[At the extreme North, in the land of frost, there is a Country of Snow, Mist Country. It has rich mines and specializes in producing magic crystals. The country is wealthy and the businesses were prosperous. They had a strong military force that allowed them to withstand the invasion of the Beastman and Elf in the East and the Demon Abyss in the West for almost a thousand years. Its royalty has a rich tradition and the Princes of every generation serves as generals. However, nearing the demise of the country, there is the birth of a twin prince, an ominous foreboding. Afterwards, foreign tribes invaded them and calamity beset them, causing the fall of the country…]
“These papers are all bullshit!”
Every time I see the description of Mist Country on that book on history commonly used in the continent, I feel nauseated. What kind of history is this, it is obviously the victors singing praises of their own war effort. What calamity were they talking about, it was obviously the doings of human!
Allow me to recall the truth of the history that I compiled.
AD1518, 378 years ago, when the Beastmen and Demons invaded simultaneously to steal from the prosperous human world, the Mist Country started a full-out campaign against them. Going by tradition, the East battle line is led by Prince Roland while the West battle line is led by Prince Karwenz. At that time, both Princes were only 12 years old.
4 years earlier, when the tyrant, Caroni, took over the throne of Saint Fortrya, a neighboring country of Mist Country, his tyrannical rule caused his people to live in fear. In order to divert away the problems within the country, he pointed his sword towards the rich and powerful Mist Country and often caused trouble at the borders.
At this moment, looking at how the Mist Country is short on manpower, Caroni colluded with two other countries which had long set their eyes on them and invaded the Mist Country’s only safe zone, its South border, putting Mist Country in a dangerous position.
Due to the urgent circumstances, Prince Roland, who is a Holy Knight, went back to the headquarters of the Holy Church and on the joint conference of large countries, he accused those invaders of invading his country without any consideration of basic morals and requested for them to withdraw their enemy. However, the prepared Saint Fortrya instead accused him of being a heretic and colluded with Demons.
Cardinal Ben.Zuma, who has been bribed by Saint Fortrya long ago, adjudicated that Roland was guilty of heresy and he was arrested to await public punishment. Also, Saint Fortrya secretly promised to split the right to develop the magic crystal mines to other country in exchange of keeping out of this matter. If it wasn’t for that they went too far and word got out that the Holy Knights and Priests at the bottom of the hierarchy started a violent protest, I might have been sentenced to death on the spot.
On the same year, Karwenz invaded the Holy Church Headquarters and killed countless guards to rescue the locked up Roland. Fresh red blood stained the stairs of Baine Great Church and even the illegitimate son of the Pope then was included in the list of deceased. When news spread out, the event shocked the entire world and the Church lost its dignity. This incident came to be known as the ‘Bloodshed of Baine’.
The Holy Knights and Priests Faction, which was full of experts, simply watched quietly at the incident. 2 years later, Pope Saint Paul the 9th took the blame and steps down while Ben.Zuma was exiled.
But, before the Pope stepped down, with the ‘Bloodshed of Baine’ as a trigger, the Mist Country and its royalty was stripped of their books on the teachings of the Holy Church and their entire country was adjudicated as a country of heretics. But, what was ironic is that the country’s East battle line has been broken through by the Beastman alliance army while the West battle line is in a savage fight with the Demons. This claim of us being heretic, it is really too hard to tell how were we heretics.
AD1519 spring, 377 years ago, the current Pope Saint Paul launched a ‘Holy War’ against the heretics. The countries who were extremely attracted to the profits from the magic crystal mines, the special product of the country and the slave trade actually quickly responded to the invitation to this ridiculous Holy War. At the same, the Holy Knights and Priests, under the suppression of the upper echelons of the church, could only helplessly remain silent.
On the same year, all of the battle lines of the Mist Country were broken through. Under the summons of the royalty, all of the surviving citizens escaped into the only remaining city, the capital Diffindor. All of the scattered army retreated back to protect the capital.
