Chapter 81: Chapter 81

After carefully sensing it for a moment, the surprise in Ron’s eyes grew heavier. Although he hadn’t truly confirmed it yet, he could already make an inference from his current sensations:

The sense of relief brought about by the territorial subjects collectively reciting the Radiant Maxims was none other than the feeling of the Pollution Secret Patterns within his Body Secret Patterns being dispelled from the perspective of his Light Orb true form!

However, when Ron himself dispelled Pollution Secret Patterns, he could only push them to other areas on the surface of the Light Orb, away from the Body Secret Patterns; he couldn’t truly eliminate them.

But now, just by having a crowd of territorial subjects collectively recite a few maxims, the Pollution Secret Patterns that had already attached themselves to him could be thoroughly cleared?

Ron was somewhat skeptical, but the sensation was strikingly similar. Aside from the pure feeling itself, the faint improvement in the degree of control his consciousness held over his body seemed to serve as corroborating evidence!

At this moment, he desperately yearned for this sudden emergency to end, so that he could return home and carefully examine his own condition. Under the Lord’s watchful eye, he didn’t dare casually withdraw his consciousness.

As long as he could return to his Light Orb perspective and see whether the Pollution Secret Patterns within his Body Secret Patterns had lessened, he could verify the effects of these maxims.

At this moment, no one could understand Ron’s fervent longing. This was his first time discovering something that could potentially eradicate Pollution Secret Patterns entirely. It was even more important than becoming a Formal Knight.

Becoming a Formal Knight merely delayed the time it took for the Light Orb true form to be completely covered by Pollution Secret Patterns. No matter how slow this progression was, the progress would still eventually reach its end, and that would be the end of his life.

But the Radiant Maxims were suspected to be capable of total eradication, which made Ron waver slightly regarding the doubts he had just held:

“Could this Lord of Radiance truly be a True God?”

However, even so, Ron still didn’t attempt to recite the maxims himself. He harbored a genuine awe toward any method that could produce such astonishing effects merely through reciting a few phrases.

Until he possessed a sufficient understanding of or trust in such methods, he didn’t want to try it personally. For now, simply riding the coattails of the territorial subjects’ collective chanting was good enough.

…

Meanwhile, on the other side.

After casually walking into the main keep, Steward Severn, who had handed the Kingdom Decree to the Apprentices, immediately quickened his pace, as if something were urging him on.

Soon, he arrived outside a room that was not shrouded in darkness nearby. Just then, a hoarse voice inquired from within the room:

“Did you give them the Kingdom Decree?”

“Yes, Master. It has been given to them.”

“Good. Come! Help me up!”

Hearing this, Steward Severn immediately stepped into the darkness, entering the even darker inner chamber. The visual enhancement granted by his transcendent physique seemed to lose its efficacy at this very moment.

However, having served the Lord for a long time, Steward Severn was already thoroughly familiar with everything in the inner chamber. He stepped forward with confidence, propped up a slightly rigid yet still warm body on the bed, leaned it against the headboard, and then stepped back, standing attentively to one side.

“Cough… cough…”

The Lord of Sis coughed heavily twice, his throat emitting thick, ragged breathing. “I didn’t expect the effect to be this pronounced. It looks like the Kingdom of Helios is going to follow the old path of the Oz Empire!”

“Master, the Oz Empire is the most powerful nation on the continent. What wrong is there in the Kingdom of Helios learning from them! While the pros and cons might not be apparent in the short term, in the long run, it is entirely advantageous for you, Master!”

“You, always trying to coax me with such words! Even if it benefits me in the long run, I still have to live until then!”

Upon touching the topic of life and death, the room instantly fell silent, save for the Lord’s heavy breathing and intermittent violent coughing. Seeing this, Steward Severn stepped forward to help the Lord lie down, but the Lord of Sis stubbornly refused.

“I have been lying down long enough. I really want to go outside for a walk!”

“Master, they are merely commoners. Even if some die, a new crop will grow in a few years. Why accept the Kingdom Decree for their sake? With Young Master Waynes and Young Master Foss out there, they will certainly be able to slay every last member of the Salvation Cult.”

“You don’t understand! I just received word back from Foss. The Salvation Cult members have destroyed the eastern roads and buildings, creating a breach in the ritual. If they are allowed to continue their destruction, whether I can even survive this winter becomes a question!”

“What! That severe?”

Steward Severn instantly became alarmed. As the Lord of Sis’s most loyal butler, he knew that the master’s current state was entirely dependent on that Order Ritual that encompassed the entire territory.

Without that ritual, the master would likely have succumbed long ago.

“Master, should we have the two Young Masters intensify their offensive?”

“No need. They know what they should do. If I die, could they possibly survive on their own?”

This seemed to be yet another untouchable topic. After the Lord of Sis finished speaking, Steward Severn failed to utter a single sound. After a long while, the Lord was the first to break the silence:

“Has a new Senior Knight emerged within the Territory Guard?”

“Not yet. But given the battles from last night up until now, perhaps someone has already touched the threshold of the Senior rank. Should I go ask Young Master Foss?”

“Alright, go right now!”

But the words had barely left his mouth when the Lord of Sis immediately backtracked. “Wait, there’s no need to go. Foss tells me there hasn’t been an Intermediate Knight promotion yet.”

After saying this, the Lord of Sis broke into another fit of heavy coughing, carrying an air of not relenting until he coughed his lungs out. Severn hurried forward to support the Lord’s body.

Regarding the secret connection between his Master and Young Master Foss, Severn tactfully pretended to know nothing.

After an unknown passage of time, the Lord of Sis’s coughing finally eased somewhat. He asked Severn once more, “By the way, didn’t Foss say that there are two individuals in this recent batch of Apprentices who possess Senior Knight potential? How are they performing?”

“Splendidly. You should already know of one; he actually passed the Domain of Chaos trial ahead of schedule. The other hasn’t participated in the trial yet, but judging from his past performance, he indeed possesses the potential to achieve the Senior rank.”

“Good, good.” The Lord of Sis’s voice gradually lowered.

But in the next moment, his voice abruptly spiked: “Give them resources! Give them inheritances! You must ensure they achieve the Senior rank in the shortest time possible!”

“Master, they have already been given enough!”

Severn reminded him softly, “Any more might incite dissatisfaction among the Knights. Furthermore, growth requires time. Have patience, Master; Young Master Foss certainly won’t disappoint you.”

“I don’t care, I don’t care! Tell Foss, he must cultivate Senior Knights as quickly as possible, as quickly as possible!”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Seeing his master’s abnormal state, Severn could only hastily comply.

But in the next moment, the Lord of Sis strained his throat and shouted loudly, “Tell Foss to come back, let him come back, I want to kill him!”

“Master, Young Master Foss is currently engaged in combat with the Salvation Cult enemies. He cannot return for the time being.”

“Let him come back, let him come back!”

The Lord of Sis’s shouting showed no signs of stopping. Seeing this, Severn could only temporarily exit the room. He then twisted a mechanism on the wall outside the room, and in the next moment, a burst of extreme cold aura emanated from the dark room.

The Lord’s roaring also ceased abruptly at this moment. Severn shivered, standing silently outside the door.