Chapter 965 - 188: Holy Edict Resonance
Cyprus, Tamasos.
In the small town tavern, Baldwin was crouched on the open ground in the tavern’s backyard, wiping down the removed chest plate armor.
He regretfully touched a deep claw mark on it.
The old servant Dedemitri sat nearby, still holding that Demon-Blocking Golden Longsword he never parted from, sipping on some liquor.
Because of its large copper mine, Tamasos was once a flourishing city. But over a hundred years ago, the copper mine was exhausted, and gradually, the city declined into a series of large towns.
Recently, when they arrived here, they heard people saying that demons were causing trouble at midnight, frequently dragging away livestock, and later even breaking into people’s homes, causing many deaths and injuries, making the public anxious and fearful.
Determined to be a Knight of Chivalry, Baldwin naturally wouldn’t sit idly by. During these days, with young Nishaya and the old servant Demetrius, they explored the caves several times, finally exterminating a nest of cave-dwelling demons.
The name of the Knight of Chivalry Baldwin had begun to be known on Cyprus Island.
Urgent footsteps came from outside, and the little Witch ran into the inn’s backyard hurriedly, saying, "Baldwin, Losa declared himself Emperor, did you know?"
Baldwin was momentarily stunned. Losa had mentioned his idea to him, but he hadn’t expected it to be realized so quickly: "Did Losa take Damascus?"
"Yes, that Saladin is already dead by his hand."
Baldwin rejoiced, "That’s great news! I just knew he could do it."
Nishaya, somewhat indignantly, said, "He... even if he’s achieved something, he can’t just declare himself Emperor. Her Majesty the Empress granted him the title of Basileus, and this is how he repays her? It’s simply treasonous."
Nishaya is Greek—oh no, at this time, there is no such thing as a Greek; they all claim to be "Imperials." Therefore, with such noble roots, Nishaya recognizes only one Emperor.
Even the Hohenstaufen Emperor, inheritor of the Western Empire from Germania, is only ever regarded as the "Hohenstaufen Caesar."
Baldwin couldn’t help but laugh, patting the little Witch’s head: "It’s just an empty title. Your Empress has held this empty title for centuries and hasn’t been able to return to the Levant. It would be better to give it to Losa, in exchange for his support in reclaiming Asia Minor."
Although the Antioch Duchy submitted to the Eastern Empire previously, which seemed to return its territory to the Levant region, it was short-lived. Furthermore, Antioch belonged to the Crusader states, and submission was merely acknowledgment of a suzerain, not truly part of the Eastern Empire.
Nishaya suddenly seemed to understand, "You knew he had such ambition all along, so you gave up the throne and ran, right? Indeed, if you stayed, you’d have been an obstacle, and he would have dealt with you."
The little Witch thought she had glimpsed the truth: "Quick, let’s pack up. Cyprus is Losa’s territory now. If we don’t leave fast, we might be caught by the army he’s sent after us."
Baldwin was both amused and exasperated; he had explained many times before.
But the little Witch, deeply influenced by court novels, clearly believed no one would voluntarily exit the game of power. In a power struggle like in Constantinople, even mothers and daughters or fathers and sons could come to blows.
Baldwin was helpless. Nishaya wasn’t very bright; perhaps all her learning was dedicated to arcane knowledge, lacking in other areas.
"Well, since the demons of Tamasos are gone, it’s time for us to move on to the next journey."
He touched the little Witch’s head gently with a fond smile, his gaze instinctively turning Eastward.
Losa, the dream of building the Celestial Dynasty, rests upon you.
...
In the distant East, across the Vast Sea.
A ghost ship glowing with eerie green phosphorescence sailed through the waves, its railings festooned with the skulls of various giant sea creatures, their empty eye sockets glowing with a cold, pale blue ghostly flame.
Captain Hog, missing for some time, was startled and delighted to see the man suddenly appearing on the ship: "My lord, what brings you here?"
Losa, adapting to the avatar created through the "Holy Edict Resonance" for the first time, estimated it had about half the attributes of his true form. However, without equipment support, he couldn’t transform into the Demon Dragon, his combat strength was at most at six-star max level, not elite.
"It’s just an avatar. My true form is still in Damascus."
Hog was thrilled, albeit clearly more surprised, wearing a nervous smile: "To send an avatar over such a great distance, your power must rival that of a True God."
Even when he was ruling the Mediterranean, encountering someone like Losa would make him step aside. Such power was possibly unmatched, even by his sworn enemy, the Lighthouse Guardian of Iberia, or the offspring of the Great Monarch of the deep sea.
Losa wasn’t amused: "If I didn’t check on you, you’d probably have grown wings and flown away by now."
Hog was a meritorious minister. Since Losa took Eira Port, Hog, commanding the Ghost Ship, had been clearing pirates, salvaging shipwrecks, searching for pirate treasures, and collecting countless gold and silver.
The once perilous Red Sea trade route was peaceful again, and the revived Eira Port returned to its peak thanks to his devoted efforts.
With such accomplishments, Hog’s far journey, even with hints of intentional disconnection, would not be held against him. After all, among many five-star attendants, who could match his merits?
"You’ve made quite a fortune lately."
Looking around, Losa was somewhat wistful.
Hey, I hijacked a Malaccan merchant ship earlier...
Seeing Losa’s glare, he quickly added, "As our saying goes, killing heretics isn’t really killing. Besides, they don’t come to our port to trade, so I’m not breaking any rules."
Losa could only sigh. He had previously set rules for Captain Hog: in the Red Bay, he could only target pirates and not disturb the heretic merchant ships. After all, this golden trade route was now in his own hands.
But in those days, could one really tell the difference between merchant ships and pirates?
"The leader of that caravan was a Saracen, who said there was a big country called ’Song’ in the North, with vast territory and immense wealth."
Then I could bring back rare treasures for His Majesty’s great enterprise, adding bricks and tiles!
"Speak the truth!"
Hog lowered his head honestly: "Reigning over the Red Sea bathtub is really boring. The Ocean Disaster needs nourishment for growth, not just hunting sea creatures, but also devouring living souls."
"So, it’s my fault for not—"
Losa then pulled out a few operational records he had extracted earlier, producing one as he spoke: "You have worked hard and achieved great merit; you should be rewarded, but—"
"As for raiding the Song Country, forget it. In my previous life, I was considered a Song person. You may kill pirates and hunt sea beasts outside, but—"
"No problem, Your Majesty. Once I partially recover my strength, I can summon the tentacles of my little Paul across the world. Although it’s not as powerful as his actual arrival, as the offspring of the Great Monarch of the deep sea, his strength is—"
Little Paul is the Norwegian sea monster raised by Captain Hog. It’s this progeny of the Great Monarch of the deep sea that allowed Hog to thrive in the Mediterranean, a relatively small yet influential region.
Little Paul is the Norwegian sea monster raised by Captain Hog. It’s this progeny of the Great Monarch of the deep sea that allowed Hog to thrive in the Mediterranean, a relatively small yet influential region.