AD1520, 376 years ago, after being trapped in the capital for 15 months, all of the rations and supplies were running out. It wasn’t long before the human kingdom Mist Country’s final capital Diffindor was broken through by the human alliance army. Prince Roland led all of the remaining guards to fight to their death while Prince Karwenz has disappeared completely. That year, both of the Princes were 14 years old.
The human alliance army, who had suffered great casualties, slaughtered the entire city to vent their resentment. However, the long period of war and the hatred of the civilians and soldiers at the brink of their death caused Diffindor to accumulate so much that it went beyond being a Cursed Land, converting directly into a Land of Death. The Knights who died to protect their countries and the civilians who were reluctant to die just like that, they all turned into the servants of death and started their vengeance against the living beings.
The alliance army got caught off-guard and suffered heavy losses. In the end, the missing Karwenz appears once again. This time, he really colluded with the Demon army and started his revenge against the world of humans and the Holy Church.
All in all, the war lasted for 16 years. Numerous human kingdoms were destroyed because of the war and the entire human society was plunged into hell. In the end, the Demon army was destroyed and Karwenz was banished back to hell by the Holy Church. The Holy Church also ended up conducting a massive reorganization its internal structure.
After that, under the Yongye Calamity more than hundred years ago, the different kingdoms who invaded the Mist Country was completely crushed. Many tribes that were blessed with longevity suspected that Lord Yongye is the Prince Roland back then. After all, Mist’s War Flag was too eye-catching. However, the Holy Church denied the claim with all its might and the matter closed like this.
Afterwards, the Mist Country is deemed as the dark history of the entire human society. In the case which it must be mentioned, a simple and twisted introduction is left on the history book.
“…However, nearing the demise of the country, there is the birth of a twin prince, an ominous foreboding. Afterwards, foreign tribes invaded them and calamity beset them, causing the fall of the country. Prince Karwenz colluded with the Demons and brought them into the country, causing the destruction of Mist Country and 17 other nearby countries.”
“Hehe, destruction?”
The Skeleton Horse beneath me charges ahead. Looking at Mist’s War Flags dancing in the air and the Demon army that are at the horizon, I feel like I returned back to the war back then. Thus, I lift my broken Roland Sword. It is the symbol of the royalty of Mist Country.
“As long as I, Roland, lives, the Mist Country will never fall!”
“Mist Country will never fall!”
Isn’t the one carrying the War Flags and charging ahead the Great Skeleton General Fayde? As a Royal Knight of the Mist Country and the top Sword Saint of the Red Hunting Hounds, he has experienced countless battles in a few centuries. His body is full of wounds but there isn’t a single scar on his back. The reason? As the flag bearer, not mentioning whether the flag has fallen, the flag he carries has never even tilted before!”
“Charge, my Knights! Beat up these darned Demons.”
That is the Mistress of Plague Lich Kakana. She can’t be blamed for that nondescript order to her troops to charge. After all, she isn’t even military personnel. If it wasn’t for the events that happened, she would have probably been an Alchemist Merchant that is selling beauty and nutrition products.
A portion of the 24602 remaining soldiers are the soldiers who died for the country while the rest of them are ordinary civilians who gradually became soldiers. They come from many different places and their composition are messy. However, this bunch of unreliable colleagues have become the home for my soul.
My people are at my back, my Knights are beside me and this is where my kingdom is. Then, what do you mean by destroyed, what do you mean by demise? It is all a joke!
“Return to us, our kingdom, our capital — ?Soul World, The Infallible Diffindor?”
Snowflakes starts to fall slowly from the sky as a gust of strong wind whips up the snow on the ground. Time seems to have rewind to the winter that year.
My Soulfire burns intensely. After paying a price, the first Soul Imprint to be awakened is the already damaged Ice Treader.
