When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist-Chapter 576 - 554: My Destiny is to Forge Ahead Unstoppably

Chapter 576: Chapter 554: My Destiny is to Forge Ahead Unstoppably

"Not even the Saint Master can stop me, I said it!"

With a clatter, the door swung past Horn’s nose and slammed heavily against the door frame.

Prince Kongdai, impatient with Horn’s words, left this remark before he entered the study of the countryside villa.

Horn knocked on the door several times from outside, but the only response he received was —

"I have important matters to attend to, do not disturb me!"

Having no other choice, Horn could only smile bitterly and walk down the stairs.

In the small garden, several priests and monks gathered around, eagerly watching Horn.

Seeing Horn shake his head, they could only sigh helplessly.

"I advised several company commanders, and they only have reservations about neglecting Moliat, none at all about returning to aid Feiliu Castle."

"These company commanders of the Titled Knights only listen to His Highness the Prince."

"Those two commanders of the Mercenary Corps have ideas, but they can’t speak them."

After summarizing with several priests, Horn felt an increasing headache.

Since the noble rebellion in Hotam County, His Highness the Prince had fallen into a state of not listening to reason.

Every day he muttered about executing all the rebellious nobles.

Despite Horn’s long persuasion efforts, even attempting to join forces with other company commanders to remonstrate with arms, he still could not succeed or change Prince Kongdai’s mind.

On the battlefield in Shangruifo County, Prince Kongdai led the Titled Knights to defeat Moliat’s Mountain Knights repeatedly, and they were once again besieged in High Castle.

Yet anyone with knowledge could feel the tide of the battle shifting against His Highness the Prince’s favor.

Especially after the Salvation Army dispatched troops to control Damp Dock, and the Vice Castle Knights barely reacted.

It’s only a three to five-day journey by sea from Damp Dock to Feiliu Castle!

Even if Horn needed 3-4 days to muster troops and transport ships, by the time the news reached them, the Salvation Army would likely have already set out.

In fact, Horn guessed correctly, the Salvation Army gathered their forces in just two days and began marching towards Damp Dock.

As the monks prepared according to Horn’s summer grand offensive, ships and provisions were readily available.

They merely changed the main attack direction from north to west.

Wrapping his clothes tighter around himself, Horn glanced somewhat helplessly at the snow in the garden through the lattice window.

The weather had indeed been strange these past few years, and here it was March, yet the snow in Shangruifo County had not melted, with hints of more snow to come.

Given the current situation, the best course of action would be to head directly north to seek refuge with the Duke of Thorn Garden.

The Duke of Thorn Garden would likely not refuse four Titled Knights.

Yet His Highness the Prince refused!

One must know, once the Salvation Army controlled Feiliu Castle and its surroundings, along with the rebellious counts, this army of over ten thousand would have its retreat cut off!

The Salvation Army would then be invincible in the Thousand River Valley.

But Prince Kongdai stubbornly believed that the Salvation Army couldn’t take Feiliu Castle in time and that they could surely defeat the Salvation Army even in isolation.

Horn never understood what Prince Kongdai was thinking.

Yet, he was still unwilling to give up.

After giving some instructions to a few priests, Horn went to the kitchen, ordered Prince Kongdai’s favorite roast lamb chops and stewed chicken, and returned to the study door.

"Charles, you should eat, here is lamb chops with pepper."

Receiving no response, Horn assumed Prince Kongdai was asleep, so he knocked on the door once more.

"Charles, it’s me, you can’t skip dinner."

With a creak, the study door was opened.

"I’ve decided to ascend to Great Knight." Prince Kongdai’s first sentence upon leaving the study startled Horn immensely.

He froze in place for a full three seconds before denying it, "You can’t do it, becoming a Great Knight requires nine types of potions, it takes at least a year."

The ascension to Great Knight does not happen suddenly, or rather, the concept of a Great Knight doesn’t originally exist but is a human creation.

