THE RISE OF THE KNIGHTS OF SINNERS
#2# HOLY WAR II
Not even 15 years after the first holy war ended, there was another conflict between the two beliefs whose peak was the mutual attack of pilgrims Deus and pilgrims Angelus in Valdia. The fight killed 10 Deusites and 8 Angelusians. But over the negotiations between the holy priest Angelus and the holy priest Deus, the minor conflict caused no turmoil and between the two holy priests simultaneously said that the fight in Valdia was purely a misunderstanding.
After a year passed, the holy priest Deusia received an invitation from the kingdom of Angelusia to strengthen the brotherly relationship between the two beliefs. At first the meeting between the two religious leaders was peaceful and wise, but when dinner came and after a toast, the holy priest of Deusia drank a cup of milk and immediately he convulsed. All the guests were panicked and shortly the holy priest Deusia was pronounced dead because the drink he drank had been poisoned before.
The death of the holy priest Deusia clearly made the western alliance begin to suspect the eastern alliance. Various meetings began to be held by the two alliances to discuss the death of the holy priest Deus. However, none of the meetings gave a bright spot and tensions between the two sides grew after priests from the holy kingdom of Deusia alleged that it was the kingdom of Angelus who poisoned the holy priest Deus.
Despite the high tensions, both sides of the alliance are still holding back. They prefer the path of diplomacy to avoid the possibility of a second volume of holy war. On the other hand, the holy kingdom of Deusia chose a new holy priest, Jeremus II. The new holy priest Deus and his followers continued to whistle accusing Angelusia of the death of the previous holy priest Deus and demanding that Angelusia hand over the perpetrators of the murder. While the holy priest Angelus also whistled loudly that they were not murderers and would not meet the demands of Deusia even the holy priest Angelus threatened to take action militarily if Deusia still continued to accuse them of being added again, Deusia again insulted the goddess Cilia who was a member of the Angelus.
The tension of the two holy empires slowly seeped in the western and eastern alliance. They accused each other of accusing up to the peak of 102 Deusia priests who were on their way home from the Cronix empire suddenly ambushed by Axel kingdom troops who happened to be patrolling the borders of the Cronix empire. 102 Pastors were killed by Axel troops.
After the incident, the holy priest Deus ran out of patience. He immediately declared war on the eastern alliance and declared the holy war campaign to restart. Initially the eastern alliance rejected the western alliance's war challenge and chose a peaceful path to resolve the issue. King Axel himself said that the attack was a misunderstanding because the border troops thought that they attacked were forest bandits who often robbed merchant caravans. In addition the Axel king was also prepared to pay anything for the western alliance to withdraw their war challenge. There is no diplomacy to solve this problem. And the only way is through the military.
***
In mid-autumn, war began to rage in various regions of the Cronix empire after the western alliance forces managed to repulse and seize various border regions of the Cronix empire. While in the north, marquis Aiden along with his cavalry who was then considered the strongest troops managed to resist the invasion of the kingdom of Iris. The success of the Aiden marquis was thanks to the help of the Axiom and Vinduria kingdoms which also bordered the Iris kingdom. The Axiom and Vundurian armies invaded the Iris kingdom which made the concentration of Iris's forces split into 3.
After that success, marquis Aiden immediately set out to help the main troops who were trying to penetrate the territory of the Cronix empire. Marquis Aiden left his wife with a third child and waited for the day to give birth.
***
During the 3 months of the second holy war occurred and not a step of the western alliance troops managed to pass through the ranks of the eastern alliance troops. Until when marquis Aiden with his cavalry troops came, they finally managed to break through the enemy forces and advance towards the capital of Cronix. But unfortunately, the strategy of the western alliance that was originally about to attack the capital of Cronix from 3 directions failed miserably. Of the 3 large forces that attacked from 3 directions, only the main army managed to penetrate the enemy and the rest were actually beaten back.
Defeat in both directions became the counter-current of an eastern alliance attack. They managed to control various cities of the kingdom of Gerelia. However, that success did not last long after Aiden's savvy strategy of dividing the main force succeeded in repelling the eastern alliance's forces. And slowly they managed to advance and control the territories of the Cronix empire.
***
Before the holy war, members of the Valdius family were on political and tourist visits in the kingdom of Taiyoria. And when the holy war occurred, Valdius family members decided to go home through the southern ocean sea lane because the land route had become a battlefield. However, on the way, the ship they were traveling on passed through the sea war area between the kingdom of Axel and the kingdom of Axiom.
