In the primitive forest outside Bayam City of the Rorsted Archipelago.
The leaders of the Resistance gathered in a mountain cave as they looked respectfully at the Sea God's Blessed. He was wearing a black cloak, his brows were yellow, and his blue eyes were dark blue.
"Lord Danitz, this is an opportunity!" a bald man in a wheelchair with a green beard, Kalat, said in excitement.
His partner, Edmonton, whose face was colored with short red patterns, immediately said, "Lord Danitz, according to our intelligence officers, the situation in Bayam is chaotic. Be it the Church of the Lord of Storms or the governor-general's office, everyone is feeling anxious because of the encirclement of Backlund by the Feysac military forces."
Having said that, Edmonton looked at Kalat and got the person-in-charge of the corresponding field to give a more detailed description.
Kalat looked at the solemn-looking Lord Danitz and deliberated over his words.
"Internal cracks amongst them can already be seen. Some people wish to commandeer the forces of the colonies to support Backlund, while others wish to hold on to this place as the tinder for their resurgence.
"This difference in opinion has caused the military and the Beyonders of the Church of the Lord of Storms to be at a loss. There are flaws in every aspect.
"Lord Danitz, this is our chance. We can agree to the conditions of Feysac and the Feynapotter navy. We can cooperate with them to attack Bayam and take back our kingdom!"
It's indeed an opportunity... But is this something I can decide? It's not like I'm stupid! Danitz listened quietly to the leaders of the Resistance and muttered to himself.
Having grown up in Intis, this famous pirate, treasure hunter didn't have any qualms about attacking the Loen colonies. He had zero hesitation or uncertainty about it.
Of course, he didn't have a strong sense of belonging to the Intis Republic either. In fact, when he was occasionally a part-time pirate, he preferred targeting businessmen from Intis. This was because they often carried more valuable luxury items with them.
There was only one reason why Danitz didn't agree on the spot to the request of the Resistance's leaders. It was because he had become a Conspirer, so he knew very well what his position was.
A human mouthpiece!
A tool that was responsible for passing messages between Gehrman Sparrow and the leaders of the Resistance!
Gehrman is most likely Loenese. If I were to agree to it directly, I might not be able to see tomorrow's sun... However, he acts like he doesn't care about Loen at all... Dogsh*t! I can't be fooled by such superficial appearances! Danitz cleared his throat and surveyed the area.
"This matter is of grave importance. Prepare a clean and serene altar immediately. I need to pray to God."
In an organization that believed in the Sea God, such a request didn't surprise the likes of Kalat, Edmonton, and the others. It even met their expectations. Hence, they immediately arranged for people to prepare for the sacrifice.
...
The Resistance in the Rorsted Archipelago can't sit still any longer... They were also supported by countries like Feysac, Intis, and Feynapotter to survive this long, or else they would've been annihilated by Loen and the three Churches... I even got them to extract quite a bit of help from the various countries... After hearing Danitz's prayers, he sighed.
Sitting in the ancient palace, he lightly tapped the edge of the mottled table in front of him. After pondering for a few seconds, he conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow.
The crazy adventurer immediately took on a praying posture and said in a deep voice, "...Use the current situation to directly negotiate with the upper echelons of the Church of Storms and the governor-general's office. Exert pressure on them... The goal is to force them to give in and accept the idea of self-governance by the people of the Rorsted Archipelago...
"...The Resistance can guarantee that the Loenese will have most of their interests protected, allowing them to mobilize the troops and Beyonders to reinforce Backlund..."
...
Inside the clean and tidy altar, Danitz, who received the feedback, straightened his back.
He turned around and looked at the leaders waiting outside. He said with a solemn expression, "I have received a revelation.
"God has informed us that every citizen of ‘His' is precious. Unnecessary sacrifices for the sake of war should be avoided.
"We absolutely wouldn't want to start a war but we are not afraid of having one. In short, let's try to use the present situation to negotiate with Loen with our forces, forcing them to make a concession that will satisfy most of us. If not, we can consider war.
"God says to remember the hatred, but don't let it blind your rationality. The people around you and a beautiful future are the most important things."
After becoming a Conspirer, Danitz realized that his powers of persuasion and his ability to fabricate explanations were increasing by leaps and bounds. Many a time, his thoughts would automatically take shape when he opened his mouth.
Kalat, Edmonton, and the other leaders of the Resistance all had a deep hatred for the Loen colonial masters, but the words of the Sea God and Lord Danitz had successfully wavered their resolve.
They had a clear understanding of how powerful the Sea King was over this period of time. If the war developed to the point where both parties were blinded with bloodlust, the Blue Mountain Island where Bayam was located might be completely submerged by the sea and become a ruin. All the locals would end up being dragged to the grave by their actions.
