I will be crowned king

It was already late at night when the lonely Anson returned to his tent along the maze of trenches.

Lighting the kerosene lamp, Anson sat at the table and habitually pulled out a piece of paper from a pile of letters, preparing to write down everything that happened today - this was both "professionalism" before time travel and a way to save his life.

Only with sufficient information and understanding of the information can you avoid exposing yourself to flaws in this completely unfamiliar world, or losing your life in vain because you ignore some "details" that are not worth mentioning.

Anson does not believe in improvising and improvising is just an excuse for not planning properly; only by knowing yourself thoroughly, knowing your bottom line and purpose, and having a basic understanding of the situation can you know what you should do at any time, instead of panicking. Aimlessly, drifting with the flow.

"Um?"

Anson, who was slightly stunned, looked at the letters that were originally piled in the upper left corner of the table. They were very deliberately arranged and placed in the upper right corner - if he hadn't reached for them out of habit, he wouldn't have even noticed this.

Someone came to my tent and moved something.

Of course, it's possible that it was just a soldier in charge of duty - Anson was still just a small supervisory adjutant, and his tent was not qualified to be guarded by guards or put up a sign saying "no entry allowed".

Anson, who was hesitant in his heart, took the letter from the top. When he raised his right hand, his pupils suddenly shrank.

is blood!

On the letter paper that was originally as white as new, there was a three-ring rune splashed with plasma!

Up, one, two!

As a common belief in this world, the "three-ring rune" of the Church of Order is also called the "rune of order" and is marked with three overlapping white rings, two on top and one on bottom.

The "Old God Sect" that "former Anson" joined uses red runes with upper and lower red runes to identify its identity, which is completely opposite to the Church of Order, and calls it the "original runes" - which means those who believe in the old gods. They are the orthodox ones, while the powerful Church of Order is the "blasphemer".

Anson, whose heart strings were tense, held his breath and listened motionlessly to the slightest movement around him.

After confirming that there should be no one around, he breathed a sigh of relief and stared at the still-blood mark on the letter paper, and began to think about the purpose of the other party leaving the mark.

This can probably prove two things - the other party is in this military camp as I originally guessed, and at the same time he knows the approximate time when he returns to the tent.

The two points exist in order. If you are not in the military camp, you will not know that you are still alive; and an "Old God Sect" who will never dare to expose himself easily will not dare to easily put the letter paper with the original runes on anyone's face. It is possible to break into the tent unexpectedly.

But today, whether he was reporting to Ludwig or going to the cell to "interrogate" the prisoners, it was Anson's "improvisation"; it was impossible for ordinary soldiers or even officers to know the approximate time of his return to the tent.

There is only one explanation, and that is that the other party knows every move he makes.

While Anson was still thinking, the "original runes" on the letter paper had quietly changed.

The entire rune suddenly trembled slightly on the letter paper as if it "came alive". The traces outlined with blood were like tentacles of a mollusk, twitching and shrinking in disorder, and the blood traces were gathered in the center at a rapid speed.

The plasma that almost penetrated the entire letter disappeared without a trace under Anson's eyes!

The next second, a line of blood-red elegant handwriting appeared on the "brand new" stationery.

[My dear church member, may the ancient gods bless you on this moonless night. 】

[I'm sorry that it took so long to contact you again, but you must know the reason; this world controlled by evil blasphemers is not friendly to us who hold the 'truth', and we must act in secret. 】

Anson was shocked, what is this?

Magic, sorcery, chaotic energy, dark curse...

short message?

Besides, since you know to be careful, why don't you just come to me directly? Wouldn't it be easier to expose me if you spread the news in such a weird way?

However, the other party should not be able to observe what he was thinking at the moment. The handwriting made of blood continued to appear on the letter paper in an orderly manner:

[First of all, allow me to congratulate you. A glorious victory at the right time has brought the balance back to balance that was almost out of control, and it did not let the son of the Archbishop have the slightest doubt about you... The blessings of the old gods. 】

He is indeed in the military camp!

