I Was The Hero, But I Woke Up as a Phoenix Princess! – Chapter 960

Chapter 6 Village in War
On the lakeside border of the Tyloratea Empire, separated from the Emerald Forest by the Storm Inner Sea.
In the Golden Era, the elves once possessed a proud Inner Sea fleet by the coast of the Inner Sea. That was an era when the elves controlled the rich Inner Sea, a fleet unparalleled in the world, as dazzling as the gems adorning the Elf Empire’s crown.
However, with the rise of the Tyloratea Empire, the elves gradually lost control of the Inner Sea, and thirty years ago, the Black Moon Disaster, which almost annihilated the elven kingdom, directly destroyed the Inner Sea fleet.
After Verafia replanted the World Tree, Queen Ravnos also began to rebuild the elven fleet. However, in just one year, it was not even enough to construct a proper warship, let alone regain control of the Storm Inner Sea.
Of course, Verafia did not need to attack the Empire through the Storm Inner Sea.
In addition, Pope Moon’s influence was still limited to the center of the Empire and had not yet controlled the entire Empire. The various lords and electors of the Empire, despite their differing intentions, had, to a certain extent, reached an alliance to oppose the Holy Light Pope.
And this Elector Duke, who controlled the lakeside border region, had also reached an alliance with the Elf Empire.
Because there was no obstruction, and moreover, fifty years ago, the legendary behemoth of the Storm Inner Sea was also slain by Lancaster, Verafia’s journey was incredibly smooth. Within a few days, under the escort of the imperial fleet, she safely arrived on land.
Upon arriving on imperial territory, the Elector intended to prepare a grand banquet for her, but Verafia shook her head and refused this request.
She had come to the Empire not to discuss benefits with lords and nobles, nor did she intend to make these humans believe in her. She was simply passing through on her way to the City of Holy Light where Moon resided.
Seeing that the girl’s will was decided, the Elector naturally did not have many objections. He then sent Verafia and her entourage away from the castle, continuing to prepare troops and await the formal assembly of the elven army.
Ig had never been to the Empire. However, he had read many travelogues. Although not as fertile as Peka’s land, the Tyloratea Empire was still known for its richness.
Since the Demon Race War, the newly elected emperor of Tyloratea had found it difficult to suppress the rising ambitions of the feudal lords. However, over a hundred years, apart from continental disasters such as the Abyss Disaster and the beast tide unrest, the Empire had generally maintained decades of peace.
What appeared before them should have been a peaceful and tranquil village, but at this moment, this village was destroyed by disaster.
After the flames subsided, broken tiles and cinders revealed scorched charcoal. Male bodies lay scattered on blood-soaked ground, swarming with flies. Because they had not been collected for a long time, the bodies emitted a nauseating stench.
Ig held the hand of a little girl, wearing an oversized robe. Her dirty little face, with eyes that had shed tears, was reddened. She saw her mother anxiously waiting in the ruined village and rushed into her embrace with a sob.
Ig stood where he was, smiling and shaking his head in response to the villagers’ gratitude in the imperial language.
They had coincidentally passed by this destroyed village this morning, and because Verafia showed a look of unbearable distress, they had temporarily stopped.
As for Ig, he carried his sword and went to search for the mountain bandits who had brought about the tragedy.
The little girl just now was the last survivor Ig had found in the mountain bandits’ lair. Ig still felt some reluctance to recall the tragic treatment this girl had suffered. Only his sword retained the blood of those bandit leaders.
In fact, the strength of those mountain bandits was not high. The strongest leader was merely Platinum. Yet, they had wreaked havoc in this region for several months, burning, killing, and plundering countless villages.
Due to the Empire’s internal strife, the local lord had not even dispatched troops to quell them. It was only today that these mountain bandits lay dead under Ig’s sword.
Thinking of the series of disturbances he had witnessed since entering the Empire and leaving the Elector’s castle, Ig could not help but sigh, even with the Sword of Annihilation in hand.
Ever since Pope Moon publicly killed the Emperor and established the Holy Light Kingdom in the Holy City, the entire Tyloratea Empire had fallen into uncontrollable warfare.
Countless swordsmen and mages had traveled with great effort to the Holy City, bathed in holy light, attempting to execute the Pope who had blasphemed against the light. Within the Empire, the feudal lords who had lost their Emperor formed alliances for various reasons, and launched repeated wars against the forces of the City of Holy Light on imperial territory.
Under such circumstances, the feudal system that the Tyloratea Empire still maintained fell into chaos. Neither the Pope of the Holy City, who claimed divine mandate from the Lord of Light, nor the feudal lords united under the banner of righteousness, paid much attention to the commoners whose homes were shattered by the war.
“According to Andes, Moon is delusional, trying to bring heaven to earth. The so-called mortals are merely fuel for the light. What he wants is to drag these people into the sea of light…”
“As for the imperial lords, including that Elector Duke, their alliance is merely due to ambition, for more territory and power. How many of them truly care about the deceased Emperor or Princess Siya? As for these commoners, they are even less important.”
Despite what he thought, he and Verafia were not from the Empire. They were merely passing through on their way to the City of Holy Light, and at least for now, there was not much they could do.
Ig shook his head, leaving his spiritual imprint in the village. Perhaps after they departed, it could help these villagers mitigate the next disaster. He then sheathed his sword and prepared to find Verafia.
Walking through the ruined village, Ig’s gaze swept across. Besides the newly rescued villagers, there were many sick people in the village, lying on the ground, writhing in pain, their skin ulcerated, oozing black pus and blood.
Plague bred in war. Perhaps half a month before they arrived, refugees who had drifted there had also sown the plague. Within a few days, this village, ravaged by mountain bandits and scorched to the ground, had become hell.
Perhaps it was the plague that caused no one to collect the bodies on the ground, which in turn facilitated the spread of the plague.
Ig suddenly felt a gentle healing divine art emanating from a ruined church.
The village’s original priest had also been killed by the mountain bandits. However, according to the villagers, two days before they arrived, a young priest had stationed himself in this ruined church, using divine arts to treat the plague.
As he passed by the church, Ig’s steps could not help but slow. He had only heard of this priest before and had never seen him. Coincidentally, the last patient was walking out, so he became curious and looked into the church.