Rebirth of the Viking King

Chapter 679 103

Holding a hurricane lantern in her hand, the palace maid followed Yusuf.

Instead of heading to the ground floor, the two of them first came to the abandoned attic of the house. Yusuf opened a cover, revealing a narrow staircase less than thirty centimeters wide.

This width allows only one person to pass sideways.

Upon seeing this, the palace maid shook her head slightly with a chuckle, and followed Yusuf into the gap in the wall.

Stepping on countless rat corpses, he walked all the way underground. In the middle of a dark house, Gu Huaian stood there holding a torch.

He was alone in the house.

"Your Highness, Commander-in-Chief, with all due respect, this is completely unnecessary."

Putting down the candlestick in her hand, the palace maid walked directly in front of Gu Huaian without any precautions.

"In the early days of the founding of this country, it was not any emperor who relied on it, but every ordinary Roman citizen."

“Citizens are always our most reliable allies in the governance of our country.

Businessmen attach great importance to their privacy. Secret societies like the Vulcan Cult, which must rely on the "people" to thrive, cannot survive in the great Constantinople. "

Legalist mentor Gu Huaian was naturally a smart man. He immediately understood the meaning beyond the words of the palace maid.

I am afraid that the Romans already knew the significance of the existence of this building. Even if this fire sacrificial site was secretly destroyed, it was most likely done secretly under the supervision of the city councilors.

But don’t forget that the Holy Episcopal Church holds 45 of the 220 seats.

Legalist mentors using gold and silver to attract important talents is just a normal operation within the gang. For the most part, Gu Huaian never expected that this Roman sergeant named Yusuf would have such strong initiative.

Suddenly receiving such a large sum of gold and silver in a state that could be called poverty, he did not squander or expand, but immediately purchased real estate.

This kind of behavior will make him immediately targeted by the Mikhail family's informants.

It is not difficult for the "city defense troops" stationed on the city walls and the police officers patrolling the city to earn some extra money. As long as it does not cause harm to the rule of the kingdom, the commanders mostly turn a blind eye to occasional violations.

It was not uncommon for soldiers to gamble, drink, and find women with the gold and silver in their pockets. The gendarmerie in charge of military camp discipline did not have the ability to supervise everyone.

But when an honest man who never squandered suddenly bought a house that no one cared about, although the Romans' management was loose, they were not fools after all.

This behavior must be discovered.

He hastily arranged for all the surviving Legalist stumps to enter this house to take refuge, and this was already known to the gendarmerie. Mikhail III did not order the sheriff to come and collect the money, because he was afraid that he knew that Gu Huaian and this group of people still had uses.

Sure enough, he successfully waited for Loki, the god of death.

It is true that the Illuminati is the financial backer of the Mikhail family, but this shows that the controller of this huge business empire is not satisfied with being controlled by the Illuminati forever.

A businessman is different from a soldier.

In their dictionary there is only interest, not loyalty.

They also want to get rid of the checks and balances of the Illuminati when they see an opportunity.

"Commander, please don't panic. My meeting with you today is just to convey King Loki's latest instructions."

"King Loki will use the Xuanyuan Sword as a bargaining chip to ask the three sect masters lurking in my Constantinople to fight with him."

Isamier took out the scroll again and told Gu Huaian again about Loki's request.

Gu Huaian's eyes immediately glowed with a somewhat intoxicated look.

His initial idea was just to consider that if a war broke out, he would lead the Legalist assassins to fish in troubled waters in the city, waiting for opportunities to find the Illuminati masters and strike them.

Even if not a single sect leader is killed, it is still worthwhile to kill a few extremely powerful ancient foreign gods like "Wang Er Gulei" on the assassination list.

However, I never expected that "God Killer" Loki would use a Xuanyuan Sword to successfully force out all three sect leaders lurking in Constantinople!

This time was even different from the battle he had with the "King of Earth and Sea" Mutu in Paris.

In the war that took place 13 years ago, Mutu just drank the water of God and turned into a light giant before the world. The countries in the Western Continent have known about the existence of the Illuminati since then, but few people have actually seen the Illuminati lizard people who shed their human skin and look like their original form.

This time it was different.

Loki made it clear that if they want to obtain the Xuanyuan Sword, the three sect leaders must fight with their true colors. At the juncture of Michael III's birthday, high-ranking nobles from the Western Continent countries still gathered in Constantinople.

This is an unprecedented feast.

"Your Majesty the King means"

Gu Huaian had just finished speaking when Isamier immediately intervened.

"Although His Majesty is in Loki's hands at this time, his attitude is completely neutral."

"If King Loki can successfully kill the three Illuminati masters, it will be a good thing for our Mikhail family."

