MMORPG: War God, You are Invincible Again
Chapter 369 - 124 Uproar

Chapter 369: Chapter 124 Uproar

In the history of the Alliance, the Empire had waged countless wars against it, with the largest invasions nearly erasing the Alliance from the map of the Star Sea.

All citizens of the Alliance, in their educational history, had a mandatory course—a thorough understanding of Alliance history.

Every citizen of the Alliance knew well that their political system did not permit dictatorship nor absolute rule; a hundred schools of thought flourished, prospering together. Yet, on the other side of the Star Sea, the Sacred Empire, though they were also of the Human Race, was intensely despised, and national humiliation was etched deep in their hearts.

Every citizen of the Alliance looked forward to the emergence of a champion Marquis, leading the Alliance army into the Imperial Palace of the Sacred Empire, cutting down their flags, and making the Alliance the mightiest nation under the stars.

However, Lu Hong’s wish had disappointed everyone—they could not understand why, at this crucial moment, the Alliance’s most glorious Marquis had done the very thing that hurt the Alliance most.

Anger!

Unbounded fury overflowed in everyone’s heart.

"Kill him!"

With a public outcry, just as strong as their earlier praise and cheers, the hatred now was that much more profound.

"Kill him!" countless Alliance citizens shouted in rage.

"He has disrupted the Alliance’s public sentiment, this man must be executed!" Having used Lu Hong, Duke Chen Hui discarded him, channeling public outrage.

"Gentlemen!" Nuoshan had promised to save his life and would naturally try his best; thus, he spoke up, "This man has committed grave crimes, but there must be someone instructing him from behind. We shall detain him now, and once the truth is revealed, we will decide his punishment."

Without waiting for objections, Duke Nuoshan ordered his men to take Lu Hong away to the most secure prison of the Alliance—Vanloth Prison.

It was the place for detaining major offenders of the Alliance, not belonging to any single noble seat, but was managed jointly by thirty-eight nobles. Sending someone there was easy, but to get someone out, one needed the approval of at least twenty nobles, and even Nuoshan couldn’t rescue Lu Hong if he couldn’t persuade two out of the three— Sinrei, Chen Hui, and Lei Shan.

Though escaping from Vanloth Prison was incredibly difficult, it currently seemed to be the best protection for Lu Hong; no duke could exercise special privileges to interrogate him alone.

"Your Grace," at this moment, hundreds of mid-level Marquis council members stood, faces grim as water. A representative, Earl An Tian, spoke up, "This man has obstructed a major military operation of the Alliance. His identity and contacts should be thoroughly investigated. I suspect he might have been bewitched by an Imperial spy and betrayed his own country; he deserves death!"

Why hadn’t Nuoshan outright opposed the attack on the Empire? Why had Chen Hui done the same? It was because public opinion could not be defied. If they bore this wrath alone, it could significantly impact their families. The Four Great Dukes might have apportioned a vast number of noble seats under the Alliance to their influence, but those were not their home slaves. If these nobles united against a duke, they still held a position that could not be overlooked.

Moreover, it wasn’t just about providing an explanation to the public, but also to their own family’s soldiers who were counting on the war to achieve glory and fortune. Blocking someone’s path to wealth could build an unseen danger, potentially putting the family at great risk at some moment. The Alliance was not the Empire; the majority carried a deep sense of freedom. Just like Qing Yuechu, who, under the headmaster’s influence, completely disregarded her own family, the majority of the students at the Holy Institute also had their own free-spirited hearts, influencing every generation of the Alliance.

All the blame now pointed towards Lu Hong, having nothing to do with the two Great Dukes, Nuoshan and Chen Hui. Even if the mid-level noble council revealed his identity, at most the Four Great Families would have to bear the brunt of negligence together, a fault of many, like a mosquito bite—insignificant and hardly felt.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace of Jinrui City in the Sacred Empire, across the Star Sea,

Konstantin put down the frontline reports, looking worriedly at the Star Sea map on the right wall.

It was already marked with several red arrows, which were the Empire’s Military Department’s predictions of the Alliance’s invasion routes. Several blue lines represented defensive positions, and nearly thirty different planar areas were circled inside the map, warning Konstantin of potential rebellions!

"Your Majesty!" Questasa hurried to the great hall.

Konstantin didn’t have time to watch him kneel, and quickly asked, "How are things? Is the Alliance’s attack confirmed?"

"Your Majesty, according to our spies, the wish granted to the champion Marquis selected by the Alliance was surprisingly not to allow war with the Empire," Questasa could hardly believe this intelligence, fearing a spy’s betrayal. He had spent several hours awakening nearly a hundred spies to verify the reliability of the message.

