Coiling Dragon

by welyjesch

  “Of those places, the Eighteen Northern Duchies are engaged in constant warfare, while the steppe riders of the great plains are famous for their savagery. Bloodlust is bred into their very bones. How could they possibly worship the Radiant Sovereign? The very nature of the steppe warriors guarantees that the Radiant Church would not be able to succeed with them.” Zassler chatted slowly. “As for the Eighteen Northern Duchies, those Eighteen Northern Duchies already worship the Frost Goddess.”

  “The Frost Goddess?” Linley actually didn’t know much about the Eighteen Northern Duchies.

  “Right.” Zassler nodded. “Although the Eighteen Northern Duchies engage in constant battle amongst themselves, the Frost Goddess Shrine holds absolute dominion amongst them. And the secrets of the Frost Goddess Shrine are immeasurably deep…and what’s more, the Frost Goddess Shrine isn’t ambitious, and has remained within the Eighteen Northern Duchies this entire time. Naturally, the Radiant Church wouldn’t go and provoke them and create a powerful foe.”

  Linley laughed.

  Linley had always wondered about this. The Eighteen Northern Duchies were located to the north of the Forest of Darkness. The only nation it bordered was the O’Brien Empire, and the area it covered was roughly that of an Administrative Province. Given the power of the O’Brien Empire, taming it shouldn’t be hard.

  But why hadn’t they?

  Only now did Linley understand that this had to do with the Frost Goddess Shrine.

  “Since these two places are out of the question, the only place left is the Anarchic Lands!” Zassler sighed. “The Anarchic Lands are extremely chaotic. Terrifyingly chaotic.”

  “Chaotic? How so?”

  Zassler sighed emotionally. “First of all, in the past, according to calculations, there were 48 Duchies. But the boundaries in the Anarchic Lands constantly shift. Every few years, the number of Duchies will change. Perhaps there would be fifty, or perhaps there would be forty. It is hard to say. This is the first reason why it is chaotic.”

  “The second reason why it is chaotic is because of their borders. They are located next to the O’Brien Empire, the Rohault Empire, and the clans of the great plains in the far east. All three of these powers have designs upon them!”

  “The third reason they are chaotic is because both the Radiant Church and the Cult of Shadows have desired to hold sway over the Anarchic Lands. In these lands, both of these religions are very powerful and have great influence. The two religions are diametrically opposed, and the struggles between them persist unabated.”

  Listening to this, Linley couldn’t help but sigh. If, given all of these conditions, the Anarchic Lands wasn’t in a state of chaos, it wouldn’t make any sense at all.

  “There is a fourth reason why they are chaotic!” Zassler sighed with feeling. “To the north of the Anarchic Lands is the vast Forest of Darkness. The Forest of Darkness contains a multitude of magical beasts, with the total number being not much less than the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts. Every few decades, or perhaps every decade, there will be a wave of magical beasts…countless magical beasts will come from the Forest of Darkness and charge towards the Anarchic Lands. This is no ordinary disaster!”

  Linley’s face changed.

  An explosive surge of magical beasts?

  After having experienced the Apocalypse Day of the Holy Union, Linley knew exactly how terrifying a large wave of magical beasts could be. That definitely was a day of doom.

  “Of course, although it is described as a wave of magical beasts, it can’t compete with the ‘Apocalypse Day’ in terms of how terrifying that day was.” Zassler laughed. “Most of the magical beasts which come from the Forest of Darkness are middle-rank or low-rank beasts. Only very few are high ranked magical beasts. And although they are numerous, at those times, all of the Duchies in the Anarchic Lands will work together and be able to wipe out all of the magical beasts.”

  Linley now understood.

  If there were few high ranking magical beasts, the damage that these waves could cause would be much lower. In addition, the numbers weren’t as large as when the Holy Union had been invaded. Naturally, the amount of damage which could be caused would be limited.

