The next day, Rody learned much from the one-armed swordsman Gavin. Although Felic had been conquered, it hadn't perished. The king and the army, with nearly ten thousand people, had retreated safely into the depths of the Silent Forest, prepared in advance. Dean Buck and the Drunken Swordsman, leading a part of the army, resisted until the end. They dispersed after Great Frey’s forces took the capital. Felic continued to resist, with skirmishes ongoing.
Rody was relieved to hear this. He knew Felic wouldn't easily fall as long as Dean Buck and the others were there; the nation could be rebuilt.
With questions, Rody headed to the ruins of the divine realm. The leisurely old men were still sitting, lying, playing chess, reading books, seemingly detached from worldly affairs. Rody's arrival surprised them, as they noted his significantly increased abilities, far exceeding their expectations.
However, after their initial surprise, they affirmed Rody's queries. They wouldn’t interfere in human affairs unless they attacked heaven. The rise and fall of nations didn’t concern them; they protected the hope of the earth, not a particular country. Therefore, they didn’t assist during Felic’s fall, and Felic didn't need their help, having enough strength to protect the hope of the earth.
Rody, having heard of Felic's mysterious 'Land of the Seven Tribes,' inquired about its location. The elders informed him that both the Land of the Seven Tribes and the Fairy Kingdom were in different spaces, like the Exile Lands, accessible only through rifts in time and space. Unlike the Exile Lands, which had constant rifts, the Land of the Seven Tribes didn't have permanent rifts and required waiting for the right time, with only one opportunity each year. Thus, Rody couldn't immediately go to find Gill or the mermaid sisters.
Learning they were safe, Rody felt much relieved.
“Why worry about others? Focus on yourself,” the Saint of Suffering advised Rody.
“We’re old and lazy to act, but you can do more. Whether you cause a stir or plan carefully, it's up to you. We support you completely. When you're ready to attack heaven, then come and call us,” said Elecres with a smile, enjoying seeing Rody’s growth.
“Come back in a few years,” said the Saint of Wisdom. “It's too early now. The magic book and the crystal magic mirror are yours. The previous conditions were just to motivate you. Understand that artifacts change with different realms and will be useful later.”
“Don’t rely too much on artifacts. The strongest should be the person,” Elecres advised, deeply impacting Rody.
Leaving the ruins, Rody was contemplative. These elders could have ascended to heaven, especially the Saint of Suffering, Saint of Storms, and Saint of Wisdom. All of them could have lived in the beautiful heavenly realm, but they chose to stay on earth, silently waiting and guarding the hope of the land. Although they claimed indifference to worldly matters, Rody realized they must be secretly observing everything. Otherwise, in such an isolated place, they couldn’t possibly know all that transpired in the world.
They merely didn't want to acknowledge their role in safeguarding, or perhaps, they didn’t want to give anyone an excuse to find them and interfere in worldly matters. Rody suspected they might be bound by some law of the world, but he couldn't confirm it.
Rody realized he didn’t yet have the strength to make a big scene, and his name had probably become taboo. If he appeared openly, the Temple might seize the opportunity to strike him down. Even if people sympathized with him, that didn’t mean the Temple and its allied nations would consider public opinion.
After much thought, Rody decided to gauge the military's response to see if he could gain support from the Human Grand Alliance’s military.
In Felic, he was shocked to learn from the Thieves Guild that Marshal von Desman had gone to 'Mount God' a year ago to duel with the orc warrior King Leon, resulting in mutual destruction. The Grand Alliance was now led by Marshal Trosky of the Kale Empire.
No wonder the Grand Alliance allowed Great Frey to attack Felic. With Marshal von Desman dead, humanity was in a precarious situation. If the demon and orc forces attacked again, could Marshal Trosky lead the army to resist?
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Rody was concerned about the lack of damage to the demon forces he saw in the Exile Lands, ready to strike again. He suspected a great conspiracy and felt a storm approaching.
The Thieves Guild also had surprising news: in the Exile Lands, Chris and the elite team had built the 'City of Rody', a city of freedom. With no taxes, numerous merchants and mercenaries flocked there, along with civilians close to Rody, especially the Rody Fan Club, which had over five thousand members and established a dedicated guard unit.
Rody decided to visit this 'City of Rody'. Disguising himself, he wanted to surprise everyone who thought he was imprisoned in hopeless hell. This included friends, foes, and enemies.
Half a month later, outside Rody City, the city had transformed from a simple wooden fence and few wooden huts into a green, thriving city with tall wooden buildings, lush trees, and abundant flowers. Situated in a valley with a clear lake, Rody City was more beautiful and safer than typical cities.
Free from rogues, thieves, and bullies, Rody City even lacked taxes, attracting countless mercenaries and merchants. The city profited from selling land and local products. Chris and the elite team built tall walls, and the Rody Fan Club girls turned it into a garden-like city.
With over twenty thousand mercenaries and merchants visiting daily and over fifty guilds setting up branches, Rody City became well-known. If someone hadn’t heard of the capital of Kameron, it was normal, but not knowing Rody City meant they were utterly out of touch.