"But with all due respect, Commander, please don't have too many unrealistic illusions. In the bard's play text, King Loki is the invincible God of War."

"Yesterday morning he rode a dragon and descended from the sky. His heroic gesture seemed to prove this.

However, according to the calculations of the grand maester, if Loki's words are truly followed, the fight will begin in the Colosseum. His chance of winning is no more than 30%.

Of course Gu Huaian knew what this world really looked like.

Thirteen years ago, Loki was able to defeat Mutu, the King of Earthsea, and occupy Paris. His real reliance was not on the Frost Giant Legion, but on the millions of mobs that rushed into France to take advantage of the situation.

All the countries around the Principality of France have endured the oppression of this group of blood-sucking merchants for too long. Once they discovered the possibility of this group of silverfish, everyone immediately took action.

After all, the most powerful force is the people who have an absolute numerical advantage.

However, this time he wants to fight the three Illuminati masters in public.

Don't think that these sect leaders have no friends in the Western Continent.

In the long years of 200 million years, the huge wealth accumulated by the Illuminati is a huge amount that ordinary people cannot imagine. To describe them as extremely wealthy may not be appropriate.

A considerable number of wealthy merchants, nobles and secret societies rely on the huge power of the Illuminati to survive. The 12 sect leaders are hidden in the secret corners of each big country, and all of them are known to the outside world as the commander-in-chief who denounces Fang Qiu.

The real reason for the death of Mutu, the 'King of Earthsea', was that he was not a member of the Advent sect.

What if when Loki invaded the Principality of France, the patriarch and other patriarchs came to rescue him?

Even with the blessing of millions of mobs.

The Vikings led by Loki have no chance of winning.

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The enmity between Legalist disciples and the Illuminati is well known to the world.

Although the Illuminati is a behemoth hidden in human civilization, the Legalist disciples who have governed the country with an iron fist over the years and reintegrated a loose country are also not easy to mess with.

After leaving the spire where the Illuminati gathered, the palace maid immediately went to the hiding place of the Legalist disciples, precisely to show Gu Huaian that the Byzantine royal family maintained a neutral attitude.

"After the war begins, the Xuanyuan Sword controlled by King Loki and several hostages controlled by Sect Master Betug will be delivered to my king at the same time, and both sides will fight to the last man.

The winner wins everything. "

After listening to this short description, Gu Huaian had a rough idea of ​​what Mikhail III meant.

Businessmen are always thinking about how to maintain harvests despite droughts and floods.

It would be best if Loki could win.

But if Loki fails, the Byzantine Empire will still operate under the control of the Illuminati. It will be a piece of cake for these patriarchs to slow down and drive the Mikhail family from the throne.

This was unacceptable to the Byzantine king.

By now, Gu Huaian was fully aware of the part that Mikhail III wanted to convey but had not yet conveyed.

The maesters cannot deduce the true strength of Loki and the Illuminati, but what is certain is that in terms of money, the members of the Illuminati must have an overwhelming advantage.

In this city, the king did not have strong control over the army, because the merchant's army would only help the party who paid.

The Byzantine Empire is known as a merchant's paradise because this kingdom has many laws that are unbelievable in the eyes of ancient Huaian.

For example, a country with a relatively small land area does not have a unified writing system.

Several provinces in the west of Byzantium near Greece used Greek and wrote Greek, while the east of Byzantium used Latin and wrote Latin. The king even needed to use different languages ​​to convey imperial edicts to different provinces.

Otherwise, the provincial governor would most likely not be able to understand it.

In Gu Huaian's view, this was quite an exaggeration.

What is even more exaggerated is that the laws are different between provinces, and even different cities in the same province have their own set of applicable laws.

This is even more like a dream for the Legalist mentors who advocate ruling the country with an iron fist.

Gu Huaian worked as a diplomat for half a year before he gradually realized a word that was not in the Eastern dictionary - republic.

The Byzantine Kingdom, which perfectly inherited the mantle of ancient Rome, is still practicing the republican ideals passed down by its ancient ancestors.

In a city-state where all provinces are equal, the king cannot have perfect control over the army no matter what method is used.

What Isamiel said was correct. When Loki's reinforcements arrive, he will face an encirclement and suppression by the entire Roman army in the city.

Even if a miracle happens, Loki wins this battle in a way that no mortal can understand. The most he has to do is rescue his subordinates.

If his goal is not the Illuminati, but to completely capture Constantinople.

This meant making enemies of all the countries in the entire Mediterranean.

This is simply an impossible task.

And if Loki is defeated, it is not difficult to imagine how much benefit all participating armies can gain from the Illuminati.

Their calculations were quite shrewd.

"I have another more important question here. Myra, the Lord of Shadows, is one of the 13 cardinals in the Holy Bishop Church."

