Holy War
"Innocent lambs, you can only seek the protection of the Almighty under His glory to gain strength and glory."
"Only by wholeheartedly dedicating everything to the Lord can you receive His blessings."
"Only by believing in the Lord, fearing the Lord, and worshiping the Lord can you receive the most generous rewards from Him."
"Have you all seen it?"
"Even if the enemy has countless soldiers, cannons, and warships, they will be completely defeated by the Sacred King summoned by the Lord."
"Those who dare to offend the majesty of our Lord will ultimately receive the most severe punishment..."
"Sigh—" Watching the celebration, wearing the most gorgeous robes, and preaching in the Sant Sophia Cathedral, Constantine XI sighed.
"Your Majesty," someone whispered softly beside him.
"Why are you sighing at such a celebratory moment?"
Constantine XI turned around, recognizing his old acquaintance. "Oh, it's Suna."
"This is not the empire I wanted."
Constantine XI said desolately.
His gaze swept over the golden censers, silver candlesticks, and gemstone offerings in the cathedral.
"The former Norma had confident and proud citizens, disciplined armies, academic atmosphere for daring speculation, and the soaring spirit to conquer the world..."
"But look at these people now."
Constantine XI pointed to the serious and devout faces in the cathedral.
"The people are despondent, the court is weak and decadent, the army is weak and incompetent, the nobles are hypocritical and selfish..."
"Is it really appropriate for Your Majesty to speak of your country like this?" Madam Mati said helplessly.
"Hehe, the truth may be harsh, but it's still the truth." Constantine XI said with remarkable candor.
"At the beginning of my reign, I also tried to reform and revitalize the empire."
"But from the center to the periphery, there was strong opposition. No matter what measures I took, they were always thwarted halfway."
"I just can't figure it out." Constantine XI complained.
"The empire is almost finished, why won't everyone make an effort?"
Madam Mati could only remain silent.
She also knew that the state affairs of the empire were difficult to reverse, but no one could change it.
They could only watch helplessly as the empire, in endless internal strife, slid step by step into the abyss.
Just as Constantine XI lamented the fate of the Norma Empire,
A thunderous voice suddenly pierced his ears.
"Holy war!"
Constantine XI looked incredulously at the frenzied high priest on the stage.
The high priest's wrinkled old face was flushed with excitement, and he waved his hands fervently as if every muscle in his body was trembling.
"For centuries, the abominable infidels from the wilderness have cruelly and barbarically invaded our land, destroying almost all the glory of the Norma Empire!"
"They burned, killed, and plundered, committing every atrocity! Millions of our compatriots have been slaughtered under the knives of these devils!"
"Due to our past weakness and cowardice, the empire has suffered defeat after defeat, and now there is almost nothing left except for this city of Constantinople."
"Under their plunder and devastation, our homeland is filled with poverty, hunger, and sorrow, and everywhere there are coffins, corpses, and blood!"
"Who caused all this? Those despicable Esman!"
"But the evil and cruel Esman do not know that the Norma people are blessed and protected by the Lord."
"Have you seen our Caesar, our Sacred King from the Khitan?" The high priest enthusiastically invited Shu Yichao onto the stage.
"He came to this land under the summons of the Lord and personally bestowed the punishment of death upon the devilish infidel Sultan!"
"So that those hateful infidels understand the majesty of the Lord and dare not offend Him."
Shu Yichao raised his spear high, bathed in the bright sunlight, as if a halo surrounded his entire body.
His handsome appearance, coupled with his majestic demeanor, appeared particularly sacred and noble at this moment.
"[Overwhelming Charm]," full firepower!
Cheers almost lifted the roof of the church.
"Hail!"
"Hail to the Sacred King!"
"Hail to the Khitan Caesar!"
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, the high priest continued to shout.
"However, the disasters brought by the hateful infidels are far from over—they still occupy the land entrusted to us by the Lord."
"If we cannot seize this rare opportunity to destroy their evil lairs and let these devils continue to defile the glory of Norma—"
"Then the Lord will be greatly disappointed!"
"Therefore, devout believers, I implore you—whether you are soldiers, merchants, farmers, or craftsmen..."
"Prepare yourselves and join a sacred and great war to drive away the evil infidels and reclaim our homeland!"
"With the blessing and guidance of the Lord, under the leadership of the Sacred King, we will be invincible in battle!"
After a brief silence, the roar of the crowd surged like a tidal wave.
"Holy war!"
"Holy war!!"
Constantine XI was dumbfounded.
Under the passionate incitement of the high priest, the Norma people's innate admiration for the strong and their eagerness for military exploits seemed to ignite.
The long-depressed confidence of the Norma Empire's soldiers and civilians surged with excitement at this moment. Everyone felt optimistic about the future of the empire, even becoming wildly enthusiastic.
Constantine XI understood very well that if he could achieve several resounding victories at this moment, then this long-declining and struggling ancient empire might usher in a new dawn of revival!
After all, the Norma Empire in history had risen from the abyss time and time again, reborn from the ashes!
Maybe this time, history would repeat itself!
Just then, Constantine XI saw the high priest's gaze shift towards him.
Then, the high priest winked at him.
"... ... Your Majesty." Madam Mati, who also saw this scene, asked in astonishment after a moment of stunned silence.
"Are you really sure the high priest has gone mad?"
"... Probably?"
——Under the inspiration of fanatical faith, in less than the population of nearly one hundred thousand in Constantinople, nearly ten thousand Crusaders were assembled.
Of course, in terms of quality...
From sixty-year-old elders to teenagers, farmers, priests, carpenters, cooks, and various other professions were all present.
Because there weren't enough young adults, even some robust women were mobilized.
In addition, some foreign residents, sailors, and mercenaries residing in Constantinople also joined the fray.
They were dressed in a variety of clothes, different in height and size, holding huge wooden crosses, double-headed eagle flags, swords, spears, crossbows, and marched reluctantly.
Of course, Shu Yichao would not march with these people.
He led his elite archer cavalry of nearly a thousand men and eagerly rushed towards the current capital of the Esman Empire—
Adrianople.
[Hey, Master, why are you running to Mumoona's capital?]
The system 12345, still unable to fix the black screen, remained in the dark about Shu Yichao's current situation and couldn't understand the meaning behind his actions.
[Aren't you walking into a trap?]
[Even if you want to play it cool, you might not be able to fool Mumoona.]
[Wait a minute...]
Suddenly, as if realizing something, System 12345 seemed to wake up.
[Oh oh oh, I understand. Master, you want to take the court route, curry favor with Mumoona's empress, and regain favorability, right?]
[Indeed, it's a good idea...]
[But wait, Master, how did you know Mumoona has wives and children? Did she tell you herself?]
[Uh... Master, you might be curious why Mumoona has empresses and can even bear children with them.]
[Regarding this, I can only say, um, the matters of beautiful girls from other worlds don't need to be so clear, hahaha.]
System 12345 laughed insincerely, then laughed quieter and quieter, and finally said seriously.
[Uh, um, that's right, Master, you don't need to worry about it.]
[Anyway, if you successfully charm Mumoona, her harem will also become yours, right?]
[Buy one get ten, isn't it more cost-effective?]
[By then... hehehehe, those who understand will understand.]