From Secret Clan to the Divine Dynasty

Three months of besieged life had shrouded Banyoles City in a haze of gloom. Every day and night, the people within the city endured their lives amidst fear and anticipation, their existence eroded by endless anxiety and unease.

The erstwhile clamor of the city streets was gone, replaced by a silence only occasionally broken by the footsteps of patrolling troops and the distant rumbling of artillery fire.

The destruction caused by the battles fought by the Extraordinary Exponents was too vast. Although not a single Monarch powerful expert had perished in three months, and the city's barrier remained operational, the aftermath of a dozen battles had almost completely reduced the entire city to ruins.

The lives of the residents of Banyoles had become extraordinarily difficult, food and water extremely scarce. People had to rely on the army's rationing and limited reserves to sustain themselves.

Every morsel of food seemed precious beyond measure, each drop of water like the source of life itself.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

To conserve resources, the citizens of Banyoles had to take various measures: saving fuel, conserving water, everyone contributing their strength to the struggle for survival.

However, in these unprecedented hardships, the people of Banyoles exhibited remarkable resilience and unity. They supported each other, and even groups of volunteers, believers in the Silver Moon Lady and the Lord of Salvation, formed teams to provide essential help to the city's residents, braving dangers and moving through every corner of the city to bring hope to those in pain.

These volunteers could leave the city under the guidance of priests from the True Gods Church and then return to Banyoles, but each time they could only bring limited amounts of food and medicine, and they were always rigorously checked for weapons and extraordinary materials, with no Extraordinary Exponents among them.

The weather turned colder, and the long siege of Banyoles tested the citizens' mental endurance enormously. They were constantly worried about the safety of their family members, fearing the loss of loved ones and friends.

The only good news was that the Frosac and Jones families had not yet entered the battle, and though the Adley Royal Family continuously urged action, they dared not offend them at such a time.

"Mommy, I'm hungry."

The little boy and his mother begged for food, but the worried mother just sighed deeply.

Suddenly, the sky quietly changed color, shifting from a deep leaden gray to a soft silvery white. A slight cold breeze swept by, carrying a subtle chill with it.

Those immaculate elves gently fluttered down from the sky, growing more and more dense, like countless tiny hands softly caressing the forgotten city.

They twirled and spun in the air before slowly settling on rooftops, streets, treetops, and ancient architectures weathered by the years.

The contours of the city blurred with the sprinkling of snowflakes, as if donning a mysterious veil; the originally dreary tones replaced by soft silvery white, instilling a sense of tranquility and solemnity.

The besieged citizens peeked out from their hiding spots, surprised at this sudden change. Some showed expressions of joy as if glimpsing the first light of hope; others remained furrowed with worry, apprehensive about the unknown future.

Meanwhile, the troops of the Royal Family outside the city were also stunned by the snowflakes in the sky.

"It's snowing!"

After three long months of siege, the troop faced unprecedented difficulties. The weather grew severely cold, and the soldiers from various regions were mentally and physically exhausted to their limits.

Despite their valiant fighting and fearless bravery, this city seemed to have endless resistance, preventing them from breaking through the defenses.

The soldiers' mood shifted from initial high spirits to heaviness and despondency, feeling utterly helpless as if completely enveloped by endless darkness.

The prolonged combat and marching left them drained, their steps heavy and slow. At night, they lay in their simple tents, too physically and mentally fatigued to sleep, the tumult of the battlefield and the calls of their comrades echoing incessantly in their minds.

The long duration of the battle also filled soldiers on both sides with confusion and bewilderment, not knowing when the war would end, uncertain of their fate.

The uncertainty and sense of powerlessness were perpetually excruciating.

In the military camp outside the city, the aristocrats, led by the Adley Royal Family, were now gathered together.

"It's snowing?"

Marquis Vlad stepped out of the tent, gazing at the sky filled with sparkling translucent snowflakes. As they approached him, they would silently vanish due to the invisible high heat.

Three months ago, he had made a surprise attack on Nasir City of the East Coast Province and almost died there. He had used a Forbidden rare artifact to make a narrow escape.

Marquis Vlad quickly returned to the vicinity of Banyoles and was astonished to find out something – Byrne Fischer and Chris Fischer had apparently never left the area.

"How is that possible? I clearly saw them there!"

He was extremely shocked, feeling that there were only two possibilities: Either one of the Fischers impersonating a Monarch powerful expert was fake, or the Fischer family possessed the ability for ultra-long-range movement!

