Chapter 109: The Fall of a Kingdom

“As expected, no matter how prosperous a place once was, at times like this, only these remnants remain.”

Before a grand structure, Ardis quietly admired the towering edifice before him and spoke thus.

Around him stood several nobles—the local aristocrats who had led their troops to surrender, along with the governor. Their faces wore forced smiles as they looked respectfully at Ardis.

“Your Majesty, these are the traces left behind centuries ago when the first King of Indley built the capital city, Indley. It is said that at its peak, over a million people were mobilized. Such magnificence gave rise to the grandness of Indley,” explained one noble with a slight bow.

Ardis gazed at the cluster of buildings before him, where faint remnants still lingered, allowing one to imagine the former glory of this land.

“Alas, no matter how mighty or majestic, none can resist the passage of time. The first King of Indley came from the royal court, a prince of noble blood and a hero who surpassed even the Sky Knights. He led three thousand cavalry to establish the Indley Duchy in the desolate northern lands, driving out the beasts and demon tribes from the earth. How wise and valiant he was. Yet now, what remains?”

“Indeed, even the Indley Duchy he founded is on the brink of extinction due to the cruel rule of his descendants.”

At that moment, Ardis’s tone shifted as he spoke these words.

Hearing this, the once respectful nobles all lowered their heads, some unwilling to respond.

Seeing their reaction, Ardis only smiled faintly before turning his gaze to a handsome young man silently standing nearby.

“Kekus, what of those nobles who resisted?”

His question immediately drew the attention of those around.

“They have all been executed. By your order, all adult males from those noble families were hanged, and the minors sent to the capital to serve as slaves,” Kekus said flatly, bowing slightly under the watchful eyes—some filled with anger, others with sorrow.

For these nobles, intermarriage between bloodlines was common. Many were even related by blood locally. Upon learning the fate of their captured kin, their hearts could not remain calm.

Only now did they realize that the youth before them was not merely the king of a vast duchy but also an executioner who had annihilated countless families.

Yet Ardis merely smiled faintly. “Well done.”

“And what of Indley City? Is the royal family still holding out?”

At this, Kekus’s expression grew somber. “Yes.”

“The remaining nobles and royal family in Indley City have rejected our surrender appeals. They support the heir of the late King Barret and are rallying nearby nobles for aid, hoping to hold us back behind the city walls.”

Ardis shook his head. “It seems they still harbor some hope, believing the walls can stop us.”

“After all, we only brought around twenty thousand troops on this southern campaign. Even with the nobles’ surrenders along the way and continuous reinforcements from the rear, our losses have been significant. Under normal circumstances, capturing Indley City would be challenging.”

Ardis paused, then added, “But that’s under normal circumstances.”

“Now, with Barret—who reigned for decades—fallen in battle, and the harsh rule that preceded this, who truly wishes to defend the city besides a handful of diehards?” He spoke slowly, his gaze fixed on the distant city walls as a faint golden gleam began to emerge in his eyes.

“Moreover, this world is not like the last—this is a realm where the power of the mundane exists.”

He looked back, where an elderly man clad in a multicolored pontiff’s robe approached with a gentle demeanor, flanked by several priests.

Beside him stood three high priests wearing golden-blue ceremonial robes, their divine power shimmering, silently influencing the surrounding flora.

High priests were equivalent to Sky Knights—each capable of matching an entire army. Now, the four stood together, their shared divine energy converging and quietly forming the nascent outline of a miniature domain, further amplifying their collective power.

Achieving this required not only common divine energy but also perfect harmony; even the slightest discord would prevent true convergence.

The four advanced slowly, amid the astonished and puzzled gazes of the soldiers on both sides, beginning their solemn prayers.

They chanted hymns and invocations loudly, beseeching their revered deity.

As they prayed, energy gathered on their bodies, gradually focusing onto Pontiff Grama under their guidance.

“What are they doing?” a knight murmured from the wall, eyes filled with curiosity.