Peace emissaries from orcs and half-orcs used Rody City as a trading hub, exchanging gold with human merchants for their needed goods.
Rody City, unique in the world for receiving gold offerings from orcs, awoke in the early morning as the dawn's rosy sunlight fell on the cool dew. The city, rousing from its nocturnal repose, began a new day. Merchants busily opened their stores, while diligent workers, drenched in sweat, transported goods. Guards on duty performed their shift change, taking up positions on the city walls, alert and spirited.
Training soldiers, burdened with sandbags and stones, ran laps around the city, sweating profusely under the instructors' shouts. Many mercenaries, eager to maintain their physical fitness, joined in.
Like every other day, Rody City buzzed with life and vigor. However, as the city commenced its daily routines, the magical alarm bell, rung only in times of danger or special circumstances, sounded unexpectedly. It had been a long time since the city had heard this alarm, and people looked around in surprise. Those quick to react immediately grabbed their weapons and rushed to the city walls, ready to defend the city.
This was seen as an excellent opportunity to earn merits. People wondered who would be foolish enough to attack Rody City.
Their astonishment grew when they reached the city walls. In the distance, as far as the eye could see, approached a massive horde of demonic insects. These insects were enormous, rivaling even the gigantic mammoths in size, if not surpassing them. They resembled moving houses, their backs not carrying saddles but huge, soft beds.
Each demonic insect, with sharp fangs and claws, obediently carried mountains of cargo. Leading the procession was a middle-aged mage wearing a monocle and waving a merchant’s flag, guiding this caravan of demonic insects.
Had it not been for this man at the forefront, everyone would have mistaken this for an invading army of demonic insects. Surprisingly, the guards of this insect caravan were dark knights and demon generals. Among the dozen or so guards, all were either dark knights or demon generals, fortunately holding banners symbolizing their master's honor instead of weapons.
"Who are you?" A rotating guard urgently reported the situation, and one of the personal guard captains, 'Phantom' Terry, shouted, "Where do you come from?"
"Human guards, we are a merchant caravan from the Infernal Realm of the Demon Abyss," replied the middle-aged mage with the elegance of a human nobleman, stepping forward with a smile. "Our Prince of the Night is very fond of human civilization, hence he has sent us to convey a message of peace. The Infernal Realm seeks to establish friendly trade relations with human nations. I stand before you as Nicholas, the servant and butler of the Prince of the Night."
"Mogai? Infernal Realm?" The crowd was stunned at this revelation.
"Please warmly welcome our noble Prince of the Night. His arrival is an honor and a blessing for all humanity," declared Butler Nicholas, dismounting from the demonic insect and kneeling in reverence to greet his master.
"Prince of the Night, resplendent and radiant, revered by the world," chanted the dark knights and demon generals, all kneeling in unison.
Approaching from the rear of the caravan was the largest and most ferocious demonic insect, its back adorned with a canopy and a large soft bed, covered in jewels and pearls. A man with hair like a river of stars lounged leisurely on the bed, surrounded by four girls with luminescent wings, feeding him crystal grapes.
Wearing fashionable sunglasses that partially concealed his face, the man's perfection still elicited involuntary admiration from the onlookers.
"Black... Black Night Prince?" Terry's voice trembled slightly, noting the black hair of the prince, reminiscent of the legendary Rody, said to be imprisoned in hell. Had it not been for the black-haired girls accompanying him, Terry would have suspected that this prince was Rody himself.
"Hey Terry, who is he?" a member of the elite squad asked urgently.
"I'm not sure; he looks a bit like Rody, but Rody wouldn't just sit there upon seeing us, right? And since when is he interested in girls to enjoy such luxury? Then again, these girls are perfect, and all look alike. I'm dizzy... Who is this Prince of the Night from the Demon Abyss? Could he be Rody?" Terry was unsure and questioned his companion.
"I can't recognize him, but Captain Chris will surely know," the elite squad hurried to find Chris.
"Tommy might also know. Someone, quickly fetch Captain Tommy! Wait, get everyone here, I'm dying to know!" Terry's companions were also stunned, more by the identity of the Prince of the Night than suspecting him to be Rody.
The Black Night Prince stood up, his hair dancing and shimmering golden in the dawn light. Summoning a fiery nightmare steed, he mounted it and hovered in the sky, surrounded by the four girls whose hair also turned golden in the sunlight. They accompanied him as he slowly rode towards Rody City.
"Why aren't the humans clapping to welcome me? Does the legendary City of Freedom not welcome my arrival?" The Prince of the Night's commanding voice echoed through the sky. Terry, startled by the prince's unexpected demeanor, noticed his resemblance to Rody, yet his speech was utterly different; this man exuded pride and authority, unlike Rody.
"Welcome, Black Night Prince from the Demon Abyss," Chris appeared on the wall, speaking calmly, "Terry, please invite our distinguished guest into the city!"