The snow extends for tens of thousands of miles and in the great snowstorm, it is to look at the distant. The mountains and surface has been covered with snow. Thousands of miles sealed with ice and the frosty North wind, this is the North Winter that we were familiar with.
The Demon army which comprise mainly Fire Elemental Demons shiver in this unexpected snowstorm that suddenly beset them. This world gives them a feeling even more dangerous than the Forbidden Spell from before. That is the frost from the natural world, it is something that mercilessly steals away all life and eliminates them.
At the moment when the Demons shiver, my Undead army laughed manically. Undead never fear the cold, needless to say these fellows who grew up in the Snow Country. Fighting in the snow, their fighting prowess would be increased significantly.
Yes, the Soul World that I was proud of is only a purely support-based world. It is meaningless without my army. However, as long as my army and I exist, without doubt, it is the strongest one in the world!
Furthermore, this land of snow is just the start…
“I am the Lord of Undead, the Prince of Mist Country, the final Head Knight of the Order. I swear to protect my people and my land! I swear to never surrender to any invaders! I swear to change fate! I swear to bring equality to all life!”
That is the solemn promise of the Prince of an ancient destroyed country. Then comes the vows of the Knights.
“Your Highness, I am your kindest Knight. I vow to treat the weak with kindness and help anyone who requests of me.”
Slance, the kindest Knight. He escorted the refugees for a thousand miles to Diffindor. In the entire group, the only one who died of hunger during the journey is him, who split the food in the group.
“Your Highness, I am your strongest Knight. I vow to stand bravely against violence, not regretting my actions even if I die a hundred times!”
Camisia, my prided Titan Warrior, the fearless vanguard. Even when he was decapitated, he never stopped his charge.
“Your Highness, I am your most righteous Knight. I vow to correct every mistake, no matter where it comes from!”
Fanderk, my Holy Knight brother who went to denounce the injustice in the joint conference of countries. I was saved by Karwenz but he was hanged on the squares of the Holy Light Church. Even to his death, he insists on the justice in his heart and he refused to cave in to anyone, regardless whether it is to the Churches of the world or the Holy Light he holds faith in.
“Your Highness, I am your most useless Knight. I vow to fight for those without weapons, but I can only serve as a wall with my body.”
Carlos, who dares to say that you are useless! To save those escaping refugees, despite being exhausted, you used your body of flesh to shield the civilians and guarded the rock bridge by yourself without retreating. In the end, you died from getting pierced by hundreds of arrows.
“Your Highness, I am your most brotherly Knight. I vow to help my Knight brothers to protect their families by using this body of flesh.
Lucas, you have succeeded in your aims. The families of everyone survived but what that makes everyone’s heartache is that you failed to protect the 15-year-old you.
“Your Highness, I am your most loyal Knight. I swear to follow you to the ends of time.”
Bastian, my son of Wrath. From a pet dog, you advanced slowly to become the Captain of the Red Hunting Hounds. Someone said that you relied on the strong physical body that I granted you to climb to that position. Someone insulted you and said that you are a brainless pug who only knows loyalty. But, you faced their insults and sarcasm with a smiling face and treated the dog-like loyalty as the greatest honor. Your claws and anger are always directed towards the enemies.
“Origin of Order, if this kind of Knights aren’t qualified to become Heroic Spirits, then your eyes must be blind! If this kind of Knights can’t be called Heroes, then those heroes in Myths are simply those who deceived the world for their fame. Return and fight for me, my Knights!”
The Soul Imprints that represents my life start to awaken once again under the injection of my Power of Soul. The damaged Crown of Undead and Son of Light starts to light up again. The Power of Order and Power of Chaos come into conflict and gradually, they merged together, forming a Light of Rule that changes everything.
Under the chants of my Knights and I, a light radiates and the entire world has been replaced, my Soul World replacing the real world.
It is an endless snowfield under the starry skies. Smoke and war cry surrounds us, this is the scenery of a battlefield. In the faraway distant in our vision, the city named Diffindor is still burning fervently. That is the home that we have always anticipated, but can never reach.
