"Troublesome…"
Locke let out a quiet sigh.
Why hadn't His Majesty Celes launched a grand conscription the moment Bolton broke through to the Sanctuary Realm and immediately begun a crusade against the Radiant Temple?
Because even Celes himself believed that Bolton's strength still wasn't enough to survive against the Temple's two Sanctuary experts.
If a war was launched for no reason only to end in another defeat, it would certainly shake the faith of the Frostsnow Empire's people, drastically reducing the divine faith Celes had painstakingly accumulated.
However—
the rule that any newly born Sanctuary could choose to lead a legion to war against the Radiant Temple was a law Celes himself had set.
He couldn't revoke it now just because Bolton wasn't strong enough.
So, he allowed Bolton to spend time personally selecting the new Fifth Legion's members—stalling for time while he waited to see whether another Sanctuary would emerge during this period.
Once the Tsunami Legion was successfully assembled, Celes no longer had a reason to stop Bolton. With a "let's see" attitude, he used his divine sense to search the Frostsnow Empire for a newly emerged Sanctuary.
Locke simply… got caught in the middle of it.
Of course, to Locke, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
If Celes found him twenty years later, his fate would be straightforward—expulsion from the Wakanda Plane.
From Celes's perspective, with Bolton and Locke together, even if they couldn't win, they could at least hold off the two Sanctuary experts of the Radiant Temple.
But now that Locke had killed Bolton, it meant he would have to face both sanctuaries alone.
The only reason Celes wasn't reprimanding him now… was because after the Fifth Legion's formation, the proclamation for a crusade had already been released.
The war had to happen.
If Locke won, Celes would gain a massive wave of faith power, and Locke would be rewarded generously.
If Locke lost…
He shook his head, forcefully throwing out the thought of defeat.
To doubt himself before the battle even began—
Such a mentality was not something a strong man should possess.
That day, the Tsunami Legion departed grandly from the Frostsnow Empire's capital. Citizens lined both sides of the streets, waving Frostsnow banners as the legion marched past.
This was also the first time Locke publicly appeared as the Legion Commander.
Though Locke was a handsome youth by appearance—even at age forty-eight—not a single citizen believed he was younger than them.
Everyone knew that in the Frostsnow Empire, only a Sanctuary expert could serve as a Legion Commander.
And Sanctuary powerhouses had boundless lifespans; one could never judge their true age from appearance alone.
The only thing their youthful features revealed… was their age when they first broke into Sanctuary.
A ninth-order expert could live up to five hundred years.
Before three hundred and fifty, one was considered "young."
Three hundred fifty to four hundred thirty— "middle-aged."
Beyond four hundred thirty— "elder."
From Locke's appearance, the people could only conclude one thing:
Locke had broken into the Sanctuary Realm before age 350.
As for exactly how old he was now—only a Deity-level being could vaguely discern that from his life aura.
The Frostsnow Empire's mobilization naturally could not be hidden from the Radiant Temple.
Or rather—neither side had any intention of hiding.
Whether it was the Radiant Temple attacking the Empire, or the Empire retaliating—
both factions' upper echelons welcomed war.
Faith power came from the people's inner fervor and devotion.
The Radiant Temple's Pope and the Frostsnow Empire's Emperor both acted on behalf of their respective Overgods.
And after centuries of study, both sides discovered the same truth:
War is the single best method of harvesting faith.
Whenever the Wakanda Plane enjoyed too long a period of peace and faith collection slowed…
Both factions would tacitly agree to ignite another conflict.
A fresh war—
to squeeze out another wave of devotion from the masses.
Naturally, they would never reveal this truth to the common people.
Conveniently, the Wakanda Plane almost always produced a new Sanctuary every few decades.
Thus, the Pope of Light and Emperor Celes would simply let these newly ascended Sanctuaries serve as the initiators of war.
For the Sanctuaries, the rewards—guidance, resources, prestige—were more than enough incentive.
In truth, every war was a celebration for the two God-level beings of the plane.
After learning of the Frostsnow Empire's movements, the Radiant Temple immediately mobilized.
Over a hundred thousand knights, led by two Sanctuary High Priests, assembled at the border.
When Locke led the Tsunami Legion through Vidia Territory and into the contested battlefield, the Radiant Temple had already erected defensive walls.
Cold winds howled.
The hundred-thousand-man formation lined up neatly behind Locke.
Seen from the sky, the long rows of spears looked like a forest of steel thorns covering the earth.
Locke slowly rose into the air, hovering two hundred meters above the center of the battlefield.
Seeing this, the knights on the Radiant Temple's wall involuntarily stepped back.
A Sanctuary expert—
Just a single sneeze could shatter both them and the wall beneath their feet.
In front of such a towering existence, no one could suppress their fear.
Before long, a figure in white magic robes flew up from the enemy's wall—a Sanctuary mage—stopping opposite Locke.
"Heretics of the Frostsnow Empire… Have you learned nothing?"
"More than twenty years ago, we crushed you heretics. And now you come seeking death again?"
"Seeking death?"
Locke shook his head.
"High Priest, do you truly believe that after the battle twenty years ago, we would come again without sufficient certainty?"
"Be grateful for the treaty your Pope and our Emperor agreed on—"
"For the first three years of conflict, Sanctuaries are forbidden from interfering."
"That rule is the only reason you two despicable traitors get to live for another three years."
"Enjoy them well."
"For you traitors… I will show no mercy."
Locke's cold words made the High Priest opposite him grit his teeth, beard trembling with rage—wishing nothing more than to kill Locke immediately.
But Locke was right.
If the Frostsnow Empire didn't have confidence, would they dare begin the war again?
And in a sense… Locke wasn't lying.
Aside from the Pope, every high-ranking member of the Radiant Temple—
was a traitor.
All of them had once served the Frostsnow Empire, before being seduced by the Radiant Pope to defect.
Traitors, all of them.
(End of chapter)
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