"If he enters the church, what actions will be taken within the Holy Bishop's Church? Your Excellency can give you a little bit of information."

As a mentor, Gu Huaian's way of thinking about problems is completely different from that of his assassins. It is certainly an act of a warrior to charge into battle and sacrifice one's life for righteousness, but how to use every bit of combat power in his hands more efficiently is something that leaders need to consider.

The ambush plan against Wang Ergulei caused him to lose most of his men. If he wanted to kill the Illuminati leader who was more powerful than Wangergulei, he had to make sure that none of his remaining men could perform as they should. effect

Since the Byzantine king sent his personal maid to find Yusuf, this shows that at least at this stage the king's wishes are leaning towards him.

He must take the opportunity to ask the question that concerns him most - whether the Crusaders can participate in the war.

This issue is crucial

**

Those familiar with the city knew that there was more than just one emperor in Constantinople.

Gregory III, who towered over Mikhail III, was also a ruler whose hands and eyes were open to the sky. Even the king's coronation ceremony needed to be completed under the guidance of the Pope.

In this country where war rarely breaks out, the power of the noble private army is extremely limited.

The only truly powerful ones are the Holy Crusaders affiliated with the Pope.

Among the 13 cardinals around the Pope, there was actually an Illuminati leader, which was beyond Gu Huaian's expectations. But this sect leader happened to be "Griffith Flame of the Sky".

This is a very dangerous signal.

Because this cardinal is in charge of the most powerful unit of the Crusaders - the Silver Knights.

The current situation is that both the king and the Xuanyuan Sword are in Loki's hands, so the three Illuminati masters dare not make any mistakes for the time being. He controlled the king and was able to initially restrain the Roman magistrates and wall guards.

But neither Mikhail III nor the chips in the hands of Xuanyuan Sword Loki were any deterrent to the Crusaders under the control of the Pope.

The Holy Episcopal Church became a vital third party.

"His Majesty once praised the newly arrived Eastern Continent diplomat as a perfect strategic talent. Most of the vassals sneered at this compliment. Even I was quite skeptical about the talents of a 34-year-old Eastern Continent diplomat. ”

"When I saw him today, the Commander-in-Chief really lived up to his reputation."

Frankly speaking, we also want to know what is going on within the Holy Episcopal Church. "

"But with all due respect, I don't know."

"In the eyes of the outside world, the Holy Bishop and the Byzantine royal family live in the same city, as if they are one and the same. But the real situation is that the Senate has never controlled the Holy Bishop Church."

“The relationship between the Byzantine royal family and the Holy Episcopal Church is like a poisonous snake sleeping next to thorns. The poisonous snake needs this group of thorns to defend it from foreign enemies, but it must stay away from this group of thorns to prevent it from hurting itself.

The two forces have been able to maintain this rather delicate relationship and have not crossed the line for hundreds of years. It is precisely because of this fragile balance that both parties can benefit for themselves. "

Gu Huaian nodded.

He was a smart man and immediately understood what Isamil meant.

The relationship between the Holy Episcopal Church and the Byzantine royal family was very similar to the relationship between the Legalist school and the Tang royal family.

If the Legalist teachers placed spies around Tang Xianzong and Li Shi, the emperor's every move throughout the day would be accurately controlled by the Legalist school.

But is this really necessary?

Once discovered by the emperor, the two families gradually drifted apart, and the gains outweighed the losses.

In the same way, Michael III had the ability to install informants within the Holy Episcopal Church, but he did not do so. Instead, he was able to avoid it for a certain distance. It is precisely because of this sense of proportion that the two behemoths can coexist peacefully in the same city for hundreds of years.

The greatest advantage of a conversation between smart people is that you don’t have to spend time explaining irrelevant details. With less guidance, Gu Huaian will understand immediately

"What I convey below does not represent the official government, but only represents my personal understanding."

From the beginning of the meeting, Isamier maintained absolute calmness and neutrality when talking to Yu Guhuai'an. Only now did she reveal a slight subjective tendency.

Gu Huaian could feel that there was still a faint hope in her heart, hoping that Loki could create a miracle and transform this huge kingdom from

"My view of the situation is not positive."

"I think King Loki's chance of winning is less than 30%. The reason for all this is that I don't know the so-called 'Lord of Shadows' Myra."

"But Griffith Skyfire is my friend."

I know what this old friend is up to.

In the Middle Ages, the ways for mortals to obtain information were very limited. Others did not know the secret of this cardinal, but it did not mean that Isamil did not understand it.

This is an extraordinary talent.

The moment when the Holy Episcopal Church truly flourished was the split between the Eastern and Western Roman Empire.

