"Why?"
Through primordial spirit, Aya’s earnest question was unavoidable.
"Why did you weave such a set of lies?"
Aya was indeed Aya, the proud Knight King, who would not conceal her identity in front of anyone. When she returned to her homeland from Nine Regions, she was ready to face her past and did not need a forged identity to conceal anything.
Wang Lu sighed. "This is not the time for you to be brave. Bravely revealing your identity is good, but do you think Bedivere would accept it? Do you want the worldview of your faithful subordinate to break, blasting off his head?"
"He…"
Wang Lu said, "Believe me, if you insist on claiming that the Knight King is actually a woman, you will absolutely be dead in his eyes!"
Thinking about the stubborn Bedivere, Aya was also helpless.
"Moreover, do you really think that it’s a good thing to announce the identity of the Knight King?"
Aya asked, "What are you talking about?"
"It’s been awhile since your last time in Brettonia, and we can see that the people on this land fondly remember you. However, after brewing for over a century, this ‘fondly remember’ thing has reached the point of unlimited beautification, as if the past Knight King was perfect, omnipotent, and invincible."
Aya laughed. "About being invincible, that is actually not wrong."
"Then why were you looking for that way to win every war? Why don’t you write your diary to let your descendants admire your political and military achievements!"
"... The more you experience the war, the more you can see your shortcomings. But back to the point, do you think there’s a problem in people of Brettonia fondly remembering me?"
"Excessive beautification can make people unable to accept reality. If people realize that the perfect Knight King in their fantasy, in reality, can’t even cook pork strips-stir fried with yuxiang1 [1], how do you think they would feel?"
"Do you have a problem with my pork strips-stir fried with yuxiang?"
Wang Lu said, "Not to mention that right now you’re in your spirit of the brave departed body, meaning that your strength has been reduced by a lot that to deal with Faceless One you need to do it by using a sneak attack, simply speaking, people can’t expect too much of you. So, rather than greatly disappointing your follower, it is better to debut yourself as the daughter of the Knight King so that they can lower their expectation. Even if you can’t be compared with their impression of the Knight King, people will understand you, support you, and love you, because you are the Knight King’s daughter."
Aya froze for a moment. "Is that so? I think I understand what you mean. I have mixed feelings about this. After returning to my homeland, I actually have to act as my own daughter."
Wang Lu laughed. "Speaking of which, since I and the Knight King is a friend of the same generation, later on, you should consider calling me uncle, no?"
"Wang Lu, people who court disaster will eventually die."
Aya was not interested in arguing with Wang Lu.
Her resting time was almost over, so it was about time she shouldered her responsibility.
—
After finishing the conversation in the sky, the three people, Wang Lu, Aya, and Bedivere did not immediately land—after all, the battle of Dragon City was not over.
Although the situation has been completely reversed on the battlefield...
After losing the Faceless One, Holy Light Religion was leaderless and their morale significantly dropped. Especially those Bright Archons, who as the commander in the battlefield, stopped operating one by one. This threw the Holy Light Religion forces into chaos. The priests and the holy knights were at a loss, scurrying in the battlefield like a headless chicken.
At the same time, after their leader died in battle—being killed directly by Aya in front of everyone, their morale suffered a devastating blow. Looking down from the sky, one could clearly see the hesitation and trepidation in the eyes of the Holy Light Religion followers.
Even that almost omnipotent Faceless One has been killed by the Dragon City Guard, who knew how many cards were still hidden by them? And once something new happened, who else could lead them out of this mess?
For several decades, the Holy Light Religion in Dragon City has largely relied on Archbishop Rowan. Later on, when the Faceless One appeared, he suppressed everyone with his strong posture. But now, with the Faceless One dying in battle and the defection of the Archbishop, the Holy Light Religion believers were suddenly at a loss.
However, despite the deadly blow to Holy Light Religion force, they still occupied the absolute number advantage. Previously after being pressed in their last circle of defense, Dragon City Guards had suffered a serious loss, thus further increasing the number advantage; now, it was nearly six to seven times as many. In this case, they still have the chance to win even without their leader.
However, the sudden appearance of Caliburn and Aya delivering a killing blow to Faceless One were also a great shock to the Dragon City Guards, similarly intensifying their fighting intent. However, right now, what she must do was to rally the Dragon City Guards and lead them to victory.
Feeling that some of her strength has restored, Aya struggled to break away from Wang Lu’s embrace, relied on her own strength to stand in the air, and looked down on the battlefield below. From below, she was quite valiant, especially since she was holding the sword of royal power Caliburn that increased her brilliance even more.
With her new identity, Aya actually has so many words to say. However, at the moment, there was no time for lengthy speeches. Fortunately, as she was once a king, she knew how to effectively manage time.
"I am the daughter of the Knight King, legitimate successor to Brettonia! In the name of Caliburn, defeat the enemy in front of you and pluck the fruit of victory!"
With that, Aya wielded her Caliburn, pointing it straight ahead.
This simple action seemed to contain an inconceivable magic. Watching the direction of Aya’s sword, an intense surge of emotion filled the heart of every Brettonian.
It was a kind of memories from the depths of their blood. In a trance, people seemed to see a row of knights in shining armor, each with a spotless sword hanging on their side and holding a sharp Dragonlance. In front of them were enemies that were ten times and even a hundred times more than them, just like the black tide, however, they remained indifferent and their fighting intent was unwavering.
Leading in front of them, a flawless knight wielded his sword high and pointed forward.