For the Great Knight is essentially a High-tier Knight transformed into a humanoid monster through potions, a process extremely slow and painful.

These nine potions are named after nine types of dragons, from Golden Dragon to Red Dragon.

In the eyes of ordinary people or even low-tier Extraordinary Knights, these nine dragons are like poison.

Even knights with the Nine-Section Breathing Technique, if not skilled, would struggle to withstand the potency and die.

Only healthy, strong, and proficient knights with the Nine-Section Breathing Technique can slowly absorb the potency.

But even the most powerful knights do not drink nine bottles consecutively.

Many times, to ensure safety, those Titled Knights preparing to ascend to Great Knight rest for a full year after drinking the relatively safer first four bottles before consuming the latter five.

Prince Kongdai, however, opened the study’s door behind him, showing on the desk one empty potion bottle and two unopened ones:

"I take four days to digest each bottle. By the time we return to Feiliu Castle, my personal prowess will absolutely crush a Champion Knight."

As long as I control my food intake, my weight will not grow too quickly. I won’t need a Dragon Blood Horse; an ordinary mixed-blood horse will do...

"Slap!"

Horn’s slap landed on Prince Kongdai’s face, his body trembling, beard and hair standing on end.

"Are you mad! Do you know what being a Great Knight means?" the veteran, who had never lost his temper, roared hysterically, "In ten years, you will be fatter than a pig; in twenty, an idiot; in thirty, you’ll lose your life! 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

You intend to reach the third step on the ascension path in one month; perhaps you won’t even need thirty years, and you’ll already be dead!

You’re only forty, and you don’t even know if your mistress’s child is a boy or a girl, or if it’ll be born! What will become of the Golden Finch family line?

Lifespan, offspring, sanity will all leave you. You’ll become a war puppet barely following commands."

"I know, Horn, I know." Prince Kongdai’s breath was tinged with a faint blood mist.

"And yet, you still want to go through with it? Come with me to see the monks now, there’s still a chance to cleanse your stomach and dispel the toxins." Horn grasped Prince Kongdai’s wrist but couldn’t pull him.

"Horn, a Golden Finch fledgling is already lucky enough to reach its current state."

Prince Kongdai panted, "But do you know the price of this luck? I’m a prince; I’m a royal. It’s already too much that people treat me like a dog.

As a Champion Knight, I killed the Vampire Duke, earning my own glory, yet the nobles in Holy Seat City still treat me like a dog, demanding and commanding!

I was first the Archbishop’s dog, then the Knight Order’s dog, and then the Pope’s dog.

I finally broke free in the Thousand River Valley, yet now I’m supposed to become the Duke of Thorn Garden’s dog?"

Standing before what seemed like a giant lion upright, Prince Kongdai, Horn was at a loss for words.

Supporting himself against the door frame, the veins on Prince Kongdai’s forehead bulged as he nearly roared, "No! If I cannot have freedom and dignity, I would rather die!

It’s been thirty years; how many more thirty years do I have? I must consider whether the Thousand River Valley is the only chance of my life..."

"What will you do then, even if you win?" Horn shouted, pointing at his nose.

Prince Kongdai didn’t directly answer; instead, heaved his chest, constantly adjusting his breathing. After nearly a minute, he finally smiled faintly:

"My child, be it son or daughter, they will rely on you in the future.

I know I’m always disrupting your plans, but now you have a puppet knight who will never disrupt plans, one who obeys you completely, a Great Knight puppet.

With this Great Knight puppet, nobles won’t fear me retaliating because I’m no longer capable of being king.

With this Great Knight puppet, even if the royal family attempts to reclaim the Thousand River Valley, I believe you can fend off their army.

With this Great Knight puppet, perhaps the Golden Finch fledgling can soar to the crown once again! To reclaim what we deserve!"

Dumbfounded, Horn could even hear Prince Kongdai’s heart beating emphatically through his chest, as if it were about to burst through.

"I do not understand those schemes nor the twists and turns."

"My fate is to charge forward relentlessly!"