This is Soul World ?The Infallible Diffindor?. Under its effects, we have returned back to 376 years ago. On the day when a snowstorm rises in the night, at that moment, Diffindor has yet to fall and my Knights and I were still struggling.
The descend of my Soul World means that reality is being rewritten. My knights are no longer in the form of the ugly-looking Skeletons and Corpses.
The flag of a tornado flies up high. But below the flag were lively faces. Their healthy and fit body were equipped with superior equipment with an insignia of a tornado on it. They are no longer normal Undead. They are the incarnation of the wills of Heroes after their deaths. They have been granted an immortal Soul Body by the Origin of Order and there is even a nice name to go along with it – Heroic Spirit.
There is a boundary between Heroic Spirits and Undead. In my Soul World, the Knights that were loyal to me are the only Heroes worthy of the title of Heroic Spirits.
Right now, they are overstepping the limitations of the incomplete body of the Undead with the centuries of strength and experience they have accumulated. With a perfect physical body that is suited for them to exert their strength, their fighting prowess would be increased by at least three folds.
Looking at the sudden change, the fearless Demon army starts to tremble and back away. Going by logic, every Heroic Spirit is at least a Legend-rank existence. They have no chance at victory.
“Demon Count? Far from being enough. Bring a Demon Prince or Great Duke here.”
The Heroic Spirit Knights has already started sweeping away the Demon army. The frenzied laughter of Camisia, Bastian and the others echo on the battlefield.
The flag-bearing Great Sword Saint Defays dances in the midst of Demons. His 18 sharp swords float around his body and slaughters the enemies. Despite being just a single person, he seemed to be like a Sword Formation. The body of the Heroic Spirit granted him the ability to use his will to control his swords, allowing him to better display his skills as compared to when he is still an Undead.
In this moment, the Three-Headed Hellhound Wrath has shown their powers. Standing together, Ah Bao and Ah Bas combines together in a spatial distortion and their true body appears. The Three-Headed Hellhound starts to chant the Choral of Hell and the gate leading to the Death Dimension opens. This is Wrath who represents the Grim Reaper.
Leading the charge, I am already deep within the Demon army. The gigantic Demon Kakajil stands in front of me. However, I smile happily and swings the Roland Sword which somehow became complete again. I swing the reins and the gigantic black War Horse Yongye increases its speed with a loud howl, leaving after-images in the battlefield.
In this world, I am still that Holy Knight Prince Roland and not the Lich Roland who only has an incomplete and damaged body remaining. I am the Head Knight of the Order!
At this moment, Adam, who was already fighting with Kakajil, looking at me reinforcing him, he stuns for a moment before smiling.
“As expected, it is Big Brother Rolo. Why? Have you finally thought it through and decided to come meet me for the last time?”
Yes, I have regained my look of the past, albeit the age not being correct. However, the face shape should be very similar to the Big Brother Rolo in his memories, confirming the guesses that he was confident of.
“Sigh, I intended to send you off with my face after I fully revive. Let’s cut the crap for now, someone is waiting for us. So, do you need help?”
“Of course, don’t duel if you can lynch. Isn’t that what you often said?”
Old enemies? Old friends? Old brothers? I haven’t been able to say for sure for a long time now.
We smiled mutually at each other. The crimson-red God word and the silver longsword cross by each other in midair and sparks were produced from the friction. In the next instant, we slashed at the Demon Count at the same time.
“The Severance of the River of Time!”
“Holy Light, that is an enemy worth fighting!!”
——-
PS1. Roland has been upped a tier because he used the God Equipment Origin of Codex. In order not to affect the reading, I didn’t mention it in the main text. Also, the reason why his Soul Imprints and Roland Sword became complete again is because he burnt his soul. That is a kind of suicide, but there’s a reason for that.
PS2. Now that I’m on a critical period, to ensure the quality, I will write slowly