"Knights, charge!"
After a century, that cry of charge exploded in their ears once again. Dragon City Guards who previously felt exhausted, in an instant, felt that endless strength seemed to appear from limb to limb. They followed the direction of the Caliburn as they began to run. They even began to charge!
In response to the call of their king, they shall slay the enemies that block their way!
The knights who once overawed the world began to assault once more. The Dragon City Guards had turned into a sharp knife, deeply stabbing into the formation of the Holy Light Religion.
The final round of the battle has already begun, but the result of the battle was clear.
—
At the forefront of the battle, Liu Li, Bai Shixuan, and Quan Zouhua separately charged into the enemy position, rapidly harvesting life through their own respective means.
"Thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight…"
Liu Li simultaneously controlled her more than ten flying swords. She was like a blast of lightning on the battlefield, and wherever she went, like a sickle that shears the wheat, she took away a piece of life. At the same time, the girl slowly murmured, carefully counting her own record for fear of error. However, all around her was carnage.
In fact, when Aya waved the Caliburn, initiating the knight’s charge after a hundred years, the victory and defeat of this war has already been determined, and there was no need for the several people to make their moves. The seething-with-excitement Dragon City Guards were enough to tear the enemy into pieces.
However, Liu Li did not forget Wang Lu’s exhortation—they were still burdened by a difficult task: collecting nine hundred and ninety-nine lives of at least middle order profession Holy Light Religion. And this time’s Dragon City war was the best harvest opportunity. In addition to Dragon City, there was no other place in the whole Brettonia where nearly a thousand middle order professions gathered in one place. If not now, then when?
Based on strength, in the Dragon City battlefield, Liu Li was not ranked at the forefront. But based on her killing ability, few could compare to her. After suffering a succession of morale blows, the Holy Light Religion’s formation completely collapsed. They scattered in all directions without any resistance. Liu Li’s high mobility and explosive attack advantages were immediately brought into full play.
In just a moment, Liu Li practically tore through the Holy Light Religion formation, killing more than forty middle order professions and countless low order professions. The girl just took a moment to breathe before her body flashed like a rainbow once again and began a new round of killing.
According to her Senior Brother, this was the best chance to increase the record. Once missed, nobody knew if there would be a second time. Although she didn’t understand the specific explanation for it, Liu Li remembered the most critical point.
"If you kill a hundred people, I will let you eat all the delicious food in Brettonia to your heart’s content."
With these words, Liu Li has an infinite action power. In her eyes, those fleeing in panic in front of her were not priests, holy knights, and inquisitors, but tender and delicious original crispy chicken!
"Mm, not a bad mentality."
While swinging her swords, a strange voice suddenly sounded in Liu Li’s ears.
"When slaughtering, your mind can actually be this calm. Is this the special skill of the people of Nine Regions?"
Liu Li looked around somewhat in surprise, but she didn’t find the speaker. But since she felt that there was no hostility in that voice, she seriously replied, "I don’t understand what you mean."
That voice chuckled and asked, "Do you know that you are killing people?"
"Yeah, obviously. Senior Brother said that if I can kill a hundred people, I can have a reward."
"Hahaha, so for you, killing people is only a game?" The voice said, "Do you know that each of the people that you kill has their own life, their own ideal, and their loved ones? See that short red-haired priest in the rear left? His name is Kyle. Now he is only twenty-five years old. He is a very talented priest from the countryside. He came to the big city and did odd jobs for the senior priest, in order to accumulate wealth as soon as possible. Because in his hometown he had a girl that he secretly had a crush for many years. Initially, he planned to propose to her after this war. The girl actually likes him, and has been looking forward to his return, to get married, have children, and grow old together. Alas, because of your sword, all of this is impossible."
"Oh," Liu Li let out a soft cry and then continued to look for another target.
"That girl with brunette long hair is Lynn, the lead singer in the church’s hymn group. She has a very beautiful face and a pleasant-to-hear voice. Although her character is somewhat vain, and a bit finicky, but she is a very pious and kind-hearted girl. Every rest day, she would take care the feral cats outside the church and then wait for the church worshipers. She actually likes a talented wandering minstrel. Although the latter is only a civilian, but his singing always made her intoxicated. The romantic feeling development of these two are doomed to be bumpy, but also touching. Unfortunately, all of these were to be ended by you. People will never again enjoy the singing of Lynn, and the minstrel will never know that a beautiful girl is secretly in love with him."
That soft voice cleverly changed its tone, which lured Liu Li to become immersed as she savored the sadness of the story. Involuntarily, she was filled with remorse and other emotions.
Liu Li was indeed somewhat moved. Her killing action became slower and slower, until finally, she stopped altogether. A puzzled expression appeared on her face.
"Since that’s the case," Liu Li puzzledly asked, "why would Holy Light Religion order them to join the battlefield? Isn’t that cruel?"
"…"
Then, somewhat annoyed, she said, "I understand. You are trying to tell me that Holy Light Religion is cruel and inhumane, their action is completely lacking in the bottom line and has harmed the lives of many people, right? Okay then, I will kill these Holy Light Religion believers and avenge the dead!"
That voice exclaimed, "Wait a minute, don’t you think that your logic is a bit strange?"
But at this time, Liu Li has left that voice in the dust.
…a seasoning of Chinese cuisine that typically contains garlic, scallions, ginger, sugar, salt, chili peppers etc, but no seafood, although yuxiang literally means "fish fragrance"