The Lich of Glory Knight Spirit: Moving towards Krimasha!
Chapter 188 - 14: Black Dragon City

Chapter 188: Chapter 14: Black Dragon City

In February of the year 10758, when the snow in Saint Lorenza began to melt, Gray settled the affairs of Azlan Mountain and finally embarked on the journey to Black Dragon City.

"Esteemed Holy Knight: We are pleased to hear of your upcoming arrival. The emperor of Gustav appreciates your decision and admires it. We eagerly await your presence. Looking forward to our meeting, which may decide the future of the entire continent. Cedric V." Cedric V sent a brief reply.

The wind blew lightly, and the Silver Moon Banner fluttered in the breeze.

The snow in the creek trickled down, as Gray led the Silver Moon Knight Order through the pine forest where white and green met.

*It was another "expedition," but unlike countless previous ones, the fire of Gray’s soul seemed somewhat weak.*

"A rope tied me down, preventing me from running freely in the pursuit of justice. I wanted to break free, but it tightened even more."

"Did you truly want to break free?" asked the Black Cat.

"Didn’t I want to break free?" Gray countered.

"Yes, you didn’t. I watched you come this far, and I know you too well. Not only did you not want to break free, but you also faced it head-on. Because you fundamentally do not believe that being a Lich and a Holy Knight is wrong. You do not even wish to hide it or lie to quell the rumors. You are deliberately ignoring the impending crisis because you feel that recognizing it would be akin to surrendering to this absurdity, admitting like everyone else that a Lich cannot become a Holy Knight."

"Now I must go to Black Dragon City, haven’t I surrendered?"

"No, you have not. You have many other ways to solve the problems. For instance, you could directly launch a war against the Gustav Empire and topple it. Or you could use Vivian’s Illusion Technique to make many people ’see’ your true appearance. Or you could make a statement denying the rumors. But you disdain to do any of these."

"These would violate the doctrine."

"Yes, but compared to the mistakes made by the cardinals, these are nothing. The Holy Spirit has always adopted an attitude of acceptance, hasn’t it?"

"I am different from them!" Gray replied loudly.

"So, you still haven’t surrendered." The Black Cat stretched lazily in the armor and said, "Sometimes I don’t know whether to worry about your stubbornness or be relieved."

"Did I become a Holy Knight not to pursue justice? If I become like them, then what meaning does everything I did before have?"

Actually, the Black Cat wanted to say, "You decided to become a Knight just on a whim to wear armor and not let people discover your identity as a Lich. And now you risk exposing yourself just to fulfill the role of a Holy Knight?"

Of course, he ultimately didn’t say it. A cat’s life is so strange, thousands of words can only be summed up in a sigh.

*Was the rope tethering Gray merely his identity as a Lich? No, it was also his obsession with the doctrine, sacred beliefs, and knightly vows. Perhaps these were what truly bound him. And from initially being unable to stop him, the Black Cat had come to this day, unable to bear preventing him. He could only watch Gray continue to step forward, one step at a time.*

Catherine had already returned to Shelley and Richie at Gray’s request, continuing to look after his family. Vivian continued to run around, gathering various intelligence for Gray.

For certain reasons, everyone began to avoid discussing certain topics.

The Gustav Empire was vast, but the distance between Saint Lorenza and Black Dragon City was not far. Even at a normal pace, half a month was more than sufficient.

In early March of the Holy calendar 10758, Gray finally appeared calmly at the outskirts of Black Dragon City. Yes, "calmly."

...

Black Dragon City, or more accurately, Black Dragon Port, was a coastal city located on a plain where two large rivers intersected.

Black buildings covered the entire plain, like patches of black dragon scales, uneven yet with a certain pattern, resembling drawings on the earth. The gaps between the scales were roads. In the center stood the magnificent Gustav Palace, resembling a dragon’s nest.

This was a palace entirely different from the Lion King Palace. The Lion King Palace did not occupy much land, but the buildings were particularly tall, each one having at least four floors. The Gustav Palace, on the other hand, was more like a sprawling fortress.

It had gigantic dragon-like spines, thick jointed walls, towering black "bone spur" decorations, enormous courtyards, training grounds, and even within the palace, there was a sizable "inner sea" connected to the ocean through narrow canals. Within the inner sea was a small port.

From the mountain, looking down, the Gustav Palace seemed like patches of vacant land in the midst of Black Dragon City, contrasting sharply with the densely built surrounding areas.

In strict terms, Black Dragon City was not the largest city in the Gustav Empire. The real largest city was Saint Lorenza. Saint Lorenza, being the seat of the church, held ecclesiastical power over the entire continent and was the hub of the empire’s inland trade, with a huge population of outsiders. Yet, in terms of scale, Black Dragon City was considerably larger, mainly because of its military significance.