Whispers of the Gods

Chapter 8 Vigrich I

"This is a provocation to the empire!"

The bald man in front of him looked angry, and Wigrich could see the tense veins on his forehead beating.

"Your Majesty, we must act!"

He wore chain mail, a sleeveless brown and green tunic with the crest of House Masters on it, and a grizzly bear with a sword.

The man held the helmet in his right hand, as if he was about to go to the battlefield in the next second.

In discussions of imperial affairs, Gosfried Master, as military commander, always favored a more radical approach.

Given his thirty-five years of age, this is not surprising.The Hastza of his generation had not experienced war, and certainly would not have understood its horrors.

Only those who have experienced war will understand what the price of war is.

Vigrich's father, the last emperor of the Hastza Empire, "Iron Hammer" Ataginu I, launched two large-scale southern expeditions during his 15-year reign.

The empire's regular army and peasant army marched southward from the Gray Harbor to attack the Kingdom of Musor. Both attacks were stopped by the high wall of Muros City, which turned into a protracted siege and war of attrition.

And these wars were all ended with the retreat of the imperial army. In addition to gaining nothing on the territory, the treasury was also exhausted.

All because of his emperor father's unwillingness to give up his foolish dreams of conquest.

Atachinu I was not incompetent, but his ability could not support his ambition. He was a great warrior, but he was at best a mediocre ruler.

He felt that his hammer could bring everything to its knees, and that war was his only means.In the end, Nanzheng failed, and he died in depression.

"We're not yet sure who made it," retorted Allowin, who was wearing a black silk robe with gold patterns.

Because a homicide occurred in the Star Temple, the priest was brutally murdered in the sacred place, the seriousness of this matter cannot be underestimated.

All the important officials in the palace gathered together, more than a hundred people.They wore short dark cloaks over their tunics or pinned them on their chests.

Even with the incense imported from Ripa in the Kingdom of Musor, the audience hall still smelled of body odor.

"Of course we know who did it,"

Gosfried said to the crowd behind him, "Only apostates would murder servants of the gods in cold blood!"

After speaking, there was a voice of approval from the crowd.

"We must be patient!" Allowin raised his tone. "It is folly to make arbitrary judgments until the truth is confirmed!"

"Fuck his patience!" cursed Gosfried, "think with your beardless head, what have all these years of patience done to us?
Humiliation, humiliation, and more humiliation!
The people of Palacis use their damned religion to attack the empire, but we can only let them poison our minds! "

Vigerich's face was serious. The spread of the Supreme God had indeed had a considerable impact in the empire, but the hostility between religions should not be as strong as that shown by Gosfried.

In the "Rebellion of Apostasy" three years ago in 120, Igonud Apollion launched a nationwide rebellion when the young emperor Igomel V succeeded to the throne.

He used the east as his base to advance westward, and defeated Igmer V's forces in the crucial naval battle of the Starfall Strait, and severely damaged the Imperial fleet.

Part of the remnant fleet defected to the Empire and joined the Freedom Alliance on the southern coast, disrupting the southern trade routes of the Marauding Empire for a hundred years.

The capital of the empire, Starfall City was also captured by "Apostate" Igonud in the "Rebellion of Apostasy".

Of course, most of this was due to the believers of the Supreme God Cult in the city receiving the rebels outside the wall.

The weak point of an impenetrable wall is not outside, but inside.

Igonud, who occupied Starfall City, proclaimed himself the incarnation of the sun god and the holy king of the Holy Palacis Empire in the palace where the successive emperors of Apolion were crowned.

His followers called him "The Chosen One" because he claimed that he heard the voice of the sun god and was guided and blessed like his ancestor "the seer" Kalin I.

"We lost the war a hundred years ago, yet we are still bearing the consequences!" Gosfried continued, "Now is the time to set things right!"

Gosfried's speech was full of inflammatory speech, and everyone in the audience hall was infected by his emotional speech, and shouts of "yes", "agree" and "good" emerged one after another.

Wigrich looked at the crowd in front of him, which was exactly the same scene as the ministers shouted to conquer the entire south of Longji Mountain more than 30 years ago.

Those men were either buried long ago like his father, or too old for court duties.

And a new generation of vigorous young people has inherited their mantle and continued to push the wheel of history, continuing to yearn for war ignorantly.

"Gozolon." Wigrich waved to the Captain of the Royal Guard to the right of his throne.

Gozolon is much taller than ordinary people. He is covered in armor, with a chain mail helmet with a white helmet on his helmet, and a beautiful long sword of the Hastza people on his waist.

Unlike ordinary soldiers and officers who have never experienced the battlefield, the candidates for Hastza's royal guards have not only been trained since childhood in how to kill and obey the empire absolutely.

After they become adults, they must also experience ten years outside as mercenaries, and only those who survive can become members of this elite army.

Of course, this usually means a lot of money.

"quiet!"

Gozoron's rough voice pierced the hall, overwhelming all arguments and conversations.

"His Majesty has something to say!"

Wigrich cleared his throat and said, "War is always a last resort, and never a wise one, especially in this case."

He knows that the Hastza Empire can maintain a peaceful relationship with the Holy Palacis Empire because the former allows the Supreme God to preach in its territory. Once a war breaks out between the two parties, its impact will be devastating of.

"But, my lord," Gosfried insisted, "the people need a response."

"They're going to get a response," Wigrich said, "after they figure out what's going on."

He looked at Monty in the crowd and the guard with a strange head shape beside him and said, "Mondy, you and your guard were there at the time, tell me what happened in the Temple of the Stars."

Under the gaze of the crowd, Monty and the guards walked to Gosfried and Vigrich.

Monty was half a head shorter than the tall guard.His black hair was partly tied in a ponytail and hung down his shoulders.Monty's protruding forehead matched his cheekbones, and he had clear brown eyes under brows.His beard was trimmed short and neat, and his arched lips reflected the sunlight streaming into the hall.

"Report to His Majesty the Emperor," the guard said respectfully, "Last night, His Majesty and His Royal Highness Prince Mengdi found someone graffiti on the wall of the Temple of the Stars, so they stepped forward to stop it.

Because it was night, I did not see the appearance of the graffiti clearly. Considering the safety of His Royal Highness, I did not pursue them further after they fled into the alley. "

"Why were you there last night?" Vigrich asked.

"For the theatrical performance," said Monty, looking up, with his head down. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

Vigrich gave Monty a helpless look, and motioned for the guard to continue.

"Although the graffiti on the wall has not been completed, the words 'False God Nemir' are clearly written on it."

After the guard finished speaking, there was an exclamation from the crowd.

"This is blasphemy!"

"Damn apostates!"

(End of this chapter)