Chapter 179: New Territory
Three months later.
In the northern region of the Glory Empire, a long procession moved across the vast plains, braving the piercing wind.
Tiny snowflakes struck the knights’ armor, producing a soft clinking sound.
“Why is Borotosh so cold? It’s much colder than the capital, and it’s already snowing this early in the season.”
A knight in the procession lifted his visor, his voice buzzing in the wind.
“Of course, we’re already in the northern part of the empire. They say it’s winter here for half the year,” replied another knight beside him.
“I can hardly believe it’s already this cold here. I wonder what it’s like further north at Margburg.”
They were all knights of Marquis Cecil, who had left the capital with him for Borotosh half a month earlier.
This entire area had been granted to Marquis Cecil by His Majesty.
Princess Charli had been reluctant, and His Majesty had also hoped for Marquis Cecil to remain in the capital. However, Marquis Cecil declined, bringing the knights and a group of people to settle here.
The knights didn’t quite understand why the marquis wouldn’t just stay in the capital and enjoy a comfortable life. After all, many nobles with their own territories did the same—remaining in the capital as long as their lands provided enough tax revenue for their indulgence.
Yet, they only dared to discuss this privately; none would voice it to Marquis Cecil himself. Though young and not particularly fierce in appearance, the marquis exuded an aura that made people instinctively obey and fear him.
He was like the northern wind and snow.
These tall, strong knights, while following Marquis Cecil’s orders, dared not even look directly at his face. Even the magicians accompanying him wouldn’t raise their voices in his presence.
Nobles of this era often liked to employ magicians, though becoming a magician was exceedingly difficult. The more skilled ones belonged to the Holy Temple, and most nobles considered themselves fortunate if they could afford two or three magicians.
Yet this procession included over a dozen magicians who served exclusively under Marquis Cecil! They all appeared to respect him deeply, which was astonishing.
“The magicians I’ve seen before were all so arrogant, especially the powerful ones. But these magicians seem to listen to our marquis—he’s really remarkable!” A young knight looked at the marquis riding ahead with admiration.
“I heard it’s because the marquis knows magic himself; that’s why he can keep these magicians in line,” an older knight replied.
The younger knight was shocked. “What? The marquis is an even more powerful magician? I hadn’t heard that before, nor have I seen him use magic.”
The knight lowered his voice further. “Because the marquis doesn’t use light magic, and he was never taught or recognized by the Holy Temple.”
“Huh? Isn’t that…” The young knight swallowed the word “heretic,” his expression conflicted. “Wouldn’t the Holy Temple…”
Before he finished, he remembered the rumor—Cardinal Peruth was very fond of Marquis Cecil.
Now that the Pope had passed, the Holy Temple was under the control of the two cardinals. Even if they heard whispers about Marquis Cecil, they wouldn’t cause him trouble.
“Speaking of the Holy Temple, who’s going to be the next Pope?”
“It’s still undecided. I’ve heard the supporters of the two cardinals are clashing fiercely.”
“If it goes by age, it’d surely be Cardinal Croft. But I met Cardinal Peruth once—such a kind man. He even healed my injuries. I really hope he’ll become the new Pope.”
The knights soon shifted topics.
Since the group had many carts loaded with supplies, they could only move slowly, passing time by gathering together to chat.
Yu Mo was aware of this, so he never minded the idle chatter among the group, as long as it didn’t delay their journey.
His rise in rank had been swift, and with his black hair and black eyes—which weren’t considered the standard—alongside rumors surrounding his unclear relationship with Cardinal Peruth, speculation about him had never ceased.
After Charli became a princess, rumors even spread that he was a demon who had tempted the cardinal and taken control of the emperor—though in a way, that wasn’t entirely incorrect.
After another day’s journey, the group finally passed through Borotosh and arrived at their destination, Margburg.
The long journey now complete, everyone relaxed and began adapting to the new surroundings.
Yu Mo took care of various matters, paying special attention to arranging for the magicians he had brought with him.
In truth, the number of magicians he brought far exceeded the dozen the knights had guessed; it was closer to a hundred.
He had brought half of the members of the Star Society with him, including those who had joined gradually over time.
And this was only the beginning; once they were settled here, the rest of the Star Society would also come.
A major cause of the spread of the Death Plague was the imbalance of divine powers across the continent. Yu Mo had long considered whether he could slow its spread, and Borotosh was his first testing ground.
Conveniently, the Death Plague had already spread in the northern region of the empire, causing even the Holy Temple to withdraw its local branch. With no oversight, this area was perfect for cultivating worship of the deities of the Dark.
The magicians he brought, all aligned with the Dark, held various faiths—such as “Death” and “Vengeance”—yet they all ultimately fell under the domain of the “Moon.”
Similarly, within the Holy Temple of Light, other deities representing “Health,” “Harvest,” and “Knowledge” all fell under the “Sun.” Yet, the Sun’s brilliance overshadowed all other beliefs.
If worship of the Moon’s deities increased, the Moon’s power would also grow.
This, in turn, would mean he himself, who wielded the Moon’s primal power, would grow stronger.