  “Linley, but the difference between this and what happened in the Holy Union is that the wave of magical beasts coming from the Forest of Darkness doesn’t just happen once. It happens every decade or every few decades, and as a result, the Anarchic Lands can never be truly at peace.” Zassler sighed.

  Linley secretly sighed as well.

  Due to these four reasons, the Anarchic Lands would indeed be forever chaotic.

  “Although the Duchies are small, all 48 Duchies combined make up a large amount of territory. The Anarchic Lands definitely rival roughly half of the O’Brien Empire in scope. In fact, the size of the area which the Anarchic Lands covers is roughly the same size as the current Holy Union.”

  Linley nodded as well.

  After the Apocalypse Day, the Holy Union only had two thirds of the territory it previously held. And of course, the O’Brien Empire was a territorially vast Empire to begin with.

  It made sense that the Anarchic Lands, being half the size of the O’Brien Empire, was roughly the same size as the current Holy Union.

  “Such a vast territory naturally attracts the interest of the Radiant Church. The Radiant Church and the Cult of Shadows both have many experts there, and their roots are deep.”

  Hearing this, Linley laughed.

  How many people would the Radiant Church send to a territory which was roughly equal in size to the entire Holy Union?

  “If the Radiant Church has twenty or thirty Saints, they would at least have to send five, six, or seven Saints over there.” Linley said to himself.

  The Sacred Isle was definitely the place where most of the Radiant Church’s experts would cluster.

  The Saints sent to the Anarchic Lands most likely should not be the most powerful experts the Radiant Church had.

  “After my little brother’s wedding, we’ll head to the Anarchic Lands.” Linley looked at Zassler, smiling. “Let our war against the Radiant Church commence in the Anarchic Lands.”

  Destroying the roots which the Radiant Church had painstakingly cultivated over thousands of years in the Anarchic Lands would definitely enrage the Radiant Church to the point of insanity.

  “The Anarchic Lands?” Zassler’s eyes lit up. “Excellent!”

  Linley smiled. Destroying the influence which the Radiant Church had built up there over thousands of years definitely wasn’t something that would be accomplished in a year or two.

  “I’ll spend part of my time training while spending the rest of my time dealing with them. After destroying their forces in the Anarchic Lands, I should have reached the Saint-level in my human form. By then, my understanding of the ‘Throbbing Pulse of the World’ should be very high as well. At that time…we can directly engage in battle against the Radiant Church.”

  Linley had a very clear series of plans in his mind.

  They would act in accordance with these plans. They wouldn’t be impatient or rash. One step at a time, they would rip out the roots of the Radiant Church.

  Wharton had previously said that his mind would be too unsettled to be able to have his wedding with Nina before Linley’s duel with Haydson. They had now set the date of the wedding: September 15th.

  It was now the beginning of September. Both the Count’s estate as well as the imperial clan were busy making preparations for this grand wedding.

  The wedding banquet was far more important than the engagement banquet.

  Count Wharton’s estate. Linley’s residence.

  “Linley, our ship and our crew are planning to return to the Yulan Empire. I need to go back with my teacher.” Delia looked at Linley, her lips curving downwards as she spoke. Linley had previously been smiling, but suddenly, his smile froze.

  Knowing that Delia was about to leave, Linley couldn’t help but feel a bit heartsic
k.

  The past few months he had spent with Delia had been the most relaxed period in the past ten years of Linley’s life. Every day, he was filled with smiles.

  “You are leaving?” Linley forced out a smile. “Then let me wish you a safe journey.”

  Delia actually smiled. She could tell that Linley was unwilling to part with her. “However…I told my teacher that he can go back first, and that I would stay here as a private citizen.”

  “Ah?!” Linley didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry.

  “Are you unhappy?” Delia frowned.

  “Happy, happy!” Linley hurriedly said, but then he looked solemnly at Delia. “Delia, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  “What?” Delia looked expectantly at Linley.

  “After my younger brother’s grand wedding, I will most likely need to go to the Anarchic Lands.” Linley said.

  “Oh. Then I will go as well.” Delia didn’t hesitate in the slightest.

