Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest-Chapter 360 - 1: Conqueror Order VS All Gods Order

The storm came abruptly and swiftly, like a cold blade scraping across one’s face.

"People were saying the most terrifying thing was about to happen."

The essence of the matter was a confrontation between royal and divine powers.

Throughout the first half of the year, this land had been soaked in prolonged rain. It had barely welcomed clear skies, with sunlight spreading its warmth and comfort, softening the bones of those basking in it. The carpenter had moved the nearly rotted wood out of the dark, damp shack for drying, and the farmers were doing all they could to restore production...

Yet such days didn’t last but a few before it was as if thunder had roared overhead, as if a deep, icy rain enveloped the land.

It was punishment from the All Gods!

The Black Iron King had brutally slain a devout worshiper of the All Gods within Black Castle. The identity of the believer was irrelevant, but the Order of the All Gods could not tolerate such a massacre.

The Church Court demanded that the Black Iron King repent his sins to the All Gods, yet the King stubbornly refused.

A Monarch of the land had harmed a poor believer and yet refused to repent his sins to the All Gods... There was nothing more terrifying than that!

"We are moving away from the All Gods because our King is no longer devout," a Priest told the people.

Believers saw it as a bad omen, lamenting this era of degenerated rituals and the dust-covered faith.

"It’s time! We must re-establish the faith in the All Gods!"

This was a holy war of faith, and Iao III was dubbed "The Rebellion King."

The people had long been dissatisfied with him.

The tensions in the Black Iron Land were becoming increasingly acute.

With the North fallen, half a year of rain, natural and man-made disasters, everything was attributed to this incompetent ruler. Most hoped that the Church Court would support a devoted and rightful ruler to ascend the throne to calm the disasters.

So, a new batch of Holy War Army emerged from the Divine Mysterious Peninsula.

This time, the Church Court exerted all its might.

Once the flags of the All Gods were raised, slaves, paupers, destitutes, beggars, followers of the Divine Mysterious, believers of the Black Iron, nobles of the Divine Mysterious, and nobles of the Black Iron.

People of different origins, classes, and statuses gathered.

At this moment, they all shared a unified identity.

That is, as the Holy War Army, spreading the glory of the All Gods and restoring faith to the land.

...

In this context, the River Valley King, who once defeated the first group of believers’ army and the Holy War Army, also dispatched the loyal army to suppress the rebellion and relieve the siege of Black Castle.

Commander Jet was the chief commander, assisted by Deputy Commander Dick.

Five hundred Vanguard Cavalry, one thousand Heavy Shield wearers, fourteen hundred Close-combat Guards, seven hundred Long-range Snipers, four hundred Special Scouts, and twenty Witch Mages from the Casting Group.

A professional squad comprising a total of four thousand soldiers. Three hundred scholars accompanied them.

Additionally, there was the Auxiliary Army formed by the ordinary Infantry, about eight thousand men.

Only two thousand veterans and three thousand auxiliary troops were left as garrison troops in Origin City and Fertile City.

This time, it was almost a complete mobilization.

Due to the overly extended supply lines, Roman only allowed them to carry a little over a month’s worth of rations.

At the training ground in Fertile City, he told the senior commanders, "This war is unlike any before, adapt as necessary."

Regardless of the outcome, return promptly.

That was Roman’s implication.

Because this war was too extensive, it was definitely the highest quality war that this land had seen in hundreds of years.

Conqueror Order VS All Gods Order.

This could be said to be the ultimate confrontation between the two major camps, perhaps even more cruel and massive than the battle in Silent Valley a century ago.

Because after a century of peaceful development, the population had also grown to a certain extent, and the war base had become more sufficient.

Jet nodded and said, "I will."

He did not promise.

But his execution was never faulty, standardized like a machine.

The soldiers that Jet brought out were also carved out of the same mold.

Is this army strong? Roman asked himself.

Very strong! He concluded.

But the lord of Black Castle did not pin all his hopes on him.

Iao III didn’t even know the number of enemies. But he had sought help from the kings of the land, and Roman was merely one among them.

What kind of hardships and dangers would they encounter on this journey?

Roman dared not think—what a heavy blow it would be if they never returned...

Yet he could not follow them and he was not able to fight alongside them.

Origin City and Fertile City could not bear the consequences of the king’s direct involvement.

Then, Roman walked step by step to the highest point of the platform, and he tried to project his voice further as he said, "Iolion is not a qualified king, but it’s not yet time for his downfall..."

"In other words, even if Iao III deserves to die! He needs to live a few more years!"

Immediately after, Roman solemnly raised his right hand, his fist positioned in mid-air above his head, his arm forming a semicircle.

"Salute!" a group of squad leaders said.

All the soldiers, with stern expressions and uniform movements, uniformly raised their arms.

At a glance, a multitude of raised half-circles dazzled and intertwined, forming a complete Divine Ring.

"This matter is entrusted to you! I await your triumphant return."

The officers cried out in unison, "Where our king leads, duty is undeniable!"

"Where our king leads! Duty is undeniable!!"

...

"The River Valley King has agreed to send troops," Tashina said.

"He should do so. The Pope says I harmed a believer of All Gods, but I don’t even know which believer he’s talking about. My daughter, you know it’s just an excuse. Roman is different, though; he marked the faces of those Holy War Army captives with a square pattern to prove their slave status—you see, he has gone too far..."

To Tashina, he sounded like a woman complaining about her hard fate.

Iao III, without any support, grudgingly said, "What else, what have the other kings said?"

Tashina, standing tall like a white pine in the hall, said, "For now, only Lord Yerman has responded, and he and his Axe Guard are on their way. I won’t say much about those mercenaries and nobles; they aren’t much use... When needed, I will don armor and enter the fray..."

"No!" Iao III exclaimed, "My daughter, how can I let you risk yourself."

Tashina only had pity for her father, "Come on, you are weak and incompetent, only proficient in manipulating politics, proud over minor victories. Now look, you’ve messed everything up, someone has to clean up the mess."

Iao III felt both love and hate for her; his lean face showed a smile mixed with tears, his darling lashing out at him with harsh words, but he just couldn’t bring himself to hate her. This situation was not what he had desired, and the king gritted his teeth and said, "It’s them who can’t take the game!"

The Black Iron Princess softly said, "My king, I had warned you, and the scholars had warned you, it was an ominous sign. They want war, and yet you want to avoid it, it’s ludicrous... Of course, I bear responsibility too, I should have killed you earlier and faked your death as an accident, allowing me to ascend the throne, to collaborate with the witches, to initiate the war beforehand... But you just wouldn’t die decently, ah, you really should run off to the Desert Royal Court, stick your butt in the air, bury your head in the sand, so you wouldn’t have to worry about the thunderstorms outside."

Iao III was incredulous, these harsh and shrill words coming from his daughter.