the rear, paying it no mind. Wherever he pointed, his Knights would charge headfirst into the fray.
Thanks to the Knight Expeditionary Army’s highly efficient pioneering, they quickly re-established contact between the fallen zones and the Imperial Provinces. The Expeditionary Army had no desire for territory; they left as soon as the fighting was done, entrusting the reconstruction to the Imperial government. If the Empire was incapable of rebuilding, they simply took everyone with them, transporting the refugees to the Qinghui Territory.
Seeing that the expedition was on the right track, Westheid handed over the remaining matters to Anhexius and the others, while he himself returned ahead of schedule with the refugees.
He had full confidence in the Knight Army. ’As long as there’s a fight, the Knight Boys and the big guys are easy to manage and obedient. The next few waves of the Expeditionary Army will probably be the same.’
As a result, the returning party was several times larger than the one that had set out for Yonglan.
In addition to the Qinghui Guard he had originally taken with him, there were now elite Knights from the Gale Heart Zitherheart Clan, a contingent of their Beastman compatriots from the Dusk Lamp Territory, and a large group of refugees from the Imperial Provinces... The Qinghui Territory was expanding so rapidly that it was in constant need of more people.
’To my mind, any potential believers are worth winning over. The Dusk Lamp Beastmen and the Imperial refugees can all be converted to my faith. But the Yonglan Knights... don’t even think about it.’
As Westheid disembarked from the Floating Battleship, he gazed upon the vast, prosperous, and colossal city before him. Though he had been gone for less than a year, a wave of emotion still washed over him.
Because when he had set out, he was merely the Lord of Qinghui Territory and a Guardian of the Empire. Now, he was returning in triumph with the title of Knight King.
Duke Qinghui spread his arms and declared magnanimously:
"Su Yue, I have returned!"
Behind him, the main force began to disembark from the transport ships.
The Qinghui Guard, needless to say, were home. They looked relaxed, eager to find their friends and family to share their experiences in the Country of Yonglan and boast about His Majesty’s might and prestige.
’What? That time I bad-mouthed Duke Qinghui? Never happened! Absolutely not. I’ve completely disassociated myself from that.’
A small number of Yonglan Knights had come along with Mephit to serve as the Knight King’s Personal Guard. Having grown accustomed to a divine creation like [Gale Heart], these Knights were largely unfazed by the industrialized, modern metropolis. At most, they would remark that Su Yue’s urban planning was excellent—so neat and clean that it far surpassed the Imperial average. Some might even believe it if you told them this was the Imperial Capital.
Mephit chimed in with praise, "So this is Su Yue. I remember it’s a city that was rebuilt less than two years ago, yet it’s already so prosperous. Truly worthy of being a city under my lord’s rule. Just like the Country of Yonglan, a place where everyone is happy, no?"
’Whoa, no!’
Westheid was not pleased to hear Mephit comparing his Qinghui Territory to the Country of Yonglan.
’It’s true that Qinghui Territory has a state-owned economy, and almost every industry here belongs to me, the Lord. But I, Westheid, am not some ruthless tyrant who bleeds his people dry. The state-owned economy is just a means to better redistribute resources.’
’Is there a single citizen in my Qinghui Territory who doesn’t live and work in peace and contentment, prosperous and healthy?’
’Equating me with those old Heroes who are barely even human is really pissing me off.’
Westheid said coolly, "Its prosperity is inevitable, as it was built with technology from the Celestial Vault Kingdom."
"Whoa, where have they brought us? Is this still the Country of Yonglan?"
The country bumpkin Beastmen from Dusk Lamp Territory stared, dumbfounded, at the skyscrapers that rose like a dense forest. Countless elevated bridges and multi-functional parks were dotted throughout, keeping Su Yue’s cityscape from feeling too cold and sterile. All sorts of vehicles zipped through the multi-layered metropolis.
They hadn’t seen such a bustling metropolis during their entire journey. The epic, magnificent medieval society of the Country of Yonglan was the grandest thing the Beastmen had ever imagined. Along the way, all they had seen were ravaged ruins and the vast wilderness of the Empire. Now, at first glance, their eyes went wide.
Seeing this, Westheid smiled and said:
"Mivana, your brothers and sisters seem a bit overwhelmed. Tell them not to worry. From now on, Su Yue is their second home. If they’re willing to settle down here, everyone gets a house."
The Beast-eared Maiden Pulanna, who was close to Mivana, unconsciously clutched the hem of her clothes and said to Mivana:
"A house? Th-that can’t be right, can it? I thought land in big cities was worth its weight in gold?"
The Wolf-eared Maiden nodded and reassured her brothers and sisters:
"Don’t doubt it. That’s just how West is. He’s very generous to his own people. The only thing you need to offer in return is your loyalty. Loyalty is all it takes!"
Mivana declared, patting her chest confidently.
Having suppressed her bloodline’s curse and resolved the crisis that doomed her homeland, the Lady Knight had finally shed the great burden on her heart. Now that she had made something of herself, it was time to let her kinsfolk enjoy a good life.
After Westheid had walked a short distance, he was met by the members of Su Yue’s court. All of his confidants had come out to welcome him. At the very front stood a platinum-blonde young woman, elegant and beautiful. After bowing, she lifted her pretty, Fairy-like face and said respectfully:
"Brother, welcome back."
"I have already heard of your deeds. Congratulations on achieving something no one in the Qinghui Clan has ever managed: becoming the king of a Realm of Order."
Although Yolanda had always trusted and admired her brother immensely, he managed to shatter her wildest expectations time and time again. ’The mortal sovereign of a Realm of Order... although the title of Knight King is the least prestigious of them all, and the power it holds is far from absolute life and death.’
’But no matter how you look at it, he is still the ruler of a Mortal Realm. In terms of status, Westheid can now stand as an equal to the Emperor of the Empire.’
"What’s there to be surprised about? You should have known that this was the inevitable outcome of me going there. It was nothing more than a victory."
Westheid waved his hand and said:
"I’ll tell you about my experiences on this trip later... First, tell me what’s been happening in the Qinghui Territory. Is there anything that requires my attention?"
Yolanda hadn’t sent any messages, which meant there were no serious emergencies, but it didn’t mean nothing had happened. Westheid naturally needed to keep an eye on the burgeoning power of the Qinghui Territory.
The platinum-blonde young woman thought for a moment upon hearing his words, then replied:
"Everything has been quite peaceful. If I had to mention something, it would be about the [Ring of Clear Skies]... Brother, the remaining Witches of the [Ring of Clear Skies] who have not yet submitted to you have lost their ability to form contracts with Demons."
"Therefore, the [Ring of Clear Skies] requested our aid. Following your previous instructions, I dispatched a legion to help the Witches stabilize the situation."