But moments later, the prayers abruptly ceased.

Grama slowly opened his eyes, which shone with a sacred radiance.

A magnificent light flared, carrying overwhelming divine force, transforming into a spear of power that struck forward with immense might.

In the next instant, the divine energy dissipated, revealing a scene that stunned all.

“The wall... it’s gone!” a knight stared dumbfounded at the large section of the city wall that had vanished, disbelief evident in his eyes.

Silence fell over all, except for the fervent followers of the Nature God, who shouted his name wildly, their eyes ablaze as they stared ahead.

Radiant bursts of divine magic began to glow, blessing the soldiers one by one. They chanted the god’s name and charged forward with unrestrained fury.

“Great Our God! Please unleash your wrath!”

Prayers echoed as they surged ahead.

The scene was astonishing. After Ardis had decreed the widespread adoption of the Nature God’s faith within the army, nearly every soldier had become a believer. Now, under the call of faith, they erupted in a wild, unstoppable tide.

Opposite them, countless noble knights stood dazed, still reeling from the overwhelming divine force, their faces etched with shock.

Only when the maddened warriors drew near did they recover, rallying under a few elite knights to prepare for resistance.

Yet without the protection of the walls, and with inferior morale, numbers, and strength, their defense was feeble.

They relied solely on familiarity with the terrain to engage in brutal street fighting within the city.

Such urban warfare is notoriously difficult during sieges. The narrow city confines and familiarity with the terrain negate numerical superiority, often resulting in prolonged battles and heavy losses.

Ardis merely sneered at this and sent priests forward one by one.

With each natural sensing released, hidden enemies were uncovered and executed within the city.

Then, pressing his advantage, Ardis led his troops to encircle the inner city, slowly advancing upon the defenders’ lines.

Having shattered the city walls once with divine power, Grama and the others were now drained and unable to recover quickly.

Thus, Ardis had to send troops to storm the city walls.

With the yellow-robed priests from the Cavalry advancing, the inner defenses of Indley City began to crumble.

A month later, unrest erupted within the inner city.

A count rebelled, and while the royal forces were distracted, he allied with several familiar noble families to ignite the revolt.

Several loyal nobles and generals were slain, the palace seized, and the king taken hostage.

Under their assault, the city gates were opened, and Indley City fell.

Upon entering, Ardis slaughtered the entire Indley royal family.

Thus, the Indley Duchy, which had endured for centuries in the northern lands, was extinguished with no survivors.

As news of this spread, the entire world trembled.

Nearby, some remaining defiant nobles surrendered, choosing to preserve their families under Ardis’s ruthless hand. The once chaotic regions began to settle.

Yet, as the news reached the south, countless clenched their teeth and hastened their own plans, eyes fixed on the north.

In the central lands, the ancestral god of the royal court intervened, blocking a coalition of southern ancestral gods at the cost of grievous injury.

Seizing the moment, the royal court swiftly acted, conquering several small city-states and provoking widespread conflict.

In the eastern and western regions, several powerful duchies rose, expanding rapidly under northern pressure.

However, in the north, after capturing Indley City and extinguishing the duchy, Ardis did not rush to conquer further.

Instead, leveraging the terror of this annihilation, he began persuading the once-neutral city-states to surrender.

At the same time, troops stationed domestically were redeployed to press upon these smaller city-states.

Faced with the threat of massacre and state destruction, numerous petty kings capitulated.

Ardis welcomed these surrenders but showed no mercy in abolishing their duchies, stripping their kings of titles and parceling out lands to limit their influence while pacifying them.

For the stubborn few who resisted, Ardis showed no leniency. After months of preparation, his army advanced once more.

With Indley Duchy destroyed and others surrendering or falling, no force remained in the north to challenge him.

One by one, duchies were swiftly defeated, surrendered, or utterly annihilated under Ardis’s onslaught.

Thus, within half a year, the once chaotic northern lands were unified for the first time in centuries.