Once all spies consistently corroborated the report, Questasa dared to convey the information.

"Really?!" Konstantin could hardly believe it.

"Indeed, your excellency, I have verified it nearly a hundred times, even awakening spies from three generations past, the message is absolutely reliable."

With Questasa’s confirmation, Konstantin finally breathed a sigh of relief. If the alliance attacked while the threat from the sea people was still unfinished, the Sacred Empire would have no choice but to surrender a vast amount of territory. But now, the threat of the alliance was unexpectedly resolved by a prodigy of the alliance itself, which was utterly laughable.

"However..." Questasa hesitated, "I also received information that..."

"What is it?" Konstantin frowned, "Speak quickly and don’t beat around the bush."

"It’s... it’s that the alliance council, after investigation, discovered that the champion Marquis who won the Eagle’s Conquest is indeed the Baron who disappeared in Ambra months ago."

"What did you say?!" Konstantin was taken aback. He had sent people to search for a very long time and had been unable to find any trace of his nephew, fearing that Lu Hong was long dead in the elf ruins. Yet, it turned out his nephew had bravely infiltrated the alliance alone to resolve the empire’s imminent crisis.

"Is the information reliable?!" Konstantin’s brow was furrowed tightly.

"It should be... reliable, Your Majesty. If the champion Marquis from the Eagle Alliance is truly the Baron, what should we do?"

Rescue him? Impossible, and completely unfeasible. Were it not for the sea people, Lu Hong trapped within the Eagle Alliance, Konstantin would indeed have the boldness to wage war on their behalf, and battle it out. But now, with the empire’s decline, he had no choice but to watch the alliance execute Lu Hong helplessly.

Konstantin paced with his hands behind his back. After a short while, he ordered Questasa, "Send someone to disguise as a Tukuru, and make a show of spreading the news. We must find a way to get the message into the alliance. As long as the empire has the Baron, then there’s room for maneuver regarding the identity confirmed by the alliance."

This was the best idea Konstantin could conceive of, and Questasa promptly agreed, beginning to make arrangements.

Ten days is neither a long nor a short amount of time. Once the middle council began its full investigation, all of Lu Hong’s cover was blown. Although some key evidence had been erased by Nuoshan, the exposure of the holy sword had already determined many things.

With his identity exposed, rallies calling for the execution of Lu Hong were a daily scene in the Seven Heavens Realm, marking the alliance Baron becoming the alliance’s champion Marquis as a great shame. The public had spontaneously organized rallies, with countless nobles fanning the flames from behind; even Duke Nuoshan was powerless to suppress it.

"Earl, I beg you, please save him!" Anna washed her face with tears every day, her complexion growing haggard. Upon seeing Earl Ci Pu visit, she immediately knelt on the ground.

Ci Pu sighed and tried to help Anna up, "Please get up."

Such incidents had happened countless times, but even Nuoshan was helpless, so what could he, Ci Pu, possibly do?

"Lu Hong must die; even the Duke couldn’t withstand the pressure," Ci Pu said, "I came here to take you to see him one last time. Nuoshan broke his word, so he wishes to see you once more before he goes, which also happens to be his own desire. You will come with me, and we only have one hour. Afterward, I will take you out of the alliance, and we’ll head to the empire’s border."

Upon hearing that she was going to visit Lu Hong, Anna quickly got up, sat in front of the dressing table, took out items from her Space Ring, and began to dress carefully.

She intended to present Lu Hong with her most beautiful self.

After thirty minutes, Ci Pu, leading Anna, passed through multiple spatial transfers and arrived at the entrance of Vanloth Prison. Two statues, stained with fresh blood, stood watch like living creatures.

Ci Pu, unphased, took out a token, "With the permission of the esteemed lords, I’ve come for a visit."

"Granted," the statues responded in a deep voice, sensing the magic power fluctuations from the token, and then the massive stone door slowly opened.

"Let’s go," Ci Pu led the way, explaining to Anna, "Don’t be panicked when you enter. The whole prison is made of magic-dampening stones, so it will absorb all forms of magic power from anyone who enters. You should prepare yourself to adapt."

"Okay." Anna nodded and followed Ci Pu inside. As soon as they entered, all her magic power was drained, leaving her no different from an ordinary person at that moment—this was the most terrifying aspect of Vanloth Prison.

The prison was filled with the stench of corruption and blood. Each cell had a heavy iron door with no window through which one could peer, only by means of a special token could the corresponding cell door be opened.

The gloomy prison corridor echoed only with the steps of the two, resonating endlessly...