The Western Roman Empire still firmly believed in the 12 main gods of Olympus, while the Eastern Roman Empire began to support the little-known Holy Bishop Church. Unlike Zeus, who controls thunder and lightning, and Hera, the mother of the world, the main god of the Holy Bishop's belief is even a dead man who was condemned to die on the cross.

This was not just a shame in the eyes of Rome at the time, but that was pretty much it.

However, at this moment, Griffith walked into the Holy Cathedral bathed in holy light.

He was one of the first followers of Pope Gregory I.

It was his arrival that improved many Holy Light spells and wrote most of the "Prayer of Judgment". Most of the spells in the "Path of Justice" and "Path of Holy Light" were created by him.

Holy Bishop Pope "Gregory I" knew who he was from the first day he entered the Church, but still used him unswervingly.

There's nothing we can do about it.

The lizardman leader's understanding of the word "psionic power" far exceeds that of all mortals.

Long before humans appeared, they had been surviving in the cracks of civilizations for 200 million years. Each lizardman leader is good at studying a certain technique. Myra, the Lord of Shadows, has an unrivaled understanding of the elements of light and darkness.

The Holy Bishop's Church was able to spread rapidly and he was one of the founders of the church. If all the senior officials didn't know that he was not a pure human being, it wouldn't be a difficult challenge for him to become the Pope.

Isamier believes that Gu Huaian will have his own judgment on how strong this kind of person will be over his army.

"Your Highness, the Commander-in-Chief, the 30% winning rate given by the academicians to King Loki is by no means unfounded, but based on quite precise calculations."

“Let’s not talk about whether he can bring the army into Constantinople.

Even if his men can come to join him, what he needs to face is a battle with completely unequal numbers. Sheriffs, city defense troops, gendarmerie, and crusaders are all mortals in this city who can take up arms. It is possible to become his enemy.

Constantinople was a very real city

The influence of peripheral members of the Illuminati in this city is far greater than you might imagine.

When there is no wind or waves, they gather in the bar to listen to the legend of the Godslayer, and raise their glasses to celebrate his great victory. But once their own interests are harmed.

Even if it only costs them a few dozen coppers, they will immediately take up arms to defend their sponsors.

After Isamier conveyed all the information she wanted to convey, she turned around and left. Gu Huaian stood there alone and thought for a long time.

He could hear the underlying meaning of the king's maid.

"It's good to be able to get rid of the control of the Illuminati, but their abilities are so powerful that I don't think highly of them."

“But I don’t plan to arrest you just yet.

If the Legalist School can use some special means to assist Loki in killing the Illuminati leader, this would also be a pretty good thing for us. "

"If you have any hidden tricks, you might as well use them all."

I have to admit that the merchant king still perfectly inherited the merchant's thinking.

This one-hand operation allowed him to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight.

Whichever power ultimately emerged victorious, the Byzantine crown stood to gain.

While continuing to think, he slowly removed a blue round stone from his arms.

"Lord Commander, have you made up your mind?"

Concubine Xue appeared from the shadow not far behind him.

Gu Huaian nodded slightly.

"Isamil is the most relied-upon maid around Mikhail III. In this city, his status is even higher than that of most council members."

"The King of Byzantium sent her to see me. What she said must be true. Loki really used his own life and the Xuanyuan Sword as a bargaining chip to lure the three sect leaders into the arena!"

"Among the 12 sect masters, the 'King of Earthsea' Mutu and the 'Lord of Twilight' Sardin are both dead. If these three people can be killed at the same time, almost half of the 12 sect masters will be lost.

Even if they have the power to reach heaven, they will never be able to regain their former dominance! "

Even as calm as Gu Huaian, he couldn't help but feel waves in his heart.

The piece of blue jade in his hand is indeed a portal key.

Right Prime Minister Li Chunfeng prepared a multi-directional portal for him.

Before leaving the Eastern Continent for the Byzantine Kingdom, Right Chancellor Li Chunfeng told him very carefully that unless he encountered extremely important special circumstances, he should not open the portal easily.

The huge energy fluctuations caused by frequently opening the portal will definitely attract the attention of the high-level divine choosers in the city. It is inevitable to follow the clues and find their hiding place.

"Commander, I don't think it's appropriate."

If the King's arrival today is a conspiracy, they knew our hiding place but did not arrest us in order to wait until we opened the portal and kill all the Legalist elites sent from the Eastern Continent!

Even if their ultimate goal is to control the portal, what more terrifying things will happen in the future are difficult for us to predict now!

Gu Huaian clenched the portal key in his hand.

Knowing people, knowing faces, but not knowing hearts, Concubine Xue’s worries have some validity.

Communication was inconvenient in the Middle Ages, and it would take at least three months to complete the transmission of messages to the Eastern Continent. As the highest-ranking Legalist teacher in Constantinople, he must rely on his own judgment of the situation to make choices.