The tragedy took the whole world by surprise and made the eastern alliance slowly pull back the troops due to the incident. However, marquis Aiden who had been angry with his 100 cavalry went to the kingdom of Axel to avenge the death of his family. Aiden's marquis actions were beyond the expectations of the Axel kingdom as well as the western and eastern alliances because they thought that if the Aiden marquis wanted revenge, he would definitely gather a large army. But the fact is that the marquis Aiden dared to leave with only 100 troops. At the Axel border, Aiden marquis and his troops managed to finish off the Axel forces and open their way to the Axel capital. However, when they arrived at the capital they were immediately confronted by 10 thousand Axel troops.
From above the walls of the capital, the king of Axel mocked the marquis Aiden and the entire Valdius family. King Axel thought that marquis Aiden could not dare to fight 10 thousand troops with just 100 cavalry. But, not to be daunted, precisely marquis Aiden with his troops advanced against the 10 thousand troops. The ferocity of Aiden marquis along with his 100 cavalry who were selected knights ravaged 10 thousand Axel troops. As a result, the war that lasted 7 hours killed all Axel forces that confronted. While from the marquis Aiden only he and 2 knights who managed to survive with a body full of wounds. Marquis Aiden's ferocity terrified the king of Axel.
Although the three of them physically could not afford to fight, but they still tried to advance towards the capital with a limp. For revenge, marquis Aiden and his 2 knights undaunted closer to the capital, which was guarded by 30,000 troops on the fort, the steps of the three of them stopped when the cavalry of the Cronix empire led directly by Cronix's knights came to head. The frightened King Axel instantly turned excited and happy. He repeatedly thanked the goddess Cilia Ksrena for sending the relief force.
Instead of helping the Axel kingdom kill marquis Aiden, surprisingly the emperor Cronix prostrated himself before the marquis Aiden and offered him forgiveness. He apologized for the tragedy that befell the Valdius family. Emperor Cronix even requested that marquis Aiden behead him in return for the Valdius family's death.
Marquis Aiden refused to do that because in war, a king should only be killed by a king instead of by nobles like him. However, marquis Aiden requested various conditions to the emperor of Cronix that the eastern alliance admit defeat in this war, the eastern alliance must pay all the losses of war to the western alliance, the eastern alliance had to execute the king of Axel and all of their naval forces who had been involved in the assassination of the Valdius family, and finally the marquis Aiden asked the emperor Cronix to cut off his little fingers as proof of the eastern alliance's apology for the Valdius family's death.
Unexpectedly, Aiden's marquis terms were again approved. In less than 1 week, the eastern alliance declared their defeat in the holy war this time around. They paid 8 million gold coins and various resources to the western alliance. Emperor Cronix also executed the king of Axel along with the Axel sea warriors who were involved in the murder of the Valdius family. The execution was carried out by Marquis Aiden. And he also cut off the two little fingers of the emperor Cronix.
Although his heart was still broken, marquis Aiden was finally able to avenge the death of his entire family and he was grateful that his wife and children did not participate in the visit. Marquis Aiden considers his terms to be complete and will return to Valdia. However, for the emperor Cronix as the leader of the eastern alliance considered the requirement was still lacking if to pay for the death of the Valdius family, therefore he was willing to give 80% the wealth of the Cronix imperial family in the marquis of Aiden on the grounds of helping the economy of Valdia which at that time Valdia experienced various crises and outbreaks of infectious diseases the effects of war.
In fact the kings of the eastern alliance many disagreed about the actions of the emperor Cronix and wondered why the emperor would do such a thing just for the sake of the family of a marquis. Emperor Cronix also replied that the Valdius family were devout worshipers of the goddess Cilia besides their ancestor Valdius was the one who had built the Cronix empire and the kingdoms of the eastern continent. Therefore the emperor of Cronix would do anything if he or the alliance he led did undesirable things to the Valdius family.
***
The western Alliance celebrated their victory with great fanfare. Parties were held in various places except the city of Valdia. And marquis Aiden is back as a hero. He received numerous awards and gifts from the kings of the western alliance for his services. In addition, the western alliance mourns the death of the Valdius family. The reason the city of Valdia did not celebrate the victory of war was because its inhabitants mourned the death of Valdius family members. In addition, they are also worried about marquis Aiden who has not returned.
After a few days, marquis Aiden finally returned in a state of sadness and broken hearts. However, his grief is lost when he learns that his third child was born a few months ago while he was at war. Marquis Aiden's third child was a beautiful baby girl. The baby was named Melina von Valdius.
^^^To be Continue.^^^
