Chapter 619 — The Iron Throne
Blade of Dawn · Page 3 of 4
What Gao Yang was curious about was what Philip would think upon learning of the forbidden power the Church of the Final Death might hold.
"I have no particular thoughts," this young knight said with a solemn face after hearing Gao Song's question. "To obey the monarch's command is a knight's duty; to protect the territory and the people is also a knight's duty. On that premise, I only care about where the enemy is, not who the enemy is."
Such an answer surprised Gao Yang somewhat. He looked Philip up and down, feeling that this young man's upright fearlessness was a little unreal: "Even if the other side might be a god or an evil god, or something else beyond human understanding—the same?"
"The same," Philip nodded. "Charging at anyone is the same. The only difference is whether you can come back or not."
Gao Yang let out a choked laugh, and only after two seconds shook his head: "I thought you would at least feel some fear."
Hearing Gao Song's words, Philip's expression turned slightly odd, and then he lowered his head in thought for a moment, somewhat embarrassed: "Actually, I am a little afraid..."
"Oh?"
"So if it really comes to a battlefield like that, I will pull down my visor to keep others from seeing my lips trembling. I will bind my weapon to my hand to keep it from slipping free. But I probably won't need to write a final letter—I have no wife or children, nor any other kin. The property in my name can revert directly to the duchy..."
This answer suddenly became very real.
Looking at the young knight's utterly earnest expression, Gao Yang suddenly could not help but want to press a hand to his forehead: "I think I'm beginning to understand why Byron is so keen on bickering with you..."
Philip took a moment to react, but then failed to react: "...Huh?"
"In short, you need not consider matters like dying generously in advance. We are fighting a war, not going off to die. No one is going off to die," Gao Yang patted Philip's shoulder. "Go arrange your tactical meeting. We must enter the Red Maple region as quickly as possible. If we can open this passage quickly, perhaps there is still hope for the King's** last remnants."
Philip left the barracks, and after a final report on some matters concerning the laboratory's operations, Kamael too left the communication channel.
Gao Yang sat before the desk, and in the process of organizing his thoughts, his gaze swept over a rear dispatch on the table, sent by Amber:
"The situation in the Eastern Region has deteriorated. The Iron Throne has departed for Hedi."
"So your situation has worsened too..." Gao Yun breathed out softly. "That saves me a great deal of trouble."
...
Ever since the anomaly arose, the entire Eastern Legion had been swallowed in a thick fog, all communications west of Fort Solin had been cut off, and the Eastern Duke and Prince Edmund had vanished without a trace. The order of the entire Eastern Region had swiftly slid into the abyss of chaos and disorder.
Rumors sprang up on all sides, with no one to restrain them. The local nobles remaining in the Eastern Region smelled a terrible scent, but none had the ability to grasp the overall situation or restrain the order of the East. Word of the legion's total annihilation grew ever louder. The minor houses were the first to lose control, and then the noble lords of the next tier up. Chaos spread from west to east, and the eastern territories—once a solid monolith under the joint restraint of Prince Edmund and Duke Loren—showed signs of splitting into pieces. And what sent the situation plunging even more sharply was the terrible news coming from the borderlands where the West met the Holy Spirit Plain.
An army of monsters had risen from the wreckage of the Eastern Legion and now roamed the Holy Spirit Plain.