Anson's eyes lit up before he could rejoice that his judgment was correct, when he suddenly thought of another question:

Judging from the "tone" of the other party, his victory in that battle was beyond his expectation; but if it was this "Old God Sect" who killed him, he should be most surprised now that he was not still alive. Is this alive?

Could it be that there is another hidden secret?

And...what does a runaway scale mean?

With an indescribable complex mood, Anson continued to read along the other party's "handwriting" by the light of the kerosene lamp:

[Dear brethren, your courageous and decisive actions remind me that the time has come; yes, I think it is the time, as you expected when you first came into contact with this ancient organization. 】

The blood-red elegant handwriting trembled slightly, and the slightly splashed "ink" seemed to tell the other party's excited mood:

[It’s time for you to truly participate in the ‘grand plan’ of the ancient Old God Sect’s rise after years of decline! 】

Looking at the suddenly excited handwriting, Anson shivered all over.

He really wants to point at the other person's nose and tell him it's not me, I don't want to, don't look for me - this kind of trouble will cause trouble at the first sight, and he will be taught to tie it to the exhaust valve of the steam engine, and it will definitely not lead to a good death. You'd better go find someone else!

[Yes, dear church member, I am as excited as you are right now; but please calm down and patiently allow me to slowly convey this great mission to you. 】

The writing on the letter paper gradually became smoother. Perhaps because there was not much ink left, the bright red and sticky blood began to become a little lighter:

[As we talked about last time, not only the Kingdom of Clovis, but also the entire world of order and even all corners outside the world, we have our shadow; letting the whole world realize the actions of the ancient gods has been brewing for a long time. 】

[This war between the empire and the Kingdom of Clovis is part of the 'big plan' - to tear into pieces the fragile illusion of prosperity that the 'blasphemers' strive to maintain, and to pour out the wrath of the old gods on Every heart filled with fear! 】

[Dear church member, your mission is to seize the Thunder Castle fortress as soon as possible, so that the steel chariots of the Kingdom of Clovis can show their due power. This war must not be easily ended by the empire. 】

The handwriting on the letter paper became faster and more sloppy; through the letter paper, Anson could feel the other party's persistence and intoxicating enthusiasm, and more questions followed:

Just how huge is the power of the Old God Sect? If it is so powerful that it can penetrate everywhere, why is it almost invisible to those around you?

How much connection does the war between the Empire and the Kingdom of Clovis, which is just a territorial dispute on the surface, have with the "grand plan" of the Old Gods?

The out-of-control balance mentioned before means that if the Kingdom of Clovis cannot seize Thunder Castle as soon as possible, in order to continue the "big plan" of the Old Gods, will they still take action directly?

[During this exciting moment, dear church member, please remain calm and vigilant; I will do my best to meet with you in the near future to formally convey to you the glory of the old gods and embark on the great journey of following the ancients. journey. 】

As if announcing the end, the previous content began to fade away, and new handwriting was written faster and faster:

[In addition... Although it is against the oracle to say this, if possible, I sincerely hope that you, not others, can make indelible contributions to the old god's 'big plan' at such a critical moment. 】

[I will pray for you, and may the ancient gods bless you on this moonless night. 】

It ends with the same content as the beginning. When the last stroke without ink is drawn on the letter paper, there is no trace of blood on the entire paper.

Anson, who had been silent for a long time, slowly put the letter paper on the table back to its original place, walked out of the tent cautiously, and looked in the direction of the Thunder Castle Fortress in trance.

I hope it's me and not someone else... What does that guy mean, in addition to him, there are also people from the "Old God Sect" waiting for an opportunity in the Thunder Castle Fortress opposite?

……………………

Late at night, Thunder Castle, baggage warehouse.

"Boom——!"

The heavy door was closed and locked, and the dust spurted out from the gaps and bearings rose like smoke and gradually dispersed.

Taking a deep breath, the knight, who still pressed his hands on the door, slowly turned around and faced the darkness in front of him.

He is tall and tall, and he looks majestic just standing there. His golden hair is tied into a neat ponytail. If Anson were standing here, at first glance, he would definitely think that the knight in front of him was someone he wanted. The guy who was captured by mistake.

