Chapter 125: Final Battle to Suppress the Rebellion(5)

"Where is the pure Divine Chosen I asked for?"

The Shadow turned its head and questioned the priest kneeling beside it.

So-called purity meant one thing—she had never been used.

Thanks to the Divine Chosen’s abnormal regenerative abilities, even if they had been taken before, their bodies would eventually recover to an untouched state.

Because of this, the Divine Chosen used the word pure to replace the ordinary meaning of being untouched.

"Please forgive our incompetence. The convoy never made it inside—they had only just ste—"

The Shadow raised a hand, cutting the priest off, then waved dismissively.

"Enough. I understand. A small failure like this is perfectly normal. The coalition army isn’t made up of fools. You did your best, and I’ve seen your efforts."

"If the Screeching Fortress had held out a little longer, the roads there wouldn’t have been sealed off by the coalition."

The priest spoke with visible irritation, glaring at his rival.

"Divine Chosen are difficult to sense. Finding an uncontracted, pure Divine Chosen took us countless efforts. And in the end, it was ruined by the idiots at Screeching Fortress."

"You—!"

The High Priest responsible for defending Screeching Fortress was furious but unable to respond.

"Enough."

The Shadow once again eased the tension with a calm voice.

"Plans and accidents are always tangled together—inseparable. What we need now is unity."

Then it asked,

"Among the Divine Chosen present, which of you is still... pure?"

Eliza let out a soft laugh, grabbed Cardolian—who was about to raise his hand—and with a flicker of movement vanished from the Lord’s Hall.

Silence fell over the room.

Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to meet the Shadow’s gaze.

"Is it you?"

The Shadow stopped before a young girl.

"Uh... about a month ago, at a tavern, I drank too much and then..."

The girl avoided eye contact.

In truth, alcohol could not intoxicate a Divine Chosen. She had done it on purpose.

"Very well. Then is it you?"

The Shadow turned to another.

"Ahem. On a stormy night, I already lost my virtue."

The Shadow was growing impatient.

"Then—"

"Don’t joke with me," said a Divine Chosen dressed in mage robes with an awkward smile. "I’m already over sixty. My grandson even has an affair."

Though she claimed to be in her sixties, she looked no older than thirty—still graceful and charming. No wonder she had been mistaken.

"I am."

At last, someone raised a hand, her face full of confusion.

"The one who raised her hand, along with her contractor, stay behind. The rest of you, go pack up the supplies. We will be leaving soon."

The others cast her sympathetic looks before hurrying away as if escaping.

Two hours later, after a brief rest, the coalition army—under the governor’s urging—launched a full-scale assault on Nogaisk.

The city’s extraordinary fighters and elite troops had already withdrawn through unknown means. Only ordinary believers, along with the elderly, the weak, and the sick remained behind.

Anything of value had long since been transported away.

The coalition army captured the city with hardly any effort, winning the final battle without difficulty.

No one had expected the rebellion to end in such a ridiculous fashion.

"This great victory proves that I, Tacolin, have not disappointed Her Majesty the Empress."

Tacolin tore down the rebels’ banner. A guard immediately presented a splendid box containing the Empire’s griffin banner woven with golden threads.

After kissing the flag reverently, Tacolin personally raised the imperial griffin banner.

"Long live!"

"Victory!"

Countless soldiers waved their flags and shouted.

They had survived.

The nobles gained glory—and the right to share the spoils. Ordinary soldiers earned the chance to return home and reunite with their families. Everyone now had a brighter future ahead.

"Escort these heinous criminals to the imperial capital. I will present my achievements personally to our beloved Empress."

Tacolin patted his belly and chuckled.

"Perhaps I might even earn the chance to dine with Her Majesty. If that happens, I could die without regrets."

"This victory is entirely due to the governor’s brilliant command."

"Governor, you are truly a pillar of the Empire."

The nobles at his sides immediately showered him with flattering praise.

"At last, it’s over. The gains... are too little."

Phield glanced around at the others and immediately put on a fitting expression—as if he had gained absolutely nothing.

He looked utterly dejected.

Laurent, meanwhile, looked nervous.

"I hope our steadfast defense of the rear and our brave interception of the enemy convoy will be recognized."

"I’m sure the governor will see it."

Phield patted Laurent on the shoulder and then looked around at the impoverished nobles and rangers nearby.

"Although I gained almost nothing myself, I do have a few gifts for all of you—to show my gratitude."

These impoverished nobles and rangers had indeed helped him quite a lot.

From the very first battle, everyone had stuck together, greatly reducing the casualties of the Nightfall Domain forces while also providing him with plenty of useful information.

Phield distributed the leather armor that had been phased out by the Nightfall Domain army, the cattle and sheep looted along the road, and about three hundred and fifty gold coins.

Privately, he also gave Laurent five Tier-1 magic cores and two warhorses.

Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to give away truly valuable items.

Even so, the gesture moved everyone to tears and earned Phield a considerable wave of goodwill and reputation.

"Perhaps they’ll be useful someday."

After seeing the rangers off, Phield’s mind was already filled with thoughts of returning home to farm.

The previous development had been so poor simply because his initial accumulation had been too weak.

"Still, the chance to share the spoils can’t be missed."

Phield licked the corner of his mouth, unwilling to let even the slightest benefit slip away.

After the lost territories were recovered, everyone gathered in the fertile lands of Morning Breeze Province—Lily of the Valley City—where an enormous ball was held to celebrate the victory.

A noble ball was far more than just singing and dancing.

It was a battlefield of politics, diplomacy, and military maneuvering.

A skilled diplomat could weave alliances and attach themselves to powerful nobles.

Those adept at governance could gather information and understand the Empire’s next moves.

And of course, masters of romance could encounter countless beautiful noble ladies, married women, and even elderly noblewomen.

"Phield, can’t I attend?"

Charlotte puffed out her cheeks. Her gray eyes grew watery again, looking pitifully adorable.

"I’m your Divine Chosen. I want to dance and eat cake."

"Sigh... I’m sorry. I owe you that. But not right now. I’ll bring you something delicious."

Phield rubbed her head to comfort her.

He was conflicted about it himself.

Revealing that he possessed a Divine Chosen had both advantages and risks.

The advantage was obvious—instant status, investment, and support from the Empire.

The risk was equally clear. It would make him a target, especially since the mastermind behind the rebellion was still at large. No one even knew why they had specifically tried to kidnap Charlotte.

"For safety’s sake, we’ll have to keep it hidden a little longer."

After patiently explaining, Charlotte’s mood improved, and she even took the initiative to help tidy his clothing.

"Hehe... my lord is quite charming."

Charlotte giggled secretly.

But then she suddenly thought of something and said in a serious tone,

"You’re not allowed to flirt with other Divine Chosen. They’re all bad women. And make sure to befriend more great nobles—I still have my mission to restore the kingdom!"

Phield’s lips curled upward.

He thought to himself:

This woman is adorably foolish. Luckily she met me. If it had been someone else, she’d probably have been sold off long ago.