Path of Conquest

Blake and Rowan rode side by side along the marching path. At this moment, Rowan had already disguised himself with his mist cloak, transforming into a weathered old man, his true identity hidden from all eyes.

Blake glanced briefly to the side, his voice respectful as he spoke. "My lord, we've already breached the borders of the Loran Duchy. Where should we focus our attack next? Please, give me your guidance, and I'll make the arrangements."

Rowan's gaze was fixed ahead, his tone calm and deliberate as he replied, "This attack hinges on two critical targets. The first is the royal family of the Loran Duchy. They represent the very heart of the Duchy's power—taking them down will send shockwaves throughout the entire region. The second is the Radiant Church, the foundation of the enemy's faith and their central authority. We must secure both."

Blake nodded thoughtfully, his voice tinged with concern. "Indeed, my lord. But the royal family and the church happen to lie along the same path. We must pass through Loran City to reach the Radiant Church. It's highly likely that they've reinforced both locations with heavy defenses. It won't be easy to break through."

Rowan smiled lightly, an air of confidence in his eyes. "Naturally, they'll know the importance of these two locations and will fight tooth and nail to defend them. But we need not fear. We will concentrate our forces and crush them one by one."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Also, send word to Raymond immediately. Have him monitor the movements of the Holy Light Alliance. With our advance so swift, I'm certain the Radiant Church will appeal to them for aid—either to mediate or to send reinforcements. We cannot allow them to succeed. Let Raymond handle the negotiations, delay them as long as possible. If we can keep the Holy Light Alliance from intervening, we can proceed without worry and expand our victory."

Blake immediately responded, "Understood, my lord. I'll make the arrangements right away."

In the Holy Light Alliance's conference hall, all the envoys had gathered, their faces grave. No one had anticipated the situation to shift so rapidly. Just days ago, the Radiant Church had held the upper hand, their mighty knight order a symbol of invincibility in the ongoing conflict. Now, however, the tides had turned. The Radiant Church was on the back foot, its once-proud knight order completely annihilated. The reversal of fortune left everyone in the room speechless.

The Radiant envoy was the first to stand up, fury etched across his face. "The Radiant Church has invaded the Loran Duchy! This is an unforgivable act! We demand they immediately withdraw from Loran and compensate for all the damage caused, or our alliance's honor will be tarnished!"

The Radiant envoy's words only seemed to amuse the Dark Radiance envoy, who had been previously underestimated. Rising slowly, a smug smile spread across his face. "Oh? Are you speaking to me? What makes you think you have the right to lecture me? Is it because your so-called invincible knight order was wiped out? Or perhaps your pitiful resistance is what has you so angry? Hah, you should be kneeling and begging me for mercy. Perhaps we can come to some agreement."

The other envoys remained silent, watching the verbal sparring without intervening. No one seemed eager to get involved in the dispute, for the situation was clear, and no one wanted to take sides too hastily.

The Radiant envoy's face turned pale with rage. He had never expected retribution to come so quickly. But he still believed that the Radiant Church would turn the tide, gritting his teeth as he spat, "Don't get too smug. The Radiant Church's army will strike back soon, and we'll make you pay dearly. Let's see how long you can keep that grin."

The Dark Radiance envoy laughed heartily, mockingly replying, "Oh no, I'm terrified! Please, hurry up with that counterattack. If you're too slow, we might just wipe out your precious church first."

The Radiant envoy, growing even more furious, turned to the Light envoy in desperation. "Light envoy, look at the situation! The Dark Radiance Church has openly invaded our ally. This can't be tolerated! You must intervene immediately and enforce the alliance's rules. Punish the Dark Radiance Church to restore order!"

The Light envoy, deep in thought, recalled his orders to mediate the conflict between the two churches and restore peace along their borders. Clearing his throat, he spoke calmly, "The invasion by the Dark Radiance Church is indeed unacceptable. However, as part of our alliance, we must prioritize unity and focus our efforts on external threats. The Dark Radiance Church must withdraw its forces immediately."

The Dark Radiance envoy, now with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes, stood up, his voice full of derision. "Why did we invade the Loran Duchy in the first place? It's because the Radiant Church is too weak to defend itself. Weakness is their original sin. They couldn't hold their ground, and now they dare point fingers at us?"

The Light envoy could only respond with a stunned silence. Those words were the very same he had used to taunt the Dark Radiance envoy just days ago, and now, they were being thrown back in his face.

At that moment, the Radiant envoy turned his gaze to the Shining envoy, hope gleaming in his eyes. "Shining envoy, didn't you once offer to help us? Now is the time to strike together and wipe out the Dark Radiance Church. Afterward, we can divide the spoils of the Loran Duchy between us."

The Shining envoy quickly shook his head, feigning innocence. "But you didn't want our help back then, and besides, we are allies with the Dark Radiance Church. We can't just turn our backs on them like this."

However, in his mind, he was already planning. "The Radiant Church is on the brink of collapse. If they destroy each other, I'll be the one to swoop in and seize the Loran Duchy for myself."