Kroger Bernard - He looks exactly the same as his younger brother Louis except for being slightly mature. The only thing that can distinguish the two is his height, and the two-handed sword that he always carries behind his back, which seems out of touch with this era. .

With the sound of heavy iron boots beating, he slowly walked towards the depths of the warehouse; in the middle of a specially vacated space, he found the goal of his trip.

Thirteen Clovis soldiers, who were tied together with iron chains, looked at the imperial knights walking towards them with fear and confusion.

"You... are unfortunate."

Grogg stopped and his voice, like a sword sharpening, echoed in the warehouse.

"Originally, I didn't plan to take action so soon. The war has just begun. There is no need to let the will of the great old god appear early; it doesn't even need to be in such a conspicuous way. There are a thousand reasons to kill each other between the empire and the Kingdom of Clovis. Life and death...but!"

The indifferent imperial knight's expression suddenly became distorted and ferocious, and the corners of his twitching mouth were gritting his teeth: "My brother, my dear brother...Louis Bernard...that simple and a bit stupid Louis...died a few days ago... On the battlefield..."

"I saw him being killed by your Clovis cannonballs with my own eyes... So, do you understand how I feel at this moment?"

The pale-faced Clovis soldiers looked at each other in horror, but none of them spoke - their tongues had been pulled out.

"Of course, as the defenders of Thunder Castle, you are innocent." Kroger said unhurriedly, holding the hilt of the sword behind him with his right hand:

"But as 'human beings', as blasphemers who have abandoned the old gods for thousands of years, who can be called truly innocent?"

"It cannot be forgiven, and it can never be forgiven; only the deepest fear and the most sincere sacrifice can wash away the sins we carry... What do you think?"

Of course no one answered.

The pale-faced Clovis soldiers stared at the sword in his hand. Having guessed their fate, they could only struggle desperately at this moment.

They retreated, pulled, and even struggled with each other to avoid the knight's sight... No matter how much they struggled, there was no possibility of escape for them who were locked together by the iron chains.

"clang!"

With a soft sound, the sword fell to the ground.

"I heard that you people in the Kingdom of Clovis are obsessed with machinery, and you even went against the false pope of the Church of Order and created a steel monster that can run on the track." Kroger sneered, holding the hilt of his sword tightly. Twist it hard with your right hand:

“What’s interesting is that I’m also interested in mechanics – albeit in a completely different way.”

"Click!"

There was a gentle, twisting sound coming from the center of the sword hilt.

The next second, the two-handed sword in his hand suddenly broke off one by one!

"Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang..."

The sword blade, which was originally a whole, suddenly split into sections connected by steel cables; and with the harsh sound of gears turning, gaps and carvings popped up from the center of the sword blades on both sides. There are jagged teeth with strange runes.

"This lame machinist forged it for me - the Great Sword of Tear, I remember he called this sharp blade."

"He told me it might not be the most efficient weapon to kill, but it would be great for crushing."

In the darkness where no one responded, Kroger was talking to himself and put his right hand holding the sword against his forehead. The only half of his face that was exposed was already extremely ferocious, and his crazy eyes turned blood red with no pupils visible:

"Pray to the old gods of old, and your humble servants offer sacrifices that will glorify you..."

The tearing sword connected by an iron chain swung in Grogg's hand like a long whip.

“Pfft——!!!!”

The next moment, the rusty saw teeth splattered with blood were covered with broken pieces of meat.

There were no shrill screams, no desperate wailings; the sounds in the dark warehouse were only the collision of metal and flesh and blood, the shattering of ribs and skulls, muscles being torn, smashed, crushed, and beaten... this All discordant noises were locked away by the closed door.

The knight wielding the sword indulgently was unknowingly soaked in bright red viscous liquid, and calmly and enthusiastically recited crazy verses:

“…Only darkness can reveal light…

…Only blood can lead to eternal life…

…Only destruction can lead to greatness…”

Blood splashed down with the edge of the sword, and a huge "original rune" appeared under his feet.