Thinking of the sapphire star necklace that had returned to him, Yu Mo recalled Peruth’s uninvited visit just before he left the capital.
Unlike Charli, who cried uncontrollably upon learning of his departure, the cardinal remained calm and made no attempt to persuade him otherwise.
Only when Yu Mo removed his robes had the cardinal briefly broken his composed demeanor, otherwise maintaining an air of complete control.
Yu Mo had little time to think about the matters of the capital, having arranged everything before leaving. For now, he needed to focus on the situation in Borotosh.
The situation here was more complex than he had anticipated. More people lived on this barren, expansive land than he had expected.
Many smaller northern nations had fallen entirely to the Death Plague, and the surviving population had migrated toward the borders of the Glory Empire. A large number of them had settled as permanent residents of Borotosh.
Yu Mo arranged for the magicians he had brought to go out and personally inspected the territory to assess the situation in various areas.
If he hadn’t brought along the attentive and quick-learning student, Amos, he wouldn’t have been able to manage everything on his own.
When leaving the capital, Yu Mo had considered whether to keep Amos by Charli’s side, but Amos was just too useful. He had to leave Makin with his sister for the time being.
After two months of busy work in Borotosh, as the weather grew colder, news arrived from the capital.
The power struggle between the two cardinals in the Holy Temple had finally come to an end; neither had become the new Pope, and the Temple had split into two factions, north and south.
It was said that Cardinal Croft had taken control of the original Holy Temple, remaining in the capital of the Glory Empire, while Cardinal Peruth was set to head north to rebuild a new temple.
Everyone believed that in this power struggle, the younger Cardinal Peruth had fallen to the disadvantage, forced to retreat to the north.
But Yu Mo understood that Peruth had already achieved his goal of fracturing the Holy Temple.
The Temple had been severely weakened and was now fraught with countless disputes.
Cardinal Croft was not skilled in schemes or battles; he was a light magician who specialized only in magical research.
Under his leadership, the Holy Temple would never regain its former glory.
Meanwhile, Peruth’s arrival in the north would not likely lead to serious efforts in developing followers of the light.
Instead, he was more likely to use the situation here for his own purposes, just as Yu Mo intended to do.
“Cardinal Peruth is coming north to build a new temple?” Amos looked worriedly at his teacher. “Wouldn’t he consider establishing the temple in Borotosh?”
This was quite possible. Although Borotosh was too far north with a harsh climate, with his teacher already here, the cardinal would surely prefer to come this way.
After communicating with Charli, Amos was convinced of this.
“If Cardinal Peruth really does come to Borotosh, it will affect our plans. Lady Adeline and the others have just started to develop some followers, and there are those newly built temples. If the Holy Temple discovers them…”
“Don’t worry,” Yu Mo replied, opening Charli’s letter. “Peruth won’t establish a new temple in Borotosh.”
This was an unspoken understanding between them.
Charli’s letter also detailed matters regarding the Holy Temple, noting that Cardinal Croft hadn’t placed any blame on her. Additionally, Makin had entered the Temple and become a knight of the Holy Temple.
Regarding the royal palace, she had gained the emperor’s attention and had even reprimanded the debauched second prince for his unrepentant behavior.
The rest of the letter was filled with mundane details about life, various expressions of concern, and inquiries about when he could return to the capital to see her.
It was precisely because Charli had become increasingly dependent on him that Yu Mo decided to come to the territory early, allowing her to hone her skills back in the capital.
At the right time, he planned to bring Charli to this place, confronting the Death Plague to awaken her magical talent “Protection.”
After receiving the news from the capital, Yu Mo continued to inspect the territory. He dealt with the border officials at the edge of Borotosh, addressing the issue of trading in populations from beyond the borders, who were being transported elsewhere as slaves, before heading back to Margburg.
It was nearly the coldest time of year, and during this season, Borotosh held a Winter Snow Festival, the largest sacrificial celebration of the year. As the lord, Yu Mo needed to return to preside over it.
However, halfway through their journey, the wind and snow became too intense, forcing Yu Mo and his group to slow their pace.
In the distance, the mountains were covered in snow, revealing a winding white line under the dim sky.
Yu Mo led a group of more than a dozen people, riding on horseback. The hooves of their horses crushed the snow, splattering mud.
The biting wind and snow stung their faces, and despite wearing thick clothing, they still felt cold.
A knight rode up beside Yu Mo. “My lord, the wind and snow are getting stronger. We should find a nearby town to rest for a while and continue our journey tomorrow.”
Yu Mo nodded in agreement. He could use magic to keep part of his body warm, but the remaining knights could not; they needed a break.
The snowstorm was so heavy that the path ahead seemed to shrink into a narrow trail, with trees and grayish-white snow further on.
This scene felt somewhat familiar, reminding Yu Mo of the time of life and death.
Just then, he recalled the boy, battered and bruised in the snowstorm. A figure emerged from the swirling snow ahead.
The figure walked along the covered path, its wide cloak dusted with snow. A strong gust of wind blew through, lifting the hood and revealing long, light-colored hair.
The wind was so fierce that it was hard to keep his eyes open. Suddenly, Yu Mo pulled his horse to a stop next to the figure.
“Peruth?”
