The Mist Alliance had actually been in the works for a very long time already.
The Mist Alliance would be an alliance with a common goal at its core. Every country would believe in the God of Law, follow the law system, and follow the principle of non-war. In the remote Northlands, I would establish a relatively peaceful regional alliance.
Yes, it would only be an alliance, not a kingdom that would be passed down from generation to generation, nor would it be an empire. I had no intentions of becoming a dragon in a different world. Becoming an emperor had never been my goal. In fact, I didn't even intend to become the leader of any faction.
"I'll do my best to reduce the Holy War's scale and casualties, gather as much power as possible, and finally stop the war and survive this crisis."
My original goal had never changed. During this period of hard work, I seemed to have achieved some results.
First of all, the most important part — Wumianzhe had become stronger.
This didn't seem like a big deal, but in my plan to break the Cycle of Hades, Wumianzhe couldn't reach the level of an Order Main God. The rest of the plan would be pointless. And, only if this "boss" behind the scenes became stronger would I be able to avoid being slapped to death by some powerful individual who didn't like me.
In a way, Wumianzhe was the true victor of this war. He had his own Valkyrie Highness and the Path of Reincarnation. He also had the Northlands, a land blessed by the gods. From now on, he had his own territory, and finally broke away from the third-rate Gods, False Gods, and Evil Gods.
Currently, Wumianzhe was advancing from a Low God to a Medium God. His Divine Concepts included Law, Contracts, and the Guardian God of the Northlands. However, he hadn't actually obtained a complete Divine Concept yet. Law and Contracts were both new things. Contracts had only become popular in the Ottoman Empire. Although they seemed to have limitless potential in my eyes, there were far too few users and believers, which actually didn't provide Wumianzhe with much power of belief.
Although the power of Law had greater potential, it was only popular in Sulfur Mountain City. Practically every city in the world had believers, and this was something I had accumulated over one hundred years. Although the Underground and the small country of Donglan also had many believers, it hadn't been long enough. Most of them were just ordinary believers, and their understanding of Law was superficial, which didn't provide much power of belief to Wumianzhe.
However, it was different for the Guardian God of the North. As long as the Guardian God protected the race and the region, even if they weren't believers, they would still be protected.
The prayers and prayers of gratitude were also able to provide Wumianzhe with large amounts of faith origin power. This time, Wumianzhe even performed a God's Descent. That was an actual divine miracle that was more convincing than anything else. It was likely that the Northlands' Guardian God's divine miracle would soon spread throughout the entire Northlands, and the Northlands countries that had established the Church of Law as their national religion would provide faith origin power to Wumianzhe through dual Divine Concepts (Guardian and Law).
It hadn't even been two years since he ascended to Godhood, yet he was already about to advance to Intermediate Divine Power. This was simply unimaginable. It was likely that Wumianzhe had already become the focal point of both camps.
But …
"Those who stand out will either be treated as cannon fodder or killed with a slap. Attracting too much attention is clearly not a good thing. It seems that I have to keep a low profile for now."
No matter if I was "recognized" by the Order Faction's higher-ups, or if I was "praised" by them that "with great power comes great responsibility," I would be sent to the frontlines as cannon fodder, or if I was treated as a thorn in the side of the Chaos Faction and eliminated early. None of these were things that I wanted to see.
"Since the war here has stopped, then I should be able to live a few days of peace. Heh, it's also time to relax."
Thinking about this, I couldn't help but smile. Fighting to the death, wasn't it all for the sake of a peaceful and prosperous place for everyone to live a better life? But then, thinking about what was to come next, my satisfied smile turned into a helpless bitter smile.
"… He's growing too quickly. Even with Aillé's protection, I still need to be careful. It's actually easier for a Main God to protect a Low God who doesn't even have a territory. After all, there won't be much of a conflict of interest. But now, Wumianzhe intends to take over the entire Northlands, which means that he wants to establish his own faction."