  But just at this moment, a series of excited shouts could be heard, while a human figure rushed at high speed to Linley’s residence. From outside the door, Gates’ loud voice could be heard shouting, “Lord, my fourth brother has also broken through and reached the ninth rank!”

  Of the five Barker brothers, four now had the power of Saints.

  “Yet another Saint?” A smile couldn’t help but appear on Linley’s face. These five brothers were indeed capable of easily bringing people wonderful surprises.

  Book 9, His Fame Shakes the World – Chapter 36, Reynolds’ Crisis

  Of Barker and his brothers, at this point, Barker, Ankh, Boone, and Gates had all reached the ninth rank. After transforming, they had the power of a Saint. As for the third brother, Hazer, he was just one small step away from reaching the ninth rank and could break through at any moment. Of the five brothers, Barker, Gates, and Hazer had already mastered the art of ‘wielding something heavy as though it were light’.

  “After my little brother’s grand wedding, we’ll head for the Anarchic Lands. With the assistance of Barker and his brothers, things will be much simpler.” Linley’s eyes glowed with an unspoken light.

  Linley was extremely excited and couldn’t wait to begin his future life in the Anarchic Lands, where he would do battle against the Radiant Church.

  Aside from the wonderful surprise of Boone reaching the ninth rank, everyone was also eagerly anticipating the upcoming wedding. Wharton was all smiles every day as well.

  This time, Wharton and Nina would be holding their wedding ceremony in the imperial palace. The excitement and hustle bustle would far exceed the engagement ceremony.

  Within a quiet courtyard.

  After having finished his training, Linley sat next to a stone desk. With a flip of his hand, he retrieved a flask of fruit wine. While drinking wine, he stared forward, pondering. From the look of him, he was clearly thinking about something.

  Bebe stealthily peeked at Linley.

  “Swish.” Bebe suddenly scurried onto Linley’s table.

  Linley was startled by Bebe. “Bebe, what are you doing?”

  Bebe stood up straight, folding his claws over his chest, staring at Linley with an appraising gaze. “Based on the observations of myself, Bebe, I’ve discovered that you, Boss…are thinking lustful thoughts about love!”

  Bebe spoke with the aura of absolute conviction.

  Linley didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. “I’m thinking about those dear bros of mine. In a few days, it will be Wharton’s grand wedding. But Boss Yale, Second Bro, Fourth Bro…none of them will be able to come…”

  Linley let out a long sigh.

  “I wonder how the three of them are currently doing.” Yale, Reynolds, and George, these three dear friends of Linley, held a very firm position in Linley’s heart. Their love for each other was as deep as that of real brothers.

  Reynolds wasn’t doing very well. After that short break, he had returned to the army. Even after learning of Linley’s duel with Haydson, he hadn’t had a chance to come watch.

  This was because, as a soldier, he had to follow orders and procedures.

  Although Reynolds was quite sloppy and lazy, when he was in the army, he absolutely was a man who would do what he said he would and who would obey orders without question.

  At the borders of the Southeast Administrative Province of the O’Brien Empire, in the area south of the city of Neil [Ne’er], was the area where the O’Brien Empire intersected with the Rohault Empire. This was also a fairly chaotic area.

  The Rohault Empire was located to the south of the Anarchic Lands and west of the great plains of the far east.

  Due to constant warfare with the steppe riders of the great plains, the Rohault Empire had a very ferocious, martial spirit, and their armies of mounted knights were legendary for their prowess. The Rohault Empire and the O’Brien Empire constantly engaged in warfare in the area near Neil City, and the blood from those countless battles had stained the very dirt itself a dark red color in the wilderness outside the city.

  “Whoosh!” “Whoosh!” The strong wind howled through the wild grass, which was half the height of a man. The wild grass bent from the wind. Through it, one could see that there was a small creek nearby, where dozens of stallions were drinking water with their heads lowered.

  Several dozen knights were seated on the ground, resting, while several others were maintaining a watch.

