King

The eerie sound of a horn echoed, causing the bloodthirsty rebel soldiers to become even more crazed. Their eyes were filled with nothing but the desire to kill, seemingly oblivious to pain.

If you looked carefully, you would notice their faces turning as red as if they had consumed chili peppers.

The most eerie thing was their eyes. They were glowing with a green color, like demons emerging from hell.

The rebel army had engaged their madness, proving troublesome to the coalition of nobles. The nobles had just gathered their courage to counterattack the Crimson Knights' Brigade, only to be blindsided.

How can you fight an enemy that does not fear death?

Just as Hudson was preparing to flee, a flag appearing from the rear pulled him back from that thought.

A noble's private army has arrived. No matter who it was or what their strength was, any reinforcement was welcomed.

The arrival of reinforcements stabilized the coalition's forces that were on the brink of collapse. Although they were still being forced back by the rebel army, Hudson remained calm.

After the first noble's private army arrived, more would follow. They were all in this together, like grasshoppers on a rope.

With the Crimson Knights joining the fight and engaging battle mode, if their alliance were to suffer a major defeat, it would be hard to halt the rebels' advance through the Southeastern Province.

The flames of war would one day reach their lands; no one would be spared. If they did not fight fiercely now, they wouldn't get another chance later.

As the battlefield's situation gradually stabilized, Hudson, as a free-riding knight, had time to think.

The mysterious sound of the horn arose, and the enemy became maddeningly wild. There must be a connection between the two.

He didn't know what the mysterious horn was, but he was certain that it was not anything benign. Any method that greatly stimulated one's potential would inevitably have its drawbacks.

The behavior of the rebel soldiers told the story: this wasn't just stimulating potential; they lost their self-awareness.

It was evident that even if these individuals were lucky enough to survive the battlefield, they would be virtually ruined.

"What a peculiar move from a cult organization!"

After muttering to himself, Hudson secretly heightened his alertness towards the Skeleton Society. Their malicious potential was far greater than any cult he knew from his previous world.

...

"Blood Moon Horn!"

Earl Piers exclaimed.

"It can't be! This can't be! The Blood Moon Horn was sealed in the Papal State three hundred years ago. How did it fall into the hands of the Skeleton Society?"

Recalling the source of that eerie sound, Earl Piers found it hard to believe. An evil tool which had been sealed by the Church for three hundred years had now appeared in the hands of the rebels.

At this moment, he suddenly understood why the ruling nobles of both Layton and Wharton counties were overthrown easily by the rebels.

With the evil tool, the harmless serfs could turn into murder machines. Although their fighting power wasn't much, an army of ants can kill an elephant.

Like at this moment, those fighting fiercely within the rebel army were merely temporarily conscripted serfs, or poor citizens from various towns. The Skeleton Society wouldn't care less about their losses.

But the situation was different for the noble alliance. With each setback against the rebels, they were draining their own strength. If they suffered heavy losses, they were likely to decline.

For Earl Piers' Crimson Knights, each knight was handpicked and trained for years before they were ready for battle.

The cost of maintaining this corps was substantial. Even a local lord found it challenging.

Despite its formidable fighting strength, recognized as one of the top 10 knights of the Kingdom, it only counted a group of just over a thousand members.

Every lost knight was a pain to Earl Piers. Now, they had to compete with their opponent in a war of attrition, making the losses even more devastating.

Even the prosperous Dalton family wouldn't be able to sustain the fight, let alone the smaller noble clans.

"Send a signal; command the troops in the fortress to attack. Raise the blood-colored battle flag; I will not rest until the Skeleton Society is destroyed!"

Earl Piers yelled in anger.

Without the 'Blood Moon Horn', the Skeleton Society was too threatening. Unless we exterminate them before they grow stronger, it would be challenging to counteract them later.

In the past three hundred years, the Blood Moon Sect had stirred the entire continent of Aslante with this evil tool. The once mighty West Empire was ended because of this.

In the end, under the organization of the Church, countries on the continent joined forces to exterminate the Blood Moon Cultists.

Since the 'Blood Moon Horn' was a divine artifact that cannot be destroyed, the Pope at that time sealed the horn in the sacred land of the Papal State using divine techniques and assigned the Judgement Knights to guard it.

Now, this hot potato had appeared on his territory. If he didn't deal with it promptly, all the powerful forces in the continent would be attracted here.

Once they gathered to compete for the 'Blood Moon Horn,' the scene would give Earl Piers the creeps.

There is no medicine for regret. If he had known that the Skeleton Society had the 'Blood Moon Horn', he would have taken his knights to fight as soon as the rebellion started without allowing them to grow stronger.

Although he has no pill for this regret, Earl Piers was determined to rectify it. Raising the blood-colored battle flag representing resolution, he was ready to stake his life against theirs.

With the display of the blood-colored battle flag that symbolizes battling to the death, the entire nobles' alliance was in an uproar, realizing the gravity of the situation.

From this moment, this war has no way to retreat. Either they successfully annihilate the rebels, or they get annihilated by the rebels. There is no third option.

All the nobles present knew they were screwed. Those who fled would not only be sentenced to death themselves but would also bring the king's wrath upon their clans.

Of course, those not only limited to the people on the battlefield. Any nobles who failed to arrive on the battlefield on time would also face severe punishment from the Kingdom later.

Surprised by the turn of events, Hudson muttered in disbelief, "Earl Piers has gone mad". The stakes on the table were too high leading him to be speechless.

As an exalted earl, he was acting like a gambler by putting his life on the line. This was too reckless.

Unable to comprehend, all he could do was accept the situation passively. After all, he was just a rookie knight.

As for his current life, Hudson was quite satisfied. With a little more effort, he will have the potential to become a fief noble.

By then, he would have a house, a car, and money, and girls will willingly come knocking on his door. He could live comfortably for the rest of his life.

Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't give up his current status and name and start over in a different place.