The powerhouses from Feysac and Feynapotter were indeed capable of stopping the situation from collapsing. However, how much power could they divert to this peripheral battlefield in the Rorsted Archipelago?
As for them, Kalat and the other leaders of the Resistance didn't trust them much. They believed that these fellows were no different from the Loenese. They were all bandits from the Northern Continent and could rip off their masks at any time to become the new colonial masters.
After a moment of silence, Kalat, who was sitting in a wheelchair, looked at the man in a black cloak on the altar and said, "Lord Danitz, we are willing to work hard for peace."
He paused for a moment before saying, "According to the intel, the one who has the final say in the Rorsted Archipelago is Sea King Jahn Kottman. It's best if we negotiate with him directly."
Danitz nodded slightly and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking.
"We need to send someone to represent us and enter Bayam to face Jahn Kottman..."
Just as he was about to ask who was willing to go, he suddenly noticed that the gazes of Kalat, Edmonton, and the others were all on his face. It was as though they were saying that the Blessed of Sea God, the Intis pirate who had a relatively extraordinary status, was the most suitable candidate.
...Dogsh*t! Danitz cursed silently as he looked at the crowd and quickly thought of something.
"Yes, this is an honor, and it also contains extreme danger. I know that some of you are filled with the spirit of sacrifice and want to make the necessary contributions. Uh, how about this, let's draw lots to decide. This is the fairest way."
"I have no objections." Kalat and company didn't hesitate to give an answer.
A few minutes later, Danitz looked at the card in his hand as his facial muscles twitched.
...
City of Silver, at the top of the spire, in the Chief's room.
Colin Iliad cast his gaze at Derrick Berg, who appeared less physically developed when placed in contrast to his surroundings.
"Are you ready?"
With the leg bone-like object in his hand, Derrick held the ghostly-blue Thunder God's Roar, which was wrapped in lightning bolts, and nodded heavily.
"Ready and good to go."
He didn't act like a Beyonder from the Sun domain, but more like a berserk warrior.
With white hair and an old scar on his face, Colin Iliad immediately shifted his gaze and looked at Lovia.
"Are you ready?"
Lovia, who had a head of silvery-gray hair and a pair of light gray eyes, no longer wore the usual black robe with purple stripes. Instead, she wore a set of black armor.
She nodded her head indiscernibly and said, "Ready."
Demon Hunter Colin, who had become a Silver Knight, cast his gaze on the others in the room and asked if they were ready.
After receiving a positive response, Colin Iliad slowly walked to a wall, removed the two swords hanging on it, and carried them behind him.
"Let's set off." The City of Silver Chief gave the order in a concise manner.
The team that he led would once again head to the Afternoon Town camp. They would explore the Giant King's Court further, and find a path to the real sea.
Amidst the clinking sounds of metal, Lovia, Derrick, and company silently followed behind the Chief. They walked out of the room and down the stairs in an orderly manner.
Along the way, they saw Waite Chirmont and the other elders of the six-member council. They saw the City of Silver residents maintaining order in the spire.
These people were either leaning on a railing or waiting at the staircase. Their expressions were abnormally solemn, as though they were sending off the team that was carrying hope.
No one spoke. The entire place was silent, but when Colin Iliad and the others passed by, the City of Silver residents raised their right arm and clenched their fists.
Amidst the sound of this action, Colin and the other members of the expedition team left the spire and hit the road.
They immediately lit lanterns covered in animal hide.
Under the dim yellow light, residents of the City of Silver walked out of their houses and stopped by the roadside.
They looked at Derrick and company with admiration and anticipation. One by one, they raised their right arm and clenched their fists in front of their foreheads.
Derrick subconsciously straightened his back, his heart burning.
Just like that, the expedition team followed the path to the city gate under the watchful gazes of the crowd and walked out of the City of Silver.
As though they had a tacit understanding, Colin, Derrick, and Lovia, who had just left the protection of the city walls, turned their heads at the same time to look at their home, which had stood in the darkness for 2,584 years.
They saw that the residents of the City of Silver hadn't left. They were all standing near the city gates, looking at them.
With a swoosh, everyone raised their right arm and placed their fists in front of their foreheads.
This was the highest form of respect and also the deepest heartfelt blessing they could give.
Colin Iliad stared silently for a few seconds, then he closed his eyes and raised his right arm, waving it downwards.
"Set off!"
Derrick and company immediately turned around and carried the animal hide lanterns which emitted a faint yellow light. They stepped onto the dark path in silence and determination.
Destination: Giant King's Court.