  Right now, Reynolds was sitting atop a tree, his hawk-like eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. When he was in the army, Reynolds was very different from how he acted in private. Right now, he wore a deep blue armor which had a golden insignia of a flame emblazoned onto his chest. This represented that he was a member of the ‘Golden Flame Legion’, one of the elite legions of the O’Brien Empire.

  And the design of his armor gave testament to his rank; senior captain.

  Reynolds withdrew a watch from his breast-pocket and checked the time. “Three in the afternoon. At five, the others should have arrived.”

  “Milord.” A blue-haired knight walked over with a laugh. “The Rohault Empire is currently not in a state of warfare with the O’Brien Empire. Don’t you feel that we are wasting energy by maintaining such a long watch?”

  “Tiger, stop talking.” Reynolds frowned.

  “Yes sir.” The blue-haired knight no longer dared to laugh.

  Commanding this squadron of knights was actually a downgraded position for him as a senior captain. In total, there were three medium-sized squadrons with nine hundred people total. Right now, they had been separated into eighteen smaller squads and taken separate routes. The squad which Reynolds was leading was actually his personal squad, and a very powerful one.

  He had already been in the army for quite a few years, and Reynolds had slowly risen through the ranks from common soldier to his current position.

  “Although the Rohault Empire has not been in open warfare for over ten years with our O’Brien Empire, aren’t there always small skirmishes? Each year, the Empire suffers over ten thousand casualties from these border skirmishes.” Reynolds said solemnly. “And based on my calculations, it has been a very long time since a large battle. I imagine the population of the Rohault Empire has already reached its limits, and they will therefore force some battles. Thus, we must be careful.”

  The meaning of warfare was very simple.

  When the population rose too much and there wasn’t enough land or food to support the people, the Empires would naturally begin to war against each other. If they didn’t, the Empires would fall into internal chaos. After two Empires both suffered a high amount of casualties, the reduced population would mean that the amount of land they had was sufficient to sustain their people. Naturally, they would cease fighting.

  In truth, this was one of the most basic principles.

  After all, to most commoners, the most important, basic necessity was that of sufficient food and a place to live.

  “Yes, milord. We will be c
areful.” The blue-haired knight laughed.

  “Right. Milord, you previously were at the Ernst Institute with Master Linley. I heard that he fought Lord Haydson to a standstill?” The blue-haired knight said quietly.

  Hearing his subordinate ask him about Linley, Reynolds couldn’t help but begin to grin.

  “The only reason he suffered a slight loss was because he didn’t have enough battle-qi.” Reynolds said calmly. In his heart, Reynolds actually felt quite regretful that he hadn’t been able to go watch this life-and-death battle of his beloved bro.

  Turning his head to stare westwards, Reynolds squinted his eyes due to the scorching rays of the sun. His dear brother Linley was in the imperial capital to the west.

  “In a bit more than a year, my ten year commitment will be up and I’ll be able to leave the army.” Reynolds secretly sighed to himself.

  The eight-plus years of army life had caused Reynolds to truly enjoy being in the army, but Reynolds knew that per the regulations of his clan, if the descendants of the clan were able to reach the rank of legion commander or deputy legion commander, they would be permitted to remain in the army. If they did not, then they would have to return home to the clan.

  Right now, Reynolds was only a senior captain. He was still one step away.

  But although Reynolds did rather enjoy the army life, he didn’t want to spend his entire life in the army. He still wanted to quietly train his magic in peace. He was already a magus of the seventh rank. If he spent another hundred years in painstaking training, he still had a shot at becoming an Arch Magus of the ninth rank.

  While he quietly waited, the other squads began to arrive. By around 4:50 PM, around 400 people had gathered here, with 500 yet to arrive.

  “Hrm?” Reynolds suddenly frowned.

  He suddenly had the sensation of impending danger, as though an invisible, murderous force was stealthily creeping towards them. As a magus, Reynolds had an extremely powerful spiritual force, and his premonitions were far stronger than most people’s.

  “Everyone, be careful!” Reynolds suddenly shouted coldly.