The promotion ceremony for the Red Priest requires sparking a war that sweeps across the entire continent, achieving numerous victories. Although this is technically the Four Emperors' Era, overall peace still prevails, with only minor skirmishes occurring occasionally between the four nations. A full-scale war has yet to erupt.
Under such circumstances, if they preemptively launch an attack on Tudor to exact revenge, it would naturally satisfy the ceremony's requirements.
"Of course..." Medici said, with a fiery glint in his blood-red eyes. He had waited too long for this day and was eager for vengeance against Tudor.
"What do you think, Solomon? Should we go to war?" Lynn looked at Black Emperor Solomon, skipping over the True Creator, as he knew that Solomon and Medici shared a similar stance.
"Since Tudor can't wait, I see no reason to hold back," replied Solomon in a calm tone, his position clear.
Lynn nodded, recalling events from the original novel. In that story, the full-scale war among the Four Emperors erupted much later, ultimately yielding no true winner. The Black Emperor Solomon and the Blood Emperor Tudor both perished, while Night Emperor Trunsoest achieved a partial victory but died shortly afterward alongside his wife. Death God Salinger alone survived, only to later unleash the Pale Disaster.
The true victors were the allies of the Four Emperors: the Six Gods, the three cautious families, and the True Creator's faction, all of whom endured until the world's impending end. Apart from the War God, who fell victim to his role, and Mr. Door, who sacrificed himself out of loyalty, everyone else managed to survive. Even Antigonus, who had been insane for half a century, regained sanity and resumed his role as Miracle Invoker after Klein's ascent as Lord of Mysteries.
Compared to the original timeline, the Fourth Epoch, now disrupted by Lynn, was far more complicated. Blood Emperor Tudor's core family members had risen, becoming major threats. Tudor himself, not one to miss an opportunity, had managed to recruit powerful allies from the Six Gods, including the Eternal Blazing Sun. His plan was to double-cross his own kin and initiate a new battle.
As the situation intensified, the Night Emperor Trunsoest secretly aligned with the cautious families, forming alliances. With Lynn as a witness, Trunsoest had even reconciled with Solomon, his former friend turned enemy. Despite past betrayal, gods prioritized interests over grudges. Just as Medici allied with Amon in the original text, Trunsoest and Solomon set aside differences for mutual benefit.
Lynn was a significant factor in this reunion. Solomon feared both Lynn and the ever-growing True Creator and sought a reliable ally. Meanwhile, Trunsoest, cautious about the future Lynn had described, realized that continued hostilities against Solomon would likely fail. Both men, therefore, reached a mutually beneficial truce.
As for Death God Salinger, who had recently lost Azik, his favored subordinate, he appointed a new tool as Death's Consul. However, this new assistant did not satisfy Salinger as Azik once had. Interestingly, the Primordial Demoness had also contacted Salinger, hinting at a hidden connection with a certain Spectator.
Given the complex web of relationships, it was clear why Blood Emperor Tudor would want to strike first. He was, essentially, surrounded by enemies. With Lynn keeping a close watch, Tudor knew that waiting could mean even more adversaries aligning against him, possibly even the Six Gods. Acting now presented his best chance for victory.
What Tudor failed to realize, however, was that his own network was already infiltrated by Lynn's loyalists. Aside from the Eternal Blazing Sun and the God of Combat, who were aligned with Tudor, the Evernight Goddess was Lynn's staunch ally. Though the Earth Mother outwardly opposed Evernight, there was a subtle understanding between them. The Lord of Storms followed Evernight's lead, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, a master of alliances, subtly extended an olive branch.
"Ha..." Lynn couldn't help but laugh at the situation, then fell silent, resting his chin in contemplation. For him, this war carried little weight beyond preserving the lives of his allies in the True Creator's camp and his friends like Bethel. With Solomon and Trunsoest, his strategy was simple: gain whatever he could from them, but let go if that wasn't possible.
However, his stance toward Tudor and Salinger was clear—they were enemies. Tudor was an old foe, while Salinger was responsible for countless future atrocities. If he could eliminate them, he would.
As for the countless civilians caught in the chaos, Lynn had little choice. While war's devastation was inevitable, he would do his best to limit the casualties, shorten the war, and establish a united empire that would improve lives and pave the way for scientific and technological advancements.
(End of Chapter)