"He's developing too quickly without a stable foundation. There will definitely be people who will be jealous. Those True Gods of the Order Faction might not be that powerful in battle, but they are extremely skilled at scheming and stabbing others in the back. After all, they just had a history of nearly two thousand years of internal strife, and the number of seniors who mysteriously fell is not small. "
"… But the Church of Non-War is indeed a good reason. Since we can't actively participate in battle, we naturally can't become cannon fodder. In that case, unless the Order Faction comes looking for us … Yep, we should focus on defense for now. At the very least, before the Undead Calamity arrives, we shouldn't blindly expand our territory. We can't give the other True Gods and major empires any reason to attack us. The Mist Alliance's member countries are also limited to the Northlands. This way, the other mega empires won't have to worry about us. "
Of course, I knew that it was impossible to make a tiger become a vegetarian. At the very least, the Ottoman Empire and San Antonio had long since set their eyes on the Northlands. But as long as I succeeded in delaying the Undead Calamity for a few years, they probably wouldn't have time to worry about us.
"Will the next calamity be the Undead Calamity? I just don't know if it'll happen sooner or later. "
From a certain standpoint, the Xiluo Empire's internal strife hadn't solved the fundamental problem yet. The Undead Lords that escaped to the Undead Planes would definitely affect the Undead Emperors there. As long as the Undead Emperors still wanted to return to the mortal plane, the Undead Plane's invasion would be inevitable as the Elemental Tide increased in intensity.
The only thing that I could relax about was that the Undead Calamity likely wouldn't come for the Northlands. After all, the Northlands was vast and sparsely populated. It would definitely be less attractive to the Undead Emperors than the densely populated central regions of the continent. If I was the commander of the undead army, I would definitely ambush San Antonio and Bayer, taking down the most populated provinces and cities, and then create an Undead Calamity and Death Plague … Cough, I accidentally got too into character. This was all my occupational disease.
Still, I was quite confident in my own professional judgment. After all, I had once been an Undead Emperor, and my deductions coincided with historical undead invasions. If the undead army wanted to strengthen, it would be necessary for them to have a snowball effect. In that case, they would have to take down the major countries with long histories, revive the powerful individuals from their tombs, and use the commoners' corpses as cannon fodder in order to create countless new armies, using battle to fight … Fine then, I seemed to have gotten too excited again.
"When the undead really invade, the undead under my command will probably receive strange looks as well. Perhaps it's time to act ahead of time. It's time to give them a new skin, a new name, and a new organization. At the very least, the world will know that they aren't those crazy and bloodthirsty undead."
Omar brought Xiluo's remaining troops, my Red Hunting Hounds, and the native undead of Sulfur Mountain City. Unknowingly, I had quite a few undead under my command. It was indeed time to act ahead of time.
"Anubis's army? I don't think there's such a Dog-Headed God in this world. Although it's quite a pity for the Dog-Headed God, I still reject it. "
"The Forgotten. That sounds like a copyright infringement. I'll probably have to explain to others what was forgotten. Rejected."
"Death Rock? That sounds like something strange mixed in. Rejected. "
"Guards of the Hades? That sounds nice, but it's a little too ostentatious. I feel like it's missing something. How about I combine the first two names? Guards of the Hades's Dog-Headed God? Yep, that sounds like a rhyme, and it's quite meaningful. I'll use Bastet's head as the emblem, and I can even add a Dog-Headed God helmet. Ah, the more I think about it, the better it sounds. As expected, I'm a genius at naming things! "
The more I thought about it, the happier I became. In the end, I even said it out loud.
"Milord, please don't. Otherwise, Bastet and everyone else will cry …"
A familiar voice filled with confusion came from a familiar person. The silver-masked Lilith Milan appeared in front of me. Previously, she had been in charge of work in Diffindor, but now that the war had come to an end, it was time for her to come here to talk about her work.
Just like how the naked Bishop had exposed his identity by performing art in a place where no other Tauren was present, my identity had been discovered by someone who was familiar with me. Of course, some things were fine as long as they were known, and there was no need to expose them. At the very least, I reckoned that the Four Heavenly Kings of Law already knew about it.
But right now, Lilith didn't have the time to reminisce about the past. Of course, she was happy to meet an old boss and an old friend, but to hear such explosive mutterings as soon as she arrived? Perhaps the Northlands' undead would all have the name "Dog-Headed God" in the future. That wouldn't make her happy at all.
And based on her understanding of Roland, if he really put on the "Dog-Headed God Army" label, it would probably be quite difficult to take it off.