"Did they use some kind of Forbidden rare artifact?"

Marquis Vlad pondered the possibility but couldn't be sure.

In fact, the aristocrats of the Adley side were also facing tremendous pressure; they needed to devise appropriate strategies and plans. That they still hadn't taken Banyoles after a full three months was somewhat beyond everyone's expectation.

"It's hard to say how long this battle will go on. The Star Society is causing trouble back in my hometown, hmph!"

He had already received news about citizens being misled and seizing towns, and he had dispatched Extraordinary Exponents from his family to quell the unrest.

Marquis Vlad turned and went back inside the military camp, where "Sword of Salvation" His Majesty Noah sat calmly in his seat.

The young king, with his golden locks, always seemed very calm, a calmness that was even a bit unusual.

Besides the two of them, "Silver Poet" Aphrodus was also present.

She silently stared at Marquis Vlad, saying nothing.

Marquis Vlad had long noticed that this "Silver Poet" was a metal puppet, and the real Aphrodus was hiding somewhere, not having truly appeared for three months.

"Your Majesty, it has started to snow," said someone quietly.

The new king, "Sword of Salvation" Noah, nodded and said softly, "I know."

Over these months, Marquis Vlad had always found it strange that whether it was the "Silver Poet," the new king, or even his old friend "White Spirit," every one of them was reluctant to speak.

In the end, it was always he who spoke alone.

What a bunch of inexplicable people. As his patience mysteriously drained away, he shook his head and turned to leave the tent.

A while later, Marquis Vlad came back, looking terrible and holding a letter in his hand.

"I must withdraw the troops, Your Majesty."

"Why?"

The new king Noah lifted his head and looked at Marquis Vlad, his gaze seemingly devoid of any emotion.

"My homeland was attacked by the Fischer family, suffering heavy losses. Fischer's Byrne and Chris somehow appeared thousands of miles away, dammit!" he exclaimed.

If this had happened three months ago, Marquis Vlad could have endured, but after an entire three months of fruitless siege, he was now very eager to leave!

Noah did not respond, just silently pondered.

The recent attacks had almost no effect because both sides of the battle had become passive, and continuing in this vein would achieve nothing.

But he did not want to give up just like that.

However, then came more nobles who entered, stating the need to return to their homelands because their lands had been attacked by the Fischer family!

All the lands under the nobility's control were like their own blood and flesh. Rather than helping the Royal Family win the civil war, they cherished their own interests more!

Noah did not take a stand, but in the following days, more and more nobles boldly expressed their desire to leave, and the morale of the whole army dissipated easily.

Marquis Vlad was also astonished.

"The Fischer family, can those two really appear anywhere in the country at will? How did they do it?"

Nevertheless, no matter what the truth was, there was one thing now clear to everyone—the siege battle would not continue.

The nobility was also deeply fearful within their hearts, unable to figure out how the Fischer family managed it? Those two had always been on the front lines!

——

"The enemy is retreating!"

The moment the Royal Army pulled back, the long-besieged city seemed to awake from a heavy dream, bursting with unprecedented vitality and vigor.

"They have finally retreated!"

"We won!"

"Fantastic! Praise to Banyoles! Praise to the Romann and Fischer families!"

The citizens cheered and whooped uncontrollably with emotion!

Excitement filled the air in Banyoles, as if emotions bottled up for countless days and nights were all released in that moment!

People poured out of their homes onto the streets of the city, their faces beaming with radiant smiles, eyes sparkling with excitement, shouting loudly, their voices merging into a powerful torrent echoing above the city.

Children ran and played in the streets, their laughter as clear and sweet as silver bells, seemingly forgetting all past panic and unease, while adults gathered together, embracing and kissing each other, sharing this hard-won joy.

When night fell, the people of the city lit fireworks, and beautiful blossoms burst forth in the night sky.

"We've finally made them pull back," Byrne of the Romann family manor's drawing-room took a deep breath. Over these three months, he and Chris went behind enemy lines, wreaking havoc, gradually piling up pressure on that motley crew.

The heavy snow was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Eventually, the Adley Royal Family's army withdrew.

However, he was very clear about one thing: the matters were not yet over.

"The war hasn't ended like this. We can only be certain of one thing—they're unlikely to attempt a concentrated attack on major cities again easily. What's likely to follow will be a long stage of attrition and struggle," he surmised.