Chapter 48: 3 Months of Deduction, The Deity’s Proclamation

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: 3 Months of Deduction, The Deity’s Proclamation Swamp Territory, the Baron’s Castle.

Deep in the night, in a secret chamber beneath the castle.

Flickering candlelight illuminated everything within.

Here, Baron York and his seven Knight’s Squires were gathered. Of course, the Baroness, Lucia, was also present.

In the darkness, the firelight illuminated everyone’s faces.

Bronzed and resolute—such was the look on every face in the room.

"I will not waste words."

"Since the day you joined the Swamp Territory, you and your families have been bound to me. Together, we march toward a path that may lead to the bottomless depths of Hell, but could also lead to an unprecedentedly glorious future!"

"Now, Knights! Tell me!"

"Will you be a speck of dust, scattered by the wind and returned to silent nothingness?"

"Or will you become a thunderbolt that tears across the heavens, writing an immortal legend upon the firmament in blazing fire!"

"Tell me! Loud and clear! My Knights! Will you choose to grovel in the dust, or will you choose to live forever in the flames!"

"Come, make your choice! This is the last choice I will ever give you."

York’s expression was more solemn than ever as he stared gravely at the seven Knight’s Squires. His final question was a roar!

"I, Lu Wen, am willing to die for my Lord! I am willing to stand with my Lord and dedicate everything to the great God of Radiant Light!"

After the first Knight’s Squire from the Smith Main Family knelt, all the others instantly followed, solemnly swearing their allegiance to York once more.

"I, Kelder, am willing to die for my Lord! I am willing to stand with my Lord and dedicate everything to the great God of Radiant Light!"

"I, Paul..."

Resonant voices echoed throughout the underground chamber.

At that moment, whatever these Knight’s Squires truly thought no longer mattered.

Take Paul, for example.

Over the past six months, as a Knight’s Squire in the Swamp Territory, he, like the four other squires who were former mercenaries, had long since discovered that the Swamp Territory was anything but ordinary.

Lord York, at such a young age and as the illegitimate son of a Baron, already possessed Tier Two Power.

He even had a Tier Three Demon Beast.

These were things they knew from the start, so there was no need to dwell on them.

But what about the Lady of the Manor?

Three months ago, she had suddenly broken through without any warning and become an Entry Tier Flame Mage!

And this was shortly after she had given birth!

’Was her body completely unaffected by childbirth?’

It defied all logic.

Furthermore, York had recently started having Paul and the four other squires perform some mysterious tasks.

For example, every half-month, they had to travel to a lake several miles west of the territory. There, they would find huge quantities of Tierless Demon Cores and Magic Crystals buried in a pit.

The sheer number was beyond Paul’s imagination.

He even saw a pack of wolves there. ’Wolves?’ Paul immediately thought of the Tier Two Forest Wolf from the previous battle, the one that had submitted to the Lord’s Battle Pet.

But after that battle, no one had seen that Forest Wolf again.

Of course, the Lord had claimed that the Forest Wolf had become a Guardian Magical Beast for his Battle Pet.

’But thinking about it now,’ Paul mused, ’the Lord was just being dismissive, giving us such a perfunctory answer.’

In short, during the six months Paul had spent in the Swamp Territory as Baron York’s Knight’s Squire, he had discovered far too many things that didn’t add up.

Like how the Baron had suddenly, one day, hung the flag of an unknown Giant Dragon Race from the top of the Baron’s Castle.

’A Giant Dragon flag?’

’What does the Swamp Territory have to do with the Giant Dragon Race? Isn’t the Smith family most famous for their Gale Cheetah Bloodline?’

’Their family flag isn’t a cheetah, but a Giant Dragon?’

Of course, there was no rule in this world that said a family crest or flag couldn’t be a Giant Dragon.

But without the corresponding power, using a Dragon Totem as a family flag was just asking to be ridiculed, wasn’t it?

’Could it be that hanging the unknown Giant Dragon flag represented the Baron’s ambition and hope?’

That would make some sense, he supposed.

Still, Paul couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

However, that strange feeling soon vanished.

That was because just one day ago, York had summoned all of his Knight’s Squires.

In this very same underground chamber, Lord York had revealed a monumental secret to Paul and all the others.

He, Baron York, Lord of the Swamp Territory, was serving a great being.

This being was none other than the great deity from the rumors that had spread from the Swamp Territory over a year ago—the one who had descended from the heavens in a pillar of light!

This great being, who walked out of the light, had naturally become the one York now called the God of Radiant Light!

It was He who had bestowed His Divine Favor upon the Lord, viewing him as His own Holy Son!

At that same moment, York had also told them the truth about many of his own circumstances.

Specifically, that it was only due to Divine Favor that their Lord, Baron York, had been able to advance from Entry Tier to Tier Two in less than a year!

Furthermore, the Lady of the Manor, Lucia, had also been able to reach the Entry Tier and become a Mage thanks to the deity’s favor.

According to York, this great God of Radiant Light greatly cherished His Holy Son.

He was even unwilling to walk the mortal world by borrowing the body of His Holy Son, York, simply because it would place a tremendous burden on and cause great harm to York’s mortal body.

Therefore, He had chosen to use York’s Blood Contracted Demon Beast as His vessel in the mortal world.

He had also proclaimed to York that an unprecedented chaos would soon befall the mortal world.

Therefore, He would use the Swamp Territory as His staging ground for the mortal world. York, and indeed the entire Swamp Territory, would become one of the instruments for His true Divine Descent upon the world!

The Strife of the Deities might soon be unleashed upon the mortal world once again!

All of this had, at the time, utterly stunned Paul and the other four Knight’s Squires who had only recently joined the Swamp Territory.

But it also finally explained everything.

This revelation left Paul and the other four squires trembling with fear.

As former mercenaries, they had never heard of a so-called God of Radiant Light, not even in ancient legends.

Besides, all the duchies under the Eagle Kingdom were the territory of the Truth Church. If the Church found out about this, it would be a disaster!

But after the initial terror, a sliver of immense hope began to rise in their hearts.

This was a god!!!

Even the tiniest sliver of Divine Favor leaking from this deity’s fingertips should be enough for them to reach the Entry Tier!

’And without any of the risks?!’

And just as Paul and the others were wrestling with these complex emotions, the Lady of the Manor, Lucia, had produced the Oracle Potion.

She had even prepared more than ten sets of heart’s blood and corresponding Demon Cores from Entry Tier Magical Beasts for them to choose from.

The Bloodline infusion ritual!

Yes, the Lord and his Lady had stated that as long as they swore allegiance to the great God of Radiant Light once more in York’s presence, they would immediately be able to bathe in Divine Favor and were guaranteed to become Knights with Extraordinary Bloodlines!

They would even be allowed to accompany the Lord to an audience with the great God of Radiant Light during the next Oracle!

This?

’Was there even a choice to be made?’

No!!!

This wasn’t a choice, but the merciful Divine Favor of the God of Radiant Light!!!

The great God of Radiant Light was the one to whom they could truly dedicate everything!

And so, today, with a Memory Crystal recording the event, all the Knights present finally made their formal oath to the great God of Radiant Light!

Watching all of this unfold, York and Lucia were both extremely satisfied.

However, York was also silently praying in his heart, asking his true deity for forgiveness.

’I hope Your Majesty will not blame me for these claims about the "Radiant Light." The situation is urgent, and right now, the Swamp Territory and I are in desperate need of Entry Tier Power truly loyal to you.’

’May Your Majesty forgive my transgression. All praise to Your Great Majesty...’

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