But simply objecting wasn't enough. And so, Lilith could only wrack her brains and try to think of a more suitable name.
"… How about 'Sinless'? Not only does it show that they're foundationally different from ordinary undead, it also means that they've chosen to be under the protection of the Law God. They're sinless citizens who have chosen to follow the law."
I was hesitating about whether or not to accept this suggestion.
Yep, I was only "purely" thinking about the pros and cons of these two names. It definitely wasn't because I felt that the Dog-Headed God Emblem was really cool, nor was it because I felt that seeing an undead army wearing Dog-Headed God Helmets would be interesting. I definitely didn't have any selfish desires!
Lilith seemed to notice that I was hesitating as she thought about it for a moment. Then, she revealed an expression of sudden realization and directly added another sentence.
"Even if they're called Sinless, they can still wear the Dog-Headed God Emblem and helmets. We can even make Lord Bastet the symbol of the entire species! As the Red Hunting Hounds' army leader, he 'should' be quite happy. "
"Yep, good suggestion! It's decided then! "
Lilith inwardly apologized to Bastet, who was about to become a mascot. She also secretly heaved a sigh of relief. After all, from a certain standpoint, she would also be a member of the Sinless. It would be far too difficult for a female who loved to look beautiful to accept being called a Dog-Headed God Emblem.
But just as she heaved a sigh of relief, she heard a nostalgic nickname.
"Fina!? Isn't this my cute little Fina? "
Amelia actually ran over with an expression of pleasant surprise, waving her hands as she ran. It was rare to see her so happy since she was used to having such a dark expression.
However, Lilith's expression was also quite pleasant to look at. Surprise, disbelief, anger, and helplessness were all displayed on her face. After knowing her for so long, this was the first time that I discovered that she actually had a talent for beauty.
"You two know each other? Fina? Lilith, is that your real name? "
I recalled that Lilith had come to Sulfur Mountain City by herself. Every single Blood Tribe member who didn't have a family would likely have unpleasant memories, so it was quite normal for her to abandon her original real name.
"Milord, there's no Fina Milan here right now. There's only Lilith Milan."
Lilith's expression was calm as she spoke. However, Amelia still had an expression of pleasant surprise as she hugged Lilith.
"Fina, just where did you run off to? I've been looking for you."
"Aunt Amelia, please don't call me Fina in the future. I'm Lilith, Lilith Milan. Fina Milan has long since ceased to exist in this world."
"Don't be silly. No matter what, you were once the former empress of the Bardi Empire, my cutest little niece …"
Only now did I discover that both of them had the surname Milan, and they looked rather similar. It would seem that they were relatives. And so, I pulled over a chair and did my best to reduce my presence as I prepared to watch the show.
As the two of them exclaimed in surprise, I soon figured out the complicated relationship between them. Yep, the complicated relationship was between Lilith and Amelia. Amelia was simply happy to see her niece that she hadn't seen for many years.
As for Lilith's story, it was even more legendary.
"There's actually a continuation to that ridiculous version of Sleeping Beauty from another world?"
That's right, Amelia was the evil witch in that story. The Lilith Milan before me was the female lead of that story of Sleeping Beauty that ruined my childhood — Fina Milan!
"Xiao Fen … Alright, little Lilith, don't worry. I've already stood up for you. I've already thrown that ungrateful and fickle man into the Special Botanical Garden. I'm afraid he's already turned into fertilizer. Sigh, I thought that necrophilic prince wouldn't be interested in ordinary women, so he definitely wouldn't be a playboy or a scammer. At the very least, he would be a good person. It's all my aunt's fault for misjudging him. Hmph, little Lilith, do you believe me this time? My aunt was absolutely right. Not a single man in this world is good! "
Alright then, I was viciously glared at for no reason at all. This was basically me getting shot even though I was just lying down.
However, through their conversation, I had more or less figured out the ins and outs of the matter.
So this was the original story of Sleeping Beauty, but it wasn't so romantic. A foreign prince with a special fetish woke up the sleeping beauty, and the curse of the willful witch was lifted. However, what happened next wasn't so fairytale-like.
Lilith's father was overjoyed when he saw that his daughter had woken up. He thought that this was the legendary "kiss of true love" type of development. He was overjoyed that his daughter had found her true love, but in the end, he foolishly betrothed Lilith, who hadn't even figured out the situation, to that prince. And that foreign prince, who didn't have the right to inherit the throne, unhesitatingly proposed to the emperor's only daughter, the future empress.
The story after that was no longer fairytale-like. The prince, who had a strange sexual orientation, had no interest in his new wife at all. Instead, he spent all day patrolling the tombs in his territory. Finally, the prince, who had learned undead magic, decided to change his wife into the type that he loved the most. And so, he used the Blood Tribe's curse on her, turning her into a living corpse. He then tried to use evil undead magic to enslave her.
However, he didn't expect that the princess was actually an outstanding swordsman as well. Coincidentally, she was transformed into a noble Blood Tribe member and regained her intelligence.
And so, an intense conflict erupted between the two of them in the royal palace. Next. The Bardi Empire's Holy Church Knight and priest arrived in time to exorcise the "evil empress who bathed in blood in order to maintain eternal youth." In the end, after covering up this royal scandal, the throne fell to that prince.
Of course, judging from Amelia's words, he didn't do it for long. Soon, the furious witch discovered all of this when she was visiting her family. In the end, the prince became fertilizer for the witch's garden. Evil was punished, and justice was upheld. It was another standard fairytale ending. It was a cause for celebration, and a pity for celebration …
"Congratulations, my ass! No matter how I look at it, it's all your fault, Roland!"
"What!?"
I was innocently attacked once again. I clearly hadn't even heard of this story before. Now that I thought about it, back in the day, I was searching all over the world for clues to my revenge. How could it be my fault as well?
"If it wasn't for your betrayal causing me to lose trust in men, how could I have set up such a harsh test to test little Lilith's future husband? In the end, the one who passed was such a pervert, causing Lilith to suffer such misfortune in the end! In the end, all of this is your fault. "
I was instantly rendered speechless. It wasn't that I couldn't retort, it was that I was so angry that I didn't know what to say.
"You can blame me for all of this? Then I've basically become the root of all evil! "
"Aunt, don't blame Lord Roland. It's all Lilith's fault. Ha, I've gotten over it now. Men are ugly and untrustworthy. I only like women now. The me back then was far too foolish. "
Alright then, so the rumors that some people's sexual orientations would change after suffering a major emotional setback were actually true!
When Amelia heard her niece's declaration of being a lesbian, she took two steps back with a pale face. It would seem that she was far more innocent than she appeared on the surface.
But then, I discovered that I had misunderstood. Amelia actually started crying loudly.
"Wahhh, pitiful little Nana, it's all your aunt's fault. Even if that bastard is already dead, your aunt will definitely help you find that bastard's undead teacher. Wahhh, it's all that bastard's fault. He said something like, 'Don't care about what others think, work hard to pursue true love, and if your lover doesn't meet your standards, you can try using your own methods to change her and accept her.' That irresponsible undead mage who spouted nonsense is the true culprit! "
When I heard this angry roar, the snacks in my hand instantly fell to the ground. Why did these words sound so modern? Why did they sound so familiar? They were exactly the same as a Chicken Soup for the Soul novel that I had read in another world. Could it be that such things were popular in this world as well?
"Prince? Back then, in order to collect information for my revenge, I did indeed take in several powerful disciples. One of them was Suana's father. I think he was also from Somme. Could it be … "
"Hmm? Roland told me this before. He was the one who encouraged me to follow my heart and pursue true love. That was how I finally made the decision to abandon my prejudices and work hard to pursue my new happiness. Could it be that these words have already been spread? It's a famous quote! "
Lilith had a stunned expression, but Amelia lowered her head and muttered something. "I knew it, I knew it, only he …" Then, she suddenly turned around and smiled at me.
"Ha, it's indeed a 'famous quote,' but it'll soon become the 'crazy words of a dead man!' As expected, only you can become the culprit! "
Her blood-red eyes were the bright red of a wild beast, and her green hair was growing furiously. Her killing intent and anger were already exploding, and even the ground was trembling under her frightening brute force.
"I knew it! Those seemingly reasonable 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' are all so unreliable! Trying to enlighten others like that will most likely cause problems! Ahh, Amelia, don't hit my face! I still have a meeting to attend! "
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